Summary:       The morning after.  Spike and Buffy are visited by Dawn and Michael.  Things are not of the good in the Summers' household. 

Disclaimer:    Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own everything.  But I wouldn't mind leasing Spike from them for a couple of weeks :)

Feedback:     As always, appreciated.

For those of you wondering if I'm going to finish my other fic, "If This is Wrong, What's Right?", I'm working on it.  But I've decided to complete this first before I post the remaining chapters on the other.  Unless I finish it completely offline before this is done, then I might post the whole thing.  I'm also thinking about doing a post-seven fic, but I'm waiting to see how the series ends before I start writing.  And to all of those that have reviewed: thank you, thank you, thank you.  A little encouragement goes a long way!    

Seeing Spike Through Buffy's Eyes Chapter 15 - Misunderstanding

Buffy slowly rolled over in bed.  There were kinks and creaks up and down her body.  Muscles that hadn't been used in a long, long time protesting from the workout of the night before.  Buffy didn't care.  As far as she was concerned, it was the best night's/day's sleep she had had in ages.  She stretched her arm out to the side, hands looking to grope the first part of male flesh she found, but her exploration was greeted by air and sheets.  Her eyes flew open.  A tingle of panic around the rims.  Where the hell was he!  Buffy tossed the comforter aside and threw her legs over the side of the bed.  If he left again…

"Morning, luv."  Buffy jumped.  She whipped her head around to find the vampire on the other side of the room, buttoning up his black jeans.  "Sleep well?"  Spike grinned as he walked towards the Slayer.  Cor, she was glorious!  Especially when she was angry.

"You scared the hell out of me."  Buffy grabbed for him before he could fully reach her.  Fingers gripping into the waistband of his jeans, pulling him close, snuggling against his bare stomach.  "I thought you left." 

Spike played with the hair falling down Buffy's back.  "Not, bloody likely.  Not after last night."  The vampire was still amazed that Buffy loved him.  He had reveled in it all night, making love with her until they both passed out, exhausted but happy.  "Was planning on waking you in a bit." 

"Oh, sounds interesting."  Buffy tilted her head to look up into Spike's eyes.  He has such beautiful eyes, she thought.  "So why aren't you where I left you?  And why are you dressed?"

A slight frown replaced the smile on his face.  "Nibblet's downstairs.  Her and the blasted boy.  They came in about five minutes ago.  I was just getting ready to go down there.  I thought you said we had the house to ourselves until tomorrow?"  Spike was a little irritated at the Bit.  After months of being without Buffy, he was unhappy with the intrusion.

The skin between Buffy's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion.  "No.  I mean, yes.  We were supposed to have the house to ourselves.  What's Dawn doing here?"  Buffy was as irritated as Spike.

Spike shrugged his shoulders.  "Don't know, but she's coming up the stairs.  Throw on a robe, pet.  Whatever it is we'll find out soon enough."

Buffy reluctantly let go of the blond vampire and made her way to the closet.  After putting on her terrycloth robe, she joined Spike who was sitting on the bed.

"We're awake and decent, Nibblet.  No need to listen at the door, just open it."  Spike could her Dawn's heartbeat, even through the barrier.  Something was wrong, her heart rate was erratic.  

Dawn slowly opened the door to Buffy's bedroom, peaking around the corner.  She'd learned a long time ago.  Sometimes Spike's idea of 'decent' was different than hers.  "How did you…?  Never mind.  You'd think I'd be used to it by now.  Good morning?"  She gave the couple a weak smile.

"Well, it was, until you showed up," Spike mumbled under his breath.  Buffy lightly punched him the stomach before giving her sister her full attention.  "You better have a good reason for being in this house.  I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow."

Dawn walked into the room, closing the door behind her.  "Look, I'm sorry.  But it's important.  It's about Michael."  It took Buffy only a second to realize that something was definitely wrong.  Dawn was nervous.  Her eyes darted between the floor and the couple on the bed, as she shuffled her feet in front of her.  Her shoulders were slumped forward in defeat.  Alarm bells were going off all through the Slayer's system.  Buffy stood up and walked over to her sister, worry showing on her face.

"Dawnie, what's wrong?"  Gone was the irritation in Buffy's voice from a moment again.  In its place was concern.  "Spike said that Michael was here with you."  Buffy forced Dawn to look directly at her.  She could see the panic in her sister's eyes. 

"Oh, Buffy.  We've got a problem.  A big one.  Michael called me this morning.  He said he needed to talk to me, so I invited him over to Willow and Tara's.  I knew it was serious when he got there, but I never imagined..."  Dawn took a deep breath.  "Buffy, Michael saw the two of you fighting last night."

Buffy wasn't happy about Dawn's boyfriend watching her and Spike the night before.  And she wasn't happy about Spike's reaction to Michael's presence.  Of course she hadn't thought about the repercussions of Michael being at the Bronze when she came up with the plan in the first place.  But she couldn't think of everything, right?  "Yeah, I know, Dawn.  But he didn't see Spike all 'grrr'.  What's the problem?"

She had to tell them.  She HAD to tell them.  She so didn't want to tell them.  "Buffy, the rest of us are used to the way you and Spike act, but Michael isn't.  He thinks. He thinks…"  Dawn began to cry.

Spike walked over to Dawn, gently touching her shoulder.  The last thing he wanted was another upset Summers' girl on his hands.  "He thinks what, Nibblet?"

Dawn looked up into Spike's worried eyes.  It was good to have him back.  "He thinks that you and Buffy are involved in an abusive relationship."  Dawn heard Buffy's gasp.  The rest came out in a babble that could have rivaled even Willow.  "He doesn't think I should be exposed to it.  He said he was going to tell Social Services, call Jeremy and tell him about the fight last night.  He didn't want to do it behind my back.  He wants me to go with him.  He's really worried about me." 

Buffy fell back onto the bed, silently cursing under her breath.  Spike hugged Dawn to him as he ran his other hand through his hair.  "Bugger."  This is all we need, he thought.

"Oh, God.  I never even thought of that.  All I was worried about was him finding out I'm the Slayer and that we have a vampire living with us.  It never occurred to me what he would think about us fighting last night."  Couldn't I have one semi-normal weekend, Buffy thought.

Dawn wiped tears from her eyes as she turned to look at her sister.  "I didn't know what to say.  Willow and Tara were just as shocked.  I told him it wasn't what he thought, but he said that he had seen this type of thing before.  A friend of his in Germany.  His mom and dad constantly fought.  His mom was always going to the hospital, telling the doctors she bumped into the door, or fell down the stairs.  He said I shouldn't have to live like this.  And I should stop covering for you.  He thinks the fighting is the reason Spike left in the first place.  And he doesn't understand why everyone else is condoning it."  Dawn was still crying, finding some comfort in Spike's arm around her shoulder.

Buffy just sat there in shock.  All this time she had been careful.  All of them had been careful.  Hiding the Slayer stuff from Michael.  Now, because he didn't know the truth, he thought that Spike was an abuser.  "That's why he asked you if Spike ever hurt you?  He thought he hit you, like he was hitting me?"

Spike was immediately defensive.  "Now wait a minute, Slayer.  I was defending myself.  I never hit you without provocation."  Spike was just as stunned as Buffy, but he had a growing respect for the boy downstairs.  He thought Dawn was in trouble and wanted to help her.  He just didn't know all the facts.

Buffy looked at the vampire who's feeling she had just hurt.  "I didn't say you did.  I'm just saying…  Oh, I don't know what I'm saying.  Give me a minute, okay?"  She turned her attention back to her sister.  "Dawn why did you bring him here?"

Dawn moved out of Spike's embrace so she could sit next to her sister.  "I told him you could explain.  He doesn't believe me for a second, but I thought you could help.  I didn't know what else to do.  Willow tried to talk to him, but what could she say?  He told her that he knew why we were leaving the two of you alone."  Dawn's eyes moved to her lap.  I just can't look at either of them as I say this.  "So the bruises could heal."

Spike looked at both his girls.  Buffy had her arms draped around Dawn protectively.  This was turning out to be one hell of a morning.  An angry Slayer, an almost hysterical Nibblet, and now a boy looking for bruises.  Wait a minute.  Bruises…  A plan started forming in Spike's mind.  "You did the right thing coming home, Nibblet.  Why don't you go downstairs.  Tell the boy we'll be down as soon as we've had our showers."

Dawn looked up at the blond vampire.  She could swear she saw the wheels turning in his head.  He'd come up with something, she just knew it!  "Spike, what are you going to do?"

Spike directed his attention back at Buffy, who by now, was also staring at him.  "Slayer, do you have a bruise anywhere on your body?"

Buffy didn't even take the time to think before replying.  "Of course not.  We weren't that serious last night.  I mean, it was all minor stuff and it's gone by now."

Spike nodded his head in agreement.  "Well neither do I, so let's show the boy.  He can't make accusations without evidence.  Bit, we'll take care of this.  Trust me.  I'll be damned if I'll let anyone try to take you away from your big sis ever again."

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

"I am not wearing that."  Buffy pointed to the clothes on her bed.  Spike had picked them out while she was in the shower.  "Especially not in front of a teenage boy who happens to be dating my sister."

"Seem to recall you wearing less than that last night at the Bronze."  Spike came up behind Buffy, wrapping his hands around her waist, nuzzling her neck.  "Luv, I'm not happy about you parading around half-naked in front of the boy either, but you can't hide anything in those.  I want him to get a good look at your perfectly unmarred body." 

Buffy shuttered as Spike whispered in her ear.  His voice making the skin at the back of her neck vibrate with anticipation.  She sighed, knowing he was right.  She had missed that in a really annoying way.  "Okay, but we get the two of them out of here as fast as possible.  I have plans, you know. 

Spike turned Buffy in his arms, reaching inside her robe to caress her slightly damp skin.  "Trust me luv, watching you walk around in that outfit, not being able to touch you, I'll be ready for whatever you have planned."

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Buffy walked down the stairs to find Dawn and Michael sitting on the couch.  It was apparent that she had interrupted an argument.  "Good morning, Michael."  Buffy smiled at the teenagers.

"Hi, Buffy.  I'm sorry to disturb you.  I know you wanted to spend time alone with your boyfriend.  I hope he's not angry."  Michael's apologetic tone didn't reach his eyes.  He was looking at Buffy like she was a lab specimen under a microscope.  His gaze raking up and down her body. 

"Spike, angry about seeing Dawn?  Never.  He's more like a big brother to her than just my boyfriend.  You know, part of the family.  He missed her while he was gone."  No use hiding from it.  Might as well be on the offensive.  "Dawn said you had some questions you wanted to ask me?" 

Michael took one more look at Buffy's body before meeting her eyes.  Her clothes left little to the imagination.  The cropped halter-top was one she wore for training.  It hugged her body tight, leaving her mid-drift and her arms exposed.  The workout shorts were just as revealing, leaving her bare from her ankles to high up on her thighs.  There wasn't a scratch or a bruise on her.  Michael's wasn't as sure of himself as he had been this morning.  "Yes, I do.  It's about last night."

Buffy sat down in the nearest chair.  "Yeah, sorry you had to hear that.  A little misunderstanding.  Spike saw me dancing with my ex, Angel.  He thought we were back together.  My fault, really.  I was trying to make him jealous.  You know, a girl thing."

"But the fight you two had.  You were hitting each other.  It didn't seem all that innocent to me."  Michael understood jealousy.  Dawn was jealous of Rachel, wasn't she?  But the punches were not something he was going to accept.  Even if Buffy looked to be perfectly fine.

"The fight?"  The look Buffy gave him was one of total confusion.  And the Oscar goes to…  "Oh, you mean the two of us sparring?  Spike was my training partner.  We used to work out together.  Blow off steam, keep in shape.  You didn't think we were serious, did you?"  Upstairs, Buffy and Spike had come up with a semi-plausible story to explain last nights 'incident'.   

"Buffy, that didn't look like sparring to me."  Michael wasn't convinced.  "I've sparred with my dad before, boxing.  Those were real hits.  He punched you."

This boy was tenacious, she'd give him that.  Buffy laughed.  "He pulled a punch.  Trying to get me to react.  Like I said, blowing off steam.  He knew if I let out a little physical energy, I wouldn't be as mad.  Michael think about it, if Spike was serious about hurting me, I'd be a walking bruise today.  He's like twice as strong as I am!"  Buffy knew she was going to hell for that lie.  She just knew it.

"But…  I mean…  It looked really real.  I saw you throw him against a wall!"  That was the thing that Michael couldn't make fit.  This was Buffy, Dawn's 'little' older sister.  She looked like she didn't have the strength to hurt a fly, let alone throw a grow man five feet through the air. 

"Leverage technique.  I'm too small to throw him, I just caught him off balance, used his momentum to send him backwards.  I could teach you how to do it, if you wanted."  Buffy was going to make this work, for Dawn's sake.  "This IS the 21st century.  A woman needs to know how to take care of herself.  Especially in this town.  I've been training for years."

Just then, Spike walked down the stairs.  He was partially dressed, only wearing his jeans, giving Michael a full view of his chest.  His hair still wet from his quick shower.  "Buffy's right.  She's the best sparring partner I've ever had."  Spike stopped to place a kiss on Buffy's head, running an affectionate hand over her shoulder.  Then he turned to the couple sitting on the couch.  "Hello again, Nibblet."  Dawn sprang off the couch, throwing herself into Spike's waiting arms.  She knew Spike and Buffy would take care of things.  Once the hug was over, Spike looked at the other teenager.  "Going to properly introduce me to the boy?"

Dawn rolled her eyes at the vampire.  "Would you stop calling him that!  Spike, this is my boyfriend Michael.  Michael, this is Buffy's boyfriend, Spike." 

Michael had stood up when the older man entered the room.  Spike shook hands with the youth.  "Nice to meet you, mate.  Heard you were worried I was a Big Bad or something."  Buffy snorted behind him.  Spike looked over his shoulder, raising on eyebrow in her direction.  Insolent chit.  "As I was saying, it's good to know someone's keeping an eye out for my girls."

Michael stood quietly for a moment.  He knew what he had seen last night, but there wasn't an ounce of evidence on either one of them to prove it.  He didn't know what to think.  "Yes, I am trying to keep an eye on them, or at least on Dawn.  And truthfully this doesn't add up.  I expected to see the two of you with cuts and bruises, maybe some broken bones."

"Michael!"  Dawn couldn't believe he had just come out and said that.  Accusing the two of them of fighting, even if that was exactly what they had been doing. 

"Calm down, Nibblet.  The boys honest.  And he was worried about you.  Nothing wrong in trying to protect you.  Even if he's trying to protect you from me and your sis.  Looking out for your best interest, he is."  Spike had to admire the kid.  He hadn't been sure what he was walking into, but he was willing to face it for Dawn's sake.  "You should be thanking him."  Spike gave his full attention back to Michael.  "I'm sure things looked a little out of sorts last night.  Me taking a swipe at Peaches and all, but Buffy's telling you the truth.  Neither one of us was trying to hurt each other.  We were just trying to get the other's attention.  Work off a little anger.  We ended things a bit abruptly when I left.  Lots of emotions still running high.  I know you don't know me, but I'd give up my life for either of them.  Would move heaven and earth to protect them.  I'd never hurt them.  They're my family."          

Michael's conviction was wavering.  Dawn was smiling up at Spike.  Buffy was looking at his back, love shining in her eyes.  There was something about the man.  Michael thought the blond WOULD give up his life for them.  "I believe you."  Dawn let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding.  "But if I see something I think is wrong, I will report it to Social Services.  Dawn's my first concern."

"Good.  It's settled then."  Spike moved a little closer to the boy, invading his personal space, narrowing his eyes as he talked.  "You've laid your cards on the table, so I'll do the same.  If you try anything, anything at all on the Nibblet.  If you hurt her in any way.  I won't be as careful with you as I am with Buffy.  They won't be able to find enough pieces to identify the body.  Like I said, they're my family.  Are we clear?"

Michael swallowed hard.  "Crystal, sir."  Michael knew that tone.  It was the same one his dad used when talking to the guys who dated his older sister.  The threat had nothing to do with abuse.  It came from caring about those you loved.  "I'm sorry we disturbed you.  I'll just take Dawn back to her friends now." 

"Nothing to apologize for.  You were worried.  I'm glad we cleared the air."  Spike reached into his back pocket pulling out his wallet.  He took out some cash, handing it to Michael.  "Instead of taking Dawn back to Red's, why don't the two of you go to a movie or something.  My treat." 

Dawn grabbed the money before Michael could refuse.  She leaned over, placing a kiss on Spike's cheek.  "Thanks, Spike!  Come on Michael, we've caused enough trouble this morning.  Let's get out of here."  Dawn dragged Michael out of the house.  She felt terrible about barging in on Spike and Buffy to begin with, but she knew Spike's threat had made Buffy mad.  Steam was practically shooting out of her sister's ears.  The last thing she needed was for Michael to see another argument between the two of them.  She hoped Buffy would go easy on Spike. 

Buffy waited until she heard Michael start his car before she unleashed her wrath on the vampire.  "What do you think you were doing?  He comes over because he thinks we're abusing Dawn, and you threaten to kill him!  You could have made matters worse!"  Dawn had been right; Buffy was pissed.

Spike walked over to the fuming Slayer.  He bent over to pick her up in his arms.  He was getting used to carrying her around.  Buffy squirmed as he walked towards the stairs.  "I was letting the whelp know there was a man in the house now, that's all.  Someone he had to answer to if he got out of line.  We understood each other, luv.  Nothing to worry about."  Buffy had stopped squirming, but he could tell she wasn't happy with him.  "Come on, pet.  You are going to call Red and let her know what happened.  I'm sure she's worried.  Then you and I are going to get back to those plans you were talking about earlier." 

Spike nuzzled Buffy's neck, reminding her of their early conversation.  Plans.  That's right, she had plans.  She could be mad at him later. 

---TBC