A.N : Hello all! I am updating...yay :) A special shout out to xXriujooXx for writing me a nice review and assuring that someone is reading this. Also some of this will be taken from Intervention and The Gift and some of it will be straight from my wacky mind. Have a wonderful day
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or any of the character, I ask for them every Christmas though
Props to Joss and the writers for making such a fantastic show.
She didn't notice how beat up he was. All she could see back then was the red bullseye placed directly over his heart and the words. "insert stake here" She wasn't interested in how damaged he was, just if he had sold out her and Dawn. She could barely see his mouth move, but she knew he was telling her. "Yeah? I feel real sexy." there was more cheerful noise made from her, she had to admit, she gave a great "Buffy bot" impersonation. A pained cough as the vampire straightened. "No! You can't not ever, Glory never finds out." "Why?" "Because Buffy...the other not so pleasant Buffy, if anything ever happened to Dawn it'd destroy her. Couldn't live with her being in that much pain...let Glory kill me first. Nearly bloody did." She watched as her face softened and she leaned into to kiss him gently. His face was swollen, adorned in multiple cuts, a finger shaped hole in his chest. He had endured all of that for Dawn...for her. "What you did for me and Dawn, that was real. I won't forget it." The sound of the crypt door opening and closing and then silence as Spike stared after her. She wanted to reach up and touch him, wanted to trace purpling of his face with kisses. Her hand shook as she reached out, inches from his face, a breath away now.
She was standing in the kitchen, momentarily disoriented as she tried to figure out what memory she was in. It took a total of three seconds before she heard. "I know you'll never love me. I know that I'm a monster, but you treat me like a man and thats..." he breaks off as she crosses into the hallway, gazing at him. He shakes his head slightly stating. "Get your stuff. I'll be here." She turns of the steps, continues up into her room. If only she had known, she would have said something...anything. She would have praised him for helping her, she would have expressed some gratitude. She was so concentrated on Dawn, on the fight. Her instincts and fear took over, drowning any other emotion under the intensity of them. He collected the weapons waiting for her to descend the stairs again and when she did they shared a stare. Spike opened his mouth to speak, stopped by Buffy holding up a hand. "I can't Spike...I just can't." "Right." he said quickly, ducking his head in shame. She looked like she might want to speak but Spike opened the door with a slight nod. "Ladies first." They were silent all the way back to the Magic Box.
He was sobbing brokenly, rocking back and forth as Giles approached her body. He covered his face, anguish pouring from him with each cry. Dawn was limping towards him, one hand pressed to her side, tears racing down her face. Giles was checking for a pulse, he cursed, checked again. "Buffy?" Willow cried softly, leaning into her girlfriend for support. "She's gone." Giles uttered, taking his glasses from his face as his eyes pooled with tears. "Spike?" Dawn inquired, breathing in shakily. Xander was silent, trying to be strong for Anya, trying not to acknowledge the body. Spike looked up at Dawn, his eyes tortured. She met his eyes as well, trying to control the flood, the barrage of sorrow the was taking her over. He crawled to her then, the sun blistering his skin. He didn't care. "Buffy?" he questioned softly, brushing a piece of hair from her face. "Come on then Slayer. Get up." he gave her shoulder a soft shake. "Fights over, you won." he shook her a little more roughly this time. "Buffy!" he yelled this time, fighting against Giles as he pushed him away. "For God's sake Spike!" Giles cried out as Spike kicked him and ran back to the unmoving Slayer. "You can't die!" he raged, being restrained by Xander and Giles, pulled back into the shadows as flames licked at his hands. "You just can't! Jesus..." his voice caught, as he fought back a sob. "Buffy!" "Spike!" Dawn yelled, gripping his hand tightly. He looked down at her, remorse painted across his features as he sunk to the ground besides her. "I'm sorry Bit." he stated, his eyes traveling to their conjoined hands. "God Dawn, I'm so sorry." her breath hitched as she fell into him sobbing openly into his shirt. He put one arm around her, joining her in grief as the rest of the gang watched.
"Bloody waste of time this is." "Well what do you suggest we do then?" Dawn retorted, huffing in annoyance at the blond vampire. "Hell if I know." "What do you have against television anyway?" "i don't have a problem with the tele, just with the sodding crap you want to watch." "The O.C. is not crap...plus Ryan's really hot." she pouted as Spike chuckled softly. "Fine Niblet we'll watch the show. Just don't expect me to pay attention." "Well Spike what do you want to do?" "Me? I dunno, wouldn't say no to some cards." "Cards?" "Yeah you know aces, kings, queens, jacks. Cards." she stared dumbfounded at him. "Do you mean to tell me that no one has every taught you poker?" she shook her head at him. "Oh Dawn, you're in for a treat." he smirked at her pulling a deck from his back pocket. "Can we play for money?" Dawn chirped. "Money? Don't think big sis would go for..." he broke off, catching her stricken eyes. "Sorry." he stated, running a hand through his unruly hair. "Sometimes I forget." she laid one hand on top of his, meeting his eyes with a sad grin. "It's okay Spike...I miss her too."
His hand rest on her doorknob, trembling slightly. She watched as he took an unsteady breath and swung the door open. "God." he breathed, stepping into the room. He ran his fingers along her bedspread, fiddling with the shirt that lay on it. He brought it to his face, inhaling deeply. "Buffy." he sighed, starting as Dawn entered the room. "Spike, what are you doing?" he turned, looking nervously at the brunette teenage. "Dawn, I was um..." "Sniffing my sisters things." "Well...yeah." She shook her head at him, as he placed the clothing back on the bed. "That's kind of weird Spike." "I know." he bowed his head, trying to hide the embarrassment on his face. He lowered himself to the bed and she joined him. "I just..." he broke off, took a deep breath started again. "I just," "You just what?" "It should have been me." he said finally. He didn't need to explain, she understood the feeling perfectly. "Or me." she whispered. His head whipped up quickly. "No Dawn, don't ever say that." she stood then, anger plain as day on her face. "If I had died Spike, then everything would be okay! You and the Scoobies wouldn't be exhausted from patrolling, and Buffy...she would be here! I'm not even fucking real!" He reached out and grabbed her hand. "Now listen here, Buffy knew what she was doing, knew what it meant. She saved you Dawn, she saved all of us. She knew you were damn important, too damn important to lose." He smiled at her. "Sides," he gave her hand a squeeze. "You feel real enough to me." Dawn didn't know what to say, couldn't find words. He lead her out of the room closing the door with a soft click. It was silent for a long time before her turned and clapped both hands together. "Right then! Isn't your show on,the one with the annoying chipper angst ridden teenagers that remind me of Angel?" She shook off the woe that had followed from the room, answering him. "You know you like it." and she trotted down the steps. "Do not!" he called after her. Buffy had to hold in the chuckle that rose up in her throat. Spike had never told her how close him and Dawn had become in her absence. Then again, she had never asked.