Roomies

Dawn awoke to the sounds of pots and pans clanging below her. Rolling over in her bed she stretched out, her toes poking into the cold for a second before curling back under the warm covers. She knew she would have to face Spike and Buffy today and felt oddly calm about it. She had lain awake for hours after eating a tub of ice cream and thought about the events of the day before.

She would have to apologise to Spike and to Buffy and to their parents for her behaviour, she would have to act grown up and mature and all.

Relishing the sunlight streaming through her window and the usual California blue skies, Dawn decided that she was now an adult, ready to face the world and move on from anything embarrassing in her past.

Including grabbing the crotch of her sister’s nineteen year old boyfriend.


Hearing Dawn moving about above their heads, Joyce smiled thinly. It was definitely time for her youngest to start acting more mature. Sneaking about with the wrong crowd, underage partying and drinking were just cries for help in Joyce’s opinion. It was time to talk about it all.

Thankful for her old friend and the support Anne had given over the past few weeks, Joyce felt confident that this was going to be the best Thanksgiving since the divorce. On the other side of the counter, Anne’s thoughts mirrored her friends, thinking back to how life was before the divorce and William’s heartache. Smiling at thought of such a lovely meal, the two women threw themselves into the final preparations of the meal, listening to the background noise of William and Buffy joking around and Dawn’s music.

Dawn had spent most of the morning in her bedroom, sorting through all of her old clothes, toys and other things she now felt that she had grown out of. Piling them all into a goodwill bag, she threw them into her closet and leant against the door, looking around her room.

She had pulled the bed across the room, placing her chair and desk where the bed used to reside, all of her stuffed toys were gone except one, a small stuffed sheep called Mr. Freddo. He sat in pride of place on the dresser next to her bed, surrounded by photographs of her family and friends.

Her favourite one of Xander with Dawn on his back had been moved aside for an old photo of herself when she was two, playing with a very young and baby faced William and Buffy.

Surmising that it was probably time for new ‘grown up Dawn’ to face the music she headed downstairs following the sound of the chatter to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry William.” She told him sincerely, “I wasn’t thinking, but I hope you can forgive me and we can still be friends?”

Spike smiled, her obvious discomfort making him feel bad himself. Her well rehearsed speech had been a conversation killer in the room so he took it upon himself to make her feel better.

“All in the past.” He told her with a wink, “Your sister’s showing me how bad of a cook she is!”

Buffy coughed indignantly,

“I am not!” She scowled, “Tell him Dawn! We make the best chocolate chip cookies in the world don’t we?”

Dawn grinned,

“We most certainly do!” She joked, “But if you don’t believe it then you don’t get to taste any of them!”

“Maybe I don’t want to!” He teased, his tongue poking out, “I might die!”

“Or maybe you will be so full up from this wonderful meal that you won’t have space for them?” Anna asked with a smile, Spike grinned at the two ladies while they filled plate after plate with delicious looking foods.

“It certainly looks that good.” He agreed, “Smells it too!” He added, inhaling deeply.

“Come on then.” Joyce told them, handing out plates and leading the way through to the dining table.

Seating themselves at the table, Spike stood at the top and waited for everyone to settle. Being the only male, he had taken the carving knife and offered to do the honours,
“I’ll start.” He announced when everyone had taken their seats. “I’d like to say thank you to Joyce, Dawn and Buffy for welcoming us into their home, I’d also like to say thanks for the way life has turned out this time,” He winked at Buffy, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He looked around, “Did I do that wrong?” he asked when nobody said anything. Buffy smirked at him, she had almost forgotten that he wasn’t American, this was all different to him.

“Well I’d like to give thanks for my family and my friends.” Dawn said solemnly. Joyce and Ann soon followed suit leaving just Buffy.
She smiled.
“I’d like to give thanks for my mom, my sister, my dad, for Anne and William, and for ice skating and this great meal, and I hope next year turns out just as well!”

Spike smiled warmly, he was going to make damn sure that next year was even better. Just seeing Buffy happy and smiling, surrounded by loved ones was turning him into the biggest poof on the planet!


Dinner out of the way at last meant that everyone could laze around making idle chitchat. Buffy and Spike were once again entwined on the sofa, with Joyce and Dawn beside them. Anne, who was reclined in the arm chair sat up slowly,

“Time for presents I think.” She said with a smile. William and she had brought a gift for everyone especially for today and wanted to give them out before she drifted off to sleep with a full stomach. Pulling her bag out from behind the chair she stood, handing the gifts out until only the gifts from William remained.

Dawn had already torn the paper off an old fashioned jewellery box and opened it to hear the tinkling music. Seeing what Dawn had gotten, Joyce pulled the paper off the box she held and was amazed to find new brushes and paint supplies.
Buffy and Spike were giggling over their ‘his and hers’ mugs when Anne handed William the bag of gifts. Handing them out, he leant forward, looking directly into Buffy’s eyes as he handed her a small velvet box.

Reaching a weak and unsteady hand out, Buffy prised open the box with a creak and gasped. There lay the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. Spike beamed at her, his blue eyes wide with anticipation, trying to gauge her reaction.

Finally she looked up, tears glistening in her eyes,

“It’s beautiful.” She whispered.