Title: Summer Rain 4/?
Author: Emily
Category: Spike/Dawn
Disclaimer: Those lovely folks over at Mutant Enemy.
Rating: PG 13 for language in this part.
Feedback: Would be awesome.
Part Four
We were enjoying our summer vacation by moping at the Magic Shop which is nothing new. Practically a hobby for some people. Sure Anya tries to be cheerful and kind of succeeds - it's hard not to laugh when someone forces you to play baseball with ancient statuettes and candles, although Giles didn't really appreciate that. Willow and Xander try to be positive too but fail miserably. The atmosphere basically sucks. Personally I'd rather be doing trig homework, which from me is saying a lot.
Xander and Anya were in a corner arguing. I don't know what their deal is but they've been arguing a lot recently. Willow was in the back where Buffy used to train. Tara was helping Giles at the till, and I noticed Anya sneaking furtive glances in their direction, probably worrying about the money. I was just sitting on my own – which is also nothing new.
"Willow!" A familiar voice exclaimed from the back of the shop and everything stopped.
Buffy?
"I should find Spike," It continued brightly. Oh God.
I stood up from the table and walked to the back of the shop. " What the hell are you doing?" I demanded. How could Willow just fix up the robot? Just like that, never mind that Buffy was gone, really gone. For a moment I had thought it was her, just for one moment and God it *wasn't*.
"Dawnie… I know this is um a surprise but we really do need the Buffy bot around… to help with the Slaying. I mean, we can't do it alone anymore." She told me, pleading with her eyes for me to not make a scene.
"And I take it you weren't even going to ask us? *Me*?" I carried on, trying not to look at the bot.
"I was going to, I didn't know if I could fix it…" She said, now coming up with really lame excuses.
Giles stepped up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder, "Dawn…"
I stepped back quickly, "Were you in on this too? Did everyone know?" I glared and tried not to cry.
"Just me" Willow said, reaching out a hand towards me, giving me that deer caught in headlights look. I pulled away not wanting her to hug me and try to make it better somehow.
"Look, I'll fix it, get rid of all the Spike 'lovin and it'll be just like –" Willow said and then stopped realising what she was saying.
I stared at her for a couple of minutes. "Just like her? Like Buffy?" I asked angrily, walking back to where I'd been sitting before. I sat back in my seat, looking at the ground, desperately wanting to *not* be here.
I saw green clogs – Tara – move across the floor to where Willow was and heard them talking quietly. Snatches of conversation drifted in my direction but I didn't want to listen. And I used to be so good at eavesdropping.
More clogs came across the floor, Willow this time and she sat down beside me. I didn't look up.
"Dawn, I'm sorry. I can take her – it apart again and we can put it away if you want."
Put all the pressure on me, yeah that'll make me feel better.
I sighed. "Just leave her, okay."
Willow hugged me muttering yet another sorry but I didn't hug back so after a while she pulled away.
A few minutes passed and Anya came up to me, offering a handful of dollar bills. I stared, frowning a little.
"Not to keep" She explained, "To make you feel better. I can get you more if you want to count it"
"Oh. Um, no. Thank you." I said, smiling a little at her.
"Okay I think I'm done" Willow announced, taking the robot by the arm and helping it out of the training room. " She's still a little wobbly after well, decapitation but she'll slay okay."
Swell.
The robot smiled cheerfully at us all, "You're my friends" It…she, which is the right word? – pointed out observantly.
"Yeah." Willow said and nodded, forcing a smile for the bot.
She turned to face us, "Guys, I know this is weird –"
Then the door clanging roughly open interrupted Willow. Guy with a blanket on his head. Spike. Oh God, things are so not getting better.
He stared at her, the blanket slowly dropping to the ground and I stared at him, which is always the way things have been.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Spike yelled as he saw it. Pretty much my reaction.
"Spike!" Willow said pointedly, looking in my direction. Can't swear in front of Dawn, oh no.
Spike turned and seemed to see me for the first time. I looked up at him, pushing my hair out of my face.
***
A curtain of dark hair swung away from a pale cheek and Dawn looked up at me. All of a sudden I realised that she was beautiful. I mean, I'd always thought of her as pretty yeah, but compared to Buffy, well back then nothing had compared to Buffy. Now I saw Dawn suddenly and clearly. She looked sad. That was the thing I noticed. She was beautiful but she looked sad. Like any minute tears were going to spill out of those innocent blue eyes. Her lips trembled a little and then she was looking down, studying her hands. With a slight shock I realised I was staring.
***
"Um yeah, sorry Nibblet" Spike amended quickly - like everything with us was perfectly normal - and walked across the store, to where Willow was. I heard him speaking to her in a low, angry voice and now I wanted to eavesdrop. I stood up casually, and stepped across the room, stopping at a bookshelf and starting to examine some books like they were the most fascinating thing in the entire world.
"I got rid of all your programming."
I saw Spike stare hard at her. "What? You think I want all that, now?"
"Well anyway it's gone."
"That's not the bloody point."
"What, you want me to ask permission to play with your toy? I didn't tell anyone about the bot, let alone you." Willow snapped.
"Not even Dawn? Didn't you think she might want some kind of warning?" Spike demanded, clenching his fists.
"Since when did you care about Dawn? You've stayed away the past two weeks and you suddenly turn up and expect things to be the same?"
"I expect you to give a damn about everyone else!"
"Don't talk to me about caring, ever since it happened I've been trying to…to make things better and – Dawn, what are you doing?" Willow said sharply noticing me.
"Just reading," I told her innocently.
"Well um maybe you should go over there and read," She said, gesturing over to where I was before.
"Geez, I'm not allowed to read anymore?" I asked her, frowning a little as I considered their conversation so far. I'm certain Willow was going to say something different, not the making things better thing and then she caught herself and stopped. Maybe she really is trying to do something, I just don't know what.
"Just go over there, okay!" She instructed me, her voice a notch or two away from yelling. I rolled my eyes and obeyed her.
God, I don't know what the heck is up with Willow now. Sure grieving makes people do strange things and everyone copes in different ways that but I lost Buffy too, we all did and she's the only one playing the prima bitch.
Anya forced me to help tidy jars of rat eyeballs and chickens feet after that. Xander went on a doughnut run again - I'm sure we've all put on weight since it happened. A diet of doughnuts and takeaways cannot be good. Blood is probably healthier. Spike stuck around after he'd finished arguing with Willow. Apparently the cinnamon doughnuts taste just like blood. Now there's something I *never* wanted to find out.
***
"High quality uh amulet thingies here" I told a brown haired woman quickly as I saw Dawn approach.
She frowned and looked at me. "Do you work here?"
"Of course I bloody work here!" I said. Supposed to be friendly to customers, right. I quickly smiled brightly at her.
"Uh huh" She muttered, backing away from me. I stared at her, stupid bint, she should be *grateful* for my help.
The woman disappeared out of the shop.
"Spike! You're scaring the customers!" Anya complained, flapping her hands about the place.
Dawn nodded, grinning a little from beside some chicken feet. "*Anya* has better people skills than you" She told me, not actually looking at me.
Anya nodded and smiled at Dawn then screwed up her face a little as she got what the bit was saying, "Hey…"
She turned around and headed in the direction of Xander- I swear that girl has a honing beacon fitted on her, "Would you say I have bad people skills?"
"Not *bad*, sweetie. Just uh…" Xander fumbled for words and I was left standing there with Dawn.
Author: Emily
Category: Spike/Dawn
Disclaimer: Those lovely folks over at Mutant Enemy.
Rating: PG 13 for language in this part.
Feedback: Would be awesome.
Part Four
We were enjoying our summer vacation by moping at the Magic Shop which is nothing new. Practically a hobby for some people. Sure Anya tries to be cheerful and kind of succeeds - it's hard not to laugh when someone forces you to play baseball with ancient statuettes and candles, although Giles didn't really appreciate that. Willow and Xander try to be positive too but fail miserably. The atmosphere basically sucks. Personally I'd rather be doing trig homework, which from me is saying a lot.
Xander and Anya were in a corner arguing. I don't know what their deal is but they've been arguing a lot recently. Willow was in the back where Buffy used to train. Tara was helping Giles at the till, and I noticed Anya sneaking furtive glances in their direction, probably worrying about the money. I was just sitting on my own – which is also nothing new.
"Willow!" A familiar voice exclaimed from the back of the shop and everything stopped.
Buffy?
"I should find Spike," It continued brightly. Oh God.
I stood up from the table and walked to the back of the shop. " What the hell are you doing?" I demanded. How could Willow just fix up the robot? Just like that, never mind that Buffy was gone, really gone. For a moment I had thought it was her, just for one moment and God it *wasn't*.
"Dawnie… I know this is um a surprise but we really do need the Buffy bot around… to help with the Slaying. I mean, we can't do it alone anymore." She told me, pleading with her eyes for me to not make a scene.
"And I take it you weren't even going to ask us? *Me*?" I carried on, trying not to look at the bot.
"I was going to, I didn't know if I could fix it…" She said, now coming up with really lame excuses.
Giles stepped up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder, "Dawn…"
I stepped back quickly, "Were you in on this too? Did everyone know?" I glared and tried not to cry.
"Just me" Willow said, reaching out a hand towards me, giving me that deer caught in headlights look. I pulled away not wanting her to hug me and try to make it better somehow.
"Look, I'll fix it, get rid of all the Spike 'lovin and it'll be just like –" Willow said and then stopped realising what she was saying.
I stared at her for a couple of minutes. "Just like her? Like Buffy?" I asked angrily, walking back to where I'd been sitting before. I sat back in my seat, looking at the ground, desperately wanting to *not* be here.
I saw green clogs – Tara – move across the floor to where Willow was and heard them talking quietly. Snatches of conversation drifted in my direction but I didn't want to listen. And I used to be so good at eavesdropping.
More clogs came across the floor, Willow this time and she sat down beside me. I didn't look up.
"Dawn, I'm sorry. I can take her – it apart again and we can put it away if you want."
Put all the pressure on me, yeah that'll make me feel better.
I sighed. "Just leave her, okay."
Willow hugged me muttering yet another sorry but I didn't hug back so after a while she pulled away.
A few minutes passed and Anya came up to me, offering a handful of dollar bills. I stared, frowning a little.
"Not to keep" She explained, "To make you feel better. I can get you more if you want to count it"
"Oh. Um, no. Thank you." I said, smiling a little at her.
"Okay I think I'm done" Willow announced, taking the robot by the arm and helping it out of the training room. " She's still a little wobbly after well, decapitation but she'll slay okay."
Swell.
The robot smiled cheerfully at us all, "You're my friends" It…she, which is the right word? – pointed out observantly.
"Yeah." Willow said and nodded, forcing a smile for the bot.
She turned to face us, "Guys, I know this is weird –"
Then the door clanging roughly open interrupted Willow. Guy with a blanket on his head. Spike. Oh God, things are so not getting better.
He stared at her, the blanket slowly dropping to the ground and I stared at him, which is always the way things have been.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Spike yelled as he saw it. Pretty much my reaction.
"Spike!" Willow said pointedly, looking in my direction. Can't swear in front of Dawn, oh no.
Spike turned and seemed to see me for the first time. I looked up at him, pushing my hair out of my face.
***
A curtain of dark hair swung away from a pale cheek and Dawn looked up at me. All of a sudden I realised that she was beautiful. I mean, I'd always thought of her as pretty yeah, but compared to Buffy, well back then nothing had compared to Buffy. Now I saw Dawn suddenly and clearly. She looked sad. That was the thing I noticed. She was beautiful but she looked sad. Like any minute tears were going to spill out of those innocent blue eyes. Her lips trembled a little and then she was looking down, studying her hands. With a slight shock I realised I was staring.
***
"Um yeah, sorry Nibblet" Spike amended quickly - like everything with us was perfectly normal - and walked across the store, to where Willow was. I heard him speaking to her in a low, angry voice and now I wanted to eavesdrop. I stood up casually, and stepped across the room, stopping at a bookshelf and starting to examine some books like they were the most fascinating thing in the entire world.
"I got rid of all your programming."
I saw Spike stare hard at her. "What? You think I want all that, now?"
"Well anyway it's gone."
"That's not the bloody point."
"What, you want me to ask permission to play with your toy? I didn't tell anyone about the bot, let alone you." Willow snapped.
"Not even Dawn? Didn't you think she might want some kind of warning?" Spike demanded, clenching his fists.
"Since when did you care about Dawn? You've stayed away the past two weeks and you suddenly turn up and expect things to be the same?"
"I expect you to give a damn about everyone else!"
"Don't talk to me about caring, ever since it happened I've been trying to…to make things better and – Dawn, what are you doing?" Willow said sharply noticing me.
"Just reading," I told her innocently.
"Well um maybe you should go over there and read," She said, gesturing over to where I was before.
"Geez, I'm not allowed to read anymore?" I asked her, frowning a little as I considered their conversation so far. I'm certain Willow was going to say something different, not the making things better thing and then she caught herself and stopped. Maybe she really is trying to do something, I just don't know what.
"Just go over there, okay!" She instructed me, her voice a notch or two away from yelling. I rolled my eyes and obeyed her.
God, I don't know what the heck is up with Willow now. Sure grieving makes people do strange things and everyone copes in different ways that but I lost Buffy too, we all did and she's the only one playing the prima bitch.
Anya forced me to help tidy jars of rat eyeballs and chickens feet after that. Xander went on a doughnut run again - I'm sure we've all put on weight since it happened. A diet of doughnuts and takeaways cannot be good. Blood is probably healthier. Spike stuck around after he'd finished arguing with Willow. Apparently the cinnamon doughnuts taste just like blood. Now there's something I *never* wanted to find out.
***
"High quality uh amulet thingies here" I told a brown haired woman quickly as I saw Dawn approach.
She frowned and looked at me. "Do you work here?"
"Of course I bloody work here!" I said. Supposed to be friendly to customers, right. I quickly smiled brightly at her.
"Uh huh" She muttered, backing away from me. I stared at her, stupid bint, she should be *grateful* for my help.
The woman disappeared out of the shop.
"Spike! You're scaring the customers!" Anya complained, flapping her hands about the place.
Dawn nodded, grinning a little from beside some chicken feet. "*Anya* has better people skills than you" She told me, not actually looking at me.
Anya nodded and smiled at Dawn then screwed up her face a little as she got what the bit was saying, "Hey…"
She turned around and headed in the direction of Xander- I swear that girl has a honing beacon fitted on her, "Would you say I have bad people skills?"
"Not *bad*, sweetie. Just uh…" Xander fumbled for words and I was left standing there with Dawn.
