All Summer Long: Chapter 1
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He emerged from the sewer on Revello Drive and ran for the back door, his tattered blanket shielding him from the last rays of sunshine. The kitchen was empty except for the enticing aroma of hot blood. His eyes were drawn to the mug sitting on the counter. A note propped up in front of it read “Drink Me” in Dawn’s bubbly handwriting. He shook his head, but reached for the mug. His stomach growled as he downed the spicy liquid. He’d have to thank the Niblet for the addition of burba weed.
He could hear voices and heartbeats coming from the living room. He rinsed the mug and left it in the sink before sauntering down the hallway to join the meeting.
He stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes fell on… Buffy? If his heart could beat, the sight of her would have made it stop dead. Then she turned her bright eyes and brighter smile on him.
“Look, it’s Spike!” she exclaimed cheerfully. “Spike’s here!”
“No,” he said. “No sodding way!” He scanned the faces of the Scoobies. None of them would meet his eyes. Dawn stood next to the ‘Bot, biting her lip and twirling a long strand of hair around one finger. “Bugger this!” he growled. He turned and stormed back to the kitchen, retrieving his blanket from its resting spot next to the door.
“Spike, wait!” he heard Dawn call from behind him.
He kept going. The sun was just sinking below the horizon, so he vaulted over the fence rather than heading for the sewers.
“Spike, please stop!” Dawn’s voice was thick with tears as she raced to catch up with him.
He skidded to a halt and spun to face her. “That’s what the important Scooby meeting was about, is it? Why wouldn’t you… how could you just let me…”
“No, I didn’t know, Spike, I swear. Willow fixed her and, and she brought her to the house tonight. I didn’t know she was going to do that.” Dawn threw herself at him, and his arms went around her. “Please come back and talk to them. If you don’t…”
“Yeah? What happens if I don’t go along with this? I’m not gonna… that thing is…”
“The robot was gross and obscene.” The Slayer stared at him, her disgust almost a palpable thing.
The sense of shame that filled him was overwhelming; for the first time since becoming a vampire, he felt truly guilty for something he had done.
“You don’t understand, Dawn,” he said quietly. “I can’t look at… at that thing.”
She laid a gentle hand on his arm. “I understand, Spike,” she said.
He looked down at her and nodded. “Yeah, guess you would, Bit.” He walked with her back to the house.
To be continued in Chapter 2
He emerged from the sewer on Revello Drive and ran for the back door, his tattered blanket shielding him from the last rays of sunshine. The kitchen was empty except for the enticing aroma of hot blood. His eyes were drawn to the mug sitting on the counter. A note propped up in front of it read “Drink Me” in Dawn’s bubbly handwriting. He shook his head, but reached for the mug. His stomach growled as he downed the spicy liquid. He’d have to thank the Niblet for the addition of burba weed.
He could hear voices and heartbeats coming from the living room. He rinsed the mug and left it in the sink before sauntering down the hallway to join the meeting.
He stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes fell on… Buffy? If his heart could beat, the sight of her would have made it stop dead. Then she turned her bright eyes and brighter smile on him.
“Look, it’s Spike!” she exclaimed cheerfully. “Spike’s here!”
“No,” he said. “No sodding way!” He scanned the faces of the Scoobies. None of them would meet his eyes. Dawn stood next to the ‘Bot, biting her lip and twirling a long strand of hair around one finger. “Bugger this!” he growled. He turned and stormed back to the kitchen, retrieving his blanket from its resting spot next to the door.
“Spike, wait!” he heard Dawn call from behind him.
He kept going. The sun was just sinking below the horizon, so he vaulted over the fence rather than heading for the sewers.
“Spike, please stop!” Dawn’s voice was thick with tears as she raced to catch up with him.
He skidded to a halt and spun to face her. “That’s what the important Scooby meeting was about, is it? Why wouldn’t you… how could you just let me…”
“No, I didn’t know, Spike, I swear. Willow fixed her and, and she brought her to the house tonight. I didn’t know she was going to do that.” Dawn threw herself at him, and his arms went around her. “Please come back and talk to them. If you don’t…”
“Yeah? What happens if I don’t go along with this? I’m not gonna… that thing is…”
“The robot was gross and obscene.” The Slayer stared at him, her disgust almost a palpable thing.
The sense of shame that filled him was overwhelming; for the first time since becoming a vampire, he felt truly guilty for something he had done.
“You don’t understand, Dawn,” he said quietly. “I can’t look at… at that thing.”
She laid a gentle hand on his arm. “I understand, Spike,” she said.
He looked down at her and nodded. “Yeah, guess you would, Bit.” He walked with her back to the house.
To be continued in Chapter 2