(Untitled)

[not_that_spike]

The sounds are different and the smells are different and the language is different. By now he's used to only hearing female voices; he doesn't really miss the sound of other men but that's mostly because he hasn't had the luxury to miss a hell of a lot of anything. This has been the most perilous part of their travel, getting across the damn ocean

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[stbethadettes]

"It's been over three years, bounty hunter," she answers almost as quietly. "Somebody better have their shit together by now."

But she's seen that tower lit up in the distance, and she can't say she's not suitably impressed.

Maybe not as impressed as little Beth is, but that's all right.

She's glad Spike is, though, and there's a part of her that thinks it's a damn shame he didn't get a better tour of the states. They went through a lot of small towns when they could get away with it, used back roads where it made sense to, slept in places they were less likely to get discovered when it was at all possible. And the bon voyage party they got in New York was pretty fucking worrisome.

She'd hoped to keep him from ever getting even that close to amazons. It's small comfort, but now he knows exactly what she's disliked so intensely all this time. Now it has to make a little more sense to him.

But she still thinks it was Junior that initially attracted the attention. Vlad is old enough that as long as they didn't stick a sign

[not_that_spike]

He can think of a few things she probably misses: privacy, for one, and that big claw-foot tub in the House of Arch for another. Fresh clothes, fresh food, a really good sour apple martini, being able to smoke.

Sex at leisure; moments in the rain.

At least those are things he misses, things he thinks Beth misses, but he's not going to put words in her mouth by saying them aloud.

Besides, there are other things he misses too, like being able to walk around without wearing a cloak that makes him invisible, and holding Beth's hand in public, making out with her whenever the mood strikes them. Watching movies together, or playing those damn video games Shipwreck gave him. Rubbing her feet, brushing her hair.

Changing Junior. Feeding Junior. Holding Junior.

Holding Beth.

Taking vacations to locations that are so exotic for her: Venus, Europa, Mars. To him they're just... places but to Beth and with Beth they're adventures

[stbethadettes]

"The way you smell."

It's just one thing on a long, long list.

"Especially after a shower."

Her smile gets a little wider.

"Especially after a shower I took with you."

A laugh escapes her, and she shrugs unapologetically. It's a combination of so many of the things she misses all rolled up together: Spike smelling like soap and smoke and sex.

When he can curl up next to her to sleep, she can smell him. But it's mostly the cloak. And the cloak doesn't have much of a smell, but it seems to her that it always smells like... the outdoors. Like wherever they've been that day.

There's not usually a whole lot that's exciting about that.

"What do you think about France?" Turning her head toward the hand he put on her shoulder, she kisses the back of it. "This could be it, you know."

Something's going to give eventually. They'll find Yorick or they won't, Ciba and Natalya could finally decide to go on to Russia, they could discover the Israelis on their tail again"This could be where we stay

[not_that_spike]

He's never been one to really give a damn about location. Maybe that's a result of being moved around every year or whatever by his dad, or maybe it's because he got so good at surviving wherever he was in his years on the run from the Dragons, or maybe it's because as a bounty hunter he always had to go where the action was, and that was rarely even on the same planet time after time. Whatever it is, though, it's served him well.

Especially lately: they haven't had the opportunity to stay in any one place for long at all. A day, two days, that's about it. And fuck if he can even really remember what New York was like, except Junior started crying and attracted a lot of attention from the local amazon contingent, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it except shoot at them from his hiding place. He couldn't even take her to try to comfort her, swing her around like he used to, and that always made her smile

[stbethadettes]

"Venus is kind of infinitely preferable, isn't it?" Her arms curl loosely around his neck.

Anywhere Spike wouldn't be one of the only three living males she's seen on whole goddamn planet would be preferable. There's a hint of regret in her own smile for a second, but she doesn't let it show long.

There's nothing they can do about it. Nothing she can do about it.

There's little hope of the normal life with him and the baby that she kept finding herself craving despite her best efforts during her pregnancy, but they'll carry on. It's kind of all she knows how to do.

At least eventually -- maybe a few weeks from now, maybe months -- they can have something slightly more normal than this constant travel.

"Before the plague, Paris was one considered by a lot of people to be one of the most romantic destinations in the world. It's no New France, but we can give it a try anyway."

[not_that_spike]

"New France, Old France, what the hell." His smile broadens into something a lot more light-hearted now that her arms are around him and for a moment, standing here on this hilltop overlooking things they've never seen before, it feels oddly enough like old times. There's a nice breeze blowing; it smells fresh.

It's when they were in New France that they found out Beth was pregnant. He remembers that moment like it was yesterday: the shock, the wonder, the oh fuck feeling of his heart about stopping, asking her to marry him. Maybe if they end up here for good with no sign of going back, she will marry him

[stbethadettes]

Maybe it's time to replace the silly little Venus fantasy and the increasingly unlikely dream of getting back to their House of Arch suite with ideas that are a bit more probable.

Like... finding a nice little place in the French countryside. If Yorick's doctor friend -- or anybody else -- can make progress with doing something about what's left of the male population, Spike could be as visible as he'd want to be. Her French could use some work, but they'd manage. They're really fucking good at that.

But having a taste of the end of the universe and how good they had it there -- especially at the House of Arch -- has made it even more difficult to readjust to life out here.

She rises on the balls of her feet and gently pushes her forehead against his.

"After we find a place to stay in Paris, I'm getting Junior something I can push her around the city in."

When they first got the baby backpack, she had room to grow into it. Now she's starting to outgrow it.

She is going to be a year old pretty soon, and that's as hard to

[not_that_spike]

Hell, he'd carry her if he could; he's both strong and in love with that little girl. Just like with Beth, he'll do anything in his power for Junior.

Including finding her a carriage or stroller or whatever they can get. A little red wagon, or her own little spaceship... except... yeah, they don't have those here.

Not yet.

"That's a great idea."

He kind of likes her line of thinking, too, especially that after we find a place to stay in Paris part. It sounds like her mind's a little bit made up and this is the second time tonight she's been making noises about the future. Well, fuck, yeah, he'd like to be able to conceptualize some sort of future. And if they stay here, it might even be a future where no one has to worry about opening the wrong damn door and getting sucked into some other place and time. For all he knows, he was meant to be here, although he's not really sure how he feels about that statement. He's fatalistic, but that's just

[stbethadettes]

"Oh, really?"

She has to smile when he kisses her.

"Well, when this is over, we'll just have to come back this way and convince anyone in it that it's perfect for the three of us."

One of her hands curls around the back of his neck, and she almost can't remember the last time they were allowed even this much intimacy.

"Spike. If we do actually find Yorick somewhere in Paris and he's interested in being a part of Junior's life, I'm not going to tell him he can't do it." She thinks he realizes this, but she wants to get it out in the open. "Don't think for a moment that it changes anything."

He doesn't get to say a word yet: in a flash, her fingertip is resting against his lips just in case.

"But I'll be understanding if you feel weird about it. I mean... you know I have no expectations for the poor guy, but don't think it hasn't crossed my mind that if he's here and really does want to take some responsibility and has already found Beth Singular, she could become another mother figure in my daughter's life

[not_that_spike]

That's... kind of it, isn't it, the thing that's been weighing heavily on his mind for... ever. It's kind of a relief to have Beth bring it up, though; Yorick's been this unspoken albatross around both their necks for a long time now, fair or unfair. Reaching over, he moves her finger away: he gets to have an opinion on this one and he gets to voice it.

"As long as there's still room for this bounty hunter, Beth." He loves that little girl like crazy. "As long as I don't get shut out of the equation." He has been there since the moment she was born. He did spend half of Beth's pregnancy telling her jokes and stories in the middle of the night. He's held her and changed her and rocked her to sleep. Carried her around, bathed her, bought her clothes, been just like a dad to her.

"Must be a thing about the name Beth that draws in all three of the guys on this planet like moths to a flame." For Junior, he can swallow back the possessiveness and unbidden jealousy and crack a couple jokes.

He won't be as magnanimous with his Beth, though

[stbethadettes]

Again, she kind of has to smile at him.

"We love you." Despite the fact that he's almost gone and made her laugh after the fact, she has to get it in before the subject changes completely. "You don't get shut out."

Not even a little bit, and as if to seal the deal, she tilts her face up to his and pushes her mouth against his in a kiss that's hardly fooling around.

What's funny is that she actually thinks Spike and Yorick would have quite a few things to talk about if they ever did get a chance to meet. And what she said to Spike was the absolute truth: she's pinning no expectation on Yorick. He doesn't even know he has a daughter, and while she thinks he deserves to know, there are no consequences for it that she's going to throw at him.

It was her decision, and she's never regretted it.

Besides, she has Spike.

[not_that_spike]

Kiss me again just like that, and it will tide me over for months.

Yeah, he's starved for her. It's such a temptation to kiss the hell out of her right now, return her favor, but he knows where that's going to want to lead and even though Hero's being a great babysitter, this isn't the time for too many overt demonstrations of desire.

It'll have to wait, and... that's okay, in a way, even if it doesn't necessarily seem fair. Because when they finally do get their moment -- in the rain or not -- it's going to be so damn nice

[stbethadettes]

It's been a long time since he gave her an impromptu story like that, and she rests her hands on each of his shoulders.

"This guy sounds like a hell of a romantic. Maybe Paris is right up his alley after all."

Letting her hands move up from his shoulders to rest on either side of his neck, she has to lift her chin for one more kiss. She is feeling better for having said the things she has, and she didn't even really think she had anything to get off her chest.

"We should go back soon."

But she could stand to stay out a little longer.

She could stand to stay out a lot fucking longer, but she'll take what she can get. Once they get to Paris, she might manage to grab a little more time alone with him from time to time.

Or... alone with him and Junior, and she'd be good with that.

[not_that_spike]

She's right: they should go back soon, although Hero's pretty damn good at finding them when she has to. But still, Beth was only supposed to be going out for a walk. Not a walk and an hour's worth of storytelling and supposition, although odds are no woman in their travel group is going to begrudge her as much damn time to herself as she wants.

He'd steal her away if that was possible, but then he'd kind of have no choice but to go back for Junior, and that'd cause a stir if he just waltzed in with his cloak on and took her out of there. Yeah, that would raise a couple eyebrows.

"Yeah. We can go whenever you want."

(Just a couple more minutes.)

"Think of it this way, Slim: in a world full of women with imaginary boyfriends, you've got a real invisible guy by your side." That's something; it makes him grin and at the same time he reaches for that cloak. This isn't the first time he's given a silent blessing -- as much as he ever does that kind of shit -- to Tom for lending him this thing. If they do meet up with Yorick, he'll pick

[stbethadettes]

She does roll her eyes affectionately, but she can't help grinning. And when she feels his hand, she lets her own close around it.

"I love you, too."

She hadn't said it yet -- she's always slower to say it -- but it's no less true now than it's ever been.

Her hand doesn't let go of his until they get much closer to joining the group again, and when she steps back inside to discover a barely sleepy baby still awake and playing with an indulgent Auntie Hero, she smiles all over again to see Junior's arms held out for her almost immediately.

It's pretty fucking great to feel wanted.