[NOTE! This is not my people or things. Only the story is mine, and even then... In any event, this is sort of a follow up to the as-yet-unfinished Sitting Out. Or not. Make of it what you will. -DUNOTS]
Stepping In Prologue: In which glances are exchanged
"So, what's the story?"
He looked a bit surprised as he looked up from his blood, sublty letting his eyes dart around the room like he always did. "What?"
"You and Harmony," she asked as sweetly and as sardonically as she could muster, "I heard you've got..."
"Nothing, really," he mumbled, "All exaggerated."
Winifred Burkle breathed in very diliberately, as it was the only way she knew to get ready for the sigh she knew she needed. "William, you should know by now that you don't fool me."
"Maybe you just think I don't," he added with a smirk and an eyebrow, "Or maybe I fool you all the same."
He paused a moment.
"Hey, wait, don't leave!"
She had to stifle the smile as she turned back around, as she knew she'd be needing a generally dissatisfied look. "Yes?"
"I was gonna sk you something," he hemmed, "but you right shocked it out of me."
She shrugged. "Come with me to the lab if you want. I just have to make sure nobody's inventing the apocalypse."
"They could at least let you join in."
"You try telling them that."
-----
Knox's eyes brightened dramatically when she entered the room. Then Spike made eye contact with him and there was a tansion. Spike knew what it was. He'd been on both ends of that look enough to know exactly where it came from. Smiling, Spike wondered why having a soul hadn't made it any less amusing.
"Morning, Knox," Fred greeted, chipper as usual.
"Ah," Knox said by way of reply, "what's up? You usually don't stop by this time of day."
"What times of day do I usually stop by?" she accused, "Your boss is erratic; get used to it."
With a half smile, Knox added, "Easy with this boss."
Spike made a sort of choking noise as he not-laughed. Was this the way he was around... certain women? He sure hoped not, but somehow he figured he was just about as pathetic as they come.
"Yes?" Knox and Fred asked as one, with slightly different meaning behind it.
"Sorry," Spike grinned, "must be something in my throat. So, what's the big project for today? A royally good ceasar salad? Tiny robots that do your hair?"
Fred gave him the most incredulous look. It was worth it.
"No," she replied, seemingly in all seriousness (though he could see the smile fighting its way out), "We've been trying to find a way to affix a soul to a demonic entity without the use of magic."
"How's that going?" he asked with generally genuine interest.
"How do you think?" she asked a little sadly, pushing her glasses up her nose.
Knox raised a finger and made little ah noises to get the group's attention. "But! We have made a lot of progress in sceintific categorization of the soul."
"Rad!" Spike agreed with mock earnesty. Knox didn't like that very much.
"Spike!" Fred chided, punching him on the arm, "Don't make fun of our research. I'd like to think we do some good down here."
"We do," Knox chimed in, cutting Spike off at the pass, "I've told you, things have changed."
Spike leaned over and said sincerely, "We couldn't'a got Pavayne without you. And that's just once you've saved people. So stop worryin' your mousey head and start usin' it."
She sort of smiled sheepishly and Spike was happy about that. Knox, however, was not so happy. He seemed more uncomfortable than anything else. That boy sure was fun to play with.
Not as fun as the girl.
Spike's eyes narrowed somewhat. Back to business, William.
"I remembered what I was going to ask you," he said dryly, "I was wondering if the re-corprealization hoo-ha is on the up and up."
"Meaning..." Fred said like she had an idea.
"Meaning, I wanna know if I'm different from before. Not that I don't trust mysterious boxes, but I don't."
"Fair enough," she agreed, "I was actually curious about that, too. GIve me a day or two to get some equipment together. Maybe less. I'll call you."
"On my what, now?" he asked.
She sort of frowned and continued, "Good point. Okay, I'll get ahold of you somehow or other. This should be interesting."
As he walked away, Spike mumbled under his breath, "Interesting is the least of my bloody worries."
"But you're telling my about you and Harmony!" she called just as the door was closing.
"Ah, bloody-" was the last thing heard before the door closed.
Stepping In Prologue: In which glances are exchanged
"So, what's the story?"
He looked a bit surprised as he looked up from his blood, sublty letting his eyes dart around the room like he always did. "What?"
"You and Harmony," she asked as sweetly and as sardonically as she could muster, "I heard you've got..."
"Nothing, really," he mumbled, "All exaggerated."
Winifred Burkle breathed in very diliberately, as it was the only way she knew to get ready for the sigh she knew she needed. "William, you should know by now that you don't fool me."
"Maybe you just think I don't," he added with a smirk and an eyebrow, "Or maybe I fool you all the same."
He paused a moment.
"Hey, wait, don't leave!"
She had to stifle the smile as she turned back around, as she knew she'd be needing a generally dissatisfied look. "Yes?"
"I was gonna sk you something," he hemmed, "but you right shocked it out of me."
She shrugged. "Come with me to the lab if you want. I just have to make sure nobody's inventing the apocalypse."
"They could at least let you join in."
"You try telling them that."
-----
Knox's eyes brightened dramatically when she entered the room. Then Spike made eye contact with him and there was a tansion. Spike knew what it was. He'd been on both ends of that look enough to know exactly where it came from. Smiling, Spike wondered why having a soul hadn't made it any less amusing.
"Morning, Knox," Fred greeted, chipper as usual.
"Ah," Knox said by way of reply, "what's up? You usually don't stop by this time of day."
"What times of day do I usually stop by?" she accused, "Your boss is erratic; get used to it."
With a half smile, Knox added, "Easy with this boss."
Spike made a sort of choking noise as he not-laughed. Was this the way he was around... certain women? He sure hoped not, but somehow he figured he was just about as pathetic as they come.
"Yes?" Knox and Fred asked as one, with slightly different meaning behind it.
"Sorry," Spike grinned, "must be something in my throat. So, what's the big project for today? A royally good ceasar salad? Tiny robots that do your hair?"
Fred gave him the most incredulous look. It was worth it.
"No," she replied, seemingly in all seriousness (though he could see the smile fighting its way out), "We've been trying to find a way to affix a soul to a demonic entity without the use of magic."
"How's that going?" he asked with generally genuine interest.
"How do you think?" she asked a little sadly, pushing her glasses up her nose.
Knox raised a finger and made little ah noises to get the group's attention. "But! We have made a lot of progress in sceintific categorization of the soul."
"Rad!" Spike agreed with mock earnesty. Knox didn't like that very much.
"Spike!" Fred chided, punching him on the arm, "Don't make fun of our research. I'd like to think we do some good down here."
"We do," Knox chimed in, cutting Spike off at the pass, "I've told you, things have changed."
Spike leaned over and said sincerely, "We couldn't'a got Pavayne without you. And that's just once you've saved people. So stop worryin' your mousey head and start usin' it."
She sort of smiled sheepishly and Spike was happy about that. Knox, however, was not so happy. He seemed more uncomfortable than anything else. That boy sure was fun to play with.
Not as fun as the girl.
Spike's eyes narrowed somewhat. Back to business, William.
"I remembered what I was going to ask you," he said dryly, "I was wondering if the re-corprealization hoo-ha is on the up and up."
"Meaning..." Fred said like she had an idea.
"Meaning, I wanna know if I'm different from before. Not that I don't trust mysterious boxes, but I don't."
"Fair enough," she agreed, "I was actually curious about that, too. GIve me a day or two to get some equipment together. Maybe less. I'll call you."
"On my what, now?" he asked.
She sort of frowned and continued, "Good point. Okay, I'll get ahold of you somehow or other. This should be interesting."
As he walked away, Spike mumbled under his breath, "Interesting is the least of my bloody worries."
"But you're telling my about you and Harmony!" she called just as the door was closing.
"Ah, bloody-" was the last thing heard before the door closed.