Summary: Set after The Gift. Buffy's gone, and Spike is protecting Dawn,
that is, until he meets up with some vamps who want to perform a "raising".
Angel comes in to help, but can he? Rated R for violence, gore, and
language.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns all Buffy characters; I'm just borrowing for my stories.
Rating: R
~PART ONE~
Dawn lay awake in her comfy twin bed, staring up at the plain white ceiling above her. She listened carefully. The house was silent. The only sound was the wind whistling shrilly through the giant oak outside her window. She sighed loudly and glanced over to the digital clock that sat beside her bed.
Any minute now, she thought, any.. She stopped suddenly, holding her breath. There was a slight squeak from the bed on the other side of her wall. Here we go.
Dawn padded down the hallway and opened his door silently. She peeked her head around the corner.
The moonlight shone through the only window in the room and reflected off of his slick, pale, flawless skin. He looked like a marble statue in contrast to the black silk sheets that adorned his queen-sized bed. She walked in, carefully closing the door behind her. She pulled out her usual stool from behind the closet door and placed it beside his bed. Spike was dead asleep, but was occasionally tossing restlessly from side to side. He was dreaming. Terrible nightmares flickered behind closed eyelids. Sadly, she knew what there were about.
It had been almost a month since the night Buffy died. A lot of things had changed since then. Spike had moved into the Summer's home the day Dawn got home from the hospital so that he could watch over her more efficiently. Giles had moved back to England, but not before signing custody of Dawn over to Spike. Buffy had had papers drawn up not long after her mother died that stated in the event of her death, Giles would have full custody of Dawn. Thank god, Dawn thought. She couldn't imagine moving away from Sunnydale with another family. Willow and Tara were fighting. Xander hardly ever laughed anymore. Even Anya had been quiet and more polite lately.
Dawn took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Her whole world was falling apart. At least Spike is here with me. She sighed. But even he is changing.
Spike whimpered in his sleep, and Dawn snapped out of her daze. He began to toss violently. His body was damp with sweat. "Buffy.so sorry.no, please.wait" he mumbled, his voice painfully despite.
"Shhh, Spike," Dawn whispered, trying to calm him. "It's ok, I'm here with you."
He didn't seem to hear Dawn. "So sorry.gotta help ya.I tried.sorry." His body began to tremble slightly. Soon he was yelling. "Take me! Hell-god bitch.please! Wait!" His trembling soon turned to a sort of shivering. He turned over again, now facing Dawn. A single tear trailed down his pale cheek.
"Spike, it's ok," Dawn whispered again. Tears sprung to her eyes. She reached over and whipped his wet cheek with the back of her hand. She began to stroke his bare arm, which during his tossing, had landed on top of the covers beside Dawn. Spike immediately quit tossing.
"So sorry.come back.to.me" he mumbled. His shivering slowed until he only trembled slightly.
Dawn watched him quietly. Tears trickled down her face unchecked. Spike, I'm the one who should be sorry, she thought. If it weren't for me, Buffy would still be here. I'm sorry. She sobbed silently. Finally Spike stopped moving altogether.
Dawn stood up and straightened the twisted covers and pulled them back up to Spike's shoulders. He sighed. She turned, replaced the chair to its original spot but the door, and slipped back to her room.
~PART TWO~
"Dawn! Get your ass outa' bed and down here now! You'll be late for school!" Spike yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "Breakfast is almost ready!" he added before walking back to the kitchen to put the pan of scrambled eggs he had in his hand back on the cooling stove.
You have GOT to be kidding me! It's only." she glanced over at the clock from under her covers. "Noooooo!" she wailed. "I'm going to be late!" she pulled the covers back over her head.
"Nibblet, I will give you 30 seconds to get out of bed and start getting ready for school OR ELSE!" Spike hollered as he walked back out to the living room.
"Or else what?" Dawn yelled back as bravely as she could.
Spike started up the stairs. "You'll find out in bout', oh lets say, 20 seconds," he said thoughtfully, a small grin on his face.
Dawn's eyes went wide. "Ok, ok! I'm up!" She jumped up and threw the covers off of herself. "I'm getting out of." Thud. "Owww!"
Spike started in alarm, and took the rest of the stairs two at a time. He burst into Dawn's room, nearly taking the door off of the hinges. "Dawn!" He looked around frantically until he heard giggling.
"Bed," Dawn said between giggles. She was laying on the floor beside her bed, wrapped up in her blankets. She tried to get up only to fall flat on her butt, giggling.
"Here.let me.help ya," Spike walked over to her, trying desperately not to laugh.
"Go ahead, have yourself a good laugh," Dawn said, rolling her eyes as Spike helped her untangle herself. He looked down at her and started to chuckle. Then it turned to a roar of laughter, starting deep in his chest and working it's way up his throat. He sat down on the bed gripping his sides. "Ok, it's not that funny," Dawn rolled her eyes, finally getting up off the floor.
Spike finally got himself under control. He stood up slowly and looked up at Dawn, ruffling her hair. "Sorry Little Bit. I really needed that." He smiled down at her.
"S'ok. That's the first time I've really ever heard you laugh since." Dawn stopped and looked up at Spike.
"I know. I'm sorry Bit." He gazed down at her, noticing a tear roll down her cheek. He wiped it away quickly with the back of his hand. "None of that now. Don't worry. We will both be ok, I promise."
"I know, I know." She looked up at him, and she smiled. "Just don't in the habit of laughing at me to much."
"No worries then Nibblet. Now get ready for school. Breakfast is waiting." Spike said as he turned to leave.
"Spike?"
He turned to face her again. "Yeah luv?"
"Thanks again, for everything."
"Not a problem pet."
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns all Buffy characters; I'm just borrowing for my stories.
Rating: R
~PART ONE~
Dawn lay awake in her comfy twin bed, staring up at the plain white ceiling above her. She listened carefully. The house was silent. The only sound was the wind whistling shrilly through the giant oak outside her window. She sighed loudly and glanced over to the digital clock that sat beside her bed.
Any minute now, she thought, any.. She stopped suddenly, holding her breath. There was a slight squeak from the bed on the other side of her wall. Here we go.
Dawn padded down the hallway and opened his door silently. She peeked her head around the corner.
The moonlight shone through the only window in the room and reflected off of his slick, pale, flawless skin. He looked like a marble statue in contrast to the black silk sheets that adorned his queen-sized bed. She walked in, carefully closing the door behind her. She pulled out her usual stool from behind the closet door and placed it beside his bed. Spike was dead asleep, but was occasionally tossing restlessly from side to side. He was dreaming. Terrible nightmares flickered behind closed eyelids. Sadly, she knew what there were about.
It had been almost a month since the night Buffy died. A lot of things had changed since then. Spike had moved into the Summer's home the day Dawn got home from the hospital so that he could watch over her more efficiently. Giles had moved back to England, but not before signing custody of Dawn over to Spike. Buffy had had papers drawn up not long after her mother died that stated in the event of her death, Giles would have full custody of Dawn. Thank god, Dawn thought. She couldn't imagine moving away from Sunnydale with another family. Willow and Tara were fighting. Xander hardly ever laughed anymore. Even Anya had been quiet and more polite lately.
Dawn took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Her whole world was falling apart. At least Spike is here with me. She sighed. But even he is changing.
Spike whimpered in his sleep, and Dawn snapped out of her daze. He began to toss violently. His body was damp with sweat. "Buffy.so sorry.no, please.wait" he mumbled, his voice painfully despite.
"Shhh, Spike," Dawn whispered, trying to calm him. "It's ok, I'm here with you."
He didn't seem to hear Dawn. "So sorry.gotta help ya.I tried.sorry." His body began to tremble slightly. Soon he was yelling. "Take me! Hell-god bitch.please! Wait!" His trembling soon turned to a sort of shivering. He turned over again, now facing Dawn. A single tear trailed down his pale cheek.
"Spike, it's ok," Dawn whispered again. Tears sprung to her eyes. She reached over and whipped his wet cheek with the back of her hand. She began to stroke his bare arm, which during his tossing, had landed on top of the covers beside Dawn. Spike immediately quit tossing.
"So sorry.come back.to.me" he mumbled. His shivering slowed until he only trembled slightly.
Dawn watched him quietly. Tears trickled down her face unchecked. Spike, I'm the one who should be sorry, she thought. If it weren't for me, Buffy would still be here. I'm sorry. She sobbed silently. Finally Spike stopped moving altogether.
Dawn stood up and straightened the twisted covers and pulled them back up to Spike's shoulders. He sighed. She turned, replaced the chair to its original spot but the door, and slipped back to her room.
~PART TWO~
"Dawn! Get your ass outa' bed and down here now! You'll be late for school!" Spike yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "Breakfast is almost ready!" he added before walking back to the kitchen to put the pan of scrambled eggs he had in his hand back on the cooling stove.
You have GOT to be kidding me! It's only." she glanced over at the clock from under her covers. "Noooooo!" she wailed. "I'm going to be late!" she pulled the covers back over her head.
"Nibblet, I will give you 30 seconds to get out of bed and start getting ready for school OR ELSE!" Spike hollered as he walked back out to the living room.
"Or else what?" Dawn yelled back as bravely as she could.
Spike started up the stairs. "You'll find out in bout', oh lets say, 20 seconds," he said thoughtfully, a small grin on his face.
Dawn's eyes went wide. "Ok, ok! I'm up!" She jumped up and threw the covers off of herself. "I'm getting out of." Thud. "Owww!"
Spike started in alarm, and took the rest of the stairs two at a time. He burst into Dawn's room, nearly taking the door off of the hinges. "Dawn!" He looked around frantically until he heard giggling.
"Bed," Dawn said between giggles. She was laying on the floor beside her bed, wrapped up in her blankets. She tried to get up only to fall flat on her butt, giggling.
"Here.let me.help ya," Spike walked over to her, trying desperately not to laugh.
"Go ahead, have yourself a good laugh," Dawn said, rolling her eyes as Spike helped her untangle herself. He looked down at her and started to chuckle. Then it turned to a roar of laughter, starting deep in his chest and working it's way up his throat. He sat down on the bed gripping his sides. "Ok, it's not that funny," Dawn rolled her eyes, finally getting up off the floor.
Spike finally got himself under control. He stood up slowly and looked up at Dawn, ruffling her hair. "Sorry Little Bit. I really needed that." He smiled down at her.
"S'ok. That's the first time I've really ever heard you laugh since." Dawn stopped and looked up at Spike.
"I know. I'm sorry Bit." He gazed down at her, noticing a tear roll down her cheek. He wiped it away quickly with the back of his hand. "None of that now. Don't worry. We will both be ok, I promise."
"I know, I know." She looked up at him, and she smiled. "Just don't in the habit of laughing at me to much."
"No worries then Nibblet. Now get ready for school. Breakfast is waiting." Spike said as he turned to leave.
"Spike?"
He turned to face her again. "Yeah luv?"
"Thanks again, for everything."
"Not a problem pet."