29 August 2017 - Rejuvenated: Opportunity
Title: Rejuvenated: Opportunity
Author: Beriaearwen
Crossover: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / The Magnificent Seven - ATF AU
Characters: mini!Vin, Buffy, Dawn
Rating: suitable for people over 13
Word count: 821
Notes: Extremely short of time tonight. Part of the “Rejuvenated” M7/BtVS AU. Directly references Little Ears. Other stories in this series include: Rejuvenated, Robin's Son, Meeting Maude, Tea Time , Little Ears, A Walk Home
Disclaimer: The characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Mutant Enemy, etc. The characters of the Magnificent Seven belong to John Watson, etc. The ATF AU was created by MOG. All are used here without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
“How does he do that?” Dawn asked in a hushed voice, standing behind her sister at the doorway to the playroom Buffy had set up for Vin and Chris.
“Keen eye and a steady hand. Fortunately, they have more uses than the one he had before.”
“If he chooses - “
“He chooses,” Buffy confirmed, cutting her sister off. “But he needs to know he can do anything, be anything.”
“Is it wrong that I'm jealous?”
“Huh?”
“He's all of four and able to build something like that. I'm an adult and can't come close.”
Buffy turned and smiled at her sister. “Your skills lie elsewhere. And you think Xander's butt is cute.”
“What? How? I... I don't know what you're talking about.”
Buffy smiled at her red-faced sister. “Give it up, Dawnie. JD overheard you conversation and informed Xander this morning.”
“Tattle-tale.”
“Yeah. You might want to think about doing something about it. I'm pretty sure JD and Buck would like to be brothers.”
“Wha-! Bu-!”
“Words, Dawnie. Use your words,” Buffy teased before entering the room and settling next to her younger son. “Wow! That's pretty elaborate.”
“Thanks, mama. It's going to be a new building for your work.”
“It is?”
“Yep. This is where the people go in and out and around back is for deliveries. There are elevators and stairs and guards to keep people out of private areas. Then there are the classrooms, bedrooms, kitchen and offices. And up here is the pool and the place where you can launch your airplanes and space ships.”
Buffy coughed gently to cover her laugh. “Airplanes and space ships, huh? Guess this is for the future.”
“Yep, I figure it'll be done when I'm fifteen.”
“Eleven years?”
Vin nodded, perfectly serious. “That's a long, long, long time from now.”
“I suppose it is,” Buffy agreed. “Why don't we leave this for now? We can take pictures later and send them to Giles and Xander.”
“OK,” Vin agreed easily. “What are we going to do now?”
“Time for your special class.”
“Aw, Mom! Do we have to?”
“Yes, sweety. We need to get going now because the sooner -”
“-you start the sooner it ends,” Vin completed with her.
“Fine,” he agreed, sounding as put out as a four-year-old could. “I'll get my shoes.” It was on his way out that he noticed Dawn. “Hi, Aunty Dawn,” he greeted, pausing to hug her.
“Hey, squirt,” she replied, returning his hug. “Best get a move on.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, scuffing his sock-clad feet with his head down as he walked to his bedroom.
“You do know most kids are just learning their letters at four,” Dawn observed. She ahd been meaning to ask Buffy about the “special class” Vin went to since she found out about it last week.
“I know, but you can't deny he's smart,” Buffy observed. “Plus, his records pointed out undiagnosed dyslexia which caused him to hate school and think he was stupid. I'm not going to let it limit him this time around. He can be anything he wants and I want him to know that. If that means taking him to special classes now to give him the tools he needs, then I'll bring him to special classes.”
Dawn looked at her sister as she spoke, taking in the passion of the argument. “This is for more than just Vin, isn't it?”
“What?” Buffy asked, startled.
“I never really thought about it, but you were never encouraged academically,” the younger Summers sister mused, studying her older sister.
Buffy scoffed, but wouldn't meet Dawn's eyes. “You're the big brain. I'm just...”
“Stop it!” Dawn commanded, anger adding sharpness to her words. “And before you say it, your SAT scores were not a fluke or you testing well. I can't undo whatever Mom and Dad and whoever else did, but you're not that old and Vin's not the only one who can be whatever he wants to be. You're not trapped, Buffy. Not anymore.”
“Ready, Mama,” came the put-upon call from the youngest member of Buffy's family.
“Whether I am or not, whether I change it or not, no one will ever make my son feel the way I felt,” Buffy stated, her voice soft but laced with every bit of steel she used when facing her deadliest foes.
“We'll make sure of it,” Dawn agreed, offering a smile as Buffy finally met her eyes.
Tension seemed to leak from Buffy's frame as she nodded. “Coming, Vin!” she called. “Right now, I've got a little boy to take to his class.”
Dawn followed along. “I'll pick up Buck and Chris after school and bring them back here for dinner.”
“Sounds good.”
End
Author: Beriaearwen
Crossover: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / The Magnificent Seven - ATF AU
Characters: mini!Vin, Buffy, Dawn
Rating: suitable for people over 13
Word count: 821
Notes: Extremely short of time tonight. Part of the “Rejuvenated” M7/BtVS AU. Directly references Little Ears. Other stories in this series include: Rejuvenated, Robin's Son, Meeting Maude, Tea Time , Little Ears, A Walk Home
Disclaimer: The characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Mutant Enemy, etc. The characters of the Magnificent Seven belong to John Watson, etc. The ATF AU was created by MOG. All are used here without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
“How does he do that?” Dawn asked in a hushed voice, standing behind her sister at the doorway to the playroom Buffy had set up for Vin and Chris.
“Keen eye and a steady hand. Fortunately, they have more uses than the one he had before.”
“If he chooses - “
“He chooses,” Buffy confirmed, cutting her sister off. “But he needs to know he can do anything, be anything.”
“Is it wrong that I'm jealous?”
“Huh?”
“He's all of four and able to build something like that. I'm an adult and can't come close.”
Buffy turned and smiled at her sister. “Your skills lie elsewhere. And you think Xander's butt is cute.”
“What? How? I... I don't know what you're talking about.”
Buffy smiled at her red-faced sister. “Give it up, Dawnie. JD overheard you conversation and informed Xander this morning.”
“Tattle-tale.”
“Yeah. You might want to think about doing something about it. I'm pretty sure JD and Buck would like to be brothers.”
“Wha-! Bu-!”
“Words, Dawnie. Use your words,” Buffy teased before entering the room and settling next to her younger son. “Wow! That's pretty elaborate.”
“Thanks, mama. It's going to be a new building for your work.”
“It is?”
“Yep. This is where the people go in and out and around back is for deliveries. There are elevators and stairs and guards to keep people out of private areas. Then there are the classrooms, bedrooms, kitchen and offices. And up here is the pool and the place where you can launch your airplanes and space ships.”
Buffy coughed gently to cover her laugh. “Airplanes and space ships, huh? Guess this is for the future.”
“Yep, I figure it'll be done when I'm fifteen.”
“Eleven years?”
Vin nodded, perfectly serious. “That's a long, long, long time from now.”
“I suppose it is,” Buffy agreed. “Why don't we leave this for now? We can take pictures later and send them to Giles and Xander.”
“OK,” Vin agreed easily. “What are we going to do now?”
“Time for your special class.”
“Aw, Mom! Do we have to?”
“Yes, sweety. We need to get going now because the sooner -”
“-you start the sooner it ends,” Vin completed with her.
“Fine,” he agreed, sounding as put out as a four-year-old could. “I'll get my shoes.” It was on his way out that he noticed Dawn. “Hi, Aunty Dawn,” he greeted, pausing to hug her.
“Hey, squirt,” she replied, returning his hug. “Best get a move on.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, scuffing his sock-clad feet with his head down as he walked to his bedroom.
“You do know most kids are just learning their letters at four,” Dawn observed. She ahd been meaning to ask Buffy about the “special class” Vin went to since she found out about it last week.
“I know, but you can't deny he's smart,” Buffy observed. “Plus, his records pointed out undiagnosed dyslexia which caused him to hate school and think he was stupid. I'm not going to let it limit him this time around. He can be anything he wants and I want him to know that. If that means taking him to special classes now to give him the tools he needs, then I'll bring him to special classes.”
Dawn looked at her sister as she spoke, taking in the passion of the argument. “This is for more than just Vin, isn't it?”
“What?” Buffy asked, startled.
“I never really thought about it, but you were never encouraged academically,” the younger Summers sister mused, studying her older sister.
Buffy scoffed, but wouldn't meet Dawn's eyes. “You're the big brain. I'm just...”
“Stop it!” Dawn commanded, anger adding sharpness to her words. “And before you say it, your SAT scores were not a fluke or you testing well. I can't undo whatever Mom and Dad and whoever else did, but you're not that old and Vin's not the only one who can be whatever he wants to be. You're not trapped, Buffy. Not anymore.”
“Ready, Mama,” came the put-upon call from the youngest member of Buffy's family.
“Whether I am or not, whether I change it or not, no one will ever make my son feel the way I felt,” Buffy stated, her voice soft but laced with every bit of steel she used when facing her deadliest foes.
“We'll make sure of it,” Dawn agreed, offering a smile as Buffy finally met her eyes.
Tension seemed to leak from Buffy's frame as she nodded. “Coming, Vin!” she called. “Right now, I've got a little boy to take to his class.”
Dawn followed along. “I'll pick up Buck and Chris after school and bring them back here for dinner.”
“Sounds good.”
End