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I hope you read this and review.
It's a labor of love, like most authors' work.

Thank you.
THE BEST REVENGE


Summary: I’m going to forego the summary for this one (a reviewer felt that it ruined the surprise in the chapters).

Let’s just say that the title kind of says it all for our main characters.


Chapter 8: ‘Wish Upon A Star’


“Buffy,” Dawn’s tiny voice called out in the darkness of the unfamiliar room.


“Yeah?” Buffy replied softly into the darkness of the strange room.

It had become obvious; earlier on that is, that someone (probably Wesley and/or Fred) had recently painted the guest bedroom. The pale pink walls just cried out ‘little girl’ on board and the comforters on the twin and full sized bed matched to perfection.

“Can I come over there and sleep with you, in the full bed?” Dawn asked in her hushed voice. “Just for tonight and all….”

“Of course you can squirt,” Buffy giggled in reply.

A second later, Dawn had slipped out of her twin bed and hopped onto Buffy’s full-sized one.

Buffy’s heart skipped a beat when the little snuggled up to her. She wrapped her arms about Dawn and cuddled her tightly to her body, resting her chin on her silky, dark head.

“Thanks Buffy,” Dawn whispered into Buffy’s silken pajamas. “I mean for bringing me here and everything,” she added shyly.

“I know it was hard for you to leave America and bring me here and, well, I just wanted to say thank you. I know I’m going to love it here Buffy. I hope you do too,” Dawn whimpered softly.

“I know I will too, Dawnie,” Buffy murmured reassuringly.

“Look!” Dawn squealed suddenly.

“What? What?” Buffy bolted up from the bed in terror.

“That!” Dawn replied gleefully as she pointed out the open window at the black night time sky.

“The stars, Buffy,” Dawn giggled. “I’ve never seen them so close before! They look like big shiny diamonds!”

“Hey, make a wish Dawn,” Buffy whispered, her gaze still on the brightest star in the sky.

“What? Why?” Dawn inquired with a look of bewilderment.

“Cos’ you’re supposed to silly,” Buffy giggled like a young child herself.

“Like in Pinocchio, you know, like in Disney movies,” Buffy offered weakly.

The look on Dawn’s face was one of complete loss. Apparently, the child had no idea what Buffy was talking about.

“I don’t know Disney that well,” Dawn murmured in a sad little voice.

“Mama was supposed to take Danny and me to Disneyland once, but…..” her tiny voice trailed off into silence.

“Well,” Buffy hesitated momentarily before she muttered, “we’ll just have to get you to Disneyland or Disneyworld when we get back to the states for a visit, right?”

“Right!” Dawn squealed in delight just before she cuddled up to Buffy and closed her bright but very weary blue eyes.

“I’m sleepy Buffy,” Dawn whispered as she yawned.

“Sweet dreams,” Buffy murmured tenderly.

Just moments later, Buffy could hear Dawn’s soft childish snores that assured her the child was finally sound asleep.

‘I cannot believe that Dawn hasn’t been to Disneyland at least,’ Buffy pondered the unthinkable, somewhat disgusted.

‘God, we lived less then three hours away!’

‘Even dad and mom got around to taking me once. We at least watched Disney videos together and…..’ she sighed slightly.

‘Sounds like a great idea…..the sleep that is,’ Buffy reasoned silently. She closed her tired eyes and slipped off into a pleasant sleep.


Spike sat on his front porch steps; a half full bottle of ale in his left hand.

As he stared up into the black night, his eyes focused on a particular star; he wondered what the little blond American was doing. Right now, at this very moment.

A memory of his beloved mother, Drusilla, flitted through Spikes mind. It was his mum who began the tradition with him; the nightly sentinels on their front porch that is.

Drusilla would sit for hours, especially at night, with her young son and point out the different stars to him. She would tell young Will the names of the twinkling stars and the stories about them; usually from Greek and Roman mythology.

“Look my sweet Will,” mum would whisper warmly, clutching the boy to her. “See that star? That’s the North Star my luv. Whenever you’re far away from me and home, just follow that star home.”

Spike would sit, wide-eyed and attentive while his child-like mum would point at the stars and ramble on and on.

“You can wish on the lovely stars my Will. Wish on them and all of your dreams will come true,” his mother had promised time and again.

Earlier that day when Spike and mumbled to Buffy about his mother’s illness, something the little blond had said to him touched him deeply.

Buffy had pointed out that no matter Drusilla’s illness had affected her in the end, if she had been a good, loving mother to Spike then that was enough. It didn’t matter how his mother had died, or how ill her mind had become; she had been a wonderful mum and that was all that mattered in the end.



He loved his front porch, Spike did. Whenever he could, at night especially, he would sit out on it and reflect on the day; the night or his life in general.

Usually, Spike relished the comfortable solitude that enveloped him as he sat and gazed into the darkness of sky or the farmland that surrounded him.

Tonight, however, the loneliness he felt, there all alone on his porch, seemed to overwhelm him. Spike an overpowering sense of sadness that he was alone on the porch with no companion of any kind.

Well, except for Tom, his beloved tabby who had been on the farm for years. Even the golden striped tiger of a cat could not console his master that night.

Spike realized, at that very moment, just how much he needed a constant woman in his life again. The problem was; he also realized that only one woman would do and therein lay the problem.

When Buffy had comforted Spike with her compassionate, empathetic words everything had come together for him in that very moment. Buffy was the one for Spike and that was that.

“What if Buffy doesn’t take to me like I’ve already taken to her,” he wondered aloud to the massive cat that now sat quietly next to him.

“Oh bloody hell!” Spike snorted in mock disgust for himself. “I’m finally reduced to askin’ a bleedin’ cat for love advice!”

With a shrug of his strong shoulders, Spike stood up, gulped down the last of his ale and strode into his front door. Tom the cat followed right after him, naturally.


Buffy munched the delicious scones that Fred had so kindly made for her and Dawn.

While she munched, the blond woman pondered the next move she should make.

“I need a good job,” Buffy mumbled through chews.

Fred grinned and sat down beside Buffy; her smile looked like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.

“Well, I think I’ve the answer for you Buffy,” Fred stated simply, her hand on a scone for herself.

“Wes and I thought maybe you’d like to work for us at the Tartan?” Fred offered casually before she took a bite of her biscuit.

“Hmmm,” Buffy mumbled thoughtfully. “I think I’d like that,” she added, “but what about Dawnie?”

Dawn looked somewhat bewildered, “Who’s gonna’ look out for me,” she asked worriedly.

Fred soon put the worries of both her guests to rest.

“Xander Harris, Spike’s handyman…..his wife is pregs and I know she’d just love to care for Dawn here. While you’re at the pub at night and all that is. Xander and Willow are Yanks, like us,” Fred finished with a smile.

“She’s a lovely girl,” Fred added with a nod. Then she noticed the ‘unsure’ looks on both Buffy and Dawn’s face.


“Hey, I’ve an idea,” Fred piped up after an uncomfortable silence.

“I’ll have Xander and Willow, and Spike here for supper tonight. Just so you can all get acquainted and…..”

“Mr. Spike is going to be here?” Dawn asked, suddenly animated.

“Sure, why not,” Fred chuckled merrily; she shot a cautious glance at Buffy.

“Sure, why not?” Buffy echoed softly, slightly wary of the sly glance her hostess shot her.


Quentin Travers shoveled his rather tasty breakfast omelets into his mouth.

Normally, Quentin would have thoroughly enjoyed his daily morning ritual of eggs, toast, bacon and good strong coffee.

However today was not normal at all. Today, the two biggest pains in his ass were sitting across from his breakfast table.

It mystified Travers that two usually savvy employees like Angel and Ethan could have fucked up things the way they had.

“So, tell me how two normally bright fucks could have screwed the pooch the way you two did?” Quentin grunted between chews and gulps of his English muffin.

“Well,” Angel began with a furtive glance at his master, Quentin Travers.

“I’ll take this one mate,” Ethan interjected with all the puffed up demeanor that he could muster.

“You’ll take nothing, you fucking moron,” Travers spat in disgust, his eyes cold and angry.

Quentin slammed his fork and knife on the table and glared at the both Angel and Ethan.

“Let’s get something straight, my boys,” Travers growled trying to contain his infamous temper, just a bit that is.

“It was you two that fucked this one up, especially you Rayne!”
Quentin grunted, the tone of his voice was dangerously even Angel noted.

“I don’t mind the massacre of those two worthless pieces of shits, the adult McGuires that is,” he added with a contemptuous snort.

“But,” he continued, “to bring that boy of theirs and the little girl into this was just fucking stupid! I can abide killing off vermin like the folks, but the children…..” he let his sentence trail off and picked up the platinum plated utensils once again.

“I meant no harm Mr. Travers,” Ethan muttered under his breath, resentful of every apologetic word that his mouth emitted…..

“No harm?” Travers spat angrily.

“You’re a moron Rayne; pity I never noticed this flaw in you before. You could have planned the ‘discipline’ of the McGuires a bit better, don’t you think?” Travers glared at his number one guy in disgust.

“Why not wait until the rugrats were at school, at least,” the man continued as he munched another English muffin.

“To drag those kids into this,” Quentin mumbled, his mind now deep in his dark thoughts once again.

“I tried to protect the kid,” Angel offered weakly.

“No, you tried to get our sweet Elizabeth back in your bed O’Connor; I’m not a complete idiot you know!” Travers growled once again, his dark glare directed straight at the younger man.

“No, honestly,” Angel stammered unconvincingly. “I really felt that I owed Liz something and offered her a place to stay until things worked out for…..”

Angel ended in mid-sentence of his weak explanation as he could tell that his boss, Quentin Travers, was not amused or convinced by him.

“Well, you ‘did’ owe Elizabeth something,” Travers snorted then took another bite of his toast. “You know how I feel about Elizabeth Summers, whether you’re with my beloved niece, Cordelia now or not. What either of those two beauties ever saw in you, Angel, is a mystery to me!”

Angel hung his head down and mumbled something under his breath. Travers chose to ignore the younger man’s mutterings and glared back at Ethan Rayne.

Quentin sighed heavily and pointed his fork at Rayne again, “you’re really the cause of this fucking catastrophe friend,” he spat contemptuously.

“That bloody little McGuire brat can ruin us Quentin,” Ethan stated the obvious.

“However, I expect ‘you’ two to fix this mess and quickly. I want that kid found and dragged back here, Elizabeth in tow or not,” Travers finished with a snort.

“Liz won’t give the girl up without a fight,” Angel murmured knowingly. “When Liz digs her feet in, forget it and she’s obviously attached to the girl now,” he added truthfully.

“Like I said,” Quentin continued evenly, “get that little girl back here to LA. If Elizabeth has to be dragged back too, so be it. But…” he began his icy stare encompassed both men now.

“I don’t want the child hurt in any way. We’ll figure out what to do with this Dawn when she’s found and returned. If we have to ship the girl off to a convent to protect ourselves, so be it,” the boss finished with a firm nod of his head.

“Oh, and another thing,” Quentin added just before Angel and Ethan could make their escape. “If even one honey blond hair of sweet Elizabeth’s gorgeous head is harmed; I’ll have the shit beat out of both of you…and more,” he finished with a cold stare at Rayne especially.

“Oh, and O’Connor, give my love to Cordelia,” Quentin added as he waved both of the men out of his dining room.


“Don’t you like Mr. Spike, Buffy?” Dawn asked; her blue eyes wide in disbelief. “I think ‘he’ likes you,” the child began to giggle.

Buffy glanced at her charge and sighed. Apparently, Dawn had become quite taken with Mr. William ‘Spike’ Brenton and would not be happy until Buffy herself had succumbed to his British charms.

“It’s not that I don’t like Spike,” Buffy began cautiously. “It’s just that I don’t think I’m necessarily ‘his’ type, really,” she mumbled.

They were in their room. Well, the room that Wesley and Fred had so kindly provided for them.

“Well, I think Mr. Spike thinks you’re his type,” Dawn snipped just before she ran the brush through her long dark locks.

“You see, Dawnie,” Buffy began, a wistful tone in her voice. “Spike, or William really, he’s a kind of ‘salt of the earth’ guy.”

“A down to earth kind of guy that I’m not really used to,” Buffy continued.

Dawn looked totally confused by this point.

“Okay,” Buffy began again, “I usually go for a guy like Angel. You know what I mean; the flashy type that wants his gratification at a moments notice?”

Dawn still looked totally confused.

“Okay, one more time,” Buffy sighed. “Spike/William is a real man’s man. A man of the soil; not a man of the world. With a guy like Spike; you get what you see. Someone that works hard to make a living and…..”

“Maybe you should change the kind of guys you go for, Buff,” Dawn interjected somberly.



“You are way too wise for your age, missy,” Buffy muttered under her breath and shrugged in defeat. She slipped on her boot cut jeans and questioned the child silently while she pulled the powder blue baby tee over her head and shook out her long blond hair.

“I’m going to wear some make-up Dawnie, what do you think?” Buffy asked the adoring child to access her smoky eye make-up.

“It’s pretty,” Dawn squealed happily, plopping down on the bed, her blue eyes focused on her idol, Buffy.

“I like Mr. Spike,” Dawn stated simply.

“No kidding,” Buffy laughed kindly in reply.

“He’s got the prettiest ponies and a big yellow cat named Tom,” Dawn continued, oblivious to Buffy’s frown.

“I met Tom in the barn,” Dawn added non-chalantly.

“Great,” Buffy muttered as she added the finishing touches to her subtle, yet sexy make-up.

Dawn hopped up from the bed and headed towards the door.

“Oh, by the way,” the young girl called over her shoulder. “If you are so darned sure that you’re not Mr. Spike’s type..... How come you’re dolling up so much for him?”

Before Buffy could answer, Dawn scurried out the bedroom door and out of reach. Buffy could hear the young girl’s mirthful laughter all the way down the stairs.

‘That kid’s just too damn smart for her own good,’ Buffy thought to herself with a derisive snort.

She checked her look in the full length mirror and decided that she did indeed look ‘all dolled up’ and ready to greet the guests.

“Buffy!” Dawn screeched from downstairs. “They’re here! They’re here!”

(A little song from Disney to wrap up the chapter!)


‘When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
All the dreams your heart desires
Will come to you’


To be continued…..


A/N: This and my other WIP are so way behind and I do apologize.

Things will pick up, story line wise, in the next chapters and I will try to wrap up the plot lines as soon as I deem possible.

Oh, the partial song is from Disney’s movie Pinocchio.

Thank you for reading and please review. We’ve lost so many of our wonderful authors/authoresses for various reasons.

Love,
Spufette.





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