Title: GRANDPA
Author: Ivytree
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: The ends of BtVS 6 and AtS 3 come together
Setting: The near future; say, August
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
GRANDPA Part 6. Though It Were Done Before
"Shut up," Spike said. "Just shut up."
Angel looked dazed. "How did it happen? Come up against some Gypsies?"
Spike drew himself up and faced him. "I fought for it, and I won it," he said.
"You did it deliberately? You chose it?" Spike had always been a maniac - once he got his teeth into something, so to speak, he'd never stop; but this was unbelievable. What could have spurred him to do such a thing? God, what must the cost have been? And WHY would he do it? "Are you insane?"
"Not so far, though I'm beginning to wonder," Spike answered, taking a drag on his cigarette, and breathing out a slow stream of smoke. "I bloody well didn't figure on a voyage to the bottom of the sea straight off."
Angel belatedly realized he was supposed to be grateful, not exasperated. One way or another, family life hadn't been working out well for him lately. And he WAS grateful.
"Look, Spike - " It was hard to think of the right thing to say; his head was spinning. He'd just never heard of a vampire voluntarily seeking a soul. He instantly suppressed the thought of consulting Wes; but this must have upset innumerable metaphysical applecarts. It must have been pretty damn tough for Spike, too.
"So how you holding up?" he said.
"S'all right. Could've been worse."
"How long's it been?"
"Couple of months."
"Need anything?"
"No, I'm good, thanks."
"Well, I guess you are," Angel said with a faint grin. "I never thought I'd say THAT."
"Don't go telling anyone, alright? It's not like there's a disturbance in the Force or anything."
"What?"
"You don't even try to keep up, do you, Grandpappy? I mean, it's not a big cosmic deal; no one has to know."
"Don't be too sure about that. I'd keep my eyes open for prophecies, if I were you. Um - 'Grandpappy'?"
"Well, the tug, y'know, reminded me of Popeye."
"Oh. Right. 'Strong to the finish.'" That was one cultural reference he did get. See, he was hip. "Don't call me that."
* * * *
They all gathered to see Spike off. Wally was giving him a lift back to Sunnydale in his PT Cruiser. Angel and his friends had a lot of work to do, but he needed to get back. To get home.
"If you want to stay -" Angel began.
"Can't. I've got other people - "
" - to help. I know. Well, you know where we are."
Gunn gripped his hand strongly, and said, "Seriously, man, you ever need anything, you know we're here for you."
"Same here. Anything sea-going, you call me, hear?" Uncle Jack clapped him on the shoulder.
"I feel like I'm going back to Kansas," Spike observed. "Which one of you lot needs the brain, again?"
"I guess that's me!" Fred said, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a hug.
He held her slight body close for a moment. "I think I'm going to miss you most of all," he whispered in her ear.
He released her, and she turned to Gunn, tears in her eyes. Spike paused to exchange one more glance and a nod with his grandsire, and then he got in the car.
* * * *
Two weeks later, Buffy unlocked her front door and heard Dawn's voice. She deduced her sister was talking on the phone, and was preparing her stern guardian face when Dawn saw her from the kitchen and motioned frantically for her to come nearer.
"Okay, can you hold on a minute? 'Cause she just came in," she said rapidly into the receiver. Then she covered the mouthpiece with her hand and whispered in agitation, "Buffy, Buffy! Come quick!"
"Who is it?" Buffy said, keeping her voice low.
"It's like that girl at Angel's, Fred?" Dawn gabbled. "And it's about Spike! She says they've got something for Spike, and we have to give it to him! And Angel was in trouble and he went there to help Angel and he like did all this stuff for them and he's this big hero now and they like love him and everything!"
Unable to untangle this recitation, Buffy took the phone. Dawn squirmed with frustration as she listened to one side of the conversation.
"Hi! This is Buffy. Can we help with something? Uh-huh. Oh, no. Is he okay now? How's Cordelia? Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." There was a long pause. Dawn could hear Fred's slightly Southern inflections rambling on, and the rumble of a man's voice in the background pointing out important details she'd missed. Buffy's face was stiff with shock but she was making every effort to be very patient and polite. "So Spike was there with you? How did -? Oh. Uh-huh. Oh. Wow. No, he doesn't really have an address, officially. Yes, I can make sure he gets it. No, really, it's no trouble. Thanks for calling. Please give him our best. Bye."
Buffy hung up the phone. She and Dawn looked at each other wordlessly for a moment.
Dawn was thrilled. She'd missed Spike so much, and she'd been waiting for a chance make friends with him again. This certainly looked like it. Buffy had explained what happened between them - not in detail, of course; but she said it was as much her fault as Spike's. And also that it was none of Xander's business, or anyone else's. She wasn't really sure why Buffy still felt so shy about at least going to his crypt to see if he was back after all these months, but she wouldn't, and wouldn't let Dawn go herself, either. She said HE might not want to see THEM, which Dawn didn't quite get.
"So what are we gonna do?" she said, restraining her excitement.
Buffy picked the phone up again, and dialed a number. "Hi, Sophie? This is Buffy. Would you get a message to Clem?"
TBC
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"WILT thou forgive that sin, where I begun,
Which is my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt thou forgive those sins through which I run
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When thou has done, thou hast not done,
For, I have more.
Wilt thou forgive that sin, by which I've won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallowed in a score?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more."
John Donne
Author: Ivytree
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: The ends of BtVS 6 and AtS 3 come together
Setting: The near future; say, August
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
GRANDPA Part 6. Though It Were Done Before
"Shut up," Spike said. "Just shut up."
Angel looked dazed. "How did it happen? Come up against some Gypsies?"
Spike drew himself up and faced him. "I fought for it, and I won it," he said.
"You did it deliberately? You chose it?" Spike had always been a maniac - once he got his teeth into something, so to speak, he'd never stop; but this was unbelievable. What could have spurred him to do such a thing? God, what must the cost have been? And WHY would he do it? "Are you insane?"
"Not so far, though I'm beginning to wonder," Spike answered, taking a drag on his cigarette, and breathing out a slow stream of smoke. "I bloody well didn't figure on a voyage to the bottom of the sea straight off."
Angel belatedly realized he was supposed to be grateful, not exasperated. One way or another, family life hadn't been working out well for him lately. And he WAS grateful.
"Look, Spike - " It was hard to think of the right thing to say; his head was spinning. He'd just never heard of a vampire voluntarily seeking a soul. He instantly suppressed the thought of consulting Wes; but this must have upset innumerable metaphysical applecarts. It must have been pretty damn tough for Spike, too.
"So how you holding up?" he said.
"S'all right. Could've been worse."
"How long's it been?"
"Couple of months."
"Need anything?"
"No, I'm good, thanks."
"Well, I guess you are," Angel said with a faint grin. "I never thought I'd say THAT."
"Don't go telling anyone, alright? It's not like there's a disturbance in the Force or anything."
"What?"
"You don't even try to keep up, do you, Grandpappy? I mean, it's not a big cosmic deal; no one has to know."
"Don't be too sure about that. I'd keep my eyes open for prophecies, if I were you. Um - 'Grandpappy'?"
"Well, the tug, y'know, reminded me of Popeye."
"Oh. Right. 'Strong to the finish.'" That was one cultural reference he did get. See, he was hip. "Don't call me that."
* * * *
They all gathered to see Spike off. Wally was giving him a lift back to Sunnydale in his PT Cruiser. Angel and his friends had a lot of work to do, but he needed to get back. To get home.
"If you want to stay -" Angel began.
"Can't. I've got other people - "
" - to help. I know. Well, you know where we are."
Gunn gripped his hand strongly, and said, "Seriously, man, you ever need anything, you know we're here for you."
"Same here. Anything sea-going, you call me, hear?" Uncle Jack clapped him on the shoulder.
"I feel like I'm going back to Kansas," Spike observed. "Which one of you lot needs the brain, again?"
"I guess that's me!" Fred said, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a hug.
He held her slight body close for a moment. "I think I'm going to miss you most of all," he whispered in her ear.
He released her, and she turned to Gunn, tears in her eyes. Spike paused to exchange one more glance and a nod with his grandsire, and then he got in the car.
* * * *
Two weeks later, Buffy unlocked her front door and heard Dawn's voice. She deduced her sister was talking on the phone, and was preparing her stern guardian face when Dawn saw her from the kitchen and motioned frantically for her to come nearer.
"Okay, can you hold on a minute? 'Cause she just came in," she said rapidly into the receiver. Then she covered the mouthpiece with her hand and whispered in agitation, "Buffy, Buffy! Come quick!"
"Who is it?" Buffy said, keeping her voice low.
"It's like that girl at Angel's, Fred?" Dawn gabbled. "And it's about Spike! She says they've got something for Spike, and we have to give it to him! And Angel was in trouble and he went there to help Angel and he like did all this stuff for them and he's this big hero now and they like love him and everything!"
Unable to untangle this recitation, Buffy took the phone. Dawn squirmed with frustration as she listened to one side of the conversation.
"Hi! This is Buffy. Can we help with something? Uh-huh. Oh, no. Is he okay now? How's Cordelia? Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." There was a long pause. Dawn could hear Fred's slightly Southern inflections rambling on, and the rumble of a man's voice in the background pointing out important details she'd missed. Buffy's face was stiff with shock but she was making every effort to be very patient and polite. "So Spike was there with you? How did -? Oh. Uh-huh. Oh. Wow. No, he doesn't really have an address, officially. Yes, I can make sure he gets it. No, really, it's no trouble. Thanks for calling. Please give him our best. Bye."
Buffy hung up the phone. She and Dawn looked at each other wordlessly for a moment.
Dawn was thrilled. She'd missed Spike so much, and she'd been waiting for a chance make friends with him again. This certainly looked like it. Buffy had explained what happened between them - not in detail, of course; but she said it was as much her fault as Spike's. And also that it was none of Xander's business, or anyone else's. She wasn't really sure why Buffy still felt so shy about at least going to his crypt to see if he was back after all these months, but she wouldn't, and wouldn't let Dawn go herself, either. She said HE might not want to see THEM, which Dawn didn't quite get.
"So what are we gonna do?" she said, restraining her excitement.
Buffy picked the phone up again, and dialed a number. "Hi, Sophie? This is Buffy. Would you get a message to Clem?"
TBC
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"WILT thou forgive that sin, where I begun,
Which is my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt thou forgive those sins through which I run
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When thou has done, thou hast not done,
For, I have more.
Wilt thou forgive that sin, by which I've won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallowed in a score?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more."
John Donne