Chapter 12
Once Dawn was sound asleep Spike let Angel talk him into leaving her long enough to take a shower. Angel promised he'd stay right there and watch over her.
"If she wakes up let me know. I don't want her thinking I've gone and left her." Spike said.
"Alright, Spike." Angel said, clearly becoming annoyed.
He was in the shower only long enough to wash the blood off. Cordy appeared with flannel pajama pants and re-bandaged Spike's wounds. They had oozed and seeped a lot of blood and puss when Dawn pushed against him.
Spike crawled back in the bed, now clad in dark watch plaid pajama pants. He sat up against the headboard, unwilling to sleep, to leave Dawn unguarded. Even in her sleep, Dawn sensed he was back. She scooted closer and snuggled into him. Spike wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Angel watched them from his chair by the bed.
"You love her, don't you?" He said.
Spike nodded. "I don't know how or why. I shouldn't be able to, not like this. This is good and pure, it's not like Dru, but somehow I do. I love her." He said.
Angel shook his head and looked down at his hands clasped and dangling between his knees. Spike knew without question that Angel's mind was on the other Summers woman, headed here right now.
"Be careful, Spike." Angel said.
"I know, don't hurt her. I'd stake myself first." He said.
Angel nodded and stood up. He walked to the door but paused. "Doesn't matter, you'll hurt her anyway. We're vampires Spike; we were born to hurt them."
*
Angel intercepted Buffy on Dawn and Spike's behalf. He sat her down and explained to her what he knew, which was still precious little. He tried to reason with her.
"The Order of Tareka? Go ask Spike what the hell is going on. All I know is he hired them to take me out. Maybe he's involved in this somehow." Buffy raged.
Angel shook his head. "You didn't see them together. He loves her, Buffy."
"He can't love. He's evil." Buffy spit.
"Angelus loves you." Angel said simply.
"Yeah, so much he tried to suck the world into hell." Buffy paced back and forth across the hotel lobby.
"He tried to suck the world into hell because he was trying to get rid of the love he had for you. The only way he stops loving you is if there is no more world. And that's not the issue here. Spike and Dawn are. He loves her." Angel said.
"How?" Buffy looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never ever let her go.
Angel shook his head. "I don't know. He doesn't know. He didn't do this, Buffy. He took four bullets in the back, one in his leg and a stab wound to his lungs trying to protect her. He then somehow managed to carry her all the way here from over near Melrose."
Buffy took a deep shuddering breath. That was Angel's breaking point. In two strides he was by her side with her in his arms. She sobbed into his chest. "She's okay right?"
"She's going to fine. She'll have a scar but there won't be any permanent damage." Angel said.
Buffy nodded but made no attempt to move out of Angel's arms. "We've got to stop who ever hired them. It's the only way they'll ever stop."
"I know. We will." Angel promised.
"Can I go see her?" Buffy asked.
Angel nodded. "He's with her. He won't leave her side." He warned.
"That's okay. I just want to make sure she's okay." Buffy said.
Angel led her to the room Dawn and Spike were staying in. He opened the door and they slipped in quietly. Buffy stood by the bed, looking down at Spike curled around her baby sister's body. His fingers were tangled in her hair even in his sleep. Her hand rested over his undead heart. Buffy felt tears sting her eyes. It hurt knowing her little sister could have this but she and Angel never could. It just wasn't that easy for them.
*
When Dawn woke up her whole body ached. Spike played with her hair. She smiled up at him. He was sitting in the bed beside her drinking a mug of blood.
"How you feeling, Niblet?" he asked.
"Like I got hit by a bus." She grumbled.
He chuckled. "Big Sis is downstairs."
"Great, I need another fight, this last one didn't quite kill me." Dawn said.
"Don't think she wants to fight. She's not speaking much to me but normally she'd light into me." Spike said.
Dawn took a deep breath. "How are you? You were in bad shape the last I really remember."
"If I can go without getting shot a few days, I'll be fine." Spike said.
Dawn slipped out of bed. She wanted a shower. "Will you play doctor when I get out of the shower if I go take one?" she asked.
"I'll play doctor with you anytime, Niblet." Spike winked at her.
Dawn felt better once her hair was clean and the last traces of blood were scrubbed away. Spike patiently bandaged her shoulder and side. "Buffy brought you clothes. They're in the dresser there." Spike gestured to an oak dresser against the wall.
Dawn selected a pair of pale blue workout pants and matching zip sweat shirt. She tried to comb her hair but wasn't having much luck. Spike took the brush from her and sat her on the bed. He sat behind her and brushed her hair out. He braided it into one long, black plait.
"Where'd you learn how to braid hair?" Dawn asked.
"Can't tell anyone." He said.
"I cross my heart." She made an x over her heart.
"I used to brush and braid my Mum's hair. She was sick and it was hard for her to do." Spike said. "Come on, let's get some food inside of you." He pulled her to her feet and twined his fingers with hers.
Someone had ordered pizza downstairs and everyone was gathered around the curved desk eating. The smell made Dawn's stomach grumble. Angel heard it and turned to look at her, everyone else turned as if on cue. Dawn smiled as brightly as she could and blushed.
"Hi, everybody." She said.
"Feeling better, Dawn?" Wes asked.
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm sore, everywhere but it doesn't hurt like it did."
Buffy walked over and hugged her, trying to avoid her left side. "What did you do to your hair?" Buffy asked.
Dawn shrugged. "I was trying to throw the gun looneys off."
"Oh, and what Captain Peroxide here is so under the radar." Buffy said.
"Buffy, don't." Dawn said. Her voice was quiet and almost pleading.
"I'm sorry, I'm just having a hard time getting used to it. I'm glad your okay, Dawnie." Buffy said. She turned to Spike, "And thank you for taking care of her."
"It wasn't good enough, but I tried." Spike said.
"Can we eat? I'm starving." Dawn tugged Spike down the rest of the stairs with her. Spike insisted she sit down. He would bring the pizza to her. Buffy watched the both of them like a hawk. Dawn tried to pretend it didn't matter and Spike either didn't care or he was better at pretending then she was. Dawn was busy watching Spike's reactions to Buffy.
Later in their room she was curled in his arms. She stared at the wall opposite the bed and said "The reason you love me, it's because I'm part of her, isn't it."
"What?" Spike snapped.
"The reason you love me, it's because I'm part of Buffy." Dawn said.
"Bloody hell, she has nothing to do with why I love you, not a single damn thing." Spike said.
"Are you sure? I know you wanted her for a long time." Dawn said.
"Yeah, I did, but I was a bloody git. I had no idea what I really wanted even though it was right in front of me the entire time. "Spike said.
"If it's not because of her, then why?" she asked.
"Why what?"
"Why do you love me?" Dawn asked.
Spike smiled and stroked her hair. "I don't know. I just know I do. You're in my blood, under my skin. I want you and need you like I need blood. Sometimes I crave you the way I used to crave human blood. I love you because I don't know how to not love you."
*
The next morning they were roused early by a knock on the door. "Angel's making everyone breakfast, Dawnie." Buffy said through the door.
Dawn yawned. "Be right down."
Right down turned out to be a half an hour later and Buffy glared disapprovingly at Spike and Dawn over her empty plate. Spike winked at her. They sat down and Angel got up to make pancakes and eggs insisting it wasn't a trouble.
"Okay, so what do we know about these people after Dawn?" Buffy asked.
Spike relayed the little that Matilda had been able to tell them along with the even less Willie had told them.
"You got a tattoo? You actually marked up your body?" Buffy shrieked at Dawn.
"I said the same thing. No reason to blemish skin that looks like that." Spike said.
"Oh, God, am I in hell? I just agreed with Spike on something." Buffy grumbled.
"It's not a tattoo, per say. It's a protection symbol." Dawn said.
"Its ink, it's never coming out of your skin. It's a tattoo." Buffy said.
"Let's focus on what's important here." Angel jumped in. "We know it's a powerful sorceress and she's near by. We've just got to find her."
"I'm thinking she'll be coming to us." Spike said.
"Probably. I'll bet she's tired of waiting for her henchmen to do their jobs. So we hide Dawn away and fight this girl." Buffy said.
Spike looked at Dawn. She sighed and nodded. "I think maybe I should be in this fight." Dawn said.
"Dawnie, no, your injured already and I don't need to worry about you." Buffy said.
Dawn stood up. There was no way Buffy was going to get this by her talking to her. She was going to have to see. "Spike want to demonstrate?" she asked.
"You're going to do that bloody shield thing, aren't you?" He grumbled.
Dawn shrugged. "I could throw you against a wall or set you on fire." She grinned.
"No, thanks I'll take the electric shock." Spike said. He stood up and walked across the room. He nodded at her and then ran at her. Dawn held up one hand and whispered "Anamoira." Spike hit the shield. It tossed him back a few feet. He sat on the floor grumbling about electric shocks and energy shields. Buffy stared at Dawn with her mouth agape.
"What did you just do?" She asked.
Dawn sat back down at the table. Spike sat down beside her. "I have key powers and some slayer skills. I can do the shield, but it doesn't hold like Willow's, it's a defensive thing. I can also toss people and demons across the room. My newest best power is fire. It's how I saved Spike and me in the alley. I also heal a lot like a slayer, I'm wicked fast, and a lot stronger then normal."
"How long have you known about this?" Buffy asked.
Dawn bit her bottom lip. "Almost a year, but not all the powers. I get new ones, like the fire, all the time. I think I'm getting stronger the older I get." She said.
"And you didn't tell me?" Buffy said.
Dawn shrugged. "I was afraid you'd go all crazy and ramble about a normal life and how the powers might screw you but they weren't going to screw your sister and then you'd up and move me to Timbuktu just to get me away from the Hellmouth."
Buffy put her head in her hands. Dawn had a point. She tended to be overzealous when it came to Dawn having a "normal" life. "Alright, but that doesn't mean your ready to go into battle."
"I've kind of been dusting vamps since I found out about the powers." Dawn admitted. "In fact, I didn't run away, a whole group of vamps, six I think, kind of caught me off guard. They beat me up pretty good. Spike saved me and I wouldn't let him take me to the hospital or home. So I was sort of in his crypt the whole time I told you I was in San Francisco."
"Dawn! You lied to me?" Buffy said.
"Well, yeah but I couldn't tell you all this stuff. I mean your wigging out now. What would have done if I'd showed up at the house looking like I'd been beat within an inch of my life?"
Buffy took deep breaths. She was not going to yell at her little sister. All of this was secondary to their real problem. She counted to twenty before she finally spoke. "Okay, so magic lady wants your powers. We're pretty sure she will eventually come to you and this Matilda said we wouldn't have to wait long. So, we concentrate on getting you healed, working on your powers and try to come up with a game plan that doesn't get anyone killed. No problem."
"Alright, so it's back to the planning boards. We'll come up with something. In the meantime, everyone stays in the hotel." Angel said.
Once Dawn was sound asleep Spike let Angel talk him into leaving her long enough to take a shower. Angel promised he'd stay right there and watch over her.
"If she wakes up let me know. I don't want her thinking I've gone and left her." Spike said.
"Alright, Spike." Angel said, clearly becoming annoyed.
He was in the shower only long enough to wash the blood off. Cordy appeared with flannel pajama pants and re-bandaged Spike's wounds. They had oozed and seeped a lot of blood and puss when Dawn pushed against him.
Spike crawled back in the bed, now clad in dark watch plaid pajama pants. He sat up against the headboard, unwilling to sleep, to leave Dawn unguarded. Even in her sleep, Dawn sensed he was back. She scooted closer and snuggled into him. Spike wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Angel watched them from his chair by the bed.
"You love her, don't you?" He said.
Spike nodded. "I don't know how or why. I shouldn't be able to, not like this. This is good and pure, it's not like Dru, but somehow I do. I love her." He said.
Angel shook his head and looked down at his hands clasped and dangling between his knees. Spike knew without question that Angel's mind was on the other Summers woman, headed here right now.
"Be careful, Spike." Angel said.
"I know, don't hurt her. I'd stake myself first." He said.
Angel nodded and stood up. He walked to the door but paused. "Doesn't matter, you'll hurt her anyway. We're vampires Spike; we were born to hurt them."
*
Angel intercepted Buffy on Dawn and Spike's behalf. He sat her down and explained to her what he knew, which was still precious little. He tried to reason with her.
"The Order of Tareka? Go ask Spike what the hell is going on. All I know is he hired them to take me out. Maybe he's involved in this somehow." Buffy raged.
Angel shook his head. "You didn't see them together. He loves her, Buffy."
"He can't love. He's evil." Buffy spit.
"Angelus loves you." Angel said simply.
"Yeah, so much he tried to suck the world into hell." Buffy paced back and forth across the hotel lobby.
"He tried to suck the world into hell because he was trying to get rid of the love he had for you. The only way he stops loving you is if there is no more world. And that's not the issue here. Spike and Dawn are. He loves her." Angel said.
"How?" Buffy looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never ever let her go.
Angel shook his head. "I don't know. He doesn't know. He didn't do this, Buffy. He took four bullets in the back, one in his leg and a stab wound to his lungs trying to protect her. He then somehow managed to carry her all the way here from over near Melrose."
Buffy took a deep shuddering breath. That was Angel's breaking point. In two strides he was by her side with her in his arms. She sobbed into his chest. "She's okay right?"
"She's going to fine. She'll have a scar but there won't be any permanent damage." Angel said.
Buffy nodded but made no attempt to move out of Angel's arms. "We've got to stop who ever hired them. It's the only way they'll ever stop."
"I know. We will." Angel promised.
"Can I go see her?" Buffy asked.
Angel nodded. "He's with her. He won't leave her side." He warned.
"That's okay. I just want to make sure she's okay." Buffy said.
Angel led her to the room Dawn and Spike were staying in. He opened the door and they slipped in quietly. Buffy stood by the bed, looking down at Spike curled around her baby sister's body. His fingers were tangled in her hair even in his sleep. Her hand rested over his undead heart. Buffy felt tears sting her eyes. It hurt knowing her little sister could have this but she and Angel never could. It just wasn't that easy for them.
*
When Dawn woke up her whole body ached. Spike played with her hair. She smiled up at him. He was sitting in the bed beside her drinking a mug of blood.
"How you feeling, Niblet?" he asked.
"Like I got hit by a bus." She grumbled.
He chuckled. "Big Sis is downstairs."
"Great, I need another fight, this last one didn't quite kill me." Dawn said.
"Don't think she wants to fight. She's not speaking much to me but normally she'd light into me." Spike said.
Dawn took a deep breath. "How are you? You were in bad shape the last I really remember."
"If I can go without getting shot a few days, I'll be fine." Spike said.
Dawn slipped out of bed. She wanted a shower. "Will you play doctor when I get out of the shower if I go take one?" she asked.
"I'll play doctor with you anytime, Niblet." Spike winked at her.
Dawn felt better once her hair was clean and the last traces of blood were scrubbed away. Spike patiently bandaged her shoulder and side. "Buffy brought you clothes. They're in the dresser there." Spike gestured to an oak dresser against the wall.
Dawn selected a pair of pale blue workout pants and matching zip sweat shirt. She tried to comb her hair but wasn't having much luck. Spike took the brush from her and sat her on the bed. He sat behind her and brushed her hair out. He braided it into one long, black plait.
"Where'd you learn how to braid hair?" Dawn asked.
"Can't tell anyone." He said.
"I cross my heart." She made an x over her heart.
"I used to brush and braid my Mum's hair. She was sick and it was hard for her to do." Spike said. "Come on, let's get some food inside of you." He pulled her to her feet and twined his fingers with hers.
Someone had ordered pizza downstairs and everyone was gathered around the curved desk eating. The smell made Dawn's stomach grumble. Angel heard it and turned to look at her, everyone else turned as if on cue. Dawn smiled as brightly as she could and blushed.
"Hi, everybody." She said.
"Feeling better, Dawn?" Wes asked.
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm sore, everywhere but it doesn't hurt like it did."
Buffy walked over and hugged her, trying to avoid her left side. "What did you do to your hair?" Buffy asked.
Dawn shrugged. "I was trying to throw the gun looneys off."
"Oh, and what Captain Peroxide here is so under the radar." Buffy said.
"Buffy, don't." Dawn said. Her voice was quiet and almost pleading.
"I'm sorry, I'm just having a hard time getting used to it. I'm glad your okay, Dawnie." Buffy said. She turned to Spike, "And thank you for taking care of her."
"It wasn't good enough, but I tried." Spike said.
"Can we eat? I'm starving." Dawn tugged Spike down the rest of the stairs with her. Spike insisted she sit down. He would bring the pizza to her. Buffy watched the both of them like a hawk. Dawn tried to pretend it didn't matter and Spike either didn't care or he was better at pretending then she was. Dawn was busy watching Spike's reactions to Buffy.
Later in their room she was curled in his arms. She stared at the wall opposite the bed and said "The reason you love me, it's because I'm part of her, isn't it."
"What?" Spike snapped.
"The reason you love me, it's because I'm part of Buffy." Dawn said.
"Bloody hell, she has nothing to do with why I love you, not a single damn thing." Spike said.
"Are you sure? I know you wanted her for a long time." Dawn said.
"Yeah, I did, but I was a bloody git. I had no idea what I really wanted even though it was right in front of me the entire time. "Spike said.
"If it's not because of her, then why?" she asked.
"Why what?"
"Why do you love me?" Dawn asked.
Spike smiled and stroked her hair. "I don't know. I just know I do. You're in my blood, under my skin. I want you and need you like I need blood. Sometimes I crave you the way I used to crave human blood. I love you because I don't know how to not love you."
*
The next morning they were roused early by a knock on the door. "Angel's making everyone breakfast, Dawnie." Buffy said through the door.
Dawn yawned. "Be right down."
Right down turned out to be a half an hour later and Buffy glared disapprovingly at Spike and Dawn over her empty plate. Spike winked at her. They sat down and Angel got up to make pancakes and eggs insisting it wasn't a trouble.
"Okay, so what do we know about these people after Dawn?" Buffy asked.
Spike relayed the little that Matilda had been able to tell them along with the even less Willie had told them.
"You got a tattoo? You actually marked up your body?" Buffy shrieked at Dawn.
"I said the same thing. No reason to blemish skin that looks like that." Spike said.
"Oh, God, am I in hell? I just agreed with Spike on something." Buffy grumbled.
"It's not a tattoo, per say. It's a protection symbol." Dawn said.
"Its ink, it's never coming out of your skin. It's a tattoo." Buffy said.
"Let's focus on what's important here." Angel jumped in. "We know it's a powerful sorceress and she's near by. We've just got to find her."
"I'm thinking she'll be coming to us." Spike said.
"Probably. I'll bet she's tired of waiting for her henchmen to do their jobs. So we hide Dawn away and fight this girl." Buffy said.
Spike looked at Dawn. She sighed and nodded. "I think maybe I should be in this fight." Dawn said.
"Dawnie, no, your injured already and I don't need to worry about you." Buffy said.
Dawn stood up. There was no way Buffy was going to get this by her talking to her. She was going to have to see. "Spike want to demonstrate?" she asked.
"You're going to do that bloody shield thing, aren't you?" He grumbled.
Dawn shrugged. "I could throw you against a wall or set you on fire." She grinned.
"No, thanks I'll take the electric shock." Spike said. He stood up and walked across the room. He nodded at her and then ran at her. Dawn held up one hand and whispered "Anamoira." Spike hit the shield. It tossed him back a few feet. He sat on the floor grumbling about electric shocks and energy shields. Buffy stared at Dawn with her mouth agape.
"What did you just do?" She asked.
Dawn sat back down at the table. Spike sat down beside her. "I have key powers and some slayer skills. I can do the shield, but it doesn't hold like Willow's, it's a defensive thing. I can also toss people and demons across the room. My newest best power is fire. It's how I saved Spike and me in the alley. I also heal a lot like a slayer, I'm wicked fast, and a lot stronger then normal."
"How long have you known about this?" Buffy asked.
Dawn bit her bottom lip. "Almost a year, but not all the powers. I get new ones, like the fire, all the time. I think I'm getting stronger the older I get." She said.
"And you didn't tell me?" Buffy said.
Dawn shrugged. "I was afraid you'd go all crazy and ramble about a normal life and how the powers might screw you but they weren't going to screw your sister and then you'd up and move me to Timbuktu just to get me away from the Hellmouth."
Buffy put her head in her hands. Dawn had a point. She tended to be overzealous when it came to Dawn having a "normal" life. "Alright, but that doesn't mean your ready to go into battle."
"I've kind of been dusting vamps since I found out about the powers." Dawn admitted. "In fact, I didn't run away, a whole group of vamps, six I think, kind of caught me off guard. They beat me up pretty good. Spike saved me and I wouldn't let him take me to the hospital or home. So I was sort of in his crypt the whole time I told you I was in San Francisco."
"Dawn! You lied to me?" Buffy said.
"Well, yeah but I couldn't tell you all this stuff. I mean your wigging out now. What would have done if I'd showed up at the house looking like I'd been beat within an inch of my life?"
Buffy took deep breaths. She was not going to yell at her little sister. All of this was secondary to their real problem. She counted to twenty before she finally spoke. "Okay, so magic lady wants your powers. We're pretty sure she will eventually come to you and this Matilda said we wouldn't have to wait long. So, we concentrate on getting you healed, working on your powers and try to come up with a game plan that doesn't get anyone killed. No problem."
"Alright, so it's back to the planning boards. We'll come up with something. In the meantime, everyone stays in the hotel." Angel said.