I own Nothing. Joss owns everything.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
x.x.x
The Talk
"Bit early aren't we?"
"Spike? Oh, hi. She told me you had come back. How are things with you and Buffy? You're not going to hurt me are you?"
"Well now, that depends on you doesn't it." Spike grinned to himself. This would be fun. There really was no need to involve Buffy in this. No, this he could do all on his own, and the bit had to have known there would be some sort of conversation between he and the boy.
"I, I , I guess." Andrew backed up into to couch and sat down. Trying to keep from shaking. "I brought bagels and coffee."
"Why don' t we go for a little walk." Spike cocked his head and motioned in the direction of the double doors leading to the long abandoned flower garden. A little privacy might make this a little more effective.
"Yeah, we can do that." What choice did he have, really? He needed this to go well and Dawn had sworn Spike was on their side.
Walking ahead of Andrew, Spike entered the bare garden all smiles. The smile was quickly gone when he turned to face the boy, had to keep up appearances. How else was he supposed to put the fear of God into him?
"Now, just what are your intensions toward Dawn?" Sliding an arm around his shoulders and pulling him tightly, patting the outside of his shoulder hard.
He could feel Andrew shaking but he tensed and stood his ground. He turned to face Spike.
"My intension? My intensions are of the best kind I can promise you." He had rehearsed this with Dawn. She had told him Spike would use old fashion words. She had also told him not to panic, that he would try and scare him. It was working.
"You do realize that if you hurt her in any way I will find you. I spent over a century perfecting the ways of torturing humans. Figuring out just where to hurt, what to cut off, how long it would take." He could hear Andrew breathing and see the entire outer edge of his eyes by this point.
There was nothing old fashion about those words.
"I. I . I won't hurt her. I would never hurt her! I love . . her." That last part slipped out. He had meant to tell Dawn first.
"Love her eh? Have you told her?" Yep, this boy was in deep.
"No, I wanted to get Buffy and your blessing first."
"My blessing? Why would you need it from me?" Trying not to sound as happy about that as he really was.
"Dawn loves you. You're so important to her. I wanted to have at least one member of her family on our side."
Family? He had just been referred to as Dawn's family. He had a family. Spike was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Andrew speak again.
"I was afraid to tell her." Honesty seemed to be the best policy.
Remembering his list, Spike returned to 'big brother mode'.
"Dawn tells us you two have been seeing each other for months."
"Yes, we started spending a lot of time together doing research." Dawn had said short answers. Don't volunteer anything, no use being hung from the rafters for something they don't know about.
"We went to dinner a couple of times, nobody noticed. We did the food shopping together. For some reason the rest of them thought I was best suited to household things. And they always wanted my opinion on their clothes. Where did that come from?"
Spike held his breath. He didn't want to be the one to break it to him that the scoobies thought he was gay.
"We just grew closer. When we realized we felt something we decided to keep it a secret for a while."
"I can understand the need for not letting the rest of the scoobies in on it." Could he ever. "But, why keep Buffy in the dark?"
"We talked about telling her, but we didn't know if Buffy would understand. I was afraid she still hated me. I thought maybe if we had some distance between us it would fade so I volunteered to go on to Cleveland. It didn't change anything. We just missed each other. A lot."
Spike could very well understand where he was coming from. How many times had he tried to leave Sunnydale only to be haunted by Buffy in his dreams?
"You should have told her. Before you got any more involved. Yeah, she might have gone a little round the bend, but she would have calmed down eventually."
"Guess I was afraid she'd take me around that bend with her and I wouldn't come back." Andrew could see the smirk appear and then disappear quickly. Yep. He's on our side.
Right then. On with the inquisition.
"Got plans for when you return to Cleveland? Assuming we let her go back with you." Details. Buffy will want details.
"I work with the slayers. Showing them how to do research and stuff. I've been looking for an apartment, but they're hard to come by with the no pay issue. We really hadn't gotten any farther than just getting Dawn out there."
"Where will Dawn be staying?" He better not hear the answer he thought he was going to hear.
"She can have her own room. Mr. Wood found us this old house. It's huge. The owners let us use it because they knew his mom." No way was he telling him that they had discussed living together.
Heading back towards the lobby, Spike turned to Andrew who was following his lead.
"When do you have to go back?" He needed to think for a while and he and Buffy would have to talk about all of this.
"I have an open ended ticket. I told the lady at the travel agency that made my reservations what I was doing. She said I may need a little more time than one day. Guess she was right huh."
"Just so you know. You hurt my bit, I'll see that your entrails hang from the rafters like Christmas tree lights." The blood drained from Andrew's face.
Spike looked up at the staircase just in time to see Buffy on her way down.
Right then. Time to get in between the bit's nerd and the slayer. He could almost see fire in those hazel eyes as he reached her as she touched the bottom step.
"How long has he been here? We're you planning on telling me he was here?" Arms crossed over her chest as she patted her foot.
"Luv, he was waiting when I came down. And yes, was goin to tell you right now. First can we go somewhere and talk?"
The Talk
"Bit early aren't we?"
"Spike? Oh, hi. She told me you had come back. How are things with you and Buffy? You're not going to hurt me are you?"
"Well now, that depends on you doesn't it." Spike grinned to himself. This would be fun. There really was no need to involve Buffy in this. No, this he could do all on his own, and the bit had to have known there would be some sort of conversation between he and the boy.
"I, I , I guess." Andrew backed up into to couch and sat down. Trying to keep from shaking. "I brought bagels and coffee."
"Why don' t we go for a little walk." Spike cocked his head and motioned in the direction of the double doors leading to the long abandoned flower garden. A little privacy might make this a little more effective.
"Yeah, we can do that." What choice did he have, really? He needed this to go well and Dawn had sworn Spike was on their side.
Walking ahead of Andrew, Spike entered the bare garden all smiles. The smile was quickly gone when he turned to face the boy, had to keep up appearances. How else was he supposed to put the fear of God into him?
"Now, just what are your intensions toward Dawn?" Sliding an arm around his shoulders and pulling him tightly, patting the outside of his shoulder hard.
He could feel Andrew shaking but he tensed and stood his ground. He turned to face Spike.
"My intension? My intensions are of the best kind I can promise you." He had rehearsed this with Dawn. She had told him Spike would use old fashion words. She had also told him not to panic, that he would try and scare him. It was working.
"You do realize that if you hurt her in any way I will find you. I spent over a century perfecting the ways of torturing humans. Figuring out just where to hurt, what to cut off, how long it would take." He could hear Andrew breathing and see the entire outer edge of his eyes by this point.
There was nothing old fashion about those words.
"I. I . I won't hurt her. I would never hurt her! I love . . her." That last part slipped out. He had meant to tell Dawn first.
"Love her eh? Have you told her?" Yep, this boy was in deep.
"No, I wanted to get Buffy and your blessing first."
"My blessing? Why would you need it from me?" Trying not to sound as happy about that as he really was.
"Dawn loves you. You're so important to her. I wanted to have at least one member of her family on our side."
Family? He had just been referred to as Dawn's family. He had a family. Spike was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Andrew speak again.
"I was afraid to tell her." Honesty seemed to be the best policy.
Remembering his list, Spike returned to 'big brother mode'.
"Dawn tells us you two have been seeing each other for months."
"Yes, we started spending a lot of time together doing research." Dawn had said short answers. Don't volunteer anything, no use being hung from the rafters for something they don't know about.
"We went to dinner a couple of times, nobody noticed. We did the food shopping together. For some reason the rest of them thought I was best suited to household things. And they always wanted my opinion on their clothes. Where did that come from?"
Spike held his breath. He didn't want to be the one to break it to him that the scoobies thought he was gay.
"We just grew closer. When we realized we felt something we decided to keep it a secret for a while."
"I can understand the need for not letting the rest of the scoobies in on it." Could he ever. "But, why keep Buffy in the dark?"
"We talked about telling her, but we didn't know if Buffy would understand. I was afraid she still hated me. I thought maybe if we had some distance between us it would fade so I volunteered to go on to Cleveland. It didn't change anything. We just missed each other. A lot."
Spike could very well understand where he was coming from. How many times had he tried to leave Sunnydale only to be haunted by Buffy in his dreams?
"You should have told her. Before you got any more involved. Yeah, she might have gone a little round the bend, but she would have calmed down eventually."
"Guess I was afraid she'd take me around that bend with her and I wouldn't come back." Andrew could see the smirk appear and then disappear quickly. Yep. He's on our side.
Right then. On with the inquisition.
"Got plans for when you return to Cleveland? Assuming we let her go back with you." Details. Buffy will want details.
"I work with the slayers. Showing them how to do research and stuff. I've been looking for an apartment, but they're hard to come by with the no pay issue. We really hadn't gotten any farther than just getting Dawn out there."
"Where will Dawn be staying?" He better not hear the answer he thought he was going to hear.
"She can have her own room. Mr. Wood found us this old house. It's huge. The owners let us use it because they knew his mom." No way was he telling him that they had discussed living together.
Heading back towards the lobby, Spike turned to Andrew who was following his lead.
"When do you have to go back?" He needed to think for a while and he and Buffy would have to talk about all of this.
"I have an open ended ticket. I told the lady at the travel agency that made my reservations what I was doing. She said I may need a little more time than one day. Guess she was right huh."
"Just so you know. You hurt my bit, I'll see that your entrails hang from the rafters like Christmas tree lights." The blood drained from Andrew's face.
Spike looked up at the staircase just in time to see Buffy on her way down.
Right then. Time to get in between the bit's nerd and the slayer. He could almost see fire in those hazel eyes as he reached her as she touched the bottom step.
"How long has he been here? We're you planning on telling me he was here?" Arms crossed over her chest as she patted her foot.
"Luv, he was waiting when I came down. And yes, was goin to tell you right now. First can we go somewhere and talk?"