Life With Mother and Father...Part XVII... PG13 Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series... Summary: Cicelyverse tale: 18 years after the events of Romance Palace...The Walthrops are dealing with life...and its tribulations... Well...Trying to... (Some of the events described here as in the past are occurring...slightly differently...in the parallel Buffy Rebecca universe story "Mona and the Monsters") Part XVII... "Here are the most recent large buildings purchased in Sunnydale..." Willow spread a list out on the table of the Magic Box...The adult gang now regrouped, with the exception of William, now off to retrieve the Walthrop offspring...Along with Abe and Sarah Giles, reluctantly allowed by their Slayer "aunt" to attend the planning session... "None of these associated with the Mechamber Trust, I'm afraid..." she noted... "Though Mephy has been pretty clever about covering his financial tracks all these years...We've never been able to spy anything wrong with poor ole Sidney's trust...And he'd learned enough about magics the last times I was here to mask his and his "children" from a vamp tracking spell..." "Our last trace of him..." Buffy began...Eyeing a Dawn engaged in oohing over Xander's wonderful super-suit with a frown... "Outside of the other evening...Was McGarvey Cemetery..." He'd taken over a bunch of the larger crypts and some abandoned homes near the grounds...Drove out or destroyed some of his own kind who wouldn't follow him...Even some who weren't peaceniks... "We oughta have a flame thrower too..." Dawn noted to Xander as he showed her the old freeze ray...Invisibility belt awaiting young Phil's return with his dad...Anya nodding in agreement...Fire and ice...To match those demons who can adjust temperature sensitivity... "Guy likes to run his own show..." the Sister noted to Buffy...Who nodded... "We persuaded him to vacate...But lost track of him and his after that...He's been clever about avoiding cemeteries and the usual places since..." "How many still keep the peace?..." Angel asked... Could get one brought up from the warehouse...Xander nodded to Dawn... We use 'em for burning brush, sometimes diseased trees for growers... "About forty to sixty percent, depending on the season and the blood supply..." Buffy told Angel... "They get the strongest urge to hunt in the spring...So right now, it'd normally be sixty...But we have a blood shortage in the local banks that's hurting a bit...So Will figures about half currently..." "Course they'd all join him if they came to believe he stood a chance...But a good number of our vamps seem to have learned their lessons over time..." I'll call the warehouse...Anya offered...There oughta be one around...They can drive it up in half an hour... "Guys..." Willow called across the room... "Brainstorming locations here...Xander, I need your most random comments..." she grinned... Had he ever tried to contact his old co-star, Ms. Marsden, again?... Sister Tara-Dru asked Buffy... The others came over a little reluctant to leave the toys...Dawn heaping Anya-seconded praise on a somewhat bashful Xander... One more thing to show when Will gets here...he told Dawn... "Not after we nearly killed him that time he had her..." Buffy noted... "You know our vamps...They hate to leave the area...Especially if they rose here...And most of them lose interest in former potential mates from their past lives fairly quickly..." "Can't bear to lose that warm, familiar glow of the ole Hellmouth, eh...?" Willow smiled... "Even old-timers like the Master, Spike, and It found the Mouth had a pretty strong lure..." Sister Tara-Dru noted... Course Spike had an additional influence pulling on him...she smiled at Buffy...And William wasn't about to forget his former mate... "So that's why Drusilla..Ummn...It...?." Abe paused, a bit sheepishly...The Sister giving a kind nod and smile...No problemo, sweetie... "That why she stayed on in LA?...I always wondered why she didn't run and leave for good..." Too scared of the Slayer to risk Sunnydale much...Too fond of the Hellmouth power emanations to get far enough away...Sister Tara-Dru noted... "Fortunately for me..." Indeed...Angel agreed...And quickly acted to shift the subject... "Are there any specially good choices on your list, Willow?..." he eyed her... "Well..." she frowned... "The larger the better, probably...And a few are relatively close to hospitals or cemeteries..." Fuel or new recruits...Or both...Are probably important to our vamp king... "We probably should give the major cemeteries another once-over if nothing pops up fast..." Buffy noted... Willow nodded...Got em down... "I don't care if it's not your job..." Anya called into the phone... "Get to the warehouse, find a flame thrower, and have it brought over here..." Or I will have...Mr. Harris speak to you...she smiled at Xander... Dawn blinked... "Ever since I killed that friend of Halfreck's she sent after Anya and me at a site...That two-headed flesh-dissolver?...In front of my crew...The guys have kinda..." Xander explained... "Maids..." Anya groused as she hung up... And our other employees too...he noted...With a slight grin...Which Dawn returned... They'd do well to avoid the wrath of the fearsome Mr. Harris... "Well...We'll have our flame-thrower..." Anya beamed... "Ok..." Willow called... "First recent large purchase...Sodgen Tool Works...Near McGarvey Cemetery...Big..." Been there on Patrol in the last week, nobody...Probably too much light by day...Buffy noted... "Here's one...The Sunnydale Cold Storage Warehouse...Big, nice and cold, and well-sealed against light...Not too far from Sunnydale General..." Willow eyed Buffy... "Haven't checked that one in a while...It's been in use as a legit business pretty steadily..." "Cold..." Anya nodded... "The vamps'd like that..." "Doesn't he have humans too...?" Xander asked... "Not ones likely to voice complaints about the heat..." Buffy noted... "Maxwell Auto...Large auto dealership building..." Willow continued... "Mephisto always did like his cars..." Xander smiled... Too open to sunlight...Buffy replied... Nix...Willow nodded to Sarah, taking notes... "Richard Wilkins' Elementary..." "You've gotta be kidding..." Dawn glared... "Hey, the man was mayor a long, long time..." Willow noted... "No...I mean, I went there...Don't you remember...In fake memory, anyway?...They can't seriously have sold it..." Gone with the wind, kiddo...Willow patted her... "Supposedly bought by a contractor for condos..." she paused... Hey, wait a sec... Oh...Anya looked at Xander... Oh...he looked back... "I don't think we need to do this one..." he began... "Harris Construction!?..." Dawn read the screen...And glared at the Harrises... "You guys are turning my school into condos...?" Affordable housing, Xander noted...Young families, low to moderate incomes... There will be a day-care center...Anya pointed out...Education will go on there...In a way... "They've expanded Sunnydale Elementary...Don't need the old place anymore..." Buffy explained... My school...Dawn sighed... Scratch it...Willow turned to her daughter...Right, Ma... "Ferengi Brothers Scrap and Salvage...Big junkyard, with enclosed large warehouse..." Haven't seen the place...Buffy noted... A keeper...Willow noted to Sarah... Abe moved over by a Xander still engaged in a long, apologetic look to a sad-eyed Dawn, mourning her lost, if phony, childhood... "So....We can't just storm these places, right?...How do you guys plan to handle this...?" Abe asked his "uncle"... "Oh...We come up with some cock-and-bull story, a few of us knock on the door...Walk in like the happiest of happy meals...Buffy or Will in the rear, the others waiting nearby...They try to kill us or capture us..." "Or when they're really clever...Date us..." Buffy, listening, eyed Dawn with a grin... Geesch...C'mon, sis...Dawn looked back... I'm thirty-two years old...Let me have a social life... "Or, if they try to brazen it out...Say the Master Plan isn't quite ready and their leader has the brains to want to avoid trouble too soon...Will or Buffy or I or Willow when she's home generally sense the supernatural vibes..." Anya noted... "And my Xander always knows when the human ones are up to no good..." she beamed... Like that Senator who was cutting a deal with that demon Harrik five years ago to rule the state and perpetually win re-election... "Xander averted a threat to the whole nation that time..." Anya proudly concluded... "It's not James Bond...We kinda just stumble in and see if they fight us or try to have us arrested..." Xander explained... Sometimes they do both...Willow grinned... *** Back at Sunnydale Elementary, waiting outside for dear ole Dad's ride with the little ones, Amelia glared at her brothers...Who were discussing their little money-making scheme... "You know it'll be Mom and Dad buying most of this crap..." Joycee sighed... "We'll go door to door..." Phil insisted... "And with Will to back me up...Driving me around..."he eyed his older brother... And it's to benefit our school he noted solemnly... "You'll look idiotic selling kids' school candy..." she eyed Will Jr... And if word gets out at our school...I won't be able to show my face... "Ask Dad to give you the cash...Tell him you'll work it off in the store..." "I'm already doing that towards my car...Don't worry about it, we'll do it in neighborhoods where nobody knows us..." "Crazy...All for a new suit to impress Annie Faux?..." Guys...Joycee sneered... Idiots...Right, sis?...she turned to little Buffy... "Id..ots..." Buffy Jr. nodded... Although candy being the matter at hand...She was not entirely unsympathetic towards the project... *** Life With Mother and Father...Part XVIII... PG13 Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series... Summary: Cicelyverse tale: 18 years after the events of Romance Palace...The Walthrops are dealing with life...and its tribulations... Well...Trying to... (Some of the events described here as in the past are occurring...slightly differently...in the parallel Buffy Rebecca universe story "Mona and the Monsters") Part XVIII... As use of one of the Walthrop family cars was an essential element, Phil gave his father a detailed outline of his sales campaign as Will Sr. drove the waiting Walthrop clan home... Hmmn...Traveling in unfamiliar neighborhoods, even if of good rep and by daylight...Not exactly something Mother would be enthusiastic about, he noted... "Will will be with me..." Phil pointed out... And it's all for good ole Sunnydale Elementary... Hmmn... On the other hand, if the boys didn't go...He knew who would be buying the damned stuff... "Maybe your mother or I can come along...She might go for that..." he smiled at the boys...Who groaned... Having Dad might be ok, especially with Spike offering useful advice on how to "high-pressure" clients...And making satiric comments on the clientele as Dad and opportunity allowed...But Mom would surely never allow Dad to spend so much time out in daylight, at risk of spell failure... Uhnnn... Mom...Insisting on driving them, making sure they didn't pester people...So much for a hard-hitting sales drive... But...On the other hand again...She was a determined campaigner...They'd be sure to cover the entire perimeter Phil'd mapped out... "We might even find some vamps en route...They'd be sure to buy everything when they saw Mom coming..." Phil hissed to Will Jr... "Wanta sell candy too...!" Buffy Jr. insisted... "I'm in the school, too...Don't wanta hafta wait til next year..." Cute lil' sis coming with them...Might be a draw...Phil reflected... "Sis, Mom, or I will take you around our neighborhood, pet..." Will Sr. told her kindly..."Phil won't mind letting you take a few boxes...Right, Philip?..." he eyed his younger son...Who nodded diplomatically... Me...? Joycee groused... *** "You'll be playing indoors this afternoon, honey..." Buffy explained to her namesake... "But Joycee and Will and Phil and Cousin Sarah and Aunt Dawn will be here and Alex and Sallie and Alysia will all be staying over...Mommie and Papa have to do some work this afternoon with Auntie Willow, Auntie Anya, and Uncle Xan..." And Cousin Abe...Abe thought proudly...Sarah glaring... "Why does Abe get to go?..." she quietly groused to Willow... "Because the top job is defending the house if Mephisto gets his humans or daylight-capable demons to attack..." Willow hissed back... "And you're the only other person in our group who has any Wiccan training..." "Aunt An..." "Isn't a vengeance demon anymore...And her magics are very limited now...This is non-negotiable, girlie..." Willow was firm... "Believe me...Your brother is gonna be twiddling his thumbs in the car the whole time, kiddo..." she grinned... "Now, lets go over the protective spells for the house barriers..." Will Jr. communicated a similar frustration to his father...Who was more to the point... "Kid...Your mother would stake me then and there if I let you come..." But...he grinned at his namesake...If you can persuade her... Buffy looked over...Telepathically sensing...Maternal telepathy, that is...A "ha, you kidding?" look on her face as she stared at Will Jr... "But..." Will Sr. offered a consolation prize... "I will speak to her in favor of your little sales campaign with Phil..." Phil waiting for his moment...Will Sr. turned to him... "Buffy?...Could Phil and I see you a moment?...In the bedroom?" She blinked...Telepathy not functioning on this one...And nodded... Anya sat with her babies...Oh...She looked up at Xander... Why doesn't it ever get any easier...? her look said...Sallie catching her parents' exchange, came over for a hug... "Is something wrong?..." Alysia looked at her dad...Just reaching the questioning when-Mom-and- Dad-got-all-solemn-and-then-disappeared-for-hours stage... Nah...Xander smiled... "Mom's just got a deal pending..." A horn blared...Angel and Sister Tara-Dru... Buffy emerged from the bedroom...Wearing something...And looking a bit... Phil beaming...Will Sr. with his arm round him... "New belt from Phil..." Buffy smiled at Alysia who stared... "He make that in shop or something...?" she hissed to Joycee... "Your mom can't wear that...Looks awful..." She won't mind...Joycee smiled...Nodding at Phil...As did Will Jr... "Ok..." Buffy called... "Guys...Money for pizza on the counter...Phone numbers on the refrigerator..." she paused...A slight trembling... "And we expect your best behavior while we're out..." Will finished... "Absolutely..." Anya echoed...Taking Xander's arm a moment as she stood up...Just needed a little help... Oh...Willow blinked, tensing...I am not gonna make it unless we go now... "Bye..." she waved...Taking Abe's arm... "We'll be back in just a bit..." Xander's hearty boom...Anya clutching his arm...They left... William came back in...Staring round...The children and teens looking at him... "Just making a final inspection..." he grinned... And signaled to Will Jr...Who came over to the door... Not a move...Not a peep...However long we take...Call Giles after four hours, but that's all...Understand?... "Got it, Dad..." For the third time...he did not say... Ok... "Spike's a good half-dad...Whatever else he is..." he whispered...Kissing his father quickly and returning to the group... *** "People, people..." Mephisto sighed as he and his remaining vampiral and demonic minions attempted to restore some order to the group, now mostly enthralled humans... Harold weaving helplessly through the crowd, clearly in an agitated state at the ruckus caused by the threat to their Master... "C'mon, you brain-dead twerps, our Lord needs some cooperation!..." Rona yelled... The tumult stilled... "Thank you, my dear..." Mephisto nodded to her... Ahem...he addressed the microphone...Set up in the middle of the hall... "We are here...On this special occasion...To celebrate two important events...As well as to commemorate our..." he looked at his watch... "Soon-to-fall comrades..." Gretchen, standing in the crowd of mostly humans sighed...Poor Cheryl... Oh well, that's Unlife... "First...We celebrate our escape...And the imminent death of the Slayer..." he gave a nervous Harold a careful look... And secondly...he affected a solemn pose, then...Beamed...Waving his hands... "It's my birthday..." a somewhat wan but definite cheer rose... "So..." he waved to several newly enthralled waitresses and waiters...Who began bringing food and drink out... "All of you...Take your seats...Enjoy yourselves...Dine well..." And then...So will I...he smiled... "Great place..." Harold noted to Rona...Stopping by a moment at her table as Mephisto made the rounds of the room, clinking glasses and shaking hands with his "subjects"... "The boss is having a ball...Must remind him of the old acting days..." And who'd suspect we'd be spending the night in a function hall... *** Well...Xander looked round the burned out remains of the Cold Storage Warehouse... A group of surrendered wounded and dead demons in the center of the vast storehouse...And vamp ashes everywhere... "The good news is...Our suits and Buffy's invisibility belt worked just fine..." he noted to Anya beside him, having just entered...Nodding to Willow likewise in suit... Bad news...Mephisto had wind of us...And vamoosed... "You're sure he wasn't among the..." Anya looked over at the piles of ash... Nah...Willow sighed...I scanned for his aura...He's slipped out on us... Buffy appeared suddenly out of nowhere...Frowning... "No sign of him outside..." William emerged from an upper level office...And came down to them, shaking his head... "They cleaned things out pretty well...They were obviously ready to pull out..." "Well..." Willow sighed... "We did nail a lot of vamps...Nice work with that flame-thrower, Xander..." "How's Abe...?" Buffy asked her... "Still throwing up...My poor guy..." Willow shook her head... I shoulda made him stay in the car until we cleaned things up... "So..." Anya looked round... "What'll we do now?...Willow?..." Can't trace him beyond a short distance...He's too well screened... "Willow, Will, and I will make another sweep...But I doubt we'll find him tonight...He's just disposed of his excess baggage and now he can hide in any house or building..." Buffy sighed... Still it'll take some time for him to regroup...And we might get lucky... "Willow?..." she turned... "Wanta call Giles and see if the Council wants to accept a few dozen surrendering demons...? Else I'll give Riley a call..." "Xander and I could do the third degree..." Anya suggested... We're good at that...she indicated the surviving demons... "Go nuts..." Buffy nodded... Will looked at her...Buffy... "Within the proper limits..." she frowned... "Unless..." William added... "Any of them really seem to know something..." Buffy looked at him... "Our kids..." he noted...she nodded... *** Life With Mother and Father...Part XIX... PG13 Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series... Summary: Cicelyverse tale: 18 years after the events of Romance Palace...The Walthrops are dealing with life...and its tribulations... Well...Trying to... (Some of the events described here as in the past are occurring...slightly differently...in the parallel Buffy Rebecca universe story "Mona and the Monsters") Part XIX... A call taken by Buffy from Angel with Sister Tara-Dru, who'd detached from the main team after the Cold Storage Warehouse had been made reasonably secure, confirmed all was well at the Summers-Walthrop home...And that the LA part of the team...The "clerics", Willow noted, grinning at William as they listened...Were on their way to check out their assigned areas...Beginning with a certain infamous watering hole... "Are they allowed to go to such places?..." Willow shook her head... Who knows...? Will smiled back...Nice Anglican boy here... Buffy frowned with a slight Cicely glare...Guys..My religious mentor on the phone here... "Let us know if you find out anything...Willow will be on Patrol with us to do what aural sweeping she can..." she spoke into the phone... Yeah...she sighed...I know Angel...I do give thanks that everyone's well... She hung up... "Just wish a certain vamp wasn't..." she noted to Willow... "We'll run him down..." William patted her arm... "You think it was a good idea to send Angel to Willie's?" Buffy looked at Willow... "I know they've always had...Issues...And Angel hates letting his violent side emerge these days..." But...she noted...Tara-Dru is with him...She'll keep him calm... Willow nodded... "Our dear Father Angel?...He'll be gentle as a..." She winked at William... A howl from one of the captured surviving demons... "Guys?..." Buffy looked over at Xander and Anya...A large fellow on the ground beside them was moaning... "Ah..." Anya waved at the demon... "Just put some hydrogen peroxide on his boo-boo to clean it..." "Stings, Slayer..." the demon wailed, waving his arm...Buffy rolled her eyes... "Now I gotta play Mommie to captured demons?..." she looked at William... Your overwhelming maternal instinct betrays you, dear...he grinned... "Mephisto was scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one..." Willow noted... "Well, talk...you..." Anya growled, glaring at the wailing demon... "Or I clean the other arm..." "All of you will get it...And...She'll make you all eat tofu..." Xander threatened the others... "Tofu!!?..." one blanched in fear... "What kind of humans are you?!..." *** "Willie?..." Angel lifted the barkeep's head from under his own beer tap...Sister Tara-Dru keeping a pleasantly smiling eye on the clientele...All quite content to remain quiet spectators of the hapless Willie's misfortunes... "Where is Mephisto...? For the third time..." Willie gave a wobbly grin... "I dunn..." Angel jerked him up to face him... Willie desperately looking at the Sister who gave him a politely reassuring beam...Best to spill it, my son...she nodded... "Willie, Willie..." Angel sighed... "Children's lives are at stake here...Children I love dearly...Children you know...How can you be silent, my son...?" "Angel...er...Father...If I knew any..." Back under the tap...Ugg...Glug... "A fine way to drown, son...But drowning is drowning..." Angel noted as Willie choked... He jerked Willie up again... "Now, my son...You know...And I know...That you're lyin'...Mephisto was here tonight...We found one of his humans behind your bar, dead..." Coulda...been...any vamp's...Willie tried to begin...Angel lifted him...By the throat, a foot off the floor... "Sister?..." he turned to Tara-Dru... "Mephisto leaves a very distinctive aural trace, Willie..." she sighed up at him... "Like Drusilla's...Probably from his telepathic gift...Very easy to spot on his sired victims if caught before they transform..." "Now Willie..." Angel sighed in his turn as the barkeep struggled helplessly.... "You not being a Catholic and all, I stand in a way as your priest...And I can promise you that anything you choose to tell me now will be held in strictest confidence..." He lowered the choking Willie, retaining his hold... Willie looked over at the clientele scattered about the bar, all watching with interest...Any one of whom would gladly tell Mephisto of any betrayal...Hell, most would claim he'd sold him out in any case... "Willie..." Sister Tara-Dru eyed him... "I wish I could help you...But you're part demon and I can't make you talk the easy way...So please...The Father and I will protect you...And you wouldn't want to see children hurt...Or have their grieving parents and friends...Including the Father and I....Coming after you..." He...Willie gasped...Angel loosened his grip... "He left his old place..." "Old news, my son..." Angel frowned... "Something more up to date, please..." "I dunno..." the grip on throat tightened... "Exactly...But...One of his people...Said...Somethin' about...Waterfront property..." Specifics, Willie...Angel eyed him... "I d..dun..." Gasp as the Father lifted him again... "Maybe...Lake...Sun...Nydale...the old fairgrounds..." "Better..." Angel nodded... "Anything else...? His plans for the future, perhaps...?" "They...were...tal...talking...About gettin' the Slayer..." Willie...Angel sighed...What vampire doesn't?... "Somethin'...special...But...that's...Ugg....all..." his eyes rolled over... "I think he's telling the truth, Father..." the Sister eyed him... "I agree Sister..." Angel nodded...And released him... Willie dropped to the floor in a gasping heap... "My friends..." Angel eyed the crowd, mostly demon... "Our friend Willie is under the protection of the Church...Specifically in the form of the Sister here and myself...And no harm is to come to him...Or we shall be forced to return and dispense the Wrath of God to you all in extremely physical form..." Aye, Sister?...he turned... Indeed, Father...she nodded... *** "Was that really your old girlfriend?..." one demon looked at his mate, a fungus demon...As they watched Angel and Tara-Drusilla leave... Willie gasping his way back to his usual self...Hey, a business to run here...And Angel...Rarely...Went for permanent damage... Yeah, the fungus demon sighed...Before she got her soul back and religion...She was quite the wild chick... *** Having left Anya and Xander to continue their interrogation of the prisoners, Willow, William, and Buffy reached the old fairgrounds on Lake Sunnydale to find Father Angel and Sister Tara-Dru somewhat discouragedly poking around... "Can't believe our Willie would deceive us..." the Sister sighed to them... "I had such hopes for his redemption..." And yet... Hmmn...Angel frowned...I may need to employ sterner measures with him... A crash from within one of the old, boarded booths...Buffy was off...Will in immediate pursuit... "Arghhh!..." A howl...The others looked to see Buffy dragging a forlorn-looking vamp while Will held his human companion, one of Mephisto's enthralled... "That's my Willie..." Sister Tara-Dru beamed... *** Life With Mother and Father...Part XX... PG13 Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series... Summary: Cicelyverse tale: 18 years after the events of Romance Palace...The Walthrops are dealing with life...and its tribulations... Well...Trying to... (Some of the events described here as in the past are occurring...slightly differently...in the parallel Buffy Rebecca universe story "Mona and the Monsters") Part XX... News of the destruction of his former HQ...And a hefty number of his sacrificed followers reached Mephisto and his minions at their function hall shortly after he'd sat down to his own dinner...He sighed up from the attractive blonde woman...A former actress and guest star on his old series, taken, at some considerable difficulty and expenses, as a special treat for his birthday by his loving minions owing to her considerable resemblance to the Slayer... at Harold who'd come with the news... Not unexpected news by any means...In fact, rather favorable as it meant the Slayer was not on her way to interrupt his party...Still, to lose so many of one's own at one fell swoop...And unfortunately, it appeared from the reports of the few who'd escaped that Ms. Summers-Walthrop and her followers had not been fooled by the efforts made to make it appear that he had been destroyed in the midst of his comrades...They were quite aware that he'd made good his escape and were still actively seeking him... But...he beamed at Harold...Like a son to him, he noted...Soon the Slayer's husband and friends would have their own cause for mourning...And their hands full defending themselves... If all went well...he pointedly noted...Harold nervously gulping... "Yeah..." Rona eyed Harold...If... There'd be no problem, the former teacher assured his sire and lord...Amy had been sure she'd gotten what she needed from the Slayer's discarded clothing. Hmmn...Mephisto nodded...Well...We'll see...He returned to his meal... Wow...Harold looked at the woman now being prepped by the Boss for transformation... She does kinda look like Buffy, doesn't she...? he noted to Rona...With a little make-up... Oughta be fun for the Boss...Gretchen, watching from another table, noted to her rather battered but still kicking dear Cheryl, one of the few survivors of the Cold Storage Warehouse massacre...He can dress her up like the Slayer, even send her over to torment their kids after we kill the real one... Kinky...Cheryl frowned a little...Shaking her head...Sometimes the guys really overindulge the Boss' weird side...I mean having a Slayer near-lookalike at his side all the time from now on after the real one's finally dead...Geesh... "Lil' bonier than the Slayer..." Rona looked the corpse of the Boss' soon-to-be new girl over as she replied to Harold. "Anyway be nice to have her around...I loved the Scooby-Doo movies..." Gretchen concluded to Cheryl. *** At the abandoned fairgrounds near Lake Sunnydale, Buffy, Will, Willow, Angel, and Sister Tara- Dru confronted a battered minion of Mephisto and his human companion. The human, a young man in his twenties, clearly out of it...Vaguely calling on Mephisto's aid...The vamp, a bit more practical, attempted to brazen it out... "Lemme go, Slayer!...Or our Lord will kill you all!..." he insisted. "If keeping you'll bring him out to meet us...I'll gladly oblige..." Buffy sourly eyed him... "But I'm afraid he's got a little more sense than you..." The Sister suggested she speak with the wan young human...With just Willow in attendance to keep him from getting too anxious or upset...Poor guy was apt to be rather embarrassed when he snapped out of thrall...Willow nodded and they gently escorted the man to a spot somewhat closed off from where the others stood. Buffy sighed to William...Lets hope there's some progress with him... However...she returned to her prisoner...That does mean we can afford to take a few chances with you...she eyed him... "If we should 'break' you...Accidently, of course...we'll have a fall back..." "Yeah, mate..." Will came up to the vamp... "And believe me...Both of me...We'd like nothing better than to make an example of you to your pals..." Oooh...I'm scared, Trai...the vamp gasped as Will lifted him off the ground, squirming... "Hardly traitor, lad...my soul never signed with your team..." he noted. Well...he grinned at Buffy, holding the vamp up by the throat with one hand...I know I could do this all night... "And I guess it won't kill you...Just yet..." he politely nodded at the struggling vamp... "Still, does feel a lot like the old sensation of choking to death, doesn't it...? Minus the merciful release when your neck snaps in human life..." "Best to let Mr. Walthrop have what he wants, my boy..." Angel shook his head at the vamp... "Your leader's sure to assume you ratted on him in any case...Especially when we spread it about town that you did...Why not save yourself needless suffering and earn an amnesty from the Slayer herself?" "Nev...er...Bet...Betray...Lord..." the vamp gasped, struggling in the deadly grip of a loving father...Two loving fathers, actually, Buffy beamed at the hubs... Whatever else Spike was... "Fine sentiments, my boy..." Angel nodded... "But, surely an unworthy lord to give such allegiance to..." After all, he continued...All we want to know is when exactly your friends are gathering here...And why. "I dunno..." Buffy eyed the vamp... "He seems the loyal type...Care to do the honors, Father?" she turned to Angel, offering Mr. Pointy... "Delighted..." he gave a slight bow... "Last chance, mate..." William hissed... "Willow!?..." Buffy called...To a Willow coming round from where she and Sister Tara-Dru had been in conversation with Mephisto's enthrallee. "All set..." she called back... "We got all we need from him...!" Buffy looked up at the vamp...Sorry, friend...her look said... The vamp gasped...Ummn... "He...Knows...No...Noth...Nothing..." Oh...? Buffy eyed him brightly...As Willow came up... "My friend seems to think differently..." Father?...she turned to Angel...Who gave the squirming vamp a quick look... An Angel look... "Wait...!" the vamp gasped again... "Well?..." Will eyed him... "There..." he pointed towards some boarded-up booths... Entranceway... Will lowered him. "Entranceway?..." Buffy asked... "Yes...Yeah...To the new lair...Underneath the fairground...An old mine...Tunnels..." the vamp choked out, still in William's iron grip... "Look...You gotta promise...Protection..." he eyed them wildly... "If your info's legit..." Buffy nodded... "Amnesty, blood supply...Providing your behavior is satisfactory..." "As for protection..." Will smiled... "Best way to let us know exactly when the Boss will be showing..." The vamp looked round the group, sighed...Ok... "He's hidden...I don't know where, I'm only a scout, just a few of us are down there now...But he'll be here with the others tomorrow night..." "Good...Then you can be our guest til then..." Buffy smiled... "Anya and Xander ought be able to fit one more in..." she looked at Will, he nodding...Best to refrain from a premature strike. Angel eyed Willow...Who gave a solemn look... "Bless me Father for I have sinned..." she hissed, grinning. "Three Hail Marys and contemplate the sin of lying, my child..." he smiled faintly back... "Six for the Sister...For coming up with the idea, no doubt..." The vamp stared...Set-up?...his blink at them wanly asked... 'Fraid you should've had more trust in your human friend's cluelessness, mate...Will smiled benevolently at him. "I did say... 'seems...to think differently'..." Buffy noted...As Sister Tara-Dru appeared, gently leading the young man back to them... "Did he...?" she eyed the vamp... Did...Thanks...Buffy grinned... "Sorry for the stratagem, Father...The poor boy knew nothing..." the Sister sheepishly sighed to her superior. "The Lord does work in mysterious ways..." she looked round... "Indeed...Six HMs...An hour's mediation...And you split watch duty here with me tonight..." Angel replied... Yes, Father...she nodded...Moving by Willow... "Twelve for me...And I'll take first watch..." Angel sighed at Buffy... "Afraid I gave poor Willie a bit of a hard lesson tonight, God forgive me..." How does "Hail, Mary" go anyhow?...Willow hissed to the Sister... *** "You're awfully quiet..."Alysia Harris eyed Will Jr., Sallie Harris, and Sarah Giles...The teen crew...Coming over from where Buffy Jr. and her brother Alex were watching TV with Phil Walthrop and Auntie Dawn... Auntie Dawn herself not exactly the life of the party...Casting nervous glances back at the teens...And the phone... "Is something wrong...?" Alysia stared...My Mom looked worried when she left...So did your moms... And Dad... But Dad looks worried whenever he and Mom leave the house...she noted. "Nah..." Will Jr. cheerily smiled at her... "We're just being moody...It's what you're supposed to do at our age...Like in the movies..." Uh-huh...Right...she grumbled, looking over to the girls...Amelia-Joyce giving her a bright smile... So much for female solidarity...young Ms. Harris thought, glaring at her "cousin"...Having inherited her mother's clear-eyed ability to view things from outside the box. Someday...Soon...I will get to the bottom of this...she promised herself... But something in Sarah's deep, quick glance at her suddenly made her grateful...For the little time she'd have yet, not knowing... *** Angel, with cell phone, now positioned in a safe monitoring spot at the fairgrounds, and them having dropped the vamp at Anya and Xander's hastily improvised demon POW camp, magics-secured by Willow...And picked up Anya, Xander, and a somewhat embarrassed Abe...Spent half the battle waiting in the car and the rest throwing my guts up, he sighed to his rather content mother...The adult gang headed home, reasonably please with the evening's outcome... "You did fine, sweetie...Dad would be proud..." Willow patted Abe as they rode in the Walthrop minivan...William at the wheel... A slightly disappointed Buffy...Never seem to get to drive when the gang's around, she thought...Having been maneuvered into a strategy conference in the middle seat by Anya and Xander...Who desired to have this so-far successful evening end safely... Nothing at all wrong in using just a leetle magic to keep my baby...Rup's only son...Safe...she reassured herself... Willow...Tara-Dru beside her called telepathically, while fixing her with a reproving look... You made the poor kid sick tonight, didn't you?... All moms make their kids sick from time to time...Willow replied as innocently as telepathy would allow... Rupert would be grateful...the Sister beamed back...Five Shemoneh Esreis...she frowned... *** Life With Mother and Father...Part XXI... PG13 Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series... Summary: Cicelyverse tale: 18 years after the events of Romance Palace...The Walthrops are dealing with life...and its tribulations... Well...Trying to... (Some of the events described here as in the past are occurring...slightly differently...in the parallel Buffy Rebecca universe story "Mona and the Monsters") Part XXI... "Hey...!" a beaming Buffy boomed into the house...As the adult gang began to file in... "If the place is trashed, you lot better be long gone...!" William, called, cupping his hands into a megaphone... Amelia, Sallie, and Will Jr. hurried over to the front door...Looking... "All's well..." Will Sr. smiled...Buffy Sr. seconding with an eager nod...Anya nervously rocking on her heels, looking for her babies...By the TV, utterly unimpressed by her and Daddy's safe return from the jaws of...from a little business transaction she mentally corrected, getting into proper "causal" Mom mode...Her Sallie however looked appropriately relieved...Though she made a fine effort to display no anxiety... Just needed to see Mom on the porch...And Dad if he'd...She looked back...Alex and Lys still firmly glued to the TV...Sure, Anya nodded...Dad's still looking over his new suits anyway...Which performed magnificently, naturally, she proudly noted in a whisper... "Aunt" Buffy agreeing... Sarah came over, Buffy Jr. in tow, looking anxiously for her...Phew...Willow came in, Abe in tow... "Everything ok...?" Miss Giles asked, with as such British reserve as she could muster...Lil' Buffy demanding a lift to Papa's shoulders, Will Sr. obliging as Buffy absently patted her while quizzing Amelia as to the evening's events...All quiet on the home front, Joycee noting... "Piece of cake..." Willow replied to her daughter...Eyeing Abe, who nodded causally as well...No problem... "Anything here...?"she looked round... Not a peep...Sarah shook her head... To think I once considered resuming demonhood, Anya sighed contentedly on the porch as Sallie desperately hugged her, reaching to grab at a startled Xander who'd just come up to them...What?...He looked at them anxiously... Nothing...Sallie sighed, smiling through some tears... My parents...The non-magical...If you disallow Mom's demonic past...Non-superhuman...Outside Daddy's incredible power of Love...And therefore at far greater personal risk, team members...Who are always on hand to provide that vital missing element that wins the day... No offense towards "Aunt" Buffy and "Uncle" Will...And "Auntie" Willow...But all things considered, I would say it's the Harrises who are the unsung heroes of this outfit...she thought proudly...Pulling her Mom close, then Dad... "Aw...Honey..." Xander patted her... "Ya mustn't get worked up over this kind of thing...We always come through in one piece..." "What you should worry about is your dad's diet...And stop slipping him those Doublemeat Specials..." Anya noted... *** "Oh...Please...Mighty Mephisto..." the attractive fortyish blonde dropped her hand, releasing a stake to the ground... "Spare me...I'm helpless against your power..." "Incredible sexual power..." Harold, standing behind her, hissed to the former actress, now transformed and in one of Mrs. Summers-Walthrop's recently discarded...Hopefully, she thought, cleaned...Outfits... Right... "Your incredible...Sexual Power..." she eyed Mephisto as he stood in front of her in a position of haughty grandeur...Worthy of Dracula, Harold loyally thought...The real Vlad the Impaler Drac, not that fop of a young descendant... "Well...Mrs. Summers-Walthrop..." Mephisto eyed his latest acquisition coolly...Not a bad little actress, this one...Much improved from when she was doing those awful movies...Though I do remember her doing a nice guest turn on our "Mona..." show once... "I shall spare you...If you accept my gift of eternal life...And vow, on your knees...To serve me as your Lord, Master, and God..." Geesh...Cheryl watching from further back in the large function hall where Mephisto's surviving "family" enthralled human and vampiral were sitting out the evening's assault by the Slayer and co on their former lair, sighed to Gretchen... Sometimes...The Boss can be a leetle... Yeah...Gretchen nodded, apparently not so bothered by the kinkiness... The new member of the "family" however was herself a bit put out...Not that she wasn't utterly ready to die for her beloved sire...Just...She'd been hoping for a little more class...After all, she had to put up with a lot of this kinda thing back when she was getting started...And now, to have to mouth lines like these... With a former actor of the late Sidney Mechamber's quality as her leading...Whatever...Well...This sort of thing was a bit...Much... Still...My own fault, I'm here, after all...she sighed to herself...How could I have believed it really was my ex on the phone, suggesting we do a fifth Scoody Doo as our joint comeback film...? "Ummn...Sir?..." she paused... "Might I request...A cut?..." "Certainly, my dear girl..." Mephisto smiled back warmly... "Cut..." he called...Waving the various minions back who'd been "closing in" on "the Slayer"...The two vamps assigned to video duty halting their taping as well... "Anything wrong...?" the vamp lord asked his latest "daughter"...Whom of course it need not be said...He loved as he would've his own... "Ummn...Well...Ummn...Sir...? Do I gotta kneel to you?...I mean..." she hastily interjected...Sensing a slight wrath... "From what you told me of this "Slayer"?...She isn't the type to kneel so easily..." I mean...If we're going for a reasonable degree of accuracy here... "You do realize this is a scene of Mrs. Summers-Walthrop's final defeat and humiliation?.." he stared at her... Yeah...Sure...she nodded carefully... "And...That I am conferring a great honor upon you, dear...By allowing you to stand in for Mrs. Summers-Walthrop until her time has come...Young to our little "family" as you are..." Oh, yeah...she nodded fervently...As he looked at her coldly...Clearly a bit put out... Hmmn...How to put this right?...Like when I was doing those teen slasher movies before my triumph in the Scoody-Doo series and wanted to dodge the nude scenes...she thought... Again, not that I'm buckin' the Lord of us all here...Just...The way he was originally gonna do it...Was kinda... Hmmn...What did I say to my director that time?...Oh, yeah... "Likely to be detrimental to proper appreciation of his talent..." Yeah, that was it...Course my ex rolled his eyes when he heard me back then...But...It did get the director to do the scene my way that time...Hmmn... "I think...Sir..." she gave him a sweetly seductive smile... "The scene would have a lot more punch at the end if I put up something of a fight..." Which you quickly ended, of course...Master...she added hastily, beaming... God, they get this blouse out of a garbage bag or what...? she wondered, sniffing discreetly Yes...Well...Mephisto eyed her narrowly... Even a dead actress can't help scrambling up a bigger part...he thought sourly... "I suppose your idea has some credit...Dear girl..." he smiled coolly... But the scene does end with your more or less voluntary submission to me...he noted...And the "Slayer"'s death and transformation... Absolutely...Sir...she nodded firmly...But, see... "Having this "Slayer" submit too easily would likely be detrimental to proper appreciation of your talent...Sir..." Hmmn...Mephisto considered... Well, when my beloved new "daughter" and "Slayer stand-in" puts it that way... Hey, she's good...Gretchen noted to Cheryl, watching from the back...With that kind of ability to soft-soap the Boss...And looking so much like the Slayer...She may be a keeper... Eh...Too bony for Buffy Summers-Walthrop...Cheryl groused...Eyes slightly narrowing at the new competition... "And I already got the transformation bit down pat..." the "Slayer stand-in" grinned at Mephisto...Assuming work face... Oops... "Say...My Lord?..." she eyed him nervously... "This demon face thing...? Does it screw up old plastic surgery...?" Not that I've ever had plastic...I just wanta know for the future...she added quickly... She does look a lot like the Slayer...Cheryl conceded to Gretchen...I guess that might be helpful someday... Just wish he'd show us a little consideration and can the kinky stuff...In front of the human pets, I mean...she noted... "Well...Perhaps we should have a bit more fight in our Slayer...Yes...I think it's not a bad idea at all..." Mephisto smiled at his costar... So long as she loses...he noted firmly... Thanks...Sir...she beamed... "Oh...?" she looked at him, a thought occurring... "Any chance I could go look up my ex...? Later on, after we've finished the scene?..." Now that I've acquired this forceful new evil persona...Thanks to you, Sir...she smiled at him...He and I have some...Issues...To get straight...she grimly noted... "I usually don't allow my "children" to take mates outside this town..." Mephisto replied... "I'm not looking at him as "mate" material..." she shook her head... Oh...?...Oh, yes...He looked at her... "He ran off with my old co-star and would be mate, Ms. Marsden...Didn't he?...Five or six years ago?..." Mephisto gave her a sympathetic look... Yeah...Six years ago...she replied coldly... "And they're still co-starring in your old TV show..." she noted... Yes...I still watch every Wednesday...he smiled... Nice to see old Job Wescox has managed to keep the quality of the writing up...Well... Perhaps we'll discuss a trip to LA to see them both...After the real Slayer has been dealt with...he kindly nodded... "Well...Are you ready, my dear?..." Mephisto asked...The former actress nodded...Taking up a "Slayer" pose...Stake again in hand... "All right...Take two..." Harold called as the Boss fixed his eye on him... "It's nice to have a fellow actor in the "family" again..." Mephisto kindly told his new acting partner...She shyly smiling back... "Some "actor"...Bunch of lousy slasher movies and the Scoody-Doo series..." Cheryl groused again... Cher...Gretchen hissed nervously as the Boss glared over...As did their new "sis"... The Boss likes her...Watch it... "Quiet on the set..." Harold called... *** "So..." Buffy summed up the evening's battle to a Dawn who seemed a bit preoccupied... "Bottom line...We got a bunch of his expendables but the Big Baddie...Your beau..." she gave her sis a sardonic grin... "Slipped through our fingers..." Still, we know where he's headed...Angel's covering the fairgrounds lair... "I'm sure we'll get him..." Dawn nodded...Still rather...Bemused... "And he's not my "beau"...C'mon..." she frowned... One lousy date...Actually one not so bad at all date she did not say...Til he went vamp on me... And now...I gotta face tonight as well...Dawn sighed... "Did Aunt Dawn tell you Wesley, Cordelia, Winifred, Clement, and Connor were on their way?..." Sarah came over... Yeah, she did...Buffy nodded... Wait a minute...Ah...she thought...That's what eatin' her... Clement... Oh, Dawn...My poor lil' sis...she eyed her... My poor narrow-minded lil' sis... Hard to believe she was made from me sometimes...Not to take a chance with a sweet guy like Clem back then... And I was for him...Even if William had reservations... Still, gotta be fair...If Spike hadn't brought William to Sunnydale...I'd probably have gone strictly for pure human myself... Nah, she smiled over at Will...Who looked back...We do something right?...He wondered to Spike within... Whatever it was...Keep doin' it...Spike replied internally... Nah, she thought contentedly...Cicely would have taken over...Eventually...Dragged us around the world in search of him... And we did think...Somewhere in our subconsciousness...For a little while...That human-souled Angel...Liam, after all...Might be... Phew...Thank God for evil ole Drusilla...she beamed at Sister Tara-Dru who was engaged in rolling on the floor with Buffy Jr., Philip, Alex, and Alysia...To the detriment of her wimple...Which Phil now paused to suggest he put on the table for her...Thanks, kiddo... And for evil ole Dru's noble human soul, Tara...Who in escaping Dru's clinging embrace of her poor "soul sister" in 1977 for rebirth as human Tara had caused the incident that wounded vamp Dru and led Spike to bring Drusilla...And William...Home... But...She had to admit...She'd not played much of a role in her beloved Will's initial salvation...Even if her role had been crucial later... She gave the sad-eyed Dawn a kindly pat... "Sorry to go on about the other night...I just hate to see you so down on yourself you resort to personals..." "It ain't that easy to meet fellas these days, sis..." Dawn sighed... Clem...Oh...she thought... "You oughta know..." she grinned a little wickedly at Buffy... Parker...Ben...she teased... "Ok, ok..." Buffy raised a hand... "I wasn't the greatest example of success in dating..." But you will find someone...The right someone...Someday...Dawn...she noted... "Tired of waiting for...Someday...Sis..." Dawn shook her head... "What's up, my ladies fair?..." William kissed Buffy as he came over... "Sweet...I think I should go over and see how the good Reverend Father's watch is going in a bit..." "Not without me..." she instinctively replied, looking him squarely in the eyes with her "Buffy/Cicely brooks no opposition" look...Dawn sighing involuntarily as she looked at them... God damn true love...she sulked a bit... Ah...Hangdog, sulky expression...Dawn's search for love again...William noted silently to Spike, smiling at Dawn kindly... Idiot Nibs...Spike groused...She's worth a thousand of most girls...Human or demon...She should have most of the eligible New Yorkers, male, groveling at her feet...But she lets them walk all over her...Damn...Buffy and Joyce were the same way...Speak to her, bro...Shake some sense into our sis... Summers girls...Never realize their worth...he concluded... Indeed, bro...William agreed internally...Eyeing Buffy with his "something must be done..." look... She returning her "damned if I know what to do for her..." look... God...Dawn thought sadly, watching the exchange...Romantic telepathy again...Not a word needs be spoken... Bet Clem does the same thing all the time now with his....&%$@!-ing Winifred...Shit... Oh...Clement... How could I have let a little loose skin, big dog ears, and you're being a member of a minor demonic...A benevolent demonic...race...Affect my judgment like that...Dawn sighed to herself... Well...Maybe they're not all that happy...She is some kinda big-time physicist, right?...Probably treats him like an idiot child...A life of constant humiliation and nagging...My poor great-hearted Clem... Maybe he's up for a leetle comforting appreciation from a dear old and loving friend...she smiled at the thought... She seems better...Will's look to his beloved said... *** Life With Mother and Father...Part XXII... PG13 Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series... Summary: Cicelyverse tale: 18 years after the events of Romance Palace...The Walthrops are dealing with life...and its tribulations... Well...Trying to... (Some of the events described here as in the past are occurring...slightly differently...in the parallel Buffy Rebecca universe story "Mona and the Monsters") Part XXII... "Ya look...Radiant..." Dawn tried to maintain a bright note in her tone as she nodded at a very pregnant Winifred, now carefully sitting beside her on the Summers' living room couch, Clem standing by on watchful guard duty...Mineral water, he noted to Joycee's request as to Winifred's wish for coffee, tea, etc... "I look...Enormous...But thanks..." Bear...Winifred turned to frown slightly at Clem... "A lil' coffee ain't gonna kill Junior you know..." Mineral water...he frowned... Grr...she hissed back... "Bear, eh?..." Willow, perched on a chair, talking to Wesley in chair at her left and Dawn, Winifred, and Clem to her right... "Big, grouchy, growly bear these days..." Fred grinned at her protective mister... Protective dad mode...Rupert's the same...Willow nodded... I wish I was dead...Dawn thought, sulkily... "Still...I'll never forget it... I come out of my coma, look around, and who's in the "hospital" room with me but...Drusilla..." Cordy grinned at Sister Tara-Dru as they sat with Anya, Connor, the various teens excepting Will Jr., Sallie Harris, and Abe Giles the three of whom had insisted on heading out with William, Xander, and Buffy to check on Angel... Great way to run a surveillance operation...William had groused to Buffy on leaving...Downside of running a family business, dearest...she'd patted him... The youngest members of the group, Buffy Jr., Phil, Alysia, and Alex Jr. all snug in bed...Albeit reluctantly... "I should have had someone with me..." the Sister sighed... "But we didn't think at the time you were gonna come out of it for a while yet..." Thought I was gonna have a heart attack...Cordy continued...If I wasn't already vamped... "When will Buffy and the rest be back...?" Wesley asked Willow...As Dawn continued to narrowly watch Clem and Fred, the expectant mother gratefully sipping her mineral water...Clem happily and cluelessly beaming to his ole babysitting charge as he noted Junior's inutero progress... "With three teenagers in tow...I expect them to keep their check on the Father a pretty quick one..." Willow grinned... "So...Must be a leetle hard on you, all that fur...Inside you, I mean..." Dawn eyed Winifred... "It's gotta...Itch...Something fierce..." Hmmn...?...Fred stared... "I mean...Half demon...And all..." Dawn continued... "Oh, she...or he...Will be almost hairless til after birth..." Clem cheerfully noted... "Then we'll see..." "Then I saw the rosary beads and the wimple and I figured I had to be in Heaven with Drusilla's soul ...Couldn't quite figure out just why she'd come to welcome me in, but I supposed that must be what heavenly nuns do..." Cordy went on, hands waving as she spoke...Tara-Dru chuckling... "Actually we do do that, if what little I remember of Heaven after Tara died is correct...But we lose the costume...So as not to offend non-Catholics..." she noted solemnly... Come on...Sarah and Amelia shook heads... "We decided not to check sex or extent of humanity..." Fred explained to Dawn... "It'll be human enough in any case and I got no fears about the distaff side with Bear as the Dad..." Clem blushing gratefully... "Wish most guys could be as human as he is..." she grinned at her bashful husband... Yeah...Dawn sighed... "My ole babysitter's one of the best..." she nodded, smiling at him, a bit sadly...Then over to a slightly staring Willow...I know, I know...Can it...her look saying... Oh, Clemy... "So Dad and ye ole gang give this Mephisto character what for?..." Connor smiled at Anya... "KO'd his support staff...But they were a red herring...The big bad escaped for another day..." she sighed...Unless your father and the others do well tonight... "Well..." Connor grinned, a bit of swagger... "Maybe it's time to throw some LA weight around...I think maybe Wes and I oughta go over with the Sister when she relieves Dad and show the locals how it's done..." A slight smirk...Which disappeared under Anya's cool stare...And turned a bit sheepish as he looked to see Dawn glancing over quickly then turning away... "I'm sure she'd appreciate the help..." Anya nodded...A bit more kindness in her look, having seen Dawn's look...And Connor's... So...He's still carrying that torch...Carrying though with something...For once...she thought...Glancing from one to the other... Poor kid...Always, he manages to blow it with her...Even in her current state, when she was ready to jump at Mephisto in makeup just a day or so ago... "Then Angel came in and told me about what'd been going on in the world, including his decision to take holy orders and I knew I was either dead...Or back in the demon dimension..." Cordy laughed... Till Wes made me see I really was in Heaven...she beamed over at him... "Don't blush Wyndham-Price..." she called...As he did... *** "The trick..." Buffy noted carefully as she led Sallie, Will Jr., and Abe across the fog-shrouded fairgrounds, following a bit behind William and Xander...Dodging from tree to bush to bit of battered shed or crumbling old fair ride for cover... "Is to always maintain..." Bloody Christ, Harris!...William shouted...Watch your feet, there!...As he turned back from a quick look to Buffy and the teens... "What?..." Xander looked at him from the opposite side... GRRRRR!!!!....The demon who'd stumbled into William from the other side, howled...Lifting his horn covered face to below a challenge... Which was taken so quickly and deftly as to invite a modest degree of critical praise from none other than counterpart Spike within... Hardly sporting for a self-proclaimed "gentleman", poof...You never gave him a fair chance... You're learning...Thank the demon gods...Maybe all my hard work in the thankless task of getting you up to defend Buf and the kids is finally getting somewhere... Thanks, bro...Rare praise indeed...William noted...As Xander likewise offered congrats... But...It's my opinion you lot will be dead within a week...Spike continued... Unless...Possibly...You love our Buf enough to make the "Ultimate Sacrifice..." Like a certain loving demon I know all too well...Prince of an Undead fellow that he is... Spike...For the last time...I will never consent to letting you run the show again...Not voluntarily... Buffy would rather be dead...And see the kids dead as well...And you damned well know that... "Spike?..." Buffy, now caught up with the teens in tow, looked at Xander as they stared at a slightly out-of-it William... Spike...Xander nodded...Unless Will's gone in for mysticism... "Spike..." Buffy called to Will... "Let William be...He is not gonna let you have control again...Be polite and show me you still care and maybe the next kiss is yours..." "C'mon...If he gets destroyed cause you kept him off guard...You're headed for Hell and you know you'd miss the kids' birthdays...." *** Back at the function hall of the damned, Mephisto's latest "daughter/bride" and acting partner was enjoying her first vampiral dining experience on one of his well-fed pet humans when a knock at the side door caused a minor degree of panic... "It's ok..." Harold strove to restore order among the more nervous...Mephisto relying on his years of training to maintain his stance as calm, collected Prince of the Undead... "I think it's Amy...With our secret weapon..." Oh, the joy...Rona sneered... "Well..." Mephisto beamed expansively...Generous host that he was... "By all means, lets have the young lady in at once..." His new "Queen"...Having assumed the title at least in her own mind...Frowned as she looked up from her meal...A fellow bearing a liking resemblance to her ex-...Little "wedding/birthday" gift specially chosen for her by her new Lord... Sounded like competition...And even a "retired" actress hates competition... Especially a vampiral "retired" actress... "Amy..." Harold gave a welcoming beam... Glad you found the place ok...No problems?...he eyed her... "All set..." she nodded... Holding up a box... "That...?" Rona came over... "Odorless, tasteless, colorless...Except for the chocolate, which is quite yummy...And harmless to almost every human being on this planet but one...Even her sister wouldn't have more than a mild tummy ache..." Amy grinned... The rest of the boxes are in my car...she waved a thumb... "Gentlemen..." Mephisto eyed several... "Assist our fair Wiccan..." Whoa...Amy caught of the newest addition to the "family..." Buf...fy?...she blinked...No, wait a min... "You?...You're..." If she says "what's her name" I will kill her, whether my Lord sanctions it or not...the former actress thought... "Who is she?..." she turned to Gretchen near her side... "The witch Harold found to help us kill your twin...The Slayer..." Gretchen explained... And don't bother trying...She's protected against us...Plus you'd piss the Boss off... "How's she gonna help us kill this...Slayer?" "Cursed candy...Courtesy the Slayer's own kids..." Gretchen grinned... Neat idea...If it works...she sighed... "But if not, we'll get permission to try and hunt Amy down...When she drops her guard and all..." So win-win for us...the former actress noted... "If the Slayer doesn't survive and finds out we used her kids against her...Else...Heaven to pay..." Hmmn... Amy and her gallant group of vampiral gentlemen and a few human pets re-entered the hall bearing cases of packed candy...In the usual tinfoil and paper wrappings, "Sunnydale Elementary Candy Drive" emblazoned on top... "How's our record against this lady been so far?..." the "retired" thespian asked... "See..." Amy bit off a piece of the bar she'd been holding, chewed, and swallowed...As Mephisto, Harold, and Rona watched... "Perfectly safe...To most of us...And pretty good candy at that..." 0 for...A lot...Gretchen sighed... But, we've always managed to come back for more...she brightened... And it would be fun to watch that twerp Harold bite it, if he fails... *** Life With Mother and Father...Part XXIII... PG13 Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series... Summary: Cicelyverse tale: 18 years after the events of Romance Palace...The Walthrops are dealing with life...and its tribulations... Well...Trying to... (Some of the events described here as in the past are occurring...slightly differently...in the parallel Buffy Rebecca universe story "Mona and the Monsters"...So there's no reason to assume that BR verse "Mona..." will follow the course outlined here... You have my sympathies as Mephisto would say...) Part XXIII... The fairgrounds at Lake Sunnydale... "Sorry about the ruckus, Angel...We just wanted to make sure things were ok out here..." Buffy sheepishly apologized as he came out of the shadows at the various sounds proclaiming her group's arrival... "It's fine...All's been quiet, except for that one fellow there Will just took out..." he smiled...Though, he noted as he eyed an embarrassed Abe as young Mr. Giles recovered from stumbling noisily over a trash barrel... "It might be best for us to pull back a little in case more show..." He looked at William as his fellow vamp came alongside...Buffy carefully supervising the teens in her charge with Xander watching their rear as the group moved back to some abandoned stalls a short distance back from Angel's former watchpost near the booths concealing the lair entrance... "Not exactly the old days...eh, Will...?" he grinned...Looking ahead to where Buffy was cautiously checking the stalls with Will Jr. by her side...Ok, she waved to Sallie... Just a trace of sadness in his voice that even made Spike hesitate...A moment... Alas, poor broodo...Never to even have had a real chance with our poor, briefly confused Cicely, temporarily blinded by that soul until I brought us to Sunnydale in all our glory..I could really just slob...er sob...my eyes out...If I still had eyes... Enough...Will crushed him down... "Thank God..." Angel continued, winking... "But then you always were the family man in our little group..." "All clear..." Buffy hissed back to them...Xander catching up to them, still watching behind... "After you, Papa..." Angel waved William on to the first stall...Where the teens and Buffy were now waiting... "Age before beauty, Grand-dad..." he grinned back... Eh...Send the kid here in...Angel nodded at Xander... "He can go get his elders a drink of water...Dagnabit..." A wry look by Xander...Ok, I get it...Vamp guy talk...He went in... "So much for another full-scale offensive...Tonight anyway..." Angel smiled at William as they scanned the grounds once more, just by the stalls... "Your Missus is quite the little schemer, letting the kids come..." Tunnels make her nervous...Will nodded...Only places underdweller ambushes ever had a chance with her... "How far in did you get, anyway?..." he smiled at the Father... "About 500 feet...Barricaded beyond...We'll need a few extras and our man Harris' assistance to get through..." "Your favorite spiritual client would be distressed at you taking risks alone like that, you know..." Will shook his head... Not to mention your clerical assistant... "I'm sure Buf and Tara-Dru know I didn't stand around waiting in that booth all evening...I'm afraid it's pretty obvious I still lack that patience I should cultivate..." "Well...Thanks, Angel...As always..." Just tell Spike...Angelus still gloats about getting there first...he eyed his vampiral grandson...Who stared... "After you, of course...Will..." he grinned... "Allowing for Cicely..." A groan within... "And here I was all set to say something nice like... "Darla's waiting for you..."..." Will grinned back... "Just how many prayers do you have to say after pulling one like that?..." "Fellas?...Get in here!..." Buffy hissed, standing at the stall side doorway... Enough with the self-sacrifice...This is supposed to be a stake-out... "I couldn't begin to calculate..." Angel looked out one last time, turning to follow William... "But God has infinite mercy, even for my many failings...And picturing Spike right now...It's worth a few centuries on one's knees..." A priest...And struggling to do my best by the Almighty...But never a saint by any means, William... Angel grinned to him...Will nodding back with a return grin...As they entered to Buffy's relief... "You know it might be wise not to always be inviting vampires into your hiding places, girl..." Will groused to Buffy... Hmmn...She considered...A quick smile to Will Jr. as Angel and Xander pulled off to quietly discuss the obstacles to penetrating the future lair... Worked out pretty well for me so far...she coyly grinned... But gave Angel a frown having heard his description of the tunnel as far as the barricade... "You went in there without any back-up?..." Never underestimate those ole Slayer senses, boys...she eyed them... "God...Pardon the language, Father...You and this idiot of mine...When are you gonna grow up?...Geesch, Angel...You're a priest..." "I suppose you're right, Buffy...I should set a better example..." Angel sighed... "But I thought it might spare you all some risk later to know what's down there before our friends move in en masse and get entrenched...." "No good if you don't live to bring back that info...Besides...Who else am I gonna get to baptize this one...?" she nudged William... Angel grinned... "For the sake of experiencing that delightful, blessed moment, Buffy dear...I will promise to be more circumspect..." "And the best way to begin is for you lot to be heading back to entertain our guests..." William cut in... "The Reverend Father and I can deal with things here until the Sister takes over..." Not without me...Buffy frowned...Firmly...Especially after Angel's little escapade... "There is no way in Hell I'm leaving you two clowns here alone to relive old battle memories...And try to show me up..." "Well...Far be it from me to deny the beauty of true love, my friends..." Angel sighed, shaking his head... "Or fail to express my appreciation for your kind support..." All looked at the sound of Sallie's yelp as she tripped on a loose board in the stall... "But I think if we want our enemies to ever show their heads we'd best keep this a limited operation..." *** "Well..." Mephisto beamed at Amy and Harold as he reviewed the battle plan...Rona, key element that she was, in attendance... "Tomorrow our dear Rona will bring our special candy to Sunnydale Elementary, while we..." He looked around the function hall at the newly restored ranks of his vampiral family...Must secure some additional replacement human pets asap... "Sit tight here until nightfall and then move on to our new home at Lake Sunnydale..." Waterfront property...Rona nodded thoughtfully...Always a good investment... "And, with any luck, by the time we reach our new place and are well moved in...Joyous news regarding dear Ms. Summers-Walthrop will have reached us..." "And then I get to take her place with her kids...?" his new co-actor/mate, listening by his side, eagerly chimed in... "'Cause I'm gonna need a little more background on them if I'm gonna play their mom before I kill 'em..." "Of course, dear girl..." Mephisto beamed... "We'll go carefully over the whole role today while we await our liberation from the sun..." "Liberation?..." she frowned... "You mean that stuff about sunlight and vampires is true...?" "Yes, afraid so, my girl...One good beam and we're toast..." What a kid, Harold groused to himself...They come up so ignorant these days... Shame...We could've had her take a stroll into downtown Sunnydale...Gretchen hissed to Cheryl as they stood barely in earshot range, listening... Shame...I look...er looked...So good filmed under natural light...the former actress sighed to herself... *** Despite Willow's cheerful insistence on driving the Sister over for her shift about an hour later...Strictly anxious Mom Rosenberg on this one, she noted...Both she and Tara-Dru showed clear relief at Cordy's offering to ride over as well...Willow noting that her years in England had made her a bit fuzzy as to the correct side of the road, especially late at night...While the Sister, rarely having driven even in her Tara days... Cordy kindly accepting that as the source of their skittishness at being alone together...And anxious on her part to see her former boss and lover rescued from his well-meant "support team"... "How's Giles these days?..." Cordy asked as they moved through downtown Sunnydale to the freeway... "Stiff-upper lipped as ever...And determined to raise his children as such..." Willow grinned...Turning up the freeway ramp... And Wesley?...she gave a hasty glance... "The Watchers' Council raised good husband material..."Cordy beamed... Absolutely...Tara-Dru chimed in from the back...Willow giving a slight, involuntary frown... That wasn't meant to press, Rosenberg...the Sister gave a quick, telepathic apology... Thanks... "But, you couldn't find a better than Giles..." Cordy grinned...Sorry, I get any telepathy and then some, not meaning to eavesdrop...she thought to her companions... "Did I mention I hate telepathy as a form of communication?..." Willow smiled... *** Life With Mother and Father...Part XXIV... PG13 Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series... Summary: Cicelyverse tale: 18 years after the events of Romance Palace...The Walthrops are dealing with life...and its tribulations... Well...Trying to... (Some of the events described here as in the past are occurring...slightly differently...in the parallel Buffy Rebecca universe story "Mona and the Monsters"...So there's no reason to assume that BR verse "Mona..." will follow the course outlined here... You have my sympathies...) Part XXIV... The Lake Sunnydale fairgrounds...Nearing one am... "Well...This brings back memories, eh boys?..." Sister Tara-Dru grinned at her startled...And rather sheepish-looking companions, particular the Reverend Father...As she, William, and Angel observed the new lair entrance of the Mephisto pride from their vantage point...Buffy having finally been persuaded to return to her guests with Willow and the teens on Will's solemn promise...Backed by the Sister's to hold him to it...To avoid anything approaching even mild heroics... "Sorry..." she put a hand, shaking her wimple at them...Angel looking more guilty by the second as he stared at her... ""I don't mean to rake up the past..." she glanced around the grounds, nothing in sight or heightened sensation range... "But I don't forget what I sensed from both of you, gentlemen...Even then...The kindness in you, Will...The sorrow and regret in you, Angel...I knew, I did...I felt it, even trapped as we all were..." "And we were a family, too, in a way...Our souls I mean...As limited as our contact was..." You both did what you could for me...she smiled at them...I sensed it then, I know it now... Sorry...she eyed Angel, then Will...But one of us had to bring it up one of these days... "Not really something we can keep wrapped up and forgotten forever, you know..." "Dru..." Angel sighed... "When you talk like this, my heart breaks...You are, as you always were...A true angel..." Amen...William smiled at them... "Well..." she gently grinned back... "I am, after all, in part a daughter of the Angel clan...So I suppose...I can accept..." "Now...Girl..." Angel patted her, a touch she did not flinch from, slight sternness in his voice but a beam in his eye and a tear on his face... "It's simple cruelty to get Angelis to thinking his moment is nigh..." *** "So...Ya shee...See..." Dawn carefully explained to Clem...Dear ole Clement...My sweet ole babasitter...she patted... "In New York...We kinda move beyond the tra...tradishonal confines ofa relashionship..." she waved her drink a bit in emphasis...Clem nodding kindly but with a slight look of concern...And disapproval..Fred engaged in conversation with an eager returned Willow regarding some dimensional transport experiments... Buffy giving an occasional, frowning look over...Matched rather surprisingly by her daughter and son... Auntie Dawn has gotta let this go...Will Jr. and Amelia eyed each other...As Dawn continued her description of the non-traditional NYC approach to relationships... Allowing, as she had been hinting for some time...Following her third martini...For more flexible relations between consenting adults...Even those already engaged in such trashid...tradish...er things like good ole marriage...Which was a fine instit...thing...she noted... But often required...And benefitted from...Loosining up...She gave dear Clem a careful, if wavering look... Loose like her bra...Buffy sourly thought as she came over... "Dawn?...It's getting late..." she stared at her sister... "Wha...?...It's early..." Dawn frowned back...Holding Clem's arm... And the other guys aren't back yet...she noted...We gotta hold...De fort...For em...Till they come marchin' home... "They'll be fine...It's time you called it a night..." Buffy glared... Clem patted his old charge gently... "We should get headed home...And you should get to bed, Dawny..." he smiled at her...Sorry, he grinned...Ole habits die hard... Wha?...she looked at him...Holding on to his arm... Not yet...she shook her head...We're havin' a good time...A good time...she looked over at Fred, still talking to Willow... Freddy's busy...she noted...Pointing... "I don' wan' ya to go, Clemy...Please..." she stared at him... Please... "Well..." he smiled at her, looking over at Buffy...Wesley and Cordy now giving careful glances their way...Xander as well...Anya and Sallie engaged in collecting the young ones for departure... "We'll be a few more minutes...But only ten, Miss Dawny..." he eyed her sternly... "Then you keep your promise and hit the hay..." Yeah...she nodded happily...Sitting down beside him... Thanks, ole fellow...Buffy smiled at him...He returning the slightest of nods...Xander moving over to Buffy, a smile likewise for Dawny's dependable ole guardian... Poor kid, he sighed to himself, eyeing the happily prattling Dawn...Thank God I grew a brain, he eyed Anya, now carrying a sleeping Alex to the car... A poetic resouled vampire...And a fuzzy Harvey of a demon...he thought, shaking his head slightly...Only my sweet Summers sisters could have love lives like this... "All set..." Anya tapped him... "Lets go...(Make whoopee...her voice dropping to a whisper)..." Only my sweet sisters...And me...And...He grinned at Fred, Willow, and Cordelia, now chatting their preliminary goodbyes...A few dear friends...he thought... Wise us...To see beyond the traditional relationship... *** Will and Angel having safely returned to a nervous, if half-dozing Buffy, seconded in her vigil by her first-born son and paternal namesake, a hour after the guests had departed...The Summers- Walthrop home was at last quiet, except for one pacing inhabitant... Whose own first-born, male...Found her at 4:30 am preparing to head out... Just in case the Sister needed a little back-up as she got pooped towards shift end...And in case the pride made an attempt to move in in the last predawn hours, Willow noted to her Abe... "Ok if I come?..." he eyed her...Blinking as he wavered a bit in the living room... Yeah...Sure...Willow nodded...Somewhat eager for company, actually...And not just in terms of keeping awake on the ride over... Just didn't like her being all alone over there...she noted as they got in the car...A quick cell phone call having confirmed that the Sister was in fact quite well and unbothered... "I understand, Mum..." Abe grinned wanly at her...A gentle pat as they pulled out...Willow halting the car abruptly...And sobbing on the wheel... "I love your Dad...I love him...You know that..." she sobbed...As he patted her... "He knows that, Mum..." he hugged her... "He knows..." ***