Title: Magic in a Young Girl's Heart
Author: Nebula
Chapter: 1 of ?
Rating: PG-13 for language and other minor things
Pairings: B/S (what else?), X/A, W/T, Spike/Scooby friendship
Summary: A sequel to 'Little Hero'; takes place a month after the
events of the first story. Buffy is tiny again, but this time, the
person behind it is making sure he gets her. Of course, he's got
the Scoobies standing between him and his prize. It's a race
against time to keep her safe and find the counter-spell. The
Scoobs may need a little help...
Disclaimer: Wishlist consists of Lindsey, Spike, and Xander. Joss
owns all, but he's sharing. Making me a happy fanfic writer. ^_^
NN: If you'd like to read the original story that started this, head
on over to:
http://www.geocities.com/nebula_authoress/little_hero.htm
< --- >
"Um...sire?"
A grunt. "It didn't work," the minion said, edging away quickly.
To his surprise, there was only chuckling. "Oh, I'm very well
aware of that, Edgar," the voice said, turning. It belonged to a
man with graying hair, a scar on his right cheek. He smiled at
Edgar before saying quietly, "That's why we're going to try again.
Bring my magic; it is time."
< --- >
Buffy whistled happily as she twirled the stake in her hands.
Things couldn't be better. They were a definite couple now, her and
Spike. Between snuggling, holding hands, kissing, and...other
things, they were a couple and proud of it! Of course, it helped to
have the gang supporting them every step of the way.
Her thoughts were broken by the sound of a twig cracking. She
whirled to find three vampires, ready and waiting. She
grinned. "This'll be fun," she said, stepping forward. "Who wants
to go first?"
The middle one leapt forward with a snarl, only to meet Buffy's
fist. The other two jumped in to help their friend, and soon Buffy
was dodging kicks and punches, landing quite a few of her own.
A kick to her wrist sent the stake flying. "Okay Spike, you can
show up any day," she muttered. Where was he? And the rest of the
gang, for that matter. They had been supposed to show up to help
with patrol.
She swung to land a right hook, but missed. She frowned. How had
she done that?
She gasped when she almost didn't dodge the kick. What was going
on? She was slowing down.
"Guys, help me!" she said, then covered her mouth. Her voice was
really high-pitched; she sounded like a little girl.
Her eyes widened. "Not again," she whimpered, before turning and
running. The vampires snarled and began to give chase.
"Okay Buffy, think," she mumbled. Already the earth was getting
closer, and she was getting tired. "You have size on your side.
You figured that out before. Use it!"
She glanced around as she ran, trying to find a hiding spot. It
wouldn't be long before she didn't have control over herself...
She tripped and fell, panting heavily. She glanced around,
shivering. Her clothes didn't fit. There were statues of angels
all around her. Where was she?
A graveyard. Again. She almost wanted to cry.
Sounds behind her caught her attention. She gasped as vampires,
three this time, came at her. She was a hero, though. She raised
her head proudly as they hurried towards her...
...then began to scream as loud as she could. The vampires
covered their ears. "Shut the kid up!" the middle one yelled. He
jerked backwards, then disappeared into dust as an arrow pierced his
heart.
Buffy turned and grinned at the sight. Her friends. They were
here to save her. Willow, Xander, Tara, Dawn, and Anya. She
frowned. They were missing someone, though. Someone she loved.
The team quickly got rid of the remaining vampires, then turned to
her. "Are you..." Willow's eyes widened. "Oh my goddess," she
said, as Xander dropped his jaw.
Buffy giggled and waved. "Hi guys. I missed you!"
"Wait 'till Spike hears about this," Anya muttered, as Dawn gaped
at her tiny sister.
"Let's wait until later, please," Xander muttered back.
< --- >
Spike pushed the door open, casting an apologetic look to the
Scoobies. "Sorry I didn't make it to patrol. Willy needed a favor,
and..." He stopped, taking in the serious faces. "What's goin'
on?" he asked, frowning. His frown deepened as he realized the room
was missing two people. "Where's Red and Buffy?" he asked,
beginning to worry.
"Willow's fine," Dawn said quietly, avoiding his gaze.
Spike went into full panic mode. "And Buffy? Where is she?"
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Tara said suddenly.
Spike raised his eyebrows at her. "I don't even know where she
is! What's goin' on?!"
"Surprise!!" Buffy yelled, jumping out of the kitchen.
Spike yelped and tripped, falling on his back. He could hear the
girls giggling at him as Buffy ran towards him. "I missed you!" she
exclaimed, hugging him.
"Uh, missed you too, kitten," he said, earning a grin from her.
"M'not a kitten, silly!"
In spite of the situation, he smiled at her. "I know, pet. I
know." He gazed at her, before asking, "What's the last thing you
remember?"
Buffy stuck her tongue out slightly, thinking hard. Spike bit
back his smile. "Um...I mushed the evil plans, was a hero, and then
took a nap. When I woke up, I was back in the graveyard 'gain."
"Sounds about right," Willow interjected, heading for the
stairs. "I'm gonna go get your bed ready, 'kay?"
"'Kay!"
"Get the books," Spike whispered to Tara. She nodded and went to
retrieve her magical references.
"Did you have a nice nap?" Dawn asked, as Buffy nodded.
She better have had a 'nice nap', Spike thought sourly. It had
been a month since Buffy had been last turned into a child. She'd
turned back a few days later, but they'd never found out the
original reason she was a child. They'd figured that someone,
somewhere had messed up a spell, and it had backfired. Now that she
was little again, however, it put a whole new light on things.
Someone had done this for a reason.
"Your bed's ready!" Willow called.
Buffy grinned and turned to Spike, holding out her right hand
expectantly. Spike frowned. "Uh, Buffy?"
"My story?" she said, as if he had forgotten the greatest thing
since sliced bread.
His eyes widened with realization. "Ah, the story. Right. I'm
comin'," he said, standing. He took her tiny hand in his, marveling
at the feeling. He wanted a little and a big Buffy. Big Buffy was
his lover; someone he could be with every night. Someone he could
share kisses with.
But little Buffy looked up to him like he was a king, a hero. She
craved his approval for everything she did, and she wanted him with
her twenty-four/seven.
He followed her up the stairs and into the bedroom. Willow smiled
and 'aw'-ed at the sight of them. "Good night, sweetie," she said,
heading downstairs.
"'Night Willow," Buffy called, before grabbing her pajamas. "I'll
be back; don't go 'nanywhere!" she told Spike, running to the
bathroom to change. He chuckled and took a seat on the bed.
She returned a few moments later, clad in pj's with feet. She
threw herself onto the bed and crawled under the covers. "I said
yellow," she said proudly, before Spike could say anything.
He smiled at her. "That you did, pet. See? Told you you'd say
it."
She nodded, then yawned. "Where'd we leave off? Oh, that's
right. The school. Well, the Slayer fought the vampires, and soon
sent them scamperin'..."
A few minutes later, he turned and found her asleep. He gazed at
her, watching her chest rise and fall. It was a comforting thought,
something he watched older Buffy do when she slept. A simple
movement like that assured him that his world hadn't crumbled, and
she was still alive.
He smiled and leaned forward, gently placing a kiss on her
forehead. "Sleep tight," he whispered, before heading downstairs.
He found the gang waiting for him in the living room. "Is she
gonna have nightmares again?" Dawn asked as he descended.
Spike sighed. "Well, we'll find out, won't we?"
He glanced over at Tara and Willow, who were deeply engrossed in
the spell books. "How's it goin'?" he asked, walking over.
Willow threw up her hands in a helpless gesture. "Still nothing!
We went through this before. Oh grr..."
"We need more books to look through," Tara said, sighing. "We
just don't know where to get them."
"What about my shop?" Anya asked.
Xander shook his head. "No go; we looked at those before."
Spike took a seat next to Xander, his face twisted in a
grimace. "I don't like this. Somethin' tells me we're playin' by
someone else's rules."
"I know," Dawn agreed. "It gives me the wiggins." She shuddered,
glancing over at Spike. "You staying tonight?"
Spike nodded. "Why shouldn't he? He practically lives here as it
is," Willow said with a cocky grin.
He raised his eyebrows at her. "I wasn't the one blushin' when I
came down the other day shirtless."
Willow gave him a look of annoyance, before rolling her
eyes. "Well, you won't be sleeping in her room tonight," she added,
grin firmly back in place. She was rewarded with a sheepish look
from the vampire. "You bunking on the sofa?"
"Yeah, seems the most likely. I'll still hear her if she wakes
up," he said, standing. "As I recall, she's got quite the set of
lungs."
"Hey, that's something that little AND big Buffy share," Dawn
teased.
"Careful; big Buffy 'members everythin' her lil' self does," Spike
said, giving her a smirk.
Xander stretched, pushing himself off the sofa. "I think we're
done for tonight. Commence research tomorrow?"
Willow nodded. "There's not much else we can do for now. Just
get some sleep."
The gang said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, with
Tara checking in on Buffy one last time. Still sound asleep.
Satisfied that she was okay, she followed Willow into their bedroom.
Chapter 2:
< --- >
"Spike?"
Spike slowly let his eyes flutter open. It couldn't be more then
three in the morning. Who in their right mind...?
"Spike?" the tiny voice whispered again.
Spike shook himself, trying to wake up. He frowned at the sight
of the distraught little one in front of him. "What's wrong,
Buffy?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbow.
Buffy looked down at the floor, digging her toe into the
carpet. "Buffy?" he asked again softly.
"I had a bad dream 'gain," she whispered quietly, avoiding his
gaze. "M'sorry I woke you up, but I was scared..."
"Shhh, it's all right," he soothed, sitting up. He spread his
arms, and she gratefully accepted the embrace, curling up on his lap.
He held her in his arms, rocking her back and forth. "I was
scared," her voice said, muffled by his shirt. "Monsters was
chasing me, and I was running. They were gonna hurt me..."
"You're safe now," Spike said, running his fingers through her
hair. "I promise. Not gonna let anythin' hurt you."
She nodded, fistfuls of his shirt in her tiny hands. Satisfied
that she was finally secure, now that she was with him, she allowed
herself to drift back to sleep.
Spike could sense her heartbeat even out, and knew she'd fallen
asleep. He wrapped his arms around her even tighter and began to
stand up, intent on taking her back to her room.
Buffy, it seemed, had other ideas. She whimpered in her sleep at
the movement, and Spike sat back down again.
"Now what?" he whispered to the air. He was tired, and she was
going to get a crook in her neck from sleeping at the angle she was.
Slowly he lowered himself down to the sofa, inching back as far as
he could. He kept his arms wrapped around her to ensure she
wouldn't fall, and closed his eyes. The two slept peacefully, his
arms enfolding her, and her fists still clutched around his shirt.
< --- >
Willow sat at the kitchen table, smiling at Buffy as she wandered
in. "Morning," Willow said.
Buffy offered her a sleepy smile. "Morning. Can I have waffles?"
"Sure thing," Willow said, heading for the fridge.
"Don't forget the surryup," Buffy added, taking at seat at the
table.
Willow couldn't help it; she broke out into a broad grin. "So,
did you sleep well?" she asked, pulling the waffles out.
Buffy frowned. "Well, kinda. I hads a bad dream, so I came
downstairs and found Spike." The frown disappeared. "He chased the
monsters 'way," she smiled.
"He did?" Willow asked, as Spike stepped into the kitchen. He
stopped, listening to the conversation.
Buffy nodded, not even aware that he was there. "Yup."
"And how'd he do that?" Willow asked, popping the waffles into the
toaster. Spike raised his eyebrows at her but said nothing.
"Just did, 'cause he's Spike," Buffy said, bouncing in her seat
slightly. "He said I was a hero, but you know what I think?" she
said, lowering her voice to a secretive whisper.
"What do you think?" Willow said, her voice a whisper too.
"I think he's a better hero then me, 'cause he fights the bad
guys 'nanywhere. Even in my dreams."
Willow nodded as if she'd just received sage advice, before
looking up at Spike. He was smiling, really smiling at Buffy; not a
condescending smirk, but a genuine smile of happiness. Tears
glistened in his eyes for a moment, then disappeared as he shook
himself and made his entrance known.
Buffy caught sight of his black attire and smiled, showing all her
pearly whites. "Hi!" she said cheerfully.
He grinned at her. "Hello to you too, kitten. Feelin' better
this mornin'?"
Buffy nodded eagerly. "Good," Spike said, taking a seat next to
her. "Can I have waffles too, Red? I've been a good boy," he said,
jutting his bottom lip out.
Willow rolled her eyes as Buffy laughed at his face. "Fine,
just 'cause you're too lazy to make your own," she grumbled half-
heartedly.
He winked at Buffy, earning more giggles.
"Who turned the giggling machine on?" Dawn asked, stepping into
the kitchen.
"No one I know of; she just starts on her own," Spike said, a
wicked grin suddenly blooming on his face. "Though, if you press
the right buttons, I'll bet she giggles like crazy," he finished,
before turning to Buffy and tickling her. She laughed and fought to
stay away from his evil hands.
Tara smiled at the two as she followed Dawn in. "I could hear you
two all the way upstairs," Tara said, pulling out the syrup.
Buffy jerked away, her giggling stopped. "I didn't wake you up,
did I?" Her eyes held a glint of fear as she bit her lower lip.
"No, no no no," Tara quickly amended. "Not at all. I've been
awake for awhile, and it was nice listening to you guys."
The fear disappeared. "Oh. 'Kay!" she said, putting a smile back
on her face.
Tara smiled at her until Buffy turned away. She then glanced at
Spike, sadness etched onto her face. Spike knew how she felt. He
should've known better; scars like the ones Buffy had been given
didn't fade overnight. Those took years to cope with and finally
overcome. How could her father do this to her? The son of a...
He hadn't even known he'd growled until heads whipped to see him.
He stopped himself, looking around sheepishly. "Sorry. Got
somethin' in my throat," he said to Buffy. She nodded, accepting
the answer.
He turned to the others, who knew why he'd growled. Tara gave him
a look, and he sighed. "I know, I know," he said quietly.
Willow took out the waffles and placed them in front of Buffy.
Buffy licked her lips and bounced, waiting for her fork and syrup.
Spike lost whatever anger he'd been feeling at the sight of her.
She was so cute...
"Spike!"
He jumped, turning to Dawn. "What?" he asked, irritated that he
hadn't heard her the first time.
"I said, are you going with Xander today?"
Spike frowned. "For what?"
"A friend of ours that's into magic has a few books she said we
could borrow," Willow explained. "I'm hoping there's an answer in
there to...that tiny problem of ours," she said, her eyes darting
from Buffy to Spike.
Spike caught on as Buffy engrossed herself in her
breakfast. "Right. Those books. What time'll he be here?"
"About 15 minutes. She lives almost an hour out, so the sooner
you guys start, the better."
Spike nodded. "Consider it done. What about midget here?"
"M'not a midget!" Buffy protested, glaring at him.
"Okay then, what about the kitten?"
He heard Buffy sigh heavily beside him with exasperation, and
barely managed to hold his chuckles back. She was fun to mess with,
even as a kid.
He yelped as Willow stepped on his foot, setting his waffles down
in front of him. "Oops! Did I step on your toe? I'm SO sorry,"
she said in a sweet tone that made him want to cringe.
He gave her a look as Buffy giggled. "No problem, Red," he said,
faking a smile before glaring at her. His poor foot...
"But anyways, Willow and I will be heading out to dig in the
library and see what we can find," Tara said, ignoring the
badinage. "Anya and Dawn can stay and watch over Buffy."
Spike dropped the smile. "What? Are you sure?" he said,
concerned. "What if somethin' goes wrong? What if there's an..."
"Oh for crying out loud, Spike, I can babysit," Dawn said, rolling
her eyes. "And I'll have Anya here to help. We won't let her out
of our sight. And besides, Willow and Tara will be what, two miles
away? Walking distance. I've got their cell number and Xander's,
so we're covered."
Spike held his tongue, wanting to protest against the idea. He
didn't like the idea of leaving her like this, especially when
something had gone out of its way to make her the defenseless child
she was now.
"All right," he said, sounding resigned. "I'll go with him."
"Great!" Willow said, putting in more waffles. "Besides, the
sooner we find the counter-spell, the sooner we can fix
that...er...tiny problem."
Spike was about to reluctantly agree when he heard a horn beeping
from the front yard.
"I do believe that's your ride," Willow said, gesturing towards
the front door.
"Yeah, well, my ride can wait. I want my waffles," Spike said,
digging in.
Willow muttered something about that even as a vampire, he was
definitely still a male. Dawn put her hand over her mouth to hide
her grin.
Spike rolled his eyes, having heard what she'd said. "Women," he
grumbled, as Willow passed by.
"I heard that!"
Chapter 3:
< --- >
"I'm bored."
Dawn sighed. "You told us that five minutes ago, Anya. We got
it."
"I'm still bored. We need to do something."
The three girls sat at the kitchen table, Buffy merely listening
to the banter between Dawn and Anya. They'd been waiting for almost
two hours, and they'd accomplished quite a bit in that time. Making
cookies, reading, and playing dolls were among the list.
"Well, let's do something. Like a board game," Anya said, her
eyes lighting up at the thought. "'Life' is an excellent game. I
do very well."
"Something not too hard for her," Dawn pointed out, glancing at
Buffy. Buffy nodded, turning to look at Anya.
Anya's face dropped. "Oh fudge. All right, what can we play
then?"
"Oh! I gots an idea!" Buffy exclaimed. "You guys know 'Old
Maid'?"
Dawn smiled. "Sounds like a great idea. Lemme go get the
cards..." She began to stand, but Buffy beat her to it.
"Where are the cards? I'll go get 'em," Buffy said, beaming.
Anya shrugged. "I think they're in the bottom of the closet
upstairs, right?"
Dawn nodded. "Yeah. Look for the cards with the green backs.
Those have really neat pictures on them."
"'Kay!" Buffy squealed, running into the living room. Dawn smiled
at her energy and began to sit back down. She jumped up at the
sound of a thump, as if someone had tripped.
"Buffy?" she asked, peering in. Her eyes widened as a glass
statue of a goddess fell to the ground, shattering into every
direction.
"Buffy!!" Dawn yelled, trying to avoid the shards while in her
socks. Her sister sat on the ground, trembling. Her eyes were
locked on the many pieces scattered around the area.
As Dawn stepped closer, Buffy whipped her head up to stare at
Dawn, her eyes wide with terror. "I...I didn't..." she stammered,
edging away.
"Buffy, come here," Dawn said, trying not to panic. She took
another step towards her and asked, "Are you..."
The extra step sent Buffy in motion. She leapt up and ran as fast
as she could up the stairs. "Buffy, wait!" Dawn called, running
after her.
She'd just reached the top of the stairs when the bedroom door
slammed shut and locked. Dawn sighed and headed over, knocking
twice. "Buffy? You have to come out," Dawn said, rubbing her
temple. They'd never let her babysit again. For all she knew, her
charge was in the bedroom, slowly bleeding to death.
That image made her pound harder. "Buffy! Come out, please,"
Dawn pleaded. "I need to see if you're okay."
Nothing.
Okay, find the spare key. There's a spare key to her room,
right? She reached up and felt for the key above the door frame.
No luck.
She was about to call out to Buffy again when the front door
slammed. She heard Willow's voice, then a gasp. Apparently they'd
found the mess.
Dawn headed downstairs, catching Tara and Willow's attention
instantly. "What happened?" Tara demanded.
"Please don't kill me. It wasn't my fault."
"Just tell us what happened," Willow said, trying to be
calm. "And where's Buffy?"
Dawn winced. This wasn't going to be fun. "Well...Buffy went to
go get the playing cards from upstairs, and I heard a thump. I
glanced in the living room just in time to see Diana tip over and
crash. Buffy freaked out and high-tailed it upstairs to her room,
and she's locked herself in. I don't know if she's okay or if she's
hurt, or..." Dawn's voice had continued to rise throughout the
entire statement, panic finally setting in.
"Shhh, it's okay," Tara said, trying to soothe her. "It was an
accident. It wasn't your fault. Willow, why don't you go see if
you can get Buffy out? I'll be right up to try if you can't get her
to come back down."
Willow nodded, heading for the stairs. "Anya, go get the brush
and dustpan to clean this up with," Tara continued, before turning
to Dawn once more. The teen looked ready to cry. "Are you hurt?"
Tara asked.
Dawn shook her head. "I-I avoided the glass. No big. It's her
I'm worried about. She was on the floor when the thing fell..."
"I know," Tara interrupted, wrapping her arms around
Dawn. "She'll be okay. It wasn't your fault; please try and
remember that."
"I should've gotten the cards," Dawn mumbled.
Tara shook her head. "There was no way you could've known. These
things happen, unfortunately. She'll be okay. In the mean time, go
put your shoes on and see how much of the glass you can pick up.
Okay?"
Dawn nodded, wiping away a few tears. "Okay."
Tara smiled at her, before heading upstairs. She found Willow
kneeling by the door, getting more harried by the minute. "Buffy,
sweetie, please come out," she begged. "We need to know if you're
okay. Are you hurt?"
No response. "Not going well?" Tara asked, taking a seat on the
floor.
Willow sighed. "No; I haven't heard a peep from her. She's
refusing to come out. The others better be careful down there," she
added. "That statue was heavy enough to kill someone. That thing
shattering must've caused quite a mess."
Tara nodded. "Anya and Dawn'll be fine."
The door opened once more, and male voices were heard. "The men
have returned," Willow sighed, looking relieved. "Can I get them?"
Tara chuckled. "Go ahead. I'll see what I can do." She turned
her attention to the door, closing her eyes. Was Buffy even in the
room?
Yes, she was. A small, troubled aura crouched on the other side
of the bed, from what she could sense. "Sweetie, it's okay; we're
worried about you," Tara began, sensing the aura flare up as she
spoke. Tara frowned.
"Buffy, please talk to me. You don't have to come out; just let
us know you're okay," she pleaded, hearing shuffling inside.
She put her ear to the door as she heard a small voice say, "I
broke the statue. That was Willow's statue, right?"
Tara nodded, before she realized Buffy couldn't see her. She
almost rolled her eyes at herself. "Yeah, but it's okay. She's not
mad, I promise."
Silence. "Buffy?" Tara called again, but there was nothing.
She pulled away from the door, Xander and Spike hurrying up the
stairs after Willow. "Any luck?" Xander asked, taking a position by
the door.
Tara shook her head. "None. I did get her to talk, and all she
basically said was that she'd broken the statue, and that it was
Willow's. How's Dawnie?"
"Worried, but she'll be okay," Xander said, as Spike stood in
front of the door.
"Lemme try, Glinda," Spike asked. Tara nodded, inching to the
side.
Spike cleared his throat, then knocked. "Kitten?"
"Spike?" The response was almost immediate.
Tara shook her head, smiling. She should've known that Spike
would be the one to reach her.
"Yeah, I'm here. Buffy, pet, I'm worried 'bout you," Spike
explained, a concerned look on his face. He couldn't smell the
blood, but that didn't mean she wasn't hurt.
"Why?" he heard her ask through the door.
Spike almost fell backwards from surprise. "What? What do you
mean, why?" he asked, leaning forward. "'Cause I love you, that's
why! We all do, pet. We saw the glass and got scared. Just tell
me if you're hurt, please?"
Silence. Tara's eyes widened slightly as Willow and Xander
exchanged looks. Now what did they do? If Spike hadn't been able
to bring her out, the rest of them stood no chance.
They didn't need to worry. A 'click' announced that the door was
unlocking, and the door opened a fraction. The tip of a tiny nose
peeked out, green eyes clouded with fear. "You were scared?" Buffy
asked timidly.
Spike nodded, offering her his hand. Buffy bit her lip, but
reached forward, allowing him to pull her from the room.
Tara looked her over, before turning to glance up at the
others. "She's fine," she said, their faces relaxing.
Buffy looked down at the floor, her hand still firmly wrapped in
Spike's. She knew that Willow cared about her, but she HAD just
broken her statue. How mad would she...
Willow knelt down next to her, taking her by the
shoulders. "M'sorry," Buffy mumbled, looking away.
Willow brought her gaze back to hers, her palm cupping Buffy's
chin. "Let me explain something to you," Willow said, smiling at
her. "I liked the statue, yeah. I didn't love it, though. I love
you; you matter to me. Not some silly statue. Okay?"
Buffy nodded, hugging Willow. Willow allowed herself to exhale,
embracing her child leader.
< --- >
They'd gone downstairs, and Dawn had immediately wrapped Buffy in
a huge hug. The gang had then gone in to the kitchen for dinner,
Buffy never leaving Spike's side.
"Sweetie?" Willow finally ventured.
Buffy looked up, her arms wrapped around Spike, even as they sat
at the dinner table.
"You want to get ready for bed?"
Her little face clouded. "How about a bubble bath first?" Tara
suggested, Willow beaming at her girlfriend.
Buffy began to smile. "Really?"
"Really," Dawn said, having just cleared her plate. "I'll go get
it ready for ya."
"'Kay!" Buffy exclaimed, leaning against Spike. Spike smiled down
at her, reaching for his blood. He'd shared the meal with the
Scoobies, but it never gave him the nourishment that he needed. He
stopped, a thought popping in his head. Big Buffy was okay with him
drinking blood wherever, whenever. Little Buffy was still only
five, and five-year-olds were often squeamish at the sight of
blood. Most people were.
"Aren't you gonna drink your blood?" a small voice said, breaking
through his thoughts.
Spike glanced down at her. "Just don't spill 'nany on me, 'kay?"
she said, looking up at him.
"You don't mind?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.
Buffy gave him a look. "Why would I?" she asked. "Your food."
"It's blood," Xander pointed out.
She merely shrugged. "It's inside peoples. Makes 'em work."
"Bloody incredible," Spike muttered under his breath, his face
lighting up. She really didn't care. Satisfied that he could
drink, he reached forward and took a sip. Much better.
"Ready!" Dawn called down the stairs.
"'Kay," Buffy said, hopping out of the chair. She bit her lip,
before climbing back in the chair and planting a kiss on Spike's
cheek. She jumped out again, heading up the stairs with Willow,
leaving a shocked vampire behind her.
"I think she likes you," Anya said, as Spike set the cup down. He
touched his cheek where she'd kissed him, and he smiled wistfully.
"Yeah," he murmured. "I think she does."
Chapter 4:
< --- >
Spike had still been in a happy daze as he'd helped clear the
table. Even now, as he saw Xander and Anya out the door, he was
still floating on cloud nine.
It hadn't been a romantic kiss, and he knew it. It had been a 'I-
love-you' kiss, like you would give a family member. His smile
broadened as he realized that she looked up to him not just like a
hero, but something even better. Like a brother.
Whistling, he hurried up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
He paused outside the closed bathroom door, as frantic splashing
reached his ears. His eyes widened. Buffy. Within seconds he had
the door whipped open, and gazed in at an interesting sight.
Buffy sat in the middle of the tub, bubbles piled even higher then
she was. Water spilled onto the floor, and in her hands was a
rubber ducky.
She giggled. "This is fun!"
"I bet it is," he grinned, relieved that she was all right. "Bet
it'll be even more fun when Red comes in and sees what you've been
up to." He stepped in and closed the door behind him, putting his
hands on his hips. "Mind tellin' me why you were splashin' all
over?"
"I was just dancing," she defended.
"In the tub?!"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Me an' Ducky."
"Ah." Of course, that made PERFECT sense. He snorted, shaking
his head at his own sarcasm.
"Wanna play?" she asked suddenly.
Spike's eyes widened. "Do...do I...?" He suddenly realized that
he shouldn't even be IN a bathroom with her, even though she was
completely covered with the bubbles.
"Please?" she pleaded. "Come play with me?"
He took a seat next to the tub, his decision made. He could never
deny her anything, especially when she made that puppy-dog face. He
turned, smirking at her. "And what would I play with? You've got
the only rubber ducky I know of."
"Ducky can go to sleep," she insisted. "There's lotsa bubbles."
"That there are," he muttered, wondering briefly if Dawn had
dumped the entire bottle into the tub.
He yelped as water and bubbles hit him. He wiped them off as
Buffy burst into laughter.
"Splash War!" she yelled, splashing him again.
He growled playfully. "Let's see how YOU like it, then," he said,
reaching in and batting water her way. She squealed and continued
to push water his way, until the door opened.
"What's going on in..." Willow stopped, trying not to laugh.
Spike and Buffy were covered in bubbles and water, both looking
guilty. "She started it," Spike said, pointing at her. In response
to his accusation, Buffy splashed him again.
He scrunched up his face as the next barrage of water hit
him. "Just clean up when you're done," Willow said, shaking her
head with disbelief.
When she'd left, Spike turned to find Buffy picking up a heap of
bubbles. "And just what would you be doin' now?" he asked. "You
got us in trouble."
"Did not!" she said, frowning at him.
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
Willow rolled her eyes from outside the door. "Heaven help us
all," she muttered, heading back to tell Tara about the Splash War.
< --- >
They played with the bubbles for another half an hour, having made
bubble crowns and mustaches, acting out the roles of royalty and
gangsters. Tara came in then, with Spike promising to meet Buffy in
her bedroom for more of the story. He closed the door behind him,
beaming.
He only had to wait a few minutes. A squeaky clean Buffy clad in
yellow pajamas darted in and jumped into the bed, Tara following.
Buffy tucked herself in, eyes aglow. "More story, please."
Spike nodded, settling down on the bed. "Well, the Slayer went
with Angel..."
"How come I didn't go with you?" Buffy interrupted.
Her words stopped Spike and Tara, who had been heading for the
bathroom. She glanced back in, wondering how Spike would explain.
Spike cleared his throat, oblivious to Tara being there. "Well,
uh..."
"Were we having a fight?" Buffy asked.
Spike almost sighed with relief. "Yeah, a nasty fight. So we
weren't friends at the moment. Anyways, she went with Angel, and
they....well, they..." He almost growled. Let's explain sexual
intercourse and how it brought Angelus back into the world to a five-
year-old girl. Yeah right.
"Did I hold hands with him?" Buffy asked.
Tara watched as Spike smiled sadly. "Yeah, you two held hands.
Lots of times. But this time, it was extra special. Not a good
special, though, 'cause it let loose a demon that had been jailed
inside of Angel. He turned into a bad monster, called Angelus."
"I don't like this story 'nanymore," Buffy whispered, crawling
under the covers.
"It's got a happy endin', trust me," Spike hastened to reassure
her. "The Slayer fought Angelus, and that's when you and I became
friends. We made a deal to attack the evil demon together, and get
rid of him."
"Did it work?" Buffy asked.
"Better believe it did. Angel came back, and I had to leave for
awhile."
"But you came back," Buffy said, her face lighting up with a smile.
Tara didn't miss the smile that grew on Spike's face. "I came
back," he repeated softly, gazing at the little one. She seemed to
enjoy the parts where he himself was in the story, and not Angel.
"What happened next?" she asked, or tried to ask. It came out in
a big yawn.
Spike chuckled. "We'll save the rest of the story for later.
Right now, you need to get some sleep." He leaned forward and
pressed his lips against her forehead, smiling down at his miniature
angel.
"G'night kitten," he whispered, heading out of the room. She
smiled at him and waved sleepily, closing her eyes.
Spike closed the door behind him, jumping when he almost bumped
into Tara. "There a reason you're hangin' 'round?" he asked,
raising his eyebrow at her.
"You did good. With the story," Tara added.
He looked down, bashful under her knowing gaze. "Thanks. Any
luck with those books?" he asked, glancing back up.
Tara cringed. "Apparently not," he said with a sigh.
"We're not through them all, though," Tara encouraged. "Still a
few more to go through, so there's still hope." A smirk bloomed on
her face as she handed him a rag.
At his questioning glance, she said, "You helped make the mess,
you can help clean it up."
"Bloody 'ell," he muttered under his breath, following her in to
the bathroom.
< --- >
Buffy sat up quickly, her heart pounding in her chest. Dirt
falling on top of her, being chased by monsters, with her yelling
for Spike to help her...she shuddered.
Even though she was all growed up in her dreams, she was still
scared. Scared of the monsters and the dirt.
No, you're a hero. Spike said so. Just go back to sleep. He
doesn't need you to wake him up again. Go back to sleep. Don't
think of the monsters. The monsters that wanted to eat her, and rip
her to shreds...
She shook herself. Don't think about that! Or the dirt. Well,
dirt couldn't be scary, right? It just made you dirty. That's
all. But when there was enough of it, like there'd been in her
nightmare, she'd felt it piling on top her, burying her, and she
couldn't get out, and Spike, help me...
She whimpered, hopping out of bed. So much for THAT great plan.
She couldn't go back to sleep now. Maybe...maybe he would be awake,
and she could stay with him. Only if he was awake.
She crept down the stairs and turned to the sofa, frowning. He
was gone. The blankets were there, and the pillow too, but he was
gone. He was probably out being a hero. She sniffled. Some hero
SHE was. Things that couldn't hurt her, things from her dreams,
scared her. She turned back to head up the stairs, rubbing at her
eyes.
"Buffy?"
Buffy stopped and glanced over at the door to the kitchen, a
familiar shadow standing there. "Mm hm?"
Spike frowned, heading towards her. It was almost four in the
morning. He'd gotten up for a glass of blood, and hadn't expected
to find her gazing at the sofa with despair. "Kitten, what are you
doin' up?"
She looked down, biting her lip. Spike instantly knew what was
wrong. "Nightmare, huh?"
She nodded, not looking up. "C'mere," he said, bending down and
spreading his arms.
Buffy flew towards him, launching herself into his arms. He
wrapped his arms around her and lifted her, her legs curling around
his middle. She laid her head down on his shoulder as he carried
her to the back porch.
"Look up," he whispered. Obediently she turned her gaze upwards.
Millions of stars, it seemed, had gathered in the vast, inky
blackness. Not too far off, the crest of the moon glistened in the
night.
"Wow," she said, her voice full of awe.
He smiled at her. "Each one's got a name, and if we find one that
doesn't, we give it one."
"What about that bright one?" she asked, pointing up at the North
Star.
"That's Polaris," he said.
"Polersis," she said, her tongue twisting. Spike almost laughed
at the face she was making.
He shook his head. "Try again. Pole-air-is."
"Pole-er-sis!" she emphasized, her face falling as she missed the
word again.
He crooked a finger under her chin, smiling at her. "You just
need to practice," he said gently. "Just like yellow. Here," he
said suddenly, his smile widening, "Got an idea. Try sayin' this
word: Daffodil."
"Daff-dil," she replied instantly.
Spike sighed inwardly. "Now, I want you to repeat whatever I
say. Okay?"
"'Kay."
Spike took an unnecessary breath. "Daffodil."
"Daff-dil."
"Daffodil."
"Daff-dil."
"Daffodil."
"Daff-dil!"
"Polaris," he said, quickly changing tracks.
"Polaris," she repeated perfectly. She stopped, before breaking
into a huge grin. "I did it!"
Spike smiled at the joyous look on her face. She was so
precious. Were all children like this? He hoped they were.
"Yeah, you did. See?"
"How come you made me say daff-dil?"
He headed back into the house, closing the door as quietly as he
could. "Just a trick, that's all. You should head up to bed," he
said, noting her yawn.
Suddenly arms were tightened around him, legs digging into his
back. "Please don't make me go to bed," she begged, burying her
head in his shirt.
"Buffy..." he started, but never finished.
"Please?"
"You wanna tell me 'bout it?" he asked gently.
He felt her release her death grip on his neck. "Monsters was
chasing me, and I got scared. Dirt was falling on me, and I
was 'lelling for help, and I couldn't find you, and..."
"Shhh," he whispered, taking a seat on the sofa, with her still in
his arms. "You're safe now. I'm here."
She sniffled, burying herself into his arms. "M'not a hero," she
said miserably.
"Yes you are," Spike said, gently but firmly. "Trust me. Only a
hero would've risked her life to save the world. And you did, you
know. You almost died, pet." He avoided the fact that her heart
HAD stopped, moments before she'd regained her normal size.
"Can I stay with you 'gain?" she asked timidly.
"You don't even need to ask," he said, holding her at arm's
length. "If you need someone, or you're scared, you can always come
to me, day or night, even if I'm sleepin'. Got it? Don't be 'fraid
to get someone if you're scared."
She nodded solemnly. "Promise." With that, she latched on to him
as if for dear life.
Spike wrapped his arms around his little one, pulling her down
with him to the sofa. The two were fast asleep in minutes.
Chapter 5:
< --- >
Willow yawned and started downstairs. She should think about
something else to make for breakfast; having Buffy on syrup all the
time wasn't a good thing. She stopped a few steps before the
bottom, the scene before her bringing her from her thoughts.
Buffy lay against Spike once more, her young face illuminated by
her golden hair. Her arms were wrapped around Spike's, which were
wrapped around her tiny waist. Both were fast asleep.
Willow scurried back upstairs, wide awake now. She searched
around her room, trying not to wake Tara. Where was it? It had to
be here. Dawn couldn't have taken it again...ah! There it was!
She congratulated herself as she pulled her camera from the closet.
Armed, she headed back down.
She crept up to the sofa, careful not to wake the duo. When she
was close enough, she made sure she didn't have the flash on. She
smiled as she pressed the button. Picture perfect.
Tucking her camera back into its pouch, she almost skipped into
the kitchen, whistling softly.
< --- >
Spike awoke to the scent of something wonderful coming from the
kitchen. He shifted, then realized he couldn't move his arms.
Frowning sleepily, he glanced down at a sleeping child, her face one
of contentment and peace.
He smiled, hugging her small form to him. As much as he enjoyed
being with little Buffy, though, he missed big Buffy horribly.
Someone he could hold, kiss, dance with. Someone that would care
for him if he was hurt. Someone that could fill in the empty gaps
in his heart. His lover.
Buffy shifted underneath him, glancing up at him. "'Mornin'
kitten," he said, smiling as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. So
precious...
She gave him a sleepy smile, yawning once. "'Morning." She
sniffed, suddenly very awake. "Somebody's making eggies!"
Spike had to bite his bottom lip so he wouldn't laugh at
her. "Smells like," he managed, as she dashed away to the kitchen.
When she was out of sight, he fell onto the sofa, laughing
helplessly.
"What's so funny?" Dawn asked, frowning at him as she descended
the stairs.
Just then, Buffy rushed out, her grin big. "Willow's making
eggies!" she said happily, running back in to the kitchen.
Xander and Anya came in a bit later to find Spike and Dawn
laughing hysterically on the sofa, tears streaming from their
eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you two?" Xander asked
incredulously.
Spike managed to stop long enough to gasp out, "Buffy," before
falling back again, laughing.
Xander rolled his eyes. "You two are loony bin material. Hope
you're aware of that."
Spike and Dawn merely exchanged glances, before going off into
peals of giggles once more.
Willow wasn't too much better in the kitchen. Buffy had decided
to make up a song about 'eggies', and Willow had silent tears of
mirth rolling down her face as the little one sang, oblivious to
everything else.
"...An' they're soft an' mushy, and yellow-y, and that's why I
like eating eggies!"
Xander entered just in time to hear that last part being sung, and
suddenly the pair's snickering behind him and Willow's slightly
shaking shoulders made sense.
"Are my eggies almost done?" Buffy asked innocently.
Willow nodded, her grin ready to crack her face. It shouldn't be
that funny, but just the way she said it, with that look on her
face...it was too much.
Dawn and Spike entered just then, Tara right behind them. Tara
kept giving the pair weird glances, but didn't say anything. "What
do we do today?" Tara asked, sitting down next to Dawn.
"Go through the last of those books," Willow said, distributing
the eggs among everyone. "I suppose that's the best thing we CAN
do. Oh, toast and bacon will be out in a minute."
The others nodded, digging in. Buffy's eyes lit up. "Toasts and
beacons?"
The gang couldn't help it; they broke out laughing. Buffy stared
at them for a few moments, before she too began to giggle.
"Okay, why do you call them that?" Dawn inquired, once she'd
calmed down some.
Buffy shrugged, grinning. "I know they gots diff'rent names, but
I jus' calls 'em that."
"Well, please don't let us stop you," Xander said, reaching for
the bacon Willow was passing around.
Dawn and Anya giggled at his comment, and Buffy frowned. Spike
could've sworn he saw it whoosh past her head. "Huh?" she asked,
scrunching up her nose.
The gang laughed once more, but it soon turned to shrieks as the
kitchen window shattered. Spike grabbed Dawn and Buffy and ducked
under the table. "What the bleedin' 'ell's goin' on out there?"
Spike demanded, as the other Scoobies took cover.
He knew it was serious when no one reprimanded him for his
language in front of little Buffy. Xander risked a peek outside,
and ducked back down, his face pale. "Harris? Whelp!"
"C-Couple of demons, ones like from before. The mercenary
demons. A couple of others, all armed to the teeth."
The others exchanged worried looks. The mercenary demons had come
before, with one intention: to kill Buffy in her tiny state.
Buffy's eyes were wide as she lay huddled with Spike. "M'scared,"
she whispered, her lower lip wobbling.
"Shhh, hush pet. Not gonna let 'em get you, promise," Spike said,
trying to soothe her. "We'll get rid of 'em, and then we can..."
Buffy screamed as a demon burst through the kitchen door, flooding
most of the kitchen with sunlight. Spike hissed and backed away
from it, pulling Buffy with him.
"Mashkar!" the demon roared, lunging for Buffy. Buffy screamed
again.
"Dawn, get her outta here!!!" Spike shouted, handing the sobbing
child to Dawn. The older girl nodded, grabbing Buffy and running
off.
"Tara!" Willow yelled, causing Tara to turn. Her lover nodded,
pulling her power from the red-head. Together the two turned on the
demon.
"Incendio," they whispered in unison, sending the demon flying off
in flames. Xander saw his chance and dove for the living room,
which held the nearest weapons. The demon grabbed his ankle,
digging its claws in. Xander hissed and managed to wrap his hand
around an ax. He swung around and removed the demon's head.
After extracting the claws from his leg, he tossed weapons to Anya
and Spike. The two nodded their thanks as more demons began to pour
into the kitchen.
< --- >
Dawn pulled Buffy to her, trying to soothe the crying
child. "Shhh, it'll be okay," she whispered, but Buffy shook her
head frantically.
"Th-They're gonna gets h-hurt, all 'c-cause of me..." Her voice
broke off into wracking sobs.
"No they won't! They'll be fine. Spike knows how to fight. And
so do the others! A-And Willow and Tara know magic!" Dawn wasn't
even sure who she was trying to reassure more now, Buffy or herself.
Yells from downstairs only made Buffy cry harder. "Don't cry,"
Dawn pleaded. "They'll be fine."
Amazingly, Buffy stopped. "They'll be fine," Dawn repeated,
smiling at her sister.
Buffy sniffled slightly. "I hopes so. C-Can we do something?"
"Like what?"
"L-Like a game?"
Dawn smiled at her sister, who was obviously trying so hard to be
brave in spite of her terror. "Okay. What do you think we should
play?"
"Hide 'n seek?"
Dawn nodded, liking the idea a lot. She could hide her sister, so
if the demons DID come upstairs, they wouldn't find her. "Sounds
good! There's lots of good hiding spots, like under the bed or the
closet. Hide yourself really, REALLY well, until I find you. If I
can't find you, I'll call, 'Olly Olly Oxentree', okay?"
Buffy nodded vigorously. "'Kay. 'Member, count to thirty!"
"Okay," Dawn said, smiling. Covering her eyes, she began to
count, "One...two...three..."
Buffy was already moving, but not like Dawn would've thought. She
scurried over to the chest that held the weapons and managed to
hoist up a crossbow with ammo. With one last glance at Dawn, who
was currently at fifteen, Buffy hurried from the room and headed
downstairs.
Title: Magic in a Young Girl's Heart
Author: Nebula
Chapter: 6 of 15
Rating: PG-13 for language and other minor things
Pairings: B/S (what else?), X/A, W/T, Spike/Scooby friendship
Summary: A sequel to 'Little Hero'; takes place a month after the
events of the first story. Buffy is tiny again, but this time, the
person behind it is making sure he gets her. Of course, he's got
the Scoobies standing between him and his prize. It's a race
against time to keep her safe and find the counter-spell. The
Scoobs may need a little help...
Disclaimer: Wishlist consists of Lindsey, Spike, and Xander. Joss
owns all, but he's sharing. Making me a happy fanfic writer. ^_^
< --- >
The yells the two had heard from before were from the men who were
slashing at the demons as fast as they could. The witches were
beginning to tire, and even Spike looked weary.
Xander cried out as he was hit from the side, and knocked to the
floor. Spike was there in an instant, finishing off the demon. He
knelt beside Xander, who was struggling to stand. "You all right?"
Xander nodded weakly. "Been better, but not that bad." His eyes
widened as he glanced behind Spike. Spike didn't even need to ask
him. A firm twirl of his blade, and the demon that'd been sneaking
up on him was dead.
Spike helped the young man to his feet and headed back into the
kitchen, knocking down demons right and left. The small respite
with helping Xander had brought back some of his energy. He began
to hack his way back towards the witches, who were barely holding
their own.
They were only down to a few demons when Spike fell to the floor
with a gasp. The demon above him chortled and proceeded to kick the
vampire while he was still down.
Spike was bleeding heavily from his forehead when the kicks
stopped. He looked up to see the reason and felt his heart lurch.
Buffy stood in the dining room, cradling a crossbow in her arms
while keeping a hand on the trigger. Tear streaks ran down her
face, but her voice was steady as she said, "Leave him 'lone, you
yellow-bellied bullies!"
The demon snarled and started towards her. Buffy's eyes flashed
fear, before she began to reload the crossbow. If Spike's heart had
been beating, it would've stopped. She was fumbling with it, and
the demon was getting closer...
With a cry of rage he leapt forward from his position on the
floor, grabbing the demon's ankle. He pulled it to the ground, as
Anya leapt forward and swiftly cut off its head.
The other demons, upon seeing the body of the last demon fall
lifeless, scurried out as fast as they could.
Spike hurried over, grabbing Buffy by the shoulders. She
flinched, reminding Spike to keep his temper in. It wasn't easy,
though. "You shouldn't have done that," he said quietly, his voice
low and dangerous.
Buffy looked at him, shocked into silence. Her bestest friend was
mad at her? She'd saved his life, though! She opened her mouth to
voice her opinions, but Spike cut her off.
"Don't care what your reasons were, you should've stayed with Dawn
upstairs. Understood?"
Buffy nodded, her mouth closed once more. "Go back upstairs,
Buffy," he said coldly, releasing her. He clutched his head and
walked back to the kitchen, helping the witches up.
Buffy's eyes filled with tears. He hadn't even called her
kitten. He hated her. She made her way back up the stairs, her
heart heavy. He hadn't hit her, though. She'd been afraid that's
what he'd been intending, but he hadn't.
Dawn was waiting for her at the top of the stairs, looking
furious. "Room, now," she said, pointing at Buffy's bedroom. Buffy
didn't need reminding; with her eyes on the floor she softly closed
the bedroom door.
Dawn sighed shakily and headed downstairs to help clean up. When
she hadn't found Buffy in the room, her eyes had drifted over to the
weapons chest that laid open. It also had had a crossbow missing.
That's when she heard Buffy giving the demon her ultimatum
downstairs. She'd heard Spike berate the child, and knew she'd have
an upset vampire to deal with. Great.
She reached the landing just in time to see Spike slump onto the
sofa, Tara trying to clean his head wound. "You guys okay?" Dawn
asked, frowning.
Spike nodded, tired. "Is Buffy upstairs?" Willow asked from her
position on the floor.
Dawn nodded. "She scared the crap out of me when I couldn't find
her. She said she wanted to play hide and seek, and told me to
close my eyes and count. I opened them, and she was gone." Dawn
cringed, avoiding their gaze. "I'm sorry."
"S'not your fault," Spike said softly. "Scared me, too. No,
terrified me. Saw the demon look her over, and it wasn't the least
bit afraid of her. I thought she was gonna die," Spike admitted,
swallowing. "All it would've taken was one hit, and she
would've..." He closed his eyes, not wanting to think about it.
"So you yelled at her?" Xander said, groaning as Anya applied an
ice pack to his face.
Spike glared at him. "I didn't yell at her. She needed to
understand that what she did was dangerous. She could've gotten
herself killed 'cause she was tryin' to play the bloody hero!"
"She was trying to save you," Tara interjected quietly.
Spike blinked, then sighed. "I know. Shouldn't have risked her
own life over it, though."
"So you'll go up in a bit and talk to her?" Dawn said hopefully.
Spike nodded resignedly. "I'll talk with her, and let her know
I'm not gonna bite her head off."
Dawn nodded, smiling. "Good idea."
< --- >
Buffy, unfortunately, hadn't heard any of the conversation
downstairs. She'd spent most of the day packing a big purse that
was like a backpack with Mr. Gordo and a blanket. She was running
away. She missed her mommy, and her daddy was going to be so mad at
her for missing so long. She almost cried at the thought, but
merely put her jacket on and slipped the purse onto her shoulders.
She opened the window, pushing it open as far as she could. The
cool air from the approaching evening slowly wafted into the room.
With the help of a vanity chair in the room, Buffy managed to haul
herself up to the roof, and quietly slipped out onto the roof. She
crawled towards the tree, grabbing the biggest branch near her, and
began to climb downwards.
Once she was on the ground, she glanced back at the house and
sniffled. Wrapping her tiny fists around the straps of the purse,
she headed down the street.
< --- >
Spike flinched as Tara applied salve to his wound. "It'll help
speed the healing process up even more," she said, wiping her hands.
Dawn had just gone upstairs to wash her hands when she rushed back
down, panting. "She's gone," she said, as everyone
gasped. "Window's open, room's empty, everything."
"Did she take anything?" Willow asked, Xander pulling her to her
feet.
"From what I could quickly tell, she took her favorite toy, a
small blanket, and my backpack purse. Her jacket's gone, too."
"We'll find her," Anya assured her. "Don't worry."
Tara turned to Anya, alarm on her face. "We're going to have to
move; some of those demons got away."
The danger of the situation finally hit the group like a hammer.
Suddenly everyone was moving, desperate to find the lost little one.
Spike pulled on his duster, grabbing a sword. His undead heart
wrenched as he realized why she'd run away. She thought he hated
her. He blinked away angry tears and headed out the door.
He caught a hold of her scent almost immediately. It sickened him
that the main current was despair and fear.
The others followed him out, all armed in some way or
another. "You find her scent yet?" Xander asked.
Spike nodded. "She went this way." His voice was tense with
worry.
Dawn gripped her dagger tighter and glanced around, hoping to
catch a glimpse of a small sister of hers.
< --- >
The first place Buffy went was a telephone booth. She glanced
through the telephone book, trying to find an art gallery. She
found art places, but no art gallery. She frowned. Her mommy's
place had to be here.
A woman walked by, and Buffy looked up at her. Maybe she was
searching wrong. "Um, 'scuse me miss, can you help me?"
The woman stopped, frowning. "Are you lost?"
Buffy shook her head. "I just have to find my mommy's place.
It's not far from here, but I don't know how to finds it in here."
The woman took the book from Buffy's tiny hands. "What type of
place is your mommy's place?"
"It's an art gallery," Buffy said proudly. "My mommy's Joyce
Summers."
The woman stopped. "Summers' Art Gallery?"
Buffy's eyes widened. That had to be it! "That's it! Where is
it, please?"
"I thought it had closed," the woman said, frowning. "Maybe I'm
wrong, though." She closed the book and pointed down the road. "Go
straight past the cemetery, then turn left when you see the coffee
shop. Keep going until you have to turn right, and you can't miss
it."
Buffy beamed at the woman. "Thanks!" With that, she skipped
along.
The woman shook her head. Kids these days.
< --- >
"Buffy?" Dawn called, getting more worried by the minute. They'd
been looking for almost half an hour and still hadn't found her.
They'd ended up splitting into groups, so as to find her faster.
Willow and Tara hurried back, shaking their heads. "No luck on
the west side of town."
Xander and Anya returned, looking disappointed. "No Buffy to be
found on the southbound cemeteries."
"That leaves only the north," Dawn calculated, glancing over at
her dejected friend. She bit her lip. She knew Spike was blaming
himself for the entire thing.
Tara seemed to pick up on it as well and crossed over to
him. "It's not your fault," she began, but Spike cut her off.
"If I hadn't been such a damn prick, she wouldn't be out here.
She could be hurt, or cold, or scared, or..."
"Spike, stop," Tara said gently but firmly. Spike ceased his
rantings, turning to the witch with surprise. "You worrying over
her isn't going to get her back. Searching for her will. The more
we search, the faster we'll find her. She needs you right now."
He snorted, looking miserable. "No she doesn't. Why would she
need someone that made her feel useless and unwanted?"
"You've shown her so much love over the past year, to big and
little Buffy alike," she said softly. "She loves you, and needs you
right now, more then ever. Okay?"
He nodded, still not entirely convinced by her words. "Okay."
Turning back to the others, he pointed towards the north. "Let's
get movin', troops."
< --- >
Buffy sat down, thoroughly discouraged. Maybe she'd missed a turn
somewhere...the lady had said to go through the cemetery, right?
She hugged her knees to her chest, sniffling. Maybe not. Now she
was lost in a big, scary cemetery, and she was cold. She was also
very alone.
She missed Tara, who was so brave, and Dawn, who was really nice.
She missed Anya, who played (and won) games with her, and silly
Xander who made her laugh. She missed Willow who made such good
breakfasts, and she missed her mommy. Above everyone else, though,
she missed Spike.
Why had he gotten mad? The big demon had been going to hurt him,
the yellow-belly. She'd missed him the first time, but she had to
hit him!
When Spike and Anya had gotten rid of it, and he'd walked over to
her, she'd expected him to thank her for helping him. She'd been
shocked and scared when he'd glared at her and told her to go back
upstairs. He didn't even want to see her anymore.
She sniffled, big tears rolling down her face. He probably was
happy she was gone. Wiping her tears away, she laid her head on her
knees.
< --- >
If Buffy could've seen Spike at the moment, however, she would've
known that he was anything BUT happy about her disappearance. He
pushed onwards towards the cemetery, beginning to get frantic. If
she wasn't there...
No! Follow Glinda's advice. Stay calm. She could be hurt, and
she'll need you then.
Trying to swallow back the nauseous fear that was rising, he
stepped through the gates, before glancing back at them. "Split
up," he ordered, the others nodding. Spike headed off onto the path
that wound through the cemetery, Dawn at his side.
"You okay?" she asked quietly.
For a few moments, there wasn't a response. Then, he
sighed. "No. The person she was supposed to trust to look out for
her frightened her." He closed his eyes, remembering the terrible
feeling that had torn through his gut the last time he'd scared
her. He'd thought she'd been scared of his vampiric visage, but it
turned out he'd been bleeding heavily, and she'd been alarmed for
his safety.
This time, though, there was no blood. Only fear of his cold
attitude towards the person he loved more then anything.
"She shouldn't have gone downstairs," Dawn started, but Spike cut
her off.
"I know that, but I could've found a different way to tell her
that. I just told her to go." He chuckled bitterly. "She listened
real well."
They were silent after that, Dawn not really knowing what to say
to placate the vampire. The way he kept acting, she was sure he had
a soul in there somewhere. She almost giggled at the thought.
She was torn from her amusing thoughts at the sight of something
small cowering to the right. All thoughts vanished as she nudged
Spike. "There," she whispered, pointing to the small girl.
Spike followed her finger to see Buffy wrapped in a tight ball,
oblivious to the world around her. Above her stood the statue of an
angel with a shield.
Spike sighed with relief. She was safe. He glanced back over at
her and almost rolled his eyes. He had to go and jinx it, didn't
he? A few vampires were creeping up behind her, preparing to enjoy
a tiny morsel.
"Go get the others," Spike whispered, sending Dawn running. He
twirled the sword once in his fingers before charging.
Chapter 7:
< --- >
Buffy sniffled, wiping her eyes on the back of her jacket. She
was so alone...she was about to pull out Mr. Gordo when her eyes
caught something heading her way. She looked up, surprised to see
Spike running towards her. What was he doing here?
He was swinging a sword, too. Suddenly she was afraid. He'd been
sent to hunt her down. Was he going to use the sword on her? She
backed up until she bumped into the statue, tears falling from her
eyes. He was almost there...she cringed, waiting for the blow.
It never came. Spike let loose a feral roar and took the head off
of one of the vampires. Three left.
The vampires wasted no time in attacking Spike, though they
remained wary of the blade. Buffy watched the blade rise and fall,
looking so graceful, yet able to do so much damage.
One of the vampires dropped out and turned to Buffy. "Yum," was
all he said, before leaping at her. Buffy gasped and jumped up,
running as fast as she could. She could hear yells behind her, and
someone calling out her name, but she continued on. She had to get
away.
She whimpered as a hand grabbed her ankle, pulling her to the
ground. She was pulled back towards the vampire, him laughing at
her attempts to get away.
In a moment of desperation she grabbed a handful of dust and threw
it at the vampire. He howled, temporarily blinded. It was all
Buffy needed to kick him off and start running again.
But her ankle felt...funny. It hurt when she walked on it. She
tripped and fell, the vampire quickly hurrying over.
"Well, well, look at this," he sneered, as he grabbed her flailing
wrists. "Looks like I caught my snack after all." With that, he
leaned down towards her neck. At the touch of his fangs on her
skin, Buffy did the only thing she could think of.
She screamed.
The vampire pulled back, clutching his head. "Jeez, what a
mouth! Would you shut it already?"
Buffy continued to scream, her throat getting hoarse. 'Someone,
please, hear me...help me...'
With a cry her head snapped to the side, the vampire growling
above her. "I said to shut up!" he yelled, as she covered her head
as best she could, a sob building in her chest.
He lurched forward suddenly, a stake protruding from his
heart. "And I say you back off," Spike said, his voice icy. The
vampire turned to dust, his remains scattered all over Buffy.
Spike dropped the stake and knelt beside the quivering
child. "Buffy?" No answer. He bit his lip, trying to get a peek
at her face. "Buffy?" he tried again.
She glanced up at him then, and he winced at the bruise forming on
her face. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.
Her response was a burst of tears. Spike pulled her into his
arms, trying to ignore the way her sobs wracked her tiny
body. "You'll be all right," he crooned. "Don't worry, pet. I'm
here. I've got you."
She continued to cry, only stopping to hiccup. "Feel better?" he
asked, smiling slightly.
There was a pause before she nodded. Spike cringed at the
saddened look on her face. He was the cause of it, too.
The awkward silence was broken by Dawn's voice. "I found the
others!" she called. "They're waiting in the car."
Spike nodded, rising to his feet, Buffy still in his arms. With a
heavy heart he turned and headed after Dawn.
< --- >
Buffy said nothing on the way back, despite the others'
entreaties. She nodded or shook her head, depending on the question
asked. If the answer required more then a yes, no, or maybe (she
would just shrug her shoulders), she would remain silent.
She wasn't the only silent one in the vehicle. Spike sat up in
front with Xander, wishing he could stake himself. He'd seen the
look of terror on her face as he'd advanced with the sword, and knew
that she was terrified of him. He closed his eyes, a tear making
its way down his face. Scared. Of HIM.
The car stopped in front of the Summers' residence, and Buffy
waited until the others had gotten out. Willow stopped, turning to
Buffy. "Do you need help?" she asked quietly.
Buffy looked down at her ankle, paused, then nodded. "I can carry
you up, if you want," the witch offered, but the child merely shook
her head.
"Xander could," Tara suggested, but again Buffy shook her head.
No.
Dawn glanced at the forlorn vampire in the front seat, then back
at Buffy. Her eyes widened slightly at the quick glance the little
girl threw his way. So she didn't hate him as much as Spike thought
she did.
Dawn decided to test her theory by asking casually, "Do you want
Spike to carry you in?"
Spike's head spun to stare at the teen. His eyes seemed to
say, 'Are you crazy?' Nevertheless, he glanced back at Buffy,
waiting for the shake of the head.
He got the shock of his unlife when she looked down and nodded
slightly. Dawn smirked at him, and he frowned, confused. What was
going on here?
He got out and made his way over to her side, watching her every
move. Her eyes looked everywhere but at him. He held his arms out,
and was amazed that she leaned forward into his embrace. She still
refused to look at him, however.
They made their way upstairs, and helped Buffy 'unpack'. A quick
diagnosis by Dr. Willow told the group that she hadn't done anything
horrid to her ankle; it was merely bruised.
The others glanced around, before all giving out excuses and
ducking from the room. Spike's eyes widened as Tara winked at him
before leaving. Now it was just Spike and Buffy.
He cleared his throat nervously. "Red will, um, bring you an
icepack."
Buffy nodded.
"Can put it on your ankle, keep the swellin' down."
Another nod.
Spike sighed and took a seat next to her on the bed. "I'm so
sorry, kitten," he said, glancing down at his hands. How could he
have let her down like this?
Silence, then the faint rustling of blankets as she
shifted. "You're not mad at me 'nanymore?" she asked tentatively.
His head perked up at the sound of her voice. He glanced over to
find her biting her lip anxiously, awaiting his response.
"No," he said gently, "I'm not. More mad at me then I was at
you. Shouldn't have yelled at you."
"I deserved it," she mumbled, looking down. "I was bad."
His heart shattered in his chest at her words. "Sweetheart, no!
You weren't...I shouldn't have..." He almost growled at
himself. "C'mere," he finally said, opening his arms once more.
Buffy almost leapt at him, more then happy to be entangled in his
embrace again. "You could've gotten hurt, and I couldn't stand the
thought of you in pain," he explained, placing a small kiss on her
forehead. "You should've stayed upstairs, safe."
"You could've gotten dusty," she said, clutching his shirt in her
tiny fists.
He smiled at her. "I know, but I would've been happy, knowin' you
were safe. Don't worry me like that again, please?"
Buffy nodded, causing Spike to sigh in relief. "Please don't run
away like that again. Scared me so much..."
"M'sorry," she mumbled against his chest.
"No, don't be. I'm the one that's sorry. Should never have
yelled."
She sniffled, before asking in a quiet tone, "Is Dawn still mad?"
He frowned. "She yell at you, too?"
Buffy bit her lip. "She told me to go to my room, like you did."
"Sweetheart, she was just as worried about you as we were. She
thought she was doin' a good job keepin' you safe, and then we
almost lost you."
"So they're not mad at me 'nanymore?"
Spike pulled her closer, whispering, "No one's mad. They're happy
you're safe."
He sighed with relief when she looked up at him and finally gave
him a small smile. Thank heavens for small miracles. If they
hadn't gotten there sooner, she would've been...
His heart lurched at the thought, and he crushed her to him,
pushing away the horrid thoughts of her tiny body, dead on the
ground.
Willow came in then, having listened for the past couple of
minutes outside the door. Once she was sure that they'd made up,
she came in with an ice pack for the ankle. Spike gave her a mock-
glare, ignoring her knowing wink. The glare couldn't keep away his
happiness for long, and soon he was smiling again. Buffy was safe,
and from the giggles she was giving Willow, she was happy again.
< --- >
"We're dealing with something not nice here," Tara said the next
morning.
The gang was gathered around the living room, wondering what they
should do next. Buffy was playing in a corner, quiet once more.
Every now and then she would glance Spike's way, and he'd give her a
smile to remind her that she was very much loved and needed. By the
small smile she returned, she apparently got the message.
Xander sighed and leaned forward in his chair. "We talking
about...that tiny problem, or the demons?"
Willow bit her lip. "We're thinking the two problems work
together. Those demons were after our tiny problem, but why not
attack when it's...big, and not tiny?"
At the silence that followed, the gang exchanged uneasy
glances. "Told you someone did this for a reason," Spike groaned.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Dawn asked. "Did you find the
spell?"
Tara shook her head. "Nothing. We're down to one last idea."
From the look on her face, Spike knew he wasn't going to like
it. "And that would be...?"
Willow bit her lip, before saying in a hushed tone, "Angel."
Spike's stomach lurched as Xander began to protest. Seeing his
sire again didn't sound like such a hot idea.
"...could he do for us?" Xander was saying.
"Wesley's got more books we could use," Willow argued. "I already
called and told them we were on our way. Plus, more warriors to
protect her. We need that, Spike," she added gently, noticing the
look of discomfort on Spike's face.
He sighed. "I know. Have to put her first. Just...don't like
the idea of seein' him again, that's all."
"None of us do," Xander muttered, earning a glare from Willow.
"You hush," she scolded, before turning to Buffy. "Buffy?"
Buffy jumped and turned to her, a tentative smile on her face.
Spike clenched his fists, wishing for the millionth time that he
could pummel her father. "Yes?"
"You like car trips?"
Buffy's eyes widened, and a true smile blossomed on her face.
Spike unclenched his fists, and couldn't help smiling himself. She
was just too cute to be angry around, even if it wasn't her he was
mad at. "Where we going?"
Dawn rose to the occasion. "Ever been to Los Angeles? LA?"
Buffy giggled. "I was born there!"
"Then see? It's a good thing," Willow said, ignoring the looks of
contempt she was getting from the men. "We're gonna go see Angel,
that vampire Spike's been telling you about?"
Buffy surprised them by scrunching up her nose in obvious
distaste. "How come?" she whined.
"He's gonna help us with a problem," Willow said, frowning at
her. "Don't you want to meet him?"
"No," Buffy said simply, causing Spike to grin.
"What?" Willow said, before demanding, "Why not?"
Buffy shrugged. "Don't wanna."
"You could listen to music on the way," Dawn coaxed.
Buffy brightened visibly at that. "Really? 'Kay then!"
Spike started to laugh, ignoring the looks he was getting from
anyone. Buffy wanted to listen to music more than see Angel. The
irony wasn't lost on him.
He stopped, a horrid thought occurring to him. "Uh, what type of
music will we be listenin' to?"