Knowing when someone's near is a skill he's honed his whole life, so it's no surprise when he feels a tiny hand on his back. But it sure as hell is a delight. Turning around slowly, he catches sight of equally big smiles on both their faces, Beth and Junior. This has been a little bit of wish fulfillment, this unexpected side trip back to the bar and the House of Arch. It's their home, their apartment. Plus, they were able to pick up extra things for Junior. No clothes -- she's outgrown all the ones they had for her -- but a couple toys, a camera even though he has to promise never, ever to use it in front of anyone but his own family. Futuristic technology, messing with the time-space continuum, all that shit. It makes sense.
When he sets down the pen and turns, the smile on his face is as big as the one on Junior's. "Hey, little bounty-hunter-in-training. How's our girl today?" Reaching over, he presses his palm to hers. This kind of openness is a luxury now and while it should be something normal and expected, it hasn't been. It's
( ... )
"Take your time. We've still got about half an hour."
It's not like they have much packing to do before they can leave. Knowing they'd be going back, they've lived out of the bags they brought in. And though there are a few things they want to take back, if it's not something they can slip easily into one of the bags it can't go with them.
It's as simple as that.
The look on Junior's face strikes Beth as a very hopeful one, and those big brown eyes -- she looks more like Yorick than ever now that her hair and eyes have darkened -- look up at Spike as if she could make him lift her high again just by treating him to a well-timed giggle and the sheer power of that wide-eyed baby gaze.
Crossing her arms, Beth smiles. She expects it to work sooner or later. Beth Junior's had Spike wrapped around her little finger since before she was born.
Good. Another half hour of carefree fun with his girls: he resolves to cram as much into it as he can. When Junior pats her hand on his chest and lets out a long string of babababababa and something else that sounds suspiciously like up, how can he resist? He swings her up and up, absolute glee written all over her little face. And then he does it again, and when she settles again, she claps her hands like it's been the best thing ever
( ... )
The first time a pretty well-defined mama came out of Junior's mouth, Beth found herself torn between feeling proud as a fucking peacock and laughing right out loud at herself because it wasn't as if her little girl wasn't right on schedule with that sort of thing and it definitely wasn't like no other kid before her had ever managed to get the word out.
But it certainly was sweet.
Not to mention cute as hell, and she was proud anyway.
She suspects that when they start getting more than a stolen hour here and there for Spike to ditch the cloak -- and the next time she sees Tom, no matter when it is, she still plans to chew him out and then give him the biggest goddamn hug he's ever gotten from someone who isn't Door or Ingress -- and spend a little quality time with them Junior will start calling Spike... Spike.
He'll be lucky if she stops there and doesn't pick up on bounty hunter, but as things are out there, the chances of her calling him that are pretty slim
( ... )
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When he sets down the pen and turns, the smile on his face is as big as the one on Junior's. "Hey, little bounty-hunter-in-training. How's our girl today?" Reaching over, he presses his palm to hers. This kind of openness is a luxury now and while it should be something normal and expected, it hasn't been. It's ( ... )
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It's not like they have much packing to do before they can leave. Knowing they'd be going back, they've lived out of the bags they brought in. And though there are a few things they want to take back, if it's not something they can slip easily into one of the bags it can't go with them.
It's as simple as that.
The look on Junior's face strikes Beth as a very hopeful one, and those big brown eyes -- she looks more like Yorick than ever now that her hair and eyes have darkened -- look up at Spike as if she could make him lift her high again just by treating him to a well-timed giggle and the sheer power of that wide-eyed baby gaze.
Crossing her arms, Beth smiles. She expects it to work sooner or later. Beth Junior's had Spike wrapped around her little finger since before she was born.
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But it certainly was sweet.
Not to mention cute as hell, and she was proud anyway.
She suspects that when they start getting more than a stolen hour here and there for Spike to ditch the cloak -- and the next time she sees Tom, no matter when it is, she still plans to chew him out and then give him the biggest goddamn hug he's ever gotten from someone who isn't Door or Ingress -- and spend a little quality time with them Junior will start calling Spike... Spike.
He'll be lucky if she stops there and doesn't pick up on bounty hunter, but as things are out there, the chances of her calling him that are pretty slim ( ... )
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