~Belonging ~ Chapter 5~

Spike walked to the Magic Box. He had glanced at the clock in Buffy's house and realized that it was ten minutes to nine already. He figured he'd better hurry.

As he approached the building, he actually felt himself getting nervous. The last time he was there, he was thrown out by none other than Giles himself. He wasn't looking forward to a repeat performance. He only hoped that Dawn had informed Giles that he was coming.

He noticed the closed sign in the window and knocked lightly on the door. He heard Dawn come running to greet him.

"Hey! You're right on time. You get points for punctuality." She smiled.

She ushered him into the store. He walked in and gazed around. The place had been remodeled and looked very nice.

"So, Luv, can we go now?" He said nervously.

"Not yet. There's someone here that insists on seeing you." She said with a smile.

Spike sighed, expecting a confrontation.

"Look, I don't want to cause any trouble between you and Giles." He started to tell her.

"Relax. I already told him you were back and with a little convincing, he was cool with it. See, Giles is different. He believes that people deserve a second chance. Plus, he's like a father to me. He'll do just about anything to make me happy. Trust me." She said trying to be reassuring.

"She's right, Spike. I would do anything to ensure her happiness. And if she wishes to keep company with the likes of you, then I shall allow it, but do not expect me to be pleased." Giles said as he emerged from the back room of the store.

"Giles…Nice to see you again." Spike said trying to be nice when he was really uncomfortable.

"Yes, well, I wish I could say the same." He responded with sarcasm.

"Giles…." Dawn interjected. "Remember, you promised to be nice."

"Yes, well…Good to see you, then." He said quietly and without enthusiasm.

"Can we go now, pet?" Spike whispered to Dawn.

"Sure. Let me go get my purse."

Spike stood there shuffling his feet back and forth as he glanced nervously around the room. He desperately tried to avoid eye contact with Giles.

Giles approached him and leaned in close to him.

"Listen to me, Spike, and listen good. Just because I am not throwing you out of here, does not mean I approve of whatever this is with Dawn. As you may have noticed, she is quite the headstrong girl, much like Buffy was, and considering that, I realize that she will do as she wishes, with or without my blessing. But if you hurt her in any way, or cause trouble for any of us, you will have to answer to me. Is that clear?" Giles spoke softly and firmly dripping with malice.

"Perfectly. Now, you listen to me. I care about Dawn, and I would never hurt her. I never have and I never will. Is that clear?" Spike told him.

"Fine then, we understand each other. Just know that I will be watching you." Giles said backing off and trying to compose himself.

"Let's go!" Dawn said breezing back into the room with her purse and keys. "Bye Giles, see you tomorrow!" She said as she kissed him on the cheek.

Giles beamed at Dawn and you could see the love that he felt for her, even though he was clearly dismayed at her choices. Spike nodded politely at Giles and he returned the gesture. They had come to an uneasy understanding, and that was probably as good as it would get between them. But it was good enough for now.

The next month went by quickly. Spike and Dawn were learning more about each other everyday. They talked long hours into the night and grew closer than they ever were before.

Spike had urged her to talk to her sister and try and work things out, but she wouldn't. She had informed Buffy that she would not be attending her wedding and that she would have to find another maid of honor. Buffy had been devastated, and pleaded with her to try and work things out.

Spike hated seeing these sisters fighting. He had now come to fully realize that he was no longer in love with Buffy. That part of his life was in the past. He did still care for her, that much was true, but Dawn had captured his heart completely. He could think of little else besides her.

He no longer wished for anything when he was with Dawn. For the first time in his entire life, he had everything that he wanted. The only thing that was missing was that he wished for Dawn and Buffy to make up. Neither of them was truly happy without the other in their life. He decided it was time to take action. If he could get the two of them back together, maybe he would win a few points with Buffy.

It wasn't as if he lived to please her anymore. It wasn't like before. But he did want Buffy to accept him as a part of Dawn's life. If he could prove to her and everyone else that he had truly changed, maybe there would be hope for him yet.

One night, Dawn went out to the Bronze with some of her friends. She urged Spike to come along, but he refused saying that he wanted to meet some of the friends he had made at the Dungeon. He hated lying to her, but it was really for the best.

He made his way to the magic shop. He figured that they would be just closing up and it would be a good time to pay a visit to Giles. Dawn had the night off and he suspected that Giles would be alone. He was right.

He walked into the store and Giles didn't look up from the receipts that he was tallying.

"I'm sorry, we are closing right now." He said.

"That's okay, I'm not here to buy anything." Spike said with a smile.

"What do you want? Dawn is not here, Spike." Giles said with some irritation. He had chosen to allow their relationship to continue without interference, but he still was not pleased.

"I know that. That's why I'm here. We need to talk." Spike said as he sat down at one of the reading tables.

"About what? You wish to catch up on old times, is that it?" Giles said with mockery.

"Right, so have you seen Passions lately? It's been getting really good." He said with a laugh.

"It is getting quite good, isn't it?" He said before he realized what he was admitting to. "I mean, I wouldn't know. I haven't watched that drivel since you and I stopped being flatmates."

"It's okay, Giles, nothing to be ashamed of." Spike laughed, then turned serious. "But really, I didn't come here to catch up on the soaps. This is about Dawn and Buffy."

"What about them? Has something happened?" He asked suddenly concerned.

"You could say that. Haven't you noticed that they aren't speaking to each other? Dawn isn't even going to be in the wedding."

Giles sighed and sat down across from Spike.

"Yes, I do realize that. I have tried speaking to them and neither will listen to me. Buffy is just beside herself over this, but Dawn is being stubborn as usual." He told him despairingly.

"I know, but see, I figure if we can get them alone, you know, force them to be in the same room with each other, they have to work things out." Spike explained.

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"Well, that's why I'm here. I have an idea, but I need your help. If there is one thing I know they both agree on, it's you. They both love you. If you were to pretend that you were in some sort of trouble, they would both come running." Spike explained his plan.

"So you want me to pretend to be in peril just trick them?" Giles said, not becoming convinced.

"Yes, but it isn't as bad as it sounds. You just need to make a few distress calls, we get them both here and into that back room that used to be the training room, and lock the doors. We don't let them out until they have had it out and made up." Spike said with a smile.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of tricking them." Giles said shaking his head.

"Come on. Do you have a better idea?"

"No, not really. But, locking them in? Buffy will surely not be pleased."

"No, but that isn't the point. She wants to make up with Dawn, doesn't she? She'll understand, and so will Dawn. Eventually anyway. So are you in?" Spike asked eagerly.

"I don't know…"

"Buffy is getting married in a month. Don't you want your girls back together before then?" He asked.

Giles thought for a moment, then nodded his head.

"Very well, Spike. I will do it. But if it turns out badly, remember it was all your idea." He said with a faint smile.

Giles had been torn apart when the sisters began having trouble. Everything had gone downhill since the unfortunate incident with Carlos. He had thoroughly believed Dawn had forgiven Buffy, but it was apparent now that she had not.

He should have realized that she was distant from her, all the while pretending to put on a happy face. Things had come to a head again when Spike showed up and he supposed he had to give him some sort of credit, for trying to make things right.

Giles had been like a father to both Buffy and Dawn after their mother died. He loved and cared for them as if they were his flesh and blood. He had never married and never had children of his own. He was in his late fifties now and supposed that he never would have a family of his own.

He was dating a beautiful woman that Willow had introduced him to. She was a Wiccan High Priestess. They had an enormous amount of fun together, and she reminded him a little of Jenny, whom he had loved and lost so long ago. He supposed marriage was not out of the question, but seeing as they both were getting on in years, children would never be part of the equation.

He had only hoped that Spike's plan would work, and the girls he loved as daughters would reunite.

Continued...