Entry tags:
Fic: Divided Destiny. Epilogue
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.
I can't believe this is the end! IT IS FINISHED! According to AO3 it comes to 123,280 words.
Note: It seems impossible that I am actually posting this epilogue. It’s taken nearly twelve years from my first drafts and until today. Back when I first mulled over the plot for this story neither AO3 nor Dreamwidth existed (nor Tumblr for that matter), just to put it all into perspective. But unlike most of my fics I always knew the arc of this, and, although there were a few twists that took me by surprise, this epilogue hasn’t changed much from my original notes.
Although I feel I should add that this isn’t quite the final part. I have a (fairly short, about 6 chapters) sequel to this, set 20+ years into the future, called ‘The End of the Reprieve’, which I will probably write up at some point. However I like leaving the story here, so we’ll see. <3
But mostly, I just wanted to thank you all for reading. When I finally started posting I was worried that the Buffy & Angel fandoms had mostly dispersed, and I was 10 years too late. So I am grateful for each and everyone of you.
Hope you like the ending — I know it's short compared to my usual chapters, but this just seemed right.
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): 876 words
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
Epilogue
Spike’s favourite place was the Hyperion roof. Sitting on the parapet, the glow of the LA night lighting up the darkness, a smoke in his hand, the world at his feet — it had become a little evening ritual, a way to take stock before ‘going to work’ and dealing with whatever new case they might have picked up.
He liked to think that Illyria was looking down on him; she hadn’t reappeared, so presumably she was up there somewhere, keeping tabs on them all from up above and looking after their little world. Their world, where somehow Spike had gotten a starring role in the stupid games they had to play; he sincerely hoped all that nonsense was over now. Because the world was back the way it should be: two vampires and the women they loved. Even if the women were now a werewolf and a Slayer, and the vampires had souls… He smiled. It was all good.
Idly he wondered what exactly the Powers were doing about their prophecy — Angel couldn’t shanshu, Spike had refused, and it didn’t look like they were going with the Harmony option… He took a deep drag and shook his head. Bureaucracy had never been his thing, and as long as they didn’t go back on their ‘deal’ and take Angel away, he couldn’t care less. Hell, bringing Angel back to ‘un-life’ might even fit? He was a bit fuzzy on the actual details, but he didn’t think it actually used the word ‘human’.
Sensing Angel appearing at his side and carefully leaning against the balustrade, Spike kept quiet at first, finishing the cigarette before flicking it down into the road below and pretending to ignore him.
But, it was good that Angel was up and about. He’d been in quite a state when he’d first appeared, and Nina had cared for him with a protective fierceness that only Connor had been able to challenge for the first week. Buffy had managed it the day before yesterday, but only for few minutes. So if Nina was allowing him to walk about (even if it was just up the stairs) it meant that Angel was definitely on the mend.
“Come to tell me off for buggering up the Shanshu?” he eventually asked, keeping his voice light, and Angel snorted.
“Quite the opposite. I wanted to…” his voice trailed off. “If you hadn’t turned it down, I’d still be… there.”
“Don’t mention it,” Spike cut in. “Been there, done that. The whole ‘being tortured by The First’, I mean. Back in Sunnydale.”
“You never mentioned this…” Angel said slowly, and Spike shrugged.
“Knew Buffy would come for me, sooner or later, so I could… block it out, after a fashion. Without her…”
He stopped, studying the row of cars below, stopping, starting, stopping again; remembered when it would have all been horses and carriages.
“So yeah. Don’t mention it.”
But still, he knew they were dancing around the main issue. Issues, even. All the things they didn’t really talk about. Saving each other, that was one thing. But the why…
Sending Angel a quick glance, he cleared his throat. Fuck it, there was no polite way around it, might as well take the bull by the horns.
“Anyway, so I was wonderin’ — the reason you snogged my face off, back when, y’know… It was for the visions, yeah? Passing on the mission and all that?”
There was a lengthy pause as they both just looked out over LA, before Angel replied.
“Well, if you read the fine print…” a beat, until Spike turned and met his eyes, waiting. “For it to work, you… you have to love the person you’re kissing.”
For what seemed like eons Spike merely stared in silent shock; even as a dancing, irrepressible joy welled up inside.
Eyes aglow he studied Angel — then made a decision and moved closer, tilting his head. He wanted to reciprocate, but ‘I love you too’ was somehow too banal. Besides, he’d just had a great idea.
“Well then Champ, want ‘em back? I could do without the migraines from hell…”
Smiling languorously as he leaned in, there was quiet amusement in Angel’s voice:
“Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again.”
Romeo and Juliet now? Angel was taking the piss and no mistake, but if he thought that would put Spike off he was sorely mistaken.
A beat, their lips within a hair’s-breadth of each other, then Angel spoke again.
“Of course, for it to work you also have to be about to die…”
Pulling back, Spike pursed his lips sadly.
“Always some kind of catch.”
Angel was still smiling, a twinkle in his eyes.
“I don’t make the rules. Besides the girls would probably get… upset if they found us necking.”
Spike raised an eyebrow.
“Or we’d finally get another foursome…”
“You’re incorrigible,” Angel observed, shaking his head, and Spike smirked.
“S why you love me.”
Angel’s smile turned softer.
“Good point.”
After a minute, contented silence settling on them, Spike leaned his head on Angel’s shoulder. The world was turning; the dark heavens above, the earth below, but here and now he had everything he could ever have wished for.
~ The End ~
Can also be found on AO3.
I can't believe this is the end! IT IS FINISHED! According to AO3 it comes to 123,280 words.
Note: It seems impossible that I am actually posting this epilogue. It’s taken nearly twelve years from my first drafts and until today. Back when I first mulled over the plot for this story neither AO3 nor Dreamwidth existed (nor Tumblr for that matter), just to put it all into perspective. But unlike most of my fics I always knew the arc of this, and, although there were a few twists that took me by surprise, this epilogue hasn’t changed much from my original notes.
Although I feel I should add that this isn’t quite the final part. I have a (fairly short, about 6 chapters) sequel to this, set 20+ years into the future, called ‘The End of the Reprieve’, which I will probably write up at some point. However I like leaving the story here, so we’ll see. <3
But mostly, I just wanted to thank you all for reading. When I finally started posting I was worried that the Buffy & Angel fandoms had mostly dispersed, and I was 10 years too late. So I am grateful for each and everyone of you.
Hope you like the ending — I know it's short compared to my usual chapters, but this just seemed right.
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): 876 words
Setting and Summary: As before. (Post-NFA epic quest thing.)
Beta: The ever wonderful
kathyhSpike’s favourite place was the Hyperion roof. Sitting on the parapet, the glow of the LA night lighting up the darkness, a smoke in his hand, the world at his feet — it had become a little evening ritual, a way to take stock before ‘going to work’ and dealing with whatever new case they might have picked up.
He liked to think that Illyria was looking down on him; she hadn’t reappeared, so presumably she was up there somewhere, keeping tabs on them all from up above and looking after their little world. Their world, where somehow Spike had gotten a starring role in the stupid games they had to play; he sincerely hoped all that nonsense was over now. Because the world was back the way it should be: two vampires and the women they loved. Even if the women were now a werewolf and a Slayer, and the vampires had souls… He smiled. It was all good.
Idly he wondered what exactly the Powers were doing about their prophecy — Angel couldn’t shanshu, Spike had refused, and it didn’t look like they were going with the Harmony option… He took a deep drag and shook his head. Bureaucracy had never been his thing, and as long as they didn’t go back on their ‘deal’ and take Angel away, he couldn’t care less. Hell, bringing Angel back to ‘un-life’ might even fit? He was a bit fuzzy on the actual details, but he didn’t think it actually used the word ‘human’.
Sensing Angel appearing at his side and carefully leaning against the balustrade, Spike kept quiet at first, finishing the cigarette before flicking it down into the road below and pretending to ignore him.
But, it was good that Angel was up and about. He’d been in quite a state when he’d first appeared, and Nina had cared for him with a protective fierceness that only Connor had been able to challenge for the first week. Buffy had managed it the day before yesterday, but only for few minutes. So if Nina was allowing him to walk about (even if it was just up the stairs) it meant that Angel was definitely on the mend.
“Come to tell me off for buggering up the Shanshu?” he eventually asked, keeping his voice light, and Angel snorted.
“Quite the opposite. I wanted to…” his voice trailed off. “If you hadn’t turned it down, I’d still be… there.”
“Don’t mention it,” Spike cut in. “Been there, done that. The whole ‘being tortured by The First’, I mean. Back in Sunnydale.”
“You never mentioned this…” Angel said slowly, and Spike shrugged.
“Knew Buffy would come for me, sooner or later, so I could… block it out, after a fashion. Without her…”
He stopped, studying the row of cars below, stopping, starting, stopping again; remembered when it would have all been horses and carriages.
“So yeah. Don’t mention it.”
But still, he knew they were dancing around the main issue. Issues, even. All the things they didn’t really talk about. Saving each other, that was one thing. But the why…
Sending Angel a quick glance, he cleared his throat. Fuck it, there was no polite way around it, might as well take the bull by the horns.
“Anyway, so I was wonderin’ — the reason you snogged my face off, back when, y’know… It was for the visions, yeah? Passing on the mission and all that?”
There was a lengthy pause as they both just looked out over LA, before Angel replied.
“Well, if you read the fine print…” a beat, until Spike turned and met his eyes, waiting. “For it to work, you… you have to love the person you’re kissing.”
For what seemed like eons Spike merely stared in silent shock; even as a dancing, irrepressible joy welled up inside.
Eyes aglow he studied Angel — then made a decision and moved closer, tilting his head. He wanted to reciprocate, but ‘I love you too’ was somehow too banal. Besides, he’d just had a great idea.
“Well then Champ, want ‘em back? I could do without the migraines from hell…”
Smiling languorously as he leaned in, there was quiet amusement in Angel’s voice:
“Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again.”
Romeo and Juliet now? Angel was taking the piss and no mistake, but if he thought that would put Spike off he was sorely mistaken.
A beat, their lips within a hair’s-breadth of each other, then Angel spoke again.
“Of course, for it to work you also have to be about to die…”
Pulling back, Spike pursed his lips sadly.
“Always some kind of catch.”
Angel was still smiling, a twinkle in his eyes.
“I don’t make the rules. Besides the girls would probably get… upset if they found us necking.”
Spike raised an eyebrow.
“Or we’d finally get another foursome…”
“You’re incorrigible,” Angel observed, shaking his head, and Spike smirked.
“S why you love me.”
Angel’s smile turned softer.
“Good point.”
After a minute, contented silence settling on them, Spike leaned his head on Angel’s shoulder. The world was turning; the dark heavens above, the earth below, but here and now he had everything he could ever have wished for.
no subject
Congratulations!
no subject
It REALLY helped that I made lots of notes back in the day...
no subject
no subject
Also one of my notes was so cryptic that I never figured out what it meant!
no subject
no subject
And I hope you enjoy - it's basically a novel, I guess? ♥
no subject
no subject
♥ ♥ ♥ Yay, you made my day! :D
I loved the Spuffy side of it, but the Spangel side even more. Such a wonderful and thoughtful exploration of what those two meant to each other.
That makes me so happy, because that was obviously the main purpose of it. To delve down and give them the time to work things out. (We got the first glimmers in S5 of AtS, but exploring it further was a delight.)
The story had everything: adventure, suspense, horror and humour.
I tried my best to make it as close to the show as I could, to make it All The Things - hence it being so long and taking forever to write...
Illyria discovering (and exploiting) the Internet was great! I loved her in this story, and also Andrew and Harmony and Connor and... Well, let's just say you did a great job with all the characters, including the OCs!
Thank you! I love them all, and partly wished I could have done more with them all, although on the other hand the story would then have been EVEN longer...
If you ever do that sequel, I'll be on board for it.
I'm thinking Christmas, hopefully...
Thank you so much for reading, honestly you are going to make me randomly smile for days and days now!
no subject
no subject
♥ ♥ ♥ I'm just so very grateful that I still found readers, all these years later...
Christmas can't come soon enough, hope you make it!
I think I will! (I wrote it all down, on paper, way back when, and managed to find that original draft and there was much more to it than I remembered! It'll need typing up and editing (certain things in this story progressed differently to what I had envisaged back then), but I really want to share it.
no subject
no subject
Thank you.
And this is so exciting! Really hope it lives up to whatever expectations you might have...
no subject
no subject
It feels slightly surreal. Although now I want to do the last story, because I'm already missing it?
I won’t add to what I’ve already said but it has been great fun going along for this 12 year ride with you <3 Brava!
Couldn't have done it without you! And you're the reason I know how long ago it was, because I mentioned it in an email in December 2006...
no subject
Congratulations on finishing this fic - well done!!!
no subject
And thank you for being my most faithful reader. I'd get you a prize, if I had one!
no subject
no subject
♥ I wanted the ending to be quiet, just a simple, happy moment where everything is okay. Am v glad it worked as intended. :)
Thanks for the wonderful ride. I'll miss it.
Thank *you* for reading! And like I said in the note, there IS a follow-up story, but it's... a very different thing.
no subject
no subject