Bad Might Not Be So Bad After All (Lovers Walk)
Title: Bad Might Not Be So Bad After All
Author: Lara/Laure
E-mail: lara@sunflower.com
Distribution: http://www.grapevine.net/~lwilson/btvs.html. If you have permission to put my fics up, you're welcome to it. All others, please ask.
Rating: PG
Content: not much
Spoilers: Set during Lover's Walk
Disclaimer: Not mine, this is sad. They belong to the evil god Joss.
A/N: My Insert Dawn Here fic a day late due to flooded basement. It's a wonderful challenge: pick an episode in seasons 1-4 and insert Dawn. insertdawnhere.
A/N: I stole several lines directly from the transcript so all credit to...um...whomever wrote Lovers Walk.
Dawn sat slumped on one of the bar stools munching on the first bowl of microwave popcorn, sullenly listening to her sister and mother talk about colleges.
Buffy, in college, it boggled the mind.
It wasn't like she, Dawn, was jealous though, really. Just because the SAT scores had replaced her latest art award on the refrigerator didn't mean anything other than that her mom needed more magnets.
"Carnegie Mellon has a wonderful design curriculum. Oh, and Brown University's history program is... You like history, right?" Joyce asked, glancing through several brochures.
Design? Dawn rolled her eyes. Buffy couldn't even draw a straight line. And Brown? Buffy's grades sucked and being a Slayer really wasn't the kind of extra-curricular activity a place like Brown was looking for. Not at all like her own seventh grade school government work or helping collect art supplies for underprivileged kids and stuffed animals for the children's ward in the hospital. Those kinds of things looked good on an application.
Killing bad things didn't impress anyone.
The microwave beeping brought her back from her silent grousing and she watched Buffy fetch the next bag of popcorn.
"Y'know, you're always talking about how you wish you could lead a more normal life. Well, this is your chance," Joyce pressed.
Dawn opened her mouth, then shut it again with a handful of popcorn. Was she the only one around here who realized Buffy was never going to be normal? How could a not normal person lead a normal life, and what was normal anyway?
Sheesh, adults.
She watched Buffy pour the popcorn into a bowl and listened with half an ear until her mother ended the conversation with, "It's time to think about your future, Buffy, about your whole life. I mean, honestly, is there anything keeping you here?"
As Buffy and their mom headed into the living room and some sappy chick flick, Dawn frowned. "Me maybe?" Because during the divorce, when Dawn had been more upset than Buffy, her older sister had promised to always be there for her.
And Dawn had believed her.
*****
The next night Dawn dawdled over the remains of her dinner, still pouting over the sudden attention Buffy was getting, all the while the older girl was ignoring her. Well, she wasn't even there to ignore her, but suddenly Buffy was the golden girl, and Dawn didn't like it.
"I'm going to go to college, too, y'know," she pointed out to her mom who was flipping through more brochures.
"Of course you are, dear. We expect you'll do very well." Joyce didn't look up, just sipped her iced tea and made some kind of annoying noise over some program at--Dawn glanced at the current brochure--Dartmouth.
"Did I tell you I got the highest grade on my science report? Ninety-nine on chemical imbalances in the cerebral cortex."
"That's nice."
Dawn rolled her eyes again and flounced over to the sink to clunk her dishes loudly into it. "Buffy doesn't even know what the cerebral cortex is," she muttered to herself before heading out of the kitchen to the sanctity of her own room.
"Do your homework," Joyce called from behind her.
"Like I'd do anything else," the girl continued to mutter, a permanent scowl etched on her face. She'd never had to be jealous of Buffy over school before. Looks, boys, cool clothes, even the Slayer thing which could be neat sometimes, but never school.
She was the academic queen. Buffy could be all that other shallow stuff.
*****
Having only eaten about half her dinner, and being a growing girl, Dawn lasted about an hour in her room. Homework done, she headed downstairs for a snack, and heard her mom talking to Buffy. A glance into the kitchen showed her that she was on the phone going on about more college crap.
Dawn knew she was being petty, but she was a teenager, she had a right to be a petty little rhymes with witch. Hormones were fun, you could blame them for everything.
Stomping into the kitchen, she caught a glimpse of someone at the back door and her eyes widened. A sudden, hot tingle went through her, followed by a shiver as a sexy, English accented voice said her mother's name.
Through the open door stepped--no, swaggered--the most handsome man she'd ever seen. Dressed in a black leather coat and very tight jeans and t-shirt, he had peroxide blond hair and pale high cheekbones and a smile that made her want to melt.
"Spike," Joyce said in surprise, her finger clicking off the phone as she slipped from the stool she sat upon. "What are you doing here?"
"Long story, luv. Have a bit of time to lend an ear?"
"Of course. I could make some tea..."
"Got any cocoa?"
"A family of women with no hot chocolate? Never happen." As Joyce turned, she caught sight of Dawn.
Spike's eyes fell on her as well, all blue and gray and silver and...Dawn sighed happily.
"Who's the niblet?"
"My youngest, Dawn."
Dawn scowled at the reminder her age.
"Hi. Are you one of mom's artist friends?" He had to be an artist or musician or something cool like that.
Spike's lips twisted into a smile of sorts. "Not quite."
Joyce looked suddenly uncomfortable and Dawn had a horrible feeling that this was her mom's boyfriend, but it fled quickly because that was just impossible on two fronts. One, he was way too young, and two, her mom wasn't date material.
"Dawn, maybe you should go finish your homework."
"Done," Dawn said stubbornly, resisting the desire to cross her arms over her chest because young women didn't pout like that in front of hunks. "I came down for a snack. Hot chocolate sounds good," she added pointedly.
"Let her stay, Joyce. Girl's not a child."
Dawn beamed at the visitor who settled himself on one of the bar stools. Dawn hopped up next to him. "So, are you a rock star?"
She saw him glance at her mother, who shrugged in resignation and turned to put the kettle on the stove. "Nah, luv, I'm a vampire."
Eyes widening, Dawn gaped at him with new interest. "Aren't you supposed to be evil? Dangerous?"
"Oh, I am evil, just not stupid enough to do damage in the Slayer's home. Anyway, your mum's the dangerous one. She's murder when her kids are threatened."
Joyce flushed and reached for mugs. "Don't remind me. I thought you were some hopped up gangster. Boy was I wrong."
"And I still think you're way too young to have two grown daughters," he flattered.
Dawn's gaping turned to looks of awe. And she'd thought Angel was cute in his brooding way. This guy was just...wow.
"So, why are you back in town, Spike?" Joyce asked as she spooned cocoa mix into mugs.
"Drusilla," Spike sighed. "I helped Buffy save the world, saw her about to skewer Angelus, and got Dru out of there just as I promised, but it was just never the same." He glanced over at Dawn and smiled. "My girlfriend."
"Oh, of course." Even that didn't make her heart sink, because of course someone as handsome and charming as him had a girlfriend, and likely a beautiful one, too.
"You look kind of like her, obviously not a nutter though." As Joyce picked up the teakettle from the stove and took it over to the island to pour hot water into cups, Spike continued. "So, we're touring around South America and I know she's not happy, no matter what I do to please her, what gifts I give her. One night I'm strolling through the park, looking for a meal, and I happen to walk by, and she's making out with a chaos demon. And so I said, 'You know, I don't have to put up with this.' And she said, 'Fine!' So I said, 'Fine, do whatever you like.' I mean, I thought we were going to make up, you know."
Joyce handed around the mugs and sat down. "Well, she sounds very unreasonable."
"She is. She's out of her mind, " Spike sniffed and Dawn's heart thumped heavily in her chest in sympathy. "That's what I miss most about her." His smile drifted from Joyce to Dawn and back to his mug.
"Well, Spike, sometimes even when two people seem right for each other, their lives just take different paths. When Buffy's father and I..."
Spike interrupted, "No, this is different. Our love was eternal. Literally."
Oh, to have some handsome man feel that way about her, Dawn dreamed.
Calming down, Spike changed the subject wistfully, "You got any of those little marshmallows?"
Joyce smiled, "Well, let me look," and got up to check the cabinets.
"So, how long have you been in love with her?" Dawn had to ask. Eternal love just sounded so cool.
"Hundred and twenty something years, ever since she picked me up out of an alley and made me what I am today. She's my sire and I'll do anything for her, but it's more than that. It's true love."
Ignoring her hot chocolate, Dawn rested her elbows on the counter, put her chin on the back of her crossed hands and sighed at the romance.
"Marshmallows," Joyce exclaimed and took her seat to pass out the confections, putting one in Dawn's hand. She ignored it, her eyes watching Spike's Adam's apple as he swallowed his drink.
A loud thump at the back door knocked her out of her dreamy state, and all three inhabitants of the kitchen looked to see a furious Angel held back by the barrier. Joyce jumped to her feet, shocked to see him alive.
Angel's eyes focused solely on Spike and he growled his name, sending shivers of fear through Dawn.
"He's supposed to be dead," she cried in panic, remembering all to well the previous Spring and Buffy's fear and sorrow over her bad break-up with the psycho boyfriend. It hadn't been until that summer that Mr. Giles had explained that Angel'd been a vampire with a soul who'd lost it and gone on a rampage.
"Oh, my God. Get out of here," Joyce cried.
Spike slipped off his stool to move behind her mom and Dawn thought it incredibly brave and romantic a gesture, protecting the human woman from the ravening beast. "Yeah. You're not invited."
"He's crazy. He'll kill us. Dawn, go to your room, lock your door."
Dawn didn't move, just continued to gaze worshipfully at the blond vampire.
"He won't hurt either of you, not while I breathe. Well, actually, I don't breathe."
"Joyce, listen to me," Angel persisted, pressing his hands against the invisible wall preventing him from entering the house.
"You get out of this house, or I will stake you myself."
"Yeah, what mom said," Dawn through out, peering around Spike's shoulder.
"You're a very bad man," Spike taunted.
"Joyce, you can't trust him. Invite me in," Angel seethed and a moment later barked, "You touch her, and I'll cut your head off."
"Yeah? You and what army?"
Suddenly Buffy was shoving Dawn aside and grabbing Spike. "That would be me," she threatened as she knocked Spike onto his back on the island and pinned him there by the throat. "Angel, why don't you come on in?"
As Angel stepped in, Dawn saw her mom begin to panic, and she joined her, racing around the island to grab the first thing at hand, a spatula.
"Oh! Oh, no!" Joyce cried, joining her youngest daughter on the far side of the island away from the violence.
"You shouldn't have come back, Spike."
Spike showed no fear, only total bravado, and Dawn gazed from her sister to the vampires in confusion. "I do what I please."
"Okay, I-I'm confused again," Joyce added, her eyes locked on her eldest daughter as she fumbled behind her for a knife, a fork, anything.
Spike made a grab for Buffy, and Angel grabbed Spike's arm, yanking it off of Buffy and pinning it to the island, as Buffy grabbed a wooden spoon and made a move to stake the blond vampire.
"No," Dawn protested loudly.
At the same time, Spike shouted, "Willow!"
Buffy stayed her thrust and glared at her nemesis. "You took Willow."
"You do me now, you'll never find the little witch."
Dawn's brow furrowed in confusion. Why was he acting nasty now? Wasn't Angel the bad guy?
"Willow's a witch?"
Dawn rolled her eyes at that comment. Trust her mom to latch onto the least important bit of information.
Buffy ignored everyone but Spike. "And Xander?"
Nodding slightly, Spike acknowledged, "Him, too."
"What, Xander's a witch? I..."
Geez, mom, embarrass yourself much? Dawn thought uncharitably, tough she frowned at Spike. Maybe he wasn't a good guy after all if he kidnaped people.
Angel grabbed Spike by the coat and lifted him off of the island. "Where are they?"
Shoving Angel off him, Spike smirked and snarked, "Doesn't work like that, peaches. And when did you become all soul-having again? I thought you outgrew that." He glanced over at Buffy. "Your friend's gonna work a little magic for me. She does my spell, I let them both go."
"You're not famous for keeping your promises, Spike."
"Well, you and your great poof here wanna tag along, that's fine. But you get in my way, and you kill your friends." When Angel reluctantly released him, Spike turned slightly to face Joyce and Dawn, a congenial smile on his face. "Thanks for the hospitality, Joyce, niblet. I apologize for all this violence. I trust this one," he gestured to Dawn, "is growing up to be proper young lady."
Dawn blushed and stifled a giggle as her hormones ran rampant again and the good versus bad thing flew out of her head.
Buffy growled and shoved Spike out of the kitchen. They were followed by Angel, leaving Dawn and her mother to look uncomfortably at each other.
"I'm confused," they both said at the same time, and broke into nervous laughter.
*****
Lights off, Dawn lay curled beneath a quilt on her bed staring at the patterns the moon and stars filtered through her window made on her ceiling. She no longer cared about Buffy's stupid SAT scores and the boring college talk. Her mind was full of the handsome English vampire and she wondered for the first time in her young life if maybe bad wasn't so bad after all.
End
Author: Lara/Laure
E-mail: lara@sunflower.com
Distribution: http://www.grapevine.net/~lwilson/btvs.html. If you have permission to put my fics up, you're welcome to it. All others, please ask.
Rating: PG
Content: not much
Spoilers: Set during Lover's Walk
Disclaimer: Not mine, this is sad. They belong to the evil god Joss.
A/N: My Insert Dawn Here fic a day late due to flooded basement. It's a wonderful challenge: pick an episode in seasons 1-4 and insert Dawn. insertdawnhere.
A/N: I stole several lines directly from the transcript so all credit to...um...whomever wrote Lovers Walk.
Dawn sat slumped on one of the bar stools munching on the first bowl of microwave popcorn, sullenly listening to her sister and mother talk about colleges.
Buffy, in college, it boggled the mind.
It wasn't like she, Dawn, was jealous though, really. Just because the SAT scores had replaced her latest art award on the refrigerator didn't mean anything other than that her mom needed more magnets.
"Carnegie Mellon has a wonderful design curriculum. Oh, and Brown University's history program is... You like history, right?" Joyce asked, glancing through several brochures.
Design? Dawn rolled her eyes. Buffy couldn't even draw a straight line. And Brown? Buffy's grades sucked and being a Slayer really wasn't the kind of extra-curricular activity a place like Brown was looking for. Not at all like her own seventh grade school government work or helping collect art supplies for underprivileged kids and stuffed animals for the children's ward in the hospital. Those kinds of things looked good on an application.
Killing bad things didn't impress anyone.
The microwave beeping brought her back from her silent grousing and she watched Buffy fetch the next bag of popcorn.
"Y'know, you're always talking about how you wish you could lead a more normal life. Well, this is your chance," Joyce pressed.
Dawn opened her mouth, then shut it again with a handful of popcorn. Was she the only one around here who realized Buffy was never going to be normal? How could a not normal person lead a normal life, and what was normal anyway?
Sheesh, adults.
She watched Buffy pour the popcorn into a bowl and listened with half an ear until her mother ended the conversation with, "It's time to think about your future, Buffy, about your whole life. I mean, honestly, is there anything keeping you here?"
As Buffy and their mom headed into the living room and some sappy chick flick, Dawn frowned. "Me maybe?" Because during the divorce, when Dawn had been more upset than Buffy, her older sister had promised to always be there for her.
And Dawn had believed her.
*****
The next night Dawn dawdled over the remains of her dinner, still pouting over the sudden attention Buffy was getting, all the while the older girl was ignoring her. Well, she wasn't even there to ignore her, but suddenly Buffy was the golden girl, and Dawn didn't like it.
"I'm going to go to college, too, y'know," she pointed out to her mom who was flipping through more brochures.
"Of course you are, dear. We expect you'll do very well." Joyce didn't look up, just sipped her iced tea and made some kind of annoying noise over some program at--Dawn glanced at the current brochure--Dartmouth.
"Did I tell you I got the highest grade on my science report? Ninety-nine on chemical imbalances in the cerebral cortex."
"That's nice."
Dawn rolled her eyes again and flounced over to the sink to clunk her dishes loudly into it. "Buffy doesn't even know what the cerebral cortex is," she muttered to herself before heading out of the kitchen to the sanctity of her own room.
"Do your homework," Joyce called from behind her.
"Like I'd do anything else," the girl continued to mutter, a permanent scowl etched on her face. She'd never had to be jealous of Buffy over school before. Looks, boys, cool clothes, even the Slayer thing which could be neat sometimes, but never school.
She was the academic queen. Buffy could be all that other shallow stuff.
*****
Having only eaten about half her dinner, and being a growing girl, Dawn lasted about an hour in her room. Homework done, she headed downstairs for a snack, and heard her mom talking to Buffy. A glance into the kitchen showed her that she was on the phone going on about more college crap.
Dawn knew she was being petty, but she was a teenager, she had a right to be a petty little rhymes with witch. Hormones were fun, you could blame them for everything.
Stomping into the kitchen, she caught a glimpse of someone at the back door and her eyes widened. A sudden, hot tingle went through her, followed by a shiver as a sexy, English accented voice said her mother's name.
Through the open door stepped--no, swaggered--the most handsome man she'd ever seen. Dressed in a black leather coat and very tight jeans and t-shirt, he had peroxide blond hair and pale high cheekbones and a smile that made her want to melt.
"Spike," Joyce said in surprise, her finger clicking off the phone as she slipped from the stool she sat upon. "What are you doing here?"
"Long story, luv. Have a bit of time to lend an ear?"
"Of course. I could make some tea..."
"Got any cocoa?"
"A family of women with no hot chocolate? Never happen." As Joyce turned, she caught sight of Dawn.
Spike's eyes fell on her as well, all blue and gray and silver and...Dawn sighed happily.
"Who's the niblet?"
"My youngest, Dawn."
Dawn scowled at the reminder her age.
"Hi. Are you one of mom's artist friends?" He had to be an artist or musician or something cool like that.
Spike's lips twisted into a smile of sorts. "Not quite."
Joyce looked suddenly uncomfortable and Dawn had a horrible feeling that this was her mom's boyfriend, but it fled quickly because that was just impossible on two fronts. One, he was way too young, and two, her mom wasn't date material.
"Dawn, maybe you should go finish your homework."
"Done," Dawn said stubbornly, resisting the desire to cross her arms over her chest because young women didn't pout like that in front of hunks. "I came down for a snack. Hot chocolate sounds good," she added pointedly.
"Let her stay, Joyce. Girl's not a child."
Dawn beamed at the visitor who settled himself on one of the bar stools. Dawn hopped up next to him. "So, are you a rock star?"
She saw him glance at her mother, who shrugged in resignation and turned to put the kettle on the stove. "Nah, luv, I'm a vampire."
Eyes widening, Dawn gaped at him with new interest. "Aren't you supposed to be evil? Dangerous?"
"Oh, I am evil, just not stupid enough to do damage in the Slayer's home. Anyway, your mum's the dangerous one. She's murder when her kids are threatened."
Joyce flushed and reached for mugs. "Don't remind me. I thought you were some hopped up gangster. Boy was I wrong."
"And I still think you're way too young to have two grown daughters," he flattered.
Dawn's gaping turned to looks of awe. And she'd thought Angel was cute in his brooding way. This guy was just...wow.
"So, why are you back in town, Spike?" Joyce asked as she spooned cocoa mix into mugs.
"Drusilla," Spike sighed. "I helped Buffy save the world, saw her about to skewer Angelus, and got Dru out of there just as I promised, but it was just never the same." He glanced over at Dawn and smiled. "My girlfriend."
"Oh, of course." Even that didn't make her heart sink, because of course someone as handsome and charming as him had a girlfriend, and likely a beautiful one, too.
"You look kind of like her, obviously not a nutter though." As Joyce picked up the teakettle from the stove and took it over to the island to pour hot water into cups, Spike continued. "So, we're touring around South America and I know she's not happy, no matter what I do to please her, what gifts I give her. One night I'm strolling through the park, looking for a meal, and I happen to walk by, and she's making out with a chaos demon. And so I said, 'You know, I don't have to put up with this.' And she said, 'Fine!' So I said, 'Fine, do whatever you like.' I mean, I thought we were going to make up, you know."
Joyce handed around the mugs and sat down. "Well, she sounds very unreasonable."
"She is. She's out of her mind, " Spike sniffed and Dawn's heart thumped heavily in her chest in sympathy. "That's what I miss most about her." His smile drifted from Joyce to Dawn and back to his mug.
"Well, Spike, sometimes even when two people seem right for each other, their lives just take different paths. When Buffy's father and I..."
Spike interrupted, "No, this is different. Our love was eternal. Literally."
Oh, to have some handsome man feel that way about her, Dawn dreamed.
Calming down, Spike changed the subject wistfully, "You got any of those little marshmallows?"
Joyce smiled, "Well, let me look," and got up to check the cabinets.
"So, how long have you been in love with her?" Dawn had to ask. Eternal love just sounded so cool.
"Hundred and twenty something years, ever since she picked me up out of an alley and made me what I am today. She's my sire and I'll do anything for her, but it's more than that. It's true love."
Ignoring her hot chocolate, Dawn rested her elbows on the counter, put her chin on the back of her crossed hands and sighed at the romance.
"Marshmallows," Joyce exclaimed and took her seat to pass out the confections, putting one in Dawn's hand. She ignored it, her eyes watching Spike's Adam's apple as he swallowed his drink.
A loud thump at the back door knocked her out of her dreamy state, and all three inhabitants of the kitchen looked to see a furious Angel held back by the barrier. Joyce jumped to her feet, shocked to see him alive.
Angel's eyes focused solely on Spike and he growled his name, sending shivers of fear through Dawn.
"He's supposed to be dead," she cried in panic, remembering all to well the previous Spring and Buffy's fear and sorrow over her bad break-up with the psycho boyfriend. It hadn't been until that summer that Mr. Giles had explained that Angel'd been a vampire with a soul who'd lost it and gone on a rampage.
"Oh, my God. Get out of here," Joyce cried.
Spike slipped off his stool to move behind her mom and Dawn thought it incredibly brave and romantic a gesture, protecting the human woman from the ravening beast. "Yeah. You're not invited."
"He's crazy. He'll kill us. Dawn, go to your room, lock your door."
Dawn didn't move, just continued to gaze worshipfully at the blond vampire.
"He won't hurt either of you, not while I breathe. Well, actually, I don't breathe."
"Joyce, listen to me," Angel persisted, pressing his hands against the invisible wall preventing him from entering the house.
"You get out of this house, or I will stake you myself."
"Yeah, what mom said," Dawn through out, peering around Spike's shoulder.
"You're a very bad man," Spike taunted.
"Joyce, you can't trust him. Invite me in," Angel seethed and a moment later barked, "You touch her, and I'll cut your head off."
"Yeah? You and what army?"
Suddenly Buffy was shoving Dawn aside and grabbing Spike. "That would be me," she threatened as she knocked Spike onto his back on the island and pinned him there by the throat. "Angel, why don't you come on in?"
As Angel stepped in, Dawn saw her mom begin to panic, and she joined her, racing around the island to grab the first thing at hand, a spatula.
"Oh! Oh, no!" Joyce cried, joining her youngest daughter on the far side of the island away from the violence.
"You shouldn't have come back, Spike."
Spike showed no fear, only total bravado, and Dawn gazed from her sister to the vampires in confusion. "I do what I please."
"Okay, I-I'm confused again," Joyce added, her eyes locked on her eldest daughter as she fumbled behind her for a knife, a fork, anything.
Spike made a grab for Buffy, and Angel grabbed Spike's arm, yanking it off of Buffy and pinning it to the island, as Buffy grabbed a wooden spoon and made a move to stake the blond vampire.
"No," Dawn protested loudly.
At the same time, Spike shouted, "Willow!"
Buffy stayed her thrust and glared at her nemesis. "You took Willow."
"You do me now, you'll never find the little witch."
Dawn's brow furrowed in confusion. Why was he acting nasty now? Wasn't Angel the bad guy?
"Willow's a witch?"
Dawn rolled her eyes at that comment. Trust her mom to latch onto the least important bit of information.
Buffy ignored everyone but Spike. "And Xander?"
Nodding slightly, Spike acknowledged, "Him, too."
"What, Xander's a witch? I..."
Geez, mom, embarrass yourself much? Dawn thought uncharitably, tough she frowned at Spike. Maybe he wasn't a good guy after all if he kidnaped people.
Angel grabbed Spike by the coat and lifted him off of the island. "Where are they?"
Shoving Angel off him, Spike smirked and snarked, "Doesn't work like that, peaches. And when did you become all soul-having again? I thought you outgrew that." He glanced over at Buffy. "Your friend's gonna work a little magic for me. She does my spell, I let them both go."
"You're not famous for keeping your promises, Spike."
"Well, you and your great poof here wanna tag along, that's fine. But you get in my way, and you kill your friends." When Angel reluctantly released him, Spike turned slightly to face Joyce and Dawn, a congenial smile on his face. "Thanks for the hospitality, Joyce, niblet. I apologize for all this violence. I trust this one," he gestured to Dawn, "is growing up to be proper young lady."
Dawn blushed and stifled a giggle as her hormones ran rampant again and the good versus bad thing flew out of her head.
Buffy growled and shoved Spike out of the kitchen. They were followed by Angel, leaving Dawn and her mother to look uncomfortably at each other.
"I'm confused," they both said at the same time, and broke into nervous laughter.
*****
Lights off, Dawn lay curled beneath a quilt on her bed staring at the patterns the moon and stars filtered through her window made on her ceiling. She no longer cared about Buffy's stupid SAT scores and the boring college talk. Her mind was full of the handsome English vampire and she wondered for the first time in her young life if maybe bad wasn't so bad after all.
End