First post
Jun. 16th, 2007 11:07 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
dreamerjules.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
tamingthemuseIt's a little after 11pm my time, so I get to post. Yay me! Hope you enjoy.
Title: Unknown at this time
Author: Julie
Fandom: BtVS/AtS
Prompt: #47 – conclave
Warnings: None
Rating: Everyone
Summary: Post-Chosen and Post-NFA, a meeting is held to figure things out.
A/N: I read a take of Joss's on how NFA turned out – Illyria lived, Gunn died, Angel lost an arm and Spike became a real boy. I don't remembe where I read it, nor can I find it now. Oh, well. Also deals with the lack of communication between the Sunnydale and LA groups and Xander's been in Africa.
A/N: Unbeta-ed. Concrit greatly appreciated.
Xander looked around the conference room where the Scoobies and Angel and his team were meeting. It didn't fit what he thought a Council conference room should look like. Floor to ceiling wall of windows looking down on merry old London Town. There was some kind of gray felt fabric on one wall that reminded him of the cubicle walls in Office Space. Some wanna-be wood stuff was on the opposite wall in a light, bright honey-I-shop-at-IKEA hue. Everything else was frosted glass except the conference table and the chairs, of course. The chairs were chrome and leather and Xander wouldn't be surprised to find they were patterned after some ancient torture device. The table was a thick green glass that probably could have been used on a really big aquarium.
He jumped as the door opened on his blind side. He cursed lightly under his breath. He'd gotten pretty good at compensating while in Africa. It shouldn't have happened.
Thinking it would be Willow and Buffy or Giles, he was shocked at what he saw.
Angel, Spike and some tall, skinny chick who'd lost a fight with a bottle of blue hair dye. They were looking a little shell-shocked and guarded. Xander didn't know any of the details about what had gone down in LA, but he thought someone would have mentioned Angel has lost an arm above the elbow. Left too. Who'd have thought they'd have something besides loving Buffy in common?
"Harris."
He wasn't surprised Spike spoke first. Or even that Spike was supporting an obviously weak Angel. He was surprised at the tan the vampire was sporting tough and the lack of the ever-present black duster.
"Spike. Spend a few days at the beach? Cause I gotta say, I would've thought you'd be more gray than brown if that were the case."
Blue chick was up in his face before he'd finished the sentence.
"You will not speak so disrespectfully to the half breed. He is a valiant warrior. You should grovel in his presence."
"It's all right, Blue. Me and Xander have a running 'war of wits.' It's just his way of saying he missed me."
The funny thing was, he had missed Spike. He hadn't realized it until just now. Well, not much anyway. No way, no how would he and Spike ever be friends, but he'd been a part of his life for too long not to feel the loss on some level.
"As you do with Angel?"
"Hey!!" The stereo volume of that one word was a bit much in the sterile room.
Angel ducked his head as a smile stole across his somber features.
"You and Angel insult each other as a sign of affection, do you not? Would that not be similar to your 'war of wits' with the human?" Illyria paused, seeming to remember something. "The other human, since you are no longer a half breed."
The door to the conference room opened again. Giles entered, followed by Buffy, Willow, Faith, Robin and Andrew bringing up the rear. Xander really wanted to tell Andrew that the Hobbits called and wanted their hair back, but he was terrified it really might be a Hobbit wig and did not want to hear how much Andrew had paid for it on eBay.
"Good, we're all here. Let's get started." Giles strode to the head of the conference table, his back to the panoramic view of London.
Xander's smile slid off his face as he looked at his girls. Willow was sporting resolve face, Faith looked ready for a triumphant return to the dark side and Buffy…. Well, he'd hoped that was one expression he'd never see on Buffy's face after they'd defeated the First.
Robin took the seat to Giles's right while Andrew made a production number out of taking the seat to his left. Buffy sat next to Robin, with Willow across from her. Faith sat a couple of seats down from Buffy. Even as out of the loop as Xander was, it was obvious she was avoiding Robin as much as possible. Xander sat a seat down from Willow and Spike took the seat at the other end of the table facing Giles.
"Illyria, please sit," said Angel.
She cocked her head, considering his request. "As you wish."
"I would like to state for the record that I feel this meeting is useless, pointless and a waste of valuable Council time," said Robin.
"You would," Spike shot back.
"Gentlemen, please. Robin, your objections have been duly noted. Spike, your patience, please. Sniping at each other is of no use," said Giles, looking every inch the put-upon librarian he had been.
"Okay, would somebody please explain to the informationally challenged among us what we're doing here?" Xander's confusion was growing as he felt the hostility level in the room rise. He didn't know what was going on, but he was picking up that not all of it was directed at the LA crew.
"In light of recent events in Los Angeles, we're meeting to determine how best we can deal with Wolfram and Hart's senior partners and the power vacuum left in the wake of the LA branches demise." Ripper was coming through loud and clear. Giles wasn't happy about the meeting either.
"Wolfram and Hart? Who's Wolfram and Hart?"
"The evil law firm Angel ran," said Robin, earning him a glare from Faith which he pointedly ignored.
"The law firm was evil, we weren't and we brought them down." Angel looked uncomfortable defending himself.
"At what cost? Do you have any idea what your little stunt has done to the rest of the world?" Robin was almost out of his chair when Giles laid a restraining hand on his arm.
"Oi, maybe if you had included us in your little Scoobie conclaves before, we wouldn't have this problem. Matter of fact, you don't have to include us now. Ta for the trip back to the mother country, we'll be on our way. Don't keep us on the Christmas card list, yeah."
"Spike." Buffy spoke for the first time. "This past year hasn't been good for any of us."
"What about before this last year?" Angel sat up a little taller in his chair. "You didn't bother to let us know when Faith came out of her coma. You didn't mention anything about a hell god until after Buffy died. It wasn't until we arrived here we got anything even remotely resembling the full story of Willow's trip to the dark side or the return of the First. Though the fact that the evil law firm helped in defeating it might be worth mentioning. Could you have really won without that amulet and Spike's sacrifice? Didn't think so.
"Some sacrifice. Not only did he not stay dead, he's now human," spat Robin.
"Wait. What? Spike's human? What the hell is going on here?"
"As part of taking down the senior partners contacts here on Earth, Peaches here had to sign away a prophecy that would allow him to become human. Since I was the only other vampire with a soul around, I got to be the real boy instead."
"Neither of you should be rewarded. You should both be dust," said Robin.
"And I should be back in jail, huh?"
"Faith, I didn't say that."
"No, but you might as well have. Yeah, they've done some pretty horrific things. Things they can't ever make up for, but they're not doing them any more. They're at least trying to do the right thing. What have we been doing lately? Yeah, we got the big picture shit going, but what about the details? The individuals caught in the cross fire?"
"Like the deputy mayor?"
"Yeah, you son of a bitch. Just like the deputy mayor. Except for he was an accident and we did nothing to help Fred."
"You barely knew the girl."
"What does that have to do with anything? Fred was good and sweet and we let her die because we didn't want to be bothered. She went with Angel to Evil Incorporated, so to hell with her and the rest of them? What if we could have helped Cordie?" Willow looked on the verge of tears.
"What the hell have you people been doing while I was in Africa? I thought the good guys didn't pick and choose who to save. And who's Fred?"
"I'm Fred." Blue chick had changed into a pretty brunette with a soft Texas twang.
"I thought Angel called you Illyria. And Willow said Fred was dead."
"Fred is dead. Illyria's a god king who took over Fred's body and can switch back when she wants. We prefer Illyria. Can we just wrap this up? I tire easily."
"Of course…."
Before Giles could continue, the conference room door burst open, quite an accomplishment considering there was a hydraulic spring. Dawn Summers entered looking nine kinds of pissed.
"Did you really think you could leave me out of this?"
TBC…
Title: Unknown at this time
Author: Julie
Fandom: BtVS/AtS
Prompt: #47 – conclave
Warnings: None
Rating: Everyone
Summary: Post-Chosen and Post-NFA, a meeting is held to figure things out.
A/N: I read a take of Joss's on how NFA turned out – Illyria lived, Gunn died, Angel lost an arm and Spike became a real boy. I don't remembe where I read it, nor can I find it now. Oh, well. Also deals with the lack of communication between the Sunnydale and LA groups and Xander's been in Africa.
A/N: Unbeta-ed. Concrit greatly appreciated.
Xander looked around the conference room where the Scoobies and Angel and his team were meeting. It didn't fit what he thought a Council conference room should look like. Floor to ceiling wall of windows looking down on merry old London Town. There was some kind of gray felt fabric on one wall that reminded him of the cubicle walls in Office Space. Some wanna-be wood stuff was on the opposite wall in a light, bright honey-I-shop-at-IKEA hue. Everything else was frosted glass except the conference table and the chairs, of course. The chairs were chrome and leather and Xander wouldn't be surprised to find they were patterned after some ancient torture device. The table was a thick green glass that probably could have been used on a really big aquarium.
He jumped as the door opened on his blind side. He cursed lightly under his breath. He'd gotten pretty good at compensating while in Africa. It shouldn't have happened.
Thinking it would be Willow and Buffy or Giles, he was shocked at what he saw.
Angel, Spike and some tall, skinny chick who'd lost a fight with a bottle of blue hair dye. They were looking a little shell-shocked and guarded. Xander didn't know any of the details about what had gone down in LA, but he thought someone would have mentioned Angel has lost an arm above the elbow. Left too. Who'd have thought they'd have something besides loving Buffy in common?
"Harris."
He wasn't surprised Spike spoke first. Or even that Spike was supporting an obviously weak Angel. He was surprised at the tan the vampire was sporting tough and the lack of the ever-present black duster.
"Spike. Spend a few days at the beach? Cause I gotta say, I would've thought you'd be more gray than brown if that were the case."
Blue chick was up in his face before he'd finished the sentence.
"You will not speak so disrespectfully to the half breed. He is a valiant warrior. You should grovel in his presence."
"It's all right, Blue. Me and Xander have a running 'war of wits.' It's just his way of saying he missed me."
The funny thing was, he had missed Spike. He hadn't realized it until just now. Well, not much anyway. No way, no how would he and Spike ever be friends, but he'd been a part of his life for too long not to feel the loss on some level.
"As you do with Angel?"
"Hey!!" The stereo volume of that one word was a bit much in the sterile room.
Angel ducked his head as a smile stole across his somber features.
"You and Angel insult each other as a sign of affection, do you not? Would that not be similar to your 'war of wits' with the human?" Illyria paused, seeming to remember something. "The other human, since you are no longer a half breed."
The door to the conference room opened again. Giles entered, followed by Buffy, Willow, Faith, Robin and Andrew bringing up the rear. Xander really wanted to tell Andrew that the Hobbits called and wanted their hair back, but he was terrified it really might be a Hobbit wig and did not want to hear how much Andrew had paid for it on eBay.
"Good, we're all here. Let's get started." Giles strode to the head of the conference table, his back to the panoramic view of London.
Xander's smile slid off his face as he looked at his girls. Willow was sporting resolve face, Faith looked ready for a triumphant return to the dark side and Buffy…. Well, he'd hoped that was one expression he'd never see on Buffy's face after they'd defeated the First.
Robin took the seat to Giles's right while Andrew made a production number out of taking the seat to his left. Buffy sat next to Robin, with Willow across from her. Faith sat a couple of seats down from Buffy. Even as out of the loop as Xander was, it was obvious she was avoiding Robin as much as possible. Xander sat a seat down from Willow and Spike took the seat at the other end of the table facing Giles.
"Illyria, please sit," said Angel.
She cocked her head, considering his request. "As you wish."
"I would like to state for the record that I feel this meeting is useless, pointless and a waste of valuable Council time," said Robin.
"You would," Spike shot back.
"Gentlemen, please. Robin, your objections have been duly noted. Spike, your patience, please. Sniping at each other is of no use," said Giles, looking every inch the put-upon librarian he had been.
"Okay, would somebody please explain to the informationally challenged among us what we're doing here?" Xander's confusion was growing as he felt the hostility level in the room rise. He didn't know what was going on, but he was picking up that not all of it was directed at the LA crew.
"In light of recent events in Los Angeles, we're meeting to determine how best we can deal with Wolfram and Hart's senior partners and the power vacuum left in the wake of the LA branches demise." Ripper was coming through loud and clear. Giles wasn't happy about the meeting either.
"Wolfram and Hart? Who's Wolfram and Hart?"
"The evil law firm Angel ran," said Robin, earning him a glare from Faith which he pointedly ignored.
"The law firm was evil, we weren't and we brought them down." Angel looked uncomfortable defending himself.
"At what cost? Do you have any idea what your little stunt has done to the rest of the world?" Robin was almost out of his chair when Giles laid a restraining hand on his arm.
"Oi, maybe if you had included us in your little Scoobie conclaves before, we wouldn't have this problem. Matter of fact, you don't have to include us now. Ta for the trip back to the mother country, we'll be on our way. Don't keep us on the Christmas card list, yeah."
"Spike." Buffy spoke for the first time. "This past year hasn't been good for any of us."
"What about before this last year?" Angel sat up a little taller in his chair. "You didn't bother to let us know when Faith came out of her coma. You didn't mention anything about a hell god until after Buffy died. It wasn't until we arrived here we got anything even remotely resembling the full story of Willow's trip to the dark side or the return of the First. Though the fact that the evil law firm helped in defeating it might be worth mentioning. Could you have really won without that amulet and Spike's sacrifice? Didn't think so.
"Some sacrifice. Not only did he not stay dead, he's now human," spat Robin.
"Wait. What? Spike's human? What the hell is going on here?"
"As part of taking down the senior partners contacts here on Earth, Peaches here had to sign away a prophecy that would allow him to become human. Since I was the only other vampire with a soul around, I got to be the real boy instead."
"Neither of you should be rewarded. You should both be dust," said Robin.
"And I should be back in jail, huh?"
"Faith, I didn't say that."
"No, but you might as well have. Yeah, they've done some pretty horrific things. Things they can't ever make up for, but they're not doing them any more. They're at least trying to do the right thing. What have we been doing lately? Yeah, we got the big picture shit going, but what about the details? The individuals caught in the cross fire?"
"Like the deputy mayor?"
"Yeah, you son of a bitch. Just like the deputy mayor. Except for he was an accident and we did nothing to help Fred."
"You barely knew the girl."
"What does that have to do with anything? Fred was good and sweet and we let her die because we didn't want to be bothered. She went with Angel to Evil Incorporated, so to hell with her and the rest of them? What if we could have helped Cordie?" Willow looked on the verge of tears.
"What the hell have you people been doing while I was in Africa? I thought the good guys didn't pick and choose who to save. And who's Fred?"
"I'm Fred." Blue chick had changed into a pretty brunette with a soft Texas twang.
"I thought Angel called you Illyria. And Willow said Fred was dead."
"Fred is dead. Illyria's a god king who took over Fred's body and can switch back when she wants. We prefer Illyria. Can we just wrap this up? I tire easily."
"Of course…."
Before Giles could continue, the conference room door burst open, quite an accomplishment considering there was a hydraulic spring. Dawn Summers entered looking nine kinds of pissed.
"Did you really think you could leave me out of this?"
TBC…
