Conner watched as Buffy saw him and kindly left. Dawn was confused and then caught sight of Conner. Dawn blushed immediately. He wondered why she was doing that so much.

"Hi," Dawn greeted as Conner walked up.

"Hi," He said back, "What's up?"

"Oh, well, you know," Dawn said nonchalantly, "preparing for a Hellmouth, nothing important." They both laughed. Sarcasm seemed to be the new thing to do.

"Yeah," He said, "You doing anything later?"

"I don't think so," Dawn told him, "I don't think we'll close the Hellmouth until tomorrow."

"Cool," Conner said. Okay, time for Willow's intimidating advice. "So, later, you wanna go to a movie or something?" Dawn smiled and blushed a little.

"Sure," She said, then she gave Conner the evil eye, "You aren't asking because of Willow, are you?"

"Of course not," he said, fidgeting. "I wanted to ask…really," he promised.

"Okay," She said, her face softening up. "So pick me up at seven?"

"With my super human strength? Of course," he said, making Dawn giggled. She looked off in the distance.

"I have to go talk to Buffy," Dawn said and started to leave. Conner suddenly grew magical balls as he grabbed Dawn's arm and pulled her back to him. He pecked her shocked face on the cheek.

"See you at seven," he said suavely before turning and walking away. Dawn stood for a moment in the hallway red-faced and shell-shocked. She turned slightly to see Buffy with a giggly smile.

"Definitely the son of the Angel," Buffy said, remembering her first kiss with Angel.

Dawn merely bobbed her head. That was a huge surprise.

…

"So, it was Cero?" Angel asked in that always annoying voice of his, sitting behind his over-compensative desk.

"Obviously," Spike grunted. He was leaning against one of the chairs, watching Illyria stare at a plastic plant. Ever since those blokes magic-ed Spike back to normal, Illyria had practically been stalking him. She followed him everywhere, even the bathroom, even the bathroom, which was pretty awkward.

Angel stared at his desk, pretending to think about something. "Cero's not our only problem now, Spike," He said casually.

"Oh yeah? Did another bug crawl up your ass?" He asked. Angel sighed and put his hand over his eyes. "Cause I don't think there's anymore room in there, mate."

"No. There's another Hellmouth, here in Los Angeles," Angel said, not looking up.

"Seriously?" Spike asked, his brow scrunching together as he glanced at Illyria and back to Angel. "You're not just sayin' that so I'll commit sacrifice?" Angel just sighed at Spike's question, but Illyria gazed at Spike. She turned away from the plant to stand a few feet away from Spike and glared at Angel.

"I will not allow that to happen," She said in her deep god-like voice, her angry gaze enough to make a lesser man wet himself.

"Why not love? It'd save the world," Spike told her. Illyria glared at her in anger.

"The world has been saved without your death, I will not allow you to die this time," She commanded. Angel let his head fall against the desk with a heavy thud.

"Why do gotta control everything? I can die for the world if I want to," Spike challenged, standing tall beside Illyria.

"You will not die under any circumstance because you are mine. I control you because I can. Because I am the mighty God-"

"Illyria! I know! We all know," Spike told her, she seemed to back down a little, "But when're you gonna get off your bloody high horse and realize you're not a god anymore!" Illyria slammed her hand into Spike's neck, choking him. They glared at each other. Angel stayed down and wondered when they would both leave.

"I hate to break up this lovely scene," Buffy said at the door, "But there's a Hellmouth to see." Illyria let go of Spike and glared at Angel whose head had snapped up at the sound of Buffy's voice. Dawn stepped out from behind her sister to glare at Spike.

"Don't stay there too long, you know how Hellmouths are," Angel warned.

"Don't worry. Quick tour, in and out. No problem," Buffy told him.

"Oh, yeah and mate, get an exterminator," Spike remarked before following Illyria out the door. Spike noticed that Dawn looked upset. She probably didn't want to be anywhere near Spike, now or ever, but she didn't have to be here. "Something wrong, Nibblet?" Spike asked as nicely as he could. Dawn just glared and got farther away. "Hellmouths are pretty tricky," He tried. Buffy and Illyria remained ahead of them, Illyria talking about violence.

"I know," She said harshly. Now Spike really hit lit her flame. She was obviously upset by something Hellmouth related.

"What? You lose someone precious to the Hellmouth?" Spike asked, getting closer to the fire.

"Not you," She replied coldly.

"Like bloody hell not me. I know you closed a different one too, and no doubt you lost others in the first closing," Spike said.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you," She said.

"Why not? What happened to when we'd talk in my crypt? You didn't seem so cold then…or as tall," He said. Now he noticed how much she'd grown up since then.

"How can I trust you, what you are…and Buffy, what you did to her," Dawn accused.

"Almost did…" Spike corrected, "and I'm not like that anymore…"

"Oh really, and I'm just supposed to trust you again?" Dawn asked, "I'm supposed to forgive you now?"

"…no…" Spike answered. He knew there was no forgiving what he'd done, not ever. He decided to leave Dawn alone, she didn't need to put up with him. He stayed silent the whole way to the meat factory, while Illyria and Buffy discussed violence. Dawn simply glared at whatever was around, it made Spike wonder how it was going with her and Conner-boy.

The meat factory was completely silent. Spike was eerily reminded of the high school basement of Sunnydale. It pulled at him, he could feel the evil of the Hellmouth tempting his soul to darkness. Tormenting him. He tried to ignore it, but it was stronger than the Sunnydale Hellmouth. "The first," Spike uttered, "there was only one?"

"Yeah, we think so," Buffy said, not quite calming Spikes fear. "This way," Buffy said, turning a corner. Spike followed behind the group. They came to a huge room. It was dark and filled with lots of knives and butchery equipment. It all brought sour memories up for Spike. Buffy led them down some stairs to a small room. Spike recognized the Hellmouth seal. It gave him chills.

"This is the cause of violence?" Illyria asked. She put her hands toward it. "I feel its power."

"Yeah, this thing is dangerous," Dawn told her. She got closer to it. Spike could feel its power too. He could feel it long before they got in the building. He stopped paying attention for a few minutes to stare at a stain on the wall and get a hold of himself.

"Hey Spike, I think we have a problem," Buffy called to him. He looked back to see Dawn sitting cross-legged in midair.

"Bloody hell," He said, trying to figure out what happened.

"We think there's a force field around it," Buffy explained as she leaned on the force field. At first Spike thought she would fall, but as she leaned against it and Illyria pushed her hands against the other side, Spike saw a rough outline of an invisible box around the seal.

"Think this is a problem?" Spike asked.

"Duh," Dawn said from her perch. Buffy rolled her eyes and stood next to Spike.

"Do you feel it?" Buffy asked when Dawn couldn't hear.

"Yeah. It's strong," Spike told her, watching Illyria hit the force field as Dawn sat motionless atop it.

"Maybe that thing isn't just a barrier," Buffy suggested. Maybe that's what Spike felt, the force field, not the seal or the Hellmouth.

"Who do you think put it there?" Spike asked.

"I don't know, but we should tell Angel," Buffy said. She went to help Dawn down as Spike went for Illyria.

"Come on, blue, field trip's over," Spike told her. But Illyria wouldn't stop attacking the barrier. "You can attack me later, but we need to go now."

"Him," Illyria growled.

"Him who, love?" Spike played along.

"Cero. I smell him all over. This is his power. This is his doing," Illyria grumbled.

"Then fancy we tell Angel and we can kill Cero then," Spike said as he tried to hold onto Illyria from behind, trying to make her stop. Illyria didn't want to stop though and ended up hitting Spike hard in the face on accident. "Bloody hell," Spike mumbled, holding his hand to his nose where it broke again. Illyria stared at the blood that came. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make her stop and watch Spike.

Buffy and Dawn started to walk away and Spike followed. Illyria caught up. Now it was completely silent the whole way back. Illyria kept her gaze down and Spike tried to stop his bleeding. Buffy and Dawn felt somewhat awkward.

…

Illyria sat quietly as Angel heard the news about the barrier. Spike reported what Illyria said at the seal. Angel was angry and changed back to wanting to stop Cero. Illyria wished he would make up his mind. Angel barked orders as he does. Illyria was lost in thought and almost missed Spike leaving.

Illyria got up and followed Spike back to his apartment. As he left to the kitchen Illyria sat on the dingy couch. Someone had fixed the door she broke. She wondered if it was the Slayer's carpenter friend. She thought of crashing down the door. Finding Spike. All the blood.

Again, violence failed her. She couldn't break down the barrier and she had hurt Spike. She made him bleed…the way Cero made him bleed. But that's what Spike was there for. He was her pet. She was supposed to hit him. But it felt sickening to see his blood again.

"Something wrong, blue?" Spike asked, taking a seat next to her. He drank alcohol and waited for Illyria to answer.

"Your blood sickens me," She replied. Spike put a glass in her hand.

"Join the club and have a drink," Spike said, not unkindly.

"I have no internal organs," She reminded him.

"Of course not," Spike said, taking the glass back and drinking the putrid liquid.

"I will tear Cero apart, limb from limb," Illyria grunted.

"Why's that?" Spike asked, leaning back on the couch and slipping off his coat. Illyria lifted Spike's shirt to see his still healing scar. Tomorrow, there would be no evidence of Cero. Illyria traced it with one hand.

"He hurt you…and you're mine," Illyria said quietly. "He stole you, he stole from me. Only I can hurt you." Spike drank more.

"What about today? You hit me good, but you been quiet ever since, not even botherin' Angel's plant. And you been followin' closer behind me since then too," Spike pointed you. Illyria didn't answer, she didn't know what to say. "Why have you been following me?" Spike asked.

"I will NOT allow Cero to hurt you again," Illyria admitted.

"That's sweet, blue, but I can take care of myself," Spike told her. Illyria looked at him unbelieving.

"Apparently not well enough," Illyria said. Spike had to admit, she had a good point. How many times had someone kidnapped him for torture? Too many. Spike eased his arm around Illyria, knowing she wouldn't kill him for it now.

"Good thing I have you then," Spike said as he started to pass out next to her. Illyria leaned back on the couch like Spike did and rested her head on his shoulder, watching him sleep. She wondered why Spike, a half-ling, a nothing, could make her change the way she was.

…

Sorry for not updating for a while, I've been busy. Pumping iron! [shows off awesome muscles] Not really [muscles diminish with a WHOOSH]

But anyway, please accept this sacrificial chapter as a new one (with actual Dawn-Conner scenes) will be posted soon. So stay tuned!

And always be kind and review! (get it, review, instead of rewind. I crack myself up) See the button [points below] push it, then write random thoughts….yes, even thoughts about breakfast items. Then clickey Submit. Good! Thanks for reading and putting up with me!