Subject: [OTL]: (Buffy/X-folks) Summerswind Book 2 Chapter 1/24 (PG-13) Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 20:49:21 -0800 (PST) From: Phil Hartman will1@earthling.net Summerswind Book 2 Chapter 1 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Characters belong to their creators/owners. Etc. -------------------------------------------------------- 1/2/2003: 07:00 hrs EST: -------------------------------------------------------- BZZRT - CRUNCH. "Hmm ... ?" Buffy Summers asked, stirring dazedly from her blankets. She arched a blonde eyebrow at the ruins of her alarm clock, then at her mother. Jean Grey-Summers was smiling wryly from the doorway, her smile shifting to a warmer tone as she walked in and sat on the edge of Buffy's bed. "As far as Sunnydale High knows, you're suffering from a particularly bad flu bug," Jean insisted, holding a hand to her middle child's forehead. "Hank thinks you need another day, and I'm inclined to agree." "Mom ! That's another day that Angelus is running loose," Buffy whined. The 14-year-old sighed, laying back in bed, and reluctantly accepted the toast and orange juice Jean had brought her. #This isn't fair. I save the world from a crazy Master vampire, and my boyfriend gets freed from the vampire possessing his body, but I get bedrest because of a little bloodloss,# Buffy thought, pouting. "A 'little' ? Buffy, you lost nearly all of your blood when the Master bit you ! You're recuperating incredibly well, but give it some time, OK ?" Jean said, exasperation in her tone. "Just as long as you STOP mentally eavesdropping," Buffy huffed. Jean smiled, muttering something about "as bad a patient as your father," before she left the Slayer to continue to rest. The Slayer. #The young woman chosen once a generation by ... fate, maybe ... to manifest butt-kicking strength, durability, mental shields and reflexes to fight vampires, demons, etc.,# Buffy thought. #How about increased blood production ? And WHO'S been patrolling the streets of Salem Center and Sunnydale ...?# -------------------------------------------------------- He still couldn't help but instinctively flinch at the warmth. #I'm not combusting,# Angel reminded himself, smiling as he walked down Salem Center's main street in the morning sunlight. #And there's no horrible cravings for -# "One Egg MacSandwich, please ?" Angel asked the girl behind the counter as he ducked into the MacCow's restaurant he'd been heading for. #Not blood. No blood ever again. I've dreamed of this day for ... forever,# the Irish "youth" thought, smiling again as he paid for his sandwich. He headed for a booth, looking around at the mostly elderly crowd around him, and began to eat. "Looks good," Angel heard, prompting him to look up. "Mr. Summers," Angel said, nodding. Scott Summers - Buffy's father, and the X-Man known as Cyclops - sat across from Angel, setting down a cup of coffee. "First ... I appreciate you assisting Giles in patrolling these last few nights. And I appreciate you helping to bring Buffy home alive after her battle with the Master," Scott began. Angel could sense the "but" coming, and interjected, "Sir, I will NOT do anything to Buffy that is in any way inappropriate. I do love her, very much, but she's still a girl. I want to prove to you and Mrs. Summers that I'm not some monster." "The fact you're not spontaneously combusting proved that," Scott said in a deadpan tone. Angel blinked, surprised at the joke, but listened as Scott continued. "Seriously ... Buffy's tough, Angel. But that hides a deep heart and a brilliant mind. She's strived to be Rachel's equal her entire life, trying to prove herself even when she's never had to. Until she learned she was the Slayer, Buffy thought she was 'only' human. In a mutant family, that's hard to deal with, even today. And seeing her lying half-dead in bed these past few days ... I'm a little overprotective, even for a Summers, but I will NOT let anyone harm my daughter. Even unintentionally," Scott concluded. Angel locked eyes - as best he could, since Scott was wearing his ruby quartz glasses - with Cyclops, and said, "Mr. Summers, I swear, I will do everything in my power to keep Buffy safe. But her calling isn't one that guarantees anything but uncertainty." Scott grunted. "Neither does mine. I'd just sort of hoped that Buffy would be able to escape that kind of craziness," Cyclops mumbled. -------------------------------------------------------- Someone with red hair was screaming, SCREAMING - "Cordy !?" Cordelia Chase snapped back to the present, nearly jumping out of her seat in first period as her boyfriend shook her shoulder. "Cordelia, Xander - my name is Cordelia," the brunette girl huffed. Xander Harris rolled his eyes from the seat across from his precognitive love, but he continued to look at her. "Another angelic visitation ?" Xander sighed. Cordelia just nodded. Ever since she'd learned that her precognition had been a "gift" by Uriel, the actual angel of death, while he had hidden in her soul from demonic hunters, she had been afflicted with disturbing visions of impending doom. "A red-headed woman - or girl, I'm not sure - was screaming," Cordelia whispered. Xander blanched, his eyes following Cordelia's gaze to where their mutual friends were sitting across the room, holding hands. Willow Rosenberg - the red-haired girl, and the resident Wiccan sorceress of the so-called "Scooby Gang" who assisted Buffy in battling evil - caught Xander and Cordelia's gazes, and waved back with a smile. Willow's red-headed boyfriend, Daniel "Oz" Osborn - full-time rock guitarist, occasional werewolf and the chosen "Scooby" of the team - nodded, and led Willow over to seats near Cordelia and Xander. "Glad to see you're no longer scarfing down Kibbles and Bites, Oz," Xander chuckled. "The full moon is gone for another month, Xander. But you're looking a little haunted," Oz asked, raising an eyebrow. "N-not really haunted, right, Oz ? I'd sense a ghost here," Willow said softly, concern filling her features. "We're more worried about you, Willow," Cordelia began, an unusual note of sympathy filling her voice. The bell rang, cutting off their discussion, while Willow gulped. #I hope Angelus isn't looking for any of us ....# she thought, shivering. Willow had been the one responsible for splitting Angel's soul free of his vampire-demon-possessed body. The exorcism spell had become unstable, however, and manifested a new body for Angel - allowing him to walk under the sun as a true human again. It also had released Angelus as a true vampire, unrestrained by the moral agonies of a soul within his undead flesh. #What if he blames ME for freeing him ? Worse, what if he hurts innocent people ?# Willow feared. #Giles is right - magic isn't something to mess with ...# -------------------------------------------------------- "You've lost the accent." "It was ridiculous. Besides, I do appreciate the American credo - liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ..." "Life is part of that." "For US ? Darla, Darla, Darla ..." "So. Who's first ?" "Leave the little witch alone. She's actually to be thanked ... so we let her live longer. No, the Slayer is the one I want to get at first. And that wretched Angel ... oh. Wait. What about the Watcher ?" "He's a danger." "Indeed ... but I know his weak point. He has a girlfriend ... who happens to be the Slayer's 'aunt,' in a rather odd sense ..." -------------------------------------------------------- #You pathetic, ignorant little vampire trash.# Madelyne Pryor - Jean Grey-Summers' younger, nastier clone - laughed darkly as she finished her telepathic eavesdropping of Angelus and his wicked girlfriend. #If they only knew that I'd found them,# Madelyne thought, crossing her leather-pants-clad legs and sitting on a stump in the forest surrounding Salem Center. #I'd charge in right away ... if this was the past. And I AM trying to atone ...# The psionically-powered mutant clone shook her head at the memories. She'd been created by Mister Sinister, an old enemy of the Summers clan, to seduce Scott Summers and create an all-powerful mutant child. But the plan had backfired when Jean had returned from the "dead" shortly after the destruction of the Phoenix Entity's physical manifestation as Jean. That had been 15 years earlier ... #And Jean ended up producing Rachel and Buffy, and later Nathan,# Madelyne remembered, smiling weakly. #I look 33, and I have the memories of my 42-year-old 'source.' But the kids like me, Jean forgave me, and Scott and I never got anywhere ...# "And I have an English boyfriend to go rat you nasty little vamp losers out to," Madelyne laughed, standing and flying off. -------------------------------------------------------- Another set of eyes watched Madelyne flying away, through binoculars. "I could take her," the Native American man whispered into his comlink. "Not yet. I want to make sure that the Watcher poses a minimal threat. And there is the matter of Pryor's proximity to the X-Men. Vengeance can wait," the voice on the other end said in an upper-class cadence. "Understood. I'll maintain observation, and report back," Scalphunter said, cutting the link. "Maddy, Maddy, Maddy ... you shouldn't've run off," the field leader of the Marauders chuckled evilly. "Sinister wants you home ..." -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: Madelyne becomes a target ... and Giles isn't gonna take it ANYMORE ... --------------------------------------------------------