7. Tuck everlasting

Authors' notes: Three reviews, a happy author makes. Thanks Imizadi, for pulling double duty. I have now received two requests (from different reviewers) for cannon character cameos. So I have decided that in chapter ten (I have already written the rough drafts up to that point) some familiar visitors will drop by. Coolcarmellow: Willow. and Angel will marry, and so will Stella, eventually. Oh and in case anyone was wondering, polka dot door is actually a Canadian children's show (I don't if they have it in the states).

Stella POV

High school, even private high school is the epitome, of cliché's. Girls in lip-gloss, and too much mascara roam the halls like hyenas. Talking of boys and speaking in slang.

I have never been one of them, with their shortened catholic skirts. I am too close to my family to gets away with smoking at recess, drinking on evenings, and partying on weekend.

That said I am hardly alone here, there is always my best friend, fellow dreamer, and history buff, Lane. Although Lanes definition of history, does not agree with the one found in the dictionary. Hers tends more towards the Rolling stones, Cat Steven's, and the Richard Thompson, then Hitler, Gandhi, and Augustus.

I stepped out of my A.P. Latin class, and lane greeted me, no one dared to attend Latin class with me. I was that good or geeky depending g on your particular editorial bias.

"So my house" I volunteered, Lane loves the fire hall. And my parent's were less intrusive, then lanes. Not that my parents ever had a reason to obviously intrude.

"Of course." Lane replied

"That would be fine" Carol said in her evil dictator/ normal voice.

"Pardon" I asked, Carol is my nemesis, not a stop by have cookies, mock movies friend like Lane. Carol is obsessed with the occult, vampires, witches, and demon's, but definitely not in a good way. She naively believes that they are gods walking among us, and the minute the entire world recognizes this, we will all be delivered to heaven. Gossip, says she's an addict who hangs out at spike's. But even I don't believe she's that evil

Carol is unable to read the thoughts in my head so she continued, to live ,breath, and most unfortunately speak "School project, English. Remember?"

"Oh yes, the presentation on Elizabeth Barret browning."

"Of course" then noticing the glum look on my face she added "Don't worry I won't be there to long, I haven't seen it but I am fairly sure that hell would seem like heaven by comperason "

We walked to the fire hall in silence. Upon entering the fire hall and former detective agency, my mom greeted us. "Hi, Stella, Lane. And who is this"

Mom is still beautiful. her long red hair had streaks of silver in it. And the few wrinkles she acquired, just make her look distinguished.

"My name is carol, it's a beautiful place you have here ms?"

"Rosenberg, but call me willow" My mother extended her hand graciously , accidentally tipping over a framed Photo, Of Angel, Buffy, Dander, and herself, in the process.

Carol caught the photo befor it could fall, and my mother thanked her

"It's, no problem really, Ms Roseburg, it's a beautiful photo, How young were you there?"

"Oh only a couple of years, older then you."

'Who are the others in the photo?" carol enquired, being a little too polite for my taste.

"Oh, Angel my partner is on the far left, Buffy my friend is in his arm's, and on the extreme right, that's my childhood best friend Xander/"

I started upstairs leaving my mother to work on her accounting papers. How anyone liked being an accountant is beyond me but for mom, when the numbers speck, they don't swear.

We worked on the project for thirty minutes. Then Dad passed my doorway with a wave, he was too caught up with work, to manage more then that.

"That's the guy in the picture" Carol managed

"Of course" Lane said, Her temper had been on the verge of breaking free for almost an hour now, and there was more then a hint of untamed violence in her voice.

"He hasn't aged a bit"

Most people would take that as a complement. However my dad doesn't have that luxury, and he could here all this even from down the hall.

I tried to casually dismiss the remark "It's just his metabolism or something." Carol shut up, then and we finished the project in silence.

The Next Day:

I was walking, between U.S. history and Shakespeare class, when Carol confronted me, not with angry words, but a happy song "Stella so good to see you,"

"Excuse me?" I said unapologetically startled.

"I'm sorry how I treated you, I mean I didn't know you were the daughter of a vampire, but now its so obvious, I mean the whole no reflection thing, should have been obvious. I mean who would believe the whole Boxtaphordian Carpe thing?"

Numerous medical professionals actually, so I couldn't believe that carol of all people had seen through it. Even lane, which was practically my sister, hadn't figured it out yet.

What could I do but say "pardon"

That just restarted carol's interior monolog "So I told spike about it and he was so eager to meet you, and your dad" Great so the rumors were true. And the confussion spell willow had set, was broken

We were in danger, I ran to warn my parents, that's when I smashed into dad. It was a shock one does not expect to ones parent, at school, particularly when said parent is bleeding profusely.

He grabbed me by the hand and ran for the door, holding a giant black coat over his head, he ran through the sunlight for the car dragging me behind him. I could smell his flesh sizzle, we climbed into the car quickly, spoke unable to follow us into the sun.

Mom kept driving all through the night, I drifted in and out of sleep, hearing snippet's of my Dad's phone conversations. With Wesley and Cordy

"Thank goodness, they didn't attack your place too Cordy, Our house is nothing but ashes now"

"No, Wesley we will be fine, finically and otherwise, Willow procured some almost legitimate passports, for us"

"Yes we are moving away permanently, if Cordy get's a vision, hopefully I will be able to fly back and stop it in time. But she hasn't had one for sixth month's, and that one came in two days before the prophecy became realty"

Finely I fell into a deep sleep, listing to my dad's sad and steady voice and Dreaming of a new life full of discuses wooly mustaches, black turtlenecks, and monocoles.

Next Chapter: A Hospital Visit , A dance, and A wedding, although not neccerly in that order. What do you think of Stella's POV? The more you review, the faster I post.