It was a beautiful night, peaceful really. Peaceful nights were rare in Sunnydale, but they had become slightly more common ever since The First had been destroyed, and Buffy had Slayer's all over the world to help her out. Now a nightly patrol was just dusting the odd vampire that was left.

The years had gone by, and Buffy was older now and most of the patrolling was now taken care of by the other (once potential) slayer in Sunnydale, Daveny.

Daveny was originally from Detroit, and was only 10 years old during the battle with The First, so incidentally, she was not called to fight. But when she moved to Sunnydale, now 16 she shared the patrolling with Buffy.

Daveny walked through the cemetery, hugging her brown suede coat around her, and clutching her stake to her chest. It was late fall, and the graveyard now had a light film of mist swirling around the gravestones. She was not alone...

Spike smelt her before he heard her. He was in his crypt, feeling lonely to be honest. Gone were the days when he and Buffy patrolled together, but she had become more solitary when she patrolled, ever since Angel died.

He crept silently out of crypt, keeping himself hidden in a patch of trees...and he watched her...

Mid length brown hair, creamy skin, and dark eyes...very dark eyes. He liked her, something made he want to touch her, meet her...

He new she was a slayer, he could smell her blood. Her blood? She'd hurt herself...

Just before he was about to show himself and ask if she was okay, a vampire jumped out from behind the gravestone to her left, swinging punches. She moved as if reflex, she ducked the vamps first few punches, and then spun on her right foot, delivering a clear kick to his stomach. The vamp stumbled back against the gravestone behind him, and Daveny pinned him to it with her left foot at his throat.

Spike watched from the shadows, as she raised her stake high and plunged it into his chest. She released his foot, and waited for him to dust, but as she put her foot down, the vamp delivered one last punch to her jaw, that sent her flying back, and she hit her head hard on a gravestone. The vamp disintegrated.

Spike stepped out from behind the trees and went over to where Daveny lay. He reached out and shook her shoulder, trying to get her up.

i "Can you hear me love?" /i

Suddenly she jumped up and pulled out her stake, ready to kill him. She had a trail of blood coming form her mouth.

i "Whoa, whoa, It's okay love, I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm Spike, a friend of Buffy's /i

Her expression loosened as she realized...

i "Oh yeah, she mentioned you, the vampire with the soul" /i

She put her stake down...

A moment of silence...

i "You're hurt..." /i Spike said as he reached his hand to her face to wipe the blood from her face, but she shied away...

i "I'm fine..." /I She turned to walk away, but he stumbled. Spike caught her just before she hit the ground.

i "You're not fine, come back to my crypt, and get you some ice for your face... /i

i Thank you... /i

She smiled at him...

i "I'm Daveny..." /i

Spike and Daveny made their way back to his crypt; Spike helped her down the stairs, and made her comfortable on his bed. She had expected it to be cold in his crypt, but it seemed to have an almost cozy feel to it. She almost felt safe...almost

He retrieved some ice in a cloth from the fridge and held it to her face. She took her jacket off and laid it on the bed. Spike noticed how many scars she had on her arms...

i "Slaying's a pretty hard job then..." /i Spike said, motioning his head to the scars on her arms...

i "Oh...yeah /i She put her arms behind her back, and she tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear. As she did he caught sight of a vertical cut of her left wrist...

Spike looked at her suspiciously...

i "Are you okay love?" /i He stepped toward her, gently reaching for her wrist.

She pulled her hand away, and stepped for the door, but before she could move Spike grabbed her wrist, more forcefully than he had wanted to.

i "Let me go! /I She pulled her arm, he let go but stepped in front of her...

I "I just wanna help you love..." /I He didn't know why he cared, he hardly knew this girl. But he wanted to, someone as young and beautiful as her shouldn't feel the way she does...

i "Why do you care? You don't even know me! You know nothing about me... /i

They were close now, almost touching...

Spike reached his hand up to touch her face...this time she didn't shy away...

Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, I "I want to know you... /I

He kissed her, sweetly and passionately, his hands moving down her body.

Daveny returned the kiss, linking her arms around the back of his neck, pressing herself against his body.

Spike lifted her up and laid her down on the bed, kiss down her neck, feeling her blood pulse beneath her skin. Daveny arched her neck back, allowing Spike better access. Spike reached for the bottom of thin black jumper, lifting it over her head, exposing her creaming skin in a matching black bra. As he continued to kiss down her neck and breasts, Daveny reached her his black T-shirt, lifting it over his head. She ran her hands over his pale cool skin.

i "I want you..." /i he whispered against her throat.

Pants long gone, he bit gently down on her hipbone, sliding off her underwear. Daveny moaned in pleasure...

Her breathing quickened, as he positioned himself over her. Spike sensed her unease... i "You okay love" /i She nodded, i "Yeah" /i ... Spike kissed her gently, i "I wont hurt you" /i He slid into her gently, resting his weight evenly either side of the shoulders. He smiled gently at her, leaning in for a kiss. Spike moaned her name as they both climaxed moments later. He lay breathing deeply on top of her, then gently lay down next to her, gently stroking her hair.

I "Why would you want to hurt yourself love?" /I

She told him. She told him about her last patrol in Detroit, before she moved to Sunnydale, about how she was surrounded in a dark alley by 6 vampires. How she was only 14. They had raped then beaten her, and left her for dead. About how she could tell know one. About how he was her first, since it happened.

Spike listened, and held her when she cried, and stayed with her all night. In the morning he told her he wanted her to stay with him, so she could learn how to live again.