They reached Restfield Cemetery in no time and Buffy skidded to a halt when she saw her sister knelt in front of a gravestone. More specifically, her mother’s. She didn’t know whether to be upset or angry with her sister for disappearing and with a frown, went to step forward- but she was stopped by Spike’s hand on her arm.

“Let me,” he murmured, his eyes meeting hers.

She wanted to protest but something in his eyes stopped her.

“Just give us a minute, yeah? Me and the Bit spent a lot of time here. Sort of a ritual, you know?” he said softly, his fingers just stroking against her arm.

She nodded silently and he gave her arm a squeeze before turning and making his way over to her sister. He stopped just to the side of the girl and lowered himself to the grass beside her, his arms resting on his bent knees.

She saw Dawn turn her head slightly towards him as he spoke and then the girl nodded. Dawn leant forward then and rested her head against the vampire’s shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. Unable to stay still any longer, Buffy moved towards the pair, their voices growing clearer as she neared them.

“I miss her,” Dawn sobbed, burying her head against Spike’s shoulder.

“I know, pet.”

“I miss her too,” Buffy murmured, just low enough for them to hear.

Dawn whirled round to face her and Buffy smiled sadly, feeling the tears she refused to shed welling up in her eyes. With a little sniffle, she dropped to the ground beside her sister and soon found herself wrapped up in her sister’s tight embrace as they both shed tears for the mother they had lost.


She calmed before her sister did and held the girl close, stroking her hand over her long hair as her eyes met the vampire’s. He questioned her with his eyes and she nodded, reaching out for his hand behind the girl’s back. He took her hand in his, his cool thumb running over the back of her hand as he twined his fingers around hers. She squeezed his hand tightly in hers and rested her head against her sister’s.

“We should get some flowers. She liked flowers,” Buffy whispered, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

Dawn nodded against her and Buffy smiled, stroking her free hand over the girl’s hair as she pulled back to meet her sister’s watery gaze.

“You okay, Dawnie?”

The teenager nodded, wiping away her tears.

“I don’t know about you, but I think I’m in serious need of ice-cream.”

“Cookie dough?” Dawn asked with a smile.

“Always!”

Unlacing her fingers from Spike’s with a soft smile, she got to her feet beside her sister, wrapping an arm around the other girl’s waist.

“What about you, Spike?” Buffy asked with a smile, turning to the vampire, “You up for some ice-cream? On me?”

He quirked an eyebrow and her sister burst out laughing and Buffy gaped, her cheeks flushing bright red.

“I did not mean it like that!” she exclaimed, “Dawnie!”

Her sister tried to suppress her giggles but to no avail and finally Buffy gave in and smiled slightly.

“I just meant I’d pay. Seriously, minds in the gutter, both of you.”

“I blame him!” Dawn got out with a smile as they began to make their way out of the cemetery.

“So do I,” Buffy added, sharing a soft smile with the vampire over her sister’s head.


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

“Mmmm, man this ice-cream is good!” Dawn got out around a mouthful of ice-cream and Buffy and Spike shared a smile, glad to see the teenager back to her useful self.

“S’not bad,” Spike agreed, poking at his ice-cream with a spoon.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell not to play with you food?” Buffy commented with a smile.

“Well, course. But it’s been a long time since I paid what she taught me any mind.”

“That would explain your manners,” Buffy teased, taking a mouthful of her ice-cream.

“I’ve got impeccable manners when the occasion calls for it, Summers.”

She just raised an eyebrow in disbelief, smiling gently.

“It’s true,” Dawn mumbled, hardly pausing in her ice-cream devouring, “He goes all Victorian-overload. It’s the funniest thing ever.”

“Little bit of charm goes a long way. Didn’t do us no harm, did it?”

“When was this?” Buffy asked with a smile, looking between the two- so she spotted their sudden stillness instantly.

The silence was deafening and she frowned, looking to her sister and then turning back to Spike.

“When you were…not here, love,” he got out quietly, his bright eyes flashing with pain.

“A social worker came,” Dawn explained quietly, “Came to, you know, check on Giles and everyone. And Spike was around too. He was helping, you know.”

“It’s okay, Dawnie, I know,” she murmured, placing her hand over her sister’s as her eyes met the vampire’s, “He was keeping his promise.”

They shared a long look until Dawn cleared her throat and Buffy turned back to her ice-cream.


Spike escorted the two sisters home and when they arrived back at the house, Buffy invited him in, unwilling to be spared of his company just yet. They sat down to watch a film but Dawn soon grew tired and pushed herself lazily to her feet with a yawn.

“I need sleep.”
“Okay, Dawnie, sleep well.”

Much to her surprise, Dawn leant down and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

“I love you, Buffy.”

“I…I love you too, Dawnie.”

Dawn pulled away with a smile and with a little wave to Spike, she moved to the door.

“And Buffy?” Dawn added, pausing at the door and drawing Buffy’s gaze to her, “You’re a great sister.”

With that, Dawn disappeared upstairs and Buffy could only sit there, stunned by her sister’s words- and moved by them too.

“Guess I better get going,” Spike spoke up, jolting her out of her daze and she turned to him. As soon as their eyes met, he smiled and reached out to brush a hair from her face.

“You big softie, Summers. Come here.”

Before she could answer, he had dragged her into his embrace and she wrapped her arms around him, letting out a little laugh against his chest.

“I’m glad she doesn’t hate me anymore,” she whispered.

“She never hated you. She just wasn’t sure how to deal with you.”

“Don’t think anyone was. Except you.”

“Well, know a bit about coming back from the dead.”

She laughed lightly and then slowly extracted herself from his embrace- much as it pained her to do so- with a soft smile. He rose to his feet and she followed him to the door, leaning against it as he lingered in the doorway.

“Thanks for everything tonight, Spike.”

“Anytime.”

She shared a smile and he moved another step away from her.

“Reckon we’ll be hearing from the Finns soon?” he asked casually and she frowned.

“Probably. I kinda hope not…but I’m sure God hates me.”

Spike just laughed and brushed a hand against her arm.

“Night, Buffy.”

“Night.”

He turned and dropped down onto the path, hands stuffed in his pockets as he strolled away into the darkness. She watched him for a short time before finally shutting the door and making her way to her own bed.