Fierce
Buffy was dead, jumped into the void for me. As I watched her friends fall apart around her body I wanted to do as she told me, I wanted to pull them together. Spike was the first to notice me, he looked at me like I was a kitten whose litter mate had just been drowned, and that is exactly how I felt. The others turned to me then but in their eyes was disgust, hate even. They turned back to my sister's body and I collapsed. Spike caught me and that is when it happened, at least we think that is when.
Spike was bleeding from his wrist bones breaking threw his skin when they were broken in the fall from the tower. My abdomen was sliced by a fucked up demon. When Spike caught me our blood mixed. We don't know how long we held onto each other and wept but it must have been long enough for me to get enough vampire blood in me to mix me up.
The Scoobies tried to treat me like a friend but I wasn't, I was the reminder that Buffy was gone, dead, because of me. I spent most of my time with Spike. A teenager in a crypt, good thing the responsible adults were looking out for me.
By the end of summer my skin was so pale from lack of sunlight that people who knew of the demons and vampires in Sunnyhell were sure I was a vampire. My hair had darkened as well.
I studied history and English with Spike all summer, he wanted to make sure I didn't fall too far behind. It was near the end of the summer that he came to me with a plan, a plan to save our sanity.
"Lil Bit we need to head to LA. I'm gonna get the poofta to get us set up in England. This place is bad for me and it is deadly for you, and I don't mean the beasties either." Spike voice was fairly calm but I knew he was worried. He may be a deadly soulless vampire but he was scared shitless of loosing me. We were all we had. The only times we were apart were when he needed to get blood or we were in different areas of the same place, otherwise we were inseparable. We even slept in the same bed, platonically of course.
"Will he do that, for us?" I asked him tentatively. "I mean you aren't number one on his friends list and I am the reason Buffy is dead. Seems like he would rather stake you and drain me."
"He will NOT touch a hair on your pretty little head Nibblet, and he is my sire, he may not be able to stand me but he would never just kill me for no reason." Spike smirked. "And you know how I feel about you taking the blame for Buffy's death. She wanted you live more than anything, she wanted you to make her life about life instead of death."
I grin, I have to, he is right. "When are we leaving?"
"Right now."
As we walk into Angel's hotel a sudden hush comes to the people who had previously all seemed to be talking. Being spiked by Spike's blood made my hearing, vision, and strength superior to a normal human's.
"Well Spike looking for a hand out?" Cordy snarled. "We should really just stake him, I mean now that Buffy isn't around no point in having the neutered vamp around."
I was pissed! Spike was calm and collected because, well, she couldn't actually do anything to him, but I was ripped.
"Shut up you brain dead bitch!" I sneered.
"DAWN!" Angel and Cordy both shouted when I stepped from behind Spike.
"Oh my god Dawn! Why are with Captain Peroxide?!" Cordy said while acting concerned.
"UM, well, when my guardian tells me we are going to LA I legally can't argue." I didn't even try to get the sarcasm out of my voice.
"Guardian?" Angel asked.
"Yeah well no one else wanted to be my guardian, hell, I think they wanted to get rid of me, and my father signed away my custody ages ago. Spike accepted and so now he is my guardian." I say matter of factly.
"They are just stupid Lil' Bit they were scared to mess up, they didn't want to get rid of you." Spike's voice was calming and reassuring.
"Never thought I would hear you defend the Scoobies Spike!" Angel said, shock in his voice.
"He isn't really, he said that to make me feel better." I say.
"Shhh Princess," Spike murmurs and wraps his arm around my waist. I snuggle in.
"But the cheerleader is right, I need some cash to get me and Bit over to good ole England and get her set up with school and stuff. Figured you might not help me but Nibblet is worthier then most." Spike told Angel.
"I am not going to stand here and let you keep guardianship of a human girl Spike, Willow lead me to believe Giles was Dawn's guardian. She will stay here with me; I can take over guardianship and take care of her." Angel's voice was authoritative.
"Fat chance! Just try and make me stay and I will stake you in your fucking sleep!" I said, venom dripping from each word. Spike had pulled me closer and was growling.
Angel looked as us stunned. He seemed to be comparing us or something. "You really think you could actually catch me asleep?" He chuckled. My hand was around his throat before he realized it. "Yep." I say and release him.
Spike explains to Angel about the blood mixing and how we didn't realize what was happening.
"Dawn I understand that you feel, connected, to Spike but he is an evil soulless vampire. You need stability and good influences in your life." Angel just keeps trying.
"If I need brooding lessons I know right where to go Angel." I snark. Spike snickers.
"See you even act like him." Angel said and moved fast grabbing my arm. I wince and Spike has Angel by the throat and against the wall.
"NO ONE touches her if she doesn't want them to!" He is pissed.
"But what if I had been a human? That chip would have stopped you from hurting me." Angel thinks he is being sly, he isn't.
"Aint there any more, got rid of it a month after Buffy's death." Spike and I smirk at their looks.
"WHAT!?" Angel's face looks terrified.
"I thought of what a human could do to me so I convinced Spike we had to get it out. Luckily the same guy who fixed up my guardianship knew some guys who used to work for the Initiative and poof no more chip." I said.
"You do realize that he is probably out killing people don't you? Even if he does love and care for you there are other people to think of!" Angel wasn't taking this well.
"Relax Peaches, I haven't killed anyone, anyone innocent anyway."
"SEE!" screamed Angel.
"The guy he killed attacked me, so yeah, not real concerned."
"I told you, NO ONE touches Nibblet if she doesn't want them to." Spike glared.
"He calls you Nibblet like you are a snack!"
"So? Buffy used to call me sugar and mom had all sorts of food names for me, like pumpkin belly! Point is if you aren't going to help us just leave us alone!"
"How about you two stay here for a bit, just so I know you are really safe and he isn't manipulating you?" Angel pointedly asked me.
"Spike?" I asked.
"'S up to you Nibblet. I won't let him hurt you or take you away if that is what you are worried about." Spike answered.
"Fine then, but where will we sleep?"
"I will have Cordy set you both up rooms…" Angel began.
"One room, I can't stay alone." I admit.
"We don't have any two bed rooms but we could fig…" Before Angel finishes again I interrupt.
"We sleep in the same bed and before you get all freaked it isn't a sexual thing it is a safety and security thing. You won't change my mind, Spike has tried for a long ass time and if I won't sleep by myself for him, I am for sure not doing it for you!"
"Fine!" Angel growled.
"She's like a creepy girl Mini-Spike!" eeped Cordy after she had shown them the room and was once again with Angel. "It's so unreal to see innocent sweet Dawnie all grrr, ya know?"