Title: Past Glory
Author:  Sandy <sp23twop@yahoo.com>
Rating:  NC-17
Pairing: Spike/Buffy
Spoilers:  S5 up to Tough Love, AU after that although elements of S6
will appear throughout the story.
Disclaimer:  Alas, not mine, I just borrow them occasionally
Feedback:  Gives me the warm fuzzies
A/N:  For the purposes of this story, the Knights of Byzamtium,
although suspecting that the Slayer is protecting the Key are not
aware that Dawn is the Key.


Chapter 3

It was late the next morning before he finally awakened.  The bedroom
was empty and he could hear small sounds of activity coming from the
living area of the RV.  Standing up and smoothing the wrinkles out of
his duster, he left the bedroom.  Dawn glanced up at him from where
she sat alone at the table playing solitaire.  "Nice hair," she
grinned.

"What?" he asked, anxiously raking his hands through the unruly mop
of curls.

"We didn't bring any hair gel.  You're going to look like a poodle
before we leave here, you know that don't you?"

Spike flashed her some fang and Dawn laughed.  Getting up she
rummaged around in a bag and pulled out a toothbrush.  Taking up a
half empty bottle of water, she poured a measure into a cup and
handed toothbrush and water to Spike.  "Here.  You can brush your
teeth in the bathroom.  There's some toothpaste already in there."

"What makes you think I want to brush my teeth?"

"Okay, ew, Spike.  We may not be able to wash with anything but wet
ones, but we don't need stinky breath adding to the smell.
Especially blood breath.  Go.  Brush."

Sighing as if he were being sorely put upon, he entered the tiny
bathroom and proceeded to brush his teeth.  Opening a package that
contained a pre-moistened towelette, he wiped his face and hands.
Using the tiny bit of water he saved from the cup Dawn had given him,
he tried to smooth down his hair.  He was pretty sure it hadn't
worked.

By the time he left the bathroom, Buffy was sitting beside her
sister.  She smiled when she saw him.  "Hi.  Did you sleep okay?"

"Fine, Slayer.  Uh, where's the blood?"

Getting up, Buffy went to the ice chest that held the blood, removed
one of the containers and handed it to Spike.  There was just enough
blood left to make one meal so Spike drank directly from the
container.  No need to use up their limited supply of plastic cups.

"We checked around this morning a bit," Buffy was saying.  "Just to
make sure there weren't any signs of anything snooping around.  It
looked clear."

"That's good, pet."

"The entrance is still too sunny for you right now, but it should be
in shade in another hour or so.  Maybe you can sniff around then.
Make sure you don't smell anybody but us."

"Yeah.  Good idea."

They fell silent, just looking at each other, suddenly shy.  Dawn
rolled her eyes.  Honestly you'd think that they'd never been mortal
enemies, they were acting so lame.  Deciding to break the weird mood,
she said, "So Spike, you gonna leave that gross blood container right
there on the table?"

He jerked as if being brought back to reality.  "Uh, no, 'course
not.  I'll just put it..." Twisting around, he tried to find
someplace to throw the used container.

"Here, give it to me," Buffy smiled.  "Giles has ordered us to put
our trash in a bag located back in the mine a ways.  We get to walk
past it on our way to the latrine he's designated.  And can I just
say that is by far the most gross thing ever?"

"See, luv," Spike smirked.  "That's the advantage of being a
vampire.  Eternal good looks, super strength and no latrines."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "And of course the whole bursting into flames
if the sun hits you is not a disadvantage?"

"More an inconvenience than a disadvantage, I'd say," he joked.
"'sides, I'd probably just freckle anyway."

"Yeah, too bad I kicked your ass and took away your ring before you
had a chance to find out, isn't it," Buffy snorted.  Turning away
from him, she left the RV and headed to the trash bag.

Spike sighed and sat down beside Dawn.  There was just too much
history between them.  Most of it bad.  He should just give up any
hope at all that she'd feel for him what he felt for her.

"Jeez, are you going to get all lovesick and mopey now?  'cause
really?  I don't want to see it."

""m not lovesick," Spike protested.

"Sh'yeah, right.  God, Spike, for a monster, you're pathetic."

"Hey!"

Dawn just smirked at him, and then suddenly she grew serious.
"Spike?"

Spike was instantly aware of her mood change and tilting his head
asked, "Yeah?"

"This, what you did, getting this RV, bringing us here, thinking
about that spell, just everything.  I..."

"Don't worry about it, Niblet.  I needed to get out of town for a
while anyway.  Gamblin' debts, you know.  This just gave me a good
excuse, 's all."

Dawn smiled at him and blinked back tears.  Spike felt his unbeating
heart give a little lurch.  Shit!  What was it about these Summers
women that made him love them?

The mood was broken when the Scoobies decided it was time to troop
into the RV and eat lunch.  Spike retreated into the back bedroom;
both to give them room to eat and to get away from them.  Even if he
no longer hated them, a little of them went a long way.  Sitting down
on the bed and leaning against the headboard he could hear the murmur
of conversation coming from this strange group of humans that had
inexplicably become such an important part of his life.  Strange how
things worked out.  Just a year ago he'd been trying to kill the lot
of them.  Well, not Joyce or Dawn, strangely enough.  But the
others?  Yeah, woulda killed them all without a second thought.  And
now here he was, the Slayer's pet vampire. And she'd come to him for
help.  He'd never have believed that would ever happen.  Especially
after what he'd done when Dru came to town.

And now that he thought about it, he could see where he'd really
buggered things up royally.  Funny to think that the thing they were
all hiding from now was the very thing that had brought Buffy back
into his life.  If Glory's minions hadn't snatched him believing him
to be the Key, if Glory hadn't tortured him to get him to tell her
who the Key was, if Buffy hadn't rescued him...to keep him quiet not
to save his hide - he was well aware of that, if she hadn't pretended
to be the 'bot and found out that he would have died rather than
reveal that Dawn was the Key, if none of that had happened, he
wouldn't be here now.  She wouldn't have come to him for help.  She
wouldn't have smiled at him.  She wouldn't have asked him to sleep at
the foot of her bed like her favorite hound.

Spike closed his eyes and shook his head.  Dawnie was right.  He
really was a pathetic git.  But it didn't matter.  Dawn and Buffy
were his girls.  They may not know it.  They may not want it.  But
there you were.  They were his and he would protect them with his
unlife if need be.

While he was deep in his thoughts, the door opened and Dawn stuck her
head in.  "You sleeping again?"

"No.  Lunch over already?"

"I'm done.  Not hungry much.  I thought maybe you'd like to play a
game of Gin Rummy while everyone finishes eating."  She held up the
deck of cards she'd been playing with when he gotten up earlier.

He looked at her and could see the tension behind her eyes.  She was
trying so hard to be brave.  Once again he felt that pull at his
heart he just couldn't explain.  Sometimes he wondered if the monks
were responsible.  Maybe.  Didn't matter really.

"Yeah, all right."

She smiled and settled crossed-legged on the bed.  He sat up and
mirrored her, took up the cards, shuffled and dealt.

The door opened again a while later and Buffy entered.  "What're you
guys up to in here?" she asked with no concern in her voice at all.

"Gin Rummy," Spike answered not looking up from his hand.  "Your
sister owes me twelve hundred dollars so far.  She says you're good
for it, Slayer."

"Uh huh.  How about I don't stake you for teaching my sister to
gamble and we call it even?" she said dryly.

Spike gave Dawn a stern look.  "You see?" he said in mock
seriousness.  "I told you she'd welsh out of it."

Dawn stuck her tongue out at him and then grinning at Buffy said,
"Everyone done eating now?"

"Yeah."  Buffy couldn't help but notice that Dawn looked more relaxed
than she had in days.  Addressing Spike she said, "The mine entrance
is in shade now if you want to go out."  Spike nodded, laid down his
hand and went out to check for any hint that they were being watched.
He smelled nothing but Scoobies and animals.  No demons, no strange
humans.  Everyone relaxed just a bit more.

The cloaking spell was working perfectly.  Anya and Willow had
renewed it that morning.  He and Giles would renew it that evening.
Then one more day and night and Dawn should be safe.  He hoped.

The following twenty-four hours got to be a little rough.  Too many
people in too close quarters with little to do.  Tempers began to
flare.  Spike and Xander sniped at each other, Anya was petulant
because Xander wouldn't go with her deeper into the mine so they
could have sex, Buffy was getting restless and wanted to kill
something, Giles was bored and snapped at both Spike and Xander to
please, for the love of god, just shut up, Willow studied the
spellbook Spike had brought and wanted to try different spells and
pouted when Giles refused to allow her to experiment and Tara tried
to keep everyone calm and occupied, which just irritated everyone
even more.  Surprisingly the only one who didn't cause disruption was
Dawn.  But then she was just so scared that all her energy was
focused on not falling apart.  She and Spike retreated periodically
to the bedroom to play cards.  When Giles questioned Buffy about it
she simply told him that being with Spike calmed Dawn down.  He
wasn't happy with it, but he had to admit the vampire was helping her
keep her spirits up.

As the time came closer to Glory's deadline, everyone became silent
and edgy.  Spike was outside the motor home, crouched down and
hidden, watching for any signs that someone was approaching the mine
entrance.  Buffy had remained inside to guard Dawn.  As midnight
approached, Spike felt as though his nerves were thrumming.  He
couldn't remember ever being this tense.

He and Giles had once again renewed the cloaking spell after everyone
had eaten dinner.  The crystal pulsed with the magics passing through
it, alerting everyone that the spell was indeed working.

Midnight came and went and they were safe.  An hour passed and then
another.  There was no sign that anything had located them.  It was
well into the third hour of the morning when Buffy came to the motor
home door.

"Spike?"  Her voice was inaudible to anyone not having vampiric
hearing.

"Yeah, luv?" he murmured.

"Anything?"

"Quiet as the grave."

"Giles says it's over.  The window of opportunity has passed and
there won't be another one for a thousand years.  Dawn's safe."

Spike lowered his head into his hands.  He was trembling with relief
and quickly wiped away the tears that threatened to fall.  He was an
evil vampire, and evil vampires did not shed tears over the safety of
little girls.

Standing up, he drew in a calming breath and then walked over to join
the others in the coach.  As soon as he entered the RV, his arms were
full of weeping girl.

"Thank you, Spike," she sobbed.

Disconcerted, he nonetheless clumsily patted her back.  "Shhh,
Niblet.  None of this now."

Buffy gently pulled her sister away from him.  "Come on, Dawnie.  I
think it's time we went to bed, okay?"

"Okay.  You coming, Spike?"

He knew he couldn't stand to be with them right now.  He'd want to
join them in the bed, hold them close to him while they slept.
Better he waited until they were asleep and he'd bested these strange
unwanted tender emotions that the girl's hug had filled him with.

"Not yet.  I'm going to keep watch until daybreak.  Just to be sure.
But you go ahead and get your beauty sleep."

Turning around he went back to his place of concealment.  He was
surprised when Giles joined him shortly thereafter.

"You've done very well for yourself, Spike.  I congratulate you on
your planning and foresight."

Spike turned his head and looked steadily at him.  "I know you think
I'm nothing but a fuck up, Giles, but I'm not nearly as incompetent
as you'd like to think."

"Yes, I'm aware of that.  Thank you for reminding me."  And with that
the Watcher returned to the motor home to prepare for bed.


tbc...