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buffyversetop5Spike can be good or evil and everything in between... and still be in character. Here are 5 wonderful fics by very accomplished writers. I found each of these stories fascinating for a number of reasons, one of them being the authors’ interpretations of Spike and how each one rang true to me.
Please be warned, some of these stories contain upsetting subject matter including issues of nonconsensual and/or underage sex. I will leave it to the authors to provide the exact warnings they feel are appropriate.
Sin Eater
by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thatotherperv, 2006
Angelus/Spike
This story starts out in China during the boxer rebellion. Something is very wrong with Angelus, and Darla has thrown him out. Spike doesn't know what’s happened, but when he finds Angelus cowering in an alley, he makes a decision that will shape both of their lives. He decides to leave Dru and see things through with Angelus. Over several continents and a couple decades, Angelus struggles to work through the guilt and the pain of realizing what he's done. Spike adapts at each phase to be what he thinks will help Angelus deal, while never losing his own identity.
Father Figures
byfelisblanco, 2004
Angel(us)/Spike, Spike/Other
”He never had a chance. Not now, not ever. What seemed to have been his lot in life, now goes on beyond the boundaries of death as well.”
The story starts at William’s birth and takes us to the present day. We read about William/Spike at different points in his life as he deals with what seems to be preordained - that he is to be victimized. This is a difficult story to read and deals with some extremely sensitive topics. So please be warned. But there is a payoff in the beautiful and compassionate way it was written by this brilliant writer. It affected me deeply.
Let the World Spin
by WesleysGirl, 2004
Spike/Dawn
”As far as Spike is concerned, the world stopped turning the night Buffy died. So when it stops for real, in a hellmouth-sized explosion that blots out the sky with debris for days afterwards, it's just another step closer to how he's been feeling.”
Spike searches for Dawn among the rubble wanting to keep his promise to Buffy to take care of her. He finally locates her and they leave town together not really knowing where they can go to ever be safe. Spike's chip has stopped working, and he is a free-range vampire in every sense of the word. He doesn't try to not be a vampire just as he's not conflicted about his feelings for Dawn. The story is about their developing relationship as they try to navigate this new world. Although Spike sees it as his mission to protect her, we see Dawn’s strength emerge and at times it is Dawn who is the protector. This is an epic fic by a truly classic writer.
Lullaby
byspikesfool, 2006
Angel/Spike (Warning: this is probably not a great read for lovers of Xander.)
I struggle to find the words to express my love for everythingspikesfool.There is a lush, poetic quality to her writing style that is rich and detailed and emotional. She gives herself completely and she loves Spike and Angel more fiercely than anyone I've ever known.
This is an all-human AU that takes a disastrous turn. Just as Spike and Angel were beginning to acknowledge their attraction to each other, Spike had an accident. Now he is a brain-damaged adult. As the story progresses the Spike we know begins to come to the forefront. How that comes to be, and how it is dealt with, is a testament to the artistry ofspikesfool. I have to say, I found it difficult at first to read Spike as a brain-damaged adult. He was too childlike and I had trouble with that. But if you decide to give this story a try, stay with it. It's a truly amazing tale. Passionate, sexy, heartbreaking.
“Time stretched out in slow toffee strands that wound through Angel’s veins and choked fear under his skin with skittering claws. He knew.”
Prawn!Verse
by Witling, 2004
Spike/Xander
I love this author's writing style, and I love the way she writes Spike! Her stories have a “sparse” quality where sometimes a character’s emotions are expressed through a brief facial expression, or a casual line about something unrelated. The author doesn't hand every scene over to us in a neat package, and I find this to be highly effective. When I want more detail or background, it's only because I want more, not because I don't have enough. Witling has a hilarious dry wit that is just perfect for these characters!
In this story, Spike is de-chipped and has a soul. He did his time in Sunnydale, but now he lives in some city that is not Sunnydale (LA?). He has a job as a bouncer at a demon club Wednesday through Saturday “to pay for the stuff he used to steal”. So he’s on board with the soul… sort of. When he unexpectedly runs into Xander, the predatory side of his nature kicks in.
Please be warned, some of these stories contain upsetting subject matter including issues of nonconsensual and/or underage sex. I will leave it to the authors to provide the exact warnings they feel are appropriate.
Sin Eater
by
thatotherperv, 2006Angelus/Spike
This story starts out in China during the boxer rebellion. Something is very wrong with Angelus, and Darla has thrown him out. Spike doesn't know what’s happened, but when he finds Angelus cowering in an alley, he makes a decision that will shape both of their lives. He decides to leave Dru and see things through with Angelus. Over several continents and a couple decades, Angelus struggles to work through the guilt and the pain of realizing what he's done. Spike adapts at each phase to be what he thinks will help Angelus deal, while never losing his own identity.
Father Figures
by
felisblanco, 2004Angel(us)/Spike, Spike/Other
”He never had a chance. Not now, not ever. What seemed to have been his lot in life, now goes on beyond the boundaries of death as well.”
The story starts at William’s birth and takes us to the present day. We read about William/Spike at different points in his life as he deals with what seems to be preordained - that he is to be victimized. This is a difficult story to read and deals with some extremely sensitive topics. So please be warned. But there is a payoff in the beautiful and compassionate way it was written by this brilliant writer. It affected me deeply.
Let the World Spin
by WesleysGirl, 2004
Spike/Dawn
”As far as Spike is concerned, the world stopped turning the night Buffy died. So when it stops for real, in a hellmouth-sized explosion that blots out the sky with debris for days afterwards, it's just another step closer to how he's been feeling.”
Spike searches for Dawn among the rubble wanting to keep his promise to Buffy to take care of her. He finally locates her and they leave town together not really knowing where they can go to ever be safe. Spike's chip has stopped working, and he is a free-range vampire in every sense of the word. He doesn't try to not be a vampire just as he's not conflicted about his feelings for Dawn. The story is about their developing relationship as they try to navigate this new world. Although Spike sees it as his mission to protect her, we see Dawn’s strength emerge and at times it is Dawn who is the protector. This is an epic fic by a truly classic writer.
Lullaby
by
spikesfool, 2006Angel/Spike (Warning: this is probably not a great read for lovers of Xander.)
I struggle to find the words to express my love for everything
spikesfool.There is a lush, poetic quality to her writing style that is rich and detailed and emotional. She gives herself completely and she loves Spike and Angel more fiercely than anyone I've ever known.This is an all-human AU that takes a disastrous turn. Just as Spike and Angel were beginning to acknowledge their attraction to each other, Spike had an accident. Now he is a brain-damaged adult. As the story progresses the Spike we know begins to come to the forefront. How that comes to be, and how it is dealt with, is a testament to the artistry of
spikesfool. I have to say, I found it difficult at first to read Spike as a brain-damaged adult. He was too childlike and I had trouble with that. But if you decide to give this story a try, stay with it. It's a truly amazing tale. Passionate, sexy, heartbreaking.“Time stretched out in slow toffee strands that wound through Angel’s veins and choked fear under his skin with skittering claws. He knew.”
Prawn!Verse
by Witling, 2004
Spike/Xander
I love this author's writing style, and I love the way she writes Spike! Her stories have a “sparse” quality where sometimes a character’s emotions are expressed through a brief facial expression, or a casual line about something unrelated. The author doesn't hand every scene over to us in a neat package, and I find this to be highly effective. When I want more detail or background, it's only because I want more, not because I don't have enough. Witling has a hilarious dry wit that is just perfect for these characters!
In this story, Spike is de-chipped and has a soul. He did his time in Sunnydale, but now he lives in some city that is not Sunnydale (LA?). He has a job as a bouncer at a demon club Wednesday through Saturday “to pay for the stuff he used to steal”. So he’s on board with the soul… sort of. When he unexpectedly runs into Xander, the predatory side of his nature kicks in.
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Date: 2013-11-01 12:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-01 01:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-01 12:17 pm (UTC)Thanks for the recs.
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Date: 2013-11-01 01:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-01 01:44 pm (UTC)I may well have read the second one too, but it doesn't ring a bell.
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Date: 2013-11-01 12:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-01 01:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-01 01:26 pm (UTC)I just read Sin Eater, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest (especially the wesleysgirl story, because she's a wonderful writer too).
Thanks so much for these recs!
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Date: 2013-11-01 10:21 pm (UTC)KeiebvKX
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