Not Dead, Still Standing

Chapter 8- Things are good

A/N: Am I the only one who thinks this fic's title is too long? I doubt it. I know there has been major delay…like two months. But I've had hand troubles, and had to wear a brace thingy on it, still don't know what was wrong with it, and I have one or two cracked ribs…so not fun. (You know how I got them? I went to the graveyard and played Buffy! Haha…j/k. Car accident) More than you wanted to know? Okay. Sorry again! R&R!

Dawn sat on her bed listening to the mix Andrew had made her, wondering why the Voyager theme was on it so many times, and thinking about Spike and Buffy.
Way more than I needed to see. Way, way, way. Being happy for your sister and her…boyfriend is one thing. Being okay with seeing your sister straddling her shirtless boyfriend with the first button of her jeans undone…that's way down the road in twisted Jerry Springer land. Gah!
"Hey." Andrew came bounding in the room, and sat down on her bed. " I heard what happened. Finding Buffy and Spike like that. Must suck for you. Not all the way though, 'cause it was Spike too, and come on, you're still a woman…"
"Stop now!" Dawn interrupted sharply.
"Oh. Yeah well, you get to be a family now! You, Buffy, and Spike. Kinda like if Vader didn't die. I mean, couldn't you so see him and Luke, and Leah getting along? They would have been such a great family. It's sad that Padme died though. And how do two people with names like Anakin and Padme have kids named Luke and Leah? I just don't get…"
"Andrew. Stop making Star Wars references or leave. Go talk to Xander, or somebody else who's seen them."
"You haven't seen Star Wars? Oh my god! How could you not…"
"Andrew! Leave! Now!"
"Dawn?" Buffy walked in. "Andrew, can I have a minute?"
He hopped off the bed. "Yeah, what about?"
"Not with you Chewy, with Dawn!"
Andrew huffed and left the room.
"Hey." Buffy said softly to Dawn, sitting next to her on the bed.
"Hi."
"Listen…about earlier…when you and some of the girls…"
"Caught you and Spike in the middle?"
Buffy blushed. "Yeah. I just wanted to say I'm sorry…for yelling at you last night. I was just upset."
Dawn starred at her sister, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "I'm trying to stay mad at you, but…you and Spike!" The teenager squealed.
"Dawn?"
"Yeah."
"There's one more thing…I know that we didn't really…bond last year, with everything that was going on…and lately, with the girls, it's been hard…but I want you to know I love you."
"I love you too."
It was quiet for a second.
"Buffy?"
"Huh?"
"How'd you and Spike get together? What'd you say!" Dawn couldn't conceal her excitement anymore.

Spike closed the basement door on his way out, and looked around, rolling his eyes, catching the end of a conversation between Xander and Andrew.
"It's not exactly an insult." Xander repeated.
"It is too! You said I have girl shoulders!" Andrew walked out of the room. Spike just walked away, towards the living room. Normally he would be back down in the basement, but there were a whole bunch of the girl's…delicates hanging around because they needed to "air dry". And Spike didn't feel like hanging around all day starring at little girl…things. He walked into the living room to be met with 5 young girls who immediately stopped talking and looked up at him. He sighed and sat down on the couch trying to ignore the girls. Giggles could be heard and Spike snapped. "What are you going on about? Me and Buffy? Buffy and me? Bed with you lot in the room? Get off it."
Spike only noticed Kennedy when she started to talk, a sly grin on her face that he wished Buffy would let him slap off. "Actually, we were laughing about how most of the girls have a crush on you, and three of them had plans to see you in the shower today." She said bluntly. "But if you want to talk about Buffy in bed…by all means…"
Spike glared at her, and to avoid violence on his part, exited the room. On his way down the hall someone bumped into him. "Watch it, will ya?"
"Sorry." Andrew mumbled, catching Spike's attention was…Andrew's shoulders.
They were three to four inches higher than normal, lumpy, and he had a little toilet paper sticking out of his collar.
"Did you stuff your shoulders!" Spike asked rhetorically, trying not to laugh.
"No." Andrew said immediately, turning red under Spike's gaze.
Spike couldn't help it, he gave a small chuckle, and slapped Andrew on the back. "Whatever you say Shoulder-Pad." He threw over his shoulder, walking up the stairs.

Seeing Buffy wasn't in her room, Spike thought he'd ask Dawn if she knew where she was. Although it wasn't his exact idea of something fun to do. He was still a little…embarrassed about earlier. The other girls, that didn't bother me, but this was his Dawn!
Knocking lightly on the door, he stuck his head in.
Buffy was fast asleep next to Dawn, their arms tangled together.
Walking over them, Spike took the blanket and covered his girls. His girls. Yeah, things are good.