Title: I Won't Leave Again
Chapter: Claims Are Overrated
Author: Niki
Rating: PG13 If you watch Buffy, you can read this. It's got some sexual innuendo and a little swearing(Bloody Hell mostly)
Spoilers: Takes place ten years after the end of season six, so anything up to season six is fair game.
Summary: Ten years after season six, Dawn is a single mother, Buffy is dead, and Willow and Xander are married and have a baby. Dawn is being hunted by Angelus, and Spike comes back to Sunnydale with a little surprise.
Disclaimer: I own Nothing! Jos owns everything. Although I wish I owned Spike (insert evil laugh here) The lyrics are from the Song "Sk8ter Boi" and belong to Avril Lavigne
Ships: Xander/Willow, talks about Angel/Dawn, Will eventually be Spike/Dawn. Reviewing makes me write faster! Ok, not really, but it makes me happy!
A/N-to make things less confusing, Willow's nickname will be Wills, and William will be Will.
A/N2 The spell is about half real latin I learned in my Latin class, and about half made up stuff that fits. Please don't complain or flame me if you know latin or a student of latin and see that it makes no sense. I know it makes no sense. It's just a fic!
REPOSTED 10-6-02 BECAUSE THE FORMAT WAS MESSED UP.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Here's another chapter, I think it's my longest yet! I'll try to get longer and longer, but sometimes the chapters just need to end at a certain point. I'll try to get another chapter out soon, but my pesky life keeps interfering with my writing. Thanks for all the great reviews! You guys rock. I am on two people's favorite author lists! I'm so excited! Chapter 7 is taking a little longer than I expected, so please be patient! I'm typong as fast as humanly possible ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Dawnie, are you sure about this?" Willow asked, concerned for the welfare of the woman who had become like the little sister she never had.
"Yeah Dawnie, I really don't like leaving you here with that evil bloodsucking fiend." Xander added, throwing 3 suitcases into his truck.
"Xander, we've been over this. He's not evil anymore. Besides you were fine to leave me with him over the summer when Buffy...d-died."
"That was different, Dawnster."
"Really. I think the only difference is that you were all too wrapped up in your own grief to even think about me. Spike had the most to grieve for, and yet he had enough of a heart to make me feel better, and make me laugh, even when he was crying inside."
"Dawnie, I really don't want to fight right now."
So she shut up, hugged them goodbye, and sent them on their way. Secretly she was happy they were gone. She was looking forward to the weeks spent alone with Spike. She had thought she had gotten over her teenage crush on Spike years ago, 9 to be precise. Seeing her sister holding his baby had taken all her thoughts about ever liking, even loving him right away. But being back in close proximity with him had brought many of those thoughts right back. She knew Spike was concerned about his daughter, and held no amorous thoughts towards her. She smiled wistfully. Naked Spike would have to remain in her dreams. But being alone with Spike wasn't the only reason she was glad the Slayerettes were gone. The tension had been so thick you could cut it with a knife ever since Spike came. She knew Xander hated him, and good little wife Willow thought and did whatever Xander wanted her too. She walked into the house, and into the kitchen, to start preparing supper.
~*~*~*~*~
It seemed so out of place. Spike, the big bad vampire, once a scourge of Europe, eating grilled cheese at a table with 4 children. He laughed quietly to himself. Dawn looked up at him quizzically, and he just shrugged. It was amazing how much she had grown up. He had left here, and she had been a fourteen year old, kind of gawky, he guessed she was pretty, but he never really thought of her in that way. He came back, only ten years later, and she had grown into this beautiful, mature woman. That way was becoming a very nice way of thinking of her in. *No, Bad Spike!* He thought *This is Dawnie! Dawnie! You were in love with her sister!* He stopped and realized what he had just silently said. *You were in love* that was the first time he had admitted to himself he didn't love her anymore. When he decided to come back, he assumed that the seccond he saw her again, all his old feelings would be renewed. So much for that idea. Dawn's voice broke him out of his reverie.
"Spike?" she asked. "You okay?"
"Yeah, Nibblet, fine, just thinking."
"Must have been some deep thought." she commented.
He looked around, and realized that all the kids had left the table, and Dawn had started to clean up. He jumped up and immediately started to help her.
"You were thinking about Buffy, weren't you?" she asked quietly.
"I was, but not in the way you were thinking," he said, but refused to say anything more.
~*~*~*~*~
That night, as they both climbed into Dawn's bed, Dawn having insisted he sleep with her, even though Xander and Willow had vacated their room, leaving a perfectly good bed behind, she looked at Spike and asked the question that had been plaguing her ever since she had seen him in the hotel.
"Do you still love Buffy?"
"No, Dawnie," he answered truthfully. "I will always love your sister in some way, but not in the want to be with for the rest of my life, let's go get married and have a huge brood of kids way."
"Then why did you come back?"
"It was my only choice. I hate to admit this, but I can't protect Anna on my own. She has to go to school, and I can't be there during the day. The Initiative could easily come get her at school or at the bus stop."
"We better go to sleep, it's going to be an early day, since I have to register Anna at Sunnydale Elementary." With that she turned out the light. The last thing she heard before she drifted off was Spike's quiet voice
"I won't leave again"
~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, Dawn wolk up to her clock-radio playing one of her favorite songs
He was a boy, she was a girl
Can I make it any more obvious?
He was a punk, she did ballet
What more can I say?
He wanted her, she'd never tell
secretly she wanted him as well.
But all of her friends stuck up their nose
and they had a problem with his baggy clothes.
It sounded almost like Buffy and Spike, just change punk to vampire and ballet to slayer. The little voice inside her head added that it worked perfectly fine for her and Spike as well. She shut the voice up, and went to go take a shower.
~*~*~*~*~
Dawn came out of the bathroom in a black ankle-length skirt and a deep red peasant blouse.
"And you complain about me wearing only black and red" Spike said from the bed. Dawn, who hadn't even realized what she was wearing, looked down at herself and giggled.
"Oh god!" she answered, "I'm turning into a Spike-ette." They both roared with laughter. Dawn walked out of the room still giggling, to wake up the children. Spike threw on a bathrobe, blood red of course, and went downstairs to make breakfast.
~*~*~*~*~
The four children trouped down the stairs, with Dawn right behind them. Will was in his usual black, but the three girls were all in matching pastel outfits. Anna had a pink plaid skirt and a pink sweater with a yellow turtleneck underneath, Joy had a yellow plaid skirt and a yellow sweater with a blue turtleneck, and Maggie had a blue plaid skirt, a blue sweater, and a pink turtleneck.
"Wow." said Spike, coming up behind he and leaning his head on her shoulder "They look like three sisters." The three children sat down to eat their french toast as Dawn answered.
"Well, two of them are cousins."
"No Bit, all three of them are cousins."
"What!"
"Well, what I neglected to tell you was that Anna's father was my brother, Charles."
"You're joking, right?"
"No, Nibblet, she's my niece."
"You didn't turn him, did you?"
"Nah, Angelus did that for me."
~*~*~*~*~
An hour later, Dawn was sitting in the principal's office at Sunnydale Elementary School filling out paperwork while a teacher tested Anna to see where to put her. Dawn had just finished explaining to Mrs. Wilkerson, the principal, that Anna's father was a close friend who was very ill and had moved to Sunnydale to recuperate, but was still too ill to get out of bed, so Dawn was doing him a favor by registering Anna, when a very astounded teacher and a very happy 6 year old came out of the testing room. While the teacher and the principal went into the other room to talk, Dawn asked Anna how she did.
"All the tests were easy!" she said excitedly, "Daddy taught me how to do all this stuff already." Mrs. Wilkerson and the even more flustered looking teacher came back in the room and sat down.
"Ms. Summers, Anna is very advanced for a six year old." the principal started, "She passed all the reading and writing tests with ease, and got a perfect score in math and history. Normally we don't allow students to not take kindergarten, but Anna would frankly be bored in a kindergarten class. Some children who are this advanced are lacking in social capabilities, which is the main purpose of kindergarten, but Anna is able to have a full adult conversation, and is very pleasurable to be around. Because of this, and her academic aptitude, we are going to, with your permission of course, put her straight into the seccond grade."
"That's great," answered Dawn, "Her father will be very happy about this."
They brought Anna to her new class, intoduced her to the other students, and Dawn left for work.
~*~*~*~*~
Dawn was on her lunch break. She had managed to convince her boss to let her leave at 3:00 so she could pick up her kids and bring them home, but she had to sacrifice her lunchtime to do it. All of the kids piled into her suv, chattering happily about their day. She dutifully listened to them for the 10 minute ride home. She ushered the four kids into the house, had a quick chat with Spike about afternoon snack, hoping he wouldn't load the kids down with sugar, then hopped back into her car, and drove back to the hotel. As she got out of the car and realized she still had 15 minutes until she had to be back at work, she quickly walked to the diner across the street. She felt that familliar feeling in the back of her neck as she ordered her food, and her premontion was rewarded when he slid into the seat next to her.
"You really think you can shuttle them back and forth from school everyday lover?"
"How did you- oh right, claiming thing, reading my mind."
"So my wonderful childe explained all about that did he? How close are the two of you really. Do I need to hurt him for daring to not only touch, but sleep with my property""
"I'm no one's property!" Dawn hissed.
"The claim made you mine." with that, he walked away. Dawn guessed the disapearing thing only worked at night.
~*~*~*~*~
Dawn and Spike were sitting at the kitchen table, discussing what had happened.
"I'm really scared Spike. I can't let him get the twins. And if he figures out you're Maggie's father, he'll probably kill her too.."
"Nibblet, once the Bitties are in bed, I'll show you how to block him. Right now, we should make dinner. No one is killing my daughter, or the twins." With that, Spike turned to the stove and started cooking.
~*~*~*~*~
The children had been put to bed, and Dawn and Spike were sitting on her bed in her room.
"Now Bit, I'm going to show you how vampires block each other. It's a lot easier if you're a vampire, but being both a slayer and a claimed mate, it shouldn't be to hard."
"Okay.."
"I want you to lay down on the bed and close your eyes." Dawn obeyed, and then she could tell through her eyelids that the lights had been shut off.
"Now I want you to completely relax. Concentrate on the feeling you get everytime he is around you." Dawn did, and was so surprised when she was suddenly aware of him, that she opened her eyes and lost the connection.
"What is it?" Spike asked, worried.
"I felt him." she answered, "All around me."
"Good," he said, "that means you've got it. I take it you were just surprised?"
"Yeah"
"Most likely he sensed you, and will be waiting for you when you go back. Feel free to talk to him, he can't hurt you when you're in his head. When you're ready, open you eyes, and I'll show you how to block him." Dawn closed her eyes and concentrated on the feeling, the shiver down her back that she got every time he was around. It happened again, and she could sense him all around her.
-What do I owe this visit to Lover?-
~Just want to see what you're up to. Looks like it's quality time with the minions~ Looking out of Angelus's body she could see him sitting in a chair in front of 35 or so young vampires.
-Just about to send a lovely welcoming party over to your house.-
~The whole invitation part might be a problem.~
-Well, we discovered these wonderful things called matches. We also discovered, if you light fire to a house, all of the occupants come running out.-
~You wouldn't!~
-You really want to bet you're children's lives on it?-
~I don't understand why you would want to kill your own children~
-I've told you before lover, I don't want to kill them, I just want to be their father. The fire and the vamps will be just to distract you and my disobedient childe.-
~Really. And how will you keep 35 fledglings under control enough to keep them from eating your dear children?~
-You know, I hadn't thought about that yet. Okay, I won't attack tonight.... but just wait- And with that she was back on the bed with Spike leaning over her.
"What happened?" he asked
She explained.
"Bloody Hell!"
"Tell me about it."
"Oh, but this is easy to fix. Just have Red put a fire proofing charm on the house."
"Spike, Wills doesn't do magic anymore. After Tara died, she kind of well, got doped up on magic and tried to cause an apocolypse. That's why she didn't just give Angel's soul back."
"I heard about the witch dying, but I didn't hear that part. I wondered why you didn't just recurse him."
"We tried to keep the fact that Willow, one of the scoobies, tried to end the world, pretty quiet. I can do some magic," she said, brighting up, "Is it an easy spell?"
"It's not quite easy, but with they slayer natural magical talent, and the vampire magic, we should be able to fire proof this house between the two of us."
"Okay."
"Angelus will be alert now, and it seems to me that he will be blocking you from getting in to his head, so we will have to block him later. Just don't think to strongly about this spell."
~*~*~*~*~
" Okay Platelet, we're in the circle, we have the candles lit, just read the words and concentrate on the spell."
" Ecce, laesith meci meni Vesta habitant protectant flamus!"
The candles each shot up into a big purple flame and then went out.
"Did it work?" Dawn asked. Spike lit his lighter and went up to a curtain. he held the flame up to the drapes for a good five minutes before moving on the other parts of the house, the doors, furniture, even the rugs. Since nothing went up in flames, it was proven that the spell had indeed worked.
"Okay Bit, do you want to try to block him now?"
"Sure." They went upstairs, and she lay on her bed again. Before closing her eyes she looked at the clock. It was 1:34. It was a good thing she had already told her boss she wouldn't be in the next day. She was going to pick up Giles at the airport. She was just now recovering from the total exhaustion of looking into Angel's mind, and the spell had depleted most of her reserve energy.
"Now Nibblet, Concentrate on him, but the seccond before you slip into his mind, I want you to say these words very loudly, clearly and firmly- I revoke your Claim on my mind. You no longer have my invitation."
Dawn nodded, then closed her eyes, and concentrated. The seccond the feeling of him came over her, she shouted
"I revoke your claim on my mind! You no longer have my invitation!" She heard him scream, felt this pulling sensation, almost as if part of her was being sucked out of her body. Then she was on the bed with Spike hovering over her.
"Bit? You okay?"
"Yeah, I think. Just dazed." She slowly sat up, and immediately lay back down as a wave of nausea went over her.
"Spike?"
"Nauseous Platelet?"
"Yeah"
"Typical side effect of revoking the claim. It's worse on the revokee. Angelus is probably puking his guts out right now."
"Please tell me you're joking. Not his actual guts?"
He laughed, "No Nibblet, his actual guts are safely residing inside his body, and they plan to stay that way."
Dawn went to answer, but instead went running for the bathroom. Spike followed her in and held her hair back while she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. When she was done, he gave her a glass of water, and helped her to sit against the tub.
"That wasn't cool" she said. "Why didn't you warn me about these side effects?"
"Sorry Bit, never seen this from the revoker's side before."
"I guess I'll forgive you this once," she smiled, affirming that it was a joke. "Does this negate the claim?" she asked, hopeful that Angelus would be out of her life forever.
"No Bit, just makes him ask permission before entering your mind. There's only two things that negate a claim; death and...."
"What?" she pressed, intrigued.
"I need to talk to Giles about it, I'm not sure if it will work. I don't want to get you're hopes up falsely, so I won't tell you until the watcher confirms my theory." He said adamantly. "It's way past midnight, Nibblet, you should go to bed. You need to be awake for work tommorrow"
"Not going to work tommorrow. I have it off to go pick Giles up from the airport. But, you're right. It's late, and I'm exhausted." She retreated into the bathroom to prepare for bed.
As they lay down for bed, Dawn asked Spike a question that had been on her mind for a while now. About ten years, to be exact.
"Spike?"
"Yeah Platelet?"
"Did you miss me?"
"Of course Platelet."
She closed her eyes about to drift off to sleep.
"Nibblet?"
"Mmm?"
"Did you miss me?"
"Mmm, course I did."
As she drifted into dreamland, she heard his nightly promise.
"I won't leave again."
Chapter: Claims Are Overrated
Author: Niki
Rating: PG13 If you watch Buffy, you can read this. It's got some sexual innuendo and a little swearing(Bloody Hell mostly)
Spoilers: Takes place ten years after the end of season six, so anything up to season six is fair game.
Summary: Ten years after season six, Dawn is a single mother, Buffy is dead, and Willow and Xander are married and have a baby. Dawn is being hunted by Angelus, and Spike comes back to Sunnydale with a little surprise.
Disclaimer: I own Nothing! Jos owns everything. Although I wish I owned Spike (insert evil laugh here) The lyrics are from the Song "Sk8ter Boi" and belong to Avril Lavigne
Ships: Xander/Willow, talks about Angel/Dawn, Will eventually be Spike/Dawn. Reviewing makes me write faster! Ok, not really, but it makes me happy!
A/N-to make things less confusing, Willow's nickname will be Wills, and William will be Will.
A/N2 The spell is about half real latin I learned in my Latin class, and about half made up stuff that fits. Please don't complain or flame me if you know latin or a student of latin and see that it makes no sense. I know it makes no sense. It's just a fic!
REPOSTED 10-6-02 BECAUSE THE FORMAT WAS MESSED UP.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Here's another chapter, I think it's my longest yet! I'll try to get longer and longer, but sometimes the chapters just need to end at a certain point. I'll try to get another chapter out soon, but my pesky life keeps interfering with my writing. Thanks for all the great reviews! You guys rock. I am on two people's favorite author lists! I'm so excited! Chapter 7 is taking a little longer than I expected, so please be patient! I'm typong as fast as humanly possible ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Dawnie, are you sure about this?" Willow asked, concerned for the welfare of the woman who had become like the little sister she never had.
"Yeah Dawnie, I really don't like leaving you here with that evil bloodsucking fiend." Xander added, throwing 3 suitcases into his truck.
"Xander, we've been over this. He's not evil anymore. Besides you were fine to leave me with him over the summer when Buffy...d-died."
"That was different, Dawnster."
"Really. I think the only difference is that you were all too wrapped up in your own grief to even think about me. Spike had the most to grieve for, and yet he had enough of a heart to make me feel better, and make me laugh, even when he was crying inside."
"Dawnie, I really don't want to fight right now."
So she shut up, hugged them goodbye, and sent them on their way. Secretly she was happy they were gone. She was looking forward to the weeks spent alone with Spike. She had thought she had gotten over her teenage crush on Spike years ago, 9 to be precise. Seeing her sister holding his baby had taken all her thoughts about ever liking, even loving him right away. But being back in close proximity with him had brought many of those thoughts right back. She knew Spike was concerned about his daughter, and held no amorous thoughts towards her. She smiled wistfully. Naked Spike would have to remain in her dreams. But being alone with Spike wasn't the only reason she was glad the Slayerettes were gone. The tension had been so thick you could cut it with a knife ever since Spike came. She knew Xander hated him, and good little wife Willow thought and did whatever Xander wanted her too. She walked into the house, and into the kitchen, to start preparing supper.
~*~*~*~*~
It seemed so out of place. Spike, the big bad vampire, once a scourge of Europe, eating grilled cheese at a table with 4 children. He laughed quietly to himself. Dawn looked up at him quizzically, and he just shrugged. It was amazing how much she had grown up. He had left here, and she had been a fourteen year old, kind of gawky, he guessed she was pretty, but he never really thought of her in that way. He came back, only ten years later, and she had grown into this beautiful, mature woman. That way was becoming a very nice way of thinking of her in. *No, Bad Spike!* He thought *This is Dawnie! Dawnie! You were in love with her sister!* He stopped and realized what he had just silently said. *You were in love* that was the first time he had admitted to himself he didn't love her anymore. When he decided to come back, he assumed that the seccond he saw her again, all his old feelings would be renewed. So much for that idea. Dawn's voice broke him out of his reverie.
"Spike?" she asked. "You okay?"
"Yeah, Nibblet, fine, just thinking."
"Must have been some deep thought." she commented.
He looked around, and realized that all the kids had left the table, and Dawn had started to clean up. He jumped up and immediately started to help her.
"You were thinking about Buffy, weren't you?" she asked quietly.
"I was, but not in the way you were thinking," he said, but refused to say anything more.
~*~*~*~*~
That night, as they both climbed into Dawn's bed, Dawn having insisted he sleep with her, even though Xander and Willow had vacated their room, leaving a perfectly good bed behind, she looked at Spike and asked the question that had been plaguing her ever since she had seen him in the hotel.
"Do you still love Buffy?"
"No, Dawnie," he answered truthfully. "I will always love your sister in some way, but not in the want to be with for the rest of my life, let's go get married and have a huge brood of kids way."
"Then why did you come back?"
"It was my only choice. I hate to admit this, but I can't protect Anna on my own. She has to go to school, and I can't be there during the day. The Initiative could easily come get her at school or at the bus stop."
"We better go to sleep, it's going to be an early day, since I have to register Anna at Sunnydale Elementary." With that she turned out the light. The last thing she heard before she drifted off was Spike's quiet voice
"I won't leave again"
~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, Dawn wolk up to her clock-radio playing one of her favorite songs
He was a boy, she was a girl
Can I make it any more obvious?
He was a punk, she did ballet
What more can I say?
He wanted her, she'd never tell
secretly she wanted him as well.
But all of her friends stuck up their nose
and they had a problem with his baggy clothes.
It sounded almost like Buffy and Spike, just change punk to vampire and ballet to slayer. The little voice inside her head added that it worked perfectly fine for her and Spike as well. She shut the voice up, and went to go take a shower.
~*~*~*~*~
Dawn came out of the bathroom in a black ankle-length skirt and a deep red peasant blouse.
"And you complain about me wearing only black and red" Spike said from the bed. Dawn, who hadn't even realized what she was wearing, looked down at herself and giggled.
"Oh god!" she answered, "I'm turning into a Spike-ette." They both roared with laughter. Dawn walked out of the room still giggling, to wake up the children. Spike threw on a bathrobe, blood red of course, and went downstairs to make breakfast.
~*~*~*~*~
The four children trouped down the stairs, with Dawn right behind them. Will was in his usual black, but the three girls were all in matching pastel outfits. Anna had a pink plaid skirt and a pink sweater with a yellow turtleneck underneath, Joy had a yellow plaid skirt and a yellow sweater with a blue turtleneck, and Maggie had a blue plaid skirt, a blue sweater, and a pink turtleneck.
"Wow." said Spike, coming up behind he and leaning his head on her shoulder "They look like three sisters." The three children sat down to eat their french toast as Dawn answered.
"Well, two of them are cousins."
"No Bit, all three of them are cousins."
"What!"
"Well, what I neglected to tell you was that Anna's father was my brother, Charles."
"You're joking, right?"
"No, Nibblet, she's my niece."
"You didn't turn him, did you?"
"Nah, Angelus did that for me."
~*~*~*~*~
An hour later, Dawn was sitting in the principal's office at Sunnydale Elementary School filling out paperwork while a teacher tested Anna to see where to put her. Dawn had just finished explaining to Mrs. Wilkerson, the principal, that Anna's father was a close friend who was very ill and had moved to Sunnydale to recuperate, but was still too ill to get out of bed, so Dawn was doing him a favor by registering Anna, when a very astounded teacher and a very happy 6 year old came out of the testing room. While the teacher and the principal went into the other room to talk, Dawn asked Anna how she did.
"All the tests were easy!" she said excitedly, "Daddy taught me how to do all this stuff already." Mrs. Wilkerson and the even more flustered looking teacher came back in the room and sat down.
"Ms. Summers, Anna is very advanced for a six year old." the principal started, "She passed all the reading and writing tests with ease, and got a perfect score in math and history. Normally we don't allow students to not take kindergarten, but Anna would frankly be bored in a kindergarten class. Some children who are this advanced are lacking in social capabilities, which is the main purpose of kindergarten, but Anna is able to have a full adult conversation, and is very pleasurable to be around. Because of this, and her academic aptitude, we are going to, with your permission of course, put her straight into the seccond grade."
"That's great," answered Dawn, "Her father will be very happy about this."
They brought Anna to her new class, intoduced her to the other students, and Dawn left for work.
~*~*~*~*~
Dawn was on her lunch break. She had managed to convince her boss to let her leave at 3:00 so she could pick up her kids and bring them home, but she had to sacrifice her lunchtime to do it. All of the kids piled into her suv, chattering happily about their day. She dutifully listened to them for the 10 minute ride home. She ushered the four kids into the house, had a quick chat with Spike about afternoon snack, hoping he wouldn't load the kids down with sugar, then hopped back into her car, and drove back to the hotel. As she got out of the car and realized she still had 15 minutes until she had to be back at work, she quickly walked to the diner across the street. She felt that familliar feeling in the back of her neck as she ordered her food, and her premontion was rewarded when he slid into the seat next to her.
"You really think you can shuttle them back and forth from school everyday lover?"
"How did you- oh right, claiming thing, reading my mind."
"So my wonderful childe explained all about that did he? How close are the two of you really. Do I need to hurt him for daring to not only touch, but sleep with my property""
"I'm no one's property!" Dawn hissed.
"The claim made you mine." with that, he walked away. Dawn guessed the disapearing thing only worked at night.
~*~*~*~*~
Dawn and Spike were sitting at the kitchen table, discussing what had happened.
"I'm really scared Spike. I can't let him get the twins. And if he figures out you're Maggie's father, he'll probably kill her too.."
"Nibblet, once the Bitties are in bed, I'll show you how to block him. Right now, we should make dinner. No one is killing my daughter, or the twins." With that, Spike turned to the stove and started cooking.
~*~*~*~*~
The children had been put to bed, and Dawn and Spike were sitting on her bed in her room.
"Now Bit, I'm going to show you how vampires block each other. It's a lot easier if you're a vampire, but being both a slayer and a claimed mate, it shouldn't be to hard."
"Okay.."
"I want you to lay down on the bed and close your eyes." Dawn obeyed, and then she could tell through her eyelids that the lights had been shut off.
"Now I want you to completely relax. Concentrate on the feeling you get everytime he is around you." Dawn did, and was so surprised when she was suddenly aware of him, that she opened her eyes and lost the connection.
"What is it?" Spike asked, worried.
"I felt him." she answered, "All around me."
"Good," he said, "that means you've got it. I take it you were just surprised?"
"Yeah"
"Most likely he sensed you, and will be waiting for you when you go back. Feel free to talk to him, he can't hurt you when you're in his head. When you're ready, open you eyes, and I'll show you how to block him." Dawn closed her eyes and concentrated on the feeling, the shiver down her back that she got every time he was around. It happened again, and she could sense him all around her.
-What do I owe this visit to Lover?-
~Just want to see what you're up to. Looks like it's quality time with the minions~ Looking out of Angelus's body she could see him sitting in a chair in front of 35 or so young vampires.
-Just about to send a lovely welcoming party over to your house.-
~The whole invitation part might be a problem.~
-Well, we discovered these wonderful things called matches. We also discovered, if you light fire to a house, all of the occupants come running out.-
~You wouldn't!~
-You really want to bet you're children's lives on it?-
~I don't understand why you would want to kill your own children~
-I've told you before lover, I don't want to kill them, I just want to be their father. The fire and the vamps will be just to distract you and my disobedient childe.-
~Really. And how will you keep 35 fledglings under control enough to keep them from eating your dear children?~
-You know, I hadn't thought about that yet. Okay, I won't attack tonight.... but just wait- And with that she was back on the bed with Spike leaning over her.
"What happened?" he asked
She explained.
"Bloody Hell!"
"Tell me about it."
"Oh, but this is easy to fix. Just have Red put a fire proofing charm on the house."
"Spike, Wills doesn't do magic anymore. After Tara died, she kind of well, got doped up on magic and tried to cause an apocolypse. That's why she didn't just give Angel's soul back."
"I heard about the witch dying, but I didn't hear that part. I wondered why you didn't just recurse him."
"We tried to keep the fact that Willow, one of the scoobies, tried to end the world, pretty quiet. I can do some magic," she said, brighting up, "Is it an easy spell?"
"It's not quite easy, but with they slayer natural magical talent, and the vampire magic, we should be able to fire proof this house between the two of us."
"Okay."
"Angelus will be alert now, and it seems to me that he will be blocking you from getting in to his head, so we will have to block him later. Just don't think to strongly about this spell."
~*~*~*~*~
" Okay Platelet, we're in the circle, we have the candles lit, just read the words and concentrate on the spell."
" Ecce, laesith meci meni Vesta habitant protectant flamus!"
The candles each shot up into a big purple flame and then went out.
"Did it work?" Dawn asked. Spike lit his lighter and went up to a curtain. he held the flame up to the drapes for a good five minutes before moving on the other parts of the house, the doors, furniture, even the rugs. Since nothing went up in flames, it was proven that the spell had indeed worked.
"Okay Bit, do you want to try to block him now?"
"Sure." They went upstairs, and she lay on her bed again. Before closing her eyes she looked at the clock. It was 1:34. It was a good thing she had already told her boss she wouldn't be in the next day. She was going to pick up Giles at the airport. She was just now recovering from the total exhaustion of looking into Angel's mind, and the spell had depleted most of her reserve energy.
"Now Nibblet, Concentrate on him, but the seccond before you slip into his mind, I want you to say these words very loudly, clearly and firmly- I revoke your Claim on my mind. You no longer have my invitation."
Dawn nodded, then closed her eyes, and concentrated. The seccond the feeling of him came over her, she shouted
"I revoke your claim on my mind! You no longer have my invitation!" She heard him scream, felt this pulling sensation, almost as if part of her was being sucked out of her body. Then she was on the bed with Spike hovering over her.
"Bit? You okay?"
"Yeah, I think. Just dazed." She slowly sat up, and immediately lay back down as a wave of nausea went over her.
"Spike?"
"Nauseous Platelet?"
"Yeah"
"Typical side effect of revoking the claim. It's worse on the revokee. Angelus is probably puking his guts out right now."
"Please tell me you're joking. Not his actual guts?"
He laughed, "No Nibblet, his actual guts are safely residing inside his body, and they plan to stay that way."
Dawn went to answer, but instead went running for the bathroom. Spike followed her in and held her hair back while she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. When she was done, he gave her a glass of water, and helped her to sit against the tub.
"That wasn't cool" she said. "Why didn't you warn me about these side effects?"
"Sorry Bit, never seen this from the revoker's side before."
"I guess I'll forgive you this once," she smiled, affirming that it was a joke. "Does this negate the claim?" she asked, hopeful that Angelus would be out of her life forever.
"No Bit, just makes him ask permission before entering your mind. There's only two things that negate a claim; death and...."
"What?" she pressed, intrigued.
"I need to talk to Giles about it, I'm not sure if it will work. I don't want to get you're hopes up falsely, so I won't tell you until the watcher confirms my theory." He said adamantly. "It's way past midnight, Nibblet, you should go to bed. You need to be awake for work tommorrow"
"Not going to work tommorrow. I have it off to go pick Giles up from the airport. But, you're right. It's late, and I'm exhausted." She retreated into the bathroom to prepare for bed.
As they lay down for bed, Dawn asked Spike a question that had been on her mind for a while now. About ten years, to be exact.
"Spike?"
"Yeah Platelet?"
"Did you miss me?"
"Of course Platelet."
She closed her eyes about to drift off to sleep.
"Nibblet?"
"Mmm?"
"Did you miss me?"
"Mmm, course I did."
As she drifted into dreamland, she heard his nightly promise.
"I won't leave again."