A Road Covered With Blood
Aug. 14th, 2007 10:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sevendeadlyfunPairing: Xander/Spike
Rating: NC-17 overall
A/N: Phew! I'm finishing this one up under the gun. I'll be posting the epilogue tonight, but this is the final chapter. I'm sure there will be questions, but like I said, I'm doing an epilogue to wrap it up. Thanks to everyone who read and commented! I genuinely appreciated each and every comment!
“Xander, dear,” Joyce said softly. “Could you help me in the kitchen?”
He nodded dumbly, following behind the older woman. He’d expected Buffy to be upset, but all he saw in her gaze was a sort of sympathy. If anyone understood the perils of dating the undead, Buffy would be that one.
“Look,” Xander began, holding up a hand to stall the lecture he knew was coming, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that in front of Dawn for starters, or at all for that matter. My temper ran away from me.”
Joyce’s back was to him, so he couldn’t tell if his apology made any difference. She wasn’t his mother, he was an adult, and none of this was anybody else’s business. Yeah, Xander thought, and I’ll never say any of that in a million years. Buffy might be the Chosen One but she’d earned her Boss stripes at the Joyce Summers’ Leadership School. That glare was genetic.
“Xander,” Joyce said softly, still gathering cups, “I’m not your mother and you’re an adult. This isn’t my business, but I still have to speak my mind.”
Wow. Point for point and Joyce is still the Boss of Us. He had no idea if this was a woman thing or a Mom thing, but she managed to deflect every one of his arguments.
“You’re just as precious to me as my girls,” Joyce continued, turning to face him. “So, forgive me for meddling but…are you sure?”
“Sure,” Xander asked. “About what? About acting like the world’s most abusive man? No, I am definitely not sure about that. Well, I am in the sense that I’m sure I shouldn’t have done it.”
Joyce smiled at him, eyes steely. He sagged under the weight of her disapproval. Damn! He’d been hoping that distraction would work, but clearly, Mom was made of sterner stuff.
“That’s not what I meant,” Joyce continued. “I think you know that.”
“Yeah,” Xander nodded. “I did. I was just hoping we could get off topic and never return. You want to know if I’m sure about Spike?”
Joyce nodded back, biting her lip. Xander smiled slightly as this familiar gesture. Buffy and Dawn did that all the time, usually when they were trying to keep themselves silent and give the other person a chance. He’d forgotten how much he really loved Buffy’s Mom. She was the best.
“I’m sure,” he told her firmly. “There are a million reasons why this is a bad idea and I’m sure you’ve got every one of those reasons catalogued. But, Spike and me…we work. Don’t ask me how, because I haven’t got a clue. We shouldn’t work and I shouldn’t feel so much for him. I do, though.”
Joyce looked at him and then past him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Angel. He tilted his head, understanding instantly where this was going.
“I know you think I’m not good enough for Buffy,” Angel said to Joyce, voice low. “You’re right. I’m not. I know I’m not and I’m willing to bet that Spike knows he isn’t good enough for Xander.”
“They deserve a chance at a normal life,” Joyce told Angel bluntly. “You’re dead. What can you, either of you, offer them?”
“Love,” Angel replied. “The kind of love that only someone with endless years can offer. Security, because we’ll never leave them. And they don’t have to pretend with us. We already know more evil than they’ll ever be able to comprehend. It may not be your dream for them, but let them make their own choices.”
Joyce and Angel stared at each other, and Xander had to wonder who would blink first. Joyce had a mother’s ferocity on her side, but Angel really did have eternity. This was a grudge match. Xander knew that this was an old argument, replayed every time these two were around each other.
“Joyce,” Giles broke in, the seething silence dissipating as if it’d never existed. “I couldn’t help but overhear.”
Judging from the assembled group standing behind Giles, the entire gang couldn’t help but overhear. Well, Xander thought dazedly, shouting was hard to ignore. He could add this to his list of things he’d never imagined happening to him. A frank discussion of his relationship with a vampire definitely had not been on his to-do list.
“I can’t say I approve,” Giles continued, still speaking to Joyce. “But we have to trust that they know what they’re doing.”
“How,” Joyce asked him. “How can they know? They’re children.”
“Children,” Buffy butted in heatedly, only to be shushed by Giles. Xander admired her nerve. He might be willing to help storm the Initiative or face down a Hell God, but no way was he getting in between Joyce and Giles. That was way too scary for him.
“They are fully aware of the dangers,” Giles answered her. “Not one of these children is blind to the realities of what Spike and Angel are. If they choose to continue, knowing what they know, I can’t see how you or I can do anything but respect that choice.”
Giles held up a hand, and rubbed his forehead. Joyce smiled, picking up a mug and handing it to him. He nodded his thanks and continued.
“You aren’t happy about their choice. Neither am I. But it is their choice and that’s what must be respected,” Giles said, sipping at the steaming beverage in his hands. “That said, Xander have you lost your mind?”
A muffled “Oi!” came from somewhere in the crowd and Xander began to laugh. This whole scene had been so Twilight Zone that it was wonderful to have something of his remembered reality back. Angel standing up for him, Giles being supportive, those were nice. But, just a bit too unreal for him to grasp. Giles questioning his sanity? Now, that was life as he remembered it.
“Yes,” Xander answered between chuckles. “I have officially lost my mind. And you know what? I hope I never find it.”
“I see,” Giles responded. “Well, that’s that than. Shall we get back to the small matter of destroying the Initiative, or should we continue discussing Xander’s bizarre choice in... partners?”
A variety of mumbled noises asserted the group’s choice to get on with things, leaving Xander weak with relief. He didn’t mind everyone knowing, but sitting around discussing it was too much for him. Comfortable with himself he might be, but that didn’t mean he was up for a pow-wow about his sex life. Not even Anya had been able to dull his shame in that department.
He made his way into the Summers’ living room with the others. Just as he was about to sit, Spike grabbed his arm and pulled him close. They stood in the doorway, cuddling, and just as Buffy began to speak, Xander felt Spike’s lips on his ear.
“Thanks, pet,” Spike whispered. “Heard what you said and it meant a lot.”
Xander moved his hand until it bumped Spike’s. Tangling their fingers together, Xander shushed the vampire. True love and the accompanying fun would have to wait. But, it would be there. Xander was sure of that.
Rating: NC-17 overall
A/N: Phew! I'm finishing this one up under the gun. I'll be posting the epilogue tonight, but this is the final chapter. I'm sure there will be questions, but like I said, I'm doing an epilogue to wrap it up. Thanks to everyone who read and commented! I genuinely appreciated each and every comment!
“Xander, dear,” Joyce said softly. “Could you help me in the kitchen?”
He nodded dumbly, following behind the older woman. He’d expected Buffy to be upset, but all he saw in her gaze was a sort of sympathy. If anyone understood the perils of dating the undead, Buffy would be that one.
“Look,” Xander began, holding up a hand to stall the lecture he knew was coming, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that in front of Dawn for starters, or at all for that matter. My temper ran away from me.”
Joyce’s back was to him, so he couldn’t tell if his apology made any difference. She wasn’t his mother, he was an adult, and none of this was anybody else’s business. Yeah, Xander thought, and I’ll never say any of that in a million years. Buffy might be the Chosen One but she’d earned her Boss stripes at the Joyce Summers’ Leadership School. That glare was genetic.
“Xander,” Joyce said softly, still gathering cups, “I’m not your mother and you’re an adult. This isn’t my business, but I still have to speak my mind.”
Wow. Point for point and Joyce is still the Boss of Us. He had no idea if this was a woman thing or a Mom thing, but she managed to deflect every one of his arguments.
“You’re just as precious to me as my girls,” Joyce continued, turning to face him. “So, forgive me for meddling but…are you sure?”
“Sure,” Xander asked. “About what? About acting like the world’s most abusive man? No, I am definitely not sure about that. Well, I am in the sense that I’m sure I shouldn’t have done it.”
Joyce smiled at him, eyes steely. He sagged under the weight of her disapproval. Damn! He’d been hoping that distraction would work, but clearly, Mom was made of sterner stuff.
“That’s not what I meant,” Joyce continued. “I think you know that.”
“Yeah,” Xander nodded. “I did. I was just hoping we could get off topic and never return. You want to know if I’m sure about Spike?”
Joyce nodded back, biting her lip. Xander smiled slightly as this familiar gesture. Buffy and Dawn did that all the time, usually when they were trying to keep themselves silent and give the other person a chance. He’d forgotten how much he really loved Buffy’s Mom. She was the best.
“I’m sure,” he told her firmly. “There are a million reasons why this is a bad idea and I’m sure you’ve got every one of those reasons catalogued. But, Spike and me…we work. Don’t ask me how, because I haven’t got a clue. We shouldn’t work and I shouldn’t feel so much for him. I do, though.”
Joyce looked at him and then past him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Angel. He tilted his head, understanding instantly where this was going.
“I know you think I’m not good enough for Buffy,” Angel said to Joyce, voice low. “You’re right. I’m not. I know I’m not and I’m willing to bet that Spike knows he isn’t good enough for Xander.”
“They deserve a chance at a normal life,” Joyce told Angel bluntly. “You’re dead. What can you, either of you, offer them?”
“Love,” Angel replied. “The kind of love that only someone with endless years can offer. Security, because we’ll never leave them. And they don’t have to pretend with us. We already know more evil than they’ll ever be able to comprehend. It may not be your dream for them, but let them make their own choices.”
Joyce and Angel stared at each other, and Xander had to wonder who would blink first. Joyce had a mother’s ferocity on her side, but Angel really did have eternity. This was a grudge match. Xander knew that this was an old argument, replayed every time these two were around each other.
“Joyce,” Giles broke in, the seething silence dissipating as if it’d never existed. “I couldn’t help but overhear.”
Judging from the assembled group standing behind Giles, the entire gang couldn’t help but overhear. Well, Xander thought dazedly, shouting was hard to ignore. He could add this to his list of things he’d never imagined happening to him. A frank discussion of his relationship with a vampire definitely had not been on his to-do list.
“I can’t say I approve,” Giles continued, still speaking to Joyce. “But we have to trust that they know what they’re doing.”
“How,” Joyce asked him. “How can they know? They’re children.”
“Children,” Buffy butted in heatedly, only to be shushed by Giles. Xander admired her nerve. He might be willing to help storm the Initiative or face down a Hell God, but no way was he getting in between Joyce and Giles. That was way too scary for him.
“They are fully aware of the dangers,” Giles answered her. “Not one of these children is blind to the realities of what Spike and Angel are. If they choose to continue, knowing what they know, I can’t see how you or I can do anything but respect that choice.”
Giles held up a hand, and rubbed his forehead. Joyce smiled, picking up a mug and handing it to him. He nodded his thanks and continued.
“You aren’t happy about their choice. Neither am I. But it is their choice and that’s what must be respected,” Giles said, sipping at the steaming beverage in his hands. “That said, Xander have you lost your mind?”
A muffled “Oi!” came from somewhere in the crowd and Xander began to laugh. This whole scene had been so Twilight Zone that it was wonderful to have something of his remembered reality back. Angel standing up for him, Giles being supportive, those were nice. But, just a bit too unreal for him to grasp. Giles questioning his sanity? Now, that was life as he remembered it.
“Yes,” Xander answered between chuckles. “I have officially lost my mind. And you know what? I hope I never find it.”
“I see,” Giles responded. “Well, that’s that than. Shall we get back to the small matter of destroying the Initiative, or should we continue discussing Xander’s bizarre choice in... partners?”
A variety of mumbled noises asserted the group’s choice to get on with things, leaving Xander weak with relief. He didn’t mind everyone knowing, but sitting around discussing it was too much for him. Comfortable with himself he might be, but that didn’t mean he was up for a pow-wow about his sex life. Not even Anya had been able to dull his shame in that department.
He made his way into the Summers’ living room with the others. Just as he was about to sit, Spike grabbed his arm and pulled him close. They stood in the doorway, cuddling, and just as Buffy began to speak, Xander felt Spike’s lips on his ear.
“Thanks, pet,” Spike whispered. “Heard what you said and it meant a lot.”
Xander moved his hand until it bumped Spike’s. Tangling their fingers together, Xander shushed the vampire. True love and the accompanying fun would have to wait. But, it would be there. Xander was sure of that.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
on 2007-08-14 05:25 pm (UTC)Thanks for another vivid, tight chapter. I'm looking forward to how you're going to wrap this story up.