A/N: This can be read as either a standalone, or as the prequel to 'Isara
Rosenberg'. Enjoy. Full credit to Jen, or gidgetgirl, for the cool title.
Summary: When Dawn's husband leaves her, Spike helps look after her kids, a bite-sized slayer, and the world's most mischevious little boy.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Lexi, Ryan and Bradley. If you want to borrow one, drop me an email at slay_gal2003@hotmail.com.
Rating: PG
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"I don't understand," Dawn's voice quavered slightly, one hand resting on the dome of her belly. She sounded tinny to her own ears.
Bradley paused in the middle of putting the paperweight Ryan had made him for Christmas last year into his briefcase, and shot her an insincere smile.
"Look, honey, the company-"
"Forget the goddamn company," Dawn interrupted, anger rising. "You're walking out on me. And our children. I want to know why."
He finished loading the briefcase, and said, in quieter voice,
"Dawn, we've had this discussion." Dawn looked up at the ceiling, trying to stop the tears pricking to the surface.
"All you've said is that the firm decided it wasn't a good idea we stayed together. What, does the firm run your life, as well as all your time?"
"Dawn, I signed a contract," Bradley said, with semi-patience. "You knew I had a promising career, and it-"
"Was what? Just a matter of time before you abandoned me?" she demanded, a tear streaking down her cheek.
Bradley gave an impatient sigh. "Dawn, I don't have time for this. It's perfectly simple to understand-"
"Well explain it to me," she shot back.
"Look, you can keep the apartment," he said, with a patronising look. "Does that clear up any problems? I'll leave the money in our joint bank account there, I just won't be supplementing it. You'll need to find a job soon," he gestured to her vaguely. "I'll ring in the New Year. See how you're doing."
She looked aghast. "The apartment?" she repeated, stricken. "Bradley, you know we agreed it was too small. Lexi and Ryan have to share a room already, with the baby coming-"
"Well, now I won't be here, so the baby will be in with you, and when it's older, it can share a room with Ryan," he said, his voice so normal, Dawn almost wondered if she was being unreasonable.
"What am I supposed to tell the kids?" she asked, following him out of the tiny study, and into the living room. He shrugged.
"Business trip?" he suggested. He kissed her cheek. "Sorry it had to be this way, Dawn. You meant a lot to me, you know that." He left, shutting the door behind him with an odd sense of finality.
She gave up, and sank down onto the couch, staring with blurred eyes at the Christmas tree he'd helped put up two days ago, the lopsided fairy that Ryan had made at pre-school. Ryan charged into the room, and skidded to a stop. She smiled. Her little boy was so cute, with his long brown hair constantly falling in his eyes, and his impatience.
"Mommy, I want to show Daddy the plane I colored!" he shouted. Dawn winced, and cursed her husband for doing this to her.
"Sweetie," she began. "Daddy's gone on a little business trip." Ryan looked at her askance, his clever little mind working like clockwork.
"But Mommy, it's gonna be Christmas," he protested. "Daddy's always here at Christmas."
Dawn smiled, and held out her arms. Ryan backed away a pace, pouting, instead of rushing into them like he normally did.
"I want Daddy," he protested. Dawn's smile faded.
"Honey, he's away," she repeated, hating lying to her child. Ryan shook his head obstinately.
"No."
"Aaaaaarggghh!" Lexi yelled, running into the room, and tripping on the rug. She fell forwards, and bumped her knee, but like always, Dawn's sunny little girl just grinned, and got up, throwing her mother the normal mischievous look.
"Lexi, I said no battle cry in the house," Dawn said firmly. Lexi grinned, and twisted her fingers together.
"S'not battle cry, Mommy. Slayer cry," she said happily. Dawn smiled back, and Lexi's grin broadened.
Ryan glared at his little sister, and shoved her out of the way as he stomped towards their room. Lexi, ever quick to give as good as she got, shoved him back. Ryan flew back a few paces, and crashed into the wall.
"Lexi!' Dawn reprimanded. The little girl folded her arms.
"He started it!" she protested. Dawn moved over to Ryan. His eyes were filled with tears and he was chewing on his lower lip, but he stood up without help.
"Don't want you, Mommy," he muttered, stalking off to his room. Dawn sighed, and turned to look at the little girl. When she'd first had Lexi, she'd been so worried, and the Slayer powers Lexi had were seriously destructive, to a child who hadn't learnt yet that she could hurt someone, simply by shoving her big brother.
"Where's Daddy?" Lexi asked. Out of the corner of her eye, Dawn saw the Christmas tree lights, and sighed. Some Christmas.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Spike kicked the motorbike faster, enjoying the night breeze as he zipped past the cars on the freeway. Buffy had sounded worried on the 'phone, apparently, she hadn't heard from Dawn in a while, and setting up a Watcher's Council with Giles and Wesley in Africa, she wasn't best placed to look for her sister.
He thought of his Nibblet, all grown up, with kids of her own. Buffy had told him Dawn's last address, and that she hadn't had a letter in several months. Unconciously, his grip tightened on the handlebars. He'd made a promise once, to keep Dawn safe. Now, that promise had been renewed.
He turned off at the sign that read, 'New York'. He would find his Bit.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ` * ~
A/N: Yup. Not so much big with the fluff yet, but it's to come. Next chapter, Spike arrives, and the trouble with mini-Slayers.
REVIEW!
Summary: When Dawn's husband leaves her, Spike helps look after her kids, a bite-sized slayer, and the world's most mischevious little boy.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Lexi, Ryan and Bradley. If you want to borrow one, drop me an email at slay_gal2003@hotmail.com.
Rating: PG
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"I don't understand," Dawn's voice quavered slightly, one hand resting on the dome of her belly. She sounded tinny to her own ears.
Bradley paused in the middle of putting the paperweight Ryan had made him for Christmas last year into his briefcase, and shot her an insincere smile.
"Look, honey, the company-"
"Forget the goddamn company," Dawn interrupted, anger rising. "You're walking out on me. And our children. I want to know why."
He finished loading the briefcase, and said, in quieter voice,
"Dawn, we've had this discussion." Dawn looked up at the ceiling, trying to stop the tears pricking to the surface.
"All you've said is that the firm decided it wasn't a good idea we stayed together. What, does the firm run your life, as well as all your time?"
"Dawn, I signed a contract," Bradley said, with semi-patience. "You knew I had a promising career, and it-"
"Was what? Just a matter of time before you abandoned me?" she demanded, a tear streaking down her cheek.
Bradley gave an impatient sigh. "Dawn, I don't have time for this. It's perfectly simple to understand-"
"Well explain it to me," she shot back.
"Look, you can keep the apartment," he said, with a patronising look. "Does that clear up any problems? I'll leave the money in our joint bank account there, I just won't be supplementing it. You'll need to find a job soon," he gestured to her vaguely. "I'll ring in the New Year. See how you're doing."
She looked aghast. "The apartment?" she repeated, stricken. "Bradley, you know we agreed it was too small. Lexi and Ryan have to share a room already, with the baby coming-"
"Well, now I won't be here, so the baby will be in with you, and when it's older, it can share a room with Ryan," he said, his voice so normal, Dawn almost wondered if she was being unreasonable.
"What am I supposed to tell the kids?" she asked, following him out of the tiny study, and into the living room. He shrugged.
"Business trip?" he suggested. He kissed her cheek. "Sorry it had to be this way, Dawn. You meant a lot to me, you know that." He left, shutting the door behind him with an odd sense of finality.
She gave up, and sank down onto the couch, staring with blurred eyes at the Christmas tree he'd helped put up two days ago, the lopsided fairy that Ryan had made at pre-school. Ryan charged into the room, and skidded to a stop. She smiled. Her little boy was so cute, with his long brown hair constantly falling in his eyes, and his impatience.
"Mommy, I want to show Daddy the plane I colored!" he shouted. Dawn winced, and cursed her husband for doing this to her.
"Sweetie," she began. "Daddy's gone on a little business trip." Ryan looked at her askance, his clever little mind working like clockwork.
"But Mommy, it's gonna be Christmas," he protested. "Daddy's always here at Christmas."
Dawn smiled, and held out her arms. Ryan backed away a pace, pouting, instead of rushing into them like he normally did.
"I want Daddy," he protested. Dawn's smile faded.
"Honey, he's away," she repeated, hating lying to her child. Ryan shook his head obstinately.
"No."
"Aaaaaarggghh!" Lexi yelled, running into the room, and tripping on the rug. She fell forwards, and bumped her knee, but like always, Dawn's sunny little girl just grinned, and got up, throwing her mother the normal mischievous look.
"Lexi, I said no battle cry in the house," Dawn said firmly. Lexi grinned, and twisted her fingers together.
"S'not battle cry, Mommy. Slayer cry," she said happily. Dawn smiled back, and Lexi's grin broadened.
Ryan glared at his little sister, and shoved her out of the way as he stomped towards their room. Lexi, ever quick to give as good as she got, shoved him back. Ryan flew back a few paces, and crashed into the wall.
"Lexi!' Dawn reprimanded. The little girl folded her arms.
"He started it!" she protested. Dawn moved over to Ryan. His eyes were filled with tears and he was chewing on his lower lip, but he stood up without help.
"Don't want you, Mommy," he muttered, stalking off to his room. Dawn sighed, and turned to look at the little girl. When she'd first had Lexi, she'd been so worried, and the Slayer powers Lexi had were seriously destructive, to a child who hadn't learnt yet that she could hurt someone, simply by shoving her big brother.
"Where's Daddy?" Lexi asked. Out of the corner of her eye, Dawn saw the Christmas tree lights, and sighed. Some Christmas.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Spike kicked the motorbike faster, enjoying the night breeze as he zipped past the cars on the freeway. Buffy had sounded worried on the 'phone, apparently, she hadn't heard from Dawn in a while, and setting up a Watcher's Council with Giles and Wesley in Africa, she wasn't best placed to look for her sister.
He thought of his Nibblet, all grown up, with kids of her own. Buffy had told him Dawn's last address, and that she hadn't had a letter in several months. Unconciously, his grip tightened on the handlebars. He'd made a promise once, to keep Dawn safe. Now, that promise had been renewed.
He turned off at the sign that read, 'New York'. He would find his Bit.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ` * ~
A/N: Yup. Not so much big with the fluff yet, but it's to come. Next chapter, Spike arrives, and the trouble with mini-Slayers.
REVIEW!