Spike sighed as he prepared himself to sneak out as he did every morning. He could just barely smell the scent of the sunrise, which would occur in about an hour and half.
He leaned over giving Buffy a gentle kiss on her lips as he pulled himself out of her embrace to leave. Buffy moaned slightly in her sleep, snuggling deeper into the covers unsettled for a moment from the missing weight of Spike. Spike hummed a quiet tune watching her fall into a deeper sleep.
Spike stood up stretching as he opened the nightstand door taking out a pen and paper. Careful not to disturb the bed, he scribbled a note as he did every morning to his beloved. Smiling, he checked the alarm clock, which signaled the beginning of her day and began to dress.
Knowing he had to get a move on for his day, he quickly pulled on his pants followed by his shirt. He grabbed his boots and socks as well as his duster, leaving the room quietly. Spike looked at her sleeping form one more time longing to be able to stay with her a few minutes longer. Knowing the sun was about to rise and with it Buffy, he recognized it was impossible. As he let out a gentle sigh, he closed the door behind him.
Spike sat down on the stairs routinely putting on his socks and boots then swung his duster on his body. It was the same process every morning and had been for months now.
Entering the kitchen, he pulled his jar of blood from the fridge popping it into the microwave as he went about making Dawn’s lunch. Dawn tended to enjoy his ham, turkey and cheese sandwiches with mayo and mustard. He put the freshly made sandwich in her box along with a bag of his homemade chips, which he tended to keep on stock for himself and shared with Dawn. He then put in a bottle of grape juice, her favorite drink of the month since the new boy she liked enjoyed it, and added in an apple to keep her healthy. He smirked at the fact that the apple was to keep her healthy as he added in two pieces of raspberry crumb cake knowing she would share one with either a boy of her choice or Janice. That crumb cake was hardly healthy but it made her happy nonetheless.
Spike hummed another tune from his favorite Sex Pistols’ CD as he prepared his blood only to vamp out and drain the mug. He rinsed it out leaving it in the sink as he put away her blue lunch cooler checking to make sure the freezer ice packs were in the freezer. Taking another whiff to make sure he didn’t play around and finding himself with about 30 minutes left to sunrise, he disappeared out the door to return to his crypt where he would spend the remainder of his day until it was time to return to his beloved Buffy
Buffy yawned rolling over seeing her empty bed that felt cool to the touch. She sighed as she reached over to her nightstand, knowing she would find something there as she always did. Spike never spent the whole night at her place but he would always stay until just before sunrise making sure she slept ok before heading back to his crypt for the day.
It was all she could offer for now since her life was still on the rocks. She had her job and Dawn as her responsibilities along with the new social worker due any day. She had so much on her plate that she couldn’t think about a live-in boyfriend right now. She almost wished she could as she climbed out of bed. She opened the little letter that read, “Remember, big day with the social worker today. I’ll be over in time for dinner. I’ll make you, the nibblet and the witches a quiche. You can invite the others if you want. Have a great day. Love you.”
She smiled refolding the letter to add to the pile of them in the top drawer of her dresser. She was getting quite the collection.
Buffy got dressed quickly wanting to be ready when the social worker arrived today as she left her room to see if she could eat breakfast with Dawn. She noticed Tara and Willow’s door was closed but Dawn’s was open. Putting her ear against the bathroom door, she could hear Dawn singing away in the shower.
Obviously Buffy’s later night of patrol didn’t affect her sleeping habits, which she was thankful for. She didn’t need any more trouble with the new social worker. After the last bout including a threat to take Dawn away, Buffy had been forced to take matters into her own hands to ensure Dawn could stay. She had been turned invisible later that day and had the lady given a vacation. She didn’t feel any bouts of invisibility coming on so she was ready and eager to make this woman see her as the dependable mother figure that she could be. She was, after all, finally starting to build a relationship with Dawn. It was slow going and not perfect but at least they were talking again. Mostly about boys and sometimes Spike but hey any talking was good in Buffy’s eyes.
Buffy ran down the stairs and into the kitchen to start preparing an omelet for Dawn. Opening the fridge, she noticed that Spike must have restocked the fridge as it was full of grocery items as well as blood. Over the past few months, with Spike’s help, she had gotten a little better at cooking or at least frying eggs. She still struggled with not making a mess with pancakes but at least eggs she had down pat. She had managed to learn how to cook spaghetti without it turning into a soggy mess most of the time as well. She was proud but she would never ignore Spike’s cooking offers.
Spike would come over a few nights a week early, to cook dinner for them all and then sit and watch movies with until patrol time. They also had started date nights every Tuesday and Friday nights where they would either go out for dinner or to the Bronze for some fun. She looked forward to those since her life was pretty boring otherwise.
She hummed the tune to Avril Lavigne’s song “Complicated” as she plopped a cheese omelet onto a plate, It was perfect timing as Dawn came around the corner taking it from her just as Buffy started one for herself. Dawn munched barely taking time to chew before she would swallow taking her next bite.
Buffy yawned as she finished up her omelet turning to sit with Dawn who had been joined Willow and Tara. Willow and Tara got themselves some cereal and started to chow down on their morning breakfast as Buffy slid into the seat next to Dawn. Dawn smiled at her then drank up her orange juice. Buffy started eating enjoying the fact that all four of them were together this morning and heard Xander come into the room, “Good morning lovely ladies.”
Everyone at the table smiled and Xander glanced around the kitchen satisfied that Spike wasn’t there. He sat his lunch box down on the table as he helped himself to a glass of orange juice recognizing they needed to leave in just a few minutes to make sure Dawn was on time for school. Dawn cleaned up her plate area as Xander admitted, “Some morning I’m still expecting to see the walking dead sitting here with your ladies eating breakfast.”
Buffy looked embarrassed as she drank up her orange juice and Dawn offered, “He always goes back to his crypt by morning so he’s not stuck here for the day.”
Xander shrugged, “I wasn’t judging, just more stating a comment. Must be rough for him having to get up every morning and leave before sunrise after spending the night.”
Buffy still didn’t say anything but instead got up, setting her dishes in the sink and began to wash them wanting to have the place clean for the social worker. Dawn took out her lunch smiling as she peeked inside and realizing it was made by Spike as always before she lifted her backpack and jacket from the living room. She yelled towards the three left in the kitchen, “See you guys after school. Don’t do anything too amazing" as she accepted Xander’s help with her backpack and left for school.
It was the same routine that had been in place the last few months since she had left Spike into her life. Things just seemed settled more and to make more sense.
She watched as Willow and Tara handed her their dishes and she washed those as well taking great care in putting them away. As Willow and Tara left for school, Buffy did a quick walk around the house tidying up Dawn’s room of her night clothes and closing the door to her mother’s room which was still Tara and Willow’s before tidying up the towels and mess in the bathroom.
She was just returning from putting towels into the washing machine when she heard the doorbell ring. She glanced at herself in the mirror near the door before opening the door to the new social worker, a man.