To all, foremost, TigerWolf. I appreciate your very kind reviews
more than you'd think. Thank you. *hugs* Even though I don't know you.
Hugs. And.... That poophead Joss is all, so please don't sue me, as I'm
frightened of you. lol Thanks.
Tequila Sunrise
Waking to a soft knocking at the door, the couple pulled apart. Spike pulled open the door, revealing Dawn.
"Can I sleep in here?" she questioned softly. "I can sleep on the floor, I just..."
"No, Dawnie," called Buffy from the bed. "Come on and sleep up here." She then sat up worriedly. "Is someone in your room?"
"No, no," Dawn said, looking at the floor, "I just..."
"Why don't we all sleep in your room? It just makes more sense." Getting out of bed, she noticed Dawn's downcast face, and closed eyes.
"Dawnie! We weren't... I mean... I mean..." she blushed.
"Well, we're both dressed," Spike said candidly. "And yawning. Now, I don't know how much you know, Niblet, but those are NEVER the results of good sex. And I am good."
Both Summer's blushed. "Shut up, Spike," Buffy said, "And grab a blanket and pillow."
A minute later, Buffy and Dawn were curled up on Dawn's bed. Spike sat leaning against the wall, not needing the sleep.
As he watched the two sleep, he frowned. Buffy shouldn't be patrolling that hard. He amended that thought. At all. One hard kick could abort the baby. So, he knew from a sick experience, could Dru, with three deliberate pokes to the womb.
They meant so much to him. Everything. He would-had- killed for them. Dawn was like the daughter he never had the nerve to pray for. And Buffy... Sometimes, the love/hate line in their relationship was very blurred, but he knew.... push to shove, that he loved her... And she was scared to love him. He just had to show her that it was ok. And safe. And he wasn't Peaches or Captain Cardboard. He wasn't going anywhere. Especially not now, not with his little girl on the way.
He felt his forehead going 'bumpy' as the Scoobies called it, and remembered he hadn't fed all day. Making sure his charges were safe and asleep, he went downstairs, to the kitchen, fixing himself a mug of blood with marshmallows. All the lights in the house being off were no big deal to him. He was a creature of the night. Daylight was a hindrance to him... Not moonlight.
"'Ello, Peaches." He called the soft greeting to his grand-sire, pulling the mug out of the microwave, sipping it slowly.
"That always *was* the most disgusting way to ingest blood, I thought."
"In a mug?" Spike really wanted to just punch him and get it over with, but figured sometimes, being civil had it's merits. Dawn taught him that.
"With marshmallows. How have you been?" The question, all breezily casual, was made intimate with the sincere look in Angel's eyes.
"Bad. I can't... she only lets me near when she's about broken down. Ever. She loves me. I can see it. I can smell it. But I smell you, and I smell fear coming out her pores at the same time."
Angel's eyes lowered. Then raised to his child's eyes. "I'm sorry. You don't know how... I'm just sorry. It's another thing to suffer through. And I can't take it back. But if I could... If I could only change one thing... Buffy would be it."
"No it wouldn't," Spike said ridiculingly. "It would be that damn gypsy. You'd never had eaten her, never had the curse, then, consequently, never met or hurt Buffy."
"But you'd have killed her then, Spike. And everything happens for a reason. I ate the gypsy, they gave me a curse, which led me to Buffy. The greatest sorrow and joy of my unlife. Which brought you, to the Hellmouth, to the Slayer. And you fought. And fought. I lost my soul, you got chipped, and consequently, you fell in love with the Slayer."
"No, Angel. I didn't fall in love with the Slayer. I fell in love with Buffy. They are the same people, but... It was Buffy. So if you COULD go back and change things, you better not. Because then I wouldn't get Dawn. Or my baby girl."
"It's a girl?" "I feel it. Buffy's fighting it, saying it's a boy... Angel... There's news... a prophesy."
Angel sipped from a mug of pig's blood and marshmallows. "Man."
Spike grunted his agreement. "Understand now?"
"Huh?"
"The marshmallows."
Angel smirked, refusing to allow the demon his due. The marshmallows were comforting. "Nope."
"You big poofter."
They shared an uneasy truce.
After a small silence, Spike uttered softly,"I'll share them with you, Angel. Make sure they aren't hurt."
Understanding the level of trust it took for him to say that, Angel swallowed and nodded.
Spike stood and set his mug down in the sink, rinsed it, braced his hands on the counter beside it.
Angel laid a hand on Spike's shoulder. "I know... With our... shared past, you'll never trust me. But I... I won't hurt her again. I'll help you."
Spike turned. "Of course I'll never trust you with what's mine. Did you tell her, Angel? The exact -nature- of our... shared past?"
Angel's hand fell from his shoulder.
"Exactly. That's exactly what I thought. Angel... She can't know. Ever."
He dropped his eyes, "I know... Never."
Spike laughed coarsely, rubbed a hand over his forehead. "She'd stake us both."
"For what?" Buffy said, leaning against the doorway of the kitchen.
Restraining a curse, he smiled slowly at his baby's mother. "That the Poof and I are both worried about you sleepin' enough."
"Oh." She made her way to the fridge, opened it, pulled the orange juice out. "Do we have any pizza?"
"With -orange juice-?" Angel shuddered. Almost as bad as blood and marshmallows.
"It's a cravin', you insensitive git." Spike rolled his eyes at Angel. "And no. That's crap food. Have a pear. Me and the Bit picked em out when we went shoppin last week and you haven't touched them. Eat it." Pushing the pear in her hands, he shooed the sleepy-eyed slayer back upstairs.
After they heard Dawn's bedroom door close, the men turned to eachother again.
"Spike, we're different now. I know, I've changed... You've changed. But we can't change the past."
"I'm the Big Bad. I was... am, evil. And to think that what I share with that woman, and what I had shared with you makes me ill. Ill, Angel. And I'm a demon."
"I.. I know... I feel the same way. And Buffy doesn't need to know. But should she ever..."
"She'd turn away from both of us, and you know it."
"For a while, maybe-"
"No, Angel. Some things even if she could forgive... she could never understand. So we'll keep everything on a need to know basis. Don't touch me. Or mine."
Angel nodded, and passed Spike to go to the basement.
Spike stalked up the stairs to strip down and shower. He suddenly felt so very dirty.
Walking back to Dawn's room, he saw Buffy had waited for him.
"Spike?"
"Luv, you should be asleep."
"I know. But... I just..."
"What?"
She sighed. "When you were a demon. You did a lot of bad things. You know?"
"Yeah, pet. Thanks for the reminder."
"But Anya did more. She was MORE bad. For LONGER. And she's... Almost a really good friend. Kind of another Scooby. But what you and I both did in the past, Spike... We should leave it where it is. You and Angel shared Dru, didn't you?"
He met her eyes. "Among other things."
"Would you do that now? Could you do that now?"
He didn't even bat an eye. "No."
"Then it's over. And I need you to push past it. We have a lot of things to deal with in the next two days... The past hundred years will just have to take the back burner. And Spike?"
"Yeah, pet?" His head was starting to hurt. Had she heard the conversation?
"I don't hate you." And laying back down beside her sister, the Slayer slept.
End Part 6. Seven tomorrow. It'll be Friday, so maybe I'll put up THREE chapters.. hmmm maaaaaaaaybeeeeeeee..... hahaha. Please keep reviewing. Lots and lots. It means so much to know that people are reading it. Thanks always.. Your author for the evening...
Tequila Sunrise
Tequila Sunrise
Waking to a soft knocking at the door, the couple pulled apart. Spike pulled open the door, revealing Dawn.
"Can I sleep in here?" she questioned softly. "I can sleep on the floor, I just..."
"No, Dawnie," called Buffy from the bed. "Come on and sleep up here." She then sat up worriedly. "Is someone in your room?"
"No, no," Dawn said, looking at the floor, "I just..."
"Why don't we all sleep in your room? It just makes more sense." Getting out of bed, she noticed Dawn's downcast face, and closed eyes.
"Dawnie! We weren't... I mean... I mean..." she blushed.
"Well, we're both dressed," Spike said candidly. "And yawning. Now, I don't know how much you know, Niblet, but those are NEVER the results of good sex. And I am good."
Both Summer's blushed. "Shut up, Spike," Buffy said, "And grab a blanket and pillow."
A minute later, Buffy and Dawn were curled up on Dawn's bed. Spike sat leaning against the wall, not needing the sleep.
As he watched the two sleep, he frowned. Buffy shouldn't be patrolling that hard. He amended that thought. At all. One hard kick could abort the baby. So, he knew from a sick experience, could Dru, with three deliberate pokes to the womb.
They meant so much to him. Everything. He would-had- killed for them. Dawn was like the daughter he never had the nerve to pray for. And Buffy... Sometimes, the love/hate line in their relationship was very blurred, but he knew.... push to shove, that he loved her... And she was scared to love him. He just had to show her that it was ok. And safe. And he wasn't Peaches or Captain Cardboard. He wasn't going anywhere. Especially not now, not with his little girl on the way.
He felt his forehead going 'bumpy' as the Scoobies called it, and remembered he hadn't fed all day. Making sure his charges were safe and asleep, he went downstairs, to the kitchen, fixing himself a mug of blood with marshmallows. All the lights in the house being off were no big deal to him. He was a creature of the night. Daylight was a hindrance to him... Not moonlight.
"'Ello, Peaches." He called the soft greeting to his grand-sire, pulling the mug out of the microwave, sipping it slowly.
"That always *was* the most disgusting way to ingest blood, I thought."
"In a mug?" Spike really wanted to just punch him and get it over with, but figured sometimes, being civil had it's merits. Dawn taught him that.
"With marshmallows. How have you been?" The question, all breezily casual, was made intimate with the sincere look in Angel's eyes.
"Bad. I can't... she only lets me near when she's about broken down. Ever. She loves me. I can see it. I can smell it. But I smell you, and I smell fear coming out her pores at the same time."
Angel's eyes lowered. Then raised to his child's eyes. "I'm sorry. You don't know how... I'm just sorry. It's another thing to suffer through. And I can't take it back. But if I could... If I could only change one thing... Buffy would be it."
"No it wouldn't," Spike said ridiculingly. "It would be that damn gypsy. You'd never had eaten her, never had the curse, then, consequently, never met or hurt Buffy."
"But you'd have killed her then, Spike. And everything happens for a reason. I ate the gypsy, they gave me a curse, which led me to Buffy. The greatest sorrow and joy of my unlife. Which brought you, to the Hellmouth, to the Slayer. And you fought. And fought. I lost my soul, you got chipped, and consequently, you fell in love with the Slayer."
"No, Angel. I didn't fall in love with the Slayer. I fell in love with Buffy. They are the same people, but... It was Buffy. So if you COULD go back and change things, you better not. Because then I wouldn't get Dawn. Or my baby girl."
"It's a girl?" "I feel it. Buffy's fighting it, saying it's a boy... Angel... There's news... a prophesy."
Angel sipped from a mug of pig's blood and marshmallows. "Man."
Spike grunted his agreement. "Understand now?"
"Huh?"
"The marshmallows."
Angel smirked, refusing to allow the demon his due. The marshmallows were comforting. "Nope."
"You big poofter."
They shared an uneasy truce.
After a small silence, Spike uttered softly,"I'll share them with you, Angel. Make sure they aren't hurt."
Understanding the level of trust it took for him to say that, Angel swallowed and nodded.
Spike stood and set his mug down in the sink, rinsed it, braced his hands on the counter beside it.
Angel laid a hand on Spike's shoulder. "I know... With our... shared past, you'll never trust me. But I... I won't hurt her again. I'll help you."
Spike turned. "Of course I'll never trust you with what's mine. Did you tell her, Angel? The exact -nature- of our... shared past?"
Angel's hand fell from his shoulder.
"Exactly. That's exactly what I thought. Angel... She can't know. Ever."
He dropped his eyes, "I know... Never."
Spike laughed coarsely, rubbed a hand over his forehead. "She'd stake us both."
"For what?" Buffy said, leaning against the doorway of the kitchen.
Restraining a curse, he smiled slowly at his baby's mother. "That the Poof and I are both worried about you sleepin' enough."
"Oh." She made her way to the fridge, opened it, pulled the orange juice out. "Do we have any pizza?"
"With -orange juice-?" Angel shuddered. Almost as bad as blood and marshmallows.
"It's a cravin', you insensitive git." Spike rolled his eyes at Angel. "And no. That's crap food. Have a pear. Me and the Bit picked em out when we went shoppin last week and you haven't touched them. Eat it." Pushing the pear in her hands, he shooed the sleepy-eyed slayer back upstairs.
After they heard Dawn's bedroom door close, the men turned to eachother again.
"Spike, we're different now. I know, I've changed... You've changed. But we can't change the past."
"I'm the Big Bad. I was... am, evil. And to think that what I share with that woman, and what I had shared with you makes me ill. Ill, Angel. And I'm a demon."
"I.. I know... I feel the same way. And Buffy doesn't need to know. But should she ever..."
"She'd turn away from both of us, and you know it."
"For a while, maybe-"
"No, Angel. Some things even if she could forgive... she could never understand. So we'll keep everything on a need to know basis. Don't touch me. Or mine."
Angel nodded, and passed Spike to go to the basement.
Spike stalked up the stairs to strip down and shower. He suddenly felt so very dirty.
Walking back to Dawn's room, he saw Buffy had waited for him.
"Spike?"
"Luv, you should be asleep."
"I know. But... I just..."
"What?"
She sighed. "When you were a demon. You did a lot of bad things. You know?"
"Yeah, pet. Thanks for the reminder."
"But Anya did more. She was MORE bad. For LONGER. And she's... Almost a really good friend. Kind of another Scooby. But what you and I both did in the past, Spike... We should leave it where it is. You and Angel shared Dru, didn't you?"
He met her eyes. "Among other things."
"Would you do that now? Could you do that now?"
He didn't even bat an eye. "No."
"Then it's over. And I need you to push past it. We have a lot of things to deal with in the next two days... The past hundred years will just have to take the back burner. And Spike?"
"Yeah, pet?" His head was starting to hurt. Had she heard the conversation?
"I don't hate you." And laying back down beside her sister, the Slayer slept.
End Part 6. Seven tomorrow. It'll be Friday, so maybe I'll put up THREE chapters.. hmmm maaaaaaaaybeeeeeeee..... hahaha. Please keep reviewing. Lots and lots. It means so much to know that people are reading it. Thanks always.. Your author for the evening...
Tequila Sunrise