WIP Meme
Gakked from dawnofme when I realized that actually not all of my WIPs are trapped on a dead laptop.
When you see this, post a little weensy excerpt from as many random works-in-progress as you can find lying around. Who knows? Maybe inspiration will burst forth and do something, um, inspiration-y.
And I'm cheating here because I'm just reposting the ideas I'd saved from the Dark Horse Spuffy Appreciation thread, so this might be familiar to a few of you. The story is an idea on how to reconcile both Buffy/Angel and Buffy/Spike without making them a threesome:
Set later in Season 8, more specifically after ToYL, but the exact timing doesn't matter. Buffy is fatally wounded in a fight and should die but instead goes into a strange healing comatose state for a few days. She wakes up with Willow at her bedside acting all squirrely and is surprised to discover that Giles has come to their new HQ in Scotland. Willow and Giles are closeted away for a few days and Buffy starts to suspect something dire is going on, but she's distracted by training and other Slayer business. She eventually confronts them and demands to know what's going on. Willow reveals that the resurrection spell has altered Buffy's physical state so that her Slayer healing has been progressively increasing in power over time. She now heals so quickly that any wound that's not instantly fatal will heal given enough time. This also means she'll stop aging as her cells continue to regenerate.
Buffy takes this news in silence, occasionally asking questions to clarify what Willow and Giles are telling her. "Am I still human?" being one of them, to which Willow responds, "You're like a superhuman now." Finally, she asks: "So what happens after?"
Giles: "After?"
Buffy: "You said theoretically. Theoretically, I could still die. What happens after? Where do I go?" Her voice hitches on the last question.
Giles realizes what she's asking and looks down, hesitating, then says quietly, "I don't know. We're not sure -"
Willow interrupts: "We just haven't figured everything out yet. But we will. We think that somehow your soul and body have been mystically superglued together. We can fix this. I'll fix it, Buffy."
Buffy: "Fix it? You'll fix it? Yeah, do that. Fix me." She half-sobs and drops her head into her hands. Then stands up and walks out.
Buffy secludes herself from others, continues patrolling and going on missions but not talking to anyone. Eventually, a human Angel enters the story - all his ties personal ties cut after all the deaths on AtF - Spike is off somewhere but Angel doesn't bring him up. He's looking for a new path and ends up going to Buffy hoping to get straightened out. To be inspired the way she first inspired him years ago.
He finds her going through the motions and emotionally shut down. Confronts her and she eventually confides in him after the shock of discovering he's human. Telling him about the consequences of the spell to bring her back to life:
Buffy: "I'm never gonna grow old or die. I used to be so afraid of dying, then I was afraid of living again." She sighs out a breath. "I'd finally gotten the hang of it and now I'm supposed to live forever. How am I supposed to-...I remember it so clearly sometimes. Almost like I can taste it. Being free, safe, complete. I always thought I'd get to go back. Eventually, I'd get to go back. All my friends are going to grow old and - and I'm just going to be here." She starts crying and whispers painfully, "I don't want to be alone."
Requisite angsty B/A ensues and they decide to get back together. Past obstacles have been removed like the curse and Angel's vampirism. Of course, the reality of Buffy never aging is an obstacle but Angel sees this less as something he needs to worry about. He finally feels like he can give Buffy something she desperately needs without holding her back. He can make love to her, take her out into the sunshine, be a man for her.
Spike appears later after Buffy and Angel have planned a future together and after the reunion, Buffy eventually lets him down gently explaining she's with Angel now. Buffy and Angel live a relatively normal life for the next few years while still going out and hunting demons. Twilight and apocalypses kind of fade into the background of the story. Buffy wins and comes back home, etc. One night, Angel nearly dies and Buffy insists he officially retire. They decide to leave the field to the other slayers and finally have a "normal life".
Years pass and every now and then Spike appears to check on Buffy. Doesn't want to go without seeing her. One night she finds him standing in her backyard, fiddling with the fence.
Spike laughs to himself, "White picket fences, eh? Just in case a stake isn't handy?"
"Angel likes it."
Spike stares at the pointed tops of the fence. "Bet he does."
Buffy crosses her arms. "What are you doing here, Spike?"
"Just checking in. 'S not a crime, is it?"
Buffy sighs and sits down on the back porch steps. "You should stop coming. Nothing's gonna change."
Spike walks over and sits down next to her. They sit in silence for a few minutes. He turns his head to look at her contemplatively. "You look happy."
Buffy looks down and smiles to herself before answering quietly. "I am."
Spike nods to himself slowly before standing up. "Right then." He starts walking away.
"Spike!" Spike stops to turn around and look at her. "You understand why, don't you?"
"Does it really matter, pet? You made your choice. Always knew you'd choose the poofter."
"That's not-" Buffy shakes her head. "Never mind. Just go."
"No. What is it not?" Spike steps forward, demanding she answer.
"It's not that I don't love you..."
Spike looks away, practically rolling his eyes. "Didn't come here for the pity-ditty, love."
Buffy huffs a breath out and looks up, staring straight at him with a stubborn tilt to her chin. "Some of us have more time than others."
"Pfft, more time to do what?"
"To be here."
"What? Here? In suburban paradise? Thanks, but I'll pass."
"To be here, Spike."
"Care to be a little more specific, love. You're making less sense than Dru on one of her good days."
Buffy stands up and pushes him back frustratedly with both hands. "To be here, Spike! Alive. To be alive. Angel's not going to live forever and I'm not going to waste time not being with him."
Spike takes that in for a minute. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"No, it's just-. It is what it is."
"Right. It is what it is." Spike echoes her statement hollowly. He turns to leave again.
"Spike." He pauses without turning around. "Take care of yourself."
He turns his head to almost look over his shoulder at Buffy. "Always do." Then he's gone.
More years pass, Buffy and Angel are happy, Spike shows up every few years or so when Angel's not around to see Buffy. Buffy and Angel move around so that people don't notice that Buffy isn't aging. Eventually she starts being viewed as a bit of a gold digger and a trophy wife because her husband appears so much older than her. Many years down the road, Angel passes away. Buffy stands vigil at his gravesite (a la Forever) and eventually Spike arrives to stand beside her at her right hand (the opposite of where Angel stood in Forever). Buffy's takes his hand and turns her head into his shoulder, crying.
They stay there for a long time and thoughts keep running through Buffy's head. Angel gave me what he always wanted to give - a normal life. And Spike gave me forever.
When you see this, post a little weensy excerpt from as many random works-in-progress as you can find lying around. Who knows? Maybe inspiration will burst forth and do something, um, inspiration-y.
And I'm cheating here because I'm just reposting the ideas I'd saved from the Dark Horse Spuffy Appreciation thread, so this might be familiar to a few of you. The story is an idea on how to reconcile both Buffy/Angel and Buffy/Spike without making them a threesome:
Set later in Season 8, more specifically after ToYL, but the exact timing doesn't matter. Buffy is fatally wounded in a fight and should die but instead goes into a strange healing comatose state for a few days. She wakes up with Willow at her bedside acting all squirrely and is surprised to discover that Giles has come to their new HQ in Scotland. Willow and Giles are closeted away for a few days and Buffy starts to suspect something dire is going on, but she's distracted by training and other Slayer business. She eventually confronts them and demands to know what's going on. Willow reveals that the resurrection spell has altered Buffy's physical state so that her Slayer healing has been progressively increasing in power over time. She now heals so quickly that any wound that's not instantly fatal will heal given enough time. This also means she'll stop aging as her cells continue to regenerate.
Buffy takes this news in silence, occasionally asking questions to clarify what Willow and Giles are telling her. "Am I still human?" being one of them, to which Willow responds, "You're like a superhuman now." Finally, she asks: "So what happens after?"
Giles: "After?"
Buffy: "You said theoretically. Theoretically, I could still die. What happens after? Where do I go?" Her voice hitches on the last question.
Giles realizes what she's asking and looks down, hesitating, then says quietly, "I don't know. We're not sure -"
Willow interrupts: "We just haven't figured everything out yet. But we will. We think that somehow your soul and body have been mystically superglued together. We can fix this. I'll fix it, Buffy."
Buffy: "Fix it? You'll fix it? Yeah, do that. Fix me." She half-sobs and drops her head into her hands. Then stands up and walks out.
Buffy secludes herself from others, continues patrolling and going on missions but not talking to anyone. Eventually, a human Angel enters the story - all his ties personal ties cut after all the deaths on AtF - Spike is off somewhere but Angel doesn't bring him up. He's looking for a new path and ends up going to Buffy hoping to get straightened out. To be inspired the way she first inspired him years ago.
He finds her going through the motions and emotionally shut down. Confronts her and she eventually confides in him after the shock of discovering he's human. Telling him about the consequences of the spell to bring her back to life:
Buffy: "I'm never gonna grow old or die. I used to be so afraid of dying, then I was afraid of living again." She sighs out a breath. "I'd finally gotten the hang of it and now I'm supposed to live forever. How am I supposed to-...I remember it so clearly sometimes. Almost like I can taste it. Being free, safe, complete. I always thought I'd get to go back. Eventually, I'd get to go back. All my friends are going to grow old and - and I'm just going to be here." She starts crying and whispers painfully, "I don't want to be alone."
Requisite angsty B/A ensues and they decide to get back together. Past obstacles have been removed like the curse and Angel's vampirism. Of course, the reality of Buffy never aging is an obstacle but Angel sees this less as something he needs to worry about. He finally feels like he can give Buffy something she desperately needs without holding her back. He can make love to her, take her out into the sunshine, be a man for her.
Spike appears later after Buffy and Angel have planned a future together and after the reunion, Buffy eventually lets him down gently explaining she's with Angel now. Buffy and Angel live a relatively normal life for the next few years while still going out and hunting demons. Twilight and apocalypses kind of fade into the background of the story. Buffy wins and comes back home, etc. One night, Angel nearly dies and Buffy insists he officially retire. They decide to leave the field to the other slayers and finally have a "normal life".
Years pass and every now and then Spike appears to check on Buffy. Doesn't want to go without seeing her. One night she finds him standing in her backyard, fiddling with the fence.
Spike laughs to himself, "White picket fences, eh? Just in case a stake isn't handy?"
"Angel likes it."
Spike stares at the pointed tops of the fence. "Bet he does."
Buffy crosses her arms. "What are you doing here, Spike?"
"Just checking in. 'S not a crime, is it?"
Buffy sighs and sits down on the back porch steps. "You should stop coming. Nothing's gonna change."
Spike walks over and sits down next to her. They sit in silence for a few minutes. He turns his head to look at her contemplatively. "You look happy."
Buffy looks down and smiles to herself before answering quietly. "I am."
Spike nods to himself slowly before standing up. "Right then." He starts walking away.
"Spike!" Spike stops to turn around and look at her. "You understand why, don't you?"
"Does it really matter, pet? You made your choice. Always knew you'd choose the poofter."
"That's not-" Buffy shakes her head. "Never mind. Just go."
"No. What is it not?" Spike steps forward, demanding she answer.
"It's not that I don't love you..."
Spike looks away, practically rolling his eyes. "Didn't come here for the pity-ditty, love."
Buffy huffs a breath out and looks up, staring straight at him with a stubborn tilt to her chin. "Some of us have more time than others."
"Pfft, more time to do what?"
"To be here."
"What? Here? In suburban paradise? Thanks, but I'll pass."
"To be here, Spike."
"Care to be a little more specific, love. You're making less sense than Dru on one of her good days."
Buffy stands up and pushes him back frustratedly with both hands. "To be here, Spike! Alive. To be alive. Angel's not going to live forever and I'm not going to waste time not being with him."
Spike takes that in for a minute. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"No, it's just-. It is what it is."
"Right. It is what it is." Spike echoes her statement hollowly. He turns to leave again.
"Spike." He pauses without turning around. "Take care of yourself."
He turns his head to almost look over his shoulder at Buffy. "Always do." Then he's gone.
More years pass, Buffy and Angel are happy, Spike shows up every few years or so when Angel's not around to see Buffy. Buffy and Angel move around so that people don't notice that Buffy isn't aging. Eventually she starts being viewed as a bit of a gold digger and a trophy wife because her husband appears so much older than her. Many years down the road, Angel passes away. Buffy stands vigil at his gravesite (a la Forever) and eventually Spike arrives to stand beside her at her right hand (the opposite of where Angel stood in Forever). Buffy's takes his hand and turns her head into his shoulder, crying.
They stay there for a long time and thoughts keep running through Buffy's head. Angel gave me what he always wanted to give - a normal life. And Spike gave me forever.