Destiny Lost
#2: In the Space of Desire
Authors: Sonya and Erin
E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: B/X, O/Other, AU, action/adventure, romance
Summary: This is a sequel to our epic saga "In the Space of a Heartbeat," which is a story about what would happen if Buffy had never gotten the Slayer powers.
Disclaimer: We do not own Buffy or any of the original characters or ideas from the show. They all belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc. All we own is our own creative genius (unless that's too strong a word :) and any characters we make up.
Distribution: Regulars... SURE!!! Newbies... ask and you shall recieve!
Feedback: Love it! We want to know your likes AND dislikes. Flames are the only thing we do not accept.
Spoilers: None much for the shows, but heavy spoilers for the earlier installments of this fanfic series!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part 1
The Graveyard
Thwack!
The stake hit home with a satisfying thunk, and the vampire around it burst into a pile of dust that blew away on the sweet, nighttime breeze.
Adrenaline still flowing, Buffy Summers grinned. "Gotcha!" She twirled her stake and tucked it back into the pocket of her jean jacket. She'd been the Slayer for almost a month now, but she still got a thrill every time she kicked vampire butt. It wasn't so long ago -- less than 2 years -- that the doctors hadn't been sure if she'd ever walk again. Proving them wrong had been a struggle, but a good one.
The smile still curving her lips, she turned toward the tree behind her. It was a tall, crooked tree, ripe with hiding places. Perfect cover for a bad guy. But she knew who was hiding there now. As she watched, out stepped her boyfriend, Alexander Harris, one-time Pseudo-Slayer, one of Buffy's three trainers and the only person who could make her heart pound faster than the thrill of her newfound powers.
"Hey," she said, stolling over to him with her most sexy walk. "How'd I do?"
He smiled, walking toward her. "Not too bad, but you're still a little sloppy. You left some holes in your defenses. Just because this vamp was stupid, doesn't mean that the others you face will be."
Buffy sighed. This was trainer-Xander, not boyfriend-Xander. But she knew that she still had a long way to go Slayer-wise before she was as good as her predecessor, Sonya Parker. Then again, Buffy was a determined girl.
"What holes?" she asked, all business.
She and Xander went through a re-enactment of the fight, him showing her where she'd gone wrong or forgotten some defensive strategy. Buffy listened to all the advice from one more experienced than she, but when Xander wanted to go through it a second time, she balked.
"I know that the rules are important," Buffy said, her tone mildly irritated but softened by the smile that looking at Xander always brought to her face. "But what about instinct? What about that spur-of-the-moment knowledge that springs from your gut?" It was a conversation she'd had with Xander, Sonya and especially Rupert Giles, her Watcher, many times before.
Xander shrugged. "There's something to be said for instinct and gut feelings, definitely. I'd be telling a lie if I said that relying on my instincts hadn't saved my life on more than one occasion during the past year. But there's more to being the Slayer than just instinct. You have to get the basics down first, Buffy. And once you have that, then instinct can come into play. I know I sound like a Giles-clone, but in order to be an effective Slayer you need to follow a orderly training process... which means basics first."
Buffy frowned at his lecture, but she couldn't stay annoyed with him for long.
Xander gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You'll be fine. In fact, and don't let this go to your head, but you've been doing remarkably well lately. Even Sonya admitted that you definitely have what it takes."
That remark provoked a smile from Buffy. It was hard living in the shadow of a former Slayer. Of course, transferring the powers to Buffy had been a necessity because of Sonya's accident, but the consequences of having an ex-Slayer still around with no powers made things sticky sometimes.
As they walked back to his jeep, Xander got a mischevious glint in his eyes and added, "Though as far as I'm concerned, there was never any doubt about your slaying skills. After all, you are *my* girlfriend, so the way I figure it, some of my slaying brilliance must have rubbed off on you!"
Buffy rolled her eyes, but her voice was teasing. "That's it. *Your* brilliance made me what I am today!" She moved her hand as if to slug him, but she moved it very slowly.
Xander grinned, easily avoiding the punch she aimed at his shoulder. "You know, you're cute when you're angry," he told her. Then he leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. "Have I told you lately how incredible you are?"
Words like that melted Buffy's heart every time. He opened the door of the jeep for her, and she hopped up onto the seet. Before he could move away, Buffy grabbed his shirt collar in a playful-yet-firm grip and pulled him in close for a kiss. Her heart pounded, as it always did at the touch of his lips, and she gave herself up to the sensation. Then, remembering they were outside and vulnerable, she let him go.
"No," she said, finally answering his question, "but how was that for instinctive?"
"Uh..." Xander, who was still reeling from the powerful kiss Buffy had given him, stumbled over his words. "Yeah... I'd say that was... er... what were we talking about again?"
Buffy shrugged. "It doesn't matter." Her eyes landed on her watch and she gasped. "It's almost 3 o'clock in the morning! I've got to get home. I don't want Mom to know I snuck out the window. She's been cool about extra-late weekend nights, but she puts her foot down about school nights."
"Never fear, m'lady!" Xander cried, running around the jeep and hopping into the passenger side. "I wilt get thee home beforest thy mother dearest awakens."
A laugh bubbled out of Buffy's throat. "That's what I love about you, Xand. You're a knight in shining armor until the end."
He gave her puppy dog eyes as they pulled away from the cemetary. The jeep was the only vehicle on the road at this late hour. "That's the only thing you love about me?"
She pretended to consider. "Well, you do get points for stellar kissing ability, and for having the intelligence to ask me out..."
"And for not bowing to the 'wisdom' of my superiors when they ordered me to dump you," Xander added.
"That goes without saying," Buffy agreed, hoping to move on from that topic. Xander had forgiven Giles and Sonya for those 'orders,' and for the most part Buffy had, too... But sometimes it just made her a little angry to think about it. She shoved the thought out of her mind, as usual, and changed the subject.
"Well, what do you love about me?" she challenged, green eyes flickering with mischief.
"Hmmm..." Xander scratched his head. "There's your un-earthly beauty for one thing."
"Oh, that old line," Buffy scoffed playfully, thought the compliment really warmed her heart. And she knew that he knew she felt that way by his answering grin.
Xander continued, "And there's your witty reparte, your skill with a stake... and you're no slouch in the smoochies department either."
She laughed again, and then realized they were a block away from her house. "Stop here," she ordered. "That way the sound of your car stopping won't wake Mom up." Pulling over, Xander let the motor idle while Buffy hopped out of the jeep. "Thanks for the ride," she said, grabbing her backpack of weapons.
"No problem. I'll save you anytime. You're my damsel of choice."
Charmed by his cuteness, Buffy leaned in for one more kiss, then she began jogging toward her house. He waited until she vanished into the backyard of the house right behind hers before pulling away again.
His words echoed in Buffy's mind as she ran. "You're my damsel of choice." They brought to mind the second time she'd met Xander -- the time he saved her from a vamp named Linus outside the Bronze. That had been two nights before Willow and Spike's failed scheme to kill them all resulted in the burning down of the popular night spot. Buffy still missed the Bronze.
But she also worried about Xander's remark. It had seemed so off the cuff, but it hit home to her. Xander had liked saving her, being the big, strong, manly man. They'd never talked about it since the spell that gave her the Slayer powers, but now she generally didn't need saving any more -- or she needed it less and less as her training progressed. Of course, there were still times he could help her -- training for example -- but it was a different kind of helping. Not the "strong man saves pretty damsel" type of thing. And didn't men generally have a complex about that sort of thing? Buffy could remember seeing many a sitcom based on the premise that the husband was jealous that his wife made more money, or had a better job or some such thing...
Vaulting over the neighbor's fence, Buffy landed in her own backyard and made quick work of climbing into her window. Everything was just as she'd left it -- pillows plumped to look like a sleeping form just in case her mother peeked in, clothes scattered on the floor, the lights off, the door closed, no Mom waiting in the chair by her bed to demand an explaination.
Buffy breathed a sigh of relief at one more night un-caught, though she knew her luck couldn't last forever. Then she changed into a pink nightgown and crawled into bed amongst her pillows. Pushing any unpleasant thoughts away, she focused instead on Xander's sweet smile and his fiery kisses and fell asleep with a beautific smile on her face.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that morning, Sonya heard Giles puttering around in the kitchen and plastered a friendly smile on her face, moving her wheelchair in that direction. But the smile didn't reach her eyes. It hadn't in a long time, actually. Lately, it seemed like there just wasn't much cause to smile anymore. As Sonya entered the kitchen and mumbled something in answer to Giles' cheerful "How did you sleep?" she looked down at her legs -- legs that hadn't felt anything in over a year -- and started to get royally depressed.
Suddenly, the phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts. Giles picked it up and listened to the person on the other end before smiling briefly at Sonya. "It's for you."
Sonya took the cordless phone from him and held it to her ear, saying, "Hello?"
"Hey, it's me."
Sonya grinned, the first real smile she'd had all morning. "Hi, Oz."
"Hi yourself," he replied, making her smile wider. Cutting right to the chase -- he was never one for small-talk -- Oz asked, "Have you got a ride to school?"
Sonya shook her head. "Actually, Xander's got his daily ritual with the Buffster and Giles needs to go to some faculty meeting this morning, so if I go with him, I have to go way too early."
"Well, my van and I are at your service."
"Thanks," Sonya replied warmly. "I really appreciate it, Oz."
"I'll be at your front door at 7:30, okay?"
"Sure thing. I'll be ready."
"Bye."
"Bye, Oz." Sonya handed the phone back to Giles and headed to her room to get ready for school. As she dressed, she wondered what interesting things would happen at school today. With friends like hers, one never could tell.
#2: In the Space of Desire
Authors: Sonya and Erin
E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: B/X, O/Other, AU, action/adventure, romance
Summary: This is a sequel to our epic saga "In the Space of a Heartbeat," which is a story about what would happen if Buffy had never gotten the Slayer powers.
Disclaimer: We do not own Buffy or any of the original characters or ideas from the show. They all belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc. All we own is our own creative genius (unless that's too strong a word :) and any characters we make up.
Distribution: Regulars... SURE!!! Newbies... ask and you shall recieve!
Feedback: Love it! We want to know your likes AND dislikes. Flames are the only thing we do not accept.
Spoilers: None much for the shows, but heavy spoilers for the earlier installments of this fanfic series!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part 1
The Graveyard
Thwack!
The stake hit home with a satisfying thunk, and the vampire around it burst into a pile of dust that blew away on the sweet, nighttime breeze.
Adrenaline still flowing, Buffy Summers grinned. "Gotcha!" She twirled her stake and tucked it back into the pocket of her jean jacket. She'd been the Slayer for almost a month now, but she still got a thrill every time she kicked vampire butt. It wasn't so long ago -- less than 2 years -- that the doctors hadn't been sure if she'd ever walk again. Proving them wrong had been a struggle, but a good one.
The smile still curving her lips, she turned toward the tree behind her. It was a tall, crooked tree, ripe with hiding places. Perfect cover for a bad guy. But she knew who was hiding there now. As she watched, out stepped her boyfriend, Alexander Harris, one-time Pseudo-Slayer, one of Buffy's three trainers and the only person who could make her heart pound faster than the thrill of her newfound powers.
"Hey," she said, stolling over to him with her most sexy walk. "How'd I do?"
He smiled, walking toward her. "Not too bad, but you're still a little sloppy. You left some holes in your defenses. Just because this vamp was stupid, doesn't mean that the others you face will be."
Buffy sighed. This was trainer-Xander, not boyfriend-Xander. But she knew that she still had a long way to go Slayer-wise before she was as good as her predecessor, Sonya Parker. Then again, Buffy was a determined girl.
"What holes?" she asked, all business.
She and Xander went through a re-enactment of the fight, him showing her where she'd gone wrong or forgotten some defensive strategy. Buffy listened to all the advice from one more experienced than she, but when Xander wanted to go through it a second time, she balked.
"I know that the rules are important," Buffy said, her tone mildly irritated but softened by the smile that looking at Xander always brought to her face. "But what about instinct? What about that spur-of-the-moment knowledge that springs from your gut?" It was a conversation she'd had with Xander, Sonya and especially Rupert Giles, her Watcher, many times before.
Xander shrugged. "There's something to be said for instinct and gut feelings, definitely. I'd be telling a lie if I said that relying on my instincts hadn't saved my life on more than one occasion during the past year. But there's more to being the Slayer than just instinct. You have to get the basics down first, Buffy. And once you have that, then instinct can come into play. I know I sound like a Giles-clone, but in order to be an effective Slayer you need to follow a orderly training process... which means basics first."
Buffy frowned at his lecture, but she couldn't stay annoyed with him for long.
Xander gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You'll be fine. In fact, and don't let this go to your head, but you've been doing remarkably well lately. Even Sonya admitted that you definitely have what it takes."
That remark provoked a smile from Buffy. It was hard living in the shadow of a former Slayer. Of course, transferring the powers to Buffy had been a necessity because of Sonya's accident, but the consequences of having an ex-Slayer still around with no powers made things sticky sometimes.
As they walked back to his jeep, Xander got a mischevious glint in his eyes and added, "Though as far as I'm concerned, there was never any doubt about your slaying skills. After all, you are *my* girlfriend, so the way I figure it, some of my slaying brilliance must have rubbed off on you!"
Buffy rolled her eyes, but her voice was teasing. "That's it. *Your* brilliance made me what I am today!" She moved her hand as if to slug him, but she moved it very slowly.
Xander grinned, easily avoiding the punch she aimed at his shoulder. "You know, you're cute when you're angry," he told her. Then he leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. "Have I told you lately how incredible you are?"
Words like that melted Buffy's heart every time. He opened the door of the jeep for her, and she hopped up onto the seet. Before he could move away, Buffy grabbed his shirt collar in a playful-yet-firm grip and pulled him in close for a kiss. Her heart pounded, as it always did at the touch of his lips, and she gave herself up to the sensation. Then, remembering they were outside and vulnerable, she let him go.
"No," she said, finally answering his question, "but how was that for instinctive?"
"Uh..." Xander, who was still reeling from the powerful kiss Buffy had given him, stumbled over his words. "Yeah... I'd say that was... er... what were we talking about again?"
Buffy shrugged. "It doesn't matter." Her eyes landed on her watch and she gasped. "It's almost 3 o'clock in the morning! I've got to get home. I don't want Mom to know I snuck out the window. She's been cool about extra-late weekend nights, but she puts her foot down about school nights."
"Never fear, m'lady!" Xander cried, running around the jeep and hopping into the passenger side. "I wilt get thee home beforest thy mother dearest awakens."
A laugh bubbled out of Buffy's throat. "That's what I love about you, Xand. You're a knight in shining armor until the end."
He gave her puppy dog eyes as they pulled away from the cemetary. The jeep was the only vehicle on the road at this late hour. "That's the only thing you love about me?"
She pretended to consider. "Well, you do get points for stellar kissing ability, and for having the intelligence to ask me out..."
"And for not bowing to the 'wisdom' of my superiors when they ordered me to dump you," Xander added.
"That goes without saying," Buffy agreed, hoping to move on from that topic. Xander had forgiven Giles and Sonya for those 'orders,' and for the most part Buffy had, too... But sometimes it just made her a little angry to think about it. She shoved the thought out of her mind, as usual, and changed the subject.
"Well, what do you love about me?" she challenged, green eyes flickering with mischief.
"Hmmm..." Xander scratched his head. "There's your un-earthly beauty for one thing."
"Oh, that old line," Buffy scoffed playfully, thought the compliment really warmed her heart. And she knew that he knew she felt that way by his answering grin.
Xander continued, "And there's your witty reparte, your skill with a stake... and you're no slouch in the smoochies department either."
She laughed again, and then realized they were a block away from her house. "Stop here," she ordered. "That way the sound of your car stopping won't wake Mom up." Pulling over, Xander let the motor idle while Buffy hopped out of the jeep. "Thanks for the ride," she said, grabbing her backpack of weapons.
"No problem. I'll save you anytime. You're my damsel of choice."
Charmed by his cuteness, Buffy leaned in for one more kiss, then she began jogging toward her house. He waited until she vanished into the backyard of the house right behind hers before pulling away again.
His words echoed in Buffy's mind as she ran. "You're my damsel of choice." They brought to mind the second time she'd met Xander -- the time he saved her from a vamp named Linus outside the Bronze. That had been two nights before Willow and Spike's failed scheme to kill them all resulted in the burning down of the popular night spot. Buffy still missed the Bronze.
But she also worried about Xander's remark. It had seemed so off the cuff, but it hit home to her. Xander had liked saving her, being the big, strong, manly man. They'd never talked about it since the spell that gave her the Slayer powers, but now she generally didn't need saving any more -- or she needed it less and less as her training progressed. Of course, there were still times he could help her -- training for example -- but it was a different kind of helping. Not the "strong man saves pretty damsel" type of thing. And didn't men generally have a complex about that sort of thing? Buffy could remember seeing many a sitcom based on the premise that the husband was jealous that his wife made more money, or had a better job or some such thing...
Vaulting over the neighbor's fence, Buffy landed in her own backyard and made quick work of climbing into her window. Everything was just as she'd left it -- pillows plumped to look like a sleeping form just in case her mother peeked in, clothes scattered on the floor, the lights off, the door closed, no Mom waiting in the chair by her bed to demand an explaination.
Buffy breathed a sigh of relief at one more night un-caught, though she knew her luck couldn't last forever. Then she changed into a pink nightgown and crawled into bed amongst her pillows. Pushing any unpleasant thoughts away, she focused instead on Xander's sweet smile and his fiery kisses and fell asleep with a beautific smile on her face.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that morning, Sonya heard Giles puttering around in the kitchen and plastered a friendly smile on her face, moving her wheelchair in that direction. But the smile didn't reach her eyes. It hadn't in a long time, actually. Lately, it seemed like there just wasn't much cause to smile anymore. As Sonya entered the kitchen and mumbled something in answer to Giles' cheerful "How did you sleep?" she looked down at her legs -- legs that hadn't felt anything in over a year -- and started to get royally depressed.
Suddenly, the phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts. Giles picked it up and listened to the person on the other end before smiling briefly at Sonya. "It's for you."
Sonya took the cordless phone from him and held it to her ear, saying, "Hello?"
"Hey, it's me."
Sonya grinned, the first real smile she'd had all morning. "Hi, Oz."
"Hi yourself," he replied, making her smile wider. Cutting right to the chase -- he was never one for small-talk -- Oz asked, "Have you got a ride to school?"
Sonya shook her head. "Actually, Xander's got his daily ritual with the Buffster and Giles needs to go to some faculty meeting this morning, so if I go with him, I have to go way too early."
"Well, my van and I are at your service."
"Thanks," Sonya replied warmly. "I really appreciate it, Oz."
"I'll be at your front door at 7:30, okay?"
"Sure thing. I'll be ready."
"Bye."
"Bye, Oz." Sonya handed the phone back to Giles and headed to her room to get ready for school. As she dressed, she wondered what interesting things would happen at school today. With friends like hers, one never could tell.