Buffy and Spike walk the streets downtown.

"Anything?'

"Nothing yet."

"Spike, it's been hours."

"Yeah well it might go a bit faster if you stopped askin' every two bleedin' seconds."

They pause at a junction. Spike eyes both directions.

Shit.

"Which way?"

He breathes in deeply. William lets goes of the leash just a little and the beast in him raises its head, inhaling. He pulls air in through is nose, smelling nothing but Buffy. The scent of her is crowding out all the other rotten smells of downtown.

If they split they'll cover more ground but by the time they regroup whatever is happening could've.. happened.

Fuck this is hopele- wait.

There's a small breeze, and on it drifts a hundred little messages. Dawns shampoo, Willows tears and... something else. Something foul.

"I said which way-"

"This way, come on." He drags her down to the left, picking up his pace.

At the end of the road he loses the smell of Dawn and Willow, but the foul smell is getting stronger, and there's a new smell. Burnt rubber. He follows the smell for a block.

They both freeze when they hear a scream coming from the alley up ahead.

Oh fuck, that's Dawn.

A car has smashed up against a pillar, completely buckled in at the front. Something, some demon shaped monstrosity, is crouched down around it, snarling and pulling someone out from underneath it by the legs. The leg kicks back, hitting it in the chest, making it stumble back. Dawns crawls out from under the car, throws a handful of grit into the demons eyes.

"DAWN!" Buffy is flying, landing a kick to the head, then a punch, a second and a third, driving it back away from Dawn.

Dawn slumps down, sobbing against the car. Spike casts a glance to make sure the fight is going the direction it should before bending down.

"My arm- my OW no! Don't touch."

"Alright, alright, just need to take a look at it, bit." He moves to take the hand that's cradling her left.

"No no no no, don't touch!" She recoils, flinching from the pain of it.

There's blood oozing from a gash on her forehead and she's shaking violently. Her face has turned grey.

There's a screech and a howl behind them. Whatever fight was going on has finished before its barely begun, and Buffy is moving in beside her.

"What happened? Are you ok?"

"He was- after Willow she- made the car drive DON'T DON'T don't"

"No honey I need to see your arm ok? I need to see it." She's pulls back Dawns hand as gently as she can and Dawn starts sobbing, "ok, we need to get her to a doctor."

Spike nods and hooks his arm under Dawn's good side, helps get her feet underneath her and lifts her up.

"OH GOD DAWNIE! DAWNIE I'M SO SORRY I'M SO SO SORRY!" Willow blocks their path, blubbering and gasping. There's not a scratch on her. Spike clenches his jaw, furious at the disparity of it.

You stupid bint. His hand curls into a fist. He has to take a beat to get back control and uncurl it. The beast strains inside him pawing at his mind.

"Dawn please, oh god you're bleeding, I'm so- I didn't see the- I'm sorry-I'm so sorry Dawnie-"

Dawn wobbles, and he keeps his arm round her worried she's going to faint, but her good arm unlatches from across his shoulder. She slaps Willow hard, knocking her back slightly. Willow gasps, the sobs starting again.

Spike tugs gently at Dawn to get her moving away and she falls into step with him.

Willow is wailing like a wounded animal. When Spike looks back he sees Buffy trapped between them. She's watching as Willow collapses in front of her, great heaving gasping cries flooding out of her like blood from a wound.

Buffy glances at him and he nods. He gets Dawn walking again, leaving Buffy to pick up the pieces of Willow.

He keeps his arm around her all the way to the street where he parks his car. The colour has started coming back to her face a little. He opens the door for her and buckles the seat belt around her, making sure to keep a good distance apart from her arm.

"Doing alright, bit?"

She nods, "hurts."

"Well the main thing is that you're not milkin' it." She grimaces a little, and he closes the door for her.

He starts the car and drives to the hospital, keeping the speed nice and low for her.

They're in and out of the hospital faster than he would've expected, especially at a Hellmouth destination.

Dawn is set up with a bandage for the cut on her forehead and a shiny white cast for arm, the glare of it reflecting the streetlights as they drive home.

They sit in comfortable silence until they pull into Revello Drive. There's lights on in the house.

"I don't want to go in with her in the house right now."

Spike nods. Dawn sighs, grimacing slightly.

"I'm so sick of Buffy saving me every single day."

"She only did the last bit, Pigeon. Think he was on the ropes after you put your foot through his chest."

In spite of herself Dawn smirks at that.

"Come on, out you get. If you put a brave face on it I'll even write a dirty word on your cast."

When they get in Buffy is sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee.

She gets up too quickly and spills half of it.

"Dawn, are you- your arm, is it-"

"It's a fracture," Spike interrupts the babbling, putting Dawns bag down in the hallway, "should heal up fine."

Buffy brushes hair out of Dawns eyes, and hugs her, tentatively, only giving a tiny bit of pressure. Dawn hugs her back with her good arm. Both of them suddenly look exhausted. Buffy breaks first, tucking Dawns hair behind her ear.

"You should get to bed Dawn."

Dawn nods, heading up the stairs. There's a rip in the leg of her jeans from where the demon dragged her back, and Spike realises how covered in dirt she is. Blood has matted in her long hair on one side. Fury flares up again.

There's a muffled sound coming from Willows room, and he can hear she's still crying. The anger melts a little. As much as he wants to punish Willow for this she'll do a much better job of it by herself.

Still worth storing away for later though.

He realises Buffy was speaking.

"What, luv?"

"I said, thank you. For... being with Dawn. Not just tonight but... y'know." She shrugs and looks embarrassed.

He smiles, "S'no trouble. Easy enough to do."

"Doesn't feel easy." She sits down on the steps. She looks like she'll cry and she lays her head down in her arms to hide her face.

Spike sits down next to her, hand stroking her back.

"It's just so hard. All the time. Everyone else seems to be managing so well, and I'm just...drowning."

"Yeah well, you are the Slayer, pet. All the rest of us get the luxury of kicking our heals while you do the heavy lifting of stopping the world from ending on a semi regular basis."

Tears look like they're about to spill.

"I miss mom so much."

Spike's throat closes around a lump.

"I know. She was...decent. Takes a lot to be that on a Hellmouth," Buffy slides under his arm and bites back a sob, "and say what you will about the lady she knew her way around an axe."

Buffy chuckles desipte the tears.

"I don't know what I'm going to do about Dawn."

"You could get her her own axe."

She laughs, and elbows him in the stomach, wiping the tears off her face.

"Wouldn't be the end of the world if you let people help though," she looks up at him then, "if you let me help."