Author: Kristen
Title: Blood Ties 6?
Website: http/magical-worlds.us/scribblings/
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters on Buffy. I also don't own any of the characters from Roswell. No infringement is intended and no profit is being made. This is purely for my own entertainment. Only this plot is mine.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up to Season 5 for Buffy including the episode The Gift and Season 1 for Roswell.
Pairings: Dawn/Michael
Summary: After the events of The Gift, Hank interferes and sends Dawn to relatives in Roswell. Spike follows, and soon secrets are exposed and lives are changed. Because even though Glory is gone, Dawn still isn't out of danger and neither are the people around her.
AN: So sorry TripleJ for posting this without waiting for you to look over the chapter and give me your thoughts. My craving for feedback got the best of me and I couldn't wait any longer. So if anything seems out of character it's all my fault, not his!
This came out to 11 pages in Word and I decided to stop there. So even though I promised new things would be happening soon in this chapter, they won't be happening until the next one. I'm so excited about some of the new twists coming up. If you'd like a hint future chapters will feature elements of Missing and 285 South. For now just enjoy the closing of a couple plot threads in this chapter! And please leave feedback! I'm addicted to it.
AN2: I actually finished this a long time ago and mistakenly thought I had added it here when I also updated everywhere else. I didn't discover I hadn't till I was looking through the story stats. So many apologies for the late posting of this.
AN3: Despite the appearance of events in this chapter, this is still very much a Dawn/Michael fic and not a Dawn/Spike pairing.
Part 6On Sunday morning, just one day after Dawn's arrival in Roswell and Spike's subsequent appearance, Isabel gleefully whisked the bedroom curtains open, uncaring of the early hour and Dawn's desire for sleep.
The full glare of sunlight from the window zeroed in on Dawn's eyes without mercy, dragging her from sleep. She grabbed one of the extra pillows on the bed and pressed it over the side of her face, shutting out the sun with a sigh of relief. Sleep beckoned with open arms and Dawn sought out its welcoming embrace.
Her efforts were short lived.
Isabel whisked the pillow out of Dawn's hand before her sleep dulled reflexes could stop her and then went to work on removing the blanket Dawn had been sleeping with. Both now lay on the floor and Dawn was at the mercy of her cousin, who of course had none to spare.
"Get up!" Isabel ordered. "We've got so much to do today," she said with an air of excitement as she rummaged through the closet and Dawn's limited wardrobe with a critical eye. "We need to leave in an hour to pick up Liz and Maria before we start shopping. Your room still needs decorating and it looks like we'll need to flesh out your wardrobe as well." She gazed back at Dawn who was still lying in bed stunned from her abrupt awakening. "Let's go, Dawn. You need to hurry up and shower and get dressed. Mom's making breakfast, so you need to get a move on before it's done."
Dawn groaned but seeing no escape she dutifully crawled out of bed. She accepted the clothes Isabel handed her with bleary eyes and yawned as she stumbled her way to the bathroom to shower. She really hated mornings.
Showered and dressed Dawn made her way to the kitchen. Max was sitting at the table eating eggs and bacon, while Isabel sat there making lists and occasionally talking out loud about what she was writing. "Let's see, curtains, bedding, pictures…what else? Shirts, skirts, pants…"
Dawn began to see a frightening long day of shopping as a result of Isabel's planning. She tried to head it off at the start. "I don't really need all that much, Isabel."
Isabel didn't even look up as she disagreed. "Of course you do. Your room is practically bare!" She said the last as if it were a personal affront.
Dawn tried again. She peeked at the list. "I'm not going to be able to afford all that," she protested though she knew Hank had given her plenty of money to afford three times what Isabel had listed. Like that would just magically make his actions all right, she thought bitterly.
Diane turned away from the stove. "Don't worry about that, honey. Philip and I are footing the bill completely on this one. You don't need to worry about a thing."
"Oh. Great." Dawn forced a smile for her aunt.
Diane smiled back, pleased. "Now how do you like your eggs?"
"Scrambled is fine." Dawn took a seat at the table next to Max and cast a resigned look at Isabel's list. "I better wear comfortable shoes," she muttered under her breath.
Max cast her a sympathetic smile.
Dawn sighed and grabbed some toast. If this was going to be anything like shopping with Cordelia, and she suspected it was, then she'd better eat. She was going to need the extra energy.
They stopped at the Crashdown to pick up Liz and Maria and were soon on their way. Dawn's first impression of Maria was an outspoken girl bursting with energy. She and Liz were best friends she quickly learned and she could see why after hearing stories of their lives in Roswell. Maria kept Liz from getting too serious and Liz reined in some of Maria's wilder impulses. They seemed to have their own language, communicating in the shorthand people do when they've known each other a long time. For all that it was a close friendship she could see how they didn't feel the need to be exclusive. They included Isabel in some of their stories and they made efforts to make sure Dawn wasn't left out of the conversation while they shopped.
Surprisingly, Dawn was having a great time.
"Ooo, leather pants." Maria snatched them off the rack and held them in front of Dawn. She nodded, and then looked to Isabel. "Shirt?" she asked.
Isabel cast a quick and measuring glance at the racks nearby and snatched a soft t-shirt. The short sleeves were belled and the collar was laced with a leather tie with glass beads fashioned to look like quartz and amethyst. The shirt was covered in soft shades of blue, purple, and brown and reminded Dawn of an impressionistic painting.
The shirt was quickly held atop the pants and Isabel and Maria shared nods of approval at the sight. They added the outfit to the pile of clothes Liz was holding now that Dawn's arms were full and said in unison, "Dressing room."
Inside the dressing room, Dawn had to admit she looked good in the outfit. She turned this way and that checking her reflection from all sides. This one was a keeper. She dutifully modeled it for the other girls as Isabel had requested, well demanded really. Dawn had been slightly amused by the imperious air Isabel had and more amused by the impressions of her royal air that Liz and Maria were making behind Isabel's back. The outfit drew comments of approval and Dawn headed back inside the dressing room.
She undressed and began pulling on the other clothes one by one. She liked most of it and the keeper pile quickly outgrew the discard pile. Isabel had a good eye for what would look good on Dawn. Maria's irreverent sense of style had managed to find a few items Dawn thought were crazy at first but upon wearing them had to admit she looked good. Liz had made her contribution with classic clothes with a subtle, sexy air and had reined in Isabel and Maria's wilder suggestions so that Dawn would have a wardrobe she was comfortable with.
When she was finished and emerged from the dressing room in her own clothes again, they headed to the front of the store to pay, adding the new purchases to their growing collection of bags. "Next stop, shoes!" Isabel announced, gleefully. The rest of them followed Isabel's lead, laughing and talking the whole way.
They paused for lunch in the food court of the mall later then gamely headed back into the fray to finish shopping for the things they needed to decorate Dawn's room.
By the time they were done, an exhausted quartet trooped into the Crashdown dragging bags of their purchases behind them.
Dawn, Maria, and Liz sank into the booth where Max was already sitting with Alex and Michael with sighs of relief. Isabel showed no signs of tiredness, glowing with satisfaction at all they had accomplished. She sat next to Alex with a warm smile and a sigh of contentment. Liz had seated herself next to Max and sank into him a tired sigh. Max drew his arms around her and hugged her closer, running a hand up and down Liz's arm in a soothing manner. Michael, next to him, rolled his eyes at the action but didn't say anything; instead he gazed in disbelief at the number of bags the girls had carried in. Dawn and Maria were propping each other up in chairs they had drawn up next to the booth.
"Good grief, Isabel," Michael said. "Did you buy out the stores?"
"I take it, you had a good day?" Max asked.
"The best," Isabel said. She eagerly went through the list of all they had bought.
Michael's eyes widened at the sheer amount. Max and Alex weren't nearly as awed. Max had lived with Isabel his whole life and knew this was a typical shopping experience for Isabel when she put her mind to it. Alex was also well familiar with it all since Maria and Liz were his best friends. He had even been dragged along on a few shopping excursions himself so he wasn't surprised at all.
"Whoa, it looks like the mall exploded in here," a new voice said.
Liz wearily lifted her head from Max's shoulder and greeted the newcomer. "Hi, Kyle. We took Dawn shopping."
"Dawn?" Kyle glanced at the unfamiliar face next to Maria. He couldn't tell who was holding whom up. It looked like a group effort and if either Maria or the new girl were to move they would fall out of their chairs.
Dawn tiredly opened her eyes. "Hi, I'm Dawn."
"Kyle," he answered. He took in the whole scene and looked amused. "Isabel's idea, right?"
Liz, Maria, and Dawn wearily confirmed his guess. Kyle grabbed a chair and brought it to the table. "So what brings you to Roswell?" he asked Dawn.
"I've moved here. I'm living with my cousins," she answered, nodding to Max and Isabel.
"That's interesting," Kyle said. "It's good to meet you. If you want anyone to show you around just let me know." Sensing a sad story behind her brief explanation he didn't push. Instead he changed the subject. "Hey, did you guys hear about what happened on the edge of town?"
Shakes of the head and interested glances all around the table answered him.
"Someone smashed their car right through the 'Welcome to Roswell' sign."
Dawn's eyes widened and she tried hard to hold in her laugh. Spike! She'd bet anything that Spike was the culprit. She lowered her head to hide the knowledge in her eyes.
"What? Why would someone do that?" Liz asked mystified.
"That's terrible." Dawn commented when she had control of herself. "I bet it was a drunk driver."
"Dad's not so sure," Kyle continued. "He says the tire tracks look like someone deliberately veered off the road and targeted the sign."
"Oh, weird." Dawn said.
The talk soon moved on to other things and food was ordered. Dawn spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the company of normal teens before Isabel and Max helped her drag her purchases home. It was quite a change from the life she was used to.
Dawn woke that night to a weight on her bed and a whispered, "Wake up, nibblet."
She opened her eyes to see Spike's welcome form. "Spike!" she said in low tones, glad to see him but not wanting to alert the rest of the house to his presence. She sat up and asked, "Where have you been?"
Spike smiled. "Checking out the town, looking for someplace to stay."
"Did you find anything?" She was curious. She had worried that he hadn't been able to find a safe place to stay out of the sun. This wasn't Sunnydale with a myriad of empty places and a population in denial of the presence of vampires.
"Not many cemeteries in this tiny place, a nice crypt is out of the question."
"Oh," Dawn said disappointed. A crypt would have been an easy place for her to sneak off to without getting caught.
"Don't worry, platelet. I've found a place," Spike assured her when he saw the look on her face.
"Great! Where?"
"There's an empty storefront on the Main Street with an equally empty apartment above. I'll be staying there. It's three spots down from that tourist trap restaurant you were at yesterday with a spaceship above the entrance."
It was a good spot she had to admit and easy enough for her to get there, "But won't people notice you're there? How am I going to be able to see you if people think we're breaking and entering?"
"I've already made arrangements nibblet."
"What arrangements?" Dawn questioned, suspicious.
Spike put on an affronted look. "Don't you trust me?" At Dawn's pointed look, he grumbled, "Legal ones."
Dawn grinned. "Don't worry, you're still the Big Bad to me."
"You're just saying that," Spike denied.
"No, I swear!" Dawn assured him. "You intimidated the heck out of Uncle Philip the other day and without even biting him."
"That's true," Spike acknowledged, mollified. He straightened up with a proud look on his face and swaggered about the room, pleased with the knowledge.
"You see?" Dawn grinned at him. "You're still the terrifying vamp I know you can be."
"Too right, I am," Spike agreed. "If it wasn't for this chip I'd be bathing in blood right now." He paused, and Dawn was surprised to see an almost hesitant look come over his face. "Speaking of blood, there's something I need to ask you."
Dawn sobered, sensing a serious discussion was at hand. "What is it?"
Spike took an unnecessary deep breath and jumped right in. "I want to mark you."
"What?" Dawn asked surprised. She hadn't been expecting that at all.
Spike came back to the bed and tenderly took Dawn's hands in his own. "If Willow hadn't been able to find this address in Buffy's address book I wouldn't have been able to find you. I'm your protector, Buffy trusted me with your safekeeping." A firm look came over his face and he vowed, "I'm never going to let anything happen to you again if I can help it."
"I believe you, Spike," Dawn reassured him. She brushed a hand over his face, awed at the determination and care he showed for her. It made her throat tighten and her heart ache at the sight of it. Buffy had never believed it but Spike loved. The evidence of it was there for her to see. "I know you will."
"I won't fail you again," Spike promised. "But," and he hated to admit it, "If you should be taken from me again, if you wear my mark, I'll always be able to find you." His eyes pleaded with her. "Let me do it, Dawn. Let me mark you."
She hesitated. "What about the chip?"
His ready answer surprised her. "If you're willing, I'm sure the chip won't do anything."
She wondered how he could be sure about that but decided she didn't want to know. She wavered on the knife edge of decision. What would Buffy say if she knew what Dawn was contemplating?
Spike said only one more word. "Please."
It was that which decided her along with the knowledge that Buffy wasn't here to object or protect her. Spike was. She took a deep breath then let it out as her decision firmed. "All right. Mark me, Spike."
Spike's eyes glowed yellow and Dawn watched the shadows of emotions chase across his face, relief, joy, trepidation, and even possession, which Dawn was surprised to see. "What do I do?"
Spike shifted on the bed, moving until his back was supported by the headboard. He brought his knees up and spread them making room. "Come here, Dawn," he instructed, gesturing for her to sit in front of him then lean back. The use of her real name only emphasized how serious he was about this. He had been in vamp face since Dawn gave her permission and now for the first time the sight of it made her nervous. Would it hurt?
Spike easily scented the slight hint of fear surrounding her and while the demon he was might have gloried in it for an instant, he didn't like seeing or smelling it on her. He pushed back his demon face and called forth his human one. "It's all right," he reassured her.
Spike's gentle blue eyes were back and the sight instantly calmed her. She trusted him; he wouldn't do anything to harm her. With the reminder of that knowledge in the forefront of her mind she shifted until she was leaning back against him in the position he wanted her in.
The scent of Spike surrounded her. He smelled of leather and tobacco and a hint of something underneath that her mind instantly recognized and classified as home. She relaxed completely.
Feeling it, Spike was moved. He loved her. Not because she was Buffy's sister but for her own sake alone. He knew Buffy would have never allowed him to do this. Dawn was special and he cherished her. Cherished her for her understanding, for her trust, and for everything that made her Dawn. There would never be another like her. He would do everything he could to make sure she lived a long and happy life. And if she let him, he would turn her so she would be with him always.
"Thank you," he whispered into her ear and hugged her close.
Dawn smiled. "You're welcome."
Spike kissed her temple then moved his head down to her neck. He nuzzled the spot he planned to put his mark on, still in human face. He breathed over it and nipped it gently with his teeth.
He lifted his head to gauge her reaction and was proud to see that she was still relaxed, still willing to let him do this. He lifted a hand and gently turned her face toward his own. "Are you sure?"
Dawn shook her head and snorted at him in amusement. "You silly vamp." Her eyes twinkled at him with affection as she said it. "I haven't changed my mind and I'm not going to. I want this."
Spike changed back into his demon face. "No going back now, Dawn."
"No," she agreed and turned away, arching her neck toward him. "Only going forward."
Spike's eyes closed for a moment, humbled and awed. He tenderly hugged her to him with affection and whispered, "I love you," before taking her hint.
Spike bent his head and bit.
Dawn arched in surprise.
It had hurt, but the pain was brief, only a flash of pain. Instead, it was quickly replaced by a sense of peace and homecoming. Spike surrounded her inside and out. She knew he loved her but now she felt it. It was amazing. She was surprised when she heard Spike's words inside her head even as she felt him draw her blood into his veins.
I Claim you.
You are Mine.
I take your life,
Your present,
And your future,
And ally them with my own
You will always belong to me.
You are Claimed.
Spike lifted his fangs out of her neck and lapped up the blood that ran from the bite marks. He swept his tongue over his Mark to stop the bleeding and Dawn shivered.
"Wow. That was wow," she said weakly.
She felt Spike smile against her neck. "Yes, it was."
She didn't move and Spike didn't ask her to. Instead he held her close as she slept contentedly in his arms for the rest of the night until the sun drawing near forced him to leave.
End Part 6Morena Evensong: I'm pretty sure I already emailed you a reply to your review so I'll just say thanks for your feedback here. You always leave reviews with thought provoking questions so I look forward to reading them whenever I see your name.
Mae: Your welcome. Happy belated birthday.
Dragonsdaughter1: Thanks! I'm so glad you think so.
Allen Pitt: Well the pairing for this one is most definitely Dawn/Michael but I do plan to write a Dawn/Alex fic, maybe after I finish this one. I never saw the ep with the meteor demon so I'll have to read the transcript or catch it in a rerun but you raise a very interesting point. There are alien/key connections but you won't be discovering any clues to what they may be till the next chapter. I also agree with your point about the granilith. Unfortunately, the show's writers didn't care much for logic or continuity so that can only be addressed in fanfic. And about being used only once being familiar I have no further comment. And you can take that as a hint. Also, you seem to be reading my notes because there will be a dreamwalking scene between dawn and Isabel in later chapters. Finally, you're question about the effects of Spike's chip on the hybrids will be answered eventually but not yet. I wonder if I should set up a spoiler discussion or file on my mailing list. It's something to consider.
KamakaSamR: Since you also left a way to contact you, I think I've already answered your review. Once again, thanks for your feedback!
Botticelli'sVenus: Thanks! I'm glad you like it. By the way, you've got an interesting user name. I like it.
tina7610813: Thanks for your feedback!
Archnemeses: Oh, I'm sorry to hear you suffer from chronic pain too. Mine is due to being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia which had me practically bedbound until recently. The reason? Prayer. I went before my church and was anointed and prayed over. Since then I've been a lot more active and the pain isn't as bad. My God is an awesome God and I'm constantly amazed with the many blessings he's given me though I don't deserve them. I also belong to a church that has witnessed so many miracles. Like you I missed school a lot. I'll be praying for you. Thanks for your review!
Miss Elisa Tenant : I'm glad you like it! Buffy and Roswell are among some of my favorite shows as well so the thought of writing a crossover seemed perfect. I'm disappointed with the scarcity of these type of crossovers too, especially the kind I'd be interested in reading. That was my main impetus for writing this one.
I'm glad you like the characterization since that's one of my pet peeves when people stray from writing in character. And the dialogue in part five was so much fun to write! Especially Xander's line about removing Spike's chip. That's my favorite line.
I suggested Michael as a pairing mainly because I adore his character and I absolutely can't stand to pair him with Maria, mainly because I detest her character. And I definitely agree about the babe quality. Especially third season Michael when he had long hair!
This chapter might give you doubts about how weird it will be with Spike there but I hope it doesn't. This is very much a Dawn/Michael story. And I disagree about the touchy-feeliness of Spike. He appeared that way with Drusilla and Buffy when she let him. And just think about the ep Something Blue! Major touchy-feely going on in that episode. Spike's got a deep well of love to give and a naturally expressive way of showing it when people will let him. There are naturally going to be suspicions about Spike. Michael isn't too impressed with him and he's going to let his friends know it. And events will slowly lead the rest of the Roswell teens to be suspicious too. But I plan to let that develop slowly and not all at once.
Thanks for your review!
tenshi noyo Ryu Taiga: Thanks so much. I'm happy you like it.
marykaitlyn: No, I haven't abandoned this fic. I have no plans to abandon any story because I know I hate it when an author leaves me hanging like that so I certainly don't want to do that to my readers. I just forgot to post the update over here. I'll try not to repeat that mistake again.