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Waiting
Willow shows up around noon. I'm napping on the sofa, but I wake up when I hear her knocking and Dawn letting her in. They're talking in the hallway. After a while I hear my name.
"Is Spike here? I need to speak to him."
Maybe she's got news? I stand in the living room doorway. Just far enough back to avoid the sunlight in the hall.
"Dawn, go upstairs."
"Why."
"Because we're going to talk about you and we can't do that if you're here."
"Well, I want to listen to..."
"Dawn, don't make me make you."
She stomps reluctantly up the stairs. Pouting.
"Like you could hurt me anyway."
I beckon Willow into the living room.
"How're you holding up?"
"Badly," she admits. "Having Tara back helps. I'm sorry I haven't been over more."
"S'okay. You've all had your own stuff to deal with."
Stuff. How articulate.
"Besides, I needed somewhere to heal up."
She's nodding and looking at the cast on my leg.
"Oh, it's not as bad as you'd think. I've had worse."
Now, we're both remembering who it was that broke my spine in the first place. Again with the crap choice of words. Why not just call her effulgent and go for the hat trick? Idiot.
"Um. Spike? What's going to happen to Dawn?"
"I don't know," I tell her, honestly. "She's got relatives she could stay with, but she doesn't want to go. To be honest, I don't think she should go anywhere until she decides to, by herself. Nobody's going to notice much till school starts again and we still need a story. She can't exactly tell her aunt Arlene what really happened."
Willow nods.
"I know, but she could stay with us in the meantime."
"I don't mind staying till she makes a decision," I tell her. "Has Giles heard from the council?"
"Nothing. We've been taking over patrols, but..."
...but they're not Buffy.
"I can help with that once my leg's fixed."
She nods and stands up.
"Well, I hope you get better soon."
She opens the door and yells goodbye to Dawn. After she's gone, Dawn comes back down, sulking.
"I don't think it's fair talking about me behind my back."
"It was just chatting. Nothing's changed."
She seems satisfied by that and drifts off into the kitchen.
She looks so pale. Paler than me.
She looks like a ghost.
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