Ok... Start, part 5. House Rules and Claiming. I own nothing, but Joss is
working a deal out. haha. Just kidding. More tonight. Thanks for the
reviews. I need more.
Always.
Tequila Sunrise
"House rules, Angel," Buffy said sternly. "One. Daylight hours, you sleep. You NEVER come upstairs, or downstairs. The phone goes unanswered, same with the door. Night, you go as you please. NO human happymeals. None." Leaning close to him across the table, she said threateningly, "And you touch Dawn or my baby," she paused, rephrasing her usual death threat. "And little Connor's mine."
She leaned back and had the satisfaction of watching Angel's demon visage come to the fore, and visibly restrain himself from lunging across the table at her. Roundly ignoring it, she continued. "Pigs blood in the fridge. No smoking in the house, no alcohol. Light's out at eleven. The basements furnished, you'll stay down there. Linen's in the closet. Questions?"
"Social Services comes again in two days," Dawn said around a yawn.
"Right. And Spike will be in respectable clothes, being a 'male disciplinary figure' in your life. Oh, and if they ask, 'William' and I are getting married."
"Where's the ring?" Dawn questioned sensibly.
"I'll use Mom's engagement. She never DID like it. Pompous, she said,-"
"Just like the a-hole she married," Dawn finished their mother's famous quote.
"Exactly. Since I'm guessing you two will be here when the SS guys come, you, Angel, are my cousin on my father's side. You love Dawn." She frowned at her sister. "You love him, too. Dru will be Angel's quiet wife. If you or Dru mess this up and Dawn gets taken away, after I'm through torturing you, you'll go sunbathing. It's that simple."
Finally, Dru spoke up. "Can I braid her hair?"
"Whose?"
"The pretty little one..."
"NO!" Spike barked at her.
"Geez, Spike... it's just my hair," Dawn said, puzzled.
"No. No touching. Braiding your hair gives her a link to you, don'nit, Dru?" He turned sardonic eyes on her. "Braid her hair reaaaaalllll pretty, then get into her bedroom, and make her a pretty little doll, hmmm? Well if she's DEAD, Dru, she won't talk at the tea party."
Dru looked into her lap, whined softly, "Ooohhh... Spikey... You're being mean."
"Mmm... I *know*, Princess," he clucked sympathetically. "But I rather fancy Dawn and Buffy alive."
"Mmm..." She swayed back and forth, pondering something. Gazed at the table. "Aren't the snowflakes pretty?"
"Very." This came, respectfully, from Buffy.
"He hasn't claimed you yet." Her fuzzy gaze focused on the Slayer's face. "Do you know why?"
"I... claim? Claim me? What does that mean?"
"Pet... It's Dru... She's not all-" Spike tried to turn the conversation.
"William." Angel's voice came sternly reprimanding. "She deserves to know. I don't now how Giles neglected to tell her."
Sharply, his pride very ruffled at the use of his former name, he snapped, "Probably because he wasn't worried about vampire's mating habits as much as he was keeping his slayer alive."
"I know." Dawn said.
All the adults but Dru said incredulously, "You know what?"
"She knows a lot. She is a key. And her scent was dripping off one of Spike's journals." Dru said in a sing song voice, "Drip, drip, drip, just like that pretty lady's heart in Prague."
Fighting back a shudder, Buffy questioned Dawn. "Why hasn't he claimed me?"
"Buffy, I don't think-"
Spike was cut off decisively by Buffy. "Spike! I deserve to know."
Dawn took a deep breath. "To claim you, he'd have to challenge Angel, and destroy his line."
"Why?"
"Because when I bit you, Buffy," Angel said shamefacedly, "I claimed you. Because the thought of anyone having you was... is... unacceptable. So I claimed you." Possession gleamed in his eyes as Buffy covered the raised scars on her neck.
"But," Spike spat, "It's understood... Buffy is mine."
"I don't get it," Dawn said, "just dust Dru and get it over with."
"No." Angel and Spike said in unison.
"I... It's not fair to her," Spike elaborated, "She's not truly evil. Angelus... Made her a little psycho. It's not fair to damn her." At Buffy's disbelieving glare, he clamped his jaw, silently handing it off to Angel.
"And... To destroy my line... He'll have to kill Connor."
"But Connor's just a baby!" Dawn protested.
"The Powers don't care," Spike shot back bitterly.
"I'll turn the child," Dru said helpfully. "We can have tea parties, and play with the moon when she comes to visit..."
Visibly shaken, Angel reigned in his horror and guilt to say calmly, "That's ok, Dru. But I'll let ya know."
"Ok..."
"Um... This'll have to wait," Buffy said around a huge yawn, "Till tomorrow. Dawn has school, and I have to work."
"What does Dawn have to do with-"
Buffy interrupted Angel brusquely, "She's a part of this household, and what she thinks and says has a large effect on how things go. the sooner you realize that, the better." She stood, flanked on each side by Spike or Dawn. "Good night."
At the top of the stairs, Buffy ushered Dawn into her now demon-proof room, and tucked her in.
"If you don't feel well tomorrow, don't go to school. We'll stay home, ok? Just tell me." Kissing her forehead, she turned off the light and began to close the door.
"Hey Dawn?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you. Sleep well. You're safe."
Dawn smiled and burrowed into her covers.
Outside her own room, Spike leaned against the door jamb, sweeping a hand up Buffy's cheek and into her hair when she stood close enough to touch.
"Want me to stay on the couch, luv? Make sure Dru doesn't wander?"
Turning her head into his palm, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Actually..." she started, opening her eyes to meet his blue stare, "I want you to stay... with me... in my room... In my bed."
Saying nothing, absolutely nothing, he drew her into his arms, and, invited, into her room.
Slowly laying down on the bed, they watched eachother, with no light but the moonlight. Laying side by side, Buffy's head cradled against his shoulder, their hands clasped over his unbeating heart, Buffy slept.
But Spike just stared at her sleeping features...
And wondered.
End, Part 5. I'm posting part 6 with this tonite. I hope you guys like it, and I have to say, thank you for reviewing. Geez, isn't spring lovely?? AND WHY THE HELL IS BUFFY A REPEAT NEXT WEEK!?!?!?!? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??! I hope Spike tells. I hope he tells, and gets in Xander's face and says, "What now, bitch? I got more ass than you EVER will. Ugh. What now??" Sorry, a little ghetto gettin to me. lol
Tequila Sunrise
Always.
Tequila Sunrise
"House rules, Angel," Buffy said sternly. "One. Daylight hours, you sleep. You NEVER come upstairs, or downstairs. The phone goes unanswered, same with the door. Night, you go as you please. NO human happymeals. None." Leaning close to him across the table, she said threateningly, "And you touch Dawn or my baby," she paused, rephrasing her usual death threat. "And little Connor's mine."
She leaned back and had the satisfaction of watching Angel's demon visage come to the fore, and visibly restrain himself from lunging across the table at her. Roundly ignoring it, she continued. "Pigs blood in the fridge. No smoking in the house, no alcohol. Light's out at eleven. The basements furnished, you'll stay down there. Linen's in the closet. Questions?"
"Social Services comes again in two days," Dawn said around a yawn.
"Right. And Spike will be in respectable clothes, being a 'male disciplinary figure' in your life. Oh, and if they ask, 'William' and I are getting married."
"Where's the ring?" Dawn questioned sensibly.
"I'll use Mom's engagement. She never DID like it. Pompous, she said,-"
"Just like the a-hole she married," Dawn finished their mother's famous quote.
"Exactly. Since I'm guessing you two will be here when the SS guys come, you, Angel, are my cousin on my father's side. You love Dawn." She frowned at her sister. "You love him, too. Dru will be Angel's quiet wife. If you or Dru mess this up and Dawn gets taken away, after I'm through torturing you, you'll go sunbathing. It's that simple."
Finally, Dru spoke up. "Can I braid her hair?"
"Whose?"
"The pretty little one..."
"NO!" Spike barked at her.
"Geez, Spike... it's just my hair," Dawn said, puzzled.
"No. No touching. Braiding your hair gives her a link to you, don'nit, Dru?" He turned sardonic eyes on her. "Braid her hair reaaaaalllll pretty, then get into her bedroom, and make her a pretty little doll, hmmm? Well if she's DEAD, Dru, she won't talk at the tea party."
Dru looked into her lap, whined softly, "Ooohhh... Spikey... You're being mean."
"Mmm... I *know*, Princess," he clucked sympathetically. "But I rather fancy Dawn and Buffy alive."
"Mmm..." She swayed back and forth, pondering something. Gazed at the table. "Aren't the snowflakes pretty?"
"Very." This came, respectfully, from Buffy.
"He hasn't claimed you yet." Her fuzzy gaze focused on the Slayer's face. "Do you know why?"
"I... claim? Claim me? What does that mean?"
"Pet... It's Dru... She's not all-" Spike tried to turn the conversation.
"William." Angel's voice came sternly reprimanding. "She deserves to know. I don't now how Giles neglected to tell her."
Sharply, his pride very ruffled at the use of his former name, he snapped, "Probably because he wasn't worried about vampire's mating habits as much as he was keeping his slayer alive."
"I know." Dawn said.
All the adults but Dru said incredulously, "You know what?"
"She knows a lot. She is a key. And her scent was dripping off one of Spike's journals." Dru said in a sing song voice, "Drip, drip, drip, just like that pretty lady's heart in Prague."
Fighting back a shudder, Buffy questioned Dawn. "Why hasn't he claimed me?"
"Buffy, I don't think-"
Spike was cut off decisively by Buffy. "Spike! I deserve to know."
Dawn took a deep breath. "To claim you, he'd have to challenge Angel, and destroy his line."
"Why?"
"Because when I bit you, Buffy," Angel said shamefacedly, "I claimed you. Because the thought of anyone having you was... is... unacceptable. So I claimed you." Possession gleamed in his eyes as Buffy covered the raised scars on her neck.
"But," Spike spat, "It's understood... Buffy is mine."
"I don't get it," Dawn said, "just dust Dru and get it over with."
"No." Angel and Spike said in unison.
"I... It's not fair to her," Spike elaborated, "She's not truly evil. Angelus... Made her a little psycho. It's not fair to damn her." At Buffy's disbelieving glare, he clamped his jaw, silently handing it off to Angel.
"And... To destroy my line... He'll have to kill Connor."
"But Connor's just a baby!" Dawn protested.
"The Powers don't care," Spike shot back bitterly.
"I'll turn the child," Dru said helpfully. "We can have tea parties, and play with the moon when she comes to visit..."
Visibly shaken, Angel reigned in his horror and guilt to say calmly, "That's ok, Dru. But I'll let ya know."
"Ok..."
"Um... This'll have to wait," Buffy said around a huge yawn, "Till tomorrow. Dawn has school, and I have to work."
"What does Dawn have to do with-"
Buffy interrupted Angel brusquely, "She's a part of this household, and what she thinks and says has a large effect on how things go. the sooner you realize that, the better." She stood, flanked on each side by Spike or Dawn. "Good night."
At the top of the stairs, Buffy ushered Dawn into her now demon-proof room, and tucked her in.
"If you don't feel well tomorrow, don't go to school. We'll stay home, ok? Just tell me." Kissing her forehead, she turned off the light and began to close the door.
"Hey Dawn?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you. Sleep well. You're safe."
Dawn smiled and burrowed into her covers.
Outside her own room, Spike leaned against the door jamb, sweeping a hand up Buffy's cheek and into her hair when she stood close enough to touch.
"Want me to stay on the couch, luv? Make sure Dru doesn't wander?"
Turning her head into his palm, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Actually..." she started, opening her eyes to meet his blue stare, "I want you to stay... with me... in my room... In my bed."
Saying nothing, absolutely nothing, he drew her into his arms, and, invited, into her room.
Slowly laying down on the bed, they watched eachother, with no light but the moonlight. Laying side by side, Buffy's head cradled against his shoulder, their hands clasped over his unbeating heart, Buffy slept.
But Spike just stared at her sleeping features...
And wondered.
End, Part 5. I'm posting part 6 with this tonite. I hope you guys like it, and I have to say, thank you for reviewing. Geez, isn't spring lovely?? AND WHY THE HELL IS BUFFY A REPEAT NEXT WEEK!?!?!?!? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??! I hope Spike tells. I hope he tells, and gets in Xander's face and says, "What now, bitch? I got more ass than you EVER will. Ugh. What now??" Sorry, a little ghetto gettin to me. lol
Tequila Sunrise