The car was silent; Niblet was just staring at the glass pane of the side
window, although not much could be seen through the black layer of
protection on top. She sighed. I knew she was anxious. She wanted to be
there already, wanted to start on the search that no one knew the length
of. "Do you want to put on one of your cassettes luv? I brought some from
your room."
"No."
"Do you want to talk?"
"No."
"Do you want to get something to eat, we could pull over. I put some stuff in the backseat. I know I have..."
She interrupted my rambling. "NO! I don't want to do anything but what I'm doing. Just drive Spike. Don't ask me anymore questions. I don't want anything except to get there. I don't want anything but to get her back." My hand instinctively went to stroke her hair, to right my mistake, but she jerked her head away and glared at me.
"Don't do that. Ever." She unbuckled her belt and climbed into the backseat. She shoved her backpack onto the floor and laid down out my view. It wasn't until then that I heard the tears.
I instantly pulled the car onto the shoulder, nearly hitting a Volvo in the other lane. I turned around to see her face buried in the upholstery, shoulders heaving. "I'm sorry pet." I went to touch her back, but pulled away. I didn't know what I had done.
"She used to do that. Buffy did. She'd always stroke my hair." She said in between sobs.
"Lil Bit, I'm so sorry. Cor, I had no idea." She was still crying, more softly now. "Come here luv." I pulled her into my arms, and she held tightly.
"You're cold." she said into my shoulder, and then giggled a little.
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious. Are you alright." She sniffed and wiped at her face with her hand.
"I'll be ok. Eventually."
There was a knock on the side window, and Willow and Tara could vaguely be made out. I climbed back into the front. "Open the window and see what they want."
"You sure it's ok? I mean, it's the afternoon right now, if you've forgotten."
"Just bloody do it." She rolled down the pane to two worried faces.
"Dawnie, are you alright?" Tara went to move Niblet's hair from her face, and I flinched when she did. She was flushed, with tracks from the seat dug into her face and drops of tears on the front of her shirt.
"I'm ok, just had a moment. Ready and raring to go again." She smiled a false grin with taut lips. Willow reached her hand in to wipe the tears that still clung to her cheeks away.
"Only a few more miles Dawn. It won't be long now." The girls left and Dawn sealed the window.
"Can we put on a CD now?"
"Anything for you. Trust me, I'll do anything for you."
"No."
"Do you want to talk?"
"No."
"Do you want to get something to eat, we could pull over. I put some stuff in the backseat. I know I have..."
She interrupted my rambling. "NO! I don't want to do anything but what I'm doing. Just drive Spike. Don't ask me anymore questions. I don't want anything except to get there. I don't want anything but to get her back." My hand instinctively went to stroke her hair, to right my mistake, but she jerked her head away and glared at me.
"Don't do that. Ever." She unbuckled her belt and climbed into the backseat. She shoved her backpack onto the floor and laid down out my view. It wasn't until then that I heard the tears.
I instantly pulled the car onto the shoulder, nearly hitting a Volvo in the other lane. I turned around to see her face buried in the upholstery, shoulders heaving. "I'm sorry pet." I went to touch her back, but pulled away. I didn't know what I had done.
"She used to do that. Buffy did. She'd always stroke my hair." She said in between sobs.
"Lil Bit, I'm so sorry. Cor, I had no idea." She was still crying, more softly now. "Come here luv." I pulled her into my arms, and she held tightly.
"You're cold." she said into my shoulder, and then giggled a little.
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious. Are you alright." She sniffed and wiped at her face with her hand.
"I'll be ok. Eventually."
There was a knock on the side window, and Willow and Tara could vaguely be made out. I climbed back into the front. "Open the window and see what they want."
"You sure it's ok? I mean, it's the afternoon right now, if you've forgotten."
"Just bloody do it." She rolled down the pane to two worried faces.
"Dawnie, are you alright?" Tara went to move Niblet's hair from her face, and I flinched when she did. She was flushed, with tracks from the seat dug into her face and drops of tears on the front of her shirt.
"I'm ok, just had a moment. Ready and raring to go again." She smiled a false grin with taut lips. Willow reached her hand in to wipe the tears that still clung to her cheeks away.
"Only a few more miles Dawn. It won't be long now." The girls left and Dawn sealed the window.
"Can we put on a CD now?"
"Anything for you. Trust me, I'll do anything for you."
