| Follow Me Part Three by Jess Author notes: Thanks for the feedback! Spoilers Alert: Season five up to The Gift. No Gift Spoilers. Spike sat by the fire and absently threw stones in to the flames. The moment which had prompted him to kiss Dawn had passed as soon as the kiss broke, and now he was mentally writing his will. Dawn slammed open the door to the RV and stepped out with his battered acoustic guitar in hand. She looked mad as hell and reminded Spike of a younger Buffy. The one he remembered from Parents Night, full of life and pissed that world had slapped her on the face with a reminder of her duty. He smiled at the memory of his carefree chip- less days. "Wipe the smirk off your face Blood boy. I decided I'm not going to tell Buffy, you did warn me, but if you ever try it again." Dawn pushed the hair off her shoulder with one hand and held out the guitar with the other. Spike willed his face blank. "You won't let me over and play?" He asked in a serious tone. "I'll mix the hair dye with holy water." "Good enough, you still want a song?" Spike rearranged himself on the log for a better playing postion. Dawn rolled her eyes. "No I trudged the shabby old thing out here `cause it would make good fire wood. Where'd you acquire that?" She punched the word acquired, making it clear she knew he didn't shell out any pounds for it. "A coupl'a gypsy blokes gave it to me." Spike paused. "Well, gave is a relative term when your dealing with the property of the newly deceased. Its gotta nice sound to it though." Spike placed the smoking Gitane between the strings of the keys and strummed a few time to check the tuning, pausing occasionally to lift the neck to his mouth and take a lung full of the smoke. Dawn watched the flames light up the strings and change the colour of the instruments wood. She picked a rock up from off the ground and threw it into the fire, enjoying the embers that flew into the black sky. "What tune would you like, Nibblet? And mind this is a guitar, so no boy band hair gel groups, yeah?" Spike asked, poised his pick over the strings and waited her request. She thought a moment, but nothing came to mind. "Surprise me?" The vampire shook his head. "The last surprise I gave, you didn't appreciate." He ginned at Dawn, seeing her raise her eyebrows after she realised her was referring to their kiss a moment ago. "Just play, Bite-less wonder." Dawn laughed when she heard the low level growl Spike emitted at her comment, but quickly became silent as he started playing. Spike plucked out a very simple melody line, then switched to chords as he began to sing. "Don't know how you met me you don't know why, you can't turn around and say goodbye. All you know is when you're with me, I make you free and swim through your veins like a fish in the sea." He knocked his knuckles on the strum guard to add the bass line His voice was low and slightly growl-y, but with the same clear quality he had when speaking. Dawn recognized the song from the pop station, but it was a completely different sound coming from the acoustic guitar and the slight British accent in the words. "I'm singing, follow me everything is alright. I'll be the one to tuck you in at night and if you wanna leave I can guarantee, you won't find no body else like me." He plucked out the melody lines a few more time, eyes closed lightly. "I'm not worred about the ring you wear, cause as long as no-one knows then nobody can care. You're feeling guilty and I'm well aware, but you don't look ashamed and baby, I'm not scared." "I'm singing, follow me, everything is alright, I'll be the one to tuck in at night and if you wanna leave, I can guarantee, you won't find nobody else like. Won't give you money I can't give you the sky�" Spike smiled at the words. "You're better off if you don't ask why. I'm not the reason that you go astray, and we'll be alright if you don't ask me stay�" Spike trailed off and strummed the last few chords. "Not the whole song, but�" He looked into the fire and searched his pockets for his Gitanes with the hand not holding the guitar. Dawn smiled at him. "And how much of that was about Buffy?" He wrinkled his brow as he lit another fag. "Don't think the fellow who wrote it has had the displeasure." "She won't ever love you. Even if she could, it wouldn't be the same way she loved Angel." Dawn let the words out quickly and braced for an outburst from Spike Spike pursed his lips together and nodded. "Heart wants what it wants. An' she made it *abundantly * clear she didn't, and wouldn't. But�" He strummed a Ramones melody. "Gotta try?" "Never say die, give it a go. All that rubbish." "Did I thank you for not telling Glory about me?" He shook his head and continued to play. "Not needed. You wanna another?" Spike moved the Gitane from his mouth to back to the neck of the guitar. Dawn was about to agree when a small compact car squealed up to the fire pit. Spike was on his feet, pushing Dawn behind him before the car had come to a stop. "Back bedroom, cross bow under the bed. You know how to use it, yeah? Go�" he started to push her towards the door when Buffy jumped out of the passenger seat. Spike relaxed his shoulders. "Just a little fireside chat, don't get your knickers in a twist." Anya opened the driver's side door before Buffy could reply. "Spike! You're hair is a better colour! And sorry for the dust.." she coughed "but the choosen one was making me very nervous." Smiling, he ran a hand threw his hair. "Never mind about the dust, Bit was just about to call you for a pickup." He elbowed Dawn slighty, and she stepped out from behind him. "Yep, just about to." "Dawn, get in the car. Now." Buffy said through clenched teeth. Dawn rolled her eyes and gave Spike a grin. "See ya tommorow?" He nodded and ruffled her hair before pushing her towards the car. "Did he like the bear?" Anya met Dawn halfway and walked back the car with her. Both blonde's tracked them and started to talk as soon as the doors shut. "She was perfectly safe, no one around for�" "Are you insane? Of course you're�." They stopped, looking at each other to continue. Spike sighed heavily and motioned for Buffy to continue. "You have to be insane. What are you doing with Dawn our here in the open? Any one of Glory's helpers could have.." Spike cut her off. " But they didn't. And save you, the ex-demon and pint-sized, no-one knows I'm here. Rumour has it I split for LA again. I should know, started the rumour myself." Buffy relaxed a bit, unclenching her fists. " What did she mean by tommorow?" "Given Bit the run of the place." He caught the Buffy opening her mouth to object. "As long as she gets a proper ride her, and tells one of you white hats. Told her I would help with her homework if she needs." Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Spike, stay out of this. She needs to be at home with me." "She needs to have something that resembles a normal life, or else what are we fighting Glory for? So she can be a shut-in when she's not at class? And how long do you think that will last till she sneaks out her window and into the hell know what? This way, she's got an alternative that doesn't involve big sis." He looked at her seriously. "No harm will come to her while I'm fit to stop it." "And if the crazy's Glory has under her control come? You gonna sing them to sleep?" Spike took a deep breath and punched Buffy in the gut. Pain flashed through him, intensified by the other trama to his body. But he remained standing, not well, but standing. "I'm learning to handle it. Still hurts like lorry just ran through my cranium, but I could stave them off while." Buffy nodded, hand still on her stomach from the blow. She slapped the side of his head, hard. "Just be careful, Dawn is�" He stepped back and gave a wave to the car. "I know." Buffy turned and walked back to the car. "Don't make me stake you!" Spike flipped her off. "Haven't yet." He mumbled and watched them drive off, then hoisted the guitar on to his shoulder and tramped back into the RV. The nest day a persistent knocking at the door interrupted his telly time. He clicked off the small tv and walked begrudgingly to the door, not bothering to pull on his shirt. "Bit, I told you not to�" He opened the door, making sure to stay in the shadows. Buffy stepped in. She briefly raised an eyebrow at his lack of clothing, save for his jeans. "We need to get out of Sunnydale. Glory knows." ---------------- Part four coming soon. :) |