Summary: When Spike has finally had enough of Buffy's games, an important force in Spike's past shows up in Sunnydale determined to show Buffy a few home truths.
Timeline: post – 'As You Were' (anything up to there is game for spoilers)
Pairing: Spike/Buffy.
Disclaimer: Buffy, Spike and Sunnydale, et al, are property of Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. Joss is All Powerful. I merely use his creations to entertain myself and hopefully others.
Author's Note: Ok, first of all, thanks for the great reviews, I never knew why writers liked them so much until I got my own. Now, back to the night that never ends, hope you enjoy. Also, big question: how should Buffy punish Dawn? (Groundings are just so boring, and I know from my rebellious punk days when I was Dawn's age that they never teach you anything). Please, advise!
Chapter 5 – Dawn Katherine SummersAs Buffy took in the girl standing before her, and her brain registered that the scantily clad girl was indeed her sister, a look of anger that Spike had never seen her give to even the worst of demons came over her face.
"Dawn Katherine Summers, go into the living room." Buffy spoke calmly, her tone of voice not reflecting the anger that was apparent in the expression she wore. Dawn practically sprinted into the living room, a fresh batch of tears streaming down her face.
Buffy turned to Spike, and with the same calm tone asked, "Where did you find her and what was she doing?" Buffy didn't even question Spike's involvement, mainly because she knew how protective he was of Dawn and also because the grim expression he wore reflected exactly what she was feeling.
"The Bronze. I told her she had to tell you the rest though. Figured that would be a good starting punishment, luv." Spike smiled gently, following Buffy into the living room, but stopping at the entrance to lean on the door and quietly watch the two sisters. He was slightly tense, prepared to grab Buffy if she got too angry, knowing it was a possibility.
Buffy strode over to the younger Summers, and stood above her, arms on hips and an expectant look on her face. Dawn looked up at her, tears still streaming down her face. Neither said anything, just staring at one another. Finally Dawn looked down again, curling into herself.
"Well?" Buffy said in the same calm voice. She had never been this angry. Looking over her sister, she couldn't believe what she saw. Dawn was wearing a tight, leather skirt with an even smaller top. She had small, strappy heels on drawing attention to her long legs. What she was wearing left nothing to the imagination and wasn't decent enough for anyone with self-respect, let alone her little sister to wear. Her mascara-streaked face showed signs of far too much make up. And now that Buffy was away from Spike, she realized the stench of cigarette smoke was not just coming off him. Buffy took a long breath, "Are you going to tell me what else you were doing, besides dressing like that?"
Dawn looked up at Buffy in fear. The last thing she wanted to do was tell her about her other activities, but she knew if she didn't Spike would. And he would be a lot harsher in telling Buffy about what she had done. Looking down at her lap again, she quickly mumbled, "I was at the Bronze with Janice and some guys and I kindawassmokinganddrinkingsomebeer."
Buffy closed her eyes trying to take a moment to reign in her anger after a few moments she said, "You might want to repeat that because I really hope you didn't say you were smoking and drinking."
Dawn just looked down, the silent tears now being joined by a few small sobs. "I'm sorry," she whispered, afraid to look up.
That did it. Buffy's head snapped up and she screamed, "You're sorry! Oh, well that makes it all better. My baby sister, who I'm responsible for, gets dragged from a bar by a vampire at one am in the morning where she was smoking and drinking and dressed like a – I don't even want to say what you look like, and thinks a sorry will make it all better!?!" Buffy laughed. "You have no idea how much trouble you are in. You lied to me Dawn! And after the shoplifting! The first time I let you go out after that fiasco and what do you do? Do you remember what you told me your plans were tonight? Do you?"
"Yes."
"You said you were going to, and I quote, 'Rent a couple of Brad Pitt movies and have a veg-out night in front of the TV.' How dare you lie to me like this! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you could get yourself into? What if Spike hadn't been there?"
"I'm not a child." Dawn said quietly, angry that Buffy was saying the same thing she always said.
"What was that?" Buffy leaned in towards Dawn, not believing what she was hearing.
"I'm not a child!" Dawn said more defiantly. "You treat as if I'm a two-year old who can't do anything for herself! Why can't I go out like the rest of my friends do? Why can't you treat me with respect and let me have some fun!"
"You are a child and acting like this proves it! God damn it Dawn, what the hell are you trying to prove to me? That you're an adult? Because right now, the only thing I see is an irresponsible little girl who I can't even trust to sleepover at a friends." Buffy paused, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. She sighed heavily and looked back up at her sister. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with you. What's next, drugs, breaking and entering, stealing cars?"
"Maybe if you would just – "
"I don't want to hear it!" Buffy snapped. In a quieter voice that showed just how hurt Buffy was behind her anger, she said, "I could ground you for two months and I doubt that you would learn anything. You want to know why? Because this is the third time you've done this. The third time you have betrayed my trust. Now, you are going to go upstairs and take that shit off of your face. You are going to change into your pyjamas and out of that get up. You will be sleeping on the couch because I thought you were going to be at Janice's tonight and an," Buffy paused trying to figure out the best way to describe Arabella, "an unexpected visitor is in your room. You are then going to come down here and go to sleep."
"Buffy – "
"Not a word, Dawn!" Buffy snapped. "I am tired, have had a bad day, and you are not making it better. I will talk to you in the morning."
"But – "
"Go, NOW!" Buffy shouted. Dawn scrambled from her seat and fled up the stairs, glaring at Spike as she passed them.
As soon as the sound of a slamming door was heard, Buffy crumpled to the floor crying. Spike was instantly at her side, ready to wrap his arms around her. Her tears made him forget everything that she had said that day, everything he had felt, and everything he had decided. He couldn't handle seeing his light so upset.
Unconsciously, Buffy reached out to Spike and buried her head in his chest. She felt his strong arms wrap around her and she held onto him tighter. She could here his soft voice murmuring words of comfort, and she let them wash over her in waves of comfort.
"What am I going to do?" Buffy asked between sobs. "She just keeps on getting worse and worse and nothing I do helps. I don't know if I can do this any longer."
"Shh, luv. The Nibblet's just going through a phase. She's trying to prove that she's an adult. It'll pass."
"But what if it doesn't?" Buffy sat back, disentangling herself from Spike. She looked up into his eyes and whispered, "I wish my mom was here. She'd know what to do."
Spike's heart broke at those words. Buffy looked like a little girl at this moment, being forced to deal with raising an adolescent when she was barely finished being an adolescent herself. Sometimes he forgot just how young she and her friends were. Barely 21.
Spike reached out a hand and cupped her face, wiping the tears flowing down her cheek away with his thumb. "She is, pet. She's in your heart and soul. I know she's watching over you from heaven."
Buffy jerked back at the statement as if he had stung her. Shit. Spike realized what he had just said and wished that he could take it back. But it was too late. He sat back as he watched the cold, empty expression come over her face.
"What would you know about where my mother is?" Her voice trembled in anger and pain. "You don't know anything about it!" Buffy jumped up and walked into the hallway.
Spike jumped up and followed her, cursing that he hadn't thought before he spoke. "Buffy, I'm sorry." Spike reached out and touched her on the arm, praying she would realize that he didn't mean it that way, although he knew that his efforts would be futile.
Buffy snapped around to face him, hands dangerously clenched at her sides. "What are you doing here anyways Spike? I thought I made it clear that I didn't want you in my life anymore!"
Spike could feel the anger and defensiveness start to boil deep within him. "I didn't want to be here. But for some reason I bloody well thought you might want to know what your sister had been getting up to! I love her like she's my own, Buffy. I couldn't bear to see anything happen to her."
"You know nothing about love Spike! Thank-you for bringing her back, but from now on stay away from her, stay away from my friends, and stay away from me!"
That was it. Spike actually felt himself snap. "Do you always have to be such a bloody bint, Slayer? I have never done anything, anything, but try and help you. Have I tried to hurt you or yours once in the past year? No! And why? Because for some unknown reason I love you." Buffy opened her mouth to retort, but Spike cut her off, "Don't. I know what you're going to say. I'm a demon! I'm soulless! I can't feel! I can't love! That's all bullocks and you know it. If I couldn't then why would I let you beat me to an inch of my unlife. If I didn't actually feel I would have walked away or hit you back. How dare you tell me to stop caring about other people, about Dawn. You don't have the bloody right."
"I don't have a right? I don't have a right! I'm just her guardian and sister. I think that pretty much gives me all the rights I need!" Buffy screamed back.
As the yelling continued, Willow rolled over in her bed and covered her head with a pillow. She knew from the instant that Buffy had called Dawn by her first name that tonight was not the time to get involved. It bothered her that it was now Spike and Buffy yelling. She couldn't make out what they were saying through the pillow, but it reminded her of the kind of fight a couple would have. She chuckled at thought; it was too absurd to even think. Never going to happen. Willow rolled over again and tried to block out the shouting more by hugging the pillow more tightly to her head.
In a room down the hall, Arabella couldn't take it anymore. She had been lying in bed listening to a screaming Buffy and her sister, and now what she assumed must be her boyfriend. Or ex-boyfriend if the argument kept on going much longer. She toyed with the idea of going back to the Magic Box for a moment, before getting out of the warm bed she was lying in and heading towards the stairs. As she got to the stairwell, she could hear the argument clearly and cringed at what she heard.
"The day you do something that isn't 100% selfish is the day hell freezes over," Buffy snorted. Her arms were now crossing her chest and she was itching for a good enough reason to throw Spike through the closed front door, repair costs be damned.
As Spike opened his mouth to retort, the clearing of someone's throat could be heard behind him. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. Thank-you for your hospitality Buffy, but I think…" As Arabella continue, Spike slowly turned around and looked up to the top of the stairs. He was sure he knew that voice. As he looked up, scanning the bare feet and going up, he blinked when he reached the familiar voice's face.
"Ari?"
******
Well, what did you all think? Hope you liked, sorry if the B/S affection tease was frustrating! In time, little shippers, in time… Anyways, remember: reviews make me feel all creative like and wanting to write… so, please, review! (next chapter should be up by the end of the week, depending on circumstances)