Uh…I do remember what I said.
The promise…to protect her.
If I'd have done that…even if I didn't make it…you wouldn't have had to jump.
But I want you to know that I did save you. Not when it counted, of course, but after that.
Every night after that. I'd see it all again. Do something different. Faster, more clever, you know? Dozens of times, lots of different ways. Every night I save you.
Spike to Buffy – Season 6, After Life
1st way, 1st day
Spike ducked around Doc, placing himself between the demon and Dawn.
"You don't come near the girl Doc."
"I don't smell a soul anywhere on you. Why do you even care?"
"I made a promise to a lady."
"Oh"
Doc's tongue lashed out at Spike and Spike dodges to the left.
Spike's right hand shoots up and grabs Doc's tongue.
"Didn't your mum ever tell ya that it's not polite to stick your tongue out at others?"
Keeping a tight grip on Doc's tongue, Spike used his left hand to punch Doc repeatedly in the face with his left hand.
As Doc was dizzy and dazed from the multiple punches, Spike took Doc's tongue and wrapped it around the demon's neck.
"Oh look…it's tongue tied."
Spike pulled harder and harder, choking the demon until he heard Doc's neck snap. He dropped the demon to the platform and then kicked the demon repeatedly, anywhere he could land a blow. Every kick was followed by a word:
"Never (kick) touch (kick) the (kick) girl (kick). Never (kick) touch (kick) the (kick) girl (kick)."
"Spike."
Never (kick) touch (kick) the (kick) girl (kick).
"Spike."
Never (kick) touch (kick) MY (kick) GIRLS (kick).
"Spike!"
Spike looked up at Dawn.
"I think he's dead."
"Can't be too sure with this one Bit. The Whelp put a sword through his gut earlier, and yet here he is.
During his speech, Spike had resumed kicking the demon.
"Spike get me down from here. I wanna go home."
"One sec Bit, one last thing to do. Close your eyes, Nibblet."
Dawn closed her eyes.
Spike picked up the knife that Doc had dropped on the platform turned and stabbed Doc in his forehead.
Then he picked up Doc's body and tossed it off the tower.
Spike smiled happily as he watched Doc's body bounce hard on a pile of bricks below.
He then ran over to Dawn & quickly untied her.
"I got you Bit. Let's go home."
They started down the stairs & came face-to-face with Buffy, who was coming up them.
"Dawn."
"Buffy."
The two sisters embraced happily, both were glad that both of them were safe and sound
Over Dawn's shoulder, Buffy mouthed to Spike, 'Thank you for protecting her.'
Spike stepped forward and spoke softly but knew that Buffy could hear him, even if Dawn couldn't.
"I'll always protect my girls…To the end of the world and back."
Buffy reached over Dawn's shoulder and caressed his right cheek with her left hand. The look in her eyes was softer and kinder than he had ever seen them…at least towards him.
A series of loud thumping noises that came from nowhere confused Spike.
"Luv, do you hear that? What's that noise?"
Spike, who had turned away to look for the source of the noise, turned back to look at Buffy and Dawn, but they were no where around.
The thumping noise became louder and Dawn's watery and sad voice called down from above.
"Spike"
Spike jumped up, disoriented and realized that he had been dreaming. Looking around he realized that he was in the basement at the Summers' household.
The reality of what had actually happened…that Buffy had jumped through the portal and was now gone came crashing down and brought him to his knees beside the cot he had been sleeping on. His dead heart contracted painfully and the tears started flowing yet again.
Dawn came down the basement steps to witness his crash and rushed over to hold him in her arms. No words of comfort came, she had none to give. Neither one of them would be comforted, Buffy was gone.
"I'm here Spike, I'm here."
The two cried together as their hearts wept at the loss of Buffy.
Spike's arms came around to hold Dawn close as she and he both cried for their loss.
When he could think again, he realized that Dawn sitting down in the cold basement, hugging onto him was probably not good for her health, so he pushed them up, picked her up and carried her back up to her room.
He tucked her back into her bed and settled down beside it, brushing her hair and wiping her tears.
"Sleep Bit, Big Bad's here and nothing will ever hurt you again."
Dawn's watery tears eventually slowed as she eased back to sleep, pain and exhaustion taking their toll on her.
Once she was asleep and had been for a while.
Spike softly said, "I'll protect her to the end of the world Buffy…until I'm dust in the wind."
