| Follow Me Part Nine See previous parts for disclaimer. Possible Future Spoilers. I'm going on rumours here, so nothing solid. Any of this appears in the season opener, I'll fall over and hope JM is near to revive me. :eg: -- Spike looked at the bags of clothing lying haphazardly around the bed, his eye catching the very Joyce-like elements of the room. Cream coloured throw pillows and sheets, soft yellow drapes covered by the dark red ones Dawn had put up for the vampire. A short hall leading to an on-suite bath. He opened his senses and was hit with wave of smells: Bath soap, perfume, shampoo, hair products, laundry soap. It was all very human. The sound of Dawn giggling and Willow laughing echoed up the stairs, shaking Spike free his thoughts. Leaving the bags on the bed, he walked out of the room and quietly down the stairs. His feet made no sound, silently picked up and placing down. "You made him buy leather pants!" Willow giggled and Spike smelt her blood rush a little faster. "I wonder if he'll wear them tonight?" Smiling, Spike saw Dawn re-arrange herself on the sofa so she was facing the staircase. Damn girls got vampire senses. She knows I'm here. He stayed perfectly still, hoping the conversation would continue. "Um, aren't you, like gay now?" "Yes, but I still appreciate a nice looking male." Dawn raised her eyebrow in challenge and Willow gave in with a sheepish look. "Sexy undead British bad boy with serious bedroom eyes. Better?" Her eyes widened. "And I did not just say that in front of a minor." Dawn grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Yes you did. But if you stay for dinner I won't tell Spike." "I would have stayed anyway." The tone in the room changed serious and Spike lost the grin he had been wearing. "We miss you Dawnie. Tara and I, Xander. I know it's only been a few days�" She trailed off. "But it seems like longer? Me too." Dawn shrugged her shoulders. "We all need to deal with Buffy being gone in our own way, or so says my guidance councillor. I'm still dealing. Spike helps that, being alone helps." Her lips curled into a grin similar to Spikes. "Not that I don't love you guys, but you treat me like I'm gonna break." "How about a sleep over? I can call Tara and she'll bring over some clothes and book and nail polish. We'll try and convince Spike to let us give him a manicure." Willow wiggled her eyebrows for emphasis. Deciding the conversation was heading dangerously close to something he might let Dawn talk him into, Spike poked his head around the staircase wall. "Will, you mind coming up here, little chat?" Willow smiled and stuck her tongue out, biting the tip. "Looks like I get a fashion show, you wanna call Tara and see what's she's up too?" Dawn nodded and watched Willow walk up the stairs behind Spike. If she hadn't been so sure Willow was gay, she would have swore she was looking at Spike's butt. They entered Joyce's room and Willow saw the bags all over the bed, a few drawers open. Spike sat down on an empty spot on the bed and looked Willow in the eye. "I was putting this stuff away and I got thinking�" he trailed off. When he started again emotion was gone from his voice and his eyes were icy with distance. "I don't need a full bath, or a bed and I'm not entirely sold on the south facing windows. What would you say to you and the other moving in? Save on rent, give Bit some extra protection." Willow crouched down next to him, sitting on her heels. "Where would you go?" "Not to far, sorry Red." He smirked at her. "The basement will do, move some stuff about get me a touch of space. Still be here if Dawn needs." He paused, not wanted to explain his motives. "Have you asked Dawn if it would be ok?" "Just thought of it myself. I'll speak to `er." Spike looked around the room again. "You'll do it then?" "I have to ask Tara, but dorm life can be draining." She smiled and fought the urge to hug him as she stood. "We can move tomorrow, there are tonnes of first years waiting for a room like Tara's." "Right. Now, I'm a bit nibbly." He wiggled his eyebrows and Willow slapped him playfully in the chest, wondering when exactly he went from being a thing to be feared to a member of gang. "I invited Tara over, you mind?" Willow asked, letting Spike slip out of the bedroom to walk in front of her. "Three gorgeous women all alone with me." Spike paused on the last step. "What ever shall we do?" "Keep it PG or I'll turn you into a rat." -- Willow sat cross-legged in the middle of the empty floor and studied the piece of paper in front of her. Her brow knitted together in concentration, her finger followed the path of the writing before pointing to one of the corners of the room. "Over there." Xander and Spike prepared to move the chest of drawers to the spot Willow had point to. Xander grabbed one end and looked at Spike. "On three. One, two, three." The piece came easily off the ground and Spike look unconcerned with the weight he held in his hand. Stepping casually over boxes and books, they manoeuvred the wooden chest into position. Spike's features flicked with annoyance when the redhead clicked her tongue. "A few more inches over." Xander rolled his eyes and prepared to lift the piece again, Spike resumed his position as well. "One, two..oWWW!!! You were supposed to pick it up!" Xander exclaimed dropping his end with a loud thump. Spike let his eyes roam over Xander without concern before shrugging his shoulder and speaking to Willow. "Is there a reason we're working up a sweat here while you sit and look at pretty coloured map?" Willow looked up at him. "It's a scale drawing of the room so we know where to put everything." "Right. You're a witch, why don't you just float it over to where you want it?" She turned a bit red around the ears. "Umm." Spike rolled his eyes and looked over to Xander. "You want anything from the kitchen?" "A cola." "It's in the left drawer, right next to the blood. Bring me up a cup would ya?" "Passive aggressive vampire." Xander mumbled, walking out of the room. "So tell the truth Red. You were enjoying seeing us moving all your stuff, being at your beck and command." He crouched down beside her so their eyes were level. "Admit it before Xander comes back and I promise not to tell Tara you've got a control fetish." Concentrating on the chest, Willow floated it to the perfect place and smiled wickedly at Spike. "What if she already knows?" Spike cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow, urging her to explain. Willow winked and shook her head before sending a row of books from the boxes onto the shelves. "I'll never tell." Xander clumped up the stairs and Spike got up from his position. "One day you will." He rumbled in her ear as he stood. "So Will, make with the float-y float-y and Evil Dead here and I will chill." He tossed the vampire a can of soda. "No blood for you before bedtime." Another can flipped through the room to Willow. "Magic makes you thirsty if I remember." "You do." She smiled sweetly and with genuine emotion. "Thanks." The bed moved against the wall with a swoop. Spike popped open the can and took a long drink. He was getting bored. -- Spike rocked back and forth from his heels to the balls of his feet watching Dawn and Tara walk up the sun-filled walk. Standing behind him with bemused grins, Willow and Xander quietly discussed who was going to patrol tonight and the startling rise in demon numbers lately. When they had finished arranging the bedroom to Willow's scale drawing the trio had attempted to clear a small lving space for Spike in the ever-overflowing basement. Even using a few floating spells the Willow and Xander were constantly distracted by stray memories. The cage where they had kept `Patches' the evil zombie cat, picnic basket from the high school days. Memories Spike didn't share and quickly got bored of listening to even if they were Buffy stories. He downed two more colas inn quick succession, wishing it was bourbon to numb the nagging-ly human feeling he was getting. He missed Dawn and she had only been out of his sight for less the two hours. Ignoring the Xander's recounting of his botched attempt to ask Buffy out in high school, Spike mind flashed back to the tower and the sight of Buffy falling. Squeezing his eyes shut for a slight second, he forced himself to not think about it. He had failed. He had to get over it. Had to tell himself it was just one less slayer. He downed a fourth soda. *One less slayer, no bother. Get your mind off it and concentrate on the other one. Keep your word for once* A breeze came through the open basement window and Spike caught a bit of Dawn scent. His eyes flashed yellow and he raced up the steps to see her. Pushing the font door open he could make out the shapes of Tara and Dawn walking a block away. The partially covered porch gave him a small amount of pacing space but that only held his attention how a short amount of time. Willow and Xander followed him up the from the basement with worries looks, wondering what evil the vampire had sensed. Now watching him bounce on his heels and look around distractedly they exchanged semi-worried glanced but quickly wrote it off to strange vampire behaviour. So there he stood waiting for the second Dawn stepped into the shade of the overhang before shoving the market bags she held into Xanders chest and twirling the girl around the porch. Dawn pounded on his back to be released and was instead treated to a fireman carry into the family room. Depositing her gently on the sofa. Spike grinned widely then disappeared back down into the basement. Dawn heard the sounds of Spike punching the heavy bag into oblivion the same as he had done every night after patrol to work off the a post slay-glow. Searching the faces of the amused Scooby gang, she groaned into the arm on the sofa. "Which one of you vampire geniuses gave him caffine on an empty stomach?" Tara's eyes grew wide before uncontrollable laughter erupted from her mouth. Managing to put her packages on the kitchen counter befre completely losing it, Tara gasped out. "How much caffine?" between laughs. Xander shrugged his shoulders. "About four cans of soda, why?" "Four? On a bloodless stomach? He'll be wired for hours" Dawn groaned again and sank into the sofa, covering her face with a pillow. "Caffeine wrecked Spike, why does this not sound good?" Xander asked as he put away groceries. "Cause its worse the him after a good fight. Like a super ball with fangs." Dawn raised herself off the comfy sofa with effort and walked into the kitchen. "We had coffee at the mall, he got a tall espresso. I had to physically drag him out of the computer store." Willow paused, putting a can of lentil soup in its proper place. "Spike's into computers?" "He found a computer with a modem and a live phone line, hacked into the NASDEC index and had the tickers of several large stock trading companies write "Angel is a poofter" before challenging the tech support staff to a game of tournament Doom." Dawn looked Willow in the eye. "And that was after he dragged me to the sports store. You ever seen an indoor soccer game in a mall? We're invited back for the re-match next week when the manager is on vacation." Spike walked up the stairs in a mass of barely controlled energy and plopped himself down on the bar stool nearest Dawn. He sat still for a full half second before drumming his fingers on the counter. "Who's up for a bit of sparring? -- "This gets worse each week." Xander watched Spike patch a nasty gash to his upper thigh and tired to hold the blanket that was shielding the vampire from the rest of magic shop steady. "Is it me or are the demons having a convention? And Spike, would it kill you to wear boxer when we patrol?" Spike looked up and ripped another piece of from the roll, cutting it with his teeth. "I wouldn't have gotten hit if you hadn't screamed like a nancy boy and got his attention." He stood and pulled his jeans up, carefully fastening the buttons in the fraying holes. "I'll make you a deal, you grow a pair and I'll start covering mine." Giles looked up from the counter and bit back the urge to clean his glasses. The watcher had been back in America for less then four weeks, the strain of losing his unofficial daughter showing no sigh of letting up. "Yet the vampire population has not made a markable increase since.." he trailed off and cradled his head in one hand, rubbing the back of his neck. Obvious distaste covered his features. "Any ideas why Spike?" "The vamps still haven't gotten word of the slayers been gone." The words came out with no feeling but he made an effort to squeeze Dawns hand as he crossed the room. "The demon are hearing rumours from the other worlds. They have a feeling that the playground is now open and the rent-a-cop has fallen asleep. Its only gonna get worse." "Aren't you just a ray of bloody sunshine?" Giles muttered, closing his eyes. "Why don't you just turn back on the Buffy-bot?" All the heads in the store turning to face Dawn and she rolled her eyes at the aghast expressions of the Scooby gang. More shocking to her was the lack of interest Spike appeared to have at the mention of his giant blow-up doll of love. "Spike said that the demons are just acting on rumours, they don't know if Buffy is dead for sure and the robot her can fight just as good as the real thing." Dawn caught his eye. "Right Spike?" A thin smile curled on his lips. "That she could." Xander glared. "No revisiting the ick-fest, even in your mind." Willow nodded her head in agreement. "I didn't have time to remove all of the "I heart Spike" programming before we went after Glory, I just added a command for it to protect Dawn." She paused and looked to Tara for support. "But I think I could do a full re-program and have it up and running my the end of the month. Would it work?" "There'd be a bit of explaining to Bit's school why her dead sibling in waking about, but nothing I can't handle." "Good to know your multitude of lying skills is paying off." Xander caught a look from Anya. "I'll be good." "No." The faces turned to Giles this time, his soft voice capturing their undivided attention. "We can't. Buffy is..is gone and we have to now deal with what ever the hellmouth brings. I will not disrespect her memory by turning on that, that monstrosity." Spike looked from Giles to Xander to Willow, waiting for one of them to object. Waiting for someone to explain why they needed to do this. Willow looked ashamed that she had agreed in the first place, Xander like he had been scolded by the teacher. He sighed and addressed Dawn. "Luv, I think I left my zippo in the back room. Be a darling?" Dawn nodded, getting up from her chair and leaving the adults in the room. Spike crouched down beside Anya and spoke to her softy. "Some things need being said that Nibblet doesn't need to hear. Can you keep her away for a few?" She smiled and squeezed Xander's shoulder on her way to the back room. "Right. Now I understand why you wouldn't want�" "NO YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND!" Giles lost his quiet nature, a red hue coming to his face. "This is not up for discussion. Buffy is DEAD. DEAD. We can not bring her back safely, we can not pretend she didn't die. She did and we owe her the respect to go on without trotting out your plastic plaything." Willow looked up from her book noticeably shaken at Giles outburst. "Bollocks. This has nothing to do with me Rupes and you know it." Spike spoke evenly, trying to keep his emotions in check for as long as possible. "We all know Buffy is dead. We all watched her fall and I have a feeling we all see it again every time we close our eyes�" Giles snorted, cutting him off. "You have a *feeling*? Bully for you." "If we don't do this, all of us are going to die one by bloody one and if we get *lucky* Dawn * may* make it to her next birthday intact but none of us will be there to help her blow out the candles." The demon was starting to rage within him, his eyes barely controlling the anger. "The bot will give us time to figure out a better idea, but right now we're out of options." Spike paused and looked at the remaining four people in the room. "Unless one of you is holding out on us. Any brilliant Scooby gang plans? No? Well, then its settled. Will reprograms the Bot and sets it loose on the overflowing demon population. Now the big nasties are used to seeing you lot around with the Slayer, so that shouldn't raise any flags. Are we good?" Xander groaned and wriggled around in his seat for a second. "Oh how I don't want to say this. I agree with Spike." His head flopped over to Willow. "You agree with Spike two don't ya?" Willow nodded. "Giles, I don't want to disrespect Buffy, but we have to protect Dawn." The watcher squeezed his eyes shut and took off his glasses. "I know. I know." He pinched the bridge of his nose roughly. "The Watchers Council suggested I return and help search for the next slayer. Buffy's sudden loss has left the world without an active slayer for the first time in several generations but if we can find the next chosen�.I can't stay and see a counterfeit Buffy walk in those doors." Giles opened his eyes and locked gaze with Willow. "Before you re-activate it I will leave. Anya can look after the store." "You're leaving?" Dawn asked in a shaky tone having heard only the last part of the conversation. Anya stood behind her with a similar shocked look. "You just got back." She flipped Spike his zippo. "It was in your car." "Thanks pet. Giles has to go, got important tea drinking and the like." Giles smiled briefly at the vampire. "Yes, I am going to go back to England for a short while." "You'll come back?" She walked to Giles' side and hugged him "I need someone around to translate Spike speak for me." "I;m not sure that's possible, but yes I will come back." He threw his arms around her tightly and looked over her head to Xander, Willow, Anya and Tara. "You're my family. I have to come back." He released her and crouched slightly to look in her eyes. "Just like you have to take me back when I do." Tears welled in Dawns eyes and Spike felt her blood pressure rise. "Come on Luv. Its past my bedtime." Spike nodded at Willow. "See at the homestead?" "Yeah, we'll be there soon." Steering Dawn by the arm, Spike coaxed her through the magic shop and into the waiting car. Before the shop door closed behind them, they heard Anya's voice on the air. "Do I get to keep the money while you're gone?" -- Dawn shut the heavy car door and waited for Spike to walk around the Desoto. The drivers door was locked and she reached over to pop the lock. The vampire smiled as he pulled the door open. "Thanks. You want to rent a vid or just catch the new Roswell?" "Giles is leaving cause of your Buffy-bot isn't he?" Spike rolled down his window to let the smoke out. "Yeah. Yeah, he is. You ok with this?" She shrugged. "It was my idea." "Doesn't mean you don't need to talk." Dawn chuckled, a trait of Spike's she was picking up. "And you're so the `talking about it' guy." Spike looked at her raised eyebrow and laughed. "Good point. You wanna pick up some ice cream." "Sounds good." -- End part nine |