Title: Picking Up the Pieces Chapter 10
Summary: Spike finds something to live for when he thinks there is nothing left. S/D friendship. Takes place after "As You Were" and is AU after that.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Buffy and all her minions belong to Joss Whedon. But I can lust after Spike all I want. Joss can't sue me for that!
Author's Note: Can you believe that my UPN station usurped Buffy with an ACC basketball game! What the heck! I called UPN the next day and was not kind to the poor lady that answered the phone. They showed the episode this past Saturday so I was once again in control of my anger. Thanks for all the great reviews!
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They got home late that night. They were both soaking wet and covered in sand. They came in the door laughing and shoving each other and were met by an irate Englishman. They both froze. Dawn finally found her voice in the circle of Spike's arms.
"Giles?" The livid man removed his glasses and began polishing them furiously.
"Do you know what time it is?" Dawn quickly extricated herself from the soggy embrace and stepped forward. Spike shut the door and came to stand beside her. He held up his bare wrist.
"No watch, Watcher." Giles replaced his glasses and scowled at the sarcastic vampire.
"Dawn, don't you have school tomorrow?" Dawn was now getting angry. How dare he waltz in here and try to make it look like Spike didn't know how to take care of her. He'd been doing fine without any of them for weeks now. Maybe he ought to go turn that scowl on her sister.
"Actually, no. It's a teacher work day tomorrow otherwise Spike would have enforced bedtime two hours ago." Spike nearly choked.
"Dawn, I need to talk to Spike alone if you don't mind. I'll take you home when we're done." The two sand covered people in the room looked at each other and back to the Watcher.
"Um, I am home." That threw him.
"What?"
"I live here now. I have my own room and everything. Want to see?" Again with the glasses.
"And what does Buffy have to say about all of this?" Spike saw Dawn set her shoulders and pitied the poor man.
"I really don't care what Buffy has to say about much of anything. It's my choice and I choose to live where someone remembers to feed me and get me back and forth to school safely and actually gives a damn that I'm alive." Giles was more than a little taken aback by the venom in her tone. Evidently something major had happened that he had not been informed about.
He sighed and put his glasses on once more. He rubbed at his temples trying to push the nagging pain in his head away. Spike came to his rescue.
"You can have first dibs on the hot water, sweet bit. Me and Rupes will catch up and then you and him can talk." She nodded and reached for his hand.
"Thanks for today." Spike smiled and squeezed it. She walked past Giles without another word and disappeared into the bathroom. Once they heard the door close Giles started in.
"What the hell is going on?" Spike ignored him for the moment and walked into the kitchen. He poured water in the teakettle and sat it on the stove. He opened an unused box of tea and got out two bags.
"Oh, thank God. I've been craving the stuff since I left Bath." Spike turned and leaned back against the counter crossing his arms over his chest.
"It's like I told you on the phone, Buffy's not exactly super mom. In fact she's not even super big sis right now. She's not coping to well with the whole resurrection thing and it's starting to affect all of us." While the water heated he brought Giles up to speed on what had happened to Dawn a few weeks ago. Giles didn't ask what happened to the man. He had no clue Spike's chip didn't work. Spike didn't really know what he assumed had happened to the guy.
The kettle started to whistle and Spike got everything ready. Giles looked so tired and almost defeated. Spike actually felt kind of sorry for him. Almost.
"So, Rupert. What about this counselor chit? She coming out to give Buffy's brain the once over?" Giles assumed a position similar to Spike and took a small sip of the too hot tea.
"Yes, she's agreed to come out and see her. She'll be here Friday. She wants three full days with Buffy. An intensive counseling session. She feels that with what I've told her of Buffy that would be best. Once we have her there we don't want to give her the option of leaving." Spike completely understood that. If the woman could actually get Buffy to open up then she better keep her talking.
They moved back into the living room and took up positions at opposite ends of the couch. Dawn came out dressed in sweatpants and a tank top. Her hair hung wet down her back. She flopped down next to Spike and leaned over till her head was resting on his chest. Giles raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Want some tea, bit?" She shook her head and looked towards Giles.
"So, Giles, how did you get in here?"
"Yeah, Watcher. Did you go Ripper on my door lock?"
"No, you prat. The landlord let me in. I told him I was a relative." Spike refused to think about how stupid that made his landlord.
"Ok, so one question down. Why are you here?" Giles looked to Spike and he shrugged.
"I have someone coming to help Buffy."
"Help her how? Clean up the house, pay our bills, what kind of help?" She said with some frustration.
"No, I have a friend who is a counselor. She's coming to talk to Buffy. Hopefully to help her resolve some of these issues she has about what's happened to her."
"Ok, that's two. I think that's actually all I had. I'm going to bed, Spike. Giles, it's great to see you but I'm knackered." Giles gave Spike a look at her use of his slang.
"Yes, it's good to be back. Have a pleasant sleep." She pushed off Spike's chest and stood up.
"Night, pet." Once she was gone an uncomfortable silence fell between the two men.
"She seems to be doing well after what happened to her."
"Yeah, she seems to handle trauma a lot better than..well it doesn't matter. She's doing great."
"I must say I'm shocked. You've done quite well with her." Spike looked down at his half empty mug. He couldn't look the Watcher in the face at that comment. If he only knew.
"Don't know why you're so surprised. I took care of Dru for over a hundred years. It's something I'm actually qualified for."
"That was a little different. Drusilla wasn't an impressionable teenager."
"No, she was insane. Dawn's a lot easier. Don't have to fear waking up to her pouring holy water over me just to see the pretty patterns it makes." Giles flinched.
"Point taken. Spike, have you had a chance to talk with Buffy? Does she know about any of this?" Spike leaned forward and placed the cup on the coffee table and folded his hands in front on him.
"We're not exactly on speaking terms as of right now, mate. So the answer to your question is no, she doesn't know anything about this. And I'm not sure how she's gonna react when you show up at her door, Watcher. She's still pretty pissed at you."
"I'm well aware of that, Spike. However, her health and happiness are more important to me than her anger. I think it would be best if the three of us," he gestured towards Dawn's room, "were to meet her on a united front."
"You mean an intervention."
"Yes, precisely. I think if she knew how concerned we all are about her she would be more likely to at least speak to Julia." Spike assumed that was the counselor.
"Well, we could give it a try I guess. I don't think Xander and Willow should be there though. Well, maybe Willow but Xander will just sulk about the fact that I'm included. Besides, he and the witch have enough problems of their own. You might want to invite Glinda though. She and Buffy seem pretty close lately."
Giles looked puzzled. "Glinda?"
"Yeah, you know. Willow's ex."
"Oh, Tara. Good Lord, Spike don't you ever use anyone's real name?" Spike just smirked at him.
"Anyway, perhaps tomorrow we can go over and confront her." Spike was already negating that idea with a shake of his head.
"Nope. Her first day at her new job is tomorrow. Think we should at least let her have the emotional break down after she's had a little time to settle in there."
"Buffy has a new job?" He seemed sad that he was so out of the loop of their lives. But it had been his choice. He's the one that left.
"Yeah, she's working at a bank in town. Wanted better hours so she could start working things out with the bit."
"Ah, I see. Well that's something then, isn't it?" Spike nodded. Let the man have his little spark of hope.
"All right, then we wait a little. How about Wednesday?"
"When are you gonna let her know you're back in town, Rupert? If she finds out you've been here for three days and haven't tried to see her you can forget telling her anything."
"Yes, yes of course you're right. I'll go over tomorrow evening and see how things look. It's good to know she at least cares enough to get out of the squalor she was working in."
"Um, actually that was my idea." Giles sighed again and threw up his hands.
"I give up." Spike chuckled.
"Not yet, Rupes. You've got a ways to go before you're allowed to throw in the towel. Maybe you'd better call it a night." Giles agreed.
"I'm staying at a hotel in town. I'll come over in the morning and take Dawn to breakfast if you don't mind. I'd like a chance to talk with her about Buffy."
"Fine by me, Watcher. Just be prepared for the bitterness. Don't let it get to you. She loves her sister she's just a little tired of walking on eggshells around her. She wants her life back to normal. Or as normal as it can be with a Slayer for a sister and a vampire as a best friend." He grinned. Giles actually did laugh a little at that.
After Giles left, Spike walked the grounds for any wandering vamps or demons. He usually patrolled at least once a night to keep the landlord happy and the resident's safe. The night was pretty quiet. He wound up back inside watching television until he fell asleep.
Giles had the good sense to wait until around 10:00 to come for Dawn. She actually seemed pretty excited to be going with him. Spike lay on the couch listening to the sound of her getting ready. He couldn't help but wish a little that Buffy would just let him keep Dawn. He knew it probably wasn't the best idea with what had happened between them in the garden but the thought of her not being here with him left a gaping hole in his chest. He was a selfish bastard, he knew it and in this case, he didn't care.
With a quick kiss to his cheek she was out the door when Giles knocked. He rubbed the spot that still tingled from the feel of her lips. Maybe, if things did work out and Buffy got better, he should leave town for a while. Space from both Summer's sisters might be for the best thing for all of them.
TBC
Summary: Spike finds something to live for when he thinks there is nothing left. S/D friendship. Takes place after "As You Were" and is AU after that.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Buffy and all her minions belong to Joss Whedon. But I can lust after Spike all I want. Joss can't sue me for that!
Author's Note: Can you believe that my UPN station usurped Buffy with an ACC basketball game! What the heck! I called UPN the next day and was not kind to the poor lady that answered the phone. They showed the episode this past Saturday so I was once again in control of my anger. Thanks for all the great reviews!
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They got home late that night. They were both soaking wet and covered in sand. They came in the door laughing and shoving each other and were met by an irate Englishman. They both froze. Dawn finally found her voice in the circle of Spike's arms.
"Giles?" The livid man removed his glasses and began polishing them furiously.
"Do you know what time it is?" Dawn quickly extricated herself from the soggy embrace and stepped forward. Spike shut the door and came to stand beside her. He held up his bare wrist.
"No watch, Watcher." Giles replaced his glasses and scowled at the sarcastic vampire.
"Dawn, don't you have school tomorrow?" Dawn was now getting angry. How dare he waltz in here and try to make it look like Spike didn't know how to take care of her. He'd been doing fine without any of them for weeks now. Maybe he ought to go turn that scowl on her sister.
"Actually, no. It's a teacher work day tomorrow otherwise Spike would have enforced bedtime two hours ago." Spike nearly choked.
"Dawn, I need to talk to Spike alone if you don't mind. I'll take you home when we're done." The two sand covered people in the room looked at each other and back to the Watcher.
"Um, I am home." That threw him.
"What?"
"I live here now. I have my own room and everything. Want to see?" Again with the glasses.
"And what does Buffy have to say about all of this?" Spike saw Dawn set her shoulders and pitied the poor man.
"I really don't care what Buffy has to say about much of anything. It's my choice and I choose to live where someone remembers to feed me and get me back and forth to school safely and actually gives a damn that I'm alive." Giles was more than a little taken aback by the venom in her tone. Evidently something major had happened that he had not been informed about.
He sighed and put his glasses on once more. He rubbed at his temples trying to push the nagging pain in his head away. Spike came to his rescue.
"You can have first dibs on the hot water, sweet bit. Me and Rupes will catch up and then you and him can talk." She nodded and reached for his hand.
"Thanks for today." Spike smiled and squeezed it. She walked past Giles without another word and disappeared into the bathroom. Once they heard the door close Giles started in.
"What the hell is going on?" Spike ignored him for the moment and walked into the kitchen. He poured water in the teakettle and sat it on the stove. He opened an unused box of tea and got out two bags.
"Oh, thank God. I've been craving the stuff since I left Bath." Spike turned and leaned back against the counter crossing his arms over his chest.
"It's like I told you on the phone, Buffy's not exactly super mom. In fact she's not even super big sis right now. She's not coping to well with the whole resurrection thing and it's starting to affect all of us." While the water heated he brought Giles up to speed on what had happened to Dawn a few weeks ago. Giles didn't ask what happened to the man. He had no clue Spike's chip didn't work. Spike didn't really know what he assumed had happened to the guy.
The kettle started to whistle and Spike got everything ready. Giles looked so tired and almost defeated. Spike actually felt kind of sorry for him. Almost.
"So, Rupert. What about this counselor chit? She coming out to give Buffy's brain the once over?" Giles assumed a position similar to Spike and took a small sip of the too hot tea.
"Yes, she's agreed to come out and see her. She'll be here Friday. She wants three full days with Buffy. An intensive counseling session. She feels that with what I've told her of Buffy that would be best. Once we have her there we don't want to give her the option of leaving." Spike completely understood that. If the woman could actually get Buffy to open up then she better keep her talking.
They moved back into the living room and took up positions at opposite ends of the couch. Dawn came out dressed in sweatpants and a tank top. Her hair hung wet down her back. She flopped down next to Spike and leaned over till her head was resting on his chest. Giles raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Want some tea, bit?" She shook her head and looked towards Giles.
"So, Giles, how did you get in here?"
"Yeah, Watcher. Did you go Ripper on my door lock?"
"No, you prat. The landlord let me in. I told him I was a relative." Spike refused to think about how stupid that made his landlord.
"Ok, so one question down. Why are you here?" Giles looked to Spike and he shrugged.
"I have someone coming to help Buffy."
"Help her how? Clean up the house, pay our bills, what kind of help?" She said with some frustration.
"No, I have a friend who is a counselor. She's coming to talk to Buffy. Hopefully to help her resolve some of these issues she has about what's happened to her."
"Ok, that's two. I think that's actually all I had. I'm going to bed, Spike. Giles, it's great to see you but I'm knackered." Giles gave Spike a look at her use of his slang.
"Yes, it's good to be back. Have a pleasant sleep." She pushed off Spike's chest and stood up.
"Night, pet." Once she was gone an uncomfortable silence fell between the two men.
"She seems to be doing well after what happened to her."
"Yeah, she seems to handle trauma a lot better than..well it doesn't matter. She's doing great."
"I must say I'm shocked. You've done quite well with her." Spike looked down at his half empty mug. He couldn't look the Watcher in the face at that comment. If he only knew.
"Don't know why you're so surprised. I took care of Dru for over a hundred years. It's something I'm actually qualified for."
"That was a little different. Drusilla wasn't an impressionable teenager."
"No, she was insane. Dawn's a lot easier. Don't have to fear waking up to her pouring holy water over me just to see the pretty patterns it makes." Giles flinched.
"Point taken. Spike, have you had a chance to talk with Buffy? Does she know about any of this?" Spike leaned forward and placed the cup on the coffee table and folded his hands in front on him.
"We're not exactly on speaking terms as of right now, mate. So the answer to your question is no, she doesn't know anything about this. And I'm not sure how she's gonna react when you show up at her door, Watcher. She's still pretty pissed at you."
"I'm well aware of that, Spike. However, her health and happiness are more important to me than her anger. I think it would be best if the three of us," he gestured towards Dawn's room, "were to meet her on a united front."
"You mean an intervention."
"Yes, precisely. I think if she knew how concerned we all are about her she would be more likely to at least speak to Julia." Spike assumed that was the counselor.
"Well, we could give it a try I guess. I don't think Xander and Willow should be there though. Well, maybe Willow but Xander will just sulk about the fact that I'm included. Besides, he and the witch have enough problems of their own. You might want to invite Glinda though. She and Buffy seem pretty close lately."
Giles looked puzzled. "Glinda?"
"Yeah, you know. Willow's ex."
"Oh, Tara. Good Lord, Spike don't you ever use anyone's real name?" Spike just smirked at him.
"Anyway, perhaps tomorrow we can go over and confront her." Spike was already negating that idea with a shake of his head.
"Nope. Her first day at her new job is tomorrow. Think we should at least let her have the emotional break down after she's had a little time to settle in there."
"Buffy has a new job?" He seemed sad that he was so out of the loop of their lives. But it had been his choice. He's the one that left.
"Yeah, she's working at a bank in town. Wanted better hours so she could start working things out with the bit."
"Ah, I see. Well that's something then, isn't it?" Spike nodded. Let the man have his little spark of hope.
"All right, then we wait a little. How about Wednesday?"
"When are you gonna let her know you're back in town, Rupert? If she finds out you've been here for three days and haven't tried to see her you can forget telling her anything."
"Yes, yes of course you're right. I'll go over tomorrow evening and see how things look. It's good to know she at least cares enough to get out of the squalor she was working in."
"Um, actually that was my idea." Giles sighed again and threw up his hands.
"I give up." Spike chuckled.
"Not yet, Rupes. You've got a ways to go before you're allowed to throw in the towel. Maybe you'd better call it a night." Giles agreed.
"I'm staying at a hotel in town. I'll come over in the morning and take Dawn to breakfast if you don't mind. I'd like a chance to talk with her about Buffy."
"Fine by me, Watcher. Just be prepared for the bitterness. Don't let it get to you. She loves her sister she's just a little tired of walking on eggshells around her. She wants her life back to normal. Or as normal as it can be with a Slayer for a sister and a vampire as a best friend." He grinned. Giles actually did laugh a little at that.
After Giles left, Spike walked the grounds for any wandering vamps or demons. He usually patrolled at least once a night to keep the landlord happy and the resident's safe. The night was pretty quiet. He wound up back inside watching television until he fell asleep.
Giles had the good sense to wait until around 10:00 to come for Dawn. She actually seemed pretty excited to be going with him. Spike lay on the couch listening to the sound of her getting ready. He couldn't help but wish a little that Buffy would just let him keep Dawn. He knew it probably wasn't the best idea with what had happened between them in the garden but the thought of her not being here with him left a gaping hole in his chest. He was a selfish bastard, he knew it and in this case, he didn't care.
With a quick kiss to his cheek she was out the door when Giles knocked. He rubbed the spot that still tingled from the feel of her lips. Maybe, if things did work out and Buffy got better, he should leave town for a while. Space from both Summer's sisters might be for the best thing for all of them.
TBC