Chapter 4: Venturous Wonder

By the time midnight had rolled around, Everyone was tired. They had gone through different possibilities, the worse and the best. None of the things that Angel has said were guaranteed, she knew that much. There was nothing much to go through except now find suspects and clues to Dawn's whereabouts.

Angel got up and said his goodbyes, trying to sound sincere about meeting them both when Buffy knew he didn't like Spike.

"I'll leave you these, miss Summers. And my card. It's all there in the folder. If you need me...at any time, do not hesitate to call me."He smiled once more and turned toward Spike, nodded then walked out.

"I don't like him." Spike pointed out as he started picking up his bags.

"I've noticed. Through the whole thing, all you did was glare at him and made rude comments."

She said as she headed up the stairs, having him follow.

She lead him to her old bedroom, which was now an extra as she took her mothers room. It still had a lot of her stuff in it but it was mostly empty.

"Where are you gonna sleep luv?" He asked as he dropped his things next to the bed.

"I have Moms room now." She said quietly. She had forgotten he didn't know about her mom.

"So where is Joyce? How has she been?" He smiled at her as he sat down on the bed.

She couldn't breathe. She felt like such a horrible person hiding her death from him. Joyce was like a mother to him. She couldn't bring herself to a more low place. She lost it, falling to the floor and crying so hard, she started hyperventilating.

He ran to her, figuring out about Joyce, pulling her onto his lap as he cradled her, holding back his own tears. She clung to him, feeling so weak

"It...there was a tumor." She sobbed as he rocked her slowly.

"Shhh, its okay. I'm here luv."

She calmed herself down as she raised her eyes to his. "Promise me you won't leave. Not again."

She saw the tears in his eyes, waiting to flow free and that twisted her insides painfully, seeing him so hurt. This has to be one of the worse days of his life, finding out all this horrible information. At least she had time between to get over the heartache. Spike had the reality crash down in just a few short hours. She could only imagine what he is going through.

"I'll never leave you." He whispered as he kissed her forehead and held her tightly. "Never."

She woke up in her own bed the next morning. Rolling over she saw that Spike had slept next to her. There was still an imprint in the pillow from where head was and the spot was still warm. She tried remembering last night but the last thing she remembers is falling asleep in his arms in her old room. That was the first night since Dawn disappeared that she had a good night's sleep, or sleep at all.

She smiled as she heard something fall in the kitchen. "He's trying to cook again." she laughed as she got out of bed and headed downstairs. When she got to the kitchen she saw him working hard at the stove. He was shirtless with his blue jeans on and his hair was even more messy, kind of flat on one side while the other winged out. She had to giggle which made spike turn around and smile.

"Thought I would be done with this by the time you woke up."

"You put me to bed?" She asked as he placed her pancakes on a plate and handed them to her.

"Yea. Woke up 'round 2am so I thought you would like to be in your bed instead of the floor."

"And...you just...decided to stay with me?"

He glanced at her then turned back toward the stove. "You said not to leave you." His voice barely a whisper. "I didn't want you to wake up in the middle of the night bloody terrified. But when I woke up this morning, you looked so peaceful so I thought I would surprise you...but you woke up earlier than I expected." He turned to give her a warm smile which she returned. He finished his set of pancakes and sat across from her as he started to eat.

They ate in silence through their whole breakfast. She had questions for him, and he had for her, but neither of them knew where to start.

"That was delicious" Buffy yawned as she stretched her arms over her head.

"I did good."

"Spike..." Buffy started but stopped to wait till he said something for her to continue, but since Spike knew her too well, he already knew her question.

"We aren't together anymore. Drusilla left me a while back for another bloke. Guess he had more money than me."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged as he sipped his coffee. "Doesn't matter. So how are you and Riley, You two still together?"

She shook her head as she glanced down at her own cup of coffee. "Riley also found someone else."

"Hmm, well maybe ours ran off together." Spike joked, trying to lighten mood.

"No. I knew the girl. You knew her too, Faith?"

Spike nodded, remembering her in High school, making passes at him every chance she would get and throwing herself at his friends right in front of him at the same time. She would take anyone she could get, and if they were taken, that was just more of a challenge to her, and she wanted them even more.

"Well he's a git for ever letting a girl like you get away. He was a fool. I told you that every day I saw you two together. He didn't deserve you."

"Well I always thought you were too good for Drusilla. I mean, she is pretty but that girl is one raving psychotic."

Spike laughed which made her smile. She loved when he laughed, never doing it often but she always seem to bring it out in him. She loved the way his eyes glisten and his skin turns a cute pink. She's loved it since she first saw him standing across the street with her kickball, so happy he moved to America.

"Luv...cell phone's ringing." Spike told her as he headed up the stairs.

She hadn't even realized she had zoned off, noticing he wasn't across from her anymore and suddenly hearing her cell go off.

She picked it up and saw the caller was an UNKNOWN.

"I'm gonna take a shower luv, be down in 10 minutes." Spike shouted from the stairs.

"Okay." She yelled back as she flipped up the phone and brought it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Buffy..." The voice on the other line whimpered, obviously upset and crying.

"Dawn!"