SUMMARY: Buffy and Angel talk, and Dawn leaves, and other stuff.
SPOILER: Mild S5 Buffy & S2 Angel, plus my own delusional stuff as usual. Reality isn’t as fun as fanfic
DISTRIBUTION: Sandee, of course - My site - http://planetslaythis.homestead.com - Crystal and Butterfly if they want it - A Soul's Redemption - Buffy & Angel Star Crossed Lovers - Anyone else - sure, just email me & lmk where it's going - I like seeing my name in print =)
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd hate to have to Slay for it. =P
RATING: TV-PG
DISCLAIMER: Joss the big butthole owns the characters herein. Unfortunately. 4/5/01

Buffy was done crying.

She really was.

She’d taken a shower and was done crying for good. Dropping her towel in the living room floor, she went into her bedroom.

And screamed.

"What the HELL are you doing here?" she demanded, turning her back to him. Angel wondered if it dawned on her that he could still see her ass.

"I told you I wasn’t leaving town," Angel smirked.

"Well get lost. I don’t wanna see you."

"I talked to Spike."

"Then I pity you." Buffy put a robe on and turned around.

"He says you sleep in the nude."

She said nothing, but he could tell by her body language that she was very uncomfortable.

"You never slept in the nude when we were together."

"I've changed."

"Not for the better," Angel closed Buffy's window and approached her. "Why won't you let me in?" "

You don't deserve to be in my life."

"And Riley did?"

"You're one to talk. Look at the company you keep."

"Darla and Dru?"

"You did them both."

"I killed them both. No sex involved."

"You always were an asshole of a lover."

Angel laughed. "How the story changes over time."

"What the *Hell* is that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked.

"Oh God, when are you gonna come off your God damned high horse?" Angel asked. "For the past two years, you’ve been skirting every important issue in your life. You think that if you ignore it, if you pretend like it doesn’t exist, or like it doesn’t get to you, then you’ll be fine. You can’t pretend that your mom isn’t dead, Buffy. And you can’t pretend that you’re not sleeping with Spike."

"So what if I am?" Buffy threw the mug she was holding in the kitchen and Angel shuddered when it shattered against the ceramic. "So I’m f**king Spike. Big f**king deal. Does it make you happy to hear it from my lips?"

"Nothing much makes me happy these days," Angel answered.

"Oh, is that supposed to make me feel bad for you? Supposed to make me pity you?"

"It’s supposed to make you grow up," Angel took a step closer to her. "You’re twenty years old now, you’re not a baby anymore."

"Are you telling me what to do?" Buffy laughed. Angel had never seen or heard her like this before. It kind of scared him.

"Are *you*, the man who ran out on me when I *needed* him, are you telling me what to do, Angel?"

He didn’t answer her.

"I didn’t think so." she turned to leave and Angel grabbed her.

And kissed her.

Buffy beat on his chest first and even pulled at his hair, but she didn’t cease the kissing. She sunk into it as though they’d never stopped.

When she finally relaxed enough to wrap her legs around his waist and put her hands under his shirt, Angel was already on his way upstairs.

They made love on her bed, passionately, thoughtlessly. Buffy let her mind drift off to nowhereland, giving in fully to her body for those seventeen minutes of ecstasy in Angel’s arms.

When she pulled away, she couldn’t even look at him. She went into the bathroom and slammed the door.

Angel followed her, not caring that he was running around the house naked. "Is this what you do to Spike, too?"

"F**k you!" Buffy screamed.

"Already done that, babe," Angelus cooed, pulling the screws out of the door so he could get to her. "I don’t know about you, but I think I’d like another round."

Inside the bathroom, Buffy curled up inside the tub and began crying. The tears poured down her cheeks and when Angel got the door off, he looked at her lying there, saw how small she looked, and left.

*****

"That’s about all there is," Buffy put the last box in the back of Hank’s SUV and glared at her father. "We’re gonna go check Dawn’s room."

"I was just up there," he said. "It’s empty."

"We’re gonna go check Dawn’s room." Buffy glared at her father with an evil he didn’t think possible of his own daughter.

"I don’t wanna go with him," Dawn whined as soon Buffy had her upstairs.

"You don’t have to," Buffy pushed her into Joyce’s room and locked the door.

"What are you doing?" Dawn asked. "And what do you mean I don’t have to? The courts say--"

"The courts don’t have Spike," Buffy grinned. "As we speak, the brand new Buffy Bot and her little sister, the Dawn Bot, are downstairs telling Hank the Whank goodbye."

"Hank the Whank," Dawn giggled. "I like that."

"You have to be careful who you talk to," Buffy peeked out the window and saw her robot standing on the porch, waving as Hank drove away. "You can’t let any of Hank’s friends--if he has any--see you here. If we get found out, we’ll be in trouble."

"I’m staying here!" the reality of not having to leave hit Dawn, and she flew at her big sister. They hugged and hugged ‘till Buffy started to suffocate.

"Wait, Buffy, how did you convince Spike to make the robots?"

Buffy frowned. "It was nothing."

"You’re lying," Dawn eyed her suspiciously. "What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing."

"That’s your something face," Dawn said, and Buffy rolled her eyes. She could see more and more of herself in Dawn everyday.

That scared her.

"What’s going on, Buffy?" Dawn asked. "And don’t lie to me. I’ll know."

When Buffy didn’t say anything, Dawn added, "You’re all I have left now, without Mom. Don’t leave me like she did."

Damn guilt trip, Buffy thought. Dawn knew what she was doing.

"Buffy," Dawn said evenly, "Answer me."

"I slept with Spike, okay? I gave him what he wanted, and he gave me what I wanted back."

"Buffy!"

"I know, I know it’s stupid, but I can’t help it. I couldn’t let Dad take you away from me. He’s not even related."

"Neither are you," Dawn whispered. "Not really."

Buffy couldn’t look at her. "I don’t wanna talk about this anymore, okay? Maybe we could just get some ice cream or something."

"I don’t want some ice cream! I want my sister back."

"I don’t know what you mean," Buffy went over to Joyce’s dresser and began playing with her perfume bottles.

"I want the old Buffy back," Dawn whispered. "The happy, goony, fun Buffy who never let me go with her on patrol and used to make me hide under the bed during sleepovers--"

"Dawn!" she interrupted. "You did that?"

"I just want you back," she whispered.

"I don’t know how to come back," Buffy whispered back. "I’ve tried and I’ve tried, but there’s like a huge piece of me is missing."

"Can I offer you a big piece back?" Dawn asked.

"What are you gonna do, bring me Mom’s ghost?" Buffy remarked.

"The next best thing," Dawn smiled and opened the closet door. Angel walked into the room.

The first thing Buffy did was walk up to him and slap him. Then she started kissing him.

"Hello! Minor present," Dawn said, and they broke apart.

"Ground rules," Dawn began, "You two can’t do it when I’m home. Or at least when I’m awake. You have to spoil each other and me, and you have to torture my father whenever possible."

"Agreed," Buffy and Angel said in unison. Angel even smirked.

"Most importantly, you two need to start over. Dating, hugging, kissing, talking, the whole thing. No bed hopping for at least a week."

"She’s tough," Angel commented.

"But smart," Buffy said. "I accept the terms of your offer."

"Me too," Angel kissed each girl in the top of their head. "If you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go kick Spike’s ass."

"Can I come?" Dawn asked eagerly.

"You can help."

"Lemme go get my tennis shoes on!" Dawn bounced out of the room and Buffy looked at Angel.

"Baby steps?" she asked.

"Baby steps."

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