"Why did you kiss Spike?"
Of all the questions in the world, that was the one that Buffy did NOT need her sister asking.
"Well, he- he saved you. I was grateful. Isn't that a good enough reason?"
Dawn, who had been idly toying with her heavy cast, looked at Buffy with incredulous eyes. "I may be young, but I'm not stupid. Is there something going on with you and Spike?"
The shrewd look in Dawn's eyes demanded a truthful answer. Buffy sighed; funny, she'd been doing that a lot lately.
"Okay, yes. There is something going on. We, well, we made out a couple of times, and then, last night- I wasn't really fighting a demon."
The younger girl's eyes widened. All anger at getting her arm broken was forgotten. "You're boinking Spike?"
"In a word- yeah."
"Oh my God! This is so great! You love him, don't you? I knew you loved him as much as he loved you! I knew it! I knew it, I knew it! When are you gonna tell everybody? I can't wait to see Xander when he hears it! Finally, you have a cool boyfriend who isn't all Ooh-I'm-so-sexy-when-I- brood or Ooh-I'm-Mr.-Wholesome-America-guy. Yes! This is so cool!"
Apparently the babbling gene was hereditary.
"Look, Dawn, I never said I love Spike. I just said that we spent the night together. My feelings are totally too screwed up right now to make that kind of decision. And I am not telling anyone right now, ESPECIALLY Xander. And you better not tell anyone, little girl, or else."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Please. I am so totally trustworthy."
"What about the time I was fourteen and snuck out to see my boyfriend? You squealed before I hit the driveway."
"Yes, but, technically, that memory is fake. I didn't really do that."
"Okay, how about last week when you told Anya that I said she talks too much?"
"God, Buff, get a life. Do you have to remember every indiscretion I've ever committed?"
"Oh, you mean like stealing?"
Dawn had a deer caught in headlights expression. "What are you talking about? I- I don't steal."
"Uh-huh. And you just got that demon's talisman by- cleaning the Magic Box. And you don't have a box full of stolen stuff in a box on your desk. I notice these things."
"Are you gonna ground me or something?"
"At least not until morning. Look, I'm sorry I haven't been the greatest sister ever lately. But I'll start making more of an effort, I promise."
Dawn smiled. "Cool. Good night."
Buffy smiled and kissed Dawn on top of her head. "Night."
She got off the bed and walked out the door. Now for the hard part.
Buffy walked into Willow's room. The witch was shivering on the bed, looking cold, wet, and thoroughly disgusted with herself.
As she should be.
Buffy walked over and sat down. "Willow, how could you do this?"
Willow shook her head. "I don't know. I guess it was Rack; he gave me so much power. I couldn't stop it. Oh no, I can't believe I dragged Dawnie into this. Oh, God."
Buffy tried to look less pissed and more understanding. "I understand you have an addiction, Willow. But it has to stop now. You have to give up magic. For good. Otherwise, I'm sorry, but you can't live in my house and endanger my life and the life of my baby sister."
Willow nodded vigorously. "Oh, of course. This is it. No more magic. I'm done."
Buffy managed to curl the corners of her mouth into something resembling a smile. "Good. I'll be here to help you as best I can."
"Buffy, thank you so much. You're a better friend than I deserve."
"No, I'm not." Buffy got up and left the room and walked down the hall into her own room. She went straight to the window, threw it open, and climbed to the ground.
"Okay, Spike, besides the whole Slayer sensing vampires thing, I also have this thing called a nose. It can pick up amazing things. Even the smell of cigarette smoke."
Spike took one more quick puff and then stomped the cigarette out. "Sorry. Just wanted to see if Dawn was alright."
"Yes, she's fine. She only broke her arm. She'll have a cast for about six weeks."
Spike looked relieved. "Good. Good. So I'll be going then. So long, pet."
Buffy watched Spike saunter toward the road; he never walked. "Spike, wait!"
He turned around. "Yes, love?"
Buffy jogged over to where he was standing. "Thank you again. You were a really, really big help. Dawn and I appreciate it." She leaned in and gave him another kiss. This one was less friendly and more like their previous encounters. She left Spike standing there, stunned.
"Well. Hell of a thank you, wasn't it?"
Of all the questions in the world, that was the one that Buffy did NOT need her sister asking.
"Well, he- he saved you. I was grateful. Isn't that a good enough reason?"
Dawn, who had been idly toying with her heavy cast, looked at Buffy with incredulous eyes. "I may be young, but I'm not stupid. Is there something going on with you and Spike?"
The shrewd look in Dawn's eyes demanded a truthful answer. Buffy sighed; funny, she'd been doing that a lot lately.
"Okay, yes. There is something going on. We, well, we made out a couple of times, and then, last night- I wasn't really fighting a demon."
The younger girl's eyes widened. All anger at getting her arm broken was forgotten. "You're boinking Spike?"
"In a word- yeah."
"Oh my God! This is so great! You love him, don't you? I knew you loved him as much as he loved you! I knew it! I knew it, I knew it! When are you gonna tell everybody? I can't wait to see Xander when he hears it! Finally, you have a cool boyfriend who isn't all Ooh-I'm-so-sexy-when-I- brood or Ooh-I'm-Mr.-Wholesome-America-guy. Yes! This is so cool!"
Apparently the babbling gene was hereditary.
"Look, Dawn, I never said I love Spike. I just said that we spent the night together. My feelings are totally too screwed up right now to make that kind of decision. And I am not telling anyone right now, ESPECIALLY Xander. And you better not tell anyone, little girl, or else."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Please. I am so totally trustworthy."
"What about the time I was fourteen and snuck out to see my boyfriend? You squealed before I hit the driveway."
"Yes, but, technically, that memory is fake. I didn't really do that."
"Okay, how about last week when you told Anya that I said she talks too much?"
"God, Buff, get a life. Do you have to remember every indiscretion I've ever committed?"
"Oh, you mean like stealing?"
Dawn had a deer caught in headlights expression. "What are you talking about? I- I don't steal."
"Uh-huh. And you just got that demon's talisman by- cleaning the Magic Box. And you don't have a box full of stolen stuff in a box on your desk. I notice these things."
"Are you gonna ground me or something?"
"At least not until morning. Look, I'm sorry I haven't been the greatest sister ever lately. But I'll start making more of an effort, I promise."
Dawn smiled. "Cool. Good night."
Buffy smiled and kissed Dawn on top of her head. "Night."
She got off the bed and walked out the door. Now for the hard part.
Buffy walked into Willow's room. The witch was shivering on the bed, looking cold, wet, and thoroughly disgusted with herself.
As she should be.
Buffy walked over and sat down. "Willow, how could you do this?"
Willow shook her head. "I don't know. I guess it was Rack; he gave me so much power. I couldn't stop it. Oh no, I can't believe I dragged Dawnie into this. Oh, God."
Buffy tried to look less pissed and more understanding. "I understand you have an addiction, Willow. But it has to stop now. You have to give up magic. For good. Otherwise, I'm sorry, but you can't live in my house and endanger my life and the life of my baby sister."
Willow nodded vigorously. "Oh, of course. This is it. No more magic. I'm done."
Buffy managed to curl the corners of her mouth into something resembling a smile. "Good. I'll be here to help you as best I can."
"Buffy, thank you so much. You're a better friend than I deserve."
"No, I'm not." Buffy got up and left the room and walked down the hall into her own room. She went straight to the window, threw it open, and climbed to the ground.
"Okay, Spike, besides the whole Slayer sensing vampires thing, I also have this thing called a nose. It can pick up amazing things. Even the smell of cigarette smoke."
Spike took one more quick puff and then stomped the cigarette out. "Sorry. Just wanted to see if Dawn was alright."
"Yes, she's fine. She only broke her arm. She'll have a cast for about six weeks."
Spike looked relieved. "Good. Good. So I'll be going then. So long, pet."
Buffy watched Spike saunter toward the road; he never walked. "Spike, wait!"
He turned around. "Yes, love?"
Buffy jogged over to where he was standing. "Thank you again. You were a really, really big help. Dawn and I appreciate it." She leaned in and gave him another kiss. This one was less friendly and more like their previous encounters. She left Spike standing there, stunned.
"Well. Hell of a thank you, wasn't it?"
