Spike and Elizabeth sat in the lower quarters of the crypt. Since his return, Spike had added a sort of makeshift wall out of a curtain to separate his bedroom from what he would consider a living room, which is where they sat now. Dawn was upstairs with Clem, and the two of them seemed to be having a good conversation, Dawn's laughter floating downstairs.
"So what'd you do, buy out Ikea?" Elizabeth asked, indicating the furniture which surrounded them. Spike didn't laugh.
"All right" he said, his voice slightly harder than he meant it to be. "What's going on? It's gotta be big if the Watcher or Slayer don't already know about it."
Seeing the look on her face, he regretted the statement immediately. She had been nice to him ever since she had arrived in Sunnydale, and now he was treating her. . .well, the same way the Scoobies treated him everyday.
In a much gentler tone, he asked her again. Startled, he saw there were tears in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She gave a long, drawn out sigh, and threw up her hands.
"I have absolutely no idea how to say it, when it comes right down to it" she said. She gave a short laugh. "I don't even know where to start."
Leaning forward on the couch they were sitting on, Spike gave a small grin. "The beginning usually helps with that, luv" he said, a glimmer in his eyes.
She gave another small smile before her features gave way to sadness.
"Goddess, this is so stupid! If I can't even tell you, then maybe the others are right. I should just go." She paused, and then continued her eyes on the ground.
"I'm not human." Spike looked at her, a surprised expression on his face. Whatever he was expecting to hear, this wasn't it. But he kept his voice neutral. "And what exactly are you then?"
She hesitated a moment, but continued. Might as well go the distance, she thought to herself.
"You know what they're looking for at the Magic Box right now?" He nodded, and realized what she was going to say next. A feeling of anticipation welled in his chest as he waited for it to be confirmed.
"Well, they aren't going to find it unless they want to come here." She looked at him a gave him a wavering smile, a tear slipping down her face. She swiped it away.
"Why didn't they see you this morning, then?" he demanded, remembering how hard it was for them to look at Dawn.
"I spelled myself." The words were hard, emotionless. Tears were running down her face freely now, but she ignored them.
Spike wasn't sure what to do; normally he would have hugged her, pulled her close, like he used to do with Dawn and Buffy. But since that incident. . . he was almost afraid to do that. To touch anyone. So he awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder.
"So that's why that thing was after you" he said, thinking aloud. Things were falling into place, he thought. All the puzzle pieces that had built up; the mind reading, the fighting, the mysteriously healing injuries - it was all falling in place. A thought occurred to him.
"Do Kyle and Adam know?" he ventured. She nodded.
"They're the ones who told me; they were my protectors and were supposed to keep me out of trouble." She said. She smiled wryly. "Except trouble seems to find me anyway", she said, the words ending in a sigh.
"They told me two weeks ago; I freaked out so bad I slit my wrists" She continued, almost forgetting Spike was there. "I wanted to see if I could still die. But Kyle cut his own and told me he wouldn't let me heal him unless I healed myself first. That dumbass would kill himself for me" she said, recalling the incident.
So that's why guys that age are with her, he thought, thinking of the first time he had seen the three of them together and questioned it. Guardians. Well, that sure as bloody hell wasn't what he expected to hear during this meeting.
She continued. "The, uh, the healing is a part of it; apparently though I can still die, so hey, guess it was good I didn't go through with the whole wrist thing" she said, rubbing her left wrist wear the scar would have been. "And the whole mind thing is new; it started about four or five months ago. Kyle and Adam don't know about it though." That sentence was left with an unspoken ending - please don't tell them.
Spike looked at her. "So what you're saying is you can read everyone's minds." That's fairly creepy, he thought to himself. It suddenly dawned on him that she could hear everything he was thinking. Damn it! He thought.
She looked at him, panicked. "I don't look on purpose! I can tune it out most of the time. And I wear gloves to block the voices. I pick it up with my hands." She held up her still gloved hands. "It's only random stuff. The deep stuff I'd have to pry for, and I don't do that." Spike looked relieved. Then he asked, "Except when you're angry or want to know a secret, right?" in a voice that was mixed with fear and anger. She looked shocked.
"Of course not," she said, anger in her voice. "I would never do that; I can't control the stuff I do hear, but I'd never use it against someone. If I wasn't meant to hear it, I wouldn't say anything about it!" Spike raised his hands in small defeat and gave a grin.
"Just checking." He said.
She shook her head to clear it and smiled. "Well, that was better than I thought it would be."
He gave her a look. She sighed again. "Okay, so it wasn't. But I still said it."
"Are you going to tell them?" He thought of the watcher, the whelp, the slayer; all of them. Their reactions. It would be funny if it weren't so serious.
"I was. I am. The others don't want me to, but I have to. And then," she said, "I'll leave and disappear again."
"Why?"
"Why? Because they won't want me here. Don't know if you heard, but Dad wants the Key destroyed. I'm guessing it doesn't matter what package it comes in."
"But Dawn -"
"Dawn was Buffy's sister before she was the Key" she said, a hint of bitterness in the tone.
"And you were Giles' daughter before this," he said. Tentatively, he put his arm around the girl. When she didn't pull away, he pulled her closer to him, gently. She laid her head on his chest.
"Luv, I think you need to give them a little more credit." He always surprised himself when he came to the defenses of the people who hated them. "Do you really think Buffy will hate you? Or Red? Or your father? They may be a bunch of ponces, but they won't turn you away." He looked down at her and she looked up at him, their faces a few inches apart.
"Do you think Dawn will hate you? She'd probably be thrilled."
Elizabeth sat up and looked at him.
"You can ask her that yourself. She's on the stairs."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dawn was so surprised at that statement she missed the next step and fell down the remaining few. Elizabeth and Spike ran over to help her up.
"Didn't your mother teach you not to eavesdrop?" she said, helping Dawn to her feet.
A voice from upstairs called out "Is everything okay? I heard a thump."
Spike yelled back up, "It's fine, Clem."
Dawn stared at Liz, as if she had never seen her before. Answering the question in her mind, Liz nodded slowly.
"Yea, Dawnie." Dawn's eyes brimmed with tears and she hugged Elizabeth, as if holding on for dear life. Spike watched Liz's face also go to tears. He groaned inwardly.
Women, he thought to himself. Liz looked up.
Men, she thought back venomously, and he laughed.
Dawn pulled away and started talking excitedly. "We have to tell Buffy! And Giles and Xander and Willow and - and - " she started to cry again "I'm so glad it's you!"
Liz looked at her in amusement. "And why are you so glad?" she asked. Dawn looked at her and smiled.
" 'Cause for a few minutes I was afraid I was related to a toaster."
They both laughed. Liz checked her watch.
"Crap! Dawnie, we better take you home." To Spike she silently asked, are you coming? When he gave a small nod, she went and grabbed her coat.
"Are you going to tell Buffy when we get home?" Dawn asked, still fairly excited. She wasn't alone after all.
"Um. . .we'll play that by ear, okay? I personally think one person a day is good. . . but here I am with two already. I guess I'm screwed."
They said goodbye to Clem, and went out the door. Liz glanced up at the sky.
Rain was coming soon. It was as dark as night outside.
At the cemetery parking lot, Dawn got into the back seat while Spike and Elizabeth sat up front, Liz at the wheel. As Dawn was shutting the door, a pair of strong arms reached in and pulled her out, screaming.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Spike and Liz jumped out of the car and ran after the creature that had kidnapped Dawn, who was heading towards the cemetery.
"I thought they wanted you!" Spike yelled as they ran.
"I know! I don't know why they took her - damn it, where did they go? Spike, can you see them?" She stopped and scanned the area, Spike stopping behind her.
"Spike? Did you see where they went?" she said. There was no answer except a muffled sound behind her. She spun around to find Dawn in the arms of one of the demons, his hand over her mouth.
Then she saw Spike. There was a second demon that had grabbed him. As she watched in horror, the demon pulled the instrument out of Spike that he had stabbed him with.
A stake.
Spike gave her a final look full of fear, anger, and sadness
And turned to dust, Dawn's muffled screams in the background.
"So what'd you do, buy out Ikea?" Elizabeth asked, indicating the furniture which surrounded them. Spike didn't laugh.
"All right" he said, his voice slightly harder than he meant it to be. "What's going on? It's gotta be big if the Watcher or Slayer don't already know about it."
Seeing the look on her face, he regretted the statement immediately. She had been nice to him ever since she had arrived in Sunnydale, and now he was treating her. . .well, the same way the Scoobies treated him everyday.
In a much gentler tone, he asked her again. Startled, he saw there were tears in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She gave a long, drawn out sigh, and threw up her hands.
"I have absolutely no idea how to say it, when it comes right down to it" she said. She gave a short laugh. "I don't even know where to start."
Leaning forward on the couch they were sitting on, Spike gave a small grin. "The beginning usually helps with that, luv" he said, a glimmer in his eyes.
She gave another small smile before her features gave way to sadness.
"Goddess, this is so stupid! If I can't even tell you, then maybe the others are right. I should just go." She paused, and then continued her eyes on the ground.
"I'm not human." Spike looked at her, a surprised expression on his face. Whatever he was expecting to hear, this wasn't it. But he kept his voice neutral. "And what exactly are you then?"
She hesitated a moment, but continued. Might as well go the distance, she thought to herself.
"You know what they're looking for at the Magic Box right now?" He nodded, and realized what she was going to say next. A feeling of anticipation welled in his chest as he waited for it to be confirmed.
"Well, they aren't going to find it unless they want to come here." She looked at him a gave him a wavering smile, a tear slipping down her face. She swiped it away.
"Why didn't they see you this morning, then?" he demanded, remembering how hard it was for them to look at Dawn.
"I spelled myself." The words were hard, emotionless. Tears were running down her face freely now, but she ignored them.
Spike wasn't sure what to do; normally he would have hugged her, pulled her close, like he used to do with Dawn and Buffy. But since that incident. . . he was almost afraid to do that. To touch anyone. So he awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder.
"So that's why that thing was after you" he said, thinking aloud. Things were falling into place, he thought. All the puzzle pieces that had built up; the mind reading, the fighting, the mysteriously healing injuries - it was all falling in place. A thought occurred to him.
"Do Kyle and Adam know?" he ventured. She nodded.
"They're the ones who told me; they were my protectors and were supposed to keep me out of trouble." She said. She smiled wryly. "Except trouble seems to find me anyway", she said, the words ending in a sigh.
"They told me two weeks ago; I freaked out so bad I slit my wrists" She continued, almost forgetting Spike was there. "I wanted to see if I could still die. But Kyle cut his own and told me he wouldn't let me heal him unless I healed myself first. That dumbass would kill himself for me" she said, recalling the incident.
So that's why guys that age are with her, he thought, thinking of the first time he had seen the three of them together and questioned it. Guardians. Well, that sure as bloody hell wasn't what he expected to hear during this meeting.
She continued. "The, uh, the healing is a part of it; apparently though I can still die, so hey, guess it was good I didn't go through with the whole wrist thing" she said, rubbing her left wrist wear the scar would have been. "And the whole mind thing is new; it started about four or five months ago. Kyle and Adam don't know about it though." That sentence was left with an unspoken ending - please don't tell them.
Spike looked at her. "So what you're saying is you can read everyone's minds." That's fairly creepy, he thought to himself. It suddenly dawned on him that she could hear everything he was thinking. Damn it! He thought.
She looked at him, panicked. "I don't look on purpose! I can tune it out most of the time. And I wear gloves to block the voices. I pick it up with my hands." She held up her still gloved hands. "It's only random stuff. The deep stuff I'd have to pry for, and I don't do that." Spike looked relieved. Then he asked, "Except when you're angry or want to know a secret, right?" in a voice that was mixed with fear and anger. She looked shocked.
"Of course not," she said, anger in her voice. "I would never do that; I can't control the stuff I do hear, but I'd never use it against someone. If I wasn't meant to hear it, I wouldn't say anything about it!" Spike raised his hands in small defeat and gave a grin.
"Just checking." He said.
She shook her head to clear it and smiled. "Well, that was better than I thought it would be."
He gave her a look. She sighed again. "Okay, so it wasn't. But I still said it."
"Are you going to tell them?" He thought of the watcher, the whelp, the slayer; all of them. Their reactions. It would be funny if it weren't so serious.
"I was. I am. The others don't want me to, but I have to. And then," she said, "I'll leave and disappear again."
"Why?"
"Why? Because they won't want me here. Don't know if you heard, but Dad wants the Key destroyed. I'm guessing it doesn't matter what package it comes in."
"But Dawn -"
"Dawn was Buffy's sister before she was the Key" she said, a hint of bitterness in the tone.
"And you were Giles' daughter before this," he said. Tentatively, he put his arm around the girl. When she didn't pull away, he pulled her closer to him, gently. She laid her head on his chest.
"Luv, I think you need to give them a little more credit." He always surprised himself when he came to the defenses of the people who hated them. "Do you really think Buffy will hate you? Or Red? Or your father? They may be a bunch of ponces, but they won't turn you away." He looked down at her and she looked up at him, their faces a few inches apart.
"Do you think Dawn will hate you? She'd probably be thrilled."
Elizabeth sat up and looked at him.
"You can ask her that yourself. She's on the stairs."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dawn was so surprised at that statement she missed the next step and fell down the remaining few. Elizabeth and Spike ran over to help her up.
"Didn't your mother teach you not to eavesdrop?" she said, helping Dawn to her feet.
A voice from upstairs called out "Is everything okay? I heard a thump."
Spike yelled back up, "It's fine, Clem."
Dawn stared at Liz, as if she had never seen her before. Answering the question in her mind, Liz nodded slowly.
"Yea, Dawnie." Dawn's eyes brimmed with tears and she hugged Elizabeth, as if holding on for dear life. Spike watched Liz's face also go to tears. He groaned inwardly.
Women, he thought to himself. Liz looked up.
Men, she thought back venomously, and he laughed.
Dawn pulled away and started talking excitedly. "We have to tell Buffy! And Giles and Xander and Willow and - and - " she started to cry again "I'm so glad it's you!"
Liz looked at her in amusement. "And why are you so glad?" she asked. Dawn looked at her and smiled.
" 'Cause for a few minutes I was afraid I was related to a toaster."
They both laughed. Liz checked her watch.
"Crap! Dawnie, we better take you home." To Spike she silently asked, are you coming? When he gave a small nod, she went and grabbed her coat.
"Are you going to tell Buffy when we get home?" Dawn asked, still fairly excited. She wasn't alone after all.
"Um. . .we'll play that by ear, okay? I personally think one person a day is good. . . but here I am with two already. I guess I'm screwed."
They said goodbye to Clem, and went out the door. Liz glanced up at the sky.
Rain was coming soon. It was as dark as night outside.
At the cemetery parking lot, Dawn got into the back seat while Spike and Elizabeth sat up front, Liz at the wheel. As Dawn was shutting the door, a pair of strong arms reached in and pulled her out, screaming.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Spike and Liz jumped out of the car and ran after the creature that had kidnapped Dawn, who was heading towards the cemetery.
"I thought they wanted you!" Spike yelled as they ran.
"I know! I don't know why they took her - damn it, where did they go? Spike, can you see them?" She stopped and scanned the area, Spike stopping behind her.
"Spike? Did you see where they went?" she said. There was no answer except a muffled sound behind her. She spun around to find Dawn in the arms of one of the demons, his hand over her mouth.
Then she saw Spike. There was a second demon that had grabbed him. As she watched in horror, the demon pulled the instrument out of Spike that he had stabbed him with.
A stake.
Spike gave her a final look full of fear, anger, and sadness
And turned to dust, Dawn's muffled screams in the background.