eloquent dumb-ass

DAWN POV

As they walked out I took one more glance at the boys - my "aura-vision" firmly in place.

Spike was his usual color. The color of ripe plums, the deep dark purple and red of the skin and the juicy orange of the fruit. He asked me once what color his aura was - I think expecting a solid color like old Christian paintings - only in black or something. When I told him plum, without thinking, he was not very happy. He pouted, actually pouted, said I was broken and that he wasn't some nancy boy color.

Spike's aura was normal but he had some silvery sparkles along his left side... huh have to ask him about that. He also had some yellow tendrils, which I have figured out happens when people are being mischievous... I just hope he doesn't get out of hand.

Dean was his usual red and mercury swirly tie-dye, still really weird. He had pink tendrils escaping all over... he was not happy. I still think such a girly color for anger is ironic.

Just before I turned my "aura-vision" off I glanced at Sammy and noticed he had some silver sparkles too. I smiled. Maybe, I won't have to ask Spike after all.

DEAN POV

We walked out the door and on our way to the car Spike never once looked back at me. He lights a cigarette and presses it to his lips.

Pisses me off that he doesn't see me as a threat. I'm a big threat. Big. Huge. Fucking Demon.

We got to his car, which I grudgingly admit is a beauty, and he opens the trunk. From inside he pulls out a leather satchel and two leather bound books, old and yellowed. One looks like it was scorched. He hands me the bag, which I put over my shoulder and one of the books. I don't take my eyes off of him as he taps out his smoke on the car - on the fucking car!

"Look mate, this book might give you a bit more information 'bout that lovely new body art you and the nibblet have. Read up on it - much as I could. We need to close her bond, I won't have my Dawnie tied to some ponce." Handing over the slightly scorched book he gestured to the other that I held, "Other one is something that brother of yours might take an interest in. I won't be needing it anymore." Bag is for you and Dawnie, she'll know what is hers, rest is special for you." Giving me a smile he closed the trunk.

He hadn't tried anything but the only thing I could think to say was, "Your Dawnie?"

He looked at me for a minute waiting for me to explain, with a distinctively bored face. "I thought she was William's"

There was a flash of surprise, then he smiled and looked like the fucking Cheshire cat, "We share mate."

My jaw nearly landed on the pavement, before I closed it with a click. For all his smart-ass attitude and mannerisms - I still believed him. They shared this girl. She obviously was not the person I imagined. It would also explain why she was so happy to see him and all of the physical contact tonight. My mind went off on its own little tangent.

What? I mean What? "WHA?" Real eloquent dumb-ass.

Then he stepped toward me, deadly serious and I tensed. My hand itching to reach for my sidearm. He stepped in close to me - too close, close enough to kiss - or bite. Either way I was not down. But all he did was look at me - hard. I could see where others may have flinched. "Listen Mate, I can see that you like her," this time I did flinch. Here it comes, now he is gonna warn me away from her. "Word of advice, be sure that she is what you want, cause if you mess up, you be in for a world hurt."

"I'm just warning you. You get involved with the her and you libel to receive some very inventive threats regarding her welfare."

"Dawn isn't with William or you?"

"Why do you keep doing that?'

"What?"

"Referring to me as two people."

"Huh?"

"'I thought she was William's,' 'William or you,' I am bloody William...heh, or rather...William the Bloody." At my completely dumbfounded (yet handsome) expression he continued, "You didn't know?"

"That's Sammy's department. I got a feeling that he knew." I'd kill him later. "So your not with Dawn." My brain still wasn't wrapping itself around that one.

"Your a might slow aren't you. No, Mate. Dawn's like my kid sister and admittedly my best friend. So you'll get your official warning from me now. Hurt Dawn and your family won't be able to identify the body." I don't know what was more disturbing the threat or that He was smiling.

"What about the inscription on the flask." Did he just blush? Can Vampires blush?

"Blushing Night? Bullocks! That is a very poetic way of saying Dawn... and the heart bit was code to let her know that I had a spell placed on the flask. Anything liquid placed inside, no matter what it is - will be pure for her to drink. Sort of an anti-poison or drug precaution - being that she used to get kidnapped every Tuesday. Was her 18th birthday present. The lighter now that was a find! Got it in New Mexico from a bloke into tribal rituals. Had it for years and when Nibblet went off to college I gave it to her for 'Good Luck'."

Walking back to his car he said, "Remember what I said, careful with that one she means a great deal to a lot of very powerful people. Now get back inside and re-salt that line, wouldn't want anything to happen to those delectable little morsels in there. They're on your watch now." He opened the door and tossed a, "Cheers!" over his shoulder.

I stood there for a moment processing all of the information. While he peeled out of the parking lot.

I really am slow.

William is Spike and Spike is Dawn's protector/brother/friend - so Dawn is decidedly single. Dawn was single - not attached -free game... Things were looking up!

I turned to the room and remembered the comment out delectable morsels.

I glanced at the book he gave Sammy - "The Captain's Versus" - What the hell? Opening the book I realized it was poetry, and it wasn't old either, just dyed that way.

Oh! Sammy was never gonna hear the end of this.