Don't Leave Me With Nothing:

Spike/Dawn

Tiny back story: Just so this story doesn't waste your time, if you aren't interested, heads up. Dawn gets turned into a vampire at age 17. Same plot as in Season 6's Halloween episode where Justin wants to sire her. Except…she's 17 and it's a tiny bit later in the overall Buffyverse plot. Buffy and Spike are already sleeping together. That's all I'm saying! Read on if I have piqued your interest! :P

Chapter 1

How It All Happened:

Justin bore down on her with all his weight. He felt her hot blood pouring down his cold throat; he couldn't help but smile through it all. She was a beauty, and that she would remain, they would rule Sunnydale. He felt her body slipping from the present, her small hands had fallen to the earth, he pulled back afraid to take more, and he had seen this done, was sure he did it right. Never was good in school, but he had to study this…had to get it right. He just hoped his learning skills were better as a vampire. He looked down at her, mouth slack, pupils big and black. He wanted to swim in them. He smiled at her affectionately, and moved the hair back from her face. "Soon." He whispered as he noticed her eyes slowly following his. He bit into his wrist and sat up straddling her torso. He put his wrist over hers letting the blood slip into her mouth. She mewed. What exactly, Justin couldn't be sure. Regardless, it was too late to stop, so he continued. He chuckled, which came out as hissing because he hadn't perfected sound making or talking with jagged fangy teeth in his mouth. Dawn weakly lifted her head off the ground and closed her lips over the wound he made. She drank from him hungrily, feeling the power of his blood. She had to survive, it was the only way. She fell back against the Autumn foliage, her last breath slipping from her blood stained lips. "That's it." Justin sighed and mentally congratulated himself.

A crunch broke the silence of the woods hollow followed by a sucking wet sound. Justin arched his back and turned to see what had stabbed him, and he saw her before he dissolved into ash. The Slayer. Buffy's face was neutral as she killed the vampire, full on ready to scream at Dawn. As the ash blew away in the wind, she got to see just how late she was to save the day. She felt all her food from the week spill up into her mouth. "DAWN!"

Spike came charging out of the trees, miniature crossbow swinging in one hand. "Where's the punk!?"

Buffy collapsed next to Dawn, and grabbed her face. She pulled her sister up, tears falling from her face onto Dawn's dead lips. "Dawnie, please don't do this. Please."

Spike was confused. He looked around and only saw Buffy with Dawn and when he focused he noticed the familiar stillness of Dawn's legs, and the rushing heart beat of only one person. "Lil' Bit?" He choked out as he stumbled forward.

Buffy's head snapped up and she turned to Spike with the biggest green eyes he had ever seen. She had the look, Spike had only dreamt of. She wanted something from him; her eyes spoke the truth that only he could give her that satisfaction. He just wished it wasn't for something he had bad news on. He knew what she was going to ask.

She shook slowly and softly at first, petting her hair, hugging close. "Is she….can she be….what…?"

"Buffy…….I don't…"

"Is she….will she…." Buffy mumbled, staring loving into her sister's slack face.

Giles was breathing heavy as he trampled the last bit of bushes to get to the small clearing he had seen Spike run through too. He was pulling his glasses off, sucking in deep breaths. "Spike? Buffy? Did you find…Dawn…" He saw the purple lined tennis shoes. The edges of a letterman jacket bulging out between Buffy's arms. The overwhelming cloud of grief coming off her like a hurricane.

"Buffy.. I…"

Buffy's eyes turned from desperate need to anger Spike was sure light him on fire. He wished this was hell. If it was Willow or one of them would get them out of it and the nibblet would be okay. "Don't fucking stutter, is she dead!? Is she going to turn!?"

Spike's voice broke. "She's dead Buffy. I don't know if she'll….turn. Depends if the boy did it right. We'll have to wait and see."

Buffy's shaking became all to visible, it looked like she was having a seizure. Her body was tight, her eyes wild and red. Her grip tightened onto her sister. "We'll wait I guess."

Giles stepped forward, the crunching of the leaves startling Buffy. Her head was filled with silence, mourning. She was too late. She had been consumed with her selfish thoughts and her sister had paid the price. "Buffy we can't let her…"

Spike turned on Giles. His face contorting. "Bloody hell we can!"

Buffy cried, wailed into her sister's shoulder. "One life for another."

Spike touched her shoulder, trying to sooth her. "Buffy we can….wait."

Buffy's head lifted. "No….no…she'll be in heaven…if she comes back…she'll…..hell. I can't. I just can't Spike. I can't make my sister suffer." She reached around for the stake she had killed the boy with. As her grip tightened and she started lifting her arm, Spike screamed and torn it from her hand.

"Listen to me slayer. I can save her. I can protect her, teach her. You can't do this. It's not right, like this. Give her a choice. If it comes to it Willow can soul her up. Before she even does any damage, no pouting or whining about sins, eh?"

Buffy's head slowly turned to look up at Giles, who wasn't saying anything. He wanted his slayer t function alone, strong. This was something he felt he had no say in the matter. His later life has been dedicated to destroying these forces, but Dawn was family….but she was Buffy's BLOOD family. It was her choice. He turned away, unable to withstand the look of sheer pain in Buffy's eyes.

Spike just kept saying rushed sentences trying to convince Buffy that he would do right by the Bit, just don't kill her. Don't send her off into the world like that. They'd find a way. Buffy merely stood up and brought Dawn up with her. She cradled her as best she could, even though was already taller than her, dead she seemed a lot smaller. Buffy's face remained neutral as she started towards the wall of trees and bushes.

"Bushes." Buffy mumbled.

Spike darted forward and grabbed hold of a bunch of bushes and shoved them to the side letting Buffy walk through, Spike kept doing that, making sure Buffy had a challenged path through the forest while Giles trailed behind, and grim expressions were shared by all.

Buffy stopped at the end of the sidewalk up to the house. She looked to the right where Spike held her baby sister, curled up; she looked like she was sleeping except for the dried smear of blood on her mouth. Giles stood at her left. Buffy sniffled as she saw the shadows of her friends hurrying about , doing whatever it is, still celebrating or making calls trying to find where Dawn was. Buffy walked forward, leading the sad parade. She opened the door and was instantly greeted by Willow. "Oh my god Buffy, we were so worried, I can't get a hold of anyone. That Janice girl's mom isn't home, her son answered. He said they went out to the forest…." Willow's voice trailed off as she dropped the phone, spotting Dawn in Spike's arms, her left arm dangling over his. She knew dead when she saw it.

Tara came walking through the dining room and didn't even get to saw anything before she saw all the faces and new something had happened.

Anya came skating over, a bright smile on her face which died off quickly as Spike walked through the crowd of people. "Lil' Bit needs to lie down now, scoobies." He whispered softly, some reason it felt wrong to say anything at a normal level of voice.

Xander was sitting in the living room, he had heard the phone drop, heard the deafening silence. He saw Dawn and started to cry, standing up. "What happened?" Everyone flinched as he talked so loud.

"Vampire." Spike mumbled as he laid her down on the couch, resting her head and arms as if she was sleeping. He brushed her hair back, making she would be comfortable when she woke up, if she woke up. Part of him desperately wanted his Nibblet back, but he knew that was the selfish part of him, the monster. The other half wanted to make sure she never had to dirty herself with his lifestyle. He would do right by her if it came to that. No stakes, no souls, he could teach her. One of a kind, his dark Dawn would be. A sad smile he kept hidden from the scoobies decorated his face as he brushed the dirt from her hair. He was calling her his. But wasn't she? All summer it was them, she shared her deepest feelings with him and he shared his darkest with her. She was to be a vampire, they needed a guide, she would have the best available him. He cried, another sad smile came across his features. Only the Summers women did this to him. Turned him back into the nancy type human he was.

Everyone had made it into the living room, not a dry eye on anyone. They all sat around the couch, just watching her.

"So….we're gonna let her become..?" Xander shot a glance at Spike, trying not to offend or waiting for the backlash which never came, before looking to Buffy. "Buffy?"

Buffy' frown got bigger. "I think so. Spike says he can… help her."

"I'll do right by her." He said through one of his fists which propped his head up as he lounged on the floor next to Buffy's chair.

Everyone sighed, some in frustration others in grief or relief…no one was a good judge of anything at the moment, but it didn't matter.

"If it doesn't work, we'll keep her safe as best we can, Willow can…restore her soul, right?" Buffy shot desperate eyes at Willow.

Tara was so torn, she loved Dawn, and they grew so close over the summer. She had her issues with Willow and magic but Dawn's safety was important. If Buffy decided to let this happen, Willow would have to do the spell and Tara had resolved to help her.

Anya coughed lightly drawing some eye attention but most everyone was just treating it as white noise. "If I may, am I the only one who is finding this very odd? I mean, I am not complaining or….saying let's do it…but this is very double standard-ish.…"

Spike sighed. "Not complaining here either. It's Dawn, Anya…..who the hell cares about equality and don't drag me into it. I'm happy with my place." He placed his hand, hidden away behind his duster all crumpled up behind him, overtop of Buffy's shoe and giving it a light squeeze. It enlisted no response. But he wasn't asking for one.

"No more talk. We wait. I understand if you guys want to leave, you don't have to be here for this."

"Thank god I would like to leave." Anya said excitedly. "I love Dawn very much, but this is quite ...Uncomfortable for me Buffy. I support you and your choices. We will stop by later with cookies and comforting items of grief." Anya offered her best cheer up smile.

Xander coughed. "Yeah Buff, no offence…but its Dawnie…I don't want to see this." He gave Spike a dirty look before taking Anya's hand and leading her out the door without waiting for a response. Buffy wasn't interested; her eyes were all on her sister, awaiting her return.

Willow stood and Tara followed. "Buffy?" She whispered. "I'm gonna go upstairs and try to find the book I used for Angel. Tara will go to the store and get an orb, if we have one around, okay? We'll do this together." She smiled weakly but she couldn't keep it on her face.

"Yeah." Buffy said airily, staring intently at the marks on her sister's neck.

When everyone but the watcher had left Spike took a seat next to Buffy and looked up at the watcher. "We need blood."

"Well I bloody well am not…"

"I have to be here if she…." He glanced at her body, trying not to break down in anguish again. "And we can't get Buffy to go…." He gave the slayer's shoulder a tight squeeze, one Buffy unconsciously leaned into.

Giles narrowed his eyes and gave along sigh. "I suppose then, it is up to me."

"Get animal, make it easier on her."

"Was planning on it…." He mumbled as he walked out of the house leaving the notorious vampire, the notorious teenager slash key, and the notorious slayer all in silence.