Returning Home
Chapter VII
Dawn woke around six pm again, tiredly opening her blue eyes, squinting at first, then looking up at the ceiling. It was pretty water damaged. Dark brown, coffee-like stains all over the light brown surface.
After lying there for a couple of minutes she rolled over and dragged her body up. She vaguely noticed that she was naked. Naked and very hungry. She frowned when she tried to remember her last meal but couldn't. One of the disadvantages when you were living with a vampire. Usually no food (except blood) around. But luckily she'd gotten a few things yesterday.
So she made her way to the grocery bag in the corner, took out a pack of biscuits and a can of beer. She convinced her consciense that it would go bad if she didn't drink it.
Spreading out the blanket that'd gotten rumpled and a little damp she sat down, opened the pack and the can, enjoying her breakfast.
Then she remembered the reason she had for sleeping on the floor. Putting down the can she'd been holding she walked over to the bed to check on her lover.
Still sweaty, but at least he wasn't having a nightmare, or so she thought by the lack of screaming and squirming.
She bent over him, pushing a few loose strands of black hair from his forehead, smiling at how cute and innocent he looked while sleeping. Then while closing her eyes she bent down and gently pressed her lips against his.
She got dressed in one of Spike's t-shirts and the same jeans she'd been wearing yesterday.
Spike stirred, growling silently when he remembered the state he was in.
Dawn heard him and came to sit down on the edge of the bed.
"How you feeling?" She asked.
"Not happy about you having to be concerned about me." He replied, still a bit groggy.
"Hey, it's okay. Let it be that way around for once."
His response was a smile.
"Oh, I'm going over to Buffy's. Gonna check out her new apartment."
"Alone?"
"Yeah. I think she'd be happy if I came. I'll just tell her you weren't feeling so well. She'll understand."
"I know, it's just, I feel so stupid about this."
"Seriously, no problem. But I'll have to get going now. Bye."
With a kiss she was gone, leaving Spike alone with his headache and fever.
Buffy checked her appearance in the mirror. For some reason she was a bit nervous about meeting her sister alone. What would she think of her? It had been so long and their conversation yesterday wasn't really private.
The relationship between them had changed. They were now acting more like friends than sisters. In a way it was good that Dawn had become an independent woman, not needing anyone to look after her anymore. But to Buffy she'd always be the little sister that she tried to be a mother to so many years ago.
The knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.
Dawn was greeted with a loving hug and directed into the kitchen where Buffy had made some tea. She poured herself and Dawn some. Dawn explained why Spike hadn't come. Buffy was a little surprised at the reason but soon it was forgotten and they were talking about other stuff.
"I can't believe we haven't seen each other for so long. You know I thought about you all the time." Buffy encouraged Dawn.
"Yeah, I know. I thought about you too."
At the awakward silence followed she added:
"You've got a nice place. Or your ex-boyfriend has. What kind of guy is he really?"
"Hm, tough question. Well, he looks good. Nice features, dark, pretty tall and slim. Oh, and he's got glasses. He's hair is straight and always sticking up all over the place. Brown eyes."
"And his personality?"
"That's more complex. I didn't tell you the whole thruth yesterday. Didn't want to talk about it again with the rest of the gang."
"About what?"
"well, I would gladly have started a serious relationship if it wasn't for his drug addiction."
"What!? Really? How did you find out?"
"Once when I came home he was totally gone. Like, still cocnscious but not really there. Then I found the pot he'd been smoking. I helped him get to bed, and we never talked about it. But I often found his small supplies hidden all over the place, and I knew he was seriously hooked. I really know how to pick them, don't I?"
"Glad you dumped him."
"Me too."
The conversation went o, first a bit slow but after a while they chatted away like they'd never done before. It was like getting to know each other again.
The clock was 11pm when they finally decided to go on patrol.
They encountered a flock of vampires and Buffy was surprised to see Dawn fight and dust four of seven.
By one o'clock Dawn was back in the basement to find Spike passed out on the floor. She quickly ran to his side.
When she turned him around she saw that apparently he'd been caughing blood.
There went the normal flu alternative.
If he'd been human she would've assumed he was dead due to his too pale skin and lack of heartbeat. And technically he was.
But he wasn't human and Dawn figured he was still alive or undead as there was no dust pile there instead of him.
He wouldn't move or wake up so she figured the best thing to do was to call the office.
"Hello, Angel Investigations, How may we help you?" A tired voice answered.
"Hi Wesley, it's Dawn."
"Dawn? What's up?" She could hear that he was surprised to hear her voice at this time of the day. Or night.
"It's Spike, he's sick. As in really really sick. Lying on the floor all sweaty and unconscious sick."
"Oh. That's strange."
"Is it? I was kinda hoping you'd tell me it's some normal vamp disease that's easily cured."
"Well, there aren't really any 'normal vamp diseases' since the vampires natural healing is so fast that they rarely experience any symptoms before they're already cured."
"What could it be then?" Dawn desperaty wanted to find out.
"I can think of the possibility that he's been poisoned with some strong poison. What are his symptoms?"
"Um, fever, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, shaking...oh, and he's bleeding from the mouth."
"I don't know much about poisons but it could be Cyanide or Carbon Monoxide or a really high intake of Acetaminophen. Of course there is the possibility of a spell."
"What should we do?"
"You'll stay there and inform me if anything changes. We'll research it here and I'll call you if we find anything."
"Thanks. Bye." She hung up, sat down on the floor beside her boyfriend and felt terribly unuseful.
She kicked him lightly a few times before giving up and just sitting there. Finally she fell asleep.
Spike opened his eyes carefully. He could remember what happened yesterday. He'd gotten some terrible stomach cramps and started coughing blood.
Strangely he now felt okay. He frowned. What had happened?
Standing up he noticed Dawn sleeping beside him. She looked so beautiful.
He started tracing kisses along her collar bone, up to her neck and finally on her mouth. She moaned when he brought up his hand to her nipple.
"Spike!" Her eyes widened a bit when she realized what he was doing. 'On second thoughts, maybe that's not such a bad idea...' She thought when she felt his skilled hands explore her body.
He woke up to a terrible slash of pain stabbing through his chest. He screamed at the top of his lungs. Dawn stirred beside him.
"Spike? What is it?"
He was convulsing and screaming in pain. Dawn tried to calm him down. He knocked off the bed. She backed up against the wall while watching her lover begin to calm down.
When he looked normal again Dawn climbed up on the bed beside him.
"Are you okay? What just happened?"
He looked up at her with shocked eyes.
"Dawn. My heart..it's beating."
AN: Hoped you liked it! Ch. 8 coming really soon if you just REVIEW!
