FIC: Things To Say (BtVS/AB)

[mhalachai]

Title: Things To Say
tth100 prompt: Dawn
Crossover fandom: Anita Blake
Characters: Dawn, Anita
Prompt: 037 -- Birthday (master table)
Word Count: 555
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns all things Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Laurell K. Hamilton owns all things Anita Blake. Only the story is my own.
Note: Follow-up to Cold Hands.

~~*~~

"Ms. Summers? You have a visitor."

Dawn looked up from the magical text propped up on her knees. The nurse smiled, apparently reassured that Dawn was feeling fine, then stepped aside.

There were several people in St. Louis who Dawn would have liked to visit her in the hospital. Anita Blake was not on that list.

Anita strode into the room, wearing all black, like always, and Dawn restrained herself from rolling her eyes. It was so obvious that she was a vampire's girlfriend, Goth wannabe all the way. "I want to talk to you," Anita said without preamble.

"I already gave a statement to the police," Dawn said, closing her book with a snap.

"I'm aware of that," Anita retorted. "I want to go over some of the details."

Dawn slumped back against her pillows. "Fine. Ask." She waited for Anita to take out a notebook or something, like all the other cops, but the woman just crossed her arms over her chest.

"You told the police that Asher didn't roll you."

"I told the police that Asher didn't roll me in order to convince me to let him bite me," Dawn corrected. She had told this story so many times that she could have written it down blindfolded. "I offered and all that. We had to get out of there."

"So you said." Anita stared at Dawn for so long that the girl felt the tiny beginnings of a headache. "When is your birthday?"

"What?" Dawn demanded. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Because Biting a minor is illegal, no matter the consent!" Anita snapped. "The hospital admission papers say your eighteenth birthday was two days ago. Only problem is, Asher busted you out at an hour before midnight the day before your birthday."

"An hour?" Dawn sat up straight, glaring at Anita. "This whole thing is about what damned time of day Asher bit me to save my life?"

This couldn't be happening. Dawn thought that Anita was Asher's girlfriend, or friend, or something. Why was she trying to get Dawn to admit that Asher bit her illegally?

"The admission sheet's wrong," Dawn announced, ignoring the incredulous look in Anita's eyes. "They got the date wrong on my replacement birth certificate after Sunnydale blew up. It was on Thursday, not Friday."

Anita uncrossed her arms, looking so angry that Dawn was just the tiniest bit worried. "Did you talk about this with your sister?"

"What does Buffy have to do with this?" Dawn asked, confused.

"Never mind," Anita said. "That's your story? Your birth date's wrong, so Asher bit you legally?"

"Yes," Dawn said, chin up. "He helped us both, getting us out of there, so don't get any ideas that he was doing things wrong."

Anita turned and walked out of the room without a word.

Suddenly worried, Dawn called after her, "Is Asher okay?"

At the doorway, Anita briefly turned her head. "He's fine," the woman said grudgingly, before continuing out of the room.

Dawn sank back onto the bed, still very confused. When the nurse came to check on her, Dawn was staring out the window, wondering why Asher hadn't come to visit her. Maybe he was mad at her. Well, even if he was, she wanted to thank him for saving her life.

Just thank him.

Comments

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

Hooray for Dawn! And let's hope that Anita takes the hint and, ah, corrects the birthdate on Dawn's replacement birth certificate.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Nah, Anita won't take the hint. But Buffy and Willow are on it, mostly to spare Dawn the police process of the court case, nothing to do with Asher.

So, when Anita was all worried about Asher, and Dawn thought she was being all jealous and bitchy... did that come across at all? Or am I being too subtle?