“Spike?”
“Umflp?”
“Wake up.” Dawn shook him furiously. The vampire was curled up at the end of her bed. He’d stayed in her room because Buffy wanted her under twenty-four hour surveillance. Spike had fallen asleep after watching a rerun of Seinfield which he said was ‘bloody brilliant.’
“Dawn?” He muttered, on the verge of wakefulness.
Dawn pursed her lips, she had no time to wake him up gently. She’d gotten an idea. “Wake up, Spike!”
“Nooooo. . . .later.” He whined.
“Spike! WAKE UP! It’s GLORY!”
Spike jumped to his feet. “Where is she?!?” His head whipped around, looking at all corners of the room. “Come here and I’ll rip you a new one you pathetic excuse for a–“ He frowned. “Where’d she go?”
She couldn’t hold back her smile. “Thank you. This has been a test of the emergency Glory warning system. If this had been an actual emergency, y-“
”Didn’t your sister ever tell you not to tease a vampire?” He said dangerously. Then the vampire looked down at her, snuggled under the covers. Her eyes were wide, attempting to look innocent, no doubt. She was giving him the most impish of smiles. He should have been angry, but somehow he couldn’t be. She hadn’t had much to laugh about these days.
“No. She told me how to stake one though.” She took a deep breath. “But, that isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to talk about Glory.”
Spike growled, touching his face. The wounds had almost healed, his skin was just a little tender. “Why do you want to talk about that bint?”
“I need to.” She said stubbornly.
He didn’t want to worry her. Glory was the most terrifying thing he’d ever faced. Dawn had already ‘forced’ him , by way of pleading, to tell him every last detail of his meeting with the bint. She seemed obsessed with the hell goddess. “I haven’t had a decent night of sleep, bit. Can’t it wait ‘til morning?”
“No. It really can’t” Then, she pulled back the covers on the bed. “But I’ll share the bed with you if you’ll tell me what I want to know.”
Spike looked at the soft, comfortable bed made warm by a human body and sighed. “Alright.” He shrugged off his duster, his shoes already lay discarded on the floor. Then, he pulled his shirt off and threw it over a chair. His hands went to his belt and Dawn made a shrieking noise. “Something wrong, little bit?”
She was staring at the ceiling. “No.” She said quickly. He shrugged, appearing unconcerned. Spike undid the belt, unbuttoned the button, and had his hand on his fly when she cried out. “Stop!”
He gave her a naughty grin. “Just wanted to see how far I could push you.” He climbed in next to her but she shrunk from him on the other side of the bed. “What’s a matter, bit? Don’t you trust me?” He was hurt, he would never harm her. He’d even die for her, she was very special to him.
“You have cold feet.” She groused.
“I have cold everything.” Spike said. That sent Dawn’s imagination spiraling to places unknown. He met her eyes. “You aren’t going to tell Buffy about this, right? Me being half naked in the bed with you and all. I don’t fancy ending my days as a big pile of dust in the poof’s vacuum sweeper.”
“I promise.” Dawn tentatively stuck her feet out, touching his calf with her big toe. “Brrrrr. Cold.” She removed her toe quickly and gave a shudder. In truth, he was room temperature but she just loved to kid the blond vampire.
“Cold, huh?” His eyes lit up. “Too bad, you invited a vampire in, nibblet. You have to deal with the consequences.” He stuck his hand out, creeping along the bed.
“Stay back!” She frantically scrambled to the far side.
“Ah hah!” Spike said, making a grab for her. He caught her and pulled her into his arms. “That’s what I wanted! Warmth!” She screeched and then laughed in delight. Finally, he cuddled down next to her, her head was pillowed on his chest. “Now, tell me what’s on your mind.”
“You said something about how Glory knew you weren’t The Key.”
“That’s right. She sniffed me.”
“Sniffed you?” Her face twisted up. “ That isn’t some gross vampire word for. . .for. . .”
“Shagging?”
“Um, ewww.”
“No. I have standards, you know. She smelled me, bloody bitch leaned over and took a big whiff like she was a damned bloodhound and said I wasn’t ‘pure’. Well of course I’m not pure! Hello! I’m a vampire!”
“So. . .The Key has to be pure?” Dawn said slowly, she bit her lip thoughtfully. “And vampires are not pure.”
“Is there an echo in here? Didn’t I just say–“ But he didn’t have a chance to finish his thought. Suddenly, she was on him.
Dawn had rolled over top of him and grabbed his shoulders. “I want you to do it, Spike.”
Spike grew alarmed as he saw her straddling his lower body. “Uh, did you just say ‘do it’, nibblet?”
“Please? I need it!”
“You know that I was teasing you earlier, right? You’re so young and you know how I feel about big sis.”
“I don’t care!” Dawn cried, tears seeping down her face.
“Don’t cry! You know I can’t bear to see you cry.” Spike said, cupping the back of her head and drawing it down to his chest. She continued to cry noisily as he stroked her hair. “I didn’t meant to lead you on.”
She looked up. “You lied?! I can’t believe you would do this to me!”
“It’s not lying.” He hedged. “I was just flirting with you.”
“By telling me vampires weren’t pure?!” Dawn struggled to get off him but his arms held fast to her. “Let me go! All of the weird, perverted ways of–“
”Hey! What the hell is going on here? You run as hot and cold as your sister.”
“What are you talking about? I want you to make me a vampire!” Then she smacked him. “And, hey! That was harsh!”
“Ow. You wanted me to make you a vampire?” He looked confused and then embarrassed. “I thought you wanted me to--”
“Gross!” She twisted up her face into a ‘blech’ face. “I’m worried about dying and you’re thinking about sex.”
“No, I thought YOU were thinking about it.” She looked like she was about to cry again. “ Come on, none of that. Let’s dry your eyes.” He grabbed up the bedspread. “Here, we’ll use Peaches’ ugly bedspread.” He wiped her tears and settled down somewhat. “Good girl. Now lay back down.” She rolled over and lay back down against his side. “Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”
“If I’m a vampire, she won’t want me. I won’t be pure.”
“I don’t know, nibblet.” Spike said, shaking head. “You’re too young. You’d be 14 forever. ” In truth, it wasn’t her youth he was worried about. He didn’t want to see her innocence fade away along with her life. Though, he wouldn’t mind having his nibblet around for the rest of time.
“I know what’s going to happen, Spike.” She turned away. “She’s going to kill Buffy and then she’s going to kill me. Then, she’s going to destroy everything.”
“You don’t know that.”
She gave him an irritated look. “Spike, there’s a small army of people down stairs. People that Buffy asked to come here. When’s the last time you’ve seen her ask for help?”
He looked away. “She’d kill me if I vamped you, bit. And I might even want to kill myself. You deserve better. Meet some bloke and have a white picket whatever. Not drinking blood with me and Peaches.” He met her eyes. “Besides, I don’t even know if I can.”
“Because of the chip?” He nodded. She had an idea. “Alright, you get a free nibble, Spike.” She exposed her throat. “If you can’t do this, then there’s no point in even talking about it.”
Spike groaned. Why was she doing this to him? He was still a demon and the blood pulsing through her veins promised to be a potent treat to a vampire who’d been living on Babe’s blood for over a year. Not that he wished to harm her. Despite himself, his face changed and Spike naturally lowered his head to her throat. “You sure about this?” She nodded and he could hear her heartbeat pick up. He pressed his fangs against the skin and was about to prick it open when he screamed in pain. “Bloody hell!” He clutched at his head.
Dawn began to cry again. “No!” She looked over at her protector who was doubled over in pain. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He said half heartedly. “Owww.”
“ I thought I found a way out.” She said quietly, her lower lip trembling.
“You might have, bit.” Spike said, she could hear the wheels turning. “You know.” He met her eyes. “I’m not the only vampire in this building.”
Dawn began to smile.
**********
“You know, we could leave, Xander. Buffy doesn’t really need us. I mean, she has Angel, Spike, Willow, even that creepy Ethan guy.”
“An, we’re staying. That’s all there is to it.”
“I know. I want to stay and fight, but I want to go too. I’m just not used to hanging around apocalyptic events. Normally, I’d be halfway to Maui by now.”
“How about a small break? We can get out of here for a little while. Willow needs some magickal supplies. We can go get them and then get some breakfast at an all-night joint.”
“It’ll probably be our last breakfast.” Anya said sadly. “No more hashbrowns.”
“Can you dump the mopey? We’re going to live through this.” He really didn’t believe it but he didn’t want to upset her more.
“I guess.” She half heartedly agreed. “Whatever happens at least we’ll be together.”
Somehow, that didn’t make Xander feel better. Nothing like an apocalypse to make you reexamine your life. He looked over at Anya as she gathered up her things and prepared to leave. He imagined them together in fifteen years and felt like he couldn’t breathe. He stood up. “I’ll get the car, An.”
“I’m ready, we can just go if–“ But she was staring at his back as he walked off.
************
Faith stubbed out her cigarette out and leaned back against a column as she sat on the bench in Angel’s courtyard. She took a deep breath, enjoying the comforting scent of tobacco smoke mixed with the cool night air. She broke off a square of dark chocolate and popped it in her mouth. This might be her last night on Earth and she was going to enjoy herself all she could while plotting to stop Armageddon.
“What are you doin’ out here?” A voice called.
Faith tensed, she was used to defending her space even before she was sent to jail. “Who the hell–“ She stopped as she saw him step into the light. “You’re that Gunn guy.”
“Yeah.” He said. He pointed to the bench. “Mind if I sit?”
Faith moved her leg off the other side. “Free country.” At least she hadn’t tried to kill him or sleep with him. Which is more than she could say for most of the people staying at The Hyperion.
Gunn eyed her chocolate. “Where’d you get that?”
“Cordelia’s desk. Figured she wouldn’t mind.” She broke off another square. “Want one?”
