DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. If I
did I would be rich and wouldn't that be nice? I think
so. – Saff (saffronash@yahoo.com)
Blood and Velvet
Part Four: A Days Space
Feeling morose and anxious Dawn wakes the next
morning to the soft sounds of her sister's snores. She
wasn't entirely sure what her unexpected guests had
planned for the day, but whatever it was she hoped it
didn't involve any deep discussion or shoptalk. She
didn't feel like delving in to her personal affairs
with her big sister and the man who might as well be
her big brother, or hearing anything about demons or
possible world ending events. She wanted to stay in,
chat about the glorious LA weather, while watching TV.
She hadn't done nearly enough of that lately with
school taking up so much of her time and energy. On
the other hand that situation seemed to scream out for
deep discussion, maybe they should go to the beach or
to a really loud public place instead.
She wondered absently if Buffy would object to
accompanying her to shop for house wares. Her place was
beautiful as it was but she wanted to add her
personality to it somehow. Maybe buy new bedding or a
few posters for her room. Perhaps she could convince
Xander to build her a bench for the back lawn, so she
could sit outside with out actually having to touch
ground. No, she decides, that was asking too much.
Maybe they could all just go to some mall, they were
All loud and public so which one it was didn't matter,
buy a few things, eat, and then go to a movie. Spike
would still want to see the Vamp movie, so they
couldn't go to that one. She would feel to guilty and
she was already really guilt-ridden from the various
little things she did to hurt or to annoy him as
Payback for leaving and not telling her where or why.
Or at least not telling her the truth, and for
pretending as if she hadn't laid her heart at his feet
in a drunken stupor.
She hadn't brought that little brain fart up of
course, she felt humiliated just thinking about it.
Not only did he not show any sign of feeling anything
towards her but he had left town just to get away from
her. She was so thankful when he had returned that she
put all questions on hold and went on as if nothing
had happened. It seemed like the best thing to do. But
something *had* happened and it couldn't be ignored.
She confessed love, he left, she left, he returned,
he bit her while watching a late night movie, he
flipped out, she flipped out, she left, he stayed, she
returned, he begged forgiveness for something that was
her fault, she rambled on about trust, then kicked him
out. Thinking about it she wondered if your average
person was as erratic as she. All she wanted was some
semblance of a life with out Buffy, a love life
perhaps. Fuck, how logic impaired could she be?
Wanting a vamp who had once been completely obsessed
with her sister, a slayer of all things, and expecting
it to work out. It was never going to work out. She
had to except it.
Sighing forlornly Dawn rolls out of bed and pads to
the bathroom. She had to work things out. She had no
idea where she stood with Spike and she needed to
figure it out. Could he ever be anything to her but
the hopeless love-interest she was so desperately
Interested in?
In a basement apartment, with windows that were
painted black, and a grand total of three pieces of
furniture Spike paced the concrete floor. His mind was
a mess of anger, fear, guilt, and the hunger he
hadn't quite quenched the night before wasn't making
things any easier. When he had left Dawn, he had only
one logical place to go and so to
one of the town's many demon bars he went. There he
had been, thinking about how he had fucked up every
decent thing he had had in his post-human life when a
fellow vampire sat down next to him.
"Hello there William." The woman said in an overly
cheerful voice. She had pale skin and red hair pulled
back in a single french braid and a smooth as glass voice.
"Who the 'ell are you?" He asks gruffly, annoyed by
her intrusion.
"Well well well, aren't you just perfect example of
an english gentlemen."
"Bugger off bint."
"No." She replies flatly, she orders a drink before
turning her attention back to him. "I - well my sire
has something of yours and she is non to pleased with
you for losing it."
He glances at her, unsure what she was babbling on
about." What are you talking about?" He asks suspiciously.
"How does anything of mine concern your sire?"
"Odessa" Spike's body tenses at the name, the
red-haired vampire notices and smiles smugly as she
continues. "Holds the belief that a sire should care
for his fledgling until said fledgling can care for
its self. Now the fledgling you made, and *abandoned*
though surprisingly strong knew almost nothing about
being a vampire when we found her. Needless to say you
have some questions to answer. Would you come with me
please?"
Spike glares at her, biting his tongue to keep from
swearing, she stares back unflinching at the hate he
radiated. "So your Sire is taking care of Charlotte,
then." He asks/comments.
"Yes. She wants to know whether she should let *Lily*
continue with her plans of . . . returning the favor
you did her."
"Meaning?" Spike asks impatiently.
"Meaning you need to see this girl face to face
before she goes after you or some one you care for."
"Dessy or Charlotte?"
"Either or."
"I don't know why I asked. I'm not afraid of either."
The female scoffs "Sure. Because as woman they are so
much weaker than you." She downs her drink slowly and
gracefully, licking the blood from her lips when she
was done. "You have made many enemies William, messing
around with the slayer as you have, she should be
dead. Have you gone soft? Lily tells me you *are*
rather harmless to mortals."
"I killed *her* didn't I?" He asks.
"No, you gave her a new life and you did so by
complete accident." Spike looks about to object but
she cuts in quickly "Don't bother to deny it. I've
tasted her blood."
"So what?" He asks, "It was an accident. Odessa
should be glad I didn't just kill her, although I'm
beginning to think that would have been the humane
thing to do."
The woman sighs heavily. "William. She wanted to be
fair so she gave you a chance and look what you've
gone and done. No wonder she wants you dead."
With that the woman leaves, not giving Spike the chance
to reply. He sits there for a moment then leaves
knowing what peace he may have found was
ruined.
The sun was burned her skin and made her hair feel as
if it was on fire. Perhaps going to the beach wasn't
the best thing after all. She looks to Buffy and
Xander who appear as unhappy as she.
"Who feels like a nice air conditioned restaurant?"
Dawn asks hopefully. The other two nod eagerly. "Oh
thank goodness. Being a relative new comer to this
crazy country of a city I have no idea where to go but
I figure if we get in the car and drive we'll find
something."
"Maybe you should have moved to a smaller city."
Xander comments "After all you've always lived in a
small town."
Dawn narrows her eyes at him feigning offense. "I may
not have existed in dawn form back then but I *do*
have memories of this town. Just not this *area*."
"Yeah, sorry forgot you two used to live here."
Xander looks panic stricken "I didn't mean -"
Dawn forces a laugh through her annoyance.
"s'allright. I'm just playing with you."
"Daw-on, stop playing games with the poor boys head.
You know he's just a baby of a man." Buffy says, in a
pretend serious voice.
"Hey." Xander protests. "I am a full grown man and
like most men I simply do not understand woman." He
gives Dawn a pat on a shoulder and smiles at her. She
smiles back, wondering if Spike would show up at any
point that day. She could use a break from being
handled like a small easily displeased or pleased
child. At least his attempts at asking forgiveness
amused her first and annoyed her second. God, she
missed him. He hadn't been the same since . . . she
stops herself from playing that embarrassing moment
over again and instead tries to think about the
subject at hand.
"Where did we park?" Dawn asks looking over the
immensely crowded parking lot with a critical eye. "I'm
looking for a blue car right? Some grungy looking
toyota?"
"Hey-ey." Buffy objects "It's all I could afford all
right? Where's your car anyway? I thought Angel loaned
you one."
Dawn smirks "He did but I got a speeding ticket which
he found out about so he took it back."
"You got a speeding ticket?" Buffy asks sounding
concerned and, for whatever reason, slightly proud.
"Yeah. I thought I might try to outrun them but with
all the security cameras in this city it wouldn't have
worked out."
"Hmm. My little sister - a criminal, who'd have thunk
it?"
Dawn chuckles. "Oh everyone who heard about my little
shop lifting phase. You know what? I'm not sure I'm
entirely over it. Last week I was at the grocery store
picking up some syrup when I saw the bulk food
section, I didn't want to bother with all the
weighing and the writing involved so I nicked a few
handfuls of those gummy worm things. And then I got so
scared I ran out and completely forgot to pay for the
pancake syrup. Smooth huh?"
"Very." Xander's face lights up as he successfully
locates the car. The sweaty trio head in it's
direction, get in, and leave. At the restaurant while
Xander was still working on his steak and potatoes
Buffy returns to the subject of the girl with the
black hair. Her voice was casual but her expression
was concerned. Xander watches with open interest.
"When will you next see Spike?" Buffy asks, Dawn
shrugs. "Are you going to ask him about that girl?
Maybe she's the one you saw."
"I doubt it. But I mind as well, seeing as you will
if I don't."
"She's only worried." Xander comments. "What girl?"
"Just this crazy drugged up chick who likes the smell
of my flowers." Xander grins at her choice of words,
Dawn only shakes her head. "The garden
flowers not . . ."
"It's just that I have a bad feeling about this."
Buffy interrupts "I should have told you when Spike
came around looking for her, especially when he
mentioned she might be looking for *you* but he didn't
seem that worried so I didn't worry either but . . ."
"He doesn't exactly where his heart on his sleeve."
Xander finshes.
"Exactly."
The both stare at Dawn expectantly. She wants to slap
them both for treating her like a child and then hug
them both for caring. "Don't worry. I've got two
master vampires looking out for me. And the girl? She
really didn't seem like a vampire to me. She seemed
more fragile than that."
"But you'll still talk to him?"
"Yes of course, if it will put your mind at ease."
Satisfied Xander returns to his meal, and an almost
satisfied Buffy eases her concerned sister/slayer
attack.
He wasn't sure where to go. He knew that if he asked
the right person he could be led right to her, but to
ask the wrong person could incite anger he didn't want
incited. She was a strange vampire, Odessa, She was
intensely private yet led a life surrounded by other
creatures of the night, unlike most others who
more often than not preferred to be alone. He had never
been blessed enough to be considered one of her children but
they, Odessa, Dru and Him, had formed a sort of allegiance years ago,
until in a moment of pure madness Dru had killed one
of Odessa's true offspring. Odessa and her tribe of 6
had then sought revenge by giving Dru a virus that had
nearly killed her years later. To this day he didn't not know why
Odessa hadn't killed the both of them outright.
The look the young vampire gave him made him think
some one in Odessa's camp thought the same thing.
Quite possibly it was Maya, the woman the younger one
must model herself after with that pretty red hair of
hers in a braid. Maya had never liked him or Dru, they
took her master's attention away from her, as young as
she was then it was torture. But other than her
obsession with her sire she was one of the finest
examples of a vampire he had ever seen. A hunter by
nature she would never sully her views of her
kind with remorse. They weren't killers they were hunters.
True hunters. She loathed humans and their flesh farms and
he understood why. It was just so needlessly cruel and lazy.
He, knowing his thoughts were going no where decides to go
To the one person he knew that could help. Whether or not he would was another matter entirely.
