Here and Now

Thanks to willowmouse and Mariana for reviewing! And to the many that read and didn’t review – [shakes angry fist] damn, damn, damn!


6:15 p.m.


“Come on, Dawn. We’re baking cookies! And you being an adolescent with a very high metabolism, you should be enjoying the sweet, sugary fatty goodness that is oatmeal cookie dough.” Anya admonished after putting another chunk of dough into her mouth.

“Anya, luv, if you won’t stop eating the dough, then there won’t be many cookies to eat.” Giles said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Yeah, well, your enormous child inside of me demands otherwise. Sorry.” She said lightly, pinching off another piece of dough. But Dawn couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that her dad would be there any minute. She couldn’t stop thinking about Drusilla’s request, and how she would have to talk to her father about it. Just thinking about his reaction to the mere fact that she had met the woman made her come over a bit queasy. Let alone what she asked of her… Dawn was becoming more terrified by the moment, and therefore, not hungry at all for cookies or dough.

“Oh boy, he’ll be so angry.” She thought aloud. Mistaking what she was referring to, Giles and Anya tried to be comforting.

“Dawn, your father was worried about you, not angry.” Giles said, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

“Besides, it wasn’t her fault, ya know. Willow did forget her.” Anya didn’t noticed the warning look Giles had given her, for she was putting balls of dough onto the cookie sheet.

“I’m sure Willow had a good reason.” Giles offered with a forced smile. “It just isn’t like her.”

“Hey, it’s no big. I’m all here- safe and sound. No harm done.” ‘Until dad finds out what I’ve been up to.’ She thought ruefully. Two seconds later, she heard the front door open. ‘Oh god! He’s here!’

Spike rushed into the kitchen. When Dawn finally set eyes on him, she wasn’t scared for the moment, she was terribly worried. She had never seen him look like that before. His eyes were all red and blotched, and his face was tear streaked. He was shaking a little.

‘Boy, he looks like hell.’ Anya thought as she gave Spike a bright smile and a little wave.

‘I haven’t seen him look this bad since Drusilla.’ Giles thought as he said hello. Spike paid them no heed. He couldn’t stop looking at Dawn.

‘She really is okay.’ He thought, ever grateful.

“Daddy?” He walked up to her and dropped to his knees, grabbing her in a tight embrace.

“Oh, thank god you’re alright.” He said into her hair.

“Um, dad? Did you throw up or something?”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” He said. He gave her a kiss on the forehead anyway before heading to the bathroom to gurgle some much needed Listerine.

“Well, he seemed to be in great shape.” Anya said with false enthusiasm.

“I’m just gonna, um, go get my stuff.” Dawn said, walking into the living room.

“More cookies for us, huh?” Anya said, lifting her hand to Giles expecting a high five.

“Oh, yes.” Giles said belatedly, smacking her hand.

“Ow!”

“Sorry dear.”

Spike came down the stairs, fresh breath and all. He gave a little smile to Dawn, seeing that she was ready.

“Sorry bout that whole mess, Nibblet. It won’t happen again.” She gave him a lopsided grin.

“It’s okay. I’m okay.”

“So, how’d you get here? One of your mates’ parents or something?” And there it was. Dawn could either stall by lying, or just tell him the truth. In Giles’ house, where potentially, Giles or Anya might be on her side for getting into Drusilla’s car. Or not. But it was worth a shot, wasn’t it?

“Funny you should ask, actually. Um-" The ringing of Spike’s cell went off at that moment.

“Excuse me pet. Hello? Angel? Oh, sorry for the scare. Yea, she’s alright. At my father’s house. Yea. Someone dropped her
off. Sorry I worried you. S’alright? Okay. Talk to ya then. Bye. So, what were you saying Bit?” He looked at her expectantly.
Dawn bit her lower lip and looked down. ‘Here goes.’

“Drusilla brought me.” Spike squinted really hard at her. ‘No, she hadn’t said…’

“What?” Lifting her head and looking up at ceiling, she said it again, but louder.

“Who?” He asked. His heart beat sped up and he just knew that his blood pressure was rising. Taking a deep sigh, she looked at him with fearful eyes. He swallowed hard.

“I was waiting for Willow on the playground. She never came. When I realized that she wasn’t coming, I tried to go back into the school, but everyone had left. I was sitting on the steps, and then she came. I knew it was her. She had a car, and well…”

“You mean to tell me you willingly got into a complete stranger’s vehicle?” Spike said in his low, scary voice. It was a thousand times worse than his loud, yelling voice. It was much scarier.

“Daddy, I knew who she was- I mean, I recognized her. She was nice, and-"

“Nice? Nice?!” He started to laugh one of those angry, hate filled laughs. Dawn tried not to cry. She was angry too that he was acting this way.

“Dawn, I told you what she did. To you. To me. For crissakes! How could you do that?”

“Do what? Wanting to know who she is? If it wasn’t for her, I’d probably still be waiting on the steps.” Dawn said in her own, angry low voice. Like father, like daughter.

“She could have kidnapped you, or god knows what!” Spike yelled, losing it. Giles and Anya came into the room, both with very concerned expressions on their faces.

“Spike. Dawn. What’s going on?” Giles asked very calmly, trying to assess the situation.

“Yea, what’d me miss?” Anya asked, looking at the two anxiously. Spike looked straight at his father, with dull, sad, weary eyes.

“Drusilla.”


TBC

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