A.n.: I'm BAAAAAACK. Sorry about the long time away, school was ruining my life. But now this semester is over and I can concentrate on my love for fan fiction once more. Just a little Spawn to please you all. This idea would not leave me alone. Not romantic, just friendly. Set two years after NFA, doesn't follow the comics. I am not a fan of Dawn so I will try to be as true to her character as possible. Dawn thinks Spike is dead….um…yeah that's it. Sorry if I am a bit rusty. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

Dawn loved Spike. She loved the way that he had never asked if she was okay in the summer following Buffys' death, because he knew as well as she did that how could she be. She loved that he sat through an endless amount of stupid movies, because they were the only thing that took Dawn away from her harsh reality that Buffy was gone. She loved that he constantly checked on her during the night, and often pulled her into his arms when nightmares would propel her awake. She loved that he never made her talk about her feelings, that she could just sit in silence with the vampire. She loved that, no matter what, he wouldn't leave her. Even when she punched and kicked him, and vehemently declared that it should have been her, him, Willow, anyone but the only family she had left that had taken the plunge off of the tower. She loved that he was her best friend, that he didn't expect her to keep living, to move on, because he sure as hell wasn't. She loved that when he found her damn near comatose in her sisters' room that he would just sit with her, sharing the unspoken grief until Dawn could find the strength to move again. She loved him.

Dawn also hated Spike. Hated that as soon as Buffy came back from the dead he stopped coming around. Hated that when he was around every word she said fell on deaf ears. Hated that he didn't confide in her that him and Buffy were together, because she wasn't half as stupid as everyone wished she was and she could constantly smell the lingering smell of smoke and Spike on her sister. She hated him when he chose Buffy over her, left her like everyone before had left her. And then he really left…hopped on a bike and took off to God only knew where. And Buffy…she had been crushed, dealing with the double blow of the loss of Willow and of Spike. She has broken one evening and told Dawn everything, of her self-loathing, of her being afraid of Willow, of her missing their mother so much, and of the attempted rape. Dawn had hated Spike so much in that moment she had to grip the bed sheets to keep from destroying the first thing her hand came in contact with. She'd held Buffy that night, let her cry out her pain and despair into her bosom and swore that if she ever saw the bastard again she would kill him, drive a broomstick into his chest, spit on his ashes. She swore it. When she saw him again she could tell already that Buffy had forgiven him, that her sister hadn't dusted him on spot meant she was holding out for some sort of redemption for his poor soul. Dawn was pissed. She remembered approaching Spike as he turned and used the nickname that had always been reserved for her. ..the nickname that caused a flood of warmth and affection to rise in her. She hated him so much in that moment, how dare he, he- who had assaulted her sister, use that name like he still had a right to. She hated him.

She shook her head to free her mind from the thoughts she had been musing over, turning the page absentmindedly of her magazine. It was a crisp autumn afternoon and she was ecstatic to finally have a day off. School and work took up most of her life, and an occasional vampire roaming the campus. It was absolute heaven to be sitting outside, sipping a mocha chino and enjoying the soft breeze that was stirring in the air. She remembered that Christmas was coming up soon and she needed to call Buffy and find out what the gang wanted. She hugged her coat closer to her body, frowning towards the sky as she noticed clouds rolling in. "Damn." She muttered, rubbing her hands together. "Started off as such a nice day." She moved to gather her things, annoyed with the shadow creeping over the café, when she caught sight of a startling flash of peroxide. Her head whipped up, eyes following the familiar gait of the figure strolling over towards her. She took in his features, same bleached hair, same doc martens, same smirk, same blues eyes, and same duster swinging behind him. Dawn wished with every ounce of her body that she was a Slayer because she would do a flying leap over her table, tackle his unsuspecting ass to the ground and bury her coffee stirrer in his dumb chest. She was fuming, silently glaring at his figure, willing him to turn to the left and look at her. When her willpower proved less than impressive she grabbed her muffin, reared back her hand and sent the object soaring into the side of his head.

He started at the assault, body swinging around, fists tensing at his sides. Dawn gasped slightly realizing she may be furious, but she was also unbelievably happy that he was alive. His eyes locked with her, turned softer as he picked up the discarded muffin from the ground. She took several steps towards him. He took several towards her. She was trying to keep from falling into his arms, from making a complete fool of herself. She had after all matured and mature people did not go around falling dramatically into once dead vampires arms and sobbing at the joy of their return. They also did not hurl muffins at peoples' head, but she figured one out of two wasn't bad. He looked bemused between her and the muffin, smirk playing at his lips. "You know there are better ways of getting a blokes attention." He laughed softly.

She fought the grin trying to work its way to her face, choosing instead to cross her arms as she glowered at him. He tilted his head at her, attempting to decipher all the emotion chasing across her features. She noticed that his hand was flexing, moving towards her, and then closing into a tight fist. He seemed to be at war with himself and Dawn found it amusing that she and the estranged man still had so much in common. After several moments of silence he spoke. "Well then, if the silent treatment is all you have left for me, I'll be off." He turned, moving to walk away when he heard. "You're an idiot."

"Not news to me Bit." He chuckled.

"No. You are a monumental idiot, dumbass, douche bag." She ground out as he chuckled again.

"Again not news to me…"

"Asshole, jackass, moron, mother fucker." She continued, not caring that Spikes' face had darkened a shade.

"Alright Dawn, I get it."

"Bastard, shithead, loser, retard, son of a bitch,"

"That's enough."

Dawn felt rage rising in her throat. Her heart clenched, remembering her love and hate for the vamp. Remembering that he promised he would always be there, remembering the hole that had punched through her chest when she had discovered that he had not made it back in Sunydale. Oh no, it was not enough. It was not nearly enough.

"Jerk, dick, coward." Her eyes narrowed, fixing Spike with a stare that cut right into him.

His hands clasped around her arms at her last statement, a barely contained fury emanating from blue eyes.

"Take it back.' He growled.

She shook her head. "No way in hell."

"Take it back Dawn."

"I said, no way in hell."

He lowered his face to hers, tightening his grip just enough.

"I mean it."

"So did I. Every word."

"Right." He sighed, releasing her with an exasperated breath. "What part of dying in a blaze of glory to save the world was cowardly then?' he questioned with a sneer.

"The part where you didn't have the balls to tell anyone you came back."

"No, no. That is a damn noble thing I did. Nobody needed to know, wasn't important."

"Bullshit." She replied.

"You have quite the mouth on you Bit. Better watch out, someone might make you eat your words." His voice was low…dangerous.

Dawn had learned a long time ago not to be threatened by anything Spike said. Not to her anyways.

"Well it's a good thing you are here then…I don't have anything to be worried about."

Spike let out an upset roar. "Look Dawn, I did what I had to do! And obviously it was the right thing to do, look at what a lovely welcome I'm getting now." He gestured to the pissed off woman, hurt touching each of his words carefully.

Dawn softened; remembering how many times Spike had let her off the hook, how many times he had loved her through her worst moments. She took a steadying breath, letting out her anger and frustration and long hidden fear of abandonment on the exhale. Looking at Spike, remembering how long she had grieved for him, how she had wished she had said something, anything to him before he had gone down in the Hellmouth, she had to fight a lump rising in her throat. Her fingers gingerly rested on his leather clad arm. "It's nice to see you again Spike." She choked out. His hand covered hers, a smile flitting briefly on his lips. "It's nice to see you too Nibblet."

She leaned her head onto his shoulder, smiling at the bizarre reunion between her and the vampire. "I got work to do Dawn." he stated softly. She looked up at him.

"Can it wait?" she pleaded, for a moment looking and sounding like the fifteen year old girl who Spike had held together.

He grinned at her. "Yeah it can wait."

She brightened immediately. "Cool! Now you can buy me a new muffin. "

Spike didn't even bother arguing with her, knowing that it was pointless to try and best a Summers woman.

She grinned at his silence, glad to be back in his presence, knowing that the second they sat down she would get to the bottom of where he had been all this time. But for now, walking side by side back in the café she was happy. Because you see Dawn loves Spike.

a.n. end….not sure if I like it, but I think Dawn would be royally pissed at first if she found out Spike was alive. Let me know what you think. Thanks as always for reading! Review if you want to