Title: Welcome to the Neighborhood
Author: Science
Rating: R
Beta'd by: KnifeEdge and Ryn

Summary: Buffy and Dawn Summers have just moved into a new house and Buffy's already made enemies with their next door neighbor, Spike. He's kind of a jerk, she's kind of a bitch, and they hate each other on sight. But can the teenage Dawn's unlikely friendship ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

( Read more... )

Dawn woke to a dark room and a growling stomach. She had a vague memory of Tara coming into her room to say goodbye. She liked Tara; why couldn't she be her sister instead of stupid Buffy? Of course, if Tara was her older sister, maybe she'd be cranky and bossy and mean, too. But Dawn doubted it. She'd never seen Tara be anything other than totally ( Read more... )

One Year Later

William opened one eye and squinted at the clock before turning to Buffy and trailing light kisses down her bare back. “Wake up, sunshine,” he murmured in her ear. “Got lots to do today.”

“Mmpf,” Buffy grumbled into her pillow. She swatted at him and pulled the covers up around her ears. “Tired. ( Read more... )

Chapter 16: All I Want

And all I want to say is all I want is to be with you
All I want is to be with you
You're hurting deep inside
You're flirting cause you need to feel that you are still alive

-The Violent Femmes, All I Want

William had been sure, when Buffy scarpered off following Norah's interruption, that she was gone for good. When he ( Read more... )

Chapter 15: The Return of the Grievous Angel

Oh, and I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you

-Gram Parson, Return of the Grievous Angel

All William wanted was for the woman on the quad to turn around so he could see ( Read more... )

Chapter 14: Pale Blue Eyes

Thought of you as my mountain top
Thought of you as my peak
Thought of you as everything
I had but couldn't keep.

-The Velvet Underground, Pale Blue Eyes

Every day was awful.

William had thought, foolishly, that it would get better each day, easier somehow to wake up alone and go to bed alone and startle awake in ( Read more... )

Chapter 13: Deathly

Now that I've met you
Would you object to
Never seeing each other again
Cause I can't afford to
Climb aboard you
No one's got that much ego to spend

So don't work your stuff
Because I've got troubles enough
No, don't pick on me
When one act of kindness could be
Deathly

-Deathly, Aimee Mann

The call William had been hoping for ( Read more... )

147 Days

He had good days and he had bad days. This, he reflected as he watched Dawn deal the cards with a wary expression still in her eyes, was not one of the better ones. He hadn't meant to snap at her, and he hated seeing the way she'd jumped when he'd gotten short with her. Maybe he couldn't really feel guilt, not without a soul, but he ( Read more... )