When the three girls entered the Bronze, Dawn looking just as old as Buffy or Willow; Xander came over. "Hey you guys! What's up? Hey, look at the Dawnster! Whoa!" he said approvingly, wrapping his arm around Dawn in a half hug.
Just then, Anya walked over. "Hello, Dawn. Happy Birthday. I used some of the money from the cash register to get you a present. I hope you appreciate the effort," she said, smiling despite the fact that she had been forced to spend some of her money.
They walked over to a table already loaded down with presents when Dawn saw some of her friends already out on the dance floor. Smiling, she rushed out to join them. Not many people knew Dawn could dance, but she was actually pretty good at it.
After she'd been dancing Janice and Lindsay for a quarter of an hour, she brushed her curls behind her ear and stepped off the floor to get a drink. She walked over to the counter and ordered a Dr. Pepper, drinking it slowly when it arrived.
She finished her soda and thought about asking Xander to dance when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Dawn turned around and found herself looking up at Robert. She could she why Lindsay liked him. His black hair was spiked up in front and his green eyes were amazing, almost powerful. He also had a killer grin and a sexy voice...and he was a senior.
"So," he said, flashing a smile at her. "Wanna dance?"
"Sure," she said, ignoring the voice that was telling her, No! This is your friends crush! Plus, he's dating that one ho you can't stand. She also chose to ignore the fact that he had a reputation as a player and thought defensively, Hey, it's my birthday...time to let myself do what I want for once!
She disregarded Lindsay's envious stare as Robert led her onto the dance floor. Little did she know, she had another pair of eyes on her as well.....
A fast song began to play and Robert came behind her to put his hands on her hips. He was a good dancer. Sure, he came a little too close for her taste, but it was exciting, and it made her feel interesting and wanted. She knew that Justin had only kissed her so that he could drain her dry later. So when Robert rubbed up against her, she let him, despite the shocked stares she was receiving from Buffy. As the song ended, she turned around to face him.
"Thanks, that was fun," she said. A slow song started up. He cocked his head to the side, asking her without words.
How cool is he? she asked herself happily as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When that song ended, he smiled at her, walking away silently. She rushed over to Janice and Lindsay.
"I hate you!" Lindsay squealed excitedly, her grin proving that she didn't.
"You looked sooo good you there!! Wow, Dawn, we need to come dancing more often!" Janice laughed.
As more and more of their friends joined them, their group got louder and wilder throughout the night. Dawn, for once, was out of Buffy's shadow, and she loved it. She danced with several guys from school and twice with Xander. Occasionally, though, she looked around as though expecting someone who wasn't there. Then she remembered that he hadn't been invited and sighed sadly. At about two in the morning, when many of her guests were gone, Dawn sat in a chair, exhausted from her nonstop dancing. Buffy came and sat next to her.
"Wanna go home Dawn? Open your presents?"
"Sure," she smiled. "I'm beat. I'll go get Willow."
Willow, Tara, and Anya helped carry all the gifts to Xander's car, then they all hopped in for a ride home.
Once they were back at the Summers house and had taken all the gifts inside, Dawn sat on the couch to open them. She unwrapped Buffy's gift first. It was a beautiful cobalt blue cashmere sweater. She smiled with delight and held it up against her. "Buffy, it's gorgeous! I love it."
She hugged her sister and proceeded on the other gifts. From Willow, she received a book of actual spells, from Tara, some silver earrings; Xander got her a joke book and a copy of the video 'Harriet the Spy'. "Oh, I love this movie!" she commented. "The girl looks just like me...."
Anya had gotten her a small trinket from the Magic Box, and with the exception of Janice and Lindsay, everyone from school had given her money. Finally, after all the gifts had been opened, they all got up to go home or to bed. Xander said sleepily, "Hey, Dawn. You forgot one..."
Dawn turned around and saw a small box on the table. "Ooh, who's it from?" she asked.
Buffy shrugged, "No card."
Curious, Dawn picked it up and slowly opened the little box. She gasped. "Oh! It's beautiful!"
Inside was a small chain of gold and silver woven together. Dangling on the chain was a small, sparkling crescent moon. Buffy looked over her shoulder. "Wow, Dawn. That's gorgeous..."
After the necklace had been passed around and admired, Dawn had Willow fasten in around her neck. She climbed slowly up the stairs to her room, wondering who her mystery gift could be from. Lying in her bed, she thought back on her night. It had been the best birthday ever. If only Spike had been there, she thought sadly, her earlier fantasies crushed. She fell asleep, her fingers lingering on the delicate chain.
* * *
Spike walked into his crypt, dropping down on his couch and flipping on the TV. He'd been at the Bronze. He had gone for a drink and seen Buffy and all her friends there. So, he had scoffed to himself. I help all of them, I'm practically a member of their bloody gang, 'n they can't even tell me Nibblet's havin' a party.
They probably thought that he didn't even know it was Dawn's birthday, but he did. He even got her a present. Bought her a present. Didn't even steal it...He had slipped it in with the other gifts when no one was looking, then had stayed in the shadows to watch Buffy; but for some reason his eyes had been drawn to Dawn. She had looked different that night...gorgeous. Spike had been tempted to go and dance with her, strangely jealous when he had seen all those high school boys groping her. He's wanted to go over and pull them off of her, but he didn't think that it would have gone over very well with the Nibblet, so he had stayed hidden, watching her move, licking his lips. He'd had no idea that the Nibblet could dance like that...she moved beautifully; fluid, seductive motions. She danced even better than his dark Princess. He groaned with longing, never imagining he could want the little bint this way. She hadn't come to see him all week, and he realized that he missed her. He missed her chatter that filled his dark crypt with light, her voice that made him feel alive...
He thought about going to see her and tell her happy birthday; he knew she thought he had forgotten, but his vampiric senses told him that the sun was already rising, so he climbed down the ladder to the underground levels of his crypt, undressed, and went to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * *
Hope you liked this chap. As usual, review, review, review!! Apologies to Lindsay for making her seem like a ditz in my fic....and thanks to Sheila for commenting on Robert's "powerful eyes", giving me inspiration for my fic! Thanks everyone!!