A bit of Hope




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Chapter one: Must be Tuesday. Or not.

Buffy trudged through the cemetery, while avoiding the horrible mud piles, thinking about what happened the other night with Spike. He had sat with her on the porch, asking her if he could help, anything thathe could do for Joyce’s illness. Buffy had no answer of course, everything had blurred that night, and Riley wasn’t even there to hold her and tell her it would be alright. I broke this into sentences instead of just 1 long run on one.

*It will be alright.* Buffy told herself, *I need to keep strong, for Dawn and Mom, can’t show them teary Buffy. No teary Buffy today. Or tomorrow. Never.*

Riley was supportive, helpful, kind, but they were slowly pulling apart, there was something standing in between their relationship; she knew once again that her relationship with a normal guy will would never last.

''Ey! Slayer, behind you, you draft bint!'' A familiar voice came from somewhere, and she ducked the blow of the ugliest demon she had ever saw, big horns on its head, green sludgy eyes, tall, and very smelly.

''What the hell is this thing?'' She shouted to nobody in particular, hitting it around the head and kicking it in the stomach so it fell to the ground.

She pulled out a knife from her right boot, then stabbed the demon through the heart and watched it melt away.

When Buffy went to get up, Spike was standing above her, smirking at the dead display of muck, ''Well, slayer, that was a Handrai demon, but now it looks like Harmony’s bloody face mask.''

''Oh...'' Buffy said, not much caring,'' Err. It was helpful for you to...Give me a little shout out,'' Buffy replied to his face then walking away.

''Anytime, Slayer.'' He called back, running up to meet her, '' So...Err...'Ow's Joyce?'' Spike asked, making Buffy stop dead in her tracks.

''Spike, why do you care?'' Buffy already knew the answer to that, but was curious and needed to hear his side.

''Bloody hell, Slayer! I just want to know, care for 'Err and stuff, you know I do, I think I proved that on the porch the other night.'' He argued, looking away from her and back again, ''And the niblet to.'' And with that he strode into the darkness, long coat flowing behind him.

''Thanks.'' She said under her breath, hugging her coat to her, as she also walked into the darkness of the night.


*******~~~~*********

''Thanks.'' He heard, he looked behind himself, and saw Buffy walking away, did she just thank him? Him?

''Full 'o surprises, Slayer, Full 'o it.'' He muttered, walking back to his crypt, waiting for another night of dreams of her in, always her.

******~~~~~********


The next day Buffy woke early, to go to the hospital and visit Joyce, but finding out that the visiting hours only came on certain days.

*Who thought of that? That’s completely stupid!* Buffy thought to herself as she went back home to see Dawn and tell her about the hospitals 'Rules of the weekend'.

Entering through the door she called up to the stairs ''Dawn, I'm home, you okay?'' Silence came, and nobody answered.

Walking into the Kitchen Buffy called out again, ''Dawnie?'' But as she glanced around the room, she saw a note with a pizza stain on it *Typical Dawn*, and read the message.


-Hi Buffy!


Gone out to see Janice, we are going to make some sugary goodness - mainly sugar cookies, but that’s still good! Oh, and don’t forget the Hospital Visiting rules for the weekend, and if you're pissed about me telling you after you have been, I would of gotten to you 'If' I have a Mobile (_Or to be completely clear a Nokia 3401 Pink, but no!_)

Dawn.x

P.S -- Xander the great, called you, they're researching that Glory person, and did I mention I think Xander’s a cutie?

X -

''And she could've mentioned earlier??'' Buffy groaned, she just wanted to sleep; she had been up worrying about her mother mostly all night, wondering if she had been okay.

*Mom will have to wait, I need to catch up on this Glory thing, and I wonder if the gang have found anything...*

Buffy went out the back door, forgetting to lock it, and walking down the pavement to the Magic Box.


~*~*~*~*~*~*

Spike sat in his crypt once more thinking of her, the way she toyed with his emotions, he had to admit that he felt for her, heck he lusted for her, the way her wavy blonde hair fell to her shoulders, and how her green eyes sparkled like emeralds in the moonlight.

He would know how Dru would act if she knew, and for Harm, well. He didn't much care for the bird. Buffy had him under some trance, and he kept dreaming and fantasizing for her. The night on the porch had him at that. He sensed she felt safe around him.

Which would have got to him if the stupid chip in his head wasn’t working?

Or maybe he was turning soft?

*What?! Are you joking mate?* His Big-bad part of his brain questioned. *Definitely the chip. It has to be that bloody chip.*

The sudden sound of the door swinging open startled him and the voice even more.

''Hi, Spike...I hope I weren’t interrupting. Erm... Whatever you were 'doing' '' The familiar voice came from behind him.

''Dawn?'' Spike asked turning around to come face to face with her, '', you okay?'' Summers women, something about them. Always liked them. Especially the bit.

''Yeah. I’m kind of bored.'' She moaned, it had been a slow day, Janice at thee last moment told her that she was grounded and had ended up going back to the Magic Box, also having a fight with her big sis, Buffy. Who does she think she is? Telling her what to do.

‘‘It’s not exactly fun here, niblet.'' Spike said moving over to his sarcophagus then hoisting himself onto it.

''Yeah. Well, at least I won’t be screamed and moaned at...'' Dawn grumbled, talking directly because of her sister, god why did everyone treat her like a 5 year old? Because she so isn’t! The only person who treated her like an actual teenager was Spike, and he kind of made her feel welcome.

''Sister Troubles?'' Dawn nodded sadly, and dropped her bag to the floor.

''Why does everyone treat me like I'm younger? Its not like they don't know, I have been alive for fifteen years.'' She asked no particular person.

''Pet, they're just looking out for you'' Dawn raised a brow at that, ''I mean, for that Glory bitch, and other forces of darkness...'' He resumed.

''But. Buffy was a slayer at 15 ! So why can't I help?''

''They just care for you is all, Niblet.'' He soothed, ''Does Buffy know you’re here?'' Dawn gave him the 'you serious?' look, ''Obviously not.''

''I don’t see why Buffy treats you badly too, It’s not like your bad anymore...Uh! I mean with the chip and stuff.''

''I’m still bad! I’m the big bad, I can be...Nasty! Killing demons and all...'' Spike said in denial, knowing that he could never be the real Spike again, now he was just a big fluffy puppy. Bit like Angel...*No! No! No, Spike not like Angel, not in cats hell!*

''Uh-huh...I didn’t mean it to sound that way, but the chip kind of puts me off.'' Dawn explained.

''Nah! Don't worry, Niblet, no point trying'. Listen, your big sis is just a bit...''

''Up her own ass?'' Dawn finished for him.

''No! Dawn, no, pet, but she’s the Slayer, she needs to protect you and the Scooby’s, and I'm just an evil dirty thing to her, a neutered Vampire, luv.''

Dawn opened her mouth and then shut it again, looking back down at her shoes then back to him again, ''Want to watch the O.C??''

''But Passions is on in a minute!'' Spike blurted back, racing her to the couch then reaching for the remote.

Too late!

''Damn bloody O.C!!''

*******************************

It was getting late, and Dawn hadn't come home from the 'Town, with her friends', it was starting to worry her.

*Maybe Spike could help? He helped last Tuesday, when Dawn was captured by that group of bimbo vampires.* She thought, seeming as she was right near the cemetery gates.

Striding right down to a certain crypt, she was distracted by a vamp that jumped out at her, snarling like he was going to win.

''Slayer. What are you in a hurry for? Trying to get away from me?'' He growled his amber eyes ugly and bumps bruised from recent fights.

''Oh like your god’s gift?'' She said blowing a punch into his shapely cheek, making him howl and kick her hard in the shin, making her gasp and fall to the grass, she jumped up ducking two punches, spinning the vamp around and pushing him onto a gravestone.

Pulling a stake quickly out from her boot, she stabbed him into the heart making him yell and fall to ashes.

Then going back to her striding to Spike’s crypt and throwing the door open, she could see little flecks of light by a few candles.

''Spike, I need your help, Dawns-'' She stopped when she saw both Spike and Dawn sitting on the sarcophagus, talking about some little girl in a closet, ''here.''

''Errm, Hi Buffy!'' Dawn said turning sharply around to face her bigger sister.

''So, Spike, what were you telling my little kid sister? Do go on, I want to hear the end of the story.'' Buffy put her hands on her hips, staring
straight into his dark blue eyes.

''Err... Well. She was in the closet and I found her, of course, took 'er away and got her a shiny new family to live with and be happy with. The end!'' He finished off badly, looking up to Buffy.

''What? That’s so lame!!'' Dawn said to Spike, looking at him look at Buffy with puppy dog eyes, god, couldn’t Buffy see that he was totally love struck by her?

''I was going to send her straight home, didn’t realise the time. Sorry.'' Spike apologized, wait, he apologized? *Get a grip you git!* His predatory part of his mind screamed at him.

''Well its funny Dawn. It’s not Tuesday yet. And your already a growing pain.'' She said strictly, throwing Dawns bag at her, ''Home. Now!''

''Okay! Okay! God! Thanks for the nice evening Spike!'' She shouted back to him.

''No problem, Niblet.'' He called back, fighting the lusty thoughts about Buffy again, looking down at his pants, his erection stirring in his jeans, making it painful.

''Well, Junior, lets go and release some tension...HARM?!''

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A/N: Hehe, hopefully you liked the first chapt, I’m really enjoying writing
this and hopefully (_who ever is bothered to read this_) is enjoying it
too!! More to come soon xxx