Chapter 12: Short Tempers and Rising Passion
No sooner Spike started yelling, both girls froze. Neither one had heard him like that in a very long time and were both afraid of what could possibly follow.
"See what you did now, Buffy?!!" Dawn accused.
"Me?! How is this my fault?!" Buffy started yelling again.
"Duh, Buffy! Did you not just hear what he just said?!"
"Yeah, I heard him. He swore at me with a couple of Bloody's and then he called me a Stupid Bint." Buffy told her sister, tears welling up. "All because I was gonna, and still might, throttle you!!" Buffy yelled, tears running down her face, then realizing what she just said, her eyes widened. "Oh great!!" she exclaimed sarcastically. "Now you've got me talking like him!"
Dawn laughed, then told her, "No, between the swears Buffy. Did you actually hear what he said?"
"Yes Dawnie I did!" Buffy stated firmly, her voice rising again.
"Fine then!" Dawn bit back. "If you remember it so freakin well, then please, humour me and remind me! 'Cause I seem to forget!!" she screamed at her.
Buffy thought for what seemed like centuries, but was merely only about a minute or two. Then his words came floating back to her as she opened her mouth to remind Dawn, as she so blatantly put it. "He said that…" Buffy paused trying to figure out a way to word it, but not succeeding very well, she thought screw it and continued. "He was in the same position as me. Whatever the hell that's supposed to mean." she finished, mumbling the last part, but still not quite absorbing the meaning behind those words. Both girls sat in silence for a moment before Dawn spoke up, once again.
"Umm…Buffy?" She asked cautiously and quietly, not really wanting to start another yelling match with her sister, nor disturb her thoughts. But she definitely needed to move them along before Spike left, or had another freak out and did something stupid.
"Hmm?"
"Do you understand what he meant by that?"
"Not exactly…I mean, well…how can he be in the same position as me if he was sitting calmly, maybe a bit paler then usual and I coulda swore his cheeks were a bit pink, but other than that, he was basically the opposite of me. Unless…you don't think he meant…no…he couldn't…could he? Does he? Is he?" Buffy rambled, finally coming to the realization of just exactly what Spike meant by those words and why he was so upset. "Dawn?" she asked quietly, not trusting her voice, "Is he?" Buffy asked disbelievingly.
Dawn regarded her sister carefully…thinking at times how much of a blonde she can be, especially when she gets upset, but she also regarded her quickly as well, remembering how short her fuse could be when she needed solid conformation or complete denial over something urgent. She then took a deep breath and decided to just tell her as much truth as possible with out managing to get into another fight with her, especially while Spike was outside somewhere being po'd and sulking. She knew that avoidance of the subject had a very high chance of her getting killed, or at least some major pain inflected onto her. If not by Buffy, then surely by Spike. Once again, she took a deep calming breath and then looked her sister directly in the eye and said just two words, "Yes, exactly." She then watched the range of emotions play across her sister's face. Everything from excitement all the way through to complete terror, and then back to relief and excitement again. Then, after all that, Dawn witnessed something scarcely seen with Buffy. Something she hadn't seen since…god!! Could it really be that long?!…since before she left, possibly even before the whole Glory mess got so out of hand. No…wait…there was that time after she came home from talking to Spike after the whole Glory torture incident. Oh! And then when she came home that very morning. (Not the morning she came back, due to Willow's spell, but the morning of the day they were in now.) What she saw was a genuine smile, the kind that practically lit up her entire face. Just looking at her smile made Dawn smile just as brightly and give Buffy a huge hug. When Dawn finally released her sister, Buffy looked at her completely confused.
Dawn smiled brightly and chirped, "Welcome back!"
"Huh?" Buffy asked, cocking her head slightly.
Geeze, Spike really is rubbing off on her, Dawn thought giddily. "Besides this morning when you walked in the front door, just now was the first time since you've come back, that I've seen a genuine smile on your face."
Buffy thought for a moment and had to look in the mirror to confirm it herself. "Yeah, so I am." Buffy agreed still smiling.
"Do you even realize why you're so smiley?" Dawn asked. Buffy just shrugged in response. "Cause for the first time in a very, very long time…" Dawn paused for dramatic effect. "…you're happy!! Not just pretending for everyone else's sake, but now it's for real!! So, welcome back!!!"
"Thanks…I think." Buffy told her…a bit suspicious.
"Ok…fine. But you're not off the hook about the CD just yet."
"Figured as much, but I can explain and you'll see…I'm more innocent over it than you're thinking."
"Whatever." Buffy sighed. "But we will discuss this later." "Now…did you happen to notice which way he stormed off to?"
"Umm…I think he wandered off to our right."
"Ok…I'll be back soon. STAY HERE and NO EAVESDROPPING!!" Buffy told Dawn as she climbed out of the truck.
"Fine." Dawn told her with a sigh. Then began the task of retrieving the scattered contents of her backpack from the entire back seat area. She had dumped and scattered everything due to her desperate search for her prized CD. The same one that had just gotten herself in deep trouble, yet finally opened Buffy's eyes to the feelings that she as
The Slayer had been suppressing deep down for so incredibly long.
Just before Buffy shut the door, she told her sister in her most authoritative voice, "I mean it Dawn. NO EAVESDROPPING!"
Dawn sighed exasperatedly and responded, "Just go get your boyfriend so we can get a move on and quit worrying about me. I'll be fine." "REALLY!"
When she finally shut the door, Buffy was off to find and retrieve Spike. As she slowly walked down the hill, she desperately attempted to think up a way to apologize to Spike for not thinking before she spoke and for having a blonde moment on top of that as well! But, unfortunately, she reached him before she could come up with anything, so she decided to wing it. As she approached him, she noticed two things…one, that he had his back to her and was seemingly trying to ignore her presence. And two, that he had an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips.
"Thinking of lighting that any time soon?" she asked him.
"I would, but I lost my lighter. I think I left it in the truck."
Buffy slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out some matches.
"What's that for Slayer? Planning on lighting me on fire?" he asked sarcastically.
"Only in my dreams!!" she laughed. Then she walked over to Spike and lit his cigarette for him. "Spike, I'm sorry I snapped at you.", she said quietly. "I just hate knowing that Dawn is going through my personal stuff."
"I know how you feel." He answered shortly.
"I know. I didn't realize it until you ran out of the car that she didn't only get those song ideas from me."
"Well if you hadn't totally wigged out, I would have had the chance to tell you that not all those songs came from you, luv."
"Ok, from now on I promise to try to have a little more patience and to cut down on the wigging." Buffy said emphasizing the word wigging. "When exactly did you start talking like me anyway?" Buffy asked with a sly grin.
"Dunno." Spike shrugged & chuckled. "Looks like you're corrupting me. I better stay away from you." He joked and started to walk away.
"Don't you dare!!" Buffy exclaimed with more emotion than she had intended and proceeded to grab his arm pulling him back, then hung her head in a weak attempt to hide it. "So, do you forgive me now?" she asked, pouting slightly.
"I'll only forgive you on one condition." he told her holding up one finger as if to demonstrate.
"Oh yeah...what's that?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
He then glided toward her till they were only inches apart, then wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down so his lips were practically touching her ear. "If you tell me how often I'm in your dreams." He whispered seductively.
"Spike!" she squealed, playfully slapping him & blushing a bright red.
"Come on Buffy, I know you dream about me. I can hear your little whimpers while your sleeping and I just know you're dreaming of me touching you. So, come on, tell me. How often?"
She hesitated at first, Spike taking her completely off guard. She took a step toward him so her face was dangerously close to his. She looked into his eyes and scanned his face until she was seductively staring at his lips. "Every night." she replied breathlessly.
"See, that wasn't so hard now was it?"
"No. But you are!" She told him grinning as she noticed the bulge in his jeans and cupped her hand against it, causing Spike to grown in response.
"You're gonna be the death of me, sweetness." He growled, cautiously removing her hand and taking a few steps backwards.
"But that's one of the reasons you love me, right?" She asked coyly.
"Of many." He replied with a grin.
"So…do you forgive me now?" she pouted.
"Not quite." He told her, then grabbed her and kissed her soundly causing her to moan into his mouth. Spike pulled away and looked into the eyes of his breathless slayer. "Ok, now…I forgive you." he said with a cocky smirk, and walked back to the truck leaving her standing there completely stunned and breathless.
TBC….
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