Domestic Shadows

By Heather Martin

Summary- AU Set in the future after season 7. When Spike saves a little girl’s life, Buffy and his life are turned upside-down. But who could resist a five-year-old’s sweet smile and innocent eyes? They just couldn’t help but bring the little girl into their hearts. But when she turns out to be more than a regular little girl, how far will they go to protect the child from evil?

Spoilers- Lies My Parents Told Me

Yeah, I changed the spoilers. I might use some stuff regarding the episode Lies My Parents Told Me, which was AWESOME btw.

Chapter 4

Sunday went by generally uneventful. Dawn rummaged through her room and came up with some of her old toys. Among them were some stuffed animals, Barbies, and board games. This made Rebecca very happy. Seeing the effect the gift had on the girl made Dawn feel good. So good in fact that she couldn’t resist playing along with her. Spike shared some more recorded episodes of Passions. Buffy couldn’t understand it, but Rebecca was captivated by the soap.

The next day came by quickly. Buffy and Dawn were ready to go to the high school, while Willow was ready for her classes at the university.

“Are you sure you’ll be all right alone with her?” Buffy asked Spike.

“I can take care of her, slayer,” he assured her. “I even volunteered to be the head care-giver, ‘member?”

Buffy nodded. “I know.”

Xander arrived to pick up the women. He was greatly shocked to find the five-year-old on the living room couch. There wasn’t enough time for explanations, but they promised to fill him in on the way.

When it was just Spike and Rebecca, the vamp plopped down beside her. “So, bitty, what ya wanna do?”

“Go to the park!” she exclaimed.

Spike frowned. “Wish I could, but I have that skin condition. Mr. Sun doesn’t think too kindly of me.”

Comprehension came over Rebecca. “Oops, I forgot,” she said.

“That’s okay, luv. We can have fun inside, kay?”

“Kay,” she agreed.

Rebecca rushed over to the box of Barbie dolls, selecting a couple. She brought over a Ken and thrust him at Spike. At first Spike was panicked. Dolls? The only ones he had ever came in contact with were Dru’s, and this was a totally different situation. But then an idea formed and he reached for the clothes. Spike found a pair of black jeans and matching t-shirt. He put the material on his Ken and then stood it up on the coffee table.

“Right then, this is Blade,” Spike informed. “He’s a mighty handsome bloke, don’t ya think?”

A giggle attack hit Rebecca.

“He’s a vamp, and he used to be bad; but one day he met this beautiful girl.” Spike reached for Rebecca’s Barbie. “Her name was . . .?”

“Tia,” Rebecca answered

“Right, Tia. Blade fell in love with her right from the bloody start.”

“Did he bring her flowers?”

“Of course he brought ‘er flowers. He tried everythin to get her attention. But see, she was a vampire slayer and was his sworn enemy.”

“Like Buffy!” Rebecca offered.

Spike put the dolls down. “Somebody tell ya about slayers, pet?”

“Nope. I saw you guys in my dream.”

He studied her curiously. “Do you get these dreams often?”

She nodded. “A lot of the time. They tell me things. Sometimes bad things that scare me.” She shivered.

With his left hand, Spike reached out and patted her arm. “It’ll be okay, bit.”

Rebecca surprised him by crawling into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I know, cuz I have you and Buffy.”

If Spike breathed it would have caught. Protectiveness rushed over him. He vowed to watch over Rebecca no matter what. Till the end of the world. Look what I’ve become, Spike thought. I’m souled, live in a house, and am the guardian of a little girl. If the Spike pre-Sunnydale could see him now he’d surely stake him on spot, thinking it would put him out of misery. But glancing down at Rebecca, Spike found that he didn’t care if he had turned into a miserable poofster. He was fulfilled. Not totally, though. There would always be a hole inside his chest without Buffy’s love, but it wasn’t as gaping with Rebecca around.

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

Later that night Buffy went patrolling. It was one of her usual sweeps, with a couple fledglings and brainless demons to kill. She came home feeling the satisfaction of another accomplishing day of being the slayer.

She found the house quiet and dark, except for the faint glow coming from the living room lamp. Spike was passed out on the sofa, the form of Rebecca curled up beside him. She stood before them, ‘awww’ ringing through her head. She spotted a book of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland lying face down on the coffee table. When did we get that? Buffy wondered. She shrugged and headed into the kitchen.

There were a few left-over slices of pizza. Buffy took two and placed them on a paper plate. Then she popped it in the microwave. She took the heated food into the dining room to eat.

The commotion began right after Buffy swallowed her last bite. She instantly stood up when she heard the crying. She rushed back into the living room to find out what was going on.

Rebecca was clinging to Spike, wetness streaming down her face. The vampire was stroking her hair and trying to calm her. He looked up at Buffy, begging for help.

Buffy ran over and sat next to them. “What happened?”

“She woke up crying,” Spike explained. “I can’t get ‘er to tell me what’s wrong.”

“Rebecca?” Buffy touched the little girl on the arm. Rebecca turned her head to acknowledge the slayer. She grabbed Buffy’s arm, now holding both Spike and Buffy. It seemed that she needed to be assured that she wasn’t alone.

“They’re coming for me,” Rebecca managed to get out between sobs.

“Who?” Buffy inquired.

“The bad monsters. Soon they’ll find me.”

“Don’t worry, itzy-bitzy, I’ll protect you,” Spike promised.

Buffy nodded in affirmation. She met Spike’s blue eyes. “We’ll ‘both’ protect you.”

A questioning look came from Spike. “Till the end of the world?”

A full minute ticked by. Buffy was hesitant to answer. She wanted to make the commitment, but she was scared. Against her will, tears accumulated in her eyes.

“Buffy?” Spike asked worriedly.

“I-I want to,” Buffy admitted. “But . . .”

Rebecca shifted. She glanced from Spike to Buffy. “I’m tired, but I don’t want to go back to sleep.”

Buffy dried the water from her vision. “It’s all right, we won’t let anything get you.”

“Will you watch over me until I fall asleep?” Rebecca questioned.

“Sure, “ Buffy replied. “You can sleep in my bed.”

They got up and Buffy began to take the five-year-old upstairs. Spike made his way towards the basement.

Rebecca noticed Spike walking away. “I want Spike to come too,” she stated.

Buffy stopped. She turned and Spike directed an inquiring look her way.

Buffy sighed. “Come on, Spike,” she instructed.

The black-clad vamp followed the girls up the stairs. He halted a second before entering Buffy’s bedroom. Finally he went in, shedding his leather duster. Buffy placed Rebecca in the center of the bed and tucked her under the covers. Buffy laid down on her side. There was an awkward moment, then Spike settled in on the opposite end of the mattress.

The three of them lay there for awhile without moving. Spike soon heard Rebecca’s breathing change as she drifted off. Spike slowly propped himself up on his elbow. He gazed over Rebecca to focus on Buffy.

“If you’re planning on given ‘er up . . .” He paused. “I don’t rightly think I can do it.”

Buffy just stared at him, unreadable.

“I’ll move out. Take her with me,” he offered.

“Where to? A crypt? That’s the ideal home for a kid,” Buffy said with sarcasm.

“No, I’ll find a posh apartment somewhere.”

“With what? Your poker earnings? I don’t think so.”

He sent her a glare. “I might have millions stashed away. How do you know?”

Buffy sat up. “I’m not ready for you not to be here,” she stated, mirroring a phrase she said a few months before.

“When?”

“Excuse me?”

“When will you be ready for me to not be here?”

Her eyes widened. “Do you want to go?”

His face softened. “No,” he confessed.

“Then don’t,” she simply said.

“That easy?”

She smiled. “It can be.”

Spike shook his head. “You confuse me, slayer.”

“You’re not too easy to figure out either.”

“I’m not stayin unless you keep ‘er. I made a promise to take care of ‘er and I’m not goin back on it.”

“Spike . . . I want her to stay. But I don’t think this is the best environment for her to grow up in. Think about it, a slayer and a vampire? She’ll never have a normal life.”

“Don’t think she’s going to have one regardless, luv.”

“The dreams, you mean?”

He nodded.

“I guess you’re right. If vampires really are after her she’s safer with us.”

“So, you agree with havin her here then?”

“Don’t worry, Spike, I’m not kicking her out tomorrow.”

“Buffy . . .?”

She laid back down and rolled away from him. “Go to sleep, Spike,” she commanded before closing her eyes.

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: ) This is turning out to be pretty fluffy, don’t ya think. Hope you guys like fluffiness. I can’t wait to write the next chapter. It is going to be so cute.