Chapter Eleven
Tara watched Ethan and Dawn kiss before shutting the door to the training room, smiling.
Dawn moaned. Really, this was Heaven. His lips, his arms.
If this is torture, can I continue it for the rest of my life? Ethan wondered, his arms crushing her to him.
Buffy and Giles watched from the training room, smiles on their faces. While they didn't really approve, it could have been worse. Like a vampire. Or a giant bug. Besides, they both knew Ethan would never hurt Dawn, since he was scared shitless of them.
Buffy filed away the thought that she'd have to have a talk with Dawn. She remembered being that age, with a guy older than her. She looked at Giles and smiled.
Giles smiled back, also filing away the thought that he'd have to, ahem, talk to Ethan. He knew the man like he knew the back of his hand, and he wasn't about to let Dawn get used by his ex-friend.
Back in the shop, Ethan pulled away, panting. They really needed to stop. Before things got out of control. Even more than they were.
Dawn blinked and looked around, dazed. How did I get on a table? she wondered, inching off the table.
Ethan backed away so she didn't bump into him.
"So, we're going out, right?" Dawn asked, looking at him with uncertain eyes.
Ethan smirked slightly. He wasn't stupid enough to use Dawn. Not like that. He'd be dead before he could even finish. From Buffy or Rupert, he wasn't sure. He thought it would be a tie for both of them trying to kill him first.
Silly girl, as if I'd hurt you.
"Courting is what it is called in England, my dear," he said, smirking. She smiled and blushed slightly before wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder.
Ethan smiled and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. This was how it was supposed to be.
Felling a gaze on him, he opened his eyes and was met with the gaze Ripper, whose eyebrow was raised in question.
Courting is generally thought to be for wooing a woman into marriage,Ripper said. Ethan grinned at him.
No one ever said words went by just one definition Ripper. By the way, are you wooing the Slayer.
In a manner of speaking, Ripper replied, knowing Ethan wouldn't think he meant the first definition of the word.
Ethan nodded, grinning. These Summers girl and British men, ey mate?
They do seem to have good taste, Ripper replied, smirking, making Ethan snort slightly. Dawn wasn't paying any attention, and didn't notice.
The training room door shut again, leaving the new couple alone once more.
"Buffy's gonna kill us," Dawn told him matter-of-factly. "Then Giles. And Xander."
"I think only the boy will be a problem."
"Only the boy…." When she noticed he wasn't looking directly at her, but around her, Dawn raised an eyebrow and followed his gaze to the training room door. "Oh!" she squeaked, blushing hotly.
He chuckled.
Rack's Hideout
Across town, Willow laid on a bed, her body withering as Rack cleansed her of pain and the residual good magic from Tara and Ethan. The chaos magic from Ethan hadn't stayed with her.
"Hold STILL!" Rack commanded, his fingers digging farther into her chest. Willow screamed as his nails cut her skin and muscle. "It's done," he said after a few minutes. Panting, Rack sat back on the bed, a slight buzz making him feel light.
Wisps of dark magic crackled around his body, jumping from him to her and back again. The air was tight with the electrical feel of magics. There was a faint scent of strawberries and blackberries.
Willow inhaled the faint smell and opened her black eyes, a slight smirk forming on her lips. "You taste sour."
Rack didn't reply, just smoothed a hand down her jaw, farther down to her breasts, stopping only to cup to them.
Magic Box
Tara was the one voted to go into the store and give the new lovers a chance to compose themselves. As much as Buffy and Giles loved seeing a ruffled and sputtering Ethan, they knew Dawn would be just as bad. And that was way too funny. So the gentlest person was sent to break their absorption.
Silently shutting the door behind her, Tara hesitantly walked towards the couple. She smiled when she saw the tender look on Ethan's face as he stroked Dawn's hair.
"W-we need to plan what t-to do," she said quietly, bringing Dawn and Ethan back to earth, from their own thoughts.
Blushing, Dawn pulled away from Ethan, but kept a hand in his, as if to assure herself that he was real.
Tara's smile widened. They reminded her so much of Buffy and Giles, how they always to make sure the other was there.
As if signaled, Watcher and Slayer exited the training room. It was evident they had nothing but wait.
"So, what's this about planning, Ripper? I assumed you already had one," Ethan said with a raised eyebrow.
"After she attack the shop, our plan went void," Giles replied, grinning in response. Ethan rolled his eyes to something only he and Giles knew.
"Wouldn't it've made more sense to go after you and Buffy? I mean, you're threats too," Dawn pointed out, looking between the destined duo.
"That is true, but at the moment, Ethan and Tara are more of a threat. While Buffy and myself could...subdue Willow, Tara and Ethan would have a better chance of doing it faster."
"Hmm."
Buffy and Giles exchanged glances before looking at Ethan and Tara, who both shrugged as if to sat "We won't know until we try".
"Maybe it would be better to just trick her," Dawn finally said, looking between the others slowly. "I mean, the sooner she'd caught, the better, right?"
"Yes," Giles said after a pause. "But the kind of bait required is something we won't use. It requires a human, one that would most likely be killed."
"I'll do it," Dawn offered right when he finished.
"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" Ethan and Buffy roared, drowning out Tara and Giles.
"No, really. She can't hurt me!" she said after calming them down. It had only taken nearly ten minutes. "Remember, I'm not human, not really," she admitted, pretending to not notice Buffy's pained look.
"I mean, I'm made of energy she can't touch. I KNOW that. If anything, I would be the best bet for her downfall."
"Dawnie..." Buffy whispered, her voice thick. They all knew she spoke the truth.
"W-when I was on the tower, and the portal was opened, I felt drawn to it. It was like I was floating and in my body at once. I saw things strangely. I remember seeing something around Willow, something around all of you. I guess now it was magic or whatever. I could touch it, the stuff around you.
"Later, after you were brought back..." here, Dawn paused and drew a shaky breath, trying not to cry. "I felt something drawing towards me when I was around you guys, all of you. Well, 'cept you Buffy, but you're always different."
Buffy smiled, recognizing her sister's attempt at lightening the mood.
"When I stayed near someone for a long time, it felt like smoke was going through my body. If I was sick or somethin' the smoky felling got heavy, and I felt better. Especially around Willow," she concluded.
"I understand!" Tara said, her expression slowly turning to one of happiness. "Dawn, the Key energy, is universal-everything and nothing at the same time. She's connected to magics, since it's p-pretty close to what she's made of."
"In theory, you'd be able to extract Willow's magic just by being near her. It would take training, but you could do it," Giles said, his eyes alight with hope and dismay.
"I think we should do it. We can train her Giles," Anya said. "I mean, a Chaos sorcerer, a witch, a Watcher and Slayer, and me with over a thousand years of knowledge, we could train Dawn." She paused. "Would we have to take money from the store?"
Laughter met her question
[-]
And train her they did. For a month, Dawn trained as hard as Buffy had, with more focus than Giles and Ethan put together.
"Can we take a break, please?" she asked as she rose from the ground, holding her arm to her chest.
"Yes, let's," Ethan agreed, leaning against the wall as he rubbed his temples. Giles just groaned. Buffy and Tara sat on the ground.
"Ugh, why did I agree to do this again?" Dawn asked.
Tara smiled at her, but didn't say anything.
Anya entered the secluded area, carrying a bag that contained bottles of water and fruit.
"Here you go. I thought you would need this. I was right," she said in her usual tactless, self-centered tone. The others just smiled or groaned and accepted a bottle of water, sighing happily as half the bottle ended up on their burning faces.
"I vote we go home and sleep," Buffy said, eyes closed. She poured the rest of the water on her face, sighing in relief.
"Me too," Dawn said, looking at Giles. He nodded, still rubbing his temples.
"You don't expect me to go with you, do you? You all stink really nasty."
Tara was the first to crack her restrained smile. She burst into the laughter, quickly followed by the others.
"What? What?" Anya demanded. "Hey, listen to me!"
Summer's Residence
Less than two hours later, Dawn, Ethan, Tara, Giles and Buffy sat in the dinning room, finishing off the rest of their meal.
"Dessert?" Dawn asked, taking their plates to the kitchen.
"Sleep," Buffy and Tara both said, giggling as they did. It was obvious they all were at the end of their energy stores.
"Ice cream?"
No one seemed to notice Ethan's glinting eyes.
"Sleep!"
Giles looked at his childhood friend and sent him a sly smirk. Ethan gave Giles a suspicious look. Giles leant across Dawn's empty chair and whispered,
"Don't get any ideas. I know your signature." Ethan blanched slightly, and Ripper grinned.
All was good.
[-]
Outside the house, Spike took a drag from his cigarette before throwing it to the ground and crushing it under his boot.
He pulled out his cell and punched in a number.
"It's me. 'ey're all merry and 'ull of laughter, Red. Yeah, I under'and w'at I gotta do," he added before punching the off button. "Bitch."
Rack's Hideout
Willow set the phone on the cradle and laid back against Rack's chest with a sigh. Her black hair looked like ink against his white skin. Black eyes met red as she smirked and stroked him.
"I can't wait to hear them all scream for mercy," she said, turning and pushing him down onto the bed. She straddled him and slammed herself down.
"I'm gonna give little Dawnie to Spike for play, after I drain her of course, then I'm gonna fuck Tara like never before. I'm gonna spill her blood as I make her cum."
"What about the sorcerer and Watcher? And the whore Slayer?"
Willow smiled, her white teeth made whiter by the darkness of her black-veined face.
"They'll be closer than ever before."
Summer's Residence
Dawn groaned and rolled over. Or tried to at any rate. Fully awake now, she grinned.
"Ethan, wake up."
"Go 'ack ta 'leep, love," he mumbled.
"Eeeeetttttthhhhhhaaaaannnnn," she whined.
"It's six in the bloody morning! Go back to sleep," he told her, yanking the covers of their heads. She giggled.
"Dawn, I'm bloody knackered, either go to sleep, or go away."
"Ok," she said, laying her head back on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her torso, holding her in place. Having never opened his eyes, he didn't notice the tiny kitten that was laying on top on his head, curled in his hair. Nor did he notice that the kitten had "washed" his hair during the night, causing it to stick up at all angels.
Dawn giggled again before falling back asleep.
[-]
Upstairs, Buffy and Giles laid in Joyce's old bed. During the past month, the bedrooms had been re-arranged to suit everyone. Tara was in Dawn's old room, Dawn was in Buffy's old room, and for his safety, Ethan was downstairs in a spare bedroom. No one mentioned the fact that both Buffy and Giles had threatened Ethan with severe bodily harm if he attempted anything while staying in the house.
But then again, only Tara knew, having followed them them down the stairs that night to do the same thing.
None of them were stupid enough to tell Dawn. She'd kill them all in their sleep.
"Dawn's not in her room," Buffy said, not moving an inch. She snuggled closer to the heart under her ear, and was rewarded with Giles' arms tightening their hold.
"Is she now? I suppose she's with Ethan then."
"Yeah." Buffy yawned. "They're back asleep, and I'm not gettin' up, so it's all good."
"Are you sure? After all, she isn't supposed to be sleeping in his room."
"No, it's cool. I mean, after that scare last night, it's ok," she added, referring to the figure they'd seen outside the house before bed, one that seemed to have blond hair. "It's not like she does it every night."
"That's good then."
"You're not really listening, are you?"
"I am. I was just thinking."
"About what?"
"Nothing," he replied hastily, kissing the crown of her head. She smiled and sighed contently, happy to lay in his arms. And the act of laying in his arms would be disturbed is she questioned him. Therefore, silence and acceptance.
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AN: HELP! PLEASE, I'm begging you! Faithful readers, give me some ideas, please!