Fandom: BtVS/Smallville
"I don't want to."
"Nobody *wants* to relocate to Nowhere, Kansas, Dawn," I say patiently, folding up her clothes and putting them neatly into the case. "But I promise it'll be okay. I know it's not fair that just because I'm a Slayer and have to go wherever fun little craters play havoc in the earth, you have to be uprooted too. It may surprise you to know that I'm also aware that life sucks. But I also know you don't have ac hoice. So your not wanting to is really a point in moot."
She glares at my back through narrow, unconvinced eyes and folds her arms across her chest.
"How come I can't stay with Tara and Willow like the other time you went away?" she mumbles grouchily.
"I didn't 'go away' last time, Dawnie, I died. That was kind of irreversible ... or so I thought. anyway. For one. I'm not indisposed this time. I'm your legal guardian and while I'm around, you're sticking with me, kid. For two, I refuse to let you impose on Willow like that. She *does* have a life sans Dawnie, you know. And for three, I don't know what these things coming out of the earth in Nowheresville are, and I sure as hell don't know how long it'll take me to kill them." I turn back and open the case again, fitting as many more of her clothes as possible in. "What I do know is I'm not leaving you on your own for God knows how long again. Besides, I don't want to hang out in Boringtown on my own. I mean, I know Giles is supposed to come with, but what happens if he gets to re-like England and..." I look over my shoulder, wary at the silence. "Dawn?"
"Yadda yadda yadda dull dull DULL!" she yells from down the stairs before the sound of the TV drifts up. I close the case again and look up. "I'm really gonna miss this place," I think aloud.
"This house the only thing you'll miss, Slayer?"
I whip around. "Spike?"
"The one and only, pet." He draws deeply on one of his foul cigarettes and exhales. His eyes smoulder through the smoke and -- okay, Buffy, turn away and look back only when your heart resumes beating at it's usual speed. That's it. Now-- "Thought you'd just slide off to some other hellmouth without passing on the news, did we? Thought we'd leave Spike to find out next time he comes round for a good--"
"As it's you Spike, I'm going to say it with wood," I say firmly, picking up my stake. "Go. Away. Now."
"One step forward, two steps back," he says mockingly. "Oh, take little Bit and slope off for all I care. Would've been nice to have been told is all. Least then I wouldn't have your very own Handy Andy rubbing it in my face. 'Oh, yes, Buffy's gone. Didn't she tell you? Well, why would she? After all, you're just a cheap *Angel* replacement--'"
"What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry?" I push persistent blonde hair out of my face and glare at him. "It's nothing personal. Something big is going down in Kansas and I have to be there. This way we have a clean break. You and I both have time to get over this stupid infatuation--" he snorts --"and when I get back everything will be exactly as it was."
He laughs derisively. "Oh, very good! Oscar-winning, Slayer, really. You were nearly believable there for a second." He grabs my wrists before I can snatch them away. "Things can't be the way they were, Slayer, and we both know that. So how's about we stop pretending, eh?"
I yank my arms away from hi. "Don't touch me."
"Don't have to, do I?" He draws on his cigarette and smirks. "Electricity jumps."
I stare at him evenly. "Was there anything else?"
"Just wondered where you were goin' is all."
"A little town in Kansas, totally dull, sticksville," I mumble evasively.
"Not going to follow you, you daft bint!" he growls. "I just want to be kept in the loop."
"You don't--"
"Stop bloody fobbin' me off!" he cries. "All I want to know is where you're taking the Bit!"
That hurts and I concentrate on the wall behind him as I answer through a clenched jaw.
"Smallville."
"Right oh." In a swish of leather and smoke, he's gone. I can't help wondering if I'll ever see him again.
Wondering and hoping.
"I don't want to."
"Nobody *wants* to relocate to Nowhere, Kansas, Dawn," I say patiently, folding up her clothes and putting them neatly into the case. "But I promise it'll be okay. I know it's not fair that just because I'm a Slayer and have to go wherever fun little craters play havoc in the earth, you have to be uprooted too. It may surprise you to know that I'm also aware that life sucks. But I also know you don't have ac hoice. So your not wanting to is really a point in moot."
She glares at my back through narrow, unconvinced eyes and folds her arms across her chest.
"How come I can't stay with Tara and Willow like the other time you went away?" she mumbles grouchily.
"I didn't 'go away' last time, Dawnie, I died. That was kind of irreversible ... or so I thought. anyway. For one. I'm not indisposed this time. I'm your legal guardian and while I'm around, you're sticking with me, kid. For two, I refuse to let you impose on Willow like that. She *does* have a life sans Dawnie, you know. And for three, I don't know what these things coming out of the earth in Nowheresville are, and I sure as hell don't know how long it'll take me to kill them." I turn back and open the case again, fitting as many more of her clothes as possible in. "What I do know is I'm not leaving you on your own for God knows how long again. Besides, I don't want to hang out in Boringtown on my own. I mean, I know Giles is supposed to come with, but what happens if he gets to re-like England and..." I look over my shoulder, wary at the silence. "Dawn?"
"Yadda yadda yadda dull dull DULL!" she yells from down the stairs before the sound of the TV drifts up. I close the case again and look up. "I'm really gonna miss this place," I think aloud.
"This house the only thing you'll miss, Slayer?"
I whip around. "Spike?"
"The one and only, pet." He draws deeply on one of his foul cigarettes and exhales. His eyes smoulder through the smoke and -- okay, Buffy, turn away and look back only when your heart resumes beating at it's usual speed. That's it. Now-- "Thought you'd just slide off to some other hellmouth without passing on the news, did we? Thought we'd leave Spike to find out next time he comes round for a good--"
"As it's you Spike, I'm going to say it with wood," I say firmly, picking up my stake. "Go. Away. Now."
"One step forward, two steps back," he says mockingly. "Oh, take little Bit and slope off for all I care. Would've been nice to have been told is all. Least then I wouldn't have your very own Handy Andy rubbing it in my face. 'Oh, yes, Buffy's gone. Didn't she tell you? Well, why would she? After all, you're just a cheap *Angel* replacement--'"
"What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry?" I push persistent blonde hair out of my face and glare at him. "It's nothing personal. Something big is going down in Kansas and I have to be there. This way we have a clean break. You and I both have time to get over this stupid infatuation--" he snorts --"and when I get back everything will be exactly as it was."
He laughs derisively. "Oh, very good! Oscar-winning, Slayer, really. You were nearly believable there for a second." He grabs my wrists before I can snatch them away. "Things can't be the way they were, Slayer, and we both know that. So how's about we stop pretending, eh?"
I yank my arms away from hi. "Don't touch me."
"Don't have to, do I?" He draws on his cigarette and smirks. "Electricity jumps."
I stare at him evenly. "Was there anything else?"
"Just wondered where you were goin' is all."
"A little town in Kansas, totally dull, sticksville," I mumble evasively.
"Not going to follow you, you daft bint!" he growls. "I just want to be kept in the loop."
"You don't--"
"Stop bloody fobbin' me off!" he cries. "All I want to know is where you're taking the Bit!"
That hurts and I concentrate on the wall behind him as I answer through a clenched jaw.
"Smallville."
"Right oh." In a swish of leather and smoke, he's gone. I can't help wondering if I'll ever see him again.
Wondering and hoping.