TALKING HELPS (1/1)
 

Willow was still sitting on the front porch when she heard a small squeak.
Looking up, she forced a smile. "Hey you."
 

Dawn smiled as she shut the door behind her and moved to take the empty seat
beside the redhead. She sat down, her eyes looking out at the darkness on the
street in front of them. "I was wondering where you were hiding."
 

"I've just been sitting out here thinking," Willow said, as she smiled at her
best friend's little sister.
 

"Oh," Dawn said, looking at the redhead. "Buffy does that sometimes.
Disappears and then I find her out on the back porch just looking at the
trees.
She's been doing it more since Mom died."
 

"Yeah, I've found her out there a couple of times," Willow said with a small
smile. "It's my fault, her sitting outside."
 

"How so?" Dawn asked, looking at the redhead with curiosity. She always loved
to hear about the times before she was around, often feeling left out when
something was mentioned that she didn't remember.
 

"There was this time after she and I became friends that she stayed over with
me, at my parent's house. She woke up that night and found me sitting on my
balcony and I told her that I did my best thinking outside. She told me a
couple of years later that she always did her best thinking outside, said
that she'd blame me for making her try it except that it worked out so well
for her," Willow said, laughing softly.
 

"Trust Buffy to blame someone for getting her to think," Dawn said with a
smile. "Guess she wasn't used to it until she met you."
 

"That's tacky, Dawn," Willow scolded, giving the girl a look.
 

"Sorry, Wills," Dawn said, smiling sheepishly. "So, what were you thinking
about?"
 

"Nothing important," Willow said, her smile fading slightly.
 

"You know, Buffy told me something after Mom died that I'm going to pass on
to you right now. Talking helps," Dawn said, giving Willow a smile.
 

"I appreciate that but I don't think it will help me right now," Willow said
with a sigh.
 

"It's about Spike, isn't it?" Dawn asked as she ran her fingers over the arm
of the chair, not looking at Willow as she spoke.
 

"What?" Willow looked at Dawn and faltered, "I don't know what you're talking
about."
 

"Last week, I couldn't sleep. I heard the door open and thought you might be
going downstairs so I peaked out my door. I saw him leaving your room," Dawn
said, looking up with a worried look. "I didn't mention anything because I
knew it wasn't my business. But, you look so sad right now. I just thought
I'd let you know that I know about Spike and you, if you want to talk."
 

Willow laughed softly, "I don't know how I thought I could hide it from
either you or Buffy. I can't talk about it to you, though, Dawn."
 

"Why not?" Dawn asked, annoyed. "It's because I'm young, isn't it? You don't
think I'd understand about you having sex with Spike."
 

"Just drop it, Dawny," Willow said, sighing.
 

"All of you treat me like I'm a child," Dawn whined. "I knew about you and
Tara, why can't I know about you and Spike? I know about sex. I mean, not
personally, but come on. I don't like seeing you this unhappy, Willow. Please
talk to me?"
 

"There's really nothing to say," Willow said, looking at the trees. "Spike
and I have a strange relationship at the moment. I let something silly get to
me and I got depressed. Started thinking which sometimes isn't good. I didn't
mean to be so droopy."
 

"Not droopy, just sad," Dawn said with a sigh. "Is he the reason you were
crying this morning?"
 

"It's not Spike's fault. It's really nothing," Willow said, moving her hand
over her face. "I'm honestly over it. Put away and forgotten. See? I'm
smiling."
 

"It's not reaching your eyes," Dawn said softly, chewing on her lip. "It made
you cry for hours so it couldn't have been nothing. We're friends, aren't we?"
 

"Yes, we're friends," Willow said, shaking her head. "I can't sit here and
talk to you about my sex life, Dawn. It's just a bit weird."
 

"Do you love him?" Dawn asked, smiling. "I think that's kind of cool. My two
favorite people getting together."
 

"There is no 'together' so I wouldn't get your hopes up," Willow said softly.
"He doesn't even like me, much less love me. It's just about sex."
 

Dawn frowned, "I thought that you were only supposed to have sex if you were
in love. That's what people are always telling kids my age. No sex unless
your partner means something to you."
 

"When you grow up, things sometimes get more complicated," Willow whispered.
 

"How complicated can it be?" Dawn asked, making Willow fidget from her stare.
"I know you, Willow. You're not the slutty type. Buffy, I can see it. You,
nope. If you're having sex with Spike, you must love him. You do love him,
don't you?"
 

"I doubt Buffy would appreciate you easily seeing her as a slut," Willow said
dryly, ignoring Dawn's question.
 

"I didn't say she was a slut, I just said I could see it from her before I
could see it from you," Dawn clarified, actually getting along rather well
with her sister and not wanting to ruin it with her big mouth.
 

"Thanks," Willow said with a sincere smile.
 

"You're not going to tell me that you love him, are you?" Dawn asked,
frowning. Brightening, she said, "You didn't deny it. I knew you loved him.
He has to love you. Who wouldn't? Wow, this is neat. You and Spike. Finally
something good happens around here."
 

"Yeah, something good," Willow echoed softly, knowing it was pointless to
argue with Dawn. Let the girl think she and Spike were in love. What harm
could that do? Dawn had been through so much lately, Willow didn't have the
heart to ruin the girl's beliefs. She watched Dawn smile and chatter on about
her and Spike and how neat and cool their being together was, her green eyes
moving to look back at the trees as she listened with half an ear as she
again became lost in her thoughts, silently counting the minutes until Spike
would be in her arms.
 

***********THE END*********

next