wesleysgirl (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
wesleysgirl) wrote2007-06-11 02:38 pm
wesleysgirl) wrote2007-06-11 02:38 pm
Entry tags:
Angel & Spike on Serenity Pt 4
(Previous parts tagged.)
Still seriously far from perfect. Don't say you weren't warned. :-P
Angel's coming back from the cargo hold with a couple of chilled blood packets in the knapsack he doesn't really use for anything else when he bumps -- not literally, although it's a close thing -- into the Shepherd. Book.
Book's the oldest guy on the ship as far as he knows, and acts it. He doesn't talk a lot, unless it's to gently chide one of the others when things get snippy, and he watches conversations with a little, relaxed smile, his dark eyes knowing.
There are things he doesn't know, though.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he says, reaching out to steady Angel at the same time Angel reaches to steady him. They don't touch each other. "I didn't hear you coming."
"I'm not wearing my boots," Angel says, stepping back. He tilts one of his slippered feet to the side, and Book looks down at it and nods.
Book glances past Angel, and Angel can see him thinking. Wondering. "Taking a walk?" he asks. "It can be a bit of a challenge, adjusting to life in a small ship." It's the politest form of question, one that's not really a question at all.
"We've done a lot of traveling," Angel says. "You'd be surprised, actually."
"I don't think I would be," Book says thoughtfully. There's a long pause, then he adds, "Well. Have a nice evening."
"Yeah. You, too." And they both go their separate ways.
When he gets back to his quarters, Spike's not there. He's not in his own, either; Angel tucks the blood into the small storage chest at the foot of the bunk and goes looking for him. It doesn't take long to find him, of course, because the Shepherd was right -- it is a small ship.
Spike's sitting on the back of the sofa just outside the infirmary, behind River, who's leaning over the table, drawing.
"S'nice, pet," Spike says.
River looks back over her shoulder at him. "It's not as good as his," she says, and glances at Angel.
As usual, Spike doesn't seem to notice that the girl's conversations aren't exactly normal. "Well, no. But Liam's got some years on you. When you've been around as long as he has, you'll likely be as good as him. Maybe better."
Frowning, River selects a different pencil. "That won't happen," she says.
"Sure it will," Spike starts to say, but she interrupts.
"No," she says, fixing him with a steady gaze. "I mean I won't live that long." Her lips curve up into a playful smile. "But then, neither did you." And she goes back to her drawing while Spike and Angel stare at each other, open-mouthed.
After a minute, Spike says, hesitantly, "Pet... River. The thing is -- "
"I know," River says. She looks at him again. "It's a secret. Don't worry. I won't tell."
* * *
"You think she's going to keep her mouth shut?" Angel asks later, after they've fed.
"What are you on about now?" Spike asks.
"River," Angel says. "How the hell did she know, anyway?"
Spike shrugs. "Sees things. Like Dru."
There's a name that's guaranteed to put Angel in a bad mood. "She and her brother seem pretty close."
"Yeah?"
"I mean she might say something to him," Angel says, starting to get irritated at Spike's apparent lack of interest in the conversation. "About us."
"You heard her," Spike says. "She knows it's a secret. Said she won't tell."
"Doesn't mean she won't," Angel says. The ship shudders slightly, and he pauses, listening. "What the hell was that?"
"Probably nothing." Spike sighs and sits up at the end of the bunk. "You gonna worry at this all night? Because I'll go, give you some time alone with your misery and paranoia."
Angel doesn't know whether to tell him to go or stay. He reaches out and wraps his hand around Spike's wrist, feeling the bones beneath the skin, turning Spike's arm until the palm is facing up.
"You all right?" Spike asks.
He nods. "Yeah." It's been a long time, though, since he's felt so unsettled, and he's not even sure why. "Maybe I'll talk to her."
"Just make sure you do it when Simon's not around," Spike says. "I can keep him busy, if you like. Distract him."
"I'll bet you could," Angel says. "You keep away from him. He's a hell of a lot more dangerous than his sister."
Spike shakes his head. "He won't cause any trouble. Don't worry -- I can handle him."
That's exactly what Angel's worried about.
TBC
Still seriously far from perfect. Don't say you weren't warned. :-P
Angel's coming back from the cargo hold with a couple of chilled blood packets in the knapsack he doesn't really use for anything else when he bumps -- not literally, although it's a close thing -- into the Shepherd. Book.
Book's the oldest guy on the ship as far as he knows, and acts it. He doesn't talk a lot, unless it's to gently chide one of the others when things get snippy, and he watches conversations with a little, relaxed smile, his dark eyes knowing.
There are things he doesn't know, though.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he says, reaching out to steady Angel at the same time Angel reaches to steady him. They don't touch each other. "I didn't hear you coming."
"I'm not wearing my boots," Angel says, stepping back. He tilts one of his slippered feet to the side, and Book looks down at it and nods.
Book glances past Angel, and Angel can see him thinking. Wondering. "Taking a walk?" he asks. "It can be a bit of a challenge, adjusting to life in a small ship." It's the politest form of question, one that's not really a question at all.
"We've done a lot of traveling," Angel says. "You'd be surprised, actually."
"I don't think I would be," Book says thoughtfully. There's a long pause, then he adds, "Well. Have a nice evening."
"Yeah. You, too." And they both go their separate ways.
When he gets back to his quarters, Spike's not there. He's not in his own, either; Angel tucks the blood into the small storage chest at the foot of the bunk and goes looking for him. It doesn't take long to find him, of course, because the Shepherd was right -- it is a small ship.
Spike's sitting on the back of the sofa just outside the infirmary, behind River, who's leaning over the table, drawing.
"S'nice, pet," Spike says.
River looks back over her shoulder at him. "It's not as good as his," she says, and glances at Angel.
As usual, Spike doesn't seem to notice that the girl's conversations aren't exactly normal. "Well, no. But Liam's got some years on you. When you've been around as long as he has, you'll likely be as good as him. Maybe better."
Frowning, River selects a different pencil. "That won't happen," she says.
"Sure it will," Spike starts to say, but she interrupts.
"No," she says, fixing him with a steady gaze. "I mean I won't live that long." Her lips curve up into a playful smile. "But then, neither did you." And she goes back to her drawing while Spike and Angel stare at each other, open-mouthed.
After a minute, Spike says, hesitantly, "Pet... River. The thing is -- "
"I know," River says. She looks at him again. "It's a secret. Don't worry. I won't tell."
"You think she's going to keep her mouth shut?" Angel asks later, after they've fed.
"What are you on about now?" Spike asks.
"River," Angel says. "How the hell did she know, anyway?"
Spike shrugs. "Sees things. Like Dru."
There's a name that's guaranteed to put Angel in a bad mood. "She and her brother seem pretty close."
"Yeah?"
"I mean she might say something to him," Angel says, starting to get irritated at Spike's apparent lack of interest in the conversation. "About us."
"You heard her," Spike says. "She knows it's a secret. Said she won't tell."
"Doesn't mean she won't," Angel says. The ship shudders slightly, and he pauses, listening. "What the hell was that?"
"Probably nothing." Spike sighs and sits up at the end of the bunk. "You gonna worry at this all night? Because I'll go, give you some time alone with your misery and paranoia."
Angel doesn't know whether to tell him to go or stay. He reaches out and wraps his hand around Spike's wrist, feeling the bones beneath the skin, turning Spike's arm until the palm is facing up.
"You all right?" Spike asks.
He nods. "Yeah." It's been a long time, though, since he's felt so unsettled, and he's not even sure why. "Maybe I'll talk to her."
"Just make sure you do it when Simon's not around," Spike says. "I can keep him busy, if you like. Distract him."
"I'll bet you could," Angel says. "You keep away from him. He's a hell of a lot more dangerous than his sister."
Spike shakes his head. "He won't cause any trouble. Don't worry -- I can handle him."
That's exactly what Angel's worried about.
TBC