Recognition 2

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'

I couldn't slam the door fast enough.

No! this can't be true. Dawn you're going insane. His Dead! Totally dead. Not just a little bit undead, but dead!

I wrenched the door open and threw myself at Spike and laughing.

"You're so dead, mister!" and I tackled the last person I thought I would ever see again.

"Well" he said while trying not to be toppled over. "I'm glad to see you too, pet."

I was so overcome with sheer joy that I couldn't contain it even a little bit. I just started giving him adorable sister-ly kisses all over his cheeks and forehead! I was so elated that he wasn't dead and that he was standing on my front doorstep right her and now!

"Careful, luv. Be glad I can't breathe; otherwise you would be choking me." and he laughed! He actually laughed! After years of nothing, this was something! He actually laughed!

"Oh, oh dear. I'm sorry." I tried to loosen my death-grip, but found that my arms wouldn't obey me and stayed locked around his neck. Spike's coldness of body came as the most wonderful comfort to me. I could have stayed right where I was for the next eight weeks!

"You're warm, luv." He said trying to balance himself fully.

"Oh" I regained my footing and went to pick up the towel that I had thrown on the cement steps. "Baths 'll do that to ya."

We both looked at each other for a moment or two, but then something leaped and did a triple axle with a sloppy landing inside my stomach and I had to look away.

"You gonna invite me in, Nibblet?"

"I'm still thinking about it." I said with a smirk and grabbed a handful of leather duster and yanked him side. "Well, you're not getting any older."

"Well, well" he said in his old cocky voice. Oh how I missed that voice. I had dreamed so many nights of that voice but never thought I'd ever hear it again.

Oh blast. I hadn't been paying attention and he just said something.

"Oh sorry, I wasn't …um…"

"…Listening. Yes I can see that."

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I said, nice robe."

"Oh." I blushed. I suddenly remembered that not only was this Buffy's robe, but it was the robe that certain unspeakable things happened in. "Yeah it's Buffy's"

"I know, pet."

What a stupid thing to say Dawn! Way to go.

"Yes…well. I'll just go get changed then." and I was about to turn and leave when Spike stopped me by saying:

"Grey's a nice color on you, pet. Don't change on my account."

But when I turned to look in his eyes I found that he was not looking at me but around at the apartment. And did I detect the slightest smile? No, must have been the light because I had forgotten to turn the house lights on and it was getting dark.

He turned back to me and began to speak. It took me a second to comprehend that what he was saying was English and that he was asking me another question. I jolted back to the present when he raised a thick eyebrow at me.

"Oh yes. We are having a party. Ha! Yes. I was decorating and …um… ha…" think of something Dawn! "Drink?" well that's something.

"Course, luv. Got anything good here?" he asked and I could tell he was sniffing around. I smiled at him and headed into the laundry room with him quietly on my heels.

I kept turning over my shoulder just to look at him and make sure that I wouldn't wake up at any moment with cold waters, low burning candles, and a half full glass of Pinot Noir. He merely strutted behind me with his easy grace and kept pace. I nearly ran into the door frame if I hadn't turned around a split second before to side track the immoveable object that would have broken my nose. I covered it nicely by grabbing hold of it and swinging myself around into the other room and pulling the small refrigerator door open and smiled brightly at him.

"Nice trick. But this is just an icebox." He raised that brow again at me. I thought that if he did that again I just might have to tackle him again drown him in sister-ly kisses once more! But until then I should restrain myself.

"Yes I know it looks like a plain, measly, ol' icebox. But behind it…" I grabbed and pulled hard on the upper part and it gave way to show three cold jars and a few packets of red substance.

"Ah." He exclaimed, leaning against the door frame, cool as a cucumber. "Keep it for the kiddies?"

"Well, sometimes I get hungry." We both smiled at that. Well, to be totally honest, I smiled and he did that amazing like smirk-tilt-the-head-…and-I'm-gonna-stop-there kind of…thing.

"You get the bottles and I'll get the glasses." I said and turned with a bounce in my step to retrieve two large wine glasses saved just for this occasion.