Dawn bounded down the stairs and into the living room, diving onto the couch, next to Xander the second she saw him, snuggling her cheek into his shoulder. Giles was on the loveseat, book in his lap as he surreptitiously tried to act like he wasn't watching Tom and Jerry. It was just the three of them, since her mom was at work, and the older girls were asleep. Spike almost never woke before noon since he usually didn't go to sleep until four or five in the morning.

She brought her hands around Xander's right bicep, holding loosely. "Did you find something to eat?" she asked, her eyes tracing a futuristic mouse as he walked through a space station.

Xander nodded, his hand unconsciously petting through her hair. "Found some Count Chocula."

Dawn tucked her feet beneath her thighs. "That's Spike's cereal." She felt Xander stiffen beneath her hand, and gave his arm a kind pet. "Don't worry. He won't notice."

Of course, when Spike woke up about eleven thirty, after Buffy and Willow had awoken and stumbled into the living room to watch Courage: The Cowardly Dog with them, he did notice. And everyone knew he had figured it out, because he yelled, "Oi! Who broke into my cereal?"

Xander tensed beside her, but she just snuggled into his side. "Xander needed a fix!" she yelled back, ignoring the glares that Buffy sent towards her. Giles looked up from his book, a small, amused smile gracing his face.

Spike came into the doorway, black shirt holding to his body. He looked quite serious as he stared at Xander. "Look, Whelp, I can't have my damn Weetabix 'round here. The Chocula is sacred." He pointed a finger at Xander, as if in warning, but quickly shifted it to Dawn, herself. "You, Niblet…I don' know what you said, but you hush. Got it?"

Dawn just smiled, trying to convey innocence to the older man. Xander was still stiff beneath her hands, his arm taut. She gave his cheek a quick kiss before she hopped of the couch and went bounding off after Spike. She sat next to him at the table, ignoring the half-hearted glare sent toward her. She had been looking at it every morning since he moved in.

Spike was very much not with the morning program.

She reached over and took a marshmallow from his bowl, ignoring the growl and attempt to stab with his spoon. "You're coming to the mall with us, right?" she asked folding her arms over the table and staring at him intently, as if willing him to say yes.

He shrugged. "When you silly nits goin'?"

"Supposedly half an hour, but no one's ready. Don't think Buffy's even had her morning hour-power-shower." She rolled her eyes at her sister's antics, and he snorted into his bowl of cereal. "I'm pretty sure the only one who's even remotely ready is Xander. Although all I need to do is change into some shorts and I'll be good to go!"

She waited patiently, keeping that innocent expression on her face as the conversation caught up with Spike. She could practically see the look of horror come over his face at the thought of her…in shorts…at the mall…with boys. Spike was so going to the mall with them.

"I'll get ready after my cereal," he grumbled, practically inhaling the rest of his Chocula.

Dawn smiled happily and gave a short clap of her hands. "Yay!" She then bounced away from the table to her room, hopping over Giles' suitcase which was propped open against the wall, prim and organized as ever. She grabbed her shorts from her dresser, then a tank-top that Spike would at least find somewhat appropriate and wouldn't cause Buffy to go into epileptic seizures.

By the time she was changed and ready, Buffy could be heard talking to herself in the shower, Willow was rummaging around in her bag, and Spike had just emerged from his room wearing his standard outfit of black and red. He took one look at her and she could see the scowl forming on his face.

"Gonna have to beat people off ya left and right, Niblet," he grumbled.

She rolled her eyes as she took the stairs. "It's not that bad, Spike. I could wear this to school."

"I've seen the underwear that school calls a dress code. S'not exactly helpin' your case."

Dawn laughed, making for the living room, "Spike, go have a cigarette. You sound like you're having a nic-fit."

He did what she said, heading towards the front door with a shake of his head and a muttered, "Bossy little nit."

She shook her head and took her seat in the living room again, next to Xander. He was alone by now, Giles having puttered off somewhere else. Instead of cartoons, Babylon 5 was on. Dawn didn't know any of the names or characters, had never really tried getting into any of the sci-fi things Xander cherished so much. Instead, she just pulled her feet up on the couch and turned towards her friend.

With a nudge of her foot, he turned his attention to her as well. "What's up, Dawnie?"

"Are you ready for the mall?" she asked, an excited smile on her face.

"Oh, yeah. Shoe-shopping, clothes-fitting, purse-holding…I really can't wait," he answered, only half put out. She knew he liked the mall-escapades, had loved them when they had all lived in Sunnydale, before Dawn's mom had to move back to L.A. when the museum went under.

Her smile turned calm, content. "You know, the mall was made for more than just clothes. It's a hodge-podge of geek, freak, and chic stores. Meant for everyone." She paused tilting her head a little. "And Spike's going, too, so you'll have male companionship."

It was subtle, but Xander had always been her friend, even though Willow and Buffy claimed him first, he was her friend. They saw each other. A line of tension went through his shoulders, and she nudged him again with her foot. "He isn't all bad," she said fondly, thinking of her blond menace.

Xander shook his head. "No. He's kind of half-good." He switched to nodding, and Dawn had a feeling the boys had bonded somehow while the rest of the world had been sleeping.

She touched his hand, not caring about the cast as she laced her fingers through his, tried to convey that she understood what he wasn't saying.