Chapter 4
Dawn
I see him waiting outside the store fifteen minutes before I get off
and all I want to do is run outside. He's leaning against the DeSoto,
smoking a cigarette and staring at the sidewalk.
My manager, Lesa, is checking him out and she blushes when I catch her.
"That guy looks sorta suspicious, like he's casing the store or
something," she says. "I think you should stay in here until your puppy
shows up."
The first time that Clem came to pick me up, he actually came in the
store and Lesa muttered that he looked like a pug puppy. She had the
decency to look embarrassed when I told her that he was my ride and
that he had a rare disease that made his skin look that way. I half
wanted to tell her that he was a demon who could suck her eyeballs out
of her head and eat them without a second thought but I didn't. She
did, however, insist on calling him puppy though.
"That's Spike," I say and I can't help the big grin on my face.
"Who?" Lesa asks.
"Spike," I explain. "He's sorta like a big brother to me. He's been
away though and Clem was just picking me up until Spike got back."
"Oh." Lesa looks out the window again. "He's cute...Is he single?"
"Yeah, but he's way in love with my sister," I say hoping that Lesa
will get the hint and back off.
"Wish someone that hot would be in love with me...your sister must be
blind if she hasn't snatched him up..." Lesa finally notices me hoping
from one foot to another impatiently and laughs. "Alright, get out of
here and say hi to your sort of big brother."
XXX
Spike
Dawn runs out of the video store and throws her arms around my neck. I
hug her back, smiling to myself about her reaction. Nice to be missed,
ya know? Not so nice to have the bag of movies she's holding hit me in
the back of the head. I wince and she starts to apologize, but then
hits me in the chest instead.
"Oi! What's that for?" I rub my head in the spot where the chip was
removed. Nice aim there.
"Where have you been?" She demands, hands on her hips in an imitation
of her older sis. "I've been worried sick. You didn't even leave a
note." She flings her arms around my neck again and I can feel her
tears. "I thought you weren't coming back."
I sigh and wrap my arms around her. "Didn't think I'd be gone so long,
luv. Would've left a note had I know."
She sniffs. "Where did you go?"
"Doesn't matter," I mutter. "Now, into the car with you while you tell
me what 've missed."
And tell me she does. In the five minute drive from the video store to
her house I learn how the Scoobies have pulled a Houdini, how Watcher
man returned to England, how the bills have forced the Slayer to get
not one but two jobs, and how my bit had to pick up a job to help as
well. By the time we pull into the driveway, I'm torn between feeling
guilty for being gone so long and feeling angry enough to tear Red and
the Whelp to pieces.
"Are you coming in?" Dawn asks.
"What time is big Sis coming home?" I ask.
Dawn shrugs. "Well, she works until 2:30 or so and then, depending on
how tired she is, she may try and do a quick patrol, but...I think she
has to open at the Doublemeat Palace tomorrow, so I'm not sure."
The Doublemeat Palace? My Slayer has been reduced to working minimum
wage at a fast food joint? She's above that...fuck, the bloody Council of
Wankers should be paying her...my mind is racing with things I can do to
help. I spent every cent I had saved on removing the bloody chip...wonder
if I can get a job in the demon black market...heard you can earn good
money doing that kind of shite...
"Spike?"
"Sorry, wot? Right, erm, yeah I'll stay with you until big Sis shows
up."
XXX
Willow
I sip on my Coke and smile at Tara. I get that happy twinge in my chest
when she smiles back. The past month has been great. No vampires, no
Hell Gods, no Apocalypses, just my girlfriend and me having a normal
life. I miss Buffy, but not as much as I thought I would. To be honest,
life just seems less stressful without her. That sounds horrid, doesn't
it? It's not Buffy's fault that she was Chosen and everything, but...
I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't notice that Xander and Anya
have joined us.
"Earth to Willow, come in Willow," Xander jokes.
I smile brightly. "Sorry, I was being space cadet girl."
"He asked if you wanted a drink," Tara said.
"Yes, me be man. Me get drink for woman," Xander pounded his chest in
caveman style.
"He means that in a friend way because I'm his woman and I don't
share," Anya said.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her. I really, really wonder what
Xander sees in her.
"Hey look," Anya says. "Isn't that Buffy?"
"Ahn, don't point," Xander mutters, grabbing her hand.
I look to where Anya pointed and see Buffy leaning against the bar
talking to the bar tender. He puts several drinks on the bar in front
of her and for a moment I'm half jealous that she's already found
replacement friends and half angry that for the same reason...until I see
her put the drinks on a tray, lift the tray above her head, and head
out into the crowd.
"Didn't you say that she was working at the Doublemeat Palace?" Tara
asks Xander.
"Uh, yeah. Saw her there maybe a week or two ago," Xander replies.
"Maybe she quit," I say.
"I think she's working two jobs," Anya said.
"How do you know?" I ask.
"Well, Dawn came into the Magic Box a few weeks ago and asked for a
job, but I told her that it probably wasn't such a good idea as you and
Xander were trying to avoid Buffy."
My mouth drops open.
"You did-said what?!" Xander stutters.
Anya looks at him. "What? You said that you didn't really want to hang
around Buffy anymore so why would I hire her sister thus making her
come to the store more often? Really, that wouldn't make any sort of
sense."
"I-I thought t-that you s-said she was busy," Tara said. "Are you
really avoiding her? I thought she was your b-best friend."
"Well, not avoiding exactly," I say. "More like, not-"
"Returning her phone calls?" Anya says brightly. "That's what Xander
does."
"Ahn!"
"H-h-ow could you a-avoid your best friend?" Tara asked looking angrier
than I'd ever seen her. "Her mother just died and she's obviously
trying to raise her sister, this is the time that she needs friends the
most!"
"I wanted to protect you!" I practically shout. "I almost lost you! I
can't go through that again!"
Her face softens for a moment and she touches my cheek. "That's life,
Willow. Sometimes we lose people we love...and that's when we need
friends the most." She stands up. "I think...I think I'm going to go
home."
I jump up. "I'll walk you."
"No, I think...I think I'd like to be alone."
XXX
Buffy
I saw them the minute they walked in, but they weren't at one of my
tables. It's the first time I've seen Willow in a month and the first
time I've seen Xander since he came into the Doublemeat Palace...he never
came back. I'm not dumb, I've figured out that they're avoiding me. At
least they're still talking to Dawnie.
That thought makes me pause. Why would they be talking to Dawn and not
me? A wave of fear goes through me. I am dumb. Xander isn't
walking Dawn home from work at night. Oh, God! She's probably walking
by herself.
I run into the back room and dial home. My hands are shaking so hard
that the phone keeps hitting me in the ear.
"Hello?"
I let out the breath that I didn't know I'd been holding.
"Hi, you're home?" I try to sound casual.
"Yep," Dawn answers.
"Xander picked you up?" I ask.
There's silence on the other end. This is the first time that I've out
and out asked who picked her up from work.
"Um, no, someone else did," she finally answers. At least she didn't
try to lie about it.
"Who?" I ask.
"A friend," she replies.
"Dawn," I say sternly. "Xander has never picked you up from work, has
he?"
There's silence on the other end.
"Dawn!" I yell.
"I just wanted to help," she says softly. "I knew that you wouldn't let
me have the job otherwise."
"Dawn, who has been walking you home?" I'm shaking again, but this time
from anger.
"Clem."
"Who is Clem?"
"He's...he's a friend of Spike's."
"A friend of-a friend of Spike's!? You trusted a friend of Spike's?!"
I'm screaming into the phone, but I don't care. "You let a demon walk
you home! To our house!? What are you thinking Dawn?"
There's a noise on the other line and my heart stops for a minute. What
if that demon is in the house? What if he's hurting Dawn? I'm two
seconds away from dropping the phone and running out the door when I
hear the voice on the line.
"Slayer."
I close my eyes. "Spike," I grind out.
"Don't be angry at the bit, she wos just tryin' to help and Clem, he's
a good guy. Harmless demon of sorts."
"Why are you at my house?"
"Keepin' the bit company 'til you get home. Don't worry 'bout patrol,
'll take care of it."
He'll take care of it? He thinks he can just disappear for a month and
then waltz back into our lives? I tell him just that and am met by
silence on the other line.
"A month? That's how long I was gone?" He asks like he's surprised by
that. "I-I didn't mean to be gone so long..."
I rub my eyes tiredly as I hear Jack, the bartender, yell my name.
"Look, I have to go. Be gone by the time I get home and if you hurt
Dawn..."
"I'd never hurt her." He almost seems hurt by my accusation. "I just
want to help."
He just wants to help? He's been gone for a month and now he wants to
help? What worse is that I need the help and I begrudgingly accept it.
Deep, deep, deep in my soul I know that he won't hurt Dawn because...just
because.