Author: dsmith141
Title: Missing
Rating: M/18/R for mentions of sex, suicide and bad language.
Summary: There was always a connection between Spike and Dawn and personally I think that they would make a great couple. Dedicated to KellogMonkey of live journal in response to their challenge and also my friend Nisha who loves this pairing. This is based on the song 'Missing' by Evanescence. NOT a songfic. The format of the story is gonna be a bit weird as well. The first little paragraph in italics is the part of the song that the chapter is based on. Anything else in italics is easily figured out you clever little people.
Timeline: Season 6 I'm thinking post smashed but before Xander's wedding. Tabula Rasa didn't happen. Willow and Tara are still together but Willow is trying to cut down on the magic use.
Pairings: Spike/Dawn
Disclaimer: Just the usual, Josh owns everything and I own nothing This story is written purely for the pleasure of my loved readers x.

Chapter 1

Please, please forgive me,
But I won't be home again.
Maybe someday you'll look up,
And, barely conscious,
you'll say to no one:
"Isn't something missing?"

She stepped over a stray tree root as she passed yet another gravestone in the ever-growing cemeteries of Sunnydale. Her sister had gone out patrolling as soon as she came home from work. Again. Some nights she didn't even come home. I mean how many vamps have to rise in one night to keep the friggin' slayer from coming home? She was spending less and less time at home now. Dawn was worried about her. She knew that she didn't want to be brought back but now she seemed more depressed about it than ever. She was a shell. When she saw her, which was increasingly rare, she saw the huge shadowy bag under her eyes and the emptiness of the abyss in the eyes that once held so much life and laughter.

Dawn rounded the corner and continued down to Spike's crypt. He was her best friend and the only one of the group that she could talk to. She'd been seeing less and less of him since Buffy came back and when she did see him he was covered in bruises and seemed distant. She knew when she saw the look on his face when Buffy had came down the stairs that she would lose him but she just didn't want to let herself believe it.

When she reached the crypt the door was ajar. She pushed it open properly and timidly put her head around the door.

"Spike"

Her voice was quiet. She was scared. It was so dark. Spike always had some candles lit or a lamp on. Her heart race increased. She stepped into the crypt and pulled out a stake. She saw movement over towards the sarcophagus, she couldn't make it out because her eyes hadn't adjusted properly yet. She heard the grunts and groans coming from it.

"Oh God. Spike yes."

Dawn froze at the sound of her sister's voice. Her eyes adjusted and she saw exactly what was happening, the moonlight coming in from the door illuminating the two slightly. Her best friend standing with his naked back to her with her sister's legs wrapped around his waist and her head on his shoulder, eyes closed in pure pleasure. They didn't even notice her presence, they were too wrapped up in each other to care Too busy comforting and loving each other to notice Dawn on the sidelines, as had become the case so often in recent weeks.

She dropped her Stake and ran from the crypt, tears streaming down her face. Buffy knew how Dawn felt about Spike and now, after hearing her say "Spike is a disgusting, evil thing" so many times, she finds out that she's been doing this. So this is why Buffy had been ignoring her, she'd rather be working, or slaying or doing Spike than spend some time with Dawn. She was sick of it. Dawn ran, ignoring all of the vampires rising around her. They kept a safe distance, an emotional teenage girl with that much ancient magical energy inside her is definitely not the best person to try and make your first meal.

She couldn't be mad at Spike, she knew he loved Buffy and he didn't know how Dawn felt about him, or at least she didn't think he did. She still loved the vampire but she'd known she wouldn't be able to have him. She wasn't mad at Buffy for the fact that she was having sex with the person she loved, more for the fact that she had been neglecting her to do it. And the hypocrisy. I mean you can't find him that icky if you're perfectly willing to do the dirty right.

--

Dawn sat in the abandoned park. It was usually a vampire hotspot but it was deserted tonight. Her sorrow ad emotion must be bleeding into the world around her and affecting the natural order of things. The tears led a searing trail down her face that glittered in the silver light of the full moon. She wept freely until she forgot the world around her. Since Buffy had came back her episodes with Spike had became less and less frequent and it made her sad. She missed him terribly, even when he was there. He was always so lost in his thoughts and he felt empty because of it. His unreciprocated love for Buffy was eating him up more than it should. She felt so ignored, so unwanted. She felt as though she was a burden on her sister and her friends. She wanted to make things better. She felt as though she was causing them all unnecessary worry. Well they won't have to worry about me for long.

She stood from her perch on the swing and dried the tears from her cheeks. She walked glumly out of the park and into the shadows of the street, the non-working streetlights a mere ornament at the side of the road.

--

She slipped into the house through the back door, using her key to let herself in. Willow and Tara were out at a magic thing. Willow had agreed to cut back on the magicks so Tara was helping her by taking her to a rehab class. She'd been doing well. They didn't ignore Dawn but they had a lot on their minds with college and stuff. Dawn bolted upstairs and almost ripped her wardrobe door off it's hinges. She stuffed her clothes into a duffle bag and threw in her underwear and toiletries. Dawn didn't have many clothes, she wasn't into that kind of thing like Buffy. She threw the bag over her shoulder and wrote a note to Buffy, leaving it in an envelope on the dining room table. She took her bank card and some money from Buffy's purse and left the house.

She walked down the street and turned the corner without looking back. She had no idea where she was going to go all she knew is it wouldn't be in Sunnydale. She turned the corner and saw a bus pulling into the stand. She walked over and absent mindedly fingered the small trinket around her neck. Buffy had given it to her for her last birthday. She snapped the chain from around her neck and dropped it into the gutter, sobbing lightly. She boarded the bus and looked up as the driver caught her attention.

"Where to miss?"

"Where does this thing go?"

"Here to L.A""One way to LA then please."

She pulled out the card she had in her purse from last time Angel was around. She saw the note on the back. If you ever need sanctuary from the gang. Forever you're haven. Angel.

"Take me to this street"

"Sure thing. 20 bucks please miss"

Dawn handed over the money and moved to the back of the bus slumping herself in the corner and falling asleep against the window, tears pouring down her cheeks again.

A/N ok this is the first chapter. It was quite hard to write and is probably crap. Any feedback is welcome but this story should come into it's own by the second or third chapter if everything goes to plan.