“So what do you know about finances?” Buffy asked.
Spike looked at her. “Why? You got money problems?”
“Yeah. It’s really bad. I don’t think I can do it,” Buffy said.
Spike pushed her hair out of her eyes. “It’ll be okay. Do you need help?” He asked.
Buffy looked at him. “How could you help me?”
“I had to take care of Dawn for 147 days so I know a thing or two,” Spike said.
Buffy smiled a little then they heard Dawn scream.
Spike was up and in the door at lightening speed. “Dawn!” He tackled to demon and quickly regained his footing.
Buffy came in and fought the demon.
Spike went over to Dawn. “You okay, Nibblet?” He asked, crouching next to her.
Dawn pushed herself up. “I’m fine. Help Buffy,” she said.
“You sure?” Spike asked. Dawn nodded. “Go upstairs,” Spike said, jumping on the demon’s back.
“Spike!” Buffy screamed.
Spike snapped the demons neck. “There. Now, what were we talking about?”
“My debt,” Buffy said, looking around. “It just got bigger.”
Spike went over to her. “Tomorrow, you go out and I’ll take care of this mess,” he said, softly.
Buffy gave him a small smile. “Spike, I know you’re trying to help, but…” Spike put a finger
over her lips.
“I’ll take care of it. You need a break so just trust me,” he said.
Buffy sighed. “Fine, you win. But whatever you use to pay for this, I’m paying you back,” she said.
Spike rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Slayer. Go get some sleep and I’ll get this thing out of here,” he said.
“Spike?” Buffy whispered. Spike looked at her. “Thanks,” she said, kissing his forehead tenderly. She smiled at him and went upstairs.
Spike stood dazed for a minute and then hauled the demon out of the house.
The next morning, Spike burst through the back door of the Summer’s home.
Buffy was in the kitchen, drinking coffee. “Hey, Spike,” she said.
“Morning, Pet,” Spike said.
Dawn came bounding downstairs. “Hi, Spike,” she said, giving him a hug.
Buffy raised an eyebrow at the two of them
“Hey, Nibblet. All your homework don?” He asked.
“Yes,” Dawn said. “I’ll grab something to eat before school. Are you gunna be here when I get home?”
“Probably,” Spike said, smiling.
Dawn hugged him again and Spike kissed her hair before she left for school.
Spike looked over at Buffy. “What?”
“You love her,” she whispered.
“So?” Spike asked, softly.
“I didn’t think you guys were that close,” she said.
“Well, go out and do something girly. I’m gunna take care of everything so don’t worry,” he said.
Buffy still looked a little skeptical. “Can’t I stay and help?” She asked.
Spike shook his head. “No,” he said, smiling. “Just go have fun for once.”
Buffy grabbed her coat and went to the door. “You sure?”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Just give me to the keys to the SUV,” he said.
“In the top draw in the kitchen,” she said. “Don’t crash the car.”
Spike smiled as she left.
When Buffy came home she was in awe of the house. “Spike,” she said, softly.
Spike came out of the kitchen. “You like it?”
Buffy looked around her living room. There was a new coffee table and a new lamp in replace of the broken ones. The banister and door were fixed as well. “I don’t know what to say.”
“There’s more,” Spike said.
“What else did you do?” Buffy asked.
“I found a bunch of papers and you’re debt sum,” he said. “It’s all paid off.”
Buffy’s eyes widened. “How?”
“I had a savings account and it was huge. I put some of it away fro Dawn and for you if you wanna go back to school.” he said.
Buffy smiled. “Spike, I cant take your money.”
“Buffy, come on. I didn’t give you all of it and I transferred it to Sunnydale. IF you need it, I have it for you. I’ll love you and Dawn and I’m gunna take care of you whether you like it or not,” he said.
Buffy looked around at her house. “Spike, this is unbelievable,” she said.
Spike smiled. “Well, I’m glad you like it,” he said.
Buffy went over and kissed him softly. “Spike, I appreciate everything you did and I’m speechless,” she said.
“I just want you and Dawn to be happy,” he said, wide-eyed.
The front door opened at Dawn came in. “Hey guys. What are…” she paused and gaped at the living room. “What happened?”
“Spike fixed it,” Buffy said, with a smile.
Dawn looked at him. “How did you pay for this?”
Spike retold the story to Dawn.
Buffy smiled as the phone rang. She went and answered it. “Hello?…Angel?”
Spike’s head snapped up at his sire’s name. He went over to the kitchen and looked at Buffy expectantly.
Buffy looked at Spike and gave him an apologetic smile.
“Ok. Yeah. That’s fine. Bye,” she said, and hung up.
Spike crossed his arms as Dawn came in.
“What did Angel want?” She asked, distastefully.
“He’s coming over tonight to visit. He just found out that I was back and wants to see me,” Buffy
said.
“Yeah, I bet he does,” Spike muttered.
“Spike, I don’t want you to leave just because he coming over,” she said, going toward him. “Angel is just gunna have to deal.”
Spike relaxed his arm as Buffy kissed him gently.
Dawn smiled. “So I did walk in on something?”
Buffy looked at Dawn and blushed. “Not really,” she said, leaning against Spike.
“Uh-huh,” Dawn said. “Can he move in?”
“Nibblet!” Spike exclaimed.
“What? I wanna know. He sorta did before you came back,” she said.
“I know,” Buffy said. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”
“Cool,” Dawn said. “It’s not like things are gunna be different.”
Buffy shook her head as Dawn went upstairs. “It’s nice that someone is here for her,” she said, her arms around Spike’s neck.
“You told me to and I did,” he said, his hands on her hips.
“I’m very grateful. So will you move in tonight?” Buffy asked.
“After the poof leaves,”: Spike said.
That night when Angel arrived, Spike was upstairs with Dawn.
Buffy opened the door when there was a knock. “Hi,” she said to Angel with a smile.
“Hey,” Angel said, hugging her.
Buffy hugged him back although she was tense.
Angel shut the door and they sat on the couch. “This is remarkable,” he said.
Buffy smiled. “I know. But we gotta talk. The first thing is..”
Dawn came running downstairs laughing.
“Lil Bit, come back here!” Spike yelled, chasing her through the house.
Dawn came running into the living room and Buffy stood up. “Hey,” she said. “Enough.”
“Buffy, make him stay away from me,” Dawn said, breathless.
Buffy looked at Spike as he came in. “What are you doing?” She asked.
“She started it,” Spike said, trying to get to Dawn around Buffy. “Come on, Nibblet. Big Sis cant save you.”
Dawn stuck her tongue out at Spike. “I win,” she said.
Spike backed off. “Fine,” he said, going in to the kitchen.
Dawn went after him and she started squealing, when Spike started tickling her again. “You
cheated!”
“So did you,” Spike said, tickling her mercilessly.
Angel looked at Buffy. “Why is Spike
running around your house?” He asked.
“He lives here,” Buffy said, going into the kitchen. “Alright you two. No more.”
“I’m going out for a smoke,” Spike said.
“I’m coming,” Dawn said, following him out on to the back porch.
“Since when does Spike live here?” Angel asked.
“Since I wanted him to. He takes care of me and Dawn and we’re very attached to him,” she said, leaning against the counter.
“The both of you?” Angel asked.
“Angel, things are different know between me and Spike. We’re friends, possibly more,” she said, softly.
“Buffy, he’s a soulless vampire,” Angel growled.
“At least he was here through the worst fight of my life,” Buffy said. “He loves me and he’d do
anything for me. I had a huge debt problem and he fixed it.”
“You could’ve called me and I would’ve helped you,” Angel said. “You don’t need Spike.”
“Angel, I know you care about me but look at him,” she said, looking out the back door.
Spike was leaning against the railing with Dawn in his lap. Dawn was snuggled up him and Spike was running a hand over her hair.
Buffy looked at Angel. “See? We do need him,” she said.
Spike came in with a sleeping Dawn in his arms. “I’m gunna put her in bed,” he said, going upstairs.
After a few minutes he came back down.
Angel growled at Spike as he came into the kitchen.
“Save your breath, Peaches. You haven’t been involved with her for years. Now shouldn’t make a difference,” Spike said.
Angel growled again. “What do you know?”
Spike crossed his arms. “I know that when she died, you never came to her funeral,” he said, walking toward Angel. “I might hate you with a passion but I thought you’d be here. I needed you and you just blew it off. You don’t really love her,” Spike said. “I was here, trying to make sure Dawn was gunna be okay and force myself to be okay ‘cause I was not gunna abandon her like everyone else.”
Spike walked out of the kitchen and out the front door.
Buffy looked at Angel. “You really did that?”
“It was too hard fro me to come out here,” Angel said.
“And you think it wasn’t hard for Spike?!” Buffy flared.
“You’re gunna wake up Dawn,” Angel said.
“Then lets go outside,” she said, going to the back porch.
“So tell me Angel, you think it wasn’t hard for Spike? He watched me die. He watched as I was buried in the ground. He had to live with the pain because I asked him to. He has never questioned my decisions and he has never abandoned me,” she said, softly.
“Buffy I had to leave and you know it,” Angel said, crossing his arms.
“But yet, every time there’s someone new in my life, you freak,” Buffy said. “Spike is a member of my family and I care about him.”
“You do?” Angel asked.
“Yes,” Buffy said. “I do. He’s important to me and he’s gone through hell for me.”
“It’s your life,” Angel said. “I just came to see if you were okay or if you needed anything.”
“I’m okay,” Buffy said. “I’m grateful that you came to see me, though.”
Angel smiled and hugged her. “Call if you need anything,” he said.
Buffy smiled and returned his embrace. “Bye, Angel,” she said.
Angel left and Buffy went inside.
15 minutes later, Spike came back. He found Buffy on the couch. “You’re still up?”
Buffy looked up. “I was waiting for you,” she said, standing up.
“I was coming back,” he said, going over to her.
“I didn’t know if you were,” she said, softly.
Spike pushed her hair out of her face. “I just had to get away from him.”
Buffy smiled. “I explained to him the way things are. It’s hard to lose someone you love,” she said.
“Yes it is. And I hope I don’t have to do it for a very long time cuz I don’t know if I could do it again,” he said.
“Come on. Lest go to bed,” she said.
Spike followed Buffy upstairs and paused to check on Dawn.
When he went to Buffy’s room, Buffy was brushing her hair. “Dawn sleeping?”
“She can sleep through anything,” Spike said, shrugging off his duster.
“Lucky her,” Buffy mumbled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Spike asked, sitting next to her.
“I don’t sleep. I always have nightmares and flashes of being in my coffin. Sometimes I cant breathe,” she whispered.
Spike wrapped his arms around her. “You should tell your friends about what they did.”
Buffy shook her head against him. “I cant spike but I want things to be okay,” she whimpered.
“They will be,” Spike said, kissing her hair.
“Promise?” Buffy whispered.
“Promise,” Spike said. “Lets get some sleep. I bet I can keep your nightmares away.”
Buffy smiled and allowed Spike to tuck her in and lay beside her. Soon they were both asleep
and he did keep her nightmares away.
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