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Chapter 4

"Well, well, if it isn't Dorothy and her big sister, the wicked bitch of the west. Would you care to take a seat on the rubble? It's much more comfortable than it looks."

"Spike."

A smile tugged at his mouth. "From that tone, I'm guessing you saw the bonfire out front. Impressive, isn't it? Hell hath no fury, you know."

"Buffy, um, is he drunk?"

Spike looked from sister to sister. What a pretty pair they make, he mused. Even furious, Buffy was breathtaking. And Dawn, she was looking and acting more like her big sister every time he saw her.

"What can I do for you girls this morning?" As he sat in the recliner-the only piece of furniture that Harmony had left nearly untouched besides the bed that he'd been sleeping in-he rested his chin on the palm of his hand. "I doubt you're here for a social call."

"How's your head?" Buffy asked, her voice cold.

"Not quite pounding, it's moved on to more of a dull unbearable ache."

"Are you drunk?"

"No, Dawnie," he winked. "Unfortunately, I'm completely sober."

"Did you do this?" Dawn wrinkled her nose and gestured to the wrecked crypt. "You couldn't have, right? The TV was kicked in, and all your music was destroyed. You wouldn't have ruined your own stuff."

"It wasn't all his stuff," Buffy corrected. "And I'll give you ten seconds to explain just why in the hell you had my--."

"Spike, I guess we'd better tell her the truth," Dawn interrupted with a nervous laugh. "I-I've been taking your stuff, and Spike's been hiding it for me-me and mom. And it was supposed to be a surprise, you know, for your birthday?"

"You were going to give me my own stuff?" Buffy asked, clearly not believing Dawn's story. "For my birthday?"

"Mom saw it in a magazine. We were going to make a kinda-you know, when you take stuff and, um, bury it in a hole in the backyard? A..a...you know what they're called, right?"

"A time capsule," Spike blurted out, deciding that Dawn was a genius hidden in a fourteen-year-old's body. "I told her it was bloody pointless. Slayer's with their short expiration dates, and all."

"I was going to get Xander and Willow and everyone write little notes and--."

"Why my clothes?" Buffy looked directly into Spike's eyes. "Why my clothes?"

"So, when you open it ten years from now you'll have proof that you didn't always wear clothes with sizes in the double digits," he rattled off without skipping a beat. If Buffy wanted to challenge him, he'd meet her head-on. "Because let's face it, Slayer, you won't have that figure forever. You've already been blessed with the Freshman Fifteen, and--."

"Spike." Dawn bugged out her eyes and pinched her lips together. Apparently she thought falsely accusing Buffy of gaining weight was not the best strategy if they wanted to get out alive and with all their limbs intact. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"You want to lie for this guy, Dawn? If I go home, talk to mom, and--."

"Do it," Dawn said confidently. "Why else do you think she let me come here last week? To watch TV?" She pffted and rolled her eyes like an award-winning actress. "Please. He was just keeping the stuff safe. It was all mom's idea in the first place."

The crypt was silent for the next few minutes. Spike tried to look calm as Buffy weighed the validity of their story.

"If I find out that you're covering for him... I swear to God, Dawn..."

"Like I would. Why else would he have your stuff? It's not like he's your creepy stalker or anything. Hello," she snorted. "He can barely stand you, right, Spike?"

"Of course I can't," Spike answered without hesitating. At that very moment, he could kiss the bottom of Dawn's feet. "Hate her so much I can barely see straight."

"The feeling's mutual," Buffy said, crossing her arms. "I guess you should start talking, tell me what happened last night, and quickly, Dawn needs to go to school and I need to talk to my mom before she leaves for work."

"Don't believe us, do you?" Spike asked. He had to push her just a little more, he couldn't stop himself. "Are you calling us liars, pet?"

"You? Always."

"And what about your sweetheart of a sister?"

As if taking her cue, Dawn smiled sweetly.

"I'll decide later, after I talk to my mother."

Dawn's smile faded. "Spike, uh, who wrecked your house?"

"I don't know," he lied. He'd been drowsy from his medication when he found Harmony breaking everything in sight. She had fled before he could get his hands on her. He didn't try to chase her down, more concerned with the literal flaming pile of mess that she'd left in his front yard.

"You don't seem to know much of anything lately."

"True," he said. He ran his fingers through his hair and sank more deeply into the recliner. "There's no use denying that."

"We should take him home. He'll be safe with us, Buffy. Last night, mom said--."

"I don't want to hear another word of what mom said, not unless she's standing in front of me, alright?"

Spike just watched as they argued. In all his years, he had never witnessed such stubbornness. Buffy ignored all Dawn's pleas. She turned down all her offered incentives.

"Bit, before you promise her your first born, hold on a minute. I'm fine here."

"But what if they come back?"

"I'll be alright. I've gotten this far, haven't I?"

"He's a cockroach, Dawn. He always manages to scurry away."

"Thank you. I'll be taking that as a compliment, Slayer."

"You'll be okay? Really?" Dawn asked.

"Of course, pet." He smiled at the younger girl and found it refreshing when she smiled back. Now, he thought, if only her sister wasn't so bloody difficult... "Maybe if big sis allows it, you could help me clean this place up. I could use another set of hands, a feminine touch."

"Buffy? Can I?"

"You want to clean? You hate chores," Buffy answered.

"Maybe she wasn't in good company before." He winked at Dawn again, and this time she looked away with blushing cheeks.

"Spike-Dawn, it's time to go."

"Why? It's still early."

"You need to get your backpack. Go."

"You're not coming with me?" Dawn raised her brow. She looked suspiciously from Buffy to Spike, and then back to Buffy. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing. Your best friend, Spike and I are just going to have a little talk."

"You can go, sweet bit," Spike said with another dazzling grin. "I'll be alright."

"Okay, but..." Shyly she tucked her long brown hair behind her ears. "I'm glad you weren't turned into dust, Spike. I'm glad you seem better too. And I'm sorry Buffy's such a major bitch. I'm starting to think she can't help it."

"Dawn."

"I'm going," she said. She stuck her tongue out at Buffy before giving Spike a wink of her own. "Bye guys. Buffy, don't hurt him."

"What is with her today?" Buffy wondered out loud once Dawn was out of sight. "When did she start worshipping you?"

"She's a cute kid," Spike chuckled.

"That's right. She's a kid. A kid with a crush."

"On me?"

"Don't look shocked. I was standing right here. I saw it all. The winks. The smiles. It was turning my stomach."

"It was all harmless. I wouldn't worry about it. She likes the attention. She--."

"Do I need to threaten you?"

"W-what? No."

He shifted uncomfortably. Buffy was walking toward him with a strange look in her eyes. She came all the way up to the recliner and rested a hand on each of the chair arms.

"If you hurt her, if you allow her to get hurt in any way..."

"I won't-I-I wouldn't!" he practically cried. Her emerald eyes were piercing into his. She was flooding his senses. She was all he could see, hear, and smell. "What's this all about? She's your sister, you don't think that I'd--."

"You'll protect her."

"Yes," he answered. "Of course."

She blinked twice as if she were coming out of a trace. "Good."

"Good? That's it? I know you're protective of the girl, but bloody hell! What's going on? You're acting like she's in danger, and--." He was about to tell her that Dawn had nothing to fear when it came to him, but he saw Buffy flinch. Anyone else would've missed it, but Spike caught it right away. "Buffy?"

Something was seriously wrong. Without thinking, he covered her hand with one of his own. She looked at their touching skin with wide eyes, but she didn't move away. She didn't move a muscle.

"You can tell me," he whispered. "Whatever it is. I can help. I'll protect her. Just tell me what we're up against."

"It's complicated."

"Buffy." He kept his voice gentle. "Tell me."

"Who trashed your house?"

"Harmony," he replied, completely under her spell.

"Harmony?" She blinked. The tiniest smile curved her lips. "Harmony? The same Harmony that I know?"

"She hired the humans last night as well."

"Wow. I'm...wow, I'm speechless. I'm totally...impressed."

"You're not the only one."

Buffy stood up straight, and before Spike could mourn the loss of their closeness, she smiled. It was the widest, most genuine smile she'd ever made in just his company. And it was followed by a fit of adorable giggles.

"What'd you do, dump her? God, she so beat your ass! You look like road kill, your place was trashed and torched, and Harmony's behind it all. Maybe being with you did her some good," she said wiping a tear from her eye. "I get what you said earlier. Hell hath no fury like a Harmony scorned."

"Will you stop?" He wanted to sound annoyed or at least offended, but he couldn't. He chuckled right along with her.

"Why did you lie to me? Was it the embarrassment?"

"Mortification is more like it."

"But still, you should've told me."

"Guess that makes us even."

His comment sobered her up, but she her temperament was nowhere near as dark as it was when she had entered his crypt. "Is Harmony still a threat? Do you think she'll come back and dust you in your sleep?"

"If she's smart, she left town."

"Remember, we are talking about Harmony. She and the word ‘smart' don't exactly go hand-in-hand."

"If I've learned anything about Harm--."

"You mean, besides her cup size?"

"She's paranoid," Spike continued. He was amused by Buffy's interruption, but he chose to ignore it. "She's probably long gone since I threatened to kill her. You glared at her once a few weeks back, and she was convinced you were behind every corner, stake in hand, and ready to pounce."

"Maybe I should've been. Then we wouldn't have had to go through all this mess just because she got dumped."

"Hey, getting dumped is always hard." Spike spoke from experience. Drusilla had left him more times than he wished to count.

Buffy nodded in agreement. It was a short and barely noticeable nod. She had always been the one left behind, and Spike never understood why. He hated each of her ex-boyfriends: Angel, Parker, and especially Riley, the latest jerk to break her heart.

"I should go," Buffy said suddenly, taking a step back.

"So, Dawn has your permission to come here? After school and whatnot?" It a gamble to bring up her sister again, he wasn't sure how she'd react. He just wanted to keep her talking so she'd stay.

"Yes."

"If you need to talk, about anything..."

"I just need her kept safe," she answered, looking uncomfortable, "and I know you can do that. What happened with Harmony was a one-time thing. Are you...feeling any better?

"Much actually."

"I know that I said, that you were helpless, but..."

"Forget about it," he said. He usually liked to see her squirm, however he didn't like seeing her act so uneasy. Was it that difficult for her to apologize to him? He was surprised to hear her apologize at all, but he didn't like that she looked miserable doing so.

"I didn't mean that you were helpless all the time," she continued. "When we're up against demons...Spike, you're the strongest ally I've got...when you are my ally."

"Buffy--."

"And I suggest you stop flirting with my sister, she's fourteen for heaven's sake!" Buffy exclaimed as if her batteries had been recharged. "She already likes you, are trying to make it worse? If you keep acting this way, who knows when she'll get over her crush."

"Having a crush isn't so bad. I'm flattered. It's better me than some poof like Xander."

"Xander's human, and he isn't old enough to be her great-great grandfather's grandfather."

"Yeah, and he's a complete idiot too."

"And you're Einstein?"

"No, but-you can't dictate a crush, Slayer. Your heart and your-your other parts make that decision. Your brain, your common sense, has nothing to do with it."

"You're so lucky you didn't go into detail about my little sister's ‘other parts.' So, so lucky."

"No, I," he mumbled a curse. He hadn't been talking about Dawn. "Never mind. Didn't you ever have a crush? What about that guy? Harm, mentioned him. Luke something-or-other?"

"No."

"Fine," he grumbled, positive that she was lying. He'd been around long enough to know that every preteen and adolescent on the planet suffered from at least a crush or two. "It doesn't matter. Just keep in mind that people don't always have a choice, not when it comes to those kinds of feelings. It might be stupid or even taboo, but it happens, damn it." Take me and you for instance, he was dying to say.

"Crushes happen, okay, I get that. But I still don't approve."

"They aren't meant to be approved," Spike said. He was losing his temper. Why wasn't she listening?

"Oh yes, when it comes to my sister--."

"I wasn't talking about your sister," he snapped. "I was making sweeping statements. I was speaking about infatuation in general."

"Okay, let me make some sweeping statements too. Unrequited love is bullshit. Life's too short. Don't waste your time making mooneyes at some crush, especially when you have no chance. And since my sister has no chance with you, she should get over her crush, and quickly."

"Have you always been this bitter, Slayer?"

"Have you always been such an emotional sap?"

Spike snorted. He ran his fingers through his bleached blond hair. "Well, I wasn't called William the Bloody Awful Poet for nothing, pet."

"Oh yeah, sometimes I forget how unbelievably lame you are."

"Were."

"Whatever. Just stay on your best behavior when you're around Dawn. No more flirting and take it easy on the teasing. She already hangs on your every word."

"And just how much will she be around?"

"Every day after school until I come by to pick her up."

"And will there be an hourly wage for all this baby sitting?"

"No. You owe me. I helped you last night."

Spike thoughtfully touched his thumb and forefinger to his chin. He liked Dawn; spending time with her wouldn't be terrible. The little chatterbox had already spilled a great deal of precious information about her sister when they had watched television together the week before. She had also let it slip that their mother, Joyce, had been sick a lot lately. And Spike didn't mind helping out Joyce. She was nice lady who had been kind to him in the past. And if the Slayer had a reason to come by every night, even if it were just five days a week...

"Well, I will have a lot more time on my hands since Harm's gone," he shrugged.

"Or at least you think she's gone. We'll be making sure tonight."

"We?"

"You're going to take me to all her usual haunts. I want Dawn completely safe, and she won't be if Harmony still out for your blood."

"I don't think she would have the guts to," he stopped. What I am doing? he thought. "You're absolutely right. I know of some people we can talk to. I know where we can go." If Buffy wanted to spend time with him, he wasn't going to ruin everything by saying that Harmony would never hurt Dawn. Hurting a close friend or family member of the Slayer's was like suicide. Sure it ruffled her feathers, but it didn't make her weaker. It made her stronger and it royally pissed her off-Spike knew that from experience.

"Dawn will come by after school. I'll pick her up at sundown and we'll walk her home. Then we'll look for Harmony, alright?"

He nodded. He waited until Buffy left his crypt to crack a smile. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and eagerly waited for their upcoming date.
***





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