A/N: Okay, so I only update every weekend or so, but I am committed to finishing this story, I promise. I just love other people's fan fiction too much, and when I should be writing mine, I am reading theirs. Anyway, if anyone thought that my explanation of the Hellmouth and stuff in the last chapter was a little too concise, I apologize, but I really wanted to get everyone up to date fast. Thanks for all the reviews, I am glad so many people like this story, but if you read it and you don't like it, you can tell me that too. ~E'Lise

Chapter Four: A Whole Different Vibe

When Buffy woke up, she was in her own bed. She stretched and rolled over; Spike was standing at her side. Everything came flooding back about Sunnydale, and the way she had left things with him. Then she thought about Angel, and she closed down again.

"What are you doing here, Spike?" Buffy asked warily. "You aren't lurking around my sister now, are you?"

"I was hanging about luv; it's a whole different vibe." Spike said amiably. "No, seriously, I just ran into her last night, and when I saw her, I kind of did the same thing you just did. She had the bouncer bring me back here, and I guess by the time I woke up, you were all gone."

"So that's why she crawled in bed with me last night. She left you sleeping in her room."

"Does she sleep in your bed often, Slayer?"

"Not so much anymore, but when we first moved here, we both had some really terrible nightmares, and one of us would end up in the other's bed, for comfort." Buffy explained. She pushed back the covers and got up out of her bed.

"It is nice that you are here, Spike," the slayer paused. "I think Dawn's missed you."

"And what about you, cutie, have you missed me?" Spike asked huskily.

"Oh Spike, I don't feel anything anymore, especially loss." With that Buffy turned and walked out of her room, leaving Spike to think about what she'd just said. Dawn peeked in the room.

"Guess it didn't go too well then," Dawn said simply. "I didn't really think it would."

"Why did you bring me back here, Nibblet? I really don't have a chance with her now, not after all she's been through." Spike moaned into his hands.

"C'mon, we're getting out of here. I had enough of this brooding crap with Angel. Me and you are going out to a nice dinner and then we're gonna go get drunk. I don't have to go to work tonight, and I want to catch up." Dawn began pulling on Spike's arm.

"I really don't think I'm in the mood..." Spike said before Dawn cut him off.

"I said, no more brooding, I want to catch up, and I am finally old enough to go out drinking with you! So get off your ass and let's move!"

Spike grinned a little. The girl's excitement was contagious. He had really missed Dawn. Spike had been pretty solitary after he left Sunnydale, a little companionship would do him good. Plus, Dawn had really gotten beautiful, and it had been a while since they could talk about ordinary things. Maybe this night was just what he needed, yes, it was definitely what he needed.

"I am going to go take a bath, and get all dolled up for you," Dawn winked at him. "I actually have some of your clothes here, some with color. The khakis, blue shirt, and brown leather coat, I ransacked your crypt after you left, looking for things to remember you by. They were the only clothes you had left there, so I took them home with me." Dawn grinned sheepishly at Spike's mocking look.

"They are in a drycleaner's bag in the back of my closet, why don't you wear that tonight, oh, and come in the bathroom after you get dressed, I want to fix your hair."

"What's wrong with it?" Spike asked defensively.

"Nothing, I just think it would look cute with a little more curl in it. Not so slicked back." Dawn laughed at his pout and pointed down the hall towards her room. "Go get dressed."

"Yes ma'am." Spike knew better than to argue, and went to get ready for their night out.

In the kitchen, Willow was making dinner for Joy, and Buffy and Xander were getting ready to patrol. The three friends were oddly silent as they milled about the kitchen. Xander, of course, was the first to break the silence.

"So, Buff, it's kinda strange having the Chipped Wonder back and all. Think he'll stick around?"

"I'm really not sure Xand, it would be nice to have some extra help patrolling and all, but..." Buffy trailed off as Spike came out of Dawn's room, dressed in his "new" clothes.

"Uh, Buffy, could I talk to you for a second, alone?" Spike asked.

Buffy put down her crossbow, and motioned for Spike to follow her into the den. They sat down on the couch, and Spike turned to face Buffy. Her once lively eyes were full of shadows now, and her face looked tired and run down. She was still beautiful, but somehow very fragile, or so it seemed to Spike.

"I just wanted to tell you that Dawn told me about what happened back in Sunnydale, and I am sorry I wasn't there to lend a hand. If you need me to patrol for you so you can be home with your daughter, just tell me, I would be happy to help." Spike offered.

"So, Dawn told you about all our problems, well, Spike, I don't need anyone's help! I do just fine on my own! So you can just take your pity and shove it where the sun don't, oh I mean does, SHINE!" The angry slayer stormed back into the kitchen.

"Fine!" Spike shouted after her. "Not like I wanted to help you anyway!" Spike got up and stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door.

"Great comeback Spike," said Dawn.

Spike whirled around. Dawn lay in an old fashioned claw footed tub covered by bubbles. She leaned forward and pulled the stopper up from the drain. She grabbed a showerhead off the wall and turned the water on. She rinsed the bubbles from off her body. Spike swallowed visibly.

"Spike, could you grab my robe from off the door?" Dawn asked sweetly.

"Sure thing bit." Spike's voice was a bit strained.

When he turned back around with the robe, Dawn had just stepped out of the tub, with a towel wrapped around her. Spike began to breathe a sigh of relief, that quickly turned to a sharp intake of unneeded air. Dawn had taken the towel off and began to dry herself. If Spike had thought she was beautiful before, now he thought she was a goddess. Her near nakedness at the strip club didn't compare with her natural fresh eroticism. She dried off slowly and seemingly without caring that he was in the room. Spike took in all of her. Her breasts were round and full with pert, pink nipples. Her torso was toned and flat. Her ass was round but tight, and it put a sway in her walk. His eyes strayed to the point in between her legs. It was waxed completely smooth. Spike moaned slightly. Dawn cocked a leg up on the edge of the tub and toweled it off. She repeated the action with the other leg as well. Her long, tan legs...

"Wait a second," Spike thought. "How can she have tan legs if she's a vampire?"

"Dawn, how do you maintain a tan if you are a vampire?" Spike asked, holding out the robe to her.

"Well, sometime in the 80's they developed this thing called 'sunless-tanner'. People have been using it for years in order to preserve that fresh from the beach look, even if they hadn't come from the beach at all." Dawn said, rolling her eyes at him. "C'mon you knew that, Angel used it all the time."

"The Great Poof used tanning lotion? No, I did not know that! Don't you think I would have teased him about it if I would have had that kind of dirt?" Spike laughed, holding his sides. Dawn didn't laugh. Spike stopped quickly.

"Oh, I am sorry luv. I just heard the news, remember? It really hasn't sunk in yet that he's dead." Spike looked at Dawn sadly.

"I know Spike. Even I can't imagine that he's not here sometimes. He was one of the few people in my life that I could look to as a father figure."

"You don't look at me that way?" Spike was a little hurt.

Dawn laughed at that.

"Spike, you were at most a black sheep uncle that the family didn't want me hanging around with, for fear that your wicked ways would rub off on me."

"They still could, pet." Spike wiggled his hips at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Come sit and let me fix your hair, so I can go get dressed." Dawn was laughing and shaking her head. She quickly did Spike's hair, and when she was done, hundreds of tiny ringlets framed his angular features.

"Perfect," Dawn breathed. "Now sit still and let me go get my digital camera. I have to have a picture."

Spike sat back in the chair, and thought some very naughty things about Dawn. He was reminiscing about when she first took off her towel, when Dawn returned. She was already dressed in a stunning black silk dress, low cut in the front, slits on both sides, with an intricate crisscrossing of thin straps across her back. She had on high heeled strappy sandals, and her makeup was also done. Her eyes were wild and smoky, but her lips were an innocent pink pout. She aimed the camera at Spike, and took his picture.

Spike tried to grab it from her, but she pulled it out of his reach.

"It has to load first!" Dawn admonished. She looked at the picture and grinned.

"What's wrong with it, let me see!" Spike cried.

"Nothing you big baby, here!" Dawn thrust the camera at him.

It had been a long time since Spike had seen himself in a picture. His hair was so white, but Dawn had fixed it so that the curly hair he had been born with showed. He looked pretty damn hot, even to himself. The blue shirt accentuated his eyes and the brown leather made him not look so harsh. Spike cleared his throat.

"Umm, Bit, do you think you could get a picture of you and I together?" Spike asked, a bit shyly.

Dawn smiled softly.

"I'd like nothing better, come with me." Dawn took Spike's hand and led him down the hall to her niece's room. Dawn knocked first then opened the door.

"Joy," she said to the little girl on the floor playing with a doll. "Could you come here for a second? I'd like you to meet a friend of mine."

Joy got up and stood by the door looking questioningly up at the strange man with the curly white hair.

"Is he really, really old?" Joy asked pointing at Spike. He laughed at the little girl's question. Spike bent down to talk to her on her level.

"Well, in one way I am, but I actually make my hair look this way on purpose."

"Ohhh," the child said knowingly. She looked almost exactly like Buffy, small, refined features and golden blonde waves, but she had Angel's soulful, chocolate brown eyes.

"My name is Spike, and you must be Buffy's little girl."

"I'm a big girl," Joy corrected him. "And you have a funny name." She stuck her tongue out at Spike, but giggled when he stuck his back out at her.

"You're funny!" The girl exclaimed giving him a hug. "I like you."

"Good," Dawn replied. "Now, can you take a picture of me and Spike together?

"Uh huh."

Dawn stood the little girl on a chair, and handed her the lightweight camera.

"Now, remember, just push that little button on the top." Dawn instructed.

"I got it, Aunt Dawn. Say cheese!" the little girl said happily as she pushed down the button.

"Cheese!" Dawn and Spike looked at each other and smiled happily. The flash went off, and the picture popped up on the screen. Dawn took the camera up and looked at it for a few seconds, then motioned for Spike to come and see.

He and Dawn looked great together. In the picture, it looked like they were smiling just for each other, and you could just tell there was a connection between them. Dawn set the camera in its port and printed out the picture on photo paper. When it was done, she handed the glossy photo to Spike.

"It's a wonderful picture, Nibblet." Spike said as he put the picture in his pocket for safekeeping.

"Aunt Dawn sometimes calls me Nibblet!" Joy interjected.

"That's right I do," said Dawn. "And it's time for all good Nibblet's to go eat dinner. Scoot!" Dawn patted her niece on the head as the girl ran to the kitchen. She turned to Spike.

"Are you ready to go?" Dawn asked, batting her eyelashes.

Spike offered his arm to her. She took it, and patted his chest. Spike fought the urge to purr.

"Let's go paint the town, Luv!"