Angel and Buffy sat together in the hospital waiting room. Spike had dropped them off and went straight home. "So Dawn's alright?"
"From what the doctor tells me, yes. I can see her in a few minutes. A hit on the head and a broken wrist. She only has a few minor burns because I got her out so fast." Buffy answered.
"Thank God."
"What about Darla?"
"I'm sure she was killed by the fire. No vampire could survive that. I never saw her come out as we drove away."
Buffy hugged him and Angel wrapped his arms around her tightly. "She won't come back like she did last time, will she?"
Angel let her go and shook his head. "No. She can't come back again. I could only come back once. She could only come back once. It's one of those rules that the powers that be have."
Buffy smiled slightly. "Thank you for everything."
Angel stood up, "I hardly did anything at all. You were amazing."
"We only would have found Dawn if you came and told me Darla was in Sunnydale."
"But Spike was the one with the transportation. And you were the one that pulled Dawn out of the car. I played only a very minor role in all of this." Buffy hugged her shoulders saying nothing. "I better go now. Tell Dawn I wish her a fast recovery. And let her know that it's alright for her to write to me once in a while,or give me a call." She nodded. Angel regrefully gave her a brief nod and left the hospital.
"Miss Summers?" a nurse approached her. "You may see Dawn now."
Buffy walked into Dawn's room where she lay on the bed comfortably. She had no burns on her face luckily. "Hey." Buffy said softly sitting on the bed with her.
"Hey."
"Angel had to leave but he says to get better soon and give him a call sometime." Dawn smiled. Buffy ran her fingers through Dawn's hair and carefully brought up the delicate subject. "Dawn? How did you wind up in a car with Darla?"
Dawn bit her lip. "I was hitchhiking my way out of Sunnydale and Darla stopped. I didn't know she was a vampire. I knew she was one of Spike's friends, so that's why I went with her."
"Why were you trying to get out of Sunnydale?"
"Because Allyson was killed at the party. I thought Spike did it..."
Buffy hugged Dawn gently, "Oh Dawn. I'm so sorry..."
"I destroyed his guitar. If I would have known...I was just so out of it."
"It wasn't your fault. Anyone would be in shock if they were in your position. You're strong Dawn. You really are. You should get some rest now." Buffy got up and walked over to the doorway. "We can talk later."
Dawn half-smiled, "I destroyed his guitar on his birthday."
"What?"
"It was his birthday 2 days ago."
Buffy shut off the lights and whispered softly, "Sweetdreams Dawn."
***
Spike heard a knock on his door and opened it. He was extremely surprised to see Buffy standing there, holding a large package. "Can I come in?"
Spike nodded wearily and stepped aside. "Sure." Buffy set the package on the table and faced Spike. "How's the 'lil bit?"
"She's fine. A little banged up, but doing alright." There was a long awkward silence before Buffy spoke again. "I just wanted to thank you. For everything."
Spike shook his head, "You don't have to say anything-"
"No, please. Here me out. You helped save Dawn. And for that I owe you everything."
"I was also the reason why Dawn ran away in the first place."
"She knows that you didn't kill her friend now. She told me." Buffy pushed the package forward. "She also told me about your guitar." Spike hesitantly opened the package, glancing at Buffy. He pulled out what seemed to be a new bright red electric guitar. "I know it's a few days late but...Happy Birthday."
He didn't know what to say. He could hardly think. "Buffy...where did you get the money for this?" He ran his hand along the body of it, up the neck, and across the strings.
"I know people who know other people. I got a good deal."
Spike smiled, "So who'd you knick it from?"
Buffy chuckled, "No one, I swear."
Spike stared at her in awe. "Thank you." It was the most sincere thank you that had ever left his lips, even from when he was human.
"You're welcome." She replied, looking at his deep blue eyes. Buffy leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Sweetdreams." She whispered.
When he opened his eyes, she had already left.
***
Lucifer walked randomly down the street, drunk from all the brandy he had at the bar. The bartender had quicked him out and Lucifer didn't bother fighting back, he was so depressed.
He collapsed on a bench, dwelling on sick remorse, unable to even shed another blood tear. A beautiful blonde approached him from the shadows. "Aren't you Spike's friend?" Darla smiled.
Lucifer looked up with his blood shot eyes. He got up and followed her into the forrest.
THE END
"From what the doctor tells me, yes. I can see her in a few minutes. A hit on the head and a broken wrist. She only has a few minor burns because I got her out so fast." Buffy answered.
"Thank God."
"What about Darla?"
"I'm sure she was killed by the fire. No vampire could survive that. I never saw her come out as we drove away."
Buffy hugged him and Angel wrapped his arms around her tightly. "She won't come back like she did last time, will she?"
Angel let her go and shook his head. "No. She can't come back again. I could only come back once. She could only come back once. It's one of those rules that the powers that be have."
Buffy smiled slightly. "Thank you for everything."
Angel stood up, "I hardly did anything at all. You were amazing."
"We only would have found Dawn if you came and told me Darla was in Sunnydale."
"But Spike was the one with the transportation. And you were the one that pulled Dawn out of the car. I played only a very minor role in all of this." Buffy hugged her shoulders saying nothing. "I better go now. Tell Dawn I wish her a fast recovery. And let her know that it's alright for her to write to me once in a while,or give me a call." She nodded. Angel regrefully gave her a brief nod and left the hospital.
"Miss Summers?" a nurse approached her. "You may see Dawn now."
Buffy walked into Dawn's room where she lay on the bed comfortably. She had no burns on her face luckily. "Hey." Buffy said softly sitting on the bed with her.
"Hey."
"Angel had to leave but he says to get better soon and give him a call sometime." Dawn smiled. Buffy ran her fingers through Dawn's hair and carefully brought up the delicate subject. "Dawn? How did you wind up in a car with Darla?"
Dawn bit her lip. "I was hitchhiking my way out of Sunnydale and Darla stopped. I didn't know she was a vampire. I knew she was one of Spike's friends, so that's why I went with her."
"Why were you trying to get out of Sunnydale?"
"Because Allyson was killed at the party. I thought Spike did it..."
Buffy hugged Dawn gently, "Oh Dawn. I'm so sorry..."
"I destroyed his guitar. If I would have known...I was just so out of it."
"It wasn't your fault. Anyone would be in shock if they were in your position. You're strong Dawn. You really are. You should get some rest now." Buffy got up and walked over to the doorway. "We can talk later."
Dawn half-smiled, "I destroyed his guitar on his birthday."
"What?"
"It was his birthday 2 days ago."
Buffy shut off the lights and whispered softly, "Sweetdreams Dawn."
***
Spike heard a knock on his door and opened it. He was extremely surprised to see Buffy standing there, holding a large package. "Can I come in?"
Spike nodded wearily and stepped aside. "Sure." Buffy set the package on the table and faced Spike. "How's the 'lil bit?"
"She's fine. A little banged up, but doing alright." There was a long awkward silence before Buffy spoke again. "I just wanted to thank you. For everything."
Spike shook his head, "You don't have to say anything-"
"No, please. Here me out. You helped save Dawn. And for that I owe you everything."
"I was also the reason why Dawn ran away in the first place."
"She knows that you didn't kill her friend now. She told me." Buffy pushed the package forward. "She also told me about your guitar." Spike hesitantly opened the package, glancing at Buffy. He pulled out what seemed to be a new bright red electric guitar. "I know it's a few days late but...Happy Birthday."
He didn't know what to say. He could hardly think. "Buffy...where did you get the money for this?" He ran his hand along the body of it, up the neck, and across the strings.
"I know people who know other people. I got a good deal."
Spike smiled, "So who'd you knick it from?"
Buffy chuckled, "No one, I swear."
Spike stared at her in awe. "Thank you." It was the most sincere thank you that had ever left his lips, even from when he was human.
"You're welcome." She replied, looking at his deep blue eyes. Buffy leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Sweetdreams." She whispered.
When he opened his eyes, she had already left.
***
Lucifer walked randomly down the street, drunk from all the brandy he had at the bar. The bartender had quicked him out and Lucifer didn't bother fighting back, he was so depressed.
He collapsed on a bench, dwelling on sick remorse, unable to even shed another blood tear. A beautiful blonde approached him from the shadows. "Aren't you Spike's friend?" Darla smiled.
Lucifer looked up with his blood shot eyes. He got up and followed her into the forrest.
THE END