All Grown Up - VII
'The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness' - Lao Tzu
Los Angeles border
Giles had covered a distance of some metres by the time he realised that Dawn was no longer at his side. Nor was she fleeing in his wake.
The Watcher groaned inwardly, hoping that the girl was not attempting to rush to Spike's aid and risking her own safety in the bargain. Giles reluctantly drew to a halt and turned back to face the border, his heart hammering against his ribcage as a million possibilities of what he may see flashed through his mind. Many ended with Dawn lying bleeding on the ground. However, it had failed to register in his consciousness that the gunfire had now ceased, and the only sound penetrating the near stillness of the evening air was the vampire's continued cries.
Dawn stood barely a few steps ahead of Giles, a look of pure concentration etched across her pretty features. Her head was tipped ever so slightly to the sky, right hand outstretched with fingers splayed and held taught in the direction of the soldiers.
Before Giles could fathom what the Slayer's little sister could possibly be attempting to achieve, he realised that the troops ahead had lowered their weapons and were staring at Dawn as though awaiting instruction. Dawn's lips moved only slightly but with a speed that made it impossible for Giles to ascertain her words. After a moment's pause, the infantry continued to mill around the area, their collective demeanour portraying that every trace of a threat had now been removed. Giles stared at Dawn aghast. He had little time to comment, however, as Spike barrelled towards them, his body still smouldering.
The evening sun was just beginning to retreat below the horizon, which afforded Spike a few extra minutes before he was engulfed entirely by flame. However, both Giles and Dawn knew that they had little time to herd the vampire into shelter, and no apparent shelter in the near vicinity to herd him to.
Dawn seemed to slump a little, perhaps drained by the magnitude of the spell she had just weaved, but nonetheless she jumped into action as Spike approached. Dawn and Giles shrugged their jackets off, piling them over the vampire in an effort to block the suns rays.
"Argh… bloody buggering hell!" Spike yelped, his piercing eyes momentarily flickering to Dawn's face. The girl seemed to flush a little at his attention.
"Giles, we have to find shelter," Dawn said desperately, her head whipping in every direction as she scanned the area for Spike's saving grace.
The gunning of a car engine drew all their attentions to the highway. The rental minivan rumbled towards them at a rather alarming speed, piloted by Hayley, a potential who had originated from England and joined the school a little over eight months ago. Giles believed that the girl had yet to attain her license, a fairly safe assumption from the way the van careered towards them straddling both lanes. The other three potentials contained within squealed in a very un-Slayer-like manner.
Giles, Dawn, and Spike, whose entire left hand was now alight, rolled out of the way of the van as it screeched to a halt in the spot they had occupied less than a split-second before.
Still regaining his composure, Giles stood and moved around to the drivers side door. He did not speak, although the look he shot Hayley was enough to make her scoot over to the passenger seat, eyes downcast and cheeks blazing.
"We thought you might need some help, Mr. Giles," offered Ruthie, the youngest of the group at only fifteen. She smiled at Giles hopefully, awaiting a morsel of praise for their actions.
"You were taking a while," Hayley mumbled, clearly seeing the need to defend her poor driving skills and the employment of them in the van that had cost Giles near to a thousand dollars to rent.
"Well, as it happens," Giles began, doing his best to maintain an angry tone. He faltered, noting that Hayley shied away from him timidly. Giles allowed a smile to dissolve his stern expression, and patted the girl's knee.
"As it happens, we did need assistance," Giles finished, beginning to execute a three-point turn with more concentration than was truly required. "Thank you, girls."
The four potentials beamed in pride. Even a shred of commendation from a former Watcher was a thing to be celebrated.
Dawn had already bundled Spike into the back of the van, and was busily attempting to extinguish the flames that lapped at his hand with her jacket. Fortunately, the tinted windows offered Spike the protection he would require until the sun had set completely. Once the minor blaze had been put out, the four potentials leaned over in their seats in order to gaze in interest at Spike, who lay on his back panting heavily.
"Erm, why is there a vampire in our van?" Hayley stammered, evidently confused. Sonya, the only one among the group not fluent in English, recognised the single word and instantly whipped a stake from her back pocket in order to act upon it.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa love!" Spike choked, his eyes widening in fear as the tip of the stake plunged towards his chest cavity.
"Nein!" Dawn shouted in haste, waving both hands in Sonya's face and relaxing slightly as the potential slowly but suspiciously lowered the weapon. Dawn shot each girl a pointed look, and reluctantly the potentials turned around in their seats, affording the two some privacy.
"Well, hello there, little bit," Spike drawled, grinning lopsidedly up at Dawn. There was a long, heavy pause, and then Dawn slugged the vampire hard in the mouth.
"What the bloody hell was that for?" Spike demanded, his anger mounting as he distinctly heard Giles chuckling in the front. Ignoring the Watcher for the time being, Spike glared up at Dawn, who was returning his stare with equal venom. The vampire swallowed hard, suddenly nervous.
"Drop the cute nicknames, Spike," she hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously, "I'm not a kid anymore."
Slowly, Spike nodded, and a wide grin spread across his somewhat bruised face. He felt a slight thrill course through his body as he regarded Dawn Summers. She had been a child over a year ago when he had left the Scoobies behind, and he was pleasantly surprised to discover that, at seventeen years old, she had blossomed rather impressively into a woman who was every inch worthy of being called the Slayer's blood. The punch had even hurt.
Well, a little.