a/n: I'm sorry that this is taking so long. I'm in the process of finding a job. I'm drowning in rejection and busyness. I hate the economy, there is nothing, NOTHING. I just would like to work. Sigh. Thank you for reading this rant and thank you for reading this story. Review, make my self-esteem happy.
The Reason We're Here
Dawn snuck quietly into the house in the light of the sitting sun. As she climbed into the window she heard the strumming of a guitar.
Busted, Dawn thought as she went into the window.
Oz was laying on the bed with his guitar laying across his stomach. His eyes were closed and he was gently playing a melody that was hauntingly beautiful. It was the song that Oz had written for her.
Dawn finished her climb in the window and just stared at Oz.
"Sleep well?" Oz asked, not opening his eyes.
"I had some business to do," Dawn said attempting not to be defensive.
Oz opened his eyes and looked at her.
Dawn swallowed hard and went to where Oz was sitting.
"There was something that had to be done that only I could do."
"You could have asked," Oz told her.
Dawn's temper overran her good sense, "You wouldn't have let me. You and Giles would have attempted to find some way of keeping me here. I had to go. There was a definite reason that I had to go. I'm tired of being treated like a child. I'm nineteen, I'm the Slayer. I'm an old Slayer."
Oz looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "You're also sick."
"I'm so close," Dawn said almost begging, "I know this will work. I know that Buffy can do it."
Oz gently rubbed a hand through her hair. She could feel the worry emanating off him.
"I think it's to early…"
"No," Dawn said interrupting him, "I won't listen to you tell me that I'm hoping too much. I'm tired of being sick. It is nice to feel hope again. It makes me alive."
"Do you think Buffy can do it," he asked, carefully guarded.
Dawn nodded, "I know she will give her life to make me better."
Oz looked at the certainty in her young eyes. The blue shone with so much certainty that for a moment he hesitated. He had been by her side as they sought to find a cure. She was so ill she couldn't take more than four blows, at most. If she was up for more than four hours she would turn into the walking dead. She was being killed within her own body.
He was afraid the disappointment from this hope would kill her.
"Dawn I just remember your stint where you were looking for death by vampire."
Dawn bit her lip.
She had spent six months sneaking out of the house. She had gone into cemeteries late at night hoping there was a vampire who would attempt to want to kill a Slayer. After a year of searching there was no way that she could be fixed. However none of the vampires would take her. They laughed at her. She could not beat them and they had direct orders from the Anointed One not to touch her. There was nothing better than an incapacitated Slayer. She couldn't stop them, and there was no chance another would be called. They were safe and Dawn found herself in deep depression.
"I have to have something to cling to," Dawn said softly.
"You do."
Dawn looked at the redhead. He had come into her life when she had entered Sunnydale. He was helping Giles. He was serious and reserved and at that time she was an emotional roller coaster. How they had gotten together was beyond her. His dry wit counterbalanced her craziness.
Dawn smiled and Oz put down his guitar. Dawn snuggled into his shoulder.
She was completely happy with him.
As she attempted to ignore the voices that told her worst fear. She had spent so long as something for him to protect, she worried that maybe when she could hold her own against him that perhaps things would change.
Dawn let go of these thoughts for a moment. She let herself be happy, she had hope and love.
***
"You should go," Spike said realizing that it was almost time for all of the minions to wake up.
Buffy nodded in agreement, "Do you understand the way things are going to go."
Spike nodded, "Yes for the thousandth time I understand."
Buffy got up quickly and went to the door. Spike stood up and looked after her. It had been so long since he had a woman who stood up to him and challenged him. There was something entrancing about a woman who was his equal both physically and personality wise. She challenged him.
"Slayer," he said softly.
Buffy turned and looked at him.
"I know I'm doing this because I have done nothing for the last ten years but protect a sick deranged vampire. I've made promises to keep her safe and now I have to protect a Slayer. Why are you doing this?"
"Why what?" Buffy asked pressing her lips into a line.
"I get why you are helping the helpless, being the Slayer and all. But why are you asking me."
Buffy inhaled deeply.
"No Slayer," Spike said seriously, stepping near her, "Don't lie."
"I'm not going to," she said indignantly.
Spike smiled and came up before her.
"When you lie," he said in a soft voice, "You press your lips together," he traced a thumb across her lips, "Then you take this deep breath and act overly confident your head tilts upwards," he ran a finger along her jaw line, "You seem to believe that you can will people to believe you."
"Do you believe me?" she asked looking into the deep pools of his eyes.
His head moved closer to her face, "I always know when you lie."
He kissed her again. Her back was against the wall and she knew that it would take a bit of pressure in the right places and he would take her. It was in his dreams.
His kiss was a little different though. She didn't feel like pounding him into the floor, she wanted to drown in this.
He pulled away.
"So why do you do this?" he said softly as if he had never kissed her or turned her legs to jelly.
She didn't have the courage to lie.
"Because I've died so many times. I've seen the worst in those I love the most and in myself. Sometimes I just need something to feel alive."
Spike pulled away, "So this is just a game is it Slayer."
Buffy smiled, "I stopped using you awhile ago, William."
With that she slid into the daylight.
***
Buffy had enjoyed patrolling tonight. The vampires were curious about her and they wanted to fight the new girl in town. It was nearly midnight when she got back to her house, but she still had plenty of energy. There was just something about not being ashamed that made her feel giddy to be with him.
She bounded into Giles' courtyard. there was a strange car in the driveway. It seemed somehow familiar.
She opened the door and looked at the visitors.
"Angel?"
a/n: I love everyone who has reviewed this. I know that most of you are B/S shippers. No flames. You've trusted me so far. Keep up the faith. I don't hate Angel though. He will be respected.
The Reason We're Here
Dawn snuck quietly into the house in the light of the sitting sun. As she climbed into the window she heard the strumming of a guitar.
Busted, Dawn thought as she went into the window.
Oz was laying on the bed with his guitar laying across his stomach. His eyes were closed and he was gently playing a melody that was hauntingly beautiful. It was the song that Oz had written for her.
Dawn finished her climb in the window and just stared at Oz.
"Sleep well?" Oz asked, not opening his eyes.
"I had some business to do," Dawn said attempting not to be defensive.
Oz opened his eyes and looked at her.
Dawn swallowed hard and went to where Oz was sitting.
"There was something that had to be done that only I could do."
"You could have asked," Oz told her.
Dawn's temper overran her good sense, "You wouldn't have let me. You and Giles would have attempted to find some way of keeping me here. I had to go. There was a definite reason that I had to go. I'm tired of being treated like a child. I'm nineteen, I'm the Slayer. I'm an old Slayer."
Oz looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "You're also sick."
"I'm so close," Dawn said almost begging, "I know this will work. I know that Buffy can do it."
Oz gently rubbed a hand through her hair. She could feel the worry emanating off him.
"I think it's to early…"
"No," Dawn said interrupting him, "I won't listen to you tell me that I'm hoping too much. I'm tired of being sick. It is nice to feel hope again. It makes me alive."
"Do you think Buffy can do it," he asked, carefully guarded.
Dawn nodded, "I know she will give her life to make me better."
Oz looked at the certainty in her young eyes. The blue shone with so much certainty that for a moment he hesitated. He had been by her side as they sought to find a cure. She was so ill she couldn't take more than four blows, at most. If she was up for more than four hours she would turn into the walking dead. She was being killed within her own body.
He was afraid the disappointment from this hope would kill her.
"Dawn I just remember your stint where you were looking for death by vampire."
Dawn bit her lip.
She had spent six months sneaking out of the house. She had gone into cemeteries late at night hoping there was a vampire who would attempt to want to kill a Slayer. After a year of searching there was no way that she could be fixed. However none of the vampires would take her. They laughed at her. She could not beat them and they had direct orders from the Anointed One not to touch her. There was nothing better than an incapacitated Slayer. She couldn't stop them, and there was no chance another would be called. They were safe and Dawn found herself in deep depression.
"I have to have something to cling to," Dawn said softly.
"You do."
Dawn looked at the redhead. He had come into her life when she had entered Sunnydale. He was helping Giles. He was serious and reserved and at that time she was an emotional roller coaster. How they had gotten together was beyond her. His dry wit counterbalanced her craziness.
Dawn smiled and Oz put down his guitar. Dawn snuggled into his shoulder.
She was completely happy with him.
As she attempted to ignore the voices that told her worst fear. She had spent so long as something for him to protect, she worried that maybe when she could hold her own against him that perhaps things would change.
Dawn let go of these thoughts for a moment. She let herself be happy, she had hope and love.
***
"You should go," Spike said realizing that it was almost time for all of the minions to wake up.
Buffy nodded in agreement, "Do you understand the way things are going to go."
Spike nodded, "Yes for the thousandth time I understand."
Buffy got up quickly and went to the door. Spike stood up and looked after her. It had been so long since he had a woman who stood up to him and challenged him. There was something entrancing about a woman who was his equal both physically and personality wise. She challenged him.
"Slayer," he said softly.
Buffy turned and looked at him.
"I know I'm doing this because I have done nothing for the last ten years but protect a sick deranged vampire. I've made promises to keep her safe and now I have to protect a Slayer. Why are you doing this?"
"Why what?" Buffy asked pressing her lips into a line.
"I get why you are helping the helpless, being the Slayer and all. But why are you asking me."
Buffy inhaled deeply.
"No Slayer," Spike said seriously, stepping near her, "Don't lie."
"I'm not going to," she said indignantly.
Spike smiled and came up before her.
"When you lie," he said in a soft voice, "You press your lips together," he traced a thumb across her lips, "Then you take this deep breath and act overly confident your head tilts upwards," he ran a finger along her jaw line, "You seem to believe that you can will people to believe you."
"Do you believe me?" she asked looking into the deep pools of his eyes.
His head moved closer to her face, "I always know when you lie."
He kissed her again. Her back was against the wall and she knew that it would take a bit of pressure in the right places and he would take her. It was in his dreams.
His kiss was a little different though. She didn't feel like pounding him into the floor, she wanted to drown in this.
He pulled away.
"So why do you do this?" he said softly as if he had never kissed her or turned her legs to jelly.
She didn't have the courage to lie.
"Because I've died so many times. I've seen the worst in those I love the most and in myself. Sometimes I just need something to feel alive."
Spike pulled away, "So this is just a game is it Slayer."
Buffy smiled, "I stopped using you awhile ago, William."
With that she slid into the daylight.
***
Buffy had enjoyed patrolling tonight. The vampires were curious about her and they wanted to fight the new girl in town. It was nearly midnight when she got back to her house, but she still had plenty of energy. There was just something about not being ashamed that made her feel giddy to be with him.
She bounded into Giles' courtyard. there was a strange car in the driveway. It seemed somehow familiar.
She opened the door and looked at the visitors.
"Angel?"
a/n: I love everyone who has reviewed this. I know that most of you are B/S shippers. No flames. You've trusted me so far. Keep up the faith. I don't hate Angel though. He will be respected.