A/N: Just letting you guys know, credit goes to Jen for the idea of
Spike/Lexi/Ryan vignettes. Go read her story, Small Packages, on my faves
list. Also, this story ties in with 'Isara Rosenberg', another story of
mine, so if you want to see more of Lexi and Ryan, go and read that.
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It had been over a week since her husband moved out, and Dawn was beginning to regret Willow had even heard of the activation-of-potentials spell. Her two year old was bouncy, happy, full of energy, and imagination, but without the facilities Bradley's work had offered her, she had no way of keeping the magically strong child under control.
"Kids! Breakfast!" Dawn called. Lexi raced down the corridor, and slid on socked feet across the linoleum, and came to a crash into one of the cabinets. Dawn bent, and helped her up.
"Are you hurt?" she asked, anxiously. Lexi grinned up at her impishly.
"Nope Mommy. Bad cabinet. Lexi doesn't like cabinets," she answered, with a glare at the offending, ordinary looking cabinet. Dawn shook her head as the two-year-old took a seat at the table. Lexi's birthday was coming up, a couple of days before Christmas. Bradley had always called the little girl their 'Christmas present', she thought, wistfully. Seeing her mother's preoccupation, Lexi seized the banana on top of Ryan's cornflakes, and promptly put it on her own.
"Ryan?" Dawn called. No response. She left Lexi happily munching, and tapped on the children's bedroom door, before opening it. Ryan was seated on the floor, playing with a plane his father had given him, with a look of intense concentration on his face.
"Ryan sweetie," she said softly. "You gonna come and eat your breakfast?"
"Nope," he answered, not looking up. "Don't want it."
"C'mon sweetheart," she said, going in and sitting down on his bed, and rubbing his back. He jerked away, angrily.
"Don't want you! You made Daddy go away!" he accused, clutching his plane. Dawn took a deep breath.
"Honey, I didn't make Daddy go away. None of us did."
Ryan ignored her, crashing the airplane over and over into his bedside table.
"Ryan Peter Scott, go and eat your breakfast!" Dawn snapped finally. He scowled at her darkly, but disobeying the 'Mommy voice' was as yet un thought of.
She followed him and watched them both eat, Ryan silently, a dark glower on his face, Lexi talking in her own made-up language to everything, waving her spoon around.
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Spike stood in the hall, under the watchful eye of a fat woman in a dressing gown.
"S'cuse me, d'you know where Dawn Scott lives?" he asked. She looked him up and downand gave him a grudgingly approving look.
"Upstairs. Apartment C."
He climbed the stairs, and looked around. The halls were unobtrusive, painted a pale cream color, not as bad as some apartment buildings. Striding down the corridor, he knocked on a white door, a brass 'C' nailed to the front.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Dawn sat on the edge of the bath, and started to dry herself off. A knock sounded loudly at the front door.
"Ryan, sweetie, can you get the door?" she called, hunting for her robe on the back of the bathroom door. His bedroom door banged, and she heard his sneakers on the hall floor.
The door opened, and Spike looked automatically for Dawn's face. There was no one there. Dropping his gaze, an extremely hostile looking little boy was stood in the doorway.
"Lo. I'm here to see your mum," Spike said, trying to make his voice friendly. The little boy glared, and replied clearly,
"Don't want you. Go away." The door slammed abruptly in his face, and Spike backed up a pace.
"Bloody hell," he said, puzzled.
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Dawn knotted her robe securely around her, and stepped into the living room. Ryan and Lexi were seated in front of the TV, watching cartoons.
"Honey? Who was at the door?" she asked. Ryan glanced at her, and shrugged.
"Ryan, please tell me you didn't-" she began, but there was another knock at the door. Dawn sighed, and walked toward the door, then yanked it open.
"Right, speaking to yer-" Spike broke off, staring at her. Dawn's eyes widened.
"Spike?" she whispered. He nodded his head.
"It's me, Bit," he answered, his voice rough. A moment later, the confused vampire found himself with his arms around a sobbing armful of pregnant woman, whose face was currently making his shirt very wet.
"Dawn, what's the matter?" he asked. She looked up, her blue eyes brimming with tears, and fatigue.
"Come in, I'll explain," she said quietly. "Bradley's left us."
"What?" Spike demanded. He followed her inside, and paused, as she shut the curtains. Two pairs of interested eyes fixed on him from the couch cushions.
"Lo," he said, waving half heartedly. Lexi giggled.
"Honey, come say hello to Mr Spike," Dawn said, sitting down, and offering a hand to her daughter. The two year old slid off the sofa, and skipped over, coming to a dead stop in front of Spike, and hiding behind her mother.
"Mommy, he makes my skin prickly," she whispered, her normal happy-go-lucky expression turning to one of fear. "My tummy hurts." Dawn looked at Spike, and then sighed.
"God, I'd almost forgotten. Stay there, Spike," she waved a hand as the vampire rose. She took Lexi's hand, and led her to the child's room.
"Does it still hurt?" she asked. Lexi shook her head, her bunches swishing back and forth, but her blue eyes were wary.
"Sweetie, stay in here for a moment, and play. I'll be back in a minute." Lexi looked puzzled.
"Mommy, have I been bad?" Dawn hugged her tightly.
"No, sweetie. Just do as Mommy says, okay?" Lexi turned away, and picked up some crayons, Dawn watching for a few moments before she left the room.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Spike was still seated at the table when she came back, but Ryan was standing nearby, silent, but staring at the vampire.
"Sorry, Spike. I'd forgotten she'd react like that," she said, sitting down again. He raised an eyebrow, questioningly.
"Lexi is a Slayer. She has been since she could walk," she answered, with a tight smile.
"Bloody hell, Nibblet," he breathed. Dawn folded her arms, and gave him her sternest Mommy-look.
"Not in front of the children," she said firmly. He nodded, glancing at Ryan.
"I meant, bloody heck," he corrected. A small smile appeared on Ryan's face.
"Bloody hell," he whispered to himself.
"That must have been rough," Spike continued, looking at Dawn with concern. "How've you managed?"
"Day by day. She doesn't know about it all yet. I didn't want to tell her. She just knows she's very strong for some reason, and if she pushes her brother, he falls over." She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "She has no idea why your presence feels bad. She doesn't know what a vampire is, but she's already got her Slayer senses."
"Dawn, I'm sorry, I, we didn't know," he said, running a hand through his hair distractedly. She sighed.
"This is Ryan. He's 4, aren't you, sweetie?" she addressed the little boy. Spike gave him a distrusting look. It was the same child who'd slammed the door in his face.
"Make him go away," Ryan demanded, glaring at Spike. Obviously, Spike thought, with a wry grin, the kid shared the same feelings.
"Ryan, be nice," Dawn told him. Ryan stuck his tongue out at the vampire.
"That's enough! Ryan, go to your room," she ordered. The child gave a furious scowl at Spike, and stalked off.
"That's a handful and a half," Spike observed, watching the boy go. Dawn sighed again.
"Ever since Bradley told them he wasn't-" she paused, "Coming back, he's been like this. Angry. Upset. I have no idea what I'm going to do," she said, miserably.
"When did he go?" Spike asked gently.
"Last week. We'd been fighting, arguing, this firm is taking up all his time, and I was annoyed he wasn't there to see Ryan's pre-school play, and," she raised a hand to her temples, "I don't know. He just, went. Took his stuff, gave me some spiel about being together not being what the firm wanted, and told me he'd be in touch with the kids." She looked at him, a happy smile raising to her lips. "It's so good to see you."
He dropped his gaze. "When are you due, Bit?" he asked. She rested a hand on her stomach.
"In two months. I don't know what I'm gonna do with the kids, about the rent, the money in the joint account is mine, but with diapers, and clothes, it'll run out, and Lexi won't be going to pre-school for another year yet, and-"
He raised a finger to her lips. "I said I'd help you, and I will. Go get dressed."
She gave him a grateful look. "Spike, I-"
He shook his head. "I made a promise once. I only wish I could rip that bastard's head off."
She laughed, and stood up, resting a hand on the back of the chair. She dropped a kiss suddenly on the top of Spike's head.
"Thank you," she said sincerely.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * * ~ A/N: REVIEW!!
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It had been over a week since her husband moved out, and Dawn was beginning to regret Willow had even heard of the activation-of-potentials spell. Her two year old was bouncy, happy, full of energy, and imagination, but without the facilities Bradley's work had offered her, she had no way of keeping the magically strong child under control.
"Kids! Breakfast!" Dawn called. Lexi raced down the corridor, and slid on socked feet across the linoleum, and came to a crash into one of the cabinets. Dawn bent, and helped her up.
"Are you hurt?" she asked, anxiously. Lexi grinned up at her impishly.
"Nope Mommy. Bad cabinet. Lexi doesn't like cabinets," she answered, with a glare at the offending, ordinary looking cabinet. Dawn shook her head as the two-year-old took a seat at the table. Lexi's birthday was coming up, a couple of days before Christmas. Bradley had always called the little girl their 'Christmas present', she thought, wistfully. Seeing her mother's preoccupation, Lexi seized the banana on top of Ryan's cornflakes, and promptly put it on her own.
"Ryan?" Dawn called. No response. She left Lexi happily munching, and tapped on the children's bedroom door, before opening it. Ryan was seated on the floor, playing with a plane his father had given him, with a look of intense concentration on his face.
"Ryan sweetie," she said softly. "You gonna come and eat your breakfast?"
"Nope," he answered, not looking up. "Don't want it."
"C'mon sweetheart," she said, going in and sitting down on his bed, and rubbing his back. He jerked away, angrily.
"Don't want you! You made Daddy go away!" he accused, clutching his plane. Dawn took a deep breath.
"Honey, I didn't make Daddy go away. None of us did."
Ryan ignored her, crashing the airplane over and over into his bedside table.
"Ryan Peter Scott, go and eat your breakfast!" Dawn snapped finally. He scowled at her darkly, but disobeying the 'Mommy voice' was as yet un thought of.
She followed him and watched them both eat, Ryan silently, a dark glower on his face, Lexi talking in her own made-up language to everything, waving her spoon around.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Spike stood in the hall, under the watchful eye of a fat woman in a dressing gown.
"S'cuse me, d'you know where Dawn Scott lives?" he asked. She looked him up and downand gave him a grudgingly approving look.
"Upstairs. Apartment C."
He climbed the stairs, and looked around. The halls were unobtrusive, painted a pale cream color, not as bad as some apartment buildings. Striding down the corridor, he knocked on a white door, a brass 'C' nailed to the front.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Dawn sat on the edge of the bath, and started to dry herself off. A knock sounded loudly at the front door.
"Ryan, sweetie, can you get the door?" she called, hunting for her robe on the back of the bathroom door. His bedroom door banged, and she heard his sneakers on the hall floor.
The door opened, and Spike looked automatically for Dawn's face. There was no one there. Dropping his gaze, an extremely hostile looking little boy was stood in the doorway.
"Lo. I'm here to see your mum," Spike said, trying to make his voice friendly. The little boy glared, and replied clearly,
"Don't want you. Go away." The door slammed abruptly in his face, and Spike backed up a pace.
"Bloody hell," he said, puzzled.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ` * ~
Dawn knotted her robe securely around her, and stepped into the living room. Ryan and Lexi were seated in front of the TV, watching cartoons.
"Honey? Who was at the door?" she asked. Ryan glanced at her, and shrugged.
"Ryan, please tell me you didn't-" she began, but there was another knock at the door. Dawn sighed, and walked toward the door, then yanked it open.
"Right, speaking to yer-" Spike broke off, staring at her. Dawn's eyes widened.
"Spike?" she whispered. He nodded his head.
"It's me, Bit," he answered, his voice rough. A moment later, the confused vampire found himself with his arms around a sobbing armful of pregnant woman, whose face was currently making his shirt very wet.
"Dawn, what's the matter?" he asked. She looked up, her blue eyes brimming with tears, and fatigue.
"Come in, I'll explain," she said quietly. "Bradley's left us."
"What?" Spike demanded. He followed her inside, and paused, as she shut the curtains. Two pairs of interested eyes fixed on him from the couch cushions.
"Lo," he said, waving half heartedly. Lexi giggled.
"Honey, come say hello to Mr Spike," Dawn said, sitting down, and offering a hand to her daughter. The two year old slid off the sofa, and skipped over, coming to a dead stop in front of Spike, and hiding behind her mother.
"Mommy, he makes my skin prickly," she whispered, her normal happy-go-lucky expression turning to one of fear. "My tummy hurts." Dawn looked at Spike, and then sighed.
"God, I'd almost forgotten. Stay there, Spike," she waved a hand as the vampire rose. She took Lexi's hand, and led her to the child's room.
"Does it still hurt?" she asked. Lexi shook her head, her bunches swishing back and forth, but her blue eyes were wary.
"Sweetie, stay in here for a moment, and play. I'll be back in a minute." Lexi looked puzzled.
"Mommy, have I been bad?" Dawn hugged her tightly.
"No, sweetie. Just do as Mommy says, okay?" Lexi turned away, and picked up some crayons, Dawn watching for a few moments before she left the room.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Spike was still seated at the table when she came back, but Ryan was standing nearby, silent, but staring at the vampire.
"Sorry, Spike. I'd forgotten she'd react like that," she said, sitting down again. He raised an eyebrow, questioningly.
"Lexi is a Slayer. She has been since she could walk," she answered, with a tight smile.
"Bloody hell, Nibblet," he breathed. Dawn folded her arms, and gave him her sternest Mommy-look.
"Not in front of the children," she said firmly. He nodded, glancing at Ryan.
"I meant, bloody heck," he corrected. A small smile appeared on Ryan's face.
"Bloody hell," he whispered to himself.
"That must have been rough," Spike continued, looking at Dawn with concern. "How've you managed?"
"Day by day. She doesn't know about it all yet. I didn't want to tell her. She just knows she's very strong for some reason, and if she pushes her brother, he falls over." She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "She has no idea why your presence feels bad. She doesn't know what a vampire is, but she's already got her Slayer senses."
"Dawn, I'm sorry, I, we didn't know," he said, running a hand through his hair distractedly. She sighed.
"This is Ryan. He's 4, aren't you, sweetie?" she addressed the little boy. Spike gave him a distrusting look. It was the same child who'd slammed the door in his face.
"Make him go away," Ryan demanded, glaring at Spike. Obviously, Spike thought, with a wry grin, the kid shared the same feelings.
"Ryan, be nice," Dawn told him. Ryan stuck his tongue out at the vampire.
"That's enough! Ryan, go to your room," she ordered. The child gave a furious scowl at Spike, and stalked off.
"That's a handful and a half," Spike observed, watching the boy go. Dawn sighed again.
"Ever since Bradley told them he wasn't-" she paused, "Coming back, he's been like this. Angry. Upset. I have no idea what I'm going to do," she said, miserably.
"When did he go?" Spike asked gently.
"Last week. We'd been fighting, arguing, this firm is taking up all his time, and I was annoyed he wasn't there to see Ryan's pre-school play, and," she raised a hand to her temples, "I don't know. He just, went. Took his stuff, gave me some spiel about being together not being what the firm wanted, and told me he'd be in touch with the kids." She looked at him, a happy smile raising to her lips. "It's so good to see you."
He dropped his gaze. "When are you due, Bit?" he asked. She rested a hand on her stomach.
"In two months. I don't know what I'm gonna do with the kids, about the rent, the money in the joint account is mine, but with diapers, and clothes, it'll run out, and Lexi won't be going to pre-school for another year yet, and-"
He raised a finger to her lips. "I said I'd help you, and I will. Go get dressed."
She gave him a grateful look. "Spike, I-"
He shook his head. "I made a promise once. I only wish I could rip that bastard's head off."
She laughed, and stood up, resting a hand on the back of the chair. She dropped a kiss suddenly on the top of Spike's head.
"Thank you," she said sincerely.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * * ~ A/N: REVIEW!!