Author's note: I trying to make 'em as fast as I can!  J

He must've heard her wrong.  Yeah, that's it.  The young man rationalized it to no end.  But his hearing was up to par, there was no way mistaking what the pretty, longhaired girl in front of him said. 

He just didn't want to get it.  Deciding to humor her, he asked again.  "Let me guess, he's also a vampire.  Right?"

"Yuh-huh."  She nodded again.

He repeated his earlier statement, this time with considerably louder volume than before.  "Are you out, and out INSANE?!  You're talking about a bloodsucker here!  What are you, a vamp groupie?"

"Eew!  No I'm not!!  But he's been good to me and my sister!"  Dawn defended Spike, pleading with the young man to understand her.

He rubbed his head as if to shake away the aches beginning to form.  Letting out a muffled groan, he walked over to a nearby bench and sat down.  Confusion and disbelief showing in his features, Dawn barely heard him mutter: "Why are all the pretty ones crazy?"

 She blushed a bit and walked over to him and introduced herself.  "Thanks for saving me back there.  My name's Dawn Summers, by the way."

He answered with a nod that copied her gesture a few minutes ago. "No problem.  Name's Chad, so I saved you from those vamps so you could go MEET a vamp?"  He looked up at her and whinnied, "Tell me why doesn't that make sense?"

"Well," she replied, "Spike's a special kind of vamp.  He can't hurt humans even if he tried to.  The government did something to him to make him less bite-y by putting a chip in his brain." 

Chad's eyes widened at the vampire's name.  "What kinda name is SPIKE?  Even for a vampire, it sounds like a cheap porn screen name."

Dawn giggled; she never heard her friend described that way.  She sat down beside him and her gaze shifted from his face to his eyes, noticing for the first time that it was almost as blue as Spike's.  "And what are you doing out here yourself?  Not many people are out past two in the morning."

"Oh, I was just coming home from work at the local supermarket." Chad smiled, pointing to a low building a block away. "I was on my way to the motel I rented not far from here until I saw those guys tail you.  I realized that you didn't notice them till they were on top of you, so I guess I went to lend a hand."

"Thanks."  She repeated, "Looks like my trip's pretty much busted now." 

"You got that right." Chad stood up and extended his hand to her, drawing her up as well.  "And no way am I letting you walk home alone after I saved your life.  Wouldn't want to have a guilty conscience if I ever found out you got drained on your way home.  So I hope you wouldn't mind the escort." 

Dawn shook her head and smiled, "Nope, I'd like that.  But I'm really sorry for having you bother though.  I'll probably see him later today anyways."

"Now why in the heck didn't you think of that in the first place anyhow?"  Chad sighed, walking by her side as they both trudged to Revello Drive.  This earned him another giggle from Dawn. 

"Say," Dawn began, "How'd you take care of those vamps back there?  I could've sworn you weren't using a stake.  You're not a demon, are you?"

"Um," Chad blushed. "I don't think so.  At least I hope I'm not some sort of demon.  I don't remember much of who I am, and what I did back there was purely on instinct.  I guess you could say I made my palms vibrate at a certain speed to blow their hearts from within."

She made a face at that, and asked why he said he couldn't remember much of "who" he was.

"I dunno 'bout that myself." The young man shrugged, "I just found myself waking up on a hospital bed up north with my name tagged on my wrist, and some clothes on the cabinet.  I freaked and ran.  Been like this for a couple of months now, trying to piece together who I am and why I can do what I can do.  Sometimes, when I got low on cash – like now – I work my way till I can scrounge enough to get back on the road.  I never really noticed I was a freak until I was gang-mugged when I was in Chicago.  I put most of them in traction and hightailed it outta there as fast as I could."

"Wow!"  Dawn's eyes widened as she listened to him. "Maybe my sister and the gang might help you with that.  They're good at helping people.  My sister herself's the Slayer."

"The Slayer?" Chad asked, scratching his head. "What's a Slayer?"

"Well…" Dawn eagerly told him about what happened the last few years, omitting a few facts like her being the 'Key'.  He listened and occasionally interrupted her with a small query once in a while. 

They neared her house and she motioned him to be quiet as she climbed up to her window. 

Chad smirked up at her, "You mean you snuck out?" Dawn shushed him once more, irritated at his amusement.  She nearly got her window open when all of the sudden it slid up and her sister peered out at her with a look of disdain.

"DAWN!!"  Buffy yelled.

TBC