Chapter 36
There was one full day of normalness—or as normal as their life was lately. Dawn had made it home that night that she’d run off, just as the sun was setting. She had taken the last two minutes of her walk to brace herself for the lecturing, yelling, grounding, etc. that she was sure was coming; but it didn’t come, none of it. She found Spike in the kitchen making spaghetti sauce and boiling the noodles, Buffy sitting in a chair, her feet propped on another; her sister looked tired.
“Hey, bit. You going to want any bread? Wasn’t going to make any till I knew since well...” Why would he have made garlic bread when he was a vampire and he knew Buffy wouldn’t be eating it?
“Wha—No, no bread; just the spaghetti is good.” She stood there in the doorway, her backpack still hanging limply in her hand, waiting for the yelling to commence.
“Good, good. Set the table?”
Where was the yelling? Why weren’t they telling her she was grounded? Did they know she hadn’t gone to Janice’s?
“I didn’t go to Janice’s,” she blurted out.
“Where did you go?” Buffy asked and it wasn’t accusing, it wasn’t angry, it was just a question.
“I went to Spike’s crypt, to think,” she answered carefully.
“Okay then. The table?” Spike asked again. Dawn just stood there for several seconds, looking at the two of them dumbly. “The table?” he prompted.
“Would you just yell at me already? I don’t like all this…waiting,” she snapped.
“We’re not going to yell at you,” Spike answered.
“Yeah,” Buffy agreed, “We know you needed some time and you got home before dark and were somewhere relatively safe. Not saying I want you hanging out alone in a cemetery again any time soon, but I’m not mad at you.”
“Right,” Dawn drawled. “So you’re just going to be like quietly disappointed or something? Or feel sorry for me and look at me like ‘poor, pathetic Dawn’?”
“Told you, pet, we’re not angry. Not disappointed, don’t feel sorry for you either—well not anymore than you have to expect. You’re home safe and we know it was a one time deal, so no worries.”
“Really?”
“’Long as you set the table some time tonight: yeah.”
‘The table, right, sorry; I can do that.” Dawn hurried to set the table, leaving a place for her sister even though she didn’t think she would be eating much if she even ate anything at all.
“Thanks,” Buffy said and Dawn could only assume she meant the table.
*(*(*)*)*
So yeah, stuff was normal that night and the next day, except that their mom wasn’t around. Buffy went in a once to see and talk to her mother, but Dawn was still refusing to go in the room, unsure whether it was something she was ready for or not.
Dawn should have known it wasn’t going to last though.
*(*(*)*)*
“I need to get back to my girls; I can’t leave them.”
“Don’t you worry, dear; that William is going to take right good care of those two girls.”
“Mother, I—I’m not ready to leave them, to be here.”
“It’s not your choice, darling. This is where you’re meant to be; it is what They have decided.”
“But why—why are you here? If I’m not…if I’m not dead, why must I stay here? And why did They choose you?”
“This is a reward for you, darling. They believed it would be easier for you to make the journey if someone you loved was the one to guide you.”
“But you can’t tell me where it is we’re going?”
“No, Joyce, dear, I can’t.”
“Can you tell me who they are?”
“The ones who control it all,” her mother answered simply.
*(*(*)*)*
“Don’t you need to be getting to bed soon?” Spike had finished cleaning the kitchen, turning out the lights, and locking the doors; he expected to find Dawn asleep already but she still had her light on and was sitting on her bed reading something, a notebook at her side.
“I have to finish this stupid assignment,” she grumbled looking up from the thick book only briefly.
“What is it?” he leaned against the doorframe, waiting for an answer.
“Just this dumb thing about religious beliefs in the late nineteenth century; I don’t see why I need to know this. It’s all basically just saying everyone was prudes.”
“Yeah? The book talking about England or here?” he asked curiously.
“Both—my assignment for tonight’s on England though.”
“And asking me was, what, not logical? Are primary sources better than some textbook? You do remember I was live then, right?”
“Spike—of course I remember, but…You don’t always tell things exactly as they are—or were—you kind of…exaggerate stuff a lot. You’d probably tell me that everyone was out having sex in the alleys and no one thought anything of it.”
“I can be truthful when the need calls for it—and I feel like it; and if you’re reading about ‘prudes’, well then there’s no one better than me to give you the information on that.”
“Yeah,” Dawn said slowly, “like I’m supposed to believe that one. You’d probably just be telling me the opposite of whatever you did.”
“Hate to break it to you—and if you ever tell anyone, I will kill you—but I was just about the epitome of what you’re reading about.”
“Yeah right,” Dawn didn’t even look up at him after he answered her.
“I’m serious!” Spike insisted.
“Sure you are; now can I get back to my work?”
“You’re really not going to believe me?” he asked incredulously.
“You’re serious?” Dawn asked unbelievingly after staring at him for several seconds.
“Not something I like to—or ever do—admit to, but yeah.”
“Then get your butt over here and help me!”
”You Summers women are bossy chits, you know that?”
“Well duh; it’s why you love us.” Dawn was looking at her book so she didn’t see the look that passed over Spike’s face.
So the Bit really did get it, huh? Not that it was why he had done it, but Buffy and Dawn both feeling better towards him was definitely a plus to having moved in. A big plus.
He’d trade it in a second, still, to make Joyce and Buffy better.
“So what’s this assignment exactly?”
*(*(*)*)*
Buffy was really starting to wonder if Spike was going to find somewhere—like maybe the sofa or something—else to sleep. She had expected him to be in her room nearly half an hour before and still he wasn’t there. Maybe if she listened hard enough she could hear if he was somewhere doing something…
So he was helping Dawn with her homework? She knew it had really only been a matter of days, but…the night she’d gone to find Spike in the cemetery seemed like months ago; and the night he’d told her seemed to have been years ago. So much had changed since then…included how she felt about some things, about some people.
He really did take care of Dawn.
Buffy hugged her bear tighter, smiling when the recording of Spike’s voice broke the silence, wishing her sweet dreams. She really wished Spike would be there already.
TBC….
and thank you to the two people who just started reading this....it's great to know new people are still starting reading my stuff :D (and I really do promise I'll get some more fic for you soon....summer just seems to be insanely crazy so far)
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Author's Chapter Notes:
The thunderstorms were nice enough to stop for a few minutes so I could update...There really will be more of So Cold it was Summer as well as some other fics soon...I just haven't had any time to write (or the ability I guess....)
I did however make some icons and wallpapers if you'd like to look at those ;) Some JM and SMG and Spuffy wallpapers..and SPN stuff and Doctor Who...little bits of everything :)
I did however make some icons and wallpapers if you'd like to look at those ;) Some JM and SMG and Spuffy wallpapers..and SPN stuff and Doctor Who...little bits of everything :)