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The Next morning, Spike was startled awake by someone knocking on the crypt door. He was about to get up to see who or what it was when he felt Dawn slip past where he was pretending to sleep on top of the sarcophagus.

Completely awake now, Spike listened carefully as Dawn opened the door.

Behind his closed eyelids, Spike saw the glare of sun light up the dark tomb, and the scent of one of his least favorite Scoobies wafted towards him.

“Hey Dawnie, you ready to go?” Xander whispered as softly as he could.

“Go where?” Dawn asked, completely confused.

“To school, where else? The Buffster sent me over here when I showed up this morning, said that you were staying with Spike now. Hey, do you know if anything happened? She was all bruises this morning, said that some big bad got a hold of her.” Xander’s face showed his worry which Dawn mirrored. Buffy was almost always fully healed the morning after a patrol.

“Is she ok?” Dawn asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

Xander smiled. “Oh ya, you know Buffy, she’s a fighter, and the bruising should be gone by noon. She wanted me to tell you that she’s going to visit Joyce today, and if you wanted to come, she would wait till school was out and then pick you up. That sound good?”

Dawn nodded, and on impulse reached out and hugged Xander around the waist. “Thanks Xander. I really appreciate you coming to get me.”

Xander blushed, but hugged her back. “Any time Dawnie. Oh, I almost forgot,” Xander said, pulling away, and handing her the bag in his hand. “Buffy packed you your lunch. By the smell of it it’s left over spaghetti from last night.”

Taking the bag, Dawn wasn’t sure whether to laugh at Xander’s nose, or cry for Buffy.

“Now, you ready to go? We’re going to be late and then we’d have to hear about it from both Ahn and Buffy.” Xander joked.

This time Dawn did giggle, and took a quick look around the crypt to make sure that she hadn’t forgotten anything. “Yep, let’s go.”

“Don’t you think you should tell your dad where you’re going first?” Xander asked, giving the still, silent figure atop the sarcophagus a wary look.

“Na, it’s ok, I left him a note.” Dawn said, as she shut the door behind her.

Unbeknownst to Spike, Dawn had woken up over an hour ago, and gotten all of her school stuff together.

As much as she loved her father, Dawn knew that she could never live in the dark like he did. So, scribbling off a quick note to Spike about where she had gone, and that she would be back after school, and placing it on top of the TV where he was sure to see it, Dawn was just slipping on her backpack when Xander came knocking.

As soon as he was sure that they had gone, Spike sat up and swung his legs over the side of the sarcophagus. Running his hands through his hair, Spike sighed long and deep.

‘What am I going to do?’ Spike was at a complete loss.

Did he keep Dawn here with him in the crypt? Did he find a new place for them to live? Or, did he take her back to the Slayer, with his tail between his legs. And if he did take Dawn back, where did that leave him? Would the Slayer give him back his invite? Would she forgive him? Did he really want her to?

Even as all of these questions flew through his head, Spike knew what he had to do. He wasn’t happy about it, but it was the best thing for Dawn.

With his decision firmly in mind, Spike lifted his tired body up, and forced his legs to carry him down the ladder, and over to his soft, rumpled bed.




Chapter 8


That night found Spike pacing the Summer’s back porch, chain smoking as he waited for Dawn and the Slayer to get back from the hospital.

He was only about to start on his second pack, when he heard a car pull into the driveway. Calming himself down, Spike melted back into the shadows, and watched as they entered the kitchen. He watched curiously as Buffy sat an obviously shaken Dawn into one of the chairs at the counter, and then went about making hot chocolate for the two of them.

“What did that guy mean mom?” Dawn asked in a little voice.

After finding out that Buffy was really her mother, Dawn had surprised herself with how ‘ok’ she was with the idea. She had gotten used to the feeling that came along with being able to call Buffy mom, and she decided that she liked it.

Coming around the counter, Buffy enveloped Dawn in a warm hug. “I don’t know Dawnie, I don’t know.” Buffy pulled back slightly, stroking Dawn’s hair. “But I promise you, we’re going to find out. Everything’s going to be ok.”

As Buffy continued to stroke Dawn’s hair, the conversation she had had with her mother at the hospital replayed through her mind.

‘“She’s not mine, is she?” Joyce asked, looking up at Buffy helplessly.

Gently, Buffy stroked her mother’s hand, as an odd mixture of sadness and pride flooded her face.

“No. Mom, listen. Dawn, she’s…She’s mine. Mine and Spike’s. I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, Dawn is my daughter. And I think she’s in trouble.”

“I don’t understand, Buffy, how is that possible?”

“We’re not sure yet, but I have the gang working on it. Mom, listen, so far only you, me, Willow, and Dawn, know the truth.”

“Buffy, are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean Spike-”

“I can’t, mom, not yet. I will, just not…not yet.”

Joyce saw the pain and sadness that passed over Buffy’s face, before she quickly masked the emotions.

“Buffy, what’s wrong? What happened?” Joyce asked in a soothing voice, taking Buffy’s hand in her own.

Faced with her mother’s compassion, Buffy had to fight hard not to break down, but still ended up confessing that she had had Willow take Spike’s invite away. When Joyce asked why, Buffy could only shake her head, as a strangled sob broke loose from her throat, and let her mother console her.

Joyce could see how much having to lock Spike out of their house was hurting her daughter. She also knew about Buffy’s feelings for the vampire, so she couldn’t imagine what he had done that was so horrible.

In truth, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.’


The sound of hot chocolate on the stove starting to bubble broke Buffy out of her thoughts. As Buffy started to pull away, Dawn stopped her.

“Mom?”

Buffy looked back down at her for a moment. “Ya sweetheart?”

Dawn looked up at her with her face full of worry. “Is Joyce going to be ok?”

Buffy teared up, but fought hard not to let a single drop fall. “I…I don’t know Dawnie.” She whispered helplessly.

Spike watched the tender moment from the shadows in surprise, and no small amount of worry. He hadn’t been aware that Joyce was so sick; he had just assumed she was going in for a regular checkup.

Remembering what he had come here for in the first place, Spike gathered all of the pride and courage he could muster, and knocked on the door. His gut twisted when both girls stopped and looked towards the door with trepidation. He watched as Buffy slowly put her mug down, and came to answer the door.

“Hello Spike.” She said coldly.

Taking on his old ‘Bad Ass’ attitude, Spike looked her up and down, then shrugged her off, as though she had been found wanting.

Any other time, this would have crippled Buffy. But with all of the pain she had gone through lately, she was able to easily push it aside.

“I’m here for my daughter, Slayer.” He said, skipping all formalities.

Buffy turned her head to look back at Dawn. Studying the one she now knew was her daughter, Buffy came to a decision. “Stay where you are Dawn.” Buffy ordered as she walked out of the kitchen and headed up to her room.

“What? Dawn, no, get up, were leaven’” Spike scowled at the Slayer’s back. ‘What the hell does she think she’s playen’ at?’

Just moments later Buffy came back down the stairs, holding something in her hands.

Walking up to Spike, Buffy spoke to Dawn over her shoulder. “Dawn, stay here while I have a talk with your father.”

Nodding wordlessly, Dawn watched her parents as they made their way onto the back porch.



“Spike, listen, we need to talk.”

“About what, Slayer?”

“I have to tell you, about the other night, what happened.”

Spike just stayed silent and continued to look at her.

“But before I can, you need to put this on.” Buffy said, holding the amulet out to him.

Spike was still, he wasn’t sure what it was she was drawing at, but he knew that whatever the amulet would show him, he still wasn’t ready to deal with.

Buffy sighed in exasperation at his stubbornness. “Look, if you want to understand why I did what I did, you need to put this on.” When he still refused to take it she huffed again, “fine, close your eyes.”

Spike took a moment to study the Slayer, and evaluate the situation.

What Dawn had said the night before ran through his head, and, taking a deep breath, he finally closed his eyes.

Uncomfortable with the situation, Spike lashed out; “you’re not going to put a sword thru my gut are you?”

After a few moments and no response from Buffy, Spike opened his eyes.

She still stood in front of him, but instead of the steely resolve of earlier, her face held such a look of anguish that if anyone were to walk by they would have assumed that he had struck her, indeed it probably would have been the more humane thing to do.

“I didn’t deserve that.” She said in a strangled whisper, looking him dead in the eye.

Spike stayed silent.

After another moment, and still silence, Buffy’s eyes hardened. Ignoring her tears, she raised her arm, and effectively threw the amulet at him.

“I’ll pick it up when I drop Dawn off tonight. Don’t break it.” Buffy said, turning to the door, and entering where he couldn’t follow. She was about to shut the door but turned back; “If you have any questions, ask Dawn, or Willow if Dawn doesn’t know. But leave me alone. I’m done with you.” She said closing the door calmly behind her and taking up the seat she had vacated just minutes earlier.


“That was quick.” Dawn ventured, when Buffy came to sit back down beside her.

“You have no idea.” Buffy sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“Not good?” Dawn stated the obvious.

Looking over at her, Buffy sighed. “I’m sorry Dawn. I just can’t deal with your father on top of everything else right now.”

Dawn shrugged. “It’s ok mom, I understand.”

“Hey, what do you say we watch a movie before I take you back to the crypt?” Buffy offered, running her hand over Dawn’s hair.

“You mean I’m going back?” Dawn asked with surprise.

Standing up, Buffy ushered them into the living room. “Hopefully it’s just for a little while. I gave Spike the amulet just now. I would have just had him put it on here, but unfortunately he was being classic Spike, so I’m going to pick it up tonight after I drop you off. I’ll talk to him tomorrow about you moving back in. You know how stubborn he can be, I’m just giving him some time and space to cool off, and deal. Let’s just hope he’s more reasonable tomorrow.”

Sitting down on one end of the couch, Buffy let Dawn stretch out with her head in her lap, and running her fingers through her daughter’s hair. Buffy and Dawn settled down to watch a movie.





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