BB Ficathon January 2009: Buffy's Birthday

[Lyri]

Title: We've got tonight
Author: Alister J. Cooling (Edmund Blackadder)
Pairing: Buffy - Angel
Rating: U (British rating meaning suitable for all)
Summary: Will those damned cookies ever be fully baked?
Notes: Before you start reading please click this Youtube Link to a song and have it play while you read

Thanks

Song

Disclaimer: Joss owns the characters, Sheena E and Kenny own the rights to their versio the song and it was written by someone else.
Warnings: May require tissues



We've got Tonight


The air was filled with a sweet apple like perfume being emitted from a scented candle neatly placed on the table beside the bed.
The light from the single fluttering flame gave a beautiful orange tint to the otherwise darkened room, leaving great shadows on the walls. Also on the table stood a radio playing a random station of easy listening music that was quite soothing at this late hour.
On the right hand side of the table a window wide open with soft pearly white curtains flapping in the slight breeze.
“Buffy”, a voice broke the tranquillity of the room.
“Angel?” Buffy asked into the near dark.
With that the door opposite Buffy’s bed slowly opened, casting a bright light into the room while instantly making things darker.
In the doorway, now fully exposed, stood the silhouette of a tall man.
It took a moment for Buffy’s eyes to become adjusted to the light but the voice and outline were unmistakable to her.
“I didn’t expect to see you tonight”, said the Slayer.
The man like shadow in the doorway remained in place, only slightly altering position to, what Buffy assumed, get a better view of the room.
“How could I not come?” the man asked, “Besides, I brought Cookies.”
“Chocolate Chip?” asked Buffy.
“Freshly baked.”
There was a slight pause, and then the silhouette started to move forward.
“Don’t come in,” she pleaded, “I don’t want you to see me, not like this.”
“Like what?” Angel asked in a soothing voice.
“...Old.”
The silhouette stopped then began moving forward again.
“You’re beautiful; you’ll always be beautiful to me. Besides, you’re 97, I was more than double that when you first met me.”
Buffy felt a lump growing in her throat.
“I know, but you age better than I do.”
“You’ve grown older with grace and dignity; you’re as beautiful as I remember.”
Buffy continued to lie in bed, her arms felt heavy but she slowly lifted one.
Angel moved in closer pulling a chair with him so he could sit down next to Buffy. He grabbed her raised hand with his right and then clasped it with both.
“Its midnight”, he said looking deep into her eyes, “Happy Birthday.”
The two simply stared at each other for a minute before continuing.
Angels hand was cold as ice, but that was to be expected of someone who was dead.
Buffy’s eyes had now become accustomed to the influx of light and could clearly make out Angel's face. It was as young and as handsome as she remembered. The soft, pale, tone of his skin surprisingly blending with his beautiful eyes and dark hair encased a warm smile.
“70 years,” Buffy said breaking the silence.
She could feel her face warming up immediately alerting her to the fact she was about to cry.
“I know,” replied Angel.
“Why didn’t you come back to me?”
“I couldn’t. I wanted to but couldn’t.”
Buffy turned her head away from Angel to hide the tear that was mere seconds away from bursting from her eyes.
She felt the same cold hand that had clasped her hand touch her chin and slowly turn her to face Angel.
“I’m here now, with you.”
Buffy couldn’t contain the tear.
“I have needed you so many times. When Willow died, when Xander did too, I needed you to hold me, to kiss me.”
Angel smiled sweetly to Buffy.
“You had your family to comfort you. You had your grand children and nieces and nephews.”
“I did, but they couldn’t give me the one thing you could. Why did you leave me like that?”
Angel reached across and kissed Buffy on the forehead.
“You know I had no choice but let’s not discuss that now. I’m here, I love you and that is all that matters, isn’t it?’
Angel moved onto the bed and wrapped his arm around Buffy. She moved in closer to him.
“This is nice. Can we do this all night?”
Angel just simply held onto Buffy.
Buffy didn’t move for a while. Though Angel had no body heat he was surprisingly warm.
“You know I love you too, I always have.” Buffy declared.
“I know”
“But I couldn’t wait any longer, you left and I couldn’t wait.”
Buffy felt Angel kiss her forehead again and closed her eyes.
“I’ll be waiting; I’ll see you on the other side.” Angel said.
“Waiting?” Buffy asked.
As the Slayer opened her eyes, the room was in complete darkness. The door was closed and the candle on the table beside the bed had long been extinguished.
“Angel?” Buffy asked into the darkness.
No response came. Buffy laid in bed for a few moments, her heart ached but not from pain of missing Angel, from the love she felt.
Her eyes slowly closed again; the image of Angel's smiling face etched into her mind would be her last thought.

Buffy Anne Summers died at 12:06am on Monday 20th of January 2078.

R.I.P

Feedback

 

[Lyri]

Title: Many Happy Returns
Author: Andrew Crossett
Rating: G
Summary: Buffy is worn out by her new responsibilities as Chief Slayer. But what are friends for?
Notes: Set post-Chosen, a few months before the start of the Season 8 comics. Comics knowledge not necessary (but may help you get a few inside references).
Disclaimer: I am not a Mutant Enemy, I am a Mutant Friend. And hence I do not own any of these characters.
Warnings: No spoilers, unless you haven't seen the whole TV series. No sex or bad language. Sorry.

* * * * *

Buffy was exhausted. And she knew, through long experience, that under such conditions stopping was equal to sleeping, which in itself was a primary cause of stuff not getting done.

"Let's do one of those walk-and-talks," she told Xander. "Like on The West Wing."

"Oh, I know this one," he said. "You stride around with purposeful urgency while I scamper along behind trying to get your attention to sign things."

Buffy yawned. "More like I try to put one foot in front of the other, in the right order, and you be on alert in case I need catching."

"I'm gonna be the stereotypical Concerned Buddy now and say, Buffy, you should really get some rest. There, my duty is done."

"Duly noted and appreciated. Now, this is a big castle. It's an old castle. It is in many ways a scary castle. It's not going to inspect itself, and if there are any stray Hellmouths or ancient crawling evils that weren't mentioned in the brochure, we need to make mighty sure we know about them before we bring the rest of those girls in here."

"Believe me, Buff, if there were any evil long-leggedy beasties hiding around here they'd have run screaming into the night when Giles brought in that Wensleydale Coven to scour the place. I mean, I ran screaming into the night, so…"

"You just have a problem with scary goth chicks."

"Especially ones who can make my ears bleed with their voices without even yelling. And yes, experience has instilled in me a lifelong fear of scary women in tight leather pants. Which is a tragedy in itself. Thank you, Faith Lehane."

They arrived at a gallery overlooking the main hall. About two dozen Slayers were training in the open area below. Vi and Rona were putting them through their paces before heading off to New York and Chicago, respectively, to head up the field offices there.

Buffy's eyes started to glaze over as she stared down at the rows of bodies exercising in graceful synchronization. How come there are no clumsy Slayers? Buffy wondered to herself. There probably were. They're just all dead.

"For our next order of business," Xander said, studying his clipboard, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Buffy, happy birthday to you."

Buffy laughed. "You didn't sing it."

"No I did not. In keeping with the happy part of happy birthday."

"You're the best," she said, putting an arm around him and squeezing. "I don't feel a day over a hundred and fifty."

"This whole Commander Buffy thing not sitting too well, huh?"

"It was bad enough when I was just house mother to a bunch of teenaged girls having an extended sleep-over. Hasn't been the same since the Hellmouth. I miss Sunnydale."

"We never did make it to that sale at Arden B, did we?"

"Neither did Arden B."

"Well," said Xander, back at his clipboard. "On a happier note, you've made some good choices for the members of your personal team. Leah McPhee… Satsumi Yamada… Rowena Geissner. Solid Slayers all."

"And proud recipients of the shortest life expectancy award."

"Well, what good is dying if you can't do it with the best?"

"Point. Have you gotten them outfitted yet?"

"Sure. Your little rob from the rich and give to the us scheme has given us pretty much all the funding we need. Speaking of which, let's go check in on the STP."

"The which now?"

"Sunnydale Telekinesis Project." They arrived at a room that looked as if James Bond should be chained up somewhere in it, being taunted by a man with a monocle.

In the center of the room was a console that reminded Buffy of the TARDIS control bank from Doctor Who. Seated around the circular platform were several young women with their fingertips placed on the black tabletop before them. Each of them wore a metal circlet around their heads, and each circlet was connected by wires to an elevated pylon in the center of the structure, which pulsed and crackled with green mystical light.

Directly beneath the pylon was a glass-enclosed chamber inside which various small objects periodically appeared from thin air. Each object was in its turn taken from the chamber by an attendant, placed inside a box, and hustled away.

A young woman Buffy had never met before seemed to be in charge.

"Buffy," Xander said, "I'd like you to meet Sandra Greenhalge. You remember looking over her files. She's one of the brightest up-and-coming young technomancers out there. Specializes in enhanced telekinesis and portal magic. And she knows Willow."

That got Buffy's attention. Sandra was a petite woman with nerd glasses… somewhat resembling a blonde Tina Fey. Which might explain how she came to meet Willow, Buffy thought.

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," said Sandra, coming around the console and offering her hand for Buffy to shake.

"Um, welcome aboard," replied Buffy. "This is kind of Xander's department down here. Could you remind me what we're doing here again?"

Sandra gave Buffy a keen look over the top of her glasses. Eep… channeling Mrs. Harding from second grade, Buffy thought.

"These ladies are powerful clairvoyants," Sandra explained. "The machine is a TK translocator hooked into the GNSS satellite system. With it we can, given enough time, scan any given location on the surface of the earth or up to fifty feet below the surface, identify what's there, and transport any small non-living objects here."

"Damn," said Buffy. "Sounds impressive. And, uh, expensive."

"Not as much as you'd think," said Sandra. "The talent is much harder to come by than the equipment."

"We've been scanning the Sunnydale crater," Xander said. "There was so much magical crap floating around in and under that town, we wanted to salvage as much of it as we could before the government started digging."

Buffy was amazed. "You can pinpoint stuff in Sunnydale all the way from here in Scotland?"

Sandra looked over the top of her glasses again. "Ma'am, my girls could find a cigarette butt in a gutter in Shanghai and tell you if the ember was still burning or not."

Hmmm, thought Buffy. Cocky. I like her.

"By the way, Mr. Harris," Sandra said. "We have the item you requested."

"Aw, Sandra, you're awesome," said Xander. "Did I give you and your girls Christmas bonuses?"

"No."

"Well, you're getting New Year's bonuses, then. Uh, late New Year's bonuses. Martin Luther King Day bonuses. Do they have that in Scotland?"

"I don't think so, but we will accept the bonuses." Sandra took a small box from one of her assistants and handed it to Xander. She looked at Buffy. "Many happy returns, ma'am," she said, and turned back to her work.

"Thanks," said Buffy after her.

Buffy and Xander went out into the corridor. "So what's in the box?" she asked him. "Your precious Atari cartridge games? That naked statue you liked in the botanical garden?"

He handed the box to her. "Happy birthday, Buff."

Curious, she opened it. All it contained was a small, filthy, much the worse for wear stuffed pig.

She looked at it in shock as her heart beat five times. "Mr. Gordo," she whispered. "It's my Mr. Gordo."

Floods of tears came, with Xander's shoulder absorbing most of them.

"Thank you," she sobbed. "Oh God, Xan, you're the best…"

"It was Willow's idea, too. Just before she took off, we decided you might need something to help with all the rough times you were going to be going through. Something to help you sleep a little bit better at night. We didn't want you on your deathbed one day, whispering Mr. Gordo and dropping a snow globe on the floor."

Still crying, Buffy hugged Mr. Gordo tightly to her chest. "It's all gonna be OK, isn't it, Xan?"

"Probably not. But why start now?"

Buffy laughed through her tears.

"Some mighty Commander of Slayers I am, crying over a stuffed piggy."

"If you couldn't do that anymore, Buff, I'd be crying over you. The world may need Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but I need Buffy the Sweet and Slightly Goofy Friend. And now, can I get you to get some sleep?"

"I can't wait," said Buffy. And she knew that when the nightmares came tonight, for the first time in a long while she wouldn't care.

Feedback

 

[Kean]

Title: Buffy's 25th
Author: ILLYRIAN
Rating: G
Disclaimer: All characters owned by their copyright holders

BUFFY’S 25th​

Saturday afternoons were seen as a time of rest but not this one, several had gathered to try and make Buffy’s 25th birthday a special one. Giles had closed his museum, the room at the back was being transformed for the do. Willow was asked to be there a few days early so that she could spend some time asking people to attend. Giles and a few of the watchers were instrumental in contacting people and the others who would help make the birthday a bit special for Buffy.

Friends that were living in far off places were called. Giles wanted a few of the people he knew there, just so that he would have some-one to talk to.

Dawn was told to take Buffy to the shops, to keep her out of the way while the decorations were put up.

At four fifteen Giles was beginning to realise that the party might be bigger than he’d thought, as some of the people that Willow was starting to get were dead. Xander had been put in charge of making a few memory reminders; he’d put a police car bonnet with twice written on the hood. He’d built a small replica of Angel’s crypt with Acathla, in another room Xander had copied some old photo’s a Buffy’s house that would also double as a house where the doors didn’t open from the inside and put a couch it was to have a replica of Joyce lying on it.

By seven thirty the music was turned up a bit, the lights were dimmed, Dawn brought Buffy into the room. Willow hugged her and gave her a pressie. Buffy ripped the wrapping paper with gusto, she smiled to Willow, then continued to pull the box to bits only to find another box, she ripped the wrapping paper and ripped the box apart only to find another box.
“You know, I always wanted one of these.”

Ripping that one apart a ball of tissues fell to the floor, picking it up Buffy carefully pulled it apart, in it was a babies pacifier.
“What is this Willow?” asked Buffy.
“Just in case there’s going to be any little Buffy’s soon,” said Willow, smiling.
“Xander has been busy these last few days making some display areas for tonight, so we’ll go to one now.”

With Willow and Dawn escorting her she went towards the wall. Two lights, a blue and a red one, came on, there leaning against the wall was the hood of a police car with twice written on it, smiling Buffy was just about to walk away.

“Quick put your clothes back on,” Giles stood up from behind the bonnet, “Hello Buffy, happy birthday.”
“Thank you, er who’s behind there, is anyone with you Giles?, probably not.”

Giles Willow and Dawn led her to the next area, pulling a curtain back Buffy recognised Angel’s crypt.
“Something is missing Willow,” said Dawn.
“Oh yeh.” A stone statue appeared.
“Acathla!, oh no.”
“There’s still something missing,” said Giles.
“The sword! that’s right, hang on.” Willow raised both arms called for help dropping her arms down then raising them again as smoke billowed between Buffy and Acathla. As the smoke drifted away.
“Where’s the sword?” asked Willow.
“Will I do.”
“Angel!” Buffy hugged him. “Happy birthday Buffy,” he said.
“What’s next?” asked Buffy.
“This way then.” Angel Buffy and Giles, Dawn and Willow led Buffy to a room. Buffy went in first.

“This is the house in Sunnydale, she turned to speak to Giles, but saw her mother laying on the couch.
“Oh no.” The tears started to drip from her eyes as she slowly went to the body. The colour drained from her face, kneeling beside the couch she held the hand to her forehead.
“Oh Passions finished has it?”
“MOM!? MOMMY!?”
“Happy Birthday Buffy,” said Joyce.
“But how?”
“You’ll have to thank Willow for bringing me back,” said Joyce.
“Oh damn! the door won’t open,” called Willow.
“Hang on I’ll check the back door,” said Giles.
Buffy heard his footsteps.
“No, this one won’t open either,” called Giles.

Buffy looked to her mother, “This is that vengeance demon, why is she here?”
Buffy ran to the back door, then she remembered that this was built by Xander, she walked back to her mom, as she passed the stairs she saw two people in the hallway, turning.
“Still got a cramp? want some ice on it?”
“Tara? Spike? what the...”
“Happy Birthday Buffy,” said Spike.
“Here you are,” said Spike.
She started to open the little box, “A broach?”
“It’s for your hair Buffy,” said Spike.
“Happy birthday Buffy,” said Tara, “Here are you?”
“Thanks Tara, oh wow. What is it?” asked Buffy opening the box, holding it, a gown.
“Isn’t this what I wore once?” asked Buffy.
“We’ll wait for you outside while you put it on,” said Tara.

Buffy put on the dress, then held her hair back putting the diamond studded hair clip in place, feeling a million dollars she went into the main room again, it was a lot darker this time. “Giles! Giles you look very nice,” said Buffy, “Willow, love your dress.”
A spot light shone to a microphone at the other end of the room.
“Buffy? Is Buffy Summers here?. This is a first, I guess there was a lot of write in votes. I have…here it is written on it is, it’s a little parasol and small plaque on it says To our Friend, Buffy Summers.”
Buffy went to collect it, walking back she heard a helicopter, it sounded very close. Then it stopped.
Buffy went to stand next to Giles, “Look what I got!” grinned Buffy.
Looking to the door, “Every once in a while people surprise you,” said Giles.
Buffy turned to the door, seeing Riley dressed very handsomely in a tux.
The music was turned up for the dance, when the music finished Buffy excused herself.

A few short minutes later.
“Can I have your attention please,” Jonathon stood at the microphone, “Buffy has just asked me to give an award, this is for the class clown.”
He held a balloon animal for everyone to see, “Xander Harris, can you come and get this.”
“Xander, generally we ask people to make a thank you speech, but considering what the award is for, a joke would be better.”
Jonathon held his hand over the microphone, “Nothing like being dropped in it is there?”
“Just a few short ones then, what is green and goes round and round? Kermit in a liquidiser. Umm.
How do you know when you are lost? when the Jehovah’s witnesses can’t find where you live.
What is the Definition of being insane, when you make Freudulent slips.... on purpose.
And, Buffy your are the slay er, I’m wondering, if I was one of them would I be the slay im?”
They sat that you should always leave people happy, so I’ll go now.”

Feedback

 

[Kean]

This is where all the fics will be posted guys. I decided to move it so it wouldn't get so cluttered. We will use the other thread for feedback.

🙂

 

[Kean]

Happy 17th Birthday Buffy

Title: Happy 17th Birthday, Buffy
Author: Cangel (Pan-Chan@hotmail.de)
Pairing: None really...it's more a sisterly thing (so Dawn and Buffy)
Rating: PG? (I'm not sure how things are rated)
Summary: This is a rewrite of parts of Buffy's 17th birthday, how she remembers it now with Dawn in her life
Disclaimer: The characters of BTVS belong to Joss Whedon, Twentirth Century Fox and NOT ME...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"So, do you expect me to get you a present this year?"
Buffy, sitting on her bed, absorbed in one of her textbooks from school, looked up to see her baby sister standing next to the door of her room she had forgotten to close earlier.
"Oh, Dawn, didn't I tell you to stay as far away as possible from my room?" She, sighed and added "and yes, it is considered traditional to give presents to one's family members on occasions such as their birthdays."
"But I'm broke."
"I'm sure you can work around that" Buffy replied, only half listening as she already tried to get back into her text. If she didn't want to flunk chem class this year she would have to use every rare free minute to catch up with her homework.
"Are you going slaying tonight?"
That got Buffy's attention. She jumped up from her bed as if somebody just gave her an electrical shock, sprinted to the door, pushed Dawn into her room and closed the door behind her.
"Are you crazy?", she asked in a weird low, yet squeaky voice, "What if Mom hears you? No slayer talk when she's in the house."
"What?", Dawn giggled, "even if she hears me, she probably thinks it's crazy-sister talk...or she thinks you're going man-hunting tonight", she added with a big smile.
"Not making the situation any better, sis."
"Oh, come on," Dawn was starting to get a little annoyed, "Mom probably wouldn't care anyway about if you're the slayer or not. You're so self-absorbed, everything always has to be about yourself. YOU'RE the slayer. YOU alone can save the world. Mom could find out that YOU are the slayer. Maybe I should tell her".
"If you do that..." Buffy started.
"What?" Dawn said cheekily, "Are you gonna slay me if I do?"
Buffy thought for a microsecond before she fake-cried out "Mom! Dawn broke that antique looking vase you brought home from the gallery yesterday", well knowing that she spoke quietly enough so only Dawn would hear her. As clever as Dawn was, Buffy knew this was still a good, and probably the only, way to control her sister. With her innocent 11 years she still bought Buffy would really go to such measures as breaking the vase herself and then lying to their Mom, just to defeat little Dawn.
"Okay you win." Dawn backed away from her big sister, a little scared, making her way back to the door. "But don't think I'll be silent for ever. Some day I WILL tell Mom what a freak you are."
"Fine. Whatever. Just leave me alone and let the door hit your ass on the way out of my room."
With that Buffy went back to Dawn-ignorance-mode.

While Joyce was still cleaning away the remains of the plate she had just dropped while talking to Buffy, Dawn took her sister by the hand and dragged her to the hallway.
"Happy Birthday sis!" She stopped to hug Buffy. "And I found the perfect present for you. For a whole year I give you the guarantee to not tell Mom about anything you don't want her to know, including slayerhood, creature of the night boyfriends, bad grades, the full package."
Buffy smiled. Although this was a gift that didn't cost a single cent, she knew what it must have meant to Dawn to make that promise.
"Thanks Dawnie", she said. "That's a great gift."

Buffy couldn't believe it. Her boyfriend, the love of her life until now, was gone. Turned into the evil, soulless creature he used to be long before they ever met. As she lay there, crying her eyes out and desperately holding on to the Claddagh ring Angel had given her just recently, she suddenly noticed Dawn was standing next to her. In all her sadness she hadn't even heard her come in.
"What's wrong?", Dawn asked. From her voice Buffy could tell she wasn't out for a fight, she was really concerned. Yet Buffy didn't answer. In her current mood she just didn't feel like talking.
"It's okay", Dawn said, crawled onto the bed to Buffy and hugged her. "Just let it all out."
She stayed there until Buffy was asleep. Then she slowly got up again, careful not to wake Buffy up, and made her way back to the door.
Even though she was often provoking Buffy and fighting with her, Dawn loved her sister dearly and didn't like to see her in any kind of pain, be it physical, like sometimes when she came home from slaying, or emotional, like it seemed now. Yes, Buffy could be happy to have a sister like Dawn.

Buffy was not asleep just yet, though she was already drifting away to what later turned out to be a very important and meaningful dream. As she was almost in dreamland, she still had time for one conscious thought - what would she do without her little sister? - she couldn't imagine a life without her and was just glad to have her.

Feedback

 

[Kean]

Buffy's 14th

Title: Buffy's 14th
Author: ILLYRIAN
Rating: G
Disclaimer: All characters owned by their copyright holders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BUFFY’S 14th​

“Buffy, your father and I have managed to rent a place by a lake, for the long week-end.”
“But mom, it’s my birthday this weekend,” said Buffy.
“I know!, we have invited your friend Cassandra so you’ll have some-one your own age. We’ll be leaving early Friday morning so we have invited Cassandra to stay tonight,” said Joyce.

“There’s going to be a new one soon, we should go and see her.”
“A new what? love.”
“She’ll be a slayer in a while, a year or so.”
“Oh good, I’ll get me another one, do you want a taste Dru?”
“She isn’t one yet, we can have a bit off fun though.”
“How’s that?” asked Spike.
“We’ll get Darla, she’ll enjoy playing with the girls mummy and daddy. Their going to spend the weekend at a lake. I can look at the stars, I like the stars, I gave them all a name,” said Dru.
“Every one of them?”
“Hmmm, they’ve all got the same name now, so I won’t forget they’re name when they have a birthday, will I.”

“Buffy, Cassandra time to get up, we will be leaving in half an hour,” said Joyce, “We’ll be meeting some friends on the way.”
The journey was boring, Buffy’s mum had lot’s of games to play
but neither Buffy or Cassandra wanted to play I Spy. Hank put on a tape of Queens greatest hits, when Bohemian Rhapsody Buffy and her friend did everything they could to make the journey shorter, singing and bouncing around in the back of the car, it was after that Buffy’s folks wished the trip would end.

Before long the log cabin was in front of them.
“That was quick,” said Joyce.
“Quick for you maybe, I had to stay awake though. I’m not playing that Queen tape again, especially when those two are around.”
“Why’s that dear?” asked Joyce.
“When, ‘We will Rock You’ and ‘We Are The Champions’ came on those two made the car rock from side to side. I don’t think I can play those songs again without remembering this trip.”
“As long as they were happy, I suppose,” remarked Joyce.
“Buffy! when you’ve put your stuff in the room, you and Cassandra can go and play while Athanany and I make the tea.”
That was like waving a red flag to a bull, Buffy opened the wardrobe
and carefully chucked her bags.
“I’ll do it later,” stated Buffy to her friend.
“The boatshed?” asked Cassandra, smiling.
They skipped out of the house, then ran to where the boat was. Opening the door only to see Buffy’s dad and Athanany new man were getting the boat ready for the next day‘s trip.
“If we quietly walk back out of here we won’t have to clean the boats deck,” said Buffy.
Walking along the shore, “What are we meant to do now?” asked Cassandra.
“I’ve brought some homework,” said Buffy, “we could do that.”
Cassandra looked stunned at Buffy’s comment.
“Oh right, I’m gonna have to get used to that,” said Cassandra starting to laugh.
“Telly?” asked Buffy, “I think there’s one here that isn’t gas powered.”

Tea was exciting, sat on the verandah watching the sun go down Buffy had trouble remembering what it was she’d just had for tea.
The sun had only fallen behind the hill for a couple of minutes when her friend told her to look to the trees down by the lake.
“I’m sure I just saw some-one, there! she’s going in to the lake. I didn’t know there was any other cabins near here Buffy.”
“There isn’t, the nearest one is six miles away. Where did she go?”
“Oh my god! Mr Summers! quick! we just saw a girl walk into the lake, she hasn’t come back out yet,” shouted Cassandra.
Coming out of the house, “So? where is she.”
“We don’t know, she’s underwater!”
“Maybe there’s people camping near here,” said Athanany.
“Could be I suppose, wouldn’t have thought so though,” replied Hank.

“Is the water cold?” asked Drusilla.
“I don’t know,” replied Spike, “We’ll ask Darla when she comes out, mind you I know how to dry her.” .
Drusilla looked very annoyed.
“With a towel! but that water does look bloody freezing, good thing I know how to tell if the water is cold,” grinned Spike.
Drusilla stared accusingly at him.
“Goosebumps love,” said Spike.
Darla walked out of the lake, into the forest. She knew they were watching her even though she didn’t look at them. Then she stopped, faced them, and blew a kiss. Turning she went into the forest. When she reached Dru and Spike, he gave her a couple of towels.
“I’ll go and stand over there,” he said.
“What’s got into him, didn’t think he’d pass another chance to see my Barry Bits,” said Darla.
“After what he just said to me he’d better not look,” said Drusilla.

As the night grew older Joyce told Buffy that they’d be leaving her alone with Athanany.
“She does fortune telling, your father and I don’t believe in it, being as it’s your birthday tomorrow this is a birthday treat for you.”
Athanany spread the cards out as a fan, then moved them into a pile.
“First up shuffle the cards until you feel good about them, then cut the pack three times. When you have done that lay them into piles of three so that I can see each one. From that I’ll get an overall picture of you.”
Buffy did as she was told.
“Hmm, others see you as some-one to follow, you are a dancer and fit, maybe a cheerleader. Ok, do the same again I’ll see what’s in your future.”
Once again Buffy did as she was told with the cards.
“Remember this is your future, I’ll start with the near times. Let me see, there’s a lot of death near you, but it isn’t any-one you know.”
“When are the deaths going to be?” asked Buffy.
“That’s the thing, I don’t see dying but I do see death, no it? no there’s many dead.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” said Buffy.
“Don’t fret over it, you might get a weekend job in the office at the crematorium.”
“Oh yes.”
“Now for a bit into the future, ”Athanany looked at the cards, to Buffy, then to the cards again, “All the judgement cards are looking at you, that’s odd the death card is across the table, it looks at you but it also looks away, odd hmm that is odd. It’s like you do killing but those in judgement look favourably. Can I have a look at your palms, both of them.”
Buffy holds out her hands.
“You’ve got strong life lines, but there is a few, they aren’t breaks, the line carries on, if anything the life line gets stronger and , oh there’s two lines here.”
“What does that mean?” asked Buffy.
Athanany looks at the cards again. She uncovers a crystal ball.
“Hmm, it would appear that you die two maybe three times but you keep living, for a long time. There is romance, but there that death, no it’s the dead. It isn’t you, now those cards would indicate a father figure, he’s watching over you, two? no, three father figures. It’s just the one here.”
Athanany studies Buffy’s hands, looking carefully at her fingers. Looking to the ball then back to her palms.
“I’m not sure how to say this.”
“What?”
“Well it’s in a few years time, I’m getting an overwhelming feeling of something...no it’s some-one that’s dead. And like I say there are higher beings smiling at you, that comes later, they are watching you but they don’t smile at first.”
“I wish I’d known about this, I’d have brought a tape recorder, ”said Buffy.
Athanany lifted a cloth from near her, “We think alike.”
“Pick up the pack, again shuffle, spread them out in a line face down. What I’ll want you to do then is close your eyes, flick the card in the air when it’s landed ask me a question about your future then open your eyes.”

Drusilla quietly whispered to Darla, they were both standing on the balcony in the house, overlooking Buffy. They left the house climbing out the window then down to the ground. As they walked away Drusilla advised Darla never to go up against Buffy.
“Scare her, scare the people around her, even now there is something that protects her,” said Drusilla.
“What makes you say that.”
“Ever heard the saying the gods are smiling at you?”
“Yes, something like that,” said Darla.
“From what that woman said, knowing what I feel, I’d say that girl will be the apple of their eyes,” said Drusilla.
“Who are you on about?” asked Darla.
“The higher beings, maybe even his.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“But I am, one of the things I saw in there, that girl will face a hell-god and win. I saw the Knights of Byzantium start to battle her, I saw three of them, then there was fifty, but before the thousands went to go against her they were called back,” said Drusilla.
“So? who called them back?” asked Darla.
“As one of them said, let Gods will be done,” Drusilla looked at Darla, “I think he called them back.”
“So we just leave her?” asked Darla.
“Oh no! but like I say, only get her friends. Tomorrow night the three of us will start to work on her parents, get the to split up.”
Drusilla and Darla turn to the house, Drusilla smiles.
“There’s one thing I’d like to know, why it is that these slayers are always girls?” asked Darla.
“I know that, ”said Drusilla, “The way a demon is felt, how they know when we are near, they get a pain in their stomach, like the PMS pains. That’s why they are all girls.”
“Here’s to a lot of pain, happy birthday, Buffy,” said Darla.

Feedback

 

[Kean]

A Complimentary Stick by ~angelic slayer~

Title: A Complimentary Sticker
Author: ~angelic slayer~
Pairing: Buffy/Angel (I know, you’re all shocked) 😉
Rating: PG, mild language
Summary: Buffy’s thirtieth birthday. A one-shot of how she deals with the big 3-0.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and co.

A Complimentary Sticker​

“For she’s a jolly good fellow, for she’s a jolly good fellow, for she’s a jolly good fel-low, which nobody can deny!”

The gang watched as Buffy, almost hesitantly, took a long intake of breath and blew out the candles on her cake. All thirty of them. They all cheered and gathered round as Xander dug a knife into the cake’s fudgy centre. As her friends chowed down on a second (for some, third) helping, Buffy wandered into the next room and quietly examined her gifts. Mostly she’d received weapons, charms, trinkets, a few bottles of perfume from the potentials. And of course Connor had given her the most impressive gift of all; an eighteenth century sword yielded by one of the greatest warriors of Europe. The kid always did have a knack for gifts. He got that from his father, no doubt.

Illyria and Xander sat in a loveseat across the space; the blue demon’s eyes wide as she watched Buffy’s friend eat his forth piece of cake. Lorne was talking to Kennedy and Andrew in the corner, obviously grateful to get away from Illyria for a few moments, and Dawn was in the kitchen entertaining guests; as she had faithfully all day. An unwelcomed party or not, Buffy knew her sister had spent the past few months planning out the evening and for that she was grateful. Almost everyone had made it to visit, minus Willow who was off at a retreat (again) and Giles who was up to his forehead in slayer training. It was a nice party, everything went as planned. But it still didn’t change what the whole day meant.

Buffy had turned thirty.

With that thought, Buffy took another look around the room, noticing for the first time an absent youngster in the mix.

“Looking for me?” Connor said from behind her and Buffy jumped at the sound of his voice, “Brought you some wine, thought you might need it.”

She smiled and accepted the alcohol gratefully,
“You read my mind,”

The two raised their glasses and took a sip, looking around the room at the crowd.
“How’re you doing?” Connor asked, knowing how much Buffy had been dreading the evening.

“I’m okay. I mean the party was nice, and it’s good to see everyone.”

“Yeah. Those gang reunions.” He looked over to see Illyria and Xander arguing over a piece of cake, “They’re always… interesting.”

Buffy nodded, taking another few sips of her wine while praying to the powers that be that no one would start wishing her a happy birthday again.

“You know, nobody’s done a patrol tonight,” Connor said casually, looking over to the back door. “I could tell them you packed it in early.”

Buffy’s eyes went wide as a smile burst across her features, god she loved that kid.
“You’d do it? For real?”

He shrugged.

“Screw the sword, this is the gift I’ll remember forever.” She finished her wine and set the glass down, pulling a stake out from her jacket pocket. “I swear come your birthday, I’ll get you any iPod your heart desires.”

“Really?” Connor brightened up, “Even the one with the touch screen?”

She gave him a quick hug,
“Just don’t tell your dad. You know how he gets with the techno stuff. It’s out to get the world and all.”

And with one last thank you, Buffy headed out the door for some much needed TLC.

------------------------

A couple hours and a half dozen vamps later, Buffy walked through the final cemetery on her route and settled herself onto a nearby tombstone. She looked down at her stake and started carving the wood a little with her fingernail, anything to draw out the hour. She owed Connor for this one, big time. As awkward as their meeting had been at first, she had grown attached to him in a weird, cool cousin kind of way. He was a lot like his father a lot of respects; always knowing what sort of mood she was in. Not to mention that bad habit of sneaking up on people. One of these days she was going to turn around and…

“Skipping out on your own party huh? We really have known each other too long,”

Buffy jumped (again) at the unexpected visitor, raising her stake on impulse. Turning around with a scolding smile, she hit the dark-haired vampire playfully on the shoulder. “Half my life now. And your jokes still haven’t gotten any funnier,”

They shared a laugh and she smiled, shaking her head a little,
“Just needed to clear my head, Connor let me out on good behaviour.” Angel beamed at the mention of his son, “You know it’s weird, thousands of girls out there to do my job and it still doesn’t change anything. Kicking some undead butt is still about as comforting as a nice wholesome cup of tea.”

Angel laughed, recalling times when the ‘undead butt’ she kicked belonged to him.
“So how’d the party go?”

“Well, you know, nobody’s tried to kill me. Or went evil or turned into some crazy demony thing so that’s a bonus. Lorne even sang a little.” She stood up, twirling her stake in her hands, “I still would have much rathered my plan of forgetting the day even existed, cake’s bad for your teeth you know.”

Angel came up beside her, placing his hand gently over the blonde’s,
“Nervous about turning thirty?”

“Am I that obvious?”

“Well, somehow the burning birthday hatred in your letters tipped me off.” He gently tilted her chin so her eyes to meet his own, “Buffy, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah well that’s easy for you to say, you’ll be young and beautiful forever,” she argued.

“So they tell me. But who knows maybe if I get this whole Shanshu thing I turn into a centuries old human, there’s nothing saying I get to keep the ruggedly handsome look.”

Buffy rolled her eyes.

“You’re thirty Buffy. It’s not like getting older is exactly a worry just yet. And young or old, you’ll always be beautiful.”

Despite her best efforts Buffy smiled a little smile, blushing a little. She almost felt guilty for being so vain; it was a stupid thing for a world-renowned vampire slayer to be worrying about. If anything, she should be happy that she made it to thirty. Practicality always had taken a back seat when feelings were involved.

“Yeah well, you’re biased. You dumped me right before my Prom night; you have to tell me nice things like that.”

They shared a laugh. A relaxed silence took over them. Buffy looked at him questioningly, as if wondering if this was really the time or place to ask the question that’s been burning on her mind.

“Do you ever think we’ll get our chance Angel? I mean, fight the good fight a few more years then maybe be able to live our lives? You know, in the same zip code…,” she trailed off, almost afraid to say the word “together” within earshot of the outside world.

Angel put an arm around her, laying a gentle kiss on her crown.
“They will. We hold up long enough, we’ll get our shot.”

Buffy offered him a small smile. Chances are they’ll both be long gone before their shot ever happens, but it was nice to know someone else in the world shared the dream. Maybe it wasn’t such a crazy thought, after all.

The Slayer sighed,
“I just hope it happens before I’m a hundred and eight and bedridden. It won’t be so romantic if you have to change my bedpans on our honeymoon.”

Angel laughed; only Buffy could think of something like that.
“Tell you what; we both make it that far? I’ll be more than happy to do it.”

She giggled, snuggling closer into her long-distance lover.
“This whole getting old thing? It sucks.”

“You’re telling me, I’m going on like… two hundred and sixty. You think thirty is bad? Try the idea of turning three hundred.”

“I think we should get a pension for this.”

“A complimentary sticker would be nice.”

“Or maybe a big tub of ice cream. I always liked ice cream.”

And with that, the two spent the rest of the night wandering around abandoned cemeteries, just enjoying one another’s company. A two-hundred sixty year old vampire and his now thirty year old slayer, imagining the days when they would be hitting demons with their walkers and teaching their grand-kids how to disarm a vampire with nothing but a ball point pen.

Birthdays just didn’t get much better than that.

Feedback

 

[Lyri]

Title: Imprint of a Memory
Author: xaphania
Rating: 12+
Summary: Memories of a bad-Buffy-birthday help Dawn grieve for her sister. Dawn PoV, Spike-Dawn friendship.


Giles suggested that we start clearing all of Buffy's things away. He got that pinched look on his face when he spoke, and the glasses came off for a clean.

I didn't really know what to say "“ what could I have said, really?

Sure, go ahead and get rid of the last links I have to my sister, who cares?

But the decision was made for me, when Willow told Giles in no uncertain terms that we would not be getting rid of Buffy's stuff, it was too soon and anyway, the bot needed her clothes.

Ah yes, the bot. Sometimes, I hate it. I hate it at the times when I remember what it was originally built for (because I do understand "“ I'm fifteen, not five). I hate that it looks so much like Buffy that I almost think she's come back to us, but those are the times when I like it a little bit too.

Anyway, it was Giles' suggestion that we sort through her things that got me in here. Her room. It's the first time I've come in here since she"¦ since the tower.

I look idly through her jewelry box. A dozen crosses, pretty earrings and a few rings. Things she'll never wear again.

A half-empty bottle of perfume sits on the dressing table, the remote control to her television idling next to it. I move around the room, trailing my fingers across the surfaces.

There's no dust on anything, so someone "“ probably Tara "“ comes in and cleans.

"Hi, Dawn!"

Oh great, it's the bot. She's wearing Buffy's favorite pair of pants.

"Hey." She's just a robot "“ a mess of silicone and wires, but she wears the face of my sister and I feel like I have to answer.

"Willow sent me to tell you that she's going to Xander's. She's gay!"

"Am I going too?"

The bot looks confused. "No. Spike is coming. I like Spike, do you like Spike?"

"Yeah, Buff- Buffybot. I like Spike."

"Me too! When Spike gets here, I will go patrol."

"I think I'm going to stay up here for a bit," I say, and the bot nods, smiles cheerfully and leaves the room.

Holding a conversation with it is exhausting.

Spike's coming to look after me. Who'd have thought it? The Big Bad babysitting a teenage girl doesn't sound too likely. But oddly enough"¦ it's cool. He's like my only friend nowadays anyway.

I lie down on Buffy's bed. Mr. Gordo is on the pillow, his black eyes staring glassily at me. It won't hurt if I just close my eyes for a little"¦

***

When I wake up, Spike is kneeling on the floor next to me. You'd probably think it's kind of creepy to wake up to a vampire staring at you, but it's weirdly reassuring when it's Spike.

"All right, Bit?" he says, a worried half-smile on his face.

"I'm good," I say, and sit up slightly, hugging Mr. Gordo to my chest. "How long was I asleep?"

"Got here about two hours ago," Spike shrugs, "you were already sleeping."

"Did the- the Buffybot get back from patrol?"

"Not yet," Spike says, his voice sharp. "Bloody thing."

"You liked it once," I tease, and then immediately wish I hadn't when Spike's face becomes hard and closed-off.

"Yeah, well, things change."

I turn Mr. Gordo around and around in my hands, not sure what to say to him after his swift mood change.

We sit in silence for a while, the only sounds the light tapping on the window from the branches of the tree and the soft rustle of Mr. Gordo's well-worn fur.

"I gave this to Buffy, you know," I say, a short time later, holding Mr. Gordo up for Spike to look at. "For her tenth birthday."

"Yeah?" Spike looks wary. So far we've avoided talking about Buffy "“ it's too painful for us both.

"Yeah," I say, smiling slightly. But then my face falls as I remember. "Except "“ not. Because I wasn't real then, was I? Mom or dad must have got it for her. Wonder why the monks made it so I gave it to her?"

"Who knows, pet," Spike says, and he reaches out to take Mr. Gordo from me. "Ugly thing, in'he?"

"Buffy loves"¦ loved him," I rush on, to try and cover my slip. "At that birthday party she tried to pretend she was too old for a toy like that, but when all her friends had gone home she had it like, permanently attached to her."

Spike makes a small noise "“ a sigh or a cough. I take it as a sign to keep talking. This was the first time I'd wanted to talk about her since she'd gone.

"Yeah, I always thought clinging to stuffed animals was what little kids did, but Buffy's never- she never was one for rules, you know? The day after her birthday mom and dad took us to Disneyland, and she had to bring the stupid pig with her. Nearly lost it on Space Mountain, too."

I frown. "I think that was the year that started the whole Buffy's birthdays are bad thing."

Spike snorts. "Yeah, she didn't have much luck with them, eh pet?"

"No," my eyes fill with tears. "And now she won't ever have a birthday again."

A line forms between Spike's eyebrows. "Here now, Nibblet"¦It looks like he wants to put his hand on my shoulder or hug me or something, but he doesn't.

I wipe my eyes and pull my knees up to under my chin. Mr. Gordo lies forgotten on the bed.

"I'm okay. Just"¦ do you think we could keep talking about her? I haven't really"¦"

"Course," Spike says, and there's a small smile on his face. "Why not tell me about all her disastrous birthday parties, yeah?"

And I do.

 

[Kean]

Buffy's 18th by ILLYRIAN

Title : BUFFY'S 18th.
AUTHOR : ILLYRIAN
RATING PG13,
All characters are owned by the respective copyright holders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BUFFY'S 18th​

As Buffy and Dawn came entered the room, Willow asked them to sit down and make themselves comfortable.

"Buffy, Dawn I need to explain this to you," said her mother, "It's a bit quick, I know but Giles and I are getting married today and I'd like you to be a bridesmaid Buffy. Now there's no need to panic as everything has been organised, it was your hubby that did most the organising dear. Spike has been such a big help and some of the couples needed a lot of persuading to be here."
"Who were they?" asked Buffy, "Who'd miss you wedding."
"Well there was Angel and Lorne, they had to be kept away from Lindsey and Fred, something to do with Lorne killing Lindsey. And some comment about Angel being handy. Then there was the animosity between Angel and Connor bringing Willow."
"But Willow's a..., she likes girls."

"I know that!, don't you remember Willow doing a spell to make Connor a girl?"
"How's little miss likes to beat the crap out of vampires?" asked Spike.
"She seems a bit odd," said Joyce, "I thought it might have been my explaining that Gunn and Giles had decided that a figurehead was needed and that Faith was chosen by every-one."
"That's true, I don't suppose it has anything to do with it being halloween today," said Spike.

As Dawn was heading into the room she asked what outfit Buffy thought that she would be wearing.
"Don't know, I'm a bridesmaid what should I be wearing?"
"Didn't Giles tell you to wear what ever you wanted to? I'd have thought you'd have something arranged by now," said Dawn, "Try near the tea machine," said Dawn.
"The tea machine?" questioned Buffy.
"Near the kitchen, it's out there," replied Dawn.
"What is?"
"The dress making machine," said Dawn, "Do I have to tell you everything?"

"Come on Buffy, I'll come with you," said Dawn.
"I'd better ask Spike."
"Why?" asked Dawn.
"He's my husband!"
"Oh sure rub it in!, thanks a lot!" exclaimed Dawn.
"What do you mean?"
"I know the only reason why you married Spike," said Dawn.
"You do? why did I marry Spike?" asked Buffy.
"Mums right, you are a bit slow today. You only got hitched to him to stop me and him getting married," said Dawn.
"What are you two talking about?" asked Spike.
"She claims to have forgotten why she married you."
"Nah, that's my fault, I keep threatening I'll tell you about the little girl in the coal bin," said Spike.

"Speaking of being all alone, did you find anyone to sit on Giles's side of the church?"
"Yes! there's a couple of witches coming over from England, Willow told me about them," replied Dawn.
"Mum told me that you are going to make a speech at the reception, what will it be?" asked Dawn.
"I found it when I was reading one of the pages, in one of Giles's books I became aware that the thickness of the cover was not even, so after a bit of looking at it and running my fingers on it, it felt as though there was something else there, so I opened it up with a sharp knife."
"Didn't you worry, damaging a book," said Dawn
"Not really, it was an old one not a new one, why do you ask."
"Just making sure it's not a joyful romp about the stag party."

"Anything in the bag that"˜s a pressie for Joyce?" asked Giles.
"Nope, nothing, but it might be a pressie for you that"˜ll make mum"˜s day," said Dawn.
"You mean like viagra," said Spike.
"I meant like a mobile phone," said Giles.
"But what's the number?" asked Dawn.
"I know!, I'll tell him," said Angel.
"Begs the question how did he know that it would be opened today, and how did he know that we would know you?" asked Lorne.
"There could be another explanation," said Spike.
"That's true," said Dawn, then she left.
"Hang on, what's in the bag?" asked Giles.

"Giles? who are the other bridesmaids?" asked Buffy.
"The bridesmaids? well there is you and Dawn, Willow and Connor. I'm pretty sure I asked Andrew to be best man, I'll have to check on that though."
"Why would you want him to be the best-man?" asked Buffy.
"Because he's so forceful and sensible," replied Giles.

Buffy was starting to get enthusiastic about the wedding, she'd even bought herself a bridesmaids outfit.
A room had been organised for the special occasion, an archway of red, yellow and white roses had been built, Amanda had organised the music she had directed who would be standing where, ready for them to follow the happy couple.
"Right you two whatsimicallits lead the way, then the bridesmaids. Spike then Angel. Every one ready, on cue then....

"buffy?, Buffy?, BUFFY?....., WAKE UP BUFFY!"
Buffy stared at who was talking to her, she looked about the room.
"What? what is happening?"

"Angel and Lorne have just got here, aren't you going to congratulate them?" asked Giles.
"What?........... What?"
Angel and Lorne came into the room, holding hands.
"What?...... what?," Buffy looked to Spike, "What?........"
"Buffy dear, you really shouldn't talk in your sleep, some might take advantage of what you say," said Spike.
"You! you! you rotten load of flamin ............"
"I take it that Buffy has woken up," said Giles, smiling.
"Yep, and she thought she was married to me," said Spike.
"And I'm getting ma am I? I've only got one thing to say to that," said Giles, "Happy Birthday Buffy."

"I'll just go and get Willow, has anyone seen her girlfriend, Angel's son," said Spike.
"I'm awake now! that isn't funny Spike."
"Oh I don't know, there is one thing I'm not to sure about with Angel and Lorne, which one of you two does Connor call mummy?"
Spike quickly ran out of the room laughing loudly, being chased by Angel and Lorne.

Feedback

 

[Kean]

Title: Dead Girls' Party
Author: Andrew Crossett
Pairing: n/a
Rating: PG
Summary: On her 28th birthday, Buffy gets some help from a very unexpected source
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mutant Enemy
Warnings: Spoilers re: character deaths for those who haven't watched the entire TV series

Dead Girls' Party​

"You know," said Cordelia, "I can think of at least six things I'd rather be doing on a nice cold January night than fighting my way into an Econolodge in Pueblo, Colorado."

"Why are they staying in an Econolodge, anyway?" Tara asked. "Didn't Buffy own, like, a castle and a private plane and enough high-tech stuff to endow a university?"

"Maybe Willow has finally talked some financial sense into her," said Anya. "Luxury hotels are overrated. I like a motel where the people in the next room can hear what you're doing."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Moving on. My guess is that these vamps are tapping into their own demonic essence to power this mystical shield around the building. That should make them weaker."

The dozen vampires lounging around the parking lot outside the lodge all laughed. "Strength is not always relevant, little ghosts," the leader said. "We have physical form. You're illusions. That makes us stronger."

"Little ghosts?" Cordelia crossed her arms and gave her patented Superior Cordy glare. "That's wrong in both a descriptive and metaphysical sense. You're Laurent, aren't you? Used to run with Spike and Drusilla back in Europe?"

"Indeed I am," said the head vamp. "And you are Cordelia Chase, emissary of the Powers That Be and still, I beg to repeat, a ghost in our dimension. As are your two bookends here," he added, glancing dismissively at Tara and Anya. "You can't fight us. You can't even touch us."

Cordy glanced at the motel room door, and its accompanying dark window, that the vamps had congregated near. "You realize behind that door are two of the most dangerous women in the world, right?"

Laurent shrugged. "Sound asleep. And they'll stay that way until it's too late. It's only a few minutes until midnight. The shield will hold until then. After that, you're free to do as you like with the Slayer's corpse. We don't have to fight you, and we don't have to fight them. We just walk away laughing."

"Burning your own essence to power a barrier is a lot of trouble to go through for just one Slayer, isn't it? There are two thousand more, after all."

"And without Buffy Summers to hold them together, they'll be leaderless. We'll be able to pick them off one by one. Maybe even in twos. Do you think that Scythe can whip up another two thousand of them?" All the vampires laughed.

"Only a few minutes to midnight, Cordelia," Anya reminded her. "Buffy doesn't have much time."

"And if only you could hold stakes or swords in your pretty, incorporeal little hands, you might have a fighting chance at saving her," scoffed Laurent. "Even dead, this is more our world than yours. When we died, we had the basic loyalty to stay here instead of running off into the boring heavens. You can touch nothing in this plane. Your time is past. You're out of style, Emissary."

Cordelia was running out of patience as well as time. "I can't speak for Tara and that hippy-chick thing she has going on, or Anya and her vintage 1958 skirt-and-sweater set. But this outfit is the celestial equivalent of Marc Jacobs. Natasha Richardson has worn this very same dress on the red carpet. You do not disrespect these threads, even in Colorado."

She glanced at Tara and at Anya. "You two ready to do this thing?" They both nodded. Cordelia called up her celestial energy. Mystical silver fire danced around her hands and through her hair.

"Gonna be a beautiful sunny day today, Laurent," she called.

"In seven hours or so," the vampire replied. "Seven hours too late for your Buffy. Or have the Powers given you the ability to make the world spin faster?"

"That's the problem with you undead. You always think of the hard way first."

Cordelia sent a column of silver fire high into the air above the parking lot, focusing it on a single point in space. "Miss Maclay, cast your spell right where I'm pointing, please. Miss Jenkins, a bit of demon mojo so we don't melt all the ski slopes and panic all the nice people of Pueblo."

Tara gestured up at the terminus of Cordelia's energy stream and cast a spell. A small point of light appeared there, a hundred feet or so in the air. Cordy's power took hold of it, and it quickly spiralled into a portal the size of a swimming pool. Anya, concentrating on the darkness around it, held it at that size.

Blue sky shone down through the portal, bathing the parking lot in midday sun. "Looks like the smog's lifted in Bangkok," Cordelia observed. "Good picnic weather."

It was too late for the vampires to panic, of course, and in short order Cordelia, Tara and Anya were the only entities standing in a parking lot that seemed to have gotten a whole lot dustier.

Cordelia let the portal close. "It's always sunny somewhere, boys," she remarked to what used to be the vamps. "Let's go, ladies. Time's wasting."

They passed through the outer wall of the hotel room and found themselves in a dark space where two young women snored away in twin beds. The Slayer Scythe stood propped up in a corner near the door.

Tara gazed longingly toward the second bed. "Focus, Tara," Cordelia said to her. "Plenty of time afterwards. Buffy needs us now. You two remember the words I taught you to say, right?"

Tara and Anya both nodded. "Now, why was Buffy going to die tonight?" Anya asked.

Cordelia glanced at the clock on Buffy's nightstand. Still eight minutes to midnight.

"When the Shadow Men created the Slayer line, they were worried about the possibility of a Slayer living long enough to become old and feeble and useless. Or maybe comatose, or insane, or held prisoner. Rather than having to murder their own Slayer, or wait until she died of old age before another could be called, they specified an expiration date. At the stroke of midnight on every Slayer's twenty-eighth birthday, a killing spell would descend on her and stop her heart. And a new, younger Slayer would be activated."

"That sounds harsh," said Tara.

"The Watcher's Council thought the same thing," Cordelia said. "Sometime during the Renaissance they came up with a counter-spell to undo that little problem. Only about half a dozen Slayers have ever lived to their twenty-eighth birthdays, but when they do, they have to have this spell said over them or they're toast. But it was a secret, and with the Watcher's Council gone, nobody in this world even remembers that anymore. Unless Giles happened to look through just the right book"¦"

Anya looked concerned. "Does this mean we'll have to do the same thing with all two thousand Slayers?"

"No. Slayer magic is celestial, but the killing spell is only earthly. When Willow expanded the Slayer magic, the spell couldn't keep up with it. Only the Senior Slayers have anything to worry about. We'll take care of Faith too, if she's a good girl."

"Five minutes left," said Tara. "And is it just me, or is it getting a lot colder in here?"

"It's not just you. Anya, would you do the honors first?"

Anya stepped over to Buffy's bed and stuck her ethereal hand into the sleeping woman's back until she touched her beating heart. "Chokmah," she said. "This one has the wisdom to continue. Let her be spared."

Cordelia stepped in next, touched Buffy's heart, and said "Ometz. This one has the courage to continue. Let her be spared."

And finally, Tara's turn. "Ahava. This one has the love to continue. Let her be spared."

Buffy snorted and shifted in the bed. "Nnn"¦ mom, no"¦ twisty balloon animals"¦" she murmured, then resumed snoring.

The warmth was already returning to the room. "Done," Cordelia said with a sigh of relief.

Tara was already kneeling by the other bed, gazing down at Willow. "Love you forever," she said softly. She leaned over and gave the sleeping woman a kiss on the forehead that didn't quite connect"¦ at least not physically. Willow smiled in her sleep and snuggled against her pillow.

"She still wears jammies to bed," Tara observed lovingly.

"Buffy doesn't," commented Anya, pointing to the Slayer's lower body protruding from the sheets. "Leopard panties and red socks."

"Now, now," Cordy admonished. "Let's not waste the afterlife pointing out the fashion disasters of the living." She and Anya joined Tara by Willow's bedside.

"She shouldn't be sleeping alone on such a cold night," Tara commented with a sigh. "And neither should Buffy. Whatever happened to that other Slayer who was in love with her?"

"We're working on it," Cordy said.

"Is it getting chilly in here again?" Anya asked.

They turned around to find that the room was chilly because the door was slightly open. This concern was only a prologue to the greater concern, which was that a vampire was crouched down right next to Buffy.

"Life stinks, doesn't it?" the vampire said. "Or stank, in our cases. Oh, well. The Slayer gets to be a corpse tonight one way or the other."

"How did you get in here without an invitation, and how did you open that locked door? And why aren't you dust in the parking lot like the others?" Cordelia demanded.

"I work here," the vamp said with a shrug. He held up his all-access key card. "Night shift. Takes care of the first two problems. And that high-profile SUV out there took care of the last. Those thing provide lots of shade. They may not be green, but they're the vampire's friend when Mr. Sun comes to call."

"You're not going to bite her," Cordelia stated.

"Sure I am," he said with a shrug. "I don't think you can do another one of those sunlight portals in here. And you still can't touch me, or hold any weapons, or any of that good stuff that might make things difficult. These mortals can't see or hear you, so you can't even warn them."

"You do know that the Slayer Scythe exists simultaneously in both our dimensions, don't you?" Cordy crossed her arms and looked at him like a teacher confronting a dim student.

The vampire thought a minute. "Seems like Laurent mentioned something like that. But he also said only Slayers can touch it in your dimension. And none of you three are Slayers. Besides, I don't see the Scythe anywhere around here."

"No, you wouldn't," agreed Cordelia. "And I still say you're not going to bite that girl."

"Why not?"

His head popped off as the Scythe sliced cleanly through it. He dusted.

"That's why," Cordelia said with a shrug.

"Oh, yeah! Critical hit, baby!" Amanda whooped and waved the Scythe triumphantly over her head. "Massive damage!"

"The rookie shoots and scores," Cordy said appreciatively. "Nice sneaking, kid. And watch where you wave that thing. It's corporeal. You could break a lamp or something."

"Good one, Amanda," Tara said.

"I just pretended he was a Turok-han," Amanda said. "I don't like Turok-han."

"Housekeeping isn't going to be hat all this dust," Anya noted.

"Neither is Buffy," Cordelia said. "But she gets to see the sunrise on her twenty-eighth birthday, which is the best we can do. The rest is up to her."

"Happy birthday, Buffy," Anya said to her sleeping friend. Tara blew a kiss across the room toward Willow.

"It's still early," said Anya. "I hear there are some good outlets in this town. Anybody want to check them out and imagine all the great bargains we could be getting?"

"That's the problem with heaven," Cordy said. "No shopping."

Amanda used the Scythe to bump the door closed before they left, so Buffy didn't catch a chill. Buffy sighed and rolled over in her bed. Seven hours later, she woke up.


Feedback

 

[Kean]

TITLE : BUFFY'S 19th
AUTHOR ILLYRIAN
Rating PG 13. all characters are the copyright holders property.

The Day Before Buffy's 19th Birthday.​

"I know that Mr Giles sees you as his daughter Buffy, but, well, I wonder if he would like to see some photo's of you in the bath, when you were totally naked," said Joyce.
"I'd suggest that you let me caste a discerning eye over them first," said Xander.
"XANDER! NO! you can't do that! it, it wouldn't be right," said Willow.
"I'm not very impressed with my mother either, for even thinking like that," said Buffy
"What's wrong?" asked Joyce, "I thought that most men would like to look at young girls without clothes on, at some point of their life."
"MOM!"
"I've got a few of them upstairs now, I could easily go and get them. I wanted to show them to your boyfriends, but the only ones you seem even slightly interested in were Angel and Spike. You are such a big disappointment Buffy, and I wouldn't want to encourage Willow, I've seen the way she looks at other girls."
"I can't think what you mean," replied Willow.
"I was told you had a nice young man for a boyfriend, but you never brought him home, and when I did meet him properly he was married to another woman."
"Wouldn't have been any use any way," said Xander.
"What is that meant to mean?" asked Buffy, glaring at Xander.
"Yes! what do you mean by that?" asked Joyce.
"I er, er, oh because he was married to Sam," Xander relaxed.
"Giles would be to embarrassed to look anyway. I remember when I was dressed up as a vampire, I said "˜ooh look at them, where did they come from"˜, poor Giles didn't know where to look," said Willow.
"Neither did Xander," added Buffy, "I'd never thought of this before but maybe Xander is gay."
"What makes you think that?" asked Xander.
"When you had that love spell done on Cordelia, I remember only wearing a coat and inviting you to unwrap your present, but you didn't."
"That does make it sound as though he was gay," agreed Willow.
"No, I don't think so, was that the time you came onto me?" asked Joyce, "Or am I thinking about the wrong time?"
"Hey! I was under a spell, it wasn't my fault," protested Xander.
"Good job it wasn't in private then."
"Now hang on! I was in his bed wearing only a flimsy shirt and he didn't touch me, and then there was the time that Tara and I were in a dream of his, we both wanted him to join us but he didn't. You can't get much more private than in his dream," said Willow.
"That's true," remarked Joyce.
"Angel told me that he even turned down Drusilla."
"So Xanders gay then?" asked Joyce.
"Seems that way," said Buffy.
"Yep," agreed Willow.
"It'll be alright to show him photo's of you in the bath then Buffy?"
"No, oh god I hope there was lots of bubbles," said Buffy.
"Nope, no bubbles, and you were showing everything you had, and smiling to the camera," said Joyce, "Hmm okay, well I'm going to make a cup of hot chocolate. Any one else want one? Xander, Willow? yes, ok. Would you both like lots of froth on the top. What about you Buffy? and would you like a frothy top to it, oh, you wouldn't?. You do realise that froth is bubbles don't you?. Oh, you do want lots of bubbles now?"
Joyce went to make them a nice warm hot chocolate, she'd been gone for nearly five minutes when some-one rang them front door bell. Willow got up to answer the door.
Buffy and Xander heard her open the door.
"It's Giles, shall I ask him in?"
"No!" shouted Buffy, "Tell him to go away."
Joyce put the drinks on the coffee table.
"Buffy! that's no way to speak to some-one collecting for charity!"
"Ay? what? Willow said it was....WILLOW!"
"Yes Buffy, what is it?" asked Willow, grinning to her.
Willow closed the door, as she was about to sit down she put some coins on the coffee table, "There will be another soon."
She only taken a few sips of her drink before the doorbell was rung, again, she went to answer to door.
Buffy noticed the way her mother was looking at her, "Willow? ask the person to come in I've got some change," said Buffy.
So Willow invited the person in.
"Mr Giles!, nice of you to drop in," said Joyce.
"WILLOW! you said it was.... come here you!"
"Oh, she's chasing me upstairs again," laughed Willow.
"You just wait!" shouted Buffy.
"Oh that's it Buffy! push me hard against the wall," said Willow louder than needed.
"Willow, quiet," whispered Buffy.
"Oh God, Yes Buffy!" exclaimed Willow.

"So, it's a lets get Buffy day, is it Joyce?" asked Giles.

Buffy tried to stop Willow's comments by putting her hand over her mouth.
"Mm Mm MmMmm, bondage!, ooooh."
"That's it!, I'm going downstairs, I'm not speaking to you ever again," said Buffy.
"Oh please Buffy! put your hand back," called Willow.
"No!"
"Don't leave, not now!" exclaimed Willow.
"Stop it!, and don't smile like that," said Buffy.
Buffy made her way down the stairs, ignored the three of them trying to keep a straight face. Willow sat on a chair.
"Willow? ever seen the film When Harry met Sally?" asked Giles.
Well, the only dry eyes were Buffy's.
"I'm never going to speak to any of you ever again," said Buffy through gritted teeth.
"I might as well get those photo's then," said Joyce.
"Mom No!," cried out Buffy.
"Go on Joyce we'll protect you," said Xander and Willow.
Buffy got to the stairs first, "You are not going to..."
Joyce interrupted her daughter.
"Giles would you like to see some pictures of Buffy? she's got no clothes on?"
"Sure why not," he replied.
As Joyce went to get the photo's, Buffy begged Giles not to look at them, she even looked at him with sad puppy dog eyes.
Joyce came into the room, handed Giles the first photo. "Look, this is Buffy in the bath totally naked, just before her 1st bir
"WHAT! all this time? and you all knew? you rotten load of!...You!...
what did you come here for Giles?" asked Buffy, grumpily.
"Well, considering tomorrow, Happy Birthday Buffy."
"I should have guessed, what's the pressie?"
"Oh! er, ah yes it's Bubble bath," said Giles a bit sheepishly.
Xander and Willow hid their pressie's.
"You got her bubble bath as well did you Will?"
"So did I," said Joyce."

BB Ficathon January 2009: Buffy's Birthday-Feedback - Page 3 - Buffy-Boards

 

[Kean]

Yaaar We-cum by Palabravampiress

Title: "Yaaar We-cum."

Author: Palabravampiress

Pairing: Buffy & Xander friendship

Rating: PG for mild violence

Summary: On Buffy's birthday, Xander drives to Buffy's house on the new-and-improved Hellmouth. Demon-fighting and much ingesting of sweet, celebratory dessert ensues.

Notes: No demons were harmed during the writing of this story"¦ except for the one that died.

Disclaimer:
* BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER trademark (TM) and copyright (©) Fox and its related entities. All rights reserved.
This web site, its operators and any content on this site relating to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" are not authorized by Fox. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters are the property of Twentieth Century Fox, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and/or the WB Television Network, UPN. The webmasters are not affiliated in any way with the aforementioned entities. The fiction on this, and adjoining pages is provided solely as an entertaining resource. No copyright infringement is intended nor implied.


"Yaaar We-cum."

Xander slid his vintage Chevy Cav over to the shoulder. Then, he clamped his thumb down over the emergency brake and yanked. He kept the engine idling. You know: heat = good. Vintage heater = less-than-perfect, though, so he still had to cup his hands around his mouth, blow some hot air into them, and rub vigorously. Sure, it only helped for like a minute, but some things "“ things like near-mint condition mid-twentieth-century vehicles that still run on gas and look all blue and shiny to boot "“ are worth chapped lips and a few full body shivers.

Xander's car wasn't the only exotic antique on Hellmouth 2.0; Cleveland was home to something a lot more precious, and it wasn't Elvis' old jewel encrusted unitard. Well, actually, it kinda was. Cleveland did have one of those. It just had something better, too. And it was her birthday.

Figuring he'd better get inside into the actual heat before his eye patch got all icy and stiff and stuck to his face, Xander reached over to the passenger seat, opened a cardboard box from the bakery, and pulled out one massive, moist, and carefully iced cupcake. Up top, it sported a candle in the shape of a "6" and a "0" lacking their own personal bubbles. This, he lit with a match from his road kit (cuz you know, any heat helps) and carried carefully out of the car. Not that it mattered how careful he was; it was one of those new temperature-sensitive candles that only went out when blown out by genuine human breath "“ or dogs and certain kinds of demon, turned out.

Definitely not vampires, Xander thought to himself with a snicker. He still didn't like those things. Maybe the souled ones were okay on account of how many times they'd assisted in saving his life and whatnot, but it still gave him a happy to be able to do something they couldn't do.

Of course, a cursory glance in the sideview mirror before he crunched and slid his way up the unshoveled front path indicated that he could do lots of things that vamps couldn't do: he could move his hairline back by inches, get white hair without bleach, and grow wrinkles. Boy, it was great to be human! It was just swell, this aging thing. The undead population should really try it.

Xander found solid footing under the eaves of a dry, welcoming porch supported by green-trimmed columns. Minus the snow drifts creeping in from the sides, this porch was probably the driest place in this cold, wet little suburb (or possibly the entire "metropolitan" area), and Xander's wet shoes squeaked against the smooth, oft-painted balsa wood floor. With his free hand, he knocked three times upon a familiar oak door that he had built several times over. This one, he'd reinforced with interior steel sheeting, a high-security locking mechanism fitted not just to the doorframe, but also to the walls of the house, and even with some mojo on the side. Okay, so Will worked the mojo. But Xander had built a little interior shelf thingie to house the necessary herbs. That counted.

Before Xander's knuckles made contact on the third rap, the locks clicked back into place and the door flew open.
Xander was momentarily stunned by a rush of warm air. Sweet, welcoming, wonderful warm air.

"Xander!" a clear, happy voice rang out.

Before he knew it, Xander was enveloped in a crushing bear hug "“ administered by a bottle blonde lady whose gray roots barely reached the third button on his overcoat and was therefore largely invisible to him from their current, crushed-together angle.
It was all Xander could do to thrust the cupcake out of harm's way without getting sprinkles and icing all over his "new" tweed "“ yes, tweed "“ coat. Say what you want, but that stuff is warm. Besides, Giles had wanted him to have his coat, so Xander felt a duty to wear it instead of let it get moth-eaten in some closet.

Granted, if the current lung-crushing and lack-of-air-intake that was currently going on lasted for much longer, the coat might meet its fate, anyway.

"More weight," Xander managed to gasp out.

Instantly, air filled his lungs.

"Oh! Sorry," Buffy said sheepishly from the doorway.

She was still a spry little thing, her speed and agility not quite jiving with the little-old-lady-look that she sported now. But, wrinkles and questionable taste in decade-old clothing aside, she was still Buffy. She still folded her arms and shifted her weight over to one hip when she looked at him. She still looked up at him (even though he could swear he'd lost an inch or two since they were kids) with rich baby browns that sparkled and danced. She still pinched her lips.

"Easy there, birthday girl. I come bearing gifts!" Xander said, holding out the miraculously still-lit candle.

The candle company claimed chemically enhanced wax and a digital wick, but Xander suspected something more demony. Maybe a glamour.

Smiling, Buffy leaned forward and pursed her lips to blow.
Then, with a powerful pivot, she leaped into the air and pulled a knife out of some mysterious pocket in her old-lady pants.
She must also have shoved Xander to the ground behind her, because he found himself watching the action from a sprawled out position on a faux-person rug. This vantage point, he shared with a now hopelessly crushed cupcake.

"Ah! Buffy! I paid fifteen dollars for that cupcake!" Xander protested.

But Buffy was in a world of her own, a world of punching and violence in which cupcakes did not exist. The creature that she battled towered over her. Its shaggy white fur blocked the doorway, obscuring Xander's view of the street. Its black, slashing claws were each the length of Buffy's teensy, wood-tipped knife. It could have shredded Xander in an instant.
But none of that mattered, because the creature barely managed to even get a beady eyeful of the slayer. Never even touched her as she pummeled and kicked.

"Don't!" Buffy huffed with a low blow to the gut.

"Hurt!"

"My!"

Here, she felled the monster with a dislocating kick to the back of its knees.

"Xander!"

The coup-de-gras was a deep, penetrating slash to the furry demon's now reachable throat. Yellow ooze spilled out. Old Man Chewy emitted a high pitched, throaty gurgle, and then he morphed into a frenzy of snow. What didn't drift away on the wind and land on Xander's windshield, Buffy kicked off of her porch with angry huffs and puffs.

To save himself the indignity of being helped to his feet, Xander scrambled to a standing position and scraped ruined cupcake off his tweed.

"Man, I just *knew* this was a dry cleaning bill waiting to happen."

Buffy stopped kicking non-existent things and turned, her knife still oozing ick. Her eyes widened with remorse.

"Giles' coat! And the cupcake! I swear, if that guy re-materializes again, I am soooo feeding him to the lake monster."

Xander shrugged.

"Eh. It's no big "“ well, actually, that thing was *really* big; what was it? A Yeti or something "“ but I kinda expected it. I mean, Hello! Me, demon magnet. You, birthday girl. That's a demon waiting to happen."

With a sideways shrug, Buffy clicked her tongue and raised her eyebrows as she entered the house and clicked the special lock back into place.

"Wouldn't be a Buffy birthday without one," she sighed as she placed her still gross knife on the foyer table and looked longingly at the fray's misfortunate casualty. Given the mischievous twinkle in her eye, Xander figured she was wondering the same thing he was: Did the five second rule still apply? And, if so, could it be stretched to ten?

Blowing out the now irrefutably demony candle, Buffy full-out shrugged and, turning on a dime, walked cheerfully toward the kitchen, cupcake mess left untouched.

Xander stayed behind and eyed the white icing and colorful sprinkles. He was still debating the relative cleanliness or lack thereof of the faux Persian rug.

"Don't even think about it," Buffy scolded from the kitchen.
Xander heard the creak of the stove door. Seconds later, a sweet, chocolatey-goodness-filled smell filled his nostrils and tickled the back of his tongue.

"I baked cookies!" Buffy announced triumphantly.

Xander moved with slayer speed toward the back of the house.

"You baked?" Xander asked as he crammed his face.

Buffy put the cookie tray on the stove to cool and picked an empty yellow package up from the nearby counter.

"Well, actually, they're kinda self-baking, but I opened the package and put them in the oven."

Xander smiled a gooey, chocolatey smile.

"Happy birthday, baking girl," he said between chews and swallows. "Also, insert nasty age-related crack here. These cookies are evil and have drained all capacity for quippage."

Buffy grinned back and punched him "“ lightly, but only lightly by slayer standards "“ on the arm.

"But not, apparently, your propensity for violence."

Buffy laughed.

"I've missed you, Xander," she said, inching closer and placing her hand near his on the kitchen island.

Xander touched digits.

"Yeah, well, same here. Hence the moving to another Hellmouth thing. Hope you're happy.â

He shook his other, cookie holding hand almost menacingly.

"Cuz let me tell you, Missy, this Hellmouth is"”"

Buffy shoved a cookie into his mouth before he could ruin the moment.

"I am," she said.

"Yaaar We-cum," Xander replied.


Feedback

 

[Kean]

TITLE : BUFFY’S 31st
AUTHOR ILLYRIAN
RATING PG 13 ( and a little bit, maybe )
All characters owned by their copyright holders. Unsure who the copyright holders for Plato’s letter apologising for Homer are.

BUFFY’S 31st​

Dawn had gone to LA, as she couldn’t handle the cold weather any longer. Buffy’s reason to go to Britain was because she had received a message from Giles saying that Miss Harkness had called him, telling him they had been found where the slayer line came from.

Originally she was to meet at the covens sacred site. Buffy was also told to let him know when she was on her way down there. Looking at the map she realised that her final destination would take her near to Giles’ house in Westbury. She’d travelled to Bristol a few days before, it wasn’t that she didn’t like driving, it was just that driving on the left took such a lot of concentration.

It was late in the afternoon when she pulled into Giles’ drive, she stopped the car, and leaving the warmth of the car she went towards the front door. Giles came out to meet her.
“Good to see you again,” he said, “I saw you pull into my driveway, so I rang Miss Harkness to let her know that you are here; she said they, the rest of the coven would be here soon.”
“Oh good, then I’ll be able to spend the night, I’ve had enough of driving on the wrong side of the road for today,” said Buffy.

“Why is that?, you should be happy that you are driving on the correct side of the road.”
“How is it the correct side of the road when most country’s drive on the right?”
“Depends on how you look at it, but put it this way though, did Willow ever complain about us driving on the left, she may have mentioned it but she didn’t complain. You see Britains past is firmly linked with pagan beliefs. The left or right and moving that direction denotes good or evil.”

“Never thought of it like that,” said Buffy, “tell me, has that got anything to do with my lineage, and if it’s anything like that count Drac reckons; don’t tell me.”
“Glad you said about that, he was just trying to fool you, to get you to accept him. I’ll let those in the coven disclose that to you when they get here. Until they get here I’ll put your stuff in the room I’ve prepared for you. Then I will get the tea on the go, being as how there will be a few here I’ll get some fish ’n’ chips with bangers and mash with mushy peas with cakes to follow,” said Giles.

“Cakes?, ooh what sort of cakes?” asked Buffy smiling.
“Jaffa cakes of course. You plonk yourself in front of the goggle box while I get organised.”
Buffy had been watching the TV for half an hour before she noticed the coven standing in the room. Then thinking about it, “I didn’t hear the front door.”
“So you are a vampire slayer, over the last three or four years, have you been dealing with the slayers?”
“Yes,” replied Buffy, “Why.”

“Because we aren’t slayers, we are all witches, and during the last four years we have been studying the various forms of the craft.”
“I can understand that, have you discovered much?” asked Buffy.
“Quite a bit, Suemanthia traced what other religions had an influence on our craft.”
“I’m Anathea, I sought to discover if your kind had any link with our kind.”
Giles walked into the room, he went to one of the witches, hugged then kissed her. Seeing Buffy’s surprised look.
“This is Ameliathyst, she is my younger sister Buffy. Not jealous are you?”

“Umm, no, ohh gross, yuk! umm sorry Giles.”
“Did you just insult me?” asked Giles.
“It’s alright Buffy, that’s pretty much what I say when he gets too close,” said Ameliathyst.
“Thanks, Giles told me you’ve been finding out about the slayers line, what can you tell me?” asked Buffy.
“We have, but we’ll tell you that a bit later,” said Miss Harkness.
“Why not tell me now?”

“Because we have found out a few things about our craft that’ll help you, we will tell you everything but, there are other abilities you need to hear first.”
“I’ll bring the tea in here,” said Giles.
“Anathea was looking for ways of our past when she uncovered tales of the druid Blagdud. We knew about him and his ability to fly but it was Anathea who actually found how he was able to fly. We put that with Suemanthia’s revelation of a type of astral projection.”

“No!, just a minute!, astral projection isn’t that hard, I’ve done it myself,” said Buffy.
“I agree,” said Suemanthia, “having knowledge of what’s in another room is okay, that is a party trick though, how about to have your physical self be in another room?, then couple that with the ability to fly, that would help you.”
“Yes, but how can it be done?” asked Buffy.
“Alright, first though, imagine several of your kind are trapped in a house but you can’t see your attackers. This would make it so that you can fly around and see who, how many and where your attackers are, you can then decide to fight another day, or attack them from behind.”
“I’m beginning to see the advantages of that,” said Buffy.

“What the druids were experimenting with has helped us, some of what they were doing could have far reaching consequences for us and if we can do it, for the slayers as well.”
“Using our unique skills we accidentally found out something they were working on in secret at their teaching school, for want of a better word,” said Miss Harkness.
“They had a teaching school?” asked Buffy, a bit surprised.
“Oh that it well known.”
“I didn’t know about it,” said Buffy.

“Well, have you heard of Joseph of Arimethea?”
“The same one who is in the bible?”
“Yes Buffy, the same one, he is said to have visited that training place a few times, once with Jesus.”
“What are you saying?”
“Ever heard of the song, Jerusalem?”
“Yes,” replied Buffy.
“And those lines by Blake, ‘And did those feet in ancient times, walk upon England’s mountains green. And was the Holy lamb of God, on England’s pleasant pasture’s seen?”

“I sort of know those lines, sort of, what are you saying?” asked Buffy.
“That is reportedly about when they had visited the druids.”
“Wouldn’t them meeting cause a problem?”
“They believed different things, but the druids worshipped a deity whose name was ‘esus and the teaching of others at a specific place?”
“Oh and ever heard about the chapel that Joseph built near Glastonbury, where Glastonbury cathedral now stands.”

“Excuse me,” said Giles.
“Yes, sorry. Well it was what we learnt from the druids that took us in another direction completely. They were looking into the actual existence of Zeus, when we translated their findings it mentioned about a woman sent to get another, to protect the world from evil. We took that to be about Pandora’s box, then Suemanthia questioned that; she thought it to mean a woman sent to protect the world from evil - the Vampire Slayer? So we did a bit more digging, Zeus ordered that Pandora be made to tempt Epimetheus so that Zeus could gain revenge on Prometheus. But Pandora opened the container that had the evils of Zeus’ world. We found mention of another that was sent to stop what was let out the container,” said Miss Harkness.

“So?” asked Buffy.
“So there is a link between you and Zeus,” said Miss Harkness.
“Are you saying that Zeus started the line of Vampire Slayers?” asked Buffy.
“I’ve got it written what first made us aware, it reads, ‘In the most high of the mysteries, as brought forward by Zeus to stand guard against the evil’s that Pandora carried but driven by curiosity freed to the lower world, she known as the slayer before certain terrestrial daemons shall present herself, and for all time shall do so, fight and disturb those who were once initiated with life, tear them away as now they will defile those who are initiated with life. Hence we, as ordered by Zeus shall exhort us not to look at them, but help as the Oracles to she who was sent and chosen. For thus they speak: It is not proper for us to behold her, till she is initiated with those she will battle. And on this account, you the Oracles shall see she will know of them by pain of her womb, of those cursed the freedom of souls.”

“Yes Buffy, we are saying that Zeus exists.”
“That has befuddled my brain, I’ll need more than that,” said Buffy.
“There is more,” said Giles, “One of the tales that Angel spoke of, he said and described them, what they wore even how the place he met them was built, they were known as the Oracles.”
“Oh,” stated Buffy, “What is what they said in American?”
“As ordered by Zeus, to guard the evils released by Pandora is the slayer, the chosen one, she will fight those without souls on earth. It also states that the Oracles were sent by him (Zeus) to guard and guide you through PMS,” said Giles.

“What!?”
“The pain in the pit of your womb will tell you of them, not PMS just the feeling of the cramp,” said Giles, “That was given to the slayer and that is why all slayers are girls.”
“What about Nikki Woods?” asked Buffy.
“It didn’t stop her from being pregnant, but it was when she was pregnant and a vampire was near that the feeling of PMS happened. On another subject aren’t you glad you found out today, ’cos I am. Saves me getting something else for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you forgotten what day this is? Happy birthday Buffy!”
“We will work our magic, would you like Willow and Dawn to be here?”
Buffy started to smile.

Feedback

 

[Kean]

TITLE : ABOUT BUFFY'S 1st BIRTHDAY
AUTHOR ILLYRIAN
RATING PG 13 ( and a little bit, maybe )
All characters owned by their copyright holders.



"Look at that photo of you, showing of your panties," remarked Xander.
"They are called nappies, I wasn't even a year old then," replied Buffy.
"You were so cute Buffy," said Willow.
"Do you really think so?"
"Yeah, you was such a pretty girl then," said Xander.
Buffy quickly stood up, "WAS! what do you mean WAS?"
"No, I didn't mean you aren't pretty now, you are the prettiest girl I know."
"Oh thanks, thanks a lot," said Willow, your not copying my homework again, even if you have got a shiny nickel."
"You were so innocent then," said Xander, "I mean, you don't wander about outside without a top on now do you."
"How do you know that?" said Buffy glaring at him.

"Have you been watching Buffy?" asked Willow.
"No! I, I just meant you wouldn't go out side like that."
"You've been watching me inside the house?"
"No, no, honest, I wouldn't do that."
"But you would like to see the girls showers at school."
"Yes, well that's different," said Xander smiling.
"How?" asked Buffy.
"That's school stuff."
"I go to that school," exclaimed Buffy, "Have you been watching me in the shower."
"No, of course not, it's the other pretty girls."
"You've been ogling at me?" shouted Willow.

"No Willow, I wouldn't do that."
"Well....., that's good then. Hey do you mean I'm not a pretty girl?"
"Yes Will, you are, very pretty."
"Good!"
"Hey how come she's very pretty? and all I get is pretty, doesn't he think I'm pretty with my clothes on Willow?" asked Buffy.
"Of course you are, er I think. No! I don't think, I wouldn't think that, ever. And I'd never need to think like that," said Xander.
"Glad that's been cleared up then."
"HEY!"
"What?" asked Xander.
"Never need to!"

"Oh my God, Willow! he's been watching you!"
"When I get ready for bed, on hot nights I don't wear anything, you pervert!" exclaimed Willow, "Oh my God! you've been watching me try to make them as big as Buffy's."
"You haven't, er you wouldn't, you don't need to, Buffy's are too..., your's are just right, um you are lovely just the way you are with small, er, um."
Buffy rolled up her blouse, "They're not to big are they?"
"Mine aren't to small either, look at them."
"Oh! your arms, you were talking about your arms, oh right," said Xander trying to smile.
"Why's that Xander? what did you think we were talking about?" asked Willow.
"I, er, er?"
Joyce walked into the room.
"Aright you girls. What"˜s the shouting about?" asked Joyce.
"Nothing!, nothing at all!" exclaimed Xander.

"Well I was going to ask you if you all wanted a hot drink, a hot *chocolate with real chocolate, monkey brains as well Buffy?,
Xander can you go and get the popcorn?" asked Joyce.
She looked at Buffy and Willow, "I heard you shouting at Xander, what is it?"
"Telly isn't very good tonight," said Buffy.
"Not very good. the telly is boring as all hell, and I've done all the homework," said Willow.
"I even did mine as well."
"And Xander, did he do his?"
"Well, er, he."
"He did watch us do ours, so at least he's taking an interest," said Willow.
"Oh, I understand, it's pick on Xander night is it?" asked Joyce.
"He is easy to get going," said Buffy.

"And when we run out of things to say he drops himself in it," explained Willow.
"I don't know," said an exasperated Joyce.
She went into the kitchen, made the popcorn and the hot drinks.
Going into the front room again she sat with them.
"Don't drink it too fast Xander, leave some room for later."
"Mom! what's that mean?"
"I thought you would have noticed him by now. Xander used to come by, have a hot drink with me, sit in the tree and watch you then he'd come and watch me."
"What? I did not!" exclaimed Xander.
"It's alright Xander, when Angel climbed into her room at night, that's a thought, he always went to see Buffy late at night, odd that!. He often stayed until she went to sleep, then he'd say hello to me. He often said about you being outside."
Just then some-one knocked at the door. Xander jumped at the chance to change the subject and opened the door thinking his saviour had arrived.
"Hey every-one, look, it's Giles!" said Xander, showing him into the hall.
"Mrs Buffy, when you made the hot chocolate drinks did you use real chocolate?" asked Xander.
"Yes Xander, do you want some?, it's in the fridge."

"Thanks."
He went to the fridge to get it, then brought it all back.
"What's on the TV?" asked Giles, "Is that a re-run? oh it is, and your topless again. Happy 1st birthday Buffy."
"Any-one else want some of thi....oh it's that Band Candy. Ooh
Giles, Joyce, any police cars nearby?"
Xander left. Neither Joyce or Giles said anything, or moved and they didn't look at each other.
Willow looked to Buffy and they burst out laughing.
"Yeh, yeh, imagine those two on a police car ha ha, oh, eeeuuuuw."
"Oh what a....that's gross," exclaimed Buffy.
"Oh no!, I'm going home," stated Willow.
As she walked down the road she met Xander.
"So what do you think?" she asked.
"Buffy wiltch the trees for me, Joyce will as well."
"Hmm yes, Joyce did lay it on a bit thick. So? you still got the hand cuffs, whips and chains?" asked Willow.
"Yep, I've got a saddle and plastic cat-suits as well now," replied Xander.
"Ooh good, and I bet your glad we put a robot of you in the trees outside their windows aren't you," said Willow smiling.

*(When Dawn was talking to Ben at the hospital, he made her a hot chocolate, he apologised because there was no marsh mellows, Dawn said she didn't like them as Buffy told her they were monkey brains.)

Feedback

 

[Kean]

TITLE : 1983 Buffy's 2nd Birthday Surprise Visitors
AUTHOR ILLYRIAN
RATING PG 12 ( maybe )
All characters owned by their copyright holders.

Surprise Visitors​

"There won't be many around yet, they've all gone to morning mass," said Darla.
They burst through the doors.
"You all want to be face down looking at your belly's right now," shouted Angel, "Unless you want the drinks to be in us."
Quietly standing in the room, Dru pointed to of the hostages.
The man was reaching for a wooden cross. Darla morphed into her vampiric self. She whispered in his ear.

"If you want every-one else to be a drink, keep going, and we will make you watch. Best get rid of that," said Darla.
He threw it under a counter.
Angel and Spike had gone into the basement, they were tipping the contents of boxes into a pile when Darla shouted down.
"Angel!, Angel!"
"Every time, she has to start shouting my name!"
"Drusilla is pitching a fit up here! she says the Zombies are attacking."
"Crap, bloody Zombies. Spike burn them, we're getting out of here."

Later in their newly acquired hotel room.
"Have a listen to this one," said Spike, "A few of them scrolls I brought back, called the Ded See Scrolls. This one states, "˜Into every generation a slayer is born, in the summer of 1981 she will be Buffy."
"There's something missing isn't there?" asked Angel.
"Either that or the pratt wrote it wrong," said Darla.
"Meaning?"

"In 1981 the slayer Buffy Summers will be born," said Darla.
A week later after a neck of a lot of searching, details of a birth in LA was found by Drusilla.
"What's the address?" asked Spike.
Dru handed it to him. He laughed. "No Dru, that isn't how it should be written, but I do like this way best, it should be number 66, flat 6, Ferat Upper Lane."
"How did Dru write it?" asked Darla.
"66,6 Nos Ferat u Lane," said Spike.
They laughed, "Dru's way is best," said Angel.

"So what do we do then?" asked Drusilla.
"Lets go and pay her a visit, by these dates it should be her 2nd birthday tomorrow," said Darla.
"How do we get in?" asked Spike, "Get Dru and Darla to dress up as charity collectors?"
"That'll do," agreed Angel.
Going to the flat, Mr Hank Summer's answered the door.
"I'm on the phone, but I won't be long, just come in and wait a minute," he said to them.
"Who is it dear?" called Joyce, from the next room.
"Just some charity collectors dear."

"Nice of him to invite us in," observed Angel.
"I was just about to put the kettle on, would you like a drink?" asked Joyce.
"Yeah, ok," replied Spike, "Have you got any nice biscuits?"
"I should have," she replied.
Sitting down for a drink, Spike was chomping away on a chocolate covered Marsh Mellow.
"I wonder where the marsh is, that these mellows come from is?" asked Spike.
Joyce grinned.
"Wouldn't you like one of these other ones?" asked Joyce.
"Jaffa Cakes, I"˜m not to sure about them," said Darla.

Hank came into the room, "So who are you collecting for?"
"The Order of Aurelias," said Spike.
"Is that how you say his name?" asked Angel.
"Dunno, I always thought he was a right pillock," said Spike.
"But you're collecting for him," said Hank.
"Not really, oh by the way, thanks for the invite into your house."
"What do you want?" asked Hank.
"Well, I thought we'd torture both of you, then kill your daughter Buffy," said Angel.
"My little daughter?, she'll only be two tomorrow," said Joyce.

"But according to the prophecy she will be a vampire slayer, so I'm going to enjoy killing her," said Angel.
"But, but."
"Oh don't fret, we won't kill you Joyce, 'cos I like these biccy's," said Spike, "I do like to call these marsh mellows Monkey brains."
"What's in that box?" asked Darla.
"Nosy much," stated Dru.
They all looked at her, they were all puzzled by what she said.
"That was odd, even by my standards. Some one called Cordelia will say that," said Dru.

"Some things I was going to throw out," replied Joyce.
"What are they?" asked Dru.
"Some kitchen stuff, and a set of BBQ forks."
"So where is the little bitch that's going to kill uire?" asked Angel.
"She's staying with friends tonight, we are meant to be going to the Opera tonight," said Hank.

"I knew there was something we should have done first," said Dru.
"What?" asked Darla.
"See if she was going to be here," said Dru.
"Oh well, you tell Buffy I'll see her soon," said Angel

Feedback

 

[Kean]

The Letter by Lyri

Title: The Letter
Author: Lyri
Rating: PG-13...maybe?
Spoilers: Nothing major. Characters from the comics are mentioned, but no spoilers beyond BTVS S7/Angel S5
Summery: Buffy receives a letter from someone on her birthday.


The party was in full swing. Streamers and balloons hung from the ceiling, a banner that read "˜Happy Birthday' was strung above the fireplace. Wrapping paper from many gifts was piled high in the corner by the couch. Music and voices filled the house.

However, it could not drown out the bickering young women.

"I told you to put on the new Rihanna CD!"

"Rihanna? Please! I thought this was supposed to be a party, not a wake."

"HEY! I bought her that CD for her birthday!"

"And of course, that is the definition of good taste, I think not."

"I swear to God, I'm gonna-"

"Enough!"

Dawn and Kennedy turned sheepishly to face Willow, who stood in the doorway to the living room with her hands on her hips, and angry look on her face.

"This is Buffy's birthday party, you two, not a slanging match. Can you try to keep a lid on it for a few hours?" Willow asked sternly.

Andrew brushed past the witch as he entered the room. "Didn't work at Thanksgiving, didn't work at Christmas, didn't work at New Year's. I really don't think it's going to work now."

"Shut up, Andrew," Dawn and Kennedy said in unison.

"Sorry," he said in a high-pitched voice. He turned off the CD and put on an old mix tape.

Willow ignored him in favor of glaring at the two women some more. "Dawn, Leah's in the kitchen making punch, why don't you go give her a hand?"

Dawn shot Kennedy a look that could kill if it had the power. "Fine." She marched out of the room, bumping Willow as she passed.

Willow turned back to her girlfriend. "Ken, sweetie, why don't you go give Rowena a hand with the barbecue?"

Kennedy said nothing as she left the room.

With the tension broken, the other girls relaxed into the party spirit again and began to dance with Andrew to his mix tape.

Willow heaved a heavy sigh and flopped down onto the couch next to Xander, who had watched the whole exchanged with silent amusement.

Willow narrowed her eyes at him. "You could have stepped in, stopped the yelling."

"Why?" Xander asked. "I learned a long time ago that nothing short of an apocalypse is going to stop Dawn and Kennedy from fighting. And I really don't want to have to destroy the world just to stop two little girls from throwing mud at each other. Although, that might not be such a bad idea." His expression glazed over.

Willow shoved him hard. "Gross, Xander. That's my girlfriend you're talking about, not to mention the sister of our best friend. That's a little creepifying."

"So, I should probably not mention my naughty dreams, huh?" Xander gave her a mischievous smile.

Willow rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored him. "So where is Buffy anyway?"

Xander shrugged. "I think she went outside to try out that new throwing knife the girls got for her."

"Typical Slayer, always the weapons she thinks about first. My foot spa's gonna be left to gather dust in a cupboard, isn't it?" Willow's eyes sparkled. "Think she'd notice if I stole it back?"

"I doubt it."

"Oh."

"Hey, you guys?"

Willow and Xander looked up to see a young Slayer standing before them. She looked nervous, staring at a white envelope in her hands.

"Hey, Eddie, what's up?" Xander asked.

"Um," Eddie swallowed hard. "I found this on the front porch. It's addressed to Buffy."

Willow held her hand out for the envelope. "Okay, I'll give it to her." She looked at Xander. "Musta been dropped off by someone."

Eddie shook her head. "No. It just"¦appeared."

Willow frowned. "What are you talking about, Eddie?"

"I was on the porch, with Kirsty and Bryoney, and this just sorta"¦" Eddie waved the envelope in the air. ""¦popped onto the steps, like magic. Complete with little sparkly lights."

Willow and Xander exchanged a worried look, and once again, the witch held her hand out for the envelope. This time, Eddie handed it over.

Willow studied the envelope, held it between her hands. She closed her eyes, concentrating on detecting any residual magical traces.

"Well?" Xander asked.

Willow opened her eyes and shook her head. "Nothing. No spells or charms that I can feel. Just leftovers of whatever brought the letter here."

"So what do you think? Giles?"

"Doesn't look like his handwriting," Andrew said. He'd wandered over as soon as Eddie had entered the room, his curious nature demanding to know what was going on. "Faith?"

"She'd probably send a grenade, not a letter," Xander joked. "Might be from her dad."

"Yes," Willow said sarcastically. "'Cause last time I check, Mr. Summers was high up there with the magic-using."

"Okay, so who does that leave?" Annoyance colored Xander's voice.

"Angel, maybe?" Willow suggested.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Yeah, "˜cause a letter from Dead Boy is all she needs."

"You want me to give it to her?" Eddie asked.

Willow shook her head. "No, that's okay. I'll do it. You go back to the party, Eddie."

Eddie smiled and left the house to rejoin Kirsty and Bryoney on the front porch.

Willow looked from Xander to Andrew and back again. "Wish me luck."

She got up from the sofa and left the living room, making her way through the kitchen to the back yard.

******​

She found Buffy sitting on the grass, watching two of the younger Slayers sparring, flipping her new throwing knife expertly in the air.

"Hey, Will," she said when she spotted her friend. "Come to watch the show?"

"Um, no, sorry. Buffy, can I talk to you over here for a minute?"

Buffy stood up, giving Willow a questioning look. "Sure." She turned back to the girls. "Jade, stop dropping your shoulder. Valerie can telegraph every move you make."

"Yes, ma'am," Jade said quietly. Valerie grinned.

Buffy shook her head as she followed Willow over to the picnic table.

"So, have Kennedy and Dawn killed each other yet?" the Slayer asked with a laugh.

Willow pointed to where Kennedy had taken control of the cooking, forcing Rowena to now stand and watch. "I think we've decided to keep them in separate rooms from now on." She laughed, then cut herself off as she looked down at the envelope still in her hands.

"Okay, Will, you're start to freak me out here," Buffy said, nerves creeping into her voice.

Willow set the envelope on the table. She looked at it, rather than at her friend. "Eddie found this on the front porch." She said softly. "It's addressed to you."

Buffy grinned. "That's what all the somber is about? A letter?"

Willow shook her head. "No, more about how it arrived."

"And how did arrive? Special delivery? Did it float to earth with one of those little balloon thingies like out of Dumbo?"

Again, Willow shook her head. "No, it sort of magicked in, with little sparkly lights apparently."

"And that's cause for concern because"¦?"

"Well, we don't know who it's from."

Buffy gave Willow an annoyed look and picked the letter up off the table. "One way to find out." She tore the envelope open and pulled out a single sheet of white paper. She looked inside the envelope, making sure she hadn't missed anything, before she set it back on the table.

Buffy exchanged a look with Willow before she unfolded the paper and read the letter.

Hello, pet,
Well, I guess I blew it right there, didn't I? So much for anonymity.

I expect I'm probably the last person you expected to hear from. I know I'm the last person you wanted to hear from. But I needed you to know. That I was here.

I know what you're thinking. Why now? I've been quiet this long, why didn't I just stay that way? The truth is, I don't know why. This is the sixth time I"˜ve written this letter, with the intent on sending it to you on your birthday. But I never send it. Partly because I don't know where you are, mostly because I didn't know how you were going to react.

I'm not even sure I'll send this one, but I'm writing it anyway. Maybe if I can find enough JD"¦?

Anyway, as I said, I know it's your birthday. Probably having a party, with balloons and alcohol and bickering little girls, so I'll let you get back to it.

I just wanted to let you know that I was here. Waiting.

I'll leave the really tough decisions up to you. That is, after all, what you do best.

Happy birthday, pet.

Love always.

The letter wasn't signed.

Buffy dropped the pie paper to the ground.

"Buffy?" Willow asked, concerned. "Buffy what is it? What's wrong?" She bent to retrieve the letter just as Buffy raised her face and looked at the red head.

Tears shone brightly in her eyes.

Willow's concern rocketed to panic. "Oh, God, who's dead?" She started reading the letter.

She got to the first line and stopped, returning her gaze to the Slayer.

A tiny smile played at the corner of Buffy's lips.

"He's alive, Willow," she said through the tears that were now streaming down her face.

"Spike's alive."

Feedback

 

[Kean]

Author: Keanoite
Title: Half Past The Point Of No Return
Summary: With the weight of her calling and loneliness consuming Buffy the question must be asked: will this be her last birthday?
Rating: PG-13 ( langauge some of which is suggestive)
Discmlaimer: Unfortunately I don't own these characters. They are the property Mutant Enemy, Fox, Joss et al. I just play with them😉
A/N: Ok I know I suck for doing this but this will be a *WIP*. I really tried to get this finished and it just didn't happen. So this is part 1, expect at least two more parts.😀

A/N 2: The title is taken from a line in 'Glitter in the air' by Pink. Also, to anyone who has read the comics it will be clear where I got this idea from...

Half Past The Point Of No Return​

This was insane right?

This is the definition of insanity? Repeating the same task over and over again and expecting a different outcome.

Buffy had at least seven years worth of experience that proved unequivocally that this was, in fact, not only a pointlessly dangerous endeavour but also...insane.

Yet here she was, again, celebrating her birthday.

If could you call this a celebration.

Streamers hung from the ceiling and "˜Happy Birthday' signs adorned the walls. Balloons bounced about the room as party poppers echoed in the air. The soft buzz of music was laced with the incessant chatter that filled the room. In the far corner by the hearth Buffy sat on a plush armchair, across from her were Willow, Xander and Dawn. They were surrounded by slayers, all gleefully enjoying some down time. As she took in the scene Buffy wasn't sure what she found more disturbing, the chorus' of "˜Happy Birthday Ma'am' or the fake grins plastered on the Scoobies faces. The faux smiles wrinkled their cheeks but never quite made it to their eyes. She knew that expression, in fact, she wore it well herself. It seemed that the Sunnydale sized dose of denial that they all were indulging in was the only thing that united them now.

Everyone sat at a reasonable distance from each other. The happy birthday hugs were quick and unfamiliar and the conversation didn't go any deeper than the weather and what a nit-wit Harmony was. Nobody wanted to acknowledge what was going unsaid; there was no need really, not when the silence spoke such volumes. The distance she felt between them was palpable, solid and unmoveable. Each individually wrapped up in their own hurts, regrets and pain. So they sat and ate cake while Xander made stupid silly jokes. Buffy laughed and smiled at the appropriate moments but she wasn't really listening. She found herself looking around the room and couldn't help but notice that the numbers of her actual friends present seemed to dwindle every birthday. The faces of those missing filled her vision: her mother, Giles, Angel, Spike, Anya, Tara, Riley, even Cordelia and Faith. She couldn't help but wonder who would be missing next year.

Before she could chastise herself for having such morbid thoughts a succession of terrible, loud crunching crashes reverberated throughout the room. She looked up and saw the beautiful arched windows implode, sending shards of glass into air that rained down upon the party like confetti. Through the now gapping holes in the walls where the glass panes once stood tall, black suited soldiers came gliding into the room in one fell swoop. A thunderous clatter to her left caught Buffy's attention and she turned to see the great oak door collapsing to the floor as yet more special ops bombarded the slayers' not-so-fortress. Instantly the slayers mobilised and took up attack stances.

Well"¦at least they got that part right. Buffy thought wryly.

Not including Buffy there was about twenty-five (very green) slayers present plus a one-eyed boy wonder with a hell of a right hook, an extremely crabby centaur and the wickedest Wicca in the west"¦or was it the east? Buffy wasn't quite sure which part of the compass pointed their way. Buffy was fairly confident they could take out the soldiers. Kicky here, Punchy there and once Willow got her mojo on -"¦Buffy's thought was cut short, just as she was breaking the beefy arm of a particularly big commando when she heard Willow shriek behind her. Buffy quickly turned and watched aghast as three commandos all tazored Willow simultaneously.

"WILLOW!!!"

The sound erupted from Buffy's lungs as she ran desperately to her fallen friend. It was too late; the commandos' stuffed Willow into what looked like iron cage that Buffy was almost positive was magic proof. Buffy's heart raced as her anger and terror swelled to unbearable levels. She launched herself at the soldiers, tearing into them. Blood gushed and bones broke as she rained hit after hit upon them. She kicked and punched her way through the milieu doing everything in her power to cull the soldiers' numbers, but they seemed infinite. What felt like hundreds more, poured through the entry way and the vacant windows. Unbridled panic began to bubble up within Buffy. Already she was weary done to her very bones. Her will was tenuous at best. The one thing that had been keeping her going was knowing that she was fighting the good fight. She couldn't be certain of that anymore. She really wasn't certain of anything anymore.

It was with these thoughts in her mind that Buffy crumbled to the floor. Lost in a tangle of limbs and her hopeless thoughts Buffy felt the charge of countless tazors course through her body. Her limbs convulsed and sent her entire system into spasms. Although her vision blurry she could see Dawn gagged and hooves bound, thrown in a heap in the far corner. Dawny... Not far from Dawn, Xander was struggling against three commandos, he was fending them off but Buffy knew he wouldn't last long. His brow swelled with persperation that trickled into is sole functioning eye, leaving him blind. He hit out with erratic, felt out shots that grazed shoulders and missed cheeks. He was literally fighting a losing battle.

All around her the cacophony of violence swarmed and suddenly it was too much.Too loud and too hard.

Words uttered by Spike years ago seemed to float through time and for a moment his voice whispered softly in her ear.

Every Slayer... has a death wish.

Even You.

Sooner or later, you're gonna want it.

Buffy could feel the rhythm of heart gently easing it's way to a halt and as her war raged on the Slayer closed her eyes and welcomed sweet oblivion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Tap

Tap

Tap

Tap

The sound seemed to echo inside Buffy's skull. She tried to remember where she was or what had happened but the impatient noise filled up all the space in her head. She squeezed her eyes tight hoping that the small action would will the aches from her body and the noise from her mind. When she felt a swift and deliberate nudge in her side she relented and opened her eyes. Buffy came face to face with a stunning pair of black, strappy Monolo Blahniks annoyingly tapping away. Still sprawled on her stomach against the cold granite of the floor Buffy's eyes travelled up a beautifully tailored pants leg and a turquoise silk shirt and came face to face with the very not impressed, Cordelia Chase.

"Well it's nice to see you have maintained the cherished Buffy birthday tradition of fear, terror and disaster."

Oh.

Dear.

Gaaawd.

Buffy groaned and pushed herself to her feet, noting the complete lack of help Cordelia offered her. The ex-cheerleader stood with her arms crossed over her chest and a stormy look in her eyes. Buffy glanced around her and saw that the room was now empty. In fact, there wasn't even any sign that there had been so much a thumb war there. The windows and doors were in tact, the soldiers were gone but so too were her friends, a knot of fear settled itself in the pit of her stomach. She looked at Cordy.

"What happened? Where is everyone? Did we beat the soldiers?"

"You don't remember?"

"I remember the birthday party from Hell and then we were attacked by the ever-in-my-business Army. I got tazored and passed out...what happened? Where's Dawn, Willow and Xand? Are they ok? What about the slayers and...what in the name of Sunnydale are you doing here!"

By the end of her tyrade Buffy's hands were on her hips and her eyebrow arched. She looked expectantly at Cordelia.

Cordelia, to her credit looked unperturbed by the Slayer's little show and didn't feel anyway inclined to ease her into this at all...after all tact still wasn't her forte.

"You died."

Cordelia gave Buffy her best 'duh' face and crossed her arms, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

Buffy flinched visibly and said the only thing that came to her mind.

"Again!!"

"Well, at this moment in time you are technically dying but..."

Buffy cut her off.

"Is this Hell?"

"Excuse me"

Buffy was sure she couldn't have been more clear. She threw out her hands taking in the whole room and asked again.

"THIS"¦is it Hell?"

"Does it look like Hell?"

"I've seen Heaven...and you aren't it"

"Oh Please, like I WANT to be spending any of my afterlife with you! But since I work for the Powers now and you are, once again, all dark and twisty with the "˜Oh woe is Buffy' I'm here to fix this mess you've created".

Buffy's face contorted in indignation and before the words "What do you mean dark and twisty" were out of her mouth Cordelia had interrupted her.

"Hold it there Miss-Still-Not-Over-Herself"¦I'm not finished."

Buffy could feel her palms ball up into fists of rage.

One thought filled Buffy's mind.

I am going to kill the wench"¦

"You pretty much turned the Universe on its head with your sad little throwing in the towel routine there. It doesn't work that way missy and you know it."

It was here that Buffy interjected.

"I did not throw in the towel...I just took a quick breather! I was going to come right back!"

"Please, I saw the whole thing! You gave up!"

Buffy wanted to argue, want to slap her all the way back to her precious Powers and tell them both that they were wrong. But she couldn't. She'd wanted it...just like Spike said she would.

Shame filled the Slayer but also relief. Maybe this time she could rest?

"Oh no you don't! Don't you get any ideas of rest and peace in your head! You have a big honkin destiny that needs to be destined! If you don't a whole world of bad is gonna come a falling down."

That was it, something in Buffy snapped and before she knew what she was doing a torrent of sorrow spilled from her lips.

"But why do you need me? Huh? Why can't one of the 1800 other slayers look after it? Why can't I just rest in peace once and for all! I've had enough destiny to last a life time! I'm tapped out! And what is this great destiny anyway? I've seen the future! I ruined it! Wouldn't the world be a whole lot better without me messing it up?"

"Dear God woman do you want a side of whine with that pathetic?"

Buffy reeled back and looked at the ex-cheerleader quizically.

"This is your way of convincing me to keep fighting?
Anyone ever told you that you suck at this?"

Cordelia dismissed her with a flick of her hand.

"Oh please"¦I do alot of things Buffy but I most definitely do not suck"

"That's not what the varsity football team said" Buffy muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?"

Buffy brushed Cordy's question aside and ploughed ahead.

"Nothing"¦so what are you? Like the Ghost of Birthdays Past or something?"

Cordelia huffed at the notion.

"Hardly"¦I'm a guide. I'm going to show you, that, contrary to the whine fest that you that you just subjected me to, you do matter and that you are needed here. After that you get to make a decision. Stay and fight or pass on to the other side".

"And how exactly do you plan to do that".

Cordelia turned on her heal and began to walk towards the front door. She glanced over her shoulder to look a Buffy.

"Follow me and you'll find out".

Buffy looked at Cordy and around the empty room"¦ searching for some other option. When one didn't present itself to her she sighed heavily and turned as she followed Cordy out the door.


TBC...

Feedback