FIC: Chankumas II(The Prologue)

["Pat Kelly" <bandits@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey everybody! Hi Dr. Nick! (Sorry channeling the Simpsons :-)

Okay. Below is the Prologue for the sequel to Chankumas. Right now I have a massive block with Becoming One(anyone who has tried to write a good battle sequence, and a large one, knows what I mean) and with badbard's departure, I figure we ccould all use some happies.

This one is different than the last one, so you won't be getting the same old, same old...it takes place two years after the first one, and this prologue will help explain what has occured since then. I hope it'll be as enjoyable as the last one.

This is for Rodrigo for asked for a backstory on the small "Questioning" fic I did too. And one more hint, they leave Sunnydale for awhile...without further ado...

CHANKUMAS II:

PROLOGUE


Winter break began in five days. It was their third winter break since their enrollment at UC Sunnydale. They were juniors now. College juniors. It still surprised them both that they had made it this far. Both educationally and life-wise. And they had been involved for two years now. Two years that they would, without a doubt, call the happiest of their lives.

A lot had happened during the past couple years. The commando-group, the Initiative, had become no more after their freshman year. With the death of Professor Walsh, the group wasn't sure what to do with itself. And because they feared being exposed, the U.S. Government cut off all funding for the installation, and pulled out so fast, it made the gang ask themselves if it was ever there at all. But not before Willow pulled off all the information off of the group's mainframe.

All it's members went back to their families and their lives, and according to the financial records, they got a nice compensation for their troubles, and for promising to keep quiet.

Xander and Anya broke up, mainly because she had finally caught on to the human need for money, and since Xander wasn't making any, she left. Last they heard, she was over in Europe revisiting her old stomping grounds. However, Xander used her departure to finally try and get his act together, and he moved out to LA.

He, along with Cordelia, started working for Angel. And the two of them, both a lot more mature then they used to be, decided to try and give it another shot. They had been really happy as far as Buffy and Willow could tell, and they were glad. He also developed a friendship with Angel, much to everyone's shock and amazement.

Angel himself had finally achieved what he had wanted for so long. His soul was permanent. During Buffy and Willow's sophomore year, the Apocalypse was almost carried out by an army Mohra demons, whose sole purpose was to end the world. It was a long, painful battle, but together Angel, Buffy, Willow, Giles, Xander, and Cordelia averted it. As a reward for his service, Angel's soul was given to him permanently by the Powers That Be.

But, like Buffy, his service to the Powers wouldn't end until he was dead. He didn't mind, though. He had carved out a nice un-life for himself. And he finally was starting to allow himself to love again. Kate Lockley, the detective, after finding out what he was had distanced herself from him for awhile. But after some time, and a long talk, they became strong allies together, and then friends. And then they started to try and move to the next level. But they were taking things slowly.

Spike had turned out to be interesting. After the ending of the Initiative, the implant had in his head had inactivated. Everyone expected him to go on a murderous rampage to catch up on lost time, but it didn't happen. During his year and a half-long inability to wreak havoc on the human population, his demon had gotten used to, and got enjoyment out of, killing other demons. It had also adapted to and became satisfied with non-human blood.

Oh, he still had an evil streak, he still enjoyed murdering, just not humans. Apparently during his inactive period, he came to question the fun of killing them. They were all the same. They ran, screamed a little, and that was the end. There was no challenge. But with other demons, he got an intense amount of satisfaction out of destroying them. It was a real ego booster.

Giles also had gotten a teaching position at UC Sunnydale. Teaching Medieval Folklore of all things. Thankfully, Buffy and Willow had managed to avoid his class. Not because they didn't like him, but he was practically a parent. And parents and education weren't supposed to mix. It just wasn't done. Under any circumstances. At all. Plus, he and Buffy's mom had started to date. And you didn't want someone who was dating your mother teaching you either.

Even with all the changes in everyone's lifestyles though, they all managed to get together. They were family after all. And Chanukmas stuck, became tradition. The second annual Chankumas went pretty much like the first, though without Anya. This year, they were going to do something special. And they were adding a new person to the group too. Kate was going to join them. It was going to be special. Or at least Willow hoped so. She had a lot planned.

And the only one who wasn't in on it.was Buffy.


"I have misplaced my pants." (Homer J. Simpson)

"You know what the secret of life is?"
"Your finger?"
"One thing. Just one thing."
"That's great, but what's the one thing?"
"That's what you gotta figure out."
(Jack Palance, Billy Crystal, City Slickers)

"I heard your heartbeat." (Buffy Summers, to Angel, ANGEL)