****Freshly Edited****
R&R Please!!!
Chapter 1: Training
Dawn watched silently as the SIT's all, one by one faced Spike in the Summers' basement. The training ground for the future was witnessing five girls with no idea of what to do, and one pissed off slayer. "Rona, what did I tell you? Keep that right up, and kick his left leg out!" Buffy's patience was wearing thin with the continuous failure by the SIT's to pick up anything they were trying to drill into their head's.
Dawn shouted as Spike dove at Vi from behind, "Vi, don't stand their moron, spin and use a roundhouse! Come on you guys, I can do better than that!"
"Oh really? Let's see it then!" Rona screamed in anger.
"Come on bit, show them how it's done. Now don't expect me to take it easy on you though, you bloody well know what I'm capable of."
Dawn walked off the last three steps and out onto the training floor, she turned to look at Buffy and the five other girls with a smirk. Buffy started to say something as Spike quietly sneaked up from behind and the SIT's inwardly giggled with glee that she was about to get it. Just as Spike was preparing to grab her shoulder Dawn grabbed his right hand with her own, dropped to a knee, and flipped him over her shoulder all the while rolling with him to where she landed on top of him while he lay on the ground. She landed with her knee in his neck and quickly landed a right across his forehead before reaching down with her blunt stake and tapping Spike in his chest right where his heart lay. He looked up with a smirk knowing that she had just done what the six other girls in the room couldn't, six including Buffy.
"Dawnie, that was it! How did you know what to do?" Buffy said with a slight smirk knowing that this had embarrassed and quite possibly pushed the potentials to try harder.
"React, don't think, just do it. I don't like to get hit, bit, or bitch slapped for that matter, so always react before attack."
The potentials all mumbled among themselves that here was an often clumsy, normal teenager with no slayer powers or potential doing what they couldn't. Buffy gave them the sign that it was enough for the day and they continued to mumble as they walked up the stairs. Spike still laying on the ground groaned as he slightly grabbed his ribs, "Bit, think you could help an ol' friend up." Dawn helped Spike up without even a word and she had an expressionless face. "Was that the anger towards me, or was that the frustration with the girls?"
"You know, I wish I could be mad at you," Dawn started, having the conversation she knew would eventually come, "but it just doesn't work anymore. Buffy is okay with you, and God knows I miss you when your not here. Just promise me you won't go away again."
"Thanks, I was afraid to sleep, I kept smelling fire," Spike stated with a chuckle. Dawn softly laughed, hugged the blonde vamp and walked up the stairs to join the others.
"Well luv, what about that? Little sis is the best of the bunch, and she's not even a potential. I think we've made a mistake here, we've overlooked a key right under out noses, no pun intended."
"Spike, I didn't think she had it in her. I didn't mean to leave her out, I swear, but after that I think I may have to include her."
As the two stood with their arms crossed in silent thought Xander quickly came down the steps. "Hey, heard what happened. She finally stepped up and showed you all something."
"Yeah Xander, she surely did," Spike said matter of factly. Xander was caught off guard by the use of his first name, and the way Spike looked at him like an old friend rather than a verbal sparring buddy. Buffy quietly walked up the stairs still reflecting on what had just went down. "Xander, I need to talk to someone and I guess it's going to have to be you, cause Red might go to Buffy right away."
"What is it? It must be something big if you don't have any quips for me." Xander said, not really trying to entice Spike, but just questioning.
"I think Dawnie is THE POTENTIAL. Not one of those lackies that we've been training, not one of the many, she's it. Little bit, isn't little anymore, she has it in her eyes now. When she watches the girl's you can see it, she knows, but she doesn't. Last week when she thought she was, she felt it, and when she thought she wasn't she pushed the feeling away. But Xander, that spell was right, it hit both girls, not just Amanda. I think we have to teach her how to handle this before we drop it on everyone."
"Man, this is heavy. I know she can do this, and I think I see what your talking about in her eyes, but don't you think that we might need to go to Buffy with this?"
"We can't, she doesn't want her involved. So we're going to have to do this ourselves for now. Could you send her back down here?"
"Sure." Xander said with an almost appreciative tone, "oh, by the way, I see something in your eyes too Spike. Buffy told me that she believes in you, and now, I may not always like you, but I believe in you too, as do the rest. Don't forget that. Oh, and when this is over, don't think you'll get away with calling me Xander, deadboy." Xander and Spike shared a smile, both knowing that they should've buried the hatchet a long time ago. As Xander climbed the stairs to the find Dawn, Spike stood facing the small window thinking, ~She's got to be ready, I can't lose any of them, especially her. I guess I'm going to have to do this right, even if it hurts~
Chapter 1: Training
Dawn watched silently as the SIT's all, one by one faced Spike in the Summers' basement. The training ground for the future was witnessing five girls with no idea of what to do, and one pissed off slayer. "Rona, what did I tell you? Keep that right up, and kick his left leg out!" Buffy's patience was wearing thin with the continuous failure by the SIT's to pick up anything they were trying to drill into their head's.
Dawn shouted as Spike dove at Vi from behind, "Vi, don't stand their moron, spin and use a roundhouse! Come on you guys, I can do better than that!"
"Oh really? Let's see it then!" Rona screamed in anger.
"Come on bit, show them how it's done. Now don't expect me to take it easy on you though, you bloody well know what I'm capable of."
Dawn walked off the last three steps and out onto the training floor, she turned to look at Buffy and the five other girls with a smirk. Buffy started to say something as Spike quietly sneaked up from behind and the SIT's inwardly giggled with glee that she was about to get it. Just as Spike was preparing to grab her shoulder Dawn grabbed his right hand with her own, dropped to a knee, and flipped him over her shoulder all the while rolling with him to where she landed on top of him while he lay on the ground. She landed with her knee in his neck and quickly landed a right across his forehead before reaching down with her blunt stake and tapping Spike in his chest right where his heart lay. He looked up with a smirk knowing that she had just done what the six other girls in the room couldn't, six including Buffy.
"Dawnie, that was it! How did you know what to do?" Buffy said with a slight smirk knowing that this had embarrassed and quite possibly pushed the potentials to try harder.
"React, don't think, just do it. I don't like to get hit, bit, or bitch slapped for that matter, so always react before attack."
The potentials all mumbled among themselves that here was an often clumsy, normal teenager with no slayer powers or potential doing what they couldn't. Buffy gave them the sign that it was enough for the day and they continued to mumble as they walked up the stairs. Spike still laying on the ground groaned as he slightly grabbed his ribs, "Bit, think you could help an ol' friend up." Dawn helped Spike up without even a word and she had an expressionless face. "Was that the anger towards me, or was that the frustration with the girls?"
"You know, I wish I could be mad at you," Dawn started, having the conversation she knew would eventually come, "but it just doesn't work anymore. Buffy is okay with you, and God knows I miss you when your not here. Just promise me you won't go away again."
"Thanks, I was afraid to sleep, I kept smelling fire," Spike stated with a chuckle. Dawn softly laughed, hugged the blonde vamp and walked up the stairs to join the others.
"Well luv, what about that? Little sis is the best of the bunch, and she's not even a potential. I think we've made a mistake here, we've overlooked a key right under out noses, no pun intended."
"Spike, I didn't think she had it in her. I didn't mean to leave her out, I swear, but after that I think I may have to include her."
As the two stood with their arms crossed in silent thought Xander quickly came down the steps. "Hey, heard what happened. She finally stepped up and showed you all something."
"Yeah Xander, she surely did," Spike said matter of factly. Xander was caught off guard by the use of his first name, and the way Spike looked at him like an old friend rather than a verbal sparring buddy. Buffy quietly walked up the stairs still reflecting on what had just went down. "Xander, I need to talk to someone and I guess it's going to have to be you, cause Red might go to Buffy right away."
"What is it? It must be something big if you don't have any quips for me." Xander said, not really trying to entice Spike, but just questioning.
"I think Dawnie is THE POTENTIAL. Not one of those lackies that we've been training, not one of the many, she's it. Little bit, isn't little anymore, she has it in her eyes now. When she watches the girl's you can see it, she knows, but she doesn't. Last week when she thought she was, she felt it, and when she thought she wasn't she pushed the feeling away. But Xander, that spell was right, it hit both girls, not just Amanda. I think we have to teach her how to handle this before we drop it on everyone."
"Man, this is heavy. I know she can do this, and I think I see what your talking about in her eyes, but don't you think that we might need to go to Buffy with this?"
"We can't, she doesn't want her involved. So we're going to have to do this ourselves for now. Could you send her back down here?"
"Sure." Xander said with an almost appreciative tone, "oh, by the way, I see something in your eyes too Spike. Buffy told me that she believes in you, and now, I may not always like you, but I believe in you too, as do the rest. Don't forget that. Oh, and when this is over, don't think you'll get away with calling me Xander, deadboy." Xander and Spike shared a smile, both knowing that they should've buried the hatchet a long time ago. As Xander climbed the stairs to the find Dawn, Spike stood facing the small window thinking, ~She's got to be ready, I can't lose any of them, especially her. I guess I'm going to have to do this right, even if it hurts~