Atherlae: Part 4
by Fox Lee
Legal Stuff: Buffy the Vampire Slayer concept & characters (Buffy, Angel, Oz, Willow, Cordelia, Xander, Giles, Drusilla & Kendra) are tm & (c) Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, and basically belong to them, Joss Whedon, The WB Television Network and Mutant Enemy (Rrrr...Argh...). They were created by Joss Whedon, and I have absolutely nothing to do with it (wish I did). Atherlae is an otherwise original work that is (c) Fox Lee 1999, (yours truly). Any similarity between events in this story and in real life (yeah, that happened to ME and MY vampire boyfriend just the other day!) is purely coincidental and unintended (so deal with it). If you like this story and want it posted on your page, lack of frequent e-mail access prompts me to say 'feel free - in fact, please do', so long as you don't edit any bits and you make sure my name's on it along with this message. If you do re-post it, please e-mail me to let me know.
Last edited: 10-3-99
Timespan: This would either have to take place before Angel turned evil again, or after his return (he ain't back yet in Australia...*SOB*...). I began writing it just after the episode "Ted". Please note that I can't be held responsible for any inaccuracies that I wasn't aware of at this point, and that I've only actually seen about five or six episodes (not including the comics or what I've read on the Internet). What I'm trying to say is if I've screwed up, don't be too disgusted (but e-mail me and tell me so I don't embarrass myself too much!).
E-mail: Compliment me, criticize me, yell at me, insult me...heck, I don't care. The place to send it all is cyberslayerfox@yahoo.com. If that doesn't work properly (it ain't my fault) try fox_lee@hotmail.com.
Gimmicky promo stuff (!!!!!): Keep an eye out for my second Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfic, There Can Be Only One, in which a summer adventure camp and a mysterious girl tied to Angel's past cause some serious trouble for the Slayer and her friends. Also, a decidedly out-of-the-ordinary school dance in A Night To Remember. Coming soon from Cyberslayer (hey, that's me!).
Oh, by the way: If you've got this story on your page and would like a decent-looking html version with groovy graphics, decent fonts, formatting etc. (I REALLY hate .txt files), please contact me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part Four
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Here. Put this one on the stack," Willow handed several pages of printout to Cordelia.
"Another one?!" Buffy groaned. "How many profiles can there be that fit this thing?!"
"When we've only the limited amount of information you and Angel were able to give us," Giles replied, "a great many."
"Hold on, here's something," Xander displayed two pages of a dust-laden volume that was probably even older than Angel. "Something called a Shagra-Mar. Fits the description perfectly."
"Bookmark it," Willow advised from the computer.
"And put it on the pile," Xander finished unenthusiastically, glancing at the stack of books with hastily-torn paper markers sticking out, accompanied by numerous printed pages from Willow.
"This could go on forever," Buffy moaned miserably.
"Aren't you being a trifle melodramatic?" Giles inquired.
"Y'know, you aren't exactly helping, Buff," Xander pointed out, indicating the stack of unopened books that sat in front of the Slayer. "You gonna look through those, or just at them?"
"Yes," Buffy shot back. Then her tone changed. "...Well...soon..."
"You haven't even started looking!" Cordelia cried accusingly.
"I'm going to!" she snapped irritably. "It's...just that..."
"...That you're so preoccupied with worrying about Angel that you can't concentrate for more than a twenty-second time period," Willow finished. "If that's what it is, why don't you just go see him?"
"Because I'm searching," Buffy sounded hurt.
"You know, Buffy, that may indeed be the best course of action for you," Giles pointed out. "It will doubtlessly accomplish more than your sitting around here."
"You think? I mean, I do feel kinda stupid. That wound wasn't enough to put Angel in any kind of danger. And I should be helping."
"Buffy," Giles rolled his eyes. "If it will stop you from moping around here, then please, go with my blessing. With all of our blessing."
"Really?" Buffy brightened considerably. "'Coz, you know, now that you mention it, it would make me feel a whole lot better..."
"Buffy, just go!"
The Slayer took off, leaving to her friends the books and the Internet.
"How could I forget," Xander muttered darkly. "The Slayer gets all the breaks."
At the Internet terminal, Willow finished yet another printout. "Add it to the stack."
This story archived at: The Slayer\'s Fanfic Archive
The Slayer\\\\\\\\'s FanFic Archive - http://www.slayerfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=1646