Title: Times of Change
Disclaimer:All belongs to Joss, and Mutant Enemy
Rated: R
Set after The Gift
Author's note: The time that happened in between has been played with some.
Chapter 1:
Pacing with the grace of a caged predator. Long and sleek like a panther. Black clad against his alabaster skin. He has beauty others would commit viscous acts to posses. Ragged breath, jaw clenching and unclenching. Shaky hands running through tasseled curls. Cursing as if his life depended on it. Her pencils and drawing tablet could never do him justice. Shaking her head in disgust. Not at him mind you, but that no matter how many times she sketched Spike she couldn't capture what she saw before her. What no one else saw. What her sister didn't see.
Dawn breathed out a sigh....A sigh of tiredness.....She was so tired of her sister not realizing what she could have with Spike. It had been going on for months. Everyone knew now. Found out three weeks ago. But she knew it had been going on longer. She knew Spike, and his moods. She guessed one night about 20 days after her sisters return. Spike sat out on the ledge of her window, and listened to her go on about how she missed him, and why had he kept his distance since the night her sister returned. "To give big sis time to adjust nibblet." Was his reply. "Liar" she snapped. " Stop treating me like a damn child Spike! You never did before, don't fucking start now!" His eyes had widened, and a look of sadness graced his features for a moment.
She felt her words had been to harsh. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just......just that since she got back I'm either forgotten, or protected from everything by everyone. I don't want you to do it to me too. I couldn't handle it. Please..... Spike anything but that." She meant it. He could tell it in her eyes. It would break her. She would crumble to dust before his eyes. He couldn't do that to her. Never to her. "Fine Nib, ask away......What is it you want to know?"
She tried to hide the triumph in her eyes. Didn't want him to think it was a game for attention. It wasn't, but they others would have seen it for that. She hadn't been sure the out burst would work, but it did. With out skipping a beat the words were out before they had even made sense in her head.... "You've been screwing her haven't you?" The words came out with more feeling behind them than she would have liked. Dawn fought the urge to blush and put her hand over her mouth mentally cursing herself for the slip. Of course that was what she had been wondering about all of this time, but she didn't want him to know it! She tried to gage Spike's reaction. It wasn't as she had imagined it would be. Though not really sure what that was. The moon caught in the corner of his eye as he looked at her. It reminded her of a sunset on the beach. By an alcove that her father used to take her and Buffy when they were little.
She looked so small and frail, far to innocent to really know what she was saying. He knew better though he had spent most of his time with the youngest to know she knew exactly what she was talking about. And knew she meant business. He wasn't getting out of this one without her curiosity quenched. But nobody said he couldn't have fun with it though. There was a gleam in his eyes, and his lips curled into......... Oh no! Dawn thought. She should have known better than to say anything about sex to Spike. This was going to be tough! But she was determined to stand her ground and get answers. She knew she was already blushing. She could feel it, and Spike's face was filled with more delight.
They had been down a road like this before. Well, similar. Last summer Dawn had walked into the bathroom not knowing that Spike was stepping out of the shower at the same time. He teased her for the longest. She wasn't sure she was ever going to live it down. now this! "Just what the hell do you know about screwing bit?" He was enjoying the flush on her cheeks when a thought entered his mind. Dawn looked puzzled as Spike's expression changed from satisfaction to anger. "You haven't been letting some git play in your knickers now have you!.............Answer me girl!"
What was wrong with him? What even made him think that? "What? Spike.......No! As if it's any of your business anyway." She was furiously red now. This wasn't a discussion she wanted to have with him. At least not like this. "What made you think that anyway?" She felt her normal color resurfacing. She eased under his gaze. She still felt stupid that she couldn't talk about sex without turning red. He knew she was telling the truth, but something had made him want to ask. No needed to ask. "Just I had remembered big sis telling Red about you sneaking out a few times the past weeks, and I needed to know."
"Why did you need to know Spike?" The tables had turned once again. Her intent glare on him. His insides had started to twist. He only hoped it wasn't visible on the surface. He really couldn't pin point it. Just all of the sudden the thought of her with some pimple faced boy made him angry. "Just did" He knew it was to short and simple, but tell her what he was really thinking when he was screwing her sister was impossible. Dawn knew he wasn't being straight with her, but that wasn't the question she wanted answered.
"So back to the original question. Are you screwing my sister?" "Yeah" It was all he said, and it was nearly a whisper. She knew something was off but not sure of what it was. "Well, for someone so in love with her you sure do seem sad." He just kept staring at tree directly in front of him, pulling leaves off and ripping them between his fingers. "She doesn't love me. Never will." Her heart broke. It always broke for him. Figured she would never meet another that could break her the way he always did. She reached out and brushed her fingers through his hair. "I'll always love you." she whispered not thinking he could hear her. His unbeating heart jumped at the same time it sunk. He whispered back, " I know luv. I know" as he moved her hand to his cheek. He was sure he could feel all her love for him through her tiny fingers. It hurt so much. Why couldn't Buffy feel the same as his Dawn did?
Dawn was sure now she had said it out loud. His face so gently cradled in her hand. Like it was always supposed to belong there. Like he was always supposed to belong to her. Then he stood her hand in his. "Well, I best be going Bit.... Your sister will be home soon." He kissed her hand, and was down on the ground before anything had time to register.
That had been the best night since her sister's return. It was sad in itself. Why wasn't she happy since Buffy was alive? Dawn came out of her trip down memory lane when she heard glass breaking against the floor. Oh yeah, that's why. She remembered why life was miserable now. Spike had gone from pacing and cursing to throwing things and cursing. "Your damn sister!" He yelled as he looked at Dawn.
"I know my damn sister is making your unlife bleeding hell! I got it the first five hundred times you said it Spike. This is crap Spike! Get away from her, or stop whinnying about it." Dawn was fed up she threw down her art supplies, and started for the door. Spike lunged for her, and grabbed her arm swinging her to face him. "No don't go Bit. I'm sorry It's just that things are so bloody mixed up right now. I don't know how to fix it. Please..... Dawn I can't stand to have us broken too."
He looked so childlike in his expression. Like a boy begging his mom to go out and play. She was just so tired though. Didn't know how much longer she could carry Spike before she fell broke like glass dropping him as well. She knew what he meant all of the times he would talk about her sister not loving him. She felt the same as he did. Because she knew he could never love her. She held her tears in as she looked at him. "We won't break." She lied. She knew eventually something would break. It would probably be her heart. Her heart could break a million times if it would save Spike from hurting even for a minute.
"What am I suppose to do Dawn?" It was quite silly if you thought about it, a 150 year old vampire asking a teenage girl for advice. Sure it would be thought sane to most if it was about what was the trend then, but about love and life and grown up things? What the bloody hell was he thinking. "Never mind you shouldn't have to worry your pretty little head about things of this sort. Now should you?" He grabbed another bottle of whiskey to drown his sorrows in.
Dawn knew what he should do. The same thing she had told him before. Stay away from Buffy, but it wasn't what he wanted to hear. Never was. She said the only thing that came to mind then, "We should leave. Just pack a bag and leave." Spike had actually thought of leaving many times, but every time he was close to doing it Dawn came to the fore front of his mind. He couldn't bare to leave her in this hell hole. Now she was saying she would go with him. He might give this some consideration. He never answered her. Just walked over, and kissed her forehead.
She left for home not long after without another thought to her suggestion. He would never take her out of this town. She cried to herself not knowing Spike was making sure she got home safe. He thought more and more about her idea to just leave as he watched her tears fall to the ground
Disclaimer:All belongs to Joss, and Mutant Enemy
Rated: R
Set after The Gift
Author's note: The time that happened in between has been played with some.
Chapter 1:
Pacing with the grace of a caged predator. Long and sleek like a panther. Black clad against his alabaster skin. He has beauty others would commit viscous acts to posses. Ragged breath, jaw clenching and unclenching. Shaky hands running through tasseled curls. Cursing as if his life depended on it. Her pencils and drawing tablet could never do him justice. Shaking her head in disgust. Not at him mind you, but that no matter how many times she sketched Spike she couldn't capture what she saw before her. What no one else saw. What her sister didn't see.
Dawn breathed out a sigh....A sigh of tiredness.....She was so tired of her sister not realizing what she could have with Spike. It had been going on for months. Everyone knew now. Found out three weeks ago. But she knew it had been going on longer. She knew Spike, and his moods. She guessed one night about 20 days after her sisters return. Spike sat out on the ledge of her window, and listened to her go on about how she missed him, and why had he kept his distance since the night her sister returned. "To give big sis time to adjust nibblet." Was his reply. "Liar" she snapped. " Stop treating me like a damn child Spike! You never did before, don't fucking start now!" His eyes had widened, and a look of sadness graced his features for a moment.
She felt her words had been to harsh. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just......just that since she got back I'm either forgotten, or protected from everything by everyone. I don't want you to do it to me too. I couldn't handle it. Please..... Spike anything but that." She meant it. He could tell it in her eyes. It would break her. She would crumble to dust before his eyes. He couldn't do that to her. Never to her. "Fine Nib, ask away......What is it you want to know?"
She tried to hide the triumph in her eyes. Didn't want him to think it was a game for attention. It wasn't, but they others would have seen it for that. She hadn't been sure the out burst would work, but it did. With out skipping a beat the words were out before they had even made sense in her head.... "You've been screwing her haven't you?" The words came out with more feeling behind them than she would have liked. Dawn fought the urge to blush and put her hand over her mouth mentally cursing herself for the slip. Of course that was what she had been wondering about all of this time, but she didn't want him to know it! She tried to gage Spike's reaction. It wasn't as she had imagined it would be. Though not really sure what that was. The moon caught in the corner of his eye as he looked at her. It reminded her of a sunset on the beach. By an alcove that her father used to take her and Buffy when they were little.
She looked so small and frail, far to innocent to really know what she was saying. He knew better though he had spent most of his time with the youngest to know she knew exactly what she was talking about. And knew she meant business. He wasn't getting out of this one without her curiosity quenched. But nobody said he couldn't have fun with it though. There was a gleam in his eyes, and his lips curled into......... Oh no! Dawn thought. She should have known better than to say anything about sex to Spike. This was going to be tough! But she was determined to stand her ground and get answers. She knew she was already blushing. She could feel it, and Spike's face was filled with more delight.
They had been down a road like this before. Well, similar. Last summer Dawn had walked into the bathroom not knowing that Spike was stepping out of the shower at the same time. He teased her for the longest. She wasn't sure she was ever going to live it down. now this! "Just what the hell do you know about screwing bit?" He was enjoying the flush on her cheeks when a thought entered his mind. Dawn looked puzzled as Spike's expression changed from satisfaction to anger. "You haven't been letting some git play in your knickers now have you!.............Answer me girl!"
What was wrong with him? What even made him think that? "What? Spike.......No! As if it's any of your business anyway." She was furiously red now. This wasn't a discussion she wanted to have with him. At least not like this. "What made you think that anyway?" She felt her normal color resurfacing. She eased under his gaze. She still felt stupid that she couldn't talk about sex without turning red. He knew she was telling the truth, but something had made him want to ask. No needed to ask. "Just I had remembered big sis telling Red about you sneaking out a few times the past weeks, and I needed to know."
"Why did you need to know Spike?" The tables had turned once again. Her intent glare on him. His insides had started to twist. He only hoped it wasn't visible on the surface. He really couldn't pin point it. Just all of the sudden the thought of her with some pimple faced boy made him angry. "Just did" He knew it was to short and simple, but tell her what he was really thinking when he was screwing her sister was impossible. Dawn knew he wasn't being straight with her, but that wasn't the question she wanted answered.
"So back to the original question. Are you screwing my sister?" "Yeah" It was all he said, and it was nearly a whisper. She knew something was off but not sure of what it was. "Well, for someone so in love with her you sure do seem sad." He just kept staring at tree directly in front of him, pulling leaves off and ripping them between his fingers. "She doesn't love me. Never will." Her heart broke. It always broke for him. Figured she would never meet another that could break her the way he always did. She reached out and brushed her fingers through his hair. "I'll always love you." she whispered not thinking he could hear her. His unbeating heart jumped at the same time it sunk. He whispered back, " I know luv. I know" as he moved her hand to his cheek. He was sure he could feel all her love for him through her tiny fingers. It hurt so much. Why couldn't Buffy feel the same as his Dawn did?
Dawn was sure now she had said it out loud. His face so gently cradled in her hand. Like it was always supposed to belong there. Like he was always supposed to belong to her. Then he stood her hand in his. "Well, I best be going Bit.... Your sister will be home soon." He kissed her hand, and was down on the ground before anything had time to register.
That had been the best night since her sister's return. It was sad in itself. Why wasn't she happy since Buffy was alive? Dawn came out of her trip down memory lane when she heard glass breaking against the floor. Oh yeah, that's why. She remembered why life was miserable now. Spike had gone from pacing and cursing to throwing things and cursing. "Your damn sister!" He yelled as he looked at Dawn.
"I know my damn sister is making your unlife bleeding hell! I got it the first five hundred times you said it Spike. This is crap Spike! Get away from her, or stop whinnying about it." Dawn was fed up she threw down her art supplies, and started for the door. Spike lunged for her, and grabbed her arm swinging her to face him. "No don't go Bit. I'm sorry It's just that things are so bloody mixed up right now. I don't know how to fix it. Please..... Dawn I can't stand to have us broken too."
He looked so childlike in his expression. Like a boy begging his mom to go out and play. She was just so tired though. Didn't know how much longer she could carry Spike before she fell broke like glass dropping him as well. She knew what he meant all of the times he would talk about her sister not loving him. She felt the same as he did. Because she knew he could never love her. She held her tears in as she looked at him. "We won't break." She lied. She knew eventually something would break. It would probably be her heart. Her heart could break a million times if it would save Spike from hurting even for a minute.
"What am I suppose to do Dawn?" It was quite silly if you thought about it, a 150 year old vampire asking a teenage girl for advice. Sure it would be thought sane to most if it was about what was the trend then, but about love and life and grown up things? What the bloody hell was he thinking. "Never mind you shouldn't have to worry your pretty little head about things of this sort. Now should you?" He grabbed another bottle of whiskey to drown his sorrows in.
Dawn knew what he should do. The same thing she had told him before. Stay away from Buffy, but it wasn't what he wanted to hear. Never was. She said the only thing that came to mind then, "We should leave. Just pack a bag and leave." Spike had actually thought of leaving many times, but every time he was close to doing it Dawn came to the fore front of his mind. He couldn't bare to leave her in this hell hole. Now she was saying she would go with him. He might give this some consideration. He never answered her. Just walked over, and kissed her forehead.
She left for home not long after without another thought to her suggestion. He would never take her out of this town. She cried to herself not knowing Spike was making sure she got home safe. He thought more and more about her idea to just leave as he watched her tears fall to the ground