Out for a Walk. Not Stalking nobody. // Homeward Bound
Bleedin' tosser, Spike snarked inwardly, stalking angrily through the dark, aimlessly. Well, aimlessly in the direction of the Summers' residence. He was so wrapped up in his annoyed thoughts that he didn't notice the youngest Summers' girl until she was nearly at his side. "You're gonna get yourself killed, sneaking up on people like that, bit."
Dawn smiled profusely at that. "Oh please. I so coulda staked you."
"Yeah?" He didn't pause in his step, giving her the once over. "With the stakes tucked away all nice 'n neat in your bag, there?" Really, he thought she knew better by now. "Weapons out of reach aren't weapons at all."
She responded with an exaggerated eye roll. "I don't need a weapon, I have my own scary vamp to take care of me," Dawn chirped easily, ignoring Spike's deepening frown.
"Right. And why exactly are you out here alone, pet?"
"Um, I wasn't alone, Spike. Faith was with me," she explained. Liar, liar, pants on fire. "When I saw you, I told her she could take off home. You guys would set off each others spidey senses." Okay. So, that entirely false. She hadn't seen the dark haired slayer since their talk with Ethan the other night. She'd sensed Faith might need a little alone-time to think about Ethan's invitation. And since very little in Sunnydale could harm her while she was under the Maeroriphage's protection, Dawn wasn't too worried about running around on her own.
Spike nodded, not doubting the kid for a second. But... "Slayer know you're out and about?"
"Buffy?" Dawn pursed her lips. "No. She and Faith... not really the best of friends, you know? She let Faith take me to the Bronze a while back, but I could tell the whole thing made her jumpy. And grumpy. So what she don't know, won't hurt her."
"Besides," Dawn added, lying easily now, "I'm not the only one keeping secrets. Her Royal Slayerness has plenty of her own."
"Yeah? Like what?" Spike was grinning now. Nothing lifted his mood like a potential round of Slayer-bashing, even if it was strictly verbal.
"Angel."
Spike's grin disappeared quickly, as his mood plummeted again. "We all know the Magnificent Poofter is in town, Niblet. Not a secret no more."
Dawn widened her eyes theatrically. "No! I mean, he was in the house the other night." At Spike's disbelieving look, she continued. "ALL night, Spike. I peeked in her room after I snu- um... after I woke up for a snack. And they were in bed together." She shivered, and seeing the house up in the distance, lowered her voice a little more. "I mean, like... what if they... you know. What if he's evil again? He's been invited into the house, he could kill us in our sleep. I swear to God, Buffy doesn't even think."
Despite the wave of bitter jealousy rising up inside of him, Spike tried to think of something reassuring to say -- not an easy task for an evil vampire. While he doubted his broody sire would do something so irresponsible and lose his soul again, he obviously still spent the night. Spike was, well, jealous. As hell. "Er..."
Sighing quietly as they reached the house, Dawn shot the blond vampire a sad smile. "I know. They probably just cuddled all night, or something sappy like that. But still. Buffy knows how I feel about Angel. He gives me the wiggins. And she still-" Dawn bit her lip, trailing off.
He smiled sympathetically, helping Dawn up a convenient tree by her bedroom window. "Your sister does love you, bit. Never doubt that," he assured her quietly, and only because nobody was around to hear the Big Bad say something so poncy.
Blinking away sudden tears, Dawn slipped through her window and lowered the glass plane, wiggling her fingers in a wave before drawing the curtains shut. It wasn't true. Buffy didn't care about her at all. None of them really did. That's why she was helping Ethan. They deserved to pay. They did. She wasn't doing anything wrong.... so why did she feel so guilty? Shuffling into her pajamas, she buried herself under her covers and waited for sleep to come.
Outside, Spike made his way to the other side of the house, and stared up into Buffy's darkened window. Unlife was so bloody unfair. Damn Angel to Hell!
Oh wait. Already did that, Spike allowed himself to smirk.
Cigarette in hand, he inhaled deeply as he lit up. Wait. Wha- was that Harm's perfume he was smelling? He sniffed the air, flicking the newly lit smoke away. Yeah. She's obviously been by recently. Oh, effin hell.
((Dawn's asleep, but Spike's open))
Dawn smiled profusely at that. "Oh please. I so coulda staked you."
"Yeah?" He didn't pause in his step, giving her the once over. "With the stakes tucked away all nice 'n neat in your bag, there?" Really, he thought she knew better by now. "Weapons out of reach aren't weapons at all."
She responded with an exaggerated eye roll. "I don't need a weapon, I have my own scary vamp to take care of me," Dawn chirped easily, ignoring Spike's deepening frown.
"Right. And why exactly are you out here alone, pet?"
"Um, I wasn't alone, Spike. Faith was with me," she explained. Liar, liar, pants on fire. "When I saw you, I told her she could take off home. You guys would set off each others spidey senses." Okay. So, that entirely false. She hadn't seen the dark haired slayer since their talk with Ethan the other night. She'd sensed Faith might need a little alone-time to think about Ethan's invitation. And since very little in Sunnydale could harm her while she was under the Maeroriphage's protection, Dawn wasn't too worried about running around on her own.
Spike nodded, not doubting the kid for a second. But... "Slayer know you're out and about?"
"Buffy?" Dawn pursed her lips. "No. She and Faith... not really the best of friends, you know? She let Faith take me to the Bronze a while back, but I could tell the whole thing made her jumpy. And grumpy. So what she don't know, won't hurt her."
"Besides," Dawn added, lying easily now, "I'm not the only one keeping secrets. Her Royal Slayerness has plenty of her own."
"Yeah? Like what?" Spike was grinning now. Nothing lifted his mood like a potential round of Slayer-bashing, even if it was strictly verbal.
"Angel."
Spike's grin disappeared quickly, as his mood plummeted again. "We all know the Magnificent Poofter is in town, Niblet. Not a secret no more."
Dawn widened her eyes theatrically. "No! I mean, he was in the house the other night." At Spike's disbelieving look, she continued. "ALL night, Spike. I peeked in her room after I snu- um... after I woke up for a snack. And they were in bed together." She shivered, and seeing the house up in the distance, lowered her voice a little more. "I mean, like... what if they... you know. What if he's evil again? He's been invited into the house, he could kill us in our sleep. I swear to God, Buffy doesn't even think."
Despite the wave of bitter jealousy rising up inside of him, Spike tried to think of something reassuring to say -- not an easy task for an evil vampire. While he doubted his broody sire would do something so irresponsible and lose his soul again, he obviously still spent the night. Spike was, well, jealous. As hell. "Er..."
Sighing quietly as they reached the house, Dawn shot the blond vampire a sad smile. "I know. They probably just cuddled all night, or something sappy like that. But still. Buffy knows how I feel about Angel. He gives me the wiggins. And she still-" Dawn bit her lip, trailing off.
He smiled sympathetically, helping Dawn up a convenient tree by her bedroom window. "Your sister does love you, bit. Never doubt that," he assured her quietly, and only because nobody was around to hear the Big Bad say something so poncy.
Blinking away sudden tears, Dawn slipped through her window and lowered the glass plane, wiggling her fingers in a wave before drawing the curtains shut. It wasn't true. Buffy didn't care about her at all. None of them really did. That's why she was helping Ethan. They deserved to pay. They did. She wasn't doing anything wrong.... so why did she feel so guilty? Shuffling into her pajamas, she buried herself under her covers and waited for sleep to come.
Outside, Spike made his way to the other side of the house, and stared up into Buffy's darkened window. Unlife was so bloody unfair. Damn Angel to Hell!
Oh wait. Already did that, Spike allowed himself to smirk.
Cigarette in hand, he inhaled deeply as he lit up. Wait. Wha- was that Harm's perfume he was smelling? He sniffed the air, flicking the newly lit smoke away. Yeah. She's obviously been by recently. Oh, effin hell.
((Dawn's asleep, but Spike's open))