| Dancing Part 4 by Kass Shakespear Dawn came home from training in the early evening. She wanted to go to see Spike again but Buffy had asked her if she could stay away from the dance club, which was what she told Buffy where she had been last night, for one evening and be at home for a family evening. Anya and Xander wanted to come over for dinner. �Hello Dawn,� Buffy said from the kitchen as Dawn entered the house. �Hi Buffy.� �Can you help me a bit?� Buffy asked. �Anya and Xander will be here in thirty minutes and not everything is ready yet.� �Okay.� Dawn went to the kitchen. �How was training?� Buffy asked while she was preparing the meal. �It was good. We learned some new figures and stuff.� Although Dawn hadn�t slept too much this night either, she didn�t step on Jim�s feet all the time. She simply had to concentrate more and everything went fine. She had also been in a very good mood after seeing Spike the night before. �Great!� Buffy smiled. �Um� can you put the plates and stuff on the table?� �Sure.� Dawn took the plates and the silverware and went to the dining room. Anya and Xander arrived in time and they all sat around the table in the dining room and had dinner. Angel and Buffy sat on one side, Anya and Xander on the other and Dawn at the head of the table. �Ouch,� Anya suddenly said. �Everything okay?� Xander asked concerned, looking at his pregnant wife. �Yes, she just kicked me again.� �Can I touch it?� Dawn asked. �Of course.� Anya took Dawns hand and laid it on her belly. �Feels funny,� Dawn said. �Yes it does.� �Where is Xander junior?� Buffy asked. �He is at my mom�s.� Xander answered. �Next time we should invite Tara and Willow too. Would be like in old times.� Buffy suggested. �Yeah, we could invite Spike too,� Dawn said. Xander almost chocked his roast beef. �Spike?� �Spike is back in Sunnydale,� Buffy said and shot Dawn an angry look. �Oh cool, I wondered what happened to him.� Anya smiled and Xander raised an eyebrow at her. �And we are NOT inviting him in my house,� Buffy told Dawn. �That�s right. Don�t invite him in Dawn,� Angel added. �Why not? Could be fun.� Anya said. �Because he is an evil vampire?� Buffy said sarcastically. �But he has this chip.� �An,� Xander said and laid his hand on her shoulder. �He is a demon. We can�t trust him. And only because he lost his powers doesn�t mean he is our friend.� �Oh really? What about me? I was a demon too and lost my powers.� Anya sounded angry. �Are you only with me because I can get your babies and get fatter and fatter and fatter.� She almost cried and got up from her seat, leaving the dining room. �She is always like that. I think that�s normal for a pregnant woman.� Xander explained. �When she was pregnant with Xander junior she also cried and in the next moment she was cheery and happy.� �I read about that. The hormones make women act that way when they are pregnant.� Buffy said. Xander got up from his chair too but Dawn stopped him. �No, I will go. You stay and eat.� She left the dining room and went to the kitchen where Anya was sitting, eating ice cream. �Men, I hate them!� she took a spoonful ice cream out of the box and stuffed it in her mouth. �Uh huh,� Dawn said, smirking a little. �So when did Spike return?� �Three days ago. I met him on Tuesday after dancing.� �Cool, what did he say?� Anya wanted to know. Dawn shrugged. �Nothing much. He wanted to know how everybody is. I told him you were pregnant.� Anya nodded and smiled. Dawn sighed. �I really don�t know why everybody is reacting like that when I tell them Spike is back.� �Yeah, it�s not that he can harm anyone.� �But he also saved my life, remember? I think they all have forgotten that.� �Yeah he did. And you had a crush on him, I remember.� Anya sounded cheery. Dawn blushed. �And you still have a crush on him?� She giggled. �Vampires are great lovers.� �What?� Dawn looked puzzled. �Don�t tell Xander, but when I was a vengeance demon, I had an affair with a vampire once.� Anya whispered. Dawn nodded. �I mean Xander is great too. Sex with him is fantastic. Especially last week, we were in the bathtub together and he started rubbing my belly and then he...� �Anya!� Dawn turned red. �What?� �Too much info.� �Anyways,� Anya continued, ignoring Dawn�s comment. �Vampires are real good lovers because they don�t get tired so easily. I am sure Spike is a great lover. Do you want to have sex with Spike?� �Anya!� Dawn said loudly and blushed even more. �Don�t worry, I won�t tell anyone.� She said and smiled. �But let�s go back to the dining room. I am hungry.� Anya licked the ice cream spoon clean and got up. �You are even weirder when you are pregnant,� Dawn said faintly. �Huh?� Anya looked at her but Dawn shook her head. �Nothing, let�s go.� After Dinner Anya and Xander left early. Anya didn�t feel very well and wanted to lay down. They hadn�t talked about Spike anymore and Dawn avoided to say anything because she didn�t want any more confrontations. Anya was the only one who understood her. Although in a really weird way. Dawn went to bed early, she had training the next day again and wanted to get enough sleep this time. The next day was quite busy for Dawn. She had training in the morning and afternoon and then went to the dance club with Jim. Friday night was the best day of the week. Many people were in the club and Dawn could learn from them. She also danced with the guy of the winner couple of last years dance contest and Maria, the woman who had won the contest, showed her some steps. She liked the people there a lot. They weren�t her best friends but they were always friendly to her and welcomed her in their community. Most of the dancers were Latinos and Dawn had felt like an outsider at the beginning. But nobody cared if she was white, black, Asian or whatever. It was two in the morning when Jim and Dawn left the club. �It�s been really nice tonight,� Jim said. �Yeah it was.� Dawn agreed. �Can we start training tomorrow in the afternoon? I would like to visit a friend and besides that, I think I should get some sleep.� �Of course. Training all the time also isn�t good.� Jim smiled. �Let�s say four p.m.?� Dawn nodded. �Okay.� �I am here with dad�s car. I will drive you home.� Jim said and they walked to his car. �Good night,� he said as he stopped the engine in front of Dawn�s house. �Good night,� she said and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled and pulled her closer to hug her. �You are such a great dancer. I think we really can make it.� �Thank you. You are a great dancer, too.� She hugged him back and then left the car. �Bye!� Jim waved out of the window. Dawn slept till ten in the morning. She got up and took a shower. After that she stood in front of her closet and picked some clothes. �Skirt or pants?� she asked herself and then decided to wear tight black pants and a burgundy red top. She took the towel off her wet hair and combed it. She still had very long brown hair but it was shorter around her face and didn�t look so boring like it did when she was a teenager. She then put on her make-up. First a thin black eyeliner and then mascara. She didn�t use much make-up, only very decent, except for when she went out in the evenings, but even then she never used more than blue eye shadow, a little bit of rouge and pink lip gloss. After she had dried her hair she looked into the mirror once more. She smiled and then went downstairs. �Good morning,� Buffy said, who was sitting in the kitchen, wearing her bathrobe and having coffee. �Morning.� �Want some coffee too?� her sister asked. �Sure.� Dawn sat down at the table and took some toast on her plate which was standing on the table for her. �Whatcha doing today?� �Training,� Dawn replied. �You�ve been training very hard lately,� Buffy noticed. �Have to. Jim and I want to have a chance at the contest in three weeks.� �I bet you will do fine.� Dawn smiled. �Where is Angel? Still sleeping?� �Yes, he went patrolling last night, wanted me to get some rest, which I didn�t as soon as he came back.� Dawn smirked at her sister. �Because I woke up as he came back.� Buffy quickly said. �You don�t have to say anything. I know that you�ve been boinking all night. I am old enough to accept that my sister has sex.� Dawn still smirked and Buffy blushed a bit. �Yes you are,� she stroked her younger sister�s hair. �I can�t believe how grown up you are now.� �Well, we all get older,� Dawn said. �Ugh, thanks for reminding me,� Buffy frowned but then laughed. �Okay, I have to go now,� Dawn got up and hugged her sister. �Have fun!� Buffy said as Dawn headed out. �Bye!� she called and closed the door behind herself. Dawn knocked at door number 23. �Hello,� Spike said as he opened the door. �Hey.� Dawn looked over his shoulder and saw that the TV was on. �Mind if I come in?� she asked. �No, I am just watching Passions. It�s over in a minute,� he said and sat on his bed, watching TV. �I though they cancelled the show two years ago.� Dawn sat down on the chair this time. �They did, bloody bastards! But they are showing old episodes again.� �Ah, okay.� She looked to the TV. �Mom always liked that show.� �I know. We watched it together once, remember?� �Yes, it was when you let us stay in your crypt while we were in danger.� �Passions is over,� Spike said and switched off the TV. �So tell me about dancing. Since when do you do it?� �Almost four years. I went to dancing classes when I was sixteen and met some people there who used to go to this Latino club.� She told him. �I can�t dance. Well, when I was human, I had to learn waltz and all that stuff.� �You can dance waltz?� Dawn really couldn�t imagine Spike dancing. �I said I had to learn it, not that I can do it.� He got up, went to the stereo and switched it on. �And you can�t do standard dances to music like this,� he said as the music started. �What�s that?� Dawn asked. �Sex Pistols. Anarchy in the UK. I bet you don�t know them?� Dawn shook her head. �What else could I expect from today�s youth.� Dawn frowned. �Oh that�s not your fault. It�s the whole generation. All this Britney Spears and Backstreet Gays bullshit. People today don�t know how to make good music. Back in the 60s and 70s there were a lot of great bands. The Stones, Hendrix, Led Zep, Doors and so on. That was music!� �I know the Rolling Stones, they are okay,� she said. �Okay? They were the one of the most successful bands ever. Too bad Keith died last year.� Spike sighed. �Was that the guitar player who looked like a zombie?� Dawn chuckled. �He didn�t look like a zombie. He looked bad because he smoked too much, drank and took drugs. I would have made him a vampire if I could.� He pointed to his head and meant the chip which prevented him from biting people. Dawn laughed. �Does the Slayer know you are here?� �No, Buffy would kill me if she knew. They are still freaking out when I talk about you, except for Anya.� �She is pregnant, right? How far is she?� Spike asked. �She�s in the seventh month. They came to dinner yesterday and the baby kicked her. I touched her belly. It felt amazing.� �And she didn�t freak when she heard I was back?� Dawn shook her head. �No, I told her that I met you and she told me that she had a vampire as lover once when she still was a vengeance demon.� �Who would have thought that?� Spike chuckled. Dawn blushed. She didn�t mean to say vampire and lover in one sentence in front of Spike. The vampire noticed it but didn�t say a word. Instead he started talking about music again. He told her many things she didn�t know and showed her �some of the best songs of rock history�. �Oh, I know this song, it�s awesome,� Dawn said, now lying on the bed on her belly, when �Stairway to heaven� came trough the speakers. �That�s Led Zeppelin.� Spike was sitting on the floor right in front of Dawn, leaning his back against the bed. �But that�s a rather soft song, not as tough as the others you showed me.� �That is heavy metal, a ballad though. Led Zeppelin were one of the founders of heavy metal.� �You are giving me lessons in music history now?� Dawn asked, smiling. Spike nodded. Dawn reached her hand to his head and began to play with his peroxide blond hair. She didn�t even notice what she was doing. �I hope you didn�t find any lice,� he said jokingly and Dawn quickly pulled her hand away and turned red. �I have to go,� she said still a little embarrassed. �I have to train.� �How long will you be training today?� Spike suddenly asked. �I don�t know yet. As long as we need. Why?� �Well, I thought you could come over again after training?� Dawn smiled. �I could.� Spike got up and guided her to the door. As she wanted to go he quickly pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. First the kiss was very soft but then it got more passionate and Dawn wrapped her arms around his shoulders. It felt amazing, his cool lips on hers and his cool tongue inside her mouth. She wanted to stay there and kiss him forever. �I really have to go,� she pulled away, breathing faster. �Bye,� he said as she headed out into the sunlight. �I will be back around ten,� she shouted and ran to the bus station. |