Disclaimer – I own nothing, Joss Whedon owns everything…

Author's Note – If you can't deal with the subject matter then please don't read it! This whole fic is kind of season-less – it's just completely out of the context of the show although Spike is still in love with Buffy and Dawn is attending Sunnydale High.

Chapter One – Show and Tell

She lay on the floor, flat on her back, breathless but laughing uncontrollably. Her hair was lying out wild around her head and her clothes were covered in dust and dirt but she didn't care, training with Spike was always much more fun than training with Buffy. Buffy took everything so seriously while Spike allowed her to have a little fun with it. She stopped laughing long enough to see Spike standing over her offering out his hands to help her get up from the floor. She sighed loudly and pushed her mad hair from her eyes before allowing him to help her up. She smoothed down her ruffled clothes and shot Spike a huge beaming grin. He smiled back; it was that innocent smile that gave away Dawn's roots. She was a Summers', no doubt about it. It was as if Buffy had given her own childhood smile to her sister. The smile she used to have before she was told what her destiny was to be.

"Ready to go again, Nibblet?" asked Spike, tossing her the makeshift stake they had been using. Dawn shoved it into the back pocket of her jeans.

"Not just yet, I've had enough excitement for now," she laughed. "I don't suppose you've got more than just blood in that fridge?"

"That's where you're in luck. I think there's some juice left over from last time you were here," said Spike, walking over to the mini fridge and throwing a half-full juice bottle across the room to Dawn. She drank it gratefully before placing it on the table and jumping up onto one of the tombs. She sat cross-legged and sighed loudly; Spike walked over and jumped up beside her, sitting opposite her like they used to do when she was younger.

"Spike, do you think I'm ready to start patrolling with Buffy?" asked Dawn, picking absentmindedly at her laces.

"Oh, I don't know, luv," said Spike, this was one conversation that he did not want to have. "You're definitely getting better but there's still more you could learn before you start going out there. I wouldn't want to see you as just another neck for just another vampire,"

"I know that but I just wish Buffy could see how much I've improved instead of acting like I'm just a kid. She's driving me mad,"

"I know but she's always gonna be like that. She's just doing the 'overprotective mother' bit, she'll never be ready to let you go," explained Spike.

"I understand why she feels like that but what am I supposed to do? I can't just live a normal life for her; especially knowing what I know. Normal girls should not have to deal with the forces of darkness,"

"But Buffy isn't a normal girl and neither are you. Buffy just feels that she owes you a childhood because she had to give hers up. She never had the chance to have a normal boyfriend or go out to normal parties, she had to patrol or train with Giles or…" started Spike. Dawn cut him off mid-sentence.

"Okay, I get it. We're all on Buffy's side, it's fine," she sighed angrily. Spike reached out and took her hand, squeezing it before letting it fall again.

"I'm not on Buffy's side, I'm just saying that I know why she's treating you like a child. She just feels like she has to protect you now,"

"I can protect myself," said Dawn indignantly, jumping down from the tomb and lifting her arms in the air to stretch out her back muscles. "C'mon, let's go again,"

"You sure you're ready?" grinned Spike, jumping down to join her. Dawn nodded and grabbed the spike from her jeans pocket, holding it up before Spike's chest. He laughed quietly before changing to his vamp-face. "You're lucky I trust you, one slip up and I'm dust,"

"Please! You'd better run, vamp. I'm so gonna kick your ass!" laughed Dawn. Spike jumped across the crypt and started to run, he was quickly followed by Dawn who chased after him until she caught up with him in one of the many darkened corners of his tomb. He stood in the corner, she was breathing hard after all the chasing but she held the stake up to his chest and started to giggle again.

"You'd better not laugh when it's a vampire who wants to eat you!" said Spike, grabbing her wrist and twisting the stake out of her hand. Dawn winced in pain and grabbed at her aching wrist, she looked up at Spike and frowned in confusion. "If I wanted you, I could have you right now. You're not ready,"

"Fine," said Dawn, her voice huffy and annoyed. She stormed out of the shadows and into the open plan of the crypt; Spike followed her out and threw the empty bottle she had left out at her back. She spun around to face him.

"All I'm saying is that you need more training. Do you want to try some martial arts stuff now?" asked Spike. Dawn sighed again and nodded, this was suddenly starting to feel more like real work and less like a fun muck-about with a friend.

They had been training for almost an hour; Dawn had tied her hair up but it was still sticking to the sweat at the back of her neck. She had removed her jumper and was emulating Spike's movements in her jeans and a vest when Buffy flung open the crypt doors and stepped into the room. Dawn looked up and rolled her eyes, she knew what was coming and was in no mood for another lecture. Spike grabbed a shirt and threw it on, ignoring the buttons and walking past Buffy to close the doors.

"It's highly unfair that we vamps need an invite yet you can just barge in unannounced," he smiled as he walked back to face her.

"What is she doing here?" asked Buffy, pointing at Dawn but her eyes never leaving Spike's face.

"I have a name, y'know," growled Dawn, flinging her jumper over her head. "And you could've called if you were that worried, I have my cell-phone,"

"That is not the point and you know it. It's well past dark and Willow said you hadn't been home for dinner, what was I supposed to think?"

"If you'd called, you'd have known where I was. This is your own fault," sighed Dawn, untying her hair and walking to the door. "See you tomorrow, Spike,"

"Yeah, see you Nibblet," called Spike but Dawn had already walked out of the crypt and closed the door behind her. He glared at Buffy. "She's old enough to spend time out on her own,"

"Not in Sunnydale, she's not. Especially not in the graveyard! What were you going to do if any of your old pals came over? Just expect her to fend for herself?"

"It's not even an issue, pet," said Spike quietly, he reached out for Buffy's hand but she recoiled and continued to glare at him. "She just came over for a few hours for some training; she wants to get out there with you and the rest of your precious Scooby gang,"

"She's not old enough, Spike. She needs to be doing her homework and having a normal life,"

"She can't have a normal life, Buffy. You've seen to that so the least you can do is let her into yours. You were fifteen when you started; why not let her do the same?"

"Because she's not the Slayer, I am,"

"Willow and Xander were just civilians but you let them tag along. Just think about what you're doing to her, she needs to be with people who know what's going on,"

"When I asked you to stay out of my life, Spike, I meant hers too. Can't you just leave it alone, leave us alone?"

"I love you Buffy and I will protect the Little Bit until I die, I love her too,"

"God, I can't do this right now. I'll see you around," sighed Buffy, she knew that she couldn't win. She had no real reason to stop Dawn and Spike seeing each other but she just couldn't stand the thought of them together, especially after everything that had happened between her and Spike. She walked out of the crypt and caught up with Dawn but neither of them could speak to each other all the way home.