| Title: The Space Between Author: rowan Rating: PG-13 Spoilers: Post-Season 5 Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me; they belong to Joss Whedon & Mutant Enemy; I just play with them on the weekends, so please don't sue. All song lyrics belong to the Dave Matthews Band. Feedback: Yes, please. Distribution: Nowhere yet, but please e-mail rowan at [email protected] for permission. Summary: This is the simple story of how a monster became a man. Chapter One - When the World Ends When the world ends Collect your things You're coming with me When the world ends You tuckle up yourself with me "When the World Ends", Dave Matthews Band May 2001 Dawn had come. Instinctively, Spike scrambled out of a small, weak path of sunlight. Deliberately, he moved his foot back into the light. The pain caused him to jerk his head up. He saw her. She was sobbing, bent over, her hands pressed against the cuts in her abdomen. Small, rusty-looking tracks of blood stained her feet. He had forgotten; but now he remembered. 'I'm counting on you...to protect her.' 'Til the end of the world. Even if that happens to be tonight.' He stumbled over to her through the half-shadows, the broken bones grinding together in his left leg. She was shaking from head to toe, her eyes wild with whatever she had seen on the tower. Without a word, he picked her up; white-hot pain forced him to stop for a moment. She struggled; then stopped and buried her head in his neck. He could fee her hot tears slide into that soft place between his neck and his shoulder. "Tara," he called over his shoulder. She turned to look at him. "Need help." Tara stroked her hand down Willow's arm and released her. Willow nodded. Tara moved to join Spike and Dawn, removing her jacket as she walked. Silently, with Tara holding her jacket over Spike's head and shoulders, they walked to Revello Drive. Spike carried Dawn up to her bedroom and gently placed her on the bed. She lay back, still and quiet. Her eyes were closed. She was no longer crying. Tara followed. "See to her wounds. We might need to take her to hospital." He headed to the bathroom for something to clean and dress the wounds. He waited a few minutes and then tapped gently on the door frame before entering. Tara had removed the gown that Glory's minions had given to Dawn. She had dressed Dawn in a tee shirt and some sweat pants. Tara had rolled the shirt up to expose the cuts. Spike handed her a towel, which she pressed against the wounds. He put some gauze, tape, and antiseptic on the bed. Tara's voice was soft as she spoke. "The bleeding has almost stopped. The cuts look like they'll close without any stitches. I think we just need to clean and bandage them." While Tara worked, Spike tentatively reached out and stroked a long strand of Dawn's hair where it lay on the pillow. She didn't move. Spike looked at Tara and she shook her head slightly. After Tara taped the bandage in place, she smoothed down Dawn's shirt and then stood up. Spike met her gaze. "Go to Will. I'll stay." Tara smiled gratefully. "We'll come soon," she promised. She hesitated, then placed her hand on Spike's shoulder with the gentlest of pressure and removed it. She left. Spike pulled the covers up and tucked them around Dawn. Her breathing was even and he wondered if she was asleep. Quite suddenly, he felt his own exhaustion hit him, sharp and relentless. He forced himself to move around the room to close the curtains. He headed for the door. "Spike!" Dawn's voice was frantic. She bolted upright in the bed. "Don't leave me." Her hand groped blindly in the near darkness. His hand caught hers and held. She lay back, pulling him towards her until he stretched out on the bed next to her. "Never," he whispered grimly. He continued holding her hand through the day while she slept. *********************************************************************************************************************************** As if by some prearranged plan, they all began to gather at the house that night. Spike the gatekeeper, shepherding them into the living room. Of all that had happened, this was perhaps the strangest development. First, Willow and Tara. Then Giles. Finally, Xander with Anya. Hail, hail, the gang's all here. All except one. He pushed that thought out. Therein lay madness. They waited as if they were expecting him to say something. He just stared at them. "How's Dawnie?" Willow asked finally. Spike shrugged. "Not saying much." If you didn't count the nightmares. "You left her up there alone?" Xander asked incredulously. Spike counted to five before he answered. "She's taking a shower, Harris. I don't think she needs me helping her with that." "Oh." Xander subsided. Willow shifted nervously in her chair. "We were just discussing..." She couldn't finish. "Giles?" Giles voice was grave, low. "Buffy's lawyer called me." "Buffy had a lawyer?" Xander asked, looking shocked. "Actually, he was Joyce's lawyer." A moment of depressed silence fell over the group. With great effort, Giles continued. "I have an appointment tomorrow. I suspect Buffy named me her executor, which should make some of what we need to do a little easier." Another long silence fell. "Tara and I will get started making the...doing the..." Willow stumbled a bit and Tara squeezed her hand harder. "We really should do that. It needs to be done." Spike stirred. "Gonna to talk to Niblet, right?" Willow looked doubtful. Then Xander burst out, "Are you crazy? I don't think Dawn needs to be dealing with that mess." "It's her family; her mess." "We're her family. It's up to us to help her deal." Spike shook his head. "You're not getting it. She does need to deal with it. It's called grieving. She's got to do it. Or end up with it inside her, eating away." Xander challenged, "And you would know this, being the expert at causing grief?" "Xander!" Anya gave him a furious look. "He is only trying to help." Tara broke the uncomfortable silence. "I think Spike is right. Shutting Dawn away from this will make it worse. She needs to feel her pain so that she can get past it." She looked at Willow. "We'll be there to help her, but we shouldn't do it all for her." Willow nodded. Anya frowned suddenly. "Where is Dawn to live? Will she stay here in this house?" Another awkward moment as they all struggled with that question. Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I suspect for now I can convince the authorities to let me have custody of Dawn and keep her here. But presumably...that is to say, Hank Summers will need to be contacted." Willow looked pained. "He's in Spain, right?" Giles's voice was weary. "Buffy tried to locate Hank after Joyce died. She was less than successful." Willow turned to Tara. "Dawnie could stay with, right? We need to keep the family together." Her face clouded over. "But we'd need to move out of the dorm." "But Hank is Dawn's family by blood," Giles reminded them. Xander interrupted. "Just by blood. We're the family that loves her." He looked at Anya. "She can stay with us, right An?" Anya nodded enthusiastically. "And we will not charge money." That comment prompted more eye rubbing on Giles's part. "We may have no choice. DCFS will be involved. None of us may measure up as guardians." The sound of glass shattering on the floor startled them. Dawn stood in the doorway, her face like parchment, shards of glass around her feet. "I'll get a broom," she whispered, and fled to the kitchen. Xander and Willow jumped up. Spike stopped them. "On it." He found her standing in the kitchen. "Spike," she said, her voice raw, "she told me...Buffy told me...to be strong." Her voice was thick with tears. "But how, Spike? Mom is gone, Buffy is gone...there's only me." Tears dripped onto her bare feet, like drops of blood. "No home. No family." Spike was across the room before he had time to figure out how he got there. He pulled Dawn into this arms, hugging her fiercely. "Wrong. I'm your home. I'm your family." Dawn buried her face in his shoulder and asked, "Always?" He bent his head down to hers. "Longer than that." |