Hi, I feel the need to post a warning here before I post the next part of this story.
I had this written and ready to post a week ago. Then the terrorist bombs went off in London. I couldn't in good conscience post it then. But after serious consideration, and consulting with friends, I have decided to post part 8 in it's full and unaltered form.
It is not my intention to cause offence, or to hurt anyones feelings, but the general consensus among my friends is that to alter a story because of the actions of a few psychopathic individuals, would be to hand them a victory, a small one, but a victory nonetheless. That is one thing I could never do. These people cannot be allowed to win, and I refuse to allow them to. I hope no one on here was directly affected by last Thursdays' events, and if you were, you have my deepest and most heartfelt sympathies.


Bad Tidings part 8.


“Uhm, Willow. I don’t think the spell worked the way it should have.” Buffy said, as she looked into Kennedy’s eyes and saw Angel’s soul glowing out from behind them.

“But it should have been Kennedy’s soul that took her body back, not Angel’s. Sorry Buffy, but I wanted my girlfriend back.”

“Woulda, shoulda, coulda.” The voice came from behind them. Willow and Buffy both spun around to Cordelia standing in the doorway. “You couldn’t put Kennedy’s soul back, because she had already crossed.”

“Crossed what? Crossed where.” Willows frantic tone was tinged with an anger Buffy had only heard once before in Willow. It was a tone she never wanted to hear in her friends voice ever again.

“She has left the mortal world, she’s, and I suppose you could say, gone to heaven. You’re spell can only w**k on souls that are trapped on the mortal plane. Thus, we have Angel back. Kinda.” Cordelia’s matter of fact, almost flippant tone made Willow angry.

“Well bring her back. You can bring her back. Right now.” Buffy rushed to stand between her two friends.

“Will, your roots are a little black there, calm down. OK?” Buffy looked earnestly into Willow’s eyes as she spoke. She could see her friend calm slightly at even the mention of the ‘Dark Willow’ phase. Buffy turned to Cordelia, “So what’s going on Cordy? You seem to know a helluva lot for someone who used to be the biggest airhead, drama queen at school.”

“I was never an airhead!” Cordelia retorted angrily. After a few more seconds, she calmed slightly, “Was I really a drama queen? Yeah, I suppose you’re right, I was. Sorry.” She did actually look penitent. “I only know what I’m told. I’m kind of an agent for the ‘Powers that Be’ now, and they let me know things. Kennedy has left the mortal plane of existence. She can’t be called back now. Well, She could. I suppose. You’ve done it before, with Buffy. That turned out OK I suppose. But for that spell to w**k her body would have to be, oh how do I put this. Erm, vacated?” At this, all eyes in the room turned to Kennedy’s body now sitting up in the bed. Angel, looking at them quizzically.

“So, what do we do now?” He asked.

“Well, first step is to get your body back, get your soul back into it. Then call Kennedy back from heaven to inhabit her body, then all will be well with the world.” Buffy spoke the list as matter of fact as she could.

“And don’t forget we have to beat the big bad Pain thing that’s coming!” Cordelia added, a slight smile on her face.

“Are we missing anything out?” Willow asked, “I mean, is there another apocalypse coming and we’ve missed it?” Willow, despite her sadness had picked up on the humour of her friends and giggled slightly. “One more thing Buff. Would you get jealous if I gave my girlfriend a kiss?”

“Nah, would you get jealous if I gave Angel a kiss?” Everyone smiled, with the exception of Angel.

“I’ve never been a woman before.” At that comment, laughter erupted around the room. A deeper laugh came from the doorway. They all turned to see Spike standing there.

“You know, I didn’t think you could beat the time you turned into a puppet. But I was wrong. This is just beautiful.” He laughed again as he looked at Angel in Kennedy’s body. Angel sprang from the bed and flew at Spike, instantly angered. Kennedy’s face had contorted into the nightmarish visage of a vampire. Angel landed the first and only blow of the confrontation. His punch sent Spike flying backwards and through the wall opposite the door.

“Wow. I’ve never been that strong before.” Angel said.

“You’ve never been inside the body of a vampire slayer who’s been vamped.” Buffy noticed Spike picking himself up from the rubble of the wall, he was ready to strike back, so she stepped in front of Angel stopping Spike’s attack in it’s tracks.

“Everyone in here needs some rest. We’ll meet up in the library at 9am. That ok with everyone?” Buffy looked around, no one was in the mood to argue anymore. The fight was over. Spike stalked away, down the hall, still sniggering to himself. Angel returned to his bed. Willow, now that the humour had died down, was sitting on the chair, staring off into space. Cordelia followed Spike out of the room and along the corridor to the room she had been given when she arrived. Buffy stayed. She pulled a chair into the middle of the room directly between the two beds occupied by her sister, and her lover. Everyone needed rest, but she knew that she would get none.

6am.

The doorbell rang. Buffy was immediately on guard, no one was due to arrive, she relaxed only slightly when she realised that the sun had risen some time ago, it couldn’t be Angelus again, not that he would ever use the doorbell anyway. She heard the door being answered, and the clipped English tones of Chow-An speaking. She couldn’t hear who she was speaking to, but when she heard laughter, she knew it couldn’t be anything hostile.

A few moments later, Chow-An appeared at the door of the sickbay, “Buffy, are you wakened?” She asked in a hushed tone. Buffy looked over at one of the youngest “active” slayers and nodded. “You have a visitor, old friend he says. Demon I think, says name is Clem?” She still looked uncertain, but then she noticed Buffy’s smile and the tense look on her face faded slightly. Buffy liked Chow-An. Her parents had taught her martial arts for as long as she had been able to stand. She could probably outfight Faith if she had to.

Buffy quickly walked to the Main lounge, where Chow-An had ordered Clem to stay. Clem already had company when she arrived. “So where you been hiding Clem?” Xander asked as she walked into the room.

“Oh, here and there. I was in Fort Lauderdale for a while, but the weather didn’t suit me, I mean, do I look like my skin needs to be dehydrated any more than it already is?” Clem and Xander both laughed, Buffy smiled as well when Clem spotted her, his face lit up even more. “Buffster.” He stood and hugged her as she got close enough.

“It’s good to see you Clem. Spike is upstairs in his room right now.” Buffy started.

“Oh, I’m not here to see him, I came to see you.” Clem answered earnestly. “Wait a minute? Did you say Spike? Isn’t he like, well, you know, dead?”

Buffy smiled again, “Yeah, but he got better apparently.” Buffy’s eyes rolled slightly as she spoke. “Seems no one around here can stay dead for long. So what brings you all the way up here?”

“Well, I’ve got a message to give you. It’s from the Immortal.” Buffy was immediately all business.

“What’s the message?”

“He says, it is as you predicted. This thing that’s coming, isn’t just taking out the good guys, it’s gunning for the demons too. He says that he is personally bringing his forces to join with yours in the coming fight.” Buffy nodded. The late night phone call from her London hotel room had been money and time well spent. “And I bumped into another old friend in Washington too.” Clem added, “Seems Angel is on his way to see you as well.”

“You saw Angel in Washington?” Buffy was on her haunches looking intently at Clem.

“Yeah, he’s a nice guy. He got me dinner and everything, and then gave me directions right to your door. I guess he’ll be along later, with the sun being up and all.”

“He’s already been here Clem. It wasn’t Angel you spoke to, it was Angelus.” Clem was obviously horrified.

“But he was so nice, like Angel always is. Like I said, he got me dinner, two Siamese. OK, they tasted a bit funny, but I haven’t eaten in like a day.”

“Tasted funny how?” Xander asked

“Kinda metallic, you know? Coppery. Here..” Clem opened his mouth, his real mouth and regurgitated the form of two kittens, “Only digested them a bit.” The bits of mottled skin and fur that remained were falling about on the table. Buffy could see something metallic inside the kittens. She looked closer, and heard a faint beeping. She jumped to her feet and grabbed Clem and Xander and ran from the room.

At the top of her voice she shouted as she ran. “Bomb! Everyone take cover!” The explosions came mere seconds after her shout of alarm. The shockwaves knocked her off her feet, as she, Xander and Clem flew against what was left of the staircase. The world spun for a moment, and then all was dark. Buffy could hear voices screaming in pain and fear, but unconsciousness took her quickly and she could help no one, not even herself.

:o :cry: oh the kitties :lol: love the little touches

very good :thumbsup: this is great :yahoo:

This is great, Jamie. Looking forward to the next installment :thumbsup:

Fantastic Jamie :thumbsup:

Clem - I love Clem! :thumbsup: Although I'm trying not to imagine what his "real mouth" and regurgitated kittens looks like :x

LOL @ Spike's reaction to Angel's soul in Kennedy's body. Can't wait for the next installment :D

We all saw Clem's "Real" Mouth in S7 of Buffy. I can't remember which episode, but it was the one where Buffy took the potentials to Willy's bar and introduced them to Clem. He then proceeded to scare the sh*t out of the potentials by peeling his face back to reveal big teeth and an even bigger mouth. :lmao:

I'm glad you're enjoying it, part 9 will be up shortly, and trust me, it has quite a few WTF moments in it :whistling:

that would be the episode "potential" :)

excellent ... can't wait to read the next chapter

Thanks PG, I knew someone would know the ep title :D

Again, I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Great stuff Jamie! :thumbsup:

Ah, in Willy's bar in Potential - I remember now! I'd totally forgot about that :blush: :lol: