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Yes yes, it's done! Finally! And i've felt like such an amazing slacker, not working on this. But now it's done! Wheeeee!
Thank you guys so much for sticking with this 'untraditional' Spander story and for cheering me on - it's been great!
As always, huge hugs to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
reremouse for her poking and squeeing and timely beta-remarks, and to darkhavens for telling me if my sci-fi 'stuff' made sense. *smoooshes you both*
Previous parts are here.
sweptawaybayou - does the 'Spander' line count? Heee! S/X all the way, bay-bee!
"I knew it, I knew it, I fuckin' knew it," Ferro said, grinning. Grinning like a fucking lunatic but he didn't care. Stripping clumsily out of his suit, post-fight chemicals making his hands shake and his knees go wobbly. That Angel guy was staring at him and he sent a sloppy salute his way, shoving his smoke-fouled suit into a locker and kicking it shut. Deal with that later. His t-shirt was sticking to his chest and back and he peeled it off - mopped at his underarms and neck and shoved the shirt into the nearest recycling chute. He could afford a new one.
"Knew you'd be involved in them showing themselves, Spike," Ferro said, and Spike looked up at him and matched his grin for a moment. Then he growled and turned golden eyes on Xander.
"Hey! Watch it!"
"Stop being such a baby! Let me do this!" Xander snapped, and Ferro stifled a laugh. The minute they'd stepped aboard the Dru Xander had shoved Spike down onto the bench by the access and started cutting the ragged leg of his suit away - pulling off his boot and exposing a bloody mess of shrapnel-chewed flesh and denim. H'ru was in better shape but still bleeding and Ferro wondered for a moment if he'd need dog-specific things - drugs or anything.
*Hope not. Nothing here for him. He did good, though.*
"You're got a bedside manner like a fuckin' rhino - bloody hell, Xander!"
"And you're like some kind of - of pathetic girly-man! Girly-vamp!"
"It's just shrapnel!"
"Jesus. They haven't changed a bit." Angel was slumped against a wall, smoke-stained and a little bloody - rumpled and gaunt-looking and Ferro suddenly wondered if the dogs had given him....anything.
"You mean they were always an old married couple?"
"Pretty much." Angel straightened with a sigh - held out his hand. "I'm Angel."
Ferro wiped his palm on his fatigue pants and took Angel's hand in his, feeling cool, smooth skin and strong bones - blunt nails and power. Dark brown eyes on a level with his own and a faint smile. *Nice.* "Yeah, the Ambassador. I'm Thomas Ferro, ship's gun."
"Thomas Aquinas Ferro. Don't be shy," Xander said, and Ferro turned a glare his way. Xander smirked and bent over Spike's leg again, doing something with a little pair of what looked like needle-nosed pliers.
"Thomas Aquinas?"
Ferro looked back at Angel - realized he was still holding onto Angel. He let his hand pull away slowly, liking the way Angel's eyes went wide when one of Ferro's nails scraped lightly over his palm. "My mom was pretty - uh - religious."
"Saint Thomas' commentaries on Aristotle are fascinating," Angel said.
"Huh?"
"Ferro, I really need you topside," Spike said, and Ferro stopped staring at the growing smile on Angel's face and nodded - ignored the snorting noises Xander was making and gestured to Angel to follow him.
"Got it, Cap'n. H'ru, you need - anything?"
H'ru looked up from picking at his armor - dangling wires and shattered plex. His expression was as mournful as it could be for a dog.
"No. Going to - 'et clean. Eat." He pushed up from the crouch he'd sunk into and shuffled away toward the office. Spike gave Ferro a little nod and Ferro let him go.
"Right - follow me." Ferro stomped off down the corridor and Angel followed silently behind him - waited silently while Ferro ducked into his quarters and grabbed a fresh shirt - rode silently up with him in the lift and silently followed him onto the bridge where Ferro turned around so abruptly that Angel actually plowed into him. He smelled like burnt insulation and dogs and incense and Ferro grabbed Angel's arms to keep them both from falling. "I don't have a fucking clue who Aristotle is."
Angel blinked. He had a splinter of metal in the lobe of his ear and a bead of bright blood was hanging from it like some sort of strange jewelry. "He was an ancient Greek philosopher who -"
"I don't actually give a fuck," Ferro said, and kissed Angel hard. He tasted like smoke and burnt lemons and felt good - solid and muscled and just right, pressed thigh to belly to chest with Ferro. After a moment Ferro pulled back and Angel blinked at him again.
"What?"
"Exactly."
"Ferro," Nia said, laughter in her voice and Ferro let go of Angel and edged backwards toward his chair. That lunatic grin was back.
Ferro waved toward the port side of the bridge. "Observer bench right there. Belt in."
"Um. Yeah. Sure." Angel crabbed sideways toward the bench and Ferro turned with him and they both sat at almost the same moment. Angel belted in while Ferro powered up his station - took stock of the situation on the other side of the Dru's hull.
"Anything going on up there I should know about?" Spike's voice came over the com, accompanied by some cursing and banging of things.
"Just a little healthy lust," Ferro said without thinking - looked at Nia's open mouth and blushed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Angel's head come up and his nostrils widen for a moment and he knew Angel could smell the blood rushing up to heat his face. You didn't spend fifty-odd years on board ship with a vampire and not learn a thing or two. Nia lifted an eyebrow and mouthed at him - 'healthy lust?' Ferro just waved his hand at her, ignoring the way Angel was licking his lips.
"Ferro, when he's bored you stiff with weeks of nattering on about good and evil and bloody Barry Manilow, don't come crying to me."
"Who in hell is Barry Manilow?" Ferro asked and Angel opened his mouth, leaning forward and looking like he was going to launch into an explanation.
"It's come to a bit of a stand-off, Cap'n," Nia interrupted, turning back to her boards - flicking through the screens and listening with half an ear toward the ships that were arrayed around the remains of the station core. "Rrahn's calling for the home world dogs' surrender. The home world dogs are calling for hers."
"I should try and say something -" Angel said, fumbling at the belts, and Ferro shot a scowl his way.
"Stay put, Mr. Ambassador - we could move any time. You falling from here to the lift door might not kill you but it'll fuckin' hurt." Angel subsided with a look of frustration - absently wiped at his ear and grimaced - pulled the splinter out.
"Jesus. Fucking circus. What else? Xander, fuck's sake! That was skin!"
"Yeah, yeah, sorry."
Nia rolled her eyes and pressed the com plug a little closer into her ear. "The Centaur and Mr. Peacher want the Ambassador to come aboard but the Rumplestiltskin refuses to do a tube-dock while there's still untracked ordinance flying around. The Billy Bud wants the 'Skin to get back into tow with them but they won't do that, either. I think they're angling for salvage."
"I know they are. Wonder what the fuck the Bud dumped? Maybe we could -"
"Don't need it, don't want it. We just need Rrahn alive so we can collect our bounty. Here, tie it - ow - yeah. Okay. On our way, Nia."
"Aye, Cap'n. Oh - and the Hammer says this station is within Earth territory and claims it for the United Sovereignties of Earth and The Kurf is claiming it for the Union of Spacefaring Non-Humans."
"Fuckin' demon Teamsters," Ferro muttered, and Angel chuckled.
"Nia, do you know any of the Fairy ships out there?" Spike's voice all tinny from the lift-com, which didn't work all the time and Ferro glanced over at Nia, who was looking at the screen that showed the Fairy ships. They seemed to have fanned out in a loose arc and were slowly herding the dog ships into a cluster. Ferro could hear chatter from the different ships but nothing in the language Nia sometimes spoke in - sometimes dreamed in.
"I do. Several. These are very notorious ships."
"Notorious how?" Ferro asked. The guns were live - the ship was as primed as she was ever going to be and Ferro felt - twitchy. Only about half of that was wanting to push Angel down onto the deck and maul him.
"Oh - they've made raids on pirates and Indians -"
"And which are we?" Spike limped onto the bridge, still wearing the jeans he'd had on under his suit, the damaged denim cut neatly away at the thigh and a thick wadding of bandages wound tightly around his thigh and knee. Ferro stared at the bandage as Spike clumsily lowered himself into his chair - looked up at Xander, who was looking defensive.
"I didn't want little blood-drops floating all over the damn bridge! Spike needs blood - I'm doing a mess run - Ferro? Nia?"
"I've got beetle eyes," Nia said, showing a capped mug, and Xander made a face and looked at Ferro.
"Yeah - fuck - just, soup, okay? Soup and some milk and some bread."
"Sounds good. Me too." Xander turned on his heel and started to walk out - turned back and grinned at Angel. "Want anything to go with your blood, Mr. Ambassador?"
"Just some answers," Angel said, and Xander snorted softly - nodded and turned around again and walked out.
"Cap'n - the captain of the Black Pearl requests permission to come aboard."
"Black Pearl? You're kidding me, right?" Xander's voice from - somewhere - and Nia laughed softly.
"Oh, no. And there's The Golden Hind, The Queen Anne's Revenge, the Indefatigable and the Arabella -"
"And who's this that wants to come see us?" Spike asked, his voice sounding tired and amused at the same time.
Nia looked at the overhead - looked at her screens and then looked at Spike, her expression unreadable. "Captain Hook."
"Oh, I give up," Ferro muttered.
Fairies didn't need the Rumplestiltskin to get on board. One minute Spike was agreeing to the meeting - despite his own misgivings - and the next there was a strange little shimmer in the air and three figures materialized on his bridge. Three.
"Hey! I just agreed to the one!"
"We rarely travel alone," Nia said, sending a blinding smile to the tallest Fairy, who was dressed like some bizarre approximation of a pirate. Of Captain Hook - red frock coat and tall boots and a feathered hat. It was - startling.
The other two were -
"They're naked," Xander whispered, box of food and drinks in his hand and Spike huffed a short breath. "Aren't they cold?"
"Apparently not," Spike retorted. "And they're not totally naked."
Xander slid the box onto Spike's boards, digging in. "Weird jewelry and a - a cape...thing...doesn't count as clothes."
"Probably does to them, and since when did you become Modesty Boy?" Xander opened his mouth to say something and Spike raised an eyebrow. The 'drunk and naked and horny' incident at Fenris was quite obviously in both their minds and Xander shut his mouth and sighed. *Right, then.* " I'm the Captain - who're you?" Spike pushed himself to his feet, hissing a little as his leg throbbed. The blood was doing its job but - not fast enough.
"Oh, that's diplomatic," Angel mumbled into his mug, and Spike shot him a glare.
"This is Captain Hook of the Black Pearl and he's come to make an...arrangement." The Fairy said something, rapid and slurring - almost-musical sounds that rose and fell in the relative silence of the bridge. "We're going to send the home world dogs home. They've overstepped their boundaries."
"You're - sending them home? Just like that, sending them home." Xander settled with a hip against Spike's boards, a sandwich in one hand and mug of soup in the other. His hands were shaking a little and Spike felt those same shakes going through him. Aftermath of their skips - the drug and the fight and everything else. Spike felt fucking tired but too wired to rest, even if he could.
"Yes, of course," Nia said, and translated to the other captain, who laughed. He said something, his eyes glittering like a cats in the light - his whole face and demeanor cat-that-got-the cream. "We gave them what they know - we can take it away."
"You...what?" Spike took a step toward her and the other fairies and the two naked ones - smaller than the captain - flinched back a little. "Nia, what does that mean?"
Nia and the captain exchanged looks - exchanged a long, low string of words while Spike gritted his teeth and Angel finished off his blood - asked Ferro where to stow the mug and Ferro made a show of leading him to the recycling chute and then standing there, giving Angel the once-over. Several times.
"Oh for fuck's sake," Spike muttered, and Xander giggled.
"Deadboy and Ferro, sittin' in a tree -" Ferro seemed to actually be growling which made Xander giggle harder.
"Boys -" Nia nodded once to the captain and then took a deep breath. "What I'm telling you is...not for others. Not for anyone but family."
"All right." Spike felt Ferro come up close on his side - felt Angel fading back a little and then Nia gestured to him.
"You are also family, Angel. Blood to blood." Nia's look was one of expectation and after a long moment Angel came to stand on the other side of Ferro, carefully not looking at Spike.
"Git."
"Shut up."
Captain Hook was grinning and Spike knew he could understand them - just chose not to speak to them, which made him feel vaguely insulted.
"We gave the dogs the means to get off planet. We gave them...everything. And we can take it away." Nia turned to her boards - tapped a few keys and one of the screens in the overhead lit up. A string of code was displayed there.
"Hey! I know that code. It's - it's weird. It replicates itself but it doesn't do anything. It's - in everything," Xander said, and Spike felt an odd little hitch in his belly at that.
*In everything...?*
Nia was smiling, a strange little smile echoed by the captain. "Yes, it is. It's our code. It's a kind of...dead man's switch." Nia tapped on the computer again, a flurry of keys and - blackness. Spike snarled, vamping, but there was nothing. The emergency lights hadn't come on and he could hear, for the first time ever - utter silence on the Drusilla. Xander's hand was on his arm, squeezing painfully tight.
"The engines are stopped. Spike - the engines and life support both are stopped."
"Nia. What did you do?"
"Turned it off, Cap'n. Just...turned it off. And there's not a thing you can do that would turn it back on. Ship - or station. Wherever that code is - we are. One broad-beam message to the dog fleet out there and it would be a floating graveyard." There was a growl from somewhere left and Spike knew it was Angel - could feel him, like a thunderhead.
"That's code's in human stuff, too," Xander said, low, and Angel's growl deepened.
"Yes, it is." There was a small scrape of something - a sudden, soft-green glow and then the Dru whump'ed back to life, lights and engines and life support all coming back on as if they'd never been down.
"...repeat, Drusilla, is there an emergency? We've lost - she's back! Drusilla - Spike? What the fuck?"
Nia calmly reached over and keyed something - positioned her mic. "Billy Bud, this is the Drusilla. Just a momentary glitch - there's no emergency. We repeat - no emergency."
"You were gone, Dru! There was - nothing. Engines - everything."
"It was a bit of a shock, Bud. Stand by for news - the dogs will be making an announcement soon."
"Copy, Dru. Bud out."
Nia looked calmly at them, her wide and slanted eyes suddenly looking very alien - the ridiculous costume of the other captain seeming a joke - a mockery.
*Code in everything. Every bit of tech the dogs ever gave us and...it's all from them.*
"Nia, what about the Chaddock?"
"Dogs found them, Spike. Dogs gave them our tech and Chaddock changed it to suit them but - the code goes. Can't take it out, can't turn it off."
"Then what's keeping you from controlling - everything? Why do you hide out in the deeps - why do you do - this?" Angel gestured at the captain and the captain laughed softly, sharp teeth and luminous eyes and his hand resting lightly on what was probably a real sword. He spoke, his gaze on Angel, but Spike could see that what he said - was the truth. When he finished he nodded to Nia, who took a long breath.
"He says - seven million years ago, on a warm planet of blue and green and white...a long-furred creature, with thumbs and forward-looking eyes stood upright in the forest, and everything - changed. We watch - we learn - we remember. And we protect" Beside Spike, Xander shivered and Ferro made some small sound, moving a step closer - closing the gaps. Spike felt the chill, the same as they did. Seven million years ago, they'd been there. Maybe seventy million. Immortality on a whole new level.
"That's a - a lot of responsibility." Angel sounded as uneasy as Spike felt. "It's a lot of -"
"A lot of power, Nia. A whole fucking lot." Xander put his food down and took Spike's hand - squeezed once, hard. Then he stepped forward - reached out and gently folded Nia's hand into his. "What do you - what do you do with it? All that power."
Nia blinked - smiled, suddenly, the teeth-baring grin that she'd worn the day she's jumped a Billy Bud crewman and broken three of his bones. "We give it away, Xander." She squeezed his fingers - looked past him at Spike and Ferro - at Angel. Tipped her head a little to one side and caught the light behind her and she was just suddenly Nia, the best fucking pilot in all of skip-space. "We give it away with both hands. Now -" She let Xander go - reached and touched a button on her board. "H'ru - please report to the bridge."
"Yess."
"The Indefatigable has been telling Rrahn and the home-word dogs of our - intentions -"
Ferro stiffened. "You're telling the dogs -"
"Every head of a jyiiy knows where their tech comes from. Knows about the code. It's passed in the m'ryi - only the head knows. That is one reason the m'ryi are so precious." Spike heard the lift door work - heard H'ru pad up the corridor, his scent overlaid with a little fear - a little blood. Nia acknowledged him with a glance. "And now they know that we will not tolerate a war that would endanger Earth or the planets beyond. The new ones. The home dogs and the Outsiders must have a go-between. A r'uu'arch.
"R'uu'arch? None for - many 'enerations." Everyone turned to look at H'ru and H'ru seemed to almost falter, then he straightened - dipped his head. "Rre'orting, Ca'tain."
"It's Nia wants you, H'ru."
"We've chosen the r'uu'arch for this sector. He'll be the head of his own jyiiy - he'll be station-master of this station. He'll negotiate and keep the peace between the home world dogs and the Outsiders."
"Yess. Rrahn? No, 'ou said he-"
"Yes. He. You, actually, H'ru. Captain Hook chose you."
"Oh man, oh my god." Xander was muffling his words behind his hand but Spike could still hear him and he blinked in astonishment at Captain Hook - at Nia and at H'ru, who looked completely shocked. "Like I said - Little Orphan Annie dog. H'ru is Little Orphan Annie."
"And what - Hook is Daddy Warbucks?" Spike snorted and Xander dissolved into hiccupping laughter. H'ru brushed past them, head high - arm and belly bandaged and his kit clutched in his fingers. He bowed to Nia - to the other Fairies and then stood stiffly beside them, his ruff standing up thick and full - his ears wide and pointed forward, unfurled to catch all sounds. An odd and unexpected sort of dignity had suffused the Outsider. Spike poked Xander sharply and he struggled to get himself under control, snorting and wiping his eyes.
"Ambasssadorr...An'el. We will remember 'our bra'ery in timess of...con'lict."
Ferro elbowed Angel, who started. "You will? Oh - uh, yes. Of course. And we will remember how loyally you fought for human and demon-kind. I hope to make a more - formal call - once you're settled in your office?"
H'ru inclined his head. "With 'leassure." Captain Hook saluted then - brought his heels together with a sharp click and a little bow - grinned at Nia and touched something at his belt and they - were gone.
"Holy fucking hell. Nia, your people are fucking weird." Ferro slumped down into his chair and Xander collapsed into Spike's - reached and grabbed his hand and pulled him close.
"Is it bloody well over, then? Everybody going home, nobody going to blow up half the universe? Bloody hell - did we get our fee? Nia, tell me -"
"It's done, Cap'n. And we got our fee. Rrahn coded it to us while you were getting bandaged." Nia's mouth crooked in a little smile as she glanced at the lumpy bandage. "We're going to have the Billy Bud take H'ru and his office to each head of the home world and Outsider jyiiy. They must sign a pact - start making a peace."
"And you trust the Bud to do that? They can't even spell the name of their bloody ship right!"
"And they're all vampires. Who wants vamps representing the new world order?" Ferro smirked and Spike shot a glare at him.
"They're a bunch of ignorant sodding bastards - no style and no sense -"
"They'll do fine, Cap'n. Look -" Nia gestured toward a screen and it was clear that the dogs were being chivvied into an orderly formation - home world and Outsiders on opposite sides, the Fairies like a swarm of bees circling around and around.
"Nia - what do your ships look like? Can we get a visual?" Xander stood up and moved closer to her station and Nia grinned at him - turned back to her board. Brought up an image and Xander made a noise of pure pleasure. One that made Spike growl softly because that noise belonged strictly to him and their bunk. "Look! Oh my god. It's the Enterprise! And - and - Jesus, that's the Millennium Falcon and - the Sulaco - fuck!" Xander was staring as wide-eyed as a kid at Christmas and Spike knew he wouldn't be dragging him away from that screen any time soon.
"So - Spike," Angel stood with his hands behind his back, rocking slightly on the balls of his feet. He still had soot and blood on him - stank of burning and....Ferro.
"Yeah?"
"Well, I was thinking that I might - oh - take a little break. Get to know some of the more...distant stations a little better. Take a - tour, so to speak."
"That right? Not thinking of locking yourself and Ferro in his cabin for the next three months?"
Angel's mouth came open and then snapped shut as Ferro moved up behind him, slipping an arm around his shoulders, fingers splayed over Angel's chest. "I was thinking four."
"Jesus, take him down and scrub him up and jump him, already," Xander mumbled, leaning in closer to the screen and squinting a little. "Nia, is that the Columbia? Can we get better resolution?"
"H'ru is going to take your Mr. Peacher, Angel," Nia said, tapping buttons until Xander made a satisfied noise. "He'll need a good administrative assistant."
"Oh?" Angel's slight embarrassed frown slowly turned into a huge grin. "I think Mr. Peacher could benefit from a - a change of scenery."
"Absolute tit, eh?" Spike said, and Angel rolled his eyes.
"You have no idea."
"Think I've got some," Spike chuckled, and tipped his chin toward the lift. "Stand down, Mr. Ferro. We're not going to be needing your services for a bit."
"Aye aye, Cap'n," Ferro said - snapped off a left-handed salute and tugged Angel around and toward the lift.
Angel resisted for a moment, turning back, his grin still in place. "Xander, I wanna know how in hell you're here and not a vampire! Buy you a drink at the first station?"
"Buy me two!"
"It's not that long a story," Ferro said, pulling Angel into motion again. "He met some weird Japanese guy who hung around with a magic toad, the guy whapped him on the head and poof - immortal. Or something."
"The Japanese have a legend of Kosensei, an old man who -"
"Really don't care," Ferro said, and the lift closed on their voices, leaving the bridge in near-silence.
"I hope that I haven't...caused you distress, Cap'n," Nia said quietly, and Spike sighed - maneuvered around and slumped down into his chair, picking at the bandage.
"Oh, no, not at all. Just cost me a few bloody years of my unlife, is all. Fairies! Untrustworthy bastards, the lot of you."
"'Up the airy mountain, down the rushy glen, we dare not go a'hunting, for fear of little men...' We've always been happier in the shadows, Cap'n."
Spike looked up at her - looked at Xander, who was bouncing in place like a jack-in-the-box. Heaved a huge sigh and pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from their hiding place under the edge of his console. "Do you give the power away, Nia? How can you? If you know - everything you know..."
"Power's no good in a box, Cap'n," Nia said softly. "Power's no good unless you can make a gift of it."
"If what you say is true - your gifts have always come with a price." Spike lit a cigarette and took a long drag off it, watching Nia through the smoke.
Nia took the cigarette out of his fingers and lifted it - took a delicate puff and stared contemplatively at the black paper and the gilt swirls that decorated it. "Yes, that's so. You can't ever leave us, Spike. Once you've tasted our sweet cakes and drunk our honey-mead... You can't leave us. We do not let go."
"Suppose we can live with that," Xander said, and the look he sent Spike was warm and full of wonder - full of love.
"Suppose we can, at that," Spike said.
ETA: Art! *bounce* Wheeeeeeeeeee!!
Thank you guys so much for sticking with this 'untraditional' Spander story and for cheering me on - it's been great!
As always, huge hugs to
reremouse for her poking and squeeing and timely beta-remarks, and to darkhavens for telling me if my sci-fi 'stuff' made sense. *smoooshes you both*Previous parts are here.
sweptawaybayou - does the 'Spander' line count? Heee! S/X all the way, bay-bee!"I knew it, I knew it, I fuckin' knew it," Ferro said, grinning. Grinning like a fucking lunatic but he didn't care. Stripping clumsily out of his suit, post-fight chemicals making his hands shake and his knees go wobbly. That Angel guy was staring at him and he sent a sloppy salute his way, shoving his smoke-fouled suit into a locker and kicking it shut. Deal with that later. His t-shirt was sticking to his chest and back and he peeled it off - mopped at his underarms and neck and shoved the shirt into the nearest recycling chute. He could afford a new one.
"Knew you'd be involved in them showing themselves, Spike," Ferro said, and Spike looked up at him and matched his grin for a moment. Then he growled and turned golden eyes on Xander.
"Hey! Watch it!"
"Stop being such a baby! Let me do this!" Xander snapped, and Ferro stifled a laugh. The minute they'd stepped aboard the Dru Xander had shoved Spike down onto the bench by the access and started cutting the ragged leg of his suit away - pulling off his boot and exposing a bloody mess of shrapnel-chewed flesh and denim. H'ru was in better shape but still bleeding and Ferro wondered for a moment if he'd need dog-specific things - drugs or anything.
*Hope not. Nothing here for him. He did good, though.*
"You're got a bedside manner like a fuckin' rhino - bloody hell, Xander!"
"And you're like some kind of - of pathetic girly-man! Girly-vamp!"
"It's just shrapnel!"
"Jesus. They haven't changed a bit." Angel was slumped against a wall, smoke-stained and a little bloody - rumpled and gaunt-looking and Ferro suddenly wondered if the dogs had given him....anything.
"You mean they were always an old married couple?"
"Pretty much." Angel straightened with a sigh - held out his hand. "I'm Angel."
Ferro wiped his palm on his fatigue pants and took Angel's hand in his, feeling cool, smooth skin and strong bones - blunt nails and power. Dark brown eyes on a level with his own and a faint smile. *Nice.* "Yeah, the Ambassador. I'm Thomas Ferro, ship's gun."
"Thomas Aquinas Ferro. Don't be shy," Xander said, and Ferro turned a glare his way. Xander smirked and bent over Spike's leg again, doing something with a little pair of what looked like needle-nosed pliers.
"Thomas Aquinas?"
Ferro looked back at Angel - realized he was still holding onto Angel. He let his hand pull away slowly, liking the way Angel's eyes went wide when one of Ferro's nails scraped lightly over his palm. "My mom was pretty - uh - religious."
"Saint Thomas' commentaries on Aristotle are fascinating," Angel said.
"Huh?"
"Ferro, I really need you topside," Spike said, and Ferro stopped staring at the growing smile on Angel's face and nodded - ignored the snorting noises Xander was making and gestured to Angel to follow him.
"Got it, Cap'n. H'ru, you need - anything?"
H'ru looked up from picking at his armor - dangling wires and shattered plex. His expression was as mournful as it could be for a dog.
"No. Going to - 'et clean. Eat." He pushed up from the crouch he'd sunk into and shuffled away toward the office. Spike gave Ferro a little nod and Ferro let him go.
"Right - follow me." Ferro stomped off down the corridor and Angel followed silently behind him - waited silently while Ferro ducked into his quarters and grabbed a fresh shirt - rode silently up with him in the lift and silently followed him onto the bridge where Ferro turned around so abruptly that Angel actually plowed into him. He smelled like burnt insulation and dogs and incense and Ferro grabbed Angel's arms to keep them both from falling. "I don't have a fucking clue who Aristotle is."
Angel blinked. He had a splinter of metal in the lobe of his ear and a bead of bright blood was hanging from it like some sort of strange jewelry. "He was an ancient Greek philosopher who -"
"I don't actually give a fuck," Ferro said, and kissed Angel hard. He tasted like smoke and burnt lemons and felt good - solid and muscled and just right, pressed thigh to belly to chest with Ferro. After a moment Ferro pulled back and Angel blinked at him again.
"What?"
"Exactly."
"Ferro," Nia said, laughter in her voice and Ferro let go of Angel and edged backwards toward his chair. That lunatic grin was back.
Ferro waved toward the port side of the bridge. "Observer bench right there. Belt in."
"Um. Yeah. Sure." Angel crabbed sideways toward the bench and Ferro turned with him and they both sat at almost the same moment. Angel belted in while Ferro powered up his station - took stock of the situation on the other side of the Dru's hull.
"Anything going on up there I should know about?" Spike's voice came over the com, accompanied by some cursing and banging of things.
"Just a little healthy lust," Ferro said without thinking - looked at Nia's open mouth and blushed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Angel's head come up and his nostrils widen for a moment and he knew Angel could smell the blood rushing up to heat his face. You didn't spend fifty-odd years on board ship with a vampire and not learn a thing or two. Nia lifted an eyebrow and mouthed at him - 'healthy lust?' Ferro just waved his hand at her, ignoring the way Angel was licking his lips.
"Ferro, when he's bored you stiff with weeks of nattering on about good and evil and bloody Barry Manilow, don't come crying to me."
"Who in hell is Barry Manilow?" Ferro asked and Angel opened his mouth, leaning forward and looking like he was going to launch into an explanation.
"It's come to a bit of a stand-off, Cap'n," Nia interrupted, turning back to her boards - flicking through the screens and listening with half an ear toward the ships that were arrayed around the remains of the station core. "Rrahn's calling for the home world dogs' surrender. The home world dogs are calling for hers."
"I should try and say something -" Angel said, fumbling at the belts, and Ferro shot a scowl his way.
"Stay put, Mr. Ambassador - we could move any time. You falling from here to the lift door might not kill you but it'll fuckin' hurt." Angel subsided with a look of frustration - absently wiped at his ear and grimaced - pulled the splinter out.
"Jesus. Fucking circus. What else? Xander, fuck's sake! That was skin!"
"Yeah, yeah, sorry."
Nia rolled her eyes and pressed the com plug a little closer into her ear. "The Centaur and Mr. Peacher want the Ambassador to come aboard but the Rumplestiltskin refuses to do a tube-dock while there's still untracked ordinance flying around. The Billy Bud wants the 'Skin to get back into tow with them but they won't do that, either. I think they're angling for salvage."
"I know they are. Wonder what the fuck the Bud dumped? Maybe we could -"
"Don't need it, don't want it. We just need Rrahn alive so we can collect our bounty. Here, tie it - ow - yeah. Okay. On our way, Nia."
"Aye, Cap'n. Oh - and the Hammer says this station is within Earth territory and claims it for the United Sovereignties of Earth and The Kurf is claiming it for the Union of Spacefaring Non-Humans."
"Fuckin' demon Teamsters," Ferro muttered, and Angel chuckled.
"Nia, do you know any of the Fairy ships out there?" Spike's voice all tinny from the lift-com, which didn't work all the time and Ferro glanced over at Nia, who was looking at the screen that showed the Fairy ships. They seemed to have fanned out in a loose arc and were slowly herding the dog ships into a cluster. Ferro could hear chatter from the different ships but nothing in the language Nia sometimes spoke in - sometimes dreamed in.
"I do. Several. These are very notorious ships."
"Notorious how?" Ferro asked. The guns were live - the ship was as primed as she was ever going to be and Ferro felt - twitchy. Only about half of that was wanting to push Angel down onto the deck and maul him.
"Oh - they've made raids on pirates and Indians -"
"And which are we?" Spike limped onto the bridge, still wearing the jeans he'd had on under his suit, the damaged denim cut neatly away at the thigh and a thick wadding of bandages wound tightly around his thigh and knee. Ferro stared at the bandage as Spike clumsily lowered himself into his chair - looked up at Xander, who was looking defensive.
"I didn't want little blood-drops floating all over the damn bridge! Spike needs blood - I'm doing a mess run - Ferro? Nia?"
"I've got beetle eyes," Nia said, showing a capped mug, and Xander made a face and looked at Ferro.
"Yeah - fuck - just, soup, okay? Soup and some milk and some bread."
"Sounds good. Me too." Xander turned on his heel and started to walk out - turned back and grinned at Angel. "Want anything to go with your blood, Mr. Ambassador?"
"Just some answers," Angel said, and Xander snorted softly - nodded and turned around again and walked out.
"Cap'n - the captain of the Black Pearl requests permission to come aboard."
"Black Pearl? You're kidding me, right?" Xander's voice from - somewhere - and Nia laughed softly.
"Oh, no. And there's The Golden Hind, The Queen Anne's Revenge, the Indefatigable and the Arabella -"
"And who's this that wants to come see us?" Spike asked, his voice sounding tired and amused at the same time.
Nia looked at the overhead - looked at her screens and then looked at Spike, her expression unreadable. "Captain Hook."
"Oh, I give up," Ferro muttered.
Fairies didn't need the Rumplestiltskin to get on board. One minute Spike was agreeing to the meeting - despite his own misgivings - and the next there was a strange little shimmer in the air and three figures materialized on his bridge. Three.
"Hey! I just agreed to the one!"
"We rarely travel alone," Nia said, sending a blinding smile to the tallest Fairy, who was dressed like some bizarre approximation of a pirate. Of Captain Hook - red frock coat and tall boots and a feathered hat. It was - startling.
The other two were -
"They're naked," Xander whispered, box of food and drinks in his hand and Spike huffed a short breath. "Aren't they cold?"
"Apparently not," Spike retorted. "And they're not totally naked."
Xander slid the box onto Spike's boards, digging in. "Weird jewelry and a - a cape...thing...doesn't count as clothes."
"Probably does to them, and since when did you become Modesty Boy?" Xander opened his mouth to say something and Spike raised an eyebrow. The 'drunk and naked and horny' incident at Fenris was quite obviously in both their minds and Xander shut his mouth and sighed. *Right, then.* " I'm the Captain - who're you?" Spike pushed himself to his feet, hissing a little as his leg throbbed. The blood was doing its job but - not fast enough.
"Oh, that's diplomatic," Angel mumbled into his mug, and Spike shot him a glare.
"This is Captain Hook of the Black Pearl and he's come to make an...arrangement." The Fairy said something, rapid and slurring - almost-musical sounds that rose and fell in the relative silence of the bridge. "We're going to send the home world dogs home. They've overstepped their boundaries."
"You're - sending them home? Just like that, sending them home." Xander settled with a hip against Spike's boards, a sandwich in one hand and mug of soup in the other. His hands were shaking a little and Spike felt those same shakes going through him. Aftermath of their skips - the drug and the fight and everything else. Spike felt fucking tired but too wired to rest, even if he could.
"Yes, of course," Nia said, and translated to the other captain, who laughed. He said something, his eyes glittering like a cats in the light - his whole face and demeanor cat-that-got-the cream. "We gave them what they know - we can take it away."
"You...what?" Spike took a step toward her and the other fairies and the two naked ones - smaller than the captain - flinched back a little. "Nia, what does that mean?"
Nia and the captain exchanged looks - exchanged a long, low string of words while Spike gritted his teeth and Angel finished off his blood - asked Ferro where to stow the mug and Ferro made a show of leading him to the recycling chute and then standing there, giving Angel the once-over. Several times.
"Oh for fuck's sake," Spike muttered, and Xander giggled.
"Deadboy and Ferro, sittin' in a tree -" Ferro seemed to actually be growling which made Xander giggle harder.
"Boys -" Nia nodded once to the captain and then took a deep breath. "What I'm telling you is...not for others. Not for anyone but family."
"All right." Spike felt Ferro come up close on his side - felt Angel fading back a little and then Nia gestured to him.
"You are also family, Angel. Blood to blood." Nia's look was one of expectation and after a long moment Angel came to stand on the other side of Ferro, carefully not looking at Spike.
"Git."
"Shut up."
Captain Hook was grinning and Spike knew he could understand them - just chose not to speak to them, which made him feel vaguely insulted.
"We gave the dogs the means to get off planet. We gave them...everything. And we can take it away." Nia turned to her boards - tapped a few keys and one of the screens in the overhead lit up. A string of code was displayed there.
"Hey! I know that code. It's - it's weird. It replicates itself but it doesn't do anything. It's - in everything," Xander said, and Spike felt an odd little hitch in his belly at that.
*In everything...?*
Nia was smiling, a strange little smile echoed by the captain. "Yes, it is. It's our code. It's a kind of...dead man's switch." Nia tapped on the computer again, a flurry of keys and - blackness. Spike snarled, vamping, but there was nothing. The emergency lights hadn't come on and he could hear, for the first time ever - utter silence on the Drusilla. Xander's hand was on his arm, squeezing painfully tight.
"The engines are stopped. Spike - the engines and life support both are stopped."
"Nia. What did you do?"
"Turned it off, Cap'n. Just...turned it off. And there's not a thing you can do that would turn it back on. Ship - or station. Wherever that code is - we are. One broad-beam message to the dog fleet out there and it would be a floating graveyard." There was a growl from somewhere left and Spike knew it was Angel - could feel him, like a thunderhead.
"That's code's in human stuff, too," Xander said, low, and Angel's growl deepened.
"Yes, it is." There was a small scrape of something - a sudden, soft-green glow and then the Dru whump'ed back to life, lights and engines and life support all coming back on as if they'd never been down.
"...repeat, Drusilla, is there an emergency? We've lost - she's back! Drusilla - Spike? What the fuck?"
Nia calmly reached over and keyed something - positioned her mic. "Billy Bud, this is the Drusilla. Just a momentary glitch - there's no emergency. We repeat - no emergency."
"You were gone, Dru! There was - nothing. Engines - everything."
"It was a bit of a shock, Bud. Stand by for news - the dogs will be making an announcement soon."
"Copy, Dru. Bud out."
Nia looked calmly at them, her wide and slanted eyes suddenly looking very alien - the ridiculous costume of the other captain seeming a joke - a mockery.
*Code in everything. Every bit of tech the dogs ever gave us and...it's all from them.*
"Nia, what about the Chaddock?"
"Dogs found them, Spike. Dogs gave them our tech and Chaddock changed it to suit them but - the code goes. Can't take it out, can't turn it off."
"Then what's keeping you from controlling - everything? Why do you hide out in the deeps - why do you do - this?" Angel gestured at the captain and the captain laughed softly, sharp teeth and luminous eyes and his hand resting lightly on what was probably a real sword. He spoke, his gaze on Angel, but Spike could see that what he said - was the truth. When he finished he nodded to Nia, who took a long breath.
"He says - seven million years ago, on a warm planet of blue and green and white...a long-furred creature, with thumbs and forward-looking eyes stood upright in the forest, and everything - changed. We watch - we learn - we remember. And we protect" Beside Spike, Xander shivered and Ferro made some small sound, moving a step closer - closing the gaps. Spike felt the chill, the same as they did. Seven million years ago, they'd been there. Maybe seventy million. Immortality on a whole new level.
"That's a - a lot of responsibility." Angel sounded as uneasy as Spike felt. "It's a lot of -"
"A lot of power, Nia. A whole fucking lot." Xander put his food down and took Spike's hand - squeezed once, hard. Then he stepped forward - reached out and gently folded Nia's hand into his. "What do you - what do you do with it? All that power."
Nia blinked - smiled, suddenly, the teeth-baring grin that she'd worn the day she's jumped a Billy Bud crewman and broken three of his bones. "We give it away, Xander." She squeezed his fingers - looked past him at Spike and Ferro - at Angel. Tipped her head a little to one side and caught the light behind her and she was just suddenly Nia, the best fucking pilot in all of skip-space. "We give it away with both hands. Now -" She let Xander go - reached and touched a button on her board. "H'ru - please report to the bridge."
"Yess."
"The Indefatigable has been telling Rrahn and the home-word dogs of our - intentions -"
Ferro stiffened. "You're telling the dogs -"
"Every head of a jyiiy knows where their tech comes from. Knows about the code. It's passed in the m'ryi - only the head knows. That is one reason the m'ryi are so precious." Spike heard the lift door work - heard H'ru pad up the corridor, his scent overlaid with a little fear - a little blood. Nia acknowledged him with a glance. "And now they know that we will not tolerate a war that would endanger Earth or the planets beyond. The new ones. The home dogs and the Outsiders must have a go-between. A r'uu'arch.
"R'uu'arch? None for - many 'enerations." Everyone turned to look at H'ru and H'ru seemed to almost falter, then he straightened - dipped his head. "Rre'orting, Ca'tain."
"It's Nia wants you, H'ru."
"We've chosen the r'uu'arch for this sector. He'll be the head of his own jyiiy - he'll be station-master of this station. He'll negotiate and keep the peace between the home world dogs and the Outsiders."
"Yess. Rrahn? No, 'ou said he-"
"Yes. He. You, actually, H'ru. Captain Hook chose you."
"Oh man, oh my god." Xander was muffling his words behind his hand but Spike could still hear him and he blinked in astonishment at Captain Hook - at Nia and at H'ru, who looked completely shocked. "Like I said - Little Orphan Annie dog. H'ru is Little Orphan Annie."
"And what - Hook is Daddy Warbucks?" Spike snorted and Xander dissolved into hiccupping laughter. H'ru brushed past them, head high - arm and belly bandaged and his kit clutched in his fingers. He bowed to Nia - to the other Fairies and then stood stiffly beside them, his ruff standing up thick and full - his ears wide and pointed forward, unfurled to catch all sounds. An odd and unexpected sort of dignity had suffused the Outsider. Spike poked Xander sharply and he struggled to get himself under control, snorting and wiping his eyes.
"Ambasssadorr...An'el. We will remember 'our bra'ery in timess of...con'lict."
Ferro elbowed Angel, who started. "You will? Oh - uh, yes. Of course. And we will remember how loyally you fought for human and demon-kind. I hope to make a more - formal call - once you're settled in your office?"
H'ru inclined his head. "With 'leassure." Captain Hook saluted then - brought his heels together with a sharp click and a little bow - grinned at Nia and touched something at his belt and they - were gone.
"Holy fucking hell. Nia, your people are fucking weird." Ferro slumped down into his chair and Xander collapsed into Spike's - reached and grabbed his hand and pulled him close.
"Is it bloody well over, then? Everybody going home, nobody going to blow up half the universe? Bloody hell - did we get our fee? Nia, tell me -"
"It's done, Cap'n. And we got our fee. Rrahn coded it to us while you were getting bandaged." Nia's mouth crooked in a little smile as she glanced at the lumpy bandage. "We're going to have the Billy Bud take H'ru and his office to each head of the home world and Outsider jyiiy. They must sign a pact - start making a peace."
"And you trust the Bud to do that? They can't even spell the name of their bloody ship right!"
"And they're all vampires. Who wants vamps representing the new world order?" Ferro smirked and Spike shot a glare at him.
"They're a bunch of ignorant sodding bastards - no style and no sense -"
"They'll do fine, Cap'n. Look -" Nia gestured toward a screen and it was clear that the dogs were being chivvied into an orderly formation - home world and Outsiders on opposite sides, the Fairies like a swarm of bees circling around and around.
"Nia - what do your ships look like? Can we get a visual?" Xander stood up and moved closer to her station and Nia grinned at him - turned back to her board. Brought up an image and Xander made a noise of pure pleasure. One that made Spike growl softly because that noise belonged strictly to him and their bunk. "Look! Oh my god. It's the Enterprise! And - and - Jesus, that's the Millennium Falcon and - the Sulaco - fuck!" Xander was staring as wide-eyed as a kid at Christmas and Spike knew he wouldn't be dragging him away from that screen any time soon.
"So - Spike," Angel stood with his hands behind his back, rocking slightly on the balls of his feet. He still had soot and blood on him - stank of burning and....Ferro.
"Yeah?"
"Well, I was thinking that I might - oh - take a little break. Get to know some of the more...distant stations a little better. Take a - tour, so to speak."
"That right? Not thinking of locking yourself and Ferro in his cabin for the next three months?"
Angel's mouth came open and then snapped shut as Ferro moved up behind him, slipping an arm around his shoulders, fingers splayed over Angel's chest. "I was thinking four."
"Jesus, take him down and scrub him up and jump him, already," Xander mumbled, leaning in closer to the screen and squinting a little. "Nia, is that the Columbia? Can we get better resolution?"
"H'ru is going to take your Mr. Peacher, Angel," Nia said, tapping buttons until Xander made a satisfied noise. "He'll need a good administrative assistant."
"Oh?" Angel's slight embarrassed frown slowly turned into a huge grin. "I think Mr. Peacher could benefit from a - a change of scenery."
"Absolute tit, eh?" Spike said, and Angel rolled his eyes.
"You have no idea."
"Think I've got some," Spike chuckled, and tipped his chin toward the lift. "Stand down, Mr. Ferro. We're not going to be needing your services for a bit."
"Aye aye, Cap'n," Ferro said - snapped off a left-handed salute and tugged Angel around and toward the lift.
Angel resisted for a moment, turning back, his grin still in place. "Xander, I wanna know how in hell you're here and not a vampire! Buy you a drink at the first station?"
"Buy me two!"
"It's not that long a story," Ferro said, pulling Angel into motion again. "He met some weird Japanese guy who hung around with a magic toad, the guy whapped him on the head and poof - immortal. Or something."
"The Japanese have a legend of Kosensei, an old man who -"
"Really don't care," Ferro said, and the lift closed on their voices, leaving the bridge in near-silence.
"I hope that I haven't...caused you distress, Cap'n," Nia said quietly, and Spike sighed - maneuvered around and slumped down into his chair, picking at the bandage.
"Oh, no, not at all. Just cost me a few bloody years of my unlife, is all. Fairies! Untrustworthy bastards, the lot of you."
"'Up the airy mountain, down the rushy glen, we dare not go a'hunting, for fear of little men...' We've always been happier in the shadows, Cap'n."
Spike looked up at her - looked at Xander, who was bouncing in place like a jack-in-the-box. Heaved a huge sigh and pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from their hiding place under the edge of his console. "Do you give the power away, Nia? How can you? If you know - everything you know..."
"Power's no good in a box, Cap'n," Nia said softly. "Power's no good unless you can make a gift of it."
"If what you say is true - your gifts have always come with a price." Spike lit a cigarette and took a long drag off it, watching Nia through the smoke.
Nia took the cigarette out of his fingers and lifted it - took a delicate puff and stared contemplatively at the black paper and the gilt swirls that decorated it. "Yes, that's so. You can't ever leave us, Spike. Once you've tasted our sweet cakes and drunk our honey-mead... You can't leave us. We do not let go."
"Suppose we can live with that," Xander said, and the look he sent Spike was warm and full of wonder - full of love.
"Suppose we can, at that," Spike said.
ETA: Art! *bounce* Wheeeeeeeeeee!!
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I loved the fairy rescue! I loved Spike and Xander fighting like an old married couple!
So Star Trek, Star Wars and Aliens ships were based on actual Fairy Technology? Who'd have ever guessed it! Hee.
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Yay!!
So glad the ending lived up!
Thank you thank you!
And re: the ships - it's more like the Fairies watch a lot of tv and movies.
:)
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Julia, and Angel, doofus, trying to get a space grunt to discuss Aristotle
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Thank you thank you!
Well, Angel goes with what he knows - he thinks Aristotle is neat.
:)
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They like to have fun.
:)
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Thanks for this and I'll be looking forward to whatever else you have in store for us.
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Perfectly executed, as always! *rains cookies over you*
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Thank you so much!
:)
Hee - H'ru turned out to be a good guy!
Cookies!!
Wheeee!!
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:)
Yeah - happy/hopeful endings are the best.
Next, more 'Hands'!!
Wheee!
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*smooches* It's an excellent ending.
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Ah, I loved that :>
Nia looked at the overhead - looked at her screens and then looked at Spike, her expression unreadable. "Captain Hook."
"Oh, I give up," Ferro muttered.
Hee! Was just watching Horatio Hornblower tonight. I share Xander's glee at seeing the ships.
I was surprised to see the story was wrapping up already but it did have some finality. Was much amused by Angel and Ferro. That'll be a happy ship for a while!
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"What do you - what do you do with it? All that power."
We give it away, Xander." "We give it away with both hands.
;D Dancer
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:)
*bounce*
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:)
HH *rocks*. And i had to do the ships - it was just too fun!
Well - the story just came to an end - things are all resolved, the boys are safe and going to enjoy their bounty, so....done!
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Thank you thank you!
So much fun.
*smooooooches back*
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:)
I was askeered of the deus, but i'm glad it worked!
*beams*
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Brava, my dear, Brava!
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:)
*bounce*
Yes, H'ru needed some validation since Rrahn had kind of pawned him off.
*smooch*
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I try for that sort of ending as often as possible.
:)
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Yeah, it was fun to write 'out of the box', as it were.
:)
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Marie