This story takes place just after "Gone".
I also have no idea what to rate this series, how far it'll eventually go, so I said PG for now, will change…
*****
The sisters were disappointed to see the band hadn't started yet when they stepped into the crowded club. Dawn spotted her friends on the balcony and waved up at them. As she made her way to the stairs that led up, Buffy restrained herself from yelling at her younger sister to be careful, only by imagining how embarrassed she would have been if her mom had ever done the same thing.
She tried to push away cheerless thoughts of her mother as she shed her tan leather coat and headed towards the Scoobies' regular table, now occupied by Xander and Anya.
"Hey Buff!" Xander smiled at her as she grabbed one of the last empty stools in the club, making it nearly standing room only.
"Where's Willow?" Buffy asked when she didn't see her best friend. Willow had gone straight from the Magic Box, where she was building the store's website, to the Bronze. Buffy knew her friend wanted to help out with the piling bills, even though it was hard to be in the shop when she was trying to quit magic cold-turkey.
The redhead returned just then, two cokes in hand. She put one in front of Buffy and the other one in front of herself.
"Here, on me," Willow said, "'cause I'm paycheck gal." Her smile reached her eyes, something that hadn't happened since Tara had left. It wasn't a very wide smile, but Buffy knew it was a start.
She was just about to comment on it when the band stepped into the spotlight. A mini-mosh pit was forming at the mouth of the stage, full of teenagers. All of a sudden Buffy felt reminiscent of her pre-slaying days, even her earliest Sunnydale days, when she had had Angel and Giles, and her mom; before she had really known what growing up was.
"Anyone up for dancing?" She asked. While Xander feverently shook his head, Willow went with Buffy as she walked towards the dance floor. As an afterthought, Buffy ran back to the table and grabbed Anya's hand.
"Hey!" Anya exclaimed good-naturedly, yet went with the other two women. She loved to dance, and Xander was so awful at it. At least Buffy and Willow had some sense of rhythm, which was more than she could say for her fiancé, as much as she loved him. Maybe she'd get him to dance with Willow later, she probably missed that since she'd broken up with her girlfriend. Sure, she was dancing with Buffy and herself, but Anya knew it probably wasn't the same as having someone to dance with, all the time.
The three girls had danced through three more songs when Spike came through the door of the club. He looked up coolly, sensing someone he knew. He spotted Dawn with a few of her friends, and smiled up at her, giving a small nod of his head.
Dawn waved back, and immediately her friends wanted details. "Who's that?" Jenn asked.
Dawn successfully hid a grin, and tried to come across as bored. "Him? Oh, that's just Spike."
"And?"
"And what? He's just someone I hung out with this summer a lot."
"What's he like?" Rachel prodded.
"He's pretty cool."
"And very hot," an older girl who had seen the vampire and had managed to overhear the entire conversation.
"Yeah, I guess so." Dawn tried not to giggle. This was sooo cool. People weren't treating her like the freak who had cut herself, they were treating her… she didn't know how, but they were treating her differently, and she liked it. The older girls was one of the most popular girls in her entire school. What would happen if she could bring Spike to school without him going all dusty? She'd probably be made queen. Too bad they hadn't had show and tell since elementary.
"The band's great, don't you think? I have all their CD's," the older girl continued. "I'm Natalie, by the way." She moved closer to Dawn and her friends.
Dawn smiled amiably; maybe she'd introduce them all to Spike, if he wasn't busy following her sister around.
Spike gave a low chuckle, hearing most of Dawn's conversation. So he was hot, eh? He'd have to run into Niblet later, lay it on real thick. Would be good for the ol' ego after big sis did some serious bruising to it.
I know my chapters are a little short, but I'll try and update this story daily; I have more written, I just have to type it. I bet reviews would motivate me!!
I also have no idea what to rate this series, how far it'll eventually go, so I said PG for now, will change…
*****
The sisters were disappointed to see the band hadn't started yet when they stepped into the crowded club. Dawn spotted her friends on the balcony and waved up at them. As she made her way to the stairs that led up, Buffy restrained herself from yelling at her younger sister to be careful, only by imagining how embarrassed she would have been if her mom had ever done the same thing.
She tried to push away cheerless thoughts of her mother as she shed her tan leather coat and headed towards the Scoobies' regular table, now occupied by Xander and Anya.
"Hey Buff!" Xander smiled at her as she grabbed one of the last empty stools in the club, making it nearly standing room only.
"Where's Willow?" Buffy asked when she didn't see her best friend. Willow had gone straight from the Magic Box, where she was building the store's website, to the Bronze. Buffy knew her friend wanted to help out with the piling bills, even though it was hard to be in the shop when she was trying to quit magic cold-turkey.
The redhead returned just then, two cokes in hand. She put one in front of Buffy and the other one in front of herself.
"Here, on me," Willow said, "'cause I'm paycheck gal." Her smile reached her eyes, something that hadn't happened since Tara had left. It wasn't a very wide smile, but Buffy knew it was a start.
She was just about to comment on it when the band stepped into the spotlight. A mini-mosh pit was forming at the mouth of the stage, full of teenagers. All of a sudden Buffy felt reminiscent of her pre-slaying days, even her earliest Sunnydale days, when she had had Angel and Giles, and her mom; before she had really known what growing up was.
"Anyone up for dancing?" She asked. While Xander feverently shook his head, Willow went with Buffy as she walked towards the dance floor. As an afterthought, Buffy ran back to the table and grabbed Anya's hand.
"Hey!" Anya exclaimed good-naturedly, yet went with the other two women. She loved to dance, and Xander was so awful at it. At least Buffy and Willow had some sense of rhythm, which was more than she could say for her fiancé, as much as she loved him. Maybe she'd get him to dance with Willow later, she probably missed that since she'd broken up with her girlfriend. Sure, she was dancing with Buffy and herself, but Anya knew it probably wasn't the same as having someone to dance with, all the time.
The three girls had danced through three more songs when Spike came through the door of the club. He looked up coolly, sensing someone he knew. He spotted Dawn with a few of her friends, and smiled up at her, giving a small nod of his head.
Dawn waved back, and immediately her friends wanted details. "Who's that?" Jenn asked.
Dawn successfully hid a grin, and tried to come across as bored. "Him? Oh, that's just Spike."
"And?"
"And what? He's just someone I hung out with this summer a lot."
"What's he like?" Rachel prodded.
"He's pretty cool."
"And very hot," an older girl who had seen the vampire and had managed to overhear the entire conversation.
"Yeah, I guess so." Dawn tried not to giggle. This was sooo cool. People weren't treating her like the freak who had cut herself, they were treating her… she didn't know how, but they were treating her differently, and she liked it. The older girls was one of the most popular girls in her entire school. What would happen if she could bring Spike to school without him going all dusty? She'd probably be made queen. Too bad they hadn't had show and tell since elementary.
"The band's great, don't you think? I have all their CD's," the older girl continued. "I'm Natalie, by the way." She moved closer to Dawn and her friends.
Dawn smiled amiably; maybe she'd introduce them all to Spike, if he wasn't busy following her sister around.
Spike gave a low chuckle, hearing most of Dawn's conversation. So he was hot, eh? He'd have to run into Niblet later, lay it on real thick. Would be good for the ol' ego after big sis did some serious bruising to it.
I know my chapters are a little short, but I'll try and update this story daily; I have more written, I just have to type it. I bet reviews would motivate me!!
