'Lost and Found', a series of 7 for open_on_sunday's challenge #94 - Lost

[darkhavens]

Author: darkhavens
Title: Lost and Found
Pairing: Spike/Xander (and minor Giles/Ethan, Buffy/The Immortal, Faith/Robin)
Rating: R for death
Email: darkhavens@slashverse.com
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. No harm, no foul, no money made.
Warnings/Squicks: Lots of death, but not my boys - not permanently anyway ;o)



Buffy

When Buffy died at the hands of the Immortal, Xander cried. He'd tried to get her to listen so many times but she never would. The stories he had to tell had come from Spike, after all, and she never quite believed it wasn't simple jealousy talking. The fact that he and Xander had been inseparable for years was brushed aside with the usual "I know vampires best, I was 'The Slayer' after all".

The Immortal, as it turned out, wasn't quite as immortal as he'd thought. Xander didn't need to hear the details. Spike's satisfied smile was quite enough.





Willow

The message they received at the hotel in Kathmandu was garbled, but just clear enough to terrify them both. It took a panicked late night call to England to be certain that the world wasn't about to end in a fiery hell. Unfortunately the news that they were given left them stunned. Willow had been caught up in a magic 'war' of sorts; two centuries of intra-coven feuding had been exposed. She'd tried to be the quiet voice of reason; even told about that nasty little turn she had herself in Sunnydale.

They never found enough of her to bury.





Faith and Robin

Their sacrifice was the stuff that legends are made of. The couple had closed the Cleveland Hellmouth for good, from the inside.

The call went out too late for reinforcements to arrive in time, though Spike and Xander were only in LA when they first heard.

By the time the plane had landed and they'd been driven to the site, the cleanup was already underway. The papers blamed the carnage on wild cats or feral dogs, and explained the disappearance of an entire city block with a solitary line about a long forgotten mine.

They gracefully declined to stick around.





Giles

Giles was killed by a heart attack. In bed. With Ethan Rayne.

They discovered at the wake that it wasn't his first. He'd sworn Ethan and Andrew both to secrecy on pain of death if they let slip that his condition wasn't great. He'd known the remaining Scoobies would have forced him to retire, and he loved his hand-built Council much too much to let it go. So instead he trimmed his hours, left the boring stuff to deputies, and concentrated on making sure his legacy would last.

They spent a drunken month in England swapping Ripper tales with Rayne.





Andrew

Andrew passed the final exam on his seventh try and spent the night in tears, calling round the people he classed as family to let them know. He'd sobbed and sniffled to Xander for most of an hour before demanding that he pass the handset across the bed to Spike. He wilfully ignored repeated pleas of 'But I've already heard it all. Vampire senses here, remember, you soppy git?" And Spike had let him ramble on, aware of his near-worship of them both.

He was a Watcher for almost three whole months.

He was buried with his 'family' in attendance.





Xander

Spike listened, stunned, as Xander laid the whole thing out. He'd obviously thought long and hard about what he had to say.

They'd always thought it would come down to 'do or die' in the end - a lethal wound in battle, or an accident. They'd even discussed the vagaries of illness and disease, but never quite approached the somehow taboo subject of aging.

And now his love was telling him he wanted to be turned. He'd learned that with Spike there he could weather losses so profound he thought, alone, he'd surely break and die of grief.

Spike obliged.





Dawn

Dawn was interred in Italy, in the mausoleum that held generations of her husband's regal family. The ceremony was held in the late afternoon, through to early evening. Her children, and their children, and even theirs turned out to say their fond farewells to the matriarch they'd all called Bit.

Spike and Xander watched from a nearby crypt as dozens of friends and relatives came to say goodbye. They watched as her eldest grandson picked his way between the graves, smiling as he approached.

"We hoped you would come. Bit spoke of you often. There is blood at the house..."



~~~

Pimping: Only 3 days left to sign up for "The Colour, Sound, and Random Object Spander Ficathon.".

Comments

[amejisuto.livejournal.com]

There isn't enough words to convey how great I think this is. Thank you for this. Really.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks darlin'. I didn't actually expect to be thanked for killing them all off. It felt so evil! *g*

[spikes_heart.livejournal.com]

You kill me! Excellently done. And yay, Spike for avenging Buffy's death. And I loved the last one about Dawns.

**pets the boys** At least they have each other.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :o)

**pets the boys** At least they have each other.

I don't think I could ever have it any other way. *g*

[willshenilshe.livejournal.com]

And now I'm sobbing like a little baby thing. Odd, what touched me most, were the drabbles about Giles and Andrew. Probably Andrew because I can so *see* that happening.

Damned good drabbled. Damn good.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

{{{hugs you and passes the tissues}}}

I think Giles deserves to die in bed with someone who loves him, and Andrew got to die in action, something he'd probably spend eternity telling everyone about.

Thank you. :o)

[adis723.livejournal.com]

No one has even killed them off so well, so respectfully. Those were... amazing, seriously. And the last line of the Dawn one? Fantastic.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I felt a bit naughty killing everyone off like that, but it was the only theme that seemed to work for me with this challenge, and they did die well. ;o)

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

I cried. I'm so bad but I started crying with Andrew. Each one was simple and effective, going straight to my heart. But Andrew's was the most heart wrenching, because it had started out so happily. Loved these, another wonderful job.

~Nebula

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

::passes the tissues::

I didn't want to kill Andrew off before making his dream come true. All the others have heroic deeds/actions to their name and he... had none. So, I let him go out in style.

Thanks! :o)

[fydyan.livejournal.com]

Wow. This is an amazing thing to do simply by drabbles, but you did a great job.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :o)

[outsideth3box.livejournal.com]

My brain is turned off right now, and for now, that's what I need. Otherwise I'd be able to thiink of something better than

Wow!

Thank you. Glad I got to see these.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks, sweetie. :o)

[piratepurple.livejournal.com]

*sobs* That was beautiful. I've been so teary all day, this had me bawling.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Aw, sweetie! {{hugs and passes tissues}}

Thank you.

[funkparadise.livejournal.com]

OMG That was the most awesome set of drabbles I have ever read.

::walks away in a daze::

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! Thank you! ::beams::

[umbralillium.livejournal.com]

*sniffles* Lovely! It amazes me how much emotion you get into your drabbles. *snogs you*

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :o)

*smogs you back*

[tabaqui]

Ahhhh, how nice!
I like.
*smooch*

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Hee! I kill 'em all off and you say 'nice'? You're high on all those snogs you're getting, aren't you? *g*

::adds another one::

Thanks!

[shighola.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! A fitting end for everyone. *g*

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I thought so too. :o)

[cleeaz.livejournal.com]

That was sad, yet wonderful.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :o)

[annabuffy.livejournal.com]

The only words I have are bittersweet,yet beautiful.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Oh, those words will do nicely. Thank you. :o)

[quondamquadrat.livejournal.com]

Those were beautiful! Thank you for writing and posting them.

Q

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :o)

[vampirefever.livejournal.com]

Awww - too sad.
*sniff*
They're all meant to live forever (except Andrew of course).
Lovely writing *smoochies*

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

They're all meant to live forever (except Andrew of course).

Hee! Thank you. At least he got to die in action. *g*

I tried several other approaches to the challenge, and then Buffy's drabble took shape and a theme was born. I had so much fun killing them all off!

Now I truly understand your plan for killing off Andrew 101 ways. LOL!

[moimoietmoi.livejournal.com]

Ouch for the first 5 ones!
The last two ones were perfect after that!

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

I always make sure my boys are together, whatever. Even if I have to kill everyone else off to do it. *g*

Thanks!

[zandra-x.livejournal.com]

I liked the first one best. Once Spike decides that you're his friend, it's forever. And he will pay all debts.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :o)

Spike is profoundly loyal, in his own demonic way. *g*

[twilightsfic.livejournal.com]

Wow! Just...wow. These were amazing. I'm guilty of not giving much fb on the drabbles, though I read them all the time, but I just had to fb these. So amazing. And real too, I can imagine the Scoobies lives playing out this way. It's so good to know Dawn got a long life and lots of kids. Fabulous job. : )

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I tried to give them all unique and fitting exits. Glad that came through. :o)

[taruma16.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, these are great!!!
Wonderful job, telling so much with only a few words!!!
Fabulous!

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thankee! :o)

[nashmaveric.livejournal.com]

::wipes eyes:: Will you people stop killing everyone off! ::sigh::

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Aw. ^^^pets^^^

::passes you a tissue::

I don't do it often, but when I do, I try to tale 'em all out. *g*

[suki-blue.livejournal.com]

Wonderful. Through all that death, they still have each other. I love that. ~sniff~

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

::passes you a tissue::

That will always be my goal. Eternal Spander. *g*

Thanks!

[literati.livejournal.com]

awww they're all dead.. too bad so sad
/cow.

loved these sweetie.. they were sad.. poor Andrew especially.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

awww they're all dead.. too bad so sad
/cow.

Hee! *smooch*

loved these sweetie.. they were sad.. poor Andrew especially.

I had to give Andrew something to be happy about before I killed him off. Everyone else already had great or heroic deeds to their name but he was just the geek. *g*

Thank you!

[desoto-hia873.livejournal.com]

Eep! Much darkness. But really well done.

But what happened to Oz?

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Gah! I knew I'd forget someone. Um... He's raising great-grand-pups in the Cascades and running free with his pack every full moon. ;o)

Thanks!

[leni-ba.livejournal.com]

*purrs* love the banner, didn't see it las time.

The first drabble is GOOD. The Giles one is beautiful. A tender series, sweets.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

*purrs* love the banner, didn't see it las time.

New Year, new banner. Can't go far wrong with those pretties. *g* Thanks!

The first drabble is GOOD. The Giles one is beautiful. A tender series, sweets.

Thank you. I felt a bit evil killing them all off, but they all died with dignity... kinda. ;o)