~ Part 13 ~
"So that's it? They just want to do a few of these visits and speak to me and we're done with them?" Dawn was practically squealing when vampire and slayer returned home from their interview. "No more annoying people pushing themselves into our business?"
"I guess you're right Dawn, but that's more than a little it. We have to make a good impression all of these times, and even then they can still change their mind at the end of it, regardless of how good we think we did." Buffy was walking around the room, her pumps in her hands, scooping up stray dishes and ordering the magazines on the coffee table.
"Stop trying to scare her, we're going to do fine. Dawn, don't listen to her. And Buffy, the house is supposed to look lived in. Not like we have a 24 hour maid service in place." He plopped down on the couch, putting his boots up on the pile she'd just created.
"Well we don't have to live here like pigs." She pushed his feet onto the floor, along with most of the issues of People and the ever-popular Teen Bopper with Jason that had somehow made it from their little wicker basket next to the sink upstairs. "That's it, both of you. Cleaning."
"Buffy, it's like 10:30. At night." Dawn was talking to her and Buffy was giving her that I'm utterly confused face. "On a Thursday. Hello, school tomorrow?"
"Then why are you not in bed yet? Go! Spike, you on the other hand as a creature of the night, are not off the hook in any way."
Dawn stuck her tongue out at him. "Nah nah na nah nah. I don't have to clean."
"But now you can't go talking to Janice for an hour like you had originally planned. Nah nah na nah nah right back at ya."
"Shut up."
"No bad language Bit, off to bed with you. Or she'll shove a dustbuster into your hands."
"Shut up is not bad language Mr. Sodding Bloody Hell."
"Well you're 15 and I'm 128, so I can say whatever."
"Stop! Dawn I want you in bed, no more arguing. No more language like that either. Spike, if you don't get up off your ass and help me, the dustbuster is only going to be to get your remains out of the carpet. Do we understand each other?"
"Yes." They both grumbled at the same time and Dawn giggled until Buffy glared at her. "I'm going."
"Buff, they're not going to be coming tonight. Let's go to sleep, we'll start on this tomorrow, it'll give me something to do."
"I'm too wound up."
"Do you want to go patrol, I'll stay here with Niblet. Get some of this pent up anxiety out of your system."
"I did a sweep before we left, not much going on tonight. You know when you know you should really be sleeping, cause you're beat, but that nagging voice in your head keeps telling you you're not tired?"
"Yea. And you know what helps? A snack. Come on, I'll make you something." She went to go pick up the periodicals that by now were scattered all around the floor. "And leave those where they are. I told you, tomorrow."
"Alright, fine. But only because you're promising me sugary goodness."
"So what'll it be. I think the only things we have that could even be considered sugary goodness are Trix cereal or chocolate milk." He popped a few of the colored pebbles into his mouth. "Scratch the Trix, that's not goodness in any way."
"I don't like Trix. I don't think Dawn does either. I actually have no idea why we have that in our house."
"I don't get those commercials, why don't the kids share with the rabbit, especially if it tastes like this?"
"Yea, he never gets any does he? He's like a cereal nun." She pulled two glasses from the cabinet while he rummaged around in the fridge.
"Can we make it strawberry milk?"
"Where did all of this weird food come from?"
"Don't ask me, I just moved in. Wait, found the Quik. Don't worry." He opened the cap and drizzled some directly into his mouth.
"That really is rather disgusting."
"You know you were going to do it if I hadn't done it first."
"That's probably true, but it's still gross." She took the bottle from him and wiped the cap, licking the chocolate off of her finger before squeezing some on the bottom of each glass.
"This strawberry gunk kind of looks like blood. I'm almost tempted to try some."
"That is more than rather disgusting. And I have a feeling that Dawn was planning on trying some of it on top of the cereal."
"Thank you for ruining my appetite for the next three months. Even a sight of your ex didn't mess my stomach up that badly."
"Oh stop."
"No fight on it? Bet you felt the same way. Was that why you were getting so gaunt looking there for awhile Slayer?"
"I was never gaunt looking thank you, and no." She added the milk, or tried to, as he bumped into her, and a good amount of the pint went sloshing to the floor.
"Sorry bout that. I got it." He reached into the drawer of towels before she could stop him.
"Spike, no, it's ok. I'll." But the envelopes came slipping out along with the two or three gingham dishrags.
"What are these?" He scooped down to pick them up. "Bloody hell Buff, how long have you been getting these?"
"They're nothing, don't worry about it."
"I bloody well will worry about it. They're going to foreclose on the house?"
"Keep your voice down, and yes, they are. I was just waiting for when to tell Dawn alright? I didn't really want to think about it right now. One obstacle at a time."
"Why didn't you tell me, we could have worked something out."
"What could you have done? I wasn't going to take your money."
"Have you thought about this at all? Or were you too proud to do that too?"
"I've been looking into apartments, two bedrooms. There are some nice ones in Xander's building. A few right by her school. I don't really know if I want to stay here anymore Spike. This isn't our childhood home, we left that six years ago, and the memories I have here are not all for the best. This is where Dawn slit her wrists, set fire to her diaries. It was this house I was forbidden to return to after, well after Angel. The house I've moved out of and back into and didn't really care one way or another. This was where my mother died Spike. And maybe we need a new place, to start over. That will be our place without all of these extra things in the way. Not having to think this was where Mom used to leave her coffee mug or Giles always liked that chair and Riley left his coat next to that plant and Angel used to climb in that window. I want new memories."
"What if Dawn doesn't?"
"It's not really a choice."
"Because you won't let it be?"
"I'm never going to have the money to handle the expenses of a house. Especially not with being there for Dawn and the fact that I've missed so many payments."
"It's safe to her here."
"It's safe because we're here. And we're going with her. She's going to stay in the same school she's in now and the only thing different will be that it'll be a smaller scale."
"What are you going to do with all your stuff, you can't fit a whole house into a flat."
"I figured we'd take what we need, what'll fit and what's important for us to have. Hopefully no sacrifices."
"There are going to be sacrifices."
"Then I'll make them. I'll sleep on the goddamn dining room table if she would rather we keep that than my bed. I will fill every inch of that place with these material goods we've amassed if that will make it easier for her. I'm doing this for her. I could have been back in a dorm, going to classes, no obligations, not to her, not the state and certainly not to you..."
"I think I've heard enough. You've obviously made up your mind. I'm going to bed, not that hungry anymore."
"Please Spike, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like it came out."
"How did you mean it then?"
"I'm obligated to do things for you because I can't lose you. This one thing is not because of Dawn. You were the best friend I had when I came back, when I was all messed up. And I guess I'm still messed up in a lot of ways. And you're still here. You haven't left me when things got tough; in fact you took on more of the burden, more than your share. That's why I couldn't bring this to you, couldn't ask you to do another thing for me. You've already promised to protect Dawn for the rest of time, to marry me and to love, honor and cherish. It's too much as it is, another and I'd never be able to repay."
"You don't have to repay for any of this. I gave it to you, willingly. Never expected anything back in return."
"Because you're too used to me not giving anything. I'm sorry. I know that I'm a horrible person and that it's wrong of me to keep asking."
"But I like it when you ask, makes me feel useful. I love you. I love your sis. I loved your mum. I don't want to see you suffer in any way, especially if there was something I could have done to prevent it. Why I wish it was me who died up on that tower."
"Oh Spike. It's ok. I'm back, and this is going to be the time that I do things right. So I'm going to tell you now, like I should have before, that there's a very good chance that you could mean something to me. That I could love you the way you want me to. Not as a friend, which I think I already might, but as a lover. So there's a slice, I think you deserve that more than the barest smidgen."
He stood there, completely awe struck, not really sure if he was hearing her correctly. "You mean that?"
"Yes, I mean that. And I'll tell Dawn tomorrow about the house, if you want me to."
"Whenever you're ready. Just hope it's before she comes home from school and the moving van is out front."
"Yes, it will be. Can we forget the snack, I'm ready to sleep without it."
"Yea, me too. I'll clean this up, why don't you head up without me. I'll be there soon."
"Goodnight. And thank you again, for everything."
"I'm not giving you anything more than you deserve." She kissed him lightly on the lips, a quick brush.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning. And remember, the magazines are yours."
"I know. Make sure to organize the issues into separate piles for fall fashions and summer music previews. Know you won't accept them any other way."
"That's right." She headed upstairs and tried to smother her laughter when she heard a tiny war whoop from the kitchen.
"So that's it? They just want to do a few of these visits and speak to me and we're done with them?" Dawn was practically squealing when vampire and slayer returned home from their interview. "No more annoying people pushing themselves into our business?"
"I guess you're right Dawn, but that's more than a little it. We have to make a good impression all of these times, and even then they can still change their mind at the end of it, regardless of how good we think we did." Buffy was walking around the room, her pumps in her hands, scooping up stray dishes and ordering the magazines on the coffee table.
"Stop trying to scare her, we're going to do fine. Dawn, don't listen to her. And Buffy, the house is supposed to look lived in. Not like we have a 24 hour maid service in place." He plopped down on the couch, putting his boots up on the pile she'd just created.
"Well we don't have to live here like pigs." She pushed his feet onto the floor, along with most of the issues of People and the ever-popular Teen Bopper with Jason that had somehow made it from their little wicker basket next to the sink upstairs. "That's it, both of you. Cleaning."
"Buffy, it's like 10:30. At night." Dawn was talking to her and Buffy was giving her that I'm utterly confused face. "On a Thursday. Hello, school tomorrow?"
"Then why are you not in bed yet? Go! Spike, you on the other hand as a creature of the night, are not off the hook in any way."
Dawn stuck her tongue out at him. "Nah nah na nah nah. I don't have to clean."
"But now you can't go talking to Janice for an hour like you had originally planned. Nah nah na nah nah right back at ya."
"Shut up."
"No bad language Bit, off to bed with you. Or she'll shove a dustbuster into your hands."
"Shut up is not bad language Mr. Sodding Bloody Hell."
"Well you're 15 and I'm 128, so I can say whatever."
"Stop! Dawn I want you in bed, no more arguing. No more language like that either. Spike, if you don't get up off your ass and help me, the dustbuster is only going to be to get your remains out of the carpet. Do we understand each other?"
"Yes." They both grumbled at the same time and Dawn giggled until Buffy glared at her. "I'm going."
"Buff, they're not going to be coming tonight. Let's go to sleep, we'll start on this tomorrow, it'll give me something to do."
"I'm too wound up."
"Do you want to go patrol, I'll stay here with Niblet. Get some of this pent up anxiety out of your system."
"I did a sweep before we left, not much going on tonight. You know when you know you should really be sleeping, cause you're beat, but that nagging voice in your head keeps telling you you're not tired?"
"Yea. And you know what helps? A snack. Come on, I'll make you something." She went to go pick up the periodicals that by now were scattered all around the floor. "And leave those where they are. I told you, tomorrow."
"Alright, fine. But only because you're promising me sugary goodness."
"So what'll it be. I think the only things we have that could even be considered sugary goodness are Trix cereal or chocolate milk." He popped a few of the colored pebbles into his mouth. "Scratch the Trix, that's not goodness in any way."
"I don't like Trix. I don't think Dawn does either. I actually have no idea why we have that in our house."
"I don't get those commercials, why don't the kids share with the rabbit, especially if it tastes like this?"
"Yea, he never gets any does he? He's like a cereal nun." She pulled two glasses from the cabinet while he rummaged around in the fridge.
"Can we make it strawberry milk?"
"Where did all of this weird food come from?"
"Don't ask me, I just moved in. Wait, found the Quik. Don't worry." He opened the cap and drizzled some directly into his mouth.
"That really is rather disgusting."
"You know you were going to do it if I hadn't done it first."
"That's probably true, but it's still gross." She took the bottle from him and wiped the cap, licking the chocolate off of her finger before squeezing some on the bottom of each glass.
"This strawberry gunk kind of looks like blood. I'm almost tempted to try some."
"That is more than rather disgusting. And I have a feeling that Dawn was planning on trying some of it on top of the cereal."
"Thank you for ruining my appetite for the next three months. Even a sight of your ex didn't mess my stomach up that badly."
"Oh stop."
"No fight on it? Bet you felt the same way. Was that why you were getting so gaunt looking there for awhile Slayer?"
"I was never gaunt looking thank you, and no." She added the milk, or tried to, as he bumped into her, and a good amount of the pint went sloshing to the floor.
"Sorry bout that. I got it." He reached into the drawer of towels before she could stop him.
"Spike, no, it's ok. I'll." But the envelopes came slipping out along with the two or three gingham dishrags.
"What are these?" He scooped down to pick them up. "Bloody hell Buff, how long have you been getting these?"
"They're nothing, don't worry about it."
"I bloody well will worry about it. They're going to foreclose on the house?"
"Keep your voice down, and yes, they are. I was just waiting for when to tell Dawn alright? I didn't really want to think about it right now. One obstacle at a time."
"Why didn't you tell me, we could have worked something out."
"What could you have done? I wasn't going to take your money."
"Have you thought about this at all? Or were you too proud to do that too?"
"I've been looking into apartments, two bedrooms. There are some nice ones in Xander's building. A few right by her school. I don't really know if I want to stay here anymore Spike. This isn't our childhood home, we left that six years ago, and the memories I have here are not all for the best. This is where Dawn slit her wrists, set fire to her diaries. It was this house I was forbidden to return to after, well after Angel. The house I've moved out of and back into and didn't really care one way or another. This was where my mother died Spike. And maybe we need a new place, to start over. That will be our place without all of these extra things in the way. Not having to think this was where Mom used to leave her coffee mug or Giles always liked that chair and Riley left his coat next to that plant and Angel used to climb in that window. I want new memories."
"What if Dawn doesn't?"
"It's not really a choice."
"Because you won't let it be?"
"I'm never going to have the money to handle the expenses of a house. Especially not with being there for Dawn and the fact that I've missed so many payments."
"It's safe to her here."
"It's safe because we're here. And we're going with her. She's going to stay in the same school she's in now and the only thing different will be that it'll be a smaller scale."
"What are you going to do with all your stuff, you can't fit a whole house into a flat."
"I figured we'd take what we need, what'll fit and what's important for us to have. Hopefully no sacrifices."
"There are going to be sacrifices."
"Then I'll make them. I'll sleep on the goddamn dining room table if she would rather we keep that than my bed. I will fill every inch of that place with these material goods we've amassed if that will make it easier for her. I'm doing this for her. I could have been back in a dorm, going to classes, no obligations, not to her, not the state and certainly not to you..."
"I think I've heard enough. You've obviously made up your mind. I'm going to bed, not that hungry anymore."
"Please Spike, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like it came out."
"How did you mean it then?"
"I'm obligated to do things for you because I can't lose you. This one thing is not because of Dawn. You were the best friend I had when I came back, when I was all messed up. And I guess I'm still messed up in a lot of ways. And you're still here. You haven't left me when things got tough; in fact you took on more of the burden, more than your share. That's why I couldn't bring this to you, couldn't ask you to do another thing for me. You've already promised to protect Dawn for the rest of time, to marry me and to love, honor and cherish. It's too much as it is, another and I'd never be able to repay."
"You don't have to repay for any of this. I gave it to you, willingly. Never expected anything back in return."
"Because you're too used to me not giving anything. I'm sorry. I know that I'm a horrible person and that it's wrong of me to keep asking."
"But I like it when you ask, makes me feel useful. I love you. I love your sis. I loved your mum. I don't want to see you suffer in any way, especially if there was something I could have done to prevent it. Why I wish it was me who died up on that tower."
"Oh Spike. It's ok. I'm back, and this is going to be the time that I do things right. So I'm going to tell you now, like I should have before, that there's a very good chance that you could mean something to me. That I could love you the way you want me to. Not as a friend, which I think I already might, but as a lover. So there's a slice, I think you deserve that more than the barest smidgen."
He stood there, completely awe struck, not really sure if he was hearing her correctly. "You mean that?"
"Yes, I mean that. And I'll tell Dawn tomorrow about the house, if you want me to."
"Whenever you're ready. Just hope it's before she comes home from school and the moving van is out front."
"Yes, it will be. Can we forget the snack, I'm ready to sleep without it."
"Yea, me too. I'll clean this up, why don't you head up without me. I'll be there soon."
"Goodnight. And thank you again, for everything."
"I'm not giving you anything more than you deserve." She kissed him lightly on the lips, a quick brush.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning. And remember, the magazines are yours."
"I know. Make sure to organize the issues into separate piles for fall fashions and summer music previews. Know you won't accept them any other way."
"That's right." She headed upstairs and tried to smother her laughter when she heard a tiny war whoop from the kitchen.