A/N: Yup, for Izzy updates, it's been awhile. Schoolwork plus sleep means
I've not been able to, but reviews always make me work harder.. Hint hint.
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"You have the permit?" Spike asked, holding out a hand. The small piece of card was placed in it carefully.
"Check. Do you?" she challenged, lifting an eyebrow. Spike frowned.
"How the bloody hell am I supposed to have a driver's licence? I'm 130 years old! Cars didn't sodding exist when I did."
"Temper, check," Izzy muttered, with a tiny grin. Driving lessons with Spike meant at least the world wasn't ending yet, even if- it might.. While puzzling over this brand new, shiny conundrum, the vampire steered her towards the doorway.
"See you later, Willow," Spike called. He glanced at Izzy, who folded her arms, and pointedly ignored her mother.
"Right, first things first. Stick the key in the ignition," Spike said, fastening his seatbelt. Izzy shot him a withering look.
"Is this how the entire lesson is gonna be? Or shall I just skip irritating 'father-figure' Spike, and get back to non-driving, ultra boring Spike?"
"Just drive the car," he ordered. She fumbled with the gear stick, and finally, wit a triumphant smile, managed to put it into the right gear, and ease on the gas.
"Right," Spike began again, with a determined note in his voice. "Ease on the clutch, and on the gas, and shift the gears."
She cast a look at him, and did so easily.
"Oh come on! A snail drives faster than this! Druscilla couldn't drive, and she moved faster than this," Spike complained, inspecting his black nails. Izzy shifted the gears upwards, and floored the gas. The startled vampire fell backwards, and slid down in his seat, gripping onto it, as the teenager laughed.
"Now you've discovered how to drive," Spike grumbled. He slanted a look at her, considering.
"You've gone silent. For a backseat vampire, that's disturbing," Izzy commented, from the wheel, glancing at him. "What's on your mind?"
"Gatekeeper stuff," he answered. "Just thinkin' about it all."
She shrugged stiffly. "My mom adopted me, then found out I'm a mystical thingamagig. Not much to think about."
Spike raised an eyebrow.
"Red didn't find out about it, she knew about it," he said, sounding bewildered. "She was searching for the Gatekeeper. Came to L.A for the prophesies. Then found you. Brought you home, let you grow up, didn't tell you, so Angel decided enough was enough, and I came to pass on the news. Thought you'd taken it pretty well, considering it all," he answered, scratching his head.
Her face went blank.
"My. Willow knew I was the Gatekeeper when she adopted me?" she repeated, carefully.
"Yeah. Big mystical hide and seek, if you ask me, played with a baby," Spike answered nonchalantly. "Course she did. She came to the hotel, to show you off. All wrapped up, little bundle of magical destiny, she called you. Never seen Red so happy," he recalled, with a small smile.
Izzy turned back into their road, and halted the car abruptly. Spike looked at her, askance.
"What's wrong with you?" he demanded. She shut off the ignition.
"Nothing. I just.I don't feel like driving anymore," she said, and got out of the car. She walked quickly up the steps into the house, and closed the door. Spike opened his own side, and followed her indoors.
* ~ * ~
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Izzy opened her backpack, and looked around her room for things she needed. Her PJs. She stuffed them in. Hairbrush, toothbrush, her eyes fell on the shelf beside her bed. Her journal lay beside a photo of her and her mom stood next to each other, grinning like crazy. She tossed in the journal, ignoring the photo.
Her mother hadn't wanted her. It had all been one big duty, bringing up the Gatekeeper in the place that would be home for the rest of her life. Well, life in Cleveland sucked, she thought, biting her lip. She wasn't staying on a hellmouth, with a family that didn't want her, and didn't tell her what she was. L.A. Spike had mentioned L.A, Mom had gone to Angel to get prophesies.
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"You guys came back early," Willow commented, flipping off the TV. "Was it okay?"
"Put it this way. Being burnt, into ashes, saving Sunnydale, was better," the disgruntled vampire answered. Willow sighed.
"I know I should've told her earlier. I just love her so much, and if I told her, she wouldn't be my baby anymore, she'd be 'the Gatekeeper'," she said, miserably.
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Izzy looked down at the keys still clenched in her palm, and silently hefted her bag onto her shoulders, swinging her legs over the windowsill, and onto the rose trellis Willow had grown up the side of the house. Once on it, she swung over to the tree she and Lin had used as a base since they were little.
"Izz?" She looked down, and saw Lin sitting below the tree.
"What are you doing down there?" she asked, stupidly.
"Uh, Izz, you're in a tree. What's up?" he answered.
"I'm leaving," she said flatly, dropping down, and dusting off her hands. He stood up, puzzlement crossing his face.
"What?"
"I'm going. Saying goodbye, whatever. I'm not staying here anymore."
"Well, where are you going?" he asked, stalling. She shrugged, adjusting her bag.
"L.A," she told him reluctantly. "Look, I'm not- This is a me-alone thing. I just wanna know who me is. I'm really not sure, so many people keep lying to me, things here are just so screwed up," she raked her hands through her hair distractedly, looking lost. "I just want to sort it all out."
"Izz, I appreciate the whole, you-alone thing, but you-alone doesn't actually have a licence yet. Just a permit. So howbout if I come along, do the whole licenced driver thing, and let you do what you want?" he offered gently.
She sighed. "God, I'd forgotten. Why is everything so messed up?" A tear began to make its way down her cheek. Lin fought desperately not to kiss her, she looked so vulnerable, and lonely. He compromised by hugging her, pulling her tightly into a hug.
"Where's the car?" he asked, pulling away. She held up the keys.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"What was that?" Willow asked, her eyes widening. Spike strode to the window, and yanked back the curtain. His own blue eyes shot open, and he ran to the door, hauled it open, and ran through. Willow followed.
"She took my car! Bloody bint stole my car! My car!" he yelled, standing on the sidewalk, staring in disbelief after the DeSoto. Willow glared at him, and smacked him hard on the arm.
"What did you say to her?" she demanded. He turned to her.
"I didn't say soddin' anything! She stole my car, woman! Get it bloody back," he ordered.
"You must have said something, or she wouldn't have gone. Goddess knows, she wasn't talking to me," Willow answered.
"Where would she go?" Spike asked, as they stood there. Willow shrugged painfully.
"I don't know," she replied, staring after the car.
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* ~
Lin glanced across at Izzy, sleeping in the passenger seat, curled up against the window, her hoodie spread across her like a blanket. He looked back at the road, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. He didn't know what had set off the running away, but for Lincoln Harris, it broke down into very simple lines. Izzy unhappy. Izzy runs away. Lin unhappy for Izzy. Either Lin hit the object that made Izzy unhappy very hard, or Lin run away with Izzy.
She'd be okay, he promised himself.
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A/N: Next chapter, Angel Investigations, and more.
REVIEW!
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"You have the permit?" Spike asked, holding out a hand. The small piece of card was placed in it carefully.
"Check. Do you?" she challenged, lifting an eyebrow. Spike frowned.
"How the bloody hell am I supposed to have a driver's licence? I'm 130 years old! Cars didn't sodding exist when I did."
"Temper, check," Izzy muttered, with a tiny grin. Driving lessons with Spike meant at least the world wasn't ending yet, even if- it might.. While puzzling over this brand new, shiny conundrum, the vampire steered her towards the doorway.
"See you later, Willow," Spike called. He glanced at Izzy, who folded her arms, and pointedly ignored her mother.
"Right, first things first. Stick the key in the ignition," Spike said, fastening his seatbelt. Izzy shot him a withering look.
"Is this how the entire lesson is gonna be? Or shall I just skip irritating 'father-figure' Spike, and get back to non-driving, ultra boring Spike?"
"Just drive the car," he ordered. She fumbled with the gear stick, and finally, wit a triumphant smile, managed to put it into the right gear, and ease on the gas.
"Right," Spike began again, with a determined note in his voice. "Ease on the clutch, and on the gas, and shift the gears."
She cast a look at him, and did so easily.
"Oh come on! A snail drives faster than this! Druscilla couldn't drive, and she moved faster than this," Spike complained, inspecting his black nails. Izzy shifted the gears upwards, and floored the gas. The startled vampire fell backwards, and slid down in his seat, gripping onto it, as the teenager laughed.
"Now you've discovered how to drive," Spike grumbled. He slanted a look at her, considering.
"You've gone silent. For a backseat vampire, that's disturbing," Izzy commented, from the wheel, glancing at him. "What's on your mind?"
"Gatekeeper stuff," he answered. "Just thinkin' about it all."
She shrugged stiffly. "My mom adopted me, then found out I'm a mystical thingamagig. Not much to think about."
Spike raised an eyebrow.
"Red didn't find out about it, she knew about it," he said, sounding bewildered. "She was searching for the Gatekeeper. Came to L.A for the prophesies. Then found you. Brought you home, let you grow up, didn't tell you, so Angel decided enough was enough, and I came to pass on the news. Thought you'd taken it pretty well, considering it all," he answered, scratching his head.
Her face went blank.
"My. Willow knew I was the Gatekeeper when she adopted me?" she repeated, carefully.
"Yeah. Big mystical hide and seek, if you ask me, played with a baby," Spike answered nonchalantly. "Course she did. She came to the hotel, to show you off. All wrapped up, little bundle of magical destiny, she called you. Never seen Red so happy," he recalled, with a small smile.
Izzy turned back into their road, and halted the car abruptly. Spike looked at her, askance.
"What's wrong with you?" he demanded. She shut off the ignition.
"Nothing. I just.I don't feel like driving anymore," she said, and got out of the car. She walked quickly up the steps into the house, and closed the door. Spike opened his own side, and followed her indoors.
* ~ * ~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Izzy opened her backpack, and looked around her room for things she needed. Her PJs. She stuffed them in. Hairbrush, toothbrush, her eyes fell on the shelf beside her bed. Her journal lay beside a photo of her and her mom stood next to each other, grinning like crazy. She tossed in the journal, ignoring the photo.
Her mother hadn't wanted her. It had all been one big duty, bringing up the Gatekeeper in the place that would be home for the rest of her life. Well, life in Cleveland sucked, she thought, biting her lip. She wasn't staying on a hellmouth, with a family that didn't want her, and didn't tell her what she was. L.A. Spike had mentioned L.A, Mom had gone to Angel to get prophesies.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"You guys came back early," Willow commented, flipping off the TV. "Was it okay?"
"Put it this way. Being burnt, into ashes, saving Sunnydale, was better," the disgruntled vampire answered. Willow sighed.
"I know I should've told her earlier. I just love her so much, and if I told her, she wouldn't be my baby anymore, she'd be 'the Gatekeeper'," she said, miserably.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Izzy looked down at the keys still clenched in her palm, and silently hefted her bag onto her shoulders, swinging her legs over the windowsill, and onto the rose trellis Willow had grown up the side of the house. Once on it, she swung over to the tree she and Lin had used as a base since they were little.
"Izz?" She looked down, and saw Lin sitting below the tree.
"What are you doing down there?" she asked, stupidly.
"Uh, Izz, you're in a tree. What's up?" he answered.
"I'm leaving," she said flatly, dropping down, and dusting off her hands. He stood up, puzzlement crossing his face.
"What?"
"I'm going. Saying goodbye, whatever. I'm not staying here anymore."
"Well, where are you going?" he asked, stalling. She shrugged, adjusting her bag.
"L.A," she told him reluctantly. "Look, I'm not- This is a me-alone thing. I just wanna know who me is. I'm really not sure, so many people keep lying to me, things here are just so screwed up," she raked her hands through her hair distractedly, looking lost. "I just want to sort it all out."
"Izz, I appreciate the whole, you-alone thing, but you-alone doesn't actually have a licence yet. Just a permit. So howbout if I come along, do the whole licenced driver thing, and let you do what you want?" he offered gently.
She sighed. "God, I'd forgotten. Why is everything so messed up?" A tear began to make its way down her cheek. Lin fought desperately not to kiss her, she looked so vulnerable, and lonely. He compromised by hugging her, pulling her tightly into a hug.
"Where's the car?" he asked, pulling away. She held up the keys.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"What was that?" Willow asked, her eyes widening. Spike strode to the window, and yanked back the curtain. His own blue eyes shot open, and he ran to the door, hauled it open, and ran through. Willow followed.
"She took my car! Bloody bint stole my car! My car!" he yelled, standing on the sidewalk, staring in disbelief after the DeSoto. Willow glared at him, and smacked him hard on the arm.
"What did you say to her?" she demanded. He turned to her.
"I didn't say soddin' anything! She stole my car, woman! Get it bloody back," he ordered.
"You must have said something, or she wouldn't have gone. Goddess knows, she wasn't talking to me," Willow answered.
"Where would she go?" Spike asked, as they stood there. Willow shrugged painfully.
"I don't know," she replied, staring after the car.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
* ~
Lin glanced across at Izzy, sleeping in the passenger seat, curled up against the window, her hoodie spread across her like a blanket. He looked back at the road, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. He didn't know what had set off the running away, but for Lincoln Harris, it broke down into very simple lines. Izzy unhappy. Izzy runs away. Lin unhappy for Izzy. Either Lin hit the object that made Izzy unhappy very hard, or Lin run away with Izzy.
She'd be okay, he promised himself.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
A/N: Next chapter, Angel Investigations, and more.
REVIEW!