Title: Nightmares and Dreamscapes (yes, that's a Stephen King title, he can get in line to sue me after Joss & co, the WB, New Line and Wes Craven)
Author: Star
Rating: R, it's a nice rating to use.
Dedication(s):
· *ShadyKat* my beta (and sometimes beater) extraordinaire. She rules. *whispers to group, 'she's so bossy!'*. She absolutely rules. *nods* Yes.
· Elaine, wow, I love her fic. And I think she should write more. *stares pointedly*
· And Rach, ok, haven't seen her for awhile, but I still love her.
· Vic, for the loan of Maya and Marie.
Feedback: Let me know what you think, good, bad, big fat plot holes, whatever. Tell me.
Disclaimer: Joss etc owns Buffy and co. New Line, Wes Craven etc own Freddy and all things Nightmarish. I'm nobody. Don't sue me, I'm poor. All I own is Taz, Annie and Sharlie. I don't even own Maya or Marie, they're on loan from Victory Thru Tears.
Distribution: My Queer As Black Sunshine Anyone else: Want. Ask. Take. Have. I'd be beyond thrilled.
Summary: Well, I wanted to break into the Nightmare on Elm Street fandom, I figured that a Buffy/Faith crossover would be a nice way to do it. Yes.
Notes: Fèic is said 'feck', it's Irish. You can guess what it means.
I'm not actually crossing Buffy with one of the movies, just using the whole concept of Freddy Krueger. I'm disregarding Nightmare on Elm Street 6 (because it's the best comedy I've ever seen) and New Nightmare (because it would kill my brain to work that into this fic).
I'm setting this in season 3, pre Bad Girls (although Wes has arrived). I'm also using the Nightmare 3 version of Freddy (since they change him with every single movie), what I mean by that is that he uses people's deepest darkest fears to scare them or plays their emotions against them. I may switch from 1st person to 3rd at times.
And another thing, if something reads wrong it's because I wrote this in 1st person, then decided that 3rd was better. Some parts were re-written completely, some I just changed the tenses, if you find errors, point them out to me, I want to put this on my site and not look like a complete moron.
Part 1
Sunnydale, California
"Guess what, B?" Faith grinned at her Cheshire Cat-like from her seat on the research table.
Buffy removed her coat and reluctantly took a seat. "Grass is green?" She responded half-heartedly.
"Close, but no chinchilla." Faith's grin got bigger. "We're going on holiday. An all expenses paid trip to…" She paused to glare at her Watcher who was pouring over a thick and dusty book. "Where was it again, Wes?"
"Springwood, Ohio." Giles replied before the younger Watcher could open his mouth.
"Geez, break out the champagne." Buffy said sardonically. "That's exactly where I wanted to go for my Easter Break." She paused to glare at both the Watchers. "Which, by the way, has only been going for a whopping two minutes, so thanks for spoiling it while it was still in its baby stages."
Faith sprawled back on the table, ignoring the reproachful looks from both Giles and Wesley, and eyed Buffy. "Why don't you just drop out like me, become a lady of leisure?"
"Right now that's tempting." Buffy said. "But Mom would wig."
"Ladies, if I could have your attention?" Wesley coughed delicately, then opened his mouth to continue.
"There's a demon in Springwood that needs our urgent attention." Giles informed them. "At the moment we don't know exactly it is. All we do know is that it's killing teenagers while they sleep."
"What's the body count?" Faith asked.
Giles handed out some computer print-outs. "Willow was in here earlier, she managed to… um, take this off… a, um, net site?"
Buffy and Faith exchanged amused grins. Giles and computers did not mesh.
"It seems to have a cycle, not at all regular. The deaths started in 1984. They seemed to centre around a girl named Nancy Thompson, she lost her three closest friends and her mother, but after that it did end. Then it started again in 1985, although that might not be connected, the deaths were attributed to Jesse Walsh."
"So why do we have a file on him?" Buffy asked, flicking through the wad of paper in front of her.
"He too claimed to have had nightmares, and I find it rather coincidental that he lived in the same house as Nancy Thompson. The next batch of deaths were in 1987, once again, Nancy Thompson was involved, this time she and her father died along with at least three other teenagers. The deaths started again a year later, then again in 1989 and they seemed to have stopped for good then."
"Let me guess, they've started again." Buffy deduced.
"In a big way." Faith answered scanning the page. "Jesus, look at this, it looks like a year's worth of Sunny D's obits."
"Do we have any idea at all what's doing this? Vague descriptions from any of the survivors? Any off-the-cuff comments that might help us pin this down?" Buffy stared at the list of names in front of her. Despite the fact she hadn't known any of them, and that some of them died when she was still in kindergarten she felt guilty.
"Sadly all media coverage of this has been hushed up. If you read the obituaries for every victim it says that they died in their sleep. The reporters seem to latch on to any 'normal' explanation, self-mutilation for attention, drugs and such like." Giles supplied.
Wes finally pried himself from the thick tome in front of him. "I'm currently looking into demons that have to feed on teenagers, then go into a state of hibernation."
"And how's that going?" Faith turned her grin on Wes.
He coughed delicately and polished his glasses. "I'm sure we'll know more once we get to Springwood tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Buffy asked in horror.
"Yes, the Council believes it may also have a Hellmouth, so they have asked us to look into it immediately."
"Hold up." Buffy held her hand up to emphasise the point. "We are going to Ohio. We, as in not the Royal 'we', but as in all of us, are going tomorrow?"
"I will not be coming." Giles answered. "I will stay with Willow, Xander and the others to ensure the safety of everyone here on the Hellmouth."
"Cool." Faith winked at Buffy. "Just the two of us, kicking back and living large."
"I will be your chaperone." Wesley gave Faith a reproving glance.
Faith rolled her eyes. "Like I said, kicking back, living large. We can tie him up and throw him off a bridge if his screams get on our nerves."
Wes ignored Faith's slight, but then it was an easy thing to do having heard them almost every day since he came to Sunnydale, and fixed her with a stern look. "It's not a holiday. We are going to Springwood to slay a demon."
"Yeah, Faith." Buffy imitated Wes's tone. "How dare you think of fun even if it is Easter Break?"
"Oooh, I'm sorry. I forgot we're supposed to be miserable the whole time." She replied.
Buffy frowned, was that an slur? Just because she didn't get off in a grunty way like Faith did when she slayed, it didn't mean that she was a misery guts. "I guess I have to pack." She said, brushing off her irritation. "And break it to Mom that once more I will be getting out of quality Mother-daughter bonding this holiday."
"Bring her too! The more the merrier." Faith suggested.
"What exactly did you slay last night?" Buffy asked. "And how many times did it bash you on the head?"
Faith grinned even wider. "Take the S away from Slayed and you got it."
Giles and Wesley immediately became engrossed in the books in front of them.
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "I so don't need details." She picked up her bag and coat. "I'm off to pack. If you want a free feeding before we go, I suggest you follow me."
Faith hopped off the table. "Lead on, you Mom makes the best food." She then paused. "You're only inviting me to deflect the major wig-out your Mom will have when she realises that you're leaving for Ohio tomorrow."
"Busted." Buffy admitted. "That and the pleasure of your company."
"Well, since you asked so nicely and the only other option was staying here while Wes lectures me…" Faith followed Buffy out of the library.
Giles watched the two of them leave, then turned to Wesley. "Good luck." He said with a wry smile.