XLVI - video;

[breakmychest]

[GUESS WHO'S SMIRKING VISAGE IS ONCE AGAIN GRACING THE BARGE? That's right, it's Spike! He's back! And he's...actually not wearing black. Well, there's still the coat, of course, but his shirt's brown. His room's changed too. It's got pipes and metal all around, like it's something off of some awesome steampunk spaceship. Which, to be fair, it is.

He gives the Barge a lazy wave.]

So. What'd I miss?

[Filtered to Fred.]

You still here, pet? How've you been? And how long was I gone?

[Filtered to Buffy]

Told you I'd be back.

[Please still be here.]

Comments

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

There was a flood. It was horrible. Par for the course, really. Where did you end up going?

[bigbad]

Back to Los Angeles. Then Vegas. Then space. Then London.

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

I'm gathering that you're being sarcastic with the reference to space?

[bigbad]

Actually no. Been an interesting year.

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

I was about to ask whether you seriously thought I'd ever believe that you went to space, but then I looked out my window.

[Spike]

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fredless/]

Where else did you think I would've run off to?

[There's a pause]

And not long, really. All things considered.

[She doesn't answer his other question yet]

[Fred]

[bigbad]

I didn't know how long it's been. You could have gone home.

[He notices, and he falls silent, looking at her seriously. It may have been a while ago, but he remembers how they left things.]

Re: [Fred]

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fredless/]

[There is a small tilt of her mouth. Not quite a smile, but something. Still, the quiet is strained]

I'm still here.

[She missed you, you know]

[Spike]

[bigbad]

[He smiles back.]

Still have the same room and everything?

[Spike]

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fredless/]

[Fred nods. She feels herself missing him more now than when he was gone]

...same room and everything.

[sharpememory.livejournal.com]

Oh hey. Weren't you one of those vampire guys?

[bigbad]

And funny thing? I still am.

[sharpememory.livejournal.com]

Yeah, of course. How many of your cohorts are there on the barge? Half a dozen or so?

[bigbad]

If by cohorts, you mean other vampires, you really haven't been paying attention to who I get along with.

Anyway, I wouldn't know, I've been away for a year.

[sharpememory.livejournal.com]

A year? [Pause.] Weird. I thought I knew someone who looked like you. And had the same name?

[most_feared]

Nice digs.

[There's something funny about this man saying digs.]

[bigbad]

[There really is and Spike gives him an appropriately funny look about it.]

Thanks, mate.

[19centconstable.livejournal.com]

Mr. Spike! Welcome back.

[bigbad]

Still just Spike, mate. No Mr. But thanks.

[19centconstable.livejournal.com]

Right. Yes. Sorry. Have you been gone long? From your perspective, that is?

[bigbad]

Yeah, it's been about a year.

STEAMPUNK FOR THE WIN!

[some-kinda-hero.livejournal.com]

People left. [Bites her lip, shrugs.]

RIGHT? I LOVE THE COMICS.

[bigbad]

So nothing new, then.

\o/ Joss is love endlessly.

[some-kinda-hero.livejournal.com]

[Dry laugh.] Yeah, nothing beyond the usual. I'm not sure if you were close to them, but it was Bruce, Stephanie, and Wally this time.

[bigbad]

Yeah, I didn't know any of them well. [He's not too broken up to hear about Bruce being gone, though. He didn't like how close he and Buffy were getting. But then he realizes Buffy will be really upset about that and feels worse about it.]