FIC: Five Times Joyce Cheated on Hank Before the Divorce (2/5)
TITLE: Five Times Joyce Cheated on Hank Before the Divorce
SUMMARY: It was supposed to be a simple antiques show. She was not supposed to run into her old college roommate's ex-husband.
SPOILER WARNING:
For Buffy: Set Pre-Season One
For Stargate: After the movie and roughly before/during Season One
RATING: FR15 at the moment, but further chapters may be FR21 (and will be marked accordingly)
"A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend." - I do not own any of the characters in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and/or Angel the Series, they belong to Fox, the WB/UPN, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. The characters of Highlander: the Series belong to Davis/Panzer Productions, Inc/Rysher Entertainment. The ideas and concepts in this story are mine entirely. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.
Thanks to kaylashay81 for the prompt idea and for this kick ass animated icon - you rock!!!
Reviews are happily welcome!
Previous Chapters:
1. Jack O'Neill
******
Five Times Joyce Cheated on Hank Before the Divorce
2. Amanda Darieux
******
Joyce first met Amanda in 1977 at college. Joyce had been accidentally involved in a botched robbery attempt. Amanda had been casing the antiques display at Berkeley for a few days. She’d done her homework, knew the lax security schedules, the traffic patterns of the students, and had figured out when the best time was to acquire her desired antiques. It had all been going according to plan, except Joyce had gotten permission to study the display after hours. And when Amanda had rappelled down the skylight she’d been in for a rather unpleasant surprise, a shocked Joyce Latham.
To say that the robbery attempt wasn’t a success was an understatement. Amanda had decided that the best plan of action would be to flee rather continue with the heist. And if she was relieved to hear that Joyce had lied, and said the intruder was wearing a ski mask, she certainly didn’t bother to come back and thank Joyce personally. The antiques were placed under much tighter security for the continuation of the tour. However despite all the precautions they were stolen at the next college on the showcase tour. The guards in charge claim they fatally shot the intruder but her body disappeared along with the antiques while they were waiting for backup.
Joyce met Amanda for a second time in 1994 in L.A. at an antiques auction. Joyce glanced around the auction house with a sense of pride. This was her first big event and it was running smoothly. All the right people had arrived and the pricing of the pieces seemed on par with their value. Things were going so well that it almost didn’t feel right. Joyce was ready to blame it all on nerves until she saw a familiar hazel set of eyes across the room. Her heart rate increased as she recognized the woman from a botched robbery attempt seventeen years before. Joyce was shocked to find the woman hadn’t really aged a day.
Joyce knew that the woman being in her auction house wasn’t a good thing. The woman was a thief. Joyce debated calling security over and removing the woman but didn’t want to create a scene. Instead she decided to handle it personally. Joyce walked over and sat down in the empty seat next to her.
“Which piece are you planning on stealing?” Joyce asked her in a low, calm voice.
The woman didn’t jump at the words, instead turned to face her with a small smile on her face. “Are you going to report me this time, Joyce?” the woman asked her, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
Joyce’s mouth dropped in shock. “Depends on whether you are planning on ruining my auction,” Joyce finally answered.
“Don’t worry. I’m not here on business. When I read that Joyce Summers, formerly Latham, was holding her first auction I couldn’t resist. I even brought you a gift for your personal collection at your gallery.”
“Did you steal it?”
The woman tilted her head back as she laughed merrily, loud enough to draw attention to the pair. Joyce’s eyes strayed to the tan column of her delicate neck.
“No, I bought it for you. It wouldn’t do any good for you to display stolen antiques. I’ll bring it by your gallery tomorrow. It’s in my hotel room.”
“A gift? Why would you need to buy me anything?”
“You lied to the police about me that night. It saved me a lot of trouble when I stole it later. If my picture had been released then I would have lost a lot of business.”
“And how do I really know you won’t steal any of these pieces later?” Joyce pressed the issue.
“You’ll just have to trust me,” she answered and rose to her feet.
Joyce rose as well. “It’s been a pleasure then…” Joyce trailed off with a raised eyebrow.
“Amanda,” the woman identified herself. She reached out to shake hands. Joyce took a moment before grasping the hand in front of her. She felt a card pressed into her palm. “The pleasure has been all mine,” Amanda’s husky voice floated around Joyce. With a small nod Amanda withdrew her hand and made her exit.
Joyce looked down at the card in her hand with a small smile. It was a hotel room key card from the Sofitel in L.A. On the back of the envelope Amanda had left a note.
In case your curiosity gets the better of you.
Room 440
Joyce felt her face flush as her thumb slid over the note.
Hank would be none the wiser if she got home a little later than usual this evening.
******
SUMMARY: It was supposed to be a simple antiques show. She was not supposed to run into her old college roommate's ex-husband.
SPOILER WARNING:
For Buffy: Set Pre-Season One
For Stargate: After the movie and roughly before/during Season One
RATING: FR15 at the moment, but further chapters may be FR21 (and will be marked accordingly)
"A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend." - I do not own any of the characters in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and/or Angel the Series, they belong to Fox, the WB/UPN, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. The characters of Highlander: the Series belong to Davis/Panzer Productions, Inc/Rysher Entertainment. The ideas and concepts in this story are mine entirely. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.
Thanks to kaylashay81 for the prompt idea and for this kick ass animated icon - you rock!!!
Reviews are happily welcome!
Previous Chapters:
1. Jack O'Neill
******
Five Times Joyce Cheated on Hank Before the Divorce
2. Amanda Darieux
******
Joyce first met Amanda in 1977 at college. Joyce had been accidentally involved in a botched robbery attempt. Amanda had been casing the antiques display at Berkeley for a few days. She’d done her homework, knew the lax security schedules, the traffic patterns of the students, and had figured out when the best time was to acquire her desired antiques. It had all been going according to plan, except Joyce had gotten permission to study the display after hours. And when Amanda had rappelled down the skylight she’d been in for a rather unpleasant surprise, a shocked Joyce Latham.
To say that the robbery attempt wasn’t a success was an understatement. Amanda had decided that the best plan of action would be to flee rather continue with the heist. And if she was relieved to hear that Joyce had lied, and said the intruder was wearing a ski mask, she certainly didn’t bother to come back and thank Joyce personally. The antiques were placed under much tighter security for the continuation of the tour. However despite all the precautions they were stolen at the next college on the showcase tour. The guards in charge claim they fatally shot the intruder but her body disappeared along with the antiques while they were waiting for backup.
Joyce met Amanda for a second time in 1994 in L.A. at an antiques auction. Joyce glanced around the auction house with a sense of pride. This was her first big event and it was running smoothly. All the right people had arrived and the pricing of the pieces seemed on par with their value. Things were going so well that it almost didn’t feel right. Joyce was ready to blame it all on nerves until she saw a familiar hazel set of eyes across the room. Her heart rate increased as she recognized the woman from a botched robbery attempt seventeen years before. Joyce was shocked to find the woman hadn’t really aged a day.
Joyce knew that the woman being in her auction house wasn’t a good thing. The woman was a thief. Joyce debated calling security over and removing the woman but didn’t want to create a scene. Instead she decided to handle it personally. Joyce walked over and sat down in the empty seat next to her.
“Which piece are you planning on stealing?” Joyce asked her in a low, calm voice.
The woman didn’t jump at the words, instead turned to face her with a small smile on her face. “Are you going to report me this time, Joyce?” the woman asked her, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
Joyce’s mouth dropped in shock. “Depends on whether you are planning on ruining my auction,” Joyce finally answered.
“Don’t worry. I’m not here on business. When I read that Joyce Summers, formerly Latham, was holding her first auction I couldn’t resist. I even brought you a gift for your personal collection at your gallery.”
“Did you steal it?”
The woman tilted her head back as she laughed merrily, loud enough to draw attention to the pair. Joyce’s eyes strayed to the tan column of her delicate neck.
“No, I bought it for you. It wouldn’t do any good for you to display stolen antiques. I’ll bring it by your gallery tomorrow. It’s in my hotel room.”
“A gift? Why would you need to buy me anything?”
“You lied to the police about me that night. It saved me a lot of trouble when I stole it later. If my picture had been released then I would have lost a lot of business.”
“And how do I really know you won’t steal any of these pieces later?” Joyce pressed the issue.
“You’ll just have to trust me,” she answered and rose to her feet.
Joyce rose as well. “It’s been a pleasure then…” Joyce trailed off with a raised eyebrow.
“Amanda,” the woman identified herself. She reached out to shake hands. Joyce took a moment before grasping the hand in front of her. She felt a card pressed into her palm. “The pleasure has been all mine,” Amanda’s husky voice floated around Joyce. With a small nod Amanda withdrew her hand and made her exit.
Joyce looked down at the card in her hand with a small smile. It was a hotel room key card from the Sofitel in L.A. On the back of the envelope Amanda had left a note.
In case your curiosity gets the better of you.
Room 440
Joyce felt her face flush as her thumb slid over the note.
Hank would be none the wiser if she got home a little later than usual this evening.
******