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Author's Chapter Notes:
All of my love and support to the hurricane victims.
Bless you all and take care.
LITTLE MISSY; THE MARKER


Chapter 3: ‘Steppin’ Out; Or, Steppin In It!’


Summary: Spike tries to adapt to babysitting, with his butler’s help. Buffy drops by and Spike saves her…

A/N: I’m cutting this chapter short, because I am working on other fics and trying to keep up with the news about Hurricane Katrina.

I am proud to say that the company I work for is matching, dollar for dollar, any donations that we employees are making for the hurricane victims!


“Bloody hell!” Spike swore as he lit another smoke and tried to read the racing form for tomorrow. It was nearly 2:00 AM and that bastard, Merrick, had not shown up when he was supposed to earlier.

Spike had watched the clock tick past 8:00 PM, then 9:00 PM and finally, 10:00 PM! Still no Theodore ‘Ted’ Merrick and the little doll ‘Dawn’ was it? She was still here, in Spike’s place, now asleep in his guest room.

After refilling his glass with some Jack, Spike flopped back down on the easy chair and took another drag of his cigarette. When 9:00 had come and gone, he had offered poor Johnathan an extra hundred bucks to stay the night and help out with the little girl. Johnathan had quickly called his wife and assured her that he’d be home in the morning and that there was some easy money in it for them.

Spike suspected that Johnathan actually felt it his responsibility to help watch out for the poor little doll. Especially since her old man had seemingly abandoned her in this hell hole of Spike’s apartment. It had been close to 9:00 when Johnathan had suggested that the poor kid have some supper whipped up for her and Spike had agreed.

Since early that morning, the kid, Dawn was it? She had sat, uncomplaining, listening to some silly crap on the radio and eating candy that Johnathan had rushed out to buy for her. The little doll had sat, quietly, watching Spike as he went over numbers on paper and tried to ignore her as much as possible.

Every once in a while, Spike would hear the kid mumbled to her stuffed pig, or pick up some stupid book she’d dragged with her. Around noon, Dawn had mentioned the book, for about the tenth time. It was some bloody nonsense about King Arthur and the Round Table. The poor kid was in love with the whole bloody notion of the King, his Knights and their lady loves.

Spike and this Dawn brat had been chowing down their supper; steak and potatoes, something that seemed to be pretty foreign to the little doll when she suddenly blurted out:

“Do you have a lady love ‘Sir’ Spike? Do you have a Princess?” The kid asked, all wide-eyed and innocent.


With a grunt, Spike shook his head and replied gruffly: “I did, once. Her name’s Elizabeth, well, Buffy is what she’s called,” he added with a snort.

“Did she die?” Dawn had whispered in a strange voice.

“No,” Spike replied in a bitter tone. “She ran off with a court jester,” he ‘almost’ chuckled at that. “Then she came back and set up castle with an idiot of a dark prince,” he finished on a sour note.

“I’m so sorry Sir Spike,” Dawn sighed heavily. “My Daddy says that my Mommy, Princess Anne? She died and went to Heaven and left me and Daddy all alone.” Dawn whimpered slightly and Spike noticed she pouted a bit. A ‘bit’ like Buffy used to, he noted.

There was a sudden ‘tug’ at Spike’s cold black heart when the kid had mentioned her dead mother.

‘Just like Buffy’s mum, Joyce,’ Spike reminded himself. ‘The little ‘bit’ll’ be left alone if her dad doesn’t come back for her. Just like my sister and me,’ he added silently. Although Spike had no need to remind himself of his parents’ early demise from this planet. He’d been only ten when his folks had been killed. His loony sister, Drusilla, had been what? Twelve? Thirteen, when the British courts sent them off to an orphanage?

“Eat your dinner,” Spike had ordered the girl, gruffly. Which, she did, quite happily.

Xander Harris had showed up at Spike’s, around midnight. He had some cash markers for a two-bit race that was supposed to happen tomorrow. Or was that later today now?

Anyway, when Harris had found out who the little doll was and why she was at Spikes? The dark haired man almost split his gut, laughing at Spike’s ridiculous situation.

“I wondered why you weren’t down at Heaven’s Haven, annoying the fuck out of Buffy,” Xander roared with laughter. “I knew you had to have a good reason not to be a pain in the delectable Miss Summers’ ass…”

“Don’t you have a girl to go home to,” Spike had growled, menacingly, at Xander. “Get your arse out of here and….”

Dawn had broken in there, “I like Mr. Xander, Mr. Spike,” she giggled, shyly. “He’s Sir Xander; the White Knight. The most pure and noble knight,” she finished with another little giggle.

“Why thank you little miss.” Xander chuckled, “I knew it was just a matter of time before ‘some’ dame figured out what a real catch I am and…”

“Pure and noble,” Spike snorted in disgust. “Believe me ‘Bit’ he directed his mutter at Dawn, “there’s nothing pure and noble about Harris here!”

“Now don’t take away a little dame’s dreams, Spike,” Xander laughed good-naturedly. “And, say, why did you just call her ‘Bit’ anyway?”

“I don’t know,” Spike mumbled, slightly embarrassed by his slip. “I guess it’s cos Dawn here has a ‘bit’ of Buffy in her. She’s a tough little bird, and…oh bloody hell, Harris! Get out and go home to Anya!”

“You oughta' not talk in front of the little dame like that Spike,” Harris grew serious. “Besides the little doll should be in bed by now, it’s after midnight.”

“When did you become an expert on anything but race horses and poker, Harris?” Spike was beginning to get pretty damned anxious about the Bit’s Da and why he hadn’t come to get his precious daughter.

“Mr. Harris is right, Mr. Jameson,” Johnathan suddenly appeared from the guest bedroom. “I’ve made up the spare room, for the little miss, here,” the short man smiled affectionately at Dawn, pleased when the girl grinned back at him.

“Go on then,” Spike groused at the tiny girl, but he smiled when she yawned back at him.

“I am rather tired,” Dawn nodded and yawned again. “Good night Mr. Spike and Mr. Xander. It was nice to meet you,” she finished, sleepily as she took Mr. Johnathan’s hand. The butler led the little girl into bedroom after telling her to wash up for bed.

“Seriously, Spike,” Xander had asked, suddenly very somber, “if the little dame’s dad doesn’t show? Whatcha’ gonna’ do?”


Xander had posed that question, nearly two hours before this, and Spike still hadn’t come up with an answer. For himself or Xander, who had finally gone home to his girlfriend.

Spike sat on his couch, a nearly empty glass of whisky in his left hand. He stared out at the open window of his apartment balcony, aimlessly.

The thought of that poor little kid, Dawn, sleeping in his guest room, unaware that her dad should have been back here hours ago. It just ripped Spike up inside. He knew well as anything, that something had gone wrong with Merrick’s sure deal. In the end, it would be the little doll who’d suffer the most from it. Just like himself and his big sis, Drusilla.

Spike sat, half asleep on his couch, the now empty glass on the coffee table before him. The big grandfather clock had struck 2:00, at least fifteen minutes before and he was aware that Johnathan must have fallen asleep in his bedroom.

‘Whatever,’ Spike shrugged as he shifted to make himself more comfortable on the couch. ‘I’ll just…’

There was a sudden, urgent knocking at his apartment door. Spike bolted up from the couch, momentarily dazed and confused.

“Who the bloody hell is that?” He grumbled, then remembered that it might be the ‘Bit’s’ dad, come to fetch her.

Spike hurried to the door, glancing, briefly into the peephole to make sure it was the girl’s father. To say that he, Spike Jameson was stunned when he saw just ‘who’ it really was? That would have been a bloody understatement.

Without hesitation, Spike threw the door open and glared, openly at Buffy, who stood on the other side of it. Some young, overdressed, underage confused looking whelp was standing next to her.

“Honey, I’m home,” Buffy greeted William in a sugary voice. “This nice kid, Holden was it,” she sang breezily as she grinned at the young man. “He escorted me home tonight. Wasn’t that just the nicest though?”

Buffy gave William a pointed, but discreet look that said ‘help me ditch this guy’ as she started into the apartment. Just like she really should be there!

Spike fought off the immediate urge to slam the door in Buffy and the strange whelp’s face. Instead, he clasped Buffy, by her slim arm and nearly yanked her rest of the way into his apartment.

“Take a hike mate,” he growled at the stunned youngster. “And thanks, by the way, for bringin’ the lady home,” he added gruffly before slamming the door on this Holden bloke.

Spike spun around to face Buffy, who stood just five feet from him; her tiny hands on her luscious little hips. That was when he first really noticed the beautiful red dress she wore.

‘She’s wearin’ my favorite color, especially on her,’ he thought, tenderly. ‘Well, actually ‘my’ favorite color is black, but how many times had Buffy herself told me that black’s a shade. Not a color?’ He smirked at the thought of his snippy little Goldilocks, but it caused him to miss her more then ever.

“So,” Spike growled at Buffy as a wave of jealousy washed over him. “Angel’s out of town less then three nights and you’re steppin’ out on him with a good time bloke. No,” he continued maliciously, “make that a whelp. Kid looked like he might still be in bloody prep school!”

“Give me a break,” Buffy laughed outright, “that’s Holden Webster III, as in son of Holden Webster the II! The oil tycoon? You know, right? The family’s always in the New York Times, or wait a minute,” Buffy halted her sentence, abruptly.

Spike noticed that Buffy’s lovely mouth was twisted in a sardonic smirk. “That’s right; you don’t read the Times, only racing forms.” She finished with a snort and crossed her arms across her ample breasts.


“Besides,” Buffy snapped, “I’m not that naïve to think that Angel isn’t cooling his heels with some tootsie in Chicago.” She finished with an indifferent shrug, which shocked the shit out of Spike.

“And you put up with it!” Spike cried, incredulously. “Jesus, Buffy,” he continued, nearly snarling, “I never cheated on you while we were together. Why the fuck would you put up with…”

“I know you were faithful to me,” Buffy mumbled under her breath. “But you’re a different man then Angel O’Connor, Will. You’re a better man then him,” she trailed off, embarrassed by her own words.

“Then how come you’re with him and not me?” Spike had whimpered, verbally, before he could help himself. He felt his face grow flush with embarrassment, but he could not bring himself to look away from Buffy.

“Like I said,” Buffy replied meekly, “you’re a better man then Angel.”

“Now what the bloody hell is that supposed to mean and…” Spike began as he closed the gap even further between Buffy and himself. He had to fight the urge to pull his Buffy into his arms and assault her luscious pouty lips with his own.

“Mr. Spike,” came Dawn Merrick’s high pitched voice from the guest bed room door. “Who’s the pretty lady?”

Buffy spun around to face the body that belonged to the voice that had interrupted William and her. She stared, wide-eyed, at the most beautiful little girl she had ever seen.

“I might ask the same thing,” Buffy chuckled, regaining her voice. “Just ‘who’ are you little doll?” She turned to William, her fair right brow raised in question. “You got a kid that you neglected to tell any of us about, William?” Buffy felt a tinge of jealousy as she asked the question.

‘He better not have some kid that he’s stashed away,’ she thought angrily.


“Buffy,” Spike began warily, “it’s like this…”

Dawn interrupted him, immediately, “oh, so you’re Mr. Spike’s princess!” The young girl began to jump up and down where she stood, clapping her hands in excitement. “Have you come back to Mr. Spike then?” Dawn asked innocently.


“Not really,” Buffy replied dryly, but she glared at William as she answered. The tiny blond was getting a real bad feeling about all of this.

“Princess Buffy just stopped by,” Spike muttered, glaring back at Buffy. “She was on her way home from a frat party and…”

“With the idiot dark prince?” Dawn asked coyly, her blue eyes wide with wonder at the pretty lady.

“Idiot dark prince?” Buffy asked the precious child; just a little confused. Then, it suddenly dawned on Buffy that the kid was talking about her own boyfriend, Angel. “So,” Buffy began, harshly, who is the little dame, really?” She stared, pointedly at William, her hands placed strategically on her slim hips.

“This is Dawn Merrick,” Spike mumbled, his eyes focused on his feet. “She’s…”

“I’m not Mr. Spike’s kid, silly,” Dawn giggled. “I’m a marker!” She announced proudly. “My daddy left me with Mr. Spike to cover a sure deal!”

“Oh,” Buffy murmured with a warm smile of relief, “so you’re just a marker for Mr. Spike.” Buffy stood, smiling affectionately at the cute little girl for about a second or two, and then it hit her.

“A marker!” Buffy screeched like an Irish banshee. “What do you mean? A marker!” She spun back around and faced off with William, who seemed to be pretty guilty looking. Right at the moment anyway. “Oh, this low, even for you ‘Spikey’ boy,” Buffy hissed at the blond bookie.

“Now look Buff,” Spike stammered softly, “this wasn’t my idea at all,” he countered in his defense. “It was your bloody boyfriend’s scheme, from the start. He’s the one that made me take the Bit’s dad up on his offer.”

“The dark prince,” Dawn offered politely. “Mr. Spike’s boss is the dark prince. Right Princess Buffy?”

“Yeah,” Buffy hissed through gritted teeth. “So it would seem,” she added impatiently. Right now, Buffy wasn’t sure if she was more ticked off at Angel for suggesting this nonsense, or William for going along with it!

“Bit?” Buffy suddenly asked, puzzled at William’s term of endearment for this little blue-eyed angel of a girl.

“Mr. Spike says I’m a bit like you, Miss Buffy,” Dawn piped in, happily. “He says I’m a stubborn little bint, just like Princess Buffy and…”

Right then, Johnathan Levy took that opportunity to join the merry little group in the living room. It was very fortunate for Spike that his butler interjected at that moment.

“Miss Summers!” Johnathan exclaimed warmly to Buffy. “It’s so good to see you again! Are you home, for good?” He asked it with such guileless abandon that Buffy couldn’t help but smile back at Johnathan.

“No, Johnny,” Buffy whispered, almost sorrowfully. “I’ve just stopped by tonight. In the nick of time I might add,” she finished with a scowl at Will.

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Johnathan answered with pursed lips. “I was hoping…”

“Go home,” Spike spat at his butler. “Go home to your wife and kids, now,” he finished with a grunt.

“Yes sir, Mr. Jameson,” Johnathan nodded eagerly. The butler seemed more then anxious to get out of there.

Once Johnathan left the living room, Buffy turned back to the little girl and smiled at her with affection. “Why don’t you get back to bed, honey,” she offered. “Even pretty little dames like you need your beauty sleep. Besides,” she added evenly, “Mr. Spike and Princess Buffy need to have an adult chat together.”

“Yes Miss Buffy,” Dawn giggled. “I am very, very tired,” she added with a yawn. “Will you come in, later, and make sure I’m all tucked in?”

“I will,” Buffy whispered as she watched the child disappear into William’s guest room. “I certainly will come in and make sure you’re all safe and sound, little doll,” she finished, wistfully.


A/N: Okay, I had this great, long, long chapter all paced out. Buffy’s reaction to Spike’s stupidity, and Angels! But, I really wanted to get this chapter in here and see if it flew!

Anyway, I’m so captured by the news and the hurricane devastation, that I thought I would end this chapter here and continue this weekend.

In the next chapter, Buffy will make Spike an offer he can’t refuse. Spike will see the opportunity that Buffy’s offer might afford him and use it to his advantage. To woo Buffy back that is!

Thanks for reading and please review. I’m going by the reads and reviews to continue the story. Thanks, spufette.





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