Catastrophe

by

Princess McPhee

Disclaimer: I don't claim. Not mine. Bow to Joss Whedon.

Author's Note: Feedback may decide whether I finish this, so please tell me if you loved it, hated it, or somewhere in between!

Summary: An AU version of the events after the 5/15/01 BtVS episode. (Right after 'Spiral')

Rating: PG, so far.

Every day, Gunn, Wesley, or Cordelia drove Buffy to physical therapy. They'd chosen the latest time possible, but as such, it was still light when they had to leave. Spike or Angel would go pick her up, though. Since she knew that the vampires would have fought over it, Cordelia kept a firm hold on the keys to the car, and therefore, controlled any outbreaks that might occur over who's turn it was to pick up the slayer.

Dawn was getting better, too. Some days, Spike snuck through the tunnels into the hospital, and went up to see her. She was always glad for his company, and she often regaled him for hours about the absolutely nothing that occurred in the hospital. The only conclusion Spike could draw out of this was that the teen was desperately bored, and he made a valiant effort to be there even more often than he was.

The surgeries were over, but as her leg was still only splinted, because of the not-yet-healed surgical wounds, Dawn wasn't allowed to move. This bothered her to no end, especially after a few days had passed. Then, one day when Spike was draping his coat over the chair and wondering what could possibly have gotten his bed-ridden Little Bit so cheery, she told him that the doctor was going to cast her leg and she could get in a wheelchair and move around.

After that, she made Spike push her around almost every time he was there. She could navigate her floor of the hospital by herself, but her strength wasn't as endless as Buffy's, and she got tired quickly. Plus, she frequently got bored with the single floor, and she couldn't manage the elevator on her own. Spike, for his part, tried to be a good sport, knowing that Dawn was every bit as bored as he was.

One day, when he showed up, Dawn was sitting in her wheelchair, waiting for him, a big smile on her face. "Spike! Guess what? The doctor says I can go somewhere today?"

The doctor, who was still prodding her foot lightly, the only part of her leg not fully encased in the cast, looked up and smiled. "You have to stay close, Dawn. A walk around the block, or maybe to the roof. But I'm sure you're getting bored with the inside of this hospital."

Dawn nodded enthusiastically. "You bet I am! So, Spike?"
Spike looked at her, trying not to burst her bubble. "That's great, pet. But it's light outside, and you know how easily I burn in the sun." He said this last part with emphasis, casting a look at the doctor as he spoke.

"I know, but there's an awning around the edges of the roof! Come with me, please?"

Spike waited for the doctor to jot something on the chart, and then leave. Then he turned back to Dawn. "Pet, it isn't safe. If something happened to you, I couldn't get you in out of the sun."

Dawn threw her comforter at him. "Here. Take this. I've seen you come to places covered in a blanket enough times to know this ought to work. And no more excuses! I haven't seen the sun in months!"

Spike laughed. "I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, love. It's only been two weeks."

Dawn shrugged, and started to wheel herself out of the room. "C'mon, Spike, please?"

Sighing, the vampire followed her.

Pushing Dawn to the elevators and riding them to the top floor, Spike exited carefully, under the comforter. "It's okay," Dawn told him. "We're still inside."

Spike pulled off the quilt, unaware and uncaring of the looks the people around him gave. "What the hell? It's the bloody roof, ain't it?"

Dawn smiled. "The door's over there," She said, pointing. "C'mon."

Without answering, the vampire followed her. Holding open the door carefully, he looked around outside. With a short sprint, he could reach a patch of shade in the corner. Waving to Dawn, he waited until she'd come back close enough for him not to shout. "I'll be over there, okay, bit?"

Dawn nodded, and grinned, throwing her arms up into the air. "This is great!" She shouted.

Smiling himself, despite the imminent journey across the sun, Spike watched her for a moment. Then, covering himself tightly with the comforter, he dashed the ten feet from the door into the shade, and stood there for a moment before daring to take the quilt off. When he did, he saw Dawn watching him, waiting for a signal that he was okay.

Panting a little, more from the adrenaline than from any kind of exertion, he waved to her. "I'm good, little bit!" He shouted. Dawn nodded and started wheeling her chair around the roof with crazy abandon that only being kept inside for two weeks could do to a person. Spike smiled at her, but concern creased his face.

"Slow down, pet! You'll knock the chair over!"
Dawn's hair was flowing around her face, but Spike could see she was grinning. "No I won't!" She yelled back, and made an abrupt about-face. "See?! I've been in this chair so long I could make it do a spin without falling over!"

Spike frowned. "Dawn, don't do anything bloody stupid!" He yelled back.

Dawn's grin collapsed, and Spike felt a little bad, but it was better than her injuring herself again, he reminded himself.

"God, have a sense of humor!"

"Already got one, pet. It just doesn't like seeing Summers' women take it hard on the chin, remember, love?"

Dawn broke into a little smile at that. "Yeah. I remember." She wheeled her chair closer. "Can we just sit out here for a while, Spike?"

The vampire nodded. "I have to be back at six to get the car, so I can stay for about another hour," he told the Slayer's sister. Dawn nodded, and pulled her chair up right next to him.

Spike pushed the wheelchair against the end of the bench, and sat down, careful to stay in the shade. Putting an arm gently over Dawn's shoulders, he pushed her head down a little, and without further urging, she laid it to rest on his shoulder.

Warm feelings flowed through the vampire, warm feelings that he had gotten used to recently. Protective feelings. They were about both Dawn and Buffy, but more about Dawn, really. He wanted to keep Buffy safe, but somehow, he didn't feel responsible for her welfare in all areas the same as he did her sister. He wanted to keep Dawn from any hurt, physical, emotional or mental. Buffy, he knew could take care of herself. It was more like he was just helping her out for a little while, while with Dawn, he knew he'd take care of her forever, if he could.

Spike knew that Buffy couldn't live forever. She'd died once already, and he doubted she could live through another death. Close calls came from every angle, and even if she did make a third life, she couldn't keep getting chances. Eventually, she would be gone for good, and Dawn would have no one except her deadbeat father.

Then, Spike promised himself, then there would be no one except him and her deadbeat father. He would keep Dawnie safe to the ends of the earth, he knew, and when there was no one left, he'd swear to her she'd always have him.

A little voice at his side awoke him from his thoughts. "What'cha thinkin' about?"

"Nothing."

"Not true. I can tell."

"It's nothing, pet. Really."

A week and a day later, it was again Spike's turn to pick up Buffy from physical therapy. Her class let out at six-thirty, but the sun was setting later and later these days, so Spike begged until he was allowed to take Angel's car, which was already vampire-proofed. Eventually, mostly because Spike wouldn't shut up, the souled vampire gave in.

"But if you get any dents in it that aren't demon-related, I'm going to stake you," He warned. Spike just smirked like he always did, grabbed the dangling keys, and headed away.

Reaching the hospital, Spike parked in the underground garage, and again, blessed whoever had thought of these blessings to vampires. Of course, not many vamps were using them for the honorable purposes that he was, but still. A fellow could fight his own, kill his own, even hate his own, but he could never really forget what he was. Especially not when what he was, was what Spike was.

Walking into the hospital, Spike wandered upstairs until he found Buffy's class. Leaning against the wall, he waited until the class was to be let out.

About five minutes after he'd gotten there, a white-coated, slightly nervous-looking intern came into the room and started looking around. Eventually, she called out. "Spike? Is there a... Spike... here?"

Snapping to attention, Spike took two brisk strides in her direction. "Yeah, I'm here. Is the Slayer-I mean is Buffy, alright?"

The intern nodded. "She wants to see you."

Puzzled, Spike nonetheless followed the intern into what he knew was Buffy's physical therapy room. And there was Buffy, standing and waiting for him.

Standing.

A tight grip on the arm of a woman who was suited up like a doctor, she was, nonetheless, standing on her own.

Rushing to her, Spike stopped short just as he was about to grab her. "Slayer..." He breathed. "Oh god, Slayer."

He wasn't about to say it, but Spike had been scared that Buffy might not get her strength back. That she might not be the Slayer he wanted to call her, again. That he might not get his favorite vampire-hunter back.

Buffy grinned. "Hey, Spike." She looked at the way he was holding back from touching her. "It's okay."

Spike looked like he'd just been snapped out of a daze. "What? Oh." With only that to say, he grabbed her from the doctor, swung her around once, put her down and kissed her quickly.

Buffy, still grinning, looked a little puzzled. "Well, I knew you'd be pleased, but I wasn't expecting that," She told him.

Spike held her up, but stepped back a little. "Sorry, pet."

Buffy shrugged. "No big."

Spike caught her eye again, and noticed that the doctor had moved off to help another patient. Surprised to find she wasn't angry, he smiled tentatively at her. "I'm glad for you, love."

Buffy grinned at him, full-force returning to her radiant smile when he reminded her of the reason she'd been swung around and kissed. "I know. I'm so happy, Spike! I wish everyone were here to see..." Her voice trailed off.

Watching her body language as well as her face, Spike was ready to catch her when she collapsed. Tears started running down her face, and the always-strong Slayer started to sob in her arch-nemesis arms. Sinking slowly to the floor, Spike took Buffy with him, and cradled her tiny form in his arms. "I'm sorry, pet," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Another week after that, Dawn came to the Hyperion to live with Angel's crew, plus Buffy and Spike. The cast on her leg had been reduced a bit, but it still covered her significantly. Carefully, Gunn unloaded her from the car, and Cordelia pushed her into the hotel, where Buffy, now standing with a walker, was waiting, Angel and Spike at her sides.

When they were fully inside, the doors closed, Buffy lifted a hand from the walker, and grabbed at Angel. Getting the message, the vampire wrapped an arm around her waist and held her carefully up, as they made there way slowly towards Dawn. Once there, Angel helped her bend over and hug her sister.

"I'm so glad to see you, Dawnie." Tears were running down the Slayer's face. Angel stepped back, leaving the moment to the sisters who'd lost so much. Spike, however, hadn't noticed much since the Slayer had made for Angel's arm instead of his.

"Hello, bit," He said gruffly. "Would stay and celebrate, but I got things to do." With that, he trotted out of the room.

Looking up and grabbing Angel's arm for balance, Buffy glared after the vampire. "Well, that was rude."

Dawn shrugged. "It's okay."

Buffy looked like she wanted to go after him, and was incredibly frustrated when she remembered she couldn't. "No, it's not. Spike! Get back here!"

Dawn put out a hand, and rested it on her sister's arm. "Buffy."

The Slayer looked down at her little sister. "Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Buffy nodded, and motioned for her walker. Pushing it to her, Angel placed it in her hands, and made sure that she was steady before letting go and drawing his crowd into Wesley's office. Buffy smiled at him as they went, grateful for the privacy.

"Is there something you need to say, Dawnie?" The Slayer asked, concerned.

Dawn smiled a little knowingly, something that Buffy wasn't really sure she liked. If there was something to know, she should know about it. "He's jealous, Buffy."

Of all the things the Slayer had thought she might hear out of her little sister's mouth, that wasn't one of them. "What?"

"Spike. He's jealous."

Buffy drew herself a little taller. "Of what?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"

The Slayer finally put two and two together. "Angel? But there's nothing there anymore. I mean... I wish, but we have separate lives now." Her voice trailed off, sadly.

Dawn wasn't deterred. "Yes. You did. And now you don't. And how do you think Spike feels about it?"
Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. Xander and Anya don't seem to have a problem with it."

Dawn's frustration bursting out of her skull, she raised her voice and stared at her sister. "How dense can you be, Buffy? He loves you, alright? As in loves you loves you."

Buffy's denial kicked in full-force again. "No he doesn't," She said. "He can't."

Dawn rolled her eyes again, higher and harder than last time. "He told you. God, Buffy. You'd think being the Slayer would require some brains, but no, your kid sister figured it out before you did."

"Hey! I resent that!"

"You don't have to like it, Buffy. But you have to admit it's true."

"No I don't!" Pause. "Except the part where, well, you know, I do."

A long moment of silence reigned in the lobby. Then Buffy spoke again. "You really think he does?"

"I really know he does."

"How?"

Dawn smirked. "He talks to me. And I'm under oath not to repeat any of this, but I thought it was warranted."

The Slayer threw her head back in desperation. "Great."

Dawn looked puzzled. "What? I think it's kind of cute. And you're getting to tolerate him, aren't you?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. But I could never think of him... you know, that way."

Dawn laughed. "Sure you can't. Come on, Buffy, it's not like Angel's listening in on us. You've got to admit he's got a body to die for."

"Dawn!" There was a pause. Then, a smirk creeping over her face, the Slayer relented. "Well, yeah, I guess he kind of does." But then the seriousness of the situation overcame her. "But he's a monster. And not to mention the fact that, vampire plus slayer equals love? Been there, done that, didn't work out very well."

Dawn's pleading face looked up at her sister. "Buffy, you know it's true. He's certainly proved himself to you, more than once. Just think about it, okay?"

Buffy stared down at her sister, trying to get her to relent with her piercing gaze. But Dawn wasn't giving in, and eventually, the Slayer was forced to. Sighing, she nodded reluctantly.

"I'll try."

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