Entry tags:
Fic: Divided Destiny. Chapter 10: Christmas Angel
Right, Christmas has arrived... Sadly it's two months too early to fit with RL Christmas, but hey ho.
First chapter & notes here (on LJ), for DW just follow the tags, and Master post of whole 'verse here (also tagged on DW).
Can also be found on AO3.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Rating: Teen. (Same warnings as the show basically.)
Characters: Spike, Angel, Illyria, Buffy, Scoobies + cameos from more or less everyone in the 'verse.
Main Ships: Spike/Buffy, Angel/Nina
Feedback: Is bloody ambrosia! (The secret ingredient is otter...)
Word count (this chapter): 2400 words approx.
Setting and Summary: As before. (Post-NFA epic quest thing.)
Beta: The ever wonderful![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kathyh
Chapter 10: Christmas Angel
There were definitely upsides to inter-dimensional traveling, because, although it was barely past dawn, Angel wasn’t tired at all, and even the daylight scarcely bothered him - he was too focussed on what was happening around him. He didn’t think he’d ever experienced a real family Christmas since he had been human, and back then... well things had been different. He had been different. As in, an idiot who couldn’t appreciate what he had.
Now, however, he understood how impossibly precious the idyll around him was, and soaked it all up to the full. Sitting on a sofa, with his arms around a beautiful young woman and watching her niece excitedly dole out presents, was stuff straight out of his day dreams.
There were Christmas decorations all over the house, and a real tree, with fake candles, in the corner of the room, and the floor was rapidly disappearing beneath masses of wrapping paper. By carefully controlling his thoughts, Angel had also for the most part been able to avoid thinking about all the Christmases with Connor that he’d missed out on (he’d see him later in the week, and that was something to be grateful for), or the last few years with his friends. Live in the now, that was the key...
He smiled as he saw Nina’s sister, Jill, attempting to control the chaos, just to have it all upset again when Jill’s daughter, Amanda, tried to find a small piece of a toy that had become lost.
He himself had bought a calligraphy set for Amanda, and found a very beautiful gold bracelet for her mother in one of the nicer dimensions they’d been to. Both presents were happily received, and he promised to show Amanda how to write with a feather pen later on.
“OK then Mister,” Nina said, turning to him, looking especially beautiful in a wine red dress. “Where’s my present?”
He smiled secretively and reached down by the side of the sofa, bringing out a small, round, prettily wrapped present, not much bigger than his hand.
Excitedly she unwrapped, as her sister and niece watched, and then, to his great satisfaction, her jaw dropped as she slowly held up the grey stone she had uncovered. She turned her head, unable to speak, eyes full of questions.
Amanda however quickly found her voice.
“Geez - you get my mom a real pretty bracelet, but you get your girlfriend a rock? I know she said you didn’t have a lot of money anymore, but that’s just sad...”
Angel chuckled. “It’s... special!”
Then he turned to Nina. “Smell it.”
Her eyes had narrowed. “Is this some kinda joke?”
He shook his head. “No. But see if you can place the smell...”
Frowning she took a tentative sniff, and then wrinkled her nose. “It smells... odd. Unfamiliar.”
She was still eyeing him skeptically, and then Amanda grabbed the stone and had a sniff too, before declaring that it didn’t smell like anything.
Finally he relented and explained: “It’s a moon rock.”
Nina’s eyebrows went up a good fraction. “A moon rock? What do you mean?”
“I mean - it’s a rock from the moon!”
Automatically she turned her head and looked out the window, where a pale winter sun was just beginning to shine.
Jill looked astonished. “But how...?”
Angel smiled a little. “I might not have a law firm anymore, but I still have... contacts. It’s absolutely genuine, despite the lack of documentation.”
(Getting hold of divers boots in Illyria’s size hadn’t been easy, but thankfully she had kicked up less of a fuss than he’d imagined - obviously she had retained whatever part of Fred’s knowledge that dealt with gravity. She had however on her return declared the moon to be ‘dull and monotonous’.)
Nina was now turning the stone over in her hands. “Wow... That’s... I don’t know what to say...”
“Don’t say anything,” he replied, planting a kiss on her cheek - the look on her face was more than he could have wished for. He couldn’t even remember when he’d first got the idea, but once he’d thought of it, he couldn’t get it out of his head. Getting her a piece of that which ruled her life - it just seemed fitting. And maybe one day it might help her explain her… condition to her family.
Of course it wasn’t exactly something she could wear, and he pulled out the other present that had been hidden in his pocket. “I got you something pretty too.”
The happy excitement on her face was wonderful and made Angel full of warm, glowy feelings - he was sure that Tiny Tim himself would have felt right at home. The demon bar, and all the other unpleasantness he’d been through recently, felt like it belonged to another life... But he knew that he could easily carry on with that part, as long as this was waiting for him at home.
***
Sadly, the peace didn’t last. At midday there was a knock on the door and Jill went to answer it, puzzled.
The voice that floated through into the sitting room was so unexpected - so shocking - that Angel got up and almost used vampire speed to get to the hallway.
And there, as clear as day, stood Fred…
“Angel!” she exclaimed, looking flustered and apologetic and smiling enough to power a small town. “I am so sorry to drop in like this - like I was just explaining to Jill here - but when I was gonna set off to my folks’ my car packed in, and there is nowhere that’ll fix a car on Christmas Day, trust me. So I thought instead I could stop by, just saying Merry Christmas and drop off a few presents? I hope I’m not intruding, I was just late buying gifts - as usual, I was rushing around on Christmas Eve before all the shops closed - and figured that at least this way you could get your presents on Christmas Day and not in a week’s time…”
Angel was speechless, but Jill was of course drawn in:
“You mean, you haven’t got anywhere to go?”
‘Fred’ dismissed her with a wave of her hand.
“Aw, don’t worry about it. I’ll dig somethin’ out of the freezer and power up the ol’ web camera and have a long distance Christmas. I’ll just have to hope dad hasn’t accidentally uninstalled somethin’ at their end. Again.”
She rolled her eyes, the action so perfectly Fred that Angel wished he could reach out and touch her. Believe that she was real. He felt oddly winded, like he’d been kicked in the stomach, hard, and couldn’t breathe. (Ironic for a vampire, he knew, but it was the best description he could think of.)
“Don’t be stupid,” Jill said. “I’ve got plenty for one more. After all isn’t that what Christmas is all about?”
‘Fred’ allowed herself to be talked into staying, and walked through the house with a big wobbly pile of presents in her arms, refusing any help, chatting all the while. The act so perfect that only someone who knew who she really was could see through it.
When had she gotten so clever, so manipulative? Angel wondered. Did she pretend to be Fred often? She never divulged where she went during their ‘breaks’, he’d just presumed she went off to kill things, or be worshipped.
“So you work with Angel,” Jill said, looking speculative. “I’m sorry, but did we meet…?”
‘Fred’ smiled bashfully, depositing the prettily wrapped boxes on the coffee table. “It’s a while ago, and I think it was a little awkward…” She glanced at Nina, who looked as shell-shocked as Angel felt, but they never got further as Amanda interrupted.
“Is one of those for me?”
“Amanda!” Jill said sharply. “Christmas isn’t all about you. Please say hello to Fred - she works with Angel, but got stranded, so is going to have Christmas with us.”
“Hello Fred,” Amanda said dutifully, before wrinkling her nose. “That’s a funny name. Isn’t it, like, a boy’s name?”
‘Fred’ laughed, and then pulled out the biggest present.
“You’re absolutely right, I have a funny name. ‘Fred’ is short for ‘Winifred’, it’s quite old fashioned. And this one’s for you, sweetheart. Christmas is definitely all about the children. ”
Amanda pounced on the present, delighted, as Angel watched helplessly, and ‘Fred’ distributed the other presents. What was going on? Why was she doing this? Was it some sort of experiment, did she want to experience human Christmas?
When Jill went to see to the food, ordering Amanda to abandon her presents for two minutes to add another place setting to the table, Angel took his chance immediately.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asked in a low angry whisper, and ‘Fred’ tilted her head, Illyria studying him coldly out of Fred’s warm brown eyes.
“You are compromising the safety of this family. If Wolfram & Hart attack now, you are vulnerable due to the sunshine. I have come to protect you.”
“Are you trying to suggest you care about these people?” he asked, incredulous, and she almost sneered.
“You have feelings for them. They are your weak point and it is impossible that those we fight do not know this. If these people were to be kidnapped, our enemies would have leverage over you, jeopardising our mission. If they were to die, you would grieve, rendering you unfit for the work we have to do. I cannot allow it.”
Nina had joined them, face gone pale.
“But - you said that Willow did a spell, protecting us…”
“She did, you’re fine!” he replied tersely, glaring at Illyria. He knew it had been a risk coming here, rather than have Nina come to the Hyperion which is how they usually met, but dammit, the spell was practically apocalypse proof…
“Besides, your highness, Buffy has made sure the local Slayers keep a lookout. As well you know.”
‘Fred’s’ features had become immobile, her whole body frozen. He was used to Illyria’s stillness, but seeing it applied to Fred was unnerving on a whole new level.
“The quiet bothers me,” Illyria eventually said, tonelessly, almost as if speaking to herself. “They allow us to remain unharmed in this dimension. If I were hunting prey, I would not allow it respite. They are planning something. But if not here, then where?”
Angel had no reply, and then they were interrupted by Amanda returning, a napkin on her head, declaring herself to be a nun.
“Well gosh, aren’t you just the darnedest thing?” ‘Fred’ beamed, and Angel had to abandon his interrogation. Nina didn’t look happy either, and he wondered what he’d done to deserve this.
The answer was immediate, and didn’t help. He was trying. He’d just hoped he could have one day…
“Angel,” Nina said, when they were alone. “Are we safe?”
He pulled her into a hug, drawing strength from her youth, her quiet, steady courage, the fierceness that he could sense in the wolf embedded at her core.
‘Let me keep this’, he thought. ‘Powers above, just this.’
“You are as safe as I can make you,” he eventually replied. “Is that enough?”
A beat; then she smiled, lopsidedly, and tried to make light of the situation, not quite succeeding.
“Well, it’ll have to be. I mean, for starters I’d need some anti-wolf medicine…”
The meal was painfully uncomfortable. ‘Fred’ chatted happily, mostly with Jill, as Angel and Nina pretended to re-capture the Christmas spirit, yet found themselves smiling too much and saying too little. The festive decorations seemed to be mocking them, and the obligatory Santa hats that they all had to wear for the meal (family tradition!) added an extra touch of the surreal.
The food was delicious (the meat very rare, and tasty), but Angel might as well have been eating ashes. Did Illyria understand even a fraction of the pain she was causing? Did she care? Because this could have been real. A Christmas meal with his girlfriend, her family, and his friend. If it hadn’t been for Knox…
Realising that his cutlery was beginning to bend to his silent frustration he tried to pay attention to what was going on, laughing along to a story from ‘Fred’s’ student days. However, she then fixed him with those big eyes, smiling innocently and addressing him directly:
“Sorry, didn’t mean to monopolise the conversation. Angel, will you be seeing Connor? I could give you a lift once my car is up and running again…”
Angel froze, fork suspended in mid-air, speechless for the second time in two hours.
“Who’s Connor?” Jill asked, and Angel tried to speak, but found that his voice wasn’t working.
‘Fred’ tilted her head, puzzled, then contrite. “You haven’t told them? Oh, are you… Have I just gone and put my foot in it? Angel, I’m so sorry, I had no idea they didn’t know-”
Forcing himself to speak, Angel smiled stiffly and answered Jill’s question:
“Connor is… my son.”
“He’s at Stanford!” ‘Fred’ interrupted, beaming once more, “Angel is very proud.”
A pause followed her words, as Jill slowly looked from Nina to Angel, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. So far he’d been very unspecific regarding how old he was, but knowing that he had a son who was basically Nina’s age was not a point in his favour.
“You… must have been very young when he was born,” Jill eventually observed, and Angel readily grasped onto the proffered olive branch, his mind working overtime to come up with a plausible story, whilst keeping the underlying truth in sight.
“It was… not easy,” he said slowly. “His mother died in childbirth, and I was… not able to look after him. He was adopted by a very kind couple who love him as their own. We only established contact this past year. But it’s… going well. He’s a good kid.”
He saw Jill relax, making it all fit into her world view; the accidental teenage pregnancy where everything went wrong, the man who now tried to amend for his past missteps, the story with the happy outcome.
Idly he wondered how Spike was getting on in Rome - from what he’d heard, Spike, Buffy and Dawn would be spending Christmas with the local Watcher and his wife. Pettily, he half-wished that they, too, would have their peace interrupted by someone unexpected.
Little did he know how accurate his wish turned out to be.
Chapter 11 on LJ
Chapter 11 on DW
First chapter & notes here (on LJ), for DW just follow the tags, and Master post of whole 'verse here (also tagged on DW).
Can also be found on AO3.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Rating: Teen. (Same warnings as the show basically.)
Characters: Spike, Angel, Illyria, Buffy, Scoobies + cameos from more or less everyone in the 'verse.
Main Ships: Spike/Buffy, Angel/Nina
Feedback: Is bloody ambrosia! (The secret ingredient is otter...)
Word count (this chapter): 2400 words approx.
Setting and Summary: As before. (Post-NFA epic quest thing.)
Beta: The ever wonderful
kathyhThere were definitely upsides to inter-dimensional traveling, because, although it was barely past dawn, Angel wasn’t tired at all, and even the daylight scarcely bothered him - he was too focussed on what was happening around him. He didn’t think he’d ever experienced a real family Christmas since he had been human, and back then... well things had been different. He had been different. As in, an idiot who couldn’t appreciate what he had.
Now, however, he understood how impossibly precious the idyll around him was, and soaked it all up to the full. Sitting on a sofa, with his arms around a beautiful young woman and watching her niece excitedly dole out presents, was stuff straight out of his day dreams.
There were Christmas decorations all over the house, and a real tree, with fake candles, in the corner of the room, and the floor was rapidly disappearing beneath masses of wrapping paper. By carefully controlling his thoughts, Angel had also for the most part been able to avoid thinking about all the Christmases with Connor that he’d missed out on (he’d see him later in the week, and that was something to be grateful for), or the last few years with his friends. Live in the now, that was the key...
He smiled as he saw Nina’s sister, Jill, attempting to control the chaos, just to have it all upset again when Jill’s daughter, Amanda, tried to find a small piece of a toy that had become lost.
He himself had bought a calligraphy set for Amanda, and found a very beautiful gold bracelet for her mother in one of the nicer dimensions they’d been to. Both presents were happily received, and he promised to show Amanda how to write with a feather pen later on.
“OK then Mister,” Nina said, turning to him, looking especially beautiful in a wine red dress. “Where’s my present?”
He smiled secretively and reached down by the side of the sofa, bringing out a small, round, prettily wrapped present, not much bigger than his hand.
Excitedly she unwrapped, as her sister and niece watched, and then, to his great satisfaction, her jaw dropped as she slowly held up the grey stone she had uncovered. She turned her head, unable to speak, eyes full of questions.
Amanda however quickly found her voice.
“Geez - you get my mom a real pretty bracelet, but you get your girlfriend a rock? I know she said you didn’t have a lot of money anymore, but that’s just sad...”
Angel chuckled. “It’s... special!”
Then he turned to Nina. “Smell it.”
Her eyes had narrowed. “Is this some kinda joke?”
He shook his head. “No. But see if you can place the smell...”
Frowning she took a tentative sniff, and then wrinkled her nose. “It smells... odd. Unfamiliar.”
She was still eyeing him skeptically, and then Amanda grabbed the stone and had a sniff too, before declaring that it didn’t smell like anything.
Finally he relented and explained: “It’s a moon rock.”
Nina’s eyebrows went up a good fraction. “A moon rock? What do you mean?”
“I mean - it’s a rock from the moon!”
Automatically she turned her head and looked out the window, where a pale winter sun was just beginning to shine.
Jill looked astonished. “But how...?”
Angel smiled a little. “I might not have a law firm anymore, but I still have... contacts. It’s absolutely genuine, despite the lack of documentation.”
(Getting hold of divers boots in Illyria’s size hadn’t been easy, but thankfully she had kicked up less of a fuss than he’d imagined - obviously she had retained whatever part of Fred’s knowledge that dealt with gravity. She had however on her return declared the moon to be ‘dull and monotonous’.)
Nina was now turning the stone over in her hands. “Wow... That’s... I don’t know what to say...”
“Don’t say anything,” he replied, planting a kiss on her cheek - the look on her face was more than he could have wished for. He couldn’t even remember when he’d first got the idea, but once he’d thought of it, he couldn’t get it out of his head. Getting her a piece of that which ruled her life - it just seemed fitting. And maybe one day it might help her explain her… condition to her family.
Of course it wasn’t exactly something she could wear, and he pulled out the other present that had been hidden in his pocket. “I got you something pretty too.”
The happy excitement on her face was wonderful and made Angel full of warm, glowy feelings - he was sure that Tiny Tim himself would have felt right at home. The demon bar, and all the other unpleasantness he’d been through recently, felt like it belonged to another life... But he knew that he could easily carry on with that part, as long as this was waiting for him at home.
Sadly, the peace didn’t last. At midday there was a knock on the door and Jill went to answer it, puzzled.
The voice that floated through into the sitting room was so unexpected - so shocking - that Angel got up and almost used vampire speed to get to the hallway.
And there, as clear as day, stood Fred…
“Angel!” she exclaimed, looking flustered and apologetic and smiling enough to power a small town. “I am so sorry to drop in like this - like I was just explaining to Jill here - but when I was gonna set off to my folks’ my car packed in, and there is nowhere that’ll fix a car on Christmas Day, trust me. So I thought instead I could stop by, just saying Merry Christmas and drop off a few presents? I hope I’m not intruding, I was just late buying gifts - as usual, I was rushing around on Christmas Eve before all the shops closed - and figured that at least this way you could get your presents on Christmas Day and not in a week’s time…”
Angel was speechless, but Jill was of course drawn in:
“You mean, you haven’t got anywhere to go?”
‘Fred’ dismissed her with a wave of her hand.
“Aw, don’t worry about it. I’ll dig somethin’ out of the freezer and power up the ol’ web camera and have a long distance Christmas. I’ll just have to hope dad hasn’t accidentally uninstalled somethin’ at their end. Again.”
She rolled her eyes, the action so perfectly Fred that Angel wished he could reach out and touch her. Believe that she was real. He felt oddly winded, like he’d been kicked in the stomach, hard, and couldn’t breathe. (Ironic for a vampire, he knew, but it was the best description he could think of.)
“Don’t be stupid,” Jill said. “I’ve got plenty for one more. After all isn’t that what Christmas is all about?”
‘Fred’ allowed herself to be talked into staying, and walked through the house with a big wobbly pile of presents in her arms, refusing any help, chatting all the while. The act so perfect that only someone who knew who she really was could see through it.
When had she gotten so clever, so manipulative? Angel wondered. Did she pretend to be Fred often? She never divulged where she went during their ‘breaks’, he’d just presumed she went off to kill things, or be worshipped.
“So you work with Angel,” Jill said, looking speculative. “I’m sorry, but did we meet…?”
‘Fred’ smiled bashfully, depositing the prettily wrapped boxes on the coffee table. “It’s a while ago, and I think it was a little awkward…” She glanced at Nina, who looked as shell-shocked as Angel felt, but they never got further as Amanda interrupted.
“Is one of those for me?”
“Amanda!” Jill said sharply. “Christmas isn’t all about you. Please say hello to Fred - she works with Angel, but got stranded, so is going to have Christmas with us.”
“Hello Fred,” Amanda said dutifully, before wrinkling her nose. “That’s a funny name. Isn’t it, like, a boy’s name?”
‘Fred’ laughed, and then pulled out the biggest present.
“You’re absolutely right, I have a funny name. ‘Fred’ is short for ‘Winifred’, it’s quite old fashioned. And this one’s for you, sweetheart. Christmas is definitely all about the children. ”
Amanda pounced on the present, delighted, as Angel watched helplessly, and ‘Fred’ distributed the other presents. What was going on? Why was she doing this? Was it some sort of experiment, did she want to experience human Christmas?
When Jill went to see to the food, ordering Amanda to abandon her presents for two minutes to add another place setting to the table, Angel took his chance immediately.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asked in a low angry whisper, and ‘Fred’ tilted her head, Illyria studying him coldly out of Fred’s warm brown eyes.
“You are compromising the safety of this family. If Wolfram & Hart attack now, you are vulnerable due to the sunshine. I have come to protect you.”
“Are you trying to suggest you care about these people?” he asked, incredulous, and she almost sneered.
“You have feelings for them. They are your weak point and it is impossible that those we fight do not know this. If these people were to be kidnapped, our enemies would have leverage over you, jeopardising our mission. If they were to die, you would grieve, rendering you unfit for the work we have to do. I cannot allow it.”
Nina had joined them, face gone pale.
“But - you said that Willow did a spell, protecting us…”
“She did, you’re fine!” he replied tersely, glaring at Illyria. He knew it had been a risk coming here, rather than have Nina come to the Hyperion which is how they usually met, but dammit, the spell was practically apocalypse proof…
“Besides, your highness, Buffy has made sure the local Slayers keep a lookout. As well you know.”
‘Fred’s’ features had become immobile, her whole body frozen. He was used to Illyria’s stillness, but seeing it applied to Fred was unnerving on a whole new level.
“The quiet bothers me,” Illyria eventually said, tonelessly, almost as if speaking to herself. “They allow us to remain unharmed in this dimension. If I were hunting prey, I would not allow it respite. They are planning something. But if not here, then where?”
Angel had no reply, and then they were interrupted by Amanda returning, a napkin on her head, declaring herself to be a nun.
“Well gosh, aren’t you just the darnedest thing?” ‘Fred’ beamed, and Angel had to abandon his interrogation. Nina didn’t look happy either, and he wondered what he’d done to deserve this.
The answer was immediate, and didn’t help. He was trying. He’d just hoped he could have one day…
“Angel,” Nina said, when they were alone. “Are we safe?”
He pulled her into a hug, drawing strength from her youth, her quiet, steady courage, the fierceness that he could sense in the wolf embedded at her core.
‘Let me keep this’, he thought. ‘Powers above, just this.’
“You are as safe as I can make you,” he eventually replied. “Is that enough?”
A beat; then she smiled, lopsidedly, and tried to make light of the situation, not quite succeeding.
“Well, it’ll have to be. I mean, for starters I’d need some anti-wolf medicine…”
The meal was painfully uncomfortable. ‘Fred’ chatted happily, mostly with Jill, as Angel and Nina pretended to re-capture the Christmas spirit, yet found themselves smiling too much and saying too little. The festive decorations seemed to be mocking them, and the obligatory Santa hats that they all had to wear for the meal (family tradition!) added an extra touch of the surreal.
The food was delicious (the meat very rare, and tasty), but Angel might as well have been eating ashes. Did Illyria understand even a fraction of the pain she was causing? Did she care? Because this could have been real. A Christmas meal with his girlfriend, her family, and his friend. If it hadn’t been for Knox…
Realising that his cutlery was beginning to bend to his silent frustration he tried to pay attention to what was going on, laughing along to a story from ‘Fred’s’ student days. However, she then fixed him with those big eyes, smiling innocently and addressing him directly:
“Sorry, didn’t mean to monopolise the conversation. Angel, will you be seeing Connor? I could give you a lift once my car is up and running again…”
Angel froze, fork suspended in mid-air, speechless for the second time in two hours.
“Who’s Connor?” Jill asked, and Angel tried to speak, but found that his voice wasn’t working.
‘Fred’ tilted her head, puzzled, then contrite. “You haven’t told them? Oh, are you… Have I just gone and put my foot in it? Angel, I’m so sorry, I had no idea they didn’t know-”
Forcing himself to speak, Angel smiled stiffly and answered Jill’s question:
“Connor is… my son.”
“He’s at Stanford!” ‘Fred’ interrupted, beaming once more, “Angel is very proud.”
A pause followed her words, as Jill slowly looked from Nina to Angel, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. So far he’d been very unspecific regarding how old he was, but knowing that he had a son who was basically Nina’s age was not a point in his favour.
“You… must have been very young when he was born,” Jill eventually observed, and Angel readily grasped onto the proffered olive branch, his mind working overtime to come up with a plausible story, whilst keeping the underlying truth in sight.
“It was… not easy,” he said slowly. “His mother died in childbirth, and I was… not able to look after him. He was adopted by a very kind couple who love him as their own. We only established contact this past year. But it’s… going well. He’s a good kid.”
He saw Jill relax, making it all fit into her world view; the accidental teenage pregnancy where everything went wrong, the man who now tried to amend for his past missteps, the story with the happy outcome.
Idly he wondered how Spike was getting on in Rome - from what he’d heard, Spike, Buffy and Dawn would be spending Christmas with the local Watcher and his wife. Pettily, he half-wished that they, too, would have their peace interrupted by someone unexpected.
Little did he know how accurate his wish turned out to be.
Chapter 11 on LJ
Chapter 11 on DW
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