The Dark Years
Part Three: First Copy Kats
Posted: June 4, 2004
Author's notes: OMG!! I'm so sorry guys! It's been literally forever since I last updated! 4/16/04! Yeesh! I just want to say thanks to Brad/leodalyon073 for reviewing. I have been having the worst writer's block for this silly story, and with school, and writing Stolen Innocence, and now a new story I'm focusing on... my muse is actually exhausted by the end of the day, and so am I!
Also, things have been...difficult around here lately. If anyone is still following the drama/soap opera that has become my life, my dad is currently on his way to Texas with his new girlfriend...last I knew, they were in Jackson, maybe with a ville, Tennesee.
Reader Responses:
Brad: I just want to say, once more, thanks for reminding me! Here is your requested update!!! If it wasn't for your update, then I would have forgotten, or kept forgetting my devilish plans for Joyce! And, sorry, you're just gonna have to figure out what happened to her on your own!
And I think that is it for reviews! pouts momentarily Oh well...on with the update!!!
START OF UPDATE
Remind me to email ff.net about this problem about deleting my spacers...if it still happens...
The three girls sat up late by candlelight, one Friday night. They had just come back from seeing Grampa Summers, in his tiny apartment in LA. Grace had said that he was more depressed than before, if possible. Maybe growing old without their grandmother was taking its toll. They barely ever saw him anymore, he was always burying himself in work, and now they knew why.
Now they were taking the next step, and calling spirits. They weren't allowed to ever do it, but they needed information.
"Spirit from the other side
Cross now the Great Divide" they chanted in a whisper, surrounded by candlelight.
The figure emerged from glowing dots and lights.
"Well, I was wondering when you three would get around to calling me." She teased. "You guys look so much like your mother," she breathed.
"How are you?" Grace asked, always one for pleasantries, surprised, though happy, that she couldn't read ghosts.
"Good, considering. I'm terribly sorry about your mom, though. She was the best friend I ever had."
"Thank you."
"I've been searching up there for her, but there's no sign of her anywhere. With all of your dad's ancestors searching, and your mom's entire family, and all the slayers, we've covered a lot of the dimensions over the years, but there are millions of paths on the Ghost Roads. A soul could be easily lost."
"C-Could you tell us about her? Nobody talks about her. Or dad. Only Uncle Spike, and only if he's in a good mood."
"Hmm...didn't meet him. Your mom was my roommate for three years, and I was apart of her wedding. She was so happy when she learned she was pregnant. I'm sorry I never really got to meet you, in real life. We graduated, and your mom went and worked with your dad and your grandfather, and I went on to medical school. We lost touch for a long time, until she called to say she was pregnant. It had sounded like she and your dad were having some petty newly-wed squabble, and she hoped that the baby...well, you guys, would bring them closer together."
"But what was mom like?" Melinda interrupted.
"When I first met her, she was secretive. But I wasn't much better. She'd generally come home around eight, grab a duffle bag she kept locked in her false bottom trunk. That's probably around here somewhere. Then she'd leave, and not come back until after I'd gone to bed. But she was always there by the time I got up for my early morning classes. For a while, I thought she was into something that wasn't...too good, but she didn't have the rep as a person to do that sort of thing. She didn't have a reputation at all."
"What changed?" Faith prodded.
"She got...hurt, and I had my suspicions from the start. Because of my chemo, few vampires wanted a taste, and night was the only time I could be outside. The sun hurt my eyes, and almost physically because of the drugs. And I'm not stupid enough not to notice a false bottom trunk when I see one. The night she got hurt, she had left the keys, and I...I went through her stuff. Not saying I was proud of it or anything, and when I asked her about it, she came clean. We've been...we were good friends from then on."
"What were she and Dad like, together?" Grace asked, the romantic.
"Everyone knew they were madly in love. Joyce would joke about how they had been best friends since they were in diapers, and it sounds cliché, like a Lifetime movie, or something, or a cheesy teen romance novel, but it was true. I think your dad had dated for a while, before your mom and he started going out, but she hadn't been allowed to date beforehand, and after that first date, that was it. They didn't date a single person after that. It was really sweet. And the wedding was perfectly tasteful. It was held downstairs, in the solarium, and your mom was gorgeous in white, and we, the bridesmaids, were in lilac purple, and the air smelled of summer, and flowers. And your dad was so handsome." They drank in every word.
"We've seen the pictures," Faith murmured, and she could almost see their smiling faces once again, looking out at them from the photos.
"But it's not the same, I know. Well, for everyone's sake, I hope you find her. And you will always have my prayers. Having a ghost on your side can be an advantage."
"Thanks Sarah, we're going to need it."
"Bye, good luck!"
"Bye! Thanks!" after she was gone, they each blew out a candle, put them back in their school supplies, and slipped into bed.
"She was nice," Faith commented in the dark.
"Yeah, I see why mom liked her. But she died so young. How did she die, anyway?" Grace asked.
"Freak car accident, I think," Faith answered.
"But we're still no closer to finding her," Melinda said pessimistically. They all knew whom she was referring to.
"Don't give up. We'll find her. I can feel it."
PAGE BREAK
"Ooo! Goody!" She clapped daintily, looking at the woman hanging limply in space in front of her. Doohickeys and whatcha-macallits hung from the body. Her ancient mind couldn't grasp the technology of it, but that's what minions were for.
It had taken longer than expected, and yet not so much, thirteen long years in this hell, for their complex scheme to unfold. She wanted her to forget, and it was even harder to erase her morals, and for the new ones to take hold. And even harder still to make her forget her training, her purpose, to make her accept the brainwashing, and not fight the not knowing, but it seemed they finally had the right chemical balances, and she was finally ready for her task.
She shifted from the image of the crazy vampire; she didn't feel like being crazy anymore, to a petite blond number, much more suited for the seriousness at hand. She waved her hand and the woman was released from the bonds that held her, and she crumpled to the floor.
The woman picked herself up with the grace of her kind, and stood sharply at attention.
"This is your first target." She handed her the glossy photo that another minion had taken. "Don't let me down, slayer."
"I won't, Mom." She bowed her head, shimmering out of their dimension, the one she was stuck in, while her minions came and left as they pleased.
"She remembers this form. Why does she remember?" she asked a quailing minion.
"Strong emotion bonds, such as that between mother and daughter are almost impossible to sever, my liege." He bowed.
"Never mind that. It could turn out to be in our favor. Your blunder will be overlooked."
"Thank you, Most Holy one."
PAGE BREAK
She shimmered back, and knelt before her Dark Goddess, now wearing a dark haired number, who liked wild nights and dressing dirty.
"The deed is done, My Lady."
"About time."
"I tried my best to do the task in a timely fashion, oh Mother Darkness."
"Well, that's not good enough. Next time you shall do your best, and better, Slayer. Here is your next assignment. But first, we have a ritual we must do." She summoned her high priests forward.
PAGE BREAK
"Buffy, we have a problem." The red head, now with shots of gray told her best friend, pacing her living room, where the rest of her extended family sat.
"What type of trouble?" the mostly gray haired woman asked. She hadn't the heart to keep up with dying her hair since she lost her daughter.
"Six fatal attacks on girls, from the ages of four to 12. When we first got the reports, we thought nothing of it. But Ash dug up some ancient watcher mumbo jumbo," there was a protest from the background, "and four of the six girls were destined to become slayers. Two of them actually had watchers. The watchers are missing, assumed dead at this point in time. If this continues, with the slayer line changing every five years or so, this could be a serious problem."
"Someone's copying the First? How lame," she said into the cordless phone.
"Yeah, but the killings aren't Bringers, or at least not Bringer style. All were done by slitting the throat, the four younger girls facing the attacker, and the two older girls from behind. This killer's not afraid of a bit of blood splatter." Ashley said on the extension.
"So, do we round them all up again? You can't possibly have an entire list of potentials."
"Actually, the Council employed a powerful seer in the late 1700's. The list goes until 3000, and so far it's been 95% accurate as to who the slayer shall be, and what year she shall be called, except for your calling, and all the callings after you, and, of course, Joy-...her calling." They all knew whom Ahsley meant. "The list is extensive, with the birth date, and accurate surname of each girl. The only inaccuracies would be if the parents were divorced, or the child orphaned, or adopted. The list actually caused a lot of damage in the mid 1850's, when Spike and Drusilla- "
"Ok, Giles Junior, I get it." Buffy said, laughing. Though her beloved watcher had died a couple years ago, Ashley reminded her of her British seudo-father. "Lets start rounding up all the girls on the list, and any others that you know of. Invite them to a...summer camp, a private summer camp, for gifted girls. Or something to that effect. Angel still owns that stupid hotel; I can talk him into letting us use it for the summer. Hopefully this will all blow over by then. Make the trip sound fun, to interest the girls, and yet educational enough to interest the parents. Do whatever you have to. $300 flat fee for the summer, for those that can afford it, and a scholarship for those that can't."
"Courtesy of your wonderful pals at the Watcher's Council, I got it. We'll come up with something creative." Willow said, "Oh, and uh, Buffy? What do you think about inviting Faith, Mel, and Grace?"
"Why?" She was now suspicious.
"There's still the prophecy, and they are the three most powerful witches around, second only to Piper, Phoebe and Paige, and that will change as soon as they come into their powers. They could be in grave danger."
"The Halliwells can handle it. I trust them."
"You are a close third, mom." Ashley said quietly. Willow began to bluster, denying her oldest's claim.
"Will, it's getting late here, and both the girls are out. I need to go put Josh to bed. Are we done here?"
"Yeah. Bye, Buffy. We love you."
"I love you guys too."
END OF UPDATE
Well, there you have it, the long awaited next bit to the story! Once again, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting! I have to go to bed now, gotta get up to babysit tomorrow, but I hope you guys like this, and review lots!! Lol..
Blackbeltchic
I just won Best Web Mistress Fluffy Spuffy Awards!
I feel special!
Part Three: First Copy Kats
Posted: June 4, 2004
Author's notes: OMG!! I'm so sorry guys! It's been literally forever since I last updated! 4/16/04! Yeesh! I just want to say thanks to Brad/leodalyon073 for reviewing. I have been having the worst writer's block for this silly story, and with school, and writing Stolen Innocence, and now a new story I'm focusing on... my muse is actually exhausted by the end of the day, and so am I!
Also, things have been...difficult around here lately. If anyone is still following the drama/soap opera that has become my life, my dad is currently on his way to Texas with his new girlfriend...last I knew, they were in Jackson, maybe with a ville, Tennesee.
Reader Responses:
Brad: I just want to say, once more, thanks for reminding me! Here is your requested update!!! If it wasn't for your update, then I would have forgotten, or kept forgetting my devilish plans for Joyce! And, sorry, you're just gonna have to figure out what happened to her on your own!
And I think that is it for reviews! pouts momentarily Oh well...on with the update!!!
START OF UPDATE
Remind me to email ff.net about this problem about deleting my spacers...if it still happens...
The three girls sat up late by candlelight, one Friday night. They had just come back from seeing Grampa Summers, in his tiny apartment in LA. Grace had said that he was more depressed than before, if possible. Maybe growing old without their grandmother was taking its toll. They barely ever saw him anymore, he was always burying himself in work, and now they knew why.
Now they were taking the next step, and calling spirits. They weren't allowed to ever do it, but they needed information.
"Spirit from the other side
Cross now the Great Divide" they chanted in a whisper, surrounded by candlelight.
The figure emerged from glowing dots and lights.
"Well, I was wondering when you three would get around to calling me." She teased. "You guys look so much like your mother," she breathed.
"How are you?" Grace asked, always one for pleasantries, surprised, though happy, that she couldn't read ghosts.
"Good, considering. I'm terribly sorry about your mom, though. She was the best friend I ever had."
"Thank you."
"I've been searching up there for her, but there's no sign of her anywhere. With all of your dad's ancestors searching, and your mom's entire family, and all the slayers, we've covered a lot of the dimensions over the years, but there are millions of paths on the Ghost Roads. A soul could be easily lost."
"C-Could you tell us about her? Nobody talks about her. Or dad. Only Uncle Spike, and only if he's in a good mood."
"Hmm...didn't meet him. Your mom was my roommate for three years, and I was apart of her wedding. She was so happy when she learned she was pregnant. I'm sorry I never really got to meet you, in real life. We graduated, and your mom went and worked with your dad and your grandfather, and I went on to medical school. We lost touch for a long time, until she called to say she was pregnant. It had sounded like she and your dad were having some petty newly-wed squabble, and she hoped that the baby...well, you guys, would bring them closer together."
"But what was mom like?" Melinda interrupted.
"When I first met her, she was secretive. But I wasn't much better. She'd generally come home around eight, grab a duffle bag she kept locked in her false bottom trunk. That's probably around here somewhere. Then she'd leave, and not come back until after I'd gone to bed. But she was always there by the time I got up for my early morning classes. For a while, I thought she was into something that wasn't...too good, but she didn't have the rep as a person to do that sort of thing. She didn't have a reputation at all."
"What changed?" Faith prodded.
"She got...hurt, and I had my suspicions from the start. Because of my chemo, few vampires wanted a taste, and night was the only time I could be outside. The sun hurt my eyes, and almost physically because of the drugs. And I'm not stupid enough not to notice a false bottom trunk when I see one. The night she got hurt, she had left the keys, and I...I went through her stuff. Not saying I was proud of it or anything, and when I asked her about it, she came clean. We've been...we were good friends from then on."
"What were she and Dad like, together?" Grace asked, the romantic.
"Everyone knew they were madly in love. Joyce would joke about how they had been best friends since they were in diapers, and it sounds cliché, like a Lifetime movie, or something, or a cheesy teen romance novel, but it was true. I think your dad had dated for a while, before your mom and he started going out, but she hadn't been allowed to date beforehand, and after that first date, that was it. They didn't date a single person after that. It was really sweet. And the wedding was perfectly tasteful. It was held downstairs, in the solarium, and your mom was gorgeous in white, and we, the bridesmaids, were in lilac purple, and the air smelled of summer, and flowers. And your dad was so handsome." They drank in every word.
"We've seen the pictures," Faith murmured, and she could almost see their smiling faces once again, looking out at them from the photos.
"But it's not the same, I know. Well, for everyone's sake, I hope you find her. And you will always have my prayers. Having a ghost on your side can be an advantage."
"Thanks Sarah, we're going to need it."
"Bye, good luck!"
"Bye! Thanks!" after she was gone, they each blew out a candle, put them back in their school supplies, and slipped into bed.
"She was nice," Faith commented in the dark.
"Yeah, I see why mom liked her. But she died so young. How did she die, anyway?" Grace asked.
"Freak car accident, I think," Faith answered.
"But we're still no closer to finding her," Melinda said pessimistically. They all knew whom she was referring to.
"Don't give up. We'll find her. I can feel it."
PAGE BREAK
"Ooo! Goody!" She clapped daintily, looking at the woman hanging limply in space in front of her. Doohickeys and whatcha-macallits hung from the body. Her ancient mind couldn't grasp the technology of it, but that's what minions were for.
It had taken longer than expected, and yet not so much, thirteen long years in this hell, for their complex scheme to unfold. She wanted her to forget, and it was even harder to erase her morals, and for the new ones to take hold. And even harder still to make her forget her training, her purpose, to make her accept the brainwashing, and not fight the not knowing, but it seemed they finally had the right chemical balances, and she was finally ready for her task.
She shifted from the image of the crazy vampire; she didn't feel like being crazy anymore, to a petite blond number, much more suited for the seriousness at hand. She waved her hand and the woman was released from the bonds that held her, and she crumpled to the floor.
The woman picked herself up with the grace of her kind, and stood sharply at attention.
"This is your first target." She handed her the glossy photo that another minion had taken. "Don't let me down, slayer."
"I won't, Mom." She bowed her head, shimmering out of their dimension, the one she was stuck in, while her minions came and left as they pleased.
"She remembers this form. Why does she remember?" she asked a quailing minion.
"Strong emotion bonds, such as that between mother and daughter are almost impossible to sever, my liege." He bowed.
"Never mind that. It could turn out to be in our favor. Your blunder will be overlooked."
"Thank you, Most Holy one."
PAGE BREAK
She shimmered back, and knelt before her Dark Goddess, now wearing a dark haired number, who liked wild nights and dressing dirty.
"The deed is done, My Lady."
"About time."
"I tried my best to do the task in a timely fashion, oh Mother Darkness."
"Well, that's not good enough. Next time you shall do your best, and better, Slayer. Here is your next assignment. But first, we have a ritual we must do." She summoned her high priests forward.
PAGE BREAK
"Buffy, we have a problem." The red head, now with shots of gray told her best friend, pacing her living room, where the rest of her extended family sat.
"What type of trouble?" the mostly gray haired woman asked. She hadn't the heart to keep up with dying her hair since she lost her daughter.
"Six fatal attacks on girls, from the ages of four to 12. When we first got the reports, we thought nothing of it. But Ash dug up some ancient watcher mumbo jumbo," there was a protest from the background, "and four of the six girls were destined to become slayers. Two of them actually had watchers. The watchers are missing, assumed dead at this point in time. If this continues, with the slayer line changing every five years or so, this could be a serious problem."
"Someone's copying the First? How lame," she said into the cordless phone.
"Yeah, but the killings aren't Bringers, or at least not Bringer style. All were done by slitting the throat, the four younger girls facing the attacker, and the two older girls from behind. This killer's not afraid of a bit of blood splatter." Ashley said on the extension.
"So, do we round them all up again? You can't possibly have an entire list of potentials."
"Actually, the Council employed a powerful seer in the late 1700's. The list goes until 3000, and so far it's been 95% accurate as to who the slayer shall be, and what year she shall be called, except for your calling, and all the callings after you, and, of course, Joy-...her calling." They all knew whom Ahsley meant. "The list is extensive, with the birth date, and accurate surname of each girl. The only inaccuracies would be if the parents were divorced, or the child orphaned, or adopted. The list actually caused a lot of damage in the mid 1850's, when Spike and Drusilla- "
"Ok, Giles Junior, I get it." Buffy said, laughing. Though her beloved watcher had died a couple years ago, Ashley reminded her of her British seudo-father. "Lets start rounding up all the girls on the list, and any others that you know of. Invite them to a...summer camp, a private summer camp, for gifted girls. Or something to that effect. Angel still owns that stupid hotel; I can talk him into letting us use it for the summer. Hopefully this will all blow over by then. Make the trip sound fun, to interest the girls, and yet educational enough to interest the parents. Do whatever you have to. $300 flat fee for the summer, for those that can afford it, and a scholarship for those that can't."
"Courtesy of your wonderful pals at the Watcher's Council, I got it. We'll come up with something creative." Willow said, "Oh, and uh, Buffy? What do you think about inviting Faith, Mel, and Grace?"
"Why?" She was now suspicious.
"There's still the prophecy, and they are the three most powerful witches around, second only to Piper, Phoebe and Paige, and that will change as soon as they come into their powers. They could be in grave danger."
"The Halliwells can handle it. I trust them."
"You are a close third, mom." Ashley said quietly. Willow began to bluster, denying her oldest's claim.
"Will, it's getting late here, and both the girls are out. I need to go put Josh to bed. Are we done here?"
"Yeah. Bye, Buffy. We love you."
"I love you guys too."
END OF UPDATE
Well, there you have it, the long awaited next bit to the story! Once again, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting! I have to go to bed now, gotta get up to babysit tomorrow, but I hope you guys like this, and review lots!! Lol..
Blackbeltchic
I just won Best Web Mistress Fluffy Spuffy Awards!
I feel special!