Nibblet Ch. 03

Angel put his arm around Dawn as they watched Spike who sat at the bar, his back to them. He was getting lost in a bottle of tequila. After she defeated the demon, he had announced he wanted a drink and walked inside, unable or unwilling to listen to Dawn's explanations.

"You told him, didn't you?" Angel said.

"Yeah, didn't have a chance to explain, he just freaked out. I couldn't help it though, a demon attacked us when-"

"A demon? What kind of demon? Are you alright?" He took her by the shoulders, searching her face and arms for bruises and abrasions.

"I'm fine, Angel. I've got Slayer strength, remember?" She looked down at her shoe, some demon gunk was still visible even though she'd scrubbed it thoroughly. "Killed him with my high heel." She grinned at her mentor.

"With your shoe?" He smiled broadly. "Clever move. Very 'double- O- seven-ish' of you." He looked down at her high heels and the goo. He made a face, noting the revolting odor wafting up from it. An idea struck him. "Maybe we could fit some of your shoes with stakes, that way you could-"

"Angel." Dawn's voice held a warning.

"What?" He asked innocently. The vampire loved baiting her, she was so much fun to argue with.

"I'm not going to put stakes on my Prada shoes."

"Not even to protect mankind?"

Dawn saw the teasing glint in his eyes. She stepped forward, invading the vampire's personal space. "You wanna make something of it? " She pushed a finger into his chest. "Huh? You think you can take me?"

He'd taught her all she knew about fighting. Buffy sent Dawn to L.A. so she could learn with Angel. While Buffy had respected Dawn's right to learn battle techniques, she didn't want to be the one teaching her. Buffy was afraid that she wouldn't be objective, would go too easy on Dawn and, therefore, get her killed in a fight. She knew that Angel was more than capable of training her.

Angel got closer, looming over his pupil. Using his vampiric speed, he caught her arm and pulled her back against his chest so fast she didn't even have time to react. He bent his mouth to her throat, but instead of biting he said. "You still have a lot to learn, young lady."

Dawn glared up at him. "If I hadn't been in high heels, or wasn't worrying about Spike-"

"You always have to be ready, Dawn." Angel said this as fact, a tinge of sadness too.

"I know." Dawn sighed and he released her. She looked back at him with a serene face. In a split second, she reached out, grabbed the arm that had been holding her against him and flipped him onto the floor. Before he had a chance to voice a sound of protest, she was sitting on his stomach with a stake pulled from his jacket pressed above his heart. "So do you."

Spike tossed down the last of his tequila and turned around. He walked over to them both, unable to see well in the darkened room filled with dancing humans. He parted the crowd. "Alright, Platelet. Explanation ti-What in the bloody hell are you doing, you bloody poofter!"

Dawn bit her lip to keep the laughter inside. From his angle, Spike couldn't see the stake gripped in her hand. She let it slide to the floor. Angel caught the movement and smiled. Looked like serious time was over. Playtime had just begun and mind games were his favorite pastime. He casually tucked the stake into his sleeve and slid his hand up to rest on Dawn's hip. She grinned at him.

"Um, Dawn. No matter what your sister might have told you, straddling Angel is not part and parcel of the whole Slayer gig."

"Oh this isn't the Slayer part of her, William. This is more of an after-hours activity. Especially after a good fight." Angel grinned and tickled her a little causing her to squirm. The blind rage that covered his favorite childe's face was priceless.

"Sorry, Angelus. She doesn't seem like your type. What with her being a brunette that still has her sanity and all. And I don't think she's ever even seen a convent."

Dawn's eyes grew wide. There were not words to describe the look on Angel's face. He caught her look, and a mischievous grin spread over his features. Suddenly he remembered that she was the reason he was getting his favorite coat all dirty on the floor. He gripped her waist with his other hand and smirked over her shoulder at Spike. "No, she's definitely not a nun." Then he tugged her sharply to him, her hands splaying over his shoulders for balanced and kissed her. It was a close-mouthed kiss, just for show. But it was very showy.

Spike growled and stalked forward. He took hold of her shoulders and pulled her off his sire. He tugged her behind him and turned in full game face to Angel. "If you ever touch her again . . ."

"Hey, guys. Is there a problem?" Riley stood feet spread apart, arms behind his back in his best Captain America pose. Both Angel and Spike growled at him. "I don't think it's appropriate for you to be lying on the floor."

"Oh, piss off." Spike looked disgusted. Angel hopped up from the floor, his ridges still in place as he dusted himself off.

"What do you think ,Spike, want a midnight snack?" Riley shuddered but refused to back down.

Dawn shoved them both aside, tired of lurking behind the undead at parties. Riley touched her cheek ignoring the menacing growls. "Are you alright?" She nodded. Are they bothering you?" She shook her head. "Would you like to come sit with your sister and me?"

"I'm fine. I can take care of myself." She said honestly.

"Look, I know you're a Slayer now and you think you can handle vampires, but maybe you should accept help every now and then, or you might get in over your head."

Dawn's eyes flashed, she was Slayer. She knew how to handle herself and she resented Riley's attempts to protect her. "Well, from what I heard you know exactly how to handle vamps. . .or is that the other way around?" Buffy had confessed Riley's need to be bitten to her a year ago. She'd been disgusted but her sister had explained that he had therapy to rid him of the predilection.

"That was rude." Riley said, a dour look on his face.

"But funny." Spike added. Riley continued to stand there. Angel looked confused, unsure of what they were referring to.

"I'm sorry." Dawn said to Riley. "But I'm fine. I don't need your help."

Riley took a deep breath and walked away. "And they called Buffy 'Bitchy.'"

"You know what hurt me the most, Spike?" Dawn said loudly, projecting toward Riley's retreating form. "When people mutter about me as they walk away."

Riley turned to look back at her, a hurt look on his face. Dawn looked chagrined for a moment, then walked over to him and gave him a hug. "I'm just playing." She kissed his cheek and he smiled. "If I really didn't like you, I would have let you be vamped and then staked you before I let you marry my sister." She grinned and patted his cheek before she returned to her companions.

Spike looked over at his sire. "What do y'say you go get Lil' Bit a piece of cake, Peaches. I'm sure she's starving." Angel was about to object when he caught the pleased look in Dawn's eye. He shrugged and headed for the cake platter. Spike grabbed Dawn's hand and headed for the exit.

*************

Spike lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall. "No other vamps around here to straddle, platelet. No excuses not to explain what the hell is going on."

"That's not exactly true, Uncle Spike."

"What, you have more excuses?"

"No, there's still a vamp around here to straddle." Spike dropped his smoke.

"What-why, who . . .what?"

"Relax, I was just teasing you. Gross. Like I would straddle you, Uncle-"

He clapped a hand over her mouth. "Call me that one more time, and I'm going to show you exactly how un-Uncle like I really am." She made a small 'Eeep!' sound an he let go. "Now, explain."

Dawn sat down gingerly on a stack of crates. "Get comfortable. We might be here a while, Un--" Spike held up a finger. "Spike, I mean." She took a moment to order her thoughts. "Well, you remember how the monks made me from Buffy, right?"

"I thought they just made you human, squished The Key into a body."

"They did, but they needed a body to 'squish' it into. You just can't find one anywhere."

"So, you're really Buffy's daughter?" Spike bit his lip. Multi-generational attractions to Summers women? Well, it wasn't unheard of in vampire society. "So, who's the dad?" If she said, Riley, so help him. . .

"Faith."

"What? Isn't that bint another Slayer?"

"Yep."

Now, he was really confused."And female?"

"From what Giles discovered, I was made from the' Slayer'. Since there are two natural Slayers at this point in time -- which has never happened before, I was made from both of them." Spike took a drag from his cigarette, she could almost see his mind trying to wrap around the concept. "Apparently, all Slayers share DNA. The Watcher's Council studied Buffy, Faith, and I. They asked us to donate hair and skin samples. From what they found out, it must have been a magickal conception spell that they did.I 'm female, I have two X chromosomes so no Y chromosome was needed"

"This is just too much, Platelet." Spike frowned.

"You're telling me. Try finding an appropriate greeting card on Father's Day."

"Why were you made a teenager?"

"Giles believes that the monks assumed I would be too vulnerable. They wanted me to share Buffy's powers, be activated as another Slayer."

"Did he find out when you were. . .uh, born? How did he find all this out, by the way?"

"The Watcher's Council found a text in a old monastery in England, a monk unhappy with his order brought it to their attention. His groups was an offshoot of the same religious group who made me. They recorded as much information as possible on The Key. As for when, the book says that I was made two years before I showed up in Sunnydale. The book said I grew at 7 times the normal rate. But, they wiped my memories and gave me new ones of Buffy and Sunnydale. "

Spike inhaled deeply. "That's one hell of a story, Bit." She shrugged, having accepted her lot in life. " So, how did you find out you were able to slay?"

"I convinced Buffy to take me on patrol soon after you left. She was completely paranoid the whole time, reacting to every noise. We were attacked by a big groups of vamps, new gang in town I guess. Buffy screamed at me to run but there was no place to go, they surrounded us." She stared at him. "It was so strange, Spike. It was like my body just came alive. It knew what to do. Before I knew it, I had killed half of them and so had Buffy. By then, she was super freaked out though and dragged me to Giles' apartment for a huge analysis of the fight. Giles called the council and told them about the situation, we found out a year later where I really came from."

Right then, Angel poked his head out the door. He had a small dessert plate heaped with white wedding cake. "There you are."

"God damn it, poof. Can't you see we want to be alone?"

Angel rolled his eyes. "Huddled in an alley? You know how to treat a girl right, William."

"I didn't hear the lady complaining, Peaches." Spike said smugly.

Angel looked at Dawn, ready to leave if she wanted more alone time. In truth, he resented being ditched but it was coupled with a desire to run interference for her with Spike. The blond vampire could be hard to take. "Dawn?"

The brunette was distracted by the cake. "God, I am so hungry." She took it out of Angel's hand and took a forkful of it into her mouth. "Yum, loaded with sugar."

Angel laughed, she often craved sweets after she trained with him. He kept chocolate bars around for just that purpose. "Good, huh?"

"Can we have cake next time we train?"

"Absolutely." He enjoyed seeing his child seething.

"He trains you?"

"Yep." Dawn said, around a mouthful of cake. "Pretty good too."

Spike stepped closer to Dawn. "Yes, I'm sure the poof's all full of the ancient broody art of Tai Chi." He took the hand holding the fork, scooped up some cake and placed it in his mouth. After he swallowed, he regarded her out of one eye. "Does he make you chant?"

Angel rolled his eyes. "Dawn? After we get done with the patrol tonight-"

"What are you, her new Watcher? Should I buy you some tweed and glasses?"

Spike glared at him. "Nevermind. I'm patrolling with her tonight, so you can bugger off."

Angel glared right back. Then he remembered something and smiled. "In anycase, princess. I'll be over after patrol. We can get your stuff loaded in my car and make an early start for L.A."

"But we can't make it there before sunrise." She pointed out.

"I've got in handled. There's a beautiful hotel we're going to stop at. Indoor pool, room service, balcony . . . consider it a small vacation before the heavy training begins again." He pulled her into a brief, genuine hug, Spike forgotten. "I have a surprise for you."

"And we all know what it is." Spike grumbled. Dawn sent him a questioning look. "Well, what do you think he wants to take you to a hotel for? Hair gel lessons?"

Spike was just getting warmed up for a huge tirade. "And what's this about packing up your stuff? Aren't you a little too young to be shacking up? I mean, I know he's loaded, but an undead sugar daddy? He's trying to bribe you with cake, for christ's sake! And you know what's going to happen when you give in to his perverted geezer wishes? He'll turn into a raving psychotic! He'll be all, Let's find a demon to suck L.A. into Hell for the holidays and killing household pets all willy-nilly. Then, you'll find out he's into S and M-"

"Spike!"

"Well, it's true, Angelus. Can you explain how there just happened to be chains in an abandoned mansion?"

Dawn looked a little queasy. She pulled out of Angel's arms, quirking an eyebrow at him. He shrugged. "I fight demons."

"But first you chain them to your bed."

"Hey, the last person I chained up was Faith-"

"Oh, that's a declaration of innocence if I ever heard one." Spike tossed back.

Dawn's eyes sparkled with an ornery glint, she loved to razz Angel. Especially about sex, he just got so frazzled. "I thought you said that was just part of a training session . . .to think all that time, you just wanted to see me tied up. You sicko!"

"Hey, that was part of training. . .you needed to know how to get away if you were captured by someone." Angel sputtered.

Dawn smiled. "Well, I can buy that." She remembered something about his place. "But why are there two loops on your bed, big enough to thread chain-"

"Those came with the bed."

"But what about the-"

"I think we've found out enough about Angel's deviant sexual impulses. " Spike said as he took Dawn's arm and they walked off giggling, leaving Angel still attempting a denial, an empty cake plate in his hand.

"Come on, Spike. I have to say goodbye to my sister before I bail for patrol." Dawn tossed a look and a wave over her shoulder. "See you when I get back, Angel!"

Angel stared after them, slightly perplexed. A hand touched his shoulder and he jumped. He spun around and saw a flash of red hair. "Willow, if my heart still beat it would have stopped. You shouldn't sneak up on creatures of the night."

"Hi, Angel." Willow tucked an errant piece of hair behind her ear. "Was that Dawn I heard you talking to?"

"And Spike." He nodded.

"What's going on between the two of them?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh. Then let's talk about something you do know. What's going on with you and her?"

"Absolutely nothing. Outside of training." He smiled. "I trained with Buffy, but there was always tension. And she always kicked my ass. Dawn is more mellow. She listens to me." Angel sat down on the curb. "I should see her and think 'Buffy'. But I don't. I'm comfortable around her."

Willow smiled sympathetically and sat down next to him. "Why do you think that is?"

Angel swallowed as a dark look came over his face. "I had a little sister. She was the only member of my family I could stand." He sighed. "Being around Dawn is like a chance to make up for . . ." He took a deep breath and shrugged. "And you thought you had gotten rid of the broody me."

"How's the wedding been for you?" Sure, it was another painful subject, but it didn't involve the eating of close relatives. At least not yet.

"Not nearly as painful as I thought. I've been keeping busy for one. And for two, I accepted the fact that Buffy and I can't be together a long time ago. And recently, I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to be with her. Not anymore."

Willow smiled and snuggled close to his side. "Yeah, I came to that conclusion about Oz, too. Of course, that was only after I realized I was gay." Her eyes grew wide. "Angel, is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Yes." His deep brown eyes swept downward, increasing the drama of the event. "I have a thing for Xander. When he calls me 'deadboy', I just-" He winked to convey his meaning. Their mutual laughter echoed throughout the alleyway.

*******

"Goodnight, Buffy. I'm sorry I have to leave soon but-"

"We've been over that before, Dawnie. You don't have to apologize for Slayer duties." She hugged her younger sister. "Have fun with Angel." She smiled with nostalgia. "Make sure you kick his ass for me, okay?" Spike watched the exchange from a few feet away, fascinated by the interaction between the two of them.

"I'll wipe the floor with him." Dawn promised. She turned to Riley. "Hope you guys have a good time. Don't worry about anything, we'll keep things under control."

"You bet your ass we will." Dawn turned to see Faith strutting up to them. "Hey D." She embraced the younger girl tenderly. "How's my favorite girl?"

"Just fine, Faith. Sorry you couldn't make it to the ceremony."

"Damn demon uprising. You think they'd pick a better time. I made 'em pay for it though." She looked at Buffy. Tension was sill palpable between the two Slayers. "B."

"Faith."

"Congratulations." She offered. Then, she pulled a battered envelope from her leather jacket. "It's not much, but I hope you like it." She had gotten them a gift certificate to a chain store. Sensing the tension in the air, Faith looked around. "Well, I'll go mingle." She focused on Dawn again. "Catch you later, D. We'll do some bonding."

Dawn looked at Buffy again. "Wish you guys would get a long."

Buffy smiled wryly. "Being the child of 'divorced' parents is never easy."Dawn felt a tear slide down her face, in many ways she, Buffy, and Faith were a divorced family.

Today wasn't a day for sadness though. She took a deep breath."Have fun. I mean it. No worrying about this place. If the hellmouth mouths off to me, it'll be sorry."

"I love you, Dawnie. Be safe, okay? No heroics."

"No heroics. I promise."

Her sister brushed a hand over her face. "Happy birthday." Buffy whispered softly.

"You remembered!"

"Think I could forget your big 18th birthday?"

"Of course not." Though, she actually had given the stress of the wedding.

"You have a surprise waiting for you in the living room."

"Oooh! Hints?"

"You'll have to wait and see." She embraced Dawn once more. "I love you, kiddo. See you soon."

"Bye, Buffy. I love you too." She looked at Riley and embraced him briefly. "And you too, brother-in-law." She punched his arm playfully, Riley winced. She didn't know how strong she was sometimes. Damn Slayer strength.

Spike emerged from his viewing place. "Slayer, don't worry about Dawn. I'm going to take care of her."

Buffy looked at her sister speculatively, noting the flush on her cheeks. She embraced Spike in a hug that startled him. She sincerely hoped that Dawn's attraction to Spike would be short-lived. "Hurt her and your dust."

"Got the picture, Slayer."

"Thought you would." She thumped his back a little too hard as she released him. He turned to Riley. "Need any pointers for your honeymoon? A diagram maybe?"