Title: Again
Author: Joy
Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com
Dawn spent the rest of the week playing oblivious to the agreement her father had made with Spike. She just pretended to be the happy teenager whose father finally found time in his schedule for her.
Spike spent a lot of time with Angel weirdly enough. Cordelia tried to get Spike to talk about the Buffy thing but all conversation ceased when her name was mentioned. Finally Gunn had had enough of Spike's mood swings when it came to the slayer. Lorn, the wonderful host that could read people's history and path by singing, was invited over to help the wayward vamp.
"You got to be bloody kidding?!" Spike gawked as Dawn laughed at his indignation. "I'm not going to sing like a pounce for this Wanker!"
"Ah, yeah you will. We want you to not return with Buffy issues…so you're going to sort them now," Cordy said. "We went through Angel pulling the same sort of crap obsession stuff with Darla and that ended badly! You will figure it out!" the prom queen said strongly.
"You won't sound like a 'pounce' and I'm not a Wanker…" Lorn said smoothly. "If you don't want to sing you can always hum."
"There will be no humming or singing or…" Spike ranted till Dawn broke in.
"You play the guitar…Will that work?" Dawn asked.
"Bit…I don't want to do any of this."
"Well you're going to do something because I'm not going to deal well with you two getting along, sleeping together, hating one another, not talking, talking, then starting the process over… You're the freaked one this time. Just let him help," Dawn pled.
Spike worked his jaw. "Fine but I'm not singing in front of the rest of these people!"
"I'm staying because I've heard you sing before and you have an amazing voice…" Dawn said confidently. She then whispered in his ear, "I've heard Angel sing…he sucks. You could always take the opportunity to show him up."
Leaning away from Dawn Spike smirked, "This is way I love you. The incentives you give me."
"I'll get your guitar," she said with a smile.
The teenager ran up to Spike's room and grabbed the guitar case. "She's a firecracker," Lorn said of Dawn. "I bet I'd get an interesting reading off of her."
Spike considered it a moment. Dawn came down the stairs two at a time, barely managing not to destroy the instrument. "Alright Nibblet…You want me to do this you'll have to sing along at some point." She rolled her eyes and nodded. "What should I sing?"
"How bout the song you sang to Buffy during our musical extravaganza?" Dawn said twirling her arms artistically.
Angel raised his eyebrows. "I so want to hear this," Cordelia said.
"I don't know pet."
"Please…I love that. Nice and rocking…plus I'll even sing the chorus," she singsonged.
"Fine," Spike blurted out. He grabbed a stool and sat down with his guitar. Dawn sat in a chair next to him tapping her foot to the music. She had tried to cheer Spike up on the way up to LA so she had convinced him to sing his song. She loved it so much she made him sing it a few times so she could learn it.
Spike continued to sing much to the impressed faces of everyone but Angel who did not like the content of the song. As he started the second half of the song, he shut his eyes and just sang.
"You know
You got a willing slave
And you just love to play the thought
You might misbehave
But 'til you do, I'm telling you
Stop visiting my grave
And let me rest in peace
I know
I should go
But I follow you like a man possessed
There's a traitor here, beneath my breast
And it hurts me more than you've ever guessed
If my heart could beat, it would break my chest
But I can see you're unimpressed
So leave me be and
Let me rest in peace
Let me get some sleep
Let me take my love and bury it
In a hole six foot deep
I can lay my body down
But I can't find my sweet release
Let me rest in peace
Why won't you
Let me rest in peace?"
Dawn sang along at the end. They were a good blend of young innocence and dark age. Lorn took in both voices, letting images wash through him. There was a strong internal bond between the two…It was so apparent that this song was also Dawn's song to her sister but for different reasons.
"Sweet really does know how to bring the truth out of people's mouths if they want it said or not. I bet there were all sorts of fun revelations in Sunnydale that day," Lorn said with a smug smile.
"Yeah, well… I sang my bit…now out with it," Spike demanded trying to regain his composure.
Dawn leaned into his ear, "Who are you trying to impress in this room? I know for a fact the only person's opinion in this room that really matters to you is mine, and I love you so…"
Spike closed his eyes and smiled. "It's part of being male Bit. You have to posture in front of other males," he whispered back.
"Gunn- young guy, don't know fight stance, been pretty cool to talk to. Wesley- ex-watcher, need I say more? Lorn- the guy is green and looks like a lounge singer. And the poofter," Dawn said quietly as Spike chuckled. "She's waiting for you, not him," the younger Summers said with authority. Spike bit his lip and stared at her hard. "She loves you."
Spike swallowed a few times and rapped his arms around Dawn. "I've fallen for all the Summers women," he said lightly to her. "You're mum and you are just as much in my blood as the slayer is…don't forget that."
Dawn looked into his face, "How could I? You loved me enough to leave Buffy… Nothing in this world has meant as much to me, not even Buffy jumping. She did that for everyone. You did this for just me."
He hugged her tight again. "I love you."
"Love you too…" Dawn sniffled. "Now lets find out what Lorn has to say."
"Are we done with the water works and the whispered endearments? I swear, if the slayer keeps giving you trouble just wait a few years for this one," Lorn said.
"EWWW!" Dawn said. "I may love him but he's like a big brother… EWWW!"
Spike cracked up. "So much for the theory I'm irresistible to the Summers women." Dawn rolled her eyes. "Your mum wouldn't give me play either." Dawn quickly drew a fist to punch Spike for the joke. "Nibblet… Joky joky joky!"
"You're evil!" she fumed.
"I know!" he smirked.
"Ready folks?" Lorn asked looking them both over. They considered each other then nodded. "Go home," he announced. "You both needed to leave because of one person. Now you both need to go back for the same person. You're allowed to be there for each other and the occasional united front but don't pull the 'You're mad at her so I'm mad at her' routine." Spike and Dawn listened intently.
"Your heart is desperate for love and family…you knew that. Let her show you she worthy of your trust. You will need to rely on her in the near future for something very hard and only she can help you," Lorn said addressing Dawn. He then turned to Spike, "And you, well, you and Buffy have major issues a mile wide. Combine your insecurity that you're beneath her with her fear you'll leave her and you get the insanity and hurt that occurred before you left… This time around hold your tongue. Any snide remark from her…let it pass. Don't be baited. Any truth you need to tell her will almost always be followed by verbal abuse. She's learning not to lash out but she's not there yet. You don't have to stick around for the insults, either. And if she decides to make the fight physical, defend yourself or walk away. Don't let her pummel you anymore. That just sinks her further into the depression she's in over the monster she's become to the people she loves… And thus endth the lessons."
Spike stared the host in the eyes trying not to say or do anything else. This stranger's comments were too close to the way it was and it hurt a great deal to actually hear the words from someone other then Dawn. The truth was hard especially in broad daylight. Dawn tugged on his arm, "Hey… Calm down. I can practically see the steam rising off of you." He cleared his throat and sat down. "He's right you know," the teen said lightly. "You help her so much by telling her the truth that she doesn't want to listen. But you have to stand up for yourself or she's going to keep bulldozing you," she whispered in his ear. "I know you can hurt her. I'm so proud that you haven't…not really anyway."
He just turned his head almost robotically, "You mean you're proud I didn't drain her or kill her when I had the chance." His face was completely devoid of emotion, "My biggest supporter didn't even believe I wouldn't do that… How bloody typical?" He shook his head and stood walking past them all grabbing him blanket and heading for his car.
Dawn saw the smoke rising off of the blanket as he walked into the sunshine. "Is he out of his mind?" Gunn asked completely stunned.
As fast as her legs could carry her, Dawn was out the door and at the back of the Desoto speeding away. "Damn It!" she yelled. She came in the hotel slamming the front door, shattering the glass into a million pieces. Dawn stood shocked in the middle of the lobby. "How'd I do that?" she asked completely stunned.
"I have no idea," Cordelia answered. "Guess we found something to try your daddy's sighed agreement on- the fixing of our front door."
Spike had circled the block when he realized that Dawn had come after him… Buffy never did that. He made it just to the side of the building when he watched the front door shatter. He parked his car on the front lawn as close as possible and ran into the building, blanket covered. "What in the Bloody Hell happened?" he gasped as he went to Dawn and rapped his arms around her. She smelled of blood. Small pieces of the shattered glass had imbedded themselves in her skin causing blood to trickle down her arms. "Nibblet?" he said scared to death. "What happened, luv?"
She just stood there as he began to pull pieces of glass from her arms one at a time. "I… I…I did that," she said with tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean to. I didn't," she began to cry. Spike just gently removed the glass from the teen's body and soothed her as best he could. Angel and Spike looked at one another knowing…it was happening… again.
TBC…