Title: Soul Searching - The Epilogue.
Rating: PG 13
Summary: In which we learn what happens next - to Fred, Illyria and Wesley; Drogyn; Lorne; Angel and Connor; Buffy and Willow; and last, but by no means least, Spike.

My thanks, as ever, to my betas bogwitch and myfeetshowit

( Soul Searching: Epilogue. )
That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

Title: Chapter 18: Part Two I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul
Rating PG 13 Warning for readers of a delicate disposition - graphic violence ahead.

Summary: Spike summed up the plan so eloquently, I thought I’d let him remind us. “You mean do we know what all that mumbo jumbo about numbers and kabbals, dark matter and mathematical transfiguration formulae means?” Spike shook his head. "Not a jot." He picked up a sword and strode to the position marked as his on Willow's diagram. "Does it matter?"

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Author's Note I've divided this final chapter into two parts as it is otherwise overly long. My thanks, as ever, to my betas bogwtich and myfeetshowit, without whom the sequel to Family: Blood Calls to Blood would never have been finished. It forms the second part of the L.A. Times Series which has just been nominated in the SDFA awards in the Angelic, Best Series and Endurance categories.
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( I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul )

TitlePart One “Things won are done; joy's soul lies in the doing.
Rating PG 13
Summary In the lull before the storm, our heroes work on the details of the battle plan.

Author's Note I've divided this final chapter into two parts as it is otherwise overly long. My thanks, as ever, to my betas bogwtich and myfeetshowit, without whom the sequel to Family: Blood Calls to Blood would never have been finished. It forms the second part of the L.A. Times Series which has just been nominated in the SDFA awards in the Best Series and Endurance categories.

( Things won are done; joy's soul lies in the doing )

Title: Chapter 17 - Noble souls, through dust and heat, rise from disaster and defeat.
Rating: PG13
Summary Now that they have the Stone of Time and Drogyn on their side, what will our heroes do next?
Acknowledgments My thanks, as always, to my two wonderful, and totally different, betas bogwitch and myfeetshowit.

( Noble souls, through dust and heat, rise from disaster and defeat. )

Previously on Soul Searching

It's been a long time a-comin' and for that I apologise. I'm writing the final chapter (18) at the moment and decided now would be a good time to start posting the previous two.

Title: Chapter 16 - On my soul, I'll speak but truth.
Rating: PG13
Acknowledgements My thanks, as always, to my two wonderful, and totally different, betas bogwitch and myfeetshowit.

Summary: Spike has sacrificed his memories of loving Buffy for the chance of finding Fred's soul. The newly corporealised Wolfram and Hart/The First combination inhabiting Hamilton's corpse, recruited Drusilla to take Angel's Shanshu from him by turning Connor into a vampire. Spike, Angel and Buffy teamed up to save Connor and Spike made sure Drusilla would no longer be a threat to anyone by killing her. Meanwhile, a resurrected Wesley is working with Willow on finding a weapon to destroy the invincible Wolfgang Hartram, a method of crossing between time lines and other dimensions, and a way of contacting Drogyn.

The team has regrouped and when last we saw, were on their way to the Natural History Museum in search of the Stone of Time.

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( On my soul, I'll speak but truth )

Previously on Soul Searching

And our heros are still fighting the good fight. A good day to post the next chapter of Soul Searching.

Thanks to my betas myfeetshowit and bogwitch
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Author's note
For those readers who haven'e read the prequel Farmily:Blood Calls to Blood.

1. Fred's soul wasn't destroyed when Illyria took over her body.
2. In a scene that takes place in Fred's old room at the Hyperion, she talks to Spike about space-time theory and her failing grasp of who she is. Knox makes a film of the work with which she's covered the walls on furniture.
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( Chapter 15 )
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Earlier chapters

I logged on this morning to a new review from Pentwirler at FanFic Net.

It made my heart fair burst with emotion. Not only do I have a reader with an aversion to Spuffy (and, I suspect she's a Bungle shipper) - she wrote and told me how much she's enjoying the story. Could there be any higher praise for my writing?

And in other news - writercon is getting a fair bit of publicity and moving forward apace to making the Mini-Meet happen this autumn.

::soothes bogwitch who seems to have gone into premature panic mode at the speed of development::

My grateful thanks to my wonderful betas bogwitch and myfeetshowit without whom this chapter would never have seen the light of day. It's probably the most difficult one I've ever had to write since starting the L.A. Times Series.

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Previously on Soul Searching. So far, Spike has resisted the temptations on offer from Drusilla, Wolfram and Hart and The First. Willow has pinpointed Connor's whereabouts, our heroes are splitting forces, Wesley, Willow and Lorne are decamping to a 'safe house' courtesy of Whistler's contacts while and Angel, Spike, Buffy and Illyria head off to find Connor. When last we heard from her, Drusilla was preparing for a very special party.

Warning: This chapter contains a major character death.
Some text adapted from the work of others: * Adapted from lyrics from The incredible String Band. + Mervyn Peake
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( Chapter 14 Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard )


Earlier Chapters

and I thought the site was dead because it should have announced the results at the end of April and I forgot all about them during the two months in Europe.

So, thanks to the headsup from bogwitch calove and lillianmorgan I saved these little beauties given to me by the Love's Bitch Awards Pretty pics behind the cut.

( Read more... )

Many thanks to everyone who voted - I suspect MWNN must have voted more than once for me to have scooped so many awards.

I suppose this means I should get cracking with Chapter 14 then?

Thanks to bogwitch and myfeetshowit for the super-fast beta work, I am able to update Soul Searching before I disappear to where there be dragons and no Internet connections.

I'll continue to write while I'm recouperating in Italy and hope to have more chapters done for when I return at the end of July.

( Chapter 13: And there be souls must be saved, and there be souls must not be saved )

Thanks to myfeetshowit (who also made the fabulous banner), bogwitch, and frimfram for their input into this chapter.

Previously on Soul Searching: Buffy and Angel are trapped in a limousine in the underground garage at Wolfram and Hart. Spike and Drusilla are getting the tour of the motor pool as the final stage in Spike's seduction by the Senior Partners. Spike has seen Connor held captive somewhere, on the TV monitor in Angel's former penthouse suite, and Drusilla continues to try to win Spike back.
( Chapter 12: His soul thou canst not have. )
Earlier Chapters

Come and see what myfeetshowit made me - isn't it just fabulous?

( Read more... )

My thanks as ever to my beta bogwitch and a warm welcome to my new beta myfeetshowit who is introducing me to new ways of looking at my writing. It's already paid off IMO.

Previously on Soul Searching: Connor has been taken captive and the Wolfram and Hart building has swallowed Spike and Drusilla. Angel and Buffy decided to regroup back at the Hyperion but are now trapped in the back of a car in the underground garage. Meanwhile, in the streets above, it’s not just vampires who are in jeopardy as the morning sun climbs higher in the sky.
( Then began the tempest to my soul )

Earlier Chapters: Soul Searching

Thanks, as ever to bogwitch for getting down to heart of what was wrong with the first draft of this chapter and helping me find a way to get it right.

Previously on Soul Searching. Buffy raced to the offices of Wolfram and Hart to warn Angel about Illyria. Spike suffered more assaults on his precariously balanced mind through the appartitions of Eve, Hamilton and Drusilla and now faces his biggest challenge since facing the demon hordes in the alleyway, with the appearance of the real Drusilla, who's come to claim her boy and rebuild her family.
( Chapter 10: No Coward Soul is Mine. )

ETA - Soul Searching has been nominated in the Best Soul!Spike, Best Angst, Best Solo, and Best Drama categories at the Love's Bitch Awards. I'm up against frimfram in two of them and she's been nominated for Best Author YAy!.

The Muse is looking smug. He's not given me a moment's peace for weeks and thinks it's all down to him that these nominations have been made. ::pulls the silly vampire back in through the window:: Get back in here, lad, you'll catch your death out there, it's minus something-or-other. brrrr

Finally got this written and beta-ed; it's been on the go since August so many apologies for the delay.

Previously in Soul Searching. Spike has given away his memories of loving Buffy in exchange for the chance to find Fred's soul. Wesley is returned from the dead and is working alongside Willow to unravel the mysteries of Fred's old room at The Hyperion. Illyria has gone with Lorne, Angel and Spike, to search for clues at the ruined Wolfram and Hart building, while down in City Hall, Sirk and Drusilla are plotting the revival of the Evil Empire. Buffy, having helped rout the demon hordes with the help of the Slayer Army, is staying in LA to help Angel trace Connor. Whistler's finally got down off the fence. And just whose side is Illyria on?

Confused? Earlier chapters can be found here, and the prequel, Family:Blood Calls to Blood, here.

Credits: Dialogue in the fight scene taken from Not Fade Away. *Incredible String Band.

Thanks, as ever, to bogwitch

Notice: All future updates will happen on this LJ, with links only on hesadevil
( Chapter 9: Love Bade Me Welcome; Yet My Soul Drew Back. )