| Dawnty's Inferno Part 5 Author: Jerri Cocke Disclaimer: Joss owns all, I own none. I do try not to break them to badly before I return them. Distribution: If you have, take. If not, ask. Spoilers: Season five in general. Feedback: It gives me a happy. Spike watched as his Kitten clambered up the trellis and into her window. He turned away, knowing that he would never set foot in the Summers home again. He thought about his plans for a made to order slayer and wondered if it wasn't a major mistake. If he went through with it, would Dawn understand. He didn't quite understand himself, he just knew he wanted Buffy however he could get her. But was he willing to lose Dawn to his obsessive love for her sister. He faced the fact that while he was in love or lust or some bloody thing with the slayer, the love he felt for his little friend was a much purer love. There was nothing sick in the concern he felt for Dawn, not like the desire he felt for the slayer. He thought of Dawn as a little sister, someone to be protected and cared for. Someone, that he had to protect from ever facing the life he was forced to live. All bleedin right, so he wasn't forced to live his unlife, he liked it. He liked it even more now that Dru had taught him how to get around the fucking chip in his skull. He could at least defend himself, and Dawn from humans when they went out on patrol. Yeah, he admitted to himself, he was going to let Dawn patrol with him, and he was going to teach her every dirty trick in the book, to make sure she could defend herself. After all, she was a demon magnet. He got to kill things alot, when she was around. He finally admitted to himself that the big, bad was no longer interested in eating every person that came down the pike, but that didn't mean that he didn't intend to feed. In fact, he was beginning to get a bit hungry. It was time to go find some poor sod and not drain him of all his blood, just some of it. It tasted so much better when you decanted it from the original container. He also had to pay a visit to the morgue, he had last respects to pay to someone and this was likely to be the only chance, he would get. Knowing the slayer, Joyce's funeral would be at high noon, in a cemetery with not a tree on the place. Sighing, an unnecessary breath, he headed for the hospital, and his final farewell to a friend. Dawn, quietly crossed the dark room and sat on her bed. She turned the little lamp on, the one that her mom, had gotten for her fifth birthday, because she was afraid of the dark. Her heart stuttered as she realized that she had no idea where the lamp really came from, she just remembered that it came from mama. She started as a hand was laid on her shoulder. She spun around to see Buffy, standing there with a stern look on her face. "Where have you been, Dawn? I've been worried sick." "I had to get out, be alone. If you had known, you wouldn't have let me go. So I went to the park, and sat and thought about where Momma is now." "Dawn, it's not safe to go wandering around at night. You know that. You shouldn't sneak out of the house, I can't protect you if I don't know where you are." "Like you didn't spend years sneaking out before Momma found out you were the slayer." "That's different..." "Oh, I see. It's alright for the slayer to break the rules, but not okay for your precious key too. I get it now. Do as I say, not as I did." Buffy looked helplessly at the back of the little girl she remembered loving all her life. How was she supposed to treat this stranger, that had `grown up' under her eyes. How was she supposed to support and love this child, who was an ancient energy source made human. Hell, she couldn't even control her own life, let alone Dawn's. Who did she think she was fooling, she needed help. Dawn never turned to face her, just said quietly, "Go away, I want to be left alone." Buffy quietly slipped from the room, closing the door behind her. She went downstairs and directly to the phone. She tapped her fingernails on the kitchen counter as she waited for someone to pick up the phone. Finally, "Daddy, I need you." tbc |