Spike awoke to squealing and the weight of a body thrown on him. "Owww!
What the bloody hell!" He opened his eyes to see Dawn on top of him,
squeezing him painfully tight.
"Sorry! Sorry...I just...well, Buffy just told me that you're going to be staying here for a while. I'm just so excited! It's going to be the coolest having you live here." Dawn had a radiant smile on her face, and Spike had to smile back, through his pain.
Buffy watched the display from the stairs. She cleared her throat to get their attention. "Ok, Dawn, let's not hurt him any more than he is."
At this, Dawn's expression clouded and she looked over Spike's wounds again. Spike raised one eyebrow at Buffy who winced a little. Spike took Dawn's shoulders.
"Bit, I'm fine. Nothing a little rest and some O-Neg can't fix...So what's your blood type?" Dawn looked up to see Spike chuckling at her. She couldn't help but smile too.
Buffy came up behind her sister. "Ok, why don't you go heat up a cup of blood for Spike? We'll be up in a minute." Dawn gave Spike a gentle squeeze and took off up the stairs.
Spike shook his head and smiled. "Well, I think the Nibblet is ok with me being here. How about her big sis?"
Buffy sat down on the cot next to Spike. "Uh, I *am* the one who asked you to stay. Or did Glory whack you on the melon too?" Buffy poked Spike in the temple for emphasis.
He shook his head again and said, "Look, we both know the only reason I'm here now is because you feel guilty. You don't need me looking after Dawn. You're the Slayer. You don't need help from the likes of me."
Buffy considered this for a moment. "No, I brought you here yesterday because I felt guilty. You're still here because I need you. Or, I need your help," she added quickly. "I've never been able to do it alone. Giles, Willow, Xander, they've always been by my side. And before, it's always been about more than just strength and power. And I know it's more than that now. But Glory..she's strong. Well, you know..." Buffy trailed off and looked at Spike.
Spike looked down at himself, at his various bandages and bruises. "Bloody right, I do."
"And now...it's a threat against my family. The only person left in this world that I love entirely, with no hesitation. So yeah, I'm going to use every resource I have to keep her safe. And I'm asking you to put yourself in harm's way again. And, Spike, believe me when I say that I would not blame you if you didn't want to do this. It's a lot to ask of someone who doesn't have a personal stake in this. I mean, she's not *your* sister, so I'd understand if you just wanted to get the hell out of town. God knows I wish I could."
Spike looked at her for a long time before saying, "I *do* have a personal stake in this, pet. *You.*" Buffy looked a bit uncomfortable and looked away. Spike added quickly, "Besides, I had a kid sister once. I know what it's like to be willing to give anything to keep them safe."
Buffy looked up at him with a strange expression. "*You* had a little sister? What was her name?"
"Sara," Spike whispered. "She was fiery, just like Dawn. Always think of her when the Bit's around." Spike was speaking so low and reverent that Buffy didn't know if she should say something.
"Do you miss her?" Buffy was looking with amazement at the tenderness she saw in Spike.
Spike just nodded. They sat in silence for a moment, until Dawn opened the door and shouted down that the blood was getting cold, and Spike should come up soon if he didn't want to be drinking a congealed breakfast. Spike turned up his lips in a disgusted sneer while Buffy chuckled. She called to Dawn that they were on their way up.
Spike stood slowly, wincing at the pain. Buffy dug around in the dryer for a shirt. She pulled out a pink top and held it up for Spike's approval. He just raised his eyebrows and she giggled. She finally handed him a plain white t-shirt which he tugged on with some difficulty.
"So, I take it your mates aren't going to be half as happy as Dawn that I'm staying here." Spike leaned on Buffy as they made their way up the stairs.
"Probably not. But, they'll deal. They don't have a choice." Buffy stopped before the door and looked at Spike, still leaning on her for support. "You've proven to me that I can trust you. That I can trust you with my family. And, you're willing to fight by my side, which, when it all boils down to it, are the only two criteria I have for letting someone hang around!"
Spike smiled softly at her. "Ok. Buffy? Thanks."
Buffy cocked her head at him quizzically. "For what? For bandaging you up? I told you, that was all guilt. From now on, you have to earn your perks."
Spike chuckled. "Perks, huh? I'll have to get details on those later. But, no, I mean...thank you for letting me back into your life. Even if it is just to play watchdog. I never thought I'd get in your good graces again."
Buffy raised an eyebrow at him. "Good graces, huh? Well, you've certainly been on the receiving end of some bad ones lately. But, well, being in my life again...it's one of those perks that you've earned." Buffy and Spike looked into each others eyes for what seemed an eternity. Buffy flushed and broke the gaze. "Another perk being the free, apparently cold, blood upstairs. So let's get you all healed up, cuz really...dragging you all over the house, not going to happen!"
Spike chuckled as Buffy opened the door and helped him over the last step. Dawn ran over to him with some freshly heated blood and gave him a gentle hug. He was holding his Slayer on one side(or was being held by her) and his little Bit on the other. The day was definitely looking to be one of his better ones.
**
TBC
"Sorry! Sorry...I just...well, Buffy just told me that you're going to be staying here for a while. I'm just so excited! It's going to be the coolest having you live here." Dawn had a radiant smile on her face, and Spike had to smile back, through his pain.
Buffy watched the display from the stairs. She cleared her throat to get their attention. "Ok, Dawn, let's not hurt him any more than he is."
At this, Dawn's expression clouded and she looked over Spike's wounds again. Spike raised one eyebrow at Buffy who winced a little. Spike took Dawn's shoulders.
"Bit, I'm fine. Nothing a little rest and some O-Neg can't fix...So what's your blood type?" Dawn looked up to see Spike chuckling at her. She couldn't help but smile too.
Buffy came up behind her sister. "Ok, why don't you go heat up a cup of blood for Spike? We'll be up in a minute." Dawn gave Spike a gentle squeeze and took off up the stairs.
Spike shook his head and smiled. "Well, I think the Nibblet is ok with me being here. How about her big sis?"
Buffy sat down on the cot next to Spike. "Uh, I *am* the one who asked you to stay. Or did Glory whack you on the melon too?" Buffy poked Spike in the temple for emphasis.
He shook his head again and said, "Look, we both know the only reason I'm here now is because you feel guilty. You don't need me looking after Dawn. You're the Slayer. You don't need help from the likes of me."
Buffy considered this for a moment. "No, I brought you here yesterday because I felt guilty. You're still here because I need you. Or, I need your help," she added quickly. "I've never been able to do it alone. Giles, Willow, Xander, they've always been by my side. And before, it's always been about more than just strength and power. And I know it's more than that now. But Glory..she's strong. Well, you know..." Buffy trailed off and looked at Spike.
Spike looked down at himself, at his various bandages and bruises. "Bloody right, I do."
"And now...it's a threat against my family. The only person left in this world that I love entirely, with no hesitation. So yeah, I'm going to use every resource I have to keep her safe. And I'm asking you to put yourself in harm's way again. And, Spike, believe me when I say that I would not blame you if you didn't want to do this. It's a lot to ask of someone who doesn't have a personal stake in this. I mean, she's not *your* sister, so I'd understand if you just wanted to get the hell out of town. God knows I wish I could."
Spike looked at her for a long time before saying, "I *do* have a personal stake in this, pet. *You.*" Buffy looked a bit uncomfortable and looked away. Spike added quickly, "Besides, I had a kid sister once. I know what it's like to be willing to give anything to keep them safe."
Buffy looked up at him with a strange expression. "*You* had a little sister? What was her name?"
"Sara," Spike whispered. "She was fiery, just like Dawn. Always think of her when the Bit's around." Spike was speaking so low and reverent that Buffy didn't know if she should say something.
"Do you miss her?" Buffy was looking with amazement at the tenderness she saw in Spike.
Spike just nodded. They sat in silence for a moment, until Dawn opened the door and shouted down that the blood was getting cold, and Spike should come up soon if he didn't want to be drinking a congealed breakfast. Spike turned up his lips in a disgusted sneer while Buffy chuckled. She called to Dawn that they were on their way up.
Spike stood slowly, wincing at the pain. Buffy dug around in the dryer for a shirt. She pulled out a pink top and held it up for Spike's approval. He just raised his eyebrows and she giggled. She finally handed him a plain white t-shirt which he tugged on with some difficulty.
"So, I take it your mates aren't going to be half as happy as Dawn that I'm staying here." Spike leaned on Buffy as they made their way up the stairs.
"Probably not. But, they'll deal. They don't have a choice." Buffy stopped before the door and looked at Spike, still leaning on her for support. "You've proven to me that I can trust you. That I can trust you with my family. And, you're willing to fight by my side, which, when it all boils down to it, are the only two criteria I have for letting someone hang around!"
Spike smiled softly at her. "Ok. Buffy? Thanks."
Buffy cocked her head at him quizzically. "For what? For bandaging you up? I told you, that was all guilt. From now on, you have to earn your perks."
Spike chuckled. "Perks, huh? I'll have to get details on those later. But, no, I mean...thank you for letting me back into your life. Even if it is just to play watchdog. I never thought I'd get in your good graces again."
Buffy raised an eyebrow at him. "Good graces, huh? Well, you've certainly been on the receiving end of some bad ones lately. But, well, being in my life again...it's one of those perks that you've earned." Buffy and Spike looked into each others eyes for what seemed an eternity. Buffy flushed and broke the gaze. "Another perk being the free, apparently cold, blood upstairs. So let's get you all healed up, cuz really...dragging you all over the house, not going to happen!"
Spike chuckled as Buffy opened the door and helped him over the last step. Dawn ran over to him with some freshly heated blood and gave him a gentle hug. He was holding his Slayer on one side(or was being held by her) and his little Bit on the other. The day was definitely looking to be one of his better ones.
**
TBC
