OC Fic : Strange Bedfellows (2/11)
Title : Strange Bedfellows
Author : Helen C.
Rating : PG-13
Summary : Julie makes a wish, and her wish is granted. An OC/Buffy The Vampire Slayer crossover.
Spoilers : Everything up to TDB is fair game.
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe of The OC were created and are owned by Josh Schwartz. The characters and the universe of Buffy the Vampire Slayer were created and are owned by Joss Whedon. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N : crack!fic if there ever was one. I wrote this because I just need to cross whatever fandom I'm involved in with the Buffyverse, and it was a fun way to explore, yet again, the roads not taken. Don't expect to see many of the Scoobies in this, though-I just used concepts and ideas, not characters.
The plot bears more than a passing resemblance to the BTVS episode The Wish. Please, don't sue, Joss-I'm not claiming ownership of the idea, but it was pure genius and I couldn't resist borrowing it to play a little.
A/N2 : Thanks to the awsome joey51 for betaing this
Chapter One
"JuJu?"
Julie frowned at the nickname-was Caleb ever going to stop calling her that?-and took a deep breath, trying to calm the hammering of her heart.
"JuJu, what happened?"
Julie sighed and raised her head. As she had feared, there were people milling around, staring at her and whispering amongst themselves.
Well, at least most of the guests were gone already-there weren't too many people around to witness her little scene.
"Nothing," she told Caleb. "I just… I thought I saw something, but I must have…"
She was still holding the necklace in her hand, but the woman who had been with her a moment before seemed to have vanished.
"I think you should go home," he said.
His tone was concerned, but the set of his mouth and the fact that he didn't touch her at all were enough to convey his disappointment.
He was furious with her, and she couldn't blame him-this was Newport, and these people didn't tolerate any sign of weakness. They loved gossiping about other people's nervous breakdowns or falls from grace, sure, but they didn't look kindly on it.
She knew that.
She knew the rules, and played by them.
Eat or be eaten, and all that.
"You're probably right," she said, forcing herself to smile. "It has been a long evening," she added in a whisper, but he didn't acknowledge her comment.
"Mingle a little more and excuse yourself," he hissed at her.
Julie felt her face flush.
She was sure that none of the people who surrounded her had heard him, but she still felt like a recalcitrant teenager sent to bed by Daddy.
Well, what did you expect? her practical side asked. You knew who you were marrying that day.
Julie held her head high and nodded to the people around, game face in place-or so she hoped.
"Thanks, Cal," she said aloud. "I'm fine now."
He nodded and left, and Taryn, who had been standing a few steps away, approached Julie, a fake smile of sympathy on her face.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
Julie braced herself for another half hour of hypocritical concern, wishing she could go to bed immediately. She had been about to leave, but now it was out of the question. She needed to run some damage control before she went home, or else there would be stories about her being an alcoholic, or pregnant, or sick, or whatever, all around Newport by tomorrow.
Steeling herself, she absentmindedly put the necklace into her purse and looked around for someone to talk to.
***
It was almost noon when Julie got out of bed the next day, feeling nauseous and battling a bad headache.
She hadn't thought she had drank that much but obviously, she had been wrong-which probably explained why she had passed out.
After spending a good forty-five minutes immerged in the bathtub, sipping cool water, she finally felt human again, and balanced enough to come downstairs and face Caleb, should he be around.
Thankfully, he wasn't. At least she would have some more time to feel sorry for herself.
God, not only did she feel awful, but she had made a fool of herself in front of Newpsies, and had she actually had an hallucination? Had that boring woman's face really changed after Julie had told her about her problems with Marissa?
Julie hadn't had that much to drink. Besides, alcohol had never made her hallucinate, not even in college, not even that one time when she had ended up in the hospital. She could still remember that idiot doctor who had told her she should talk to someone about her drinking-as if eighteen-year-old teenagers didn't get drunk every weekend of the year.
No, the most likely explanation was that she had been tired.
The year had been stressful, and the one before that had been even worse, with Jimmy and Marissa and that boy, and now Caleb who may lose everything again.
Certainly, exhaustion was the explanation here.
People's faces didn't change-at least, not without the help of a plastic surgeon, and that woman didn't seem like the type to indulge in such things, and anyway, who would ask a doctor to make her look worse?
It must have been a trick of the light.
The woman had been real enough, Julie knew-she had found the necklace the woman had given her on the floor of the bedroom, when she had finished getting dressed. She had quickly hidden it in a drawer-she didn't want to wear that thing now, it would only remind her of last night's fright.
She just wanted to forget about the whole thing, and she hoped the community would allow her that luxury.
Julie sighed and sipped her coffee, the bagel she had been eating still waiting in front of her.
What had that woman meant, by "Done?"
God, this was all so ridiculous. She needed something to occupy her mind-maybe some shopping, while she still had money.
A whiny voice made her start. "Mom?"
"What is it, Marissa?" she asked impatiently.
When there was no answer, Julie turned around and gasped as she came face to face with a seething Kaitlin.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, at the same time Kaitlin said, "Mom, this is growing fucking tiresome."
"Watch your mouth!" Julie snapped. "And what are you doing here?"
"I need money," Kaitlin said. "I'm going out with some friends tonight, I need a new dress and new shoes, and a manicure."
Julie frowned and took her best Mom-voice. "I meant, when and why did you come back from your school?"
Kaitlin looked at her forlornly. "Well, geez, I don't know, Mom. I think what happened is that Marissa killed herself in Tijuana and I spent a few great months in school and then you dumped Dad and decided you couldn't live alone, so you dragged me back here, married that creepy old man and forced me to live in that fucking house that I hate. But it may be more complicated than that; after all, I'm just an idiot, ungrateful kid who doesn't understand why her screwed up mother turns everything she touches into shit."
Julie gaped at Kaitlin before saying, weakly, "Marissa isn't dead. She's…"
Kaitlin actually stomped. "Oh, for God's sake, Mom, how many times will we have that fucking discussion? She took painkillers and alcohol and passed out in a back alley and by the time anyone found her, she was dead, dead, DEAD!"
Kaitlin's shrill voice made Julie wince, and she felt the blood drain from her face.
"When are you going to deal with it?" Kailtin spat. "You're the only one who misses the little princess anyway." She shook her head. "Whatever. I'll just take your card and use it, then."
She spun on her heels and all but ran out of the room, leaving a stunned Julie to stare after her.
After a few minutes, Julie shook herself.
It wasn't true.
It couldn't be.
Marissa was fine, if particularly sulky and strong-headed.
Yes, she had had problems, and she had almost died in Mexico, but that boy had found her-probably the only good thing he had ever done in his life, no matter how much responsibility he held in Marissa's disintegrating life-and she had survived.
But then, what was Kaitlin doing here?
She was supposed to be miles from here, tucked away in an expensive school, and enjoying her life there, away from her big sister and her constant issues.
And when had her baby daughter started swearing so much?
Dreading what she was going to find, Julie got to her feet and made her way upstairs.
***
Three hours later, Julie had to admit it.
Marissa was, indeed, inexplicably, dead.
Julie had searched the whole house, but she hadn't found any of her daughter's things-just a few pictures surrounded by candles, in the room that should have been Marissa's.
Unable to believe it, Julie had driven to the Newport cemetery, and had walked to the spot where every family member of the Nichol family was buried.
No matter what she hadn't found in the house, she still couldn't believe that she was going to find anything here.
And, indeed, she didn't find anything.
So, there was probably another explanation to the fact that Marissa had vanished over night.
Staring ahead, Julie walked automatically through the graves, thinking about what might have happened.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find any satisfying explanation.
No matter which way she looked at it, it always came down to a simple fact; last night, Marissa had lived in a room in the house Caleb had built for Julie, and Kaitlin had lived at her boarding school.
Today, Marissa's room was empty and Kaitlin was home.
And Julie couldn't remember when and how this had happened.
She didn't know how long she had walked like that, but when she came back to reality, she noticed that she had instinctively made her way to the spot to where the Coopers' graves were situated.
Her stomach clenched.
It's not true, she thought.
It's impossible, and I don't want to see, and I don't want to believe, and it's impossible, and I won't believe, and-
But the words were there, carved into stone.
Marissa Cooper
1988-2003
Beloved daughter and sister
It was impossible.
No matter what Kaitlin had said, Julie would remember it if her daughter had died.
But the words were there, undeniable.
Julie had always been a practical woman, if nothing else.
It may have been impossible, but it was.
She didn't know how or why, but Marissa was dead, Kaitlin was back, and this world wasn't the same as the one she had been living in yesterday.
And she had no idea what to do about it.
Chapter Two
And here's to hoping that tonight's ep doesn't suck as much as we all seem to fear it will! ::fingers crossed::
Author : Helen C.
Rating : PG-13
Summary : Julie makes a wish, and her wish is granted. An OC/Buffy The Vampire Slayer crossover.
Spoilers : Everything up to TDB is fair game.
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe of The OC were created and are owned by Josh Schwartz. The characters and the universe of Buffy the Vampire Slayer were created and are owned by Joss Whedon. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N : crack!fic if there ever was one. I wrote this because I just need to cross whatever fandom I'm involved in with the Buffyverse, and it was a fun way to explore, yet again, the roads not taken. Don't expect to see many of the Scoobies in this, though-I just used concepts and ideas, not characters.
The plot bears more than a passing resemblance to the BTVS episode The Wish. Please, don't sue, Joss-I'm not claiming ownership of the idea, but it was pure genius and I couldn't resist borrowing it to play a little.
A/N2 : Thanks to the awsome joey51 for betaing this
Chapter One
"JuJu?"
Julie frowned at the nickname-was Caleb ever going to stop calling her that?-and took a deep breath, trying to calm the hammering of her heart.
"JuJu, what happened?"
Julie sighed and raised her head. As she had feared, there were people milling around, staring at her and whispering amongst themselves.
Well, at least most of the guests were gone already-there weren't too many people around to witness her little scene.
"Nothing," she told Caleb. "I just… I thought I saw something, but I must have…"
She was still holding the necklace in her hand, but the woman who had been with her a moment before seemed to have vanished.
"I think you should go home," he said.
His tone was concerned, but the set of his mouth and the fact that he didn't touch her at all were enough to convey his disappointment.
He was furious with her, and she couldn't blame him-this was Newport, and these people didn't tolerate any sign of weakness. They loved gossiping about other people's nervous breakdowns or falls from grace, sure, but they didn't look kindly on it.
She knew that.
She knew the rules, and played by them.
Eat or be eaten, and all that.
"You're probably right," she said, forcing herself to smile. "It has been a long evening," she added in a whisper, but he didn't acknowledge her comment.
"Mingle a little more and excuse yourself," he hissed at her.
Julie felt her face flush.
She was sure that none of the people who surrounded her had heard him, but she still felt like a recalcitrant teenager sent to bed by Daddy.
Well, what did you expect? her practical side asked. You knew who you were marrying that day.
Julie held her head high and nodded to the people around, game face in place-or so she hoped.
"Thanks, Cal," she said aloud. "I'm fine now."
He nodded and left, and Taryn, who had been standing a few steps away, approached Julie, a fake smile of sympathy on her face.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
Julie braced herself for another half hour of hypocritical concern, wishing she could go to bed immediately. She had been about to leave, but now it was out of the question. She needed to run some damage control before she went home, or else there would be stories about her being an alcoholic, or pregnant, or sick, or whatever, all around Newport by tomorrow.
Steeling herself, she absentmindedly put the necklace into her purse and looked around for someone to talk to.
***
It was almost noon when Julie got out of bed the next day, feeling nauseous and battling a bad headache.
She hadn't thought she had drank that much but obviously, she had been wrong-which probably explained why she had passed out.
After spending a good forty-five minutes immerged in the bathtub, sipping cool water, she finally felt human again, and balanced enough to come downstairs and face Caleb, should he be around.
Thankfully, he wasn't. At least she would have some more time to feel sorry for herself.
God, not only did she feel awful, but she had made a fool of herself in front of Newpsies, and had she actually had an hallucination? Had that boring woman's face really changed after Julie had told her about her problems with Marissa?
Julie hadn't had that much to drink. Besides, alcohol had never made her hallucinate, not even in college, not even that one time when she had ended up in the hospital. She could still remember that idiot doctor who had told her she should talk to someone about her drinking-as if eighteen-year-old teenagers didn't get drunk every weekend of the year.
No, the most likely explanation was that she had been tired.
The year had been stressful, and the one before that had been even worse, with Jimmy and Marissa and that boy, and now Caleb who may lose everything again.
Certainly, exhaustion was the explanation here.
People's faces didn't change-at least, not without the help of a plastic surgeon, and that woman didn't seem like the type to indulge in such things, and anyway, who would ask a doctor to make her look worse?
It must have been a trick of the light.
The woman had been real enough, Julie knew-she had found the necklace the woman had given her on the floor of the bedroom, when she had finished getting dressed. She had quickly hidden it in a drawer-she didn't want to wear that thing now, it would only remind her of last night's fright.
She just wanted to forget about the whole thing, and she hoped the community would allow her that luxury.
Julie sighed and sipped her coffee, the bagel she had been eating still waiting in front of her.
What had that woman meant, by "Done?"
God, this was all so ridiculous. She needed something to occupy her mind-maybe some shopping, while she still had money.
A whiny voice made her start. "Mom?"
"What is it, Marissa?" she asked impatiently.
When there was no answer, Julie turned around and gasped as she came face to face with a seething Kaitlin.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, at the same time Kaitlin said, "Mom, this is growing fucking tiresome."
"Watch your mouth!" Julie snapped. "And what are you doing here?"
"I need money," Kaitlin said. "I'm going out with some friends tonight, I need a new dress and new shoes, and a manicure."
Julie frowned and took her best Mom-voice. "I meant, when and why did you come back from your school?"
Kaitlin looked at her forlornly. "Well, geez, I don't know, Mom. I think what happened is that Marissa killed herself in Tijuana and I spent a few great months in school and then you dumped Dad and decided you couldn't live alone, so you dragged me back here, married that creepy old man and forced me to live in that fucking house that I hate. But it may be more complicated than that; after all, I'm just an idiot, ungrateful kid who doesn't understand why her screwed up mother turns everything she touches into shit."
Julie gaped at Kaitlin before saying, weakly, "Marissa isn't dead. She's…"
Kaitlin actually stomped. "Oh, for God's sake, Mom, how many times will we have that fucking discussion? She took painkillers and alcohol and passed out in a back alley and by the time anyone found her, she was dead, dead, DEAD!"
Kaitlin's shrill voice made Julie wince, and she felt the blood drain from her face.
"When are you going to deal with it?" Kailtin spat. "You're the only one who misses the little princess anyway." She shook her head. "Whatever. I'll just take your card and use it, then."
She spun on her heels and all but ran out of the room, leaving a stunned Julie to stare after her.
After a few minutes, Julie shook herself.
It wasn't true.
It couldn't be.
Marissa was fine, if particularly sulky and strong-headed.
Yes, she had had problems, and she had almost died in Mexico, but that boy had found her-probably the only good thing he had ever done in his life, no matter how much responsibility he held in Marissa's disintegrating life-and she had survived.
But then, what was Kaitlin doing here?
She was supposed to be miles from here, tucked away in an expensive school, and enjoying her life there, away from her big sister and her constant issues.
And when had her baby daughter started swearing so much?
Dreading what she was going to find, Julie got to her feet and made her way upstairs.
***
Three hours later, Julie had to admit it.
Marissa was, indeed, inexplicably, dead.
Julie had searched the whole house, but she hadn't found any of her daughter's things-just a few pictures surrounded by candles, in the room that should have been Marissa's.
Unable to believe it, Julie had driven to the Newport cemetery, and had walked to the spot where every family member of the Nichol family was buried.
No matter what she hadn't found in the house, she still couldn't believe that she was going to find anything here.
And, indeed, she didn't find anything.
So, there was probably another explanation to the fact that Marissa had vanished over night.
Staring ahead, Julie walked automatically through the graves, thinking about what might have happened.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find any satisfying explanation.
No matter which way she looked at it, it always came down to a simple fact; last night, Marissa had lived in a room in the house Caleb had built for Julie, and Kaitlin had lived at her boarding school.
Today, Marissa's room was empty and Kaitlin was home.
And Julie couldn't remember when and how this had happened.
She didn't know how long she had walked like that, but when she came back to reality, she noticed that she had instinctively made her way to the spot to where the Coopers' graves were situated.
Her stomach clenched.
It's not true, she thought.
It's impossible, and I don't want to see, and I don't want to believe, and it's impossible, and I won't believe, and-
But the words were there, carved into stone.
Marissa Cooper
1988-2003
Beloved daughter and sister
It was impossible.
No matter what Kaitlin had said, Julie would remember it if her daughter had died.
But the words were there, undeniable.
Julie had always been a practical woman, if nothing else.
It may have been impossible, but it was.
She didn't know how or why, but Marissa was dead, Kaitlin was back, and this world wasn't the same as the one she had been living in yesterday.
And she had no idea what to do about it.
Chapter Two
And here's to hoping that tonight's ep doesn't suck as much as we all seem to fear it will! ::fingers crossed::