Summary: Dawn comes up with a plan about Angel.

Author’s note: Thanks to BTL for the beta.

Disclaimer: Joss rules.

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Chapter 17: The Plan

Dawn left Spike and Buffy chatting in the dining room with a smile on her face. She headed upstairs to her room, only to realise that her room was still full of junk. With a sigh, the Key sat down in a discarded chair to think. Buffy and Spike were getting along, which was just what she was hoping for, but it seemed too easy that Buffy would just tell Angel to take a hike.

No, Dawn decided, this was not what it seemed to be. Buffy might be seeing Spike for the vampire he is, but this whole hot chocolate drinking bit was a smoke screen. It might have fooled her in her younger years, but Dawn Summers had had years of political experience. She’d played this game with the toughest of players.

She had to find out the details.

And she had to take advantage of Angel’s present persona non grata status.

When Spike left the house, his hot chocolate finished, Dawn followed him out the door. Buffy waved a closed the door behind them giving Dawn the opportunity to find out what was going on.

“I want details,” the Key started, fishing her car keys out of her bag. “Get in the car.”

With a smile, Spike complied, sitting in the passenger seat happier than Dawn had seen him in a good long while. Dawn slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Spill.”

“Went out ‘cause Dru was barmy over the whole switching thing. Never thought I’d actually meet up with the Slayer. Halloween’s the night Slayers take off. Like an unwritten rule. So I was strolling through town, minding my own business, when I see the Slayer run by, with that ridiculous dress and wig.”

“Come on Spike, I bet you really didn’t think it was so ridiculous. Not exactly your era, but similar,” Dawn noted as she backed out of the driveway.

“Fine, have it your way, she looked good.”

“Yay, point for me,” she said, backing out of the driveway.

“So I see this bloody pirate following after her into an alley. The whole night was surreal, I don’t know why I followed, but I did. I sure as hell didn’t run.”

Dawn nodded as he told his story, her eyes on the road ahead of her.

“And there she was up against a crate, the pirate, Larry she called him later, pushing up her skirts, practically drooling. Right disgusting it was.”

“Ever the gentleman at heart.”

“Don’t know what came over me. Probably something to do with you. Bloody menace you are. I protected the bint, I should have just killed her there. I blame you,” Spike said trying to be serious, and failing to remove the goofy smile on his face. “I look the pirate’s sword from him, and hit him over the head, should have eaten the blighter.”

“A giant snake eats him next year if it makes you feel better,” Dawn added but Spike continued on.

“And there she was all frightened. Pathetic ponce, I am. The next thing I knew I was declaring my wish to die for her, protect her against whatever fiends of hell wanted to violate her.”

“Larry’s sword wasn’t originally a pirate sword then?” Dawn asked.

“Buffy thinks it was part of a Musketeer costume.”

Dawn smiled. “Oh, you are calling her ‘Buffy’ now?”

“Enough, you. Do you want to hear the tale or not?”

“Tell on!”

“So, there I am fighting back the encroaching masses of demon hoards, and she takes my hand and we run away into a warehouse. Out of some harlequin romance novel if it wasn’t for the fact that Angel, the git, followed us.”

“And you protected her against him too?” Dawn laughed.

“Gave him a right beating until the spell ended and Buffy forced us apart. Would have liked to have kept giving him what for too, poncy git needs to take care of Dru.”

“But how did you get to my…errr Buffy’s house?”

“Don’t quite have an answer for you, Bit,” Spike answered, running a hand through his bleached hair.

“You did the male posturing thing as she walked home didn’t you?”

“Seems likely. But she invited me in. Not broody boy. Me.”

Dawn giggled a little at his pride. Oh no, he wasn’t completely gone on her sister yet, was he? She pulled her car in front of the factory and put it in park.

“Dru’s not going to be happy that you didn’t kill Buffy though.”

“No, but soon she’ll be able to do that herself if she wants to, after we get her all healed up,” Spike noted.

“I’d prefer if Dru didn’t kill my sister, thank you very much,” Dawn responded with a sideways glance at Spike. “And I don’t think you want Dru to kill her either.”

“It feels wrong. I’m a vampire. She’s a vampire slayer. We are supposed to kill each other. It’s unnatural.”

“But oh so right,” Dawn said smiling. “Get out. Just shower before Dru smells you. I’m sure you smell like Buffy.”

“That’s a good idea. Thanks for the lift, Bit.”

“For my favourite vampire in all the world? Not a problem.”

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It was a complicated weird relationship they all had, vampires in the Aurelius clan. Having lived as one for a year, Dawn knew that whatever she decided to do about Angel to help out Dru, it was going to be complicated and Buffy wasn’t going to like it.

But maybe that’s the way it had to be: complicated and messy and hurtful, because when it was all said and done, Buffy was her sister, and would forgive her eventually and then there was that whole trying to cease to exist thing.

Now that Buffy and Spike were getting chummy, Dawn knew that sooner or later, Angel would take things into his own hands. He might get put off by Buffy claiming she could take care of herself for now, but this was Angelus, the great manipulator. He’d pull her back in.

And Dawn decided to do something about it.

Something slightly underhanded maybe.

She looked into the back seat of her car and at the blond wig that she’d worn as Princess Buttercup earlier in the night. Angel always fell for blondes and if she had to be blond for this to work, then a blonde she would be.

Dawn woke up the next morning confident in her plan. A slight errand to her local witch and she had a glamour that would convince anyone that she was a natural blonde. She flicked her now short blond hair and grinned at the result.

“You do good work, Nicole,” she praised the witch as she handed over the money for the glamour. “Now I’ve got a vampire to see,” she said as she gathered up the watcher’s diary she’d stolen from Giles the night before.

Dawn strode out of the witch’s home and to her car, noting that she turned a few heads as she crossed the parking lot. Not surprising. She’d been very specific with what she wanted. Catholic school uniform, short blond hair and the face that would stop Angel in his tracks.

The factory was quiet when she arrived, as expected. It was 10 am after all. She tiptoed over sleeping minions and made her way to Drusilla’s bedroom. Once there she was greeted by Spike and Dru sleeping peacefully, side by side, Dru’s head on Spike’s shoulder.

And fully clothed.

Dawn smiled. Spike was no ordinary vampire after all. Walking calmly to the side of the bed where Spike slept, Dawn pulled on his ear to wake him up.

“What?” he muttered sleepily.

“Get up. I need Dru for an hour or so,” she whispered in his ear.

Eyes fully open now, he turned to the person who was waking him up from a good day’s rest and shook his head in shock.

“I thought you were dust?”

“I am. Except I’m not. I’m Dawn. Nice glamour isn’t it?” Dawn did a little pirouette for him. “I need Dru. Get up. I can’t have sex with you in the room. It’s freaky.”

Spike shuddered. “I don’t even want to know about you having sex. Bleedin’ hell Bit,” he cursed, sitting up on the bed. “What’s this get up all for anyway? Seems a little perverse if you want to piss off your sister. I don’t even know if she knew Darla.”

“Not for her, silly,” Dawn explained.

“Captain Forehead then,” Spike concluded.

Dawn touched her nose and pointed at the blond vampire.

“Think it’ll work?”

Dawn smiled. “Of course it’ll work. Out out! I want to be over at Angel’s before he gets up tonight.”

Spike grabbed his boots and headed out of the room.

“Sweet dreams, Spike,” Dawn said waving at the retreating vampire.

“Sweet…err. Argh! Bit!” he cursed, stomping out of the room.

As the door closed, Dawn turned her attention to Dru, lying on the bed. The brunette vampire was awake and smiling up at her.

“My green dolly came to play dress up,” she cooed. Then she cocked her head and frowned. “You playing at being grandmother? I’ll be my own grandmother you know.”

“So you’ve said,” Dawn acknowledged as she hiked up her skirt and kneeled on the bed.

“There’s no time for tea and cakes, is there?” Dru questioned, sitting up a little and leaning towards Dawn’s approaching figure.

“No,” Dawn agreed, capturing Dru’s mouth with hers.

“Daddy isn’t going to like this game we are playing on him,” the vampire whispered as Dawn trailed her lips down the side of Drusilla’s neck, and towards her breasts.

“No, he isn’t going to like it at all,” Dawn giggled.

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Tbc…