Buffy heard the front door open and slam shut a few seconds later. She looked up from the magazine she was reading as Dawn entered the living room.
"Hi Dawn," Buffy greeted, "How was school?"
"Fine" she replied dryly, as she headed up the stairs.
"Dawnie, we need to talk."
Dawn stopped halfway up the stairs, sighed, and slowly walked back down.
"If this is about Willow, I don't want to hear it," she said as she sat down next to Buffy on the couch.
"It's not about Willow, it's about you...and me. Do you remember the Social Worker who was here the other day? She showed up just as Xander was about to take you to school?"
Dawn nodded.
"Yeah, well, I got a letter today, you...um, you might want to read it." Buffy handed her sister the now well-read letter.
"What does this mean?"
"It means that I could lose guardianship of you."
"And what would happen to me? Where would I go?"
"I don't know, Dad maybe or, or a foster home."
Dawn looked stricken, "But they can't do that, can they?"
Buffy nodded, "They can. But, but don't worry, it's not going to happen."
"What? You're going to slay the big, bad, social workers?"
"It's always a possibility," she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
Dawn wasn't amused, "Buffy."
"Sorry. Dawn, what would you think of Spike staying here and acting as your male caregiver?"
"You mean he'd be living with us?"
"No, not living," Buffy answered quickly, "*Staying*. Temporarily. It would only be until Social Services are satisfied that I'm taking good care of you."
Dawn's lips had curved into a small smile. "That would be ok. I like Spike"
"Yeah, Willow told me that Spike came over every night before I came back, she said you enjoyed it."
Dawn frowned at the mention of Willow's name, but her smile turned into a grin as she considered the prospect of Spike living with them.
*I think that's the first time she's smiled since the accident* Buffy thought. "It's good to see you smiling again, Dawnie." *Even if it is because of Spike*
"Whatever," she shrugged. She stood up and began walking to her room. She was at the foot of the stairs when she stopped and turned to Buffy. "What about you? Would you be ok with it? I know Spike's not your favourite person."
*No I'm not ok with it, I don't want Spike living here* Buffy put a fake smile on her face, "Oh yeah, I'm fine with it."
Without saying anything else, Dawn continued on her way to her room.
"This is just great," Buffy muttered once Dawn was out of earshot, "Just *great*"
*~*~*~*
"Gee, Spike, for a vampire you sure do have a lot of crap," Dawn complained as she helped Spike move his stuff into the Summers' house.
"I do not!" he protested.
"Hey, the important thing is that *you* believe it," she grinned.
Buffy watched the two with her arms crossed; an involuntary smile crossed her face as she listened to their friendly banter. But when Spike turned to look at her it was immediately replaced with one of boredom.
"So, Buffy, where's Spike sleeping?" a cheerful Dawn asked. She had warmed up to her sister quite a bit since she'd been told that Spike was going to be staying with them.
"On the couch," Buffy ground out.
"But Buffy," Dawn argued.
"No! We don't have any room,"
"He could have Willow's room, she doesn't deserve it," the teenager muttered.
The two replies came simultaneously and in the same tone.
"Dawn."
"Lil Bit."
Buffy glared at Spike then turned to Dawn, "Dawnie, Willow's going through a tough time, she's needs our support. I know you're upset about the accident, but can't you just *try* and be nice?"
"You always take her side," Dawn cried exasperatedly before racing up the stairs to her room.
Buffy collapsed onto the sofa and ran a hand through her hair, "She's been doing that a lot lately," she sighed.
Spike sat down next to her, "What? Running up to her room?"
"Shouting, scowling, slamming doors,"
"It's understandable, love. After what she went through with Glory and then with Willow, it's only natural that she has a lot of anger."
Buffy stood up, "So, you think she right? That Willow deserves to be treated like this? That she deserves the cold shoulder?" she yelled furiously.
"Pet," he said gently, "I didn't mean it like that."
"Well how did you mean it?"
Spike stood up and rubbed Buffy's shoulders, "Put yourself in her shoes for a minute. One of her best friends betrayed her trust, took her to a place full of black magic addicts then got her into an accident."
Buffy's eyes grew moist and tears threatened to fall, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, "Look, I know that Willow has a problem, but she's working on it, and I'm sure she'd feel better if she knew that Dawn didn't hate her."
"I know, love, just give her some time," he caressed her cheek.
For a moment, Buffy revelled in the feeling of his cool hand on her cheek, but then she pushed him away, "Don't-don't touch me," she said softly
"Right, I forgot, I'm just an evil, disgusting thing," he said, a look of pain on his face.
Buffy felt a twinge of guilt form in the pit of her stomach, but she quickly pushed it away. "I'll go get you some blankets."
She returned five minutes later, her arms full of linen, "Here you go."
"Thanks, pet."
Buffy didn't answer; she just went into the kitchen to start making dinner. Spike followed her and watched as she pulled out various cooking utensils.
"Need any help?"
"No"
"Ok then"
Silence.
"I'm going to go over to Willie's, to get some blood."
"Spike, I'm not your parole officer, you don't have to tell me where you're going."
"Just being polite."
"When are you ever polite?"
"Why the Hell do I try?"
*Because I love her*, Spike he thought as her stormed out of the house, *God, I'm so whipped.*
End Part 3
"Hi Dawn," Buffy greeted, "How was school?"
"Fine" she replied dryly, as she headed up the stairs.
"Dawnie, we need to talk."
Dawn stopped halfway up the stairs, sighed, and slowly walked back down.
"If this is about Willow, I don't want to hear it," she said as she sat down next to Buffy on the couch.
"It's not about Willow, it's about you...and me. Do you remember the Social Worker who was here the other day? She showed up just as Xander was about to take you to school?"
Dawn nodded.
"Yeah, well, I got a letter today, you...um, you might want to read it." Buffy handed her sister the now well-read letter.
"What does this mean?"
"It means that I could lose guardianship of you."
"And what would happen to me? Where would I go?"
"I don't know, Dad maybe or, or a foster home."
Dawn looked stricken, "But they can't do that, can they?"
Buffy nodded, "They can. But, but don't worry, it's not going to happen."
"What? You're going to slay the big, bad, social workers?"
"It's always a possibility," she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
Dawn wasn't amused, "Buffy."
"Sorry. Dawn, what would you think of Spike staying here and acting as your male caregiver?"
"You mean he'd be living with us?"
"No, not living," Buffy answered quickly, "*Staying*. Temporarily. It would only be until Social Services are satisfied that I'm taking good care of you."
Dawn's lips had curved into a small smile. "That would be ok. I like Spike"
"Yeah, Willow told me that Spike came over every night before I came back, she said you enjoyed it."
Dawn frowned at the mention of Willow's name, but her smile turned into a grin as she considered the prospect of Spike living with them.
*I think that's the first time she's smiled since the accident* Buffy thought. "It's good to see you smiling again, Dawnie." *Even if it is because of Spike*
"Whatever," she shrugged. She stood up and began walking to her room. She was at the foot of the stairs when she stopped and turned to Buffy. "What about you? Would you be ok with it? I know Spike's not your favourite person."
*No I'm not ok with it, I don't want Spike living here* Buffy put a fake smile on her face, "Oh yeah, I'm fine with it."
Without saying anything else, Dawn continued on her way to her room.
"This is just great," Buffy muttered once Dawn was out of earshot, "Just *great*"
*~*~*~*
"Gee, Spike, for a vampire you sure do have a lot of crap," Dawn complained as she helped Spike move his stuff into the Summers' house.
"I do not!" he protested.
"Hey, the important thing is that *you* believe it," she grinned.
Buffy watched the two with her arms crossed; an involuntary smile crossed her face as she listened to their friendly banter. But when Spike turned to look at her it was immediately replaced with one of boredom.
"So, Buffy, where's Spike sleeping?" a cheerful Dawn asked. She had warmed up to her sister quite a bit since she'd been told that Spike was going to be staying with them.
"On the couch," Buffy ground out.
"But Buffy," Dawn argued.
"No! We don't have any room,"
"He could have Willow's room, she doesn't deserve it," the teenager muttered.
The two replies came simultaneously and in the same tone.
"Dawn."
"Lil Bit."
Buffy glared at Spike then turned to Dawn, "Dawnie, Willow's going through a tough time, she's needs our support. I know you're upset about the accident, but can't you just *try* and be nice?"
"You always take her side," Dawn cried exasperatedly before racing up the stairs to her room.
Buffy collapsed onto the sofa and ran a hand through her hair, "She's been doing that a lot lately," she sighed.
Spike sat down next to her, "What? Running up to her room?"
"Shouting, scowling, slamming doors,"
"It's understandable, love. After what she went through with Glory and then with Willow, it's only natural that she has a lot of anger."
Buffy stood up, "So, you think she right? That Willow deserves to be treated like this? That she deserves the cold shoulder?" she yelled furiously.
"Pet," he said gently, "I didn't mean it like that."
"Well how did you mean it?"
Spike stood up and rubbed Buffy's shoulders, "Put yourself in her shoes for a minute. One of her best friends betrayed her trust, took her to a place full of black magic addicts then got her into an accident."
Buffy's eyes grew moist and tears threatened to fall, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, "Look, I know that Willow has a problem, but she's working on it, and I'm sure she'd feel better if she knew that Dawn didn't hate her."
"I know, love, just give her some time," he caressed her cheek.
For a moment, Buffy revelled in the feeling of his cool hand on her cheek, but then she pushed him away, "Don't-don't touch me," she said softly
"Right, I forgot, I'm just an evil, disgusting thing," he said, a look of pain on his face.
Buffy felt a twinge of guilt form in the pit of her stomach, but she quickly pushed it away. "I'll go get you some blankets."
She returned five minutes later, her arms full of linen, "Here you go."
"Thanks, pet."
Buffy didn't answer; she just went into the kitchen to start making dinner. Spike followed her and watched as she pulled out various cooking utensils.
"Need any help?"
"No"
"Ok then"
Silence.
"I'm going to go over to Willie's, to get some blood."
"Spike, I'm not your parole officer, you don't have to tell me where you're going."
"Just being polite."
"When are you ever polite?"
"Why the Hell do I try?"
*Because I love her*, Spike he thought as her stormed out of the house, *God, I'm so whipped.*
End Part 3