By "Painbow"
Summary: Buffy's dad returns; S6, post DoubleMeat Palace
Disclaimer: I don't own Hank or Buffy or Spike (::sob::) or Dawn. Actually, I don't own any of the characters...yet! Mwahahaha! ::ahem::
A/N: Thanks again to the people who reviewed! And don't worry...Buffy's Birthday (not in this chapter, but soon...) will be...interesting ::eg:: They're going to have a lovely gathering where they discuss etiquette over brie and a piquant white wine and...hey! Where'd everyone go? ::g::
Also, this is the chapter where I deal with the events of "Dead Things." Just a friendly warning, because that episode squicks a lot of people (or makes them die a little inside).
Chapter 5
She had done it. She had killed a human. It was all her fault.
Buffy stood at the door to Dawn's room, looking at her sister. She'd be ok now that their dad was back. He could take care of her.
Buffy sat down on the edge of Dawn's bed. Her sister stirred a little, coming awake.
"Hey," said Buffy quietly.
Dawn looked at her sister, not quite awake. "What time is it?"
Buffy looked at her sister, smiling sadly. "It's late. I just wanted," she paused. "You know I love you, right?"
Dawn frowned. "What's wrong?"
Buffy was trying not to cry. Giving up her sister? But she had to. She had to do the right thing. "I know I haven't been everything I should be...everything Mom was..." Buffy lost the battle not to cry and. "I love you. I always will."
Dawn looked confused and upset. "Why are you talking like this? Buffy?"
Buffy looked down at her hands. "There was an accident. In the woods. A girl...she was hurt. I hurt someone."
Dawn's eyes widened. "Oh my god? Is she all right?"
"No." Buffy looked up at her sister. "I'm sorry."
Dawn stared at her, mouth open. Buffy killed someone, running over and over through her head. Her sister was speaking again.
"I have to tell what I did. I have to go to the police."
The police! Not again! Dawn was shocked out of her thoughts. "The police?"
"Dawnie, I have to."
"But, what's going to happen?" Of course she knew, but she hoped that this was all just a bad dream and if she followed the script maybe she would wake up and it'd all be over. Hank would be gone, Joyce would be making pancakes downstairs and Buffy would be complaining about a missing sweater, never having died in the first place. Under the covers, Dawn pinched her leg. Buffy said something. She didn't know? Of course she knew!
"They'll take you away, won't they!"
"I'm sorry." Buffy was, she had to get it through to Dawn, but she could see the anger and pain written on her sister's face. Why couldn't she understand? She had to do this.
"No you're not! You're never here!" Finally it was clear to Dawn. "You can't even stand to be around me!" Her sister would rather be in prison then stay with her. She was going to leave her with Hank, the man who left when things got bad.
"That's not true!"
"You don't want to be here with me. You didn't want to come back. I know that. You were happier where you were...you want to go away again!" She lay down, back to her sister.
"Dawn..."
The door opened and Hank's sleep-tousled head leaned through. "Girls, what's going on in here?" Hank noticed that his eldest was dressed as if she were going out. "Buffy?"
"Nothing, dad, go back to bed."
Dawn sat up again. "Nothing?! You're leaving again and it's nothing! Why don't you ask her dad? Ask her where she's going? Ask her why?"
Hank was confused. "Buffy, what's this—"
"Oh, but come on, Hank!" Dawn had jumped up from bed, fists clenched, glaring at her family. "You know things aren't normal in this house. Haven't you noticed? Buffy's always in a daze, out at all hours of the night, always tired, always looks beat up. You're not stupid enough to think that she's okay are you? Or are you just as dense as Mom was?"
Buffy took a step forward and slapped Dawn, sending her to the floor. "Don't EVER speak about Mom like that." Dawn glared up at her, clutching her cheek, tears running down her face. Buffy looked horrified. "Oh god! Dawnie!" She reached out to her sister. Dawn pulled away.
Buffy stepped back, staring at her sister. "I told you. I have to go..." Buffy turned to the door only to be blocked by Hank.
"Buffy! What is going on! How could you hit your sister like that?"
"I...I just have to go, dad, okay?"
Hank grabbed her shoulders. "No! I'm your father and you will explain this to me!"
Buffy's eyes flashed. "My father? Since when? How long did you wait after your girlfriend dumped you to come find us?"
Hank looked like she'd punched him. "Buffy, I just want to help."
"Then get out of my way." Buffy pushed her father and he went flying across the room, luckily landing on Dawn's bed. "I have to go," Buffy repeated.
Hank stared at the door long after Buffy had left. He turned to his youngest. "Dawnie, are you okay?"
Dawn glared up at him. "Like you care. I'm going to Spike's." Dawn quickly threw on a jacket and climbed out the window.
Hank sat in the middle of her bed. When did things get so complicated? Right, when he'd come back.
Hank rubbed his arm where Buffy had pushed him and got up from the bed. He walked into the guest room and looked longingly at his suitcase. Things would be so easy if he just packed up and left. He suspected his girls would be happier too.
He sat down heavily on the bed, eyes still firmly on his suitcase. He could go back to Spain, find some lovely lady to take his mind off his troubles and...
He shook his head. He couldn't. He had come back to the States to be with his girls and leaving right when things got tough, okay tougher, would put him right back at square one: Deadbeat Dad Hank. He didn't want to be that Hank anymore. Spending time with Buffy and Dawn had made him realize that all those years he'd been missing something. Well, he was damned if he was going to let it get away again. Hank stood up from his bed, slipped on a jacket, and made his way downstairs, ready to find Dawn.
He was about to go out the back when he heard a knock on the front door. Frowning, he went to open it to reveal a woman, smiling shyly through her hair.
"Hey Buffy, I—" She stopped. "O-oh. Um...is Buffy there?"
"Hi..."
"Tara."
"Hi, Tara. Actually Buffy just went out...I'm not quite sure when she'll be home. I'm Hank, her father."
Tara was speechless. This was the man she'd listened to Willow rant about? The one who left and didn't come back?
"I was just about to go out looking for Dawn...we had a bit of a...disagreement tonight."
Tara looked worried. "Do you know when she left?"
"Not too long ago. She said she was going to Spike's, wherever that is. I was going to go look for her."
Tara relaxed slightly. "Well, I-I'll just come back when Buffy gets home. Tara looked nervously up the stairs."
"Oh, no need. She'll be back soon, I'm sure of it." Hank grinned, trying to show a confidence he didn't feel. "Willow's out studying, so I wouldn't mind someone staying incase Dawn or Buffy comes back."
Tara relaxed visibly. Hank decided she had just been waiting for an invitation. "I should be back soon. Where does this Spike live?"
Tara's eyes widened. Did Hank know about Buffy? Did he know about Spike? She decided to play it safe. "You'll probably find him at the Bronze. It's the local nightclub? He's usually there."
Hank smiled. "Thanks. Hopefully she's already on her way home."
Tara forced another smiled, knowing that Dawn probably wasn't.
Buffy stumbled in through the front door. She looked at her hands. So, she was innocent. Then why did she feel so guilty?
She looked up through tears and saw Tara coming towards her, a concerned look on her face.
"Tara," Buffy half smiled.
"Buffy...what happened? Is it Dawn?"
Buffy choked back a sob. "Dawn, Dad, Spike...everyone."
"Buffy, sit down." Tara led her over to the couch.
Buffy looked up at her. "Tara, what's wrong with me? You did those tests right? Am I..."
"Buffy, sweetie, you're not a demon, if that's what you're worried about."
"I'm not?"
"No. Your cells were changed somehow by the resurrection spell, that's all. Probably just enough to fool Spike's chip..." At the mention of Spike Buffy sobbed again. "Buffy...did...did he hurt you?"
Buffy laughed bitterly. "Did he hurt me? Ha. Tara...how can I not be a demon?"
"Of course you're not!"
"But...why am I doing these things? There has to be a reason. Why did I hurt them? Why do I let Spike do those things to me?"
"You mean hit you?"
Buffy looked down.
"Oh..."
Hank came in through he back. He'd found the Bronze, but he hadn't seen anyone who looked like Spike or Dawn. He sighed worriedly and hoped both his daughters were okay.
He heard voices coming from the living room. He moved closer to hear better. Recognizing Buffy's voice, he allowed himself to relax a little.
"...Why do I let Spike do those things to me?" Hank froze. What?!
"You mean hit you?"
Hank turned around and walked right back out the door.
He was furious. How dare that man treat his daughter so? Now he knew exactly why she was so depressed all the time. Her boyfriend...her boyfriend beat her! Well, he was going to find this Spike guy and he was going to show him that no one treated his little girl like that.
Of course, Hank wasn't completely stupid. He remembered the first encounter he'd had with the guy. Being lifted up by your throat wasn't something you easily forgot, so he was heading to the police station first. Get some backup to help him put this guy away. For good.
Hank was so absorbed in his mental fantasy of just where the police would shove their nightsticks that he almost didn't hear the sounds from the alley. He stopped for a second, ready to run should the need arise. He'd notice that there were an awful lot of muggings that resulted in fatalities in Sunnydale.
He heard a groan. Perhaps he'd walked in on one?
"She really took you down, buddy." Hank didn't recognize the voice, but the speaker sounded concerned.
"I'll be fine after a pint. Just help me get to my crypt."
"Alright man, but..."
Hank's vision turned red. It was him.
He charged into the alley, ready to give the punk asshole a piece of his mind...until he saw the condition the punk asshole was in.
Spike limped from the alley, arm around some guy with a really bad skin condition. They stopped when they saw him and Spike grinned, or tried to through his swollen lips.
"Well, if it isn't Daddy."
The other man looked worried. "Look, Spike, you're in no shape to fight this guy..."
Spike snorted and then coughed, a little red landing on the pavement.
"I guess you finally got what was coming to you," said Hank, tensely. "A woman abuser like you getting pummeled and left in an alley by a different woman...it's nearly poetic."
Spike's eyes narrowed as much as was possible around the bruises. "What did you call me?" he growled.
"A woman abuser. If you think I'm letting you within a hundred feet of my daughter again you're—"
"I would NEVER hurt Buffy. Never!" He pulled his arm from around the other man's neck and straightened, swaying a little from his injuries. He took a step towards Hank, managing to carry an air of menace despite the obvious pain he was in. "Now what," he growled, "put such a ridiculous idea in your head?"
Hank stood his ground. "I heard her talking to a friend. Crying. She said 'Why do I let Spike do those things to me?' What am I supposed to think?"
Spike's face twisted. "Bitch! Running around telling everyone I'm makin' her..." he stopped and a look of pain entered his eyes. "She was cryin'?"
Hank folded his arms. "She was."
Spike leaned against the opening, pain still apparent in his eyes. "She's hurting. I tried to help...but everything's just so bollixed..." He looked away from Hank, staring at the pavement. "I wish it was like it used to be, when we were friends. Right after she came back...but she wanted me, you know? And I thought, 'here's my chance! Here's my crumb'...but things haven't been right. The things we do to each other...and she won't let me...things haven't been right." He looked back up at Hank, seeming to remember himself. Anger replacing pain in his eyes, he pushed himself up from the wall. 'If you even think about leaving her again, I'll personally hunt you down, and chip or no chip, you'll die screaming."
Hank stared back, believing every word, though confused about the 'chip' bit. He completely believed this man was capable of what he said, but he stood his ground. He had to say strong for Buffy's sake.
Spike regarded Hank for a minute longer, then nodded. He leaned back into the wall, apparently exhausted.
"C'mon, man," said the loose-skinned guy. "It's nearly dawn. Let's get you home."
Spike allowed himself to be lead away by the other man.
