AN: There be a newbie in our mists! Check out vintageyouth's fanfictions be you a Dresden Files, Time Traveling Wife or Harry Potter fan. I just converted her to the word of fan-fictioning, so go easy on her, folks!
Out-for-a-walk-bitch: Bet you can't bloody wait, you lucky so-'n'-so! You know what I'm on about!
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And on with the fiction.....
Betrayals over Pie.
Swinging open the door, my worst nightmare was thrown in front of me. Sporting a black dinner dress and some killer stilettos, this 40's something woman looked me up and down, then grinned at Spike, flashing her white teeth. Rubbing her right hand with the dish cloth she was carrying, she stuck out her hand. My happy self would say she looks sophisticated and good for her age. So I'm happy that nasty me was taking over and telling me soothingly that she looks like a hooker.
"Well, you must be Maddy!" grabbing my hand in hers when I didn't put it out and shaking it furiously, Daisy grinned, "You look so much like Jack!"
Wow. What a compliment. I do look like a 50 year old man, do I now?
"Huh," feeling Spike poke me slightly in the back to get me to behave, I grimaced slightly, "Yeah. You must be Daisy. Nice....shoes."
Daisy nodded politely, her eyes showing that she knew the hostility I had towards her and then passed her hand over my shoulder to greet Spike.
"And this handsome young man must be your boyfriend!" her smile widened more and it took all of my will power to just grit my teeth and bare the fact that Spike smiled and shook her hand back with and ease that amazed me.
"William, ma'm."
She smiled brightly, "Ah! What an accent!" She leaned in towards me and murmured in my ear, "If I were younger and not married to your father-"
You're not younger and you are married to my father. And he's my boyfriend. And he's not 'William'. He's Spike. My Spike. My Boo.
"Daisy, doll? Who's at the dare?! Will ye no invite 'em in awriddy?"
I couldn't help but smile. Only my dad would shout such demands throughout the house without knowing who was at the door.
"It's us dad!" I called through, scrambling under Daisy's arm to give my dad a hug.
Sitting down on the couch, looking a little uncomfortable as he wasn't wearing his usual baggy t-shirt and jeans.
"Well if it ain't the prodigal daughter. I've no seen you since I've been in hospital!" he smiled widely, getting up and pulling my into one of his famous, bone crushing hugs.
"Sorry, dad. A lot's been going on at work - got my promotion 'n' all. So that means more work...." I murmured guiltily.
"That's a poor excuse tae no see yir faither!" He chuckled, looking round the corner to see Spike standing blankly in the hall, looking around at the interior with a nervous interest, "That him? Bit scrawny-"
"Dad!" I squealed, watching Spike's jaw twitch slightly at the harsh comment, "I thought you were gonna behave!"
"Are you?"
I sighed, rolling my eyes slightly, "I did say I'd try, right?"
"Right. Then I'll be a good wee laddy then," he promised, patting my hair with his paw like hand.
I scrunched up my nose, and wriggled away, a childlike grin on my face as I fixed my hair.
"You awright there, son? You no wannin' to come in here, likes? Ah dinny bite...." Dad moved around me, standing in his macho 'this-is-my-daughter-and-my-house-I-protect-them' stance while beckoning Spike in, who straightened himself up to stand at his full height and looked unfazed by this all.
"Just lettin' you two have your moment."
Nodding appreciatively, Dad sniffed a little, crossing his arms over his chest, "So eh - you know mah Daisy does nay know about you in your....'condition'?"
God I wanted to squirm. Why do men need to do the 'I be big man' staring down match with each other for each others approval? I just hope he's approved...
"What 'condition', sir?" 'William' smirked slightly, cocking an eyebrow up.
The moment of truth. Here my dad could either bark at him to get out of that house for being an insolent little English bastard, or pat him on the back and be the best of friends.
Giving him the once over again, my dad nodded his head a little before declaring that he was going to see if Daisy needed any help in the kitchen.
"Well?" Spike asked, visibly relaxing more.
"I...guess...he respects you."
"That it?"
"Give it time," I murmured, linking my fingers into his and pressing my arm against his, "He'll love you by the time it comes to having turkey."
"You're too hopeful."
"You're not hopeful enough," I smiled, rubbing the back of his hand.
Daisy wandered through to the livingroom, a white apron protecting her precious dress a Barbie smile plastered on her face, "Dinner won't be long - I put the turkey in a little earlier than usual so you guys don't need to wait so long," She winked slightly to us, beckoning us to sit on the couch, "Your father's just being Mr Fussy-Pants again - I guess you know what he's like, hm Maddy? Always fussing over the littlest of things!"
"We were a family of perfectionists," I smiled, hoping that I stressed on 'were'.
Daisy wrinkled up her nose slightly, "I just wish your dad could perfect putting the toilet seat down when he's finished!"
Too. Much. Information.
Spike laughed slightly, trying to keep up the appearance of 'happy boyfriend'.
"So, William, you're from England! What made you decide to move?"
Holy crapola. This woman knew how to make things awkward.
Without missing a beat, Spike answered, "I moved over here with my parents when I was 15."
"Wow. Just being pulled out from your grass roots like that. So you've been here for how long then?"
What a sneaky way to ask for someone's age.
"L.A? About a year 'n' a half now. Lived in Sunnydale before-"
"Oh. The earthquake? That was just a disaster. All those poor people's homes...." Daisy shook her head sadly, giving a slow and steady sigh.
If only she knew our 'William' here saved the word from a proverbial hell - and not an earthquake.
"Yeah. Still missing my car..."
Spike - why are you continuing the conversation unnecessarily?!
"Oh but you have that nice, shiny new one outside!" She grinned widely. I could see the dollar signs in her eyes, "That must be a sign of all the hard work you've done in the past year!"
"Perk of the job, I guess," Spike muttered, starting to get a little fed up of the conversation.
"We'll be hearing more about this job at dinner then! It's about time too!"
Watching Daisy practically skip off towards the kitchen.
"Crap. What do I do for a livin'?"
"I guess 'Annoying Angel' isn't an occupation. Right?"
"Ok then, everybody! Let's tuck in!" Daisy grinned, giving my dad the carving knife to cut up the turkey in the traditional head of house way.
"Finally. Kept mahself empty fir this!" Dad held the knife up proudly, then sliced it down the bird, "Pass meh Will's plate Mad - dae the guests first is wat mah ma awways telt me!"
"You never did tell us what you do for a living, Will," putting some cornbread, mashed potatoes and gravy on his plate, Daisy passed it over to me to pass down.
"Accountant at Wolfram and Hart."
"Oh! So you two met at work! How sweet - an office romance! Tell me how it happened!"
"Daisy - will yi no leave the poor laddie tae eat his dinner?"
"We had to do some work together," I answered, saving Spike from either telling my dad it was ok or eatting his rather dry looking turkey in utter silence, "A foreign client asked for some help in his finances and...we were put together."
A dopy romantic look took over her face, "That's just....so nice! And you've been together for...how long now?"
"Near nine months now...." Spike replied, his hand rubbing my thigh under the table, a loving smile on his face.
I smiled back, elbowing his arm slightly and holding his hand instead, "Ever the romantic."
"Aw right. Lets move away fae all this sappy crap and get down tae the important stuff. What fitbaw team dae yi support then?"
Sitting back in his seat and doing his traditional grunt and stretch after having a 'hearty meal', Dad groaned, patting his soft teddy bear belly, "Well that was just fantastic, Daisy Doll. I've saved just enough space fur that pie...."
"Pumpkin?" I asked, starting to collect up the plates and help Daisy cover up the left overs. I had to admit....she did do an OK job of the meal - even if the turkey was dry and the yams had no taste. Mom does a better job.
"Sweet Potato," she answered, patting my dad on the head on her way out to the kitchen, "It's-"
"My dad's favourite," I finished, knowingly.
Every year, Mom used to make at least two sweet potato pies, one silky smooth and the other denser. My dad loved taking two huge slices from either pie and taking alternating bites from each, laughing at us when we had to squabble over picking which one we wanted - because we were never allowed a bit of both.
Now that we're adults though, we get to have both if we want. I guess sometimes, traditions just fade.
"Do you like it, Will?"
"Can't say I've tried it before...."
"What?" I squealed, looking at him in awe, "You've lived here for soo long, and you've never tried sweet potato pie?!"
Shaking his head a little in confusion, Spike frowned, "Is there something wrong with-"
"It's tragic...." Daisy murmured.
"It's just not right!"
"Let's shove some of the gud stuff doon the poor laddy's throat!"
Daisy nodded excitedly and ran off to the kitchen to get her pastries.
"It's a shame it's not my mom's," I whispered to Spike, hand on his lap, smiling contently, "She makes the best pie in the world-"
"Well you've no tasted Daisy's pie yit then," Dad smirked, grinning broadly, "It's like heaven. I sure know how to marry 'em!" He nodded his head at Spike, winking and laughing heartily.
My smile gone, I glared as Daisy brought the pie around to Spike and place a slice down in front of him, clapping her perfectly manicured hands as Spike nodded in apprecation.
"Well?"
"I might need a few more slices....." he smirked at Daisy, holding up his plate as she cut more of the orange gloop to it.
"That good eh?"
Judas.
Leaving the two men to 'talk' outside, Daisy pulled me through to the kitchen to help her 'do the dishes' - probably an idea cooked up between Daisy and my Dad to get us alone and talking to one another.
Waiting with a towel in my hand, I looked outside the window as she pulled on her apron and yellow rubber gloves before starting on the 'icky mess' before her. What a prissy bitch.
"So....is it love then?"
"Pardon?" I asked, caught off guard. I picked up the plate from the drying rack and started wiping off the suds.
"You and Will? Is it love?"
What the hell does it have to do with you?
"Yeah."
"That's lovely. He seems like such a nice guy, too. I can tell you two are gonna be together long."
I frowned, placing the plate down on the side and picking up the next wet one, "You can? How?" Let's see her 'psychic' ability then.
"It's the way he looks at you. He totally admires you."
Oh.
"Oh," I smiled. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all..., "You think so?"
"Maddy, I know so. He looks at you as if there's no other girl in the world that compares to you. You're one lucky gal."
"I am right? He just so-" I sighed, trying to find the words to describe Spike, finding it impossible.
"I know what you mean. I feel that way about your father. I know...you don't like the fact that your father cheated on your mother and moved on - but I guess he knew it was over between them when your mother cheated on him. Some realtionships just don't-"
WHAT?
"WHAT?"
Dropping the cup back into the sink with a soft plop, Daisy covered her mouth up with her soapy glove, "God. You didn't know?!"
I shook my head gently, leaning against the counter heavily, the kitchen starting to move clumsily in my vision. I felt my stomach churning sickly, the a booming sound repeating in my ears 'your mom cheated', 'your mom cheated', 'your mom cheated'.
"I-I think I'm gonna pass be sick-" I murmured, running out of the room with a speed that amazed her.
Clinging to the toilet seat, thankful that I reached it in time, I held my throbbing head in pain.
What the hell?
