fic: Between Seacrest and Revello | III. That Seasonal Spirit (3/5), Part Two | Buffy/Veronica Mars
series title: Between Seacrest and Revello (a crossover)
story title: III. That Seasonal Spirit
chapter: three of five (lj-enforced part 2)
pairing: buffy/veronica mars
setting: season four, "pangs" (BtVS), season three, post-"spit and eggs" (VM)
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: joss, fox, darkhorse. BtVS is theirs. rob, warner bros. VM is theirs. I profit not at all. I write just for my own, personal enjoyment.
________________________________________________________________________________
Long siege short? They were victorious. Faith, Weevil, Xander and Anya returned much like the cavalry to help beat back the natives who just didn't want to die. Meanwhile, inside, Buffy figured out that the knife Hus carried could injure him (and make Hus turn himself into a very angry bear). Faith fought her way past the first wave outside, and once she made it through the door, Buffy was able to find her.
Recognizing the value of teamwork just then, and realizing she had all of Bear-Hus' attention, she managed to throw Faith the knife. The brunette slayer quickly surmised what she was supposed to do, and stabbed the animal in the back. It roared in pain, but then went quietly, shifting back into the man--who’d faced her--before dissolving into a green mist.
The rest followed, and that was the end of the fighting. Meant it was time to eat. Items of food were being situated on the table, and Buffy was reverently handing Giles the knife with which to carve the turkey. Faith on the other hand, still held the Chumash relic that was Hus' undoing. She stared at it, a faraway look in her eyes.
Because of that, she didn't notice Weevil walk up to her.
"Yogi leave a body?" He asked, and when she didn't answer, he figured that was answer enough. "Can't kill somethin' that never did. Just ‘cause he could pass himself off, doesn't mean he didn't need putting down."
He held out his hand. "Let go."
Vampires, demons...she took them out no problem. They didn't look human. Yes, vampires could, but by the time she was ready to stake them, their faces were generally bumpy. And she had no problem taking out a rabid animal either, but just like that, he wasn't one. He was a man with an accusing gaze.
It gave her flashbacks to an alley, screwed with her head. But finally seeing Weevil in front of her, she blinked, and was suddenly back. She dropped the knife into his palm with the faintest of grateful smiles on her lips.
All he said was, "Heads up," before going to add it to the weapons chest.
Dawn was there, dragging her to the table. "C'mon, I want stuffing! Like, now."
Faith let the smile loose. "You and me both, Pint-Size."
She sat as Buffy put some mashed potatoes on her plate.
"Nice spread, B. Should be proud."
"You too," said Buffy, noting for the third or fourth time today, that her two sisters--one biological and one not--were good for one another.
Logically it didn't follow, but the evidence was right there. Veronica was right. Faith hadn't gotten lucky lately, and something told her it was by choice.
"Thanks for the save back there."
"Yes, wonderful timing, Faith," Giles complimented warmly. "It could've gotten much worse. For the value of my property, especially."
Everyone smiled their thanks, even Xander and Anya, who made up at some point during the night, and were this close to scaring the thankee off of sex for good. While Weevil took the seat next to hers, she shied from the gratitude, and just started eating her potatoes.
Down the table, Willow moped. "Did you see me? Two seconds of conflict with an indigenous person, and I turned into General Custer."
"Violence does that," said Giles, very non-judgmentally. "Instinct takes over."
All she could was silently ask forgiveness for how she'd acted.
"And you know what?" Xander spoke to his girlfriend, tapping her on the arm. "I think my syphilis is clearing right up."
Faith was pouring gravy over Dawn's food when those words caused her to drop the ladle with an audible clang. The teen stuck her finger in her mouth and gagged.
"Nothing against the chef," Weevil began his announcement with a preface, seeing that Veronica was right again, "but, Christmas? I'm deckin' my own halls--look for a card."
Buffy couldn't blame him. Christmas was going to happen in Neptune, because she almost didn't pull Thanksgiving off. Yet for the moment, as she claimed her hard-earned seat across from Giles at the head of the table, she contentedly viewed friends and family enjoying her meal. She went from person to person until she stopped at the empty chair right next to...hey.
"Um, where's Veronica?"
________
"Angel," Veronica greeted the vampire when he arrived at his car a ways down the block from Giles' apartment.
She was sitting on the trunk, smiling. How'd she do that?
His steps slowed, but he still approached, crossing the street. "Veronica."
"So, I've been dying to ask--are you now or have you ever been Johnny Cash? Maybe in like a 'Dread Pirate Roberts'-type scenario? Because if not, then somebody filched somebody else's gimmick. And you gotta admit, little tacky," she said.
When he didn't respond, she tilted her head to the side, attempting to study him. Then she shrugged, and hopped herself off the vehicle.
"Ran my theory past your crack team, and wow, you'll never guess what dirty laundry they practically gave away. I almost felt like Goodwill."
Then she stage-whispered, "Hint--in the wrong hands, it could be considered blackmailable."
Her, "I have all the cards" smirk was out to play.
"How I figure it? Even those pesky, gypsy curses have fine print somewhere, because, *needing* to shower-croon Manilow? Unnatural."
His cool, mysterious exterior cracked.
"And sharp as a razor isn't how Doyle and Cordelia described the experience,” she went on.
He grumpily stuck his hands in his pockets, and bit the inside of his cheek.
"They're both getting fired."
story title: III. That Seasonal Spirit
chapter: three of five (lj-enforced part 2)
pairing: buffy/veronica mars
setting: season four, "pangs" (BtVS), season three, post-"spit and eggs" (VM)
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: joss, fox, darkhorse. BtVS is theirs. rob, warner bros. VM is theirs. I profit not at all. I write just for my own, personal enjoyment.
________________________________________________________________________________
Long siege short? They were victorious. Faith, Weevil, Xander and Anya returned much like the cavalry to help beat back the natives who just didn't want to die. Meanwhile, inside, Buffy figured out that the knife Hus carried could injure him (and make Hus turn himself into a very angry bear). Faith fought her way past the first wave outside, and once she made it through the door, Buffy was able to find her.
Recognizing the value of teamwork just then, and realizing she had all of Bear-Hus' attention, she managed to throw Faith the knife. The brunette slayer quickly surmised what she was supposed to do, and stabbed the animal in the back. It roared in pain, but then went quietly, shifting back into the man--who’d faced her--before dissolving into a green mist.
The rest followed, and that was the end of the fighting. Meant it was time to eat. Items of food were being situated on the table, and Buffy was reverently handing Giles the knife with which to carve the turkey. Faith on the other hand, still held the Chumash relic that was Hus' undoing. She stared at it, a faraway look in her eyes.
Because of that, she didn't notice Weevil walk up to her.
"Yogi leave a body?" He asked, and when she didn't answer, he figured that was answer enough. "Can't kill somethin' that never did. Just ‘cause he could pass himself off, doesn't mean he didn't need putting down."
He held out his hand. "Let go."
Vampires, demons...she took them out no problem. They didn't look human. Yes, vampires could, but by the time she was ready to stake them, their faces were generally bumpy. And she had no problem taking out a rabid animal either, but just like that, he wasn't one. He was a man with an accusing gaze.
It gave her flashbacks to an alley, screwed with her head. But finally seeing Weevil in front of her, she blinked, and was suddenly back. She dropped the knife into his palm with the faintest of grateful smiles on her lips.
All he said was, "Heads up," before going to add it to the weapons chest.
Dawn was there, dragging her to the table. "C'mon, I want stuffing! Like, now."
Faith let the smile loose. "You and me both, Pint-Size."
She sat as Buffy put some mashed potatoes on her plate.
"Nice spread, B. Should be proud."
"You too," said Buffy, noting for the third or fourth time today, that her two sisters--one biological and one not--were good for one another.
Logically it didn't follow, but the evidence was right there. Veronica was right. Faith hadn't gotten lucky lately, and something told her it was by choice.
"Thanks for the save back there."
"Yes, wonderful timing, Faith," Giles complimented warmly. "It could've gotten much worse. For the value of my property, especially."
Everyone smiled their thanks, even Xander and Anya, who made up at some point during the night, and were this close to scaring the thankee off of sex for good. While Weevil took the seat next to hers, she shied from the gratitude, and just started eating her potatoes.
Down the table, Willow moped. "Did you see me? Two seconds of conflict with an indigenous person, and I turned into General Custer."
"Violence does that," said Giles, very non-judgmentally. "Instinct takes over."
All she could was silently ask forgiveness for how she'd acted.
"And you know what?" Xander spoke to his girlfriend, tapping her on the arm. "I think my syphilis is clearing right up."
Faith was pouring gravy over Dawn's food when those words caused her to drop the ladle with an audible clang. The teen stuck her finger in her mouth and gagged.
"Nothing against the chef," Weevil began his announcement with a preface, seeing that Veronica was right again, "but, Christmas? I'm deckin' my own halls--look for a card."
Buffy couldn't blame him. Christmas was going to happen in Neptune, because she almost didn't pull Thanksgiving off. Yet for the moment, as she claimed her hard-earned seat across from Giles at the head of the table, she contentedly viewed friends and family enjoying her meal. She went from person to person until she stopped at the empty chair right next to...hey.
"Um, where's Veronica?"
________
"Angel," Veronica greeted the vampire when he arrived at his car a ways down the block from Giles' apartment.
She was sitting on the trunk, smiling. How'd she do that?
His steps slowed, but he still approached, crossing the street. "Veronica."
"So, I've been dying to ask--are you now or have you ever been Johnny Cash? Maybe in like a 'Dread Pirate Roberts'-type scenario? Because if not, then somebody filched somebody else's gimmick. And you gotta admit, little tacky," she said.
When he didn't respond, she tilted her head to the side, attempting to study him. Then she shrugged, and hopped herself off the vehicle.
"Ran my theory past your crack team, and wow, you'll never guess what dirty laundry they practically gave away. I almost felt like Goodwill."
Then she stage-whispered, "Hint--in the wrong hands, it could be considered blackmailable."
Her, "I have all the cards" smirk was out to play.
"How I figure it? Even those pesky, gypsy curses have fine print somewhere, because, *needing* to shower-croon Manilow? Unnatural."
His cool, mysterious exterior cracked.
"And sharp as a razor isn't how Doyle and Cordelia described the experience,” she went on.
He grumpily stuck his hands in his pockets, and bit the inside of his cheek.
"They're both getting fired."