Drabble: Battleground

[usedtobeljs]

TITLE: Battleground
AUTHOR: LJS
PAIRING: Giles/Anya-ish
RATING: G
SUMMARY: Any time between late Season Five and "Tabula Rasa." A Magic Box moment.

It was always life and death. To Anya, anyway.

Sitting back, Giles watched her work. Her focus – on the sale and the money, yes, but also on what their customers wanted – was remarkable. Almost inspirational.

Retail was a battle, she’d told him, she a soldier, their shop her field.

“Come back soon!” she all but sang to their last customer, and then flipped the sign to Closed. Then, whirling, “Giles, what are you thinking about? You’ve been furrowing your brow for ten minutes. I almost lost the sale.”

He smiled at her fire, at her life. “No, Anya. You won.”

Prodigal Son

[dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com]

I went a little further back for this last line: “That must have been hard.” So, the last line "You won." is still in play. Apparently we can go back and use any last line, but I like to fill in the ones that have gotten missed.

Word Count: 177

“That must have been hard to hear, Ripper.” Ethan’s sympathy didn’t quite ring true. “The prodigal son may have returned to the fold, but he’s certainly not been forgiven. No fatted calf for you, my dear.”

Rupert had actually thought he might be accepted until Hawkins, who’d been second best boy until Rupert had skived off, had stared castigating him from across the pub. “Hadn’t you heard? Rupert went off the deep end. Apparently he was quite the degenerate. One can hardly imagine why Travers allowed him back in.” He’d finished in a mock-whisper that was meant to be heard. “Drugs. Satanic rituals.”

“Give it up, Ripper.” Ethan's words brought him back to the present. “This game of your Council’s, it’s not worth playing. Come away. If they can’t appreciate you, they don’t deserve you.”

The Council might have let him back in, but they’d never accept him. Ethan might accept him, but he'd never understand. Rupert may have returned to the fold, but he was more alone than ever. All he had left was his duty.