Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox,
etc... except of course the ones I make up.
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.
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APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN
Chapter 6: Caring Regardless
Janice's eyes fluttered open. She wasn't sure where she was, or what had happened exactly, but she could tell something was wrong. She looked up to see the bleach-blonde vampire holding a ice pack on her head. That's when she felt the splitting headache and painful bump on her head. She moaned.
"She's awake!" Spike called out to someone, Janice could not tell who. Almost immediately Dawn came running over.
"Omigod! Janice! Are you ok?" She asked, kneeling by Janice who was laying on the living room couch.
"Ow," she replied. "What happened?"
"Uh, do you remember the demons?"
"Oh yeah. Did I pass out?"
Dawn nodded and bit her lip.
"Sorry."
"Don't be! Please, I totally understand that you were freaked!"
"But you're okay?" Spike asked. "You remember your name and the year and what odd?"
"Yeah. I remember."
Spike nodded and smiled down at her before turning his attention to Dawn who was kneeling next to him.
"That was right stupid what you did," he lectured her. "Taking your friend patrolling."
"Oh. Here we go," Dawn sighed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Why are you always getting on my case about everything? You are not my father!"
Spike stood angrily, still holding the ice pack. "Not your father? Fine! But I'm the bloody closest thing to one you've got right now!" He yelled, feeling like he shouldn't have to put up with her crap anymore. "Where's your father, then? If I'm not it, who is? I don't see Hank hanging around, or sending you birthday card, or helping you with your homework or being there for you. I am ALWAYS! So why would your bloody absentee father get more say than I do in your life?"
Dawn's eyes filled with tears and she turned around and stormed off shouting, "I'm going to tell Buffy that Janice is okay."
Dawn walked into the kitchen where Buffy was just getting off the phone. She turned around and cocked her head at her younger sister. She's grown up so much, so fast, Buffy thought. How did that happen?
"What was all that noise in there?" Buffy asked.
"Spike was yelling at me," Dawn told her quietly, not wanting to repeat what he said.
"Yelling at you?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay Dawn. I'm not gonna pry, because what you and Spike fight about is your business. However, I am gonna tell you to get over it! Whatever you and Spike have been bickering over the past couple of weeks, deal with it. If it means avoiding him completely, then do that. If it means sitting down like the mature adult I'm pretty sure you are and having a talk with him, then do that. Just fix whatever it is that's causing the two of you to bicker all the time. I mean, I don't know what happened. You two used to get along so well."
Dawn's jaw dropped a bit, her eyes were filled with anger. "How can you put this all on me? Why does everyone make everything my fault?"
"I'm not making this your fault, Dawn. I'm just asking you to do what you can to make the problem better; take a little initiative."
Dawn shook her head. "Whatever. Was that Janice's mom?"
Buffy sighed. "Yeah."
"What did you tell her happened?"
"I told her that you and Janice were fooling around and that she fell and hit her head. She seemed annoyed but not angry. I guess that's good, you know, that she'll probably let Janice come over again."
Dawn smiled. "That would definitely be a plus. I feel so bad though. Spike said it was stupid of me to take Janice, I guess he was right." Not that I'd ever admit it to him, she thought.
"Well, it isn't something I would have recommend, or even allowed, but I understand why you did it. Xander followed me once into the sewers, I hadn't known him a week, and I almost got him killed."
Dawn looked a bit surprised. "You invited him?"
"No, he just decided to tag along. But you have to understand, Dawnie, now that Janice knows, whether or not she goes on patrols or whatever, she will always be in danger. She knows a huge secret now; she knows of a world that people only have nightmares about and insist it couldn't be," Buffy paused. "God, I sound like Giles. But maybe it took me till now to realize how right he was. Anyone who knows is in danger, that's sort of just the way it is."
Dawn nodded. "I understand, Buffy. I really get it now."
"Good. Now, your friends mother is going to be here in fifteen minutes so why don't you explain to her 'the alibi.'"
"Okay," Dawn sighed as she walked back into the other room. At that point, Janice was sitting up, holding the ice pack on her own head. She was listening attentively tot he story Spike was telling her. He stopped when she noticed that the Slayer had walked into the room. She smiled at him pleasantly, and nodded as a sign to continue. He finished whatever it was that he was telling Janice just as her mother rang the doorbell. Dawn answered the door to an anxious Mrs. Penshaw walked into the house.
"Where's Janice? Is she okay?"
"I'm fine mom," Janice replied, walking into the entrance hall, still holding the ice pack.
"My god Janice. What were you doing?"
"Nothing, just jumping around on Dawn's bed. I fell and bumped my head."
Mrs. Penshaw shook her head at her daughter. "I will never understand you." Her gaze turned from Janice to Spike. "Oh, you must be... uh... Spike?"
The vampire smiled. "Yeah, that's me. Silly nickname, I know. You're welcome to call me William," he said politely, shaking the woman's hand.
"Oh," she said, "well, it's a pleasure to meet you." She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "you're as cute as Janice says."
Everyone heard her last comment. Janice's eyes widened and her cheeks and ears became bright red. Dawn merely giggled and she looked to Spike who looked as if he would surely be blushing if he could.
"Well, we better get going," Mrs. Penshaw said to Janice who nodded ferociously and walked out the door, mumbling a quick goodbye to Dawn. She closed the door behind them and looked to Spike.
"Well, that was an, interesting evening," he told the youngest Summers.
Dawn nodded.
Spike sighed and took Dawn by surprise when he took her into his arms. "Do you know how much I care about you."
Dawn let out a deep sigh, and felt the tension melt away. She wrapped her arms aound his waist and hugged him in response. "I know," she mumbled into his chest.
"And I worry, and I care. So please don't ever ask me not to. I love you always, regardless of whether you want me to."
Dawn nodded and suddenly felt the urge to cry. "I hate to fight with you."
Spike released the girl and looked down at her. "Then don't," he told her, a slight smile forming on his face. Dawn pushed his chest playfully before looking back up and him.
"I'll try."
"That's good, then. Now get up to bed. Youngsters like yourself need their rest."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "You'll never understand me," she told him.
"No Nibblet, I probably won't."
TBC...
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Please please please review! I'd love to know what you guys think. There's cookies and ice cream if you do...
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
APOCALYPSE NOW... AGAIN
Chapter 6: Caring Regardless
Janice's eyes fluttered open. She wasn't sure where she was, or what had happened exactly, but she could tell something was wrong. She looked up to see the bleach-blonde vampire holding a ice pack on her head. That's when she felt the splitting headache and painful bump on her head. She moaned.
"She's awake!" Spike called out to someone, Janice could not tell who. Almost immediately Dawn came running over.
"Omigod! Janice! Are you ok?" She asked, kneeling by Janice who was laying on the living room couch.
"Ow," she replied. "What happened?"
"Uh, do you remember the demons?"
"Oh yeah. Did I pass out?"
Dawn nodded and bit her lip.
"Sorry."
"Don't be! Please, I totally understand that you were freaked!"
"But you're okay?" Spike asked. "You remember your name and the year and what odd?"
"Yeah. I remember."
Spike nodded and smiled down at her before turning his attention to Dawn who was kneeling next to him.
"That was right stupid what you did," he lectured her. "Taking your friend patrolling."
"Oh. Here we go," Dawn sighed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Why are you always getting on my case about everything? You are not my father!"
Spike stood angrily, still holding the ice pack. "Not your father? Fine! But I'm the bloody closest thing to one you've got right now!" He yelled, feeling like he shouldn't have to put up with her crap anymore. "Where's your father, then? If I'm not it, who is? I don't see Hank hanging around, or sending you birthday card, or helping you with your homework or being there for you. I am ALWAYS! So why would your bloody absentee father get more say than I do in your life?"
Dawn's eyes filled with tears and she turned around and stormed off shouting, "I'm going to tell Buffy that Janice is okay."
Dawn walked into the kitchen where Buffy was just getting off the phone. She turned around and cocked her head at her younger sister. She's grown up so much, so fast, Buffy thought. How did that happen?
"What was all that noise in there?" Buffy asked.
"Spike was yelling at me," Dawn told her quietly, not wanting to repeat what he said.
"Yelling at you?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay Dawn. I'm not gonna pry, because what you and Spike fight about is your business. However, I am gonna tell you to get over it! Whatever you and Spike have been bickering over the past couple of weeks, deal with it. If it means avoiding him completely, then do that. If it means sitting down like the mature adult I'm pretty sure you are and having a talk with him, then do that. Just fix whatever it is that's causing the two of you to bicker all the time. I mean, I don't know what happened. You two used to get along so well."
Dawn's jaw dropped a bit, her eyes were filled with anger. "How can you put this all on me? Why does everyone make everything my fault?"
"I'm not making this your fault, Dawn. I'm just asking you to do what you can to make the problem better; take a little initiative."
Dawn shook her head. "Whatever. Was that Janice's mom?"
Buffy sighed. "Yeah."
"What did you tell her happened?"
"I told her that you and Janice were fooling around and that she fell and hit her head. She seemed annoyed but not angry. I guess that's good, you know, that she'll probably let Janice come over again."
Dawn smiled. "That would definitely be a plus. I feel so bad though. Spike said it was stupid of me to take Janice, I guess he was right." Not that I'd ever admit it to him, she thought.
"Well, it isn't something I would have recommend, or even allowed, but I understand why you did it. Xander followed me once into the sewers, I hadn't known him a week, and I almost got him killed."
Dawn looked a bit surprised. "You invited him?"
"No, he just decided to tag along. But you have to understand, Dawnie, now that Janice knows, whether or not she goes on patrols or whatever, she will always be in danger. She knows a huge secret now; she knows of a world that people only have nightmares about and insist it couldn't be," Buffy paused. "God, I sound like Giles. But maybe it took me till now to realize how right he was. Anyone who knows is in danger, that's sort of just the way it is."
Dawn nodded. "I understand, Buffy. I really get it now."
"Good. Now, your friends mother is going to be here in fifteen minutes so why don't you explain to her 'the alibi.'"
"Okay," Dawn sighed as she walked back into the other room. At that point, Janice was sitting up, holding the ice pack on her own head. She was listening attentively tot he story Spike was telling her. He stopped when she noticed that the Slayer had walked into the room. She smiled at him pleasantly, and nodded as a sign to continue. He finished whatever it was that he was telling Janice just as her mother rang the doorbell. Dawn answered the door to an anxious Mrs. Penshaw walked into the house.
"Where's Janice? Is she okay?"
"I'm fine mom," Janice replied, walking into the entrance hall, still holding the ice pack.
"My god Janice. What were you doing?"
"Nothing, just jumping around on Dawn's bed. I fell and bumped my head."
Mrs. Penshaw shook her head at her daughter. "I will never understand you." Her gaze turned from Janice to Spike. "Oh, you must be... uh... Spike?"
The vampire smiled. "Yeah, that's me. Silly nickname, I know. You're welcome to call me William," he said politely, shaking the woman's hand.
"Oh," she said, "well, it's a pleasure to meet you." She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "you're as cute as Janice says."
Everyone heard her last comment. Janice's eyes widened and her cheeks and ears became bright red. Dawn merely giggled and she looked to Spike who looked as if he would surely be blushing if he could.
"Well, we better get going," Mrs. Penshaw said to Janice who nodded ferociously and walked out the door, mumbling a quick goodbye to Dawn. She closed the door behind them and looked to Spike.
"Well, that was an, interesting evening," he told the youngest Summers.
Dawn nodded.
Spike sighed and took Dawn by surprise when he took her into his arms. "Do you know how much I care about you."
Dawn let out a deep sigh, and felt the tension melt away. She wrapped her arms aound his waist and hugged him in response. "I know," she mumbled into his chest.
"And I worry, and I care. So please don't ever ask me not to. I love you always, regardless of whether you want me to."
Dawn nodded and suddenly felt the urge to cry. "I hate to fight with you."
Spike released the girl and looked down at her. "Then don't," he told her, a slight smile forming on his face. Dawn pushed his chest playfully before looking back up and him.
"I'll try."
"That's good, then. Now get up to bed. Youngsters like yourself need their rest."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "You'll never understand me," she told him.
"No Nibblet, I probably won't."
TBC...
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Please please please review! I'd love to know what you guys think. There's cookies and ice cream if you do...