Disclaimer: I don't own the characters except for Emily and more I may add later that have nothing to do with Buffy, Angel, or the book series I got the idea from.
Feedback: I would love to get some. It is always encouraging to get!!!!
Thanks too: Dragonqueen05 for beta reading this story for me. I appreciate a lot, it helps me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!
E-mail: moonlight_12us@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Authors Note: Buffy Summers is your typical sixteen year old with a happy family and the attention of her crush. What will happen when Buffy finds out that she may not be the girl she thought she was.
Authors Note: This idea comes from the 'The Face on the Milk Carton' Books by Caroline B. Cooney( a wonderful author, and I would recommend every single one of her books!!). There are times I may use ideas from the book or movie version, but most of the time I am going to try to just use the basic idea.
Authors Note 2: This idea is one of the many ideas that have been playing around in my head for a while and I finally have the time to work on it.
Distributions: What it take it, just let me know!!!!!!
Title: Where Do I Belong? 6-8/?
Author: TK
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Part 6
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Buffy had been quite on the car ride up to John Brown's Cliff. Angel was worried more then he had been earlier, and the longer she said nothing the more worried he got. Pulling the car into an empty parking space, he shut it off. Buffy took a deep breath and looked over into the chocolate brown eyes belonging to her Angel.
"You can tell me anything." Angel reminded her breaking the silence. "I'll be here for you no matter what." Taking her left hand into his, he gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"What I'm about to tell you, you can't tell anyone... at least not yet." Buffy informed him, working up the courage she needed to tell him about her discovery.
"I promise I won't tell a soul until you say it is okay." Angel told her sincerely, curious about this news he couldn't tell anyone.
Knowing he spoke the truth Buffy reached in her back pocket, and pulled out the four pieces of paper she had placed there. Trying to keep herself from starting to cry once more, she handed the pictures to Angel. As he looked over the papers, she managed to give him somewhat of a smile. After ten minutes of silence Angel handed the papers back to her unsure of what she was actually trying to say.
What he saw on those papers where two well done pictures of Buffy. One as he remembered her at thirteen and the other as she was now. What was she bothered by these.
"They're not something someone drew for me." Buffy answered as if reading his mind.
"What do you mean?" He questioned confusion written clearly on his face. "Is someone harassing you?" He thought, suddenly ready to stop whoever it was if that was the case.
Shaking her head no Buffy replied, "I got them from a website taking about Elizabeth Summers." pausing to swallow the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat.
"Who's Elizabeth Summers?" Angel asked looking up at Buffy's beautiful face. It didn't hold her usual smile, but an _expression that chilled Angel right to the bone.
Taking a deep breath, "Possibly me." She said shakily, opening the news paper article, and watched as Angel's eyes got wide with surprise at the confession. "I know it's really, hard to believe, but those pictures and this article are of and about Elizabeth and what she should look like." She explained feeling her eyes getting moist.
Angel saw this and instantly wrapped his arms around the petite woman's he cared for greatly, "Are you sure?" He asked while rubbing her back in a soothing motion. "Maybe this girl is just a look a like." He voiced, bring back Buffy's first thought.
"I don't think she is." Buffy cried softly, wrapping her arms tighter around Angel's neck. She rested her chin on his shoulder before go on, "I heard my parents talking last night, and…" she hiccupped softly. Angle held her tighter and kissed the side of her head in comfort.
"It's okay, Buffy," he promised her lovingly continuing to stroke her back, "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."
Even though Angel couldn't see it, he felt Buffy's sad smile, "They were saying something about getting a lawyer to keep me." she went on.
"Of course." Angel said when Buffy pulled a little ways back so she could wipe her tear stain face. "Your parents love you." he reassured her.
"Angel, I know they do, but what if they're not my parents?" Her voice broke at saying that thought out loud. "What if I have other parents who love me? How am I suppose to choose?" she shot off the questions that had been eating away at her all morning. She felt so sad and so many other emotions arisen in her as well.
"We'll figure this out." Angel said, kindly wiping away the tears still falling from Buffy's emerald green eyes. He wanted to take the pain away, he would do anything to make this hurt and confusion go away for her.
"I have the birth certificate that I used to get my learners, with me." Buffy told him, pulling out another paper from the stack of four papers. "Would you take me to the court house, so I can have Molly's mom check it out to see if it is authentic?" she requested opening the certificate.
"We can go right now." Angel replied, silently praying the birth certificate was real. Buffy was so scared and hurt, she didn't deserve to be any of those things.
"Thank you," sniffled Buffy putting the papers back into her pocket, "I'm so thankful I have you." She finished quietly as Angel started up the car.
Angel's gentleness as he held her made her feel somewhat safe. Feeling his arms wrap around her shoulders, she gave into her impulse and snuggled up to Angel's shoulder, taking comfort in knowing she was not a lone in this anymore, and that Angel believed her. All that was left to do was the find whether or not the final piece of the puzzle was fit or not. She prayed it was real, however, everything inside her told her it wasn't.
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"Buffy, Angel, come in." Mrs. England, Molly's mother, said, inviting them in. She was surprised to see her daughters' friends in her corner of the court house. Milly England's job was to spot forgeries.
"We have something that we would like you to take a look at." Angel spoke up when it was clear that Buffy was having troubles finding her voice.
"Okay." Mrs. England said as she sat down at her desk, and motioned for Buffy and Angel to sit down as well.
Sitting down, Buffy reached into her back pocket and grab her birth certificate, "I need to know if this is real or not." she expressed, handing the paper over to the red headed woman.
Mrs. England opened the piece of paper, Angel took Buffy's hand into his to hopefully give her strength and assure her he was still there for her. Buffy responded by squeezing his hand in return.
"Buffy, this is your birth certificate." Mrs. England said in surprise, looking up at the young blond suspiciously, "Why would you question it?"
"I have recently found something out," explained Buffy trying not to come right out and tell the truth, whatever the truth was, "now I am wondering if that's real?"
Mrs. England still had a lot of questions, but judging by the look on Buffy's face she knew she would not get them from the sixteen year old. Returning her eyes back to the piece of paper in front of her. Fifteen minute later she was about to tell Buffy her certificate was real, when she noticed the wording was a bit off, and the signatures of the parents didn't match any she had ever seen Rupert of Jenny use.
Buffy's heart sped up the minute she caught Mrs. England's face change from her usual face to her 'there's something wrong' face.
"What's wrong?" Buffy inquired, trying not to panic. 'It could be something else that cause her face to change,' she reasoned sharing a look with Angel.
"Buffy," began Mrs. England trying to think of the best way to tell the young lady before here what she had discovered.
"It's," swallowing Buffy continued, "it's a fake, isn't it?"
"Yes." sigh Mrs. England feeling her heart break for her daughter's friend. "Sweetie, so you want me to call your parents?" she asked in a caring motherly voice.
Buffy wiped tears from hers eyes once again, "They're not my parents." she replied softly getting up and left the room.
"Thank you." Angel said as Mrs. England handed him the fake certificate. Once it was in his hands he was out the office.
Once the teenagers were out of hearing range Mrs. England picked up the phone and called her friend Jenny.
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The car ride back to Buffy's had been even quieter then it had been two hours ago. Angel kept stealing glances over at Buffy. He wanted to kiss all the pain away, and protect her from it. It was just... he didn't know how. Her whole world had just been turned upside down in a range of a few days.
Buffy knew he was looking at her, but she didn't say anything. What could she say? Her whole life was a lie, everything she had once believed came crashing down. The family she loved, the town, her friends, Angel, everything wasn't suppose to he hers. Her home was with the Summers family. Leaning her head against the window Buffy watched the familiar scenery go by. 'What do I do now?'
"I'll stand beside you." Angel informed her softly as he pulled into the Giles' drive.
"I really need you." Buffy said taking his hand into hers, she saw her parents… no, her fake parents, opening the door. Both wore worried expressions.
'I love them.' Buffy thought climbing out of the car. 'No matter what they'll always be my parents.' She told herself as Angel followed her up the sidewalk, their hands still connected.
"We need to talk." Buffy told them once she and Angle reached her parents.
"Yes, we do." Jenny agreed, tears falling from her eyes.
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Part 7
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"I don't know where to begin." Admitted Jenny, taking Buffy's smaller hands into hers.
Buffy looked down at her hands within her mother's, and felt like once again crying for the umpteenth time that day. This just was not fair.
"Mrs. England called us, and told us about the birth certificate." Mr. Giles began, sitting down by his wife. "Sweetie, I think you're old enough to…know the truth." He finished lying his hands on top of his wife's and Buffy's.
Taking a deep breath Buffy looked up into the face of the people she thought where her parents for so long, "I'm listening." she said shortly feeling Angel place his hands on her shoulders to give her strength to face what was to come.
"My sister Drusilla," began Jenny, not letting go of Buffy's hands, "was never really completely well, but as she got into her teens my parents thought with therapy she would get better. It seemed like their theory was working, until one day she disappeared at the age of sixteen. We looked and looked for her, but we couldn't find her. It was as if she had disappeared off the face of that Earth." She wiped a tear that had fallen down her beautiful daughter's face. She and her husband loved Buffy with all their hearts. It scared her to think that Buffy could possibly hate them after she learned the truth.
Mr. Giles saw his wife having troubles finding her voice so he continued the story, "Then two years after she had vanished, she showed up on the front doorstep of our new home. With her she had a cute, little two year old girl."
"Me." Buffy said softly. The story she was hearing seemed true enough, and if that was the case then she was still related to them, only she was really their niece and not their daughter.
"You," confirmed Mr. Giles, "she told us you were her little girl Elizabeth, Buffy for short. Drusilla spoke of how her pimp was after her because she owed him some money and he had threatened to take it out of you if she didn't pay." He said full of disgusted for his sister-in-law.
"She…was.. A hooker?" asked Buffy feeling disappointed at hearing the news. "Did she ever mention who my father was?" she wondered, may be his last name was Summers, and he was the one looking for her. That would explain the name, but not the story.
"Dru had said he had been killed in a gang war. His name was Ryan Turner." responded Jenny. Seeing Buffy's face fall she pulled the young girl into a hug. "It's going to be okay, Sweetie." she said in a soothing voice. "We love you, and nothing is going to ever change that."
"I love you guys too." Buffy cried, feeling safe within the woman she called Mom's arms. "Why didn't she stay?"
"I don't know." Jenny replied. "The next day she was gone, but you were still with us. That's when we decided to take you and Faith away from New York City and move here to Sunnydale." she finished releasing Buffy.
Reaching into her back pocket Buffy pulled out the pictures of Elizabeth Summers and the news paper article. The story sounded real, but it just didn't fit. It explained how she came to be with the Giles, but nothing before that.
"Then what's this?" inquired Buffy handing Jenny the papers.
Taking the pictures into her hands Jenny gasped, "Drusilla, what have you done?"
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" I can't believe this is happening!" Buffy cried three weeks later, Angel rocked his girlfriend in his arms and kissed the top of her head.
During the past three weeks Mr. Giles had his lawyer Jeffery look into the connections between Elizabeth Summers and Buffy. Once a DNA test was taken there was no question about it. Buffy was Elizabeth Summers, Drusilla had taken her from the LA Plaza.
Much to Buffy's distress, Mrs. Giles had her call her biological family. No matter how much Jenny Giles didn't want to lose Buffy, she couldn't let the Summers continue to think their daughter was dead. So Buffy called them, and after their lawyers talked with Jeffery and his associates it was agreed that Buffy was to spend the first month of her summer break with the Summers. What happen from there was still undecided.
"I don't want to go." Buffy said, snuggling into Angel's arms.
"It's going to be okay, Bits." Faith tried to ease her sister's fears. No matter what anyone said Buffy was still her little sister, and that would never change.
Buffy looked over at the brunet with tears streaming down her face. She had cried so much in the past four weeks, she was always surprised she had any tears left. "I leave tomorrow, what if they don't let me come back?" she voiced the fear that had been eating away at her since it was proven she was a Summers.
"We won't let that happen." said Mr. Giles as he and Mrs. Giles walked into the room.
"We won't give you up completely." Jenny told her, holding Buffy, her golden hair daughter. "We'll work something out with the Summers. They'll see how much we love you and want you with us."
"Promise?" whispered Buffy sniffling as she felt Angel rubbing her back.
"Yes, Sweetie." commented Mr. Giles taking a seat next to his wife. "We promise."
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Section 2: Truth
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Part 8
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Buffy felt like crawling into her skin the following day as she awaited the Summers arrival. Behind her on the Giles' porch stood the family she loved. Her mother was already in tears, and that made Buffy want to cry herself. Walking over to her parents she hugged them both as if she would never see them again. Jenny and Rupert hugged the golden blonde to them, praying that she would return to them, and she became happy once more.
"Excuse me." A woman's voice interrupted the family hug.
Buffy hugged her parents for a few moments longer before turning to face the woman. Trying her hardest Buffy smiled for the woman and the man behind her. These were her biological parents.
"Elizabeth!" cried Joyce Summers upon seeing her little girl's face, a face she thought she would never see again. She promised herself she wouldn't scare Elizabeth by making a big scene, but she couldn't help the over whelming desire to hug her long lost daughter. So she pulled her little Elizabeth to her. Tears of new found hope fell down her face, as Joyce Summers thought of all the happiness that was to come to her family now that Elizabeth was back among them. "My baby." she whispered giving thanks to the Lord for Elizabeth's save return.
Buffy stood there with her arms at her side. She wanted to hug her biological mother, Mrs. Summers must have been through so much these past fourteen years thinking her little girl was dead. Yet, Buffy couldn't move her arms to hug her. To her, if she hugged Mrs. Summers, she would be betraying Jenny, her mother. Mrs. Summers let Buffy go, and handed the suitcase to her husband.
"Let's get you home." said Mr. Summers smiling down at his precious daughter. She had grown into such a beautiful young woman.
"One moment." spoke Buffy running back to her family and Angel to give them each one last hug.
"Show them how well we have raised you." encouraged Mr. Giles wiping a tear from his little girl's face. His little girl, no matter what happened from here on out.
"See you, Sissy." Hope said so only Buffy could hear as the little girl hugged her big sister's waist.
"You need anything, call." Faith instructed, laying her hands on her little sister's shoulder. Tears were building up in her eyes, still she willed them to stay put. Her mother's tears were making Buffy feel sad enough, she didn't want to make the young sixteen year old any sadder.
"I love you." Buffy said to each and everyone of them.
"We love you." Angel told her, pulling Buffy to him for a good-bye kiss.
"Wait for me?" asked Buffy when they pulled apart.
"Always." Angel vowed, wiping Buffy's tear away.
"Be good," Jenny told her once more, giving Buffy the last hug, "and remember we are all here if you need us."
"Love you, Mommy." cried Buffy, letting Mrs. Giles go. With one last glance Buffy allowed Mr. and Mrs. Summers to lead her away from everything she had ever known.
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"You know, Elizabeth, it's okay to talk to us." Mrs. Summers said kindly. Elizabeth had not said a word to Hank or herself all the way home, and it concerned her. Elizabeth was going to have to be showed that the whole family had missed her and was happy to have her home.
"I know." Buffy quietly assured her biological mother. "Is that your house?" she asked avoiding Mrs. Summers comforting out stretched hand. Instead she watched as two blondes and a brunet walked out of the two story brick house.
"Mom, did you get her?" inquired the youngest of the Summers' family. The young thirteen year old girl looked delighted at seeing her mother nod yes, and Buffy getting out of the car.
"Dawn, calm down." Commanded a young woman with long waist length, blond hair, much like Buffy's.
"Emily, Elizabeth is home." announced Dawn, "we should make her feel welcome."
Buffy stood by the car, this family before her resembled her so much. The two girls talking must be her sisters, and the young man, who looks to be the oldest of all of the children must be her brother, "Hello." she greeted them trying to be polite. She promised her parents she would be polite just as she was taught.
"Hey, Liz." the young man returned kindly. "I am your brother William, but everyone calls me Spike. And these two pains here," he said indicating the two arguing girls, "are your sisters Emily and Dawn. We're all very glad to have you here, and hope we can make you feel at home." He told her gently, not wanting to frighten Elizabeth. He didn't put any pressure into his words, he simply let them come out as kind as he could.
"Thank you." replied Buffy, giving Spike a little smile. He seemed like he would have been a great big brother to grow up with, "Could you call me Elizabeth, if you don't want to use Buffy?" she questioned. "I honestly have never liked any of the other nick names for Elizabeth. I mean they're cute, it just that they're used all the time." she explained,
"Sure, Elizabeth." Spike replied, taking her suit case from his father.
"Come on!" exclaimed Dawn grabbing Buffy's hand and pulled her towards the house. "Lily has prepared this whole family dinner on your behalf, and Mom and I cooked you a cake" she rambled on, liking the idea of having a new sister already.
"That's very kind of you." Buffy answered, looking around at the house once they were inside. The feel of the house was different then the house she loved. Home felt warm and welcoming, here she didn't feel anything.
"Elizabeth, are you okay?" Emily asked. The twenty-one year old had been so thankful to hear her little sister was alive, and coming home. For the longest time she had blamed herself the kidnapping. That day her and Spike had been fighting constantly, maybe if she had been a better big sister, had paid attention to Elizabeth rather then Spike's rude comments, then maybe Elizabeth wouldn't have been taken. The young lady would have grown up with her real family, and the look of uncertainty would not be on her face right now.
"Just adjusting." Buffy said. "Nice house." she complemented to her new big sister, following her new persistent little sister into the dining room were a feast was placed upon the table. "That's a lot of food." she commented sitting down.
"Our family are big eaters." Emily explained, sitting down beside Buffy. "Mom has you sharing my room, so after dinner I'll show you around." Offered the grass green eye beauty. Emily wanted Elizabeth to feel like she belonged with the family. Right now, she had a feeling Elizabeth wanted to go back to the Giles', but hopefully that would lessen as she got to know her biological family.
"That would be great." Buffy replied, starting to feel weird sitting there with this strange new family.
They were being exceptionally nice to her, however, she rather be at home cooking dinner with her mother and Faith. She rather be hearing Daddy and Hope go on and on about their day, as opposed to Mr. Summers explaining to her what he did at work. He was some sort of CEO.
"Elizabeth, would you like some grape juice?" asked Mrs. Summers causing Buffy to look up at her, "You use to love it as toddler."
"Actually, I don't like it very much." confessed Buffy already getting a sick feeling her stomach. "I had this whole bad experience with it once, and haven't been able to look at it let alone drink it since. But if it's all right, iced-tea looks good." she said quickly indicating the other drink of choice.
"Here you go." Spike said, passing the iced-tea to Buffy. "I don't know about you, but I find iced-tea taste better without the sugar." he stated, trying to get a real smile from Buffy, rather then the fake one she was wearing.
"I agree." Buffy answered, pouring herself a glass. Passing it onto Emily, Buffy listened as Mr. Summers prayed to the Lord, giving thanks for the food and especially for her safe return home.
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"That's your bed." Emily informed Buffy later that night as Buffy unpacked her clothes.
She glance at the white Day Bed, "Thank you for sharing your room with me." placing her pictures of her friend right next to the one of the Giles'. Emily had cleared half the huge room just for her, and she was grateful for that.
"Who are they?" questioned Emily pointing at the picture of Buffy and her friends at the beach last summer.
Sitting down on what was to be her bed, at least for the next month, Buffy took the picture in her hands, "The red head standing next to me is my best friend Willow, next to her is my friend Tara, in front of Tara is my friend Molly, the goofy looking boy behind Willow is my friend Xander, and finally the handsome boy behind me is my boyfriend Angel." Buffy explained, beaming at the though of Angel. She missed him and everyone else so much, and it had only been a couple of hours.
"Is that the Giles'?" Emily inquired, switching gears to the other picture. She wasn't so sure how she felt about them. A huge part of her seriously dislike them for keeping her sister away, but a little part of her was thankful that they had kept her safe. That part even believed the Giles' had no part in her sister's kidnapping.
"Yeah," answered Buffy grabbing her night clothes, "my mom, my dad, baby sister Hope, and big sister Faith." she added shortly feeling sorrow well up inside her. She wanted to go home, "Where can I change?" she requested before she could start crying.
"In there." Emily pointed towards the door that was slightly opened.
"Thanks." Buffy replied, grabbing her boxer shorts and black tank top.
"They're not your parents." she heard Emily mummer under her breath before she went inside the bathroom.
"They are to me." Buffy stated, closing the bathroom door.
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"Good-night, Elizabeth." Mrs. Summers said later that night, sitting down on her golden blonde daughter's bed. "Know that your father and I love you, Elizabeth. We both understand that you are not ready to say it to us and that's okay. We can wait until you're ready." she smoothly said brushing Buffy's blonde hair away from her face.
"Good-night, Mrs. Summers." returned Buffy turning on her side. She didn't want this woman's reassuring voice, she wanted her mother's. Buffy knew her actions had just hurt Mrs. Summers, but she didn't care at the moment. Her loving parents were at home, missing her and she them. How could she let another mother near her, it felt like she was betraying the Jenny if she did. Even though she knew the two kind adults saying very sweet words to her were her real parents, she just couldn't say anything reassuring back. It hurt, and Buffy realized that more hurt was to come for everyone.
Closing her eyes, Buffy waited for the lights to go out before she allowed tears to softly fall down her face, 'Please, Lord, give me and my loved ones the strength to get through this,' she prayed. 'Please, I pray I get to go home, and that everyone pain lessens.'
Emily laid back in her black Day Bed, and listened to her little sister cry. What was to come, she had no clue, but being strong was going to have to her responsibility.
Wrapping her blanket around herself Buffy shut her eyes, and though about happy times in her life. Angel's smiling face appeared in her mind, and his words of comfort rang in her head. No matter what happen from here on out, she knew that she would always have her Angel standing beside her.
TBC________________________________with feedback. Let me know if you want more.
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and everyone else who sent me feedback. If I left your name out I apologize. The sheet that I had all of the names written on were left at my school yersterday and I am at home now. Thanks lots for the feedback, it really helps my writing muses lots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have A Great Day!!!!!!!!!!!!
TK