"What? What's the Delegation of Aurelius?" Buffy asked, completely
confused.
"Long story, pet," Spike told her as he began to walk from the kitchen toward the back door. Buffy ran to him and grabbed his arm.
"Then give me the short version."
"Okay. About six hundred years ago, a man named Heinrich Joseph Nest-"
"The Master," Buffy interrupted.
"Yes, the Master, became a vampire and began an entire order: The order of Aurelius. Anyway, he took over and became really powerful just under five years after the last feast of St. Vigeous." Spike trailed of and smiled at Buffy who returned the gesture. It was two nights before the most recent feast that they had met, and almost killed one another.
"Anyway, he decided that just under five years after the next feast of St. Vigeous, there would be a delegation, a meeting of his 'family' I guess. An invitation would be sent in the form of a. I don't know how to describe it, what Dawn saw happen to me in the graveyard. Not all of the members of the order will be invited, only first and second generation mostly but, even I'm a fourth generation-"
"Stop," Buffy told him. "How are you related to. oh. Darla. Was she sired by the master?"
"Yes."
"That explains a lot, about Angel I mean. Um, so wait, why are you invited then, if you're fourth generation."
"Status, love. I killed two slayers, plus I survived you which an accomplishment in itself. They want vampires with power to be there."
"What about the chip?" Dawn asked, "don't they know?"
"Apparently not, nor about Angel's soul. That is, unless, they want to kill us."
"Kill you? No! Then you can't go! I'll get stakes and holy water and, and. bash heads!"
"It's probably not that simple, Dawnie. Things are never that simple."
"Big sis is right, Nibblet. I have to do this. Sacred family duty and all that shit."
"But, if they kill you. I won't let you go!"
Spike walked over to Dawn and placed his hands on her shoulder and squeezed them tightly. He shook his head before he spoke.
"You remember the night the Hellions came?"
"Yes," Dawn replied quietly.
"Remember what I told you?" Dawn looked at the ground. "I get that your scared, believe me, I am too, and there isn't that much out there that makes me wanna hide under the linens but it's just one of those things. I can't run from this 'cause if I try, they'll still find me and kill me for being disrespectful so either way, I have to do this."
"It isn't fair," Dawn mumbled.
"It never is," Spike smiled at her as he took her head in his hands and kissed her forehead. He looked up and spoke to Buffy next.
"I need to use your phone tomorrow, Angel's gonna call me here. Not that we're all chummy or anything but he still gets this better than I do."
Buffy nodded in response, she had no objection. She thought that this would be a good time to tell him how she felt, all romantic and in the moment, but she decided against it. If there was one thing Buffy had become good at, it was hiding her feelings from the world. Her art had become callousness, and no matter how hard she fought against it, her hard outer shell always seemed to win. She wished she could just run into his arms and have him hold her again, but she couldn't do that. It wasn't that easy. Like she had said moments before, it was never that easy
Spike nodded at them both and walked toward the back door and without objection from either of the Summers, he left. Dawn shook her head and stormed up the stairs followed by a concerned Tara.
"What was that all about? Is Spike okay?"
"Peachy," Dawn told Tara with sarcasm in her not only her voice but also in the phony smile she had on her face.
"Dawn." Tara said warningly, in a way that reminded Dawn of her mother.
"I didn't catch everything, Buffy understands better. It's something about the Order of Aurelius."
"Aurelius, I've never heard of that."
"It's Spike's order, and they're having a delegation or something."
"So, what's the big deal? We'll assemble the Scoobies. Prepare and such."
"Spike says I can't."
"What do you mean, 'you can't'?"
"I dunno, but he says that there's nothing I can do, that he has to go."
"And he's in danger?"
"Yes."
"And you feel helpless?"
Dawn lowered her head. "Yes."
Tara cocked her head and took a good look at the sixteen year old girl sitting on the bed. She hadn't noticed till just then how much older she looked, how much more mature. She walked over to Dawn and hugged her tightly, and a few salty tears fell from Dawn's eyes; she felt like she was in her mother's arms again.
"I know it's hard sometimes, to just sit back and watch stuff like this happen. Sometimes, Dawnie, though it may not seem so, it can be best to let things take their course. I know Spike can seem young and well, stupid at times, but he's smarter that you think. He's got a good century on all of us and, he knows what he's doing."
Dawn nodded and pulled back from Tara, wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks. She looked at the clock, the glowing red numbers told her that it was 1:45, a good four hours before the sun began to rise.
"I'm gonna finish patrolling," Dawn told Tara as she hopped off her bed.
"Okay. Will you be alright by yourself?"
Dawn nodded as she walked out of her door to the stairs. She couldn't be happier about the fact that her "family" knew about her situation and accepted it; she really wasn't in the mood to climb out of a window. Also, when she was stressed and wanted to Bronze it, she always had the bullshit "patrolling" excuse, and it worked like a charm every time.
"Long story, pet," Spike told her as he began to walk from the kitchen toward the back door. Buffy ran to him and grabbed his arm.
"Then give me the short version."
"Okay. About six hundred years ago, a man named Heinrich Joseph Nest-"
"The Master," Buffy interrupted.
"Yes, the Master, became a vampire and began an entire order: The order of Aurelius. Anyway, he took over and became really powerful just under five years after the last feast of St. Vigeous." Spike trailed of and smiled at Buffy who returned the gesture. It was two nights before the most recent feast that they had met, and almost killed one another.
"Anyway, he decided that just under five years after the next feast of St. Vigeous, there would be a delegation, a meeting of his 'family' I guess. An invitation would be sent in the form of a. I don't know how to describe it, what Dawn saw happen to me in the graveyard. Not all of the members of the order will be invited, only first and second generation mostly but, even I'm a fourth generation-"
"Stop," Buffy told him. "How are you related to. oh. Darla. Was she sired by the master?"
"Yes."
"That explains a lot, about Angel I mean. Um, so wait, why are you invited then, if you're fourth generation."
"Status, love. I killed two slayers, plus I survived you which an accomplishment in itself. They want vampires with power to be there."
"What about the chip?" Dawn asked, "don't they know?"
"Apparently not, nor about Angel's soul. That is, unless, they want to kill us."
"Kill you? No! Then you can't go! I'll get stakes and holy water and, and. bash heads!"
"It's probably not that simple, Dawnie. Things are never that simple."
"Big sis is right, Nibblet. I have to do this. Sacred family duty and all that shit."
"But, if they kill you. I won't let you go!"
Spike walked over to Dawn and placed his hands on her shoulder and squeezed them tightly. He shook his head before he spoke.
"You remember the night the Hellions came?"
"Yes," Dawn replied quietly.
"Remember what I told you?" Dawn looked at the ground. "I get that your scared, believe me, I am too, and there isn't that much out there that makes me wanna hide under the linens but it's just one of those things. I can't run from this 'cause if I try, they'll still find me and kill me for being disrespectful so either way, I have to do this."
"It isn't fair," Dawn mumbled.
"It never is," Spike smiled at her as he took her head in his hands and kissed her forehead. He looked up and spoke to Buffy next.
"I need to use your phone tomorrow, Angel's gonna call me here. Not that we're all chummy or anything but he still gets this better than I do."
Buffy nodded in response, she had no objection. She thought that this would be a good time to tell him how she felt, all romantic and in the moment, but she decided against it. If there was one thing Buffy had become good at, it was hiding her feelings from the world. Her art had become callousness, and no matter how hard she fought against it, her hard outer shell always seemed to win. She wished she could just run into his arms and have him hold her again, but she couldn't do that. It wasn't that easy. Like she had said moments before, it was never that easy
Spike nodded at them both and walked toward the back door and without objection from either of the Summers, he left. Dawn shook her head and stormed up the stairs followed by a concerned Tara.
"What was that all about? Is Spike okay?"
"Peachy," Dawn told Tara with sarcasm in her not only her voice but also in the phony smile she had on her face.
"Dawn." Tara said warningly, in a way that reminded Dawn of her mother.
"I didn't catch everything, Buffy understands better. It's something about the Order of Aurelius."
"Aurelius, I've never heard of that."
"It's Spike's order, and they're having a delegation or something."
"So, what's the big deal? We'll assemble the Scoobies. Prepare and such."
"Spike says I can't."
"What do you mean, 'you can't'?"
"I dunno, but he says that there's nothing I can do, that he has to go."
"And he's in danger?"
"Yes."
"And you feel helpless?"
Dawn lowered her head. "Yes."
Tara cocked her head and took a good look at the sixteen year old girl sitting on the bed. She hadn't noticed till just then how much older she looked, how much more mature. She walked over to Dawn and hugged her tightly, and a few salty tears fell from Dawn's eyes; she felt like she was in her mother's arms again.
"I know it's hard sometimes, to just sit back and watch stuff like this happen. Sometimes, Dawnie, though it may not seem so, it can be best to let things take their course. I know Spike can seem young and well, stupid at times, but he's smarter that you think. He's got a good century on all of us and, he knows what he's doing."
Dawn nodded and pulled back from Tara, wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks. She looked at the clock, the glowing red numbers told her that it was 1:45, a good four hours before the sun began to rise.
"I'm gonna finish patrolling," Dawn told Tara as she hopped off her bed.
"Okay. Will you be alright by yourself?"
Dawn nodded as she walked out of her door to the stairs. She couldn't be happier about the fact that her "family" knew about her situation and accepted it; she really wasn't in the mood to climb out of a window. Also, when she was stressed and wanted to Bronze it, she always had the bullshit "patrolling" excuse, and it worked like a charm every time.
