Title: Countercheck
Synopsis: Joyce, Dawn, and Spike share an evening
together after Buffy asked Spike to look after her mom
and sister. A post 'Checkpoint' BtVS episode.
Note: Then dialogues are from BtVS
episode 'Checkpoint', written by D. Petrie & J.
Espenson.
Rating: G
Date: Tuesday, 24 January, 2001 : 10:52:06 PM
Written by: Now. The Resident Web Vampyr © 2001.
Credits: See here.
Characters in play: Buffy Joyce Dawn
Spike
t h e
n.
Previously on Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
SCENE 1. Sunnydale cementery.Buffy fighting a vampire
when suddenly a bleached vampire jumps in and stakes it.
Buffy: Spike, why did you do that?
Spike: Not for money, if that's what you're thinkin'.
Your heart-felt gratitude's plenty. I expect I'll be
getting that any moment.
Buffy: Gratitude? For getting in my way?
Spike: Getting in your way? I saved you.
Buffy: I was regrouping.
Spike: You were about to be regrouped into separate
piles. You needed help.
Buffy: I didn't need you. I never need you, Spike.
SCENE 2. Spike's crypt. Spike is asleep when somebody's
flashlight wakes him up.
Spike: Aah! Oh, it's the Slayer. For a second there, I
was worried. {sees Joyce and Dawn} So, what's with the
family outing?
Buffy: I need your help.
SCENE 3. Spike's crypt. Spike agreed to babysit Buffy's
mom and sister.
Spike: All right then, ladies...come on in. There's
plenty of blood in the fridge.
Dawn: Do you mean like real blood?
Spike: What do you think?
Dawn: Mostly, I think, ew.
Buffy: Keep Dawn here as long as you can. I'll be back
soon.
Joyce: OK.
Buffy: I don't think I need to remind you, but—
Spike: Yeah, yeah. "Anything happens to 'em, I'll
stake you good and proper." Sing me a new one
sometime, eh? That bit's gone stale.
Joyce: I love what you've, um, neglected to do with the
place.
Spike: Just don't break anything. And don't make a lot of
noise. Passions is coming on.
Joyce: Passions? Oh, do you think Timmy's really dead?
Spike: Oh, no, no. She can just sew him back together.
He's a doll, for God's sake.
Joyce: Ah, what about the wedding? I mean there's no way
they're gonna go through with that.
Dawn's irritated. She sighs.
n o
w.
p a r t o n e.
Spike's crypt. Spike and Joyce watching the last scene of
'Passions' on the telly. She's sitting in Spike's chair
while he sits in an improvised wooden box which he used
to place the mannequin. It's one of those he gathered
while scavenging for furnitures.
"Now, that's what you call a cliffhanger," said
Joyce, clearly enjoying the show's plotline. The credits
rolled up the screen.
"That's one of the worse episode I've ever seen, if
you ask me," he retorted. Spike got up and walked
towards the television to turn if off. He stopped
abruptly and asked Joyce if she still wants to watch more
television.
"You still want to watch Oprah?" he asked.
Joyce agreed and smiled. Spike changed channels while
holding the antenna. He said the tv reception is not that
great but he thinks he can get a clear feed. He also
added that he's planning to get a satellite dish soon.
Dawn, on the other hand is hanging around the crypt
looking inside Spike's fridge. She's getting hungry, but
everything on his menu are pig's blood, beers, and more
blood.
"Don't you have anything else in here that's not
blood and beers?" she asked.
"Well, I have a left-over chicken wings in there I
believe, and some onion rings." Spike answered still
busy fixing the tv reception.
Dawn grabbed a piece of chicken wings that Spike
described and goes strolling around, eating. She finally
settled at the coffin near the entrance door. At last, he
got the channel right. He particularly doesn't watch
Oprah that much so instead, he walked to where Dawn is.
"So, how do you like the chicken?" he asked,
looking at the one dinner he had left.
"Hm," Dawn didn't answer much.
"You can dip it in blood if you like, it gives it
more tangy taste," he suggested.
Dawn gave him a fake smile, "Thanks, but no
thanks."
"So, what's the deal with this sudden
vampire-protection program thing?" he looked at
Joyce then Dawn.
Dawn answered back, "I dunno. They didn't exactly
tell me anything anymore. It's like this big secret and
poor little Dawn is not allowed to know."
"They?" Spike asked with interest.
"Yeah, Buffy, my mom, Giles, and even the
Scoobies." Dawn pouted. "They're all in at it,
except me." Clearly she doesn't like the idea of
being left out. She heard them talking about something,
about what, she's not sure.
"Dawn, it's not like that. It's just... it doesn't
really concerns you," Joyce immediately followed
with what her daughter is saying.
Dawn sighed and gave an expression as if saying
"...Whatever." Spike looked inquiringly at
Joyce.
"See, it's about this new evil that's in town.
Glory, I believe her name was," Joyce finally
started to say something about their situation.
"Glory..." Spike whispered.
"Why? You've heard of her?" Joyce looked
troubled.
Spike knew he'd heard about that name, "If
my memory serves me right, I think I might have. But, go
on... continue," he allowed her to talk some more.
"She's in our house today," Dawn interrupted,
proudly saying her side of the story. Besides, she
bravely walked up to her today, unlike her sister Buffy
who seemed awry about the enemy. "She's looking for
a key or something and threatened Buffy, that's why we're
here."
"What Dawn meant to say was, Buffy thinks it's safe
for us to be... hiding out for the time being,"
Joyce corrected her.
"Yeah right... you know what?, I don't think she can
fight that demon at all. I mean if she did then she
would've kick her butt a long time ago. I know I would
have." Dawn quipped. Dawn finished eating the
chicken. She's getting impatient about the subject of
their conversation, she changed the topic. Joyce, on the
other hand didn't bother to continue anymore. Spike left
thinking about the familiar-sounding name,
Glory.
"So, what do we do now while we wait for
Buffy?" Dawn asked. "I know, why don't we play
20 questions?" suggested Dawn turning to Spike.
Oh, puleeze, thought Spike, not 20 questions
again. He already played that stupid game once with
Harmony and he didn't like it one bit. Breadbox?
Pfft!
"Why don't you just sit over there with your mum and
watch television?" Spike told Dawn.
"I don't like to watch that show, I'd rather shut my
face," Dawn annoyed with his suggestion.
Why don't you do that, Spike thought.
"Oh! I know, why don't you tell me your
history," Dawn said. "Is it true that vampires
can do all these tricks and stuffs?" she asked.
"Tricks?" Spike confused.
"Yeah, I mean, can you turn into these all sorts of
animals like bats or wolves?" Dawn continued.
"And I read somewhere that during daylight, vampires
turn into dust and it's only at night that they rise
again and that you guys can also appear as mists or a
shadow or a --"
"Those are just folklore, missy. Don't believe in
everything you read," said Spike. He slowly walked
away from Dawn. He's not really into all these
superficial questions. Joyce started to ask him a few
questions herself.
"So, do you plan to redecorate your-your crypt? I
know a good set of fixtures that will blend well with
your.." Joyce paused. She looked around but cannot
find a single furniture that would match her suggestions.
"...your... chair."
"I bet you have," he said dryly. Spike doesn't
think he can handle anymore of these verbal exchange
of ideas from either of the two. Spike knows he's
got to win over the Slayer's heart and what better way to
get it done than with her family. He could put on a good
face for one thing, probably even ask something about
Buffy, or play a round of 20 questions.
"Does it have something to do with vampires?"
asked Spike.
"Close. 5 more..." said Dawn.
"Is it blood?" he asked.
"Getting hotter. 4 more..." said Dawn.
This is going to be a long night...
* * *
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