Might Have Been By HW

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I merely borrow.

Summary: Dawn meets Spike for the first time.

Author’s Note: Set during ‘Becoming Part 2’. What might have happened if Dawn had been around at the time.

“So are you really a vampire?”

Spike nodded.

“Like a blood drinking vampire?”

“Yes.”

“Like in the movies?”

“No.”

“Dawn, I think it’s bedtime,” Joyce muttered distractedly, more from habit than demand, as she shakily raised her glass of Scotch to her lips.

“Come on mom. It’s not everyday there’s a real live vampire in the house.”

“And technically there isn’t one now as I’m not alive.”

“Are you Buffy’s boyfriend?”

“What? Not bloody likely!”

“Don’t you like her?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“She’s the Slayer.”

“Is that it?”

“What?”

“That’s not a very good reason.”

“Doesn’t have to be. That’s just how it is.”

“Why?”

“Would you stop asking questions, snack-size?”

Dawn giggled. “Snack size. I like that.”

Spike sighed. “Look, I’m an evil vampire little girl. Now scurry off to bed before I take a bite.”

“You wouldn’t. Buffy wouldn’t like you anymore,” Dawn pronounced confidently.

“She doesn’t like me anyw… what do you mean anymore?”

“Just that she talks about you an awful lot. She’s all ‘I hate Spike’ and ‘I’m going to kill Spike.’”

Spike snorted with laughter. “See?”

Dawn continued knowingly, “I just thought you were some guy from school she had the hots for. She doesn’t talk about anyone else that much.”

“Not even Angel?” Spike asked, trying to act uninterested.

“Hello! We didn’t even know they were dating ‘til he told mom they did it. And now he’s a vampire.”

“No. He always was a vampire. I think you mean, now he’s evil again.”

“Whatever. I’m just saying, I knew your name eight months ago. She knew Angel way before that and never mentioned him.”

“Doesn’t mean she likes me nibblet,” Spike told her with a smile.

Dawn grinned back, completely captivated. “No but I bet she has the hots for you.”

“Look, kid…”

“Don’t you like her even a little?”

“Well…”

“I knew it! Do you love her? Do you? I bet you want to kiss her right?”

Spike was momentarily caught up in the fantasy of kissing Buffy and jumped slightly when the object of his lust walked into the room.

“How’s Willow?” Joyce asked, standing as her daughter entered the room.

“She’s fine,” Buffy assured her before turning her attention to Spike. “Ok. Talk.”

“He loves you!” Dawn interrupted and Buffy rolled her eyes.

“Dawn please. This is important. Just be quiet ok? What’s the plan?”

“Simple…” Spike started, glad the Slayer had cut the kid off.

“Well maybe he doesn’t love you, but he really likes you,” Dawn interjected excitedly. “You like him too, don’t you Buffy?”

Buffy turned bright red, and Spike started to smile slightly, thinking of the significance of her blush. “No I do not like him. He’s a vampire. An evil vampire and I hate him.”

Well that had put him in his place. “Slayer? Can we get on?” Spike growled, desperate now to get out of this house, away from these crazy women. Especially as he had a crazy woman of his own to look after. Spike frowned. He hadn’t thought about Drusilla in about half an hour. Not since he had been invited into the Summers’ house and ambushed by the Slayer’s sister.

“But…”

“No Dawn. Go to bed. Go on. I don’t have time for this.”

Dawn made a face at her sister and turned to go. She stopped at the door and turned back. “It was nice meeting you Spike. I hope I get to see you again someday.”

Spike smiled at the girl and nodded reassuringly. “I hope so too nibblet. Was nice meeting you as well.”

Dawn heard the conversation continue downstairs; heard Spike and Buffy bickering about… what was that? Drusilla? Spike had a girlfriend? Oh. Still she couldn’t be that much competition for Buffy right? Leaving the country? No! Well he’d be back. The look in his eyes was all Dawn needed to see.

This wasn’t over.

And Dawn couldn’t wait.