Story Title: "Tonight And The Rest Of My Life"
Author: La Vie Boheme96
Chapter Title: Looking For Changes
A soft, healthy green glow surrounded the Karlotte family diamond, and a pair of equally bright eyes peered jubilantly into the light. Her face was reflected in each of the jewel's thousands of tiny, mirror-like facets. She could feel its power as though it were her own, and the sensation delighted her like little else ever had. Granted, wildly expensive designer clothes and shoes had a hold over her that not even she would ever fully comprehend.
With a smile that rivaled the radiance of the stone before her, she straightened, resting her hands upon her hips.
"I'll tell you what, boys," she said. "Nothin' I like more than a brand- new toy. We'd better be careful with this one... warning label says if misused it can cause serious injury or death. We wouldn't want that, now... would we?"
***
James stood at the main entrance of the Magic Box. That door . . . those panes of glass . . . only they separated him from the hellish world that had just been described to him. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his head was bowed towards the floor. For once he was speechless. He'd just heard the most mind-blowing story of his life, and he had nothing to say. He just stared at his boots, the shine having been dulled from his leisurely "stroll" in the forest.
"Hey," Buffy said gently, getting up out of her chair to stand behind him. "Are you okay?"
"I had no idea," the man said to his shoes. "This . . . *all* of this is true?"
"I wish it wasn't."
James lifted his eyes to stare out into the blackness of night. "And all of it falls onto your shoulders? You face it alone?"
In the glass, he saw Buffy's reflection shake its head. "No," it said. "I'm lucky. I have friends, like Giles . . . they help me. I don't think I'd be alive if not for them."
Silence.
"Do you have people like that?" the reflection asked.
James was secretly heartbroken when he could think only of Q. There had been Alec Trevelyan, virtually the only person he had been able to call a friend, but uncontrollable circumstances had forced James to kill him. Following that incident, 007 had vowed to trust no man. But he did not feel comfortable sharing that information with Buffy.
"Come on," the blonde-haired image in glass said, as if reading his mind. "I just poured out a giant punchbowl of my heart for you. Talk to me . . . please."
"It's not that simple," James said. "I can't just warm up to people the way you can. I can't be like a cat and rub up against a stranger's leg, purring like a mindless fool. It takes just a little bit more than that."
Buffy was stung. "'A-A mindless fool'?" she repeated.
Giles, who had been watching and listening to them, remembered when Buffy herself had been unwilling to place her confidence in anyone, unwilling to rely on people who wanted to help her. She and James were alike in that respect, but were worlds apart in most others. The girl had discovered at a very young age that friends were one of life's greatest treasures. James was still learning. He needed more time.
However, to let people live life at their own pace was one thing he could not teach her, and so Giles decided that his assistance would not be required that night. Very quietly, he left his chair, retrieved his coat, and crept out the back door of the magic shop, never disturbing the tense atmosphere of the room with his movements.
"What do you mean by saying that?" Buffy demanded. "I can't believe you! I try to be nice, and I try to make you feel welcome here, and you just keep--"
"It's not a give-and-take!" James shot back, turning to face her. "Just because you told me your whole INSANE life story doesn't obligate me to do the same for you! Not everyone you choose to be nice to is going to return the favour!"
"So that's why you choose not to be nice to *anyone*," Buffy said sharply.
"I trust no one," James said. His voice was lower, but not softer. "If you don't trust anyone, you don't get hurt. If you don't get hurt . . . you're invincible."
Buffy looked back at him.
"If that's true," she said, "if that's really your philosophy on life . . . then you're missing out."
"In my trade the most important thing is to stay alive. Everything else is trivial."
"Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. While you're out there trying to stay alive, your life is just passing you by! The ONE thing you're trying to defend by refusing to open up to anyone is slipping away, and you don't even notice. There are people out there who want to help you. I know. I'm one of them."
"You don't even know me."
"That doesn't mean *anything*. No matter how egotistical and stuffy you are, you're still a person. And believe me, that's more than I can say for a LOT of the things in this town. So, just listen . . . I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to push you like that. You don't have to let me in just yet . . . or ever, if that's the kind of kick you're on. I *know* we can help each other. You've heard what this diamond can do, and call me crazy, but it doesn't seem like the kind of case you're used to. If we can . . . like Giles said, be civil, I know we can find this thing and get you out of here. That's what you want, isn't it?"
James frowned. "It would appear that I'm not the *only* one who wants that."
"Yeah . . . um, sorry about that. Just letting off steam. I'm sure you can understand that. So what do you say? Can we work together on this?"
Buffy hesitantly extended her hand.
James looked at her hand, and then into her pleading young eyes. He could not help but be moved by her kindness and tenacity, and it was with great reluctance that he decided to accept the proposal of an alliance.
Honestly, he thought. My work is never done.
"Whatever I can do to help you, miss," he sighed, grasping her hand.
She smiled. "None of that 'miss' stuff," she said. "Just call me Buffy."
James grinned in spite of himself.
"Buffy," he said.
Author: La Vie Boheme96
Chapter Title: Looking For Changes
A soft, healthy green glow surrounded the Karlotte family diamond, and a pair of equally bright eyes peered jubilantly into the light. Her face was reflected in each of the jewel's thousands of tiny, mirror-like facets. She could feel its power as though it were her own, and the sensation delighted her like little else ever had. Granted, wildly expensive designer clothes and shoes had a hold over her that not even she would ever fully comprehend.
With a smile that rivaled the radiance of the stone before her, she straightened, resting her hands upon her hips.
"I'll tell you what, boys," she said. "Nothin' I like more than a brand- new toy. We'd better be careful with this one... warning label says if misused it can cause serious injury or death. We wouldn't want that, now... would we?"
***
James stood at the main entrance of the Magic Box. That door . . . those panes of glass . . . only they separated him from the hellish world that had just been described to him. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his head was bowed towards the floor. For once he was speechless. He'd just heard the most mind-blowing story of his life, and he had nothing to say. He just stared at his boots, the shine having been dulled from his leisurely "stroll" in the forest.
"Hey," Buffy said gently, getting up out of her chair to stand behind him. "Are you okay?"
"I had no idea," the man said to his shoes. "This . . . *all* of this is true?"
"I wish it wasn't."
James lifted his eyes to stare out into the blackness of night. "And all of it falls onto your shoulders? You face it alone?"
In the glass, he saw Buffy's reflection shake its head. "No," it said. "I'm lucky. I have friends, like Giles . . . they help me. I don't think I'd be alive if not for them."
Silence.
"Do you have people like that?" the reflection asked.
James was secretly heartbroken when he could think only of Q. There had been Alec Trevelyan, virtually the only person he had been able to call a friend, but uncontrollable circumstances had forced James to kill him. Following that incident, 007 had vowed to trust no man. But he did not feel comfortable sharing that information with Buffy.
"Come on," the blonde-haired image in glass said, as if reading his mind. "I just poured out a giant punchbowl of my heart for you. Talk to me . . . please."
"It's not that simple," James said. "I can't just warm up to people the way you can. I can't be like a cat and rub up against a stranger's leg, purring like a mindless fool. It takes just a little bit more than that."
Buffy was stung. "'A-A mindless fool'?" she repeated.
Giles, who had been watching and listening to them, remembered when Buffy herself had been unwilling to place her confidence in anyone, unwilling to rely on people who wanted to help her. She and James were alike in that respect, but were worlds apart in most others. The girl had discovered at a very young age that friends were one of life's greatest treasures. James was still learning. He needed more time.
However, to let people live life at their own pace was one thing he could not teach her, and so Giles decided that his assistance would not be required that night. Very quietly, he left his chair, retrieved his coat, and crept out the back door of the magic shop, never disturbing the tense atmosphere of the room with his movements.
"What do you mean by saying that?" Buffy demanded. "I can't believe you! I try to be nice, and I try to make you feel welcome here, and you just keep--"
"It's not a give-and-take!" James shot back, turning to face her. "Just because you told me your whole INSANE life story doesn't obligate me to do the same for you! Not everyone you choose to be nice to is going to return the favour!"
"So that's why you choose not to be nice to *anyone*," Buffy said sharply.
"I trust no one," James said. His voice was lower, but not softer. "If you don't trust anyone, you don't get hurt. If you don't get hurt . . . you're invincible."
Buffy looked back at him.
"If that's true," she said, "if that's really your philosophy on life . . . then you're missing out."
"In my trade the most important thing is to stay alive. Everything else is trivial."
"Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. While you're out there trying to stay alive, your life is just passing you by! The ONE thing you're trying to defend by refusing to open up to anyone is slipping away, and you don't even notice. There are people out there who want to help you. I know. I'm one of them."
"You don't even know me."
"That doesn't mean *anything*. No matter how egotistical and stuffy you are, you're still a person. And believe me, that's more than I can say for a LOT of the things in this town. So, just listen . . . I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to push you like that. You don't have to let me in just yet . . . or ever, if that's the kind of kick you're on. I *know* we can help each other. You've heard what this diamond can do, and call me crazy, but it doesn't seem like the kind of case you're used to. If we can . . . like Giles said, be civil, I know we can find this thing and get you out of here. That's what you want, isn't it?"
James frowned. "It would appear that I'm not the *only* one who wants that."
"Yeah . . . um, sorry about that. Just letting off steam. I'm sure you can understand that. So what do you say? Can we work together on this?"
Buffy hesitantly extended her hand.
James looked at her hand, and then into her pleading young eyes. He could not help but be moved by her kindness and tenacity, and it was with great reluctance that he decided to accept the proposal of an alliance.
Honestly, he thought. My work is never done.
"Whatever I can do to help you, miss," he sighed, grasping her hand.
She smiled. "None of that 'miss' stuff," she said. "Just call me Buffy."
James grinned in spite of himself.
"Buffy," he said.