The Kitten, the Witches and the Bad Wardrobe - Willow & Tara Forever

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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8g: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 11:17 am 
Huh, is it bad, that I didn't actually mind the lack of W/T'ness in this update? No, I don't think so, just happy to see this story updated, I don't really post, but I've followed it like a fiend. And Sarah interests me, in a dark, sick, twisted and disturbing kind of way, you know? Can't say I blame you for stress making her that much easier to write, it was great reading too. Can't wait to see what happens to her, *gasp* is that concern I'm detecting in myself? Concern for a sadistic vampire? No, no of course not, just interested to see where you're going with the story! More soon I hope! Can't wait for more W/T lovin' and of course J/D too. Although Puff's got a good question, will Sarah be chipped? Hmmm, there I go again wondering about Sarah. I'd say a good healthy dose of our two favorite girls should help my mind get back on track! Hope you get a chance to update soon. If not, whenever's good, kittens know how to be patient! :kitty



Ciao! :wave



Eyes

"Love's bitch?"Spike asked softly, leaning in so only Willow would hear his words, a small smile turning the corners of his mouth"Woman enough to admit it," Willow agreed with a nod and a sad half-smile"-Answering Darkness,by Sassette



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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8g: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 1:56 pm 
Welcome back, Mel.



The use of Shakespeare (Olivia and Violet) together with Sarah's flashbacks to her adventurous past in Victorian England was a stoke of genius.



Sarah is truly the most complex vampire character I've read. She maintains almost all of her human predator traits. Add the strength, stamina and lack of soul and the package is formidable. So, she likes the hunt but prefers her female "toys", as she calls her psychological victims. (I've known humans who might have taken lessons from Sarah) Her escape was thwarted, but Sarah won't stay in lockup for long. She must move into society and torture Dani some more.But Jo and the Scoobies will be waiting.



Wonderful as always, Mel. Thank you.


More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly. Woody Allen (1935 - )



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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8g: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 2:14 pm 
Well - Sarah is a nasty piece of work - and that's why I like her. I really admire that you didn't shy away from her evilness. She's not one of those tortured souls who does bad but can be reformed. There's a purity to her character. A purity of evil that is.



And the references to London were spot on. Great televeision and a curry after a night out on the town. Its a way of life.



And including shakespeare as well! I feel all cultured now. If you're not careful I might start reading those things with words and pictures. :read Preferably pictures.



Welcome back.



Edited because I seem to have forgotten the english language. "who do bad" "purety" - what the hell!

"Oh! I know this one: "Slaying entails certain sacrifices... blah blah bity blah. I'm so stuffy, give me a scone."

"It's as if you know me." -- Buffy and Giles

Edited by: MadeinNZ at: 8/18/03 1:16 pm


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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8g: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 3:27 pm 
Sorry to hear your working so hard. Hopefully that means you'll also have a loooong holliday/vacation eventually ? :bounce



Bowman should be shot, or vamped (heh). Plain and simple, she has put other people in danger TWICE now; No alarm and not killing an escaping HST/vamp. I have no idea why she does that and I don't really care, she puts people in danger. Besides which, in such situations alarm is always triggered (comparing it to a standard prison hostage situation)... I don't like people like Bowman who clearly think they're too smart to follow procedure (arrogance is that word I was looking for here), gets people killed for sure. Enough rambling about that.... you'll get the point :D .



I don't really see the Initiative itself as a threat (or bad) either, just the part that created Adam. A SWAT team getting rid of vampires ain't too bad, provided they get writers fiat to do effeciently of course :-) Naturelly on a show about a lone vampire slayer there will be no properly working SWAT team which deals with vampires more efficiently.. :-) (behold one of my grudges with season4, it did give us Willow and Tara though)



Now if I were in charge of taking a vampire out of it's cell I would for sure sedate it again (injection gun) and watch the arrow go in. Speaking of going in.... could miss Bowman kindly show me the CCTV recording of Sarah actually eating from the prepared package (as opposed to sniffing it) ?? And of course every person Sarah kills hereafter can be blamed on Bowman too.... oh wait I promised to stop rambling about her :D . To be fair she got a shitty assignment from her even worse supervisor, does'nt excuse her behaviour.



It was interesting to see that Sarah thinks kills get notice yet leaving victims behind alive doesn't. No idea where she got that idea, it seems counter-intuitive. Her description of her pre-vamp childhood was nice to read but it doesn't make me feel different about Sarah the Vampire. Even if, the way she told about using 'toys' doesn't leave much room for sympathy if she were to be staked :-)



Sarah is an interesting vampire, but still a vampire all the same. And vampires must be killed. Thats the main problem the initiative created they captured way more creatures than they needed for study and then tried to contain them as opposed to staking/killing them. Hmm.. wonder what they made those cells of so the demons couldn't get out... must be some mighty strong stuff.



[edited to fix some stupid spelling mistakes]



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

Edited by: Grimlock72 at: 9/1/03 1:51 am


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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8g: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 7:24 pm 
Well, you did it again. Thank you for your consistantly good writting, it's always a pleasure to read.

:peace Pax! -Bev



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 Post subject: da story
PostPosted: Tue Aug 26, 2003 5:42 pm 
Very very awesome, this has taken up... oh, about the last week of my life outside of work and all the other wonderful stories I've been reading. I'm glad to finally have caught up.



Oh, and this is my first post

:flirt :flirt :flirt :flirt :flirt



Woo, and may I say Hoo :wink



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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8i: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2003 11:56 pm 
PHeww!

I finally caught up. It took days to get through and my 2 kitty boys think I've gone insane staring at the screen every evening completely ignoring them, but was so worth it!



I love the way you write Willow and Tara. Your insight into Tara's hidden pain is perfect. In a way Willow is as blind as Buffy. Jo and Dani see it. Maybe Willow is still too closeted to open her eyes wide enough.

Jo and Dani's characters add great depth to the story too. Their contrast to Willow and Tara is great. Dani's scars are on the outside, Tara's are hidden but just as devistating. Willow's dislike of Jo is great to, they are both coming to grips with who they are. At the moment Jo is handling a lot better than Willow.



Evil vampire Sarah is a much better villan than Adam. Much more personal. She is a lot like Angelus hmmm, I wonder if we will find out who sired her...



You've done a great job with Anya as well. I appreciate her much more here than I did watching the show. The fact that she can read W&T better than the rest of the Scoobies is excellent. And it's nice that she hasn't given away their secret.



I hope everything with you and yours stays OK. Thanks so much for continuing to write this.



I can hardly for the next installment.



-fg



Edited by: FunGirl at: 9/1/03 1:55 pm


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 Post subject: Update pleaseeeee
PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2003 2:27 am 
Come on Update Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee I'll be your best buddie?:pray :p ray



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 Post subject: Re: Update pleaseeeee
PostPosted: Sun Sep 28, 2003 1:07 am 
Ooooh, me too! Me too!!! Bestest! (Don't make me get down on my knees.....'cuz I will) :p



"Love's bitch?"Spike asked softly, leaning in so only Willow would hear his words, a small smile turning the corners of his mouth"Woman enough to admit it," Willow agreed with a nod and a sad half-smile"-Answering Darkness,by Sassette



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 Post subject: Re: Update pleaseeeee
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2003 12:23 pm 
Absolutely fantastic :clap



Must have more! Please, please, please update



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 Post subject: Re: Update pleaseeeee
PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2003 11:13 am 
hey, i know i joined in late... i usually don't post much... i got the link from another site and am keeping my fingers crossed for an update! this story is SO good!! :bow :applause

*NEEDS* an update!

Edited by: Warduke at: 3/15/04 9:40 am


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 Post subject: Re: Update pleaseeeee
PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2003 2:57 pm 
:cry :cry



awwww, I saw this on the front page and my eyes lit up and I got all happy



And, ummm it wasn't.



:sob :sob



I can wait (I know it'll be worth it), but umm could we have a little bite soon?:bow Please.



Hope all is well and wish you lots of free time soon.



Anna :wave

Thank you Amber and Alyson!!



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 Post subject: Re: Update pleaseeeee
PostPosted: Fri Jan 09, 2004 8:37 pm 
Hey Mel,



Sorry kittens if I made you think this was an update.



I was just wondering if everything was okay? :paranoid Hadn't heard from you in a while and I'm missing this story terribly!



Is there any chance you might update soon? :pray Please?? :pray



Your loyal fan,



Jen


||My Fan Fiction and More!|| ||My Yahoo Group||
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"We wants it, we needs it. Must have the Precious. They stole it from us. Sneaky little hobbitses. Wicked, tricksy, false!" ~ Gollum, "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"



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 Post subject: Re: Update pleaseeeee
PostPosted: Sun Jan 11, 2004 9:35 pm 
Adding my two cents to Jen's:

I too hope your ok Mel, come back soon, yes? Even a little eentsy, bitty update would be appreciated muchly.... ppplllleeeaassseeee!!!:pray



And yes Jen, you made my heart stop & my eyes light up when I thought there was an update. But s'kay, I'd been meaning to search through the board so I could save this fic in my favorites to re-read, thanx muchly for saving me the trouble.



:wave

eyes

"Words are sweet whisperings. Sentences are foreplay. Paragraphs are incarnations of carnal desires and fiction is the grand climax." ~ Sway Slayer



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 Post subject: Re: Update pleaseeeee
PostPosted: Sun Jan 11, 2004 9:46 pm 
You're welcome, sweetie. :kiss



Jen


||My Fan Fiction and More!|| ||My Yahoo Group||
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"We wants it, we needs it. Must have the Precious. They stole it from us. Sneaky little hobbitses. Wicked, tricksy, false!" ~ Gollum, "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"



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 Post subject: Re: Update pleaseeeee
PostPosted: Tue Jan 13, 2004 9:16 pm 
Hey, I'm right there with you guys! I just caught on to this fic and have spent most of last week, weekend and this week catching up with The River In Me and The Edge. I'm so addicted, can't hardly sleep, don't need sleep, need more updates!!



Oh yeah, did anyone else think that there was more than "Ayala flowing through the river in them" besides me? Getting a wonderful visual now thanks to Mel. Thanks for all the other visuals, very beautifully written.



Wimpy



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 Post subject: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8i: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 1:26 pm 
Hey Kittens



Okay – my lack of writing time has gone from annoying to ridiculous to … well, I actually don’t have an appropriate word. It sucks, though. I feel like I’ve been swallowed up by the Initiative, and in a way I have been. Work was overwhelming this fall. And then that lovely period of retail hell known as the Christmas season kept me from much writing. My other bit of news is kitty-cat news. We are now a two-kitty family; Maggie passed away on New Year’s Day. She was 14. We still have our cancer survivor MacBeth and our younger cat, the Morrigan. Thank you all for being patient and for all of your kind wishes.



Puff

Hey Puff –I’ve loved Twelfth Night since I was chosen in a high school lit class to read the part of Viola. It’s always made me wonder what the teacher was thinking…. As for Sarah, she IS twisted. She is not likeable, nor really intended to be likeable. I’ve wanted her to be a character akin to Hannibal Lector in “Silence of the Lambs”; one of those evil characters that you really don’t like, but you can’t stop watching. As a vampire she should resonate like Drusilla without the madness and Angelus without the ego. Hopefully, I’ve succeeded. Thanks again.



EyesLie

Hey Eyes – I do intend to fix that lack of attention to our favorite girls. They’ll be back center stage, never fear, after I tie off a few loose ends. I am glad you’ve been following the story. And I see that I’ve achieved my goal with you, re: Sarah. Happy Dance, Happy Dance. And getting on your knees and begging isn’t really necessary. BTW, I love the archives for Completed Fics. That should make those easy to find. Thanks for reading.



TemperedCynic

Hey Mike – I’m glad you liked the interweaving of Shakespeare with Sarah’s past. That was kind of fun to do. At some point I was discussing vampires with another Kitten writer (DarkMagickWillow) and we both felt that the BTVS vamps were a bit, well, under-developed and stupid. They have to be that way for the mythology of a vampire slayer to work, otherwise Buffy is dead meat. My favorite vamp is Darla – I just love that scene at the Bronze, of her blazing away with the guns. I’d like to think that Sarah isn’t stupid, but I confess she does share one deficiency with Ethan Rayne (one of my favorite BTVS villains). She should have just gotten out of town post-hasty – but I’m the writer, and I’m not quite ready for that … yet. Thanks.



MadeinNZ

Hey Nicky – No, Sarah isn’t a tortured vamp like Angel or a lovelorn one like Spike. She’s much more fun being nasty and evil. Both Angel/Liam and Spike/William had a few positive character traits, chiefly that they knew right from wrong (and cared, to some extent, though not much in Liam’s case) and they could feel remorse. Sarah, on the other hand, was a ‘nasty piece of work’ even when she was human. Female sociopaths are rare, but she’s what you’d get if you vamped one – pure evil. Thanks for reading.



Grimlock72

Hey Grimmy. Sometimes it seems that I live to work, but I did get a bit of a surprise vacation this past week. Who knew that at 10 years with my company they added a 4th week of vac? I didn’t, and found out I had to take it before the end of January. As for Bowman and company, well, they make a lot of bad decisions. Unfortunately, that’s how they’re conceptualized by the show’s writers. I apologize, but since “Edge” is mostly a canon fic, I do have to work within that framework. From all your comments, I can see the Bowman character has struck a nerve. Irritating, isn’t she? Don’t worry about a retcon of Sarah’s character. Her background is there simply to distinguish her from the vamps we’ve known in the past. Much of the BTVS mythology doesn’t make sense when you examine it closely. Consider Sunnydale: a town that size, located on a Hellmouth, with that number of vamps (and other demons) in residence, should have zero population pretty quickly. But humans and demons coexist there more or less peacefully. Peacefully that is unless you become something’s dinner, then you get the authorities entering the picture with “explanations”: gangs on PCP and neck trauma. Expand that worldview internationally and then toss a Sarah into that environment and who is going believe her victims? And if they are believed, who is going to get involved? Thanks again.



singgirl

Hey Bev – I’m glad you enjoyed the latest update. Thanks again.



grrrgirl32

Hey there. Thank you for making your first post here – kind of makes my day, and oh,yes, thanks for reading.



FunGirl

Hey FunGirl – Hugs to your kitty boys for being patient while you read. You are correct about Willow’s blindness, although I feel that she does sense something amiss. She just can’t see it. One of the fun things about writing is watching something grow and then getting surprised when it grows in a somewhat unexpected direction. Jo originally had just one purpose: to be available and sufficiently knowledgeable about matters to find Tara and get her out of the closet after the monster’s attack. But in fulfilling that purpose she developed from a Riley-esque cardboard character to someone with wants and needs of her own. That in turn resulted in a relationship with Dani that somewhat parallels Willow’s and Tara’s, and which I can use to further develop the main characters. And yes, Jo is much more comfortable with the changes than Willow is. But then, Jo is generally much more comfortable being Jo than Willow is being Willow. Thanks.



KinKness

Hey Ray – Update is coming. I promise. Thanks.



droidy

Ooooh, a new Kitten. I’m glad you enjoyed the fic so far. Thanks.



lil fled

And another new poster. Thanks for the great comments. Thanks again.



HOPE REIGNS

Hey Anna. And when I post my thanks, I’ll be disappointing you again. Sorry about that. Maybe I should post these right before the beginning of the update. Yeah, I think I will. Thanks for reading.



Jennpurr

Hi Jen, sweetie. Look what you did. You made the Kittens update antsy…. I’m sorry that I’ve been out of touch, but unfortunately time has been scarce. Thanks for your patience and concern.





wimpy0729

Hey Wimpy. Hee, hee. Welcome. Yes, the visuals can be wonderful. We have Aly and Amber to thank for that. Thanks.



******************



I brought marshmallows!



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 Post subject: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8j: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 1:33 pm 
Hey Kittens :kitty :kitty :kitty



Here it is...the long awaited update. What can I say about it?

Um, it's nice and long and it's not too scary and it sets up the next major bit of canon: Where The Wild Things Are.



Rating is PG13-R with a um, cliff-hanger at the end that made my partner and beta say I'm evil. :p



Have fun, Melissa



****



As alarms sounded McNamara reversed course and broke into a rapid ground-eating trot. His right hand unsnapped the flap that secured his gun and he drew it. What actual use it might be was not clear, but presumably the hostile, whatever it might be, would take notice when the hollow points penetrated its body. Besides, he felt better with it in his hand. His other hand located the shock rod slung from his belt. Good.



Now if he could only find his way through this damned warren …..



****



The strange bleating noise didn’t stop when she slapped the alarm clock with her hand. This one didn’t shatter like the one in high school, but the warmth she’d been curled around rolled away from her. That did more to stir her than the noise.



“Wh ---nnh? She tried to focus.



“It’s okay, Buffy. I’m needed downstairs.” Riley paused for just a moment and bent over her, kissing her on the cheek. “You sleep.”



She watched blearily as he pulled on his pants, shrugged into a t-shirt, and jerked on his boots. As Riley opened the door, she pulled a pillow over her head. The alarm was incredibly annoying; the door’s click as he left would have been lost in it for anyone without Slayer hearing.



It was also incessant. She threw off the pillow and covers. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she listened for the other occupants of Lowell House. There were no running feet, no one was pounding down the stairs to the elevator. Whatever was happening in the lowest sub-basements couldn’t be too serious … or else she’d slept through the mass exodus.



She ran a hand through her tousled hair and smiled..



Riley was so sweet, telling her to sleep. He was a wonderful boyfriend. But sleep, with that alarm going, was going to be impossible even for her. She scrubbed her eyes with her fists and checked the clock she’d so recently abused. Oops. Her slap might not have caused it to disintegrate, but it had cracked the plastic case.



Early evening.



She sighed. She supposed she could do a quick patrol around campus. Just in case whatever was causing the alarm below got loose or any vamps were getting early takeout. With a wrinkled nose she pulled on her clothes and shoes. She hated wearing dirty clothes. Maybe she should copy Willow’s habit of leaving a change of clothes for her long spell sessions with Tara, and leave something here.



After all, Riley wasn’t Parker Abrams. She had absolutely no doubts about him; he wouldn’t mind her leaving some clothes in his room. He was a 100% pain-free boyfriend. She scratched a note and left it on the pillow. She pulled his door closed; her hand still on the door knob, she giggled. She hadn’t seen Riley pull on any underwear. Her commando was going commando.



Smiling, Buffy skipped down the stairs, out into the cold night air and into blessed silence. She raised her eyebrows as she looked back at Lowell House. None of that infernal noise was leaking.



Interesting.



****



She raised herself on one elbow. With a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, she gazed down at her lover’s broad back. He was still a little flushed, glowing pink in the light of the many candles. Her lover, in her bed, with her – all was right with the world.



It didn’t really matter that he’d fallen asleep. Not really. If she let him rest for a few hours, she could have more orgasms later that night.



But right now she wanted to talk. She chewed on her lower lip and frowned. If she woke him now, after only a catnap, she could talk – but he’d not recover sufficiently for the night she had planned. She reached out a nail to traced his spine down from his neck to his nice, firm buttocks.



But didn’t actually touch him.



Resolutely, Anya sat up and tugged the satin sheet up over Xander’s feet and legs. There. He wouldn’t chill and she could still look at him.



She slid her feet into brocade slippers and settled a silk robe around her shoulders. Scooping up her phone, she sat at her dressing table. She did a quick check; the angle was perfect – she didn’t even have to lean. She kicked off the slippers and, curling her toes into the soft sheepskin rug, she punched a number on the pad and listened as the long series of tones beeped back at her.



Her eyes caressing Xander’s nakedness in the way that her fingers itched to, she listened as the connection was made. One ring, two, then …. She started to speak, but it was just an answering machine. She sighed as she hung up the phone. Maybe it was for the best that Hallie was out, but she still wanted to talk.



Pursing her lips, she lifted the receiver once again and punched in three numbers.



****



Sarah’s body ached – the multiple electric shocks had caused her muscles to spasm uncontrollably – and it still tingled with pins and needles throughout. It was no fun lying here listening to booted feet run at her. The noise of running soldiers and the bleating alarm kept triggering her fight/flight mechanism, and fear and anger kept threatening to bring the demon to the fore. And she would NOT show the demon. For her ploy to work she needed to keep her mask on, to convince them that she, human-faced, was just a small, helpless woman, to make them forget that she had strength enough to lift a tall, muscular young man. Maybe she should cry a little? She could do that. A little bit of drool, too – or would that be too much?



But it seemed that pretending to be helpless and being helpless were two totally different propositions. The one she did on a fairly regular basis. The other was much more difficult and she’d never been very good at it. Having to do both at the same time was giving her a migraine.



Decisions, decisions.



It was just so damn frustrating. She couldn’t move much yet, and she didn’t want to waste even an ounce of her hidden recovery by moving her head. That damn alarm was no help to her either; it was effectively disguising all but the loudest sounds. And why were the scientists shuffling into a little circle?



“Who pulled the alarm?” The voice was a mere hiss. His feet and legs entered her view.



Oh, it figured that he would walk softly, didn’t it? She might as well forget the tears.



Bowman, her hero-of-the-moment, answered him. “I don’t know ….”



“Well, someone turn it off!” Dr. Sharp snapped. Two steps and he was looking down at her. Not glaring, just looking, and Sarah felt the hairs on the back of her neck lift. “Someone’s been a bad, bad girl, haven’t they?”



Oh, happy happy, joy joy.



****



His nose wrinkled in distaste as he hesitated outside. As a human he would never have been caught dead in a place as low class as Willie’s. So what if Willie’s was neutral ground? So what if it was a place to grab a quick meal when the pickings were slim or the Slayer was actively hunting? Willie’s just wasn’t a place he wanted to be seen in, and until a few weeks ago that had been that. But the Boss needed this done and he was the highest ranking of the minions, so this emissary thing was his job. It wasn’t his choice, but he’d just have to deal.



Besides, this should be his last trip here. The thing was picking up a momentum of its own.



Jape shrugged in resignation and pulled the door open. Warmer air enveloped him, air scented with bad alcohol, smoke, and things he didn’t want to know anything about. He strolled over to the bar and slid the thick envelope across the wooden surface.



Willie casually picked it up and pocketed it. With a nod to his one employee, he headed around the edge of the bar and out the door.



The vampire gave his own nod to the demon who’d replaced the owner and turned around. Resting his elbows on the bar’s edge, Jape surveyed the room. It was full – past full, actually – standing room only. He absently noted that every demon present had a drink. Trust Willie not to miss a trick. In fact he’d probably charged admission ….



He let the vampire rise, his face morphing as all eyes turned toward him.



“I am Jape. You may not know me, but you all know of the one whose words I bear. I am happy to bring you Adam’s words. These days will go down in history as the time when we win our freedom once more. Now is the time to make real all the things we were promised in the past. The things the Master promised, the things the Mayor promised, they are all within our grasp. Now is the time for us to rise from the desolate valleys of segregation, to place our petty hatreds behind us. Now is the time for us to lift our peoples onto the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time for all demon-kind to cover the earth once more.”



“And why should we believe you, bloodrat?” About half the room’s occupants nodded and pounded on the tables in agreement with the speaker.



Jape bared his teeth. “You don’t have to believe me.” He lifted his arm and pointed at the door to the back room. The figure emerging into the bar’s dim light was larger and more muscular than most of the demons present. “You have to believe him.” His snarl took on a bit of humor as he added, “Or not.”



Adam stepped into the center of the room, his smile as charming as any the deceased mayor had ever worn. He stretched out his arms in an expansive, inclusive gesture. “I have a dream ….”



****

Brrrrrring



“Nnnnnnooooo.” Jo’s voice was low moan of protest, and she buried her head under the covers. But the noise, if intermittent, was persistent. Brrrrrring Her hand ventured out from under the covers and she groped for her alarm. It couldn’t be morning already! Brrrrrring Her fingers found the switch and she fumbled with it. There. It was off.



Brrrrrring But the noise wasn’t.



Why was it so dark in her room? Oh, right. She stuck her head out from under the covers. Brrrrrring Jo eyed the phone on the desk across the room and willed the person to hang up. Brrrrrring Six rings. She snuggled her butt back into Dani’s warm body. Brrrrrring She didn’t have to get out of bed. People usually gave up at eight – or ten – or ….



Brrrrrring She turned over and looked at the other girl. Brrrrrring Who. Was. Still. Sound. Asleep. Brrrrrring Wow. Not even her younger brother was that dedicated a sleeper.



Brrrrrring “I’m not getting out of bed,” she whispered at the phone.



Brrrrrring Apparently the person on the other end of the phone had never heard of the eight-ring rule. Why, oh why hadn’t she turned on the answering machine? Brrrrrring Oh, right – because it was rude to have it on if she was in the room. So what if she was the only one who knew … Brrrrrring… it was still rude. She tried to imagine explaining THAT to Dani. That would be an interesting conversation. Brrrrrring



She glanced at the clock. OK, so 8 o’clock at night wasn’t an unreasonable hour to call. “If you’re a telemarketer ….” Brrrrrring Grimly, she eased her body out from under the covers and padded across the room. Brrr…



“Hello.”



“Were you having orgasms?”



Only the fact that the voice was female kept her from slamming the phone into the cradle. That, and a vague familiarity to the voice, made her ask, “Who is this?”



“Oh, we met this afternoon. This is Anya. So, were you?”



“Was I what?” Jo struggled to keep up.



“Were you having orgasms? Xander and I had some earlier but now he’s asleep and I wanted to talk but we don’t have to if you’re having orgasms right now….” Jo took the phone from her ear and stared at it. She could still hear Anya talking nonstop, her voice tinny and distant. “… I mean I figured that was why it was taking you so long ….” Maybe this was a dream? She pinched herself.



“Ow.” She slowly lifted the receiver back up to her ear. “…. sex surrounded by candles? We have … ” Nope, no dream. And did everyone who knew Willow end up talking like her, nonstop and without breathing? Except she couldn’t really imagine Willow talking about orgasms ….



“No. We were sleeping.” Jo interjected quickly. She hoped the other woman would take the hint.



“Then we can talk!” Anya squealed happily.



Apparently sleeping was the wrong answer. Orgasms was the right one. Next time she’d know. Hold on … next time? Jo frowned. Why should there be a next time? There wouldn’t be a next time if she hung up the phone. Except she couldn’t just hang up on the other woman, not when Anya was apparently having a crisis of some sort. She didn’t sound drunk; maybe she was high?



“Anya, are you hungry?” Jo interrupted again.



“What?”



“Do you have the munchies?” Jo spoke each word clearly and distinctly.



Yes! Does sex make you hungry too?”



Did she have to answer that? “Uhhh ….” Apparently that was sufficient, as Anya babbled on. Jo set the receiver down for a moment, secure in the knowledge that Anya probably wouldn’t miss her if she was quick.



She quickly pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of sweats. A pair of fuzzy moccasins completed her outfit. Putting the receiver back to her ear, she turned her Papasan chair around so that it faced the bed instead of the window and settled in.



At least she could watch Dani sleep while she listened to Anya.



****



Sarah considered her options as the doctor looked down at her. The small number of them wasn’t helping her decision process at all.



She could play dumb: “I don't know. Mesa day startin’ pretty okee-day with a brisky morning munchy, then BOOM! Gettin’ very scared and grabbin’ that Jedi and POW! Mesa here! Mesa gettin’ very very scared!” That contained some little bit of the truth – she was a bit scared – but she didn’t think she had that level of performance in her. Besides, she had hated that damned movie and thought Jar Jar Binks should have been chopped up and fed to George Lucas. Raw.



The problem was that the alternatives were scarcely any better. She could simply answer the doctor’s question: “No. I’m not a bad, bad girl.” But she doubted that anyone in earshot would believe her. Besides she wasn’t just] a bad, bad girl. She was evil, and she felt that was an important distinction.



Or she could ignore the doctor’s question, since it was rhetorical anyway.



That was really the only feasible one, but no good would come from ignoring such an egotist as Dr. Sharp. With someone like him she was going to need a lever – and she severely disliked the potential ramifications of that thought! She suspected that at the very least she was going to be in quite a lot of discomfort shortly, which was nonetheless preferable to the possibility that she might be terminated slowly in several nasty ways. She was going to be treading a very narrow line with knife-sharp edges. One slip and the resulting cut would be permanently fatal.



Her eyes narrowed as she gazed mutely up at the human who would be chief among her tormentors. Name tag. Dr. – ah, his first name was Peter – Sharp treated his one female assistant like dirt. Could he have an axe to grind with women? If so, she was available for him to grind it on. She licked the drugged blood from around her mouth. Waste not, want not. And the drug was every bit as strong as she had suspected. Good. She was going to need every bit of courage, false or not, that she could come by.



Riding the mild buzz from the drug, she sluured, “Dr. Sharp … are you married?”



It was his turn to stare; she waited, but it didn’t take long. “Why, are you going to threaten me?” She fought down a smile. Fool. He shouldn’t have engaged.



“No, doctor.” That nice, polite answer should draw him out.



The words as he spoke were short and clipped, “No, not any longer.” And that was exactly the answer she’d hoped for. Idiot. Now to play him.



“She was a real bitch, wasn’t she? A money-grubbing whore?”



His face flushed at the memory of his ‘dear’ wife. He ignored her queries and snapped at their audience, “Will someone turn off that fucking alarm!”



Sarah smiled sharply. “What did she do? Run off with the pool boy? Or was it with one of your golf partners?”



“Shut up!” He was just too, too easy. She grinned as he stepped nearer.



“Peter, Peter …,” she caroled in a sing-song voice, “Pumpkin eater; had a wife but couldn’t keep her.”



“Shut up, I said.” He loomed over her.



She glanced at her earlier rescuer. “Dr. Bowman, do you know why your boss couldn’t keep his wife?” The sudden recipient of her attention took a step backward as Sharp whirled and glared at her. “Oh, I’ll tell her, Pe-e-eter, you don’t have to worry ….”



Sharp whirled back around as the alarms finally fell silent. She steeled herself. This was probably going to cause her a world of hurt.



“She left because all Pe-e-ter here has is his name. This man has no dick.”



“Shut the fuck up, bitch!” His hand dropped to his shock stick.



It was going to hurt a lot, she guessed, but she forced herself to laugh. “What’s that? A penis substitute, dickless?” And yes, it hurt a lot. He whipped it a second time across her thighs and robbed her of all her recuperation. The third time was her chest.



“What’s going on here?” A new voice, one that was vaguely familiar.



Sarah forced the words out of her aching body, “Dickless, here …..”



The stick came down and stayed down. She tasted blood again – hers, this time – and felt her face morph. It was out of her control now. She hated that, but she’d really had no other choice. The stick traced a line of fiery pain down her body. All she knew was pain and it grew and grew and ….



****



It wasn’t a physical phenomenon, and it didn’t register on any instruments the Initiative had. No one was in Lowell House when the air chilled briefly. In the underground rooms of the Initiative, someone might have noticed a change in the behavior of several of the HSTs, if the scientists hadn’t been distracted by the escape attempt.



One of them, human-like if you discounted the green skin, red eyes, and small horns on its forehead, was more psychically sensitive than the others. He would have described it as the focusing blink of a sleeper – that is, he would have if he was on speaking terms with his captors.



And to think he’d been getting bored waiting for the arrival of the Great Day. Let’s see how the soldier boys handled the non-corporeal, he mused to himself, grinning. At the very least, it promised to be entertaining.



Only he “heard” the soft sigh, “I’m bad, bad ….”





****



Jo’s eyes found the luminescent numbers of her clock. 9:53 pm. She’d been listening for almost two hours now. No wonder her ear was numb. And Anya still showed no signs of winding down. She did seem stable, though – or at least not inconsistent. She had just two topics of interest: Xander and sex.



The sex stuff, well, some of that had been kinda intriguing. She gazed across the room at the still-sleeping Dani. Some of what Anya had described – in excruciating detail – might have possibilities … with alterations, of course.



But Xander!



This afternoon she’d been happy just having a name for one of Willow’s friends. That was all she’d wanted and needed. Now she knew more about Xander and his penis than he probably knew himself, and that was just plain wrong!



There was just one thing about this entire conversation that pleased her – that Anya hadn’t called Tara when she’d decided she needed to talk. Jo shuddered. At least she’d had a passing acquaintance with a penis or two. Two hours of penile conversation inflicted on Tara would probably have resulted in her friend not being able to talk to guys for a month or more.



Jo glanced at the clock again. One more hour. That was all she was willing to give to Willow’s strange friend. That would bring Xander’s nap to three hours – which, if he was as hardy as Anya said, would be more than enough time for full recuperation. And a suggestion at that point that they go and make like bunnies would mean that Anya wouldn’t just turn around and call Tara.



Besides, Dani should also have fully recovered at that point She smiled, pleased with her solution, and relaxed back into her chair.



****



Buffy sat on a low wall shadowed by the nearby building, fingering her stake and idly kicking her heels against the bricks. She’d made two complete circuits of the campus without anything happening. Not anywhere. It was utterly quiet. Whatever had happened in the Lowell House basements was apparently staying there.



She was bored, and beginning to regret her decision to leave Riley’s bed. Pity there was no way short of breaking and entering for her to get back there. Some people might think she lacked common sense, but the thought of burglarizing a military installation made even her pause. Although she might if she had a better reason than crawling back in bed to wait for Riley.



But that just wasn’t good enough.



She sighed and checked her watch. 9:55. Well, she could always go back to her room and study …. As she hopped down, she wrinkled her nose.



“Wow, look at me. I’m a dedicated student. Giles will be so proud.”



But maybe she wouldn’t have to study. Maybe Willow would be willing to talk instead. It would be nice to reconnect – to have a nice long heart-to-heart like they used to.



****

Phfpt!



The noise from the gun was startling in the absence of any others. Sharp jerked the shock stick away from the dart that had suddenly appeared in his victim.



“What the hell do you think you’re doing, soldier?” he snarled.



Lurking unseen at the corner of the intersecting corridors, Col. McNamara held himself ready, just as he had throughout the previous exhibition. He’d often found that you could learn more through covert observation than could be found in any file. And while he’d already learned quite a lot, there was just one more thing he needed to know.



Agent Finn held his ground. “My duty, sir. It was critical that the HST be thoroughly subdued. So I shot it.”



That was it, that was all he needed to hear – Finn’s reasoning.



McNamara strode into the group of soldiers and scientists as Sharp advanced on the young man. The sudden realization of his presence brought the one group to attention and caused the other to scurry to one side or the other.



Finn stood braced, the trank gun held diagonally across his chest. Sharp turned around, not quite casually.



McNamara simply stood there for a long moment, waiting.



“My apologies, Colonel. The negligence of my assoc ….”



The man was a pig. Unfortunately, he was a useful pig. “Stow it, Sharp. I believe we have an appointment. One for which you are already late. You will proceed to my office and await me there.”



The man dithered for a moment, clearly unwilling to allow his colleagues to answer questions in his absence, but finally realized there was nothing he could say or do to prevent it and stalked stiffly down the corridor.



McNamara noted small, vindictive smiles on several of the scientists’ lips, all quickly hidden. God, he hated working with civilians; they were totally unprofessional. Sighing inwardly, he lifted one eyebrow and gestured at the unconscious HST. “I believe that the rest of you have work to do …?”



That was all that was needed; they scurried into action like the pack of rats they were.



He was unsurprised, for the most part, by Hostile 256. That it was dangerous was not news. Neither was its ability to get under Sharp’s skin. Its nonchalance about security was more unexpected. Surely it hadn’t thought it could just waltz out of here? On the other hand, given what he’d already observed here, perhaps it had every right to think so. But that was a question he could postpone. The scientists would leave enough of it for him to interrogate.



Now for his people.



He surveyed them, taking their measure. His eyes fell on Finn. Good men, all of them.



“At ease,” he commanded. The ripple of movement as they complied wasn’t to parade ground standards, but he didn’t expect it and didn’t want it. Parade ground spit and polish was of no use here.



He looked at the tall African-American the HST had grabbed – now a little shorter since he was hunching slightly. “Any permanent damage, Gates?



“No, sir. Just got the wind knocked out of me.”



“Right,” McNamara said with a slow nod. The young man – he searched his memory for a first name … ah, Forrest – still had his forearm pressed against his abdomen. His self-assessment was probably correct, but there was no need to take chances. He nodded again. “Report to medical for evaluation anyway.” Gates opened his mouth, but he cut him off. “No arguments.”



“Yes, sir.” The young soldier replied. He glanced briefly at the unconscious HST, then took himself off.



McNamara checked the lab-rats progress and was pleased to see that they had gotten the HST strapped onto a gurney. So they weren’t quite as useless and ineffective as the past few days’ observations had led him to believe. He just needed to break habits formed under the post’s previous administration. This incident should also go some little way toward correcting the misuse of his men as mere muscle. His command was much more than that.



“Mason, Willis.” They straightened to attention. He waved at the pack of scientists. “You’re security.”



“Sir!” Their voices were an inharmonious duet.



“Miller and Finn, with me. The rest of you are dismissed.” As the corridor quickly became less crowded, McNamara gazed quietly at the two remaining soldiers. They were a type: white, brown-haired, tall, muscular, sturdy – he supposed that girls found them handsome. Neither were Marines, but you couldn’t have everything. They weren’t even from the same branches of the Armed Forces. But in spite of service affiliations, Finn and Miller – along with the now-absent Gates – were not only cronies, they were the premiere team in his command. They’d been forced to accept a substitute – Thompson – while Finn healed from his injury. He strongly suspected that unfamiliarity working with one another in a crisis had played a part in the team’s inadequate performance subduing HST 256.



Then, too, the injured team member was also its nominal leader. Gates just hadn’t owned the team’s trust the way Finn did. McNamara had read the boy’s file. Outstanding intelligence and overall fitness. A natural leader. Exceptionally high scores in all areas. But he’d begun questioning command, and had some – unfortunate – associates.



“Finn….” He let his voice trail off, deliberately putting him on the spot. McNamara thought it more than likely that the former farmboy had been made very uncomfortable by Sharp’s loss of control with the HST. As a late arrival, Finn wouldn’t have known why that was happening or what might have occasioned Sharp’s violence. For all Finn knew it might even have been sanctioned, but he hadn’t hesitated. He might even expect to be chewed out for his actions. That seemed quite likely, since he braced to attention again, but McNamara kept it short.



“That was good initiative on your part.”



“Thank you, sir.” Finn’s eyes lightened in relief.



McNamara turned slightly, letting his eyes fell on the other one. “Miller, I’ll want a report analyzing that incident from beginning to end. You should incorporate Gates’ and Thompson’s POVs as well; all information and opinions are welcome.” He waited through the expected ‘yes, sir’ then continued. “Include any recommendations for procedural changes. We don’t need another incident of this kind. For that, I want you to network with other teams and individuals.” He nodded slightly in Finn’s direction and was pleased to see Miller nod in understanding.



“Dismissed.” He watched them as they headed off. He rather suspected they’d check on Gates at Medical before they did anything else. He sighed in frustrated irritation. Walsh had nearly ruined everything. He couldn’t measure her brilliance as a scientist, he could only review her various projects and the state of the Initiative’s readiness. And so far, he thought it miraculous that there were even any partial successes. Which brought him once again to Finn, that remarkable young man. It was up to him to salvage him.



Now he had an interview to conduct. His lip curled in contempt at the mere thought of the doctor awaiting his displeasure, but he could delay no longer. He had a job to do.



****



Buffy turned the frown she’d been directing at the book to the empty bed across the room. After she’d showered, changed into her pjs, brushed her hair and painted her toenails, she’d tried, she really had. She’d been at work on her biology for almost 20 minutes! That had to count for something, right?



Besides, how critical was it in real life that she know the difference between RNA and DNA? It wasn’t as if she was going to be taking any demons apart to find out what made them tick. Why did it have to be so completely and totally boring? It just wasn’t fair.



She sighed. It was only just after 11; the night was still young, so why was she stuck here? Oh, right. She was in college now. Her shoulders slumped. “I need my Willow,” she said to the empty room. She snatched up the phone and punched in the number.



****



Brrrrrring



Tara sat up slowly, frowning at the clock. Not the alarm. Brrrrrring She slipped out from under the covers and padded across the room. She reached for the phone, but wasn’t quite fast enough to catch it before the third ring. Brrrrrring She turned slightly to check on Willow as she lifted the receiver to her ear, watching her girlfriend roll into the warm space she’d recently occupied.



“H-Hello … oh … hi.” She yawned as quietly as possibly and felt her ears pop. That little bit of extra auditory acuteness let her hear the click of a nearby door as it closed.



The knock on the door was soft and hesitant.



“H-Hold on.” Tara set the phone down gently. She scooped up and donned her robe as Jo – it had to be Jo, didn’t it? – knocked on the door a little more loudly, causing Willow to murmur something about fruit bats into the pillow. Tara grinned – Willow had warned her that she tended to say weird things when she was just waking up. She tied the robe’s sash, unlocked and opened the door; as she’d expected, it was indeed Jo.



“Hey, I’m sorry, I really am, I just didn’t think she’d react like that, I mean, who knew?! I’m just sorry she called you and woke you and all.” In the back of her mind, Tara noted that Jo was starting to sound like Willow; the front part of her mind was still trying to wake up.



“I was only trying to help and she just suddenly freaked ….” Jo babbled on.



“Tara ….?” Willow’s voice from the bed sounded as confused as she felt.



“It’s all right, sweetie. At least, I th-think it is.” Tara answered, gently pulling Jo into the room and closing the door.



“What’s going on?” Willow pulled the covers up to her shoulders and sat up.



“I’m just sorry she phoned and woke you,” Jo apologized.



Tara stopped, Willow’s long t-shirt in her hands. “Why w-w-were you talking to Buffy?”



“Buffy?” Jo asked puzzled



“Buffy’s on the phone?” Willow gestured frantically for the t-shirt, her eyes riveted on the phone. Tara tossed her the shirt, which she grabbed in the air and tugged on.



She darted from the bed as Jo asked again, “Buffy?”, a plaintive note filling her voice.



Once Willow had the phone, she made shushing motions. “Hey, Buff. What’s happening?”



Tara nodded and whispered, “Who d-did you think it was?”



“Anya!” Jo’s whisper was full of anguish.



Willow shushed them again. “No, Buffy. I can’t … in fact, Tara and I just got all the spell ingredients together. We’re going to try this really neat thing, we’re …. Right, I’ll tell you about it tomorrow …. Yeah …. Bye.” She set the phone back in its cradle and turned to face them. “Sorry, Slayer hearing. I thought she’d hear something for sure and we’d be sunk and I am soooo going to hell!” She collapsed into Tara’s chair.



“That was Buffy, not Anya?” Jo asked one more time. “Jews have hell?” she mumbled as she sank onto the edge of the bed.



“Yeah,” Willow answered. “And yeah, we do.” Her brow furrowed. “Why’d you think it was Anya?”



Tara joined Willow, leaning one hip against the chair’s high back. She gently ran her fingers through her lover’s silky hair.



“Because I’ve been talking to her on the phone for the past three hours!” Jo wailed.



“What?!” Willow leaned forward. “Why’d she call you?”



Jo shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea. Does she do drugs or something?”



“No … or not to my knowledge, anyway.” Willow shook her head for emphasis and Tara nodded her agreement. “What did she do that made you think she did dr … wait.” Willow’s eyes grew huge. “She didn’t talk to you about orgasms for three hours ….?”



“Yessss,” Jo hissed, “and Xander and his …” She couldn’t say it, but her red face made it clear.



“Penis?” Tara supplied, and then burst into throaty laughter. At least she was spared that conversation for a while longer, but poor Jo!



“Is she okay? I mean, does she do that normally?” Jo asked, clearly mortified.



“Yes, unfortunately, she does, and yes, she’s as okay as anyone might expect a 1200-year-old ex-demon to be,” Willow grumped.



“Huh?” Jo looked totally bewildered.



Willow sighed and shook her head. “It’s a long story ….”



Tara felt sufficiently recovered to interrupt. “It’s okay, sweetie. M-Maybe you can tell Jo another time.” She turned back to Jo. “Why d-did you think she’d call here?”



“Because she and Willow are friends,” Jo’s eyes were as large as saucers. Apparently either “1200-year-old” or “ex-demon” was finally registering – probably both.



“Us … friends? Nope, not us,” Willow protested, “Not in this universe!”



“But ….”



“Anya is my best friend’s girlfriend, and hard as it is to believe and as much as I hate admitting it, Xander’s done worse. He has really bad luck with girls,” Willow explained. “He has been involved with …,” she ticked them off on her fingers, “a big bug, an Incan mummy, the town bitch, and Faith. Anya is better than any of them, though sometimes not by much.”



“Oh.” Jo struggled to take all this in, and her lips formed the sounds for 1200. She looked at the phone and Tara’s eyes followed hers. “So why did she call me?”



“Sh-Shes’s lonely.” Tara stated. “I just m-met her last week and I’m s-supposed to go shopping w-with her sometime.”



“Tara, you don’t have to!” Willow exclaimed.



“But I w-want to.” Tara said and squeezed her lover’s shoulder. “Jo ….”



“Huh?”



“Wh-Why were you so alarmed?”



Jo rubbed her forehead, “Like I said, I was on the phone with her for three hours, but ….” She swallowed. “I must have said something wrong. She just suddenly swore at me and slammed the phone down.”



“Oh.”



“Okay, I’m curious,” Willow admitted, gesturing helplessly. “I’m sorry, but I am. What could you possibly have said that Anya, of all people, found offensive? I have to know. For future reference, y’know?”



“Well, she was talking about oranges and sex and I noticed that it was elevenish which would be about three hours.” Apparently they both looked confused because Jo explained, “Y’know, how you’re supposed to nap or sleep in increments divisible by three?” She didn’t wait for any nods, “Well, I figured that should be long enough for Xander to have recuperated from, um, earlier. So I interrupted her and said she should wake Xander and that they should make like bunnies. That was when she swore at me and slammed the phone down.”



Willow started to giggle, the giggles grew into chortles.



Tara shrugged helplessly. She couldn’t help Jo with this one. They waited while the other woman regained some control. Finally, she managed to choke out, “Bunnies. Anya’s … afraid of them … for some reason.”



“Oh. Then I guess she p-probably doesn’t have one of those bunny v-v-vibrators,” Tara ventured softly. She smiled at their shocked looks and shrugged. “It was just something s-some women were t-talking about at one of the d-dances.” They both continued to stare at her.



Jo shook herself out of her dumbfounded daze. “Riiiiiight. I should be getting back to Dani now. I’m feeling a definite need for sleep. Sweet dreams.” She stood and walked the few steps to the door.



Tara followed close on her heels and gave her own benediction. “You, too. Dream well, Jo.”



“G’night, Jo,” Willow added from her seat in the chair.



As she stepped into the hall, Jo turned and suddenly grinned at Tara. “You are amazing.”



She just shook her head and closed the door. As she worked the lock, Willow spoke softly from her seat in the chair.



“She’s right, you know. You are amazing.”



With a second shake of her head, Tara turned to her lover and unbelted the robe’s sash, letting the garment slide down to puddle on the floor. She walked serenely over to Willow.



Who continued, “You can deny it all you want, Tara Maclay, but I know the truth.”



Tara settled herself onto Willow’s lap and gently kissed her. Willow’s hands caressed her back and sides. She deposited a series of kisses along her jawbone and nibbled her ear. She felt Willow’s breathing speed up as her lips fluttered over her neck.



She smiled coyly into the green eyes that were riveted on her face. “Would you like to try the chair this time?”



******************



I brought marshmallows!



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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8j: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 2:30 pm 
Oh Mel it is wonderful to see you back although you are very evil with that ending. Tara and her spicy talk is just so much fun, and I love the conversation and just the fact that a phone conversation would take place between Anya and Jo. I need to go back and re-read the last few updates so that I can understand the Initiative bit again as it has been awhile since I have read them. Hopefully it won't be as long in between updates in future. Again great to see you back :)



So, the day started and I knew my name and had my pants on. So far, so good. Yay.
Amber Benson



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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8j: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 2:46 pm 
OHMYGOD! :thud



Mel's back :)



Happy New Year, Mel! :kiss



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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8j: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:33 pm 
So very nice to see you back, Mel. You have been missed.



There is a lot going on here - everyone but Giles, Mrs. Summers and Spike are mentioned. Sarah has become a sympathetic character, yet I wonder how long that will last. And she knows Ren and Stimpy. Which can't be a bad thing. Anya has found another victim, errrrmm friend to chat with in Jo. Funny how Jo believes Tara would be so freaked over the penis convo, yet Tara chuckles. Anya is Anya, and some forces of nature can't be controlled. Riley, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Dani (the last two in "sleeping and looking cute" roles). Yup a lot going on. Can't wait for more.


More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly. Woody Allen (1935 - )



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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8j: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 1:37 am 
Hey Mel! Yay you!! So glad to see you're back. Soo sorry about your kitty. I know that has to be rough. Hang in there. Still loving your story, and yes, you are such an evil kitten, leaving us like that, always wanting more.



Stay strong,

Wimpy





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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8j: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:14 am 
It's back! Interesting chapter so much going on. Of course I'll focus on w/t and I find their moments together where they are just sleeping with each other incredibly sweet. And poor Anya :(

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Hard work often pays off after time but laziness always pays off now!"




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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8j: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 9:30 pm 
That was an awesome update. A lot to remember and a lot to focus on, but it was still an awesome update.



You've just got to love anya. I don't think I could come up with any other person that could talk for 3 hours about orgasms. Wow.



Gotta love the sweet W/T moments. Fruit bats. :)



-Kristyn



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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8j: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:03 pm 


How much do I love this story? ALOT...That was an awesome update and a really cool long one at that. Keep up the great work! And I have to compliment you for the earlier sex scenes, really great stuff!





-Renee-:flower





"The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed." -J. Krishnamurti



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 Post subject: Re: The Edge of Silence - Chap 8j: Be My Blanket
PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 8:05 am 
Okay, you had me worried for a while there about the cliff hanger. I thought it would be unbarable...but, it wasn't that bad. Thanks for the update.

:peace Pax! -Bev



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 Post subject: yum yum yum
PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 11:35 pm 
mmmmmm yummy cliffhanger :drool :drool :drool



This is such a good fic and I cant wait for the next update



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 Post subject: Re: yum yum yum
PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 2:09 am 
Hey Mel, nice to see you back in the saddle again. But it gave me a good excuse to persue through it again... just to refresh my memory of course :p

Quote:
"Would you like to try the chair this time?"


That's just... mean to leave it there. You've got to follow through :)



Thanks.



--celia

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

When innocence is shattered
... madness is inevitable

www.gotlicky.com



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: The Edge of Silence
PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 12:12 pm 
Hello, triscuit



Usually I lurk, not to be unfriendly but because I am not technologically hip, and computers scare me. But I have so enjoyed your story, and am so glad to see you back, that I thought I'd hazard a reply. So, here goes.



Ahem...



:applause , and :clap , and oh, by the way, :thud .



There. That should be sufficient for a first post.



Hope for an update soon, please.



Wendy



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: The Edge of Silence
PostPosted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 3:12 pm 
Hi Mel :wave

I'm so glad to see you back! I love this fic and i missed it

Wow a 3 hours talk with Anya about Xander and his...:stop poor Jo! I wouldn't have been in her shoes :lol

Can't wait to read more...maybe something about a ..."chair"? :D :p

Ciao

_____________________________________________________________



Once you fall for Willow, you stay fallen



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