Disclaimer: I don't know Nsync. I don't know Josh Chasez in real life. This story is in no way meant to imply that he is homosexual in real life. This piece of literature is simply the work of a fan and is pure fiction.
I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, or anything associated with those shows. They belong to their creator Joss Whedon and whoever else owns it. This piece of literature is simply the work of a humble fan.
Now that all the disclaimers are out the way, time for the introduction. I have no idea when I came up with this story. It was a long time ago I know that. I think I was spacing out, while I was in Anatomy class and that's when I got the idea to do this.
Now if you have any comments, feedback or you just want to drop a word. Send them to SilvenFox@yahoo.com
Previously:
Buffy interrupted him by taking his hand lifting it gently to her head. His palm pressed against her forehead. "Look in my mind. Use your magic to see."
JC frowned not understanding what was so troubling. But he went through with her wishes. He closed his eyes and she did too. JC reached out with his mind and felt his power touch the barrier of her mind. Her defenses slipped down and he saw what she was so worried about...
A Turok-Han standing on top of a rocky hill growled with a battle cry. Suddenly it leaped from the rock and there are many more behind it, jumping around with weapons. There thousands upon thousands, row after row of Turok-Han going on as far as the eye can see, forming an army somewhere underground.
JC blinked his eyes were wide in surprise and fear. He looked into Buffy's knowing gaze. The only thing he could think of to say was:
"Oh. Fuck. Me."
Chapter 10
A week and a half had passed, since Buffy had come back from the portal that had taken her to meet the "Shadow-Men", the creators of the slayer. They had given her a gift that was most valuable. They gave her a vision of what's to come. A vision of the Turok-Han army. Compared to the ancient vampires, they were but tadpoles and the Turok-Han were sharks.
The potential slayers had taken to training harder than ever in light of the death of Chloe. Buffy was being extra hard on them. They couldn't see it now, but it was for the best. Hell, the only person who thought so was JC. He thought Buffy was being spot on, with the way she was treating everyone. They were in the middle of a war, and they couldn't forget that, to live in a fantasy world of everything's okay land.
The morning light of the sun drifted though the curtained windows of the Summers' household. Golden oblongs of sunshine lay on the tiled floor of the kitchen. Girls went in and out of the moderately small space, taking food, looking for food, then leaving. One looking in would have thought the scene was pure chaos. But it was just a regular morning for them. JC sat a table sipping a cup of orange juice, while reading the morning newspaper that lay in front of him.
"Where the hell's the lowfat milk?" asked Rona, looking in the fridge. Her skin was dark, her hair black, and attitude fiercer than a coyote. A typical teen girl.
Amanda, a willowy, thin girl with brown hair, pushed the carton in her direction with a smile. Kennedy and Willow poured themselves a bowl of cereal at the island top. Dawn dried dishes as Anya washes them. Xander sat across from JC, munching on his cereal talking to JC around mouthfuls.
Yes. A typical morning.
"Command central is at its finest now," said Andrew theatrically, walking into the kitchen with a camcorder held to his eye. Everyone ignored the camera and Andrew's ongoing monologue. "Now we see the heroes, as they eat their most important meal of the day, while contemplating what is in stored in the First Evil's deadly plan..."
An almost typical morning.
This was Andrew's latest project. He was making a film, documenting their last final days before the actual battle. So, if they lived they could look back and say, 'hey I saved the world and survived.'... If they died well... People will at least know they tried. It had been a good idea at the time but Andrew being Andrew, had taken the project to the next extreme.
Andrew turned the camera on Willow. "Willow, I expect an interview with you later today."
Smiling placidity, Willow nodded. "Sure, Andrew."
"Xander," said Andrew, spinning on his heel, facing the shaggy haired man. Xander looked like a deer frozen in headlights. "I want a special interview with you. 'The man who is the heart of the slayer machine'."
Xander smiled, blushing slightly. "The heart?"
Smiling, JC shook his head turning the page of the newspaper. He had been the first person Andrew interviewed for his film. Of course no one else had wanted to at the time, and JC couldn't turn down those big blue eyes. Not when they were turned on him. Pleading and begging. Nope. He was such a pushover when it came to Andrew, and everyone could tell. It was well known that JC had it bad for Andrew. It was also known that JC hadn't stepped up to actually do something about it. JC for his defense just felt it wasn't time yet. Andrew's last love had turned out to be a real sociopath, so of course he didn't want to immediately rush into things with him, just yet.
Buffy walked into the room, spotting Andrew with the camera caused her to sigh with aggravation. She had been a tad bit upset with him filming her and JC, patrolling the cemeteries for vampires last night. "He's still doing that?"
"And our resident heroine has awoken to face the day and fight evil anew," said Andrew, turning the camera on her.
Willow gave her a shrug. "I think its nice, Buffy. This time we'll actually have a record of saving the world."
"Something we can actually show our grandkids," smiled Xander, grinning at the camera as it was turned on him.
Spike walked into the room, sans his leather coat. He was still wearing his customary black shirt and jeans. He leaned against the wall near the door. "It is kind of strange how you keep saving the world and there is no proof."
"Come on, doesn't anyone else think this is idiotic," said Buffy, looking around at everyone, a pout almost forming on her lips.
JC frowned at her. Anger bubbled in his gut at calling Andrew's project, idiotic. He was extremely protective of the young male, and it was common knowledge that you didn't talk about Andrew in front of JC. Andrew still didn't know how JC felt. He just assumed that JC was a really good friend and would always be there for him. He didn't think it was more than that.
"Buffy!" snapped JC. Realizing he was glaring at her, he got control of himself. The idiotic comment really grated his nerves, once calm he continued. "Why is this bothering you so much? It's not hurting you in any way. It keeps him busy so let him be."
"This isn't about keeping busy," replied Buffy, closing her eyes. She opened them. "This is about war. I'm sorry to jump all over you guys, but... I have to tell you what's really going on. There's something new."
JC knew what was going to come. She was finally going to tell the girls about the vision she had of the Turok-Han army. JC met Andrew's eye, cocking his head, he motioned for him to go into the living room. Silently, JC rose to his feet leaving the room as Buffy started to inform the group of her apocalyptic vision. He walked to the living feeling Andrew behind him. The windows that kept getting broken during the many sieges, were once again whole, thanks in part to Xander's handy carpenter skills. They sat down on the long, plush sofa. The pillows sunk in, dipping slightly, under their weight.
"What is Buffy talking about in there?" asked Andrew.
"She's talking about the vision she had. The one I told you about," he replied.
Andrew nodded. "The girls are going to be really spooked now."
"Spooked ain't gonna cut it. They're going to be frightened as hell," said JC.
Andrew looked absently into space, his eyes taking on that far away look that one gets when remembering. A small frown played on his face, as he had his thousand-yard stare. JC knew this face. The potentials had been wearing the same look now for weeks.
He took Andrew's hand within his own, startling the young man out of his thoughts. "Andrew, you don't have to be scared."
Andrew blinked. "How did you- But the vision Buffy had. How can we stop something like that? That one Turok-Han kicked Buffy's ass. How can we hope to stop hundreds if not thousands of them?"
"I have a theory about that. I think the Turok-Han that Buffy faced was either a Master Vampire like the ones of this time or the First suped it up with power."
"I never thought of that," replied Andrew softly.
JC shrugged. His thumb rubbed soft circles along the back of Andrew's hand. He tilted Andrew's face toward him, meeting his eyes. "Its just a theory, but even if its true, I won't let anything happen to you, An."
Andrew turned his head away. "I deserve to die... What I did to Jonathon... That was unforgivable."
JC pulled Andrew to him then wrapped his arms around his smaller frame. Tears fell down Andrew's face, landing silently on JC's shoulder where his head lay. "Stop talking like that. You don't deserve to die. What happened with Jonathon was not your own doing. You were being manipulated by the evil of all evil."
"Yeah, but I still did it though. It was my hand that he met his death."
JC ran his finger down Andrew's face, catching his tears. "Don't cry, An. I hate to see you cry."
"You're the only one who cares, too," sniffed Andrew, smiling a watery smile. "Thanks for being my friend, JC."
JC smiled. "Josh."
"What?"
"Call me, Josh. Joshua is my real name." He didn't tell him his last name. If he did then the disguise spell he wove around himself would break. He couldn't risk that now. He would tell them who he was later, but not now. It would just distract them too much.
Andrew beamed. "Josh. I like that."
"Hey, JC. I'm off to work. Dawn and Amanda are staying home. I got a feeling the school is going to be hell," said Buffy, stopping in the living room. She only gave JC a smirk at seeing him hold Andrew.
"That's cool," replied JC. "I'll see you later."
"Later," she shot back, waving once before stepping out of the front door.
Minutes later, the boys broke up because, as Dawn and Amanda came into the room with their books to study. Willow and Kennedy followed, but their minds were on each other and not on studying. Andrew immediately pulled out his camera, turning back into master documenter slash director. JC watched with a small smile, as Andrew walked around recording the day's happenings. His over the top play by play elected smiles from everyone. In fact the only person who did have a problem with it wasn't in the house at the moment. Buffy.
By noon, JC was in the training room of the Crystal Keep. The potentials stood in neat rows in front of him. Each one of them stood at attention ready for instructions. JC was dressed in a pair of blue 'tear away' pants that was striped white at the sides. A black, muscle shirt and white Nikes with blue swooshes completed the look. His hair was tied back with a strip of thong.
"Now ladies, there is one thing you need to always remember when facing a vampire," said JC, his voice loud so they all could hear. Giles and Willow sat on a bench near the door, occasionally lifting their heads to watch the proceedings. "Who holds the power? You or the vampires!"
"The vampires!" they shouted as one.
JC didn't stop. "What do you do about it?"
"We take the power!"
JC let a smile tug the corners of his lips. "Good. Always remember that." He bowed before them and they returned the bow. "Let's begin."
JC instructed them through a series of kata's. After an hour of that, they moved on practicing their punches and kicks, throwing their bodies into the moves. They settled for an hour of cool down, before JC moved on to the basic pointers of karate, tae kwon do, then finally judo. For the potentials that already knew this he let Giles take them aside. The ex- Watcher instructed them in the art of Jujitsu. By four o'clock they were well worked out and tired as hell.
JC smiled at the sweating pack of girls, huffing and puffing, before him. "You did great today, girls! Remember to stretch really good or tomorrow you're going to be hella sore. I promise. Dismissed!"
Willow handed the girls towels as they exited the room. Dawn walked up to JC wearing a tired smile. Her long brown hair was in a ponytail. She was dressed in a matching blue sports bra and lycra shorts. "Today was great, JC."
"Thanks, Dawn," he smiled. "You know you don't have to work out with us if you don't want to."
Dawn shrugged. "I rather go down fighting then being a Happy Meal on legs."
He chuckled. "Nice metaphor."
"I better go, so I can claim a shower," she said jogging out the door.
JC watched the last of the potentials leave the room. The girls were coming along pretty well. In a couple of weeks they would be a formidable group. They just had to live long enough to continue honing their skills.
JC entered the living room hearing conversation coming from inside. Kennedy and Willow sat together in the armchair, Anya and Xander sat on the couch with Andrew beside them, and then Spike, Buffy, and Wood were standing. All of their attention was focused on Andrew. On the coffee table was a glowing crystal that had images floating in the air above it.
"What's going on?" asked JC suspiciously, walking into the room. Andrew's eyes lit up as he entered, and some of the tension in his shoulders left.
Buffy looked at him. Her face was set in that determined look that she had been wearing more often as of late. "We're pulling memories from Andrew about the Seal of Danzalthar. Today it was focusing the energy of the Hellmouth throughout the entire school."
"It was a damn war zone," added in Wood, from his position beside Buffy.
JC nodded. "So does this crystal thing hurt him?" he asked frowning.
Buffy shook her head. "No. We just have to get him to focus, so we can understand what we have to do to shut off the Seal's focusyness. Andrew was the first person to feed it so we figure he might know a way to shut it off."
JC looked down upon Andrew. "You can do this, An. Just focus alright."
Andrew stared into JC's face then after a pause he nodded. Turning back to the crystal he began to talk. As he talked the crystal would glow brighter, and a visible picture appeared in the air. They were actually viewing Andrew's memories. They watched as the First appeared to Andrew, in the form of his dead friend, Warren. The First, as Warren, urged him to go to Sunnydale. Once there he and Jonathon had to uncover the Seal from underneath the school then feed it blood. Whose blood, why none other then poor Jonathon's.
"What was that?" asked Willow suddenly.
Andrew frowned. "What?"
"That knife that you had," said Willow, nodding her head to the image of Andrew holding a jewel encrusted dagger. "There is something about it. Where is that knife, Andrew?"
"Search his stuff?" said Buffy, quickly.
Andrew shook his head an embarrassed look washing over his face. "Umm... Its not in my stuff. It's in the kitchen, in the cutlery drawer. You didn't have any steak knives."
Everyone drew back staring at him with a new look. Willow was the first to ask, "You put your old murder weapon with our utensils?"
"I washed it," protested Andrew meekly. "Sorry."
Spike took a drag of his cigarette. JC raised his eyebrow, wondering what the hell a vampire was doing smoking. Hell, the undead bastards didn't even need to breath so why smoke.
"What are you looking for?" asked Spike curiously.
Willow didn't even look at him. She was concentrating on the frozen picture in the air. Willow's eyes were closed in concentration. Opening them she answered. "He said the First said something about words. "Drive the words deep into him."
"There was some carving on the blade," said Andrew helpfully. "I just thought it was a pattern."
Kennedy returned to the room. In her hand was the long, curved dagger. On the blade in flowing script was indeed writing. "Found it."
Willow took the knife from Kennedy then handed it to Andrew. "OK, you're Mr. Demon-Summoner. How are you with demon languages?"
Andrew took the blade, looking it over. Like a lightbulb his eyes lit up. "Whoa, you were right," he said, astonished. "It's in Tawarick. It's, uh, like proto-Tawarick. It's really, really old."
JC sighed. "What the big deal? So, he can read the language. Does he get a cookie?"
Wood rolled his eyes, turning his gaze to JC he answered a little snidely. "We never knew anything about this seal. Now, we know this knife and the language are connected to it somehow."
Andrew was staring at the dagger thoughtfully. His mouth moved but no words came out. JC touched his arm and Andrew looked up breaking free from his thoughts. Looking toward everyone he voiced his findings. "I can sort of read the language. Luckily, my older brother Tucker was always giving me his demonic books to read. It says, "The blood which I spill, I consecrate to the oldest evil."
Silence reigned in the room, as they tried to figure it out. Each person went over the ominous wording in his or her head.
"Does that help?" asked Andrew shyly. "Do you think you can work with this, Willow?"
Willow took the knife from Andrew, staring at the blade she replied, "I think I can come up with something. With this lead, I'm pretty confident we can come up with someway to shut off the Seal, stopping its focusing act."
JC sat with Andrew in the living room, keeping him company while Buffy and Willow scourged the net for some information. It was dark by the time they returned with important info.
"Andrew, you're coming with us," said Buffy, entering the room. "We're going to the school."
Spike frowned. "What do you expect him to do? Yell at the bloody thing in its language. Tell it start playing nice with the kiddies."
Willow shrugged. "Something like that."
"I don't get it," said Wood, looking like he wanted to scratch his head.
JC snorted. "Figures."
Wood glared at him but JC stared at him innocently. It was not like they liked each other anyway. Wood didn't like Andrew so JC didn't like him. Even-Steven. No, that would be more like, square. Then there was the whole thing with Spike, too. The way Wood stared at Spike was so odd. Almost like he was planning to murder the vampire. JC didn't like Spike, but Buffy did and he would be watching Wood closely from now on.
"I'm coming too," said JC, standing up.
Buffy shook her head. "No, you stay here. I need someone to protect the girls since we're,"-she pointed to herself, Wood, Spike, and Andrew-"going to be at the Hellmouth."
He started to protest but Buffy cut him off. "Look, we have to deal with the seal right away. We already might have to just shut the school down, and I'm not losing any more territory to the First. Besides, it's the only thing we've got."
"The seal responds to this language somehow," said Willow, talking to JC with her 'listen to reason' voice. "The First wouldn't have needed this knife. Andrew knows the language, can really talk to it, maybe give it commands."
JC sighed, plopping back down on the couch. "Fine. Go."
That was all it took. Andrew gave him a smile then followed Buffy and the two men out of the door.
"Nothing is going to happen, JC," assured Willow. "He's going to be fine."
JC just stared out of the window, hearing but not responding. Finally after a three-minute silence he responded. So softly that Willow had to strain her ears to hear the words. "I hope your right, Willow."
JC was pissed.
Angry, beyond anything he had ever felt before.
Midnight came and went, as JC stalked down the hallway of the Summers' house. Andrew had made it back physically. But emotionally was a whole different story. JC's once blue eyes were now deep, inky black. He glared at the door to Buffy's room and magically, the door was forced open by his will. Buffy was on her feet instantly at the noise. She faltered, seeing it was JC. She could only stare, as he glared at her icily.
"Was there really a need to do what you did?" he asked coldly.
Buffy winced at the tone. She knew this was coming. "JC, it was the only way. I had to scare him enough so that he felt pure sorrow and compassion. His tears was the only thing that would stop the Seal's affects."
JC waved his hand and instantly she stopped talking. "You lied to me. You told me all he had to do was talk to it. You didn't say you were going to scare him half to death. I just spent the last thirty minutes holding him, as he cried himself to sleep. Buffy, he was sorry about killing Jonathon. You had no right to play on that!"
"I'm sorry, JC. I really am. I didn't want to play evil bitch girl," said Buffy softly. "It was the only way. It had to be done."
"What if his tears didn't work?" asked JC.
Buffy stared into his black eyes. She shivered at the look on his face. Then finally she broke away. "I would have killed him. That was the backup plan. Kill the one responsible usually reverses all spells and rituals. Luckily, all the seal wanted was his tears."
JC held up his hand, and suddenly Buffy was floating three feet off the ground. Slowly, JC walked forward, his bare feet barely making any noise on top the plush carpeting. "Buffy, I respect you and I love you like you were my own sister, but we are Slayers not Judges. Tonight you lost a little of my respect and trust."
He waved his hand and she dropped to the floor. JC walked toward the door then suddenly turned around. "Oh and Buffy," he said, pausing. She looked up meeting his cold, black eyes. "If you ever lay another hand on Andrew like you did tonight. I will kill you. No, warning. No, second chances. I will kill you."
Buffy watched as the door slammed behind him. Anger bubbled out from her gut, enveloping her. She was mad at no one but herself. Anger left and regret filled her. She didn't mean to hurt Andrew so badly. JC's threat didn't anger her because she knew where he was coming from. After all, it was only two years ago that she threatened to kill her friends, if they thought about harming Dawn in any way. She had meant it then and she meant it now. JC was only protecting his own, just like she had done so many times before. A sigh left her lips, as she stared around the darkness that was her room.
Tomorrow she had apologies to make.
To Be Continued...
************************************************ After a 1 million year absence here is a new chapter. The next chapter, JC will go to LA with Willow. If you haven't seen S4 Orpheus of Angel, watch it. If they needed one Witch to reinsoul Angel... what would they accomplish with two?
Now if you have any comments, feedback or you just want to drop a word. Send them to SilvenFox@yahoo.com