The Harsh Light of Day

The Harsh Light of Day

Chapter 9

It was with rehabilitated fervor that Buffy and Spike
joined the group the next day. As usual the group was making their daily rounds
of checking up to make sure they hadn’t gone wonky, only to find the two locked
in Spike and Xander’s bedroom and refusing to come out. Their first instinct
was to believe that they were in another depression brought on by an accidental
reminder of Xander that sprung out of nowhere. This happened often, although
less and less. The remaining members of the infamous gang had quickly learned
to remove any and all reminders of Xander from the lines of vision of Spike and
Buffy to side step any spirals of depression. Yet none of them would admit how
hard it was for them to look at them, and handle them and physically remove
them so as to keep everyone sane for just a bit longer. Their resolve was to
take care of Buffy and Spike and to worry about themselves later. So here they
were all pondering what was wrong with their supernatural buddies that they
were locked in Xander’s bedroom.

“Should we be worried?”

“Not quite sure Dawn.” Was Willow’s quiet answer.

“Maybe they just had to do a few things. It is still
a little worried.” Was Tara’s logical answer.

“Yeah. But should we be worried.”

“We know just as much about the situation as do Ddo Dawn.”

“Now don’t get upset. We know nothing about anything
thus far.” it was the most that Giles had said at one shot in a while.

“You don’t think their…? Do you?” Dawn guessed.

“Their what?” Willow asked.

“You know…” Dawn lowered her voice and leaned into the
group sitting around the table. “You know…?”

“Spit it out Dawn.”

“Screwing like horney little rabbits.” She said
louder than she had led them to believe she would. Every ones mouth dropped,
and a very deep flush entered Giles cheeks.

“Umm. Dawn. I don’t think that is a very distinct
possibility.

 

“I should bloody well hope not.” Spike as it turned
out was leaning against one of the walls right outside of the kitchen. He was looking
at them with a bemused look of inherent fascination.

Buffy was right behind him, but for the sole purpose
of making sure that the group couldn’t see her struggled, and horrible attempt
to hide her laughter. Spike stepped aside in his nature for everyone to see
exactly what the idea was.

“Buffy. Slayer. Care to share the joke?” Spike asked
with the amusement still clear on his face.

“You guys are so funny. We refuse to come out of the
bedroom till we brush our teeth, and you guys automatically think that we are
committing suicide or screwing. God it’s not like anyone died.” The lighthearted
moment was easily lost. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that. Really. I was just being
sarcastic.” Everyone was quiet, and feeling the oppression settle on his chest Spike
resolved to get rid of it.

“Well technically something did die. This groups’
sense of humor. Cor’ you guys used to be able to make a bloody joke. I should
know. I was the butt of most of them.” And suddenly everything was good. For the
moment. “So did you all want to be regaled with out touching story of lovemaking?
Or should we wait till your all good and drunk.”

“Spike do us all a favor and never say that again.” Dawn
said.

“Nibblet. I am shocked. You were always the first to
want to know about my sexual encounters. Me being the sexy beast that I am.”

And for a minute they were all normal again. Like Xander
was just out of the house for a little while. The closeness of the group was
defined by their closeness. That everything was okay just because a few easy
words from the ones they were taking caring of could make them all happy for a
short while was remarkable.

“So. Lizzy. We doing any patrolling tonight? I’m a
bit of a mood to go out and slay something.”

“You say that again and you might be the one being
slayed.” Willow warned. “God do you have a death wish, calling her Lizzy like
that.”

“‘S what you think.” Spike sipped blood from a mthatthat Dawn had gotten for him in an attempt to cover up for the fact that she
enjoyed Spike’s tales of sexual pleasure. “She’s taken quite a liking to the
name. Haven’t you ducks?” Buffy just threw him a set of I can’t believe you
just said that out loud, now keep your mouth shut eyes.

“You said you wouldn’t tell anyone.” She wined.

“‘S not like it matters. Only I can call you that.” He
looked pointedly at the others. “So don’t go getting any ideas.”

“When did you guys become best friends? You always
got along, but this is just ridiculous. Was it after the suicide attempt or the
very successful attempt to turn Angel into a trophy?” was Dawn’s quiet
question. Everyone just looked at her with odd questioning. Dawn was indeed at the
mantle slowly and carefully running her hands through the fine dust she found
in the box sitting there.

“Dawn that’s not…”Buffy began. Dawn was upset. No one
seemed sure about just what over.

“Don’t even tell me it’s not Angel.”

“I wasn’t going to. I was going to say it wasn’t a
trophy... of course it’s Angel.”

“If it’s not a trophy then what is it?”

“More of a commemoration.”

“And exactly of what?” she crossed her arms
pointedly.

“Of Xander. You think I going to willingly let him
go without some sort of retribution.”

“So it is a trophy.”

“No. I didn’t win anything. I got what I felt Xander
deserved. You think I was going let the deed go unnoticed. I want everyone to
know just what happens when you…do anything like what he did. Or even think
about it.” Buffy was shooting darts. “If I wanted a stinking trophy I would
have run a marathon or run for Slayer of the year.” She pointedly walked out of
the room.

“Dawn why is this upsetting you?” Spike asked. “This
is what he deserved. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done it given the chance.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is?” Spike all but yelled.

“Angel was one of us. At least for a time. How could
you do that to one of our own?” she shouted back. She was not afraid of this vampire
slash guardian.

“Gee Dawn. I don’t know. How could he?” Dawn was shut
up at that.

“He had a reason.” She sulked. Everyone looked at
her in horror. “Sure it wasn’t the best, but it was legit. You did it out of
pure revenge.”

“So are you trying tll mll me Xander’s death is
justified?”

“Yes I am. You saw it coming and did nothing to stop
it. All Angel did was hold up his end.”

“Okay. Lets try this scenario. I slept with Buffy. I
made everyone of you hate me. I drove you all away. I hurt Buffy and Riley, and
Angel wins, and I lose the one thing that this stupid debt was about.” Dawn was
again silenced. “How can I drill it into your bloody head Dawn? Yes I knew
something was going to go down. I didn’t know what. I didn’t pay I lost Xander.
I did… well I’d have lost him anyway.” He heaved a great sigh. Everyone was
quiet. Receiving this information again. A cry broke the calm. Little Jamie was
in the center of the room creating a ruckus over the whole ordeal. “Sod off. I’m
serious Dawn. Leave me alone.” And he crossed the room to pick up Jamie. He held
her tight to his chest and cradled her head to his shoulder while making
soothing sounds to calm her. He carried her into the bedroom after Buffy. He said
nothing, and Tara and Willow let him go.

“Grow up Dawn. This isn’t about revenge and who was
right or wrong. It is about what happened, how it was reacted to, and what
people feel, not playing god.llowllow snapped.

“I believe we should let them be for the time being.
Um. Cool off a bit. Let’s go, at least for a while.” Giles cleaned his glasses.
Everyone silently agreed and headed for the door.

“Wait, what about Jamie? We can’t just leave her
here.” Tara pointed care.

“I suggest we leave her here.” Tara shot him one of
her rare you’ve got to be kidding looks.

“Tara honey, maybe he’s right. It will give them a
chance to take care of someone and get their minds off of what just went down.”
She glared at Dawn who just stared at the ceiling with a pissed off look on her
face. “We’ll leave a note. They can call us later if the want her to come home.”
Tara simply nodded and walked out of the door without further thought.

“Do you think it’s safe?” Dawn asked. The look on
her face suggested that it was a simple and rational question.

“What? To leave? Yeah. Buffy and Spike aren’t kids. They
can take care of themselves.”low low said softly her voice covering the anger
she felt.

“Yeah I know that. But Jamie is just a kid. I mean is she
safe. She is in there bawling her pathetic little eyes out to a vampire and a Slayer.
Isn’t that odd? A vampire and Slayer friends? I mean. Whameanmean is. What if
she does something that they don’t like. They may just get tired of her
bothering them, and shut her up. I’d rethink your choice. No telling what those
two will do. And anyway. I thought they were going patrolling tonight.” Dawn finished
her face in a position of thought. They were gonna blow. Everything had just
come to a boil. They all turned to look at her again.

“That is absurd Dawn. How could you believe such a
thing.” Giles commanded.

“What? It’s legitimate. They’re not very stable
right now. Do you think that leaving a 5 year old with them is the best choice
right now?

“Don’t you trust them?”

“What I think is not what matters. It’s do you think
it’s safe to leave your daughter in the care of an upset Buffy, and a rabid and
pissed off demon. Stupid move in my opinion.” She gave them a sorry to have to
say it look. They had never heard anything like it. Spike was closer to Dawn
than most and for her to suggest that…it was unthinkable. None of them said
anything, not even gracing her with a thought to her ideas to suggest that
maybe she had a point. They just turned and walked off on her, Giles pulling
the two women along gently. Dawn followed close behind. They headed at a steady
pace back to the car. Before they opened the doors Tara turned around and studied
the arrogant look on Dawn’s face before pulling her arm back and swiftly
dragging it across her chest to come into sharp contact with Dawn’s face. Dawn held
her cheek as she felt the twinge turn to a burn. She looked at Tara blankly then to Willow for support and the when
she was rejected Giles. He just looked at her just as blankly and said. “Get
into the car dawn.” She did and still holding her cheek tuned them out.

 

Back in the room Spike and Buffy together had managed
to settle Jamie down to a shallow whine.

“So you’re saying you just picked her up and brought
her in here?” Buffy asked.

“Yeah sure. Why would they mind? I was the one that upset
her. I’ll take her out and apologize when she settles some.” He started to play
with the little girl and she stopped whining long enough to smile, and soon her
had her giggling. Buffy just looked at the two content in their own little worof fof fun. Spike gave the worst first impressions. When she met him he wanted to
kill her so that explained it, but as they grew close she saw a whole new side,
and it shocked the hell out of her. Who would have thought that Spike could be
better with kids than even Willow and Tara?

“You and Xander really should have taken Willow up
on the offer to help you guys have children.” Spike just looked up at her, his
smile fading. The subject had been breached. When Willow and Tara had decided
to find a way to have a child without the whole adoption thing they had told spike
and Xander about it. They wanted something that was apart of them. And they had
found a way. They had simply changed some of their genes around and did general
science stuff and boom 9 months later they had a beautiful little girl that was
what they always wanted. It had been a weird conversation at that.

Flashback

“We’re going to have a baby!” Willow squealed pleasantly.
The boys just looked at her like, ‘wait did I miss something’.

“Um. Reds? Is that entirely possible?”

“Sure it is.” She looked happily at the two men
like it was the most obvious thing that had ever happened.

“Explain. Slowly, and use short words so that I get
all of this.” Xander sat cross-legged on the bed looking whole-heartedly
interested in what the girls were attempting.

“Well it is quite simple.” Tara started. Even the
relatively shy girl that had grown up before them into a confident woman was smiling
like she would die if she stopped. “We simply take Willow’s sex genes and
change their…constitution. What they are made up of. Then we do the regular science
implant thing and boom I’m pregnant.”

“So you have already chosen who is going to have
this baby?” Xander asked. They both nodded, and Tara blushed totally giving
away the fact that she was enjoying the thought too much. The idea finally registered
and there were many hugs and kisses, and groping at which point Xander would
smack Spike’s hands, and Willow would lecture him on the proper ways to show
thanks, and that touching her ass was not one of them.

“So does everyone know about this?” was the next
question asked. Willow hesitantly shook her head. Tara nudged her and Spike gave
her a skeptical look.

“We wanted you to be the first to know.” Willow said
simply.

“Any particular reason why?” Spike asked seeing how
Tara kept elbowing Willow and kicking her with a bit more force each time Willow
refused to spit out what they had come her to say. She bit her lips, and shook
her head. Tara gave a heavy sigh, and started to smoothly talk.

“We wanted you to be happy about his, and we feel
that we can relate to you more than the others, for obvious and non obvious
reasons…what I’m gonna say is probably going to make Xander wig, and Spike you’re
gonna end up laughing and Xander’s gonna drop his jaw, and look at us like we’re
nuts. Spike you will laugh and giggle…don’don’t say you don’t giggle cause you
do…you’re going to giggle until you realize we’re serious cause we are, and then
you are going to turn us down, but we thought we would just run the idea by you.
Then your jaw is going to drop, and the both of you will drool everywhere. This is hard to say so can I be blunt?” she
babbled. Xander just nodded, and e gee gestured with his hand to make a keep
going motion. “We thought you might be interested in trying to have a baby of
your own.” There bomb dropped, and desired affects acquired. Xander was numb,
and Spike was giggling despite his manly attempts to disagree. And eventually
they both had their jaws dropped. Xander was the first to speak.

“You can do that?”

“Sure. Same idea. The only problem is the whole
guys can’t have babies’ thing. We could fix that though. Shouldn’t be hard.”

End flashback

They had talked and decided against it.

“Yeah I think we should have taken the offer, but it
would have been hard to leave a child behind for Xander. It would be nice to
have a little piece of him though.”

“You do. Everywhere that those ninnies don’t try to
hide his things to keep from upsetting us.”

“We thought about that a lot. If we should change
our minds. But we never did. The idea squicked us a bit too much. Too late now
though.”

“I’m going to go get her something to drink.” Buffy walked
to the door and turned around. “Yould uld have made a fantastic father Spike.”

“Thanks Buffy. That really does mean a lot.