V.I.S.S
by Lilithangel

8. Sweaters and Invitations

Angel and Spike sat on the sofa surrounded by Gladys and Maud. Gladys was busily knitting, occasionally holding it up against Spike for measurement. Maud had taken a photo album from her bag and was showing them pictures of her family.

Spike kept darting fascinated glances at Maud and Gladys's handbags. They had been pulling things out of them all morning and still did not seem to have reached the bottom.

Everyone was now wearing the fanged smiley face badges and Angel was sporting a scarlet red merino scarf that Gladys had finished knitting for him. She had decided that Spike needed the extra warmth of a sweater, as he was 'thin enough to snap in two'.

So far Maud had worked her way through the album of her grandchildren, grand nephews and nieces. She was very careful to point out one photo in particular to Angel.

"This is my grand niece Amanda, now she is a lovely girl, a bit of an innocent, she was turned in 1967 you know and got caught up in the whole flower child thing. But there is no harm in her at all; in fact we thought we were going to lose her when she wanted to be a vegan in 1975. Fortunately we were able to convince her that drinking donated blood from free-range cattle was a strong enough statement."

Angel cast a panicked glance toward Spike pleading for help who could only look back in apology. Spike had both hands out in front of him, holding out Gladys's wool as she wound it into a ball.

Wesley had made a brief appearance at the door earlier; he had paled at the sight of Maud and Gladys and had backed slowly away before the noticed him.

Harmony had brought in refreshments, stayed long enough to trade recipes with Maud before slipping away not to return.

Angel had made a halfhearted attempt to go back to work only to be talked into submission. There was something compelling about the two ladies, neither Spike nor Angel could bring themselves to disappoint them.

It wasn't like a spell, more like trying to say no to a favourite grandmother.

Maud flipped to another photo "Oh and here's Gary my youngest" she said pointing to a sallow faced young man with a bad case of acne.

Gladys looked over and smiled "that was taken in '56, before he was turned wasn't it?"

"The same year I think. My, my..." Maud tsked "how time flies. What a terrible year that was after Gary was turned. It took a lot of work to sort him out and back onto the straight and narrow."

"We were lucky the intervention worked" Gladys added.

"Intervention?" Spike asked curiously.

"Yes, when Gary was turned by that awful vampire Maud was beside herself. So we brought Gary home and attempted to reach his humanity. Fortunately my eldest is Wiccan and she was able to cast a binding spell on Gary until we talked him round."

Maud beamed "trying to find a suitable blood substitute is what lead to my interest in cooking. Have you read my cookbook, '101 ways with blood'?"

Angel shook his head weakly and Maud dived into her bag again and pulled out a ring-bound book.

"Here you are then dear. There is a wonderful recipe for blood pudding on page 15."

Spike reached over and snagged the book "Do you have dessert recipes?" he asked flipping the pages.

"Pages 45 to 55." Gladys told him.

"Having a vampire in the family proved very useful when that silly man bit me" Maud smiled at Gladys. "Gladys convinced him to turn me rather than kill me."

"How did she do that?" Angel asked curious despite himself.

"Fortunately I had my knitting with me" Gladys explained indicating the rather large and sharp wooden needles she was plying.

"I refrained from staking him and he turned Maud. A week later she did the same for me."

"Our Gary looked after us and made sure we came to ourselves as soon as possible" Maud continued. "Of course we were never really interested in drinking human blood, far too rich" she wrinkled her nose.

"But Gary and poor Reggie had a taste for it so we formed a little support group to keep them focussed."

"V.A?" Spike hazarded a guess, still trying to clear the image of Gladys threatening a vampire with her knitting.

Gladys nodded "It was Reggie's idea to become VISS. He was swimming the net and found some sites about regaining a soul and has been dedicated to it ever since."

She held the sweater up against Spike again "there, now I have the sizing sorted, it will be ready by the end of the week. I will give it to Harmony for you on Sunday when she comes down for dinner."

"Why don't you boys come to Sunday dinner as well?" Maud asked brightly. "Harmony knows the way and you can meet the rest of the family. Gladys is doing her rabbit blood casserole and Reggie is bringing his new blood wine." She coaxed.

Angel and Spike looked at each other desperate for the other to come up with an excuse. When neither said anything Maud took their silence as agreement.

"Wonderful" she enthused "the children will be so thrilled."

"Right then" said Gladys putting away her knitting "isn't it about time you boys showed us where the action is?"

Spike and Angel froze, trying to imagine what Maud and Gladys would consider 'action'.

Spike had a sinking feeling that their day was about to get a lot worse.
 

A/N: next time things hot up at Wolfram & Hart. Later perhaps we will go to dinner with Spike and Angel at Maud's house.