~ Part 2 ~
"We got a postcard from Las Vegas today, looks as though the wedding went well. They're on their way to the Grand Canyon." Dawn sat at the kitchen table, fingering through the mail. "Oh, and Giles called while you were out. He said that he'll call back later once he gets out of the airport in London."
"So he made it there ok?"
"I'm guessing. He swears he's going to come back to visit soon, but he doesn't know when that can be."
"I know, doesn't want me to be too dependent on him."
"Buffy, come on. You know that's not really fair."
"I know Dawnie. I know. It's just been a really long day, and I kind of need Giles to be dependent on right now."
"Things didn't go that great with the social worker did they? I 'm sorry Buffy about the grades and getting to school late. I'm going to try harder."
"It's not your fault Dawn, whatever happens I want you to know that. I'm going to do everything that I can so that nothing happens, but if it does you can't think you did anything wrong. It'll be me who did something wrong."
"What do we have to do, so that nothing happens?"
"I'm going to work something out. Why don't you go do some homework, I have to make some phone calls."
Dawn got up from her chair, grabbing her knapsack off of the floor. "Got the message, going upstairs." She turned when she reached the entryway. "Is Spike coming over tonight while you go patrol?"
At the mention of Spike, Buffy froze. That kiss they had shared was still on her mind, in fact it hardly ever left. She kept telling herself that it was Sweet's spell, and that she just needed to feel something after all these months instead of empty, but all of those reasons didn't take away that it happened. "I don't know. We'll have to see."
"I haven't seen him since a few nights ago, when we were all singing. What happened after you both left?"
"Nothing. Don't worry about it. And maybe Spike'll show up tonight, but for right now, the phone calls."
"Going. Going." She left the room.
Buffy went to pick up the receiver when she heard the back door close behind her. Turning, she saw him. "Speak of the devil." She muttered under her breath.
"Aw luv, I might be the Big Bad but I'm not the devil. Got to have a lot more evil under my belt to get that title."
"What are you doing here Spike?"
"It's Friday Slayer. Figured keep up the ritual, crappy teen video and about six poker games with the Bit before you make your way back from patrol. Unless you have something else in mind." He winked at her, the scarred eyebrow sinking slowly.
"About that."
"What luv? Want another go?"
"Not at all Spike. It wasn't real and I don't want you getting all hung up on it, but it looks like you already have. You can stay for Dawn, but don't think you're staying for me." She shuffled papers around in a drawer looking for her address book.
His smirk faded and his lucid blue eyes clouded over. "Then I'll stay. Go back to whatever you were doing." He followed the same path that Dawn had, duster flapping against denimed calves.
She didn't want to act like this, but she couldn't let him get to her. It was too bad that he always did.
"We got a postcard from Las Vegas today, looks as though the wedding went well. They're on their way to the Grand Canyon." Dawn sat at the kitchen table, fingering through the mail. "Oh, and Giles called while you were out. He said that he'll call back later once he gets out of the airport in London."
"So he made it there ok?"
"I'm guessing. He swears he's going to come back to visit soon, but he doesn't know when that can be."
"I know, doesn't want me to be too dependent on him."
"Buffy, come on. You know that's not really fair."
"I know Dawnie. I know. It's just been a really long day, and I kind of need Giles to be dependent on right now."
"Things didn't go that great with the social worker did they? I 'm sorry Buffy about the grades and getting to school late. I'm going to try harder."
"It's not your fault Dawn, whatever happens I want you to know that. I'm going to do everything that I can so that nothing happens, but if it does you can't think you did anything wrong. It'll be me who did something wrong."
"What do we have to do, so that nothing happens?"
"I'm going to work something out. Why don't you go do some homework, I have to make some phone calls."
Dawn got up from her chair, grabbing her knapsack off of the floor. "Got the message, going upstairs." She turned when she reached the entryway. "Is Spike coming over tonight while you go patrol?"
At the mention of Spike, Buffy froze. That kiss they had shared was still on her mind, in fact it hardly ever left. She kept telling herself that it was Sweet's spell, and that she just needed to feel something after all these months instead of empty, but all of those reasons didn't take away that it happened. "I don't know. We'll have to see."
"I haven't seen him since a few nights ago, when we were all singing. What happened after you both left?"
"Nothing. Don't worry about it. And maybe Spike'll show up tonight, but for right now, the phone calls."
"Going. Going." She left the room.
Buffy went to pick up the receiver when she heard the back door close behind her. Turning, she saw him. "Speak of the devil." She muttered under her breath.
"Aw luv, I might be the Big Bad but I'm not the devil. Got to have a lot more evil under my belt to get that title."
"What are you doing here Spike?"
"It's Friday Slayer. Figured keep up the ritual, crappy teen video and about six poker games with the Bit before you make your way back from patrol. Unless you have something else in mind." He winked at her, the scarred eyebrow sinking slowly.
"About that."
"What luv? Want another go?"
"Not at all Spike. It wasn't real and I don't want you getting all hung up on it, but it looks like you already have. You can stay for Dawn, but don't think you're staying for me." She shuffled papers around in a drawer looking for her address book.
His smirk faded and his lucid blue eyes clouded over. "Then I'll stay. Go back to whatever you were doing." He followed the same path that Dawn had, duster flapping against denimed calves.
She didn't want to act like this, but she couldn't let him get to her. It was too bad that he always did.