OC Fic : Strange Bedfellows (10/11)
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.
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. All mistakes are mine--I couldn't help tinkering some more...
Chapter Nine
"Sometimes, I wish that damn boy had never come to Newport."
It wasn't the first time Julie said that-Caleb, who wasn't exactly Ryan's biggest fan either, sometimes complained that she was obsessed with the boy. Which she wasn't-she was merely obsessed with the influence he had on her daughter. That was very different.
The woman smiled and lowered her eyes. When she raised her head again, she was smiling widely, looking like a psychopath on one of those TV shows that ran all the time on Lifetime.
"Done," the woman said, her voice amused and… victorious?
Julie started, then snorted. "Right," she said, smiling. If only, she thought…
If only Ryan hadn't come to Newport, perhaps Julie would be able to keep Marissa in line.
If only he hadn't come in Newport, certainly, Julie's life would be better now.
Damn Seth Cohen-why had the kid decided to befriend one of his father's clients anyway?
Damn Sandy Cohen and his ideals.
Damn Kirsten Cohen and her big heart.
They were his friends, but sometimes, she wished to God that they were a little less nice.
"Done," the woman insisted, frowning.
Julie smiled at her, tired and in dire need for her bed. "Thanks for trying," she said. "But I guess I'll just have to deal with him."
Besides, how much longer was the boy going to be able to stick around without screwing up?
Not that long, certainly.
He was nothing but a thug, and soon enough, his true colors would show.
And if he hurt Marissa when that happened, then, he would face Julie's wrath.
What's-her-name was frowning, whispering something under her breath and looking increasingly alarmed.
"Are you all right?" Julie asked, praying that the answer was yes, so she could leave and get some sleep at last.
The woman stared at Julie for a while, then blanched. "No," she whispered.
Julie wondered if the woman was going to pass out, but before she could ask her again what the matter was, the woman spun on her heels and stormed away. Julie shrugged. She certainly wasn't going to complain about that boring creature's departure.
***
"So," Julie said, startling Kirsten. "I assume you saw Marissa and the boy leaving?"
Kirsten frowned, wondering if Julie would ever warm up to Ryan. "The boy has a name," she said.
She wondered, sometimes, if Ryan was ever going to be accepted by the die-hard Newpsies. Other times, most times, she knew he never would.
Sadly, this community was not about boundless acceptance or about embracing the less fortunate-a fact that disturbed Kirsten a great deal.
She added, hoping to appease Julie, "Besides, they're young, and I remember that at that age, I didn't want to stay too long in the company of my parents either."
Julie sniffed disdainfully. "Yes, well… I just hope he keeps it in his pants as far as my daughter is concerned."
Kirsten felt herself flush.
She couldn't really blame Julie for that one, she reminded herself.
Ryan had, after all, gotten a girl pregnant (that is, he probably had gotten a girl pregnant), and pretty much everyone in Newport knew why he had left, and why he had spent the summer away. The fact that he had done the respectable thing didn't seem to help matter. Neither did the fact that he was back now, after having lost the baby, which had to be hard on him even though he didn't say anything about it.
Still…
Julie certainly had some nerve, since she had given birth to Marissa at eighteen.
But she didn't want to alienate Julie; life at the office was hard enough without adding to it, and she knew that Julie could make Ryan's life ten times more difficult than it already was if she put her mind to it.
Ryan had never complained about it, but Kirsten was sure that Julie had threatened him in the hospital, after Marissa's OD.
As far as she knew, it had been the only time, but Ryan had a tendency not to confide in adults, so she couldn't be sure.
"He's a good kid," she told Julie, knowing it wouldn't make a difference but still needing to say it.
"Yes, a good kid with a record and a history of violence who got a girl pregnant," Julie hissed. "I don't know what you and my daughter see in him, but I want to make it clear, Kirsten; if something happens to Marissa because of him, he will pay."
Kirsten shook her head resignedly. "He's a good kid," she repeated. "And you should get to know him before you judge him."
"That will be the day," Julie said under her breath.
Kirsten refrained from pointing out that Ryan had already helped Julie's family more than once, and that he was probably the only reason Marissa still talked, somewhat, to her mother.
Without Ryan to point out to Marissa that Julie was the only mom she'd ever got and that she should try her best to get along with her, Kirsten was sure that the girl wouldn't even say "hi" to Julie if they met in the street.
Of course, Julie would never believe that, so Kirsten sighed and changed the subject.
Perhaps, one day, she would be able to change Julie's mind on Ryan.
In the meantime, she was stuck in the role of the peacekeeper and she intended to keep doing it.
Anything she could do to make Ryan's life a little less difficult around in this town, she would gladly do.
Epilogue
::Off to work.Sigh.::
Author : Helen C.
Rating : PG-13
Summary : Julie makes a wish, and her wish is granted. An OC/Buffy The Vampire Slayer crossover.
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. All mistakes are mine--I couldn't help tinkering some more...
Chapter Nine
"Sometimes, I wish that damn boy had never come to Newport."
It wasn't the first time Julie said that-Caleb, who wasn't exactly Ryan's biggest fan either, sometimes complained that she was obsessed with the boy. Which she wasn't-she was merely obsessed with the influence he had on her daughter. That was very different.
The woman smiled and lowered her eyes. When she raised her head again, she was smiling widely, looking like a psychopath on one of those TV shows that ran all the time on Lifetime.
"Done," the woman said, her voice amused and… victorious?
Julie started, then snorted. "Right," she said, smiling. If only, she thought…
If only Ryan hadn't come to Newport, perhaps Julie would be able to keep Marissa in line.
If only he hadn't come in Newport, certainly, Julie's life would be better now.
Damn Seth Cohen-why had the kid decided to befriend one of his father's clients anyway?
Damn Sandy Cohen and his ideals.
Damn Kirsten Cohen and her big heart.
They were his friends, but sometimes, she wished to God that they were a little less nice.
"Done," the woman insisted, frowning.
Julie smiled at her, tired and in dire need for her bed. "Thanks for trying," she said. "But I guess I'll just have to deal with him."
Besides, how much longer was the boy going to be able to stick around without screwing up?
Not that long, certainly.
He was nothing but a thug, and soon enough, his true colors would show.
And if he hurt Marissa when that happened, then, he would face Julie's wrath.
What's-her-name was frowning, whispering something under her breath and looking increasingly alarmed.
"Are you all right?" Julie asked, praying that the answer was yes, so she could leave and get some sleep at last.
The woman stared at Julie for a while, then blanched. "No," she whispered.
Julie wondered if the woman was going to pass out, but before she could ask her again what the matter was, the woman spun on her heels and stormed away. Julie shrugged. She certainly wasn't going to complain about that boring creature's departure.
***
"So," Julie said, startling Kirsten. "I assume you saw Marissa and the boy leaving?"
Kirsten frowned, wondering if Julie would ever warm up to Ryan. "The boy has a name," she said.
She wondered, sometimes, if Ryan was ever going to be accepted by the die-hard Newpsies. Other times, most times, she knew he never would.
Sadly, this community was not about boundless acceptance or about embracing the less fortunate-a fact that disturbed Kirsten a great deal.
She added, hoping to appease Julie, "Besides, they're young, and I remember that at that age, I didn't want to stay too long in the company of my parents either."
Julie sniffed disdainfully. "Yes, well… I just hope he keeps it in his pants as far as my daughter is concerned."
Kirsten felt herself flush.
She couldn't really blame Julie for that one, she reminded herself.
Ryan had, after all, gotten a girl pregnant (that is, he probably had gotten a girl pregnant), and pretty much everyone in Newport knew why he had left, and why he had spent the summer away. The fact that he had done the respectable thing didn't seem to help matter. Neither did the fact that he was back now, after having lost the baby, which had to be hard on him even though he didn't say anything about it.
Still…
Julie certainly had some nerve, since she had given birth to Marissa at eighteen.
But she didn't want to alienate Julie; life at the office was hard enough without adding to it, and she knew that Julie could make Ryan's life ten times more difficult than it already was if she put her mind to it.
Ryan had never complained about it, but Kirsten was sure that Julie had threatened him in the hospital, after Marissa's OD.
As far as she knew, it had been the only time, but Ryan had a tendency not to confide in adults, so she couldn't be sure.
"He's a good kid," she told Julie, knowing it wouldn't make a difference but still needing to say it.
"Yes, a good kid with a record and a history of violence who got a girl pregnant," Julie hissed. "I don't know what you and my daughter see in him, but I want to make it clear, Kirsten; if something happens to Marissa because of him, he will pay."
Kirsten shook her head resignedly. "He's a good kid," she repeated. "And you should get to know him before you judge him."
"That will be the day," Julie said under her breath.
Kirsten refrained from pointing out that Ryan had already helped Julie's family more than once, and that he was probably the only reason Marissa still talked, somewhat, to her mother.
Without Ryan to point out to Marissa that Julie was the only mom she'd ever got and that she should try her best to get along with her, Kirsten was sure that the girl wouldn't even say "hi" to Julie if they met in the street.
Of course, Julie would never believe that, so Kirsten sighed and changed the subject.
Perhaps, one day, she would be able to change Julie's mind on Ryan.
In the meantime, she was stuck in the role of the peacekeeper and she intended to keep doing it.
Anything she could do to make Ryan's life a little less difficult around in this town, she would gladly do.
Epilogue
::Off to work.Sigh.::