Once Upon a Spring Day.

[fenderlove]

Title: Once Upon a Spring Day
Author: fenderlove
Rating: PG/Worksafe.
Summary: There was a flashback in FFL that Spike didn't even know he could have.

For the "Fool for Love" episode prompt at nekid_spike.



Once Upon a Spring Day

The gardens at Russell Square had grown out of fashion with the upper crust, and that suited Anne Pratt quite fine. There were a few families taking walks and enjoying the open air, but as a whole the grounds were rather empty. Sitting on a bench near the statue of the Duke of Bedford whose stalwart gaze unseeing the square and its visitors, Anne had one hand holding up her new copy of Mr. Charles Dickens's Bleak House and the other resting on the handle of her son's pram, gently rocking it. Six-month-old William was amusing himself by trying to pull his stocking-covered foot into his mouth.

"It was grand to see how the wind awoke, and bent the trees, and drove the rain before it like a cloud of smoke; and to hear the solemn thunder, and to see the lightning," Anne read aloud for her infant son's entertainment, "and while thinking with awe of the tremendous powers by which our little lives are encompassed, to consider how beneficent they are, and how upon the smallest flower and leaf there was already a freshness poured from all this seeming rage, which seemed to make creation new again..."

William responded by grasping his cloth rabbit by its lopsided ears and squealing happily.

The rabbit had been made by Anne, and though it was a patchwork monstrosity with extremities that were not equal lengths, it seemed to delight William. Anne just hoped that her poor craftswomanship could withstand her son's very enthusiastic cuddling. She smiled, listening to William babble quietly either to her or to himself or possibly to the rabbit.

From one corner of the square, Anne spotted her lanky husband running briskly, his unbuttoned black frock coat billowing out behind him, not caring about the strange looks he got from other passersby. Phineas appeared positively gleeful until he almost skidded into a plot of fiery indigo and orange tulips when his hat slipped out of his hand. Anne held her book over her face to hide her giggling at her husband's antics. When he finally reached his wife and child, Phineas was out of breath, throwing himself down on the bench. His blonde curls were stuck to his forehead with sweat, and he appeared exhausted, but his smile was absolutely infectious.

"Did you run all the way from Malet Street?" Anne asked as she marked her place and carefully returned the book to her reticule.

Phineas nodded with his ridiculous grin.

As she lifted William from his pram and settled him on her lap, she continued, "Didn't you take the coach to the University this morning?"

Though a perplexed look crossed his features for a moment, Phineas began to laugh, leaning over to kiss Anne's cheek and the top of his son's head, "I forgot in all the excitement."

Anne said, reaching over to clasp her hand over her husband's, "I take it that you got good news."

"Very good news, love," Phineas sighed contentedly, "The University has offered me a position. You are looking at the new junior Classics master for King's College School."

Though she would have been jubilant no matter what the situation might have been, Anne felt a huge amount of relief that her husband was going to be employed again, "That is so wonderful, my darling."

Phineas took William's tiny feet in his hands and gently stroking the pads of his thumbs over the stocking-covered soles, "Aren't you proud of your papa, little one?"

William cooed and clumsily-yet-determinedly lifted up his toy for his father to see.

"Is Mr. Lapin congratulating me too?" Phineas chuckled, rubbing his hand over the baby's blonde wispy curls. "Well, many thanks to both of you."

Down the path came three dark-haired girls, laughing and running. The two youngest girls trundled hoops while the eldest acted as Mother Hen, warning them to be careful as they neared the perambulator. The trio could have been mistaken for triplets in their matching blue gingham dresses, save for the differences in their heights.

"Edith, Ann, slow down!" the eldest girl shouted as she trailed somewhat slower behind her little sisters. As the smaller girls ran by, she stopped near the bench on which the young family were taking their respite and gasped when she saw William, "What a beautiful baby!"

Anne, always proud to show off her child, sat William up straighter on her lap, "Isn't that nice, darling? You're getting complimented."

William did not seem to be aware of the fact as he stuffed his fist into his mouth and began sucking on it.

Her two siblings returned to the girl's side, trudging back up the path with their hoops, but they perked up upon seeing the baby.

"Look at his pretty curls!" the shortest said.

The middle sister agreed, "Oh, he's a little angel!"

William's head tilted slightly to one side as he took in the sudden attention from those other than his parents. Apparently deciding that he enjoyed his newfound popularity, he chirruped as he reached out a slightly damp hand towards the girls.

Anne whispered softly to his husband, "He's going to be quite the charmer, isn't he?"

Phineas had a rather smug expression, "Like father, like son."

The eldest girl smiled, her blue eyes clear and bright, as she gently took hold of William's tiny hand, "Hello there. Do you want to be my friend?"

*****

Drusilla felt the body in her arms grow slack, his knees buckling as her fangs slid out of his throat. She lowered him to the straw-strewn ground and knelt down to bring comfort to him in his final moments. The light in his eyes began to fade, his skin turning pallid from blood loss. The deep breaths the young man had been rasping out partially in both fear and unforeseen lust had grown shallow.

Biting into her own wrist and bringing it to the man's lips, Drusilla smiled, her fangs digging slightly into her bottom lip, "Heartsease in your garden grave, my beautiful boy."

While his focus remained on the captivating woman above him, he swallowed pulls of her blood, his body relaxing into death. Though he could not know it, his death would be only a temporary inconvenience and soon he would be Drusilla's forever. She saw in her mind his name tattooed on her heart for all time though she had not yet learned what it was. She imagined a commanding yet gentle name like Lucien.

"Just what I always wanted," Drusilla crooned, holding him close and sweetly pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. "My own."





x-posted on nekid_spike.