A.N. - I know I promised a quick update and didn't deliver but...here? I want to thank Kendra3, TK2, Jess, and RBritsmom for reviewing. And also, my oh-so-patient beta Liz (*cough cough*).
bNow, a word from my beta Liz - "Stacie will hold back on you guys if you don't review, damnit! Do you know how hard she's been working? The last time she updated the fic (and got 4 reviews) she went missing for 8 weeks. Do you want that to happen again? Didn't think so." /b
Also, I want to say that this is for Jess (I actually kinda appreciate being yelled at.)
centerbHMD 12/b
brddBuffy's first real boyfriend had been a thug named Strick. Strick had been a member of "The Leopards," which was an incredibly stupid name for a people that were supposed to strike fear into the hearts of rivals and civilians. In their defense though, they did manage to scare children and small animals...sometimes. Hell, even when she wasn't PMSing she was still scarier than they were.
ddExcept for Strick. He was different, dangerous. He never hesitated to act with violence and cruelty in any situation. But that was what had attracted her. Well, that and his spiked blue hair. No one so far from the rave scene had an unnatural hair color, maybe because no one really wanted to be different. She'd been attracted to his defiance though, and his motorcycle hadn't hurt either.
brddWhen she began dating Strick, Heather and Faith had both warned her that it was a bad idea. She hadn't listened. She wasn't a moron though. She knew he wasn't capable of being faithful but she liked the status being with him gave her. Being seen with him was the ultimate reputation boost. It made people that hadn't seen her as a threat wake up. Suddenly, everyone that hadn't been entirely pleasant to her went missing. The ones that had been more fortunate seemed guarded, alert.
brddOf course, it went the other way too. Males that even looked her way disappeared. Or were found swimming with the fishies. Faith and Heather were sure that one of their arguments would give her the same fate. Many nights they overheard heated words that would make sailors and convicts blush coming from Buffy's mouth. And "It's over" more times than they could count. But the next day, Buffy would be all over Strick looking the part she'd learned to play so well - the love-struck girlfriend.
brddSurprisingly enough, the argument that ended their six-month relationship wasn't about the disappearances or his infidelity. It was about the way he treated her sisters.
brdd"You don't have the right to talk about them that way," Buffy's cold voice floated from the garage.
brddHe laughed, "You're confused, ilittle girl/i. I have the right to do whatever I fucking please."
brddA sound frighteningly similar to a smack startled Faith and Heather, who sat listening at the door connecting the garage to the kitchen. Faith reached for the doorknob but was stopped by Heather's hand, "Shh."
brdd"You're lucky," his voice was strained.
brdd"How's that," the challenge was clearly in her voice.
brddThe exit-door opened. "Because this really is over now."
brdd"Oh, I'm so heartbroken," Buffy sneered.
brdd"You hide it well," he laughed before slamming the door behind him.
brddBuffy groaned in frustration before walking into the house, smacking Faith with the door. "How much did you hear," she asked smirking slightly.
brddFaith rubbed her head, "All of it?"
brdd"Good...means I don't have anything to explain."
centerb- Present time -/b
brddFaith shook her head and carefully stepped over a puddle. Of all the days Buffy could've picked to send her to get Piper, it had to be today. Today with its hair-damaging rain and her PMS. "Why doesn't Buffy ever do it herself," Faith grumbled as she walked through the alley behind the Bronze. It was the quickest way to Piper's place. "Blondie always has to send people to do what telephones were invented to do. Why is that?"
brddShe waited, pushing the wet hair out of her face. "Talking to yourself isn't a sign of insanity but waiting for an answer must be," she frowned.
brddA trail of red from behind a dumpster mixed with the rain water and began flowing over the uneven gravel. She stared at it a moment, frowning, slightly upset at the disruptance of her musings. A feeling of panic mixed with dread began to slowly gnaw at her, growing more intense as she drew closer.
brb--That, my dear readers, is called a cliffhanger. I hate to have to do this but unless I get reviews, I'm going to have to discontinue this fic. This is part of the reason I stopped writing "Interference of a God." I guess now it's up to all those who read this to tell me if I should keep writing this or not./b
bNow, a word from my beta Liz - "Stacie will hold back on you guys if you don't review, damnit! Do you know how hard she's been working? The last time she updated the fic (and got 4 reviews) she went missing for 8 weeks. Do you want that to happen again? Didn't think so." /b
Also, I want to say that this is for Jess (I actually kinda appreciate being yelled at.)
centerbHMD 12/b
brddBuffy's first real boyfriend had been a thug named Strick. Strick had been a member of "The Leopards," which was an incredibly stupid name for a people that were supposed to strike fear into the hearts of rivals and civilians. In their defense though, they did manage to scare children and small animals...sometimes. Hell, even when she wasn't PMSing she was still scarier than they were.
ddExcept for Strick. He was different, dangerous. He never hesitated to act with violence and cruelty in any situation. But that was what had attracted her. Well, that and his spiked blue hair. No one so far from the rave scene had an unnatural hair color, maybe because no one really wanted to be different. She'd been attracted to his defiance though, and his motorcycle hadn't hurt either.
brddWhen she began dating Strick, Heather and Faith had both warned her that it was a bad idea. She hadn't listened. She wasn't a moron though. She knew he wasn't capable of being faithful but she liked the status being with him gave her. Being seen with him was the ultimate reputation boost. It made people that hadn't seen her as a threat wake up. Suddenly, everyone that hadn't been entirely pleasant to her went missing. The ones that had been more fortunate seemed guarded, alert.
brddOf course, it went the other way too. Males that even looked her way disappeared. Or were found swimming with the fishies. Faith and Heather were sure that one of their arguments would give her the same fate. Many nights they overheard heated words that would make sailors and convicts blush coming from Buffy's mouth. And "It's over" more times than they could count. But the next day, Buffy would be all over Strick looking the part she'd learned to play so well - the love-struck girlfriend.
brddSurprisingly enough, the argument that ended their six-month relationship wasn't about the disappearances or his infidelity. It was about the way he treated her sisters.
brdd"You don't have the right to talk about them that way," Buffy's cold voice floated from the garage.
brddHe laughed, "You're confused, ilittle girl/i. I have the right to do whatever I fucking please."
brddA sound frighteningly similar to a smack startled Faith and Heather, who sat listening at the door connecting the garage to the kitchen. Faith reached for the doorknob but was stopped by Heather's hand, "Shh."
brdd"You're lucky," his voice was strained.
brdd"How's that," the challenge was clearly in her voice.
brddThe exit-door opened. "Because this really is over now."
brdd"Oh, I'm so heartbroken," Buffy sneered.
brdd"You hide it well," he laughed before slamming the door behind him.
brddBuffy groaned in frustration before walking into the house, smacking Faith with the door. "How much did you hear," she asked smirking slightly.
brddFaith rubbed her head, "All of it?"
brdd"Good...means I don't have anything to explain."
centerb- Present time -/b
brddFaith shook her head and carefully stepped over a puddle. Of all the days Buffy could've picked to send her to get Piper, it had to be today. Today with its hair-damaging rain and her PMS. "Why doesn't Buffy ever do it herself," Faith grumbled as she walked through the alley behind the Bronze. It was the quickest way to Piper's place. "Blondie always has to send people to do what telephones were invented to do. Why is that?"
brddShe waited, pushing the wet hair out of her face. "Talking to yourself isn't a sign of insanity but waiting for an answer must be," she frowned.
brddA trail of red from behind a dumpster mixed with the rain water and began flowing over the uneven gravel. She stared at it a moment, frowning, slightly upset at the disruptance of her musings. A feeling of panic mixed with dread began to slowly gnaw at her, growing more intense as she drew closer.
brb--That, my dear readers, is called a cliffhanger. I hate to have to do this but unless I get reviews, I'm going to have to discontinue this fic. This is part of the reason I stopped writing "Interference of a God." I guess now it's up to all those who read this to tell me if I should keep writing this or not./b