Just couldn't resist giving you guys another chapter. Thanks to Gen. Mac, as always, for being so faithful.
Chapter 22
Kara awoke sometime in the morning sprawled across a Spike-shaped pillow. She lifted her head enough to smile at his sleeping face, then put her ear back to his chest. She could hear her heartbeat echoing through his chest, but after almost a year of sleeping next to him, she wasn't bothered by it. She thought of a little baby heartbeat that would be audible soon. Their anniversary was on the 7th. She would tell him by then. That settled in her mind, Kara went back to sleep.
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"Good morning, Dawn. Is your sister at home?" Sebastian asked when she opened the door.
"Yeah, she's still asleep. You can hang out, if you want. I was just about to find some breakfast."
"Is there anything in particular you are looking for? I make a passable omelette."
"Really? Okay. Give it your best shot."
Dawn set a pan and a mixing bowl on the counter for him while Sebastian rooted around in the refrigerator for ingredients.
"Dawn, where do you keep your herbs?"
"Over here, the 'h' is silent," she teased, giggling.
"Yes, well, we invented the language, so I think that one-ups your argument."
"You can tell yourself that, but we outnumber you, so I think you're still toast."
"Keep it up, young lady, and I won't make breakfast for you, after all," he warned.
"So…tell me about Spike when he was young."
"Wouldn't you rather ask him?"
"I have. He'll tell me all about the historical stuff – you know, what had been invented, how schools worked, that sort of thing – but he never covers any stories. I don't know why he's so afraid of revealing he wasn't always the 'Big Bad'. I already figured that out on my own."
Sebastian mixed the ingredients together and poured them into the warmed pan as he considered his words. "William…was a gentle soul in life, naïve, innocent. He looked for beauty in all things. I looked after him when I could, before I joined the military. Once I made lieutenant, I could usually get back for Christmas, and we would catch up at the family gatherings. He was well-loved by family, but had few friends. Just as now, being shy doesn't exactly get you respected by the snobs, and where other boys were interested in making rugby captain, William was just as content with a good book. I fell between the two sides, and was fortunate for my family's position of automatic respect. My father had been knighted by the Queen…"
"So that made you big man on campus."
"Yes," smiling at her phrase. "Perhaps if William's father had lived longer, he would have had an easier time…anyway, he was always a good student, made his way to university, and took over the affairs of the household, but those society ruffians always looked to mock him because he was the quiet one. Having to look after his poor, dear mother when she struck ill kept him home much of the time, though I think he preferred it…"
"What was she sick from?"
"Consumption – what we now call tuberculosis. The only treatment back then was to stay out of wet weather, and take laudanum syrup for the cough. Once word got out, people would stop dropping by to call, and the ill person would be left very lonely, if they could even find a caretaker. Your only hope was to pray that your body would be able to fight off the infection. It happened, but not often. Medicine has advanced so far, so quickly in the last century, Dawn. It's amazing even to me, and I've watched its progress."
"Spike's mom – what was she like?"
"Her name was Anne. She was petite in stature, but most women weren't tall in those days. She had blonde hair, which she always kept elegantly in place, and blue eyes. She was a kind woman, and quick to laugh, and she adored William. They were very close, with it being just the two of them for so long. Perhaps he has saved a photo or two. I saw her often when I was a lad, since she and my mother were sisters. Your mother reminds me of them both. Where do you keep the plates? Your omelette is done."
"Oh! Here you go. What was your mother like? Which sister was older?"
"Anne was older, but my mother married young and started her family sooner. Hence me being ten years older than my cousin. There were two children born to my parents between me and my sister, but they both passed before becoming a year old. It was several years before Annabelle was born. She was two years younger than William. I swear, sometimes you look just like her, and that is a complement. From the time Annabelle had her coming out at her first ball, she was bombarded with potential suitors. They all had to pass my mother's inspection, however, so she was still unmarried at the time of her death."
"This is really good! Where did you learn to cook?"
"I was injured, once, and my company took refuge in a monastery in Italy. Besides the aspects required to perform of their faith, the monks were also scholars, artists, historians, and wine-makers. There were no women to cook for them, of course, so they learned to do it themselves. Many of the herbs used in cooking also have medicinal purposes. We took many volumes of information back to the Library at Headquarters."
"Cool. Is the monastery still there?"
"As far as I know. It was a small Order in a remote location, so I imagine they have weathered the passage of time with little change. You have two years of secondary school to finish, yes? What do you plan to do afterwards?" He sat down to start on his own breakfast.
"Yep, two more years. I'm thinking about photography, but other things are interesting, too. I haven't figured out my passion, yet. I like helping out with research, when they'll actually let me. I think Buffy still thinks of me as her little sister in pigtails, still, and the over-protective thing is really annoying. I mean, I've known vampires exist almost as long as she has. It's not like I want to go out there and start fighting them, but helping to look up a new demon is not going to hurt me, you know? The drawings in the books are a lot less gruesome than what's in the movies these days, anyway. At least Spike doesn't treat me like I'm 10. He's always given me a straight answer to my questions."
"He has learned a certain amount of…bluntness, hasn't he?" Sebastian said with a grin.
"You can say that again. You should have heard the things he'd say to Buffy, before they called their 'truce'. He's more tactful than Anya, though."
"Everyone is more tactful than Anyanka. I've always found her amusing, but there are things about her marriage I never wanted to know!" He shuddered, thinking about it.
Dawn burst out laughing at his expression, and she was just trailing off when Buffy walked into the kitchen.
"Well, isn't this cozy?"
"Hey, Buff." "Good morning, Buffy."
"Did Mom make food before she left? Why didn't she wake me?"
"It wasn't Mom. Sebastian can cook," Dawn replied.
"Really? You didn't tell me that."
"You didn't ask," he quipped, blue eyes twinkling. Buffy had noticed that he started teasing people he'd know for a while. As Sebastian got comfortable with someone, his extreme politeness relaxed into a friendly banter, though he still treated all the girls like ladies.
"Bad on me, then. Did you just drop by to hang out?" she asked, getting some juice.
"I thought perhaps we could organize another outing, with Miss Dawn, this time. If I'm not being too presumptuous…you ladies might have plans…"
"We love to do something today, right, Buffy?"
She blinked. "Uh, yeah. Where do you want to go?"
"Well, your mother suggested the aquarium, since I have never taken the chance to see one, and I thought Dawn would enjoy it, as well?" The question he asked while looking to the younger sister.
"Yeah, definitely. They let you hold tropical birds! And the other stuff is cool, too. How about it, Buffy? We go down to Long Beach after you eat?" They both looked at Buffy expectantly with hope in their eyes.
"Okay…you two can put away the puppy expressions. Just let me eat and take a shower, first. Dawn, you can look up how to get there on the computer."
"On it!" The teen raced up to her room to get on-line.
"Would you like an omelette, Buffy? It's no trouble."
"I wouldn't want to delay us…"
"Nonsense. It takes five minutes. What do you like? Cheese? Mushrooms? Peppers?"
"That's fine, just no onions. They taste weird with eggs." Her nose scrunched up at the word "weird", and he still found the expression adorable.
"Right, no onions. How has your weekend been?"
"Interesting…I guess. I broke up with Will."
"Oh, I'm sorry! Was it horrible? Are you alright?"
"It sucked, but wasn't too bad. He was a jerk Friday night, and I'd just had enough. It's been a slow slide downhill for a couple months, so I'm not in shock, or anything. And hey, for once I was the dumper, instead of the dumpee."
"Um, congratulations?" he said awkwardly.
"It's a good thing, trust me. After three guys in a row, it felt good to be the one making the decision. Will and I were probably just too different, anyway. In two different places in life. And the Slayer thing freaked him out a bit. It's just as well," she said with a shrug.
"I'm glad you aren't hurting…eh, you don't sound like you are…but it would be perfectly natural if you were…a year with someone is nothing trivial…I'll shut up now," he rambled. Why did this girl make him so flustered? He never stuttered like this, normally. He turned back to the stove to hide his embarrassment.
Buffy walked over and put her hand on his shoulder. "Sebastian, it's okay. You didn't offend me. Yeah, I'm a little sad that something that started great fizzled out so much, but I'm not hurt. Like I said, there was no shock, no surprise, okay?"
He offered her a shy smile. "Of course. You're an amazing woman, Buffy, handling your ups and down with such grace," he replied softly. She was standing close to him, in her attempt to comfort him. His eyes flicked over her face as she smiled up at him, blushing at his compliment. He had only just to lean in a little to capture her soft lips-
"Found it!" Dawn bellowed, just before entering. The sudden voice surprised the two in the kitchen, who jumped away from each other like they'd been shocked. "Did I interrupt?"
"No! Nope. I was just telling Sebastian about my weekend," Buffy filled in.
"Ahhh, the break-up story. Will was better than Riley, but still boring."
"Hey!"
"Well, they were! At least when that spell happened a couple years ago, you were with someone cool…"
"Dawn! Eww! I told you never to bring that up again."
"Spell?" Sebastian looked between the sisters in confusion.
"Willow botched a spell, once, and Spike and Buffy were engaged for a day or two. She doesn't like to talk about it," Dawn rushed to say.
"DAWN!" Buffy yelled at the same time. "I am so going to kill you!" Buffy scooped a handful of flour out of the canister on the counter and started stalking her sister. Dawn yelped and took off running, pissed off Slayer on her heels.
"Eeek! Don't throw the flour, I'll have to take another shower! I'll tell Mom if you make a mess on the carpet!"
"Come back here, you long-legged freak!"
"Sebastian, help! The Slayer's gone mad!" Dawn exclaimed, giggling. The next time they made a pass through the kitchen, he grabbed Dawn by the waist and held her from running away. Buffy pelted her in the face with the flour.
"Pfft! Pfft! That so was not cool," Dawn calmly replied – too calm. Buffy's eyes widened just before her sister grabbed the spray nozzle from the sink and pelted her with water, then turned and sprayed the knight.
"Oh, you want to play that way?" Sebastian taunted. Dawn had just enough time to gulp, before she was tossed over the knight's shoulder and carried to the backyard. One of the sprinkler heads had broken, leaving a mud puddle, and he dumped her right in the middle of it. The look of shock on her face had Sebastian and Buffy rolling.
"I can't believe you just did that!" Buffy gasped. "You're always so…proper!"
"Really?" he smirked. She tried to dart away, but found herself in the same puddle Dawn had just stood out of.
"Now, that's payback!" Dawn exclaimed. "He's going down, now, right?"
"Oh, yeah," the Slayer answered.
"Uh oh," he mumbled, before taking off around the house. He'd picked up the garden hose just has they turned the corner. "Back off, ladies. I'm not above soaking you like drowned rats."
"He won't do it." "Yeah, he doesn't have the stones."
They stalked towards him, Sebastian looking to one, then the other, in indecision of who to strike first. When they were close enough to pounce, he turned the nozzle to the widest spray setting and squeezed the trigger.
"Cold!" they shrieked, tackling him anyway. They both attacked his ribs with wriggling fingers, and the knight was soon reduced to a giggling ball on the grass.
"You give up?" Buffy asked.
"Yes! Ha, ha, hee…please!"
"Okay," they chorused. The sisters high-fived, then each extended an arm to help Sebastian off the ground.
"My goodness! What happened here?" Joyce exclaimed.
"Hi, Mom!" Dawn said cheerily.
"Why are you three wet and muddy? And don't thing about stepping in the house until I get some towels. What did I miss?"
"Dawn brought up the Day Which Must Not Be Named, I tossed flour in her face…"
"I sprayed her with the sink nozzle, then Sebastian, 'cause he was holding on to me for Buffy…"
"And I dumped Dawn in the puddle over there-"
"And me!"
"Yes, Buffy, too. They gave chase, and I grabbed the hose, and here we are. It was a rousing bit of fun," he finished, grinning.
"Well, sorry I missed the show. And really, Buffy, are you still sore about being engaged to Spike? It wasn't his fault. I'll go find the beach towels…" Joyce went into the house, leaving the trio to bust up laughing again.
"Well, I guess it will take us a bit longer to get to the Aquarium," Dawn quipped.
"Here, Sebastian. I think these sweats will fit you, until we get your clothes dry. Your shoes didn't get wet, did they?" Buffy asked.
"No, they're fine. Thanks you. Uh, where can I change?"
"Um, downstairs bathroom? Dawn and I will kinda be tying up the one up here."
"That will be fine. Where are your laundry machines?"
"Basement. The door is off the kitchen." He nodded, and headed down stairs.
"Hey, Buffy…" Dawn murmured, sticking her head out her bedroom door.
"Yeah?"
"So not boring," she smirked, nodding in the direction the knight had gone. She closed the door before Buffy could throw something at her.
"Why me?" Buffy mumbled, stepping into the bathroom.
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Buffy, wrapped in a robe, carried her wet pajamas downstairs to drop on the dryer. She skidded to a stop at the entry to the kitchen, stunned by the sight of a shirtless Sebastian reading the newspaper while he waited. His back was to her, where he sat at the island, and she had a clear view of both the muscular definition there, and the dragon tattoo on his right shoulder blade. The dragon was facing her, wings spread, with some kind of crest on its belly. Whoever had done the artwork was really talented, as it was multi-colored and heavily detailed. Yum.
"Nice tattoo," she said casually, passing by him on her way to the basement.
"Oh, thank you. Sometimes I forget it's there, since I can only see it in a mirror."
"What's it mean?"
"It represents the Order."
"Oh. Did it hurt?"
"Not really. They swabbed something on the skin to numb it a bit. It took long enough to complete that I fell asleep," he reminisced.
"Do all you guys have one?"
"Yes. It was part of the initiation. And if you have a reaction to the ink, you don't pass."
"Wow. May I?" She raised her hand, gesturing as if to feel it. He nodded, sitting still so she could examine it.
Buffy lightly stroked her fingers over the design. She didn't know why she thought it might be textured. Maybe because the dragon almost looked alive. She felt goosebumps rise under her touch, as his skin reacted to her cool hand. His muscles twitched under the surface.
"What do these words on the crest mean? If it's not a secret…"
"'My honor is my life'. The code we all live by." Her breath was tickling his neck, and it was all he could do not to shiver visibly.
"I like the dragon. It's pretty."
He chuckled softly. "I think they were going for something more like 'fearsome'."
"Oh, it looks that way, too, but it's still beautiful," she said, as she walked around to his side so she could see his face.
"Buffy…" he breathed. She was so dangerous, but god, he wanted to taste her. He picked up the hand she had left on his shoulder, kissing the palm and hearing her pulse quicken. He looked up into dilated hazel eyes and-
"Buffy! How many times do I have to ask you to not leave wet towels on the floor? You're 21, young lady, and old enough to clean up after yourself."
Buffy stepped back from Sebastian, composing herself. "Sorry, Mom. I just wanted to get these dirty clothes down to the washing machine."
"Alright. Take the towel with you, and check on Sebastian's things in the dryer."
"Yes, ma'am."
She quickly jogged down the steps and threw the wet things in the washing machine, noted the time left on the dryer, and released a long exhale. Two times, this morning – she had thought he might kiss her. The logical side of her brain told her it wouldn't be a good idea, that despite not being very fond of Will recently, she would be rebounding and taking advantage of a friend. The other side, that often 'bad' voice, was telling her to finally act on her attraction, already, since he seemed to be feeling the same thing. Buffy was extremely grateful at the moment that her sister would be with them today.
She hurried up the steps and through the kitchen, calling "Your clothes will be done in 10 minutes, Sebastian," behind her as she flew up to her bedroom.
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The Aquarium turned out to be a fun idea. Sebastian had seen some of the creatures in the wild before, on his travels, and he shared stories that didn't involve secret missions. Dawn brought her camera, taking shots they posed for, and some they didn't. They ate, and laughed, and walked their feet sore until closing time, when Sebastian insisted on taking them to dinner. Dawn smiled to herself each time she noticed one of the super beings glancing at the other, their furtive glances always ending when the subject turned their way again.
Oh, yeah…she'd been right in thinking they had immediate chemistry. Now, she wondered how long it would take one of them to act on it.
