AU

Chapter 3

"Spike!" Buffy called as she entered the vampire's crypt.

"Yeah, love?" the vampire answered calmly.

"It's Dawn, she ran away, she found Giles's notebook, the one with all the research he's been doing…she knows almost everything…" she said, pacing around.

"You'll make a hole in the floor if you'll keep pacin', love."

Buffy kept talking and pacing, "I don't know what I'll do if I'll lose her," tears started to show in her eyes. Spike took her in a tight embrace. "I've almost lost Mom, I can't lose her, I won't lose her," tears trickled down the slayer's cheeks.

"Shh... love, you won't lose her. We'll find her," Spike said reassuringly.

"Let's go," Buffy said and sniffed.

And they left the crypt.

It had been almost two hours since Dawn's disappearing stunt and Buffy and Spike didn't know where to search anymore. But then it came, her voice. Dawn's scream could've been heard all around the grave yard.

"Dawn!" Buffy yelled and ran towards the source of the scream. When she got there the slayer found the teen surrounded by three vampires.

"Hey," Buffy called, "why don't you stalk someone your own size!"

The three vampires ran to Buffy, knocking Dawn to the ground on their way.

Buffy dusted two of the vamps in a second but the third one caused her a little trouble

"Err, die already!"

"I am dead."

"No, you're a living dead and that's not dead enough!" She came to punch him but he blocked her and kicked her in the guts, sending her crashing into a tombstone. One of the crashed tombstone pieces penetrated Buffy's side; she pulled out the piece and revealed a nasty cut.

"Now look what you've done! You ruined one of my favorite shirts!"

"Aww, poor little slayer."

"Bite me," Buffy sneered

"Soon."

"Not gonna happen, mate," Spike said and staked the vampire from behind.

"Thanks," Buffy smiled to him.

"My pleasure." He smiled back

She ran to a bleeding Dawn. "Dawn, are you okay?"

"Why do you care? It's not like I'm your sister, I'm a nobody!"

"You're not a nobody!"

"You're such a hypocrite!" Dawn cried.

"What? Why?"

"I heard your talk with mom!"

"Dawn…"

"Don't Dawn me! I heard everything!"

"Everything?"

"Yes, everything, I heard you saying that I don't belong here and that you're not my sister and…"

"Bit…" Spike said and knelt beside Dawn, "you don't know how much Buffy loves you and cares about you."

"So you're taking her side?!"

"I'm not taking any sides! I just don't want you to say or do something stupid."

"How can I say something stupid if I'm not even real!?"

"Dawn!" Buffy almost yelled, "You are real as me and Spike, see this…" She pressed her hand to the cut on her side and took Dawn's bleeding hand in her blood covered hand.

"My blood, your blood, our blood, Summers' blood. Whether you like it or not, we're family. Only family can drive crazy like this." Buffy said with a smile

"I'm sorry," Dawn said, tears dripping down her cheeks.

"I know, me too." The slayer answered and pulled her into a hug.

"Emm, sorry to spoil the Hallmark moment but all the blood talking made me hungry," Spike said leaning against a tombstone.

"I wanna go home," Dawn said quietly.

"Let's go," Buffy said and helped her stand.

As they got to the Summers' household, Buffy spoke.

"Dawn, go on. I'll be right there; I just need to talk with Spike for a second."

"Okay," Dawn said and walked to the door.

Buffy turned to Spike, his arms wrapped around her in a protective and loving hug. She laid her head on his chest.

"So this is our daughter," he said.

"Yep…she has your eyes."

"And your temper."

She slapped him playfully on the chest.

"Like I haven't noticed it. She's our little girl… well, not so little anymore."

"She waits for you, love."

"Yeah, I should go. Before my Mom will file a missing report."

"I love you," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Me too." They kissed for a moment (no tongue action in-front of the kids!) and she walked to Dawn, who waited to her by the door.

He looked at them as they entered the house, his slayer and his niblet, his girls.