apocaliffic
Jun. 11th, 2007 12:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
electricalgwenI'm happy today!
For some reason, this means I bring you a snippet of depressing, post-apocalypse fic from the "fics-I-will-never-write (except-apparently-I-will)" meme. For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
quinntzadok, who suggested Darkfic: post-S7 with any pairing, bonus for world endage and Buffy cutting off all her hair.
I think of the overall story as being S/X ('cause, y'know, it's me writing it *g*) but these 715 words (rated PG) are Xander & Buffy. Set in a future where the alley fight went badly, demons and vampires run amok and the humans are losing. Our crew are holed up somewhere with little food and no creature comforts, and Buffy has indeed cut off all her hair (before this scene) not in some Britney Spears-like moment of weirdness, but because there isn't any hot water and seldom any shampoo and it was always all matted and greasy and it turns out lice like Slayer blood as much as vampires do.
He knocked and waited for her tired "Come in" before pushing the door open. There wasn't much privacy around here; you safe-guarded what you could.
She gestured at the milk crate across from hers. "Any luck?”
“Not really.” He sighed. “We cleaned out the nest, but there were no supplies. Either the guys living there had run out by the time they were eaten, or the vamps are taking the stuff.”
“They don’t need food.”
“No, but they know that we do.”
She stared at him for a moment, then her head thunked back against the wall. “Great. Just what we needed. I like it better when they’re stupid.”
"Buff, I..."
He shoved the patch up on his forehead, rubbed nervously at the dry socket.
"I talked to Spike again."
He held up a hand to forestall her.
"We don't have enough food. Or water. We aren't gaining any ground, and the fights get tougher as we get weaker. We're going to lose someone very soon."
She looked at her feet.
"This is the best way. We save on rations, you get a stronger fighter." A bitter half-laugh escaped. "Two, actually - Spike'll get a decent meal for once."
A tear made a small splat next to her foot. She didn't look up.
"Buff?" He reached out, squeezed her knee.
"I can't do this," she said, very quietly. "I can't ask you to do this."
"You're not -"
"It betrays everything we're fighting for!"
"It allows us to keep fighting." He took a deep breath. "Buffy. You've always had to fight, and it's never been fair, but it's what you do. What we do. And it's hardest on you because you're the leader, but you are the best leader we could hope for. You make tough decisions all the time. Let me make this one for you. Just... don't say no."
More tears joined the first.
"What did Spike say?" she said finally.
"Actually," Xander said slowly, "he told me an interesting story. About the Second World War."
"What, about his heroic record eating Nazis?"
"About this time that Angel turned a soldier under his command. Because the guy was dying and he was needed for a job, to save a lot more lives. Needs of the many."
"You're not dying."
"That's not the point. Besides, we're all dying, Buff." He gestured at the blacked-out window. "Ironically, this gives me a better chance than most."
She gripped his hand so hard his fingers blanched. "It should be me."
"What? No!" He ducked his head, met her eyes. "You are the leader. You have to stay human. You hold us together.” He gingerly wiggled his fingers; she looked down and let go with a grimace. "The Original Slayer - often imitated, never duplicated."
Her eyes filled up again. “Just promise me you’ll keep your sense of humor.”
“Hey, that’s unkillable.” He took a deep breath. “And promise me – promise me you and Spike’ll do what you have to. If Lena doesn’t manage the resouling spell.”
“What – Lena? Why would she be doing it? Willow’ll be here in an instant when we call her!”
“I don’t want her to do it.”
Buffy wrinkled her forehead. “Xander – she’s the best.”
“I know. But I don’t want her wasting the energy on transport, she’s needed where she is, and…” he hesitated over the next words, “I don’t want her to know. Until it’s done.”
“She won’t – Xander, she’d want to – ”
“No. Lena can do it. She’s capable, and she’s here. Willow left the Orb in her stuff.”
“Will’s not going to like it.”
“And that wins the prize for understatement of the year.” Xander scrubbed at his eye again. “But if she were here, she’d stop me. Stop Spike. And Buffy – you know it’s the right decision.”
She closed her eyes, nodded.
“I know. I just wish – I was seriously scary as a vampire, Xander. I wish I could do this instead of you.”
He nodded. “You were Giles’ worst nightmare, and you were scary, all right.” He pulled her into a hug. “But, Buff? You, now, just as you are – you are their nightmare.”
She choked out a laugh. “I definitely look a fright.”
He hugged her harder. “Shut up, beautiful.”
Hope you're happy today too. :)
For some reason, this means I bring you a snippet of depressing, post-apocalypse fic from the "fics-I-will-never-write (except-apparently-I-will)" meme. For
quinntzadok, who suggested Darkfic: post-S7 with any pairing, bonus for world endage and Buffy cutting off all her hair.I think of the overall story as being S/X ('cause, y'know, it's me writing it *g*) but these 715 words (rated PG) are Xander & Buffy. Set in a future where the alley fight went badly, demons and vampires run amok and the humans are losing. Our crew are holed up somewhere with little food and no creature comforts, and Buffy has indeed cut off all her hair (before this scene) not in some Britney Spears-like moment of weirdness, but because there isn't any hot water and seldom any shampoo and it was always all matted and greasy and it turns out lice like Slayer blood as much as vampires do.
He knocked and waited for her tired "Come in" before pushing the door open. There wasn't much privacy around here; you safe-guarded what you could.
She gestured at the milk crate across from hers. "Any luck?”
“Not really.” He sighed. “We cleaned out the nest, but there were no supplies. Either the guys living there had run out by the time they were eaten, or the vamps are taking the stuff.”
“They don’t need food.”
“No, but they know that we do.”
She stared at him for a moment, then her head thunked back against the wall. “Great. Just what we needed. I like it better when they’re stupid.”
"Buff, I..."
He shoved the patch up on his forehead, rubbed nervously at the dry socket.
"I talked to Spike again."
He held up a hand to forestall her.
"We don't have enough food. Or water. We aren't gaining any ground, and the fights get tougher as we get weaker. We're going to lose someone very soon."
She looked at her feet.
"This is the best way. We save on rations, you get a stronger fighter." A bitter half-laugh escaped. "Two, actually - Spike'll get a decent meal for once."
A tear made a small splat next to her foot. She didn't look up.
"Buff?" He reached out, squeezed her knee.
"I can't do this," she said, very quietly. "I can't ask you to do this."
"You're not -"
"It betrays everything we're fighting for!"
"It allows us to keep fighting." He took a deep breath. "Buffy. You've always had to fight, and it's never been fair, but it's what you do. What we do. And it's hardest on you because you're the leader, but you are the best leader we could hope for. You make tough decisions all the time. Let me make this one for you. Just... don't say no."
More tears joined the first.
"What did Spike say?" she said finally.
"Actually," Xander said slowly, "he told me an interesting story. About the Second World War."
"What, about his heroic record eating Nazis?"
"About this time that Angel turned a soldier under his command. Because the guy was dying and he was needed for a job, to save a lot more lives. Needs of the many."
"You're not dying."
"That's not the point. Besides, we're all dying, Buff." He gestured at the blacked-out window. "Ironically, this gives me a better chance than most."
She gripped his hand so hard his fingers blanched. "It should be me."
"What? No!" He ducked his head, met her eyes. "You are the leader. You have to stay human. You hold us together.” He gingerly wiggled his fingers; she looked down and let go with a grimace. "The Original Slayer - often imitated, never duplicated."
Her eyes filled up again. “Just promise me you’ll keep your sense of humor.”
“Hey, that’s unkillable.” He took a deep breath. “And promise me – promise me you and Spike’ll do what you have to. If Lena doesn’t manage the resouling spell.”
“What – Lena? Why would she be doing it? Willow’ll be here in an instant when we call her!”
“I don’t want her to do it.”
Buffy wrinkled her forehead. “Xander – she’s the best.”
“I know. But I don’t want her wasting the energy on transport, she’s needed where she is, and…” he hesitated over the next words, “I don’t want her to know. Until it’s done.”
“She won’t – Xander, she’d want to – ”
“No. Lena can do it. She’s capable, and she’s here. Willow left the Orb in her stuff.”
“Will’s not going to like it.”
“And that wins the prize for understatement of the year.” Xander scrubbed at his eye again. “But if she were here, she’d stop me. Stop Spike. And Buffy – you know it’s the right decision.”
She closed her eyes, nodded.
“I know. I just wish – I was seriously scary as a vampire, Xander. I wish I could do this instead of you.”
He nodded. “You were Giles’ worst nightmare, and you were scary, all right.” He pulled her into a hug. “But, Buff? You, now, just as you are – you are their nightmare.”
She choked out a laugh. “I definitely look a fright.”
He hugged her harder. “Shut up, beautiful.”
Hope you're happy today too. :)
