Be A Man
Chapter 8
Letting himself in and bidding good morning to the eldest Summers he leant up the stairs and bellowed for the youngest to get a move on. Flouncing down the stairs, Dawn announced her presence to Joyce and Spike and ignored her sister, taking everything she put out for breakfast for herself just to irritate her.
By the time Buffy had given up on her missing bowl, box of cereal, banana, glass and carton of fruit juice, Dawn was finished and ready to go, kissing Joyce goodbye as she pulled Spike out of the door into the warm morning sunlight.
Watching her eldest daughter stomp out of the house shortly after her youngest Joyce sighed. Buffy would never understand that vampires were just like humans. They were individuals and the more she pigeon holed them into the evil box, the bigger the shock was going to be when she realised she was wrong.
Joyce knew that Spike was unique, and there lay the problem. He was so different from what he used to be that Buffy was blinded by it. Her current boyfriend was no better either; he classified all things non-human as demons to be eradicated and would never support Spike and his change.
She was glad that Dawn had seen through the Big Bad's façade. Their friendship had been going from strength to strength and at the end of the week, Joyce would finally be allowed to take a peek at the new penthouse.
Standing back to admire their work Dawn was practically bubbling over with excitement. They had been working on her bedroom and Spike’s bedroom this past few days and they were finally finished.
Her room was a teenage girls dream; all lilac with multiple closets and a huge bed in the centre with a lilac canopy draped from the ceiling down around the headboard. Facing the bed was a small entertainment centre complete with pull-out double sofa bed for her friends to stop over.
Spike had well and truly spoiled her even though his room was far more expensive to decorate with his wrought iron four poster bed and cinema screen TV. He had almost spent his million bucks on this place.
“Spike?” Dawn called as she put the final lamp in place. She turned to see him poke his head around her doorway, rolling his eyes sarcastically at her ‘final touches’ which included a giant stuffed toy collection and a fluffy lilac bedside lamp.
“What?” He asked, stepping inside the room.
“It’s nearly time to go home. Can we walk?”
“F’course pet.” He paused before he left her room, “Almost ready for your mum to see?”
She scanned the penthouse as they went down each floor, making sure that the furniture was in the right place and making a note of what they would need to do tomorrow if Spike didn’t finish it tonight.
She had fallen in love with the place this week and was determined to persuade her mom to let her stop over soon. Spike had promised her she could have a moving in slumber party and her friends would be soooo jealous! She couldn’t wait!