Dawn walked into the Bronze after getting her hand stamped outside. She
rolled her eyes at the fact that she was old enough and not to mention
strong enough to save the world, yet she was too young to drink. The young
slayer just shrugged it off and continued into the Bronze, she was never
into the whole alcohol scene anyway.
She stepped onto the catwalk and moved around a bit, looking for someone she might know. She sighed when she thought she was all alone, but then saw Janice on the dance floor with her most recent fling. He was tall and toned and blonde, just what Janice liked in a boyfriend. He was black clad and handsome, and Dawn could tell why Janice had been holding onto him. Also, from what her slayer senses could tell, he wasn't a vampire.
"Hey Janice," Dawn said walking up to her friend.
"Hey Summers," Janice replied excitedly as she gave Dawn a friendly hug.
"Janice, shouldn't young girls like yourself be in bed?" Dawn asked jokingly.
"I could say the same to you, Dawn."
"How'd you escape?"
"Actually, I told my mom that I wanted to got to the Bronze and celebrate the end of school with Kurt and a couple of friend. She was so thrilled that I was being honest she told me I could stay out till two if I called every two hours. How about you?"
"They think I'm p- at a friends."
"They think you're. patting friends?"
"Janice, shut up."
The girls laughed and Janice introduced Kurt. Apparently Janice had even introduced Kurt to her mother, which was a total first. Dawn's friend had really made a three-sixty.
"So, why are you escaping?" Janice asked as Kurt left to get drinks.
"I'm kind of depressed and it's complicated. Like, really complicated."
"Oh come on, you can tell me."
"I wouldn't even know where to begin."
"Can I guess?"
Dawn laughed. "You can try."
"Hmm. does it have to do with a guy."
"You could say that."
"Really?" Janice asked excitedly, "who?"
"Do you remember Spike?"
"Do I remember Spike? Spike your absolutely gorgeous older friend Spike who really needs to call me if I wasn't involved? Yeah, I remember him. Why? Oh my god! Are you sneaking out to see him?"
"No! Ew! It's nothing like that, I'm not seeing him, not like that. It's just." Dawn paused and sighed, "he's going away and it'll be really up in the air whether I'll ever see him again and there's nothing I can do about it."
"Wow. Where is he going?"
Dawn had to seriously contemplate this one. "Peace core."
Janice nodded and attempted to console her friend before Kurt came back. When he did, Janice took her drink which was almost knocked out of her hand by Dawn who jumped instinctively. Her slayer senses were tingling and she knew that a vampire was close to her. She ignored her friend's annoyed banter and walked toward the bar where she found just the vampire she had been subconsciously been hoping to see.
"Hi Spike."
Spike jerked up from the glass he had been studying in his hands. He looked at Dawn and smiled softly the way he always did when she was.
"Hey Nibblet."
Dawn sat next to him and put her hand over his and he looked back down.
"You gonna need a designated driver?" She asked with a half smirk on her face, one that resembled his own.
"What are you doing here, Lil' bit?"
"Um, patrolling?"
Spike laughed not even half-heartedly, he looked tired, and for some reason older than he usually did. A slow song came on and Dawn had an idea.
"Dance with me Spike," she told him rather than asked.
"What?" Spike was speechless. It was strange for him because usually he used dancing as a reference to fighting or making love. Often to him they were one in the same. He shook his head and smiled at her again.
"You know I can't say no to you, Dawn."
"Damn straight," she told him as she put out her hand and he took it in his own. She had become used to his cold body since she was often enough close enough to feel the extreme lack of temperature, and didn't even flinch when she pulled into his chest. She put her arms up on his shoulders by his neck and he lowered his by her waist.
They danced there, and it wasn't half as awkward as Dawn or Spike imagined it would be, except when Dawn looked over to see Janice raising an eyebrow at the odd couple. Dawn just pulled in closer and put her head on his muscular chest. She felt the tears begin to rise in her eyes again but she just suppressed them. She nuzzled her head into him and without looking up, she spoke softly.
"I don't want you to go."
"I know, pet, I know."
"It still isn't fair."
"I know, love. I wish it were different."
"Why'd you have to come into my life? Why'd you have to become so important?"
Spike was stunned by the last questions. He really wasn't expecting that, especially since he didn't have an answer. But he kept on dancing and answered Dawn's question with one of his own.
"Do you wish I hadn't?"
Dawn shook her head. "Never."
And at this she began to cry. Not a loud choking sob, but tears fell gently from her eyes to Spike's chest where her head lay. They kept dancing, slowly to the beat of the music, as Dawn tightened her grip around the vampire's neck. She thought to herself maybe if she didn't let him go he could stay. Maybe they could just keep dancing and no one at the delegation would know he was missing. Dawn even considered knocking him out and locking him in her basement, and if the Aurelians cam after him, she and Buffy could protect him and he would be safe. But still, she understood what he had to do. She understood the same way she understood why Buffy had to jump. She hated that yet another person was leaving her, but she kept told herself that it wouldn't be forever. She held on to him while she could, as she danced and cried to the beat of the music.
She stepped onto the catwalk and moved around a bit, looking for someone she might know. She sighed when she thought she was all alone, but then saw Janice on the dance floor with her most recent fling. He was tall and toned and blonde, just what Janice liked in a boyfriend. He was black clad and handsome, and Dawn could tell why Janice had been holding onto him. Also, from what her slayer senses could tell, he wasn't a vampire.
"Hey Janice," Dawn said walking up to her friend.
"Hey Summers," Janice replied excitedly as she gave Dawn a friendly hug.
"Janice, shouldn't young girls like yourself be in bed?" Dawn asked jokingly.
"I could say the same to you, Dawn."
"How'd you escape?"
"Actually, I told my mom that I wanted to got to the Bronze and celebrate the end of school with Kurt and a couple of friend. She was so thrilled that I was being honest she told me I could stay out till two if I called every two hours. How about you?"
"They think I'm p- at a friends."
"They think you're. patting friends?"
"Janice, shut up."
The girls laughed and Janice introduced Kurt. Apparently Janice had even introduced Kurt to her mother, which was a total first. Dawn's friend had really made a three-sixty.
"So, why are you escaping?" Janice asked as Kurt left to get drinks.
"I'm kind of depressed and it's complicated. Like, really complicated."
"Oh come on, you can tell me."
"I wouldn't even know where to begin."
"Can I guess?"
Dawn laughed. "You can try."
"Hmm. does it have to do with a guy."
"You could say that."
"Really?" Janice asked excitedly, "who?"
"Do you remember Spike?"
"Do I remember Spike? Spike your absolutely gorgeous older friend Spike who really needs to call me if I wasn't involved? Yeah, I remember him. Why? Oh my god! Are you sneaking out to see him?"
"No! Ew! It's nothing like that, I'm not seeing him, not like that. It's just." Dawn paused and sighed, "he's going away and it'll be really up in the air whether I'll ever see him again and there's nothing I can do about it."
"Wow. Where is he going?"
Dawn had to seriously contemplate this one. "Peace core."
Janice nodded and attempted to console her friend before Kurt came back. When he did, Janice took her drink which was almost knocked out of her hand by Dawn who jumped instinctively. Her slayer senses were tingling and she knew that a vampire was close to her. She ignored her friend's annoyed banter and walked toward the bar where she found just the vampire she had been subconsciously been hoping to see.
"Hi Spike."
Spike jerked up from the glass he had been studying in his hands. He looked at Dawn and smiled softly the way he always did when she was.
"Hey Nibblet."
Dawn sat next to him and put her hand over his and he looked back down.
"You gonna need a designated driver?" She asked with a half smirk on her face, one that resembled his own.
"What are you doing here, Lil' bit?"
"Um, patrolling?"
Spike laughed not even half-heartedly, he looked tired, and for some reason older than he usually did. A slow song came on and Dawn had an idea.
"Dance with me Spike," she told him rather than asked.
"What?" Spike was speechless. It was strange for him because usually he used dancing as a reference to fighting or making love. Often to him they were one in the same. He shook his head and smiled at her again.
"You know I can't say no to you, Dawn."
"Damn straight," she told him as she put out her hand and he took it in his own. She had become used to his cold body since she was often enough close enough to feel the extreme lack of temperature, and didn't even flinch when she pulled into his chest. She put her arms up on his shoulders by his neck and he lowered his by her waist.
They danced there, and it wasn't half as awkward as Dawn or Spike imagined it would be, except when Dawn looked over to see Janice raising an eyebrow at the odd couple. Dawn just pulled in closer and put her head on his muscular chest. She felt the tears begin to rise in her eyes again but she just suppressed them. She nuzzled her head into him and without looking up, she spoke softly.
"I don't want you to go."
"I know, pet, I know."
"It still isn't fair."
"I know, love. I wish it were different."
"Why'd you have to come into my life? Why'd you have to become so important?"
Spike was stunned by the last questions. He really wasn't expecting that, especially since he didn't have an answer. But he kept on dancing and answered Dawn's question with one of his own.
"Do you wish I hadn't?"
Dawn shook her head. "Never."
And at this she began to cry. Not a loud choking sob, but tears fell gently from her eyes to Spike's chest where her head lay. They kept dancing, slowly to the beat of the music, as Dawn tightened her grip around the vampire's neck. She thought to herself maybe if she didn't let him go he could stay. Maybe they could just keep dancing and no one at the delegation would know he was missing. Dawn even considered knocking him out and locking him in her basement, and if the Aurelians cam after him, she and Buffy could protect him and he would be safe. But still, she understood what he had to do. She understood the same way she understood why Buffy had to jump. She hated that yet another person was leaving her, but she kept told herself that it wouldn't be forever. She held on to him while she could, as she danced and cried to the beat of the music.
