8
They continued chatting and drinking. The conversation flowed freely although Dawn was still on guard. She had to watch everything she said and not forget that this Spike obviously had no memory of their past interactions or his time as a vampire in Sunnydale. Based on their conversation she'd worked out that when he'd been brought back it had come complete with a whole set of new memories. Memories of growing up in London thinking he'd only been born in 1986. It was weird but everything she learnt would help he work out what had happened to her Spike.
Once she knew what had happened she'd find a way to fix it, and then she could tell Buffy.
She didn't know what her sister would make of this turn of events. For all her talk about loving Spike and missing him what would she do if he came back into her life? It was possible that it was simply a case of wanting what you can't have. Would she revert to Buffy of old and go back to her modus operandi of denial? She sure as hell her couldn't see them just falling into each other's arms and living happily ever after.
She smiled again at Spike, as the conversation had progressed and she'd told him all about her adult life she'd remembered how much she'd missed his friendship. It was crazy how they were now pretty much the same age, or on paper at least. She wondered how long he'd been back but nothing in his story really gave her clue to the cut off between fake memories and real ones.
Spike pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket and shock one of the the picked. As he flipped the top of his zippo back Dawn rasied an eyebrow, "You still smoke?"
"Huh?" He seemed confused by the question.
"Oh you know what I mean, you still smoke when pretty much the whole world has given up." She tried to sound casual to cover up her faux par.
Inhaling deeply, "I don't tend to do what everyone else does. 'S not my style."
"No I guess not. So what do you do, like for a job?" She asked, now well on to her second glass of wine.
"Just drift mainly, do whatever takes me fancy." He answered.
"Drifting, that's not a job, what do you do for money?" She questioned wondering how he could be so much like the old Spike but in the normal human world.
"I write songs, sometimes they're good and people record them. If they have a hit I get royalties. Pretty good way to earn a living, if I can write a really good song in a day I can sometimes earn enough money to see me for a couple of month." He flicked the ash to the ground and blew the smoke upwards to avoid Dawn. "Then if cash gets low I just pick up some casual work, driving, bar work, that sort of thing."
Dawn seemed impressed, "Thats so cool. I can't believe that you can actually do that, like totally be your own boss and just work when you like it."
"Not quite as simple as that pet. In means that you live on the edge, every now and again things will get a little close to the wire. Bit like they are are at the moment actually."
Dawn drank back more her wine, "Cash running low hey?"
"Yeah nothing too desperate at the moment but I'm going to need to pick up some work soon, or I will be quitting smoking."
Without giving it a second thought Dawn opened her mouth, "I know just the thing, Tomb Bar a few doors up is looking for staff, you should totally check it out." It was another one of those instances when she really wished that she'd put her brain into gear before running her mouth. Tomb Bar was where Buffy worked, that's how she knew about the vacancy. So much for working out what was wrong with Spike, fixing Spike and then telling Buffy, argh she was so dumb sometimes.
"Great thanks I'll drop in tomorrow and check it out." He said with a nod and a slight raise of his beer. Dawn's only hope was that he would forget about it, that was probably something a drifter would do right?
It was starting to get late, she hadn't figured out what was wrong with Spike aside from the fact that he had no memory of his real past and now she'd practically lead him straight to Buffy. Not that it would matter to him, he'd have absolutely no idea who she was but this had the potential to floor Buffy. It was definitely time for her to head home before she screwed things up any further. She sank the last of her wine and picked up her purse.
"I'm gonna call it a night, but this has been great we should do it again." She said.
Spike smiled a real genuine smile at her, truth be told he'd had a good night as well, "Yes we should, I'll text you my number and we can meet up next time you fancy some over priced wine. Want me to walk you home?"
"Nah I'm good, it's not too far from here but thanks anyway." she replied.
"You sure Bit it's not safe out late at night."
Dawn's head shot up making firm eye contact with him, "What did you just call me?"
Spike was taken back by her response, it wasn't aggressive but it was very firm. "Er nothing I don't think, I know about Girl Power and all that stuff but honestly it isn't always safe out for girls."
"No you called me Bit, why?" She demanded
"Did I? I don't know that's odd, Bit? I mean I like to give people friendly nicknames but Bit. I don't know, anyway don't get your knickers in a twist it's not like it's an insult or anything. Probably just sprang to mind because you're so thin."
"Ok yeah, sorry it just sounded odd." She said trying to regain her composure. He didn't look like it meant anything too him, but it was hell of a weird thing to just randomly call someone.
As Dawn left the bar Spike had a strange feeling, not deja vu but something similar. He was probably just tired and the whole day had been kind of strange. Dawn was a strange girl, to think that he'd only met her a few hours earlier and they'd spent all evening just sitting and chatting like they were old friends of something. There was no way he wouldn't call her, something about her intrigued him, but for tonight it was probably best to just head home. He'd check out that bar in the morning and see if he could line up some work until his next royalty check same through.