"Just touch me Spike." The Dark haired beauty begged, laying on the couch. Tears streamed down her porcaline face. Tears that he wanted to catch. Tears he thought should have never fallen. Leaving red streams behind them in their path.

"I don't think it would be proper, bit." Spike spoke standing beside her just stairing. Didn't think it would be good. Shouldn't touch such pure things. A demon shouldn't put his hands on something so pure. What was wrong with him? Before he would have taken her where she lay. Destroyed that innoscence. Now he wanted to preserve it. Something told him he would die to preserve it.

"Hell with proper." Dawn sighed. "I don't wanna feel alone tonight." She tried not to let anymore tears escape her eyes. Too late. Another stinging tear slid down her pale cheek.

"Buffy would show up right when I did, and go for another round of kick the Spike." Spike made exuses. Exuses for not touching her. Because he wanted to. Wanted to take away her pain. Wanted to sooth her. Just to feel her.

"I wont let her." Dawn almost smiled.

Almost.

Wont let her? Spike thought. No one ever protected him. Dawn would lay down in traffic for him. He could see it in her eyes. In those innoscent blue eyes. She would stand between the slayer and him. Not let her harm him. Protect a vampire from her sister that would die for her. Because he was like her. An outkast.

"I guesse, it couldn't hurt." Spike smiled.

Spike walked over to the couch and lay down next to her. She rested her head against his cold chest. He ran his fingers through her silky hair. Why did this feel so right? It should feel wrong. But he loved the way she felt. The way she smelled. The things she said. She wanted to feel safe. And he had to help her. A girl who had lost her mother. Joyce. Another women who treated Spike like he was worth talking to. Like he was a man. She was a nice women. And Dawn had lost her. Lost her mother. Not supposed to lose your mother so young. And Buffy for sure had left her to be with Riley. The big hunk of farm fresh demon hunter. Not worth it to her. Dawn wasn't enough. Just a key. Not real. But she felt real. More real then the slayer. More real then Drue. Or any other women he had felt. She felt real. Something so different about her. The way she was so innoscent, yet so dark. Pure. Yet tarnished. Because of what she had been through. Too much, too young. Having the slayer as a sister, finding out she was just a ball of green energy, losing her mother. All of it was too much. Too much for such a pure thing. The tears slid solemly down her cheek. The way she cried. So soft, so gentle, because she was fighting it. Trying not to cry. But the tears came anyway. Forced their way from her blue eyes.

"I'm gonna die too aren't I?" Dawn asked fear in her tone. Glory. She thought she was going to win this time. That the god-bitch from hell was going to find her. Going to start the blood. It starts and until the blood stops flowing it never stops. It needs the blood. And Dawn was to be the victim.

"I won't let them get you Nibblet." Spike promised. What was he doing? Promising to protect her from a god. Damn that bitch who thought she had the right to hurt his girl. And now he was claiming her. He would protect her with his life. And as worthless as he was, he would not fail.

"Promise?" Dawn asked looking up into his eyes. She loved him. A girl her age could feel so strong about someone, or something. She did. This was love. And he didn't even know it. She wasn't sure she knew it. Then again she wasn't really any real age. Paperwork said she was a 15 year old girl, the memorys said that. Time really spent in this body said she was only a few months old. But being the key she was thousands of years old. So she couldn't be considered an age really. She was just Dawn.

"I promise pet." Spike whispered into her ear gently. A promise he would never break. Couldn't break. Would be worthless then. And something inside this girl made him feel guilt. Guilt for even thinking of hurting her. Not too long ago he would have torn her apart. Now he wanted to protect her with his life. And he knew if he failed he would regret if for eternity. But he wouldn't fail.

"I miss her." She sighed. Missed her mother. Someone who took care of her no matter what. But that made her week. Always being taken care of. Spike would make her strong. Even if the slayer didn't want him touching her. He would. He would make her strong. So she could survive. He promised himself that. He would protect her at all costs.

"I miss her too Nibblet." Spike replied gently. A week little girl lying on his chest. The little whimpers she let out made him want her all the more. She was vulnerable and so pure. She needed protecting and the slayer wasn't doing a good enough job of that. She would never touch her again, Spike would see to that. She was his now.

"Spike?" She whispered gently. Almost innaudable, if Spike didn't have vampire hearing, he would have missed it.

"Yeah Bit?" He answered.

"I...love you." Dawn spoke weary. She wore her heart on her sleeve. An easy way to get it broken. But she didn't hide behind punches, like her sister. Didn't fake the truth, she said what she felt. She had to or she wouldn't be able to breathe.

"I love you too pet." Spike replied. It just came out. He didn't even realize until after she looked up at him in shock what he had said. He told her he loved her. Told her what she wanted to hear, but didn't expect to hear. "I really love you." And he did. He would protect her. Take her away from Sunnydale if he had too. But he would protect her, forever.