Chapter  7

                After eating, Dawn watched Spike sip his cup of blood.  It was alright until he picked up a leftover pancake and dipped it in his cup of blood.

            "That...is Soo gross."

            "What?"

            "Okay...it was bad enough watching you drink, knowing it's blood.  But dipping a pancake into it," she shuddered.

            "It gives the blood a little more texture."

            "I'm never eating again," Dawn replied, walking into the living room.

            Spike chuckled...

            "And I'm not a wuss," Dawn yelled from the living room.

            "I didn't even say it," he yelled back.

            "But you were thinking it, " she yelled.

            He laughed even harder.  True, he thought to himself.

            Then when he had finished with his meal, he washed the dishes and put up the leftovers, leaving the kitchen as nice and tidy as it had been when he started.

            As he walked into the living room...he said to Dawn.

            "Okay...I did the dishes...you do the laundry."

            "But I'm a child."

            Spike gave her one of his do-you-really-think-I'm-going-to-fall-for-that looks.

            Dawn exhaled and got up to do her chore.

            Passing a pillow on the floor that belonged on the couch, she picked it up and tossed it at his head, once she reached the bottom of the stairs.

            Spike raised his hand at the last minute and caught it, without taking his eyes off the TV, and put it down in its correct place.

            "Thanks...I was meaning to pick that up," he called to her, chuckling as she stomped up the stairs, pissed cause she hadn't got him.

            Spike laughed silently.  Amazed at how the happiness of what he was thinking, was effecting them both.  They were acting normal again...and it was fun.

            When the others got there that night...he'd be able to do more research...now, looking at old books and researching wasn't what he considered to be the rage, but to bring his love back, he'd endure anything.

            Little did he realize that Buffy, not being visual, was right next to him and had heard that thought.  Deciding on giving them a little fun before they got down to work, she drifted up to where her sister was and materialized.

            "Dawn."

            Dawn turned around and her eyes grew big.

            "Buf..fy.  Oh god, Buffy, is that you."

            "Yeah sweetie, it's me."

            "I miss you so much."

            "I miss and love you too.  You did great Dawny.  Now don't cry, I'm always around.  Mom and I love you very much.  And I'm glad that Spike is taking care of you."

            "Me too."

            Buffy smiled...then looked at Dawn with a mischievous smile.

            "Wanna have some fun with Spike?"

            "Like what," Dawn asked, with a mirrored mischievous expression on her face.

            Buffy leaned forward and told her what to do, while Dawn giggled.

            First Dawn did her chores...and then went back into the living room where Spike was still watching the tele.

            When Dawn had finished starting the laundry, she came downstairs and sat next to him.

            Then when he wasn't looking, she reached over and tickled him.

            Spike jumped up.

            "Hey!!"

            Dawn giggled.  "Oh," she said, " Vampires ARE ticklish."

            Then she got a gleam in her eyes.

            Spike...recognizing that gleam, starred at her with eyes, widening, then turned around and hauled ass up the stairs.  Running at top speed to hide away from her.

            First he found a closet and jumped in it...only to find Buffy, in the dark, silently giggling at him.

            "It ain't funny," he said in a low whisper.

            "Oh yes it is," she whispered back...and then smiled and said," and it's about to get better, watch."  Then she leaned through the door and called, " Up here Dawn...in the closet by his room."

            "What," Spike shouted.  "That's no bloody fair.  Ghosts are not allowed to play or help the living play.  There are rules you know."

            Buffy just laughed.

            Spike erupted from the closet, running through Buffy in his haste, making it to his bedroom door with seconds to spare.  He got there, and closed the door, right in Dawn's face.  "Sorry Nibblet," he said locking the door, " But this is one Vamp you won't be tickling today."

            So intent on talking through the door, he was unaware of the other door opening and closing silently as Buffy lead Dawn over to him.

            Spike turned around to lean against the door gratefully and screamed when he came face to face with Buffy and Dawn.

            Dawn giggled and said, " Caught."

            Then proceeded to tickle him mercilessly, until he begged her to stop.

            "Please Nibblet."

            "Don't you mean Princess Dawn?"

            "Yes, yes...Princess Dawn of all the world."

            "I didn't say all that," she said tickling him even more.

            "I meant...Please Princess Dawn."

            "That's better, " she said, but she didn't stop tickling him.

            "Oh come on Dawny, I can't breathe."

            "You don't have to breathe."

            Spike was too occupied giggling that he couldn't answer her.

            Buffy, by this time was on the floor rolling with laughter over watching them together.  This was great...and it was just the break they all needed.

            Finally Dawn gave Spike the break he had been begging for, and the two of them slid down to the floor next to a silently giggling Buffy.

            Spike looked at her and said," This was your idea, wasn't it."

            Buffy just smiled and tried to look innocent, failing miserably.

            "If I could get my hands on you," Spike told her with a half-serious expression on his face.

            Buffy's grin lit up...then she said," Gotta go.  Love you." And disappeared.

            Where as before, her absence made them both sad, now they just picked each other up and trundled downstairs, happy as could be.

                                                ****                ****

            Hours later, as 9:00pm approached, Dawn found herself getting nervous.

Earlier, with Spike and Buffy, she had felt almost normal.  But she was about to be surrounded by people who didn't know that Buffy still kind of existed, and she had been what Buffy had sacrificed herself for to begin with.  Even though she knew they all loved her on some level, she wasn't sure that they didn't blame her for not taking her own life so that Buffy could have lived.

            Buffy materialized next to her.

            "That's not what any of them are going to think."

            Dawn jumped.

            "Jeez Buffy, don't do that.  You nearly scared me to death."

            Buffy giggled.

            "Hey, where's Spike?"

            Buffy nodded towards the kitchen.  "He's drinking his blood and fixing your food."

            "Did you stop in their first?"

            "No."

            Buffy tilted her head...

            "Here they come now.  Now to my knowledge, no one can see me, except for you and Spike, so try not to ask me direct questions.  So you don't freak them out.  I can hear your thoughts, however, so if I hear a question towards me...I'll answer you back."

            "Thanks, " Dawn said.  Then she sighed," I wish I could hug you."

            "Me too," she heard Buffy say softly as she felt something like a warm breeze float around and through her.

            Just then, Buffy called out to Spike, mentally, "They're here."

            And as he walked through into the living room the doorbell rang.

            "Well...here goes nothing," Dawn said getting up and answering the door.

                                                                        TBC…