Zigpal- Thanks you very much for my claps and the review and I'm really glad you liked the chapter. I had to condense it though to fit reasonably in one chapter...so I may up doing a stand alone fanfic seperately that will just be that chapter, hehe. As for a Buffy love interest; I'm not saying a thing
g120- Thanks for review, and yep the previous one was just kind of a 'keep it going' thing as this one actuall, sadly. But really happy you liked same time same place and I also wished it could have been longer but as I said above I'm hopefully going to get to write the unabridged version as a seperate fiction. So here's hopin' hehe.
Rabidreject- I love it when you're in awe of me haha. Thanks very much for the review
A/N: Another not-much-happens-just-keeps-it-going-chapter but I've finally figured out why! and also why the previou chapters had been really hard to adapt to the Cocorific world. Tis because after this chapter I'm going off into my own storyline (that will intergrate with the original eventually of course) and I think I'm impatient to start writing it. haha.
Anyway, I'm sorry about the whole late updateage but I've just been on a shor holiday to York in England. It was really fun, but really cold! The people in that city should hibernate!
Also, apologies if the grammar or spelling mistakes are a plenty here. I edited it in an uber rush.
The residents at Sixteen-twenty-eight Revello Drive had been wishing to have a conservatory for years. Janice Greenman had always wanted a sunroom and finally she and her husband, with their son now out of college and with a paying job and his own house, could afford to have one. However, they did want it as soon as possible which meant they were paying the builders to work everyday except Sunday and to start as early as was legal until as late as possible.
Which meant at seven o clock on Monday morning the loud bangs of construction reached the sleeping residents of the house next door. Being in the back room Joyce and Rupert, and Lily in her cot, received the brunt of the noise. However, strangely enough Rupert was the only one to be awoken by the loud noise as Lily had recently adopted a sleep until woken sleep pattern temporarily, and well, Joyce had been known to sleep through anything if she wished it so.
"For god's sake," He muttered as he awoke, getting out of bed, "You know in England it's illegal to start construction until after nine a.m." He complained to Joyce, though being barely awake, she hardly heard him.
"Mm-hmm..."
"They should really take into consideration the fact that there are people still asleep," He half shouted the last few words as his frustration rose as he looked in between the curtains, out the window onto the view of the builders.
"Ah, the more they work the sooner it's done," Joyce yawned, turning over in bed and pulling the covers closer to her, "Just think of that..."
"It's the principle of the matter," Rupert replied, sitting on the bed and Joyce reached out an arm pulling him back down.
"Come on we've got ten more minutes before either of us have to get up," She reasoned, still in a state of sleep as she wrapped her arms around him effectively trapping him back on the bed beside her, "Just give the guys a break" The hammering from outside continued persistently and seemed to increase in volume.
"I'll have Buffy break their legs in a moment," He murmured in annoyance.
"Rupert..." She reprimanded, but still successfully remaining, for the most part, asleep. He however, could not fall into the same state and with a frustrated sigh he slipped out of her arms and stalked out of the room. Aware that he was in 'one of those moods' and that usually led to confrontation, Joyce's subconscious alerted her to the fact that he was probably going to go complain directly to the construction workers and she woke immediately. "Honey!" She called, rushing out the room after him.
She was hurrying down the stairs after him just as Dawn and Buffy drifted out of their rooms in synchronization. They looked across the hall at one another.
"I called it," Buffy smiled to her sister, "Three days before he snapped. That five bucks is mine sis"
"What's the bet Mom'll stop him before he does anything?" Dawn countered, completely unwilling to pay the measly five dollars to the sister with a paying job.
"You can't get rid of her for two weeks" Anya protested.
"We're not 'getting rid of her'," Joyce protested incredulously, "She's staying with family for a while"
"But we're family" Anya countered from where she stood behind the counter at the Magic Box. She turned to Xander for confirmation, "Aren't we?"
"In all but blood yes," He nodded, "But I think Grandparents have this funny thing where they believe they have a right to see their Grandchildren"
"And since Mrs Taylor adamantly refuses to ever set back in Sunnydale after the events of her previous visit," Giles added in explanation, "Joyce's Father is going to pick Lily up and have her stay with them for a short while"
"Well I don't like it" Anya grumbled and Joyce smirked as she held the smiling said child in her arms.
"Well since she's our daughter and not yours, I'm afraid it isn't your decision to make"
"I knew you were gonna throw that back in my face,"
"Look," Joyce said as Lily reached out her small, chubby hands to her Father, trying to form words, that unfortunately for her only came out as nonsensical gurgles. Both understanding immediately what Lily wished Joyce instinctively and instantly handed her over to Rupert, who took her with a smile, "Look," Joyce repeated, returning her attention to Anya while still, almost subconsciously, holding onto one of Lily's hands, "If it makes you feel any better you and Xander can have her overnight or even a couple of days if you wish" Anya smiled with an eager nod at Joyce so neither women saw Xander shaking his head in the background mouthing the word 'no'. Giles did though, but he did nothing; only laughed quietly to himself.
"Hey! Tara!" Buffy called, spotting the woman across the street as she came out of Sunnydale High, her work over for the day an hour before the students were to finish. Tara, at the sound of the name paused and as her eyes fell on Buffy and recognition flooded her expression she smiled.
"Buffy, hi" She greeted her as the blond reached her after putting on a short burst of speed to cross the road.
"Hey, where's Will?"
"Oh, she's at home," Tara told her as they started to walk together, "She's not much for getting out a lot lately. She's all-"
"Stay iny?"
"Exactly," Tara nodded, "Which, which I understand but if she doesn't get back into her normal routine soon, things will be harder to get back to how they were"
"I know," Buffy agreed, "You've just gotta give her time I guess. I think she's still getting over the whole power suckage thing and then she gets back and accidentally Quantum Leaps us...it's gotta be hard"
Tara didn't answer, but merely nodded silently, looking deep in thought as the two continued to walk together at a casual Summer pace.
"I have a question for you," Buffy suddenly said and she stopped walking, causing Tara to come to a halt too as she looked at her.
"What is it?" Tara asked and in reply, Buffy pulled open her coat to reveal what looked to be a coffee stain on her shirt.
"I spilled coffee on myself," Buffy said, apparently feeling she was getting into an explanation but if Tara was completely honest with herself she would have to admit that she had no clue what point Buffy was trying to make.
"W-well, I'm sure stain removal can get it out" She suggested, sounding understandably puzzled.
"No," Buffy shook her head, "That's not what I'm saying," She cocked her head in thought, "Though thanks for the tip. The point is, a girl told me this would happen." Tara did not even raise her eyebrows in response so Buffy elaborated, "Before it happened"
"Oh..." Tara nodded, still not quite sure what Buffy was getting at, "Are you saying she called you clumsy?"
"What? No." Buffy shook her head as the two started walking together again, "She was one of the students that came to me today. And she told me," Buffy paused again and spoke in a low, quiet voice to Tara, "She told me she was gonna die this Friday"
"What?" Tara gasped in shock, "Did you tell Principle Wood? I mean if she's thinking of hurting herself then-"
"See, that's what I thought at first as well," Buffy said, interrupting her, "But she told me she wasn't going to harm herself and then the coffee thing happened. Which she told me about before...you see where I'm going with this?"
"She knew you were gonna spill coffee...?" Tara filled in the 'blanks' slowly and Buffy nodded.
"Exactly. When she said she knew she was gonna die on Friday, I thought she was just being extreme but after this," She tapped the part of her coat that hid the stain on her top, "I don't know...I think there's more to it. I mean, what if she does really know that she's going to die on Friday?"
"Like through precognition?" Tara frowned, finally understanding what Buffy was getting at.
"Yeah...maybe..I don't know, but I have to help her," Buffy insisted, "I mean that's my job right? Times two and one I get paid for"
"Hmm..." Tara contemplated seriously what Buffy had told her, "I think she could speak to Giles. See what he thinks"
"That's my brilliant plan," Buffy smiled.
"So what do I do? What do we do?" Buffy asked as she sat in the kitchen, having retold the entire events about Cassie to her Mom and Giles, "I mean Dawn's already being spy friend person...but beyond that what I'm supposed to do? I mean what if she really did see her own death? We have to help her- but she won't tell me anything. She just rushed away. God!" Buffy let out a sigh of frustration, dropping her head into her hands.
"Well, I have to admit, given what you've told us, it's not entirely positive that she did indeed have a premonition of her own demise, but ah, I suppose we can't rule anything out. But what to do about it when she clearly isn't asking for our help, I truly don't know" Giles told her.
"What if she does want to hurt herself though?" Joyce asked worriedly, "I mean teenagers, they cover up all the time for feelings like this don't they? Maybe that's what she is doing and she is in fact planning on inflicting self harm and she just pretended everything was okay and the coffee spill was just entirely coincidence and then Dawn is just going to come in one day and find that Cassie's no longer there and we didn't do anything and this poor girl was going through so much and-" Rupert put both his hands on Joyce's shoulders calmingly, stopping her mid-babble and she looked up at him gratefully, before resting in his arms in relief, "I just...it's so awful. That poor girl. We have to help"
"I know," Buffy agreed, "But how? I mean beyond Dawn hanging around and me pulling up her medical files what else are we supposed to do?"
"Hey," Dawn smiled as she walked up to Cassie in the corridor the next day, "You like pasta right?"
"It's okay, yeah" Cassie laughed in puzzlement as she put some of her books in her locker, "why?"
"Because my Mom likes cooking it and my Stepdad does this weird British twist thing where he seems to know a way to make it taste like actually Italian and they're kinda making it tonight," Dawn explained, well not so much explained as added more to the confusion, "I wondered if you wanted to come eat it?" Cassie could only frown in confusion, "Okay," Dawn laughed, "That came out a lot weirder than it sounded in my head. What I meant was, do you wanna come round for dinner, tonight? It could be fun in a quirky sorta way. I mean my Mom can be a total ditz sometimes when she's cooking and there're guests over which should be amusing, and Giles is like all British so he has this funny stand offish attitude to new people in my house and then my sister- well she's...just weird and is amusing in herself. You game?"
Cassie looked unsure for a moment and Dawn wondered whether the girl would think it was too weird to have dinner at the house of 'Miss Summers',the school councilor but eventually she broke out into a genuinely warm smile.
"Yeah, I'm game," She nodded, "Sounds like it could be fun. And like I said- pasta's good, right?"
"So you're in Dawn's classes at school?" Joyce asked curiously as she place Cassie's dinner down on the table in front of her.
"Erm, just a few like English and Trig. Oh and this art pottery class thing-" As she said the third class, Cassie looked past Joyce to see Dawn shaking her head and waving her arms while crazily mouthing 'no'.
"You're taking an art class this year, Dawn?" Joyce turned to her daughter, "You didn't tell me"
"Well you know me-" Dawn began with a smile but decided to continue with the truth rather than a white lie, though she kept the same upbeat tone, "I just get really bored when you talk art"
"Dawn," Giles reprimanded as he set his and Buffy's plates down- Cassie, Joyce and Dawn having already been served- but Dawn just threw him a look.
"Oh come on" She said, "You only don't mind it because you're in love with her and you have your own crazy books and culture obsession. Your two freak obsessions go together like-"
"Chicken and another chicken?" Buffy filled in with a smile, though Dawn only frowned at her as though to say 'you're freakier than I originally believed'.
"You like art, Mrs Giles?" Cassie asked, sounding, in contrast to Dawn, interested in what Joyce had to say.
"Erm yes," Joyce smiled as she took a seat, "I actually own the art gallery in Sunnydale"
"Really?" Cassie asked, "I've been there a couple of times. There's some pretty cool things. I like the modern stuff the best though," She admitted, "S'more abstract"
"Mm-hmm," Joyce nodded with keen interest, "Was there any in particular you liked? A favorite perhaps?"
"Not really," Cassie shrugged, "I just like the whole thing y'know? I like how you do the displays though. They look really well thought out. It's cool"
"That's lovely of you to say so," Joyce smiled, "Maybe you'd like to go into something like that when you're older, perhaps?" She suggested, but Cassie just looked down at her plate twirling the pasta around her fork.
"I'm not really bothered about stuff like that," She admitted quietly.
"Why not?" Joyce asked, deliberately yet subtlety prodding. Oh the advantages of being a Mother; the tricks you learned over the years, "I'm sure you must have thought about your future at some point"
"Well yeah of course," Cassie smiled a little but it soon faded way as she shrugged again, "But it doesn't really matter anymore"
"Why not?"
"You know, Mr Giles, Dawn said you could make this taste like really Italian and it does" Cassie looked across the table at Giles, "It tastes really g-"
"Cassie, please don't change the subject," Joyce unknowingly paraphrased her daughter from the day before, "Why don't you think your future matters?"
"No reason" Cassie mumbled, looking uncomfortable but she tried to put on a smile as she looked at them all, "You know erm, Dawn told me about Lily. I would have liked to meet her"
"Well, she's at Anya and Xander's..." Dawn explained, "They're friends of ours"
"Cassie?" Joyce asked again in a kind voice that wasn't at all demanding or intrusive, "Please answer my question"
"I'm sorry Mrs Giles, Mr Giles- the meal was lovely but I have to go," Cassie stood up, "Thanks for inviting me Dawn and it was nice seeing you Miss Summers"
"Cassie, please don't go," Buffy pleaded, getting up out of her seat and rushing around to the table to intercept Cassie, "Stay please"
"You're trying to help aren't you?" Cassie asked her with a quiet sadness, "But you can't. I'm sorry but you just can't"
"Cassie, please" Joyce added, walking over to Cassie, Dawn and Buffy. Rupert was not far behind, though he seemed to be, for the moment anyway, keeping a silent presence. "We can't help you if you don't tell us what's going on"
"You all know about this?" Cassie asked, looking around at everyone, "You all know what I told Miss Summers?"
"Please don't be mad," Dawn pleaded, "You're my friend and I...we just don't want you to get hurt...or to hurt yourself."
"I'm not going to hurt myself," Cassie insisted, "But you still...you still can't help me"
"See, you say you're not going to hurt yourself," Buffy pointed out, "But that doesn't sound like someone who wants to live"
"I do though!" Cassie countered, "Believe me I really do. I want to do things," She looked at them all and for a moment it seemed as though she may cry, but the tears were held firmly back, "I want to graduate from High School. I wanna go to the stupid Winter Formal. I have this friend- you know him Dawn, right?"
"Yeah," Dawn said quietly with a nod, her sadness at Cassie's words rendering her unable to say much else.
"Well, I think it would be fun to go with him," Cassie admitted, her eyes shining with tears that threatened to pour down her cheeks, "Just to dance. Hear lame music. To wear a silly dress and laugh and stuff. I'd like to go. There's a lot I'd like to do"
"Then you have to fight," Buffy insisted, "We can help you if you let us. Otherwise you're just giving up and nothing in this world should allow you to make that an option. Isn't there so much more you wanna do? Then fight for it"
"Of course there's more I wanna do!" Cassie almost shouted, but not quite as her emotions threatened to take over. She was crying a little now. "I'd love to ice skate at Rockefeller Center. And I'd love to watch my cousins grow up , see who they become- cause they're really mean and I think they're gonna be fat. And I've never been to the Louvre. I'd love to see the Mona Lisa. Or meet Peter Falk. Or backpack across the country. Or I don't know...fall in love. But I won't I just never will. No matter how hard I fight it doesn't matter. There's no point" Cassie was sadly resigned to her supposed fate and not one person stood before her could even reply. Before they could even attempt to, Cassie turned and left before they could try and convince her they could help again.
"Oh god..." Joyce whispered, falling into a chair.
"We can't just let this go," Buffy said as though fearful that that was everyone else had decided.
"No, of course not," Giles shook his head, "But what to do exactly is another matter entirely. If we only had some clue as to what might cause her death, we could prevent it"
"I know," Buffy sighed, "But we don't even have a place to start. I don't know...maybe we should look through her records again?"
"I think I might have an idea," Dawn said, turning to look at them, having been watching the door ever since Cassie walked out of it up until now, "There's this guy at school- Mike. You know the one who asked her to the dance?" The adults nodded, showing her they were following, "Well he's been asking to the Winter Formal like non stop. So I'm thinking-"
"The boy doesn't take take rejection very well?" Giles suggested, before looking at Buffy, "That is a possibility Buffy"
"Yeah..." Buffy nodded, an idea forming her mind as her eyes seem to flicker with life; the sign that Buffy had a focus now and that always made her feel better when it came to beating the bad guy. She hated waiting out things cluelessly, "Right. I'll check him tomorrow- see what his deal is"
While Buffy and Dawn were at school both Joyce and Giles were at home, waiting out the worry about Cassie. When Giles came out of the kitchen he saw that Joyce had a laptop on her knee where she was sat on the sofa. It was one Willow had left behind from the other night when they had all been researching Cassie. He took a seat beside and peered over to see what she was doing. She was on Cassie's website.
"I sit alone at my windowsill, trees crackle, sunshine blares, and children laugh like death..." Joyce sighed, unable to read any further though she didn't exit the window. Only rested her head against Rupert's chest for comfort as she continued to look on the site as though looking at it long enough would give them all a sure fire to save Cassie, "This poor girl Rupert...I just...I can't...it's too horrible. I wish we could help her"
"We are," Rupert assured her, kissing her temple softly, "Buffy will save her from whatever awful thing it is that is threatening her life...I promise. We'll help"
Joyce smiled a small smile, taking a tiny comfort in Rupert's words.
That night the living room was silent despite how many people were sat there. None of them could talk, only look down at the floor in broken shock and upset.
Joyce and Rupert were sat on the sofa, in each other's arms, while Dawn and Buffy each had an arm chair. Dawn's eyes were as tear stained as everyone else and she just looked wide-eyed at the floor, clearly going over all her small amount of memories of Cassie. Buffy was sat with her legs tucked under her, her expression full of self-loathing.
"She was going to die no matter what wasn't she?" Joyce suddenly asked everyone quietly and sadly.
"Yeah," Buffy's voice was toneless, "Her family had a history of heart problems...She'd never been told, but, but she just knew. She was special and I failed her"
"Buffy-" Giles went to give comforting words, but Dawn replied first as she shook her head.
"No, nuh-uh you didn't. You didn't because you tried; you listened and you tried," Dawn's voice was breaking as she started to cry, "She died cause of her heart not because of you. She was my friend because of you. I guess sometimes you can't help..." Dawn tried to put on a brave expression as she said this, but failed almost immediately after her attempt.
"So then what?" Buffy asked in the same toneless voice as though she had lost all purpose for being, "What do you do when you know that? When you know that maybe you can't help?"
Not one of them had the answer.
Across cities and towns that covered the state of California, over in L.A, Lilah Morgan was at her own loss for answers as she look at the petite twenty-odd year blond, green-eyed girl that had suddenly appeared in front of her desk. The girl look around, evidently also confused, before her eyes settled on the nameplate at Lilah's desk. She then took note of the 'Wolfram&Hart' sign on the wall behind the brunette.
"Bugger" The girl cursed.