| Follow Me Part 2/? by Jess Spoilers Alert: Season five up to The Gift. No Gift Spoilers. --------------------- Dawn held the gift bag behind her back and took a deep breath before knocking on the trailer door. She had managed to get away from Buffy that same night. Anya had been sent to `watch' her while Giles and Buffy trained at the magic shop. The Ex-demon was far more receptive to the idea of Spike protecting Dawn for the night then having to do it herself. She had even taken Dawn to the store to buy Spikes gift. Dawn exhaled and pounded firmly on the door. The young girl heard rustling around for a few minutes before the door swung open. "George, I told ya it was alright. Can hardly see the sauce, black shirt and all, no one will notic�. Oh Bit. Didn't expect you so soon." Spike looked mildly surprised at the Dawns appearance on his doorstep. His hair was still on the messy side, but his black t-shirt has been replaced by a dark blue button-up, none of the buttons fastened. "Just getting a change of kit, little condiment accident over at the neighbours." He gestured to the cargo pants he was wearing. "Bit of a different look, yeah?" Dawn looked him up and down, noticing that he wasn't wearing is jump boots either, but was bare-foot. This seemed the oddest of all the wardrobe changes. "I brought you a RV-warming gift." She smiled and cocked her head to the side. "You were eating?" Spike shrugged. "Figured it was an easy way to keep off the radar." He motioned for her to come in and held the door open with one arm so Dawn had squeeze by him to get into the medium sized RV. "Not much fighting room in here." Dawn twirled around in the kitchen. "What happens if Glory finds you again?" "The purpose of the move was for her not to be able to find me again, Bit." He slumped down at the kitchen table, one leg thrown across the seat. "Now you said something about a gift for your old pal Spike." "Yeah, Anya helped me. I had to tell her who I was meeting, so she knows where I am in case Buffy gets all protector-y on me. Its not much of a present..." Dawn trailed off as she slid onto the bench opposite Spike. "But I didn't have to steal it, and that's something Bit." Spike gave the girl a smirk. "So what'da bring me?" "Your worse than Buffy on her birthday." "Be sure to mention that to her when you get home." Dawn snorted. "It'll be on the top of my list." She passed the bag over to him. Spike smiled, one of the few all out smiles Dawn had ever seen. The last one has been when they were in her kitchen, talking with her mom. Dawn shook herself mentally and concentrated on Spike, who was just staring at the package, not moving. He had sat up, feet flush with the floor, and the smile was gone. He looked serious. "Thanks. I mean it. You're a lot like your mum." Dawn ducked her head. "Open it before Buffy bursts in and makes with the yelling." Spike held her gaze for a few seconds, and then nodded slightly. He opened the bag and pulled out a small, glossy box. He frowned at it and then at Dawn. "Sun-in hair dye. Trying for ironic?" "You need your roots done. I'll help you later if you want." Spike pulled the second item of the bag, a long rectangular box dark blue in colour. "Gitanes. I have one now if you don't mind. All George had were Marley light." He ripped into the carton and pulled out a pack then fished around in his cargo pants for a lighter. Finding it, Spike lit-up, the flame casting hard shadows on his face making his bruises stand out even more. He inhaled deeply but was careful not to aggravate the stitches that covered his chest. "You are my favourite human, Nibblet." She mirrored his smirk. "You may want to save the praise till you see the last thing in there." "There's more? If it's a pint of blood, you'll be my favourite ball of energy as well." "You know others?" "Monster-sized yellow gas giant. Haven't seen it in a bit, well�that once, but I was kicking your sisters ass at the time." Dawn looked doubtful. "Let's see what else you got me." Spike reached inside the bag and pulled out a large ball of tissue paper. "Just what I've always wanted. An enormous ball of coloured paper. How did you know?" "Open it dork." "Oi, pint-sized, you would be wise to watch your tongue. I didn't sell ya out to Frizzy, doesn't mean I've gotten entirely soft." Dawn stuck her tongue out and Spike shook his head, unwrapping the package. "Shouldn't make invitation like that unless you mean them Bit." The girl turned red around the ears, but kept Spike's gaze. He nodded faintly, approving of her boldness. The tissue paper gave way and inside was a small plush blonde bear. The roots of the bear's hair had been coloured black around the top of the head. Spike glared at the Dawn playfully. "Does he have a name?" "Billy." "Billy." Spike pursed his lips. "Right. Are my roots really that bad?" Dawn gave a full-toothed smile. "Fine, I'll let you dye my sodding hair. But if you even try to put gel in it�." He shook his finger at the girl. Dawn rolled her eyes. "You'll feed me to Glory's minions piece by piece. Got it. Now go get your hair wet. I'll mix the dye." Spike punched out his cigarette in the plastic ashtray and sighed. "Getting all bloody domestic." Dawn followed him to the tiny bathroom. "Who usually dyes your hair?" "I do." Spike answered, taking off his shirt. "Which explains the so much." Spike tossed his shirt at Dawns face and pushed the expected burst of pain to the recesses of his mind. "The trousers come off next." "And?" Dawn put on a smirk. Spike looked banefully at her. "Fine. I'll go. Protect your vampire modesty." She stalked back to the kitchen, her back straight. "Chit is tying to get my head lopped off." Spike mumbled as he shut the bathroom door. He emerged a short time later with the cargo pants back on and a towel thrown over his right shoulder. Dawn noticed that one of he was bleeding a little around his stitches, but decided not to mention it. She gestured for him to sit on the folding chair she had found in the closet and had moved to the middle of the kitchen. "You ready for this?" Dawn asked as he slumped on to the chair. She re-positioned the towel around his shoulders. "Not in the slightest." Dawn just grinned wider and started to glump on the dye. About half an hour later, they sat beside the fire pit and waited for Spike hair to dry. In the spirit of an RV warming party, Spike brought out some marshmallows for Dawn to roast, a couple cans of cola and a carafe of blood for himself. Billy had even joined them at the fire, but mainly as a hostage. Spike kept threatening to toss him into the fire if Dawn didn't share the marshmallows. "It disgusting. Blood and marshmallows do not mix." "You want a sip?" "Eww." "What is it with you Summers women? Won't try anything." Dawn stuck her tongue out again. "You keep doing that, I won't be responsible for my actions." Dawn grabbed her can of cola. "What will you do, give me a stern look?" He leaned close. "I might have to teach you the proper use for a tongue." "That's a good idea, Spike. Make sexual innuendo to the slayers sister." "Its not innuendo, luv. Its a promise. Now give over the marshmallows." He looked into his cup. "Hey, it turned all pink. You wanna see?" "You are so strange." Spike smirked and stuck his tongue out, miming Dawn's actions a few moments ago. She wrinkled her nose and hit Spike in the chest with the bag. "Here. Just quite grossing me out." Spike smirked at her and popped two more marshmallows in his mug then topped it off with more blood, making a show of pouring the red liquid in. "Blood bags roasting on an open fire, Little Bit nipping at your nose�" Spike sang, barely aware of the odd look her was getting from Dawn. " blues grass tunes being sung by a Sod, and git's dressed up like Medieval dweebs." Spike looked at the girl. "I never was a very good poet." "You've got a nice voice." "Was that in the spirit of "If you can't say something nice"?" Dawn grinned a bit and nodded. "Well forget that when your with me. I want to know what you're thinking. Save the politically correct nonsense for the Witch and Buffy. Got it." "That was a horrible song." "Better. How's my hair looking?" He patted his crown. "Feels dry." Dawn reached up to his head tentively. She ran her hand quickly through the side of his head, checking to see if it needed more time to dry. "Looks less brown, none of it is falling out so I'd call it a success." Spike slugged down more of his drink, leaving a little bit of a blood moustache he wiped away with the back of his hand. "Isn't it time you got back home? Buffy should be done beating the hell out of Ripper by now. And before you ask, I'm not trying to get rid of you. Just don't want her worrying that the walking potatoes nicked ya." "Anya said she would pick me up at ten. That way her and Xander could have more sex." He sputtered into his blood. "Please, Bit. There are some things that shouldn't be shared." "The you don't want to here about what I found in their closet." "What's that Billy? You feel cold? Why don't we put you closer to the fire then?" Spike winked at the bear and walked him across the log, dangerously close to the fire. "You might not want to get so close to the fire Spike. I think peroxide is flammable." Dawn smirked at him. Spike furrowed his brow and pulled Billy away from the fire. "Did you and the Slayer take lessons in sarcasm, or is it a natural occurrence?" Dawn looked like she was searching for a thought. Biting the inside of her lip, she spoke. "If Glory doesn't get me, if she doesn't need me anymore, do you think I'll disappear? Will Buffy go back to being an only child and you guys won't have to baby-sit anymore." "I couldn't tell you, Nibblet. Maybe you go back to your giant ball of energy family." "None of you will remember me, it will be like I was never here." Dawn kicked absently at one of rocks around the fire. "Bollocks. Look luv," Spike lifted the side of his shirt, exposing a jagged line of stitches. "That's going to leave one hell of a scar when it heals. That will always be here, memories or no." "Great. You'll always have a big scar to remember me by." "I see that self-pity lessons were also attended by the Summers sisters as well." Spike tapped his eyebrow. "You see any other scars besides this one? Got it from a slayer just like big sis. Only scar I used to have and I've had an organ dropped on me as well as gotten a piece of plastic through the heart. If you go nova on us, I'll still have a scar I can't place." He caught her gaze. "That's how I'll remember you. Cause I can't." "Like deja-vu?" "If you want to think of it like that, yeah. There is going to be something here of you, understand." Spike took another sip and knocked an ember off Billy. "You done with introspection or should I go call the poof and you can brood together." Dawn laughed, rolling her eyes. "I'm done, thanks." She leaned over and hugged the blonde, who stayed perfectly still for several seconds before lifting his arm to pat her awkwardly on the back. Dawn broke off the hug and gave him a winning smile. "Sing me another song? Preferably one you didn't make up the lyrics to?" "Do I look like a bleeding scout leader?" Dawn batted her eyelashes "I could do some more soul-searching?" He sighed. "Nip in the caravan, get my guitar. Its in the bedroom, just no more talk of souls, yeah?" "I'm not going to find anything weird in there will I?" "Spike wiggled his eyebrows. "Other than a vampires guitar?" Dawn stood and walked a few steps before turning and sticking her tongue out for the third time that night. Spike growled and leapt up from the fire and was beside her in a second. He stared out her without blinking, making her take a few steps backward. Spike cocked his head to the side and slumped his shoulders so their faces were level. He spoke slowly. "I told you. One more time and I would show you how to use that." He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her solidly on the lips. A more logical part of his brain registered that this was one the worst idea's he had ever had. He darted his tongue out to trace the contours of her lips. He did notice that she was reciprocating the kiss, opening her mouth a little as she kissed back. Spike felt his demon rising to the surface, enticed by the small amount of warm blood coming from the small cut in her mouth. He shoved the demon back, enjoying the kiss and knowing he should end it soon. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth for a second, then broke off the kiss. "Understand why you shouldn't make invitations like that?" He ran his tongue over his lips, looking a bit like a wolf in the firelight. Dawn appeared to be deciding between being mad, in shock, or mildly interested in continuing the kiss. Instead of saying anything, she just walked in to the RV, intent on not giving Spike the satisfaction of seeing her stumble. Spike threw his head back and shook his head at the sky. He moved back to the fire. "Billy, when the Slayer stakes me for snogging her sister, I'm sure she'll find you a good home." --------------- Thanks for reading. More to come�hopefully. |