~*~
Part 3
~*~
 
 
"Wish I could talk to Joyce about now," Spike mused.  "She'd know just what to do to help set big sis to rights. Know it must grieve her plenty seein' Buffy struggle."
 
"Mom would make Buffy glad to be back. Wish I could," Dawn said wistfully.
 
"You're all Buffy's got and she's all you've got.  It'll happen.  You'll take care of each other through the bad parts and then look back and see it was all okay in the end.  That's what people do: they take care of the ones they love."  Spike explained.
 
"Why can't you take care of Buffy too?  I know you love her."
 
"Slayer thinks it's not real.  Won't let me in." Spike sighed painfully.  "Love to help take some of the burden off.  I've been tryin' to figure how to help with the money stuff.  She might let me help there, asked if I knew anything about finances when those pipes started makin' an indoor pool outta your basement."
 
 
"Yeah, that whole job search thing Buffy did only made her feel worse.  It just didn't work out.  She was too strong for construction and I don't think even Slayer strength could help someone work for Anya and not feel like a failure!"  Dawn shook her head at the memory of the defeated look on Buffy's face with each disaster.  "I saw her looking in the paper for jobs in fast food."
 
"That's beneath her!" Spike was appalled at the thought of his precious girl having to do anything she didn't really enjoy.  Wasn't it enough she had to save the whole bloody world on a regular basis?  "Council of Wankers should be payin' her livin' expenses.  They have plenty of dosh and live like kings with private jets, prime real estate in London and other places, libraries worth a fortune. All those berks get a decent salary too.  Slayer's their whole reason for bein' and they don't even make sure she has decent kit.  Need to replace all the clothes that get destroyed fightin' their battles too."  Spike lit a cigarette and paced as he ranted.  "Not right."
 
"I don't think they're going to start paying her a salary though," Dawn said.  "She'll probably have to get a job or we're going to be homeless."
 
"Never be homeless, Bit, not so long as I'm in one piece," Spike vowed.
 
"It wouldn't be so bad if only she could get something she actually likes.  It might even cheer her up."
 
"She likes killin' things, at least she used to," Spike mused.  "Don't see her bein' a hit man for the mob.  Make right good money doin' it though," he teased.
 
"Yeah, it's too bad there's not a legal way to make money killing things.  Buffy's good at that!"  Dawn’s voice was filled with pride in her older sister.
 
Spike crushed his cigarette and grinned.  "Maybe not kill, but she could make a decent livin' teachin' her moves to silly college bints."  He grabbed Dawn and kissed her forehead in glee.
 
Dawn was confused.  "What do you mean?"
 
"Rupert has that training room in the back of the Magic Box so Buffy can work out, yeah?"  Dawn nodded.  "Well, why not use it to run a Dojo?  Teach mixed martial arts and street fightin', put up notices on the campus, especially the women's dorms.  Bet there'd be plenty of students in no time.  Ol’ Rupes could let her use the training room and not charge rent, so no overhead.  Would be all profit and she'd get in her training time at the same time."
 
"Maybe Mom is here, Spike.  Maybe she gave you that idea about a Dojo.  She'd be worried about Buffy too, after all."
 
 
***
 
Buffy blinked in surprise.  'Dojo!  I hadn't thought of that.  I'd bet Giles would let me use the training room for that.  Anya will have a fit about not charging rent, but the Magic Box does belong to Giles....'  The possibilities were playing out in her mind and she began to feel a slight lift in spirits.  Perhaps she could make enough to put food on the table.  'Maybe Giles could even get the Council to chip in a little for the mortgage?  It would be worth asking.'
 
With a possible plan beginning to form in her mind, Buffy slipped into the darkness and headed home. She planned to be there when Dawn got home.  They had a few things to talk about.  'I never even thought about how Dawn was feeling.  I do love her so much.  It’s time I started showing it.'
 
***
 
Spike looked around and sensed it was starting to get pretty late.  "Time to get you home and tucked in nice and safe, Platelet.  All the nasties will be comin' back out pretty soon and you're a right tasty lookin' morsel."
 
Dawn giggled and began to gather up the odds and ends that had been set on the altar.  "Mom, I hope you were here with us.  I miss you SO much.  I hope you look in on us every once in a while.  Buffy and I kinda screw up with you not there to keep us in shape.  Oh, and Spike says ‘hi’ too."
 
"I'll see her home safe, Joyce.  Get back to your grapes and no worries.  Help with Buffy too, even if I have to let her break my nose a few dozen times before she'll let me."
 
Bag repacked and goodbyes said, the two headed out of the cemetery and towards Revello Drive.  Buffy would just have to accept that Spike was keeping Dawn safe by walking her home.
 
The back porch light spilled down on the slight form of Buffy sitting on the steps clearly waiting for Dawn. 
 
"Slayer, I can explain," Spike began trying to direct Buffy's likely ire his way and off the teen.
 
"I'll bet you can," Buffy said and gave them both a stare that wasn't as cold as they had been expecting.  "Right now, I want my little sister to get her rebellious butt in the house and put Mom's hat back where she found it. Dawn, sunhats are for wearing in the sun."
 
Dawn scampered into the house and up the stairs, grateful for a reprieve from the worst of Buffy's likely lecture.
 
"Well?" She prompted, quirking an eyebrow at the nervous vampire.
 
"There's this thing, see, this sort of ceremony called Dia de los Muertos that the Bit wanted to do. No talkin' her out of it, important to her.  Felt she'd be safer with me along.  Not tryin' to go against your rules."  Spike drew in a deep breath.  "Maybe you could go a bit easy on the kid?  She was missin' your mom pretty bad.  Feelin's right on her sleeve and all."
 
"Sit down, Spike.  We should probably talk."  Buffy's voice was surprisingly mild.
 
He carefully sat on the step with Buffy making sure he didn't try to get too close in spite of his desire to pull her into a comforting hug.
 
"I've been thinking." She grinned a bit, "Yes, I can still do that."  She got a timid grin in return.  "You've proven I can trust your word.  I mean, you haven't said anything to anyone about what I told you.  About where I've been.  If you promise you won't encourage Dawn into her worst behavior, then maybe I can trust you to come around from time to time."
 
Spike gulped, his heart filled with more emotions then he knew what to do with.  She trusted him!  She noticed he was trying!  She was going to let him see Dawn!
 
"I swear, Slayer, Not gonna do anything to ever hurt the Niblet.  Till the end of the world."
 
Buffy remembered he'd already made that vow and had been willing to die trying to fulfill it.  Maybe she was making the right decision after all.  "I was going to make some cocoa.  Want to stay for a bit, have a cup?"
 
Spike blinked in surprise and fought to keep his manly cool demeanor.  "I could drink a cup, sure."
 
Dawn came barreling down the stairs and into the kitchen, nearly colliding with Spike.  "Spike!  You're still here!"
 
"Big sis invited me to have a cup of cocoa.  You got too much homework, or are you gonna join us?"
 
Dawn's eyes were wide as saucers as she looked from Spike to Buffy and back again.  "For real?  You don't have to leave right now?"
 
"I've decided that Spike may not be the worst influence on you.  If you keep going to school like you're supposed to and keep your grades up, stop sneaking out at night and keep the visits to here and not some moldy crypt, then I guess Spike can visit."
 
Every dog in the neighborhood howled from the pain the girl’s high-pitched scream had caused their ears.
 
Buffy leveled a sharp gaze at Spike as she poured the hot water into the mugs.  "And you...no corrupting my little sister," she warned.
 
"Promise, no corruptin' the little sis," Spike didn't promise not to try a bit of corruption of the BIG sis though.
 
"It's a pretty night," Buffy said as she looked out the kitchen window.  "Wanna take these outside?"
 
It seemed like a tiny bit of progress, Buffy actually noticing things around her and approving in some small way.
 
They took their mugs out and sat on the stairs in companionable silence and drank Joyce's special recipe.
 
It was a fragile peace, but a real one.  One that held promise.  One that could be a foundation to build upon.
 
As Buffy sipped, she turned her eyes skyward, thinking of her mom for the first time without tearing up, and watching in wonder as a shooting star lit the sky.
 
~Fin