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Yes, another update!
I just...felt like it.
:)
And... I need some serious opinions, here. Is this just way, way too schmoopy, surgary, sweet? Not this particular chapter - although it, too - but the series as a whole? I love this story, but it's feeling odd to me just lately so - gimmie your best shots!
Not asking for reassurence - I like my writing and don't generally agonize over it too much. I just want to know if this seems too...good to be true. Too fast, too sweet, too...perfect.
Okay? Okay.
And - see this? <.................> That's the relative thickness of my skin, so don't be shy! I don't break easy and critical fb is GOOD STUFF.
Now then.
On with the show!
Previous bits are here.
The house was so quiet, after they left. Still. *Like a tomb,* Xander thought, which led inevitably to thoughts of Spike, the resident undead. *Doesn't even make me flinch, anymore. Undead. So what.* Xander stood on the balcony, knowing he was hiding, a little. It was just after nine in the morning and Spike couldn't come out after him - the balcony was flooded with the hard, hot sun of a late-summer day and it felt...really good. *But I'm still hiding. I'm alone with him now like I wanted to be but... What do we - do?* Xander felt just a little ridiculous but he couldn't force himself to go in, not just yet. He was still trying to process the morning, anyway. The goodbye scene which hadn't really been a scene but had been...something...
"Dawn, we have to go in ten minutes! Are you ready?" Buffy impatiently checks her watch - pats the row of luggage by the door and then looks up, frowning, as Spike as Dawn walk into the living room. Spike is saying something - talking low in her ear - and Dawn is sniffling already.
"Here now, none of that," Spike says gently, wiping at Dawn's face with his fingers and tucking her hair back behind her ear. Dawn just looks up at him, her eyes so big and hurt and lost, already. "Look, I've got you a present." Spike is holding a - book? No - more like an album and Dawn takes it with a look of surprise - sits down on the couch and opens it. Xander leans over to see and Spike just watches Dawn.
The album is full of pictures. The first is their house, and Xander recognizes the picture they saw in the want ad - how it was before. Only this is a color picture, probably the one the realtor copied to make the ad. The house looks so - barren. The next page is a new picture of the house, only this time it looks as if it were taken days ago, with the plants and trees and flowers that Dawn picked out and they planted together - with the old stucco re-painted a soft terra-cotta, the rails and little benches and gate and archway all done in the turquoise Dawn liked so well.
The rest of the pictures are the same - shots of the house as it was when they moved in - all dull walls and bare windows - and shots taken who knew when with the sun coming in soft and golden through the blinds, glowing on the walls. Spike's room in plum-red and amber, Xander's in the navy and cream and soft mocha-brown Dawn had persuaded him to. The gold and green kitchen, the bathroom all blues and pearls. And Dawn's room, yellows and creams and small, vivid bits of scarlet. Dawn wipes repeatedly at her eyes until she comes to the last page; herself and Serafina in their white party dresses, Xander and Dawn sprawled on the couch in 'movie-mode' and Spike, sitting and smoking at the kitchen table, small smile and tilt of his head. Then she just breaks down and sobs, and Spike moves instantly to kneel beside her and rub her shoulder - offer a tissue from the box on the end table.
"Please come back with us, Spike -" Dawn wails, and Spike looks taken aback - looks uneasily at Xander and hugs Dawn gently. Buffy is watching from the door and silently fuming - Giles is staring silently out the double doors to the balcony, probably not seeing the white-capped water of the Gulf or the ships that are churning slowly by, his shoulders tense under his light summer shirt.
"Now Bit, you know I can't. Can't leave my darling down here, can I? It'd be a heap of rust in a month, pet. I'll be back before you know it. Now pull yourself together, Bit; don't want to be all splotchy on the plane. Go wash your face, yeah?"
"Spike! Stop that! Stop trying to just - just -" Spike sighs, offering more tissues, and Dawn snatches a handful and mops her face.
"It can't be helped, pet, so better to just leave off, yeah? Just - don't think about it. Look - you've got pictures of all your hard work right here to show your mates back home. Bet they'll be askin' you to do their rooms up next, yeah? And Serafina said she'd come see you soon, and -"
"I’m not a CHILD, Spike!" Dawn says, but the wobble in her voice betrays her. She swallows and clenches her fists around the sodden tissues. "You don't have to distract me with - with TOYS." Her voice is hard but her hand is gentle with the album - closing it carefully and stroking its red leather cover. "This is really nice," she says, but then skewers Spike with a hard look. "You ARE coming back, right?"
Spike makes an astonished face - manga-eyes and open mouth - and Xander almost laughs. Buffy makes some sort of snorting noise.
"Bit! How could you? Would I lie to you?"
"Of course you would, Spike. It's time to go, Dawn." Buffy strides over and snatches the album - crams it into the top of Dawn's carry-on and jerks the draw-string tight. "Go use the bathroom if you need to, Dawn, the taxi's here and we have to go." Dawn stares up at her for a minute and then she grabs Spike in a huge, hard hug, burying her face in his neck. Spike shoots Buffy a glare - a kind of 'don't you DARE' look - and hugs her back just as hard.
"I'll miss you. Be careful and - and take care of Xander, please don't - don't let him get hurt. And - I love you, Spike," Dawn gasps out, then she's pushing to her feet and running for the bathroom and Spike is left crouching there, a look of utter disbelief and wonder on his face. Five minutes later they're gone, and Xander waves a last time from the balcony.
Xander shifted a little and sighed - leaned on the railing, idly watching the Gulf and a handful of gulls dart and dive, finding lunch in the sand near an outdoor café.
"Going to hide out there all day, pet?" Spike's voice was like a caress of cool velvet and Xander shivered a little - turned and looked into the house, waiting for his eyes to adjust. Spike was standing there in his oldest jeans and tightest t-shirt, his hair still mussed from his shower, his eyes sunk a little into bruised-looking sockets. Nobody had said a word about the ladder of cuts going up his arms, but now Xander felt a slow, twisting knot of anger in his gut. He pushed away from the rail and went straight up to Spike - hesitated for one long moment and then hugged him close. Spike's arms came up around him immediately and he made a small gasping sound.
"Fuck, you're so hot, that feels so good -" Spike was burrowing into him - getting his hands and arms up under Xander's shirt, searching for the sun-bought heat and Xander let him - pressed close and just held on.
"C'mon to bed with me, pet, yeah? You gotta start keepin' vampire hours an' I'm..." Spike didn't finish that but Xander knew what he was saying. Not 'I'm tired', although he probably was but; 'I don't want to be alone. I'm cold. I'm...lost.' It was how Xander was feeling anyway, and he went willing along with Spike to the warm, ruddy-gold of his room. Somehow, taking off his clothes didn't make him feel self-conscious anymore, and slipping into the musky, smoky nest of sheets and blanket was a relief. Spike pulled him on top - got arms and one leg around him and it was like a cocoon almost except Xander didn't care. He pushed his face into Spike's neck and just breathed in the scent that was rapidly becoming the scent of home to him - of comfort and safety.
"I hope Dawn's okay," he murmured, and Spike's arms tightened around him.
"She'll be fine, pet. Niblet's stronger than she looks. You'll see." Spike's hands were rubbing in slow, easy sweeps up and down Xander's back and he shifted and sighed and kissed the smooth skin that was under his mouth.
"Spike..." he said, and then didn't know what else to say.
"What is it, love?" Spike murmured.
"I...I want..." Xander stopped again, feeling a rush of blood to his face - to his whole body. He knew exactly what he wanted, but asking - was hard. Asking opened him up for rejection.
"Ask me, Xan. Anything you want."
*Don't be so stupid - he's right here! He's holding on like...like you want him to hold on. Just...* "You said - next time... You said you would - show me...what it's like?" There was a moment's silence from Spike and then he shifted a little and Xander felt a cool hand under his chin, lifting his head.
"You want me to - be inside you, pet? Is that what you're asking?" Spike's eyes were dark in the dim room - were half-shut and fathomless and Xander couldn't make a sound, so he just nodded - stretched forward a little and kissed Spike's jaw, then his lips, slow and soft.
"Please?" His voice cracked a little and he paused, taking a long breath in. "I... It feels like I just..." *Want you to be in charge. Want you to just take care of me - just for a little while. Just - long enough. Please...*
"Course I will, love," Spike whispered, and Xander shuddered with relief and longing, kissing Spike again only deeper, and harder.
*God...please don't let it hurt... Please let me do this right...*
"I can hear your heart, pet - it's beating like a drum. You're not afraid of me, are you?" Spike asked, and Xander shook his head - took another deep breath, letting his forehead fall to Spike's shoulder.
"No, I'm just - I don't wanna - mess this up."
Spike laughed but it was quiet, not mocking. "Told you already - you can't. But this is for me to do, yeah?" Spike rolled them both a little - got Xander on his side and got himself up on his elbow and leaned there, looking at him. Xander couldn't stop the hand that reached out and lightly traced the curve of collarbone and pectoral and bicep.
"Trust me, pet?" Soft question - easy question, really. So frighteningly easy to answer.
"Yeah. I do," Xander replied, and Spike smiled.
Also, inspired by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
riani1 you can now download all of part one of 'Changes' *Something Rich and Strange* and part one of 'Little Runaway' via .zip files at Scarecrow Horses.
See her amazing fic here:Two Ladies of Quality.
OH! Knew there was one more thing. I would dearly, dearly love an icon for 'Credence' and for 'Little Runaway'. Or a cool banner thingy to put up at my website. So i'm asking very nicely, if anybody out there would want to make me something, i'll give ya...a fic of your choice?
Anything but Riley, and i won't vouch for my Wes voice...
*bounce*
I just...felt like it.
:)
And... I need some serious opinions, here. Is this just way, way too schmoopy, surgary, sweet? Not this particular chapter - although it, too - but the series as a whole? I love this story, but it's feeling odd to me just lately so - gimmie your best shots!
Not asking for reassurence - I like my writing and don't generally agonize over it too much. I just want to know if this seems too...good to be true. Too fast, too sweet, too...perfect.
Okay? Okay.
And - see this? <.................> That's the relative thickness of my skin, so don't be shy! I don't break easy and critical fb is GOOD STUFF.
Now then.
On with the show!
Previous bits are here.
The house was so quiet, after they left. Still. *Like a tomb,* Xander thought, which led inevitably to thoughts of Spike, the resident undead. *Doesn't even make me flinch, anymore. Undead. So what.* Xander stood on the balcony, knowing he was hiding, a little. It was just after nine in the morning and Spike couldn't come out after him - the balcony was flooded with the hard, hot sun of a late-summer day and it felt...really good. *But I'm still hiding. I'm alone with him now like I wanted to be but... What do we - do?* Xander felt just a little ridiculous but he couldn't force himself to go in, not just yet. He was still trying to process the morning, anyway. The goodbye scene which hadn't really been a scene but had been...something...
"Dawn, we have to go in ten minutes! Are you ready?" Buffy impatiently checks her watch - pats the row of luggage by the door and then looks up, frowning, as Spike as Dawn walk into the living room. Spike is saying something - talking low in her ear - and Dawn is sniffling already.
"Here now, none of that," Spike says gently, wiping at Dawn's face with his fingers and tucking her hair back behind her ear. Dawn just looks up at him, her eyes so big and hurt and lost, already. "Look, I've got you a present." Spike is holding a - book? No - more like an album and Dawn takes it with a look of surprise - sits down on the couch and opens it. Xander leans over to see and Spike just watches Dawn.
The album is full of pictures. The first is their house, and Xander recognizes the picture they saw in the want ad - how it was before. Only this is a color picture, probably the one the realtor copied to make the ad. The house looks so - barren. The next page is a new picture of the house, only this time it looks as if it were taken days ago, with the plants and trees and flowers that Dawn picked out and they planted together - with the old stucco re-painted a soft terra-cotta, the rails and little benches and gate and archway all done in the turquoise Dawn liked so well.
The rest of the pictures are the same - shots of the house as it was when they moved in - all dull walls and bare windows - and shots taken who knew when with the sun coming in soft and golden through the blinds, glowing on the walls. Spike's room in plum-red and amber, Xander's in the navy and cream and soft mocha-brown Dawn had persuaded him to. The gold and green kitchen, the bathroom all blues and pearls. And Dawn's room, yellows and creams and small, vivid bits of scarlet. Dawn wipes repeatedly at her eyes until she comes to the last page; herself and Serafina in their white party dresses, Xander and Dawn sprawled on the couch in 'movie-mode' and Spike, sitting and smoking at the kitchen table, small smile and tilt of his head. Then she just breaks down and sobs, and Spike moves instantly to kneel beside her and rub her shoulder - offer a tissue from the box on the end table.
"Please come back with us, Spike -" Dawn wails, and Spike looks taken aback - looks uneasily at Xander and hugs Dawn gently. Buffy is watching from the door and silently fuming - Giles is staring silently out the double doors to the balcony, probably not seeing the white-capped water of the Gulf or the ships that are churning slowly by, his shoulders tense under his light summer shirt.
"Now Bit, you know I can't. Can't leave my darling down here, can I? It'd be a heap of rust in a month, pet. I'll be back before you know it. Now pull yourself together, Bit; don't want to be all splotchy on the plane. Go wash your face, yeah?"
"Spike! Stop that! Stop trying to just - just -" Spike sighs, offering more tissues, and Dawn snatches a handful and mops her face.
"It can't be helped, pet, so better to just leave off, yeah? Just - don't think about it. Look - you've got pictures of all your hard work right here to show your mates back home. Bet they'll be askin' you to do their rooms up next, yeah? And Serafina said she'd come see you soon, and -"
"I’m not a CHILD, Spike!" Dawn says, but the wobble in her voice betrays her. She swallows and clenches her fists around the sodden tissues. "You don't have to distract me with - with TOYS." Her voice is hard but her hand is gentle with the album - closing it carefully and stroking its red leather cover. "This is really nice," she says, but then skewers Spike with a hard look. "You ARE coming back, right?"
Spike makes an astonished face - manga-eyes and open mouth - and Xander almost laughs. Buffy makes some sort of snorting noise.
"Bit! How could you? Would I lie to you?"
"Of course you would, Spike. It's time to go, Dawn." Buffy strides over and snatches the album - crams it into the top of Dawn's carry-on and jerks the draw-string tight. "Go use the bathroom if you need to, Dawn, the taxi's here and we have to go." Dawn stares up at her for a minute and then she grabs Spike in a huge, hard hug, burying her face in his neck. Spike shoots Buffy a glare - a kind of 'don't you DARE' look - and hugs her back just as hard.
"I'll miss you. Be careful and - and take care of Xander, please don't - don't let him get hurt. And - I love you, Spike," Dawn gasps out, then she's pushing to her feet and running for the bathroom and Spike is left crouching there, a look of utter disbelief and wonder on his face. Five minutes later they're gone, and Xander waves a last time from the balcony.
Xander shifted a little and sighed - leaned on the railing, idly watching the Gulf and a handful of gulls dart and dive, finding lunch in the sand near an outdoor café.
"Going to hide out there all day, pet?" Spike's voice was like a caress of cool velvet and Xander shivered a little - turned and looked into the house, waiting for his eyes to adjust. Spike was standing there in his oldest jeans and tightest t-shirt, his hair still mussed from his shower, his eyes sunk a little into bruised-looking sockets. Nobody had said a word about the ladder of cuts going up his arms, but now Xander felt a slow, twisting knot of anger in his gut. He pushed away from the rail and went straight up to Spike - hesitated for one long moment and then hugged him close. Spike's arms came up around him immediately and he made a small gasping sound.
"Fuck, you're so hot, that feels so good -" Spike was burrowing into him - getting his hands and arms up under Xander's shirt, searching for the sun-bought heat and Xander let him - pressed close and just held on.
"C'mon to bed with me, pet, yeah? You gotta start keepin' vampire hours an' I'm..." Spike didn't finish that but Xander knew what he was saying. Not 'I'm tired', although he probably was but; 'I don't want to be alone. I'm cold. I'm...lost.' It was how Xander was feeling anyway, and he went willing along with Spike to the warm, ruddy-gold of his room. Somehow, taking off his clothes didn't make him feel self-conscious anymore, and slipping into the musky, smoky nest of sheets and blanket was a relief. Spike pulled him on top - got arms and one leg around him and it was like a cocoon almost except Xander didn't care. He pushed his face into Spike's neck and just breathed in the scent that was rapidly becoming the scent of home to him - of comfort and safety.
"I hope Dawn's okay," he murmured, and Spike's arms tightened around him.
"She'll be fine, pet. Niblet's stronger than she looks. You'll see." Spike's hands were rubbing in slow, easy sweeps up and down Xander's back and he shifted and sighed and kissed the smooth skin that was under his mouth.
"Spike..." he said, and then didn't know what else to say.
"What is it, love?" Spike murmured.
"I...I want..." Xander stopped again, feeling a rush of blood to his face - to his whole body. He knew exactly what he wanted, but asking - was hard. Asking opened him up for rejection.
"Ask me, Xan. Anything you want."
*Don't be so stupid - he's right here! He's holding on like...like you want him to hold on. Just...* "You said - next time... You said you would - show me...what it's like?" There was a moment's silence from Spike and then he shifted a little and Xander felt a cool hand under his chin, lifting his head.
"You want me to - be inside you, pet? Is that what you're asking?" Spike's eyes were dark in the dim room - were half-shut and fathomless and Xander couldn't make a sound, so he just nodded - stretched forward a little and kissed Spike's jaw, then his lips, slow and soft.
"Please?" His voice cracked a little and he paused, taking a long breath in. "I... It feels like I just..." *Want you to be in charge. Want you to just take care of me - just for a little while. Just - long enough. Please...*
"Course I will, love," Spike whispered, and Xander shuddered with relief and longing, kissing Spike again only deeper, and harder.
*God...please don't let it hurt... Please let me do this right...*
"I can hear your heart, pet - it's beating like a drum. You're not afraid of me, are you?" Spike asked, and Xander shook his head - took another deep breath, letting his forehead fall to Spike's shoulder.
"No, I'm just - I don't wanna - mess this up."
Spike laughed but it was quiet, not mocking. "Told you already - you can't. But this is for me to do, yeah?" Spike rolled them both a little - got Xander on his side and got himself up on his elbow and leaned there, looking at him. Xander couldn't stop the hand that reached out and lightly traced the curve of collarbone and pectoral and bicep.
"Trust me, pet?" Soft question - easy question, really. So frighteningly easy to answer.
"Yeah. I do," Xander replied, and Spike smiled.
Also, inspired by
riani1 you can now download all of part one of 'Changes' *Something Rich and Strange* and part one of 'Little Runaway' via .zip files at Scarecrow Horses.See her amazing fic here:Two Ladies of Quality.
OH! Knew there was one more thing. I would dearly, dearly love an icon for 'Credence' and for 'Little Runaway'. Or a cool banner thingy to put up at my website. So i'm asking very nicely, if anybody out there would want to make me something, i'll give ya...a fic of your choice?
Anything but Riley, and i won't vouch for my Wes voice...
*bounce*
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**Running to download Changes**
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Nope. Not too sweet. Not to me.
I love this series.
:)
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It's like a slow growing up transition from canon to Spander, and there are a lot of bumps in the road coming up. The quiet strength Xander and Spike are starting to find in each other as two lost boys coming together is lovely.
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Thank you, bay-bee.
I really am liking a more 'grown up' Xander more and more.
And yay, for no schmoop! I like it sometimes, but i don't think i do it well and i didn't want it for THIS story, anyway.
Thank you!
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:)
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I'm so glad.
:)
*bounce*
Go, get that .zip!!
Hehe.
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:)
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Yes, bittersweet is definitely the right word for this. How could it possibly be too sugary and sweet with Giles hurting Xander by standing out on the balcony blanking him, and Buffy being a bitch and Dawnie in tears and nobody caring enough to mention the marks on Spike's arms?
It rocks, sweetie!
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And - see this? <.................> That's the relative thickness of my skin, so don't be shy! I don't break easy and critical fb is GOOD STUFF.
OK, here I go, sticking out my neck again (but remember, you asked!)... I do have one quibble with this otherwise wonderful series, and that's your characterization of Buffy.
In the last part, in the scene with Giles and Xander, you showed that Giles had understandable reasons (his actions/experience of his Ripper days) for being concerned about Xander's motivations and his doubts about Xander's ability to make sound choices about his future, and Giles showed enough respect for Xander to share the reasons for his concerns.
In contrast, Buffy is shown as completely unsympathetic. Not only is she consistently insulting/abusive to Spike and condescending toward Xander, but her behavior is always selfish and arrogant, and she treats Dawn like an unwelcome burden rather than the sister she supposedly loves. Granted, Buffy isn't my favorite character in the Jossverse, but she wasn't that much of a bitch, and I think she deserves to be portrayed as having more than one dimension.
Your mileage may vary.
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What sentiment and sweetness is here feels earned. Too often schmoopy fics are empty and unsatisfying and leave me feeling as if I've wasted my time reading them. This story feels, all the way through, as if something significant is going on.
Julia, capiche?
pleasantly pained
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*shrugs*
I have a very hard time figuring out if i'm actually putting enough stuff in a story to get across how it feels to me, inside. It's like - i have these little worlds and things in my head but when i write i forget that nobody ELSE does, and hello, forgot to mention that Our Hero has cancer! Or whatever.
Heh.
Anyway - thank you! I just didn't want this to move along so quickly into 'relationship' type stuff that it seemed utterly unbelieveable.
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I think you're right, vis a vis Buffy. HRmmmm... K.
In canon, she was horrified by Spike's declaration of love that she turned all the Scoobies - including Dawn - against him, disinvited him from her house - i mean, she was just 'i hate Spike', full stop, no pity.
So, in this 'verse, he kidnaps her sister and takes her away and she CAN'T follow 'cause of Glory. And she's so pissed. And now, here they are getting her sister back and her sister LOVES the vamp she hates, and Xander who's supposed to be all in sorta love with her just wants to STAY with the vamp she hates...
I haven't let her 'talk' much, and i'll probably have a an 'update' on her in the next bit or so, but that's pretty much my thinking.
So - make sense, or does that sound like an undignified scramble as i try to cover my ass?
:)
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Thank you!
I sound like i'm just doing the 'love meeeeeee!!' thing...
*grrrrrr*
But, good, that's good, 'cause yeah, a lot of times schmoop is FUN, but it's not...satisfying, and it doesn't seem like it's based on anything real.
So, wow.
Thank you muchly.
:)
Re: pleasantly pained
I'm glad to hear that!
It all makes sense in my HEAD...hehe
I'm glad it's translating well.
*bounce*
Love you icon.
*pets Tara*
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I would agree a bit with the earlier comment on Buffy's lack of sympathetic behavior, although I think that it can be justified to a large degree. In this story Spike "kidnaps" her sister rather than helps Buffy with Glory at the end which could be said to have disrupted the fragile peace between them. Plus we don't really get to see things from Buffy's POV, only how she is coming off from Spike and Xander's viewpoint.
The other problem I have with a lot of Spander fiction in general is that it cuts to the chase very quickly. It's not always best for the story but it is often best for the writer -- between having to write (at length) an involved story where they come together versus not getting the story written at all, it is better to just get it written. (And we'd probably all have much less to read if that weren't the case!) I think in this story the lead up to how the two become friends and learn to trust each other is completely plausible (and I so liked the album Spike gives Dawn, which was representative to me of the way their relationship, like the house, has also been brought to life and colored with different textures).
I have to say though that while I definitely grasp Xander's conscious sense of alienation from his friends and his life in Sunnydale and Spike is someone who (we all know) ultimately does not care for being alone I'm not really getting the emotional center for why they are so ready to change so much of themselves so soon. To not be ready to say goodbye, absolutely. To want to give this new thing between them more of a chance, yes. But to be ready to put aside so much of what made them who they are, I'm not as clear on. I'm not suggesting than an angst-fest is needed here, but I feel that something is missing. I don't know if that has anything to do with the odd feeling you're getting. Hopefully I haven't just made you feel much worse about it!
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Go forth, little one, on your chosen path. It's the right one. *cue dramatic music as my hair flows in the wind. Or would if it was longer then an inch*
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Yes, we DON'T have Buffy's POV, so yes, things are kinda one-sided. I have some of her...reaction? Feelings? planned for the next bit, or the bit after that, depending. Also, some fb from Willow.
I'm glad you think that the 'lead up' is good and makes sense, and that the pr0n isn't gratuitous and too fast.
*did i get that right?* heh. Forgive me, i'm a little loopy right now.
Oh, no, i don't feel bad. :)
Hrmmmmm.... Let's see... I think that in the show, if Spike had decided he was NOT in love with Buffy any more, and had no other reason to be around, he would have left. Sunnydale was bad luck for him, and i don't think he liked being there much at all... So i think him saying he's not going back to stay is 'in character', as it were.
As for Xander... when he's doing the email to Willow and thinking of all the things he's NOT missing - and later, when she confirms for him that his parents don't miss him... I think if he hadn't had such bad luck in Oxnard, he might not have ever come back that year. I think travel, and getting to see new things, and leaving the failure of Sunnydale behind is also 'in character'....
BUT!
That doesn't seem to be too obvious, eh? Hehe.
No, no huge angst-fest. I generally don't like those much.
But you've given me food for thought.
Thank you!
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*is lost in image of you with flowing locks*
Hee!
Thank you, and yes, i don't think i'm capable of uberschmoop, myself.
:)
*hugs you*
And thank you for your notes - i'll take them to heart!
*Air!Kiss!*
*ehem*
Great, chapter by the way - loved the album that Spike gave Dawnie.
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Second: If the reader had been dropped into this story w/o the background of running from Glory or Spike's chip and his working to get it out, then maybe - maybe - it might be considered schmoopy. But what's wrong with schmoopy? Nuttin!
But I *so* don't take this story as a whole as schmoopy because I'm always so tense reading it, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Not to point you in any direction you weren't going or to pretend I'm guessing what's coming up plotwise, but I'm skeeeeered to death about Spike's final couple of days of working for chip removal. I'm afraid something going to happen to keep it from happening or to hurt him horribly. Plus, anytime the boys seems "happily ever after", I'm always thinking the bad is about to happen to mess them up again.
I've been hurt before. Can you tell? ;D
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In not so short, good progression, excellent balance, awesome fic.
*runs off to print the 'Changes' chaps she's behind on so she can take them to work*
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I love this series and am looking forward to more!