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* * * *
Chapter Six
Bond
* * * *
* * * *
Spike cried out as a ray of
sunlight fell across his arm.
“Bloody hell!” he cried, quickly waking from his Jack Daniel’s-induced
slumber. He looked up, partly hoping to see Buffy standing in the doorway
even as the other part of him shot that idea down. She hadn’t spoken to
him since that night three weeks ago.
“I’m sorry! Did I burn you?”
He sighed in relief as the girl closed the crypt door behind her. “What’re
you doing here, Nibblet? Thought you had school ‘bout now.”
Dawn frowned. “It’s Saturday, Spike. A-Are you OK?”
Spike looked up at her, hoping she wouldn’t notice the empty bottles of
Jack scattered in front of the television.
“I haven’t seen you in a while, and Buffy won’t tell me why you weren’t at
the hospital, and she’s acting like…”
Spike’s eyes widened in alarm. “Hospital? Is she alright? She didn’t get
hurt again, did she?”
Dawn shook her head, a look of confusion crossing her features momentarily
before she spoke. “No, it’s not Buffy. It’s Mom.”
“Your mum?” he replied, walking closer to her. “What’s wrong?”
The look on her face clearly showed her surprise at how out of the loop he
was. “She’s sick. There was an operation last week.”
“Operation? Is she OK?”
Dawn nodded her head, her eyes closing momentarily from impatience. “Yeah,
yeah. Mom’s fine. She made a complete recovery.”
Spike heaved a sigh of relief, his eyes falling to the floor. Buffy didn’t
even bother to tell him. She knew how much he cared for Joyce. She knew
how much he’d want to be there for her, as well.
“Did you and Buffy have a fight or something?” Dawn asked in a rush, like
she’d been searching for the bravery to ask the question.
Spike smirked bitterly and raised his eyebrows as he returned to his
armchair. “What put that incredibly obvious idea in your head?” he asked
bitterly.
“I haven’t seen you in about a month, for one. Plus, Buffy’s eyes get all
big when I ask about you. Then she tells me to go to my room, and I’m like
‘hello, you’re so not my mother.’”
Spike frowned. “Ask about me a lot, do you?”
“Well, yeah,” she said with a smile. Too bad he couldn’t see it. “I
miss you,” she added in a quieter tone.
Spike turned his head as far as he could in his seat and glanced at her.
“Is that right?”
Dawn smiled bashfully before dropping her bookbag on the floor and walking
over to him. “Yeah. A-And plus, Buffy’s been really mean lately. More than
usual, I mean.”
Spike smiled despite himself as she sat cross-legged in front of his chair
and looked up at him. “She always has been kind of a bitch.”
Dawn giggled. “Oh, yeah?” she said dubiously, doubting that he believed
that. He did date her, after all.
“Why is it, do you think?” Dawn frowned in confusion during the long pause
he took. “That I love her so much?”
Dawn opened her mouth to reply but closed it quickly, realizing she didn’t
have an answer to that. “You… you do, don’t you?”
“Course I do,” he replied quickly, his face relaxing. “Well, I guess
that’s decided on. I love her. So why does she...” Spike trailed off,
turning away from Dawn. She watched him with sad eyes.
“You guys broke up, didn’t you.” Her shoulders dropped disappointedly. It
wasn’t a question; it was merely a realization on her part. “Why?”
“Dunno, pet,” he said, his eyes narrowing on the far off corner of the
crypt. “I think she’s scared.”
“Of you?” she said with a derisive snort. Spike shot her a look that said
she better well find him frightening. She recovered quickly. “But you’ve
got the chip. And plus, you’d never hurt her.”
Spike met her eyes. “Never.”
“Then what’s her problem?”
He offered her a small smile. “Wish I knew.”
Dawn looked away sadly, her eyes falling on the empty whiskey bottles
beside her. She lifted one up. “You’ve been real busy,” she pointed out
snidely.
Spike leaned down and snatched the bottle from her hands. “Yeah. Don’t
touch.”
“So, what are you going to do?” she asked after a lengthy silence.
“About what?”
“Are you… are you gonna leave?”
“Can’t.”
Dawn looked up at him hopefully. “Why not?”
Spike shrugged. “I dunno.”
“Will I ever see you again?”
“You’re seein’ me now.”
“After now.”
“Depends on Buffy, don’t it? Or… I guess not, since you’re here.” He sat
up in his seat and eyed the girl warily. “She doesn’t know you’re here,
does she?”
A sly smile spread across Dawn’s face. “No. She thinks I’m going shopping
for her birthday. Ha, I made her gift. It’s this Tuesday, you
know,” she added in a softer voice.
“Haven’t forgotten, luv.”
“Are you gonna come by?”
“What is this, twenty questions?” he asked with agitation. “She told me to
stay away from her, Nibblet. She…” his aggravation died down and made way
for his dejection as he remembered the sting of her words. “She said she
didn’t love me. I think that bars an invite to her birthday gala.”
Tears formed in Dawn’s eyes. “But… I can’t remember a birthday party
without you. Not since we came here.”
“I know.”
“We met on my birthday, remember?” she asked breathlessly, smiling through
the tears. “You were hiding in Buffy’s closet.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on Spike’s face. “Yeah. You were stealing
shoes, if I recall. Ones that didn’t quite fit.”
Dawn laughed. “And when Mom ran up I told her I saw a spider.”
Spike shook his head, still smiling. “She thought all that screamin’ was
over a little spider?”
“Well, I don’t like spiders.”
Spike’s chuckle died out and his smile faded as he remembered what
happened later that night. Buffy had accused him of reading her diary. She
had looked deeply into his eyes. She’d lifted her chin and kissed him
deeply for the first time…
“Was that the night Buffy found out you were a vampire?”
Spike nodded.
“I thought so. She never told me when.”
Dawn kept wide, teary eyes on his face for a long period of time. Her lips
parted every now and then as if to speak, but no words escaped them.
Finally, she scooted closer to his chair and sat back on her ankles.
“Spike? I’m scared. Buffy’s been acting weird lately, like something’s
wrong with me. She’s been on my case 24/7, e-even when Mom was sick.”
“Well, it’s tough for her, pet. Always having to be the strong one.”
“No, that’s not it. Ever since that day when she freaked out and slammed
me against the door she’s been acting weird. Now everyone’s acting weird.”
She smiled spitefully. “You’re cooped up day and night drinking whiskey
and feeling sorry for yourself and yet you’re the only one who’s still the
same. Funny, huh?”
Spike stared at her hard. “Ha, ha.”
She looked away from him then, shifting lower to the ground as she exhaled
slowly. Spike looked towards the windows of the crypt and noticed that
less light was pouring through them than when she arrived.
“It’s almost dark. You might want to head home.”
“Would you mind if I stayed a little longer?”
Spike looked into her big, girly eyes and realized there was no way he
could deny a Summers woman. Especially a bite-size one. He nodded.
“Alright.”
Dawn sniffed and laid her head on his knee, a tender act that Spike felt
unusually grateful for. It was a strange thing to be feeling, he thought,
since she’d given him hugs and the like before. He reached down and ran
his fingers through her long hair and was glad that someone still cared
about him. He heard her sniffle and felt something in his chest tighten.
“Shh. You’ll be alright, little one.”
* * * *
Buffy grabbed her jacket and
cursed herself for temporarily forgetting how to pull on the sleeves. Hand
through sleeve, don’t go elbow first. “Stupid thing,” she muttered,
finally yanking it on and fixing the collar.
Dawn had been gone all day. She’d left around three to visit her friend
Janice and go shopping and she hadn’t returned since. It was now seven and
Janice’s mom said that Dawn never showed up at their house.
What if Glory had gotten to her? What if she’s dead?
In her hurry Buffy didn’t notice the shadows blocking the porch light from
the small windows on the front door, so when she opened it she nearly ran
headlong into the figures before her.
Her eyes widened. Spike. Luckily, her dumbfounded surprise turned
to relief when she saw Dawn standing next to him.
“Dawn!” she exclaimed, quickly grabbing her sister by the shoulders and
pulling her into a protective hug. “Where the hell have you been?”
“I was at Spike’s. And ow! Stop, I can’t breathe!”
Buffy pulled back and released her sister from her powerful Slayer grip.
“I’m sorry.” She looked up at Spike, but addressed Dawn when she spoke.
“What were you doing?”
“Just hanging out. You wouldn’t tell me how he… ow!” Buffy roughly pulled
Dawn into the house and shot Spike a look before slamming the door shut in
his face.
“That was rude!” Dawn shouted, rubbing her arm where her sister had
grabbed her.
Buffy turned to her, anger swimming in her eyes. “Don’t you ever do
that again.”
“Oh what, so you hate him now?”
Buffy turned her eyes away angrily and they settled on the front door. She
watched through the thin windows as Spike walked away. It was the first
time she’d seen him in weeks.
“This isn’t fair! Spike doesn’t even know what he did wrong. He’s all
depressed and alone and it’s your fault.”
“Dawn!” Buffy shouted, her eyes slamming shut in frustration. “This is
none of your business. Now go upstairs before I tell Mom you snuck out.”
Dawn gave her searing glare. "Spike's right. You always have been a
bitch."
She whipped around and ran up the stairs with heavy feet, leaving Buffy
behind, stung by her words. Especially considering where they came from.
* * * *
Spike didn’t know why he was
there, especially considering all that’s happened, but… there he was.
Standing on her back porch staring at the door like he should even bother
walking through it. It may be her birthday, but that doesn't mean...
Bollocks.
He walked down the steps and over to the nearest tree, leaning against it
tiredly as he fished around in his coat pockets for his pack of smokes.
Spike pulled one out and grabbed his lighter. He’d just popped the
cigarette in his mouth and lit the tip when he heard a sound behind him.
Dropping the lighter back in his pocket, he took a drag as he turned to
see Dawn climbing down the trellis that run up the side of her house to
her window.
What were people thinking, putting a trellis underneath a teenager’s
bedroom window? Don’t they know they’re just asking them to sneak out? He
shook his head and raised his eyes to the sky, then proceeded to walk
towards the girl. It was late; she could get hurt wandering around town,
or whatever she planned to do out of doors after sundown.
Dawn yelped when she backed into him and checked the kitchen window to be
sure no one heard.
“Geez, lurk much?”
“Sneaking out, are you?” he asked, his eyes rising to her open bedroom
window.
“I can’t stay,” she groaned, looking into his eyes. “You know how I said
everyone’s been acting weird? Well I’m pretty sure it’s because they’re
not telling me something. They keep whispering when I come into a room and
Anya says they’re talking about sex, but…”
Spike winced. “Whoa, Nibblet, no need to go there. So, they’re giving you
a hard time? You’re plannin’ on what, running away?”
Dawn sighed and crossed her arms. “No. Giles hid something today in the
Magic Box. I think it’s his journal or something, and I think there’s
stuff in there about what they’re hiding from me.”
Spike leaned forward. “You were going to sneak off to the shop by
yourself? All number of beasties between here and there. You’d be a right
treat, you would.”
Dawn shifted nervously. “So what? I can take care of myself.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m going with you. Make sure you don’t end up as
some late night snack.”
Dawn smiled. At least someone was looking out for her.
* * * *
“Hey, Buffy,” Tara greeted with a
nervous smile as she approached the kitchen table, plastic plate in hand.
“Are you having a good time?”
Buffy frowned. “Save the total freak out made by my sister? Yeah, I guess
so.”
Her frown melted away and her face went expressionless as she poured soda
into the plastic party cup, her thoughts drifting to other mystical
problems she was having. In light of her recent confession to her friends
about Dawn, Buffy felt the overwhelming need to keep the truth about Spike
a secret. She knew that Spike wasn’t a danger, what with the chip and all,
but she didn’t want anyone confronting him about anything or sharing
information with him. If he really was evil, then it wouldn’t do to have
him in their lives. Besides, the others would freak out if they knew the
truth, and Xander would probably try to kill him. She didn’t want that.
“And… h-how are you dealing? You know, with the whole Spike thing?”
Buffy looked up, forgetting during her reverie that Tara knew about Spike,
thanks to that nifty this-is-my-crappy-life spell they did.
“Well, I was doing fine until he showed up here on Saturday. Dawn snuck
off to his crypt without telling anyone.”
“He didn’t hurt her, did he?”
“No, he didn’t. Dawn said he’s depressed.”
Tara raised her eyebrows in a silent statement of “well, duh.” Buffy
lifted her eyes to the ceiling in the direction of Dawn’s room. “I hope
she doesn’t stay mad too long. I’ve got to tell her, it’s just… how do you
tell someone they’re not real?”
Tara bowed her eyes. “Are you going to tell Spike?”
“What?”
“Well, if you’re going to tell Dawn…”
Buffy shook her head. “I can’t trust Spike. If he finds out Dawn’s the Key
and he goes all evil then she could be…”
“I meant,” Tara interrupted timidly, “are you going to tell Spike about
what he really is? Ab-bout what you saw?”
“Spike is different,” she replied in a clipped tone, indicating that she
didn’t want to continue discussing the subject.
“Oh, OK,” Tara complied bashfully, moving to leave the kitchen. Buffy
sighed.
“No, Tara, I didn’t mean…” Another sigh. Might as well. “It’s
different with him. He wasn’t created, he was changed. He was evil.”
“Yeah, he was. I just think that you should give him another chance. If he
was changed, then he can’t pose a threat, can he?”
A long silence followed as Buffy contemplated her words.
“Why did the monks change him in the first place?” Tara asked curiously.
Buffy swallowed. “To protect Dawn.”
* * * *
“Can’t you just break it down or
something? The chip doesn’t stop you from hurting doors, does it?”
Spike frowned at Dawn’s irritating use of sarcasm before continuing in his
attempt to pick the lock of the door to the Magic Box. “Don’t want to
cause a scene, do we? ‘Sides, you want Rupert knowin’ you broke into his
shop? Or Buffy? Hell, what about Anya?”
Dawn frowned with a slight pout and folded her arms impatiently. “No.”
“Good. You just sit tight and—a-ha.” The lock clicked and he turned the
knob, opening the door. “Open Sesame.”
* * * *
“Are you alright?”
Buffy looked up at Giles and sighed. How many confrontations was she going
to have this evening? Shouldn’t they be pushed aside until after
her birthday?
“Yeah. It’s a party,” she added in a sing-song voice, trying her best to
sound chipper.
Giles removed his glasses and leaned against the doorframe. Uh-oh.
At least the others were in the living room, so any guilt trip directed
her way would remain in the kitchen and away from the others. Though in
some way she wished they’d all get their questions out of the way so she
could just… stop thinking about it.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Spike, Buffy?”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
Giles kept his eyes on her, expecting her to respond further, but instead
she stared at him with frightened, unblinking eyes.
“You two aren’t together anymore,” he replied as he put his glasses back
on. That wasn’t what he was talking about, but he didn’t want to force the
information out of her. Not when he already knew the truth.
“Giles,” she breathed tiredly, even though she’d expected this
conversation. “I don’t… I’m sorry, but I don’t see how this is any of your
business.”
He nodded, slightly hurt, but she was partially right. Her love life
didn’t interest him personally, but as someone who cared about her, he
thought he had a right to know about the changes in her life. “I’m not
trying to pry. But it might be good to know so I don’t invite him to
anymore of our meetings. Unless you want him to, he’s a powerfully ally
and…”
“No!” she interrupted, her lower lip shaking as she imagined the awkward
situation of Spike being around. Also, he could be out to kill us all,
a voice in her head reminded her. Then again… “No,” she repeated with less
emotion. “Spike is out of our lives. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before,
OK?” she added, which was Buffy code for “let’s drop the subject.”
Giles nodded. “Fine.”
He moved aside as she walked past him towards the dining room and he
watched her leave. Giles didn’t know why she was keeping the secret of
what Spike really was to herself, hiding his true nature from the rest of
them. It was only from a suspicion based on something Joyce mentioned to
him about the day Buffy did the trance and his own research that led him
to the truth. He just wished she’d be open with him—with everyone. She was
becoming more closed off, and he was worried about how she would react
when the truth came out, as it always does.
* * * *
Spike took the book from her when
he saw her body go rigid. There was more there and Dawn was too afraid to
read on, but they both knew that this information was important and that
it concerned them. Spike squinted at the tiny scrawl in Giles’ journal and
read aloud.
“‘The monks possessed the ability to transform energy, bend reality.’
Lord, Giles writes as dull as he talks, doesn't he?” he asked as he half
frowned, half grinned at his own statement. “‘They started work. But the
Council... has suggested... to us that they were interrupted. Presumably
by... Glory. They obviously did manage to accomplish the taste..."
What? Spike squinted and brought the book closer. Super-enhanced
vampire eyesight be damned, the man wrote so small his hand must cramp up
every time he holds a pen in his hands. “Accomplish the task. They
had to be certain the Slayer would protect it with her life. So they sent
the Key to her...”
Spike nearly dropped the book and stopped reading. Oh god, this was what
happened. Buffy thought he was the Key. She was afraid of him. Not
only that, but that meant their love wasn’t real. No, that can’t…
“Spike!” Dawn cried out in impatience. “What does it say?”
Spike opened his eyes, not even realizing that they had closed. He
swallowed hard before reading. “…they sent they Key to her in human form.
In the f-form of a sister." He stared ahead in mingled shock and relief as
the words left his lips.
Dawn? She was the Key?
Spike turned to Dawn and saw tears pooling in her eyes, but the look on
her face revealed that she was determined not to let them fall.
“Nibb—”
He’d barely began uttering the endearing term when she brushed past him
with a pain-filled grunt. Before he could stop her the bell was ringing
overhead as the door closed behind her.
“Dawn!”
He ran after her, dropping Giles’ journal on the floor behind him, not
even bothering to put out the candles they’d lit to read by. Not even
bothering to lock the door behind him. Not even bothering to read further
about Giles’ discovery of his true identity.
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