Well, I've got six minutes left in my birthday(PST),
so just to end the day on the right note, I've
actually finished a chapter in one of my stories!
Enjoy part four of my Pretender crossover, and as
always, check out the previous chapters over at
ikoly.com.
WARNING; Character death in this chapter.
Disclaimers; Joss and Mutant Enemy created the Buffy
stuff for 20th Century Fox. The Pretender is owned
by NBC and TNT right now, to the best of my
knowledge.
Rating; PG-13 to R
Spoilers; This is an Alternate Universe, set just
after "Goodbye Iowa".
Author's note; Rather than bog down the plotline
with a generic subplot about Buffy and Willow
finding themselves and each other, I'm writing them
as already together as the story starts. And Tara's
not in this story. In this universe, she's already
got a girl, she's happy, she and Willow are friends,
let's just leave her alone. 'Kay?
Distribution; Ask first. I've got a big enough ego,
I'm likely to say yes.
Feedback; It's the cherry on the cake of my writing.
JDMeans@xxxxxxx
Summary; He's not a Watcher, but he knows more about
what's going on in Sunnydale than even the Council.
His name is Jarod.
The Centre Cannot Hold
By Kirayoshi
Chapter four
Things Fall Apart
"Bobby's got a gun that he keeps beneath his pillow,
Out on the street your chances are zero!
Take a look around you,
It ain't too complicated;
You're messin' with Murder Incorporated!
Now you check over your shoulder everywhere that you
go,
Walkin' down the street, there's eyes in every
shadow.
You better take a look around you,
That equipment you got is so outdated
You can't compete with Murder Incorporated,
Everywhere you look now there's Murder
Incorporated!"
--Bruce Springsteen and the E Street
Band
"Murder Incorporated"
I am so not looking forward to this, Buffy thought
sullenly as she stared at the hospital building a
few blocks away.
Ever since she was a child, witnessing the gruesome
death of her beloved cousin Celia, Buffy had hated
hospitals. But she knew that she had to face her
private dread again today. Riley was waiting for
her.
Riley. As good and decent as any man she had ever
known in her life. A man whom she knew loved her
with everything he had in him. And now she had to
break his heart.
It was the right thing. She knew that. And she had
to constantly remind herself of that fact as she
made her way toward the hospital. She had found her
true companion in Willow, and she couldn't lie to
Riley about her feelings. She only hoped that the
soldier would understand.
She found herself remembering a few weeks ago,
before the Gentlemen, before she learned about
Riley's connection to the Initiative. While heading
to her next class, she caught Riley helping some
girls hang a banner for a Gay and Lesbian support
group, and in his embarrassment he looked almost
adorable. "I guess it's time I told you the truth,"
Riley said to a skeptical Buffy. "I'm a lesbian."
Well, Buffy thought with a faint sardonic smile, I
guess we have something in common after all.
"Buffy," a friendly voice called out, shaking the
Slayer out of her malaise. She shook her head
slightly and turned to greet the gentleman as he
strolled up the sidewalk to meet her.
"Hey, Jarod," she answered back, smiling. "What's
up?"
"Just doing some research," Jarod said simply as he
met up with Buffy. "Mr. Giles informed me that your
boyfriend is a member of the Initiative. I thought
I'd pick his brain, find out some things."
"Don't know how helpful he'll be," Buffy admitted,
"but I'm meeting him today at the hospital."
"He was wounded pretty badly, wasn't he?"
"Yeah," Buffy sighed nervously. "But he's getting
better, and he's expected to check out in a couple
of days." She glanced around nervously. "But he's
not really my boyfriend. Not anymore anyway. I
have to break the bad news to him today."
Jarod glanced knowingly at Buffy. "About you and
Willow, right?"
Buffy stared hard at the strange man next to her.
"H-how did you know..."
"I just noticed how close you two were yesterday at
Giles' place," Jarod admitted gently. "You're in
love with her, and she with you. Am I right?"
Buffy nodded her head hurriedly. "Yeah, you're
right. She's everything to me. And I can't let
Riley go on thinking he's got a shot with me. Does
that make me a bad person?"
"Not at all," Jarod assured her, his gentle voice
and warm eyes calming the agitated Slayer. "There's
not enough happiness in this world as it is. I'm
not going to tell you that you can't pursue
happiness where you find it."