Title: Nothing Like the Sun – (Chapter 3 of How Many Days)
Disclaimer:
Joss doesn't play with his toys anymore. Someone has to, dammit!
Rating: R
Pairing: Buffy/Spike, Dawn/Other, Willow/Giles, Willow/Other
Summary: Post-Season 7. This is a sequel to 'Don't Stop the Dance'
Distribution: Anywhere you like, just let me know.
Feedback: is welcome. ~Xionin (xionin@beautiful-freak.com) Lia, Wolf116, Qwerty, Ranaslayer, Caroline, Kat and Mar ala...wow, you guys. Thanks so much for your kind words. I hope the story doesn't disappoint. It's going to be a wild ride!
Thank you: Pam and Maribel: my wonderful betas. I'd be lost without you!

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Nothing Like the Sun

There's a lot to celebrate today: the new Motherhouse is complete and resplendent; the Council itself is operational once again with Giles at the helm; Dawn has done well on her A-levels and has her pick of schools and Buffy has slowly been rejoining the world of the living after spending many months holed up in her room or burying herself in work in an attempt to get past her loss.

The biggest cause for celebration, however, is the younger Summers' 18th birthday. Her 17th had passed by unnoticed during what everyone now lovingly refers to as 'Hell year'. Buffy and Willow resolve to give Dawn the best birthday ever and throw her a huge bash.

A few of her new friends from the shop on Upper Street where she works have been invited, along with a few of her friends from school and her tutor. The party preparations are well underway as Giles makes his way through the estate to the library. He isn't surprised to find Richard waiting for him, one minute early.

"Rupes! How are you, ol' boy?" They shake hands vigorously, with huge smiles, as Colin James stands with his mentor to meet the infamous Rupert Giles.

-----------------------------

Colin, arriving with Richard a few minutes prior, had been anxious to finally come face to face with the Ripper. Stories of his adventures had been a staple at family dinners and he wanted to hear first-hand accounts of some of the more far-fetched ones. He smiled shyly, however, when a petite blonde woman answered the door, immediately warming as he saw something familiar in her that he couldn't place. Richard had simply asked for Giles, not paying the young woman any attention. She just smiled brightly at the handsome young man who was apologizing with his eyes for his mentor's curt manner.

He had jet-black hair that fell in soft waves on the top of his head and tapered off at the nape of his neck. His clear, chestnut brown eyes smiled at her as he looked down from his, slim 6-foot frame. She looked back at the older man.

"You must be Mr. Ostriak." She bade them to enter. "Giles will meet you in the library. It's just through there."

"Thank you, miss..." Colin prompted her for her name, but it went unnoticed.

"No problem." She smiled over her shoulder as she walked away and back to her tasks.

-----------------------------

"I've heard a lot about you from Richard, here. Your father was Robert James?" Colin sits opposite Giles in a comfortable leather chair.

"Yes sir." Colin feels the blush of pride rising to his cheeks as Giles speaks very highly of his father; respect and admiration for the man evident in his tone and words. Soon the subject turns from the James family and towards Council matters. Colin feels somewhat uneasy as the two Watchers dance around the matter in front of him. "Excuse me, Mr. Giles-"

"Er...just Giles, is fine." The Watcher smiles.

"Giles." Colin stands graciously. "Would you mind? I'd like to offer my hand to the young lady in preparing for the gathering."

"You know about the party?" Giles frowns a little in confusion.

"Well, I saw the balloons and what not in the parlor."

"Oh, of course. Yes...it's a birthday party for one of the, er, residents." Giles looks at Richard and then back to Colin. "Who answered the door?" Colin smiles.

"A rather striking blonde, small but...very pretty. American. Who is she?"

"Buffy." Giles turns to watch the realization that he had already met the Slayer dawn on Richard's face. It is a sight to behold.

"That?" He begins to choke and Colin stands over him in concern. He waves his hand and lowers his voice, trying to contain his surprise and excitement. "Rupert, are you telling me th-th-that she, or rather, the girl..." Giles begins to laugh, even more so when he catches the confounded expression on Colin's face.

"Yes, Richard, that was Buffy Summers. The Slayer."

"Slayer?" Colin's eyes widen as does his mouth. Giles merely smiles at the two men.

"Yes, Colin. Buffy is...or was...well, I suppose she still is...the Chosen one: Guardian of the Hellmouth for over 7 years, until it was...er...destroyed." He lifts a small cup of tea and takes a sip, waiting for the reactions.

"My lord." Richard is shaking his head. "I cannot believe..I mean, I barely looked at her!" He feels a little disappointed at not having recognized her. True, he's never met her before nor has he seen any pictures. But he's had this notion that, when he did meet her he would just know, somehow, that it was her.

"She's...so diminutive. Just a slip of a thing, really." Colin's voice is hushed. His mind is reaching back the ten minutes or so to his meeting with her, wondering if she gave off any clues as to the power her small frame contains. As far as he could remember, she hadn't, but he still felt some...familiarity with her.

"Yes, well, don't be fooled by her stature, young man." Giles removes his glasses and cleans them thoughtlessly. "She's quite powerful."

"The strongest, fastest, most adept..." Richard's litany of praise trails off as he feels the other eyes on him. He clears his throat and smiles uneasily. "I would very much like to meet with her properly, Rupert."

"Of course." Giles responds. Richard's face beams with a bright smile. "But not tonight." He adds. "Tonight is Dawn's birthday party and I-"

"Dawn?" Colin's face once again takes on another look of confusion. "Dawn...Summers?" Giles tilts his head and nods affirmatively.

"Yes, Buffy's sister."

"Dawn...Summers...Buffy's sister, Dawn. The Slayer's sister." Colin's face pales and both Richard and Rupert look at him questioningly.

"Is something wrong Colin?" Richard turns fully to the young man towering over him.

"I, well, you see-" A small smile graces his lips. Dawn Summers, sister of the Slayer. Birthday party. He feels incredibly silly for not having looked at the address of the Motherhouse. Surely it matches the one on his party invitation.

-----------------------------

"So..." Buffy stands on a small step stool opposite the archway from Colin. "Your dad was a big time Watcher?" She is still reeling from the news that the world is so small that her sister's tutor is actually connected to their crazy little part of it.

"Yes, miss. He-he was...f-for many years, until..." He trails off, grateful for not having to repeat the unfortunate details of his father's death at the hand of the Bringers. Now that he is aware of who Buffy Summers is, his intimidation at being around her is only surpassed by his admiration for her: the Chosen one. Talking with her, watching her, he understands the familarity he felt when she'd opened the door. It is Dawn's sister. And he knows everything he can possibly know about his incredibly beautiful pupil. Well, everything except a few small details. Sister is a Slayer. Lives with Watchers. Small details. Details that they hold somewhat in common.

But in the hours he spends with her at the library or in their other favorite study spot, the Bronte Cafe, he's had a chance to study Dawn in all of her innocent beauty. He knows how she has a tendency to chew pencil ends when she's concentrating. He knows that she smells like strawberries all the time, and often wonders how she manages it. He knows that she moved to England a short time ago, but has embraced it with all the fire that only an American girl could muster.

He knows that he could fall in love with her, if he hasn't already.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Buffy's face becomes incredibly sad.

"No, it's okay. Really." He says with a small smile. "Think nothing of it. My father was a good man. I'm very proud and hope one day to follow in his footsteps, after University." They each secure their end of the banner to the top of the archway.

'Happy Birthday Dawn!' it reads.

"Yeah, I've heard Dawn say that you've a real talent for languages. I'm so grateful that you've been able to tutor her in school." She steps off the stool and leads him into the parlor where balloons and streamers had been set up for the occasion. The decor is a little infantile, but Buffy isn't quite ready to let go of the notion of her sister as a young girl rather than a young woman. "Dawn is great with languages too, isn't she?" She beams, noting the eagerness in the boy's face at the mention of her sister.

"Oh yes! Quite." He flashes a brilliant smile and then blushes at having revealed the depth of his affection for the young lady. "I..er...mean..." He shifts nervously.

"So...Dawn doesn't know that...uh...you know?" Buffy stares at him so intently that he find it hard to meet her eyes.

"No, I mean, I had no idea. We've never talked about family. Not really. I didn't even know she had a sister, until recently...And of course, slaying is not the sort of thing one brings up in casual conversation."

"Oh. Right." Buffy hides her disappointment that Dawn hadn't spoken of her very much. She does understand, though; Dawn's need to establish a life outside of being the sister of the Slayer. Still, it stings a bit. "Well...thanks for your help."

"Is there anything else I can do?" As he asks the question, the doorbell rang. "Get the door?"

"Oh could you?" Buffy's smile returns. "If you could let people in, Willow and I can finish up in the other rooms."

"Of course." He smiles graciously and offers a tiny bow. Buffy grins and bounces on her heels, turning away towards the kitchen. She likes him for Dawn. A lot.

As guests arrive, Colin makes himself useful by answering the door and taking coats and jackets into the study. Buffy and Willow smile at how helpful he is. Perhaps he does it to gain favor with the older sister and guardian, but they agree that it seems like more.

"Colin!" An amiable fellow with a shock of red hair comes striding into the foyer with a bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in one hand and slightly worn tweed cap in the other. "What the devil are you doing here?"

"Sean. Very good to see you again." Colin deadpans as he extends his hand in greeting.

Sean Hildebrandt is a pompous ass: plain and simple. He'd been the darling of Colin's Secondary school, using his skills as a football player to win favor with the fairer sex. His reputation as a cad precedes him, and yet he's always managed to get the girl. Colin is none-too-pleased to see him invited to Dawn's private party. "I could ask you the same."

"Well I couldn't miss a party at the new Mum, now could I? Besides..." Sean lowers his voice in a mock-whisper. "The guest of honor is quite the little dish. Have you seen 'er?" Colin bites back the comment that begged to trip from his tongue and instead he simply smiles. Sean's attention is stolen away by other new arrivals as they spill through the door. Colin slips into the study for a calming breath. Wanker. Closing the door behind him, he lets his anger out in a growl and spins around only to run right into Dawn.

"Oh!"

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Dawn feels the panic rising as she whispers. What is her tutor doing here? How much would he find out about her weird-o life of Vamps and Witches?

"I-I'm here because...er...because..." Bugger. He doesn't want to ruin the whole thing and brass off any of her family.

"Not for the party, are you?" She lowers her voice even more.

"You...you know about the party?" Colin's discomfort at ruining the surprise quickly dissipates.

"Oops...busted." Dawn blushes prettily and Colin finds that he could only stare. "Please don't tell my sister you saw me, it'll ruin everything."

"O-o-of course not...I would never...I mean..." He gazes into her blue eyes and then searches lower until his eyes land on her lips. He mentally chastises himself and looks away. His stammering halts Dawn's trepidation at being caught snooping around her own surprise party. She wonders why he's acting so nervous suddenly; secretly hoping she is the cause.

"What're you doing in here anyway?" She arches her eyebrows and studies his reaction. Colin, at a loss for what to say, turns to her open-mouthed for more than a few moments before he blurts out-

"Coats!" He exhales loudly. One of Dawn's eyebrows drops as she becomes confused by his answer.

"Y-yes, um...I came...to...to...check-on-the coats." He holds his breath praying that she will accept that as an answer. Dawn considers him for a few seconds before an idea hits her.

"You were gonna snoop around, weren't you?" She crosses her arms and taps her foot impatiently. She's suspected his attraction to her since the day they met and the feeling is more than mutual. He has been the closest thing to a friend she's made since moving to London. Her one regret so far is that they never spend anytime alone...away from school and studying. They are always with someone else, be it with other students or with other tutors or teachers, doing research or translation. She decides to toy with him a bit. It is Colin's turn to be confused.

"I'm sorry?"

"You came in here to, what, go through the desk drawers or something? Is that why you closed the door behind you?"

"Good lord no!" He is offended by her accusation and suddenly feels very uncomfortable. "I told you, I just..."

"You're checking." He nods. "On the coats." He nods again, his eyes wide with anxiety. "Ok. Can I say lame?" His shoulders drop. Dawn uncrosses her arms. "What are you really doing in here?"

Colin rolls his eyes and sighs heavily. "Fine. Fine, I was trying to avoid someone...unpleasant." He glances up at her and she has a strange smirk on her face.

"That's better."

"Sorry?"

"That's a better excuse." She smiles.

"Dawn, that wasn't an excuse, it was the truth." He frowns, a little annoyed.

"Then why didn't you say so in the first place?" Her smile widens into a wicked grin as he flounders for words.

"I-" Oh bollocks. Caught.

"You?" She raises her eyebrows expectantly, drawing out the word.

"I-was...a bit nervous. You...have that affect on me." He bites his lower lip and lowers his gaze, afraid that at any moment she will burst out laughing, which she does. He shuts his eyes, prepared to slink into the nearest corner, when the strangest thing happens: Dawn steps into him and her voice takes on a completely different timbre.

"I make you nervous, luv?" She whispers. Colin's eyes shoot open at her proximity and the hot breath he feels across his lips. When his eyes rest in hers he gasps. Her soothing blue is replaced with glimmering gold. Nothing like the sun, it's something more primal; hotter. He moves to step back but her arm darts out and her hand curls around the back of his neck, her fingers idly playing with the short hairs they find there. When her other hand comes to rest on his chest, he freezes. Her touch is making him drowsy with desire.

"D-dawn?" Are all American girls this aggressive, he wonders? He certainly hadn't gotten the impression that Dawn was so...forward, then again he'd only been around her when they had work to do. This boldness makes him somewhat uneasy, but he is immediately aroused. And her eyes-

"Do I...Colin?" They dance over his face with a look he hasn't seen directed towards him before. It is pure, unadulterated lust and it grips him hard in the chest. Her tongue runs along on the edge of her teeth and he closes his eyes again, fighting the desire to grab her and kiss her. If she is toying with him, it would be a poor show of it for him to give in so quickly. Perhaps it's just a test. These thoughts are going through his head when she speaks again.

"Do I...frighten you?" She brings one dainty hand to his mouth and runs the soft pad of her finger across his bottom lip. He shudders. "Hmmm?" She goes up on her toes and playfully nips the same lip with her own, her eyes savoring the torment in his face.

"Dawn" he breathes. "I-I don't think this...we..." He fights for control over his hormones and over his body. It isn't until her mouth lands on his, tongue darting out in the least innocent of kisses, that he loses the battle and wraps his arms around her, kissing her fervently.

She is hungry, kneading his back and gnawing at him, causing him to groan. He buries his fingers in her hair and loses himself in her mouth. It's hot and sweet like fresh milk. Somewhere in the midst of the heat, he hears a whimper. Suddenly, Dawn breaks off the kiss and pushes him away. His eyes snap open to find her gasping for air and holding her hand to her mouth in horror. Her eyes are wide and she is shaking like a leaf in a storm.

"Dawn?" He is frozen in terror. Oh god, what have I done?

"You w-were...how did we?" She looks around the room for answers. "I remember talking...kidding you about being here and...oh my god what happened?" Colin watches the gold of her eyes flicker and fade as she regains herself.

"Dawn," he cleared his throat. "Why don't you have a sit down and I'll go get your sister."

"No! No...she'll know, let's...I just." She closes her eyes and swallows. "I'll sneak back upstairs and we won't mention this again...tonight, ok?" Colin regards her with alarm, but she cuts off his protest. "Listen, something freaky just happened and we'll deal with it, we always do around here. My sister worked so hard on this party, I can't ruin it for her. Promise me you won't say anything about this tonight?" She holds her breath for his answer. He studies her for a few moments before he slowly nods. She sighs in relief, mouthing a 'thank you' and turns to go.

"Dawn?" The sound of his voice stops her and she reluctantly turns to him, awaiting a brush off and a quick exit for being weirdo-girl. Instead, he walks slowly towards her, the awkwardness melting, replaced by a new confidence.

"One: it's been a dream of mine, for a while now, to kiss you and now that I have, I want more." Her jaw drops open. "I don't know what possessed you to do that, but my only complaint is that you obviously weren't yourself. When we find out why and we fix whatever it is, I want the chance to kiss the real you." She blushes at his assuredness and smiles, her eyes narrowng in admiration and confusion. Who are you?

"And?" She says softly.

"Two," he continues. "Tonight is for you and your sister. You're very important to her, obviously, and she to you and I think it's marvelous that she's doing this for you and that you're allowing her. But-" He steps a little closer to her and brushes the back of his fingers down her cheek, his tone intimate. "I want to do something for you too. May I...may I take you to dinner? To celebrate properly?"

"Are you asking me...on...a date?" Her eyes widen in amazement.

"Yes, I am, if you'll do me the honor." He smiles gently and anxiously awaits her answer. At 20 years old, he is astonished to find that he hangs on every word and gesture of this young woman; on every flutter of her luxurious eyelashes. Dawn grins and bites her lip.

"I'd love to," she says, barely audibly. He smiles and exhales a breath he didn't know he was holding, laughing a little at his own apprehension. "And thanks again...for not...telling anyone just yet." He nods and she turns and goes up the back staircase leading out of the study.

Colin runs his fingers through his hair and smiles. "Blimey."

-----------------------------

The day after the party, and Dawn sits down to tell her sister of what had happened, Buffy is distressed. She calls Willow and Giles into the study and makes her sister recount each detail of the event.

Willow takes Dawn's hands into her own and closes her eyes to scan for anything amiss. Nothing presents itself that hasn't been there since the day they'd fled the collapsing Hellmouth. She opens her eyes and turns to Buffy, shaking her head.

"Nothing?" Buffy asks, a little frustrated.

"Nope. Nothing out of the ordinary, anyway." Willow pats Dawn's hands reassuringly before letting her go. "Dawn, the next time something like this happens, you'll need to tell us right away, k?" Dawn nodded and glanced at Giles who looks more than concerned.

"Buff, I'm ok. Whatever it was, it was...fleeting. Poof! Gone. OK?" She smiles in an attempt to put her sister at ease. Buffy returns the smile tentatively.

"Yeah, for now, OK. Just...be careful. If Colin wasn't such an upstanding guy, who knows what would have happened."

"Yeah, well, that's him: Mr. Respectability. And a Watcher's son to boot. Who'd have ever guessed. " Dawn chuckles and Buffy laughs. Giles, who has remained silent during this entire meeting, looks pointedly at Willow who immediately understands what he wants.

"Dawn, why don't you call Colin and see if he can help you go over that Huldrefolk barrier we were working on the other day." Willow prompts.

"Sure, ok. Of course." When she exits for the library, Giles turns to Buffy.

"Buffy...I know that it's been difficult, this past 8 months or so, but-"

"You want to know what happened in the cavern." Buffy finishes the Watcher's question. She hasn't gone into any details about what transpired, not wanting to relive those last few moments. She also doesn't want Dawn made into a subject of study by the Council for her odd behavior caused by the residual effects of...whatever...had happened to her down there.

"You don't have to tell us, if you're not ready." Willow steps in, sensing her friend's trepidation. "It would just...help, if we knew what happened to Dawn." Buffy sighs heavily and stands, walking over to the bookcase. Her fingers land idly on an old leather-bound volume entitled 'Les Vampires.' She laughs softly to herself.

"OK." She takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly before she turns to the now seated pair. Willow's white hair is pulled back in an elegant bun. Her ice-blue eyes are impossibly warm as her friend silently communicates that she knows how difficult this is for her. Next to her, Giles avoids her gaze and she wonders how, after so long, he could still belittle what Spike had meant...still means...to her.

"When...when the amulet began doing its thing, Spike called out to me. I heard him, but I was fighting and couldn't move. It...wasn't until I heard Dawn's voice call his name that I turned to look and that's when I saw it. The...light...was so intense, it...was pouring out of him. Dawn ran to him and I tried to fight my way to her when one of the...when...one of the beams hit her.

"She...froze. I mean- she was, almost, suspended...in mid air. I ran for her, but Faith got there first and then she collapsed onto the floor."

"How long?" Giles soft question jars Buffy out of the memory momentarily. She looks up at him.

"I dunno...5, maybe 10 seconds. Faith was with her and she yelled at me to go to Spike. Just the way she looked past me. I almost didn't want to turn around, I was afraid of what I'd see. But I did. I turned and...he was pinned...against the wall. Sunlight-" A muffled sob escapes from her throat, but when Willow starts to move towards her, she holds her hand out to stop her, instead sinking into a facing chair.

"He was...radiant...glowing- in the sunlight. It poured through him, out of the amulet. I got to him somehow, I don't remember...somehow...and I tried to understand...what was happening. He kept telling me to leave, saying that he had to 'finish it'...cracking lame jokes about school being out. I didn't understand." She looks up at Willow's tearful face. It is the first time she's spoken aloud of Spike's death to anyone but Dawn.

"I begged him to come with me. I...begged...but he wouldn't, and then...Dawn was there and she was glowing too."

"What do you mean, Buffy, 'she was glowing'?" Giles is loathe to interrupt her again, but he feels this bit of information too important to bypass.

"She...had the same light around her, only...less...intense?" Buffy glances up at him to confirm that he undertands. He nods slowly, making a mental note. "They...something passed through them. They were...both...smiling. Peaceful. I-" She idly brushes a few tears from her face.

"He told me I had to leave...to live...for her. Not in so many words, but...I understood." Her tears are falling unchecked now, and Willow does rise and move over to her. Buffy turns to her friend, her gaze questioning and lost. She's hidden her grief in her room for almost a year and now it is out on display. "He-he-he said I'd never be alone, Will, but I am...I AM! How could he leave me like that? How could he leave me here alone? Like this! How could-" her words are cut off as her throat constricts with the sobs racking her frame. Willow looks to Giles as she wraps her arms around her friend.

They'd all assumed that Spike didn't have a choice but to stay. None of them had ever considered that he'd sacrificed himself willingly. And all of them had been all to blind as to how much Buffy really loved the blonde vampire. Giles moves to the two women and embraces them both, murmuring words of comfort and support into Buffy's hair as she weeps and weeps. He is astounded and a little in awe of his own prejudice. Spike...saved them all, and not just them, quite possibly the world. Buffy has held that knowledge to herself for months. My poor, poor girl.

After a few minutes, he stands up and rings for Mrs. Bale, one of the elderwomen of the new Council. When she arrives, she instinctively goes to the young blonde.

"Oh deary, let me see you upstairs." Her kind voice rouses Buffy from her tears and she offers a wan smile. Sniffling, she turns to Willow and hugs her, silently thanking her for making her speak out loud of that day. She only glances at Giles momentarily before she leaves with Mrs. Bale. Her relationship with her former Watcher, although friendly, has not reclaimed the closeness they once shared. Giles blames no one but himself and he can't fathom a way to regain her trust. When she is out of earshot, he sits next to Willow.

"I...honestly don't know what to say." He sighs heavily, placing his hand on her leg. Willow smiles and covers his hand with her own.

"Me neither, I mean...I knew what happened, sort of...but not, I guess." Giles smiles as the rare glimpse of old-Willow peeks through the woman beside him. "God, Giles, she's been holding all of that in all of this time."

"I know, Willow, I know." Giles removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose, annoyed at himself for not noticing sooner; for believing that she'd gotten over the trauma of that day somehow. "But, what are we going to do about Dawn?"

"I don't know if there's anything to do, Ru." Willow stands up and walks over to the mantel. "She seems perfectly fine and, unless these little occurrences get more...I dunno...occurr-y, I don't see any reason to take action. I would like to find out more about that amulet, though. Do you think Angel has more info on it?"

"Hmmm, perhaps. Give him a call, if you must, but don't tell Buffy. I don't want to dredge up any more memories for her, she's been through quite enough." Willow nods and leaves Giles in the study. He chides himself for not checking up on the amulet and its origin. He is determined to rectify that immediately.

TBC Chapter 4: She Walks This Earth