Jenn's Muses

Who To Play?

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 02:17:32 GMT

I am having a hard time establishing a character presence with Hiro. Wondering if he's really the guy for the game or for me. Please vote on who you would like to see me RP on TN.

I HAVE CLOSED THE POLL - TOO MANY VOTES BY NON-TN CHARACTERS

Bedazzled - Sam's 7th Wish - The End

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:30:34 GMT

Title: Bedazzled - Organization Post for other scenes
Author: sanguinepen
Movie Adapted: Bedazzled
Genre: Gen
Characters/Pairings: Sam, Dean
Rating: R (just in case)
Scene: 7/7
Word Count: 1164
Warnings: Dean swears - a lot - and there'll probably be some sex at some point.
Notes/Credits: Takes place 10 days after Dean's year is up.
Created for reel_spn
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended; fair use only. Not created for profit.

Wish Seven – The End

Sam ran out of the cheap motel, tears streaming down his face. It was colder than he expected, and the neon of the Motel 666 sign hissed and popped as he rushed out onto the highway. He held his thumb out for the first car that raced past him, and for the next five until one finally pulled over to pick him up. By then he was shivering and sat in silence as the trucker put his big rig back in gear. If Sam had been attention, he might have noticed the driver’s jet black eyes.

He leaned against the window. The events of his twisted, failed, wishes ran through his mind, over and over again, as he tried to figure out where he went wrong. Sam felt like a loser. He rubbed his hand over his forehead to see if there was an “L” branded there, because he felt like there should be one.

“Oh you can’t have that,” the Devil’s husky sexy voice came out of the scruffy truck driver’s mouth. “A brand is never a good idea on the face. You wouldn’t want to ruin your pretty face would you?”

“Go away,” Sam twisted in the seat, his brown eyes wide. “I told you to leave me alone. I don’t want you. I don’t want your wishes.”

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice!” The Devil slammed on the brakes of the big rig, jackknifing it across the highway. The sound of metal tearing and stink of rubber burning mingled with sulfur in the cold desert air. “I will have your soul!”

As Sam brought his arms up to shield his face, he burst through the windshield as the truck came to a lurching stop like a dying dinosaur. Sam kept waiting for the earth to rise up to meet him, but he just kept falling. He finally opened his eyes a crack, as the air around him got hotter and hotter. Flames surrounded him on all sides, he was falling, but there was no bottom that he could see. He was falling straight into hell.

“Wait! You can’t do this!” he screamed but his voice was swallowed by the heat of the searing flames. “I have one wish left!”

Suddenly he landed with bone breaking force on a pinnacle of hardened lave barely four feet wide. He held out his arms to try to get his balance while the pain shot up his legs. Towering over him was the Devil. She was dressed in a sequined bikini that reflected the color of the flames, and she had a pitch fork longer than the Empire States Building posed to strike.

“You soul is mine Sam Winchester. Now make your wish, or I will strike you down.”

“Okay,” Sam winced. “I know what my last wish is. I’ll do it. I’ll make the last wish.”

“Good, I knew you could be reasonable.” She held the sharp end of the pitchfork out to him, and waited while he climbed on to pull him out of the fires of hell.

Sam clung to the pitchfork until he found his arms wrapped around the Devil’s shapely form. She was once again in a sleek shimmering low cut gown that left nothing to his imagination. “See isn’t this better?” she said giving him a kiss on the lips that ended somewhere near his toenails.

“I have my last wish.” Sam drew away from her. His eyes scanned his surroundings as he looked for his brother. “Where’s Dean?”

“He’s just getting me some refreshments.” She flounced across the office, and sat behind a glass and chrome desk lighting a cigarette. “Sit down. He’ll be back soon with something yummy.”

As if on command, which it was, Dean came into the room dressed like a waiter, white shirt, black bow tie and slacks. “Here you are ma’am,” he said holding out a tray for the Devil to take a glass of champagne and a cracker covered with black caviar. He then turned toward Sam, and offered him the tray that was now covered in chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk. “And for you asshole?”

“Glad to see you’re still in there big brother,” Sam said as he took one of the cookies. He chewed on it, the sweet taste reminding him of all the good times he and Dean had shared amongst all the violence and chaos. “I’m going to make my wish now.”

“Just do it,” the Devil said turning to face him, as she leaned across the top of her desk giving Sam a view down her dress. “I can’t wait forever.”

“I just want Dean to have my wish. I don’t want to wish for me. I wish Dean’s soul to be free,” Sam sat back in the chair and waited for the flames to return. And waited and waited...

“Well all right then,” the Devil said her outfit changing to a black Armani business suit as she got up from behind the desk. She pulled Sam’s contract out of the morgue drawers she used for a filing cabinet, and tossed it into the fireplace where it instantly burned, the smoke turning into glowing white doves that flew up through the sky. “You’re free to go.”

“What?” Sam stammered as the office melted away to a sunny day in the park where children were playing on the playground, while dogs played Frisbee. “I’m free. But I made seven wishes.”

“Your last wish was for me,” Dean said as he came strolling from between the trees. He was dressed in a chambray shirt over a t-shirt with his worn leather coat on top of that. “I’m free Sammy. You set me free.”

“Does this mean, we can get back on the road, Dean?” Sam asked as he reached to hug his brother only to find his arms going right through him.

“Sorry little brother. I’m still dead. But I’m not in hell anymore. I’m free to go up top, and wait for my next chance. Think you should go find yourself a nice girl and have a kid or two. Chances are you’ll have a better time raising me the next time.” Dean hugged Sam back this time both Winchester brothers could feel the strength in Dean’s ghostly form. “I love you Sammy. See you soon.”

Sam sank down onto a picnic bench, and watched as Dean drove the Impala into the distance, never stopping for a red light or worrying about being pulled over again. “Good bye Dean.”

“Is it okay if I sit here?” A girl with long brown hair asked, her face so much like Jessica’s that Sam felt his heart lurch. She had a bright red lunch sack and a can of Diet Coke in her hand.

“Oh sure,” Sam said scooting over, so the girl had room to sit. “I’m Sam.”

“I’m Tammy,” she said with a smile. “Nice to meet you Sam.”

The End

Bedazzled - Sam's 6th Wish

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 04:28:33 GMT

Bedazzled - Sam's 5th Wish

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 05:36:04 GMT

Title: Bedazzled - Organization Post for other scenes
Author: sanguinepen
Movie Adapted: Bedazzled
Genre: Gen
Characters/Pairings: Sam, Dean
Rating: R (just in case)
Scene: 5/8
Word Count: 1184
Warnings: Dean swears - a lot - and there'll probably be some sex at some point.
Notes/Credits: Takes place 10 days after Dean's year is up.
Created for reel_spn
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended; fair use only. Not created for profit.

“You know man,” Dean looked up at Sam from the battered sofa. Stuffing was sticking out from torn and worn cushions, while Dean’s gut spread over the waistband of his jeans. He looked to be at least five hundred pounds. “You’d feel much better if you just relaxed. Why don’t you have a seat, and just watch the game with me?”

“Watch the game? Dean look at you,” Sam scrubbed at his face. “You’re fat and lazy. You’re never fat and lazy. What are you a sloth?”

“Well actually,” the image of the badly groomed couch potato smirked. “That’s exactly what I’m supposed to be. Didn’t you catch on yet? First it was lust, then gluttony, greed in the bank vault, and now it’s all about the sloth. Just think if you blow the next wish too, you’ll get to see me do wrath. But then you’re used to that one. It is my favorite sin.”

“Dean, this just isn’t working. The wishes aren’t working,” Sam tried to find a place to sit down next to Dean, but there just wasn’t any space left on the sofa. “I keep making mistakes. At this rate, I should just wish I’d never been born.”

“You shouldn’t have said that Sammy.”

***
A blast of hot air nearly blew Sam from his feet. It stank, tasting of rank dog breath and rotting meat, but it was over shadowed by the reek of sulfur. He wiped at his eyes, brushing his long bangs out of his eyes. He was on the street in Lawrence Kansas, a town he hadn’t spent a lot of time in, but it was where it all began. Where he’d been born, and the yellow eyed demon had killed him mother putting his family on the road to hell.

He was one of only a handful of people on the street. The buildings looked blasted by sand and fire. Skeletons of structures towered over the debris covered streets like vultures. “What happened here?” San asked running toward a man covered in rags. The man tried to run away, but Sam’s legs were longer and stronger than his. “What happened!”

“Don’t hurt me!” the man screamed his eyes wide and heavy scars ran down his cheeks. “Let me go!”

Sam let him go, suddenly totally alone on the street except for one figure dressed in red. “You, I was wondering where you were.”

“With a wish like this, you’ll need a guide,” the Devil said. Dressed in a somber red robe that covered her lush body, she slipped her arm through Sam’s. “Let me show you what happened to your world without you in it.”

“But it shouldn’t be like this,” Sam kept repeating as the Devil took him down the deserted streets. Sam stepped around a burned out car, and cringed when he saw the skull of the driver on the dashboard while his corpse’s fingers still held onto the wheel. “The demon wouldn’t have killed my mother. Dean and my dad should have been happy.”

“You’d think so wouldn’t you?” she said with a shrug. “But without you, there was no one to stop my little pet from turning this world into hell on earth, and Sammy I don’t mind telling you this is not what I had in mind either. I like earth. I like humans. I like them to be tempted, sure I like getting an innocent soul from time to time. But this?” She held her arms out and turned in a slow circle. “This is just overkill.”

“Where’s my family?” Sam asked although he really didn’t want to know. “Where’s Dean?”

“I’ll show you, but you won’t like what you see. Are you sure? You can just dial your way out of here before you see.”

“Thanks for caring, but I have to see.” He shoved past her, ignoring her attempt to take his hand, and started running for the house he’d one lived in. The house wasn’t there anymore; just a crater filled with twisted timbers and melted plumbing. “Dean!”

“I told you,” the Devil said as she walked across the charred earth to Sam’s side. “I’ll take you to Dean. Hold on tight.”

***
“Vegas? Dean’s in Vegas?” Sam recognized the swaggering step of his brother from clear across the parking lot. He was standing in front of what had once been the Luxor hotel, the great pyramid was now covered with arcane markings and a bright red fire burned from the apex. Sam shivered at the oppressive feeling of evil that permeated the air.

“Don’t bother shouting for him. He can’t see you. I thought it would be better that way,” the Devil said as she started walking toward the entry to the pyramid. Her red robes had changed to a sequined showgirl costume with broad antlers like a dear’s instead of a feathered headdress on top of her head. “He wouldn’t know who you were anyway. You were never born here.”

Dean sauntered through the lobby with a high powered rifle slung over his shoulder. As he walked by, pretty girls and boys in chains bowed before him. He paused putting his hand under the chin of one of the girls. “I’ll take this one. Bring her to my rooms.”

“Dean,” Sam said even though he’d been told that his brother couldn’t hear him.

“Yes sir,” the man who held the slave chains said. “I’ll have her bathed first.”

“Don’t bother,” Dean said turning to look over his shoulder, giving Sam a good look at his eyes. They were red; burning like the flames that shot from the top of the pyramid, and when Dean smiled Sam could see fangs behind his lips. “She won’t stay clean long enough for you to go to the effort.”

“That’s my boy.” Sam recognized the voice, and saw the yellow eyed demon gripping Dean’s shoulder. The body he was wearing was huge, with skin the color of dark chocolate. “Did you have a good day hunting?”

“Yes sir,” Dean said with a toothy grin that made Sam shiver to the bone. “I found a group of resistance fighters on the east side of town. We burned them out, and I personally shot their leader in the head. But not until after we fed on their children.”

“Good,” the demon chuckled. “Take the rest of the night off, Dean. You’ve done good work.”

“Dean, oh god Dean,” Sam couldn’t fight the tears any longer. “The demon took him.”

“Well darling, I wanted him. Didn’t it ever occur to you that he’d want Dean too? He’s a good little soldier, and he likes to kill. It really was inevitable that without you to protect that he’d take the easy way out.” The Devil had moved to sit on the edge of what had once been the concierge desk. “So are you happy with your wish? Or are we having another do over? You only have two wishes left you know.”

“I know,” Sam said as he pulled out the pager. He didn’t even have to look as he dialed 666.

Bedazzled - Sam's Fourth Wish

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:36:58 GMT

Title: Bedazzled - Organization Post for other scenes
Author: sanguinepen
Movie Adapted: Bedazzled
Genre: Gen
Characters/Pairings: Sam, Dean
Rating: R (just in case)
Scene: 4/8
Word Count: 1025
Warnings: Dean swears - a lot - and there'll probably be some sex at some point.
Notes/Credits: Takes place 10 days after Dean's year is up.
Created for reel_spn
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended; fair use only. Not created for profit.

“Well that fucking sucked,” Sam snarled as he suddenly appeared next to Dean and the Devil in what looked like the safety deposit box vault of a bank. “What’s going on here?”

“We’re robbing the bank, dude,” Dean said as he ran the palm of his hand over the sealed locked boxes. His green eyes were closed into slits as he pondered what was inside of them. “I’m going to find something nice and expensive to fence, and then I’ll be rich. No more credit card fraud. Bank robbery is a better way to go.”

Sam’s eyes widened as they traveled from Dean to the prostrate body of a bank guard lying in a puddle of congealing blood on the floor. The Devil was sitting on the dead man’s ass filing her nails, and then buffing them on the man’s shirt. “Dean you killed that guy!”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing. I’m evil now Sammy. Get it evil?” Dean stopped before one of the steel boxes and yanked it out of the wall breaking the locks that should have held it in place. With a gleam in his eyes, he ripped off the lid and poured out a shower of jewelry onto the tiled floor. “Damn jewelry again. You can never get a good deal from a fence on jewelry. Where are the fucking bearer bonds?”

“Just keep looking darling,” the Devil said with a wink at Dean. Then she smiled at Sam like she was the proud owner of the winner Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club. “You’ll find what you’re looking for. My, isn’t he a greedy little thing?”

“You screwed me again. That wish didn’t come out at all like it should have.”

“Sammy, dear, please try to remember I’m the devil. It’s my job to screw you over. You just have to be clearer about what you want.” She glided back to her feet, dressed in a skin tight bright red leather catsuit and ran her fingernails over Dean’s ass on her way to Sam. “So what’s it going to be this time? I’m sure a smart boy like you can get it right.”

“I’m not sure I want to even try.” Sam pouted folding his arms across his chest. He was about to lean against the wall, but had to move when Dean reached for another safety deposit box behind him.

“You have to. You have four more wishes Sam. Seven to go with the deadly sins, seven virtues, seven days in a week, seven brides for seven brothers…” She let out a deep sigh. “Maybe you should ask Dean for help. I’ve noticed neither one of you is very good at thinking on your own.”

“Okay,” Sam turned to Dean who was sitting on the floor of the bank vault tossing money in the air over his head. “What do you think I should wish for Dean?”

“Are you sure you want to know?” Dean’s grin spread from ear to ear.

“Yes, I want to know. I just need for you and Jessica to both be alive.”

“That’s not working so far, little brother. I think you’re going to have to let sleeping dogs lay, you know like you did with the Old Yeller chick?” Dean laughed when he thought about the look on Sam’s face when he said he’d take care of killing his werewolf lover. “You know the werewolf chick?”

“I remember,” Sam said with a snarl. “Fine you’re no help. You’d just wish for a fast car and hot and cold running girls.”

“Well if you weren’t gay, you’d want that too.”

“I am not gay, Dean. I’m just not a bastard like you are.” Sam paced through the discarded jewelry and cash on the floor, doing his best not to step in the clotting blood. “I wish we could all just get along and be nice to each other, Dean, Jesse and me. No fighting, no killing, just the three of us being happy.”

“You got it,” the devil purred with delight.

***
The cloying smell of pot smoke nearly choked Sam as he opened his eyes. He was sitting in a hanging cocoon chair, his long legs folded up in the egg shaped basket while Jimmy Hendricks guitar licks were playing loudly in the background. He poked his head out and saw Dean passing a fat joint over to Jesse. They were both dressed in tie dyed tunics, and he couldn’t tell whose hair was longer Jesse’ or Dean’s.

A string of beads caught around Sam’s arm as he tried to get out of the chair, and he landed in a sprawling heap on the pile of pillow beneath him sending Jesse and Dean into hysterical laughter. “Dude!” Dean guffawed. “I told you that you’re too tall to fit in there.”

“It’s okay Sammy.” Jesse took a deep drag of the joint and wiggled over to straddle Sam’s chest. She bent down and filled his mouth with her tongue and the smoke she’d been holding in her mouth. “We’re all just having so much fun. Aren’t you having fun?”

Sam blinked a few times, before kissing Jess back. “Yeah, we’re all getting along. This is nice.”

“Want to know what else is nice?” Dean asked as he pulled a strip of rubber tubing out of a small wooden box along with a burned spoon. “I got some really nice shit to share with you guys.”

“Heroin? Jesus Dean you’re shooting up heroin?” Sam shoved Jess off of him. She fell onto her back and just started to giggle even harder. “Pot sure, I can see that, but smack?”

“We all shoot it up Sam,” Dean said slowly like he was talking to a crazy person as he began heating the spoon. “Did you do some acid or something? You’re so strung out Sammy. Jesse come to papa. I’ve got a nice treat for you.”

“No, no, no,” Sam said grabbing Jesse’s arm to keep her from going to Dean. It was only then that he noticed the deep needle tracks on the inside of her elbow. “Fuck this.”

666

Two Steps Forward - 2/5

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 18:26:28 GMT

Title: Two Steps Forward
Team: Tully/Salazar w/Alias crossover
Wordcount: 1012
Rating: R for language
Type: Gen
Chapter: 2/5
Prompt: Checkpoint 3
Posted to: virtualdrive

Chapter Two
“Yes!” Winston shouted to the heavens as he and his brother streaked past Tully’s Challenger. He pounded his hands on the wheel of the pimped out car, and grinned over at Sean. Sean still looked pale and was leaning against the passenger door for support. “You sure you don’t want to lay down in the backseat homie?”

“Can’t breathe back there,” Sean said with a grimace as he rubbed his hand over the padding that covered his wounded gut. “I don’t feel right about this Winston. Tully went out of his way to help me back there. I don’t think we should have taken the flash drive.”

“Screw him,” the older streetwise Salazar brother narrowed his pale eyes. “It’s a race little brother, and I’m in it to win. Won’t need to worry about nothing anymore once that thirty-two is in my hands. Well half of the money anyway and then neither one of us’ll ever need anything from dear old dad again.”

***
“Momma?” Winston dropped down from the last and highest step from the school bus and into his mother’s waiting arms. He was covered in paint and there was a smear of playground dirt over his forehead from a scuffle he’d gotten into with one of the other kids. “I painted this for you.”

“Thank you baby,” his mother said as she looked at the crumpled picture in his grubby hand. She hugged him tighter, and he could feel the dampness of tears from her face against his.

“What’s wrong? You never come to the bus stop.”

“Ah mijo,” she hugged him tightly, enjoying his little boy scent. “I though it’d be a nice change.”

Winston squirmed to get down. “Momma put me down. The big boys are watching.”
There was a loud honking, and Winston turned to see his Uncle Pedro’s rusty old pick up truck. In the back he could see the cardboard boxes he’d helped his mother drag home from the grocery store filled with his toys and his mother’s favorite lamp hung over the end of the truck bed. “Why is our stuff in Uncle Pedro’s truck?”

“We’re going to move in with your uncle and auntie.”

“But how will daddy find us if we move momma? He doesn’t know where Uncle Pedro lives.” Winston pulled away from his mother and started stomping down the street towards their apartment. The seven year old didn’t understand that they’d been evicted, and couldn’t go back home.

“Get in the truck, you stupid kid.” Winston was suddenly yanked off of his feet, the picture he’d painted for his mother fluttering onto the sidewalk as his uncle shoved him into an empty space near the cab of the truck amidst their belongings for the long drive. “Doesn’t this kid know his daddy ain’t never coming back?”

“Pedro please,” Winston heard his mother pleading from the front seat of the truck while Pedro slammed the driver’s side door shut. “Winston loves his pappa. Someday he’ll come back to us.”

***
“So you think you can crack that code?” Winston’s voice startled Sean awake.

“I don’t know. I can’t do it while we’re driving though,” Sean said as he adjusted the seatbelt across his belly. It kept digging into the bullet wound, and if it hadn’t been for the painkillers he’d gotten from Tully’s doctor friend he’d be screaming by now. Hell, he thought, he’d be dead. “I need someplace where I can take a good look at it. With the drugs and shit if I try to look at my laptop I’ll puke.”

“You are not puking in my car, hombre.”

“Then find me someplace I can work, Winston.” Sean’s voice was brittle and he snapped at his newly discovered brother. There was a hardness in Winston’s eyes that reminded Sean of the sharks he saw at Sea World, and he wasn’t sure if he really should ever let his guard down all the way and trust him at all. “I need to lay down for a bit too.”

“Fine,” Winston didn’t sound happy about it. But then he never really sounded happy about anything. He glanced into the rear view one more time, and let out a sigh since Tully’s Challenger was no where in sight. “Looks like we lost Tully anyway.”

“What does it matter? He knows where we’re going.”

***
Corrina gritted her teeth as Tully slipped the Challenger between a pair of big rigs close enough that she could count the rivets on the trailer of the one on her side of the car. “I’m going to need to go to a drugstore when we get to Fort Jefferson, Tully.”

“Huh?” Alex’s lips were thin, and his eyes narrowed as he focused on the road in front of them like a man hanging on to a lifeline. “Drugstore? You car sick?”

“No, I need to buy hair dye. You’re going to make me gray by the time we get there. We’re ahead of the pack, and wanted by the cops do you really want to get a ticket.”

“Well what do you suggest? Should I just drive the speed limit while fucking Winston gets the next clue too?” Alex turned to look at her, which didn’t make Corinna feel any better to have him take his eyes off the road. “I can’t believe he did that after what I did for his brother. What kind of asshole does somethin’ like that?”

“He’s in the race to win, Alex. Just like we are.”

“It’s still fucked. We let them help us for the jump start, and then they pull this shit after I save his brother’s life.”

“You’re just glad you have someone else to be pissed off at. Admit it Tully.”

“Admit what? That pounding that smug grin off of Winston Salazar’s face when we catch back up with him is goin’ to make my day?” Tully grinned broadly as he turned back to watching the road ahead of them. “Oh hell yes. That boy is going to be feeling a lot of built up rage.”

Bedazzled Sam's Third Wish

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 19:01:10 GMT

Bedazzled - Scene Two - Sam's Second Wish

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:01:59 GMT

Supernatural - Bedazzled Organization Post

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:38:05 GMT

Wish One
Wish Two
Wish Three
Wish Four
Wish Five
Wish Six
Wish Seven

Bedazzled 1/8

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:45:45 GMT

Title: Bedazzled
Author: sanguinepen
Movie Adapted: Bedazzled
Genre: Gen
Characters/Pairings: Sam, Dean
Rating: R (just in case)
Scene: 1/8
Word Count: 1384
Warnings: Dean swears - a lot - and there'll probably be some sex at some point.
Notes/Credits: Takes place 10 days after Dean's year is up.
Created for reel_spn
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended; fair use only. Not created for profit.

His hands were shaking as he tipped the pitcher of beer to its side, his eyes blinking as he tried to focus on getting the last dregs of the cheap draft into his mug. Sam drew a deep breath and slumped across the beer stained table like a worn out bar rag.

“Dammit Dean,” Sam choked back a burp that smelled bad even to him. “I need you. I can’t do this without you.”

“Course you can’t Sammy,” the familiar voice of his brother rang in his ear.

Sam batted at the touch of cold breath on his ear. “You’re not here. You’re dead. Go away.”

The chair across from him scrapped and Sam saw someone straddle the back of it after flipping it around. “You need to make up your mind little brother. Do you want me here or not?”

“Dean?” Sam wiped his running noise and eyes with the back of his sleeve. He wanted to sit up and look at Dean, but he was just too drunk to manage it. “You’re dead. It’s been 375 days, remember?”

“Oh I remember,” Dean chuckled darkly as he got back up from the chair, his long legs encased in supple black suede pants. “Trust me, when they drag you down to Hell kicking and screamin’ you don’t forget.” Dean grabbed Sam’s collar and pulled his little brother until he was upright in the chair. With a flick of his finger the beer pitcher refilled before Sam’s bleary bloodshot eyes. Dean frowned at the dirty crust at the bottom of Sam’s mug, then shrugged as he filled it with the fresh brew. “Here have a drink on me.”

Sam took the mug from Dean. His eyes locked to Dean’s fingers as they brushed against his hand. They were warm and dry. They didn’t feel at all like they did when Dean slipped into the cold oblivion of death just ten days before. “I blew it Dean. I couldn’t save you. I’m sorry.”

“Hell, don’t be sorry, Sam. It’s not so bad really,” Dean cast a cocky smile at his little brother as a bottle of Jack Daniels appeared at the table next to a clean shot glass. Dean filled the glass without spilling a drop and tossed back the shot before filling it back up. “I got a pretty cushy gig. You see, Sam, the Devil. She likes me. She always has. Gave me a sweet little job, and I’ve even got a corner office with a window. And the girls, damn Sammy, the girls are incredible.”

“But, but,” Sam stammered as Dean once again pushed the mug of cold beer into his hand. “I thought you’d be…”

“What in chains? Bein’ punished for killing all those monsters? Hell, the way she sees it I was just culling the failures. The Devil isn’t too fond of failures, Sam. That’s why she wanted me.” Dean leaned across the back of the chair he was straddling and whispered to Sam. “She wasn’t too happy with Ole Yellow Eyes either. She wanted him to take me, not you. But he was afraid I’d kill him. Guess he was right, huh?” Dean let out a laugh that was answered by a clap of thunder that shook the old roadhouse.

“But what about dad?” Sam took a small sip of the beer, and then tanked it down like it was mother’s milk. It was frosty, and just perfect. It might have been the best beer he’d ever tasted. “Where’s dad?”

“Dad? Well truth be told, she ain’t so fond of him. But I’m not here about dad, Sammy boy. I’m here about you.” Dean leaned back and stretched out his legs. His dark eyes scanned the crowd of has-beens and never-weres that filled the drab place. “Shit Sammy, leave it to you to get hammered in a pit like this. There isn’t a single girl in here well that doesn’t have a hairier face than you do.”

“Nice, Dean, very nice.” Sam pulled himself up straighter and raked his fingers through the unruly mop of his hair. “I didn’t come here to get laid. I came here to forget.”

“How’s that workin’ for you?”

“Not so good, although my hallucination is apparently buying me much better beer than I can afford.”

“Oh you think you’re imagining me then?” Dean smiled eyes sparkling. “Let’s go test that theory college boy.”

Sam just arched his eyebrows in response.

Dean suddenly appeared at Sam’s side and yanked the keys to the Impala out of his brother’s pocket. “If I’m a hallucination, I won’t be able to drive MY car. And don’t be so suspicious.”

“Dean you just told me you work for the Devil and the Devil’s a woman. Why wouldn’t I be suspicious?”

“Ah there you are. There’s my little paranoid brother. She’s not just a woman, Sam, she’s gorgeous, long legs, long dark hair and the brightest blue eyes, cute little British accent too.”

“So you’re her errand boy now? What does she want?”

“She wants me to help you, Sammy. She wants to give you seven wishes.”

“Seven? What happened to three?”

“I talked her into seven, like I said she likes me.” Dean pulled on Sam’s arm, and started to lead his taller brother out of the bar. “She gave you four extra. Now what do you want to wish for first?”

“I don’t know, Dean. I’m not sure this is a good idea. The Devil never gives anything away for free.”

“Well no, she doesn’t, but what harm would it be for you to use up one of those wishes?” Dean sniffed at Sam’s sweat stained clothes and wrinkled his nose. “Now if I was you, I’d use one of those wishes for a hot shower and a change of clothes.”

“Fine, Dean,” Sam yanked his arm free of Dean’s grip, failing against the fender of the Impala. “I wish I had a hot shower and some clean clothes. There! Happy!”

“Your wish is my command, little brother. Get in, and roll down the window. You fucking stink.” Dean climbed into the driver’s seat. He ran his hands over the steering wheel like he was caressing a lover, no not caressing, worshipping a goddess. As he rolled down the window, the dirt and grime that had built up on the car, almost as badly as it had on Sam, shimmered away until she was a sleek black predator once again.

Dean gunned the engine and flipped the car around in a 180 degree turn taking the narrow country road at over 100 miles per hour. He gazed in the rear view mirror as they passed a police cruiser and just smiled as the car picked up even more speed leaving a wake in the asphalt behind them like he was driving over black water.

Dean’s smile broadened as he came to a sudden stop in front of a motel. Sam looked up and read the sign over the parking lot, Motel 666. Dean waited for Sam to climb out of the car, and walked to the manager’s office. “I need a room, with two beds and a shower.”

“How long do you want it?” The wizened creature at the desk asked.

“A few days.” Dean leaned against the desk and buffed his nails against the soft gray chambray shirt he was wearing. “Well pay the man, Sammy.”

“Pay him? I thought this was my wish? Shouldn’t you be paying for it?”

“Uh nope,” Dean held his empty hands out. “You didn’t wish for the money to buy a shower and clothes. You just wished for a hot shower. You have to pay for it. Wishes are particular like that. You’ll need to be real careful with the other six.”

“Six?” Sam grumbled as he pulled a pair of wrinkled bills out of his jean’s pocket. “I thought I had seven.”

“You used one, now you’ve got six left. You go take your shower, and I’ll go get you some clothes. Then you can tell me your next wish.” Dean patted Sam on the back and then folded in on himself like he was made of paper until he was gone.

“Here’s your key, kid,” the thing said as it slid the key to number 13 across the desk.

Two Steps Forward - 1/5

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:58:15 GMT

Title: Two Steps Forward
Team: Tully/Alias crossover
Wordcount: 607
Rating: R for language
Type: Gen
Chapter: 1/5
Prompt: Checkpoint 3
Posted to: virtualdrive

Chapter 1
“I think I’m going to throw up,” Alex said as he gulped several mouthfuls of air through the open window of the Challenger. His face was pasty white, and he could taste bile in the back of his throat.

“We’ll figure it out Alex. They can’t honestly believe you’d kill someone.” Corinna ran her hands over the closed cover of her laptop. She wished that she hadn’t shown Alex the article where he’d been accused of murdering his missing wife. Now he was going to be too distracted to get to the next checkpoint let alone try to win the race. “It’s got to be a set up or something. I mean they have your truck. How did they get your truck?”

“They got my truck when our friends fucked with me to give me the car. You’d think the great manipulators would be better at keepin’ track of a little thing like my god damned truck.”

“You would like to think that wouldn’t you?” She took a deep breath and looked at the highway watching the cars streak past. The Challenger was parked on the shoulder. It wasn’t broken. It wasn’t out of gas. It was running just fine. The problem was her driver wasn’t. Alex Tully was in bad shape, and Corinna didn’t have a clue how to help. “It’s obvious there are other factions who want you to lose.”

“You think?” he snapped bitterly before shoving the door of the car open. Alex stalked across the back end of the car, and then doubled over to heave his guts out onto the pavement.

Corinna came up beside him and reached out to rub the space between his shoulder blades while he finished with the dry heaves. She jumped as a horn was sounded, and she slumped against the rear of the sleek black car as the Salazar’s Impala went flying past. “Shit.”

“Shit? No puke,” Alex said as he pushed back up to his feet. “Come out the other end.”

“No shit, Sean and Winston just passed us.” She gripped Alex’s arm and started to push him back toward the driver’s seat. “Come on, we have to catch them. We’ve got to get the flash drive back.”

“Oh yes,” Alex yanked his arm away, and stomped back to the car door. “Wouldn’t want to forget about winning this god forsaken race. What does it matter that I’m being accused of murder. You realize that it’s only a matter of time before they put two and two together, and find out about everything else I’ve ever done wrong in my life?”

“I suppose that’s bound to happen. But Alex, once we get to the end of the race, you’ll get Kathryn back. Then you’ll be free and clear, and you’ll be together.”

“You might want to get some pom-poms to go with the cheerleader routine, Corinna,” he said, snarling as he started the car back up. He glanced down the highway, but he couldn’t see even the glint of the Impala’s taillights in the distance. “You think they figured out the clue?”

“I don’t know. Sean’s a lot smarter than his brother. I’m sure they have something to go on, and I wouldn’t put it past him to crack the code on the drive.”

“If he’s cracked it, then we’ll have an advantage when we take it back.”

The Challenger hurtled onto the road with a spray of gravel. It shot between a pair of SUVs and off down the road. Alex leaned back into the comfort of the seat and wondered just how many more miles he had to go before he was free.

Promise for the Future 5/5

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 01:12:20 GMT

Title: Promise of the Future
Team: Tully/Alias crossover
Wordcount: 1056
Rating: R for language
Type: Gen
Chapter: 5/5
Prompt: Checkpoint 3
Posted to: virtualdrive
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

He didn’t want to bring her the print out. With trembling hands the operative stepped towards the slender woman who terrified him as much as she excited him. He really couldn’t count how many times he’d fantasized about Peyton having her way with him since he’d become part of the team monitoring Alex Tully. She was beautiful, sexy and deadly as hell, and he knew it.

“Miss Peyton,” he stammered holding the paper towards her. “We have a problem, and I thought you should know about it first.”

Kelly Peyton looked up from her laptop, her dark eyes focusing on the shaking of the boy’s hands as she snatched the paper from him. She could feel her blood turning cold as she read the newspaper article and the police report that he’d included. She slammed down the screen of her computer and pushed past the boy without a word.

He back up against the wall of the converted semi trailer, and counted his blessings.

“Did you see this?” she demanded shoving the papers beneath the nose of her superior. The man cocked his eye brows at her before taking them. “The last thing we need is a federal manhunt going on for Tully. How the hell did this happen? We had the truck didn’t we?”

“Last thing I knew we did,” the man who had been masquerading as officer Poole said. “We towed it from the side of the road. It must have been one of the other teams.”

“Well I tend to doubt it would be our team, since we want him to win,” she snapped back. “They say they have my DNA in the blood evidence. How the hell could they have my DNA?”

“Well I’m sure you left something behind. You’d been living with the man for years Kelly.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Peyton was pacing like a caged tiger in his small cubicle. “How did they get enough blood that matches my DNA? I know how to fake a murder. You need at least two pints of blood for something like this, and trust me I never leave home without mine.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“We have to. Outside of me showing up alive and well, which gives Tully no reason to race, we’ve got to find a way to get him out of this mess. This is going to fuck up our plans, and I did not waste years of my life teaching the fifth grade in fucking Nebraska for someone to mess up our plans. Tully wins this race. Period.”

***
“You know I didn’t kill her, don’t you?” Alex asked. His hands were clamped on the wheel of the Challenger like she was a life raft in the middle of shark infested waters. “I love her.”

“I know that,” Corinna started to reach out to touch his arm, but then drew away afraid of what he might do. “I know you love her. I know they’re using her to make you drive, remember? The cops just don’t understand.”

“What am I supposed to do? If I turn myself in, they’ll kill her. If I keep driving, the FBI will be dogging us all over the country. Sooner or later, we’ll end up with bullets between the eyes, and Kathryn will end up dead.” He slammed his hands on the wheel. “I don’t know what to fucking do!”

“I can tell you one thing we’ve got to do, Alex. We need to get to Fort Jefferson before midnight. We’ll work on a plan to clear up this mess as we go.”

“After what happened when they gave me the car, I don’t know what end is up, Corinna. They forced me to confess. They made me give up who I was. Why the hell would they let me get pegged for killing Kathryn? Don’t make no sense.”

“No, it doesn’t. But Alex,” this time she did lay her hand on his arm. Corinna could feel how tightly wound his muscles where. “There are other teams out there. We’re moving up in the ranks. What better way to take out the competition than something like this?”

“You think it’s one of the other drivers?”

“No, I think it’s their road side assistance. We’ve got our guardian angels, if you can call them that, and so do the other teams.”

“We’re just rats in a maze for them. They don’t care whose lives they ruin.” Alex started the ignition. He took several deep breaths as he felt the car warm up. “Did I mention I was going to kill them?”

“Just the one time,” Corinna said with a watery smile. “We’ll make it through this Alex. We’ll save Kathryn.”

***
The windows were down in the car as they shot through the afternoon north from Knoxville towards Ballard County Kentucky. Alex didn’t like being in Kentucky. It reminded him too much of who he had been and who he’d been reborn as.

“Have you ever been to Kentucky before?” Corinna asked as she noticed how many times he glanced in the rearview mirror. She could see him twitching like a cat near the nip.

“Long time ago, I did a little job here,” Alex smiled when he saw the taillights of Salazar’s Impala ahead of them on the freeway. “Time for a little payback.”

Alex slid the Challenger up behind the Impala. Close enough to nearly tap the old car’s bumper. He grinned when Winston glanced up and caught his face in the rearview, and then hit the gas skimming along the side of the big gold car like it was standing still. Tully looped the Challenger in and out of traffic, weaving between trucks, trailers and RVs until he’d done three circles around the Impala before leaving Winston swearing in the dust.

“Feel better now?” Corinna asked white knuckled from the passenger seat. She’d nearly slid beneath the dashboard out of fear for her life in the dangerous game of tag that Alex had been playing. “Because you nearly scared years off of my life.”

“Nope, but I’ll feel better when he catches up with us. I’m going to wipe that grin off his face.”

“And take back the flash drive.”

“Oh yeah, suppose I should do that too.” Alex chuckled darkly as he slid back into the fast lane.

Drive Fic - Promise of the Future 4/5

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 18:54:18 GMT

Title: Promise of the Future
Team: Tully/Alias crossover
Wordcount: 947
Rating: R for language
Type: Gen
Chapter: 4/5
Prompt: Checkpoint 3
Posted to: virtualdrive
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

“God dammit Tully!” Corinna tried to spin away from him, but he had her too close to the wall for comfort. He had a dangerous gleam in his blue eyes, it was the same one he had when he was lost behind the wheel. She could feel the heat of the car door through the fabric of her jeans. “Will you stop this shit!”

Alex snatched her cell phone out of her hand, noting the last number that called in before shoving it into the front pocket of his jeans. “Now why don’t you tell me what you and Winston were really talkin’ ‘bout.”

“Fine,” she blew a strand of her long blonde hair out of her face. “I can’t find the flash drive. I think he took it.”

“Are you telling me, that son of a bitch stole from us while I was risking life and limb to save his fucking brother’s life?” Alex felt his anger shift towards the distant target of Winston Salazar. It settled deep in his gut along side the rage he had for the bastard who had taken Kathryn. “Doesn’t that fucker get that they are going to kill my wife!”

Tully threw what was left of his coffee across the parking lot and climbed into the Challenger. “Get in.”

“I’m not sure I should,” Corinna managed to say before another steely eyed glare got her into the passenger seat. “Okay, so I should. What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to figure out the next goddamned clue, then we’re going to beat that asshole and his pimped out piece of shit car to the next checkpoint. And then, I’m going to beat the shit out of him.” Alex started the car, pressing quickly on the gas to race the engine. The feel of the engine’s vibration tingled through his nerves until he felt like he was part of the car itself. “Or maybe I’ll just run the mother fucker over.”

“I’m sure we can figure out the clue. Why don’t we park someplace so we can work it out?” Corinna said hopefully as he darted between a pair of big rigs on the highway. “I mean we don’t even know where we’re going.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I haven’t know where I was goin’ since they took Kathryn, Corinna. I’ve been treadin’ water in a cesspool for weeks now. Don’t know who to trust or where to turn. Winston Salazar’s going to be very, very sorry for screwin’ with us.”

“I’m not saying he doesn’t have it coming, Alex, I’m not. I just think we need to think about this logically.”

“I’m not so good at logic when I’m pissed, Corinna.”

“Really? I had no idea. There’s a park up here. We can sit in the shade near one of the museums. I can hack into their wireless, and try to figure out the clue. When we get on the road, beat and beat Winston. Deal?”

Alex chewed at his lower lip before nodding. He only cut off two other drivers on his way to the off ramp that lead back into Knoxville. “I just hope we can figure this out. I mean what the hell does it mean this time?”

“So here we go,” Corinna sat cross-legged on top of the picnic table. It was painted the traditional dark Forestry Department green with only a few spatters of bird shit on top. “I’ve got a good signal. Let’s see what I can call up.”

Along side the table, Alex paced back and forth, occasionally picking up a pebble and hurling it across the tree strewn park. He smiled when the last shot pinged off of one of the trees. A squirrel came down from another one, twitching its nose at him. Alex threw another rock barely missing the tree rat. “You got anything yet?”

“Diego Johnson wants to increase the size of my penis,” Corinna said as she cleanout her spam email folder. “But that’s about it for my email. Let me see what I get on Google for Jefferson’s Convergence. But Tully…”

“Yeah,” he looked up from the end of the table where he was watching her work.

“If you threaten me again, we’re done. I walk. I can’t have you turn on me like that ever again. I trust you, and you’d better start to fucking trust me. Understood?”

“I understand,” Alex shoved his hands in his pockets like a little boy. “I’m sorry. I’m going to call my sister. See if they’ve heard anything about Kathryn.”

***
“Hello?” Alex said quietly when he heard the phone pick up in Nebraska, in his house, in his living room, the same phone he’d last spoken to Kathryn on. “Hello?”

“Alex,” Becky sounded worried. But that was unusual considering the situation, Alex mused. “Alex where are you?”

“Can’t say right now, Beck, but I’m trying to find Kathryn.”

“Alex, they found your truck.”

“Yeah, I ran into some trouble. I had to leave it on the side of the road.”

“Alex, shut up and listen. They found your truck. It was full of blood stains. Kathryn’s blood, Alex what did you do?”

Alex felt his heart seize up. “I didn’t do nothing! Becky, you know I’d never hurt her. They can’t believe I hurt her.”

“Well what do you expect Alex? You vanished! Your truck is full of bloodstains. I don’t know what to believe.”

“Hang up the phone, Alex,” Corinna reached for his cell phone in a repeat of what he’d done to her. “They can trace that call. Get off of the phone.”

“That was my sister. They think I killed Kathryn.”

Hit the Road Jack 3/3

Sat, 26 May 2007 18:43:05 GMT

Title: Hit the Road Jack
Team: Sawyer and Hurley, Ivy and Wendy - Lost Crossover
Wordcount: 826
Rating: R for sex
Type: Gen
Chapter: 3/3
Prompt: Checkpoint 2
Posted to: virtualdrive
Part One
Part Two

Sawyer crawled up Ivy’s body, leaving a trail of bites and whisker burns from her thighs up to her collar bone. His hands were rough on her slender hips as he buried himself deep inside of her. Ivy’s nails dug into his shoulders as he ground into her, and she gasped before trying to kiss him.

“No,” he growled pulling his face away. He wasn’t going to kiss her. He didn’t love her. Ivy was pretty, and sexy as hell. But she was just a warm, welcoming body, and he was horny. She also wasn’t Kate, and he hated that Kate still had so much power over him.
“No kissin’.”

“K,” she shrugged for a second, but then lost herself in the rhythm of his thrusts. He was heavy on top of her, and had an urgency of someone who hadn’t had any in a very long time, like he’d been in prison or something. Sawyer was rough, but she really didn’t mind. She hadn’t had any since the night before the Race either, and for Ivy that was a long time.

“Does that mean I can’t do this either?” Ivy purred as she slithered down his sweat soaked body. Her tongue darted out, and wrapped around him.

“Oh no,” he chuckled. “You go right on a head.”

***
“Hi, I’m Wendy,” the perky brunette woman said as she walked up to Hurley’s table at the Chinese buffet. She had a tray with a plate heaped with chow mien and beef broccoli, along with a glass of lemonade. “I think our partners are missing.”

“My partner’s good at that,” Hurley said with a smile. “You want to share my table? I’m Hurley.”

“It’s nice to meet you Hurley.”

“Nice to meet you Wendy.”

Hurley waited until she sat before dipping his fourth egg roll in the sweet and sour sauce. It was a bright shade of red orange, a color that no food would ever be naturally. He knew he was going to pay for eating all the fried food he’d done since hooking up with Sawyer for the Race after so many months of healthy eating on the Island of Lost Luggage. But he didn’t care. It was just so damned good.

“You look like you’re in heaven,” Wendy said as she fumbled with the little wooden chopsticks before setting them aside and picking up a plastic fork.

“I haven’t had Chinese in a long time. I’ve kind of been on a health food kick.”

Wendy couldn’t help but look at his large frame.

“No really,” Hurley said quickly. “I was on a deserted island. I ate a lot of bananas and fish.”

***
Ivy cried out as Sawyer pushed her against the wall of the shower. “Careful,” she let out a moan. “You’re going to make me slip.”

“Sawyer?! Dude you ever coming out of there? I brought you some food.”

“Shit,” Sawyer hissed as he picked up the pace. “Sorry baby. We just ran out of time.”

Sawyer came out of the small motel bathroom with a towel looped around his waist. “Thanks for dinner Hugo,” he said with a grin as he gathered up Ivy’s clothes from around his bed. “Let me just send little miss sunshine on her way home.”

***
“Well that sucked,” Ivy said as she sank onto the bed in her room. The air conditioner was on full, and it was making her shiver with her wet hair.

“Didn’t have as much fun as you expected?” Wendy asked without bothering to lay off the sarcasm. “I brought you some food. Hugo thought it would be nice.”

“Yeah,” Ivy snorted. “He brought Sawyer back food too. Couldn’t you guys have just taken a few more minutes to eat?”

“We tried, but after he told me all about Sawyer I thought I should come back and save you from yourself.”

“I don’t need a mother, Wendy. Just because you miss Sam, doesn’t mean you need to protect me.” Ivy trudged over to get her dinner and slumped into the chair across from Wendy. “I’m a big girl.”

“So is Sawyer’s girlfriend,” Wendy said with a smile. “Hugo told me all about her.”

“Like that matters. It’s not like I was going to keep him. Jesus Wendy, haven’t you just ever had a one night stand? Might do you good to get laid.”

***
“Christ Hugo,” Sawyer mumbled around a mouthful of kung pao chicken. “We have so got to get you laid. That way you’ll be in less of a hurry to get back to the room when I’m alone.”

“You weren’t alone,” Hurley reminded him as he clicked through the five channels on the crappy TV. “And I don’t need to get laid, man. Just because you’re frustrated about Kate…”

“I ain’t frustrated ‘bout Kate.” Sawyer winced as he bit his tongue. “She made her choice. She didn’t want to come with me. I’ll see her when we win.”

Drive - Promise of the Future 2/5

Fri, 11 May 2007 23:14:40 GMT

Title: Promise of the Future
Team: Tully + Alias crossover
Wordcount: 721
Rating: PG
Type: Gen
Chapter: 2/5
Prompt: Checkpoint 2
Posted to: virtualdrive
Chapter One

Chapter Two
Peyton slid her motorcycle into an illegal parking space at the Knoxville Resort and Country Club. The tight fitting leathers she was wearing creaked a bit as she looped her leg up over the back of the bike. Her eyes scanned the parking lot from behind the visor of her helmet until she spotted Tully’s sleek Challenger. It was almost 8 in the morning, but the car was still there. She’d expected that her team would be following him to the next checkpoint by now. But something had changed. Something had delayed them.

She didn’t take off the helmet until she was behind a large SUV that blocked anyone’s view from the rooms of the resort. The last thing she needed was for Alex to see her, yet. There’d be time enough for that soon enough, but the timing had to be perfect.

It all would have been so much easier if he was alone on the Race. She understood that he’d have a hard time winning it for her employer if he didn’t have a partner, but her mind games worked so much better without any additional witnesses. She really wished that she could kill the Wiles woman.

“Peyton?” she turned to look at a young man dressed as a waiter for the hotel. She couldn’t help but laugh softly at the disgusted look on his face. “What’s the matter? Didn’t he tip you?”

“Your husband just stared at me like I was an alien,” the guy said. He raked his fingers through his short dark hair, and pulled off the cheap clip-on bowtie that went with the outfit. “Like he’d never had room service before, at least the woman knew what do to.”

“Was she sleeping with him?” Peyton felt the growl low in her throat that just made her voice sound huskier.

“I don’t think so. He came to the door alone, and then she came out of another bedroom. They have a whole suite for winning the jump start. What difference does it make anyway? You’re not really married to him?”

“Because I don’t like sharing my toys, Lindsey,” she shrugged as she started peeling off the rest of her riding gear until she was dressed in only a soft pink sundress. “Watch my stuff, and let me know when you see him on the balcony. I’m sure he’s gotten my little present by now.”

“You are an evil bitch, Peyton,” Lindsey said as he gathered up her leathers. “He’s on the top floor; his room faces the parking lot and the lake. You should see him anytime now.”

***
“I’m going to kill them Corinna. All of them,” Alex said as his grip tightened on the balcony’s railing.

“I wouldn’t expect you to do anything else.” Corinna gave him a watery smile. She really had no idea what she could do that would help ease his pain. Only winning would get him his wife back, and even she had no idea how long the Race was this time around. “But to show what a good friend I am, I’ll help you hide the bodies.”

“Thanks,” Alex let out a ragged sigh.

The sound of the race phone ringing broke the silence.

“I’ll get it. You stay out here for a few more minutes. Get your thoughts in order, then we can hit the road again.” Alex watched as she strode back into the suite. He was feeling a little better after sleeping for so long, the shower and food had helped too, but he still felt so off kilter that it was making his head spin.

He glanced down at the parking lot. His blue eyes quickly finding the Challenger. And then he saw her, dressed in the same pink sundress she’s worn for dinner just a couple of weeks ago.

“Kathryn!” he shouted. He knew he had to be imagining her there, but he didn’t care. He raced through the hotel suite, and took the steps of the emergency exit three at a time nearly breaking his neck twice on the way down. Still barefoot, he ran across the parking lot to the car. Across the parking lot he saw a couple riding off on a black motorcycle. He turned in circles, looking everywhere for his wife. But she wasn’t there.

“She never was here.”

Hit the Road Jack - Sawyer joins the Race

Tue, 08 May 2007 03:48:44 GMT

Title: Hit the Road Jack
Team: Sawyer and Hurley from LOST
Wordcount: 1302
Rating: PG
Type: Gen
Chapter: 1/?
Prompt: Checkpoint 2
Posted to: virtualdrive
Notes: an old friend of Corinna's joins the race. Think of the trouble he can cause team Tully. I wrote part of this fic a couple of years ago, but thought that Sawyer would be a perfect addition to the Race.

There was a pop and a sizzle that thankfully ended the flickering existence of one of the long fluorescent lights that ran over the gas station islands. The nose of the thing dying had been getting on Sawyer’s last good nerve, and the slowness of the attendant was annoying him even more.

“Stupid Tennessee law,” he grumbled as he pulled a cigarette out of the pack with his teeth, and popped out the gold lighter he’d palmed from his last mark. “Been pumping my own gas since I was old enough to see over the steering wheel and reach the gas pedal.”

“Sawyer,” Hurley said glaring at the conman, and waving at a no smoking sign on the gas station wall. “I don’t have a problem with you poisoning yourself, but I’d prefer not to be blown up. No smoking.”

"Fine Jabba, I’ll go smoke over there, so you'll be safe. Why don't you go in, and buy us some munchies. Enough for both of us." Sawyer spat as he climbed out of his car. He strolled across the pavement to get away from the possibility of setting off a stray gas fume with his smokes. Leaning against a streetlight, he cupped the lighter tight around the end of the cigarette and took a long drag like he was a drowning man while he admired the bright shine of his beautiful vintage 1969 Mustang Mach I.

The metallic red paint looked almost dried blood at night, which was always nice when one liked to be noticed and/or incognito at the same time. The black leather interior was soft as butter, but got a bit warm during the daytime haul. The outlaw II rims, quicksilver ratchet shifter, and the boss 429 V8 were something that he’d dreamed of since he was a kid. The sound system could blow the paint off if he turned it up past 15 too. It had been worth every penny of the $50,000 he’d spent on it. But then Sawyer had always liked spending the money he made as fast as he could steal it.

He smiled as he thought about the fun he’d had between the sheets with Mrs. Elizabeth Hanley of Seattle Washington. She’d been so amazed at what he could do, that it’d taken less time than usual to con her out of her and hubby’s life savings all to buy into a non-existent oil well in Alaska. He’d wined and dined her while hubby was on a business trip. Talked about his big deal that could make them so much cash, while borrowing a big hunk of cash to make it look like he was flush, and then when Dr. Hanley was back from his AMA conference in Vegas he set the bait and sat back and watched. They’d been more than willing to cough up the dough. It didn’t hurt that hubby had had a string of bad luck at the crap table, and needed to make some fast money.

He’d paid back Johnny Taylor for the upfront loan plus interest, pocketed over $60K of profit and been heading to the airport to get out of Seattle when he’d seen the Mustang. It’d been love at first sight. He’d dumped $50K on the guy’s coffee table in cash, and then signed the paperwork with his real name to make it all legitimate. She was a dream come true. He’d seen the same car going for over $100,000 in some places and higher than that in others for all original equipment. This one was a real car though. She’d been through a lot, but looked like she was brand new and that was just fine with Sawyer.

Then he’d gotten the phone call. Only a few hours after he and the rest of the castaways from Flight 815 had landed in Los Angeles after their months on Crap Hole Island. The call was short and simple, get to Key West, and do it fast. He’d tried to find Kate to explain to her that he could make a big score enough money that they’d never have to want for anything again. She’d been all for it until she heard that he had to go to Florida. Then she’d just cut him off, and refused to go with him.

Somehow, he’d gotten stuck with Hurley for a partner. The people on the phone said he had to have a partner, and of all the others Hurley really was the one he liked the most. Not that he’d ever admit it. So he’d grabbed Hugo, the phone, and hailed a cab. He’d paid for storage for the Mustang for a year before he’d left for Sydney, and was damned happy that no one had gone sniffing around his ride.

Now he was caught up in the Race, fighting tooth and nail to get that thirty-two million. Maybe if he had enough money, Kate would stop mooning over Jack. And fuck it, if she didn’t, thirty-two large would get him just about any woman he could ever possible want.

Blowing out a long plume of smoke, he stared up at the curtain of stars that dotted the sky. He was in some Podunk town, way to close to Alabama for his tastes. He just wished he’d been there early enough to get some decent coffee from a Starbucks before they closed, now he was facing crude oil gas station coffee with that oily film floating on it that you could never tell if it was from the Pennzoil or the coffee beans.

He ground out the butt of his cigarette under the toe of his scuffed cowboy boots, and let his eyes flicker towards the park bench where he saw a homeless guy rocking back and forth while crying. Narrowing his eyes, he took a few steps towards the guy. “You ok, sport?” he asked keeping well back in case it was some kind of set up. The kind where one guy’s bait and his friends hit you over the head with a baseball bat and steal your hard earned cash.

“My little girl’s dead,” he said with breath so bad that Sawyer could smell it from five feet away. It was worse than a dog’s that had been munching on something dead. The man held the bundle of rags towards Sawyer. “She’s gone.”

“I’m sorry about that, mister,” Sawyer’s voice grew gentle, as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a $20 bill that was snatched away almost faster than a blink of his eye. “Look, don’t go spending this all in one place, partner.”

Sawyer saw that the boy had finished filling his tank, and wanted to get away from the ghost of Christmas yet to come so he hurried back to the gas station.

The leaf springs of the Mustang squeaked as Hurley climbed in with two bags of munchies in his arms. "I got you some Slim Jims. Rednecks like Slim Jims don't they?"

"Yeah, Jumbo," Sawyer said with a smirk as he hit the gas. Hitting play on the CD player, Sawyer thumped out the beat on the steering wheel as he raced out of town towards Appomattox. "We like Slim Jims and gun racks.

Special thanks to wedschilde for the car selection and information.

Promise of the Future - 1/5

Mon, 07 May 2007 04:12:26 GMT

Title: Promise of the Future
Team: Tully
Wordcount: 961
Rating: PG
Type: Gen
Chapter: 1/5
Prompt: Checkpoint 2
Posted to: virtualdrive
Notes: flashbacks to Alex and Kathryn's honeymoon

Alex woke up with a start, dreams of better days spiraling down the drain like so much dish water. He rubbed at his eyes. It was late. The clock on the nightstand said it was 8am. He’d slept more than twelve hours. He rolled off of the bed, and walked over to the door.

“Corinna?” he called out to his partner. “What did you do? Leave your key?” He popped the door open. But instead of the tall blonde who had insinuated herself into his life. He found a dome covered tray on a cart. “Room service? I didn’t call for room service.”

“Good morning Mr. Tully,” the waiter pasted on a fake smile, and started shoving the cart into the room. “Your breakfast is courtesy of the hotel. It comes with your suite.”

“Oh,” Alex stepped back from the door, and scratched at his stomach beneath the edge of his t-shirt. “Come on in then.”

***
“Kat,” Alex tapped door. “Sweetie, you ever going to come out of there?” He glanced down at the bottom of the door. Wondering what he’d done wrong, and why she had been in the bathroom for so long.

“I’ll be out in a second. Seriously Alex,” Kathryn Tully giggled from inside the hotel bathroom. “Did you think I was trying to crawl out a window and get away from you?”

“It did cross my mind,” he said with a laugh of his own. “That’s why I made sure to get a place with no bathroom windows. “Room service is here. You do want to eat don’t you? Personally I built up one heck of an appetite last night.”

The door slowly opened, and Kathryn stepped into the hotel room dressed in a long pale shimmering gossamer gown. Her hair was hanging loose over her slender shoulders, and there was a rosy blush on her cheeks. Alex felt his heart jump at the sight of her.

“Wow,” he said huskily as he reached out to take her tiny hand in his. Her soft skin felt like rose petals between his callused fingers. “You’re incredible. You look like a fairy princess.”

“Does that mean if I kiss you, you’ll turn into a frog?” Alex smiled while Kathryn dragged him towards the small table where he’d set out their honeymoon breakfast. A single yellow rose laid across her plate with a white ribbon tied around its stem. “Is this for me?”

“Well, I don’t see any other beautiful women wearing wedding rings in this room that match mine.” He held the chair out for her, so she could sit. Alex rested his hands on her shoulders, ducking his face down to nuzzle the base of her neck. “There also aren’t any pretty women in here that I’ve fallen in love with.”

****
“Tully? Alex?” Corinna reached past her partner, who was staring at the room service cart like it was the Holy Grail, and handed the waiter a tip. “Earth to Tully.”

“Huh? What?” he jerked back from Corinna’s nearness, and bumped his head against the wall with a thump.

“Breakfast,” she pointed at the cart. “We eat. Grow strong, win race.”

“Funny, very funny.” He closed the door none-too-gently behind the waiter and followed the enticing aroma of bacon from the room service cart.

“And yummy,” she said as she pulled open the covers. “I’m starving.”

“Why’d you let me sleep so long?” Alex asked as he settled down at the patio table where they had a lovely view of the golf course and gardens of the hotel grounds. It was a nice place, even Alex had to admit that. Much nicer than the little hotel he’d been able to afford for his honeymoon with Kathryn. “Shouldn’t we be back on the road?”

“They haven’t called. The best I can figure is the others are too far behind for them to give us the next clue.” Corinna piled food onto Alex’s plate and onto her own. “And trust me; I’m not sad they’re taking their time to get here. We needed the rest. You look a lot better.”

“I feel better. Sure this isn’t poisoned?” Alex asked as he sniffed at the food. But it wasn’t the food that had him jumpy. It was the yellow rose with the white ribbon on the tray that had him spooked. He reached for it before Corinna could pick it up. “That’s not for you.”

“What?” she asked as she snatched her hand back from his quick fingers.

Alex held the rose between his fingers, ignoring the thorns that pricked his fingers leaving drops of blood on the ribbon as he untied it. “Those fuckers.”

“What Alex what is it?”

****
“For me?” Kathryn let out a girlish squeal of delight. “You already gave me one ring this week.”

“I couldn’t afford to get you an engagement ring when I asked you to marry me. So I owed you one. That’s what that is.”

“But we got married yesterday, I don’t need an engagement ring, sweetie.” Kathryn held the antique garnet ring between her fingers, watching the play of sunlight on the stone and the blackened gold of the setting.

“I got it at an estate sale. It just reminded me of how much I love you,” Alex took the ring, and slipped it onto her right hand. “Now you’ve got my heart in both your hands.”

***
“This is Kathryn’s ring. I gave it to her. It was a promise ring. A promise for our future together.” Alex pushed away from the table, and went to lean on the balcony railing. He held the tiny ring in his hands, watching the stone and gold glitter in the Knoxville sunlight. “I’m going to kill them, Corinna. All of them.”

Jumpstart Blues - Part Five of Five

Fri, 04 May 2007 04:06:46 GMT

Title: Jumpstart Blues
Team: Tully, Salazar
Wordcount: 971
Rating: PG
Type: Gen, Crossover Drive/Alias
Chapter: 5 of 5
Prompt: Tully's Jump start - the bank robbery
Posted to: virtualdrive

Part One, Part Two, Part Three
Part Four

Alex drove the Challenger in and out of traffic like a shark cutting through a school of baby seals. Dodging left and right, constantly accelerating. He knew that they’d lost so much of their supposed lead from their jump start, that for all intent and purpose they should have just said no. At least that way Sean Salizar wouldn’t have been bleeding all over the backseat of his baby, and that bank guard wouldn’t be dead. It made him sick to his stomach. He darted a glance over at Corinna who was staring out the window with her eyes always on the horizon.

“What are you lookin’ at?” he asked as he kicked the Mopar into passing and slid between a pair of semis. “God’s divine inspiration?”

“You don’t have to get nasty with me, Tully. I told you not to take the jump start. What happened back there isn’t my fault.”

“Well it ain’t mine either. It’s there’s whoever the fuckers are who took my wife.” He chewed at the back of his bottom lip unaware that he’d opened it up again until he tasted the familiar trickle of blood on the end of his tongue. “What the hell’s a Vestival?”

“You’ve got me,” the blonde said with a shrug. “At least we know where we’re going even if we don’t know what it is. Are you going to be alright?”

“I’m tired Corinna. Don’t remember the last time I slept.”

“Me neither.”

Alex snorted. “Oh I know when you slept last, you were snorin’ about fifty miles back.”

“I do not snore!”

“Well whoever told you that lied. You snore.” He actually let out a small laugh at the horror on her face. “You just helped get a man killed back there in Sweetwater, and you’re worried that you snore?”

Corinna folded her arms over her chest and turned away from him then, just watching as they ripped down the highway. She hoped that he didn’t see the tears that filled her eyes.

***
The roar of the Challenger’s engine echoed off of the pink marble walls of the Candoro Marble Works building. Signs for the historical Vestival were hanging here and there, and tents were being put together on the wide expanses of green lawns.

“Looks like a nice little party,” Alex said as he scanned the crowd as he slowed down looking for some sign of Mr. Bright or a red beacon announcing the end of a section of the Race.

“Country living. Quaint,” Corinna said trying to put on a happy face, but she was deathly tired too. “Wonder if we’ll get to stay until the big event.”

“Wouldn’t that be special,” Alex gave her a crooked smile that turn downwards as he spotted the bald man sitting on a park bench feeding a ring of squirrels. “There’s Bright. Let’s get this over with.”

“Ah Mr. Tully, Miss Wile. You’re considerably later than expected, but you did still beat the rest of the competition.” He smiled like he was bringing Christmas joy to all the starving children in Ethiopia. He held out a magnetic card key to Alex. “This is your reward for first place. Unfortunately you won’t be able to stay for as long as your reservations were for, but you should be able to have at least one good night’s sleep.”

“A hotel key? I get a hotel key?” Alex was flabbergasted. “We rob a goddamned bank, get a man killed and almost lose another, and you give me a fucking hotel key?”

Mr. Bright held up his hands and smiled wider. “It’s a suite at the best hotel in Knoxville Mr. Tully. I know it’s not exactly a night at the Bellagio, but it’s going to be a long time until you get to Las Vegas.”

***
Alex popped the door to the suite open, and felt the muscles in his body relax at the sight of the sun-warmed living room area. “Take your pick of the bedrooms,” he said as he headed towards the bathroom. “I’m taking a shower, and then going to sleep. Don’t wake me up unless that damned phone rings.”

He leaned back against the wall of the shower, enjoying the feel of the cold tiles contrasting with the nearly intolerably hot water pounding over him. He’d used nearly the whole bottle of hotel supplied shampoo, and finally thought his short brown hair felt clean. His skin was pink and fingers wrinkled when he climbed out and wrapped one of the soft white towels around his waist.

He rubbed his hand over his chin, and looked in the mirror. The bruises on his face were turning to a lovely shade of yellow making it look like he had kidney failure or some other disease. But at least they were fading somewhat. But the haunted look in his blue eyes. He didn’t think that was ever going to go away.

He reached towards the mirror and drew a heart in the steam coated glass. A pair of initials AT and KT, and then wiped it away with the palm of his hand before pulling on a pair of clean blue jeans from his duffle bag and a fresh t-shirt.

“What are you in high school?” he shook his head then raked his fingers through his hair and limped towards the closed door of Corinna’s bedroom. “Bathroom’s all yours.”

“Alex,” he smiled as Kathryn’s long cool fingers brushed over his chest, and the curtain of her soft dark hair fell over his shoulders. “Wake up Alex.”

“Kat,” he purred, voice rough with need and pain. “Where are you Kat?”

“I’m right here, baby,” she said as her lips found his. “I’m always going to be here with you.”

Alex Tully smiled in his sleep, and let the dream take him deeper.

Drive - Jumpstart - Part Four

Tue, 01 May 2007 19:03:07 GMT

Title: Jumpstart Blues
Team: Tully, Salazar
Wordcount: 719
Rating: PG
Type: Gen, Crossover Drive/Alias
Chapter: 4 of 5
Prompt: Tully's Jump start - the bank robbery
Posted to: virtualdrive

Part One, Part Two, Part Three

Part Four
The motel room was without a single redeeming quality as far as Alex was concerned other than the bed that he wasn’t going to have time to test out. The wrinkled bedspread, stained with the gods alone knew what, was calling his name. He was so damned tired. He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, then winced at the pain of the bruises that “officer Poole” had left there. The way he looked he still had to wonder why the bank manager had been so helpful to him and Corinna when they’d cased the joint.

“Did you try to open it?” he asked as he stepped towards the fat safety deposit box. It was taking up most of the top of the crappy table that was covered with cigarette burns and rings from glasses.

“No, we waited for you man,” Winston said as he helped Sean through the door. The younger Salazar clung to his brother’s shoulder for dear life taking small careful steps over the threadbare carpet. “I made a deal with you. I ain’t going to go back on it.”

“Good to know,” Alex sank into a chair. The plush fabric that had once been some shade of gold was now brown as old tobacco, and a spring dug into his ass as he sat. With a grimace he shifted to escape the stab in the rear. “Not that I don’t trust y’all.”

Corinna sat down on the edge of the bed, giving most of it over to Sean. “We can try now, though right? We need to get back on the road. We’ve lost a hell of a lot of time.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Alex snapped at her. He waited for her to give him an ‘I told you so.’ But luckily she didn’t. He was pretty sure he’d have slapped her if she did, and he didn’t like to think he’d been pushed so far off the deep end that he’d hit a woman.

“Shame they didn’t give us a key though,” she said.

“Then you’re still lucky you hooked up with me,” Winston said with a cool grin. “I can get it open. Then we share the information, and hit the road, right?”

“Right,” Alex agreed.

“Are you sure Sean’s up to that?” Corinna asked wondering just how far Sean could go with his injuries.

“My bro can handle whatever they dish out on us, lady.” He pulled a set of tools out of his jacket pocket. “Let’s see if it’s got a silver lining.”

****
Alex watched while Corinna spread the new clue across the dashboard of the Challenger. His fingers were shaking as he turned the key. The jump start would get them closer to the finish line, but would it get him closer to Kathryn? The car roared to life, and he popped her into reverse after a quick glance in his mirrors.

“He’s an idiot,” Alex said as Winston finished getting Sean into the backseat of the gold Impala. “That kids in no shape to travel.”

“That’s not our problem,” Corinna said trying to shake off the urge to help Sean. “You did all you could. Now it’s up to his brother to take care of him.”
“I don’t want that boy’s death on my conscience,” Alex murmured as he shot back out onto the road. “Bad enough that guard had to die. He didn’t have nothing to do with this.”

“I know,” she said. “But there’s not a thing we can do about it one way or the other. It’s not like turning ourselves in would accomplish anything other than getting your wife killed.”

Alex’s knuckles whitened as they tightened on the wheel. “I know. Let’s get a few miles ahead of the brothers, and then I got to get something to eat. I’m so tired I can barely see straight.”

“All we have to do is make it another couple of hundred miles. Then we can rest until the next clue.” She leaned back in the seat, and rolled down her window hoping the fresh air would keep them both awake. “Do you want me to drive?”

The look he shot her was enough even without the words that followed. “Don’t even think about it. No one drives this car but me.”

Jumpstart Blues - Part Three

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:25:29 GMT

Title: Jumpstart Blues
Team: Tully, Salazar
Wordcount: 770
Rating: PG
Type: Gen, Crossover Drive/Alias
Chapter: 3 of ?
Prompt: Tully's Jumpstart - the bank robbery
Posted to: virtualdrive

Notes - What if Alex wasn't the only member of the Tully family with a secret past? What if Kathryn was working for the Race Constortium all along? Kathryn aka Kelly Peyton (from Alias) is one dangerous woman.

Part One, Part Two

The dark haired woman watched as the operative chewed at the end of his pen. She didn’t know why he had a pen to begin with. They didn’t use paper unless they were playing a game of Sudoku, and that didn’t happen too often now that the Race was underway. She leaned against the wall of the semi that housed their little slice of mission control, and folded her arms across her chest.

“It’s going well so far,” another agent said. He’d put back on regular clothes after masquerading as Officer Poole to capture Tully. “Don’t ya think?”

“It would be going better if they hadn’t distracted him with this side job.” A frown creased her forehead as she glanced towards the GPS signal that was tracking Alex Tully’s 1970 Challenger. “It would have been easier if he’d got to Appomattox with the others. Now he’s driving all over the place.”

“He is a squirrelly bastard once you get him riled up,” fake Poole said with a shrug. “We’re going to have to have a sweeper team clean up that mess at the bank. We don’t need to feds chasing after him too.”

“Yes, poor Alex. I could almost feel sorry for him.” Kelly Peyton, the woman who had called herself Kathryn when she’d met Alex four years ago smiled coolly. That is if he hadn’t bored her close to tears turning over his new law abiding leaf. Not that it was the man’s fault. It was her job to get him ready for the Race. If that bank job hadn’t gone as badly as it had, she never would have met Alex Tully. But now, her employers needed his skills.

She thought they should have just brainwashed some NASCAR driver into playing their game for them. But if they had, she wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the one thing that Tully didn’t bore her with. Even Peyton had to admit that he was pretty and good in bed.

“Do you know where that is?” Poole pointed at the screen.

Peyton pushed away from the wall to have a closer look at the monitor. “That’s a farm owned by one of his old partners, Jackson Forbes. One of them must have gotten shot. Alex would take them there for treatment.”

“So now we have to clean up the bank mess, and…”

“Jackson Forbes.” A slow lazy smile appeared on Peyton’s face. “I’ll take care of him. I like to meet Alex’s old friends.”

****
The Challenger was several miles down the highway when Peyton stepped into the barn where Jackson was cleaning up Sean Salazar’s blood. She was tall and willowy. With dark eyes that could see through a man’s soul. At least that’s what her husband used to say.

“Can I help you?” Jackson asked. His eyes never looked past her pretty face as she shot him between the eyes.

“You just did. Can’t have you here to talk to the cops about Alex.” She twisted the silencer off of her gun, and strolled back out of the barn towards the sleek black motorcycle that she’d ridden to get there. After tucking the still warm weapon beneath her leather jacket, she pulled out her cellphone. “It’s done. Where’s my darling hubby now?”

“He’s gone back to the motel. The one he stopped at before. Where he dropped off the woman.”

Peyton frowned. She didn’t like the idea of her Alex Tully having some blonde bimbo in his room. He was her toy, and no one else’s. As she kick started the bike, she licked her lips. It was going to be so much fun to see him at the finish line. Especially when he found out she’d been yanking his chain for years to break him.

*****
Alex turned off the Challenger’s headlights as soon as he was in the motel parking lot. Sean stirred groggily in the passenger seat as he parked next to Winston’s Impala. Alex let out a sigh of mingled relief and regret. Part of him really wished the Corinna and Winston had taken off with the jumpstart clue. Now he was back in the Race whether he liked it or not.

“She’s pretty,” Sean said as he picked up the picture of Kathryn from the seat.

“My wife,” Alex barely managed to choke out from his dust swollen throat. “They took her to make me drive.”

“That sucks.”

“Wait here,” Alex climbed out of the Challenger, and headed for the bungalow closest to the Impala. Before he could tap on the door, Winston threw it open. “He’s in the car. He’ll be alright.”

Jumpstart Blues - Part Two

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 04:11:24 GMT

Title: Jumpstart Blues
Team: Tully, Salazar
Wordcount: 835
Rating: PG
Type: Gen
Chapter: 2 of ?
Prompt: Tully's Jumpstart - the bank robbery
Posted to: virtualdrive

My heartbeat slowed down as Jackson pointed the shotgun towards me. I know, but it’s just one of those things. Behind me I could hear the engine of the Challenger pinging as it cooled off. I thumbed back toward the open door of the car.

“Jackson, I got a boy back of the car who needs some help. If you’re not going to do it, tell me now, so I can go somewhere else.”

“Drive into the barn.” Jackson stepped back, laying the shotgun against his shoulder. “I’ll get my bag.”

I’d know Jackson a long time. He’d wanted to go to medical school, but his family didn’t have the money. So he’d gone into the army where he’d been a field medic. He just hadn’t been too lucky when he’d come home. I’d met him after he’d done a stint in prison with one of my old partners. Right now, I needed the skills he’d learned in the army.

The barn was clean, smelling of hay and fresh turned dirt. I felt a surge of jealousy that Jackson was living the life that I’d had yanked away. I parked, and waited for Jackson before I tried to get Sean out of the backseat.

“Next time we take your brother’s car,” I said as I tried to figure out how to get the wounded kid out of a two-door muscle car.

“Are you kidding?” Sean managed to cough out a reply. “If I got blood on his precious seats he’d kill me.”

“Well it’s not making me too fond of you right now either,” I said with a lopsided grin as Jackson came up alongside me. “I’ll get his shoulders, and you get his feet.”

“Back here. I’ve got a clean room set up for the vet when he comes by,” Jackson said.
Luckily Sean was a skinny kid, and we didn’t have much trouble getting him out. The room was swept clean, and there was a table where we could lay Sean out. “I thought you’d given up the life, Alex?”

“So did I,” I said as he started peeling the blood soaked fabric from Sean’s gut. “But shit hit the fan, and I’m drowning in it again. I need to get this kid fixed up fast.”

“Well that’s the usual way of it isn’t it?” Jackson frowned as he passed me a handful of towels. “Soak these in the sink with hot water. I need to clean it up to see what’s going on.”

“It was,” I started to say.

“No, shut the fuck up. Alex, I don’t want to know what happened. After you leave, I’m going to forget you were ever here.”

I nodded and started soaking the towels, and brought them back over to Jackson who used them one at a time to wash away the clotted caked blood. “There’s an entry wound but no exit. That means the bullet’s still in there.”

“That’s good right?” I asked. I was out of my element here. I was the wheelman. I wasn’t supposed to ever be inside where the guns were. I was supposed to be safe.

“Depends on the caliber, but normally it’s better. The bleeding’s not that bad. I don’t think any organs have been hit. I’m going to get it out, and I’ll stitch him up.”

“What do I do?”

“You wash your hands, and hold him down. This is going to hurt.”

Sean’s cries were still echoing in my ears as I took another heap of rags to wash the blood out of the Challenger. Jackson came up behind me, and handed me a big brown bottle of hydrogen peroxide. “What’s this for?”

“Poor it on the seat and carpet. It’ll take the blood out better than bleach. You don’t want someone ever knowing someone was bleeding all over the back of your car.”

“Thanks Jackson.” I poured the clear liquid over the seat, and watched as it foamed in the stitches that I’d thought I’d gotten clean. “Is he going to be alright?”

“He’ll be ok in a day or so.”

“We can’t stay.” I said expecting him to say that we had to.

“No you can’t. I don’t want my family seeing you here. As soon as you’re done, I’ll help you get him into the passenger seat. Then you’re out of here, and Alex. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

*****
Sean was leaned against the door as I drove back towards the motel. He was still pale, but at least he wasn’t looking like death warmed over anymore. I pulled off of the narrow backwater country road and onto a narrow highway where I could finally speed up.

“Tully?” Sean glanced over at me. “Where the fuck, are we?”

“We’re on our way back to your brother, and the prize. Whatever the fuck it is.” I said I dropped the Challenger into passing to glide past a big rig pulling two trailers. “That is if they’re still where I left ‘em.”

Jumpstart Blues - Part One

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:02:41 GMT

Title: Jumpstart Blues
Team: Tully, Salazar
Wordcount: 654
Rating: PG
Type: Gen
Chapter: 1 of ?
Prompt: Tully's Jumpstart - the bank robbery
Posted to: virtualdrive

I could hear the kid wheezing in the back seat. There was a muffled yelp as I pulled out of the motel’s driveway. The Challenger’s engine roared as I pressed down on the gas.

“Sorry,” I mumbled as I glanced back in the mirror to see Sean’s sweat covered face. The kid’s skin was pale, and I could see the pain in his eyes. I could have said I’d be more careful, but he didn’t have that much time. Fast was more important than smooth right now.

I watched as the road grew longer, and the tree line grew thicker as I left the town I’d stashed Winston and Corrina in. I hoped they’d do what I told them. But Winston didn’t look the type to leave his kid brother with me, and take the clue to move on towards the jump start. But I still wasn’t sure that I trusted Corrina.

I tightened my fingers on the steering wheel, until my knuckles went as white as Sean’s face. I thought about turning up the stereo so I didn’t have to listen to his ragged breathing. But I liked being able to hear the car purr.

God damn, but I’d missed the feel of power and freedom that I got behind the wheel. I let out a bitter laugh at the thought of how free I felt while I was more trapped than I’d ever been. I felt like a tiger on one of those retractable leashes. I didn’t know how long the rope was or when they were going to yank me back.

“Tully?” Sean said or it could have been “Funny?” for all I knew.

“Nothing,” I said. How was I going to explain to this rich kid who’d just risked his life to help me that I was thinking about how easy it would be to just disappear? Not that I could. They still had Kathryn.

I glanced towards the glove compartment, and grabbed out a picture of Kathryn. I’d shoved a few pictures of her from my duffle bag in there after They’d given me the Challenger.

I wish I knew who They were. What game this was that they were playing. I didn’t want to be like this anymore. I’d given up being on the run for Kat. I’d changed who I was, and how I lived. I’d done it all for her, and now they’d ripped away Alex Tully of Hastings, Nebraska like he was a paper mask I’d had on for Mardi Gras.

I didn’t want her to see me like this, but it was the only way. Wasn’t it?

I passed the eighteen mile marker on rural route forty-seven, and narrowed my eyes until I could see past the tree line to the windmill in the distance. “You hang on Sean. Help’s near by.”

I hoped. I hadn’t seen Jackson in years. Didn’t know what the man was up to anymore. We’d parted ways after we’d split up the cut from our last job. The boy in the backseat was just lucky that Jackson lived near Sweetwater, and not in another state. At least I hoped he still lived in the farmhouse that I was barreling towards.

Clouds of dust trailed behind me like a wake, and I could taste it on my tongue as I pulled to a screeching stop in front of the house. I patted Sean on the shoulder as I got out of the car, and wished that I’d had enough brains to take one of the guns just in case.

“Who’s there?” Called a man’s voice from the porch. I could see the outlines of a tall man who looked like he hadn’t had enough to eat in this lifetime. I could also see the shotgun he had braced in his hands. “Tully?”

“Yeah, Jackson. It’s me. I need a little help.” Jackson didn’t put the gun down. “How y’all doing?”

Dark Mirror - part four - the end

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 20:50:21 GMT

Character: Giles
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Timeline: Season Two
Author: jleemoffatt
Part 4/4
Word Count: 1600 total 6100
Rating: R
For adecadeofbuffy

PDF of the Whole Story

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Angel pulled his car around the block from the Bronze; since it was the last place anyone had seen Giles. He jumped around the car to open the door for Buffy. She gave him a sweet shy smile.

“Thank you,” she said. “I don’t remember the last time a guy opened a door for me.”

“Then you’re not hanging around with the right kind of guys,” the souled vampire said. He reached down and brushed his fingers through her thick blonde hair. As their eyes met, he felt his soul tingle. He loved this girl more than anything on earth. “You take my breath away.”

“I think I like that a lot.” Buffy tilted her face back into his hand, then tugged on the front of his collar to pull him down into a kiss.

“Not that I breathe,” Angel said with a shrug.

“Just means you can kiss me longer.” She leaned against him, smelling the rugged scent of his soap and the product he used in his hair. She wished more than anything that she could hear his heart beating in his chest.
The Bronze was still filled with the coffee crowd, no band on the stage, and the dance floor was empty. Angel traced his steps going back to the spot where he’d watched Giles and Jenny holding court over enraptured students. He crouched down, while Buffy did the same as they pretended to be looking for a lost contact lens while he tried to get the scent of anything he could use to trace them.

“I don’t smell anything,” he said. “What’s that?”

Buffy touched a piece of glitter on the floor, and then picked it up carefully between her nails that had been painted a soft shade of sky blue. “I think it’s a piece of mirror.”

“Giles asked me to help move a mirror from Jenny’s apartment to the school.” Angel looked at the bit of shiny glass, his finger didn’t reflect in its surface like the Slayer’s had. “Did you see a mirror at her place?”

“There was one of those big standing mirrors. It was old,” Buffy said as she looked for more of the pieces of broken glass. “We need to go to the library.”

“We’ll pick up Willow on the way,” Angel said as they headed back out into the night.

***
Buffy used the key that Giles had given her to break into the school and the library, both were dark and their footsteps echoed down the hallways except for Angels. Xander was with them as always, since he’d been at Willow’s waiting for news.

“I checked the newspaper,” Willow was saying breathlessly as they popped the library doors open. “Four students were found wandering around this morning. They don’t know what happened to them. Let me boot up my laptop, and I’ll show you the pictures I hacked out of the police department.”

“What’s so weird about that?” Xander asked. “I stumble around in a daze most mornings.”

“No, wait until you see the pictures. It’s got to have something to do with that mirror. An’ maybe Angel can tell us if they were the ones he saw with Giles and Miss Calendar last night.” Willow shoved a few books out of the way carefully and opened up her laptop. “And we need to look up anything we can find about a magic mirror.”

***
“I’m so thirsty,” Jenny said as she shivered next to Giles. They’d lost track of time, since they’d been trapped in the mirror. “We’re going to die in here.”

“No,” the Watcher said firmly, although he wasn’t sure if he believed it or not. “Buffy will find us. We’re not going to end up like them.”

Jenny glanced over at the dried bones that they’d moved into a far corner. “It’s the rules of three Rupert. Three days without water, three weeks without food, we’re going to die.”

***
“That is all kinds of wrong,” Xander said as he looked at the pictures of the victims that Willow had called up. Their skin and hair was nearly bone white, and their eyes reflected back the flash of the camera in the pictures. “What happened to their eyes?”

“According to the report, they are blind. Their eyes are like mirrored surfaces,” Willow said as she chewed at her bottom lip. “They don’t remember who they are either.”

“Those are the ones I saw with Giles and Jenny,” Angel said. “We need to find that mirror.”

“I know where it is,” Buffy said. “We’ll just go to Miss Calendar’s place and break it.”

“No!” Willow said. “We don’t know what that will do. Xander and I will do research. Go get the mirror, but don’t break it. That might hurt Giles and Miss Calendar. Let me see if I can find out how to break the spell first.”

***
“This is it,” Buffy said. She stood in front of the mirror, while Angel stood besides her. Only Buffy’s reflection showed in the silvered surface.

“It’s old,” Angel said. He ran his long fingered hands over the edges of the glass. He hated mirrors like most vampires. “Let’s bring it to the library.”

“How come you don’t have a reflection?” Buffy asked as they lifted the heavy antique with considerably more ease than Giles had. “I mean you have your soul.”

“I don’t know,” Angel shrugged. “Maybe it’s not the soul, but the demon that casts no reflection?”

The thing wearing Giles’ face tackled Buffy and Angel on the stairs sending them both tumbling down into the courtyard of the apartment complex. The mirror crashed on top of the Slayer, but did not break. Angel was up first with a growl as he confronted the doppelganger.

“That doesn’t belong to you,” Jenny said as she strolled up behind Angel. She had a long curved knife in her hand. She reached down to grab Buffy by her hair.

“Sorry, but I’m not much in the mood to die tonight,” the Slayer said. She grabbed Jenny’s hand and spun her away with all her strength and the teacher hit the wall hard enough to knock stucco off of the wall. Buffy didn’t want to hurt people who were her friends, not until she knew what was going on.

Angel brought his knee up and shoved Giles away from him, shocked at how strong the man was. Giles’ fist shot out and caught Angel in the face, knocking the vampire back several feet before he got his bearings. Shifting into his vampire form, Angel spun around and delivered a round house kick to Giles’ chin. The doppelganger’s head snapped back, and Angel saw a shimmer of mirror beneath his skin.

“That’s not Giles,” Angel told Buffy.

“Good,” Buffy said as she plowed her fist into Jenny’s doppelganger’s gut, and then slammed both of her fists down onto the back of its neck. There was the sound of broken glass, and the creature hit the ground hard. “Means I don’t have to play nice anymore.”

Angel’s foot flashed out again, and his boot caught the Giles’ thing in the head again. The faux watcher’s glasses went flying as the vampire snapped its neck. “Let’s get that and them back to the school.”

***
“If it could be broken,” Buffy said with a frown. “It would have when they knocked us down the stairs.”

The two doppelgangers were wrapped in several layers of duct tape and locked in the book cage. Neither had stirred since they’d been knocked out, but no one wanted to take any chances. Every place there should have been a bruise, the silver sheen of a mirror could be seen.

“I think I found it,” Willow said. Her eyes were bright and filled with triumph from a successful information hunt. “It’s a piece of the Mirror of Alonarg. Or it probably is. It traps lovers and sets out soul sucking replacements to feed the mirrors magic.”

“So what do we do to break the spell?” Buffy wished that just breaking it would have worked. “And how do we get Giles and Miss Calendar back?”

“Sunlight,” Willow said with a big smile. “It’s a good thing it didn’t grab you and Angel.”

“Because the sunlight would kill him.” Buffy touched the back of Angel’s hand and smiled when he wrapped her fingers in his. “Let’s get this thing outside then.”

“What about them?” Xander asked looking back at the crumpled doppelgangers. “And the people they hurt?”

“The sunlight should break the mirrors’ spell. But I don’t know about the others. Hopefully they’ll be all right.” Willow said as she followed Angel and Buffy out into the parking lot where they stood the mirror facing the east.

“The sun will be up soon,” Angel said feeling the heat of the sun minutes before it would peek over the horizon. “I have to go.”

“I know,” Buffy felt her heart splinter just a little bit like it did every dawn. “I’ll tell you what happened tomorrow night. I promise.”

****
Giles was just finishing mopping up the broken glass that covered the floor of the book cage when he heard Buffy come in. He looked up at her unable to find the words to say thank you. He and Jenny had been starving and dehydrated both drinking two bottles of water each when they’d gotten free of the mirror and had even managed to eat sandwiches from the vending machine in the teacher’s lounge.

“You saved us.”

“Of course,” Buffy said as she bent over to hold the dustpan while Giles cleaned. “It’s what I do.”

Happy Tenth Anniversary Buffy!

Dark Mirror - Part Three

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 21:25:05 GMT

Character: Giles
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Timeline: Season Two
Author: jleemoffatt
Part 3/4
Word Count: 1568
Rating: R
For adecadeofbuffy

Part One
Part Two

Giles watched helplessly as Buffy turned and left Jenny’s bedroom. He pressed his hand against the invisible barrier that had trapped him and Jenny inside of the cursed mirror and screamed to get the Slayer’s attention.

“Did she see us?” Jenny asked pressed against Giles’ back to keep from falling into the abyss of twisting darkness that lay beneath the ledge they were clinging too. The chamber was dank and humid, and occasionally they could hear the sound of claws scrapping over the pitted reflective surface of the glass that seemed to coat everything. It was like being in a cave that had been chrome plated.

“No,” said as he rested his forehead against her shoulder and held her tight. “She didn’t even look in the mirror.”

“It’s probably good that she didn’t. What if it sucked her in here too?” Jenny pulled Giles away from the opening to a wide spot where they could rest. Her stomach growled and she tried unsuccessfully to pretend that she wasn’t dying of thirst.

“I would still like to know why it took us,” Giles said. He pulled Jenny against his sad, and stroked at her head. They both did their best not to look at the scattering of shattered bones and rumpled rags that had belonged to other people who had been trapped inside of the mirror.

***

“Yours?” Angel didn’t like the sound of that at all. He was close enough now to take a deep breath, to see if he could smell the taint of demon on them. But there was nothing. They didn’t smell like vampires, but they were sure acting like them.

“Our students,” Jenny said as she placed her hands on the vampire’s chest. “Look Angel. We’re working on a special project right now. Why don’t you go see if you can find Buffy?”

“Yes, quite right,” Giles said as he adjusted the sleeves of his leather jacket. “We’ve got a very important project we’re working on. Maybe you can do us a favor?”

Angel was still suspicious, but he really didn’t know what else he could do but listen. “Sure what can I do?”

“We’re working on a skit for the next talent show, and one of the props is at Jenny’s apartment. It’s a large wardrobe mirror, and if you and Buffy could bring it down to the school that would be very helpful.”

“Sure thing,” Angel answered with a shrug. “I’ll see when Buffy can help me get it.”

***

The next morning, Buffy waltzed into the library after her second period class. There were books stacked all over the counter which wasn’t a strange sight, or wouldn’t have been if they were books on demonology and spells. But these were regular school books, the kind that Giles usually shelved right away, to get them out of the way.

“Judy Bloom?” Buffy said. “That is just oodles of wrong.”

“What’s wrong Miss Summers?”

“Oh, I was just looking for Giles.” Buffy hated that Principal Snyder could sneak up on her better than any supernatural creature she’d ever encounters. As other than being a weasel, she didn’t think he was anything but human.

“Mr. Giles called in sick today. I’m sure the substitute librarian can help you, where ever she is.”

“That’s okay. It’s nothing important,” Buffy said with a boneless shrug that someone didn’t send the strap of her tank top off of her shoulder. “I’ll just talk to him tomorrow.”

“Nu uh,” Xander said as he shoved at Buffy’s lunch tray. “Giles called in sick. Now I’m really worried.”

“Me too, but we can’t do anything until school is out. Snyder is watching me like a hawk.”

“It is kind of creepy isn’t it?” Willow added. “I mean he is creepy without watching you. Should we go to Giles’ house?”

“I don’t think he’ll be there,” Buffy said glumly as she pulled a thin slice of limp tomato out of her tuna sandwich. “He wasn’t there last night when we went looking.”

“He wasn’t anywhere we thought he’d be last night,” Xander pointed out. He picked up his cheeseburger and tore off a chunk of it, then washed it down with a gulp of a Dr. Pepper.

“I don’t like it.” Buffy shoved her sandwich back onto the Styrofoam plate without taking more than a nibble. “What if Spike or Drusilla got them?”

“But they usually leave a note when they kidnap one of us,” Willow pointed out. “It’s not bright, but it is their MO.”

“MO?” Xander mocked.

“Modus Operandi,” Willow said with a humph. “Standard operating procedure, Spike never makes a move without making sure that Buffy or Angel knows about it, so he can stick it to Buffy.” Willow held her fingers into quotation marks when she said stick it.

“Yeah, Spike’s all about the freedom of information act,” Buffy said as she picked up her lunch tray. “I’m going to cut class and go back to Miss Calendar’s apartment. She’s not here today either.”

“But what if they’re doing something?” Willow stammered. “I mean what if you interrupt?”

“Well,” Buffy brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “Then I’ll just turn bright red, and get embarrassed. We need to know where they are. I can’t think of a better place to look. Can you?”

***

The sun was barely down when Angel was tapping on Buffy’s bedroom window. She’s just finished pulling a soft teal hoodie over her head, and was tugging the hem down when she heard him.

“Angel,” she said with a bright smile. “I was just going to look for you.”

“I…have you seen Giles today?” Angel looked uncomfortable about something. He was nearly as nervous as Willow.

“No, and I’ve been looking all over for him. I even braved going to Miss Calendar’s apartment – again – but they weren’t there. They didn’t show up for school today, and I’m really worried about them. Giles was acting weird.”

“Giles was acting weird.” Angel said the four words at the same time as Buffy, which brought a small crooked smile to his face. “He and Miss Calendar were acting like vampires like night holding court at the Bronze.”

“They didn’t get turned, did they!” Buffy felt her heart go cold, as she sank back down onto the edge of her bed. “There was all that blood on her bed, but it wasn’t that much blood. And the garlic was gone, and…”

“No,” Angel said as he crouched in front of her gingerly taking her trembling hands in his. “They weren’t vampires. But they didn’t act like themselves at all. I think they might be under a spell of some kind.”

“But who would cast a spell on Giles and Miss Calendar?” Buffy paced to her window, and picked up her weapons stuffed backpack. “I mean that Ethan guy’s been gone since the whole Eyghon thing. Which we won’t even go into how much that pissed me off since I wanted to hit him a whole lot more. Getting that tattoo removed hurt.”

“Buffy! Dinner!” Both Angel and the Slayer jumped at the sound of her mother’s voice. “Come and get it before it gets cold.”

“I have to go. I missed dinner last night and was late the night before that. I’m almost as bad about dinner with my mom as I am about getting to school on time.”

“When will you be back?” Angel asked. He reached over and took the backpack from her. “I’ll wait for you outside. We’ll find Giles and Jenny as soon as you can get away.”

Buffy’s mother had more than a simple dinner in store for her, or at least that’s what Angel assumed when he ended up leaning against his car in the darkness for a good two hours. Not that two hours meant a whole lot to him after two hundred and fifty odd years. It was kind of nice to just listen to Buffy and her mom talking inside of the house.

“So when do I get to meet your mysterious boyfriend?” Joyce Summers asked as she scooped more of the linguini she’d made special for Buffy onto the girl’s plate.

“What makes you think I have a boyfriend?” Buffy asked as she twisted the pasta around her fork. She spent so much time wishing she could have a normal life, but when her mother asked her a normal question it just made her want to go out and kill something.

“Because you’ve got a very far away look all the time, and you can’t possibly be putting all your attention into school. If you were, your grades would be better.”

“Ouch!” Buffy said then jumped up as the phone rang. “I’ll get it.”

Joyce didn’t bother to offer. “Oh I know you will. I would never risk my life getting between a teenager and the telephone.”

***

“I thought I was never going to get out of there!” Buffy rested her head against the passenger seat of Angel’s car. She hadn’t been in it often, but she had to admit it was better than running all over Sunnydale like a pair of superheroes.

“She loves you Buffy.”

“I know,” Buffy answered. “I just wish I could tell her what I was really thinking about. But how do I explain to my mother that I’m afraid someone has cast a spell on my Watcher?”

Dark Mirror - Part Two - BTVS

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:50:30 GMT

Character: Giles
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Timeline: Season Two
Word Count: 1385
Rating: R
Part One

Giles winced as he pulled on his tweed jacket, beneath his shirt he could still feel the scratches that Jenny’s nails had left on his back. One moment they had fallen onto her bed in a tender embrace, exploring each other with slightly trembling fingers, and in the next they were tearing off each others clothes biting, scratching and giving in to their passions in ways he hadn’t tried since before he’d become a watcher. It was enough to make him smile all the way to his car and job.

When the librarian pulled into the staff parking lot of Sunnydale High, his radio was blaring full blast, making the tinny speakers rattle in the tiny car. His voice was loud and melodious as he sang along with the refrains of Bohemian Rhapsody giving Freddy Mercury a run for his money.

“Hey G Man,” Xander said as Giles turned off the ignition. “Someone’s in a good mood for a Monday morning.”

“And why wouldn’t I be?” Giles asked narrowing his eyes behind his glasses at the annoying dark haired boy who seemed to think he could treat him like one of his little friends. “I had a stellar weekend. How about you?”

Giles bit his tongue to keep from adding – “Did you do anything about that annoying virginity of yours? Or did Buffy give you the ‘we’re just friends speech again’?” – But that didn’t stop him from thinking it.

“I helped the Bufster with patrol Friday night, and Willow helped her on Saturday. Last night we watched old movies.”

“And you think I want to know about this, why?” That time Giles couldn’t keep his mouth shut. But before he had to listen to Xander prattle at him again, he saw Jenny strolling through the doors of the school dressed in the shortest skirt he’d ever seen her wear along with the tightest long black boots. “Go to class Xander, this is grown up business. I don’t think you’d possibly understand.”

Xander watched his mouth dropping open as Giles and Miss Calendar groped each other in the hallway, and then rushed to his first class as the bell rang.

“Look I’m not kidding. It was like being in Bizarro world.” He told Willow while ignoring their home room teacher. Buffy was late, again, but that wasn’t anything new for a Monday morning. “Miss Calendar was dressed in a tiny little skirt, and wearing boots that Pretty Woman would have sold her soul for. Then she and Giles started licking each other’s tonsils.”

“Eww,” Willow scrunched her nose. “Like in front of people? That doesn’t sound like Giles.”

“Miss Rosenberg?” the teacher arched her eyebrows from the chalkboard. “Would you care to tell us all what’s so interesting? And where might your friend miss Summers be this morning?”

“I’m here,” Buffy said as she slipped into the classroom with her books clutched to her chest. “Sorry, I..well..I’m of the late.”

“I’d put you on detention for being late again this morning, Buffy,” the teacher said dejectedly. “But you already spend enough time in the library.”

Giles was bored. He watched Buffy take on the practice dummy. But he didn’t want to be there. He wanted to have some fun. “I think you’ve had enough today Buffy.”

“What?” She looked up from another flourish of kicks and punches. “Already? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m getting a migraine, and I really don’t feel like looking at you anymore today.” He picked up his jacket and walked out of the library.

“Okay, Xander is right. Giles is acting like well not the Giles. He was rude. I didn’t think he knew how to be rude.” Buffy blew her bangs out of her eyes, and settled across the foot of Willow’s bed. “I mean he didn’t even lock his office or say good bye.”

“And?” Willow could see that Buffy had a weird look on her face. “What else?”

“I think he was looking at my butt.”

“No!” Xander looked more than a little green. “Okay, something is up.”

“Why don’t you think I have a nice butt?” Buffy asked twisting around to look at her own rump.

“Well yeah,” Xander went from green to red. “It’s just that he’s old. And he’s your Watcher. He’s not allowed to look at your butt.”

“Xander says he and Miss Calendar were all porn-starry when they got to school this morning.” Willow added although she had no idea how that was supposed to be helpful. “Maybe we should go talk to her?”

Jenny was in the middle of her bedroom trying on another set of lingerie that she’d bought on the way home from the school, and checking out her reflection in the mirror. She ran her hands over the tight corset and smiled.

“You look good enough to ravish,” Giles said from behind her where he was sprawled naked on the bed with a cigarette between his bruised lips. “Again.”

“Again, won’t get us what we need.” Jenny crawled across the bed on all fours. “We need to find someone to play with. I’m hungry.”

By the time Buffy and the Scoobs got to Miss Calendar’s apartment, Giles and Jenny were long gone. Buffy tapped on the door, and took a step back when it just popped open. A large cardboard box was in the middle of the floor filled with the computer teacher’s clothes, candles and books.

“Hey,” Willow said with a frown as she pulled one of the books out of the box. “This is the book I gave her. Why would she throw it out?”

“Why is she throwing her clothes out?” Buffy asked as Xander pulled out a sweater they’d all seen their teacher wear. The Slayer reached over to grab a bra that had been hooked into the sweater and stuffed it back into the box before Xander could see it.

“Maybe she’s moving in with Giles?” Xander offered. Then he added in a fake British accent. “They were chummy enough.”

Buffy left her friends, and took the short walk down the hallway into Miss Calendar’s bedroom. Something was making the short hairs on the back of her neck stand up. “Okay Giles so you and Miss Calendar are getting groiny. That’s of the good. But what’s up with the rest of it?”

Her green eyes opened wide as she saw the silk ropes hooked to the headboard of the bed, and the twisted sheets with spots of blood on them. They opened a bit wider when she untangled a pair of silk thigh high stockings from the heel of her boot. She could still feel something in the room was wrong, but had no idea what it was.

“We need to go.” She said as she came back out into the living room where Xander and Willow were still snooping around. “Something’s wrong. I can feel it. But I don’t know what. I think we need to find them.”

Angel looked up with surprise as Giles and Jenny Calendar came into the Bronze. He’d had to do a double take when he saw Giles. The librarian was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with Pink Floyd’s Dark side of the Moon logo on it a well-worn leather jacket was hanging over his shoulder. And the teacher was wearing something that any vampire groupie would die for with a long skirt of black lace and a blood red corset.

The vampire’s nostrils flared as he tried to breathe in their scent as they passed by him, but there were too many teenagers wearing too much perfume and not enough deodorant mingled with the smell of coffee to catch anything from the pair. He watched from the shadows as they went onto the dance floor drawing the attention of everyone there.

“Hey Giles,” Angel said as he walked up to the pair when they finally took a break after dancing through three songs and gathering a herd around them. “What’s up?”

“Angel,” Jenny’s voice was a dark purr as she ran her fingers up over the vampire’s spiky hair. She took a deep breath and then pushed him away. “You’re no good to us. Go away.”

“Sod off,” Giles said as he stepped between Jenny and the vampire. “Go find your own, Angel. These are ours.”