maryperk73703 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
maryperk73703) wrote2016-08-29 09:19 am
maryperk73703) wrote2016-08-29 09:19 am
Never Be the Same Again 2, Deaf to Fear
Queller Demon, someone is gonna get married, and healing.
Chapter 11, Deaf to Fear
Sweet glanced around his devastated kingdom. There would be Hell to pay when he found that bitch imposter!
Bitch poser!
Bitch!
No bride had ever made a fool of Sweet before, and no bride ever would again. After he got his revenge on Glorificus (that bitch), he would rule alone forever.
Brides were way too much trouble. Grooms were so much easier. With an evil chuckle, Sweet sparked his magic. His features turned feminine, and his breasts swelled to a shapely size while his penis shrank down.
“Hmmm,” Sweet hummed, rubbing her hands down her body with a happy sigh. With a snap of her fingers, she was dressed in a beautiful gown. “Perfect.”
Now to find the perfect, malleable groom to do Sweet’s bidding.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Joyce looked at Dawn, who was eating the green Jell-O from the hospital lunch tray. “You guys, I know this creamed spinach is pretty delicious, but I promise I won’t be offended if you go out for some real food.” She turned to Reggie. “Please, take the girls out for some real food before I call for back up.”
“You kidding me? This is the good life. Relaxing in bed while people bring you food on trays.” Buffy snorted.
Joyce blushed, and she ducked her head. “I don’t need to be in the hospital for that to happen.”
“Reggie, have you been treating our mother like a queen again?” Dawn asked with a giggle.
“Of course,” Reggie said in a regal voice. “That is my entire purpose for living.”
Dawn leaned in to whisper loudly to Joyce. “You better marry this one, Mom, before someone else realizes what a catch he is.”
The doctor strolled into the room.
“Dr. Kriegel, you have news?” Reggie asked.
“Good news at that. The blood work is back from the lab, and everything is a go for surgery the day after tomorrow at ten in the morning,” Dr. Kriegel said. “How does that sound to you?”
“Sounds good.” Joyce glanced at Reggie.
Dr Kriegel nodded. “I’ll pencil you in.”
“The only thing is, I don’t think I can stand to stay here another two days just waiting,” Joyce replied.
“Waiting?” Buffy snorted. “Give me a break. We’ve got tons to do.”
Dawn giggled. “We have soap operas to watch and trashy magazines to read.”
“Yeah, and an adjustable bed to fiddle with. That alone will keep me busy for four hours or so.” Buffy grinned at her mom.
“You two don’t need to stay here with Joyce,” Reggie reassured the two young women. “Buffy, I know you need to ... ”
Buffy waved her hand at Reggie, knowing that the man was talking about patrolling. “Spike and Lawson have it covered.”
“I’d rather go home,” Joyce said. “No offense to the kitchen staff, but I really need some real food.”
Reggie laid his hand on Joyce’s arm. “Why don’t Dawn and I go out to get some take away?” He glanced at the doctor. “If that’s all right with you?”
“As long as it’s nothing too spicy.”
“Sandwiches from Pascel’s,” Buffy said. “He’s got a new club sandwich there with turkey and cranberry sauce that is … “ She rolled her eyes in delight and gave a small moan. “One of the best things I’ve ever eaten.”
“That would be fine, except I want one too.” Dr Kriegel dug a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet. “Pascel makes a Stromboli that I just can’t get enough of, but my wife hates.”
“What’s on it?” Dawn asked.
“It’s called the Sacred Second Stromboli and it has anchovies, pineapple, cheese, and basil sauce.”
“Oh, that sounds good,” Dawn exclaimed. “I think I want one of those.”
Joyce shook her head. “I just want some of the Cheesy Broccoli soup in a bread bowl.”
“Let me write this down.” Reggie pulled a pen and small notebook from his pocket. “A turkey-cranberry club, two Stromboli, and a cheesy broccoli soup in a bowl. Guess I’ll figure out what I want when we arrive there.”
“The best thing about Pascel’s is having him decide for you the first time you go,” the doctor informed Reggie. “He’s never wrong.”
With that said, Dawn and Reggie left the hospital room with their mission in mind. They strolled down the hallway towards the elevator, chatting about nothing in particular.
A man in hospital robes bumped into Reggie. The orderly behind the man quickly pulled him back.
“Excuse me,” Reggie said.
“Careful, the facts say a-a picnic is in order,” the man said.
“Sorry about that, sir. He escaped the ward he was on,” the orderly said.
The man looked straight at Dawn. “What is that thing?”
Dawn stepped back with a frightened look on her face.
“There’s-there’s no data. There’s no picture on this one there.” The man was clearly agitated now. “What is the data? There’s no one in there.”
Reggie put his arm around Dawn. “Come along, my dear. Let the orderly get this poor man back where he belongs.”
“Okay,” Dawn said in a shaky voice.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Willow lay between Oz and Tara. All three were staring up at the stars. “I love the stars,” she said. “When I was little I used to love to look at them. I know they’re supposed to make you feel all insignificant, but they made me feel like I was in space. Like I was part of the stars.”
“That’s beautiful,” Tara whispered.
Willow pointed up at the stars. “There’s Canis Minor and that one is Cassiopeia.”
“I like that name,” Oz replied. “Let’s name our first girl Cassiopeia.”
Willow and Tara smiled at each other. “We like it too,” Willow said.
This time it was Tara who pointed up at the stars. “That’s the big pineapple.”
“I’m not sure I remember that one,” Willow giggled.
“Momma didn’t know the official names,” Tara replied. “We’d lay out under the stars just like this, and we’d make up constellation names.”
Willow laced her fingers through Oz’s fingers and laid her head on Tara’s shoulder. “Teach me.”
Before Tara could speak, Oz rolled over to gaze at the two women. “Marry me.”
Both girls had giant grins on their faces while they nodded. Oz kissed Willow first, and then, he kissed Tara. The two girls kissed each other before they turned back to the stars.
A shooting star shot across the sky, getting larger the closer it came to Earth. The three lovers leapt to their feet.
“A huge flaming meteor is about to crash into something,” Willow said aloud and across the clan bond.
In the distance, the meteor exploded on impact, causing the night sky to light up.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
After Dawn and Reggie left on their mission to get lunch, Joyce turned to Buffy with a serious look on her face. “That Dawn, she’s not mine, is she?”
Buffy stared at her mother for a few minutes before she shook her head. “No. Yes. No. Dang it, she is, but not in the way you’re thinking.”
“She belongs to us.”
“Yeah, she does.” Buffy did jazzy hands. “Mazel Tov, it’s a girl grandbaby for you.”
“Buffy?” Joyce asked in a confused tone. “She’s yours?”
“Mine and Spike’s,” Buffy answered. She sat down on the edge of the bed. “I know it’s confusing. I mean, she’s eighteen, not a baby or something. She was made from Spike and me. She’s our baby.”
Joyce took Buffy’s hand. “Who made her?”
“Remember the monk?” Buffy waited until Joyce nodded. “They made her to hide something very important. She doesn’t know.”
“You need to tell her. She needs to know how precious she is to us.” Joyce nodded. “You can’t keep her in the dark or she’ll be hurt. Promise me that you will tell her.”
Buffy nodded. “I will. I just wish I could heal you.”
Anya slipped in from the bathroom. “All you had to do is ask.”
“Have you been hiding in the bathroom?” Joyce asked, peering into the bathroom.
“No,” Anya answered with a laugh. “Buffy said the ‘W’ word.” She rubbed her hands together. “Wish granted.”
Nothing happened.
“Nothing happened,” Buffy said.
Anya shrugged. “Try healing your mom. You ‘healed’ Drac. Do the same thing with Joyce.”
“Okay.” Buffy changed into her Sultana guise with the iridescent green eyes and fangs. She tried to remember what she had done with Dracula. After a few moments, she lifted her hands in the air. She uttered one lone word, and a bright light emanated from her entire body.
The light passed through both Joyce and Anya, but in a distinct opposite of Dracula’s painful reaction, the two women sighed with happiness.
“I feel so much better.” Joyce leaned back against her pillows. “Now how do we convince the doctor to give me another MRI?”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Oz led Spike, Lawson, Brian, and Graham through the woods towards where he and his fiancées had seen the meteor land. Graham carried a flashlight since he was the only non-supernatural person in the group.
Oz gave Spike a sly look. “I suspect you heard the news.”
“I did.”
Brian gave Oz a curious look. “What news?”
“I asked my girls to marry me,” Oz replied. He blocked the clan link to everyone except Spike. “I know we didn’t sell off all the Amara treasure. I was wondering if I could get a look-see for rings.”
Spike nodded. “No problem. We’ll set up a date to look.”
“Soon, I want to give them the rings for Christmas.” Oz unblocked the link.
“It’s just up ahead,” Graham announced. He waved his flashlight in the direction of an eerie glow.
Riley stumbled out of the woods. While he adjusted his collar, the three vampires and werewolf wrinkled their noses.
“What are you doing out here, Finn?” Graham asked. He was feeling less and less inclined towards the ex-soldier.
“Nothing. None of your business.” Riley stiffened his backbone, and he marched off the same way he’d come.
Graham shook his head. “He’s been weirder than usual. I think between the whole thing with Dracula and the splitting, he’s having some real issues.”
“He smells like a vamp whorehouse,” Spike said.
Graham frowned. “When he was split in two I found one of them at a vamp flophouse getting sucked on. I didn’t realize that he was still going even though we merged him together.”
“We’ll need to address that soon,” Lawson replied. “His obsession with Buffy would be worse if he was a vampire. He might get the idea that because she’s with you, chief, any old vampire would do.”
“I could see that,” Spike replied.
The men approached the meteorite landing spot. There was a long trench in the ground leading to the space rock. They followed it until they got to the end. Graham shined his light on the meteorite which was still smoking.
“Is it hot?” Brian asked.
Spike jumped down into the trench to touch the rock. “Not really. It’s a little warm, I suppose.” He leaned over to examine it. “It’s broken open and looks hollow.”
Brian looked around. “Great. I always hated alien invading earth because of meteor movies when I was a kid.” He glanced around nervously.
“Everyone have a weapon? Just in case,” Graham asked while he unholstered his pistol.
Lawson pulled his Walther P38 out of his pocket. “I have mine.”
“You still have that old thing?” Spike asked.
“I love this old thing,” Lawson said. “If I keep it in good shape, in a few hundred years I’ll sell it for a fortune.”
“Let’s split up.” Graham looked around at the dark woods. “I’ll take Brian and Oz. Spike, you go with Lawson.”
Each group of men went in a separate direction. It was Spike and Lawson that stumbled across the dead body.
Lawson knelt beside the dead man. “I don’t see any marks on him.”
“I know him,” Spike said after a few moments. “He’s the security guard where Buffy and I found that sphere. He was at the hospital. He’d escaped the loony floor.”
Lawson leaned closer. “There’s slime in his mouth.” His nostrils flared, and he lean back. “Dang, that smells nasty.”
Spike took a sniff. He spun around to peer into the dark woods. “It went that way.” The two vampires took off in the direction of the terrible smell. They’d walked a few hundred yards when they heard a rustling in the trees followed by a loud moan.
“You think that’s Finn,” Lawson asked.
“One way to find out.”
Spike and Lawson followed the sounds. They found Riley flat on his back with a hideous creature atop of him attempting to spit in his mouth. The ex-soldier couldn’t get any purchase on the monster’s slick skin.
Lawson raised his gun and emptied it into the creature. It fell over to the side, making a horrendous screeching noise. Spike quickly snapped the monster’s neck. Oz and Brian came crashing out of the undergrowth followed by the slower Graham.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Reggie and Dawn came into the hospital room to find Buffy, Joyce, and Anya giggling like schoolgirls looking at naughty pictures.
“Huh. I wondered why Pascel insisted we take an extra sandwich,” Dawn said. She set her bags down on the bedside table.
Reggie carried two gallons of tea; one peach and one vanilla chai. Dawn handed him a stack of cups, and he started pouring drinks for everyone.
“So, what kind of sandwich did I get?” Anya asked. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “Pascel is really good at predicting people’s moods.”
Dawn handed Anya a wrapped up sandwich. “He said you were craving a Jimmy Carter Oinker.”
“Oh, my favorite,” Anya exclaimed. “Peanut butter and bacon. Delish.” She took a glass of vanilla chai tea from Reggie.
Dawn took out a container of soup, which she poured into a bread bowl, and handed to Reggie.
Joyce allowed Reggie to set up her soup and drink on the table tray. “You’re looking much better, Joyce,” he said. “The roses are coming back into your cheeks.”
“After we eat,” Joyce replied with a blush. She just couldn’t get over the compliments that Reggie seemed to give her on a daily basis. “What kind of sandwich did you end up with?”
“Not a sandwich, a soup.” Reggie poured his own soup into the bread bowl. He leaned over to give it a sniff. “It smells just like grandmother made when I was a little boy.”
The group settled down, and they started to eat their meal. There was a bit of small talk while they discussed what the other clan members were doing at the moment including Spike and Lawson’s monster hunt. Although, there wasn’t much detail as they were eating.
Reggie wiped his mouth. “So, Joyce, why are you looking so much better?”
Joyce glanced at Buffy who glanced at Anya. With a sheepish look on her face, Buffy said, “I used the ‘W’ word, and Anya gave me a new power to heal.”
“Really? You healed Mommy?” Dawn asked in a small, childish voice.
“I did.” Buffy nodded. With Joyce’s encouraging look, Buffy turned to Anya. “Could you guard the door and make sure there are no eavesdroppers?” I’m going to tell Dawn about being the Key and everything. she sent silently to Anya.
“Sure thing,” Anya replied. She took her glass with her as she stepped outside the hospital room.
“There’s more?” Reggie asked. “About Joyce?”
Buffy shook her head. “No, this is about Dawn.” Then, the Sultana proceeded to tell Dawn everything.
End note: No, Sweet isn't going to end up with Riley or Angel. I have plans for both of them. Besides, I don't think Dru would be too happy if Sweet stole her Daddy.
Chapter 11, Deaf to Fear
Sweet glanced around his devastated kingdom. There would be Hell to pay when he found that bitch imposter!
Bitch poser!
Bitch!
No bride had ever made a fool of Sweet before, and no bride ever would again. After he got his revenge on Glorificus (that bitch), he would rule alone forever.
Brides were way too much trouble. Grooms were so much easier. With an evil chuckle, Sweet sparked his magic. His features turned feminine, and his breasts swelled to a shapely size while his penis shrank down.
“Hmmm,” Sweet hummed, rubbing her hands down her body with a happy sigh. With a snap of her fingers, she was dressed in a beautiful gown. “Perfect.”
Now to find the perfect, malleable groom to do Sweet’s bidding.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Joyce looked at Dawn, who was eating the green Jell-O from the hospital lunch tray. “You guys, I know this creamed spinach is pretty delicious, but I promise I won’t be offended if you go out for some real food.” She turned to Reggie. “Please, take the girls out for some real food before I call for back up.”
“You kidding me? This is the good life. Relaxing in bed while people bring you food on trays.” Buffy snorted.
Joyce blushed, and she ducked her head. “I don’t need to be in the hospital for that to happen.”
“Reggie, have you been treating our mother like a queen again?” Dawn asked with a giggle.
“Of course,” Reggie said in a regal voice. “That is my entire purpose for living.”
Dawn leaned in to whisper loudly to Joyce. “You better marry this one, Mom, before someone else realizes what a catch he is.”
The doctor strolled into the room.
“Dr. Kriegel, you have news?” Reggie asked.
“Good news at that. The blood work is back from the lab, and everything is a go for surgery the day after tomorrow at ten in the morning,” Dr. Kriegel said. “How does that sound to you?”
“Sounds good.” Joyce glanced at Reggie.
Dr Kriegel nodded. “I’ll pencil you in.”
“The only thing is, I don’t think I can stand to stay here another two days just waiting,” Joyce replied.
“Waiting?” Buffy snorted. “Give me a break. We’ve got tons to do.”
Dawn giggled. “We have soap operas to watch and trashy magazines to read.”
“Yeah, and an adjustable bed to fiddle with. That alone will keep me busy for four hours or so.” Buffy grinned at her mom.
“You two don’t need to stay here with Joyce,” Reggie reassured the two young women. “Buffy, I know you need to ... ”
Buffy waved her hand at Reggie, knowing that the man was talking about patrolling. “Spike and Lawson have it covered.”
“I’d rather go home,” Joyce said. “No offense to the kitchen staff, but I really need some real food.”
Reggie laid his hand on Joyce’s arm. “Why don’t Dawn and I go out to get some take away?” He glanced at the doctor. “If that’s all right with you?”
“As long as it’s nothing too spicy.”
“Sandwiches from Pascel’s,” Buffy said. “He’s got a new club sandwich there with turkey and cranberry sauce that is … “ She rolled her eyes in delight and gave a small moan. “One of the best things I’ve ever eaten.”
“That would be fine, except I want one too.” Dr Kriegel dug a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet. “Pascel makes a Stromboli that I just can’t get enough of, but my wife hates.”
“What’s on it?” Dawn asked.
“It’s called the Sacred Second Stromboli and it has anchovies, pineapple, cheese, and basil sauce.”
“Oh, that sounds good,” Dawn exclaimed. “I think I want one of those.”
Joyce shook her head. “I just want some of the Cheesy Broccoli soup in a bread bowl.”
“Let me write this down.” Reggie pulled a pen and small notebook from his pocket. “A turkey-cranberry club, two Stromboli, and a cheesy broccoli soup in a bowl. Guess I’ll figure out what I want when we arrive there.”
“The best thing about Pascel’s is having him decide for you the first time you go,” the doctor informed Reggie. “He’s never wrong.”
With that said, Dawn and Reggie left the hospital room with their mission in mind. They strolled down the hallway towards the elevator, chatting about nothing in particular.
A man in hospital robes bumped into Reggie. The orderly behind the man quickly pulled him back.
“Excuse me,” Reggie said.
“Careful, the facts say a-a picnic is in order,” the man said.
“Sorry about that, sir. He escaped the ward he was on,” the orderly said.
The man looked straight at Dawn. “What is that thing?”
Dawn stepped back with a frightened look on her face.
“There’s-there’s no data. There’s no picture on this one there.” The man was clearly agitated now. “What is the data? There’s no one in there.”
Reggie put his arm around Dawn. “Come along, my dear. Let the orderly get this poor man back where he belongs.”
“Okay,” Dawn said in a shaky voice.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Willow lay between Oz and Tara. All three were staring up at the stars. “I love the stars,” she said. “When I was little I used to love to look at them. I know they’re supposed to make you feel all insignificant, but they made me feel like I was in space. Like I was part of the stars.”
“That’s beautiful,” Tara whispered.
Willow pointed up at the stars. “There’s Canis Minor and that one is Cassiopeia.”
“I like that name,” Oz replied. “Let’s name our first girl Cassiopeia.”
Willow and Tara smiled at each other. “We like it too,” Willow said.
This time it was Tara who pointed up at the stars. “That’s the big pineapple.”
“I’m not sure I remember that one,” Willow giggled.
“Momma didn’t know the official names,” Tara replied. “We’d lay out under the stars just like this, and we’d make up constellation names.”
Willow laced her fingers through Oz’s fingers and laid her head on Tara’s shoulder. “Teach me.”
Before Tara could speak, Oz rolled over to gaze at the two women. “Marry me.”
Both girls had giant grins on their faces while they nodded. Oz kissed Willow first, and then, he kissed Tara. The two girls kissed each other before they turned back to the stars.
A shooting star shot across the sky, getting larger the closer it came to Earth. The three lovers leapt to their feet.
“A huge flaming meteor is about to crash into something,” Willow said aloud and across the clan bond.
In the distance, the meteor exploded on impact, causing the night sky to light up.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
After Dawn and Reggie left on their mission to get lunch, Joyce turned to Buffy with a serious look on her face. “That Dawn, she’s not mine, is she?”
Buffy stared at her mother for a few minutes before she shook her head. “No. Yes. No. Dang it, she is, but not in the way you’re thinking.”
“She belongs to us.”
“Yeah, she does.” Buffy did jazzy hands. “Mazel Tov, it’s a girl grandbaby for you.”
“Buffy?” Joyce asked in a confused tone. “She’s yours?”
“Mine and Spike’s,” Buffy answered. She sat down on the edge of the bed. “I know it’s confusing. I mean, she’s eighteen, not a baby or something. She was made from Spike and me. She’s our baby.”
Joyce took Buffy’s hand. “Who made her?”
“Remember the monk?” Buffy waited until Joyce nodded. “They made her to hide something very important. She doesn’t know.”
“You need to tell her. She needs to know how precious she is to us.” Joyce nodded. “You can’t keep her in the dark or she’ll be hurt. Promise me that you will tell her.”
Buffy nodded. “I will. I just wish I could heal you.”
Anya slipped in from the bathroom. “All you had to do is ask.”
“Have you been hiding in the bathroom?” Joyce asked, peering into the bathroom.
“No,” Anya answered with a laugh. “Buffy said the ‘W’ word.” She rubbed her hands together. “Wish granted.”
Nothing happened.
“Nothing happened,” Buffy said.
Anya shrugged. “Try healing your mom. You ‘healed’ Drac. Do the same thing with Joyce.”
“Okay.” Buffy changed into her Sultana guise with the iridescent green eyes and fangs. She tried to remember what she had done with Dracula. After a few moments, she lifted her hands in the air. She uttered one lone word, and a bright light emanated from her entire body.
The light passed through both Joyce and Anya, but in a distinct opposite of Dracula’s painful reaction, the two women sighed with happiness.
“I feel so much better.” Joyce leaned back against her pillows. “Now how do we convince the doctor to give me another MRI?”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Oz led Spike, Lawson, Brian, and Graham through the woods towards where he and his fiancées had seen the meteor land. Graham carried a flashlight since he was the only non-supernatural person in the group.
Oz gave Spike a sly look. “I suspect you heard the news.”
“I did.”
Brian gave Oz a curious look. “What news?”
“I asked my girls to marry me,” Oz replied. He blocked the clan link to everyone except Spike. “I know we didn’t sell off all the Amara treasure. I was wondering if I could get a look-see for rings.”
Spike nodded. “No problem. We’ll set up a date to look.”
“Soon, I want to give them the rings for Christmas.” Oz unblocked the link.
“It’s just up ahead,” Graham announced. He waved his flashlight in the direction of an eerie glow.
Riley stumbled out of the woods. While he adjusted his collar, the three vampires and werewolf wrinkled their noses.
“What are you doing out here, Finn?” Graham asked. He was feeling less and less inclined towards the ex-soldier.
“Nothing. None of your business.” Riley stiffened his backbone, and he marched off the same way he’d come.
Graham shook his head. “He’s been weirder than usual. I think between the whole thing with Dracula and the splitting, he’s having some real issues.”
“He smells like a vamp whorehouse,” Spike said.
Graham frowned. “When he was split in two I found one of them at a vamp flophouse getting sucked on. I didn’t realize that he was still going even though we merged him together.”
“We’ll need to address that soon,” Lawson replied. “His obsession with Buffy would be worse if he was a vampire. He might get the idea that because she’s with you, chief, any old vampire would do.”
“I could see that,” Spike replied.
The men approached the meteorite landing spot. There was a long trench in the ground leading to the space rock. They followed it until they got to the end. Graham shined his light on the meteorite which was still smoking.
“Is it hot?” Brian asked.
Spike jumped down into the trench to touch the rock. “Not really. It’s a little warm, I suppose.” He leaned over to examine it. “It’s broken open and looks hollow.”
Brian looked around. “Great. I always hated alien invading earth because of meteor movies when I was a kid.” He glanced around nervously.
“Everyone have a weapon? Just in case,” Graham asked while he unholstered his pistol.
Lawson pulled his Walther P38 out of his pocket. “I have mine.”
“You still have that old thing?” Spike asked.
“I love this old thing,” Lawson said. “If I keep it in good shape, in a few hundred years I’ll sell it for a fortune.”
“Let’s split up.” Graham looked around at the dark woods. “I’ll take Brian and Oz. Spike, you go with Lawson.”
Each group of men went in a separate direction. It was Spike and Lawson that stumbled across the dead body.
Lawson knelt beside the dead man. “I don’t see any marks on him.”
“I know him,” Spike said after a few moments. “He’s the security guard where Buffy and I found that sphere. He was at the hospital. He’d escaped the loony floor.”
Lawson leaned closer. “There’s slime in his mouth.” His nostrils flared, and he lean back. “Dang, that smells nasty.”
Spike took a sniff. He spun around to peer into the dark woods. “It went that way.” The two vampires took off in the direction of the terrible smell. They’d walked a few hundred yards when they heard a rustling in the trees followed by a loud moan.
“You think that’s Finn,” Lawson asked.
“One way to find out.”
Spike and Lawson followed the sounds. They found Riley flat on his back with a hideous creature atop of him attempting to spit in his mouth. The ex-soldier couldn’t get any purchase on the monster’s slick skin.
Lawson raised his gun and emptied it into the creature. It fell over to the side, making a horrendous screeching noise. Spike quickly snapped the monster’s neck. Oz and Brian came crashing out of the undergrowth followed by the slower Graham.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Reggie and Dawn came into the hospital room to find Buffy, Joyce, and Anya giggling like schoolgirls looking at naughty pictures.
“Huh. I wondered why Pascel insisted we take an extra sandwich,” Dawn said. She set her bags down on the bedside table.
Reggie carried two gallons of tea; one peach and one vanilla chai. Dawn handed him a stack of cups, and he started pouring drinks for everyone.
“So, what kind of sandwich did I get?” Anya asked. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “Pascel is really good at predicting people’s moods.”
Dawn handed Anya a wrapped up sandwich. “He said you were craving a Jimmy Carter Oinker.”
“Oh, my favorite,” Anya exclaimed. “Peanut butter and bacon. Delish.” She took a glass of vanilla chai tea from Reggie.
Dawn took out a container of soup, which she poured into a bread bowl, and handed to Reggie.
Joyce allowed Reggie to set up her soup and drink on the table tray. “You’re looking much better, Joyce,” he said. “The roses are coming back into your cheeks.”
“After we eat,” Joyce replied with a blush. She just couldn’t get over the compliments that Reggie seemed to give her on a daily basis. “What kind of sandwich did you end up with?”
“Not a sandwich, a soup.” Reggie poured his own soup into the bread bowl. He leaned over to give it a sniff. “It smells just like grandmother made when I was a little boy.”
The group settled down, and they started to eat their meal. There was a bit of small talk while they discussed what the other clan members were doing at the moment including Spike and Lawson’s monster hunt. Although, there wasn’t much detail as they were eating.
Reggie wiped his mouth. “So, Joyce, why are you looking so much better?”
Joyce glanced at Buffy who glanced at Anya. With a sheepish look on her face, Buffy said, “I used the ‘W’ word, and Anya gave me a new power to heal.”
“Really? You healed Mommy?” Dawn asked in a small, childish voice.
“I did.” Buffy nodded. With Joyce’s encouraging look, Buffy turned to Anya. “Could you guard the door and make sure there are no eavesdroppers?” I’m going to tell Dawn about being the Key and everything. she sent silently to Anya.
“Sure thing,” Anya replied. She took her glass with her as she stepped outside the hospital room.
“There’s more?” Reggie asked. “About Joyce?”
Buffy shook her head. “No, this is about Dawn.” Then, the Sultana proceeded to tell Dawn everything.
End note: No, Sweet isn't going to end up with Riley or Angel. I have plans for both of them. Besides, I don't think Dru would be too happy if Sweet stole her Daddy.