Destiny Lost
#1: In the Space of a Heartbeat
Authors: Sonya and Erin
E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: B/X, AU, action/adventure, romance
Summary: An accident seconds before being chosen causes the Slayer Essence to skip Buffy, leaving her a normal girl. Then, a year and a half later, her mom's new job and her parents' divorce brings Buffy and her mother to Sunnydale, where Buffy comes in contact with the world of the night and a young man dedicated to its destruction.
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: Sure, just let us know where it is!
Feedback: Love it! We want to know your likes AND dislikes. Flames are the only thing we do not accept.
Spoilers: Basic BtVS mythology and vampire/slayer lore
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Chapter 8
Xander didn't respond to Willow's comments. Instead, as he moved forward to engage the enemy, he threw a glance over his shoulder and caught Buffy's eyes, mouthing the words, "Run; get inside the house."
He didn't have time to make sure she obeyed him because Willow chose that moment to attack, lunging at him with deadly speed. Xander dodged, bringing his foot up in a viscious kick to her side and sending her reeling. She didn't stay down long, however. Grinning madly, she jumped up and came at him again, fists flying. Xander tried to evade her blows, but she was just too damned fast, moving with a super-human speed. Xander felt one blow land on his nose and heard a crunching sound. He pushed the agony of the pain aside, thinking that his nose was probably broken, and stepped back, playing for more time. But he didn't count on Spike picking that moment to join in the battle, grabbing his arms and pinning him, making him an easy target for Willow's wrath.
As the female vampire came at him again, Xander used Spike's grip on his arms for leverage and sent a hard kick directly into Willow's midsection, knocking her to the ground. The he twisted in Spike's grasp, managing to get one arm free. That was enough to punch Spike in the face, hard. The blond vampire released Xander, staggering backwards. Xander turned and launched a kick at Spike while he wasn't looking, catching him squarely in the jaw. Then he followed up with a roundhouse kick, nailing Spike in the side. He was about to ram his stake right through Spike's heart when he heard a shriek come from behind him and before he could even blink, Willow was on top of him, clawing at him with her fingernails. He elbowed her in the ribs, knocking her away and spun around, grabbing her by the hair and throwing her to the ground harshly. Then he pulled her up while she was still dazed from the fall and spun her around, locking her arms behind her and rendering her helpless before placing the tip of his stake against her heart.
Spike, who was just getting back to his feet, stopped short when he saw Willow's predicament. Xander grinned, tightening his grip on Willow. In answer to her earlier question he replied, "No, I'm NOT happy to see you." Sarcasm practically dripped from his voice as he added, "But thanks for stopping by, really. It's nice to know you care."
Willow snorted, struggling to escape from Xander's hold. "Yeah, well you'll be even less happy when we rip your throat out, now won't you?" Looking over at Spike, she added pointedly, "You know, help here would be appreciated."
Spike rolled his eyes at Willow. He would help when he was damn good and ready. Xander might just be a pseudo-Slayer, but his kick had aimed true and smashed his jaw. It had actually been broken before his preternatural healing took over.
"Don't worry, lover," Spike growled from behind his fangs. "He ain't gonna kill ya." The blond vampire looked at Xander with his glowing eyes. "Are you, boy-o? You've had a million opportunities, and you let her go every time when she does the poor, pitiful Willow routine." He gestured to Willow. "Get on with it..."
Both Xander and Willow were staring at him as if he were mentally incompetent. "Fine then," Spike snapped, "force me to do it the hard way."
He turned and looked at Buffy. She had backed away from the fight, but she hadn't gone inside. "Oh, blonde girl, come to Daddy."
It was Buffy's turn to look at him as if he were insane. "OK, you may be the first English vampire I've encountered, but I'm not stupid. A foreign accent may cause other girls to puddle at your feet, but not me." She pulled out her cross and held it between herself and Spike. There were several yards between her and the vampire.
Spike shrugged. "Oh, well." Then he laughed. Before anyone, except maybe Willow, realized that he had stopped the maniacal chuckles, Spike lowered his head and charged toward Buffy with a supernatural speed.
Buffy's eyes widened and she jumped out of the way in the nick of time. When she did just what Spike had hoped, he lunged under her, twisted, grabbed her airborne feet and threw her toward Xander and Willow with a mighty thrust. The girl floundered in the air and, despite obvious efforts to redirect herself, she crash-landed into Xander. The mortals rolled a few feet and Xander lost his stake. But somehow Buffy had managed to keep hold of her cross, which she held between them and the vampires with a trembling hand.
The vampire strolled over to Willow and helped her to her feet. "Now what should we do, my pet? This is your show, after all. I only came a long for the food. But it'll be bloody unpleasant to get them while the girlie is holdin' that pesky bit o' wood. I, for one, don't relish the idea of burned flesh." He grinned at Buffy. He'd enjoyed tussling with her in spite of himself. He knew if he tried harder he could take her, and he would enjoy that. But for once, Spike was interested in delayed gratification. "At least not on my own flesh."
Buffy looked at Xander and then toward her house. "Do you think we can make a break for it before they catch us?" she whispered indecisively.
Xander made the decision for her, grabbing her hand and taking off for the house. He heard the vampires giving chase and quickened his pace, scrambling up the porch steps and toward the door. Once there, he grabbed the doorknob and twisted, cursing under his breath when he realized that the door was locked. "Where are your keys? Get them out and unlock the door!" he cried, pushing Buffy toward the door and standing between her and the oncoming vampires. He grabbed her cross out of her hand and thrust it out, catching Spike across the jaw with the wooden tip. The vampire's flesh sizzled and burned from where the cross touched him and he screamed in agony, falling back. Willow wisely backed off as well, growling low in her throat but staying just out of reach of the cross. Xander glanced over his shoulder, seeing that Buffy was rummaging through her purse for the house keys, before turning his attention back to the vampires. He hope that she found the keys soon.
"I can't find them!" she hissed to Xander almost in a panic. The two vamps were crouching around, just waiting for an opportunity.
They heard a jingle and looked up in dread. Spike was dangling her keys on one of his long, white fingers. "Missing these, luv?" He grinned, showing off his pointed fangs.
"Where did you get those?" Buffy demanded angrily.
"Found 'em. In an alley. Behind the Bronze. Guess you must've lost 'em when you met up with my pal Linus. You 'member Linus don'cha? My newest son that your boyfriend KILLED?"
Buffy gave Xander a look that said 'cover me,' and then she made her move. There was no other choice. She palmed the stake Mr. Giles had given her, holding it behind her back. Dropping the purse, she grabbed the decorative statue next to the front door and in one quick move smashed it over Willow's head. It was a dazing blow. Buffy was able to get behind the vampire girl and hold the stake to her heart.
"Give me the keys, or I'll kill her," Buffy ordered. Her voice was firm, which belied the panic she felt inside. Vampires were quick healers, if Willow regained full consciousness Buffy could never hold her. Taking a few Tae Kwan Do classes might make her more agile on her new legs, and might even help her defend herself against a mugger, but not against a supernaturally strong vampire.
Spike looked at the girls, glowering. He seemed torn between his desire to get Xander and Buffy and his desire to save his paramour. Part of Buffy's mind wondered if vampires had the capacity to love, and if so, if Spike really loved Willow. She hoped so -- this move was banking on it.
Finally Spike tossed Xander the keys. Xander caught them deftly, not lowering the cross one iota. At that moment, Willow groaned and started to move. Buffy pushed Willow with all her strength, sending her straight into Spike. The vampire managed to catch her, but the unexpected weight nearly toppled them both.
Buffy grabbed the keys from Xander, put the right one in the keyhole and ran inside, with Xander coming after her.
Seconds after they crossed the threshold, Spike regained his balance and lunged for them. Something like an invisible wall kept him from reaching him. Spike growled. A little jumpy, but feeling more secure, Buffy slammed the door in his face.
She turned to Xander. "So that not being able to come in unless they're invited thing really works, huh?"
Buffy jumped when she heard her mom's voice from upstairs. "Buffy, is that you, honey? How was your night? You can tell me all about it over hot chocolate."
"Oh, no," Buffy moaned. Of all the times for her mom to wake up. She looked at Xander. "You can't go out there right now. I won't let you! You may have some special training, but you're not facing those two alone. Can you think of some reason to tell my mom why you have to spend the night. Like your house is being fumigated, but something she'll believe?"
Just them Joyce came down the stairs with a big smile on her face. The smile fell for an instant when she saw Xander, and she clutched her robe more tightly about her shoulders. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't know you'd have company." She looked questioningly at Xander, and Buffy tried frantically to think of something to say.
"Um... Mom... this is Xander..."
#1: In the Space of a Heartbeat
Authors: Sonya and Erin
E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: B/X, AU, action/adventure, romance
Summary: An accident seconds before being chosen causes the Slayer Essence to skip Buffy, leaving her a normal girl. Then, a year and a half later, her mom's new job and her parents' divorce brings Buffy and her mother to Sunnydale, where Buffy comes in contact with the world of the night and a young man dedicated to its destruction.
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: Sure, just let us know where it is!
Feedback: Love it! We want to know your likes AND dislikes. Flames are the only thing we do not accept.
Spoilers: Basic BtVS mythology and vampire/slayer lore
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 8
Xander didn't respond to Willow's comments. Instead, as he moved forward to engage the enemy, he threw a glance over his shoulder and caught Buffy's eyes, mouthing the words, "Run; get inside the house."
He didn't have time to make sure she obeyed him because Willow chose that moment to attack, lunging at him with deadly speed. Xander dodged, bringing his foot up in a viscious kick to her side and sending her reeling. She didn't stay down long, however. Grinning madly, she jumped up and came at him again, fists flying. Xander tried to evade her blows, but she was just too damned fast, moving with a super-human speed. Xander felt one blow land on his nose and heard a crunching sound. He pushed the agony of the pain aside, thinking that his nose was probably broken, and stepped back, playing for more time. But he didn't count on Spike picking that moment to join in the battle, grabbing his arms and pinning him, making him an easy target for Willow's wrath.
As the female vampire came at him again, Xander used Spike's grip on his arms for leverage and sent a hard kick directly into Willow's midsection, knocking her to the ground. The he twisted in Spike's grasp, managing to get one arm free. That was enough to punch Spike in the face, hard. The blond vampire released Xander, staggering backwards. Xander turned and launched a kick at Spike while he wasn't looking, catching him squarely in the jaw. Then he followed up with a roundhouse kick, nailing Spike in the side. He was about to ram his stake right through Spike's heart when he heard a shriek come from behind him and before he could even blink, Willow was on top of him, clawing at him with her fingernails. He elbowed her in the ribs, knocking her away and spun around, grabbing her by the hair and throwing her to the ground harshly. Then he pulled her up while she was still dazed from the fall and spun her around, locking her arms behind her and rendering her helpless before placing the tip of his stake against her heart.
Spike, who was just getting back to his feet, stopped short when he saw Willow's predicament. Xander grinned, tightening his grip on Willow. In answer to her earlier question he replied, "No, I'm NOT happy to see you." Sarcasm practically dripped from his voice as he added, "But thanks for stopping by, really. It's nice to know you care."
Willow snorted, struggling to escape from Xander's hold. "Yeah, well you'll be even less happy when we rip your throat out, now won't you?" Looking over at Spike, she added pointedly, "You know, help here would be appreciated."
Spike rolled his eyes at Willow. He would help when he was damn good and ready. Xander might just be a pseudo-Slayer, but his kick had aimed true and smashed his jaw. It had actually been broken before his preternatural healing took over.
"Don't worry, lover," Spike growled from behind his fangs. "He ain't gonna kill ya." The blond vampire looked at Xander with his glowing eyes. "Are you, boy-o? You've had a million opportunities, and you let her go every time when she does the poor, pitiful Willow routine." He gestured to Willow. "Get on with it..."
Both Xander and Willow were staring at him as if he were mentally incompetent. "Fine then," Spike snapped, "force me to do it the hard way."
He turned and looked at Buffy. She had backed away from the fight, but she hadn't gone inside. "Oh, blonde girl, come to Daddy."
It was Buffy's turn to look at him as if he were insane. "OK, you may be the first English vampire I've encountered, but I'm not stupid. A foreign accent may cause other girls to puddle at your feet, but not me." She pulled out her cross and held it between herself and Spike. There were several yards between her and the vampire.
Spike shrugged. "Oh, well." Then he laughed. Before anyone, except maybe Willow, realized that he had stopped the maniacal chuckles, Spike lowered his head and charged toward Buffy with a supernatural speed.
Buffy's eyes widened and she jumped out of the way in the nick of time. When she did just what Spike had hoped, he lunged under her, twisted, grabbed her airborne feet and threw her toward Xander and Willow with a mighty thrust. The girl floundered in the air and, despite obvious efforts to redirect herself, she crash-landed into Xander. The mortals rolled a few feet and Xander lost his stake. But somehow Buffy had managed to keep hold of her cross, which she held between them and the vampires with a trembling hand.
The vampire strolled over to Willow and helped her to her feet. "Now what should we do, my pet? This is your show, after all. I only came a long for the food. But it'll be bloody unpleasant to get them while the girlie is holdin' that pesky bit o' wood. I, for one, don't relish the idea of burned flesh." He grinned at Buffy. He'd enjoyed tussling with her in spite of himself. He knew if he tried harder he could take her, and he would enjoy that. But for once, Spike was interested in delayed gratification. "At least not on my own flesh."
Buffy looked at Xander and then toward her house. "Do you think we can make a break for it before they catch us?" she whispered indecisively.
Xander made the decision for her, grabbing her hand and taking off for the house. He heard the vampires giving chase and quickened his pace, scrambling up the porch steps and toward the door. Once there, he grabbed the doorknob and twisted, cursing under his breath when he realized that the door was locked. "Where are your keys? Get them out and unlock the door!" he cried, pushing Buffy toward the door and standing between her and the oncoming vampires. He grabbed her cross out of her hand and thrust it out, catching Spike across the jaw with the wooden tip. The vampire's flesh sizzled and burned from where the cross touched him and he screamed in agony, falling back. Willow wisely backed off as well, growling low in her throat but staying just out of reach of the cross. Xander glanced over his shoulder, seeing that Buffy was rummaging through her purse for the house keys, before turning his attention back to the vampires. He hope that she found the keys soon.
"I can't find them!" she hissed to Xander almost in a panic. The two vamps were crouching around, just waiting for an opportunity.
They heard a jingle and looked up in dread. Spike was dangling her keys on one of his long, white fingers. "Missing these, luv?" He grinned, showing off his pointed fangs.
"Where did you get those?" Buffy demanded angrily.
"Found 'em. In an alley. Behind the Bronze. Guess you must've lost 'em when you met up with my pal Linus. You 'member Linus don'cha? My newest son that your boyfriend KILLED?"
Buffy gave Xander a look that said 'cover me,' and then she made her move. There was no other choice. She palmed the stake Mr. Giles had given her, holding it behind her back. Dropping the purse, she grabbed the decorative statue next to the front door and in one quick move smashed it over Willow's head. It was a dazing blow. Buffy was able to get behind the vampire girl and hold the stake to her heart.
"Give me the keys, or I'll kill her," Buffy ordered. Her voice was firm, which belied the panic she felt inside. Vampires were quick healers, if Willow regained full consciousness Buffy could never hold her. Taking a few Tae Kwan Do classes might make her more agile on her new legs, and might even help her defend herself against a mugger, but not against a supernaturally strong vampire.
Spike looked at the girls, glowering. He seemed torn between his desire to get Xander and Buffy and his desire to save his paramour. Part of Buffy's mind wondered if vampires had the capacity to love, and if so, if Spike really loved Willow. She hoped so -- this move was banking on it.
Finally Spike tossed Xander the keys. Xander caught them deftly, not lowering the cross one iota. At that moment, Willow groaned and started to move. Buffy pushed Willow with all her strength, sending her straight into Spike. The vampire managed to catch her, but the unexpected weight nearly toppled them both.
Buffy grabbed the keys from Xander, put the right one in the keyhole and ran inside, with Xander coming after her.
Seconds after they crossed the threshold, Spike regained his balance and lunged for them. Something like an invisible wall kept him from reaching him. Spike growled. A little jumpy, but feeling more secure, Buffy slammed the door in his face.
She turned to Xander. "So that not being able to come in unless they're invited thing really works, huh?"
Buffy jumped when she heard her mom's voice from upstairs. "Buffy, is that you, honey? How was your night? You can tell me all about it over hot chocolate."
"Oh, no," Buffy moaned. Of all the times for her mom to wake up. She looked at Xander. "You can't go out there right now. I won't let you! You may have some special training, but you're not facing those two alone. Can you think of some reason to tell my mom why you have to spend the night. Like your house is being fumigated, but something she'll believe?"
Just them Joyce came down the stairs with a big smile on her face. The smile fell for an instant when she saw Xander, and she clutched her robe more tightly about her shoulders. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't know you'd have company." She looked questioningly at Xander, and Buffy tried frantically to think of something to say.
"Um... Mom... this is Xander..."