Return of the Bit
"Jesus, you're old," was the next thing out of his mouth.
Dawn looked indignant. "Well, I just got carded at the bar so I can't look too old. We do age, you know. Human thing."
"Spike?" one of the cronies, asked. "What the hell?"
"Uh, would you guys mind moving it along? I've got some er…personal business to attend to," he said weakly.
His group looked non-plussed but they reluctantly moseyed out of the alley, giving him backward glances all the way. When they were out of earshot, Spike asked, "What are you bloody doing here?"
"I guess I could ask you the same question. Have you been here the whole time?" Dawn shot back, still a little skeptical that this conversation was even happening at all.
"Listen, if you feel some idiotic obligation to catch up, do you think we can move it off the streets? I just tried to assault you, for Christ sake. The last thing I need right now is a scene," he eyed the rubbernecking public wearily.
"You know a diner or something?" Dawn wasn't sure what a conversation with Spike would accomplish but it was a welcome distraction.
*************
"So are you, you know…with the stake and all?" Spike asked, twirling a non- dairy creamer around in his fingers.
"I'm not the Slayer if that's what you mean," Dawn said through a mouthful of omelet. "You have to be born with that. And even if I were, I'd rather pass, thank you. Nah, there's a new girl."
The creamer Spike had been molesting exploded, and he tried to wipe it off his hand without betraying his cool exterior. "Did the ol' ball and chain get herself killed?"
"No she just uh…" Dawn suddenly pretended to be distracted by another customer. "She quit. I guess…I guess in a way I did too." She cleared her throat. "So what's up with you? If I didn't know better, I'd say you had every intention of eating me back there."
"Oh, I did."
"And the chip?"
Spike shrugged. "I don't know really. My guess is that it wore out, but I have no idea when. I just stopped trying for so long that it could've been out for years for all I know."
Dawn smiled. "And what of the do-gooding thing? You gave up on redemption?"
Spike huffed bitterly. "What's the bloody point? No one cared to validate my efforts anyway. Besides, the warm, squishy feeling you get when you do the right thing doesn't replace the empty, nauseous feeling you get when you don't eat for two weeks. I'm a big boy now. Better start acting like one."
Dawn nodded. "I hear that."
She poked absently at her hash browns for a bit, and then on some impulse asked, "Could I stay with you?"
Spike almost squirted coffee through his nose and he slammed the mug down on the table. "Can I stay with you? As in, 'Can I stay in a nest of vampires?' Is that what you mean by 'Can I stay with you?'"
"It's only temporary," Dawn said quickly. "I just got here and I'm low on cash. I just need a roof over my head."
Spike stared at her as if she had 6 heads and then shook his own head in defeat. "If you want, I don't have a problem with it. This isn't Tell Me A Story Sunnydale Spike though, all right? Do you understand that? There's gonna be gruesome shit going on."
Dawn snorted. "After you've seen enough bodies the effect kinda wears off, you know?"
Spike softened a bit in spite of himself. He did know. "Do you have any things?"
"This back pack. That's it."
"All right. You're nuts. But it's your life."
"Finally," Dawn grumbled, and Spike pretended not to catch that.
"Jesus, you're old," was the next thing out of his mouth.
Dawn looked indignant. "Well, I just got carded at the bar so I can't look too old. We do age, you know. Human thing."
"Spike?" one of the cronies, asked. "What the hell?"
"Uh, would you guys mind moving it along? I've got some er…personal business to attend to," he said weakly.
His group looked non-plussed but they reluctantly moseyed out of the alley, giving him backward glances all the way. When they were out of earshot, Spike asked, "What are you bloody doing here?"
"I guess I could ask you the same question. Have you been here the whole time?" Dawn shot back, still a little skeptical that this conversation was even happening at all.
"Listen, if you feel some idiotic obligation to catch up, do you think we can move it off the streets? I just tried to assault you, for Christ sake. The last thing I need right now is a scene," he eyed the rubbernecking public wearily.
"You know a diner or something?" Dawn wasn't sure what a conversation with Spike would accomplish but it was a welcome distraction.
*************
"So are you, you know…with the stake and all?" Spike asked, twirling a non- dairy creamer around in his fingers.
"I'm not the Slayer if that's what you mean," Dawn said through a mouthful of omelet. "You have to be born with that. And even if I were, I'd rather pass, thank you. Nah, there's a new girl."
The creamer Spike had been molesting exploded, and he tried to wipe it off his hand without betraying his cool exterior. "Did the ol' ball and chain get herself killed?"
"No she just uh…" Dawn suddenly pretended to be distracted by another customer. "She quit. I guess…I guess in a way I did too." She cleared her throat. "So what's up with you? If I didn't know better, I'd say you had every intention of eating me back there."
"Oh, I did."
"And the chip?"
Spike shrugged. "I don't know really. My guess is that it wore out, but I have no idea when. I just stopped trying for so long that it could've been out for years for all I know."
Dawn smiled. "And what of the do-gooding thing? You gave up on redemption?"
Spike huffed bitterly. "What's the bloody point? No one cared to validate my efforts anyway. Besides, the warm, squishy feeling you get when you do the right thing doesn't replace the empty, nauseous feeling you get when you don't eat for two weeks. I'm a big boy now. Better start acting like one."
Dawn nodded. "I hear that."
She poked absently at her hash browns for a bit, and then on some impulse asked, "Could I stay with you?"
Spike almost squirted coffee through his nose and he slammed the mug down on the table. "Can I stay with you? As in, 'Can I stay in a nest of vampires?' Is that what you mean by 'Can I stay with you?'"
"It's only temporary," Dawn said quickly. "I just got here and I'm low on cash. I just need a roof over my head."
Spike stared at her as if she had 6 heads and then shook his own head in defeat. "If you want, I don't have a problem with it. This isn't Tell Me A Story Sunnydale Spike though, all right? Do you understand that? There's gonna be gruesome shit going on."
Dawn snorted. "After you've seen enough bodies the effect kinda wears off, you know?"
Spike softened a bit in spite of himself. He did know. "Do you have any things?"
"This back pack. That's it."
"All right. You're nuts. But it's your life."
"Finally," Dawn grumbled, and Spike pretended not to catch that.