From: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com (buffyfic-digest) To: buffyfic-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: buffyfic-digest V2 #201 Reply-To: $SENDER Sender: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-buffyfic@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk buffyfic-digest Sunday, May 24 1998 Volume 02 : Number 201 In this issue: BUFFYFIC: My Moria (6/?) BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: a little problem I've noticed... BUFFYFIC: "Reunion" (20/?) BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: answers to the little problem Re: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: answers to the little problem BUFFYFIC: "Reunion" Interlude zero: "Premonitions" BUFFYFIC: How to Reforge a Broken Blade (3/?) See the end of the digest for information on (un)subscribing to the buffyfic or buffyfic-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 23 May 1998 23:43:06 -0700 From: taygeta@juno.com (Charity C. T.) Subject: BUFFYFIC: My Moria (6/?) TITLE: My Moria (6/?) AUTHOR: Taygeta E-MAIL: taygeta@juno.com RATING: PG DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just tell me first. FEEDBACK: Please??? SPOILER: Not really DISCLAIMER:The characters portrayed in this story and any other references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer are the property of its creater Joss Whedon, and its owners Mutant Enemy productions, Kuzui Productions, Sandollar Productions, and 20th Century Fox. In other words, these characters do not belong to me, and I am just borrowing them. DESCRIPTION: Twenty years into the future, 'nuff said. AUTHOR'S NOTE: There's a little Latin in here, and I don't know if the sentence structure is correct. If anyone knows Latin and can tell me if it's okay, please do. And if my sentence structure isn't correct, I'm really sorry. *************************** My Moria #6 By: Taygeta Rupert Giles sighed as he roamed the grounds around the Summers-Harris home and thought of the precarious hours that had passed and those that had yet to pass until the new slayer was told of her destiny. The atmosphere that had settled was too familiar and far too nerve-wracking for his weary, aging heart. So much that he had to flee to the garden to distance him from the almost dismal. In the serenity of the blossoming gardens, he couldn't believe that this beautiful, grand estate belonged to two of the most reckless students he had ever known. He had had no worries of Willow, Oz, or Cordelia's future; the three were so confident and tactful, that he hadn't needed to be. Willow and Oz's software company, Full Moon, Inc., was now selling worldwide. Cordelia was the Watcher, and that news in itself was one of the biggest surprises Giles had ever experienced. The aims and responsibilities she had gained had altered her from the superficial girl she had always been to a mature and resourceful woman that was the best in her field. Her profession as a curator to a historical museum had aided her in her work as a Watcher, allowing much of her success to occur so quickly. No, they didn't give him much surprise at their accomplishments in life. Buffy and Xander, on the other hand, he had had much contemplation on the subject of their future. It surprised him, still, no matter how many times he saw a film written by Alexander Summers-Harris, or his more recently proven talent, read a book written by him, that such maturity and thought content could have ever came from the sarcastic, unsound student he use to know. As for Buffy, he always feared that in every single battle he set her on and in those that she had brought herself into, that he would lose her. And the fact that he didn't, was success enough for him, but beating the odds wasn't enough for Buffy, Giles had realized, after she became the "norm" she had always wished to become. And perhaps by finding herself in her art, she had achieve the inner peace that they all had lost somewhere along the line while living in and out of the realm of darkness. It was hard to have seen her expression when Cordelia brought the news that Moria was the new slayer. It was as if all that accomplishment to regain the tranquility lost had been in vain. He had seen one of her paintings at a gallery on a recent trip to New York. Almost the entirety of the painting was done in dark oils that cast an almost foreboding feeling to the mind's eye. Despite its limited usage, the pale oils that made up the rest of the painting were perhaps the most powerful feature in the painting, for the pallid colors created beautiful sovereign images beneath the shadows created by the dark paints. One such image was very familiar to his eyes and his heart, and that was the shadowy face of his past love, Jennifer Calendar. Seeing her face in one of Buffy's paintings made him wonder what would have been if the dreaded Angelus hadn't killed her? Would they have continued through life together? He often thought of such questions and they were always left to hang silently in the air to never be answered. Angelus, his demonic face was among those in the shadows and his alter ego, Angel, made up half of that face. The Master, Druscilla, Spike, the Chosen one, Xander, Cordelia, Willow, Oz, Buffy, and even himself, as all was there…the good against the evil and the half face of Angel/Angelus to divide the line. All these images surrounded a maelstrom of purple, black, gray, and white, and the figures drawn to such detail that it is unsure as to whether the vortex is pulling in or pushing out. So suitable was the title of that painting that hung so stately on the wall, so suitable of a phrase to describe their lives. "Obscurus Ad Faciem" … "To Face the Dark." _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 May 1998 11:05:04 -0400 From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: a little problem I've noticed... In some of the fics I get, there are breaks in the text with something like "=92" in between many of the words. Usually, this is tolerable, but occasionally it's almost made a great story unreadable. I was just wondering if anybody else gets it, if anybody on the list knows what it is, and if it can be prevented. Thanks! - -Ingrid Ingrid: Author of many long Buffyfics (and some short ones). "Return to Normalcy," "One Vampire's Headache...," "This Fleeting Hope," "Ghost of a Chance," "Tragic Sighs," "Footsteps," "Bitten," and "Reunion." _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 May 1998 11:37:48 -0400 From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Reunion" (20/?) DISCLAIMER: The characters? They ain’t mine. SUMMARY: More work at the Harris house. FEEDBACK: I hate feedback. Don’t send it. (Just kidding. - Does anybody ever *not* want feedback? REQUESTS FOR PARTS: Give ‘em here! (Ingrid29@juno.com) NOTE: The research paper is over!! Party time!! (not really, but it *is* over) After many naps, I have written a part. =) Okay… I’ll let you get on to the story! ********* "Reunion," by Ingrid Part Twenty: "Preparation" ********* What a draining day. Buffy was tired, but she knew the excitement lay ahead. Tonight would determine all their fates for better or for worse, but something told her that ‘worse’ was in the cards. She smiled at Giles, and he returned it faintly. He’d forgiven. The healing was beginning. He’d managed to meet Angel’s eyes, and would again. They had it down. The entire prophesy had been translated, and not a single word refused to be understood. She glanced at the window, where Xander and Cordelia were reading something over. The sun was gradually slipping below the horizon, and soon she would be here with her sparkling eyes and tragic face. Perhaps Buffy had her own guilt to deal with. "An old enemy returns to destroy. The gates of time blow open and all is chaos." "To set things right In death A friend emerges from the shadows." The doorbell rang, jangling her nerves. "That must be Corin," Cordelia explained, and left her place at the window to go answer the door. It was tonight. They all knew it was tonight. *This is it,* she thought, *Don’t screw up. You can’t screw this up.* But she would anyway. Somehow, she’d manage. She walked over to Angel and rested in his arms, still watching the people around her buzzing with anxious life. Cordelia returned with the girl, watching her nervously as she sat down. Buffy looked outside distractedly as the sun began to slip below the horizon. Not much longer afterwards, Willow arrived. She was as radiant and as tragic as ever, every word she spoke burning brightly before dying at the ears. And then suddenly, they were all still, waiting for Willow to speak, and Buffy knew what she had to do. It was time, and she was ready. "It’s tonight." Willow sunk back in the chair, waiting for the obvious to sink in. "Tonight, the stars are aligned just right, and he will begin near midnight. First, he’s going to try to stop her death. That will require anything we have to stop him. It doesn’t matter who, or what. Just do it, whatever’s necessary." "Oh, don’t worry, we will," answered Buffy roughly. "Like I told you before, there will be more than a few of these portals opening up. Get in at all costs. It’s the only way to stop him. I think we should split up." Pairs of two claimed each other with their eyes. Xander and Cordelia, naturally. Buffy and Angel. And Willow and Giles would go together. Corin would stay with her watcher. She was too young to do much, but it was her duty to be there. "Whether he’s succeeded in preventing Dru’s death or not, he’ll try to stop the restoration ceremony." Buffy squeezed Angel’s hand. He shut his eyes. "Again, we’ve got to stop him. At *all* costs." Something in her voice was shaking. Determined. She glanced up at the clock above the mantle. It was time. She stood up and drifted to the door. They followed. *** END, 20. _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 May 1998 14:30:16 -0400 From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: answers to the little problem After a few messages, (thanks to everybody who e-mailed me) I've gathered that these breaks are due to lines that are too long in fic. Personally, I always make sure that my lines aren't too long by pressing return, and aligning everything to the left (yeah, I know it's a pain, but it makes for easier reading). I would advise all authors to do something like this, because as good as a story is, those interruptions can be *really annoying!* I don't have the list rules with me at the moment, but I know they do give a certain number of characters as the max length of a given line. Thanks again! - -Ingrid _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 May 1998 18:43:37 EDT From: JMHnoodles Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: DISCUSS: answers to the little problem << After a few messages, (thanks to everybody who e-mailed me) I've gathered that these breaks are due to lines that are too long in fic. Personally, I always make sure that my lines aren't too long by pressing return, and aligning everything to the left (yeah, I know it's a pain, but it makes for easier reading). I would advise all authors to do something like this, because as good as a story is, those interruptions can be *really annoying!* >> Before you start writing your story, set the right margin in your word processor to 2.87", which corresponds to the amount of characters per line maximum set in the list rules. Then, before you copy it to your email, go through and press "return" at the end of each line...this is what has worked the best and been the easiest for me; I don't know if anyone has a better method. =) Jen ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 May 1998 22:57:52 -0400 From: ingrid29@juno.com (Ingrid E Stanton) Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Reunion" Interlude zero: "Premonitions" DISCLAIMER: They ain't mine. Don't sue. SUMMARY: This takes place just before the first interlude, which started with Buffy driving the car to meet the rest of the gang who were performing the curse. WARNING: PG-13 for violence, and a little connotation. (Come on- A little connotation never hurt anyone!) I WROTE THIS: To some more Rasputina music- They’re perfect for Drusilla! Song- their version of "Why Don’t You Do Right?" first published in the early 40’s! "Reunion" Interlude # 0: "Premonitions" by Ingrid She could feel it in her bones. Something was coming, and was light and good and pure, and she wanted to kill it. And she would. It wanted to take her Angel away. They were purchasing- purchasing the little glass sphere, and she could see it glowing, positively reeking with love. But who could she ask for help? Angel was away, and her dear little Spike, as resourceful as he was, happened to loathe her dear little Angel. True, she sighed, and was forced to admit that she had played no small part in the whole affair. She grinned, remembering those fingers traveling up her abdomen. But it was oh so much fun! And she couldn’t risk telling any of the incompetent grunts they kept around. She shuddered. Horrible brutes. They would no doubt mention it to Spike, even if it was just a brainless bungling mistake. They didn’t make any other kind, really. So she was on her own. She didn’t have much of a problem with that, except when it got too quiet, and she was afraid of something popping out of the night sky all of a sudden. It was rather thrilling, however, and she knew that this could be her only chance. The pain got worse, and she nearly buckled over. With a great effort, she remained silent. She didn’t need Spike popping in here wondering what was the matter, or worse yet, what she’d seen. But she wasn’t accustomed to forming a plan all by herself. Where was Angelus? He couldn’t be… And then another pain shot through her stronger, practically bending her body in half. They were close, and that meant they already had him, but they were waiting, she knew, waiting for that foul clear crystal orb. She had to go. Now. Plans were a luxury of people who had time. She didn’t. Gathering her skirts up silently, she sped towards the archway, and left unnoticed. She didn’t bother taking anything with her. She didn’t need anything to rip out the slayer’s heart. *** The pain directed her there, intensifying suddenly, her version of "hot" and cold. She half stumbled, half ran. She was leaving the shop. The slayer was leaving the shop, and she was running. What filthy hope exuded from her! It was nauseating. She almost laughed aloud when she saw the slayer’s face as she realized what was going on. "Naughty, naughty, little slayer," she chided, smiling melodramatically. "I don’t have time for this, Dru," she answered, punctuating her statement with a hefty blow to the vampire’s jaw. She hadn’t expected the strength of that determination, and fell in shock to the floor. It didn’t take her long, however, to recover. She stood up and returned the punch. They were evenly matched tonight, blow for blow, growing stronger as they fought. But suddenly something obscured her vision, and she doubled over in pain. *Colors. There were so many colors…* She saw the slayer backing away, and shot out a claw to stop her. *Instantly, something focused. It was her. The blonde girl was standing next to a store. On the sidewalk. It was here, she was here. And the girl struck out at her in her dream.* Drusilla swiped at her arm hard enough to draw blood. She was frantically striking back at the dream, but still it came. *There was something in her hand. Sharp, wooden point, and it found it’s home in her chest. She watched in horror as the stake ripped through the black crepe and flesh together. And then there was that moment. She knew she was gone. She could see the dust.* And the slayer struck again. And again. *It was growing dimmer at a frightening pace. Suddenly, she couldn’t see at all, and she clawed at the darkness in vain.* It was over. She said a silent goodbye to dear Edith and her little Spike and felt a tear slip down her bloodless cheek. *Goodnight. I won’t be gone for long, I promise.* It was growing dimmer at a frightening pace. Suddenly, she couldn’t see at all, and she clawed at the darkness in vain. *** END, Interlude 0. Hope I didn’t confuse the heck out of everyone with this part! _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 May 1998 01:38:18 -0400 From: "R. Smith" Subject: BUFFYFIC: How to Reforge a Broken Blade (3/?) SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT=20 This story contains extensive references to any and all episodes up to and including Becoming II. BE WARNED: if you haven=92t seen those episodes, READ NO FURTHER! THIS=20 SPACE=20 IS=20 FOR=20 YOUR PROTECTION See part one for disclaimers and notes. Comments or requests for previous parts to conor@dnaco.net ********** It had been hours before she=92d stopped crying, during which he=92d wal= ked her to his car and driven her back to her hotel. During the short drive, she=92d sat in a miserable huddle, not talking, just staring out the window. He=92d worried that he=92d pushed her too far, too fast. He had been informed that she was on thin ice emotionally, but he had felt that she needed a kick in the pants to get her over whatever had driven her from home. _That_ information had been left out of her dossier, and he couldn=92t really deal with an incident he had no knowledge of. Now, looking at her, he thought maybe a softer touch would have been better. Maybe it wasn=92t too late to salvage something. =93How about we get together tomorrow, and I=92ll show you Dayton?=94 he asked, and, after getting no response, said, =93Or we could just hang out and talk about why our lives suck.=94 She shot him a dirty look. =93What would you know about my life?=94 she asked, =93Oh, wait, that=92= s right, you=92ve got a file on me.=94=20 She went back to staring out the window, trying to ignore him. =93What I know is,=94 he replied, =93 you can=92t stay alone forever. I=92= m offering to be your friend, to listen to you bitch about the unfairness of it all, and to try to help you figure out what you=92re gonna do next. Trust me... you need someone. Who better than someone with at least a few of the same problems?=94 =93Look,=94 she snapped, pissed that he would try so transparent a tacti= c on her, =93I don=92t know you. I don=92t need you to be my friend. All yo= u=92re going to do is try to convince me to go back, and that=92s not going to happen. So you can just cut the Mr. Understanding act right now.=94 =93Yeah, ok,=94 he muttered, then changed the subject, =93Sorry to bothe= r you. Next time, I=92ll bleed on my own behalf. Like I asked for this anymore than you did.=94 =93What?=94 she said, glancing over at him. He pulled the car over, and rolled up his sleeve. A long cut, from his wrist almost to his elbow oozed a little blood as he jerked the arm up to show her. =93One of three,=94 he said quietly, =93I know you didn=92t need my help. You=92ve made that abundantly clear. But a =91thank you anyway=92 would h= ave been nice.=94 =93You should have that looked at,=94 she said, suddenly concerned, =93I= t looks pretty nasty.=94 *I didn=92t ask you to do that,* she thought, *I don=92t want anyone to = get hurt for me.* =93Nah,=94 he shrugged, =93I=92m a fast healer. A little hydrogen peroxi= de and I=92ll be good as new.=94 =93I can relate,=94 she said, thinking back to all the cuts and bruises she=92d gotten in the past two years; most of which were gone the next day, =93I have the same thing. It comes in handy sometimes.=94 =93I=92m sorry,=94 he chuckled, =93Was that something we have in common?= I must have misunderstood you.=94 She shot him a half smile, quickly suppressing it, as he continued. =93Tell you what,=94 he said, =93I promise not to try to get you back in harness. Screw the mystery organization. They don=92t care about us, anyway -- not as people. I=92ll tell them I blew it when I made contact, and you took off. You=92ll have to stop using the credit card, though. That=92s how they found you in the first place.=94 He couldn=92t believe he was saying what he was saying, but what was mor= e important to him was that he actually meant it. If she didn=92t want to g= o back, he wouldn=92t be the one to make her. He knew what she was feeling, and he understood how it must seem to a sixteen year old to know that what short life they were allowed was not theirs to control. *The Hell with it,* he thought, *I=92ll help her get free.* =93Look,=94 he said, as she frowned at him, trying to decide if he was suddenly sincere, =93I don=92t want you to take this the wrong way, but I= =92ve got a spare room at my place, no credit card required. You can stay with me for a couple of days until you figure out your next step.=94 =93How do I know you won=92t call the Mystery Squad and have me hauled b= ack to Sunnydale?=94 she asked, even though she believed him -- sort of. =93You don=92t,=94 he replied, =93But I won=92t. Whatever you decide to = do, they=92re out of the loop.=94 =93Let me think about it,=94 she said, =93I can=92t concentrate enough a= round this headache to decide what to eat when I get back to the hotel.=94 =93Okay,=94 he said, =93I=92ll swing by tomorrow? If you=92re here, grea= t. If you=92re not... good luck. But I hope you=92ll let me help you.=94 They pulled up to the hotel entrance, and she got out. =93Don=92t hurry tomorrow,=94 she said, leaning in the car window, =93I = plan on sleeping until at least noon.=94=20 She stretched, eliciting a long series of pops from her spine. =93I=92m really going to pay for tonight tomorrow,=94 she said, and with= a wave, headed into the hotel. *Yeah,* Rick thought to himself as he drove away, *Me too, and for more than just the fight.* Inside the hotel, Buffy checked her injuries, and the worst, the lump on her head, had already stopped bleeding and was losing some of it=92s swelling. *Thank God for mutant healing factors,* she thought as she climbed exhaustedly into bed. She thought about the night=92s events, trying to decide what to do. Her first instinct was to run for it and try to lose herself so no-one would ever find her. She didn=92t think that would work very well, though, sinc= e she still had to eat, and to eat, she needed to use her card. Tomorrow, she=92d start taking her max cash withdrawals off of the card, and squirreling away the money. Maybe she=92d take off once she had enoug= h money to carry her for a while. Until then.... well, in the final evaluation, she thought she could trust this Rick guy, for at least a while. He seemed sincere in his concern, and if he was a little harsh, well, she hadn=92t exactly been nice to him. It sounded like this =93organization=94 had known where she was since she got here, and if the= y wanted someone to just grab her, they could have done that by now. She really did need a friend right now, and he did seem to know how she felt. He wasn=92t too sympathetic, but at least he gave her a chance to talk before he judged her. It would be nice to have someone to talk to about this stuff, at least for a little while.=20 She missed Willow and wished that she had her to talk to about this. Willow was a better judge of this kind of thing. However, Buffy still wasn=92t ready to call her, so she=92d have to decide on her own. *I=92ll sleep on it,* she thought, as she slowly drifted off to sleep, *And make a decision in the morning.* ********** The next day, they both woke up sore and tired. He hadn=92t slept much, worrying about whether or not she=92d be gone when he went to check on her, and she had tossed and turned all night, torn between her various needs and wants. They breakfasted at about the same time, got cleaned up and then Rick headed over to the hotel. After much agonizing and soul searching, Buffy had decided to take Rick up on his offer. It was better than the alternative, bleeding her bank account dry until she had no choice but to live on the street. _If_ he really wasn=92t going to turn her in, and _if_ he wasn=92t going to try t= o convince her to go back. She went down and checked out, grimacing at the amount she=92d run up in only a week. She glanced at her watch -- 11:23. She sat down in the lobby and waited for Rick to show up. He came pulling up at 12:01, and she thought wryly that it was a good thing she=92d gotten up earlier than planned. He was glad to see her sitting there. He=92d more than half expected her to be long gone. =93Hey,=94 he said, as she climbed into the car, =93How=92s the head?=94 =93It=92s good,=94 she replied, =93How=92s the arm?=94 =93Fine,=94 he lied, =93Almost good as new.=94 In actuality, it was a little swollen, and he was worried about infection. He=92d begun to notice that he didn=92t heal as fast as he had when he was younger. Oh well, just one more thing to worry about. As if his plate wasn=92t already full enough. They didn=92t say anything else as he pulled away from the hotel and int= o traffic.=20 They drove a while in silence, and finally she said, =93No pressure to g= o back, and no report to the home office, right?=94 =93I give you my word,=94 he replied gravely, =93I won=92t push you to d= o anything you don=92t want to do, and as far as my information broker is concerned, you=92re gone.=94 They drove along, with her looking out the window and him pointing out places of interest. Finally, they pulled onto a long, gravel road.=20 Buffy started to get a little nervous. Could she have read this guy wrong? It didn=92t _feel_ like he was going to do her dirty, but she=92d been wrong about people before. They pulled up next to a large house with an attached garage, with a small car out front. =93Home sweet home,=94 he muttered. He led her in the front door, and turned off the security system.=20 =93The code is 0187, then 1 to turn it off or 2 to turn it on.=94 he sai= d, =93I have a spare key around here somewhere. The Toyota out there is your= s to use. I got it for my son, but he=92s got a while before he can drive it.=94 =93Umm... no license.=94 she said, =93I haven=92t really needed one befo= re. Sunnydale is pretty small.=94 =93We=92ll work on that, somehow,=94 he said, =93Anyway, kitchen=92s in = there, TV room, main bath=92s upstairs to the left, your room is down the hall from it.=94 He gestured toward each room as he ticked it off, =93You won=92t h= ave to share the bathroom with me, though, because your room has it=92s own. Come on, I=92ll show you.=94=20 As they went upstairs, he continued, =93Out through the kitchen is my office/gym, in case you feel the need to work out. I=92ve got a pell out there as well as a heavy bag. Anything you need, just let me know, I=92ll take care of it." He pointed out more rooms as they passed them, "Main bath, my room, spare room, linen closet -- plenty of towels and spare blankets in there, and here=92s your room. It=92s actually my daughter=92= s room, but she doesn=92t use it much, so it=92s no big deal. Your bathroom= is through there.=94 Buffy looked around the room, obviously decorated for a girl of about six or seven years old. She could see how much love had gone into this room, but it didn=92t look lived in. It looked more like a model, or a shrine. Rick followed her gaze, and quietly said, =93I know, it=92s a little you= ng for you. Change whatever you want, it=92s no big deal.=94 =93No, this will be okay,=94 she replied, =93I could take the other spar= e room, if that=92d be easier. I don=92t want to put your daughter out.=94 He chuckled without any real mirth, =93Nah, to tell the truth, she hasn=92= t been here in six years, and we don=92t have any plans for her to be here any time soon. Besides, the other room is for her brother, decorated when he was eight. You=92ll like this one better. Seriously, make whateve= r changes you want, she wouldn=92t like it this way anyway.=94 He looked so sad that Buffy wanted to ask him what had happened to keep his children away from him, but he didn=92t seem to want to talk, so instead, she tossed her bag on the bed and checked out the bathroom. =93I=92ll let you get settled in,=94 he said, =93If you need anything ju= st yell.=94 He shut the door behind him as he left. Buffy sat down on the bed, and looked around the room. The pink unicorn wallpaper was going to drive her crazy if she ended up staying very long, but the stuffed animals reminded her of Willow=92s room, so they could probably stay. She wandered around the room, picking up the various knick-knacks and opening drawers and closet doors. She picked up a big gray teddy bear and hung onto it as she finished the tour. The bear seemed more broken in than most of the other toys in the room, like maybe Rick=92s daughter had actually played with it. It was very snuggly, so Buffy tossed it onto the bed. She figured she=92d need something snuggly. She checked the bed -- one blanket. *Well,* she thought, *That will never do.* She stepped out into the hall and across to the linen closet, and as she opened the door, she heard him talking to someone, probably on the phone. =93Damn it, Trina,=94 he was saying, =93I just want to see them.=94 He paused, then said, =93I know. Hell, you think I don=92t remember? No, no, listen.... I think that they=92ll be safe around me in broad daylight.=94 Another pause, then, =93No, I can=92t say with 100% certaint= y that that won=92t happen, you know that.... Yes, I know that this was my idea in the first place, but....... Okay, fine, sue me for missing them!=94 Buffy heard him slam the phone down, and realized she was standing in the hallway listening. She quickly reached into the closet and pulled out a nice heavy quilt. Rick came out of his room fuming and stopped short when he saw her standing there. =93Umm... you heard?=94 he asked with some embarrassment. =93Yeah, sorry,=94 she replied, =93I couldn=92t help it.=94 =93Don=92t worry about it,=94 he said, =93It=92s just life crapping on m= e. You get used to it after a while.=94 =93You want to talk about it?=94 she asked. =93I thought we were gonna talk about why _your_ life sucked today.=94 h= e said, =93This is nothing new for me.=94 =93I=92d rather talk about your problems.=94 she smiled weakly, =93It mi= ght take my mind off of mine for a while. I could really use that.=94 =93Okay,=94 he replied glumly, =93Come on downstairs and I=92ll tell you= my whole sad tale.=94 more to come... ------------------------------ End of buffyfic-digest V2 #201 ****************************** To subscribe to buffyfic or buffyfic-digest, send the command subscribe buffyfic-digest or subscribe buffy to majordomo@xmission.com. You will need to go through a confirmation process, and the listowners have to manually approve your subscription request, so it may take some time. To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@xmission.com with unsubscribe buffyfic-digest or unsubscribe buffyfic in the body. Back issues of this digest can be found at: ftp://ftp.xmission.com/pub/lists/buffyfic/archive/ Dalton Spence has also provided an index of the buffyfic archive at: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/BUFFYFIC.HTM For help, contact Jill Kirby (jtkirby@mcs.com) or sah (romana@mindspring.com)