Watcher (PG)
A little valedictory ficlet for a favourite episode.
Title Watcher
Words 270
Setting in Afterlife, tiny snippet of between the scenes
Rating PG
Prompt “There’s always consequences…”
He watches from the street. Not like he used to. This isn’t lust.
Okay, it’s a bit about lust. He’s only inhuman.
Mostly it’s disbelief. She’s back. He can’t comprehend that total loss can be rectified, just like that. With Red and a spell and some dark magicks she’s learned off a library book. Just that, and the unbearable is undone.
Partly, it’s fear. It’s been a while since Spike was scared. A little, with Glory, maybe, but the worst happened before he had time for terror. A little, in the Initiative, but he always had a plan, or an angle, or something to kill, which was therapeutic right there.
And, facing facts, it’s a long time since Spike was scared of whatever goes bump in the night. If it wasn’t him, it was a little pleasurable exercise. Or the Slayer. And he was never scared of her, though perhaps he should have been considering the mess she’s made of his life now.
It’s the Slayer he’s scared of now. Scared of, scared for. He’s scared she’ll vanish again, that the world she’s been called back into won’t be enough to hold her any more, not now she’s tasted heaven. Scared of what she’ll become if she stays, knowing what she’s lost. Scared above all that something else will take her away, that this impossible miracle will be undone.
Thing with magic? There’s always consequences. He doesn’t know what they’ll be, how huge and fearful the comeback must be for such a gift. But he’s going to bloody well watch till he works it out. They won’t take Buffy from him again.
This time, it’ll be different.
Title Watcher
Words 270
Setting in Afterlife, tiny snippet of between the scenes
Rating PG
Prompt “There’s always consequences…”
He watches from the street. Not like he used to. This isn’t lust.
Okay, it’s a bit about lust. He’s only inhuman.
Mostly it’s disbelief. She’s back. He can’t comprehend that total loss can be rectified, just like that. With Red and a spell and some dark magicks she’s learned off a library book. Just that, and the unbearable is undone.
Partly, it’s fear. It’s been a while since Spike was scared. A little, with Glory, maybe, but the worst happened before he had time for terror. A little, in the Initiative, but he always had a plan, or an angle, or something to kill, which was therapeutic right there.
And, facing facts, it’s a long time since Spike was scared of whatever goes bump in the night. If it wasn’t him, it was a little pleasurable exercise. Or the Slayer. And he was never scared of her, though perhaps he should have been considering the mess she’s made of his life now.
It’s the Slayer he’s scared of now. Scared of, scared for. He’s scared she’ll vanish again, that the world she’s been called back into won’t be enough to hold her any more, not now she’s tasted heaven. Scared of what she’ll become if she stays, knowing what she’s lost. Scared above all that something else will take her away, that this impossible miracle will be undone.
Thing with magic? There’s always consequences. He doesn’t know what they’ll be, how huge and fearful the comeback must be for such a gift. But he’s going to bloody well watch till he works it out. They won’t take Buffy from him again.
This time, it’ll be different.