Hellmouth Ascendant Trilogy Book 1 Dusk: Chapter 12 Road Trip
by Deacon Rayne
Chapter Twelve
Road trip

The five weary demon slayers entered the magic shop and proceeded to drop into the nearest chairs available. Xander threw Dusk a towel, which he caught gratefully and began to dab at some of the demon blood stuck to his shirt. Willow looked around,

“Where’d everybody go?” she asked. Giles followed her gaze around the room,

“I’m really not certain,” he frowned. Faith spoke up,

“ ‘Went to a quiet place to open a dimensional rift to the demon plane, Love Anya,” she read from a piece of paper on a table. Xander snorted,

“Answers that,” then he frowned as Dusk headed to the back room, which oddly had the door closed, “Wait a second. Weren’t Buffy and Spike here too?” he asked.

“Hey,” Dusk exclaimed, “the door's locked,” tentatively, he put an ear to the door, just in time to hear a series of thumps, followed by a “bloody hell!” and a few more thumps. Grinning, Dusk moved away from the door, as a very bedraggled looking slayer opened it, wearing only a black t-shirt far too big for her.

“Uh…hi,” she greeted meekly, turning red. Dusk chuckled as he looked past her shoulder to see Spike, clad only in black boxers, hopping around on one foot, trying to tug on a pair of black jeans,

“Oh bloody hell!” he cried out as he tumbled to the floor in a knot of denim and frustrated vampire. Buffy turned to regard her lover with a smile before turning back to Dusk,

“Just give me two minutes,” she implored before hurriedly closing the door on his face. Dusk laughed quietly and returned to the common area of the magic shop. Xander looked up,

“What’s going on? Are they in there or not?” Dusk nodded slowly,

“Yeah,” drawing the word out slowly, “they’re in there,”

“Well? What’s going on?” Faith insisted. Dusk shrugged and walked over to a table to look at an open book,

“Tension relief,” he stated simply, not looking up from his book. For a few moments, the words didn’t register, then slow grins spread on the faces of Xander and Faith, they looked at the back room with its closed door, then back to Dusk, who had his own grin creeping across his face. Willow chuckled,

“Must be the impending apocalypse,” she suggested.

“That does seem to be the general consensus,” Dusk agreed, before leaning forward and planting a kiss on the young witch's head. She beamed up at him, before getting up from her seat and heading over to the computer. Buffy and Spike entered the room, amidst much tugging in of shirts and straightening of hair.

“Hi,” Buffy greeted the group cheerfully. Spike mumbled some kind of greeting and walked over to his now-dry jacket to get a cigarette. Everyone did their best to ignore the lovers' rather incriminating state of physical disarray. Buffy continued to smile inanely until she noticed the splatter stains on Dusks’ shirt. She frowned,

“What happened?” she asked concerned.

“We had a little…adventure,” Dusk offered reluctantly. Buffy turned to Xander,

“Xander, what happened?”

“Dusk infected a rat with one of the demonic parasites which turned it into a zombie cannibal monster, before Faith cut its head off and Dusk blew it up,” he concluded and sent an apologetic look to Dusk, “Sorry man, but she can beat me up,”

“So can I,” Dusk growled back as Buffy shook her head,

“Can I have that again? In full detail this time?” Rolling his eyes, Dusk quickly regaled Willows findings and his rather disastrous attempt to learn more about the parasites to Buffy.

“What happened to the other two parasites?” she asked.

“Destroyed,” Giles responded, “One was still in the jar which Dusk threw at the creature before setting it on fire. The other was on the microscope, which I took the liberty of disposing of, before we left,” Buffy nodded and turned a wry grin to her brother,

“I leave you alone for five minutes…” he held up a hand.

“Buffy, don’t start with me, I mean it,” he warned her. Buffy chuckled and let it slide. Dusk frowned,

“Say, where’s Angel at?” changing the subject.

“He went with Anya out to Breaker’s Woods to cast the spell,” Buffy answered, willing to let Dusk get away with the shift in the conversation topic, “She has to do some ‘reach out and touch someone’ action with a demon, remember?” Xander looked up and frowned,

“Why did Angel go with her?” he asked, a note of protective boyfriend creeping into his voice,

“Because exposure to Sunnydale alone at night can be hazardous to your health?” Buffy offered dryly. Xander grimaced and nodded,

“Okay, I’ll buy that,” he nodded before turning to Giles, “So G-man, what’s our next move?” Giles scowled at the younger man,

“First, don’t call me that,” Xander held his hands up placating, “and second I’d imagine our next course of action should be to find out whatever this ‘Grigori Estate” is that the count mentioned,” Willow peeked over the top of her computer monitor,

“I’ve got Miss Calendars search engine-o-mighty chewing on it right now, should take a few minutes,” Giles nodded and turned back to Buffy,

“Did you find anything useful in the slayer diaries?” he asked, Buffy blushed,

“Well, to tell you the truth I…uh…didn’t get that much more research done after you guys left,” all eyes turned to Spike who was seated in a chair smoking cigarette,

“What?” he asked defensively, “She started it. Little maiden of hormones here,” he gestured to the slayer. Buffy chucked a pillow at him, “Well, you did,” he growled at her before piping down, she continued to glare at him as she got up and picked up another slayer diary, this one looking much older than the rest and began to read. Sighing, a little antsy, Dusk began flipping through a book of Walt Whitman, when Willows voice perked up,

“Got it!” she squealed, holding her hands up high above her head to wrap her arms around Dusk, who had come over to inspect her findings, she looked up at him, “Kiss me,” she demanded. Dusk cheerfully obliged before turning his attention to the computer screen,

“What do you got, princess?” Giles and Faith came over to look at the screen as Willow began to explain,

“Well, it turns out ‘Grigori’, in Christian lore, refers to a group of angels called ‘watcher angels,” she threw a wry look at Giles, “No relation, I’m sure,” Giles smiled down at the red headed hacker before she continued, “In any case, Grigori estate is very hush-hush, only reason why I got any hits on it at all is because there was an incident there about six years back,” Giles frowned,
“What manner of incident?” he asked. Willow continued reading before making a face,
“Uh…it says here there was some sort of disturbance…that resulted in multiple homicides,” she continued to read, “coroners report disappeared, ditto with all the police work, the only thing we do have for information is the name of the place, the year and a police code for disturbance and another for multiple homicides,” she looked up, perplexed, “that’s it. No eyewitnesses or statements, not even any photographs,” Dusk shook his head,
“That seems awfully cloak and dagger. Can you get a location?”
“Uh…yeah,” Willow frowned in concentration, hitting a few more keys, new data flowed across the screen, she leaned in to read, “looks like it’s in upstate New York, near Crown Point, no address though,” she turned to the rest of the group, “I have a cousin who summers there. She used to send me postcards,” Giles nodded and sighed,
“Well, I suppose I could call information,” Dusk snorted,
“And once you got the number, what would you do, call up Grigori Estate and ask them if they know of any way to prevent the end of the world?” He chuckled as Giles frowned,
“Point,” he turned to his son, “What do you suggest we do?” Dusk shrugged,
“Only thing we can do: we go out there ourselves,” Giles’ eyes widened,
“Alec, it’s on the other side of the country. For nine people that’s going to be hideously expensive airfare,” Dusk frowned frustrated,
“Well, why don’t we drive then?” Xander piped in, “My uncle's got a huge R.V. I’m sure we could commandeer it for a week or so. With his license suspended, he sure as heck isn’t going to be driving it anytime soon” Willow nodded,
“That’s right. When Xander and I were kids, we’d play hide and seek in it for hours, it’s huge,” she looked up at Dusk and smiled, “we used to call it the Godzilla-mobile,”
Dusk smiled wryly, “And I’d always been told that size didn’t matter,”
“She lied,” Faith put in without hesitating, Dusk threw her a wry look.
“Uh…guys?” Buffy began hesitantly, “two things. One, we have the problem of traveling with vampires…”
“I can handle that, luv,” Spike put in, “a little tinfoil, a few rolls of duct tape. Bingo! Instant sun-proofing!” he folded his arms, pleased with himself. Buffy continued
“Okay, and Two: I tell my mother that I’m going a on a road trip to New York on Christmas, she’ll pitch a fit. Plus I can’t leave her and Dawn alone with Swamp Thing wandering the sewers.” Dusk sighed, before turning back to Xander,
“Just exactly HOW big was this R.V?”

“That’s a big R.V.” Dusk admitted. It was two hours later as Xander lumbered the mammoth machine up the darkened street and parked it across the street from the magic shop, “Bus might be a more accurate term,” even Spike was impressed, giving a low appreciative whistle,
“That’s a lair on wheels, to be sure,” he turned to Angel who had returned from his excursion with Anya, “Hey poof! Think I could get this thing to hit eighty in over eight-five?” Angel snorted,
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” he commented dryly, before turning to Buffy, “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Buffy shrugged,
“Not a clue, but it seems to be the best way about going about things, at least for now,” she turned to her sister, “Now remember Dawn, this is a big important, save-the-world kind of deal, so once we get to Crown Point, you do exactly what we say when we say it or we are checking you into a nice hotel, with lots of adult supervision and you’re staying put until we leave, all right?” This was the only way Buffy could feel comfortable going. With Joyce staying at a motel, Buffy wasn’t willing to put her at risk. Buffy figured that taking Dawn with them should minimize any chances of a repeat performance of the other night. Dusk and Buffy had discussed whether or not it would be better to just check Dawn into some hotel in the city, Dusk had suggested against, claiming that Dawn would be safest with them, in case something came gunning for her, and Buffy had reluctantly relented to his logic. Dawn, however, had grave reservations about this plan,
“In other words, I have to be stuck in a giant car with you and your friends for three days, just so I can be bossed around or be dumped first convenient hotel in the middle of nowhere New York? Perfect!” she folded her arms and jutted her lip out in a way that usually signaled a prelude to an argument. In a stroke of divine intervention, Dusk came out from behind the bus, having been helping Spike and Angel with loading luggage into the cargo compartment. He came up behind Buffy,
“Give it another thirty minutes and we’ll be in great shape. Should be able to leave before sunrise,” he informed her. Buffy looked around at the hustle and bustle with awe at how quickly it had sprung around them. Willow was on-line getting a map, Faith was assisting, Anya was talking to Giles’ regarding her meeting with D’Hoffryn, and the vampires were busy loading the bus. Buffy nodded,
“Sounds like a plan,” Buffy commented approvingly…and noticing Dawn’s sudden acute interest now that Dusk had entered the conversation. He turned and smiled at her,
“Hey princess,” he greeted her, his voicing warming considerably. Dawn fairly melted,
“Hi Dusk,” she replied shyly back, looking down, then up through her bangs, biting her lower lip slightly. Offering a smile to both the sisters, Dusk headed back to continue preparations. Dawn looked up suddenly at her sister,
“Dusk’s coming with us?” she asked. Buffy grinned and nodded,
“Uh huh. He’s officially part of the Scooby gang. But I mean, if you really don’t want to come along, I suppose Aunt Maggie wouldn’t mind looking out for you for a while” she smiled. Dawn pretended to consider,
“Well, I mean if Dusk is coming, I suppose this won’t completely suck, I’ll put my bag on the camper,” she turned haughtily and walked towards the camper. Smiling slightly, Buffy turned and walked over to Giles, who had just finished talking with Anya,
“How we doing?” she asked. He turned and shrugged,
“It’s a little complicated, and I have to clarify between Anyas’ running commentary and the actual information received, but as near as I can deduce, D’Hoffryn has declared neutrality. He won’t actively assist, but he’s agreed to make available what resources he has at his disposal to us, for the duration, anyhow,” Buffy sighed, it was really more than she had any right to expect,
“What about the monster R.V. -- how’s it look?” she queried, changing the subject, Xander approached, answering,
“Tank’s full and the interior's clean,” he turned to regard it, “Spike and Angel are in the process of sun-proofing it now. Had to raid the all-night hardware store for the Macguyver tape and tinfoil,” Giles cleared his throat,
“Xander are you entirely certain you are capable of driving this the distance required?” Xander nodded,
“Sure thing. I’ll handle days, and Angel can handle nights,” he leveled a stern finger at Buffy, “Under no circumstances is Spike to get behind that wheel. I don’t want to wake up in the morning and have a roadside bar as a hood ornament,”
Buffy chuckled, “I wouldn’t worry,” she pointed to Dusk and Spike who were checking off a list, “Dusk and Spike seem to be in charge of working out some sort of distraction program for the duration of the trip, which reminds me,” she turned back to Xander, “You on top of snack detail?” He nodded,
“Anya and I are on it. Gonna go raid the Circle K in a little bit,” he cocked an eyebrow, “Any personal requests?” Buffy looked around before whispering in a conspiring tone,
“Those little frosted orange cakes, with the cream in the middle?”
“Little Debbie?” he asked. She nodded and bit her lip, playfully,
“I love those things,” she confessed. Xander chuckled,
“Will do. Can’t save the world on an empty stomach,” he waggled his eyebrows and headed back to the R.V.

“Smokes?” Dusk asked consulting a list. Spike held up several large boxes of cigarettes,
“Check,” he responded.
“Booze?” Spike gestured to several bottles of whiskey.
“Check.”
“Coffee?” Spike shifted his gaze to a portable coffee pot
“I think the slayers got that covered, so check.”
“Tunes?” Spike patted a case of cassettes and held up a ghetto blaster,
“Check.”
“Map?” Spike frowned,
“Bloody hell, man, I’m in charge of the essentials. Leave the frills to the womenfolk,” with a snort of derision, he went back to packing his goods. Laughing quietly, Dusk walked over to Willow, who was online getting the map,
“How’s it look lover?” she frowned,
“Awful, three whole days on a bus with no privacy,” she pouted at him playfully. He grinned and pointed at the laptop,
“I meant the map,” he clarified. Willow ‘oh’ed in mock understanding and grinned before turning her gaze to the computer,
“Not a problem, just get on the transcontinental highway all the way into New York state,” Dusk nodded, and kissed her hair,
“Well done, princess,” he smiled and headed away to help Spike with the “essentials.”

Thirty minutes or so later, they were ready to go,
“All aboard! “ Xander grinned, “I’ve always wanted to say that,” he commented as the collected group filed passed him and tossed personal possessions on various fold out beds, staking claims for their own. Xander called back,
“All right kids, double bunk where you can,” people began to pair off. Buffy with Spike, Dusk with Willow, Anya and an empty space for Xander, Angel slung a hammock across two chairs, Faith did the same, Giles had brought a small inflatable mattress for himself and Dawn unrolled her sleeping bag out onto a large patch of carpet.
“All set?” Xander asked.
“Ready to go,” Buffy replied. Spike spoke up,
“Almost luv,” reaching over he flipped on the switch to his ghetto blaster and ‘My Way’ erupted from the oversized speakers. Spike grinned happily and Dusk sat up, drumming on the window with the palms of his hands in time with the music, grinning like an idiot,
“ ‘Regrets, I’ve had a few!” they sang in union, “But then again too few to mention!” they howled at the top of their lungs, as the R.V. pulled away,
“And more much more than this I did it my way!” the pair ended as the song did and others began hurling pillows at them.
“Ingrates! The whole bloody lot of you!” Spike sputtered as they left Sunnydale.

The hours passed swiftly. The group made it out of the state and pulled into a rest stop so everyone could get some shuteye. Spikes sun-proofing held up nicely through out the day, and come sundown they hit the road again. Giles had had the foresight to bring a guitar and was kind enough to play some tunes including his infamous rendition of “Behind Blue Eyes”. Afterwards, Giles started playing the first few bars of familiar tune, Dusk jumped in with vocals as well and together they cut a pretty smooth rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrds’s “Tuesday’s gone” that had even the normally dour Angel bobbing his head to the tune. Willow smiled adoringly at Dusk,
“It figures, why do I always fall for musicians?” she asked. Buffy frowned,
“Did Tara play an instrument?” Willow nodded,
“She played the flute pretty well,” Willow answered. Faith, who was seated in the passenger seat next to Xander up in front, turned and opened her mouth to make a comment and Xander shushed her,
“Don’t say it Faith, we’ve all seen ‘American Pie,” Faith grinned and settled back to watch the road.
Dawn was smiling at Dusk as he and his father continued to play. There was something about him, for her at least, that made the rest of the world fade away. She smiled, and rocked in time to the blues that were being played. Everyone was surprised however, when Spike removed a harmonica from his jacket and started to play along with the others. Buffy sent him an amazed look as he blew out a long, complicated melody, dancing his fingers against the instrument. He finished and turned a grin to his lover,
“Harmonica’s a snap when you don’t need to breath, luv,” he added grinning. Dusk smirked at this and continued to sing. Anya turned to Buffy,
“This is interesting music,” she commented. Buffy shook her head,
“No Anya, this is not only music,” she gestured to her Watcher, his half-demon son and her vampire lover making music together, “THIS is a Ripley’s-worthy Kodak moment,” she grinned and started to drum on her legs in time with the music. The song ended, amidst much applause, Buffy, Willow and Dawn being the most enthusiastic of the applause donators. Willow wrapped herself around her boyfriend, who had shed his trademark duster and was clad only in a white t-shirt and black jeans,
“So, know any Creedence Clearwater?” she asked wryly. He smirked up at her,
“Since when does the Lorrena Mckennit poster child listen to Creedence Clearwater?” he asked. Willow smiled enigmatically,
“Well, you’re not the only one with secrets,” she replied lightly. He smiled and kissed her cheek as Dawn’s face fell. Dawn abruptly left and sat down between Faith and Xander, her arms crossed. Sparing a look from the highway, Xander shot her an inquiring look,
“What’s up, little lady?” he asked her lightly. She glared at him through narrowed eyes.
“Guys suck, that’s what’s the matter!” she bit out. Faith laughed and slapped her on the back, nearly sending her sprawling,
“Way to go, D,” she smiled wryly, “it took me until I was seventeen to figure THAT little truth out,” Dawn frowned unhappily and turned back to look at Dusk, with Willow on his lap as she was trying to teach him some chords on the guitar. Faith followed her eyes and nodded in comprehension, “Ah,” she purred, causing Dawn’s head to whip back to face her, humiliated, “I see what the issue is,” Faith got up and took Dawn’s hand, “Come on kid, let’s go have girl-to-girl talk,” Dawn reluctantly followed her to a private corner of the bus. She sat opposite the scarred slayer, who smiled knowingly at her,
“Looks like the ‘little lady’ is coveting the witches man,” Faith observed knowingly. Dawn blushed as Faith put a hand to her shoulder reassuringly,
“Listen, Dawn, can I tell you something, chick to chick?” she asked her. Dawn shrugged miserably,
“I guess so,” she mumbled downcast.
“First off, you and I both know you’re not a little kid,” she began, “You’re what, fourteen?” she asked.
“Fifteen in May,” Dawn replied, Faith acquiesced the point,
“Anyhow, the point is, you’re more woman than kid. Your heart does funny things to you at this age. But you’re never too young to fall really head over heels for a guy,” she leaned in to whisper conspiringly, “remind me to tell you about my Sunday school priest who I had the hots for from age seven to sixteen,” Dawn frowned at her,
“You had the hots for a PRIEST?” she asked confounded. Faith nodded and grinned,
“In the WORST way, amiga,” she shook her head, “the point is though, is that this was me. It was a crush, not anything more,” she looked over past Dawn’s shoulder at Dusk who was still trying to learn the guitar, she turned back to Dawn, “How’s it feel, when you’re around the guy. I mean is it a ‘I want to take him some place private and do things that would make my mother rotate in her grave’ sort of down-low tickle or is it something more?” she inquired. Dawn blushed before answering,
“It isn’t like that. I mean,” she bit her lower lip and smiled, “he does have GREAT lips doesn’t he?” Faith grinned and nodded,
“He’s definitely quite the honey,” she agreed. Dawn continued,
“But, I don’t know, it’s not like a…you know,” she blushed.
“A ‘jump his bones till the cows come home’ kind of thing?” she supplied helpfully. Dawn blushed, nodding,
“Yeah, it’s not like that, it’s more like,” she leaned in closer to Faith and whispered, “Every time he’s in the same room with me, it’s like there’s no one else. There’s just him. And every time he touches me, even if it’s just to hold my hands,” Dawn closed her eyes blissfully and swooned, “I feel so…great. Warm and safe and all glowy,” she opened her eyes and looked down, “I’m nuts, aren’t I?” Faith just grinned and shook her head,
“Worse. You’re in love, and BOY, you got it bad,” she chuckled, “Have you ever told him?” Dawn shook her head vehemently,
“No way!” she responded, “whenever I get around him I can barely get out two words. Besides,” she sighed and looked at Dusk and Willow wistfully, “I doubt little miss witch would take kindly to it,” she growled. Faith’s eyes widened,
“Meow!” she commented appreciatively. Chuckling, she placed a hand on Dawn’s slim shoulder, “you’ve got to tell him, girl. Sooner or later, you got to come clean. Cause there’s nothing worse than loving someone that doesn’t know,” Faith’s face suddenly frowned unhappily and she turned her gaze over at the crowd. Dawn followed her line of sight and gasped, as she realized just whom Faith was staring at,
“Angel?” she squeaked, shocked. Faith snapped her head back to glare at her,
“Keep it down, will ya D?” she flicked her eyes back and forth nervously, “No need to tell the whole world,” she hissed at her. Dawn swallowed and nodded, eyes wide,
“Does he, I mean have you said…?” Faith shook her head,
“Nah. Him and I aren’t a possibility. Too much bad history,” she sighed forlornly, “I did some pretty awful things to him way back when. We’re square and all, but it’s not going to happen,” Dawn felt a rush of sympathy for the older woman,
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, “How did you know? I mean, that you were, you know…?”
“In love with the guy?” Faith replied. Dawn nodded. Faith sighed and leaned back in her chair, her eyes going glassy as she thought back, “It was during B’s last visit to L.A. She’d come gunning for me after some serious nastiness, and Angel stood up for me,” she shook her head, “Me, the gal that had tried to kill him and steal his soul and stuff. He was standing up for me, and standing up against this girl that he had a serious thing for,” Faith sighed, “No one had ever done that for me. It made me feel something I’d never felt. That’s why I turned myself in to the cops, otherwise this bitchy chick cop would have thrown Angel into a cell with an eastward window,” she came back to the present, “I couldn’t let him fry. Not after everything he’d done for me. So I turned myself in, and pretty much chalked up the rest of my life as time to be served,” she finished. Dawn regarded her with a mixture of compassion and pity,
“So what happened next? I mean, did you know then that you loved him?” she asked. Faith shook her head,
“No. It was after I got this,” she gestured to the long scar slashing down her eye. “The skank responsible was packing a shiv at the time, I got careless and she cut me. I went nuts on her, seriously wailing, I was all raring to kill her. I wanted to kill her, and I just stopped. Because I knew that I would be letting Angel down if I did,” she looked up at Dawn, “I did a lot of death-dealing when I first came to Sunnydale. Enjoyed it too. Angel tried to get me back on the straight and narrow. I blew him off and tried to kill him, and wound up a vegetable for the better part of a year,” she sighed, “I lost everything, friends, a future, a sense of purpose. I got taken down about as far as someone could go. Despite everything, when I got to L.A. Angel did his best to help me, he forgave me everything I’d done to him and tried to help me help myself. He gave me hope that I could be a good guy, you know? A slayer again, ‘Someone to be counted’ as he put it, instead of just some murdering psycho-chick,” she shook her head, trying to swallow a lump in her throat, “Anyhow, I couldn’t let him down. So I didn’t kill her, and as the prison cutter was stitching my face back together, I knew that I loved him. Truly, madly deeply, I loved the guy,” she turned aching eyes back at Dawn, “And he’ll never know cause I don’t got the guts to tell him,” she sighed again and cleared her throat. Dawn felt a case of sniffles creeping up on her,
“Why not? If you love him that much why don’t you tell him?” Dawn implored, Faith snorted,
“What are you kidding? I can’t do that,” she retorted.
“Why not?” Dawn asked. Faith snorted again derisively,
“And say what ‘Sorry about trying to kill you all those times. How about dinner?” she scoffed, then became serious, “Besides he’s still in love with your sister, in a major way,” she replied quietly. Dawn’s eyebrows nearly leapt off her face as she whirled around to regard the brooding vampire, sitting apart from everyone else, staring out the window, streetlights flashing across his face,
“Angel still loves Buffy?” Dawn whispered. Faith scoffed,
“What? Are you kidding? Majorly, you should see the look on his face every time her and her bleached blond beau are together,” she shook her head, “Angel loves her like crazy,” she sighed and slumped her shoulders, “As long as he does, my chances with him are about on par with a snowballs survival rate in Hell,” she finished morosely. Dawn nodded sadly,
“I see your point,” tentatively she reached out and placed a hand over the older woman’s hands, “I’m really sorry,” she whispered. Faith smiled a little and shook herself hard, patting Dawn’s tiny hand,
“Hey, when did you become Mother Teresa? Come on, forget about it,” Faith tried to quip lightly. Dawn shook her head,
“I know how it feels, Faith, it’s the most wonderful awful feeling the world,” Faith nodded and sniffled before regarding the younger girl wryly,
“Hey, I thought I was supposed to be comforting YOU,” she commented dryly. Dawn shrugged,
“I’m feeling better now anyhow,” she turned to look at Dusk, “he’s kind, and sweet and he takes me seriously and he’s saved my life a few times” she smiled before turning back to face Faith and shrugged unhappily, “I guess that’ll have to do for now,” Faith grinned and tousled her hair affectionately,
“Yeah, well, we’ll see how long that resolve holds out when the nights get cold and lonely,” she retorted wryly. Dawn blushed,
“It’s not like...” she began,
“It’s not like that,” Faith finished for her sardonically, nodding her head indulgently, “whatever you say,” she grew serious again, “You’re not going to spill the beans are you?” she asked looking a little worried.
“Are you?” Dawn she asked back. Faith grinned and looked puzzled,
“About what?” she asked innocently. Dawn laughed and nodded,
“Okay, cool,” flashing the slayer a grateful smile, she headed back to join the others who were engaged in a heated debate.
“I’m telling you Macintyre was far much more the man than that bint B.J,” Spike declared, “He helped Hawkeye build the still,” Dusk snorted and waved a hand, dismissively,
“Spoken like a true lush,” he retorted, “B.J. was an infinitely more loyal friend to Hawkeye than Trapper was. Remember, the series finale? Who came to visit Hawkeye after he had a nervous breakdown? B.J,” Dusk finished triumphantly.
“That’s what I’m bloody saying! If Trapper had still been on the show he would have never let Hawkeye have a nervous breakdown. He’d have filled him full of martinis and told him to sleep it off,” Spike retorted vehemently. Buffy chuckled, deeply amused by the debate,
“The both of you are children. You know that right? “ She commented wryly, “M*A*S*H has been over for years, this debate is pointless,” Dusk and Spike both shot her nasty looks. Anya spoke up,
“Well I always thought that Houlihan-” she began.
“Oh screw Houlihan!” Dusk and Spike cried out in unison, flashing each other grins as Anya’s eyes widened in miffed surprise.
“Moisten tart,” Spike growled.
“Hear hear,” Dusk agreed. Giles cleared his throat and turned to Willow, who was regarding her lover with wry affection, finding his addiction to M*A*S*H deeply cute.
“Willow, where are we right now?” He asked politely. Shaking her head, laughing quietly, she turned from the dispute to the laptop on the table, pursing her lips she frowned at the screen,
“According to the GPS we’ve just left Arizona and we’re in New Mexico,” she looked up at Giles, “Xander wants to avoid going through Nevada, says with all the Vegas holiday traffic it’d be a real hassle,” she turned back to the computer, “we’re making pretty good time considering,” Giles nodded,
“Thank you, Willow, do keep me informed please?” Willow nodded and turned back to the screen.

“Bloody Hell, can’t we stop somewhere and stretch our legs?” Spike demanded, loudly. Buffy turned and faced Xander,
“How about it Xander, feel like stopping somewhere? Besides you could use the rest, and I wouldn’t mind a meal that didn’t come out of a bag,”
“Yeah,” Dusk and Dawn both chimed in at unison. Dusk turned to flash her a smile, she blushed and returned it shyly. Xander frowned and peered at the road signs flashing by,
“Okay, well, there’s supposed to be some kind of truckers café around her someplace,” Spike came up and peered out the large windshield,
“ ‘The Darkness Falls truckers tavern?” he read the road sign and frowned, “Sounds a like a pretty namby-pamby establishment,” he muttered. Buffy came up behind him and swatted him playfully,
“Quit whining. You said you wanted to stretch your legs. Sounds like as good a place as any,” despite Spike’s mutterings, she turned to Xander, “Sounds like a plan Xander, take the exit,” Xander nodded and guided the lumbering machine off the highway and onto the off-ramp for the Darkness Falls tavern. Buffy sighed and stretched her arms above her head,
“Besides, it’ll be a nice change of pace to sit down to a quiet meal,” she turned and threw a look back at Dusk, “Right, big brother?” she asked wryly. Dusk just nodded in agreement,
“Nice change of pace,” he reiterated.



This story archived at: The Slayer\'s Fanfic Archive
The Slayer\\\\\\\\'s FanFic Archive - http://www.slayerfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=2103