Best Laid Words by Jess Marie

Chapter #1 - Best Laid Words

Best Laid Words Finished: November 28, 2003 Summary: Just a brief Spuffy fic because I love pre-angstysex Spuffy almost as much as I love angsty sex. Almost. Pairing: Spike/Buffy Rating: PG Timeline: S5 spoilers. Pretty much immediately following Glory’s attack on Tara. We never got to see Buffy leave Dawn with Spike… “Buffy, please. You can’t keep on dumping me every time some big hell thingy goes down. This is important. I need to be there. Besides, I wanna help Tara.” Dawn’s lower lip started bobbing in her patented it’s almost time to throw a big baby fit way, and Buffy’s tightly tethered control slipped another notch. “We’ve been over this three times, and I’m tired of it. You cannot help Tara, Dawn. Glory’s too dangerous. She can… damage people.” Buffy tightened her grip on Dawn, pulling her through shadows and marbled stones on the path to Spike’s, which had oddly become the path to safety. Buffy didn’t want to think about that strange little development. Get her to Spike’s. She’ll be safe there. Safer anyway. Just have to get her there. Just get there. Buffy repeated the mantra in her brain. It calmed her a little. It was something she could complete. One brief checkmark on an impossibly long list of impossible tasks. She almost didn’t notice when Dawn stopped behind her. The annoying tug on her hand caught her mind. “Buffy.” Dawn’s voice was quiet. “What do you mean ‘damage’?” Buffy didn’t have time for this. She had to get to Spike’s. She had to help Tara. She had to stop Glory. She had to do something. If she stopped doing, she’d have to think, and then she’d have to feel. And it would crush her. The pain in Dawn’s voice kept her from lashing out helplessly. Buffy turned on her heel and reached out a hand to brush down Dawn’s hair. When she spoke, her voice sounded much smaller than she intended. “Glory’s dangerous, but I’m sure Tara’s fine. Look, I promise you I’ll do everything I can to stop this. But I can’t do that, and I can’t help anyone while I’m standing here worrying about you. Do you understand?” “Fine,” Dawn muttered, blinking back tears with a quick shake of her head, “But when we get through this, you so owe me.” “Chocolate milkshakes will be had by all.” Buffy said with all the perkiness she could muster as they turned back toward Spike’s crypt. Spike was bare-chested, leaning uncomfortably against the wall checking the binding around his ribs when Buffy and Dawn burst through the door. He pulled his shirt closed smoothly, but not before Buffy glimpsed deep gashes marring soft skin. “What’s wrong?” His brow furrowed as he took in their frantic faces, and the fingers on his left hand twitched absently as he finished buttoning the shirt. Dawn started to speak, but Buffy cut her off. “Dawn’s in danger. Glory thinks Tara’s the key. Look, I need to leave Dawn with you for a while until we find out how much Glory knows.” “What else is new?” Dawn said under her breath. Buffy spared a brief glare in her sister’s direction before returning her eyes to Spike’s. “Can you keep her some place safe?” For less than a second, Buffy could see a flicker of the familiar leer on his face, and she panicked. What if he says no? She hadn’t even brought any cash. He’s an evil vampire. Why wouldn’t he say no? And why on earth didn’t I think of this before? But the look was gone as quickly as it had come, and he tilted his head with a type of nonchalant dignity. “No problem. Can take the tunnels out to the caves near Harm’s old lair. Me and the Nibblet’ll keep out of sight.” He didn’t wince as he spoke, but Buffy suspected it took some effort. For me. He did this, he’s still doing this for me. She’d never really forgotten what he’d told her that night with Angel in the Magic Box. Melodrama tends to stick like that. He was love’s bitch. Gah, she’d had no idea. She stared into deep sea eyes and felt a strange need to touch his face then, brushing gentle fingertips across blue and black patterns, offering him something for all he’d given. But she wasn’t sure what she’d be offering, and the whole idea seemed pretty scary on the whole. She clenched her fist around the train of thought, squeezing it shut. As if she’d spoken her thoughts, Spike’s mouth twisted in a slight smile and he whispered, “You’re welcome, love.” She nodded at him, unsure of what to say. She pulled Dawn into a stiff-limbed embrace, then edged back to look into her sister’s red-rimmed eyes. “Dawn, be safe, ok? I told you, I promise I’ll do everything I can to stop this.” “Sure.” Dawn’s tone was patently non-committal, but she said, “Slayer or not, some day I am so gonna kick your ass.” Buffy only smiled. She was almost to the door when she heard Spike’s hesitant voice. “Buffy.” Parting words are totally over-rated, Buffy thought tiredly. Still, she paused, waiting for some Spike-type variation of Giles’s useless “Do be careful,” Willow’s frantic “Hurry, ok?”, Anya’s over-bright “I hope you don’t die!”, or Xander’s encouraging “Let’s get with the slayin!” The last minute pep squad cheers could get a little old. Spike didn’t say anything, and Buffy realized he was waiting for her to turn back to him. She looked into his face, and his eyes were filled with a startling emotion and purpose. “I’ll take care of her.” Buffy felt tears slip into her eyes and turned away quickly before they could gain purchase. “Thanks, Spike.” Buffy pushed through the doorway, already emphatically placing a bold red checkmark on the impossible list in her head. Dawn’s ok. He’ll take care of her. Buffy’s steps grew a little lighter as she marched through the growing darkness.