Dawn closed her eyes and deepened her breathing when the door to her room opened. Buffy checked on her every night as if she was a kid and not almost fifteen. But that was probably just part of Buffy's big sister complex. As soon as the door closed, Dawn scrambled out of bed and listened for Buffy's footsteps to retreat down the stairs. It was Angel's turn to patrol tonight, so Buffy would probably stay up doing her college courses until he got back. In any case, it would mean she was distracted.
Dawn quickly changed back into street clothes and grabbed a jacket. The window stuck a little in the frame, but Dawn had been sneaking out practically every night since that one and knew how to get out of the house without attracting attention.
She clicked on her flashlight as soon as she was out of sight of the house, despite the fact she knew her way by heart. In her other hand she clutched a stake, just in case. Most girls wouldn't venture into a graveyard at night except on a dare. For Dawn, it was the only place she felt safe.
The crypt remained untouched and neat, thanks to Dawn's efforts. As she slipped down the ladder to the lower level, she looked around to make sure everything was still in place. The bed was neatly made, the rugs clean, and every surface free of dust. She stood in the middle of the crypt and wished it wasn't so empty.
Thud.
Dawn jumped at the muffled sound, spinning around. "H-hello?" she called, lifting the stake in a trembling hand. "I-is someone there?"
"Not here. Not anywhere. Not… He's gone away."
Dawn froze at the broken rambling, cautiously edging toward a shadowy corner of the underground vault. A figure huddled against the wall, knees drawn to chest and arms wrapped around head. She turned on her flashlight and pointed it at the figure, who flinched away.
She caught sight of pale, milky skin, disheveled blonde hair, and a gaunt face before the person slithered back into the shadows. Dawn's breath caught in her throat. "Spike?" she whispered, not daring to believe.
"Spike's not here right now. If you'd like to leave a message…" he trailed off with a high-pitched giggle.
Dawn's legs gave out and she sat down hard. This was impossible. Spike was dead. The obliteration spell he set off to kill Glory had destroyed him. All they had found was the chip the Initiative had stuck in his head. And yet…
"Spike?" she whispered again. "What happened? How'd you come back?"
"It was supposed to be the end. No more. They wouldn't let it end and now it goes on and on and on and on."
The voice was unmistakable despite being borderline insane. Dawn crawled forward, straining to catch a glimpse of her friend's face. "A-are you real?" she asked softly.
He giggled again, a horrible sound that was mostly a sob. "No visitors today. Very busy."
She reached out, her hand shaking, and touched his cheek. He flinched away, but the contact was enough to reassure her. He was real. Dawn gasped. He was real. Her Spike was back! Who cared how; she wasn't alone anymore!
"Spike, I missed you so much!" Dawn said, inching closer. "I thought you were dead and Mom's gone and there wasn't anyone else."
"No!" Spike yelled. "Go away! William's been a bad boy. He doesn't get to play."
Dawn recoiled, tears springing to her eyes. Spike clapped his hands over his ears and rocked back and forth, humming off-key.
"Not listening. Not listening. What the hell are you screaming about? I can hear you, no need to SHOUT!" He screamed the last word, making Dawn jump. Spike continued to mumble, unaware of her presence. She drew her legs to her chest and propped her chin on her knees, staring through tear-filled eyes at the vampire.
What on earth was going on?
She must have fallen asleep, because she woke with a start when her watch alarm went off. She peered at it groggily and her brain finally registered the image as five thirty am. "Crap," she muttered. She looked around for Spike and saw that he was now stretched out on his side, ice-blue eyes fixed on her face.
"Like watching you sleep," he said. "All peaceful like. Can't sleep. See too many things when I close my eyes. Do you see 'em, too? All that blood, always flowing, drowning in all of it…"
"Spike," she interrupted hastily. He blinked and fell silent. "I have to go now," she said slowly. "I have to get back before Buffy realizes I'm gone."
"Oho, the little bit's been a bad girl," Spike taunted. Dawn scowled at him.
"I'll try to come back tonight," she told him. "I'll bring you something to eat if I can. Are you hungry?"
A strange gleam entered his eyes. "Hungry, always hungry for what you can't have 'cause it's wrong now, see? Wasn't wrong before. Nothing was. It's all changed. It's the way you see things." He ground the heels of his hands into his eyes. "See too much. All of the faces, all gone now; dead."
Dawn got to her feet and backed away cautiously. "Don't—don't go anywhere," she told him. "Just stay here, okay?"
He looked up at her with a despondent expression. "Don't have anywhere else to run to, pet," he said wearily.
"Okay," Dawn said uncertainly. She ran all the way home and scrambled to get into her pajamas and under the covers. She had an hour and a half before she had to get ready for school, so she could just close her eyes for a few minutes…
"Dawnie!" A sharp knock on her door jerked her awake. She sat up with a gasp. Spike! He had come back, hadn't he? She wasn't imagining it?
"Dawnie, you up yet?"
"Yes!" she yelled back, her mind racing. She had definitely gone to the crypt last night, and Spike had been there. She was sure of it.
*****
Buffy eyed Dawn suspiciously as the girl munched her way through a bowl of cereal. Was it a trick of the light, or had that been a smile? Faint as a shadow and gone in a second, Buffy couldn't be sure. She wrestled Caddie into the high chair and fished a jar of applesauce from the fridge.
"When Angel was a vampire, where did he get his blood?"
Buffy was so shocked by the attempt to start a conversation that she didn't notice the subject matter. "Um…the butcher's. He'd go once a month or so and pick some up."
Dawn tilted her head thoughtfully. "Did he like cow or pig better?"
"He said pig tasted closer to human," Buffy replied.
"Did he have to feed a lot? I mean, can't they go a month off a human?"
"Yes, but that's a lot of blood," Buffy said, offering Caddie a spoonful of mashed apples. "If they take it in pints they have to feed every day."
"This is a lovely conversation to start the day off with," Angel said dryly, heading toward the tea rack. "Why the sudden interest in vampire dietary needs, Dawnie?"
"I'm reading a book," she said casually. "It gets most of its vampire facts wrong."
"Yeah?" Angel asked. "Like what?"
Dawn's expression turned wry. "Coffins," she said.
Angel scowled suddenly. "What is it about coffins? Vampires don't sleep in coffins! It's a misconception made popular by hack writers and ignorant media. In fact, they can and do move around during the day, as long as they avoid direct sunlight."
Buffy laughed. "Whoa. Got issues, much?"
"I just get tired of the legends," Angel said almost plaintively. He sipped at his tea broodingly. The doorbell rang shortly before the lock turned and Doyle's voice was heard.
"Hello, the Summers family!"
"Morning, Doyle, Cordy," Angel nodded to the couple as they entered the kitchen.
Doyle grinned in reply and plopped down next to Dawn, reaching for the mug of coffee already waiting for him. Cordelia immediately crossed over to the fridge in search of the low-fat yogurt Buffy kept specifically for her.
"So," she said. "What's on the agenda for today? Where are you two heading off for?"
"Some spring cleaning on the sewers," Buffy replied, wiping Caddie's face. "There's a new demon in town and that's where Giles thinks it'll be. And thanks again for watching Caddie on such a short notice, Cordy."
"Not even an issue," Cordelia assured her. She had come a long way since Buffy had first met her, growing from the shallow high school prom queen to the mature and potentially powerful witch she was today.
"Are you taking me to school?" Dawn asked Doyle.
"Yep. So finish your breakfast so we can hit the road. We wouldn't want you to be late, now would we?"
"Guess not." Dawn slid from her chair and grabbed her backpack. "Oh, Buffy, I'm going to hang out at Janice's after school, okay?"
Buffy looked startled at first, but quickly recovered. "That's fine, Dawnie. Really. Have fun."
The girl smiled tightly. "I will."