Dawn set her guitar down a few moments after Spike had gone. She lay back on her bed and sighed. She was trying to get things back to normal between her and Spike. The discomfort between them was practically tangible, and it was making her depressed. She was so used to being able to tell Spike anyway. She loved Spike. But that love was turning from sisterly to...love, love. Like..."I want to make out with you" love. And Dawn knew better than to hold out hope for him to return it, so she just felt even worse about the entire situation. Then, if he did happen to return her feelings, how was she to know if he wasn't...comparing her. To Buffy.
Dawn let her eyes fall shut and let herself drift to sleep.
Little white flowers. They were *everywhere*. Dawn turned in a slow circle and looked around. She was in the middle of this amazing field of white flowers. Daisies, maybe, she thought. She looked down at herself. She wore a white sundress and no shoes. The sun was so bright, she had to squint when she tried to see anything beyond the endless field. There were no trees, no scenery whatsoever. Only the field and the flowers.
"Strange. Isn't it?"
Dawn turned with a surprised gasp to face the voice behind her, "Spike!"
"Hey, Nibblet."
"What the Hell are you doing!? It's sunny out here; you'll be--Why aren't you burnt to a crisp?"
Spike shrugged.
"And why are you wearing that?" Dawn demanded, gesturing to the white linen shirt and loose white pants the vampire was wearing, "Are you...on something? Can vampires get high?"
Spike chuckled, "Yes, luv, we can. But I'm sober. I promise. I don't know what's with the get-up. As for the sun..." He looked up at the sky, "I don't know, that either."
"Your hair is really bright in sunlight." She commented, reaching out to run her hand through the mussed curls of platinum.
"Hm. I wouldn't know how they look anytime. Do you know why we're here?"
"Nope. It's nice here, though. Peaceful, I think."
"Peaceful?" Spike snorted, "This place is...wrong."
"Why?"
But he was fading.
"Spike? What's happening...Spike!"
Dawn reached out to grab his hand but he had already disintegrated. Not to ash or dust. He had just gone. Into thin air. She turned to look around the field, but suddenly she wasn't in the field anymore.
"You have to be strong." Buffy said urgently, holding Dawn's shoulder's tightly. "Be brave. Live."
"Buffy! No!"
Dawn watched the scene re-play from a third-person point of view. She felt tears falling from her eyes as her fourteen year old self began to sob.
"I love you, Dawnie."
Buffy took off running, and suddenly Dawn was in her sister's shoes. She was running, flying, falling, and then she hit the ground. When Dawn hit the ground, she sat up immediately. She was in a white room. This was familiar.
"I told you." Glory said softly from a white chair in front of her, "He can't protect you forever."
"GO away. Leave me ALONE!" Dawn sobbed, "I just want to forget you..."
"Sweetie, I'm trying to tell you something!" Glory said desperately, "Don't you get it? You changed it all that night when you and the blond babe made with the lips! He's not your protector anymore."
"Wh...What?"
"You took care of him that night, then you kissed. You both took what you have and flipped it upside down. You didn't make it better, or worse, it's just different now. Now he wonders if you want him and you wonder if he wants you. And both of you are too idiotic and human to get it."
Dawn squinted her eyes, "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that you have to grow up and tell him you're in love him. Because if you don't, it'll kill you from the inside. And even he can't protect you from that."
