Title: Negotiations
Name: Joy
Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com
Buffy opened the bedroom door to invite her sister back inside. The lobby occupants stared expectantly… all except Dawn who was looking at Gunn. She had just become aware that in the midst of her pacing and freaking Gunn had steered her to a couch in the lobby where he put his arm around her so she would cease her perpetual motion. Buffy looked at the young couple half amused and half annoyed. "Dawn!" she snapped.
The teen's eyes faced forward quickly. Gunn removed his arm from her slowly nudging her to stand. "Your boy is waiting," he said softly.
Dawn was completely a flutter. Tara had told them that Spike was awake but that he and Buffy needed a few minutes to themselves. Those minutes had dragged on for the teen. A couple of times Dawn went to Tara to say, "They're not having sex, are they?"
With a sigh Dawn stood and walked to the bedroom holding her favorite vampire not understanding why she was nervous. Buffy pulled her in lightly since she seemed stalled in the doorway. "What's wrong LilBit?" Spike looked at her curiously. "Seen a ghost?"
The tears fell freely from that point on. She quickly climbed on the bed with him and cried her eyes out with relief that he was awake and alive, at least as alive as he could be. Dawn snuggled into Spike's chest being careful of his legs. "Shhh…it's alright. I'm gonna be fine, Bit."
She looked into his eyes. "I thought you were dead…I really thought you were gone… There was so much blood and your head was cracked. You wouldn't even feed at first."
Spike looked into her eyes, "I'm sensing a back story about feeding me I need to hear."
"You didn't tell…" Dawn said to a non-existent Buffy.
"She left while you were crying… Now you tell me," he said firmly.
"I got you back in the car- which Angel drove home…"
Spike interrupted, "I'm bleeding out and Peaches changed the tire…Well that's bloody perfect."
"No…" Dawn blushed, "Gunn drove us back."
The vampire blinked a few times at the color change in his LilBit as well as the speed of her heart pumping. "Gunn drove us back…Why do I get the feeling that Gunn has something to do with what you wanted Buffy to tell me!"
Dawn bit her lip.
Spike's eyes narrowed, "He's too old for you…And before you pull the age difference between me and your sis, let me remind you she's died twice and has more life and death experience then most."
Dawn looked down and swallowed, "So I'm guessing he's a 'no' on the possible dates I can have?"
"Have you and Buffy discussed this?"
"She said I had to talk to you about it…but she didn't say no. She just asked questions," the teen replied looking at him with big eyes.
Spike shook his head, "Part of being the parent I guess. I chose." He glanced at Dawn again. "Start explaining."
She looked him in the eyes and said, "Well he's kind of… There's something there…on both sides." Spike's eyes remained cold. "Okay… I called Buffy about you being down. Anya called Angel and let him know that we were in trouble. Gunn volunteered to come and help. Apparently that was all the confirmation Angel needed to vocally confirm his suspicions that Gunn might like me. From what he told me, Angel just wanted Gunn to admit it to himself before they picked us up. For my part I thought he was cute and fun to talk to from the time I spent with him this week."
"I'm with you so far," Spike muttered.
Dawn took a deep breath; "Well I sat in the back seat with you trying to get you to wake up so I was telling you about the 'Knight in shining armor' crush I was developing on Gunn when he sort of caught me looking at him in the mirror… I don't know… I was so happy to see it was him and Wesley that came to get us and he was sweet about me being pissed that you and Lorn knew this was going to happen…which I am still mad at you over... He let me cry on his shoulder…and forgave me for…" She stared off into the air.
"Forgave you for what?" Spike's voice snapped her attention back.
"It doesn't matter."
He looked annoyed, "I think it does… What happened!?"
She stared at him timidly then gazed down. "I… I… You needed blood… I knew they would never let me give you as much as you needed."
"What did you do Nib…LilBit?"
Dawn decided to ask about the nickname later. "I… punched Gunn."
"You what?"
Dawn refused to look at him, "Gunn was holding me while I was crying and Cordy ushered everyone else out of the room. I thought I felt a pocket knife in his pocket so…I kissed him…then decked him." Spike broke out in spontaneous laughter. "This is serious!"
"You decked Mr. Demon Hunter…that is priceless."
"Stop laughing."
Spike smirked, "Sorry luv…I'm guessing you took his pocket knife and had a bleed fest."
"Basically… Angel busted open the door. Gunn called to tell Buffy." Dawn looked down shyly, "She likes him."
"You like him too?"
"Yeah."
"You said this was mutual…He told you so? I guess he would have if he told you about Angel's chat with him," Spike deduced.
"While you were in here with Buffy… But earlier we talked about the whole mutual thing," Dawn responded.
"Everybody out there know something is up with you?"
Dawn blushed, "He called me his girl in front of everyone."
Spike thought for a minute, "That's kind of serious coming from him. Doesn't strike me as the type to say that lightly…I'm gonna want to talk to him."
"I know…He knows too," she said simply.
"Another point and minus for the boy."
"Huh?"
"Good sign that he's ready for 'the talk'. Bad sign that he's that serious. You're fifteen… shouldn't be that serious," he explained.
Dawn swallowed and looked Spike directly in the eyes. "Better I have a guy who knows the score and be serious about me from a few hours away then a guy who doesn't and will be in my Lit class."
"You're fifteen."
"I'll be sixteen soon."
"Not helping Bit…How old is he anyway?" Spike asked.
Dawn flinched and looked down, "Twenty two in like a month."
Spike closed his eyes. 'This is not
happening. I went to sleep and guys were theoretical. I wake up there is a
Twenty two year old guy calling my girl 'his girl'.' "I…"
"Before you say anything let me just do my sales pitch?" Spike nodded putting his arms over his chest. "Okay… He's older, yes, but that makes him more mature and less likely to play games with my head. He knows about you, me, Buffy and the Hellmouth. Bonus, professional demon hunter…can hold his own in a fight. In other words I would be safe from beasties on dates."
"Not beasties I'm worried about," Spike groaned.
Dawn glared for a minute. "He's been too involved with the demon hunting thing to do the dating thing much. He knows you and Buffy would kill him if I were hurt in anyway or…deflowered," she said for emphasis. "He is also aware of my lack of experience and the last guy I kissed ended up a big pile of dust… I'm just trying to show you he knows he isn't getting any anytime soon." Spike smirked at her brazenness. "Besides Cordy is threatening his job if our relationship gets in the way of work."
"Got to love Cordelia to be pragmatic," the vampire laughed. "So…" he began again. "You kissed him…punched him… kissed him again?" Dawn nodded. "Anything else?"
She shook her head quickly. "We've held hands…and hugged…and he put his arm around me…but that's it," Dawn clarified.
"This bloodletting was ceased by Angel? But Gunn felt responsible?" Spike asked.
"Yeah… He felt pretty dumb for letting me fool him or thinking I fooled him…thinking I took advantage of his feelings for him like Buffy did with you," the teen observed. She glanced at Spike, "Are you and Buffy okay? I mean, will you be doing the movie thing you mentioned before…all this?"
"I don't know… It's kind of weird to share something like drinking her blood, something that… intimate… with her," he looked away and spoke softly. "I need to know where she ends and I begin again."
Dawn nodded. "I hope you can figure it out… Would it help if for now I care for you rather then her? Might make it go faster."
Those bright blue eyes were on her. "We have enough people to look after me here Bit."
"We aren't staying here," Dawn said firmly. "You may feel more comfortable here, but its time for us to go home."
"I am not letting the Whelp see me like this!" Spike said resolutely.
"GET OVER IT!" she demanded. "If you recover here, you will never learn to trust the people at home."
"I don't want to trust the people at home… I don't want to be near them when I finally lose it and go on some feeding frenzy," Spike said out of nowhere.
"She told you! Well that's annoying…" Dawn stared at him, "I know you. There will be no feeding frenzy. There are a thousand ways you could have hurt us and caused mayhem and you didn't do it. You won't start now…not when you have to set an example for me and my lack of soul," Dawn stated.
Spike took a different tacked…the truth or at least half the truth. "I can't be in a wheelchair Bit," he whispered. She settled down closer to him. "I hate being pitied."
"I see…Better to be 'pitied' here then in Sunnydale…. Anngg…Sorry wrong answer. The answer is 'How can I avoid being close to the woman I love in a small space and avoid the intimacy of the situation?' I know you… You can't hide from me," she said quietly. "I know you don't want to get hurt again. I know you hate having to need her right now. I also know you would do anything to protect and care for her. She knows you need space. Let her prove she can honor that."
Spike snorted. "I thought you'd jump at the chance to stay a couple more days…to see Gunn."
Dawn smirked. "He's got a car and likes to drive." Spike raised an eyebrow. "He'll visit," she explained.
"Where will he stay?"
"At our house."
"Hell NO!"
"He can take the cot in your room so you can make sure his not sneaking around the house," Dawn offered.
"Or you're sneaking down to see him," Spike countered. Dawn smiled. "Fine we'll go home tomorrow… It's late. No need to drive through the night."
"We'll see," she smirked at him.
'I'll get that smirk off her face,' Spike thought. "Send in the Boy!"
She glared, "Fine… The Spanish Inquisition is expected."
'Well that didn't work,' the annoyed vampire thought as the young man walked into the room rubbing his baldhead. Spike glared. "SIT!" he commanded pointing to a chair.
Gunn tried to stay calm. "Sure."
"You want to date Dawn?" the vampire asked.
"Yes."
"There are rules."
"I imagine so." Spike glared. "No…I just mean…she's a teenager and there are normally curfew and other rules," Gunn tried to dig out of the hole he was in.
"That's right. She is a teenager. A fifteen year old girl…not street legal…LilBit and I have a system… I don't flash fangs, break stuff, give the 'intensions' speech, or follow on dates. She doesn't have guys in her room, at her window, sneak them in or out, or have sex with them." Gunn swallowed at how blunt Spike was being with him. "Now here are my rules for you- you don't 1) keep her out past curfew, 2) break any of the above rules, and 3) up the physical level of your relationship each time you visit. You also will stay in my room where I can see you while you stay at our house, and so help me God if you hurt her in any way I will kill you." Gunn nodded solemnly. "And Gunn if you should ever…ever pressure my girl into anything, especially of a physical nature- I won't kill you. I'll make you wish you were dead. Are we clear?"
"Crystal," the young man said. Spike nodded.
"Can I say one thing?" The vampire gestured for him to continue. "I've got the background on what's happened with Buffy so I totally get the protective thing… I had a little sister… She was vamped… I more then anyone understand the intense desire to protect those you love. I also understand feeling like you've failed…" Spike looked at the boy curiously. "I hope… I hope at some point I won't be seen as the enemy. I have no intension of hurting her… Believe me I'm getting flack on this side too… We both, Dawn and I, understand this might not pan out. The difference in age, cities, and races, all put a lot of stress on a relationship even if you don't want them too… I can't turn into Angelus and I won't flake out like the other guy… Dawn won't repeat the pain Buffy went through with me. That I can assure you," Gunn said firmly.
"I know you sincerely believe that," Spike said slowly, "but you can't promise that. I love Buffy more then my own life and I hurt her all the time because of who and what I am. Intensions aren't the thing that I have to worry about with you…Dawn made that clear. She is in such a hurry to grow up- dating an older guy makes sense. Trying to please an older guy in the ways she thinks are available that is the problem… It's the things that come up when you're together alone and hormones are in control. The rules are precautions for the fifteen-year-old girl that has never had a boyfriend to lean on in the back of her mind as law and not suggestions. Don't try to bend them or Dawn will break them… In other words in the house you can make out on the couch Buffy's mum died on, otherwise you have no other place to be. All other locations will be in public and if you try anything other then kissing in a car the 'you'll wish you were dead' statement will come into play."
Gunn smirked, "You rather her date an eighteen year old who's at his sexual peak?" Spike glared. "Sorry…it struck me as funny… Older, wiser, not as ruled by my penis."
"Not winning friends here guy."
"How bout this…anything I wouldn't have wanted to have my little sister doing at fifteen is off limits?" Gunn suggested.
Spike looked him over, "okay." The men shook on the agreement.
TBC…