#I just want Buffy and Spike to choose each other

[jtargaryen18]

Jamie's Halloween Challenge 2023

It's almost time for Halloween and no one throws a Halloween party like Tony Stark. No expense is spared and anyone who is anyone makes an appearance at the Avengers compound for the event. Tony also loves surprises, and he has plenty for the guests at this year’s event.

You (or your OC) is there as an invited guest or maybe you work for Stark Industries. Your choice. Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to write a sizzling Halloween story. It can be dark, scary, or just really sexy, but the goal is a smutty good Halloween read.

CHARACTERS: Reader insert or OC (your choice) x any of the established Avengers, their foes, or other important characters in the MCU. You can also select a character played by an MCU actor (i.e. Bucky Barnes or Nick Fowler, Charles Blackwood, etc.) Multiple partners are allowed. LGBTQ+ stories are welcome here.

PROMPTS: You must pick one and submit it with your character choices.

The Mysterious Neighbor: Your neighbor's house always seemed normal until Halloween night. You notice something strange and decide to investigate.

A Night in the Haunted House: I don’t know why you’re there when you’re supposed to be at the party. You tell me.

The Unusual Pumpkin Patch: One pumpkin in the local patch grows faster and looks different from the others. You take it home.

The Halloween Costume Comes to Life: Remember that episode of Buffy? You rented a costume and when you put it on, that’s who you are as long as you are wearing it.

Halloween Candy: Tony only buys the good stuff when it comes to Halloween candy. But be careful. There’s a reason there are no kids at this party. Some of the candies are a pretty potent aphrodisiac.

The Unexpected Visitor: On Halloween night, an unexpected visitor knocks at your door. It's not a trick-or-treater but something else.

The Disappearing Act: A drink at Tony’s party turns you (or your significant other) invisible for Halloween night. What do you do?

7 Minutes in… Where?: You know the game. Only when you and your significant other are locked in the closet for 7 minutes, you’re transported somewhere else.

The Frightening Feast: Tony has quite a spread at the party. Be careful. Each dish has magical properties.

The Portal in the Pumpkin: You carve one of the pumpkins Tony ordered, but this one turns out to be a portal to somewhere else...

RULES:

You must be 18 to write for this challenge and it must be legal to participate where you are.

While a smutty good story is the goal, no incest, underage characters, bestiality, or toilet kinks.

Dark stories are welcome. Bonus points if they’re scary.

Stories can be reader insert (preferable) but can be OC.

At some point in the story, your characters must attend Tony’s party, be planning to go to the party, or just come from the party. Bonus points if Tony makes an appearance, even if it’s brief.

You must send me an ask with your characters of choice and the prompt of your choice. `(Example: Steve Rogers x Reader and Halloween Candy)

Minimum word count is 1k words. The max length is up to you.

For this challenge, the fic must be brand new. No tie-ins to existing fics or series. No recycled stories.

Please add a “keep reading” function after 300 words and apply all needed warnings and labels to your fic.

You don’t have to follow me, just tag me in your posts and use the Hashtag #JamiesHalloween2023. If I don’t reblog your story within 3 days, please DM me.

DEADLINE: October 31, 2023

I haven't done one of these in a while and I don't know if anyone will want to participate so no limits on characters or prompts. Each story will be amazing.

Thank you!

THE STORIES

The Closet of Desire by @nicoline1998enilocin

Bad Moon Rising by @spectre-posts

Toys 'R' Us by @americasass81

Seven Minutes Pt 1 & Pt 2 by @anika-ann

The Past Always Catches Up by @holylulusworld

Something Else by @nekoannie-chan

Spiked Candy by @nicoline1998enilocin

Embracing the Darkness by @americasass81

The Mysterious House on Easton Avenue by @talesofadragon

Circles by @the-soulofdevil

Taste Me on Your Tongue by @autumnrose40

#Writing challenges #JamesHalloween2023 #Halloween Challenges #Smutty story challenges

[louisandjade]

spuffy fic rec, pt.2

part 1

(Unintended) You Could Be by ashcrashed [14k]

No, she hadn’t lost her mind. Because the reasons that made Spike the actual worst also made him the right one for the job.

Domino Effect by Anaross [15k]

Spike slips away unnoticed after Angel gives Buffy the amulet that might help in the final battle and runs directly into a tearful Buffy with a message from the future. AU after End of Days.

Monky Business by Girlytek [18k]

Retconning Dawn is harder than it looks.

In Remission by Quinara [19k]

In the five years Spike's been missing, the world around Buffy has irrevocably changed. The general population has woken up to vampires' existence and the kill count has dropped way down. She's sharing a house with a soulless vampire, still going by the name of Faith. But what does Spike have to do with it? And what does it mean for their future?

Devouring Time by Sigyn [20k]

An apocalypse has ravaged the world. Buffy has lost her friends, and her beloved Spike, and wants nothing more than to die, to rest, but immortality denies her that chance. With nothing more than her scythe and a hint of possibility, she seeks out a goddess of time, who offers her the chance to enter a universe of her own past, to choose a champion and save the world. Buffy knows who she would choose. But how can this Spike, paralyzed, filled with rage, and still in love with Drusilla, possibly be a champion for life, for light, and for the slayer he hates? Only time will tell.

Bring On Christmastime by bewildered [21k]

Welcome, Gentle Readers! Have you ever wondered the true meaning of Christmas? I know I have. But never fear, I, Andrew Wells -- having been privileged to bear witness to a Christmas miracle, in this the year Anno Domini Two Thousand and Two -- shall now share with you the answer, a tale that will warm the cockles of your cold, cold heart and fill you to the brim with tingly, pepperminty Christmas spirit.

There's something about Anne by Frillyria [44k]

Anne is just a regular girl until a not-so-regular boy gets a hold of her - she is thrown into a life outside her control, and has to do what she can to survive - and to choose hope over fear and distrust.

nothing safe is worth the drive (follow you home) by SummerFrost [61k]

Here's the deal: Buffy's got no idea how to beat Glory, or how they're gonna book it across the country in a moldy RV without anyone killing each other, especially now that someone broke one of the beds—and the thought of going home again kinda makes her wanna cry. The one thing she knows is that Spike would follow her anywhere, even like this.

The Key is Donnie Summers by Girlytek [121k]

Response to tempestt's challenge, what if Dawn were Donnie, if the monks had created a brother for Buffy instead of a sister? --complete through Season 5--

Liebestod by Iamblichus [149k]

They really should have known the First Evil wasn't done with them after Sunnydale… Enter: Time-travel, mysterious prophesies, and lots of poetry. BtVS Post-Season 7; Angel AU Season 5. All's well that ends well.

#psa: 'in remission' is not the most feel-good read but it had to be in there imo #maybe follow it up with a bit of fluff lol #spuffy #spike x buffy #buffy x spike #spuffy fic #spuffy fic rec #spuffy fic recs #spuffy ficrec #spuffy ficrecs #mine

[sspoike]

This is late so feel free to ignore, but, top 5 spuffy moments?👀

absolutely no worries!!! spuffy is my sweet cheese… my ragtime gal… my good time boy…

I’m coming across the same issue I had with the btvs outfits top 5, where there’s just so many goodies to choose from, but here are my fave highlights:

1. One moment that is always near the top for me is Spike’s spuffy-realization dream (which is ironic, I know they don’t even interact). I have to include this one bc it was literally a gifset of this exact scene that had me like ‘oh.. okay…. Maybe i WILL give this buffy show a looksie-loo.’ And here we are babes! Years into The Brainrot.

2. Next fave is Buffy coming out to her mom scene, I just love an enemies alliance coming out scene happy pride month everyone

3. The ‘Will You Hold Me’ scene is so soft, so sweet. Everyone else in the house is are just going to town on each other but this cuddle pile that spuffy has going on is just so meaningful for where they’ve been and what they’ve gone thru

4. Respectfully RESPECTFULLY….that one time they tore up that house…when this scene came on I literally stood up and started pacing that’s how much it was affecting me. Rest in Pieces smashed house.

5. Lastly, the intervention kiss makes me wanna scream. The production of it all with the smg playing buffy playing buffybot is so intricate and so dramatic I live for it. And spikes bruises and cuts are such an accessory you can’t tell me otherwise.

I also wanted to include the iconic burning hands from Chosen (‘I love you’ ‘no you don’t but thanks for saying it.’), but I ran out of list space. Also the part where he literally Explodes kind of bums the mood a bit. but still. So so beautiful

#btvs #ask response #i am so happy to get these I promise I just take forever to answer bc I take it wayyy too seriously

[jennycalendar]

buffy/giles? jenny/cordelia? angel/cordelia? spike/anya? dawn/xander? willow/kennedy? kennedy/anya?? (i know i'm late to this game but i want to hear all your opinions)

buffy/giles:

oh, man. my take on this is a little different from most. starts out like i have a certain position, but prepare yourself.

buffy/giles is so divorced from canon! the story itself took so many steps to remove the possibility of buffy and giles ever becoming a romantic relationship -- the Six Inch Rule is often cited in a lot of b/g fics (yes i read them. i read everything.) and it's very very clear that the show has placed giles in a paternal role. a lot of the b/g ship arguments seem to suggest that giles doesn't actually want to be buffy's dad, but i think that omits the rest of that sentence -- giles doesn't want to be buffy's dad because he feels like a good dad would not be sending their kid out to die, and he believes that the ultimate act of paternal devotion is to Not Be Buffy's Dad. and buffy herself CLEARLY wants giles to be her dad! this is a point of contention between them!

i have read some b/g fic because i am always curious, and the bulk of the fic that i HAVE read just absolutely refuses to engage with the canon messaging, instead choosing to say "all of the rest of you are reading canon wrong, giles and buffy have never had a father/daughter connection, and there's always been romantic potential here." i find this incredibly boring. i think that any exploration of buffy/giles HAS to incorporate that, at one point, she saw him as her dad, and HAS to explore how those feelings changed + the weirdness/messiness of this entire dynamic in the first place.

i am not gonna be one of those people who pearl-clutches -- buffy/giles is a long-established part of this fandom and i do not think that it does us any favors to pretend that they didn't build so much of the incredible giles content/infrastructure that's out there! even if it's not my thing, i can respect it. but part of the reason it's not my thing is bc i do not see a lot of it that actually engages with canon. much of it intensely mischaracterizes buffy AND presents giles as the Perfect Man Who Is Perfect, which, again, soooo not interesting to me. write some weird shit where the daddy issues are addressed instead of shaken off and shoved into a closet! that is literally what fanfiction is for!!!

jenny/cordelia:

iiiiiii can't see it. they're way too similar. i've read a couple of fics where cordelia has a crush on jenny but honestly just cannot buy it. i think cordelia wants to BE jenny (cool confident assertive lady with a geek ass little boyfriend, is not bothered by what people will think of her for dating said geek ass little boyfriend) which is a little different.

angel/cordelia:

14 year old celia will never not be crying about them. neither will 22 year old celia. the most perfect thing to ever exist. they invented friends to lovers. i truly think there's nothing like them in the entire buffyverse -- the people that they start out as are so fundamentally incompatible, and then the people they grow into through heartbreak and supernatural situations become SO ENTWINED!!! i love the idea of a second, enduring love that you grow into -- something that is not fated. of all the couples in the buffyverse, they're the ones who are actually, canonically best friends who enjoy each other's company w/ the love stuff blooming FROM THAT, and that will never not kill me.

spike/anya:

hot in the short term/for a fwb situation, but i think they probably work best as friends. i don't really have anything to justify this position, Simply Vibes.

dawn/xander

i am totally ambivalent. i understand that it happened in the comics, but it's so hard to look at them and imagine it when he's such a big brother to her in canon! on principle, though, i respect the idea of the dynamic shifting as she gets older, because i love the narrative notion of relationships evolving and changing shape as time goes on -- i actually really love this one fic i read where she's obsessed with this idea of becoming a Cool College Student and wooing him with her new attractiveness, and it doesn't SEEM to work (she even brings it up to him and goes "haha wasn't this so funny and stupid of me to think it could happen?") but there's a suggestion that his perspective on her might be gradually changing.

willow/kennedy

people hate kennedy so much and that makes me love this more. out of spite. 1) this was so clearly not a long-term thing, and 2) this becomes so fun to watch if you look at kennedy as Baby Jenny & recognize the subsequent implications of this.

kennedy/anya

a recipe for disaster, i think. they both wanna be in charge and spoiled by their partner. they would get into SO MANY FIGHTS.

#asks #brutally honest asks #not tagging this bc there's a lot contained in it!

[chasingfictions]

ok top 3 spuffy scenes that were teased and we know it happened but we never saw it on screen i'm especially INSANE about the spuffy motorride <3

HELLO!!!!! hello ok the motorcycle ride obviously but since u said that one im gonna go with:

PUT SOME ICE ON THE BACK OF HER NECK. SHE LIKES THAT. nursemaid spike after patrols in s6. buffy letting him. BUFFY LETTING HIM. spike fixing the wonky little freezer in his minifridge but it still doesnt work so he just buys ice from 7-11. in my mind theyre cuddling while he puts the ice on her neck like she doesnt intend them to she sort of just sits down on top of the sarcophagus but then spike sits behind her and ends up like wrapping his legs around her and she leans against his chest . now im emotional!!!!!

BILLY IDOL ACTUALLY STOLE HIS LOOK FROM -- im just so obsessed with them having conversations. spike ranted to buffy for 45 minutes one time about his beef with billy idol. the real question is was this before during or after the affair. i choose to believe he ranted about it once a little bit on a patrol in mid-s5, and then tried to talk about it again in s6 but buffy wouldnt let him speak because that would be too much like they liked each other. then at some point during s7 domesticity she's like. hey so what's your deal with that billy idol guy again and spike is like. THIS IS ALL IVE EVER WANTED TO TALK ABOUT GET READY FOR A RIDE. spike loves to kvetch and that's why he's so me

im just so obsessed with all the interstitial moments of them walking places or when we cut away from a scene with them and come back and theyre still hanging out. the time between the porch and the living room in becoming. the walk back to giles' in something blue when buffy has spike on a rope leash. the whole conversation in flooded after the finances comment and before they rush into the house. im gonna throw up. THEY HANG OUT. you guys they hang out

#ask

[liam-summers]

Here I am, again, throwing in my two cents after reading one of your posts (I just cannot help myself! And you don't allow comments, so...)

I don't see it as Angel being 'forced to be good', rather, he was forced to feel guilt, which made him stop doing bad things... mostly. He didn't do bad things, didn't do good things either... some might argue he pretty much did nothing at all for decades! Then he met Buffy, and he Chose, to do good. He could have continued to live his miserable life, doing nothing at all, just wallowing in guilt. He chose to do something, and have that something be good.

Spike, I don't think he was 'forced to be good', but neither did he choose it. He, like Angel, was forced to stop killing (with a chip rather than a soul, but the fact remains). Then he chose to 'do good' because it was the only way he could be violent, which is what he actually wanted, at least at first. Whatever came afterwards, whether he truly decided he wanted to be good, he was just trying to prove Buffy and the others wrong, oneup Angel... that's a whole different discussion. On the matter of how each of them started on the path of doing good, this is how I see it.

Hi! You’re always welcome to share your thoughts with me! I really enjoy reading them 😊

I definitely agree with what you wrote! I think It’s often forgotten that after Angel was cursed with a soul, he went back to Darla, and when he couldn’t bring himself to do what she expected of him (kill), he chose to leave but then spent almost 100 years aimlessly wandering the earth. The soul didn’t automatically make him good, it just gave him the capacity to feel remorse but he had to actively make the choice to be good. It’s literally the entire premise of becoming part 1 lol.

There is also the fact that the buffyverse introduces us to several people WITH SOULS who murder, rape, torture…..they are showing us that having a soul doesn’t automatically make someone “good” and that it’s actually possible for an ensouled being to be evil, by choice. So no, Angel wasn’t forced to be good, and considering that the only thing he had known how to be for 150 years was an evil soulless vampire, he actually could’ve chosen to continue living the way he was when he was soulless; he didn’t have a chip preventing him from hurting humans and he had Darla to go back to, who was more than happy to continue killing her way through Europe with him by her side. But he didn’t do that because he couldn’t live with the remorse but he also didn’t know how to be good yet. It took meeting Buffy and being inspired by her example of goodness for him to choose to become someone who could help make a positive change in the world. And then he took what Buffy taught him and continued to choose goodness even when he was away from her and even when he stumbled along the way. Angel’s entire journey is defined by choice.

As for Sp*ke, I agree with what you wrote and I just want to add that Sp*ke may have chosen to get a soul but that choice came after attempting to rape the woman he was violently obsessed with, as a last ditch effort to get back into her good graces. Like, if he hadn’t sexually assaulted Buffy, he never would’ve chosen to get a soul because he didn’t want a soul to be “good”, he wanted the soul to get Buffy. There is nothing noble in that choice, in my opinion.

Anyway, sorry this got kind of long and thanks for the ask!

#ask #lalaithquetzallicaresi #I feel like I have more to say about Sp*ke but tbh I have no desire to think about him too deeply right now lol

[nevergonnabemuchmorethanweather]

What's your favorite and least favorite thing about each main character on BTVS and Angel?

I can really only answer this for BTVS. I have seen Angel, but not recently, and it just doesn't resonate with me the way BTVS does. Turns out, when there's no Buffy, I don't care.

Buffy:

I love so much about Buffy Summers that it's hard to pick a true favorite trait. I'm going to go with her intelligence because it's so often overlooked even though, in many ways, she's the smartest character on the show-- and the one who actually uses her brain when everyone around her is being utterly irrational and falling for every trick in the manipulative villain handbook.

My least favorite thing about her, by far, is what a doormat she can be sometimes. It's so frustrating watching her take so much shit from her friends and family and forget her own strength over and over.

Giles:

This is difficult to articulate, but I like that Giles chooses to be one of the good guys despite clearly having the capacity not to be, and how his own moral grayness gives him an understanding of the nuances of human nature that the others lack.

My least favorite thing about Giles is his emotional cowardice and immaturity. He does so many harmful and downright stupid things trying to run from his feelings. He never quite learns to put on his big boy pants and deal with his issues, and his being decades older than the rest of the cast makes it really glaring.

Willow:

I love it when Willow cuts down to the core of a situation and exposes everybody's bullshit. Her rant to Giles and Angel in Reptile Boy, reading Faith for filth in Choices, and shutting Parker down in Beer Bad are some of my favorite moments with her.

My least favorite thing about her is that she's actually incredibly self-centered and entitled a lot of the time. She expects the world to stop for her when she's in pain and when she thinks she's right, she's not interested in what anyone else has to say or silly things like basic human rights and autonomy.

Xander:

His bravery. Despite having no powers and no particular skill set, he ends up accomplishing some pretty impressive things through sheer balls and determination, and it's hard not to respect that. Trust me, I've tried.

My least favorite thing about him is almost everything else about him, but I guess that's kind of cheating. If I had to sum it up into one trait, I think I'd say it's his blatant hypocrisy that bothers me the absolute most. He doesn't even try to live up to the standards he sets for other people.

From here on out, my take on who is and who isn't a main character is going to be pretty arbitrary. For instance, I'm not including Tara, even though I adore her, because I couldn't think of anything bad to say about her and that probably means she wasn't fleshed out enough to be a true main character. If I skip a character you wanted my opinion on, I'm always open to more Buffy asks!

Dawn:

Her loyalty. My girl does not mess around when you mess with the people she cares about, and she doesn't play that 'don't take sides' crap. If you hurt someone she loves, you're going to hear about it. I know, I know, Empty Places, but she was clearly being manipulated there and if you look at her behavior overall, she's absolutely a ride or die and I love it.

Her expectations, especially of Buffy, are extremely unreasonable sometimes and it causes a lot of misery all around. I don't count it against her too much because it's a pretty normal teenager thing, but if there was one thing I could change about her, it would probably be that.

Angel:

His insight. He's very good at channeling his own emotional turmoil and self-loathing into understanding others-- usually Buffy, but not always.

His martyr complex and constant self-sabotage are super annoying. Though I love him, I do totally understand people who can't deal with his Man Pain.

Spike:

Devotion. I have all sorts of problems with him but he does have a capacity for sacrificial love that transcends all else-- including soullessness and demonic influence.

And my least favorite thing about him is really just the flip side of that same trait. He's simultaneously creepily obsessive and eye-rollingly sentimental and dramatic.

Thanks for the ask!

#btvs #buffy summers #rupert giles #willow rosenberg #xander harris #dawn summers #angel #spike

[eldritchamy]

read your tags and. (probably) not a girl but anything else you'd recommend rn?

....How do you feel about telekinesis-based witches in very violent Korean supernatural action horror? If this sounds interesting to you, you might enjoy The Witch Part 1: Subversion and The Witch Part 2: The Other One

How about a claustrophobic, tense, atmospheric suspense horror in the vein of Alien but at the bottom of the ocean instead of deep space? Does Kristen Stewart with a butch haircut work for you? If so, watch Underwater.

While we're on the subject, Alien and Aliens. If you've never seen them, change that immediately. Alien is correctly regarded as one of the best horror films ever made, and the (imo superior) sequel Aliens is in my extremely correct opinion the best sequel ever made and one of the best movies of all time. Ellen Ripley in Aliens is my GOLD STANDARD for character arcs. Just masterful writing. Fuck Alien 3. Alien Resurrection is hot trash and VERY OBVIOUSLY a prototype for what became Firefly if you squint, but apart from a few VERY WHEDON lines it's better than Alien 3 honestly. This is not saying enough to count as a compliment. FUCK ALIEN 3. The new films (Prometheus and Alien: Covenant) are OKAY, but a completely different vibe and generally most people either only like the old movies or only like the new ones. Covenant is better than Prometheus imo. And I will say that Covenant has some of the most interesting/inventive xenomorph kills in the series. They do NOT have the same feel as the old movies, though. The design fails HARD to capture the essence of that 80s junk retro-future vibe that makes the old movies so timeless. They're supposed to be PREQUELS but the tech is way more advanced for no reason, which imo was a bad choice.

Supernatural action drama with an interesting plot that will make you wanna read the graphic novel it was based on? The Old Guard.

Wanna see the best and most underrated animated film of the last decade? I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH how much Kubo and the Two Strings was ROBBED during awards season.

Like robots smashing each other with an unexpectedly solid plot? The Bumblebee movie from a couple years ago was shockingly good, in stark contrast to every other Transformers movie.

Want some really well done scifi with a PHENOMENAL concept behind it, framed in a different way than any other first contact style movie, that will make you think about the nature of consciousness? Arrival is a masterpiece.

What We Do In The Shadows remains the best thing in the vampire genre. If you haven't seen it yet, fix that. The movie is great but the show absolutely blows it away.

Star Trek is a good evergreen choice. I don't have as much experience with it as I'd like, but I very much enjoyed TNG up until it hit writers' strike territory and things went really off the rails (mid season 5). Started DS9 but my progress got interrupted pretty hard when my dad was in the hospital for the last time. The different series have different feels to them. Not liking one show doesn't mean you won't like another one. There's plenty of Star Trek to choose from.

I am tearing through The Vampire Diaries at an impressive rate. Is it revolutionary? Not remotely. You can tell a LOT of the character archetypes were pulled from Buffy. But to be fair, it does a lot of those character archetypes better. I got into it partly for a specific character (Katherine Pierce) who is like Evil Girlboss incarnate, and partly as backstory for the world so I can eventually progress to Legacies for ANOTHER supernatural superpowered character (Hope Mikaelson). So far I'm very pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying it. It's actually a good show. VERY straight, but at least the straight vampire drama is better than Buffy's (even if it's very obvious that Stefan and Damon are basically rehashed Angel and Spike).

Have you seen Shin Godzilla? It is, bar none, the best monster movie ever made. An absolute MASTERPIECE of atmospheric, slow terror as the world fails to comprehend and respond to the physical and emotional impact of a nuclear catastrophe on Japanese soil. Absolutely PHENOMENAL movie. The version with all the deleted scenes in it is even better. Incredible film.

Do you like speculative fiction about artificial intelligence, and also think Alicia Vikander is pretty (who doesn't?). Ex Machina is really interesting and good.

Like the classic stuff? John Carpenter's The Thing and the 70s Invasion of the Body Snatchers definitely live up to their reputations.

Want to turn your brain off with a comedy about morons who are in over their head? The Three Amigos is pretty good and has one of my favorite jokes in any comedy movie. (It involves a veranda).

Wanna turn your brain off with goofy kaiju bullshit? The old Toho Godzilla movies are very fun. Be mindful of the older ones, though. If it was made before 1970 and features an island setting, there's usually some outlandish degrees of racism. King Kong vs Godzilla is the worst offender, but a BUNCH from that era had very severe colorism and "primative island culture" vibes. Also probably avoid Godzilla vs Megalon, which even manages to beat King Kong as hands down the worst film in the entire series. It was filmed in under two weeks and Godzilla is only in it for the last forty seconds because it wasn't even supposed to be a Godzilla movie at all. I'm a big fan of the Heisei era movies (1985-1995) personally, with the Millennium series (1999-2004) being a close second. But if you want maximum goofy kaiju cheese, you want Showa (1954-1974). It's all rubber suit bullshit and it's a good time.

The Maleficent movies are fantastic, if you haven't seen them.

The Mummy and The Mummy Returns are cinematic masterpieces. Do not watch The Mummy 3: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. I mean it doesn't even have Rachel Weisz, what's the point.

The Resident Evil movies are very bad. But they're a guilty pleasure if you're into really bad 2000s cheesy action. If you're into it, they're fun.

The Underworld movies are kinda like that but with vampires (and werewolves) instead of zombies. They're awful movies, but they DO have Kate Beckinsdale in a corset so you win some you lose some.

Want action cheese but more 80s? Demolition Man is fun. The original Judge Dredd is also better than it has any right to be. The NEW Dredd is genuinely a good and cool movie.

Want to watch a shitpost? Romancing the Stone and the sequel, Jewel of the Nile. Very fun to watch with friends because of how batshit insane they are.

GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE. I can't believe the post got this long before I thought of it. It's a great story about a female assassin and a polycule of librarians with guns. Sometimes a family is a little girl, the woman who shot her dad, and 4 gay aunts that love books guns and each other. Great music, too.

For turn your brain off but cute, charming, and low stakes/drama, Kiki's Delivery Service is one of my favorite Ghibli movies. It's about equal to Totoro with how gentle the world and story are. Also has some anti-capitalist vibes and a lesbian artist who lives in the woods. Plus it's about a witch, and who's not a sucker for decent witch movies?

Person of Interest is a really interesting show if you haven't seen it. It's about a national security algorithm that gains sentience and a small team of independent ex-spec ops agents use it to save people because its creator refused to let the government have access to it.

Do you want to absolutely lose your goddamn mind wondering how something ever got made? Try watching Zardoz. Holy fucking shit I've never been more confused.

Do you want that feeling but good instead of bad? Kung Fury.

Terminator: Dark Fate is the best film in the series THERE I SAID IT. It does every single thing the series NEEDED it to do to be good and relevant and fresh for a modern audience. The series has been stagnating for a long time and Dark Fate is EXACTLY the direction the Terminator franchise needed to go.

#eldritch recs #eldritch movies

[vampirologist]

3 8 and 12 for the choose violence ask game!

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr okay this deals with an angel episode SORRY but I saw people say angel would not like to be a human with buffy bc she would be stronger than him…. there’s an angel episode where he admits AS A VAMPIRE that she is slightly stronger than him. the whole post was a really bad take of the episode “I will remember you” like it was mind boggling how the point of the episode could go over someone’s head like that and that someone could say something as asinine as one of the supposed reasons he gives up his humanity in the episode is bc he wouldn’t be able to deal with buffy being stronger than him. I think ppl can interpret things differently yes but at the same time there’s a message going on between these two characters and it’s sad ppl just go into it in bad faith so they don’t like angel and then see the episode through a bad faith lens.. like in a way it IS true but not in the way they were insinuating it (like how riley is shown). angel wouldn’t want to be a liability to buffy bc we have seen the lengths buffy will go to save a vampire angel (gutting faith and offering her own blood up to angel in s3) and being a human would just up the stakes plus they would both neglect their duties of fighting the good fight bc they’d be so wrapped up in each other

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about this idea that spike was this good ole innocent boy as a human (used to prop him up in opposition of angel since angel as a human had a terrible relationship with his father, excessively drank and was a womanizer). like in “fool for love” he keeps pressing cecily and she keeps rejecting him and people are all like “aw poor william :(“ and it’s like. sorry I don’t think this woman owes him anything and you can clearly tell he has some superiority complex over his peers where he thinks he’s better and some misunderstood soul. I don’t necessarily think that makes him a bad person per se (same with angel as human) but I hate the idea of him being this poor guy who was a hopeless romantic poet who was then corrupted by angelus lol it flattens him and removes his agency and just places all his negatives onto angel

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them ANGEL MY BEST FRIEND ANGEL!!!! it’s so sad how retrospectively ppl have come to dislike him like none of you get him like I do. he’s such a complex character when you peel him back he is always fighting internally like he’s a vampire who had his soul forced upon him bc he was so ruthless and thee worst vampire in history!! he feels he wasn’t even good when he was human- he’s always been weak and bad!!! then as angelus he killed not just to feed but bc he loved the artistry of it. and that’s still there to an extent after the soul but he represses it and after being given the chance by whistler to help buffy, he actively tries to give himself a good purpose by trying to make the world a better place. and he doesn’t have to do it (though in his show there’s the reveal of a prophecy where he could become human again which both motivates and makes him become disillusioned) but he does!!!!! he chooses to!!!

#sorry they’re all angel 🤪 #But thanks! #Ask

[hunter-sylvester]

1, 8, 16, 17 & 22? For the choose violence ask game ✨

-cracks knuckles- let's go

(I got so fucking rambly I put in a cut so this doesn't clog everybody's dash lmao)

01. The character everyone gets wrong

It depends. My first thought was Hunter Sylvester. But I do see a lot of takes I agree with. I definitely wouldn't say everyone gets him wrong. I guess it's closer to maybe being about 50/50? But he's the character I've seen people get the most wrong I think. To the point where I wonder what fucking movie they watched cause it's not Metal Lords 2022 I know that much. The "he wouldn't say that" is strong.

The other answer would be Riley Finn (btvs) I guess. Because he is WIDELY hated by the fandom and there are just some scenes that I find really endearing. He has shitty moments, sure. He does. I'm not blind to those, nor do I excuse them. (Ultimatums are never ok!) But it feels like most of the fandom hates EVERYTHING about him and there is just an endearing quality to him for me. It's weird because my favorite Buffy character is Spike and it's not like Riley even makes it into my top 10. I don't love him as a character but I just...kinda like him?? Which is already in pretty stark contrast to most of the fandom I feel lol There is just something quite sweet about that goody two shoes soldier boy who's stressing out because everything he's ever been told is true and correct is crumbling around him. It's particularly the scene where he's helping Xander move that really does it for me I think. (I know you've been watching through Buffy for the first time and I don't think you've gotten to it yet so I'm trying not to be too spoilery) But yeah, I don't even have that strong of a defense of him at all. Again, I just…kinda like him. (disclaimer it's been a WHILE since my last watch-through, do not come for me)

08. Common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

Eddie being a top/Dom. I have literally nothing to back that opinion up other than I prefer Bottom!Eddie + Top!Steve. I know I'm kinda the one that's wrong on this one but...I like what I like. And I shall be delusional about it lol

This one's not super common but tiny fandom so eh I don't see where people remotely get the idea that Hunter is into Clay. Nor vice versa to be honest. I don't think they're particularly on each other's radar one way or another. At most I feel like Clay would be like "he's kind of a dick...hope he's okay tho" (like after the party particularly) And I feel like Hunter forgets Clay exists when he's not actively standing in front of him.

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

I must preface this by saying I have NO ISSUE what so ever with polyamory. It's all good, there should be more rep and the societal bullshit stigma needs to go. That being said... I just don't like poly skullflower, personally. It's not for me. I don't see it. I don't get it.

Also x reader anything I just can't and I don't get why people like it but to each their own.

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

Basically any fanart of Metal Lords, preferably Hunter (obviously). But I'll take pretty much anything T-T I would love to have more Metal Lords fics to read too but I'm extremely picky about Hunter's characterization so I don't even know what to say I want more of, we'd be here all day lol

22. Your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

I guess I truly don't think I've seen anybody else acknowledge that Kevin is a Fallout fan. Not necessarily my "favorite part of canon" or anything but I genuinely don't think I've seen anybody talk about it. And I do like it, I think it's really fun. (I was going to say Hunter's anxiety initially but I don't know if that is technically canon?? Or if the jacket thing (just the idea of it being one jacket not the whole scenario lol) can be counted as canon. Or even if Hunter being in love with Kevin can be considered canon. It's how Adrian played Hunter but it wasn't in the script. I would consider that canon but it's not widely ignored so...Fallout.)

Thank you so much for sending these 🤘 (And I'm so sorry it got SO wordy asjdlkalsjl)

From this ask game.

#answered ask #my post #itsfreakingbats #ask game

[oveliagirlhaditright]

You know... the Buffy/Angel crossover book "Cursed" sheds a lot of light on what the Fanged Four's interactions were like (if you choose to see it as canon).

For instance, it seems like Angelus actually stopped having a relationship with Drusilla after she sired Spike (and they got together), and was over her at that point. There's actually this one scene where she's coming onto him, trying to make Spike jealous (because Dru and Spike aren't together at that moment, I guess, and they have quite a few lovers' spats in their history, it seems), and he actually gets really irritated about it. Like, Angelus and Darla are having a moment and then Dru buts her head in and says, "I remember when I used to be your love bird." And then Angelus replies, "That was a long time ago, Dru."

Angelus and Darla then start having a conversation about Drusilla after she's left: something along the lines of Angelus telling Darla. "I know she amuses you, but..." And then Darla tells Angelus, "She amuses you, too. You just can't see it right now." And then he goes, "Right now she's annoying me."

So it sounds like it got to a point where Darla liked Drusilla more than Angelus did!

And damn, if that doesn't tell me the whole Angelus/Drusilla thing in season two wasn't just an act on Angelus' part, then, to try and upset Buffy!

Also, Angelus and Spike don't hate each other at all... Well, I guess I should say they're love-hate. There are definitely some moments where they want to kill each other, it's true. But there are other ones, where they get along so well and work together marvelously (and where Angelus was really impressed with Spike, and vice versa). Which I kind of figured, tbh. Because otherwise Spike wouldn't have been glad to have Angelus back into the fold at first in season two. And also because, if these two truly hated each other with nothing else there, they would have actually killed each other long ago.

This book makes it seem like Spike (when they were getting along) was actually Angelus' second favorite person in the Fanged Four, not Drusilla. o_0 ...Which is kind of unfair, since he's the one who made her crazy and all. Sheesh.

I also did feel some Spangel in this novel. Not gonna lie.

There was also a part where, in the present, Spike thought of Angel as "Angelus". And I sort of thought that that was just a fanfiction thing: because in the show and comics and stuff, ever since Angelus changed his name to Angel, he calls him Angel. But here in this novel at least, we see him think of Angel as Angelus once post-name change (which does make sense, of course). So I can definitely buy into him thinking of him that way sometimes now.

#buffy the vampire slayer #the fanged four #btvs #buffy #the whirlwind #angelus and spike #angel and spike #spangel #angelus and drusilla #angelus and dru #bangel #buffy tie-in book #buffy book #angel tie-in book #angel book #cursed #spikedru #darla and dru #darla and drusilla #i also kind of figured that angelus being a COMPLETE jerk to spike in s2 was new. because otherwise he wouldn't have been glad he'd come #back at first #as for darla she seems neutral with spike. like there's this one scene where she stops angelus from killing him #but at the same time she's like 'but if you don't do this one thing i'll aid in your destruction' but most of the time she seems okay with #him. and like she wants to keep the peace of the four #i mention it because a lot of people seem to have the headcanon that darla probably hated spike

[explosionshark]

i was tagged by @aliceinwondrbra to post a glimpse of a current WIP. everyone already knows that the BodLang epilogue is coming (soon, I swear to god, it’s coming) so in the interest of being more, uh, interesting, here’s this instead. Set at some nebulous point in s7, in the context of Buffy getting mind-wiped by a spell:

“Am I a smoker?” Buffy takes a few steps down the porch stairs, leans against the railing across from Faith and waits.

“Nah,” Faith shakes her head, glancing up at Buffy from her place on the steps. “Don’t think so.”

It’s tripping her out, talking to a version of this woman who looks and speaks exactly like the person she’s known for years, but who doesn’t know the first thing about Faith, in turn. There’s an openness to Buffy now that wasn’t possible with them a day ago. Even though Buffy told her she was glad Faith came, even though Buffy’s accepting her help, letting her stick around, they hadn’t yet figured out how to behave around each other, how to look each other in the eye without feeling the echo of some old hurt. And now Buffy’s here, curious, unguarded, asking Faith to tell her about herself.

Something feels fucked up about that. Like Buffy — the version with her memories of Faith intact — wouldn’t choose to do this on her own. Like Faith hasn’t earned it yet. 

“So, this is just my type then, huh?” Buffy asks wryly, glancing up at the stars with a shake of her head.

Faith’s heart does a stupid little kick inside her chest. Tha-thump. “What do you mean?”

“Leather jackets, brooding, high-risk for lung cancer?” Buffy lists. “That’s what I’m into?”

Tha-thump. Tha-thump.

Faith takes another drag off the cigarette, to buy herself some time to respond. She tries to ignore Buffy’s staring as she pulls her knees up, draping her arms over them and shrugging. She ashes the cigarette, watches the cherry brighten and then dim in the dark, like the slow blink of an eye.

“So, the breakup must have been pretty bad then, I’m guessing,” Buffy says, in that tone that she uses when she wants to sound casual about something she’s been obsessing over.

Faith raises her eyebrows, glancing over at Buffy. “As far as I know, you’re still together. As much as you ever were, anyway — I never really got all the details.”

Of all the things that have changed, this has stayed exactly as Faith remembers. Buffy doesn’t talk to Faith about her life. Especially not her boyfriends. Not any more than she absolutely has to.

“No, not me and Spike,” Buffy says, pushing off the railing and crossing the gap between them to sit down next to Faith. She’s so close Faith can smell that stupid, fruity body-spray she loves. Cherry blossoms. She’s so close Faith can’t help but feel a pang of regret about it, the way the ashtray smell of her bad habit is going to smother that nice, clean scent. “Me and you.”

tagging @mostlymilkwood, @strangesmallbard, @arznersfishingrod, and @coraniaid, if they’d like to do it!

#writing wank #fuffy #btvs #i'll probably have this WIP wrapped up this weekend tbh #so be on the lookout

[disco-tea]

5 headcanons about Spike + Dawn in a medieval AU

OK WAIT THIS IS BRILLIANT. Also this might have turned out much longer and with a little more world building than i meant sksksksks whoops

Our story takes place in the kingdom of Sunnydale that is equal parts magic and violence. It’s a land of goblins and dragons and trolls and fae, and occasionally, beings that are both supernatural and human, known as half-breeds. Legend has it that the kingdom was built upon the gates of hell itself.

The monarch that resides over the kingdom is named Elizabeth, though those in her inner circle often call her “Buffy.” Buffy comes from a long line of monarchs and it’s said that the royal bloodline has been entrusted with guarding the world from the evils that lurk beneath the kingdom of Sunnydale. Monarchs of Sunnydale are expected to be more than just rulers, more than just the law, they’re expected to be warriors, to fight the monsters and demons and armies of hell besides. The next in line is Buffy’s younger sister, Dawn. So we have Queen Elizabeth and Princess Dawn. Buffy has an inner circle of extraordinary people who help her rule and protect her kingdom. An adviser named Rupert, a mage named Willow, a friar named Xander, a changeling switched by the fae at birth named Anya …and her most trusted Knight, Sir William.

William has fought beside his Queen for many years and been through some of the worst battles the kingdom has seen. As a result, it has earned him the special title of the Queen’s Champion. Many of the other knights also call him Spike. Some say it’s because in his early days of knighthood he was a renowned jouster, some say it’s because he once slew a dragon with just a metal spike. Neither are true. As the Queen’s Champion, one of his many duties is to look after the young Princess. He accompanies her on journeys and public outing and all manner of things and if you were to ever spend any prolonged amount of time with them…you might realize how much they look and act alike. You might realize that he is the Princess’ best friend and at times their relationship is almost…familial.

And you see, Sunnydale is a kingdom of mysteries and secrets, and our protagonists are no exception. Each hold secrets, great and small. The Queen has many secrets, one of which is that the royal bloodline is comprised of half-breeds, endowed with strength to help fight and keep the darkness at bay. Her chiefest knight is also a half-breed. And her sister…well, her sister is not her sister at all, but her daughter. Nobody knows the real story, everyone thinks that Princess Dawn was merely sent away in secret while the former king and queen were alive. Sent away at birth to a far away land for protection and education and returned when she was a small child. But that’s not what really happened. The real story goes like this.

Years ago, not long after the King died and Queen briefly ruled alone (then Queen Joyce), Buffy was still a Princess. She never wanted to be the Queen. Didn’t want the burden and the pain. Didn’t want to have to choose a suitor from amongst the royalty. And there were suitors—one from the clan of Finn, a distant king named Angelus, and many others—but in the end, she fell in love with a young and brash knight with a soft heart. A knight named William.

They hated each other at first, always arguing and bringing complaints before the Queen, who bore it with patience and a knowing smile. Buffy hated him all the more when he was assigned to aid her in her quests and journeys and he made a show of hating her for much the same reason. It was a lie. In time they realized they were more alike then they ever could’ve guessed. Hate gave way to friendship and camaraderie and then eventually…love. 

But it could never be, because Elizabeth was royalty and she must marry royalty and he was just a knight, and— the secrets of the crown notwithstanding—a half-breed knight to boot. Still, that didn’t stop them from being in love, no matter how much they fought it. Despite the dangers and potential scandal, The Queen herself did very little to discourage it once she found out, having spent her life married to a man she didn’t love all because she had caved to her own parents demands.

Eventually, William and Elizabeth were married in secret and not long later…they had a daughter. A daughter named Dawn. Shortly before the Queen died, she helped them fabricate a story and told the entire kingdom that Dawn was a lost princess of the now deceased king and queen, finally brought home at last. Very few people actually know the truth, not even Dawn herself.

They continued that way for many years. That is until one fateful day…Elizabeth died in battle. William blamed himself, wished that he could follow his queen and wife to her grave. But he couldn’t, because there was a new queen now, one so young and broken-hearted. One who had no family left, save him, but she didn’t even know that.

Queen Dawn was coronated at only 14 years old. She was so young and scared, and barely had time to change out of her funeral clothes before the kingdom was thrusting a crown upon her head, expecting wisdom and strength and perfection from her, just as they had her sister before her. But through it all, a Knight was by her side. To keep her safe, give her strength, protect her from the many assassination attempts that followed. And often, to make her laugh when no one was looking. Because unlike the council or advisors or subjects, he hadn’t forgotten that she was still just a child…his child.

Five headcanons game

#forcing my self to end this hete because I think it’s starting to sound silly sksksks #*here #Buffy comes back at some point #maybe she faked her death for the good of the kingdom who knows (I do) #btvs imagine #no major proofreading we die like spuffy #spuffy #spike and dawn #btvs asks #long post

[twelverriver]

gonna go with the obvious and say buffy for the tv show ask game (also saw you reblogged some ouat and dw so if you want to do those too 👀)

hello lovely anon i'm gonna do all three shows thank you for asking!!! see below this is gonna get LONG

buffy:

Favourite character: buffy summers <3 the one and only!!

Funniest character: look buffy isn't the pun master for nothing!!! she's working hard on those!! i gotta appreciate good effort

Best-looking character: okay so the thing is here at jana summrsbuffy no one is suprised when i say buffy a third time but ALSO it's faith for obvious reasons but also it's s6 willow but also it's cordelia in every scene she's in same as jenny & tara & so on and so on

3 favourite ships: buffy x faith, buffy x spike, buffy x cordelia (also special mention to spike and dru bc literally WHO is doing like them. they said we're just gonna redefine your definition of love & vampirism on this show real quick. they said what if we're just a wifeguy & his vampiric seer wife and we were sooo insanely devoted 2 each other n also hot <3)

Least favourite character: oh many!!! my first thought was warren and i'm sticking with it

Least favourite ship: hmmm i don't really like buffy x riley, no surprise, i also don't like buffy x xander, i think that's about it???

Reason why I watch it: buffy summers is the actual love of my life i'd trust her with my life more readily than anyone else fictional or real <3 okay but also bc it's gotten a hold on my brain that literally no other show has done it is literally changing my brain chemistry it is so good it is so rich in neurodivergent and queer characters. i love characters with Such Issues <3

Why I started watching it: my sister watched it and i just started watching with her sometime and then i was like wait. this is actually cool i need 2 go back to the start and see everything

doctor who:

Favourite character: river song!! also twelve. it's river for when someone asks me but it's also twelve in my heart <3

Funniest character: hmm i think bill and rory are underrated comedic geniuses actually

Best-looking character: river song duh. also this is so rude to ask bc there are sooo many good looking women.... i keep getting tormented with choosing the prettiest girl...

3 favourite ships: river song x the doctor (especially river x twelve) is my favourite ship of all time and it probably always will be, the doctor x the master (especially twelve x missy) and rory x amy . all of them rotate in my brain like crazy

Least favourite character: okay choosing a least favourite character for a show this vast seems soo impossible... i'm not the biggest fan of clara i also dislike donna's mom... i don't know i'm not a hater at heart :/

Least favourite ship: oh definitely the doctor x clara no doubt no doubt 0/10 ship. also for a less serious note i heavily disliked ten and the woman he was married to in fob though that was mostly on her... anyway it Counts.

Reason why I watch it: it's my favourite show it's my special interest it's soooo !!!!! i love doctor who so much i've rewatched it plenty of times, it says such beautiful things about being human, space but mostly about LOVE !!! life is all about the beautiful things and having a friend actually so true <3

Why I started watching it: my best friend watched heaven sent years ago when i came over and she said hey do you mind me finishing up this episode while we eat lunch and i was immediately intrigued and then watched all seasons <3 she literally changed the trajectory of my life forever <3

ouat:

Favourite character: REGINA MILLS !!!!

Funniest character: hmm also regina also zelena has her moments

Best-looking character: sorry for going regina a third time but i'm also a lesbian and i love regina milfs ok

3 favourite ships: ouat is the swanqueen show to me, i don't really have any other ships :/

Least favourite character: hmm probably mary margaret ngl. i take my further statement back i AM a hater when it comes to ouat <3

Least favourite ship: uhh i don't really like emma x killian they're like spuffy but with much less flavour and spice... ok actually i think zelena and hades annoyed me more for the short time they had. okay final answer is rumple x belle i can't believe they weren't my first thought...

Reason why I watch it: for regina mills and for swanqueen <3 also it had a musical ep. what more do i need 2 say

Why I started watching it: my sister! also my best friend at the time was also a big fan and rewatched it

#i've got mail💌 #sorry i really did hate on ouat sjdjgj #i have a complicated relationship with it where i love it very much and i also hate it very much and i also really want it to be #better than it is SO badly bc i do feel very fondly about it #anyway <3 thank u for asking!!! #anonymous

[kitkatt0430]

So I mentioned Closer and Closer Still the other day. Gotta give a Six Sentence Sunday update on that now. :D

"I went to visit my father today," Barry replied, voice equally quiet.  "I haven't seen him since he was arrested.  There wasn't a trial, so... but it was like everything happened yesterday when I saw him."

"Do you want to talk about your visit?  I admit... I am curious as to why you choose to speak with him now, after all this time.  But I also recognize this is a very private thing for you, Barry.  So if you would rather simply to have company or to be alone..." hesitantly, Wells reached out to take Barry's hand and squeezed it.  "I'd like to be there for you, if you'll let me."

Eobard - I'm gonna be supportive, this is totally the correct social thing to do and will make Barry want to be friends with me. Barry - He's holding my hand!!!! *blushes*

Disasters the lot of them. Eobard's not really taking Barry's crush on the Reverse Flash too seriously here. After all, he knows what it's like to have a childhood crush on the Flash and that there's a difference between crushing on the idea of someone and actually having feelings for that person. And since the Reverse Flash killed Nora - saving Barry from an abusive home in the process - that's just an idle childhood crush that's resurfaced, right?

When he realizes that Barry likes him as Harrison because of how well they're getting to know each other - with the Harrison persona being rather paper thin these days... that's really gonna throw him for a loop. Because he does rather like Barry too, after all. This Barry. Who he thought he'd hate as much as the previous timeline's Flash... but he doesn't. Can't.

I'm working on the second chapter of Welcome to 2015, but that's getting close enough to being ready to post that I'm just gonna wait on it. I do have a Buffy fic that I'm working on, though. I'll post a snippet from that. Another Buffy/Anya fic, though not part of the series I've been writing on and off.

Buffy's honestly a little bored with the stripper part of the party, but at least Halfrek was right about Anya enjoying herself.  Buffy sends Dawn out of the room - the room the stripper was in, anyway, they had two reserved - and then spent the rest of that time the stripper was present with Tara playing 'guess what's in the box' regarding the gifts they'd brought Anya.  They both guessed Halfrek's was a dildo - they're right - and that Dawn got her a bodice ripper type romance novel - they're both correct there too.  (Buffy had gotten Anya a new dress to wear on the beach during the honeymoon and Tara got her a box of condoms.  Which had Buffy doing a spit-take with her champagne when the box was pulled from the tissue paper filled bag.  How was it that Buffy's gift was the only one that didn't involve sex in some way?)

The rest of the party is fun, though, with them nomming on green cupcakes that match the bridesmaid dresses and watching a marathon of Anya's favorite rom coms on pay per view.  They take over the hotel's hot tub at one point, everyone a little tipsy except Dawn. 

It's a S6 AU where Buffy and Spike don't hook up, but instead become good friends. Things fall out a bit differently when Tara and Willow break up. And Anya winds up living at the Summers' residence after her wedding to Xander doesn't actually happen.

It might tip over into Buffy/Anya/Tara, but right now the only ship I'm really planning on is Buffy/Anya.

#six sentence sunday #the flash #buffy the vampire slayer #fanfiction #barry allen #eobard thawne #barry x eobard #buffy summers #tara maclay #anya jenkins #buffy x anya

[spnae]

Chapter 12 Hospitals Man

***** ***** ******

It was almost three hours later when Faith called from the hospital. Giles’s leg was worse than they originally thought and would require surgery. They had him scheduled for surgery later that evening.

“They have him on some pretty good pain meds. Started singing some song about a chick named ‘Matilda’. He actually refused to put a hospital gown on until the nurse sang with him… that was pretty damn funny.”

“Sorry I missed it.”

“He stopped now, he’s just resting. I thought you might want to stay with him during surgery,” Faith said.

Buffy nodded, then realizing Faith couldn’t see her over the phone she said, “Yeah, of course, I’ll head over. Are you still patrolling tonight or are you staying with Giles too? I can always have the girls out there to cover for you tonight.”

“Yeah, do that. I might still go out later. They said ‘about an hour and a half’ about a half hour ago, so I don’t know. It’s still good practice for the girls.”

“I’ve been wanting to try something out with them anyway. I was going to wait until next week but this kinda works out. Let me finish getting the troops gathered and I’ll be over as soon as I can.”

Before heading over to the hospital, Buffy divided the girls up into groups. She had picked one girl from each level. The girls stood crammed together in their groups around her in the entryway while she explained the evening’s extenuating circumstances concerning Giles’s Surgery.

“You know where we’ll be. I want cellphones on. You have your assigned patrols. My Level 4 girls, Addison, Zari, Ursula, and Wendy; you are in charge. Make no mistake ladies, this is a test, possibly your biggest one yet and it’s just the beginning. I’m not just looking for leadership skills. The world is changing; more people are aware of the things we face. If you’re smart, you will find your own allies to help you in our mission. Always choose wisely, but that’s a lesson for another day. Today, these girls with you are your allies. You need to know who’s with you, their strengths and their weaknesses. As strong as everyone in this room is, we all have weaknesses. Every one of us. Sometimes our greatest strength and our greatest weakness are the same thing. Know yours and create a group of allies that will balance each other. I’ve done that for you tonight. I grouped you together on purpose, your group is the lesson. Remember your training and protect each other. Now, I don’t think we will be out all night and I know Faith was still planning on patrolling solo. Complete your route and get back to the castle. If we’re back, I want full reports; If not, then bed. Reports can wait until morning. Everyone got it?” They all nodded.

“Call if there’s trouble,” and with that Buffy turned towards the door where Spike stood waiting for her. She noticed he was wearing the motorcycle jacket and gloves she had gotten for him in Paris. It was only the second time she’d seen him in the jacket. It certainly didn’t have the same flare as his usual jacket but he definitely looked damn sexy in it.

It was a very cloudy evening, the sun was low but it hadn’t set yet. Spike pulled the hood on the jacket up to cover his face as she came near him. They left together with the girls filing out behind them. Faith had taken Giles in his car and the girls would be taking the van into town and splitting up into the various cemeteries from there. Which meant they were left with the little Volkswagen Bug Faith sometimes used.

“Love seeing you take charge like that. Gets me all tingly,” Spike drawled low in her ear as they walked towards the little blue car.

“Your tingles are going to have to wait. If Faith’s timetable is right, he might be in surgery before we even get there.”

“You’re worried.”

“I— yeah, I guess I am, a little,” she said as they got into the car.

“Don’t, Docs will fix him up.”

“Maybe I should have gone with them to begin with. I could have called from the hospital and told you what I wanted to do with the girls. You could have handled that. Why didn’t I just go?”

Spike started the engine and pulled out down the driveway, “Because that’s not who you are-“

“Are you saying I don’t care?”, she cut him off, hurt.

“Don’t be daft. Let me finish would you?”

“I’m listening.”

“You took charge, delegated the task of getting him to the hospital and got the girls gathered and up to speed. Not like you were eating popcorn while he was bleeding out. You didn’t go because you thought he’d be back before dinner. Simple. Of course you care,” he paused a beat as they made a turn towards the outskirts of Edinburgh where the closest hospital was.

“Spi-“

“You know. You might think Slayers are all about death. I won’t deny it, because I know better. But I’ll say this: Yeah you are all about death, as much as the death of evil things protects humanity. You’re a protector, when it comes down to it, and that… that isn’t just about duty, that takes love. Love for humanity is what destroys evil, and you got it in spades. Willow, still breathing, eh? She went as bad as a witch can go and here she is, back on our side and stronger than ever. How else do you explain this soul of mine? Or the fact I’m still around? How many times have I screwed up so bad you should have killed me? Hell, how many times have I begged you to kill me? I know now it’s because you protect humanity. I didn’t get that for a long time, didn’t see it myself. Or in myself, but you did.”

Buffy gaped at him speechless for a moment, uncertain of what to say, “Spike?”

“Yeah, I know… Went a bit off topic… Just— the way you talk sometimes… I usually get it and I stay quiet, but then sometimes, you’re just bang off the mark—”

“Where's this coming from? All I said was—“

“I’m sorry, Love. Just a lot on my mind. Didn’t sleep well, nightmares.”

“What was it this time?”

“You, dieing… you going on about death and Slayers— it was all jumbled up. Then… memories… I don’t know; something you said just now triggered something in my brain…”

“Did it help?”

“If I got my point through to you.”

“I just— I never really thought about it like that…”

“Food for thought then.”

They were both silent for several minutes, as Spike drove on. “In there, when I was talking to the girls, I was thinking about you. You do, you know, balance me. I don’t think I could keep doing any of this without you,” she said, as they turned into the hospital parking lot.

“Bullocks, you did just fine without me. Built a bloody Slayer Hogwarts and I had nothing to do with it.”

“That wasn’t really me. That was mostly Giles and Faith, and Willow. I really didn’t do much aside from training. Then Dawn wanted to go to school in Italy,” she shrugged, “I just figured ‘What the heck’, took some Slayers with us, and found a couple there. I patrolled like normal and trained them to earn my pay and that was about it. On the surface, sure, I was keeping it together but I had been drowning for months. When you found me in Paris, I was seriously considering just disappearing somewhere. Possibly someplace tropical.”

Spike pulled the car into the growing shade of the hospital building and parked, “You never said,” he replied as he turned off the engine. He pulled the hood down and looked at her.

Buffy smiled a little, “I got a better offer. Plus, I figured I’d just attract demons wherever I was.”

They got out and headed towards the entrance, “More of them than you’d think in the tropics.”

“Less vampires.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Is no place sacred?”

“I’d say churches, but then Angel loved convents. Got off on them,” he looked at Buffy as he gaged her reaction. Her passive expression was hard to read. He was about to speak when Buffy beat him to it.

“Do all vampires have ‘a thing’ or what?”

He was a little thrown by the question and missed the door handle the first try, “Ehh… kinda depends on the vampire I guess, plenty of them are just mindless killers. Then you get the real gems like me and Angelus,” he said, recovering himself and opening the door for her.

“Don’t remind me.”

“Try not to, Love.” He followed her over to the reception desk.

“We’re here to see Rupert Giles, he came into the ER, I got a call he’s having surgery.”

“Are you family?” The receptionist asked in a stern routine fashion.

“I’m his daughter.”

“Your friend will have to wait in the waiting room, I’m afraid only family is allowed in prior to surgery. Sign in here Miss Giles.”

“Oh it’s Summers,” Buffy said automatically.

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m—“

“Married,” Spike interjected.

“Oh of course, my apologies, you’ll both need to sign here then please.”

“Ta,” Spike grunted. Buffy stared as she watched him sign his name ‘William Summers’, “Here you are, Pet,” he said, handing her the pen. Buffy snapped her attention back and signed in.

The receptionist merely nodded, “You’ll find him in through there, he’ll be going to surgery soon.”

“Thank you!”

Spike and Buffy went in through the double doors the receptionist had indicated. There were a number of beds, half of them with curtains pulled across them and another desk with a haggard looking nurse behind it.

“Excuse me, could you show me where Rupert Giles is?”

The nurse barely looked up, “Third bed.”

“Thanks“

Buffy pulled the curtain aside to find Giles laying in bed with his leg supported and Faith sitting in a chair next to him reading a magazine. They both looked up when they entered the little space.

“Glad you found us. Did everything go alright with the girls?“

“Yeah great, I got them out in groups. Trying something different. A multi level teambuilding sort of thing.”

Faith nodded, “You mentioned it before. Never been much for teamwork until recently. It’s not a bad idea.”

“How’s he doing?” Buffy asked.

“Oh you know, he’s on some pretty strong pain meds and he keeps dozing off.”

“I am perfectly fine, I’ll be out of here in no time.” Giles spoke up a little groggily.

Buffy went over to sit next to him, “Ah ha, yeah, you are totally fine. Spike and I are here now, we’ll hang out while you’re in surgery and will be here when you get out.”

“Oh isn’t that incredibly kind of you both,” Giles said, giving her a fatherly smile.

Faith eyed Spike, “I’m surprised Nurse Ratchet at the front there let him in; she seemed kind of a stickler about the whole ‘family only’ thing. I had to play up the niece bit, pretty hard just to get to stay with him after I brought him in.”

“Ah yeah, about that,” Buffy nodded, “Meet my husband.”

Faith let out a low whistle, “Aww, welcome to the family Spikey.”

“I think I remember this one… or maybe it was a dream…” Giles slurred.

Just then a pair of nurses pulled aside the curtain, “We’re ready for you Mr. Giles.”

He beamed at them drunkenly, “Jolly good.”

“He’s a little out of it… he isn’t normally like this,” Buffy said apologetically.

“No worries. We’ve seen worse than the likes of him,” the nurse smiled.

Buffy reached out to squeeze Giles’s hand, and he looked up at her, “Buffy, dear me, what a beautiful bride. Too bad your mother isn’t here—“

“Okie dokie, that’s enough of the good stuff for you,” Buffy tried to grin.

One of the nurses smirked, “It’s quite alright, we’ll take good care of him.”

Buffy patted his hand before they took Giles out. They followed them down the hall and the nurses directed Faith, Buffy and Spike to a little waiting room just outside of the operating theater. Buffy squeezed Giles’ hand one more time “We’ll see you when you get out.”

“Very well. Oh and Buffy?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I know. I love you too Gi— Dad.”

“Faith?” He asked, reaching out a hand.

“I’m here,” she said, going to him.

“I’m so very proud of you, you’ve come such a long way…”

Stunned, Faith just patted his hand awkwardly, “Thanks.”

“Surgery should be about an hour and a half. He’s in good hands.”

“Thank you!” Buffy and Faith said together.

After they wheeled him away on the gurney, the three of them went to sit down in the little waiting room. Spike made himself at home with a motorcycle magazine and stretched his legs out in front of him crossing them at the ankles. Buffy took the seat next to him. Faith however, sat and got up again almost immediately and started pacing.

“Faith?” Buffy asked.

“Yeah?”

“Are you alright? If you need to get out, it’s okay. You’ve been here long enough, we got this. Really, if you want to go patrol or even just take the night off, it’s cool. I’ll call you when we hear something.”

“Ah, yeah actually I think maybe I will… I was totally fine waiting with him in there but out here it just feels… freaky ya know? Hospitals man…”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Go on. He’s going to be in there for a while anyway, I think I might go find a cup of coffee. Maybe a balloon.”

Faith chuckled, “Oh yeah, I’m sure he’d love that,” she shook her head, “Yeah alright, I’m out. Work off some of this energy.”

“Good plan, we’ll see you later.”

After she had left, Spike stood up. Buffy looked at him curiously, “Where are you going?”

“Go find you some coffee.”

Buffy laughed, “Honestly, I just said that to get Faith to relax,” she paused for a moment, “I might actually see about the balloon though,” she grinned, “That would really annoy him.”

Spike chuckled, “You are devious. Alright let’s go, see if we can find the man a balloon, perhaps a nice little teddy too.”

They started down the hall, following the signs for the gift shop until they noticed a security guard running for the stairs talking into his radio, “Heading down to you now.”

“You don’t think-“

Spike nodded, “We are on the ground floor. After you, Love.”

They followed the guard down the stairs to the morgue. When they reached the bottom they found the other guard lying on the other side of the door leading to the morgue. Buffy pushed the door, moving the guard along with it. A female vampire with long hair dyed a violent shade of bright green, stood holding the guard they had followed down. She was feeding off of him.

“Drop the guard, Jolly-Green-Skank,” Spike drawled.

The vampire looked up. She eyed Spike a moment before dropping the guard, and the only thing covering her.

She sauntered towards him a few paces, “Skank? I might be offended if you weren’t so damn delectable, Gorgeous,” she licked her lips.

Spike rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Does that even work?”

“You prefer ‘fit’ or maybe ‘hot’, Stud? What do you say we get out of here and go paint the town red?”

“Hey, Evil-Dead-Barbie, back off. He’s taken.”

She rolled her head slowly towards Buffy and looked at her sideways, her hair falling around her, “Oh hello, and who is this precious little thing?”

“Oh brother. Were you this ridiculous when you were alive or is this a new thing?” Buffy rolled her eyes as she pulled a stake out of her jacket pocket.

“Enough of this bollocks. Come on, Love, let’s dust this bitch,” Spike said, incredulously gesturing towards the naked vampire.

Buffy grinned, “Sure, Honey.”

Buffy advanced at the same time the vampire lept towards Spike, “Here we are now…” he caught the vampire by the shoulders and threw her into a metal autopsy table.

Buffy ran forward as the vampire hit the table and hit her with the back of her fist. The blow knocked the vampire over the table and onto the floor. Buffy leapt up onto the table. As the vampire stood up, Buffy kicked her in the face, snapping her head back forcefully. As the vampire stumbled back she managed to knock the rolling table aside. Buffy lost her balance and landed on the floor hard.

The green haired vampire then stumbled back into another table directly in front of Spike. She threw a number of wild punches Spike dodged easily. “Buffy?” Spike called when she didn’t get up right away. The vamp got lucky on the last punch, hitting Spike in the jaw.

Spike spun, landing on a little table of surgical instruments. Grabbing a large saw-like blade he turned just as the vampire threw herself onto him again. She grabbed him by the throat, slamming him down. Spike pushed her up with his free hand and took the blade in the other bringing it up between them. Then in one swift motion he sliced off the vampire’s head.

As the vampire turned to ash, Spike could see Buffy standing in front of him with a stake at the ready, “Aww, I really wanted that one,” she pouted. She had a little cut near her hairline but otherwise seemed fine.

“Sorry to disappoint, Pet,” he quipped as he allowed her to help him up.

“You know, if you hadn’t just killed her I might have been a little jealous,” Buffy teased.

“Of what?” He grinned and pulled her into a quick kiss, “Better check the guards.”

“Yeah,” she murmured as she stooped towards the guard closest to her, “It’s weak but I got a pulse.”

Spike checked the guard by the door, “Unconscious. You see an emergency call switch around here?”

Buffy cast her eyes around until she saw one, “Over here by the hazmat station. You call on that guy’s radio and I’ll hit this.”

Back upstairs they watched as a couple of nurses and another guard ran towards the stairs. “Come on, Love, let’s get you cleaned up and finish what we were doing.”

Buffy nodded, “I want to get back in there before he’s out of surgery.”

“Shop is this way, Pet.”

Thirty minutes later they were back in the waiting room they had started out in. Buffy had opted for a balloon arrangement and some Cadbury’s chocolate for Giles as well as a coffee and a muffin for herself. Spike had insisted on getting a little stuffed bear with glasses, just to annoy Giles. Spike sat in the seat next to Buffy, flipping through the outdated motorcycle magazine once again as they waited.

“Spike?”

“Humm?”

“What was your ‘thing’?”

Spike looked up at her, “Come again?”

“Angel liked convents, nuns, virgins… what was your thing?”

“You already know that don’t you? Mostly girls, women… virgins are kind of an evil staple… you know all this—”

“Your file mostly talks about the eh, method… and that several of your early victims were from predominant families.”

“That’s just a polite way of saying ‘pampered rich little aristocratic assholes’, I always liked a good party. The more posh the better. Didn’t matter what kind of party just as long as there were lots of entitled ponces and pretty young things.”

“BYO-railroad-spikes?”

He chuckled darkly, “Seemed like the thing to do at the time.”

“Well, at least you got a cool nickname out of it.”

He shrugged, “Doesn’t quite have the same ring it used to, but I’m so used to it now. ‘William the Bloody’ is a bit of a mouthful. ‘William’ is alright, just seems a bit vanilla at this point. Except when you say it.”

“How about ‘Billy’ or no, ‘Willy’!”

“Piss on that, ‘Willy’ is a hard pass. Bloody well not going there.”

Buffy laughed at the look on his face, “I could barely keep a straight face saying it the first time. I think you’re safe.”

“Got ‘Billy’ a lot in the 80’s. Got me and Dru into some great parties with that one.”

“I get you were evil, but seriously, pretending to be Billy Idol.”

“It was easy, we’d met briefly not long after I’d started bleaching my hair and next thing I know he’s stealing my look.”

“At least he was able to sort of show you what you look like. I mean you’re way more sexy but seriously, what do you do? Take polaroids?”

“Oh you’re in for it now,” he pulled her close for a kiss. Spike wove his fingers into her hair as they deepened the kiss. They only broke apart when they heard an uncomfortable cough.

Buffy looked up sharply at the surgeon standing in front of them, “Pardon ah, are you the family for Mr. Rupert Giles?”

“That’s us,” Spike raised his hand then pointed casually towards Buffy, “Her dad, I’m just the son-in-law.”

Buffy lowered his hand and patted it dismissively. Standing up she asked, “Can we see him? How soon can we take him home.”

“He’s in recovery now. We set the bones, I had to add a plate and a couple of pins. I’ll be happy to look over the ex-rays in his room with you once he’s settled. I’m afraid he won’t be going home until tomorrow at the earliest. You should know that he gave us a spot of trouble on the operating table but he’s stable now and resting comfortably.”

“What kind of trouble?” She asked, alarmed.

Spike stood up next to Buffy, putting an arm around her.

“I assure you he’s fine now.”

“That’s what they said about my mom, and—“

Spike cut her off gently, “Buffy, that was different, your mum— Just let the man speak.”

“Does your father have a history of high blood pressure?” The doctor asked.

“I don’t think so. He’s always been really healthy and active, sometimes he even jogs with me. Well he used to, I guess it’s been a while...” she looked at Spike anxiously.

“He did mention work’s been rough, Love.”

Buffy chewed her lip, “That’s true, and we haven’t been around like we should…”

Spike pulled her a little tighter and she rested her head on his shoulder, “That’ll be changing here, Pet.”

“Humm, well be that as it may. I’d like to keep your father a little longer for observation, just to keep an eye on his blood pressure and run some tests. I want to check his cholesterol as well. We’ll be moving him to a room as soon as he comes around. He’ll be coming through here so you’ll be able to follow him up when he comes out.”

“Thank you doctor.”

“Not at all, I’ll be around in the morning to check on him.”

The two of them watched as the doctor disappeared behind the heavy double doors again. Spike picked up the magazine and resumed reading. Buffy crossed her arms and walked over to the window to look out at the flowerbeds.

“I can hear you worrying,” Spike drawled as he flipped a page.

“Not worry… Just thinking.”

“Thinking we should stay on a bit longer until he’s back on two feet, yeah?”

“Yeah…” she turned to him sharply, “It sounds like it might take a while to heal up with the extra hardware. Do you mind?”

“Buffy, you should know by now, as long as I’m with you and have a steady stream of blood and violence I’m good. Come on, Pet, have a seat. You didn’t say much about your house hunting adventure aside from the baddy. How’d he get in there anyway?”

“I didn’t tell you about it?”

“Nope. You got the call from Faith and woke me up. Told me about the random cellar dweller and Giles’s little accident and then you started going on about herding cats and how you’d been trying to get the girls gathered up. I think your exact words were, ‘I’ll show you later, now get your pants on’, like the tease you are,” he added with a grin.

Buffy laughed weakly, “Yeah ok,” she sat down next to him, “it’s definitely a fixer-upper…”

“But?”

“Oh God, Spike, it’s so perfect. I already know which side would be ours. You’re seriously going to love it! It has access to the tunnels!”

“You’re havin’ a laugh.”

“No I’m not. That’s how the vamp got in. We’ll have to check it out and see how far it goes but the part I saw looked sturdy. The bricks looked good. Giles thinks it might even go clear into Edinburgh, I’d be happy if it just goes into the smaller towns around us.”

“Daytime access is always a perk.”

“I want to take the girls to help map out the tunnels.”

“All right… and not to put a damper on this brilliant plan, but exactly how do you plan to do this without oh I don’t know, losing your charges or somebody getting killed in a cave-in or something?”

“OK so I haven’t worked out all of the kinks yet. But I do have a plan and I think it’s kinda genius. I just need the help of my tech-witch.”

“Ahh huhh… and you want to do this, this week?”

“Well not entirely. I kind of think this is probably going to be an ongoing project but if I can get Willow on board then yeah, I’d like to at least get it started. What do you think?”

Spike cocked his neck to the side stretching a little and closed his eyes. He took a moment before answering “It would definitely come in handy, knowing what’s down there. And there is definitely potential for training up the young ones. Who knows what kind of baddies are hiding out in those tunnels.”

“I was thinking about making it kind of a senior project for the older girls.”

Spike let out a low whistle, “You know I’m in. Get it set up.”

Buffy gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, “I knew I could count on you. Besides, it's pretty much for you anyway. I think you’re going to love the duplex.”

“Are you forgetting the part about having to go all ‘This Old House’ on the bloody thing?”

“Nope, that’s the best part, we can make it ours.”

“And where are we getting the money? You don’t make enough to keep the flat in Rome, travel with your freeloading lover and take on a major remodel, Pet.”

“I don’t, but we do. My newly employed boyfriend just landed a full-time teaching position at ‘The Joyce Summers School for Girls’. You just have some paperwork to sign.”

“Didn’t realize you had an official name for the school. Nice tribute. When did this all happen?”

“Well we needed a name to put on all the paperwork and I thought it sounded more official than Xander’s ‘Slayer School’.”

“Xander’s a bloody git. I ment the job offer.”

“Oh, yeah. This morning actually, remember I told you I had stuff I wanted to talk to Giles about?”

“How’d you talk Giles round to that?”

“That was the funny thing. When I went to talk to him, he told me he already had the paperwork and you just needed to sign. He did that all on his own.”

Spike sat up a little straighter, “Right then, second time I’ve found myself employed fighting evil, hope this one lasts longer.”

“Me too, considering we seem to be planning a permanent stay and we’ve only officially been together for about a month,” she laughed nervously.

“Not going too fast for you are we?”

Buffy thought about that for a second, “Technically we are still on our ReconnectIon-Euro-trip. It’s just been seriously interrupted, and we’re making plans about what we’re doing after, right?”

“That’s what we keep telling ourselves.”

“Then in that case, no. I’m good. If we were looking at moving in tomorrow, yeah I’d be totally freaked. As it is right now, I don’t know, it just feels like- us. Does that make any sense?”

“Yeah, it does,” he looked at her fondly, “So if we’re making plans to put down roots. Can I at least look at this place before we start picking drapes?” He asked.

“Definitely! Giles won’t be coming home until sometime tomorrow, how about if you and I check it out tonight after he’s settled in? I got the lay of the place now. I’m also curious if any other vamps know about that tunnel going in there. We might have to do some kind of a spell or something to keep baddies out of that access tunnel.”

“That’s a good point. You and Giles technically own the building but it’s abandoned so anyone can just walk in. Since we won’t be moving in right away, and yours truly, doesn’t count. We need to figure something out, there’s work being done in there we can’t have anybody getting attacked.” He paused for a moment thinking, “I might have an idea. Hear me out, here. I think you should start visiting the place, get attached. Start making plans and get comfortable and really think about it as ‘Home’.”

“What good will that do if we haven’t moved in yet?”

“It’s sort of an experiment. See, I can’t go into a house even if people are on vacation, because they have the intent of coming back home. Same with the reverse with vacation homes that actually get used. It’s not about the names on the paperwork, it’s about it being a place for the living. When someone lives there the place is alive. That’s why vampires can’t enter without an invitation.”

“So say I go back in there maybe start cleaning up, thinking about how I want to remodel, eat my lunch there or something and just get really invested in it, you think that will be enough?”

“Dunno, it’s why they call it an experiment. I’ll go in with you tonight, should be able to walk right in. You go and get good and attached to the place and I’ll try again again in about a week. See if I need an invite.”

“Worth a shot I guess,” she shrugged.

A banging sound alerted them that Giles was finally being wheeled out. Buffy let out a sigh of relief. They both stood up to join him. “We’ll be taking him to his room now,” the nurse chimed.

“Lead the way,” Spike replied.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Buffy asked as they started to walk down the hall.

“A little fuzzy, but better. Are those for me?” Giles asked, indicating the big bouquet of balloons.

“They sure are! You, like?”

Giles gave Buffy a slightly annoyed smile, “Thank you, yes. They say I’ll need to stay the night.”

“Yeah, something about your blood pressure being wonky.”

The nurses continued pushing him down the hallway. With Buffy and Spike walking beside him.

“Can’t imagine why that would be,” Giles huffed.

“Yeah, well Buffy and I talked it over and we intend on sticking around a bit longer. Get you back on your feet, Rupert.”

Giles looked at the two of them, “But what about your trip?”

“We’re just postponing a little. The rest of Europe will still be there, we want to make sure you will be too,” Buffy assured him, “Besides, we’ve got work to do on our future home.”

“You’re serious?”

“As a heart attack,” Spike said, earning him a glare from Buffy and Giles, “That we’re obviously trying to avoid. Come on people, take a joke.”

“Sorry to interrupt but we need to get him up to the third floor,” one of the nurses interjected.

Buffy realized they were standing outside the elevators, “Oh right!”

Once they managed to get Giles into the large elevator Buffy and Spike were able to slip in beside him.

“There’s a lot of work to do if we ever plan on moving here permanently,” Spike said, handing Giles the little bear.

“I dare say you’re right,” he looked at the little bear in his hands, “Good heavens, Buffy. The balloons were quite enough but the bear too?”

“Don’t look at me, the bear was his idea,” she hitched a thumb towards Spike.

“Only the best for my father-in-law,” Spike grinned at the look on Giles’s face.

The elevator door rang as the doors opened. The nurses quickly got Giles settled into his room and elevated his leg. “The doctor will be in shortly,” one of the nurses said before leaving.

“Thank you!” Buffy called after them. She set the balloons down on the bedside table along with the little bear, “This little guy will keep you company tonight. Hopefully you’ll be able to come home tomorrow. We can hang out here a little bit longer until they kick us out. I want to hear what the doctor has to say.”

“It’s only a broken leg Buffy, I’m fine, really.”

“Leg, smeg, I’m worried about this blood pressure.”

“Oh I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“I could always check your cholesterol if you like, get instant results,” Spike offered.

“I think not.”

“Don’t joke about eating him!” Buffy punched him in the arm.

Spike rubbed his arm, “Ow! Who said anything about eating? I only meant a little taste test,” he grinned.

Buffy rolled her eyes, “After we talk to the doctor we’ll probably head out and let you get some rest. I was going to take Spike over to look at the house.”

“Fine, fine.”

“How about some telly?” Spike grabbed the remote without waiting for an answer. He made himself comfortable and started flipping through the channels and stopped on a home renovation show, “There you are, Love.”

Buffy took the other chair next to Giles’s bed. “You know, I really hope Xander gets back soon, we could really use him on this project.”

“Where is he now anyway?” Spike asked.

There was a knock at the door interrupting them and the doctor came in. He went over the X-rays taken before and after the surgery. “I’ve ordered some tests. We should have most of the results in the morning. You get some rest now Mr. Giles,” he then turned his attention to Spike and Buffy, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave for the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Summers. You are welcome to return tomorrow.”

Spike stood up to shake the doctor’s hand, “Thanks Doc,”

“My word, your hands are cold.”

“Yeah, it’s nothing.”

“I beg to differ, it could be quite serious indeed.”

Buffy stepped in, “It’s alright Doctor, we’ve known about his heart condition for a long time, his specialist has it under control. Speaking of which, we should probably get him home to take his medication.”

“Ah I see. Yes, yes of course.”

“See ya round Doc,” Spike said dismissing the doctor then he turned to Buffy, “Heart condition?” He laughed.

“It got rid of him didn’t it?” She said with a grin.

Giles stifled a yawn but Buffy caught it, “Yeah, that’s our que to head out. You get your rest and we’ll see you tomorrow, just give us a call when you hear anything,” she said, giving him an awkward hug.

“I most certainly will, thank you, dear. Good night!”

#buffy the vampire slayer #bound #buffy fanfic #buffy x spike #fanfic #spuffy #spike x buffy