It was dusk and the fading purple light sent shadows across the road a
solemn figure shrouded in black walked silently by.
Spike slowly walked along the silent street. He approached the house but hesitated. He had tried not to come back here, he didn't want to come back here but he couldn't stay away either.
For weeks now he had carried this weight about with him, this strong unpleasant feeling he hadn't felt in over a hundred years; remorse. Spike lowered his eyes then looked up again at the door.
The door opened almost immediately and he found himself looking down at the familiar face, "Hey Niblet."
Dawn just stood there staring for a moment, at the figure in black. It was Spike. He looked dishevelled and his hair had grown revealing chest nut brown roots. There was something else to in his expression but she couldn't tell what it was.
"Spike!" she yelled, the next second he felt the sting as she slapped him. OK he deserved that and worse and it hurt to see dawn mad at him. "You left!" she yelled. "Not for good, I had something really important to do. It was for you, you and Buffy."
Dawn's expression changed, "What?" Spike didn't answer her; he walked past and went into the front room. She followed and stared at him from the doorway.
"I'm sorry for leaving you Niblet but I came back." Dawn didn't look at him, "You didn't do what Xander said you did, did you Spike?"
Spike couldn't answer for a moment, he knew what she meant and it brought fresh tears to his eyes. "Dawn." It came out in no more than a whisper but she immediately looked up at him. "No!" she cried then stopped, tears were running down the vampire's face.
She had never seen a vampire cry, not even Angel cried. "Spike?" "
He lowered his eyes to the floor again, "It's my fault I never should have let her use me, I thought things would change but they didn't obviously. We had an argument and something happened, she wanted to be the victim for once Dawn. I know what I tried to do is unforgivable. Your friend is right; I am an evil thing."
He looked up; Dawn was gaping at him. "Do you hate me?"
Dawn looked down at her nails for a while, she had tried to but she couldn't hate Spike. He had been so protective of her when Buffy was, gone. "No, I couldn't hate you Spike."
He gave her a half smile, he felt bad for hurting her too. He had never felt this much pain in his entire existence; he tried not to think of it though. He was determined not to turn into his broody grand sire.
"Where is Buffy? Are you here on your own?" "Yes she went to the magic shop with Xander. Spike stiffened, Xander would still be howling for his blood or ashes and soul or no soul he still couldn't stand the boy.
Now he stiffened, she was here. "Dawn?" Buffy called out as she entered the hall. Dawn jumped up and rushed out to greet he sister, from the lounge Spike could hear their conversation; "Hey." "Hey." "You alright? You look a little bleugh!" "I'm fine Buffy."
Buffy shook her head at her little sister and turned into their front room. "Spike!" Spike swallowed hard, "Hello Buffy." An awkward silence now followed which for Spike seemed to last eternity and he couldn't stand it.
Buffy watched the vampire carefully, he seemed different, softer.
Spike took a deep, unneeded breath. He looked carefully at the confused faces in front of him; "I went to Africa." "Africa?! Why?" "To get the chip out." A look of fear came over Buffy's face at this. It caused Spikes heart to crack.
He wallowed, "I didn't get quite what I asked for though and I, I got something back that I lost a long time ago. Once I had it though I knew it was what I really wanted deep down."
Buffy started to feel even more uneasy, "Spike?" Spike dropped his eyes for a moment before looking back up at his girls. "I've got my, my soul back Buffy."
Buffy's jaw dropped and she stared at the Vampire; his eyes shone from unshed tears that she hadn't noticed until now. "A soul?" was all she could say and it took her over a minute to respond.
"Um Spike I have to, just be a.." Buffy mumbled before she ran up the stairs. Dawn watched as Spike visibly sagged. Buffy re-appeared a minute later, holding the black leather tightly to her chest. "You left your coat here." She said slowly as she handed it to him.
Spike took it and put it on, Buffy had bean wearing it.
"So Africa;" Dawn started, "Tell us what happened
Spike slowly walked along the silent street. He approached the house but hesitated. He had tried not to come back here, he didn't want to come back here but he couldn't stay away either.
For weeks now he had carried this weight about with him, this strong unpleasant feeling he hadn't felt in over a hundred years; remorse. Spike lowered his eyes then looked up again at the door.
The door opened almost immediately and he found himself looking down at the familiar face, "Hey Niblet."
Dawn just stood there staring for a moment, at the figure in black. It was Spike. He looked dishevelled and his hair had grown revealing chest nut brown roots. There was something else to in his expression but she couldn't tell what it was.
"Spike!" she yelled, the next second he felt the sting as she slapped him. OK he deserved that and worse and it hurt to see dawn mad at him. "You left!" she yelled. "Not for good, I had something really important to do. It was for you, you and Buffy."
Dawn's expression changed, "What?" Spike didn't answer her; he walked past and went into the front room. She followed and stared at him from the doorway.
"I'm sorry for leaving you Niblet but I came back." Dawn didn't look at him, "You didn't do what Xander said you did, did you Spike?"
Spike couldn't answer for a moment, he knew what she meant and it brought fresh tears to his eyes. "Dawn." It came out in no more than a whisper but she immediately looked up at him. "No!" she cried then stopped, tears were running down the vampire's face.
She had never seen a vampire cry, not even Angel cried. "Spike?" "
He lowered his eyes to the floor again, "It's my fault I never should have let her use me, I thought things would change but they didn't obviously. We had an argument and something happened, she wanted to be the victim for once Dawn. I know what I tried to do is unforgivable. Your friend is right; I am an evil thing."
He looked up; Dawn was gaping at him. "Do you hate me?"
Dawn looked down at her nails for a while, she had tried to but she couldn't hate Spike. He had been so protective of her when Buffy was, gone. "No, I couldn't hate you Spike."
He gave her a half smile, he felt bad for hurting her too. He had never felt this much pain in his entire existence; he tried not to think of it though. He was determined not to turn into his broody grand sire.
"Where is Buffy? Are you here on your own?" "Yes she went to the magic shop with Xander. Spike stiffened, Xander would still be howling for his blood or ashes and soul or no soul he still couldn't stand the boy.
Now he stiffened, she was here. "Dawn?" Buffy called out as she entered the hall. Dawn jumped up and rushed out to greet he sister, from the lounge Spike could hear their conversation; "Hey." "Hey." "You alright? You look a little bleugh!" "I'm fine Buffy."
Buffy shook her head at her little sister and turned into their front room. "Spike!" Spike swallowed hard, "Hello Buffy." An awkward silence now followed which for Spike seemed to last eternity and he couldn't stand it.
Buffy watched the vampire carefully, he seemed different, softer.
Spike took a deep, unneeded breath. He looked carefully at the confused faces in front of him; "I went to Africa." "Africa?! Why?" "To get the chip out." A look of fear came over Buffy's face at this. It caused Spikes heart to crack.
He wallowed, "I didn't get quite what I asked for though and I, I got something back that I lost a long time ago. Once I had it though I knew it was what I really wanted deep down."
Buffy started to feel even more uneasy, "Spike?" Spike dropped his eyes for a moment before looking back up at his girls. "I've got my, my soul back Buffy."
Buffy's jaw dropped and she stared at the Vampire; his eyes shone from unshed tears that she hadn't noticed until now. "A soul?" was all she could say and it took her over a minute to respond.
"Um Spike I have to, just be a.." Buffy mumbled before she ran up the stairs. Dawn watched as Spike visibly sagged. Buffy re-appeared a minute later, holding the black leather tightly to her chest. "You left your coat here." She said slowly as she handed it to him.
Spike took it and put it on, Buffy had bean wearing it.
"So Africa;" Dawn started, "Tell us what happened