Drawn to the Dark (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fanfiction)

Big Bad Is Back

The phone rang.  "Sunnydale IT, Lara speaking."

     "Hi Lara, this is Ross.  I need you to do me a favor while you're on duty if you can."

     "Sure thing.  Whatcha need?"

     "I need you to go into the frats directory...” Lara opened up the "frats" folder.  Most UC-Sunnydale students could only access their personal drives, but Lara, as an Information Technologies employee, could access the entire system, administrating e-mail, websites, and so much more.  "Alright, I got it."

     "Now go into a folder titled I-N-I-T."

     "Alright, I'm there.  What next?"

     "Delete all the contents of the folder."

     "Ross, that's...  Wow, that's a lot of stuff.  You sure?"

     "Yeah."

     "Hey, Ross, why aren't you doing this?"

     "I'm in new student training all day."

     "Seems weird to call a sophomore lab assistant..."

     "Laura, you're more than a sophomore lab assistant."

     "I am?"

     "Yes.  You're a trusted, discrete sophomore lab assistant."

     "Oh wow.  Thanks Ross!"  Lara got off the phone, selected everything in the /init/ folder, and hit delete.  The items went to the recycle bin in no time. Lara checked her watch. Six p. m., time for her to check out of work.  Lara stood up, gathered her things, and nodded to her replacement. She then headed toward the caf for dinner.

*****

     Lara stumbled into the caf. Ever the klutz am I, she thought.  It was a smorgasbord of loud, starving college students. The bright fluorescent lights blazed down upon the throng as cafeteria workers stood behind high counters lined with culinary disasters.  Lara grabbed a tray and headed to the dessert line. She picked up a brownie, a piece of cake, and two Rice Krispie treats. She grabbed a glass of chocolate milk and headed over to the grill and stood in line waiting to grab a hamburger, a hot dog, and a chicken sandwich. I eat like a boy, she thought.

     "Lara!" Lara whipped around at the sound of a voice, sloshing her milk in the process. "Over here!" the voice called.  Lara glanced to her left, and there at the condiments table was Buffy.

     "Hi, Buffy."  Lara smiled at the sight of the slayer.  She wasn't kidding when she said she didn't have many friends outside the drama department. Not at all.  She had none. Her friends the year before had been seniors, and she really wasn't even close to anyone in the department.  If things turned out well, maybe the Scooby gang would give her some sort of life outside rehearsals and her laptop.

     "Will, Xander and I have a table over in the window-y room.  Why don't you join us?"

     "Wow, thanks!" Lara said.  After finishing her food run, Lara joined them at their table. Willow and Xander looked up at her as if she was really one of their group, and she could pick up the feeling of comfort and camaraderie they gave off.  It made her feel so light, so warm... So... loved.

*****

     "So, Buff, what's the patrol death toll?" Xander asked.

     "Last night?  Two vampires I think.  Giles is right. Awfully quiet for Sunnydale."