Chapters <<<< 10 11 12 >>>>

Descent

by
C. Woodhaven

Part Ten

Buffy frowned as the doorbell rang. It was just after dusk and she had a rare night off. Xander and Willow had even offered to patrol for her, so she wasn’t expecting anyone. And even if she had been expecting someone, no one she knew rang the bell; they just walked right in.

Buffy strode to the foyer, making sure she had a stake tucked away, just in case. She offered a cautious “Hello?” as she opened the door.

Any apprehension she’d felt, however, was instantly forgotten when she saw who was standing on the porch. “Oh my god!”

Dawnie stood there, pale and nervous on the front porch, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

Her sister pointed to the bell. “I didn’t know if you were home…” Dawn began.

“I’m home,” Buffy replied, tears in her eyes. She stepped out onto the porch and pulled her younger sister in for a hug. “I’ve been so worried.”

“I’m okay, Buffy.” Dawn whispered back, hugging back just as tightly. “I promise, I’m okay.”

“Come on, lets get you inside,” Buffy urged.

“You sure?” Dawn asked, hovering in the doorway. “I mean I totally understand if you don’t want me here.”

“I want… believe me I want.”

Dawn smiled and walked through the threshold and followed Buffy to the kitchen.

~*~*~*~*~

Buffy leaned against the island. She was nervous, so afraid of saying the wrong thing. “So…” she began cautiously, “You want some hot chocolate?”

Dawn paled even further. “Worlds of no. Coffee’s good, if you’ve got some.”

Buffy frowned. “Aren’t you too young…” she trailed off at Dawn’s suddenly closed expression. “Sure, absolutely, I think I’d like some too. I’ll make a pot.”

Dawn smiled weakly. “Thanks.”

Buffy bustled around the kitchen. “You changed your hair?”

“Yeah, well, blue was so last year.” Dawn attempted to joke. Sensing that it fell flat, she added softly, “It stood out too much. I had to change it.”

Buffy felt briefly ill, as the image of the girl Spike had killed surfaced briefly in her mind. She didn’t even know if Dawn knew about her. “Well, it looks nice.”

Thankfully, the coffee was done. It gave Buffy a brief respite from her obviously lacking conversation skills. Too soon, she was setting a mug in front of Dawn. “Cream and sugar?”

“Black is fine.”

“So…” Buffy toyed nervously with her own mug, unsure of what to say. “How’ve you been?”

Dawn let out a snort. “How lame is that?”

“Yeah, it really did suck, didn’t it?”

And suddenly the tension between them was gone, and they were both laughing. When it finally subsided, their sides were aching and they were both wiping tears from their red faces. It seemed like old times.

“Look,” Buffy said, patting Dawn’s hand across the table. “I’m just glad that you’re okay. I know you probably want don't want to talk to me, but if you do, I’ll listen. Really listen."

Dawn shook her head. “No, it’s okay. You can ask. I may not tell you everything, but you can ask.”

“So, where were you? We looked everywhere.”

Dawn looked panicked, and for a moment, Buffy thought she was going to refuse to answer this simple question. Then she cleared her throat and replied, “Australia. We were in Australia. Sydney mostly, and we spent a week in the outback. I got to see that big rock in the middle of the nowhere.”

“Ayers Rock?” Buffy asked, incredulously.

“Yeah, that’s the one. It’s pretty there, you should go sometime.”

Dawn’s eyes slid away from her’s at this last statement, and in a sudden flash of insight, Buffy realized Dawn was lying. She got the impression, however, that it was because something painful had happened wherever they really had been. “So, you guys were there the whole time?”

“Mostly. We went to a few places here, LA, New York. You know, just around.”

“And is Spike still there now? In New York?” Buffy asked cautiously, feeling horrible for pressuring her like this. At Dawn’s panicked expression, Buffy continued, “I only ask, because I have to know if he’s going to come here. I have to be able to protect you.”

Dawn’s eyes looked haunted, even as they filled with sudden tears. She looked away. “He won’t come here,” she said tightly.

Dawn toyed with her coffee mug, and Buffy noticed for the first time the girl had bruises around both wrists. She re-examined her sister, realizing that there were more bruises around her throat. “Oh Dawnie, what did he do?”

Dawn looked startled by her sudden change in topics and then realized where Buffy was looking. She pulled her sleeves down and buttoned her collar up. “I’m fine,” she said flatly.

“Honey, if Spike hurt you that badly, I don’t think he’s going to let you go easily,” Buffy tried to explain as gently as she could.

Twin tears spilled over and down Dawn’s cheeks. “He won’t come…” she whispered. “He…can’t.” The anguish in her voice broke Buffy’s heart.

“Oh, Dawn. I’m so sorry.” She wondered if this was how she looked after she’d killed Angel, pain etched in every line of her face. There was no doubt in her mind that Dawn had not only seen Spike die, but that she’d been responsible for it.

Dawn swiped angrily at the tears on her face. “No, it’s okay. I’m good.”

Thick tears filled Buffy’s eyes at Dawn’s stoic resolve. So many in fact that the kitchen began to waver. She tried to wipe them away, but they stubbornly refused to clear. When she finally managed to clear her vision, Dawn was gone.

And so was the kitchen. She was sitting in her bedroom and Xander was standing there.

“You back?” he asked, sounding concerned.

Buffy frowned, confused. “Xander? Where’s Dawn?”

Xander grimaced. “She’s still with Spike.”

“No,” Buffy insisted. “She was just here: in the kitchen. I have to go find her.” She stood up. The room spun slightly, but she didn’t lose her balance. Her head felt two sizes to small or something.

“Buffy, stop.” Xander said, holding her firmly. “There was a Gargamel demon, or whatever Willow called it. Do you remember? Big pokey sting, and bam! They give you hallucinations?”

And suddenly she did remember. Big bald and nasty demon the other night. She rubbed her shoulder, remembering now that it had stabbed her with something.

She looked at Xander, her eyes wide. “It wasn’t real,” she whispered, disbelievingly.

“No, it wasn’t.”

Buffy crumpled back down onto the bed, her legs refused to support her any longer.

Xander sat down next to her and said in an overly cheerful voice. “But the good news is if you drink this, you’ll get well. Then we can start looking for her again.” He handed her the mug. “Drink up.”

Buffy took the mug, unsurprised that it was the same exact one imaginaryDawn had been drinking out of. She sniffed the contents, almost expecting the scent of coffee. She frowned. “Judging by the smell, this isn’t going to taste very good.”

“Yeah, you don’t really even want to know what’s in that. Tell you what? I’ll go get you some water.” Xander got up, heading toward the door.

Buffy eyed the foul contents of the coffee cup, and then looked toward the trashcan next to the bed. What if this was the hallucination. If she drank the contents of the mug, she might never get to see her sister again.

Buffy was holding the mug over the trashcan, about to tip the contents in when Xander returned with the cup of water. He froze in the doorway.

“Buff, it’s not gonna bring her back,” he said, firmly. “Even if you go back to wherever you were, it’s not really her. So you gotta decide, you wanna live in fantasy land, and leave your sister with a killer, or are you gonna suck it up and deal with the reality that she might not come home.”

“It was so real, Xander, I touched her…” Buffy lamented, but she didn’t tip the mug any further.

“I know.” Xander replied. “And it will be again. You’ll see. We’ll get her back. But first you have to drink your stinky potion.”

Buffy hesitated for so long, Xander thought she was going to refuse. Then she closed her eyes and drank the contents of the mug down in several large gulps.

“Water, I need water.” It tasted ten times worse than it smelled. Xander handed her the water glass he’d brought up, and she drained it in record time.

When she was done, Buffy wiped her mouth, still frowning at the foul aftertaste. She looked at Xander uneasily, still not quite feeling like herself. “Dawn was bruised in my fantasy...vision...whatever. What if he’s been hurting her?”

“Now that your back to yourself, and Willow and Tara can both make with the mojo, I’m sure we’ll find her really soon,” Xander replied, sounding more hopeful than he had in months.

~*~*~*~*~

Dawn glared at Spike from across the room, refusing to back down even as fear began to slither around her heart.

“I’m not playing,” he growled.

“Neither am I!” she shouted.

They were at an impasse, neither one willing to budge, glowering at one another. She blinked and suddenly Spike was directly in front of her. Her heart skipped a beat as he wrapped one arm around her waist, while he wove the fingers of the other thorough her hair. She pushed ineffectually at his chest even as he tugged her head harshly to the side.

“Spike, stop, you’re scaring me.”

His cold lips rested against her throat. “Good,” he murmured.

Her heart was hammering in her chest as she felt his fangs scrape her throat. For a moment, she wondered how she had ever felt safe with him…and then she frowned. Safe….

“Rumplestiltskin,” she whispered, not at all certain that he even remembered, or cared.

He didn’t release her, but she heard the unmistakable sound of him shifting to his human guise. His cold tongue traced a line up her throat, stopping when he reached her ear. His lips barely brushed against her skin as he whispered, “I never thought I’d hear you say that.”

Relief flooded her, followed swiftly by anger. She drew her leg back and kicked him in the shin as hard as she could, which hurt her toes worse than his leg. Then she tried to pull away from him, struggling in his arms. “Let me go.”

He laughed, releasing his grip on her hair, but still holding her closely around the waist. “No way, kitten. ‘Sides, if I do that, you lose your towel. ”

“Like you haven’t seen it before,” she retorted, glaring at him. She was angry at the part of herself that cowered at her disrespect.

He laughed again and then captured her mouth, kissing her hard. When he pulled back, his eyes twinkled merrily. “Glad to see you back, kitten. Was getting a bit tired of winding you up like a doll.”

A horrible sick feeling knotted her belly. It had all been a lie.

Before this notion fully took hold, however, Spike shook his head. “Know what you’re thinking and don’t.”

Savage fury tore through her at this. “Don’t tell me what to think!” she shouted, and then thrashed wildly in his arms once again.

He let her go this time, and she drew away from him. White-hot anger flared as the towel fell, just as he predicted. She snatched it out of the air and flew across the room, holding it up in front of her like a shield. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed by him seeing her naked anymore, she just refused to give him a free show.

“You planned this!” she accused, the painful truth of this just beginning to sting. “All of it. I can’t believe you lied to me all this time.” She squashed the hurt that bubbled up. She could be hurt later.

He shook his head. “Never lied to you. Least not in the way you’re thinking.”

Dawn narrowed her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Spike crossed his arms over his bare chest. “Gave you what you needed, didn’t I? You were scared and confused, and everytime I tried to fix you, you got more dependant. Had to do something.” He shrugged and said unrepentantly. “Can’t say part of me didn’t like you like that, but I’d rather have you like this: full of fire. But you had to want it, Dawn.”

“You want me full of fire, fine!” she shouted indignantly, and held up the hand not clutching the towel to her chest, whispering, “Ignis.” A small ball of flame erupted out of thin air, hovering in her loosely curled palm. She was poised to deliver a deadly pitch.

Spike’s gaze flicked to the flames for a second, before moving back to her eyes. “Impressive.”

Dawn frowned. That was not what she was expecting him to say at all. Her frown deepened when he took a step toward her, and then another.

“I’ll throw it,” she threatened. “Don’t come closer.”

“You sure?” he asked calmly, still approaching her slowly. “You really wanna do that?”

“No,” she admitted, hating that her voice shook, “but I will.” Her hand was shaking now too. She started to feel the heat of the flames in her hand, a sure sign she was loosing control of the spell.

Spike took several steps nearer, stopping once he was directly in front of her. His hands hung loosely at his sides. “Dawn,” he said softly, “You made your point. Put it out.”

She wanted so badly to throw the sphere at him, to hurt him as badly as she’d been hurt. But in her heart, she knew she wouldn’t. The flames were growing hotter in her hand, as if they sensed her indecision. Reluctantly, she hissed, “Saldare,” and the ball of fire winked out.

She shook her hand, trying to cool the mild stinging sensation that lingered. Once it had subsided, she busied herself with wrapping the towel around herself tightly.

Spike waited until she was almost finished before speaking. “Love you like this,” he said, sounding pleased.

Dawn looked up in surprise. She realized that she hadn’t seen this expression on his face in such a long time: playful and mischievous. It didn’t dampen her anger in the slightest, but she got wet anyway. Which pissed her off. Stupid body. Stupid vampire.

Angry and hurt as she was, she knew she did still love him, but she was so confused. “I don’t even know who you are anymore, Spike,” she said plaintively.

“Sure you do. You just lost your way for a bit. You think I picked you to be with me because you were weak? You stood up to your sister for me, walked away from the white hats, too. I want you by my side, Dawn. Not cowering at my feet,” he grinned wickedly, “Well, not all the time, anyway. Bit of it now and then would be nice.”

This statement was so much like something that the Spike from Sunnydale would have said, her defenses crumbled. “I’m all mixed up.”

“It’s about power, kitten. You gave it to me, so take it back. Be strong.”

Dawn looked at him, wonderingly, realizing what he was asking her to do. Not really asking her, telling her what she could do. If she wanted. If she was strong enough.

She bit her lower lip, unsure if she could take this step…and something inside her shifted. It wasn’t that she was no longer uncertain - she was - but it was dampened, somehow. It made it easier to ignore.

Dawn tugged at her towel, letting it drop to the floor. “Get on the bed,” she said, pleased that her voice didn’t shake. She was trembly with nervous excitement on the inside.

“You gonna make me,” he teased. His blue eyes were full of mirth.

She realized he was pushing back, trying to see if he could break her resolve. “No,” she replied with a small shake of her head. She didn’t even raise her voice.

His lips curled up in an approving smile before he took several steps backward, away from her and toward the bed.

“Wait,” she called out, halting him just as reached it. “Take your pants off first.”

Again his lips twitched, but he didn’t say anything. Simply peeled off his leather pants and tossed them across the room. His cock was full and heavy, jutting proudly from his body. “How do you want me, love?” he asked with a smirk.

~*~*~*~*~

Hands lashed to the headboard, using ties that she’d worn on countless nights. She smiled slyly and her lips moved silently as she bound him, adding an extra special touch to the game.

Once he was securely tied, she leaned across the bed, grabbing the thick black collar. It was the one he’d wanted her to wear.

She began to unbuckle it.

“I’m not wearing that,” he protested gruffly.

Dawn’s smile widened. “Try and stop me,” she taunted, as she straddled his chest, holding the now open collar over his neck.

Spike tugged at his bonds, trying to free himself, but was unable to. He craned his neck up to look at them, asking in a bewildered voice, “What’d you do?”

She grinned, “Spell.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “That’s my girl.”

He didn’t struggle now, as she slipped the collar around his neck. Once it was buckled tightly, her fingers brushed against the black leather, such a contrast against the pale skin of his throat. She was shocked to find that she found it so hot.

She bent down, her lips brushing against his. She realized that it was the first time she’d initiated a kiss. He responded to her, but she set the pace. It was thrilling and terrifying.

Part of her wanted to get him all squirmy and bothered, like he always made her. But mostly, she wanted just to be with him. Without breaking their kiss, she moved so she could position his thick shaft at her entrance. After a brief pause, she slid down, taking him inside her.

Dawn groaned against his mouth as he filled her. This was so different from the times he’d ordered her to take him like this. She began to rock against him, seeking her own pleasure, deliberately not doing anything to help move him along. She couldn’t take the leisurely pace for long, however. She pulled away from his mouth, and sat up taking his cock in deeper.

Dawn writhed on him, watching through hooded eyes as Spike clenched his jaw. He kept his gaze on her as he braced his feet on the mattress, thrusting his hips up in counterpoint to her churning hips.

She was so close, and she felt the familiar words come to her lips unbidden. She nearly bit her tongue as she forced her mouth closed; halting the overwhelming need she had to ask for permission to come. The heady, rebellious power she felt at not speaking tipped her over the edge. The only sounds she made were a series of whimpers through pursed lips as she rode him hard to prolong her orgasm.

Absently, she realized she missed the feeling of his hands on her hips, and she spoke for the first time, breaking the near silence, “God, Spike. I want to feel you come inside me. Please, baby.”

“Yess,” Spike hissed, and spread his feet further apart on the bed, giving himself even more leverage as he managed to fuck her so hard, even from underneath.

He threw his head back and roared as he came, fingers gripping the headboard so tightly that he dented the metal. The bonds didn’t break, however.

When he’d finished, Dawn slumped forward, resting her head on his chest, panting.

“Knew you had it in you, love,” Spike said. “That was bloody brilliant.”

“Yeah…it was,” she said, feeling a little surprised and still breathless. She snuggled against him and they lay there in comfortable silence for a while.

Finally, Spike tugged at his bindings and asked casually, “So, kitten, you gonna untie me?”

She giggled and grinned evilly against his chest. “Nope. Not yet.”

Part Eleven

“So, you ready now to talk – really talk ‘bout what you want?” Spike asked. Dawn had finally released the spell binding him and he was lying on the bed on his back, with her curled into his chest. Was nice, peaceful even. Perfect time to stir things up a bit.

“I - huh?” She pushed up on her arm, and looked at him, confused.

His blue eyes held hers steadily. “It’s simple. You’re ready to tell me what you really want, or you’re not.”

“I…don’t know,” Dawn replied honestly.

“You can’t tell me you didn’t like what we did.”

“No, I did,” she admitted, swatting him when he smirked.  “You know that.”

He laughed. “You think when we first came here you could've told me what you wanted? What you needed or liked?”

She shook her head. He was right, as usual. “I think I like it better, though, when you’re in charge: as long as we’re playing. Just not, you know, all day every day.” She looked away as soon as she’d delivered the last line.

“Don’t need to be ashamed if you like to play, kitten.”

She dragged her eyes back to his face. “I know. It just feels weird saying it out loud.” Dawn stroked the collar, still buckled around his neck. “Is this what pets wear?” she asked tentatively.

His thumb rubbed the hollow of her throat. “Why, you want one?”

“No,” Dawn said quickly but she blushed and looked away again.

Spike smiled, she was still hiding a bit from him. Was at least manageable, now.

“I’m not gonna lie to you. Things are complicated between humans and vamps. There’s not any kind of hierarchy that you fall into.  Humans like to talk about consorts or pets, but really those are just made up names. There’s nothing formal or magical about them.”

“Oh.” Dawn felt almost…disappointed.

Spike swiftly rolled them, so Dawn was on her back. He pinned her arms over her head and held her down. Her heart started to race as his face shifted.

“Could bite you,” Spike offered as he made a show of scenting her neck. He wanted to see how far he could push her.

“Would it hurt?” Dawn whispered, even as she tilted her head to give him access.

Spike closed his eyes and tried to tamp down his bloodlust. He wanted nothing more than to sink his fangs into her.  “Yes.”

Fear flooded her, but she arched her neck even further to him. Took every ounce of strength he had to pull away from her fragrant throat. If he had even a small taste, he knew he’d be unable to stop.

“Love that you’d give me that,” he admitted gruffly, before shifting back to his human guise. “But I got a better idea. Something a little more permanent.”

~*~*~*~*~

Dawn tried not to fidget as she followed Spike. He hadn’t told her where they were going. And not only was he being cryptic, but he’d been very particular about what she should wear and…other things.

She blushed.  He’d shaved her there. Not everything, but almost. She couldn’t believe she’d let him do it, after everything they’d been through tonight. Except she could believe it. There was part of her that liked doing what Spike wanted, as long as he wasn’t pushing it on her or not giving her a choice.

He’d said there was a good reason for the shaving and for the clothes, and Dawn believed him. But the only reason she hadn’t taken the whole thing off once she’d tried it on was the look Spike gave her when he’d seen her. It was pure want and it had made her flush with a kind of pride.

Any protest she’d had, had died on her lips and she simply slipped her feet into a moderately comfortable pair of black strappy heels and told him she was ready to go. It was so different than how he’d looked at her in the past. It was hard to put her finger on exactly what was different about it, but it was almost like he saw her.

The intensity of it made her heart pound and her panties wet.

And speaking of panties, it felt strange to be wearing them after all this time. True, the pair he’d given her was a see-through black g-string, but it was more than she’d worn in months. Dawn wondered when he’d gotten them. The side strips and t-back rested well above the black lycra micro-skirt that covered her hips, but it was either: show those, go without panties or flash her newly-shaven barely-covered girly parts. She’d chosen to show the strips.

On the way out the door, however, she’d dropped the impossibly tall shiny black fuck-me shoes he’d wanted her to wear earlier in the trash.  Spike grinned, but didn’t say anything.

Exiting the elevator, she wanted to cross her arms in front of her, painfully aware of the huge expanse of skin she was showing between her hips and her chest. Plus, she wasn’t wearing a bra and her shirt barely covered the lower swell of her breasts.  

Dawn knew in her head that she didn’t stand out here. For god sake, the show girls paraded around almost nude every night of the week.

So here she was, following his winding path through the casino, and out the front doors. Spike had a car on standby at all times. She settled on the lesser of two evils and kept her breasts covered, as she slid carefully into the back seat.

Spike whispered something to the driver before he climbed in next to her. He slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close in a relaxed, couple-y way. It was…nice.

She sighed and leaned into him, smiling as she felt his other hand briefly stroked the bare skin of her belly, above her hip. They drove away from the strip, and the touristy part of the city, into the more commercial area where the locals shopped and ate.

When they stopped, Spike really didn’t let her get a good look at the place, just whisked her inside.

It was a good thing too, because she didn’t think she’d have been able to walk through the threshold otherwise.

It was a tattoo and piercing parlor, which was scary enough, but it also seemed to be run by demons as well.  She didn’t hear any screaming, so that was a plus

“Jerva!” Spike grinned widely, holding his hand out to the demon behind the front desk.

The demon was one of the largest she’d ever seen. Not the largest, but it was massive compared to her and Spike. Well over six feet tall and as broad as barn door. The most striking thing about him was his skin color, like the yellow-gold of fall leaves. His black eyes seemed to twinkle merrily under the rows of tiny horns that lined his forehead.

“SSSpike...” The muscles in his bare chest and arms bulged as he took Spike's hand in his and shook vigorously.

“Kitten, this is Jerva,” Spike introduced, “Met him during the war. Saved his yellow hide more’n once.”

Dawn waved a brief hello.

“Ssstraight from the dead man’ss mouth, eh?” Jerva said, poking a huge thumb toward Spike. “Don’t you believe him.” Jerva winked at her.

Dawn grinned.

“Sssoo Ssspike, what can Jerva do for you?” Jerva asked, crossing his arms in front of his enormous chest.

“Was hoping you’d be able to help us out,” Spike replied. “Had an idea bout getting a bit of ink for the girl.”

“Ssshe yoursss?” Jerva walked out from behind the counter, presumably to get a closer look at her.

“Yeah,” Spike said, and Dawn was secretly thrilled by his cold possessive tone.

Jerva didn’t seem phased in the least by Spike’s tone. She tried not to flinch or embarrass Spike as a gentle clawed finger stroked the bare skin of her belly. “Ssskin sssoft. Pretty. Ssure you want it marked?”

“Yes,” Dawn answered firmly, before Spike could speak.  She saw his pleased expression out of the corner of her eye.

Jerva tilted his head. “SShe’ss one sssmart cookie. What ssshe doing with you?”

Dawn smirked. “Keeping him in line.”

Jerva threw back his head and laughed heartily.  “I likesss you…Come, Jerva make sure you get sssomething extra ssspecial.”

He led them to a private room down the hall, and sat down heavily on a rolling stool. “Ssstand closer,” Jerva said, motioning to her with one of his meaty hands.

Dawn hesitated for a moment, looking to Spike.

“’S okay. He needs to read you.” And before Dawn could ask exactly what that meant, Spike placed a hand on the small of her back, propelling her forward.

Dawn took several nervous steps forward, stopping in front of the huge demon. She expected him to touch her again, but he just looked her over from top to bottom. It wasn’t in a creepy construction worker way, but it was penetrating. It was like he was looking into her soul. She wondered what he saw.

After a few moments, his face broke out into a huge toothy grin. “Yousss got magic,” he said approvingly. “Ssshow Jerva. Ssssomething…pretty.”

Dawn wasn’t really sure what he was looking for, but the expression on his face was one of a child, requesting a particularly special treat. He looked almost giddy with excitement, and she didn’t have the heart to turn him down.

She conjured the first thing that popped into her head: a small blue pixie light. It zoomed around the room, careening off objects as it swirled merrily.

Jerva’s eyes followed it around the room gleefully, before Dawn summoned it back to her hand, and sent it back. He looked at Spike, his head nodding, “Got lotsssa powersss, this one.”

“Yeah,” Spike agreed. “I know.”

“Jerva knowsss just what he’sss gonna do. Be back…maybe few minutes.”

Dawn stepped back to Spike so Jerva could go do…whatever.

Once he’d left, she turned to Spike. “He’s…interesting.”

Spike snorted. “Yeah, could say that.”

“What did he do?” She’d never been read, and she was a bit curious.

“Jerva’s tat’s are special, ‘s why I brought you here. He picks the image, but more importantly, they’re laced with magic.”

“What kind of magic?”

“Tells other demons that you’re prized: special. Like a kind of warning system that you’re not just a quick meal or whatever.”  Dawn refused to think about what ‘whatever’ entailed.

“Oh.” she looked at him pensively.

“You nervous?” Spike asked gently.

“Yes,” she admitted.

“You want to go?” Spike offered, seeming genuinely concerned.

Instead of answering, she countered with a question. “What does it mean to you?”

“You doing this?” he asked. Dawn nodded in confirmation. “Means that you’re mine for the whole world to see. You’ll wear my mark, forever” he said, his voice rough with lust.  “You want that?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

Spike stepped closer to her, his husky voice barely above a whisper. “Think I know how to take the edge off a bit.”

His lips found hers as his hand crept up her skirt. His deft fingers stroked her clit making it swell and press against the sheer fabric of her panties. She was unused to the sensation.

She barely suppressed a groan when Spike pulled his hand and lips away just as the Jerva returned.

“Yous ready??” the large demon asked.

“Yeah.” They both answered, and Jerva laughed.

She understood why Spike had shaved her and wanted her to wear this particular outfit now.

Jerva had to pull the skirt and panties down out of the way to expose a large patch of skin so he could work. She’d have flashed him much more than she would have liked if Spike hadn’t.

She managed to keep herself from trembling, from apprehension as well as arousal from Spike’s teasing ministrations.

“Keep hands out of way, yeah???” Jerva asked, giving Spike a strange half-smile.

She understood the look once Spike replied. “Think I can do that.” He casually grabbed her wrists, and held them loosely behind her back with one of his hands.

Spike placed his other hand on her ribs, his thumb resting just below the underside of her breast. It made her painfully conscious that her chest was almost uncovered and her nipples were straining against the thin fabric.

Jerva flicked a switch with the claw of one finger. She held her breath and looked away when she heard the buzzing sound.

It burned like fire as Jerva worked.  But Spike kept the pain in check, stroking the sensitive skin with his thumb and whispering the naughtiest things in her ear. Distracting her and making her so horny that the pain was almost welcome.

When Jerva finished, he gave them that same half smile again. “Givesss that few minutesss to ssset.”

Dawn looked down, but before she could see what he’d done, he slathered a thick layer of cool lotion over her skin. It obscured the mark, but dulled the pain almost immediately.

“Come out to see Jerva once it’sss healed.” And the large demon cleaned up his supplies and left the room.

Before Dawn could speak, Spike pushed her back against the wall, sliding her tiny skirt up so it bunched low around her hips, well below her new, and yet unseen, tattoo.

He knelt before her, licking and sucking at her swollen clit through the thin material of her panties. She sucked in a breath as he pushed aside the soaked fabric and slid two fingers inside her.

“Fuck” she breathed, slamming her head back against the wall.

“Not yet, maybe later,” he said smugly, his mouth pressed against her. The vibrations made her shudder and spread her legs even further apart.

“Purr for me, kitten,” he murmured against her.

Dawn couldn’t hear the words; she could only feel their buzzing against her sensitized flesh. It was enough, though. She wove her fingers through Spike’s hair, holding him to her as she came, trying to be as silent as she could and knowing she failed miserably.  

Her head lolled back against the wall and her eyes slipped shut. She felt boneless.

She was still a bit dazed a few moments later when Spike finished rearranging her outfit the best he could.

His fingers ghosted over the spot near her hip where Jerva had been working. “It’s ready.”

He carefully led her on unsteady legs over to the mirror in the corner of the room.  Dawn was surprised at what she saw in the reflection.

It was a fanged green serpent wrapped tightly around a small golden skeleton key. Its ice blue eyes were narrowed menacingly as it watched from its perch almost in the cradle of her hip.

Her skin dipped and stretched in the mirror as Spike traced over the mark with an unseen finger.

“You’re mine now.” Even without his reflection in the mirror, she could feel his eyes lock with hers.

Dawn leaned back against him, keeping her gaze steady in the mirror. “Always.”

Part Twelve

“How does she look?” Buffy asked apprehensively.  Angel could hear the strain in her voice over the phone.

He stared at the image of Dawn in the security video, paused on the screen unsure how to answer: Tasty. Hot. Fuckable.

Willow had linked a stolen credit card to Spike, one of the only non-Sunnydale charges had been to a porn shop called Everything Else about twenty minutes from the Hyperion. Buffy had asked him if he could check it out for her.

Angel finally settled upon a cautiously neutral assessment. “She’s not bruised. Her hair’s darker than I remember.”

“Is it still blue?” Buffy asked.

“No, she looks…” like Drusilla. Angel stopped, and rephrased his response. “It looks black.”

“Oh. At least we have something new to go on,” Buffy supplied. “Do you think you can put the word out on your network, or whatever you detective types do?” her small, self-depreciative laugh brought back unwelcome memories of simpler times: cemetery patrols, research in the library and dancing at the Bronze.

Angel’s lips turned up slightly, the parody of a small smile, but it felt oily and insincere on his face. Even in the midst of the nightmare that was his existence, he owed Buffy at least the semblance of an effort. He knew what it was like to have someone so close to you stolen right out from underneath you. He had to push thoughts of losing Connor and Wes’ betrayal out of his head; he needed to focus on Dawn. “Sure.”

“Thanks.” Angel could hear the gratitude in her voice. Once he would have done anything to hear that, now too much time had passed, and he had his own family issues to deal with.

“No problem.”

Angel’s false grin slipped away as he thumbed off the power button on the phone and shoved it into his pocket. “Rewind it,” he said to the guy behind the counter.

“Sure.”

Angel concentrated once again on the couple on the screen, trying to discern any clues to their destination. He told himself that it had nothing to do with the fact that little Dawnie looked young, fresh and totally corruptible.  

The shop owner, David, shook his head when they got to the part where the other clerk grabbed Dawn’s arm.

“He was obsessed with her.”

“Who, Spike?”  Angel asked irritably. He didn’t need a punk kid to point that out to him.

“No, Chad.” David touched the image of the other clerk on the screen. “He was never the same after.”

“What did Spike do to him?” Visions of missing limbs, or at least an eye danced through his head. Spike didn’t take kindly to others playing with his toys.

“Nothing, man. Chad just couldn’t get it through his head that she wanted to be with him.” David shrugged. “He hated demons, vamps were the worst.”

“Really?” Angel crossed his arms. “What did he think about you?”

David shook his head. “Didn’t know, man. Not like I advertise.” He shrugged. “‘sides, no one’s gonna notice if you take off two or three nights a month.  The one time he did ask, I just told him I needed a break to bark at the moon.”

Angel nodded. Even people who knew some of what went on in the demon world could be remarkably closed sighted.

“He wanted to be the one to save her,” David continued, “He couldn’t accept the truth.”

“Which is?” Angel asked, wondering if the guy was even close to the mark.

David stared at him frankly. “The only way she’s leaving him is in a body bag.  And she won’t be in it for long.”

“So where is Chad?” Angel asked. “I’d like to talk to him.”

“So would I,” David replied. “He disappeared maybe three weeks ago, cleaned out his apartment and was gone. I still owe him a paycheck.”  

Angel frowned. “Any idea where he went?”

David shook his head. “Not a clue.”

Angel held his gaze for a few moments, until he was certain that he was being told the truth. “Well, listen, if you hear anything, give me a call.”

David nodded. “Sure, no problem, man.”

Angel passed him a business card, and then paused for a moment.  He reached back into his pocket and drew out a second one.  “You ever do rescue anyone, you can send them here.  They know what goes on.”

David looked over this second card, and when he looked up, the vampire was gone.

~*~*~*~*~

Jerva had looked over Dawn’s tattoo, asking Spike in a confident hiss, “Everythingssss good, yesss?”

“Better than, mate. thanks.” Spike smirked, and slid an arm around Dawn’s waist. “We’re definitely even.”

“Good to hear that old man,” he replied, and then with a wide toothy grin, he turned to Dawn. “If he becomesss not enough for you, you come find Jerva, yesss?”  He winked flirtatiously at her.

Dawn blushed, getting the distinct impression he knew exactly what they’d done in the room after he’d gone. “Um, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Spike pulled her closer to him. “Never gonna happen, goldie.”

Jerva shrugged good-naturedly. “Ahhh well, sssuch isss life.”

They chatted for a few more minutes before Spike ushered Dawn out of the shop and into their car. Once again, Spike drew her close, and this time he stroked his mark with his free hand, tracing the serpent’s twists and curls. It tingled a bit and she wondered if that was because of the magic or because it was new and her skin was still sensitive.

“You like it?” she asked hopefully, looking up at him. She knew he liked what it represented, but wasn’t certain if he liked the design.

“Yeah, I do...”  He slid one of her hands between his legs, so she could feel how hard he was. She felt bad that she hadn’t done anything for him. But before she could say anything about it, he shook his head, “Don’t pay that any mind, sweet. I’m just looking forward to showing you how much.”

She’d expected to be taken to the hotel, and was surprised when the car entered an underground parking garage. They took a winding path down lower and lower until they finally stopped outside a steel door on the bottom level.

“This is us,” Spike said, opening the door of the car and helping her out.

There weren’t any cars down here. The door was nestled in an alcove, lit only by a single dingy light.  

Spike pulled a keychain out of his pocket and unlocked the door. “Ready to go face the minions?”

“Really?” she asked excitedly. This must be the main entrance to his lair. He’d never brought her here before. It made her feel kind of giddy, like he was getting ready to introduce her as his ‘official girlfriend’ or something.

Spike just laughed, and pushed the door open with a flourish. “Hello, kiddies.”

Dawn hadn’t known what to expect, but a bunch of vampires hanging around watching TV, playing cards and shooting pool hadn’t been it.  The room was huge with high ceilings and exposed scaffolding: more like a warehouse than a basement. It was vaguely broken apart into different areas:  entertainment, office, conference room. Her eyes skirted over the section with chains and cages without looking too closely.  

Everyone stopped when they walked in, and stared. A couple of the vamps nodded their heads to Spike, including one she recognized. She actually couldn’t miss him, he was wearing a shiny red satin jumpsuit with so many sequins they almost hurt her eyes.

Spike followed her gaze. “That’s King,” he smirked.

“Hey there, little lady,” King tipped his head to her from his place at the card table.  

Dawn waved, and then leaned toward Spike, whispering, “But, he doesn’t look anything like Elvis.”  Satin and sequins aside, King was a thin, balding black man with a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee.

Spike laughed. “You gonna tell him that?”

Dawn shook her head.

“Listen up, folks. Got some news,” Spike called, sliding his arm around her shoulder, not really in a comforting gesture, but more to put her on display. She didn’t mind – it wasn’t in a bad way, more like he was proud of her. “Most of you’ve seen me with Dawn, but for those who haven’t, I’m giving your fair warning: she wears my mark now.  She belongs to me and is under my protection.”

Dawn felt like she was under a microscope. All the eyes in the room were upon her, checking her out.  She understood the revealing outfit even more now, her tattoo stood out in stark relief across the acres of skin she had showing. She clenched her fists in an effort not to cover herself.

“Well, well, Spike. Looks like you’re finally showing your little human off.” One of the guys playing pool was looking at her like she was an insect. Or a steak.  

He made Dawn feel uneasy. Even with his forehead ridges and fangs, he had the cocky look of a has-been football player who didn’t understand his glory days were long behind him. The vampire he’d been playing pool with leaned his stick against the table and crossed his thick arms watching.

“Not like I been keeping her a secret,” Spike drawled coolly, and then turned to her saying loudly, “This is Jarvis, love. He fancies himself the next big bad.” He said the name with total contempt.

Dawn raised her eyebrows in bemusement, playing along. “Him?”

Spike scoffed, “Yeah, well, some of ‘em get a decade or two under their belts and think it means something.”

Jarvis inclined his head toward the vamp next to him, his voice carrying easily across the nearly silent room, “Least I know better than to sleep with the food, Tony.”

Tony sniggered.

The tension in the air was so thick; Dawn could feel it crawl all over her skin.

“Please, boy, who do you think you’re foolin’?” King called out. “I don’t know a demon in town who’d put out for you.”

The tension broke as everyone laughed, even Tony, who picked his pool cue up. “It’s your shot.”

Jarvis paused briefly, and then nodded, picking up his own cue and turning back to the game.

“Don’t worry about him, love. He’s all talk.”  

“Have you known him long?” Did you make him? was the question Dawn really wanted to ask, but didn’t dare. She was afraid he’d tell her the answer.

And as always, Spike saw through her pretense. “He’s not one of mine, if that’s what you mean. He’s on loan from Wolfram and Hart. They spy a bit, but have good connections. Tit for tat.” He shrugged.

King walked up to them, having abandoned his card game.  “Speaking of Wolfram and Hart, you got a package from them.”

“Really?” Spike raised his eyebrows. “Interesting, I wasn’t expecting anything.”

“Yeah, you know how they get though, boss,” King shook his head incredulously. “Thinkin’ we’re at their beck and call.”

“Wankers.” Spike nodded in agreement, before turning to her and saying, “Listen, I gotta deal with this, luv. Back in a mo. Then we’ll get outta here.”

“Yeah, sure.”  Dawn watched as he walked toward a small office area in the far corner. She smiled as he glanced back at her over his shoulder.

Suddenly, something… someone came swooping out of nowhere on a rope, landing in front of her.

He had thick, dark hair and for one crazy second, Dawn thought it was Xander. But he was too short and his haunted eyes were a murky shade of blue.

He lunged for her, and Dawn screamed and turned to run. She didn’t get very far before he grabbed her arm shouting, “Come on!”

“What? No!” Dawn tried to pull her arm away. When she did, she got a good look at his face and realized who he was. It was the guy from the porn shop Spike had taken her to in LA. She had no idea how or why he was here, but she was sure that was who he was. “Let me go!” she demanded, tugging her arm harder.

The guy shook his head, and began to pull her across the floor. One of the other minions from the card game tried to step between them and got staked for his trouble.

He pulled her one step closer to the door, when Dawn heard a cold voice ring out, “Stop right there, boy.”

“Spike!” she shouted and tried to reach for him, but the porn-store-crazy-guy pulled her back against him.

“I’m not leaving her here with you. Not again.”

Spike tilted his head, sizing the guy up for a moment. “You’re Chad, right? The wanna be vampire slayer. Helping the hopeless little happy meals from the nasty evil vampires.”

Chad paled, but squared his shoulders. “Yeah, so?”

“So, Chad,” Spike began, his voice dripping with deadly sarcasm.  “You came here to rescue the damsel in distress, whether she needed it or not?”

“She doesn’t know what you’re like.”

Spike smirked, “Oh, she very much knows what I’m like.  She likes me like this, don’t you kitten.”

“Taunt the crazy man later, Spike,” Dawn said through gritted teeth.

Spike laughed. “I’ve got you covered, Kitten, don’t you worry. So, Chad, how’d you manage to find us?”

Chad made a garbled sound in her ear, like he choked on the words he was originally going to say. “I-I had a piece of her hair. I had to find the right mage to do the location spell, but once I did, the spell led me right here.”

The images of Chad crawling around the floor of the store, looking for strands of her hair flashed though her mind, and made her made her shiver in disgust.

Spike’s eyes found hers, asking a silent question. Dawn ran her thumb over the purple stone in her ring feeling the zing of magic as she always did. She never took it off. Ever. She shook her head slightly. There was no way he’d found her with a location spell, it didn’t matter how strong it was.

Spike nodded at her answer, and then shook his head in mock disappointment toward Chad. “Tsk, tsk, tsk: you’re lying. What would your mother think? Should be ashamed of yourself. That’s strike one.”

“It doesn’t matter how I found her, I’m taking her away from you,” Chad spat.

“And that would be strike number two.” Spikes false humor was obviously fading. His voice was frigid. “You sure you want to go for three, Chad?”

“Let me go, you moron.” Dawn shouted, kicking him in the shin in an attempt to extract herself from him.

Chad grabbed her by the hair and held a knife to her throat. She stilled at once. “He’s got you under some sort of spell, but I’m gonna get you out of here.” He forced Dawn to take several steps back with him.

Spike’s expression became colder than she’d ever seen it. “And that would be strike three,” he glanced somewhere out of Dawn’s line of sight. “Take him.”  

In a sudden blur of red, King was there, wrenching Dawn from Chad as groups of minions descended.

King deftly drew her away from the melee, while she struggled in his arms calling for Spike.  

“It’s okay, honey child. You just calm down and King’ll let you go.”

She continued to struggle for a moment longer until his words sunk in, and then she stilled.  There were too many vampires blocking her view and she couldn’t locate Spike. All she could see was an occasional flash of his hair.

King released his vice like grip on her and drew back, giving her space. She had the feeling though, if she moved suddenly he’d be back on her in the blink of an eye.  

It was like a switch had been flipped, and all the commotion stopped. The vampires drew to the sides and she saw Spike. He was vamped out, growling and holding Chad by the scruff of the neck, inches off the floor.

“Don’t,” Dawn shouted, without thinking. The word echoed around the room like a gunshot.

Spike’s cold amber gaze fell upon her. “Don’t what?” he asked, his tone unreadable.

The minions were all silent, staring between her and Spike.

She was suddenly conscious of how Spike must look, catering to the whims of a mortal.  In front of his minions.  This wasn’t the playground. If he looked weak to them, really weak, they’d try to kill him. And her. She had no illusions about that.

But she had to do something… she couldn’t just watch him brutalize Chad.  

After what seemed to be an eternity, Dawn sank to her knees, never taking her eyes off of Spike. “Don’t….feed from him,” she finally asked. “Please…Master.” The last word came out in as a whisper.

Spike swelled with pride. His girl really was perfect. “Done.” Spike’s face shifted back to his human form.

“No, wait!” Chad didn’t turn to Spike, however, but looked pleadingly at Jarvis and Tony. Their feral expressions didn’t change, but suddenly all the pieces fell into place for Spike, and he realized he had bigger fish to fry this evening.

He casually twisted Chad’s filthy little neck before he let him go, relishing the cracking of his spine and the way he crumpled in a heap on the ground like a discarded puppet.  

A single tear spilled over and ran down Dawn’s cheek, but she didn’t look away or make a sound.

Spike stepped over the corpse and walked over to her, holding a hand out. She barely hesitated before accepting it, allowing him to guide her to unsteady feet.  He ignored the titters of laughter and whispers of the minions around them.

Spike wiped the tear from her face. “Don’t cry, sweets.”

She nodded, trying to pull herself together. Trying to be so brave for him.  “Thank you,” she choked out.

“What would you say, kitten. If I told you this was a set up?”

The minions suddenly became quiet as Dawn looked at him in shock. “What?”

“It seems Chad here didn’t stumble on your trail by accident, or by magic. He had a little help.”

Dawn’s expression grew cold as understanding seeped through her grief stricken mind. “Who?”

Spike turned and pointed to Jarvis and Tony, who just stared back at her with identical cold vindictive smirks on their faces. “They set you up. Wanted you to embarrass me by showing how weak you are – and how weak you made me. But you’re not weak, are you?”

She shook her head. Hot rage forming in her stomach at poor, misguided Chad being used as a pawn against Spike. Against her.

He brushed her hair from her face, his eyes a cold, hard blue. “Show them how strong you are, sweets. Punish them.”

The spell was on her lips even before Spike finished speaking. Flames engulfed the two traitors, but she didn’t stop. Anyone who’d run or laughed when she’d asked for Chad to be spared the status of food was also consumed by her fury.

When she was done, only King and half a dozen minions still stood. Those who had the sense to stand back silently and let her reap her vengeance.

Spike looked at these remaining.   “Dawn is mine, she wears my mark. Any of you pull a stunt like that again, you’re dust.” He paused, letting the message sink in. “Here endith the lesson.

“Come on, Kitten, let’s go home.”

Dawn followed mutely behind him. She felt numb, desolate, barren.

~*~*~*~*~

She was cold and trembling as they rode the elevator up to their floor. Spike had wrapped his coat around her shoulders, but it didn’t seem to touch the ice in her veins.

The only sound was the muzak that piped in over the hidden speakers. It was like fingernails on a blackboard, grating across her over sensitized nerves. She couldn’t stand it.

“How could they even know I was going to be there?” the words fell from her lips without thought. “You never brought me there, ever.”

Spike shrugged. “Not sure, love. I made a few calls to Jerva from there.  Could have sussed it out from that.”

Made sense, she supposed. She had a million more questions in that vein, but then the doors slid open, and Spike ushered her inside.  

He led her immediately upstairs, but instead of bringing her into their room, he stopped in front of the play room.

She didn’t even have the energy to look surprised or curious. She was hollow in the middle.

“I’m proud of you. Let me take your pain away, kitten.” His voice was soft, an offer to make things better rather than an order.

“Please, make it stop” Dawn replied flatly. She didn’t care bout the how, she just wanted to somehow forget. To unsee the horrible thing she’d seen and done.

Her cold skin felt raw when she entered the room. She stripped off her clothes and put wrist and ankle cuffs on, not even waiting for his command.

This was different from anything they’d done before. She didn’t quiver in anticipation over what he was going to do to her. She wasn’t really even aroused at all. She just knew that she needed this sick ball of pain in her gut to go away.

And Spike, as always, knew what she needed. He attached her wrist to a bar in the ceiling. Dawn closed her eyes, and rested her head against one arm as the first bright hot stripe of pain flared across her back. She didn’t even know what he was using. But like a magnet, he drew all the pain from the inside out until all she could feel was what Spike was doing to her.

She snapped, and her head dropped forward. Tears flowed down her face, dripping off her nose and chin as she welcomed every blow.  

The pain turned, as it always did, into something more. Spike sensed the change and changed with it, fanning the flames of her budding passion.  

Suddenly his lips were on hers and he was freeing her arms. She collapsed into him for support, her legs were like jelly. Dawn didn’t release his mouth and he half-walked, half-carried her to the bed, and pulled her onto his lap.  She slid easily onto his cock, and was spurred on by the appreciative groans he made against her mouth.  His hands were on her hips, guiding her, and it wasn’t long before he stiffened beneath her, and she felt the cool rush of fluid inside her.

And as she came a few moments later, he pushed his thumb into his mark. The possessiveness made her shudder, and she finally released his mouth and curled herself into his chest.

He held her close and stroked her hair in silence for several moments. His voice was low when he spoke, he sounded almost…surprised. “I love you, Dawn.”

Her eyes were hot and grainy from spilling too many tears, so she closed them, trusting herself safe in his arms.  A tension she'd been carrying too long let go and she nodded against his chest. “I know.”

Interlude ~ Dawn's Fantasy

Manip by Danna7001

The dream always started the same way…

She clothed herself in leather, taking particular care smoothing her stockings and straightening her gloves.

Her fingers lovingly traced the braided tails of the flogger.

She strode to the stage, the click, click, of her heels echoing on the polished wood.

Spike was there, waiting for her, dressed only in a collar. Her collar.  He gave her a saucy grin perched within his spherical prison and winked.

Things were never black and white between them out there in the real world, but here... things just worked…Here they were simple…

Here, he was hers...

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