8.
Things with Spike were moving slowly, but positively. He'd spent 3 evenings at Buffys place in the past week, all of which had ended with them patrolling together.
Willow was coming home the following day, and Buffy had asked if Spike would like to spend the evening with Dawn, so she could go with Xander to pick Willow up from the airport, and to get her settled back into her parents place. Buffy wanted Willow to move back into her house, but Willow felt that she wasn't ready to sleep in the same bed she had shared with Tara, as well as Dawns cold attitude towards her. It was this very thing that Dawn and Spike were discussing after Buffy had left.
"She thinks we should all just forgive her! I mean, she tried to kill me!" Dawn was saying.
"Pet, you seem to forget that I tried to kill you lots of times! A bit of forgiveness goes a long way every now and then. What Willow did, she did out of total grief. I get that. I wonder how I would react if Buffy." Spike stopped suddenly, aware of what he was about to say. Although they knew he still loved Buffy, it was an unspoken topic.
He cleared his throat as an uncomfortable silence descended on the room. "Hows about I go through some fighting technics with you niblet?"
"Cool" Dawn squealed, eager to change the subject also. She had no problems with Spikes love for Buffy, but she knew it made him uncomfortable, and she didn't want him to feel that way.
He went to Buffy's weapons chest got out two swords and began instructing her on sword fighting, "A diagonal right-to-left cut aimed primarily at the head or neck is the strongest and most common cut. Now, variations may also be thrown at the arms or shoulders and even aimed as far down as the leg. This is most effective from the high guard. A vertical downward cut is also made in the same manner." As he was talking, he was demonstrating the moves and Dawn was defending herself most aptly. Suddenly the door was kicked in, and before either of them had time to recover, Angel had Spike pinned to the floor with a wooden stake at his heart.
"I should've done this a long time ago Spike." Angel grunted as he raised his arm to stake Spike. Dawn, seeing what was about to happen, grabbed Angels arm and banged it over her knee, making Angel drop the stake. She started to explain when a young man ran into the room and grabbed Dawn, holding her arms behind her back. "Let go of me you jerk!" Dawn screamed as she struggled in his grasp. Connor held on tighter and said "Dad, is this one also a Vampire? She's a bit young!"
"Dad?" Dawn said, looking at Angel. Angel ignored her "Connor, allow me to introduce Dawn. This is Buffy's younger sister. This "thing" on the floor is the Vampire, but he won't be for long - I just have to find where that stake went."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Spike was saying, scrambling to get out of Angels' way, but not quickly enough. Angel grabbed his ankle and held on tightly. "Not this time Spike! You've had a good innings, been around for what? 120 - 130 years? I think mankind has had enough of you. Time for you to become dust."
"But wait Angel" Dawn screamed, frantically trying to escape Connors grasp. "Spikes good! He's our friend! If you lay a finger on him, Buffy will kill you!" This gave Angel pause. "But, the letter I got!" he exclaimed! "And I saw him, from the window - fighting with you!"
"I can't explain the letter you're talking about," Dawn said, finally freeing herself and rushing over to help Spike get up "But he was TEACHING me how to fight, not fighting WITH me!"
For the first time since entering, Angel had a good look at Spike. There was something different about him. He had a sad look in his eyes. And he noticed that he wasn't coming out with any sarcastic remarks, in fact, he almost looked helpless! "Spike, you've got a soul!" he said as the truth suddenly dawned on him.
"Yeah mate, joined the ranks of the pathetic I did." Spike said as he straightened himself up. "Thought you might need a groupie!"
Angel was speechless "But - but - but - When?" he managed to stammer. "Oh, 'bout 4 months ago now. And what's this bleeding letter you were talking about anyway?" Spike asked.
Angel reached into his coat pocket and produced the letter, handing it to Spike. Spike read the note and looked at Dawn. "You know what Xanders handwriting looks like Dawn?" he asked. She went to the nearby table, opened a draw and got out a birthday card from Xander. They compared the writing and it was obviously written by the same person.
"But why would he do that?" Dawn asked. "Because he doesn't like me Bit. It's easy enough to understand. Why he'd waste old peaches time I don't know! Maybe to kill two birds with one stone. Get rid of both of Buffys Vampires in one hit."
Angel looked up at Spike quickly. "What do you mean 'Buffy's Vampires'? You're not Buffy's Vampire! In fact, I'm not anymore either."
Spike sighed deeply and said "You're wrong mate. I AM Buffy's Vampire, and I will be for the rest of my undead life. She's a part of me now, she's in my system. I now understand how you felt when you were with her, and I love her with every inch of my being."
Angel was dumbfounded! "Cordy told me! But I didn't believe her! I laughed at her! And does Buffy feel the same way about you?"
"No" "Yes" Spike and Dawn answered him at the same time. Angel looked from one to the other. "Well, which is it?"
"She DOES love him. She just doesn't really realise it yet." Dawn answered him.
"Well!" Angel finally said. "Tonight HAS been a night of revelations hasn't it? I never thought I'd be replaced by you Spike! I mean, I didn't approve of Riley, but at least he was human, but you Spike? I mean - you're Spike!"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence mate" Spike muttered under his breath.
"He seems ok Dad" Connor interrupted. "And besides, you've got Cordy now." With that comment, all his worries about Cordy came rushing back. "Oh god, Cordy! I wonder if Lorne's had any luck! Connor, we should go. Tell Buffy I stopped by would you Dawn? And Spike. I hope this soul thing works out for you, I really do. But if you hurt Buffy, you know I'll kill you don't you?"
"Angel, if I hurt Buffy, I'd kill myself." Spike replied. "Nice to meet your offspring, has a very strong resemblance to Darla doesn't he?" he said, tilting his head to the side, staring at Connor.
"Um - yeah, Darla is his mother. Or, was I should say. She's gone now."
"And, the age thing? I mean, I don't remember you having any kids while you were around here? Actually, how is it possible you have a son at all?" Dawn asked.
"It's a long, involved story Dawn. Lets just say, we were separated when he was a baby, and he came back to me a man. As for how? Only the Powers That Be know! I really wish I could've seen Buffy."
"Well, it's your lucky day isn't it?" came Buffy's voice from the door. "Or were you just going to pop in and out again without saying hello?"
Things with Spike were moving slowly, but positively. He'd spent 3 evenings at Buffys place in the past week, all of which had ended with them patrolling together.
Willow was coming home the following day, and Buffy had asked if Spike would like to spend the evening with Dawn, so she could go with Xander to pick Willow up from the airport, and to get her settled back into her parents place. Buffy wanted Willow to move back into her house, but Willow felt that she wasn't ready to sleep in the same bed she had shared with Tara, as well as Dawns cold attitude towards her. It was this very thing that Dawn and Spike were discussing after Buffy had left.
"She thinks we should all just forgive her! I mean, she tried to kill me!" Dawn was saying.
"Pet, you seem to forget that I tried to kill you lots of times! A bit of forgiveness goes a long way every now and then. What Willow did, she did out of total grief. I get that. I wonder how I would react if Buffy." Spike stopped suddenly, aware of what he was about to say. Although they knew he still loved Buffy, it was an unspoken topic.
He cleared his throat as an uncomfortable silence descended on the room. "Hows about I go through some fighting technics with you niblet?"
"Cool" Dawn squealed, eager to change the subject also. She had no problems with Spikes love for Buffy, but she knew it made him uncomfortable, and she didn't want him to feel that way.
He went to Buffy's weapons chest got out two swords and began instructing her on sword fighting, "A diagonal right-to-left cut aimed primarily at the head or neck is the strongest and most common cut. Now, variations may also be thrown at the arms or shoulders and even aimed as far down as the leg. This is most effective from the high guard. A vertical downward cut is also made in the same manner." As he was talking, he was demonstrating the moves and Dawn was defending herself most aptly. Suddenly the door was kicked in, and before either of them had time to recover, Angel had Spike pinned to the floor with a wooden stake at his heart.
"I should've done this a long time ago Spike." Angel grunted as he raised his arm to stake Spike. Dawn, seeing what was about to happen, grabbed Angels arm and banged it over her knee, making Angel drop the stake. She started to explain when a young man ran into the room and grabbed Dawn, holding her arms behind her back. "Let go of me you jerk!" Dawn screamed as she struggled in his grasp. Connor held on tighter and said "Dad, is this one also a Vampire? She's a bit young!"
"Dad?" Dawn said, looking at Angel. Angel ignored her "Connor, allow me to introduce Dawn. This is Buffy's younger sister. This "thing" on the floor is the Vampire, but he won't be for long - I just have to find where that stake went."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Spike was saying, scrambling to get out of Angels' way, but not quickly enough. Angel grabbed his ankle and held on tightly. "Not this time Spike! You've had a good innings, been around for what? 120 - 130 years? I think mankind has had enough of you. Time for you to become dust."
"But wait Angel" Dawn screamed, frantically trying to escape Connors grasp. "Spikes good! He's our friend! If you lay a finger on him, Buffy will kill you!" This gave Angel pause. "But, the letter I got!" he exclaimed! "And I saw him, from the window - fighting with you!"
"I can't explain the letter you're talking about," Dawn said, finally freeing herself and rushing over to help Spike get up "But he was TEACHING me how to fight, not fighting WITH me!"
For the first time since entering, Angel had a good look at Spike. There was something different about him. He had a sad look in his eyes. And he noticed that he wasn't coming out with any sarcastic remarks, in fact, he almost looked helpless! "Spike, you've got a soul!" he said as the truth suddenly dawned on him.
"Yeah mate, joined the ranks of the pathetic I did." Spike said as he straightened himself up. "Thought you might need a groupie!"
Angel was speechless "But - but - but - When?" he managed to stammer. "Oh, 'bout 4 months ago now. And what's this bleeding letter you were talking about anyway?" Spike asked.
Angel reached into his coat pocket and produced the letter, handing it to Spike. Spike read the note and looked at Dawn. "You know what Xanders handwriting looks like Dawn?" he asked. She went to the nearby table, opened a draw and got out a birthday card from Xander. They compared the writing and it was obviously written by the same person.
"But why would he do that?" Dawn asked. "Because he doesn't like me Bit. It's easy enough to understand. Why he'd waste old peaches time I don't know! Maybe to kill two birds with one stone. Get rid of both of Buffys Vampires in one hit."
Angel looked up at Spike quickly. "What do you mean 'Buffy's Vampires'? You're not Buffy's Vampire! In fact, I'm not anymore either."
Spike sighed deeply and said "You're wrong mate. I AM Buffy's Vampire, and I will be for the rest of my undead life. She's a part of me now, she's in my system. I now understand how you felt when you were with her, and I love her with every inch of my being."
Angel was dumbfounded! "Cordy told me! But I didn't believe her! I laughed at her! And does Buffy feel the same way about you?"
"No" "Yes" Spike and Dawn answered him at the same time. Angel looked from one to the other. "Well, which is it?"
"She DOES love him. She just doesn't really realise it yet." Dawn answered him.
"Well!" Angel finally said. "Tonight HAS been a night of revelations hasn't it? I never thought I'd be replaced by you Spike! I mean, I didn't approve of Riley, but at least he was human, but you Spike? I mean - you're Spike!"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence mate" Spike muttered under his breath.
"He seems ok Dad" Connor interrupted. "And besides, you've got Cordy now." With that comment, all his worries about Cordy came rushing back. "Oh god, Cordy! I wonder if Lorne's had any luck! Connor, we should go. Tell Buffy I stopped by would you Dawn? And Spike. I hope this soul thing works out for you, I really do. But if you hurt Buffy, you know I'll kill you don't you?"
"Angel, if I hurt Buffy, I'd kill myself." Spike replied. "Nice to meet your offspring, has a very strong resemblance to Darla doesn't he?" he said, tilting his head to the side, staring at Connor.
"Um - yeah, Darla is his mother. Or, was I should say. She's gone now."
"And, the age thing? I mean, I don't remember you having any kids while you were around here? Actually, how is it possible you have a son at all?" Dawn asked.
"It's a long, involved story Dawn. Lets just say, we were separated when he was a baby, and he came back to me a man. As for how? Only the Powers That Be know! I really wish I could've seen Buffy."
"Well, it's your lucky day isn't it?" came Buffy's voice from the door. "Or were you just going to pop in and out again without saying hello?"