The day dawned, no pun intended, bright and clear. It was an important day
for two reasons, 1) it was the grand opening of Giles' store, and 2) Spike
was finally coming home. Dawn couldn't be happier. In Buffy's opinion,
Dawn was sickenly happy as they walked to the Magic Box's grand opening.
"Oh, come on, Buffy. Aren't you just a little happy?" Dawn asked the slayer. "I mean my dad's coming home. I thought you'd be just a little happier than you are right now. I feel like I'm walking with Grandpa Peaches."
Buffy glared at the girl a moment before laughing. "I'm happy, Dawn, really I am, it's just that-"
"That Grandpa called you last night and totally stressed you out because that's what Grandpa does, stresses you out." Dawn finished for her.
"Who told you that?" Buffy asked curiously.
"Dad." Dawn said shrugging.
"He talks about me to you?" The slayer asked, very much surprised.
"Oh, all the time, ever since he first met you. It used to be: 'She's the thorn in my bloody side, the gristle in my bloody teeth.' Now it's just like, 'the slayer thinks she can talk to me like that because I'm weak? She'll get what's coming to her when I get the sodding chip out.' I mean, that's why mom broke up with him..." Dawn looked carefully at Buffy. "Either way, he's always talking about you."
Buffy stared at Dawn. She wasn't sure whether to laugh at her nearly perfect impression of her father or to start yelling at herself for the way she treated Spike in the past. She hadn't realized that she was so important in Spike's life. And she hadn't realized how important that had been to her until now. Buffy was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that they reached the Magic Box until Dawn walked inside the store, leaving her outside and alone.
As Dawn slowly walked into the shop, she became aware of a pair of eyes watching her. She looked up and began to laugh at the sight in front of her. There Giles stood in a purple wizard's robe with a matching hat. "Bloody 'ell, Rupert." Dawn said in between laughs. "Or should I say Dumbledore?" Suddenly she sobered up and looked at Giles. "Rupert, it's blokes like you tha' give the British a ba' name." She said in an almost perfect impression of her father.
Giles stared at Dawn. "Are you finished?" He asked curtly.
Before Dawn could answer him, the door to the Magic Box swung open and Buffy walked inside. "Dawn, you can't say something like that and then leave and oh my God." Buffy rambled as she saw her ex-watcher. She looked behind her for a moment before she turned her attention back to Giles and raised an eyebrow. "Did I hit my head while I was out there?"
The ex-watcher blushed. "Perhaps I should take this off?" He asked.
Buffy nodded. "That might be a good idea."
Giles nodded and took them off while Dawn laughed. Buffy turned her attention to the teenager. "Dawn, why don't you look around the shop for a bit and don't-"
"Break anything. I know, I got that speech from Joyce earlier." Dawn finished for her.
"Actually, I was going to tell you not to steal anything, but not breaking things works, too." Buffy responded.
"And what makes you think I was going to steal something?" Dawn asked offended.
"You're related to Spike." Buffy said coldly. "Now leave us alone, okay?"
"Fine." Dawn responded angrily before stalking further into the shop.
Buffy sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "Great." She looked up at Giles. "Sorry." He looked expectantly at her. "Oh, yeah, the meeting." She fished through her pockets for a moment, and pulled out a white glowing orb. "I found this during patrol last night. Do you know what it is?"
"May I?" Giles asked and Buffy nodded as the ex-watcher took the orb out of her hands. "I'm not sure what it is, but we can research it." He replied as he appraised the orb.
"Dawn Crawford!" Buffy suddenly yelled. "I know you're not eavesdropping on us."
The teenager in question quickly hurried further into the shop and pretended to be very interested in the amulets. 'Stupid slayer, thinks she knows everything. I can't wait for Daddy to come home. Then I'll only have to deal with Buffy during Scooby meetings.'
She sighed and lazily searched through the amulets. Suddenly her eyes fell upon a gorgeous pink stone surrounded by purple stones. It hung on a thick silver chain. She pulled it off the shelf and looked at the paper tag. "Gem of Sight. Shows the wearer what was meant to be seen." She smiled and quickly stuffed the necklace into her pocket. "This definitely will show them that they're in love with each other." She smiled to herself and began to wander through the rest of the store, completely oblivious of the fact that now all of the Scoobies and Riley were in the shop. As she walked into the center of the shop she became aware of the fact that Riley was talking.
"So, I was thinking that we could go out patrolling tonight at-" Riley stopped at the look of discomfort on Buffy's face. "What did I say something wrong?" He asked worriedly.
"No, she just doesn't like it when you patrol with her. She says that she hates having to make sure you don't get hurt. She never has to worry about my da' when she patrols with him." Dawn told the ex-commando.
"Dawn!" Buffy hissed embarrassed. "I am so sorry Riley, I'm sure she didn't mean-"
"No," Riley said cutting her off. "She meant every word she said. She doesn't have any tact, I guess it's from being raised by vampires."
"Is there something wrong with that?" Dawn asked angrily.
"Yeah," Riley smirked. "It means you're less than human."
"Enough!" Buffy yelled. "I think you need to leave, Riley."
Riley looked around the room in shock. "You're not serious." He asked. Buffy simply glared at him, while Willow wrapped an arm around Dawn's shoulder. Giles took his glasses off and polished them. Anya was half- amused with the whole exchange. Xander simply shook his head. He didn't like Spike, but he had no problems against Dawn. None of them did. They all loved the girl despite of who her father was.
The ex-commando, however, never could accept Dawn. "I don't believe this."
"Get out." Buffy demanded angrily.
"Buffy." Riley pleaded.
"No, I am sick of you and your demon prejudice. Get out. And if I see you again, I might just try to slay you." Buffy told him.
Riley's eyes went wide and he backed out of the shop. "You're making a mistake, a big mistake." With that he left the shop.
"Come on, Dawn." Buffy said, breaking the silence. "Let's go home."
-------------------------------------------------
It was just after Buffy and Dawn returned to the Summers' household when all the trouble started. They had just walked through the front door when Buffy became aware of her mother lying on the couch in pain.
"Mommy?" Buffy asked in a small voice.
"Maybe we should take her to the hospital." Dawn suggested weakly.
"No, I just need my prescription. The slip is in the kitchen, could you?" Joyce asked her daughter.
Buffy nodded in understanding and ran into the kitchen to get her mom's prescription slip. While Buffy was in the kitchen, Dawn subtly slipped the amulet into Buffy's jacket, and sat back down. "Dawn, keep an eye on her for me." Buffy asked the teenager as she grabbed her jacket off of the coat rack, and slipped it on.
"I will." Dawn promised.
"You better." was all Buffy had to say before she hurried out of the house.
"Everything is going to be fine." Dawn told Joyce soothingly as she made sure the older woman was comfortable on the couch. But even Dawn wasn't sure whom she was trying to convince, Joyce or herself.
----------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, Buffy hurried to the hospital, and was there in an inhumanly time. She was getting her mother's prescription from the hospital technician when Nurse Ben and two orderlies stopped near her as they tried to strap a crazed patient to the gurney they were wheeling him on.
"Buffy, hi." Ben called out to her.
The slayer looked at him for a moment. "Hi." She said slowly not really sure if she knew him or not.
"Ben?" He reminded her. "I was the nurse at your mom's examination."
"Oh yeah," Buffy said remembering. Suddenly she was distracted by the patient thrashing about on the gurney. Immediately, she realized that this was the security guard who had been at that warehouse when she found the orb.
"They're coming for you!" The security guard screamed. "Through your family! It's always through your family."
"We gotta get him strapped down." Ben said to the two male orderlies, who were struggling with the man. Sighing, Buffy lazily pinned the guard down with one arm, effortlessly holding him down in place. "Okay." Ben said shocked. "Now, strap him down." He informed the orderlies. "Wow," He said as he turned his attention back to Buffy. "You've got serious muscles for a girl."
Buffy shrugged and let go of the man once he was strapped down. "I gotta go get these to my mom." Buffy said indicating the prescription bag, and before Ben could even register what she said, Buffy was walking down the hall.
"Buffy, wait." Ben said as he caught up with her.
"Yeah?" Buffy asked almost bored.
"I was wondering if you'd maybe like to go out with me sometime?" Ben asked nervously.
"Oh, Ben, I'm sorry, but I already have a boyfriend." Buffy told him apologetically.
"Oh." Ben said softly.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, if I didn't have Spike and Dawn in my life..." She trailed off.
"Dawn?" Ben asked curiously.
"My daughter." Buffy responded almost automatically. When she realized what she said, her eyes went wide. "I, um, gotta go." With that, she pushed past Ben and practically ran down the hall. 'Where the hell did that come from?'
When Buffy was nearly home, she put her hand in her coat pocket and pulled out the amulet. "What the hell is this?" She asked herself. "Amulet of Sight." She said as she read the label. Shrugging she put it on, not sure what it was, but wanting to find out.
Dawn was in the kitchen making Joyce tea when Buffy came home. "Mom?" Buffy called.
"She went upstairs to rest." Dawn said as she came out of the kitchen.
Buffy's eyes went wide as she looked at Dawn. The half-vampire was flickering in and out of Buffy's vision. 'What the hell?' Buffy asked herself. 'She's not real?' Suddenly the security guard's words hit her. 'They're coming through your family. Isn't that what he said?' Before even Buffy knew what she was doing, she had Dawn pinned up against the wall, her hand around the teenager's neck.
"Buffy?" Dawn whimpered, her mind flashing back to what her mom did to her.
"What are you doing to my mom?" She angrily asked Dawn.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Dawn whimpered.
Before Buffy could respond, she felt herself being thrown across the room. She looked up to see an angry vampire glaring at her. "Daddy!" Dawn cried, throwing herself into her father's arms.
"I'm here, Bit, I'm here." Spike said soothingly. He glanced up from his distressed daughter to Buffy, who was getting up off the floor. "Go get your stuff, Dawn."
Dawn nodded and literally ran up the stairs.
"What in the hell did you think you were doing, Slayer?" Spike yelled.
"I don't know." Buffy answered honestly, refusing to look at Spike.
"I knew you weren't happy with this situation, but I trusted you with her!" Spike yelled. "This was so bloody low."
"Spike, please, just don't. If you're going to kill me, than kill me. Just don't yell at me first." Buffy said.
Spike looked carefully at the slayer. "I'm not going to kill you."
"Because the other demons are right and you're weak?" Buffy quipped.
Spike glared at her. "Why did you agree to watch Dawn?" He asked, ignoring her question.
"Because I'm in love with you." Buffy practically shouted, surprising even herself. She hadn't even admitted her love to herself, and here she was shouting her love for Spike to Spike himself.
Spike stared at her sadly. "You have a funny way of showing it." He finally said before meeting his daughter who was coming down the stairs.
"So, that's it?" Buffy asked with tear-filled eyes. "I tell you that and you just walk away. You run because that's what you're good at!"
"Go outside." Spike told Dawn, as he pushed his daughter into the dusk. "Is that really what you think?" Spike asked Buffy slowly.
Buffy shook her head. "No, I think that chip finally got to you and you're weak. Not long ago, you would have killed me when you had the chance. And I know very well that you're so angry that you'd kill me and then think of the pain later. So why aren't you?" She asked him genuinely curious.
"Buffy, you know bloody well why I'm not killing you." Spike said softly before leaving Buffy alone.
Buffy's eyes widened and she slid down to the floor. 'Spike loves me and I fucked it up.' Buffy said as tears flooded down her face. 'What have I done?'
"Oh, come on, Buffy. Aren't you just a little happy?" Dawn asked the slayer. "I mean my dad's coming home. I thought you'd be just a little happier than you are right now. I feel like I'm walking with Grandpa Peaches."
Buffy glared at the girl a moment before laughing. "I'm happy, Dawn, really I am, it's just that-"
"That Grandpa called you last night and totally stressed you out because that's what Grandpa does, stresses you out." Dawn finished for her.
"Who told you that?" Buffy asked curiously.
"Dad." Dawn said shrugging.
"He talks about me to you?" The slayer asked, very much surprised.
"Oh, all the time, ever since he first met you. It used to be: 'She's the thorn in my bloody side, the gristle in my bloody teeth.' Now it's just like, 'the slayer thinks she can talk to me like that because I'm weak? She'll get what's coming to her when I get the sodding chip out.' I mean, that's why mom broke up with him..." Dawn looked carefully at Buffy. "Either way, he's always talking about you."
Buffy stared at Dawn. She wasn't sure whether to laugh at her nearly perfect impression of her father or to start yelling at herself for the way she treated Spike in the past. She hadn't realized that she was so important in Spike's life. And she hadn't realized how important that had been to her until now. Buffy was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that they reached the Magic Box until Dawn walked inside the store, leaving her outside and alone.
As Dawn slowly walked into the shop, she became aware of a pair of eyes watching her. She looked up and began to laugh at the sight in front of her. There Giles stood in a purple wizard's robe with a matching hat. "Bloody 'ell, Rupert." Dawn said in between laughs. "Or should I say Dumbledore?" Suddenly she sobered up and looked at Giles. "Rupert, it's blokes like you tha' give the British a ba' name." She said in an almost perfect impression of her father.
Giles stared at Dawn. "Are you finished?" He asked curtly.
Before Dawn could answer him, the door to the Magic Box swung open and Buffy walked inside. "Dawn, you can't say something like that and then leave and oh my God." Buffy rambled as she saw her ex-watcher. She looked behind her for a moment before she turned her attention back to Giles and raised an eyebrow. "Did I hit my head while I was out there?"
The ex-watcher blushed. "Perhaps I should take this off?" He asked.
Buffy nodded. "That might be a good idea."
Giles nodded and took them off while Dawn laughed. Buffy turned her attention to the teenager. "Dawn, why don't you look around the shop for a bit and don't-"
"Break anything. I know, I got that speech from Joyce earlier." Dawn finished for her.
"Actually, I was going to tell you not to steal anything, but not breaking things works, too." Buffy responded.
"And what makes you think I was going to steal something?" Dawn asked offended.
"You're related to Spike." Buffy said coldly. "Now leave us alone, okay?"
"Fine." Dawn responded angrily before stalking further into the shop.
Buffy sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "Great." She looked up at Giles. "Sorry." He looked expectantly at her. "Oh, yeah, the meeting." She fished through her pockets for a moment, and pulled out a white glowing orb. "I found this during patrol last night. Do you know what it is?"
"May I?" Giles asked and Buffy nodded as the ex-watcher took the orb out of her hands. "I'm not sure what it is, but we can research it." He replied as he appraised the orb.
"Dawn Crawford!" Buffy suddenly yelled. "I know you're not eavesdropping on us."
The teenager in question quickly hurried further into the shop and pretended to be very interested in the amulets. 'Stupid slayer, thinks she knows everything. I can't wait for Daddy to come home. Then I'll only have to deal with Buffy during Scooby meetings.'
She sighed and lazily searched through the amulets. Suddenly her eyes fell upon a gorgeous pink stone surrounded by purple stones. It hung on a thick silver chain. She pulled it off the shelf and looked at the paper tag. "Gem of Sight. Shows the wearer what was meant to be seen." She smiled and quickly stuffed the necklace into her pocket. "This definitely will show them that they're in love with each other." She smiled to herself and began to wander through the rest of the store, completely oblivious of the fact that now all of the Scoobies and Riley were in the shop. As she walked into the center of the shop she became aware of the fact that Riley was talking.
"So, I was thinking that we could go out patrolling tonight at-" Riley stopped at the look of discomfort on Buffy's face. "What did I say something wrong?" He asked worriedly.
"No, she just doesn't like it when you patrol with her. She says that she hates having to make sure you don't get hurt. She never has to worry about my da' when she patrols with him." Dawn told the ex-commando.
"Dawn!" Buffy hissed embarrassed. "I am so sorry Riley, I'm sure she didn't mean-"
"No," Riley said cutting her off. "She meant every word she said. She doesn't have any tact, I guess it's from being raised by vampires."
"Is there something wrong with that?" Dawn asked angrily.
"Yeah," Riley smirked. "It means you're less than human."
"Enough!" Buffy yelled. "I think you need to leave, Riley."
Riley looked around the room in shock. "You're not serious." He asked. Buffy simply glared at him, while Willow wrapped an arm around Dawn's shoulder. Giles took his glasses off and polished them. Anya was half- amused with the whole exchange. Xander simply shook his head. He didn't like Spike, but he had no problems against Dawn. None of them did. They all loved the girl despite of who her father was.
The ex-commando, however, never could accept Dawn. "I don't believe this."
"Get out." Buffy demanded angrily.
"Buffy." Riley pleaded.
"No, I am sick of you and your demon prejudice. Get out. And if I see you again, I might just try to slay you." Buffy told him.
Riley's eyes went wide and he backed out of the shop. "You're making a mistake, a big mistake." With that he left the shop.
"Come on, Dawn." Buffy said, breaking the silence. "Let's go home."
-------------------------------------------------
It was just after Buffy and Dawn returned to the Summers' household when all the trouble started. They had just walked through the front door when Buffy became aware of her mother lying on the couch in pain.
"Mommy?" Buffy asked in a small voice.
"Maybe we should take her to the hospital." Dawn suggested weakly.
"No, I just need my prescription. The slip is in the kitchen, could you?" Joyce asked her daughter.
Buffy nodded in understanding and ran into the kitchen to get her mom's prescription slip. While Buffy was in the kitchen, Dawn subtly slipped the amulet into Buffy's jacket, and sat back down. "Dawn, keep an eye on her for me." Buffy asked the teenager as she grabbed her jacket off of the coat rack, and slipped it on.
"I will." Dawn promised.
"You better." was all Buffy had to say before she hurried out of the house.
"Everything is going to be fine." Dawn told Joyce soothingly as she made sure the older woman was comfortable on the couch. But even Dawn wasn't sure whom she was trying to convince, Joyce or herself.
----------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, Buffy hurried to the hospital, and was there in an inhumanly time. She was getting her mother's prescription from the hospital technician when Nurse Ben and two orderlies stopped near her as they tried to strap a crazed patient to the gurney they were wheeling him on.
"Buffy, hi." Ben called out to her.
The slayer looked at him for a moment. "Hi." She said slowly not really sure if she knew him or not.
"Ben?" He reminded her. "I was the nurse at your mom's examination."
"Oh yeah," Buffy said remembering. Suddenly she was distracted by the patient thrashing about on the gurney. Immediately, she realized that this was the security guard who had been at that warehouse when she found the orb.
"They're coming for you!" The security guard screamed. "Through your family! It's always through your family."
"We gotta get him strapped down." Ben said to the two male orderlies, who were struggling with the man. Sighing, Buffy lazily pinned the guard down with one arm, effortlessly holding him down in place. "Okay." Ben said shocked. "Now, strap him down." He informed the orderlies. "Wow," He said as he turned his attention back to Buffy. "You've got serious muscles for a girl."
Buffy shrugged and let go of the man once he was strapped down. "I gotta go get these to my mom." Buffy said indicating the prescription bag, and before Ben could even register what she said, Buffy was walking down the hall.
"Buffy, wait." Ben said as he caught up with her.
"Yeah?" Buffy asked almost bored.
"I was wondering if you'd maybe like to go out with me sometime?" Ben asked nervously.
"Oh, Ben, I'm sorry, but I already have a boyfriend." Buffy told him apologetically.
"Oh." Ben said softly.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, if I didn't have Spike and Dawn in my life..." She trailed off.
"Dawn?" Ben asked curiously.
"My daughter." Buffy responded almost automatically. When she realized what she said, her eyes went wide. "I, um, gotta go." With that, she pushed past Ben and practically ran down the hall. 'Where the hell did that come from?'
When Buffy was nearly home, she put her hand in her coat pocket and pulled out the amulet. "What the hell is this?" She asked herself. "Amulet of Sight." She said as she read the label. Shrugging she put it on, not sure what it was, but wanting to find out.
Dawn was in the kitchen making Joyce tea when Buffy came home. "Mom?" Buffy called.
"She went upstairs to rest." Dawn said as she came out of the kitchen.
Buffy's eyes went wide as she looked at Dawn. The half-vampire was flickering in and out of Buffy's vision. 'What the hell?' Buffy asked herself. 'She's not real?' Suddenly the security guard's words hit her. 'They're coming through your family. Isn't that what he said?' Before even Buffy knew what she was doing, she had Dawn pinned up against the wall, her hand around the teenager's neck.
"Buffy?" Dawn whimpered, her mind flashing back to what her mom did to her.
"What are you doing to my mom?" She angrily asked Dawn.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Dawn whimpered.
Before Buffy could respond, she felt herself being thrown across the room. She looked up to see an angry vampire glaring at her. "Daddy!" Dawn cried, throwing herself into her father's arms.
"I'm here, Bit, I'm here." Spike said soothingly. He glanced up from his distressed daughter to Buffy, who was getting up off the floor. "Go get your stuff, Dawn."
Dawn nodded and literally ran up the stairs.
"What in the hell did you think you were doing, Slayer?" Spike yelled.
"I don't know." Buffy answered honestly, refusing to look at Spike.
"I knew you weren't happy with this situation, but I trusted you with her!" Spike yelled. "This was so bloody low."
"Spike, please, just don't. If you're going to kill me, than kill me. Just don't yell at me first." Buffy said.
Spike looked carefully at the slayer. "I'm not going to kill you."
"Because the other demons are right and you're weak?" Buffy quipped.
Spike glared at her. "Why did you agree to watch Dawn?" He asked, ignoring her question.
"Because I'm in love with you." Buffy practically shouted, surprising even herself. She hadn't even admitted her love to herself, and here she was shouting her love for Spike to Spike himself.
Spike stared at her sadly. "You have a funny way of showing it." He finally said before meeting his daughter who was coming down the stairs.
"So, that's it?" Buffy asked with tear-filled eyes. "I tell you that and you just walk away. You run because that's what you're good at!"
"Go outside." Spike told Dawn, as he pushed his daughter into the dusk. "Is that really what you think?" Spike asked Buffy slowly.
Buffy shook her head. "No, I think that chip finally got to you and you're weak. Not long ago, you would have killed me when you had the chance. And I know very well that you're so angry that you'd kill me and then think of the pain later. So why aren't you?" She asked him genuinely curious.
"Buffy, you know bloody well why I'm not killing you." Spike said softly before leaving Buffy alone.
Buffy's eyes widened and she slid down to the floor. 'Spike loves me and I fucked it up.' Buffy said as tears flooded down her face. 'What have I done?'