Litter for the Litter God

[Tyler Jacobs]

We open up on the Xander Aiden Kane Memorial wrestling school. Spike Kane walks in with his bag slung over his shoulder, inside the main hall the students are busy doing their drills. Wade Summers looks over to Spike, his arms folded and simply nods. Spike nods back before heading towards the upstairs, as he does so he walks into the main room and suddenly is met by a litter of fur.

Spike Kane: What in the…

He looks up to see Astrid and Pandora sitting on the sofa, playing with the kittens.

Spike Kane: ….we have cats now?

He looks around at the mewing little furballs and to Astrid and Pan, Astrid has a wry smile on her face but Pandora places the kitten on her lap down on the floor and walks away into another room, closing it behind her without saying a word. Spike looks down at the floor and sighs, his shoulders sagging.

Astrid Hall: Don’t take it to heart, she is angry, yes, but if she didn’t care she wouldn’t be here, no?

Spike slowly places his back on the counter before heading around to the sofa facing Astrid, he nods his head slowly, a couple of the kittens begin to crawl over him, sniffing him and all the magical scents he must be giving off.

Spike Kane: I get she’s angry, I do….I just….I felt like I had to do what I had to do Astrid. There is always method to my madness, I’m not some raving lunatic like some people think..

Astrid Hall: Oh, you’re not? Then why did you put half of Combat up for grabs in a match!

Her stare bores a hole right through him, and for the first time since walking out onto that stage, Spike begins to think he might have made a mistake.

Spike Kane: Pride? ….Anger? ….Ethan knew what he was doing. He pushed my buttons to get me to respond, and I responded….but come on, it’s Ethan King.

Astrid Hall: A serpent if ever there was one.

Spike Kane: You got me there, but hey at least Dawn will be at ring side to keep Gwen in check. I can handle Ethan in the ring, and if Gwen can’t help him, he’s going to have an uphill battle.

Astrid Hall: I still do not think it wise.

They both stop, Spike is idly fussing one of the kittens he seemed so annoyed about being there moments before. Astrid notices and begins to smile a little, knowing that at his core, Spike really was a caring being.

Astrid Hall: Talk to her, this dark cloud does not fit our home.

Again Spike slowly nods his head, before he looked up to Astrid with a sly smirk on his face this time.

Spike Kane: You just called this place your home.

For the briefest of moments Astrid blushes, before trying to fumble a response, but Spike stands up, picking the kitten up as he does. He passes it to her, and leans in to kiss her on the cheek/

Spike Kane: It’s always been your home Astrid, I’m just glad you see it that way. I…..I’ll go talk to her…

Astrid smiles quite happily at Spike, and the kitten, as the others try to claw to get to her wanting fuss. Spike places his hand on her shoulder before heading towards the door Pandora went through. He takes a moment, a deep breath, and knocks before opening the door….

[Deleted]

Pan's form was illuminated by the opening of teh door, pale skin and bue hea leant against the small punch bag even as she eyes Spike as he wandered in.
 
"What do you want me to say Spike?"

She wrinkled her nose not really saying anything else just idly rocking on the balls of her feet.

"Why?"

Yeah, that's all she could ask.

[Ghost Spike]

He stood there for a lot longer than he wanted to, just looking at her, just taking it all in. For all he knew, she could turn around and walk right out, hell if she wanted he'd be the one to leave, and let her and Astrid keep the place. He never meant to hurt anyone, well, not true I suppose, but he never meant to her .....her.

"Pan...."

He slowly moved more into the room, the cold look in her eyes, the look of just pure and utter disappointment could have broken his heart in two, that was if it wasn't already breaking.

"I know you might not understand the why...but...."

He pulls out a letter from his back pocket, from the glimpse of it we get, it's clearly from some kind of hospital. His hand almost shakes as he places it down on the side. His eyes are sad now, they hold so much weight, so much worry, and betray so much left unsaid.

"....they um.....they say it's coming back, and, well.....I guess.."

He tries to chuckle.

"I've kinda always joked that I've been living on borrowed time, and well....I knew for a fact, one way or another, this was going to be my last shot.....and I do things a certain way Pandora, you know that, you know me. If I'm going out?"

His lip trembles as he just manages to get the last two words out without breaking down.

"....I'm doing it my way."

[Deleted]

Pan's face controted and meltedinto a mix of confusion, anger and then grim detrmination even asshe moved in to take his hand and said.

"You should have told me, Then I wouldn't have been so angry."

She sighed andpulled hi mim to a tight hug and muttered gently.

"You stupid, glorious bastard."

A kisso f his forehead and she said gently.

"You'd best fucking win."

[Ghost Spike]

He didn't say anything back to her, he just held her close. It hadn't been that long since he'd held her, but for Spike it'd been too damn long. He held her tight, almost as if his life depended on it, and as she nuzzled into his chest, he nuzzled into her shoulder, as tears rolled down his eyes. Spike Kane thought he had been in love before, but right now, he knew he'd never felt the way he did about Pandora, about anyone else on the planet. She was his rock, she was his lifeboat, and he loved her with every fibre of his being.

[Astrid Hall]

Astrid sat back and watched the events unfold, a pit opening in her stomach as she processed what she was seeing. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, feeling the surge of anger at the world flow through her limbs. She knew what this meant, and for a few moments every tick of the clock felt like a threat, a taunt, an enemy to try to fight but that she knew she could never make bleed.

Another breath. Her eyes opened. She knew what they needed now.

She waited a few moments before stepping forward, resting a hand on both of their shoulders. Where a moment ago her eyes were hardened with anger, now her eyes betrayed a different thing to each of the two people she'd grown to care about so much. For Pandora, a reassurance - a reassurance that she'd be there in whatever way Pan needed her, an oath to stand by her side through the good times and the bad.

For Spike? She would not lie to Spike. Her eyes did not tell him that everything would be okay, nor have the audacity to offer comfort and succor to one such as him, who would see the gesture - especially from her - as unbearable pity. No, for Spike her eyes gave only a promise - a promise to stand with him until the end... and to protect and cherish his loved ones on this earth when the inevitability arose that he could not.

[Deleted]

Pa's arm slid out to pull Astrid in, quetly , deperately as her own thoughts raced and she semed to grit her teeth and nodded with a sniffle.

"'Kay..."

She looks at them both, these beautiful, broken people thast he loved wit hevery once of her heart every beat of her drum and she knew. She knew that her anger was temproy that it always had been that whatever doubts shehad, they were fading that desipte everything? She loved them, she was here for them.

She always would be, no other words needed to be said, however the moemnt lingered and lingered.

A gasp and a mew as cared claf was viciosusly attckedby tiny pin prick claws that threatened to ruin this touching moemnt, but also highlighted exactly what this was all about.

Blue eyes wobbled as she looked down andthen up at the others and she couldn't help herself depsite tears dropping form her syes she let loose a little laugh and a smile.

"I'm being mauled by a kitten."

[Astrid Hall]

Astrid grinned and picked up Tiny Sif in her hands, scratching the small creature behind her alert ears as she gave a small but insistently ferocious mew.

"She has a warrior's spirit."

[Tyler Jacobs]

Spike let out a slight chuckle, it was one of those that was half sigh, half laugh. Then he wiped his tears away, the strength he felt inside him, from these two women....he felt almost untouchable, despite whatever might be going on. He smiled, a genuine smile as he watched them play with the kitten, before the other kittens began to get curious and wander towards them.

"I'm supposed to be this big almighty 'God' and I am defeated by kittens!"

He drops to his knees as they slowly make their way towards him, before he lays back allowing them to climb on him, all the time, laughing and smiling.