BtVS Double Drabble: Gone

[bk_forever]

Title: Gone
Fandom: BtVS
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Joyce, Buffy.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 046: Mind at doubledrabbles.
Spoilers/Setting: Becoming Part 2.
Summary: Buffy has run away and all Joyce wants is for her daughter to come home.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BtVS, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Joss Whedon.
A/N: Double drabble.




Joyce is slowly going out of her mind; she doesn’t know her little girl anymore. Buffy claimed she’s a Slayer, whatever that is, insisted that vampires and demons are real, and that she had to stop her ex-boyfriend Angel from ending the world, or something. Maybe it’s Buffy who’s lost her mind; a bad break-up, especially after what happened between her parents, might have pushed her over the edge.


In retrospect, giving Buffy an ultimatum was the wrong way to handle things. If Joyce had tried to be more sympathetic and understanding, perhaps if she’d offered to go with her daughter to confront Angel instead of telling Buffy not to bother coming back if she left… Of all the times Joyce had screwed up as a parent that was hands down the worst. She hadn’t even meant it, not really; she’d simply been trying to shock her daughter back to reality, make her see sense. It had backfired spectacularly.


Now Buffy’s gone, run away from home. She must have slipped back during the night, thrown a few things in a bag, and left. Joyce has no idea where her daughter is, or if she’s okay.


She just wants Buffy back.



The End

Comments

[bk_forever]

We never had that parenthood training when I was at school.

They got the casting right for the show.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

The closest to being a single mum as I've ever gotten. My school couldn't afford the "RealCare" baby.

The unaired pilot had a different actress playing Willow. She just wasn't suited to the role. It was like Lori Rom (Phoebe) on "Charmed".

[bk_forever]

Never mind the baby, we didn't even have eggs.

Yes, I've seen the unaired pilot. I'm sure the actress wad good, just not right for the role.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

It doesn't matter. You didn't miss out on much. I think looking after a pet is at least a challenge, for the fact they are living things. An egg is just a symbol for fertility.

Usually it takes an actor to feel comfortable in their role. But the original willow looked more mature. The dynamic would have been different with her in it. Unaired pilots are always odd because many things are changed or altered to make it look better. It's like a tester.

I heard on Castle, Nathan Fillion had to do read throughs with over a hundred women trying out for Kate Beckett. So they could test the chemistry.

[bk_forever]

I had pets all the time growing up =)

It's to see whether anyone is willing to finance the project.

Lucky Nathan! Bet he enjoyed that =D

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

You were lucky. I had neighbours with pets. One of them had a dog that was partially blind.

He had to do read throughs with most of the main cast, but I'm sure he didn't mind.:D

The producers said that Nathan was easiest to cast. Stana Katic was apparently "hiding". It makes me wonder who else auditioned for the role of Kate.

[bk_forever]

I had mostly rabbits, guinea pigs, tortoises, and budgies. Then I had zebra finches for a while in an outdoor aviary. I showed them at the cage bird society shows. There wee also a couple of cats, one indoor, one outdoor because he was an un-neutered Tomcat.

I'll bet!

Nathan is such a great actor. I just wish Firefly had lasted longer but then maybe we wouldn't have had Castle.

It would be interesting to know.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Wow. It sounds like you had a petting zoo.:)

He joked that a majority of shows his been on, get cancelled. Yeah. They might have gone with another guy. But I think things happen for a reason.

The alternative is an actor leaving a successful role prematurely for another show etc. Sometimes ruining the character's story arc. I dislike that.:(

Yeah. Same with Temperance Brennan. They didn't reveal details. Unlike on "Buffy".

Harmony: So, Slayer, at last we meet.
Buffy: We’ve met, Harmony, you halfwit.

I think almost every other female cast member went to audition for Buffy. This Buffy was suppose to be less "superficial" compared to the movie version.

[bk_forever]

I didn't have them all at the same time, lol!

Poor Nathan, but at least Castle wasn't cancelled!

Yeah, I hate that too. I know sometimes a better offer comes along, or the get tired of the part, but still...

Buffy was a plum role, I imagine a lot of actresses wanted it.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

I saw the list and my mind went jumping to conclusions.:D

Yeah. It had a good run.

Willow: Oz, don't you love me?*crying*
Oz: My whole life, I've never loved anything else

Actors have a contract but can negotiate to be let out of one. If Seth Green had not wanted out from "Buffy" to do a movie, Oz would not have cheated and left Willow. But then Tara came along.*shrugs*

It's also understandable if they want to leave on a high, rather than some other behind the scenes conflict.

Cordelia: Actually, I'm Feeling Superior Because I Have An Arrow Pointed At Your Jugular."

Indeed. I just couldn't picture Charisma Carpenter with the name "Buffy". The actress who played Kendra was considered for the role of Cordelia but she couldn't commit to a long term role.

[bk_forever]

We did have several critters at a time, but they weren't all mine, some were my sister's. We each had a tortoise, and there was a rabbit when we were little. Later, there was only one tortoise, mine, plus my sister's rabbit and my guinea pig. We also had the cats then.

I adored Oz, but I think it worked out well with him leaving, added to Willow's development, and I loved Tara.

Cordelia was too tall to be Buffy. Better to have a smaller girl be the deadly Slayer.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Cool! What breed were the cats? I only ask, because I'm a cat lover.:)

Yeah. Oz was the first guy to notice Willow as herself. I just wish it had been less about his werewolf problem that was keeping them from getting back together. Willow choosing Tara would have meant more. I'm being particular.*shrugs*

David Boreanaz: They make us look good.*talking about stunt doubles*

I think it helps that SMG knows taekwondo too. Even with a stunt double. However, Cordelia had her moments to shine on "Angel". On Buffy, she was used as a damsel in distress. When she didn't have her getaway car.

[bk_forever]

No breed, just ordinary cats. Joe was a black and white stray, Pom Pom was the kitten of a stray cat who thought our car was the ideal place to put her 5 kittens.

Oz saw how amazing Willow was and loved her for herself.

Stunt doubles do make the actors look good. That's what they're for.

SMG's athleticism certainly helped. Someone had to be the damsel in distress and who better than the rich girl?

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Okay. There's a program called "Cat's 101", that breaks down the characteristics/health needs. I had a one grey tabby and a tabby/tortoiseshell.

Oz : I'm gonna ask you to go out with me tomorrow night. And I'm kinda nervous about it, actually. It's interesting.
Willow: Oh. Well, if it helps at all, I'm gonna say yes.
Oz: Yeah, it helps. It-it creates a comfort zone.

It was an ideal transition. From one relationship to another, as part of Willows evolution.

Exactly. But sometimes it's hard to find a stunt double with the same profile as the actor. It's just cool when the actor has additional skills for authenticity. Other examples are singing, dancing or playing a musical instrument.

Cordelia : I thought he had a soul.
Spike : I thought she didn't.
Cordelia : I do!
Spike : So do I!
Cordelia : Well, clearly, mine's better.

The monsters were no longer chasing "the helpless blonde girl". But they still had to chase somebody, and Cordelia eventually adapted.

Cordelia Chase: You can't fire me. I'm vision girl.

[bk_forever]

Sometimes an actor's skills will be incorporated into their character. Otherwise actors have to be cast for their skills, say riding a horse.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Yes. Usually their other skill/skills were their back up plan if they didn't end up acting long term. I remember Shannen Doherty like horse riding and what do you know, Prue rides a horse in one Charmed episode.

[bk_forever]

It can add facets to a character the writers wouldn't have thought of otherwise.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Yes. Actors can try negotiating with writers on the direction their character will go.

Cordelia: Actually, I'm looking forward to it. I do well on standardized tests.
[They all look at her]
Cordelia: What? I can't have layers?

You might gather that I recently rewatched Cordelia scenes.:*grins*

[bk_forever]

They can try, but not all writers want input from the actors.

There are a lot of good Cordelia scenes to watch.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

That's true. Things run more smoothly if there's some kind of agreement beforehand on how to proceed. Some actors like to be directed, while others like to ad-lib.

Cordelia Chase [About Fred]: Sure I like her! What's not to like? She's sweet and adorable and... seems to be laughing at something that shrub just said.

Yeah. She had some zingers as "Charisma Carpenter" said at a Comic-Con once. When Buffy could read minds, Cordelia was the only one who said what she really thought.

I liked her honesty, even if it was just an opinion.

[bk_forever]

Tact is just saying things that aren't true. I'll pass. (Not sure of the exact quote, but something like that. Cordy could be brutally honest, but she could also exaggerate. In Welcome to the Hellmouth, she claimed Buffy came at her will a stake, yelling "I'm gonna kill you!" which of course she didn't.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Angel: Punished. (Cordy nods) For what?”
Cordelia: I don’t know. For what I was? For everything I said in High School just because I could get away with it?

Yes, she did embellish during her early mean/gossip girl days back at Sunnydale High. Which is why I liked her reluctant involvement with the "Scooby Gang". Charisma Carpenter said Buffy fans didn't approach her back then. She had a better character arc on "Angel". I'm ignoring series four, because that wasn't the real Cordelia.

[bk_forever]

Cordy's character developed into a much nicer person, she grew up over the first three years, then really came into her own in Angel. I agree though, season 4 wasn't really Cordy.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Gunn: Listen, I spent most of this year trapped in what I can only describe as a turgid supernatural soap opera.

There were still a few highlights in season 4 (I accidently said series), but that wasn't it. However, it is interesting to see online people's analysis of that plot point.

[bk_forever]

I don't tend to bother with analyses, that's where the friction between rival factions of fans begins.