"They wouldn't help."
"Help how?"
"She needed protection and they refused."
"Protection from who?" Giles asked.
"Gatherers."
"But Gatherers are blood drinking demons out for a rush. Any blood would do." Spike said.
"They wanted her."
"But why?"
"Her blood was special."
"Special…"
"She was-
I nodded.
"What?" asked Spike.
"Helping a Daywalker is not one of the Council's top priorities." I said. Those words echoed in my mind. I could still hear the Council say them.
"A Daywalker? Your mother was a Daywalker?"
I nodded.
"Katy? That's who your mum was?"
I nodded again, tears streaming down my face. "She told me what I wanted to know about the supernatural, but when she…" my voiced wavered. "When she …" I couldn't say it. "When I was called, my foster parents, they got mad at me for going out. Then they started hitting me. It got worse when I healed. They said I needed to learn how to obey, that I needed a lesson I would remember. So I stopped patrolling, but I just got sick. I didn't know what to do so I ran. Merrick found me just outside of LA."
As I finished my story, Spike just cradled me, holding me and rocking me in his arms, trying to give me some sort of comfort. "Dany, did your mum ever say anything about her family?"
"She wouldn't say much, but sometimes she mentioned someone named Will and Liam. Why?"
"So she told you about me?"
"I thought your name was Spike?"
"It is, William is his human name." Giles said.
"Oh."
"She never told me or Peaches about you though."
I was about to question who Peaches was…
"That's what Spike calls Angel, who also goes by Angelus or Liam."
"Now you get some more sleep Luv, and when you get up, Rupert and I will train you."
"I am not…
"You can train with us and stay here with Giles."
Giles nodded, "I'll take care of the legal technicalities."
I realized I did not have much choice, so I agreed silently. Spike ushered me back to the bedroom and tucked me back in. As I lay down and was falling asleep, I could sense Spike nearby. I felt safe, knowing somehow he was different from other vampires and that he would protect me.
3rd person POV
After Dany was asleep, Spike returned to the living room and saw Giles in the process of making a phone call.
"I'm calling the Council," he said, before Spike could even ask.
"What for?"
"To find out why they let Danielle's mother die and left her daughter alone."
"Dany won't like the Council being called for any reason."
"Yes, well in the process I can pull some strings to gain custody as well."
