elisi | Birthday & Asylum drabble (1/4).

Happy Birthday

diachrony!!! Hope you have a fabulous day! :)

And it just so happens that I'm in the process of fine-polishing my 'Asylum' ficlets, so you get the first one as a birthday fic. Only a drabble, and rather downbeat I'm afraid, but I hope you like it.

(Notes: This drabble contains spoilers for 'Spike:Asylum'. Also it won't actually make any sort of sense if you haven't read the book...)

Disclaimer: Spike belongs to Joss. Asylum belongs to Brian Lynch. I just like to play with the shiny toys...

2 weeks later

It’s been more than a week since Bonnie and Richard Monaghan heard about the outbreak at Mosaic. Exact details are hard to come by, except of course that Spike was at the centre of it all and has now gone missing. The news left them reeling. Months worth of research, huge sums of money spent to catch their quarry - to put him away for good. Their final gesture for their daughter... and apparently all for nothing.

Then one morning the maid brings them a letter. Inside there is a single piece of paper, bearing only three words.

I’m sorry.
Spike

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah, yes. Of course they'd hear about it.

I wonder how they feel about the note.

Ah, yes. Of course they'd hear about it.
Must have been awful.

I wonder how they feel about the note.
That I couldn't begin to guess at - but I think Spike would somehow need to say something... And yet not really know what.

Thank you for reading!

Ooh.

Question-provoking.

(The first one being, did the Monaghans know what kind of snake-pit Mosaic really was, or did they believe its glossy promotional literature that it was a place to help and rehabilitate demons?)

Ooh.
::beams::

Question-provoking.
Even better! :)

did the Monaghans know what kind of snake-pit Mosaic really was
I hadn't actually thought about that point before, but that certainly is an interesting question... Hmm...

Well, I hadn't even remembered the Monaghans at all until you wrote this, so you're still one up. But it does make a huge difference.

I think I'd assumed at first that they knew exactly what they were sending Spike into, because after all they wanted revenge. But the true knowledge of Mosaic can't be that widespread, since I presume people like Beck went there because they genuinely wanted help. So perhaps they were actually being sort-of benevolent?

Unless I'm missing a line somewhere where it's explained that the Monaghans have a link to Mosaic's management or Dr Ray?

so you're still one up
*g* This was actually the very first plot bunny that presented itself - what Spike would do with the knowledge that he was the one who killed Ruby once he was free again.

I think I'd assumed at first that they knew exactly what they were sending Spike into, because after all they wanted revenge.
Considering the work they put into finding out everything about Spike's past and what would motivate him, I think they probably found out what really went on at Mosaic. Maybe they talked to former inmates? They certainly had enough money to make it worth them talking.

I think they knew what they were doing. They made up a story about their daughter which was based on the true state of things, so they knew about it. Plus they used the stormtroopers from Asylum to capture Spike - and those guys didn't behave like nurses. When I reread it I also noticed how tense Mrs. Monaghan was, she was barely restraining herself from doing something nasty to Spike. She wanted the stormtroopers to shoot him just because.
I wish we'd know more about Monaghans. I assumed they were duped by Dr.Ray as well, he played on their need for revenge to set Spike up.
I'm not sure "I'm sorry" from Spike would alleviate their pain, might just make it worse. What might help is the note from Beck - something like this: "I'm the girl who lived through your story, and I was saved from Asylum for real. Thank you for making it happen".

A note from Beck ... oh yes, that sounds like it would actually help!

What might help is the note from Beck
Oh that's a *wonderful* idea!

And thank you for reading. :)

:) It is an interesting topic, I remember we discussed Monaghans after first issues, wondered whether Spike would meet with them again.
And I like your "I'm sorry" too, because it sounds like both for their daughter and for him for breaking out of Asylum, not paying for it. And what else could he say?
Crime and punishment in Buffyverse - they give you something to think about. I like their take on it, that revenge is always wrong.

And what else could he say?
That's it exactly. No long explanation will ever be enough.

Crime and punishment in Buffyverse - they give you something to think about.
Oh don't they just! That little word 'deserve' leads to so many great places. (And it's one reason I'm so dissatisfied with the Willow story in S8 - so far at least.)

I like their take on it, that revenge is always wrong.
To quote 'Batman Begins' (via

ibmiller):

"Justice is about harmony. Revenge is about you making yourself feel better."

Oooh thank you! I've had a really nice day today.

And what a great birthday fic. Poor Spike needing to apologize but not knowing what to say. I wonder what the Monaghans would do after that? Perhaps they've already run through so much money they can't afford to go after him again ... at least not so elaborately. I wonder if they'd really just give up?

Oooh thank you!
My pleasure. :)

I've had a really nice day today.
Yay!

And what a great birthday fic.
*wipes brow* 'Twas all I had, I'm afraid...

Poor Spike needing to apologize but not knowing what to say.
You can just see all the long explanations he tried to write that all just got thrown in the bin.

I wonder what the Monaghans would do after that?
No clue. But if I ever work it out, I promise to tell you! ;)

Well, I loved it. I did feel they'd be terribly disappointed if they found out Spike had escaped.

Well, I loved it.
Yay. :)

I did feel they'd be terribly disappointed if they found out Spike had escaped.
Same here. And Spike would get that... It's never simple. (Which is why I love it of course!)

Figures, that he would do something like that. After all Spike is someone who understands the need for revenge.
And just to leave it and disappear into the night without another word isn't his style.

Love that you wrote fic to the comics!

Figures, that he would do something like that.
That was my thought too - I could see him wanting to make amends somehow, but what exactly *could* he say or do? So I thought that a short note might be about right - something to show that he understood what they'd been trying to do and why.

Love that you wrote fic to the comics!
I swear it just wrote itself! *g*

So I thought that a short note might be about right - something to show that he understood what they'd been trying to do and why.
Also it shows them, that he's not going to seek retribution, which might make it easier to leave the whole thing behind.

Also it shows them, that he's not going to seek retribution, which might make it easier to leave the whole thing behind.
Excellent point!

Birthday & Asylum drabble (1/4).

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