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Dawn looked at the vampire on the couch. Spike was distractedly flipping through the channels, obviously wishing he was somewhere else.
 
This was going to be so easy. She smiled as she neared him. "I'm going to Marie's," she announced as she walked past him, straight to the door.
 
"No, you are not."
 
Dawn chuckled. "Pardon me?"
 
"Willow said you had to stay at home."
 
"I talked with her in the kitchen about going to Marie's..."
 
A corner of his lips raised in a knowing smile. "And she said no."
 
Dawn's eyes narrowed. "You were spying on us?"
 
Spike laughed. "Come on, Dawn. The kitchen is right there." He pointed at the open kitchen door. "What made you think I would not hear your conversation?"
 
She cursed under her breath. When Spike laughed in amusement at her barely audibly choice of words, she kept the rest of her comments to herself. She really was spending way too much time with the vampire. For several seconds she stood there, not sure about her next step. Biting her lip, she walked resolutely back to the living room. There had to be a way to convince Spike. Dawn sat on the couch's arm, silent as the TV droned on about some new product. Ignoring the sound, she gathered her thoughts, carefully constructing a new strategy. "Spike?" she ventured, honeying her voice slightly.
 
He didn't even twitch.
 
"Spike?" she tried again, this time a little louder. When seconds went by and he didn't answer she decided to tug at his shirt. Strongly.
 
His head turned sharply in her direction. "What?"
 
There was annoyance in his voice, but Dawn ignored it. Instead she smiled sweetly, and patted his arm familiarly. "I know you're bored," she began.
 
Spike looked at her curiously and pressed the 'mute' button to show her that she had his attention. Dawn grinned to herself, she was determined to make good use of it.
 
"You don't really want to be here, do you?" she pressed on.
 
He shrugged. "It's warm, it's nice and there's a TV."
 
Dawn nodded. "But?"
 
His lips twitched. "But? No buts, Dawnie. I like it here."
 
She laughed softly. "No, you don't," she told him. But Spike apparently did. Dawn hadn't counted on that. Her tongue run slightly over her teeth, finally deciding to play her last card. "Don't you want to be outside, scaring evil demons away?"
 
Spike shook his head. "And here I thought I'd taught you better than that," he muttered. "Come on, Bit, do you really think that will work? Besides, I promised the witches I'd babysit you tonight." He chuckled as Dawn winced at the word, he knew that she was tempted to whine at the injustice of it. Spike was pleased when she stopped herself.
 
"You could drop me at Marie's, have your fun and then pick me up..." She smiled winningly at him. "That would still count as taking care of me, wouldn't it?"
 
"No." He picked up the remote control intent in restoring the sound. "And that's final. "
 
However, it wasn't final. With no warning, Dawn grabbed Spike's hand, effectively halting his attempt. "Spike, please?" She pouted charmingly for a better effect as the blonde's annoyed gaze turned on her. "It'll only be two hours, I promise. Willow will never know we were away."
 
For a moment Spike was reminded of a younger Dawn asking her mother for a new skirt. She'd had the same look then. He sighed. "Willow is a witch." That was true, he was fairly sure that the redhead would find out.  She was still somewhat peeved at him for the factory-disaster of three years ago; as if it were his fault that they were cheating on their better halves! It was very doubtful that Willow would forgive him if she learned that he'd let Dawn go out.
 
But his girl had that look on her face and Spike remembered Joyce giving her that same skirt for her birthday. He finally claimed defeat. "We go straight to Marie's and I'll stay in her neighbourhood. I see you even peeking out her window and I'll have you out of there so fast, you won't know what happened. Deal?"
 
Her smile blossomed and the hand tightened over his in silent thanks. "Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou!"
 
He smiled back. It was hopeless, Summers women would forever be his downfall. "And only one hour," he warned as he went retrieve his coat.
 
"But Spike!" Dawn whined.
 
His look told her that it was that or nothing. She pouted a little but knew better than to push him. "Alright, alright."
 
Opening the door, they found a cold night waiting for them. Dawn looped her arm through his and pressed close to his body. When he looked down at her inquisitively, she explained, "Buffy said Angel always warmed her, even if he was cold himself." Then Dawn pressed herself a little closer to him. "She was right," she whispered.
 
Raising her head half way, Dawn smiled. Spike's eyebrows shot up as he recognised the dangerously playful edge of it.
 
"Hey, Spike," she began slowly, "you mind if I tell Marie you're my boyfriend?"
 
Spike never knew if she was kidding or not, but he laughed anyway. "Of course, Dawn. But only if you want the Sunnydale Police after my arse."
 
Dawn snorted softly and tightened her grip on his arm. "Those fools?" She rubbed her cheek against the already warmer coat and stared up at him. "You really think they'd catch you?"
 
Spike laughed again. "Good point. Go and tell your friend whatever you want, Bit. Just don't come crying to me when the boy you like goes running from your jealous boyfriend."
 
"Are you a jealous person, Spike?" She watched as his face clouded and almost hit herself for forgetting about Drusilla. She'd been too young back then to understand, but from snippets of conversations Dawn had managed to paint a fairly accurate picture of what had happened all those years ago. She held her tongue, allowing him the opportunity to answer or change the topic as he pleased.
 
He did neither. "Here we are," he announced, stopping in front of Marie's house. Months ago Dawn would have wondered as to how Spike knew her friend's exact address, but now she was aware that he followed her when she went out at night.
 
"Here we are," she chorused. Their arms disentangled and Dawn hugged her arms to her chest to protect her from the unusual cold.
 
"Remember, I'll be around," Spike warned seriously.
 
Dawn nodded. On a whim, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "See you in an hour."
 
With that, she ran up the front stairs and knocked on the door. By the time Marie opened it, Dawn knew that the vampire had already disappeared from view.
 
But not fast enough for a fifteen-year-old gossip.
 
"So, who's the guy you came with?" were Marie's greeting words, her brown eyes sparkling with curiosity.
 
Dawn smiled to herself. "Do you really want to know?" She winked at the brunette as she walked past her.
 
Marie's eyes widened as she followed Dawn into the living room.

The End