His Slayer

CHAPTER 15

Xander threw the empty bottle of Jack against the far wall of the crypt. He looked over at Spike. "Gotta 'nother bottle?"

"Yeah, mate." Spike stood slowly, swaying slightly. He shuffled to the corner and grabbed the last two bottles of whiskey from the case. He walked over and handed one to Xander before cracking his open and draining a substantial portion with a long swallow.

Xander opened his new bottle and watched Spike flop onto the floor and lean against the sarcophagus. "Spike, I almost envy you. I mean, at least you got to tell Buffy, you know, before she died. You got to tell her a million times 'fore she died. I never got to tell Faith..."

"She knew, mate. I saw how she looked at you when you weren't watchin'. I saw how hard she worked to get the approval of the whole gang. The last thing she said was that she loved you."

"But I never said it, Spike. All the mean crap I said for years; I could never say the really good things to her now. I was scared." Tears ran down his face. The whiskey was obviously not working. He still felt like someone had sucker punched him, he could barely breathe when he thought about Faith.

"Harris. XANDER!"

Xander opened his eyes and stared at Spike in shock. He couldn't remember the last time Spike had called him by his name.

"Look, mate. She knew. All the stuff you did to be nice when you were scared to say anything? She knew. Look, she used to be into heavy duty evil shit, right?"

Xander looked at Spike, his face going hard. "If you--."

"No, what I meant is that you don't know what it's like, to come from all that, and to change. I do. I was worse. I did worse. Bloody hell, for a hundred years I did shit that'd make your blood run cold. And I care now. She did, too. She made the big uphill battle against doing what was easy, and just lookin' out for herself. Once you learn to really enjoy hurting people, it's hard to get back to a place where you dealdeal with normal blokes at all, besides beatin' 'em to a bloody pulp. Look at your ex-demon-girl. Look how hard she tried, and she still caved in again. But Faith, she changed. She was a good bird. And she went down fighting the good fight!"

"It's NOT RIGHT!"

"Bloody well told it's not right! But that was their gig. Both of 'em. They weren't meant to live a soddin' fairy tale. As much as we wanted it for them, and as much as they may have wanted it for themselves, deep down they knew. They were Slayers! They fought the good fight and did the best they could. They saved the whole soddin' world nearly a dozen times, between 'em. And you and me, we were there for them, the best we was able. Though it wasn't enouI waI wasn't even there for Buffy! When she needed me most, I was sittin' in a sodden' house, watchin the bloody telly, instead of bein' out with her." Spike's tears ran blood-red down his face. He threw his bottle, only half empty, against the far wall as hard as he could. It gave a satisfying crash to add to the pile of brown broken glass already there. He didn't feel like drinking anymore.

"Spike, I was there. There were two Slayers. Two! It wasn't your fault. You were doing what you thought you needed to do, protecting--"

"Dawn." The vampire knew Xander was right. If he hadn't been protecting the Nibblet, she'd have been killed for sure. He knew that Buffy would have wanted Dawn safe, no matter what. Even if she had known what was going to happen to her. And Dawn, well, he'd been looking out for her for so long that it was part of who he was. It had started out as a promise to her sister, but eventually Spike did it for Dawn herself. Would have done it even if Buffy didn't want him to. And Dawn was all he had left of the Summers family.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Xander waited for a response. He felt much more sober than he had only minutes ago. And a little better.

Spike stood cautiously. "I think I'm going home. Little Bit needs me. I'm no good to anyone shit-faced."

Xander got to his feet slowly and followed Spike out of the crypt. He could finally understand some of Buf Buffy had seen in the bleached vampire.


* * *

EPILOGUE

"Hey, Willmeister! How's the world's best hacker doing?" Xander was in a decent mood for the first time in days. Not a great mood, but not terrible, either. "Yeah, I thought you'd be hustling the other patients at poker, you sly dog. Hey, look: I brought you a pet." Xander set a tiny pink origami swan on the windowsill.

Xander stared out the narrow window for a minute, taking in the well-kept lawn below. This would be a big step. For both of them. "I was talking to your doctor earlier. He said you were a lot better. In fact, he said if you keep improving you might be able to move outta here in a few weeks. And I was thinking, maybe you'd want to move in with me." Xander paused. "Now take your time, don't rush into anything, 'cause I know you've got a bunch of better offers. But think about it, okay? Figure out what works best for you. I'll check back on you next week. Alright?"

Xander walked over to the door and exited. A casual observer of the room could see a thin, redheaded girl with uncombed hair, sitting on her bed with her arms wrapped around her knees. A careful observer might notice that she did not stare into nothing anymore, but was looking a tiny, pink, paper swan on her windowsill. And someone that loved her would notice the slightest spark of life in otherwise dull eyes, and that the corners of her mouth were the tiniest fraction of an inch higher than they had been before Xander arrived.


* * *

The Watcher spoke to the new Slayer sitting at the table with a sullen expression on her face.

"As the Slayer, you are the one girl in all the world with the strength and the ability to fight the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness." Another man looked on, radiating a simmering rage. Before the whole "Chosen One" speech was finished he stalked out of the room and slammed the door.

Dawn turned from watching Spike's exit through the door to the training room. "Giles, you don't have to finish the speech. I've got it memorized from all the years hearing Bu--. Hearing you and the others say it."

"I'm sorry Dawn, I truly am." Giles removed his glassed and began cleaning them. Dawn stood abruptly.

"Quit saying that! You're sorry, Xander's sorry, and Spike's bloody sorry! It doesn't matter!" She continued, slightly more subdued. "I didn't ask for this. It's not fair, and I don't like it. It shouldn't have to be me."

"Dawn, you know that I'd rather anything else in the world, that have this burden placed upon you. Your family has seen far too much of the ugly side of the world. But you, of all people, should realize that something has to be done. If you don't fulfill the role of the Slayer, there won't be another. No one--literally--can take your sister's place. You were called because of Faith's death. You are continuing the line Buffy passed to Kendra, then to Faith. Try to bear that in mind."

Dawn was quiet for a moment. "I know Giles. It's just a little much on top of the post-party cleanup, you know? I'll do it, though. Not for you, or the world, or even Spike. I'm doing this for Buffy." She stood, and began walking to the door of the Magic Box.

"I'll stay as long as you'd like, Dawn; I won't send for another Watcher unless you want me to." The bell above the door was his only answer as the Slayer walked out of the shop. *God help her.*


* * *

It was well after midnight when Dawn came through the newly-repaired front door of the house. She'd spent three hours cruising the streets of Sunnydale before she felt calm enough to go home. She walked into the kitchen and threw the keys onto the table. She looked up into blue eyes regarding her across the room. *At least Spike's been sober since I was called.* Spike looked as if he was about to say something, then hesitated. After another moment he spoke.

"Oi, Nibblet, did you take the Watcher up on the job offer?" His attempt at humor fell flat in the dimly-lit room.

"Yes Spike, I told Giles that I'd be the new Slayer." She stared at him, daring him to try to be funny again.

Spike glanced at the floor, then back at Dawn. He knew she needed to hear something. Something inspiring, something heroic. Anything at all. He took the coward's way out.

"Well, Bit, I'm knackered. Be seeing you in the mornin' then?"

She nodded, once. He left the room before she could say something she might regret. *He never would have done that to Buffy. God, I miss her.* The tears came hard and fast. *At least Spike's still here for me.* That thought calmed her. The others, she knew, would be there 'til the next Apocalypse. And the one after. Doing it for Buffy's memory, and because she was Buffy's sister. Spike alone was there for her, because she needed him.


* * *

Her teeth brushed and hair pulled back in a ponytail for sleeping, Dawn stood in boxers and a tee shirt in the doorway of her room. She thought about all that had happened, and what the future might hold for her, for all of them. She turned and walked down the darkened hall until she reached Buffy's old room. She opened the door and walked in. Dawn stood in the darkness, listening for any sounds. She walked over to the bed, pulled the covers up and quickly slid in.

"Nibblet?" Daw Dawn could barely make him out in the darkness. She ran a hand over his face, remembering all the times Spike had saved her, told her stories to scare her witless, assisted in her crimes. "Spike, can I be your Slayer?"

His arm wrapped around her shoulders, cool and strong, willing to protect her from any enemy. It only took him a moment to decide. "Yes, Dawn, you can."

FIN


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