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Dawn sped by with four quick steps, making Spike back up while an expression of total shock cemented itself on his face. Buffy turned and watched, as first Dawn put her hands on her hips, then Spike swallowed hard enough that his Adam's apple bobbed visibly beneath his pale skin. Was he actually getting paler?

Not possible, but Dawn's presence certainly seemed to upset him. Then, delayed and sharp, her words registered, and Buffy asked, "Helped you?" She frowned and approached her sister. "How did he help you?"

"I- I didn't," Spike stuttered. Both girls looked at him in confusion, Dawn more cynically. Spike lifted his hands and put them behind his head, crossing the fingers as if a police officer had told him to do so. He tried for relaxed and cavalier, but only really managed tense and evasive. "I mean, I was just- just passing through. And-"

"And you helped me," Dawn interrupted. "I was almost dragged off and you-"

"Whoa, wait. What do you mean you were 'almost dragged off?' " Buffy demanded.

"I was going that way," Spike said. "Would've gotten in my way."

Dawn's eyebrows rose. "Me getting attacked would've 'gotten in your way?' That's why you helped me?"

Spike looked between the two women and felt himself sinking. "Not- Not exactly..."

"I didn't think so." Dawn glanced at Buffy, then back to him. "Who are you?"

The room was charged, questions and absolute confusion sparking the air like electricity. Buffy's hands came in front of her, palms facing out in a halting gesture. "Hold on. What happened tonight?"

Silence followed. Spike's lips were glued, but when he did finally decide to open them after a significant pause, Dawn had chosen to push her questions aside in order to answer her sister's. "Well, he saved me."

"How?" The sarcastic query came from behind them, out of Darla's mocking mouth. Buffy scolded her with a glare, but then sent Dawn her own expectant look.

"I was on my way here," she answered, "and told the cab to pull over because I needed to use the bathroom. He pulled into a gas station." Dawn faced Spike once again as she went on. "When I was done, I passed an- an alley to get back to where the cab was waiting for me. A homeless guy was begging for change and I-," she looked down, frowning softly as she tried to remember, "I opened my purse. Then he grabbed me."

Buffy immediately interjected. "Did he hurt you?"

Dawn flashed her a sardonic expression. "Do I look hurt to you?"

Buffy just crossed her arms. "Continue."

"He only had me for a moment. I screamed but he covered my mouth." Dawn took a short breath and her voice lowered. "I didn't even see his face. I just remember him being pulled away from me really fast." She looked to Spike again, "He was holding him back." Her eyes focused, and she spoke clearly this time. "You told me to run."

His jaw was clenched, and his cheeks hollowed; those blue eyes were blocked and guarded when he said, "I did."

"And so," Dawn said, "I ran." She shrugged when she looked at Buffy again. "I got back in the cab and came straight here."

"You don't seem too shook up about it," Spike commented.

Buffy didn't really notice when Dawn replied in an offhand way, or even hear Darla's footsteps approach. All Buffy could see was Spike, and her eyes were fixed in disbelief.

He looked like her attention was the last thing he wanted.

"Anyway," Dawn spoke brightly, "I'm not going to try and figure out why you two seem so adamant about having a staring contest right now. I just want to know who he is," she pointed at Spike, "and how he knows you," then switched her finger on Buffy.

When Buffy shook her head and looked down, Dawn turned around to seek out Darla.

"Hi," the blonde woman said in greeting. "Long time no see."

Dawn abruptly smiled, realizing that she hadn't gotten a chance yet to offer her a polite hello. "It's good to see you Darla." Tilting her head at the two currently locked in a mutually frozen state, she asked, "So, who is he?"

The lady vamp rose one defined brow and opened her mouth, but then pursed her lips together again, unsure of what to say. She looked to Buffy and crossed her arms; Buffy glanced back in return.

It broke the spell. She quickly shook off all the emotions and questions raging through her brain, and focused instead on the light feeling she was experiencing somewhere amongst everything else, in her chest. She cleared her throat, and said, "Dawn, this is Spike."

Her sister's face was comical. " 'Spike?' Seriously?"

The man in question rolled his eyes. "Oh, give me a break. You're named after the bloody sunrise."

"Whatever." Dawn looked to Buffy again. "Now that I know his... strange name, what's he doing here? How do you two know each other?"

Quiet. Irritating quiet came again, and Dawn had had enough. Before she could explode, Buffy hastily tried to explain. "He's my friend."

She felt his icy blue eyes fixed on her face. It felt like the right thing to say. It seemed the only plausible explanation. She couldn't rightly say he was her boyfriend.

Well, actually...

"Friend?" Dawn asked.

"Boyfriend," Buffy amended, and Spike's gaze must've burned right through her. She stuck with the correction, and took a deep breath. "He's my boyfriend."

Her sister blinked repeatedly, trying to grasp this new information. Then some things began clicking into place, and like always, a trail of questions followed the new realization. "A new boyfriend?"

"Kind of."

"He was heading here when I ran into him earlier, wasn't he?"

"Yes," Buffy answered.

"How did you get here before me if you were on foot?" Dawn asked Spike.

*I'm a vampire with supernatural speed.* He shrugged. "Luck?"

She frowned at that answer, but turned back to Buffy anyway. "Is this why you wouldn't go on the double date with Xander and I?"

"The what?" Spike asked sharply.

Buffy's eyes bulged nearly out of her head. "Yes, but Dawn... The only reason I didn't tell you was- was-"

"Was what?" she demanded. "Buffy, I know you like to have a private life, okay? I just wish you would've felt comfortable telling me that you had a boyfriend."

Oh, crap. Buffy felt guilt tumble down. "It- It's complicated, Dawn."

"It always is." Her sister sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes in her usual way. "You know you can trust me, Buffy. I'm not going to pry too much. I thought I'd proved I quit doing that."

Buffy said, "You did. And it had nothing to do with you. It had to do with..." She looked at Spike, who wore a rigid expression that said she'd be explaining some things later on, then back at Dawn, "us. We're kind of working some things out."

Dawn fidgeted, shuffling her feet and frowning. "Is it serious?" she nearly grumbled.

"Yes."

"Yes."

Buffy and Spike stared at each other after they responded simultaneously, though Dawn had only been addressing her sister. There was fire and determination, a hard edged rigidness in Spike's gaze that spoke words like commitment, ownership, and intent. Buffy's own eyes glowed with vulnerability while tension sat in her shoulders, things that were there mainly due to her recent declaration in front of Dawn, and well, speaking it out loud at all.

"How long have you two been seeing each other?" Dawn asked. She didn't seem to recognize the sparks flying between the couple in front of her; or maybe she did, but she didn't let on.

Buffy wanted to answer, but she also knew that the answer wouldn't suffice to explain just how serious things actually were between them. So, she deflected, and did so quickly, while also trying to remember that her relationship with Spike felt much older than it was, and that was okay for once. Spike was nothing even resembling "safe;" she knew that, and with the arrival of her father, the point was made transparently clear. However, she had met a man who was actually devoted, and truthful. He was agonizingly truthful.

She ushered Dawn passed Spike and into the kitchen, asking Darla to make some tea- Dawn wasn't a big fan of coffee lately -and sitting her down on a chair by the island. "Look, a lot has happened today and I have to make you understand things about dad before we get into anything else."

Buffy could tell Dawn was nearly bristling at the bossy-big-sister role she had slipped into. The elder relied on it when she could, and frankly, she needed it today.

Fortunately, though annoyed, Dawn just sighed and agreed, nodding her acquiesce. "Fine. But I have some other things to talk to you about besides dad, too."

"Sounds good." Buffy smiled with relief. "Give me a minute, okay? I'm just going to talk to Spike, then I'll be back." The vampire in question was standing right behind her, but he would need to vacate the room so she could talk to Dawn privately.

Buffy didn't know if he'd consent, but she would have to try.

Before she tugged her mate to the doorway, then Dawn spoke up again. "Oh, Spike?"

Both he and Buffy turned around; Spike gave the brunette a questioning look.

"Thank you for helping me," she said.

He smiled disarmingly, almost warmly, as his stiff demeanor softened. "Anytime, pet."

***

Awhile later, Buffy sat with Dawn at the island. It was a grueling conversation they'd just had, filled with questions Buffy just barely managed to answer. Darla helped by interjecting, and the story managed to develop so wholly, that by the end Buffy herself nearly believed it.

Their father was mentally unbalanced, and dangerous. It was the perfect explanation for his angry outburst and the strange calm just before, and the physical altercation. And it was reasonable if one decided to overlook the fact that Hank Summers had no history of mental illness.

Dawn asked about calling the police, but her heart wasn't in it. Buffy pretended hers wasn't either, when in truth she just knew that calling the cops on a homicidal vampire would be illogical.

She explained the importance of staying away from Hank, and not letting him inside the house. She told Dawn everything her sister needed to know, and now Buffy just had to figure out a way to take care of Hank before he hurt anyone.

Dawn had valiantly tried to move off the subject, talking now about inconsequential things like why she was working this weekend and Xander's idea to buy a second car. She was trying to distract everyone in the room, including herself, from the harsher topics available at hand. Buffy's eyes had unfocused while Darla replied at appropriate times, continuing a conversation she herself should be a part of.

At the moment, Buffy was simply grateful that Dawn had backed off the subject of romantic relationships. There was no theory as to why, but Buffy wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She was too busy agonizing over the latest exchange between her and her vampire.

Now, she recalled Spike's earlier words, the ones they had shared before she relegated him to another room. She couldn't be sure he wasn't eavesdropping right now, but she didn't truly care if he was. Their last personal conversation had barely concerned Hank.

"He has to go, Buffy."

"I know he does," she replied. "But I can't-... I can't kill him Spike, he's my father."

"He ain't your flesh and blood anymore, pet. He's a monster."

"Don't you think I know that? He went after Dawn! I know he has to go but... I just want a- a way to make him be gone. I can't kill him."

He huffed out an impatient breath, grinding his teeth together. "I don't expect you to."

She raised her hazel green eyes, a severe question dawning in them. "You want to kill him."

He stood silent, and she said nothing else. Buffy's gaze broke from his and she looked down; she was as stiff as a statue. Spike could barely stand the quiet, but he slowly realized as it drew out, that she couldn't voice an allowance. She could not tell him to kill Hank, but she had to accept the move whether or not she wanted to; if not to protect herself, then at least to protect her sister.

Spike let himself focus on something else. She hadn't left his side just yet which meant she wasn't ready to talk to Dawn. He brought up the first thing that came to mind. "So you were asked on a double date?"

That got her attention easily."By Dawn," she clarified.

"Ah." He ground his teeth together again, not even aware of it. "When were you asked?"

"Not very long ago," she said. "Dawn's husband has a work friend they wanted to set me up with. I said no."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

He took an involuntary step closer. "Why?"

She nearly pushed him away. "I told her I wasn't interested in a blind date because of you! God, I thought that was obvious."

He nodded, eyes trained on her angry face. "But you didn't tell her about me."

Buffy sighed. "No, not until tonight. What did you want me to say, that I was suddenly mated to a vampire?"

"Could have."

Buffy's eyes bulged. "Are you crazy?!"

"Why?" he said. "It's just the truth."

She threw her arms down at her sides."I didn't want to tell her about the whole vampire claim thing until it had already happened. She won't understand, and she isn't going to just jump on the undead bandwagon here."

"Especially when she doesn't even know about it, right?"

Buffy's lips firmed. "My sister has always wanted me to find someone, and she's tried to set me up with guys before. This-" she waved her hand between the two of them, "-is going to be hard to understand. I'm just starting to figure it out and accept it myself, I don't need to be trying to convince my sister it's what I want and what's best for me, right now."

Spike's stomach knotted. "So, it's not what you want."

Her eyes hardened. "No. It IS. But it might take me a while to explain that to my friends and family, Darla not included."

His jaw clenched as he sucked in a length of unneeded air. "Mighty good excuse, pet."

Buffy shook her head. "You are unbelievable."

And with that, she'd left. Buffy had come to Dawn to focus on the issue of their psycho father, pushing her own problems with Spike aside.

She believed his doubts and fears, though logical, were still unfair. She knew they would have to talk things out later, but as for now-

"Buffy?"

-she needed to try and deal with the fact her dad was going to be gone soon, and reconcile the way he would be killed, why, and by whom.

"Buffy!"

She jolted. "Huh? W-What?"

Dawn shook her head with a gentle smile. "Where were you?"

"Oh, uh nowhere. Right here. Just zoned a little bit."

"I could tell," Dawn said, before adjusting her position, turning more towards Buffy. "I was telling Darla about my job, and how it's kind of the reason why Xander wants to buy a second car. Now that I'm not working from home anymore, we're finding out how much of a drag it is taking cabs everywhere when one of us can't pick the other up."

Buffy's lips formed an 'O' shape. "I think that's good. Smart."

Dawn's lips firmed as an excited look entered her eyes. "Cabs are kind of the reason."

Buffy frowned questioningly. Dawn smiled again, softly, and almost like she had a secret to tell.

Buffy recognized that look, and it usually meant good news. However, such news coming from her younger sister in the past had often meant she needed to stop Dawn from doing something stupid. Fortunately, Dawn had quit getting into trouble around the age of seventeen.

"I'm pregnant."

That was a different kind of trouble.

The words barely registered, but when they fully imprinted on her mind, Buffy stuttered, "Y-You're-" she pointed at her sibling; a girl who suddenly seemed so old. "Pregnant? You're pregnant?"

Dawn nodded giddily, and Darla moved forward to give her a hug. Buffy accepted one from her sibling next, while her brain ran itself into the ground. She realized she was frowning when Dawn pointed it out. "I- I'm just processing."

"Processing never looked so worried."

"Xander?" Buffy asked. "Xander's going to be a dad?"

Dawn did that happy nod again. "Yeah. He's so excited!"

Buffy finally smiled then, her thoughts slowing. There were so many mental pop-ups; Xander as a father kind of freaked her out, but not nearly as much as her little sister being a mom did. Then, she heard Joyce's voice in her head, clearing away all the concerns. Buffy imagined how happy she would be, how excited. She would've been a grandmother. "Oh, Dawn."

She didn't notice the watery smile she was giving her sister until Dawn said, "You never cry, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you're doing it because you're happy, considering you're smiling."

Buffy lunged at her and wrapped her in her arms, then abruptly jumped off the chair. Laughter started, a little squealing, and a celebratory air came over the room. Chatter concerning a due date, wellness, even names, and other baby related things captured all interest.

Eventually, the exclamations even brought Spike back into the kitchen. He stayed only for a minute. It seemed like he simply wanted to know what was causing such loud enthusiasm, even though Buffy assumed that he must have heard everything from the other room.

He offered Dawn congratulations, and then shared a guarded look with his mate before leaving. Not long after, the doorbell rang. When Dawn and Buffy got up to answer it, they met Spike in the front hall.

The bleached blonde stepped away from the door, arms crossed. Buffy noticed his protective stance, but Dawn flew right by and let Xander in.

"Was just making sure it wasn't-... him." Spike whispered in Buffy's ear when he got close. She nodded, a warm yet dreadful feeling igniting in her stomach. A woman shouldn't fear her father. Yet, she was lucky to have someone in her life who cared enough to try and protect her from him if necessary.

Buffy returned a hug from her brother-in-law when he engulfed her, then congratulated him immediately on the good news. "Thanks Buff," he replied affectionately, "Thought it was about time we got another Summers girl on this planet."

"Or boy," Dawn pointed out.

"Or a boy," Xander happily agreed. He didn't seem to care which he got, and neither did Dawn.

It took him a minute to notice the other presences in the house. He saw Darla, said hello and exchanged the quick niceties, while she threw in a harmless barb just to remind him of her personality (Darla had never really liked Xander, but she got along with him okay). Then, he turned and looked at Spike, eyeing the stranger curiously. "Hey there."

The bleached blonde in black rose one scarred eyebrow, looking Xander up and down. "Hello."

"I'm Xander," he extended his hand, which Spike took after a short pause.

"I'm Spike."

"Spi-?"

Buffy cut off Xander's unintentional insult. "Spike is..." all eyes trained on her, and she had to gulp down some nerves, "my boyfriend."

"Your-" Xander looked at the muscled punk to his left once again, nodding. "Okay then." He brushed the topic aside, and Buffy didn't miss Spike's scowl directed at her brother-in-law's careless tone of voice.

Buffy had a feeling Spike wouldn't take a liking to Xander very easily, and judging by Xander's evasive eye movements, the feeling would remain mutual for a while.

"So," he said, addressing Dawn, "did you guys talk about stuff besides the baby...?"

She nodded in reply, and said, "Yeah. My dad is... Well, dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"I'll explain more in the car. Right now I just want to get home," she said, rubbing the back of her neck a little. Xander didn't miss it, and asked if she was okay. When Dawn let him gently pull her shirt collar down to reveal a previously unknown of, slightly blue mark, his face went dark. "What happened?"

Dawn's eyes shot to her sister, before meeting her husband's again. "It's a long story. I'll just tell you in the car."

Buffy stepped in and said, "That's probably a good idea. I bet you're tired after everything," she said, putting her hand on Dawn's shoulder, "and in your condition... You'd better get home and get some sleep."

Her quick step-in paid off, and had Dawn headed out of the house and towards the car before Xander could demand an explanation then and there, forcing everyone to relive one of the odder stories of the evening.

That, and Buffy knew how Xander would react to said story. The man's temper would only be able to be cooled by Dawn, no one else.

Although, she did wish she could see his reaction when Xander found out about Spike's role in his wife's rescue.

Buffy watched out the window as Dawn was needlessly doted over while Xander walked beside her, his arm banded around her still slim waist.

As they drove off, Buffy had the overwhelming feeling of gratefulness towards Spike. She didn't want to think what might have happened to her sister had he not been there. A bruised neck would have been nothing compared.

Buffy was sure hearing of Spike's actions would put a dent in Xander's uncertainty on whether to take him seriously or not.

Finally turning away from the window, she faced the blue eyed protector, and said, "I need to ask a favor." He stayed quiet, and she sighed before explaining. "I know we're not exactly on the best terms right now, but could you head to their place and just make sure they get inside okay, maybe stake out the area a little to be sure my dad isn't hanging around?"

Spike nodded, and was about to ask for the address when Darla stepped up. "I'll do it," she said. "You two obviously have some talking to do."

"But my dad knows you. He might try and-"

"I can take care of myself."

"But-" The vampire walked to the front door, ignoring her. Buffy sighed deeply before calling out, "At least take my cell with you!"

"Already grabbed it." She was gone in a flash.

And Spike and Buffy were left alone.

The tension seemed to float up from nowhere, leaving Buffy breathing deeper than she knew was normal. She looked away from him, and Spike came closer. His soft footsteps were what finally edged her to look up, and there he stood apologetic, his jaw clenched and eyes frustrated. "I'm sorry," he said.

She blinked. *Well that was unexpected.*

"I was a jerk. I shouldn't have pushed you the way that I did."

Buffy glanced away again as her heart began to race. "Thank-... Thank you."

"I just- I don't know what to do here," he said, "One minute I think we're getting... closer. And the next I feel like you're pulling back from me. I know I said I'd wait, and I will, but I'm trying the best I can, Buffy."

Her voice was quiet and tinged with warmth. "I know."

"And now with your dad in the bloody mix..."

He was worried, which she understood. However, emotionally, things weren't exactly going all too well in her heart right now. She was quickly approaching the "point of no return" with Spike, but she had yet to calm down enough to stop calling it that.

Her dad was just one more thing to postpone her inner dealings with having a mate.

"You know what I'll have to do, right?"

She remembered his last words, and nodded. "Yes."

He was silent for a few seconds, then, "Are you going to hate me?" His voice was laden with dismay.

She looked at his face and shook her head. "I couldn't."

He rose an eyebrow. "Even if I kill him-"

"He isn't my dad," Buffy said; the sudden admission made her feel sad and relieved at the same time. "Not anymore."

Spike cautiously reached out a hand to grasp hers. She'd lowered her eyes again, so he put a gentle touch below her chin to lift her face. Hesitantly, he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.

Buffy melted slowly, lazily, as all her fears drifted away in the space of a minute. The taste of him fogged her mind as much as it cleared it, centering her focus, until the only thing that mattered was right there holding her hand.

Her arms lifted and wrapped around his neck, and she felt his suddenly empty fingers dance along her waist until they were bunching in her shirt. They moved down, tingling sensations following in their wake as his touches slipped under the fabric guarding her skin.

Little invisible flames sparked where her hands traced, where her nails gently scratched at the nape of his neck. Spike pulled her flush against his body, reveling in the kiss as it lasted, and refusing to let himself push for more. After all, as long as Buffy wasn't backing out, as long as she still wanted him, wanted them, he had what he needed.

He would wait as long as necessary for the rest.

_______________________________

Thank you to everyone for the reviews and for reading! I hope you're all enjoying the story! *big hugs*





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