ImitorVitaProAmor13 Disclaimer: All characters and places, etc... belong to Joss and all those lovely people involved with making our fav tv show.
We only chose to borrow these characters for a bit to do what we enjoy doing. All that we own is our lovely plot! No
copyright infrigment is intended in any way shape or form.

With that out of the way...

Title: Imitor Vita Pro Amor (Imitating Life For Love)

Authors: Peroxide Pest and Nocturne Wytche, AKA Celeste and Debbie

Spoilers: All Seasons

Dedications: Well, I'd like to say thanks to all those wonderful S/B writers out there that have inspired me and my sister to come
outta our shells and see what y'all think of our lil fics. We'd probably like to thank each other for putting up with each other and
the sort, and of course for being so good at writing together, you can barely tell where one of us begins and one ends. Also, to
our sister, Keren, who still loves Angel, we forgive you :P Lea, thanks for all the help and support, blessed be sister.

Summary: A few unsuspected visitors come back to good ol' SunnyD and cause some more havoc in our favorite slayer's life.
She must also decide where her feelings for Spike lay. A run in with a demon changes things for Spike. S/B

Rated: R just to be safe

Note: songs come into a lot of play in the next few chapters, just to let you all know. Sorry if it becomes a nuisance, but hey
its the music of our character's hearts :P Or something to that affect... Plus, it leads to plenty of s/b romantic tension, which we
all love! Also, no copyright infringement intended on these beautiful songs, that are the backgrounds to the soul of this story :)

P.S.: We've also come to notice that Spike purring...is a GREAT thing :P *EG*
P.S.S Due to 2 mentions we've fixed the format so its easier for you all to read and enjoy, and we're such sticklers to please our fans; its fixed :P enjoy!

Without further blabbings:

Imitor Vita Pro Amor

Part 13

Buffy stood in the training room; book in hand. She walked lazily in circles as she read, because she couldn't stand to sit any longer. In the hours of research that they'd done, they'd turned nothing up on any type of demon that could harness electricity, let alone one made OF it.

"Hey..." Willow's voice echoed in the quiet room as she joined Buffy inside.

"Hey," Buffy greeted back, looked up. "Find something? Anything?"

"Nope," Willow shook her head. She stared at her friend, wondering what to say.

"What is it, Wills?" Buffy asked, setting down the book.

"Well... I was wondering...what's bothering you?" Willow questioned, deciding to just get to the point. Like Spike always said to. Cuz, she had this habit of rambling, and over the summer, she'd done a lot of it, and Spike had always been the one tell her to get to the point and stuff, so she figured she'd try it and see if it worked and… oh wait.

"Nothing at all..." Buffy lied, eyes darting away.

"C'mon, Buffy. I know something is bothering you..." Willow pressed her friend gently. Buffy bit her lip, wanting to share with Will, but not knowing where to start. How could she tell her friend that what was really bothering her was that dream about Spike? It was driving her to complete distraction! She couldn't stop thinking about it. And then there was Spike in general, for that matter... Than she'd have to admit there was feelings there for her to be bothered by in the first place. She faked another smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'm fine, really..."

"Ok, yeah, and I'm straight," Willow snorted. She gripped her friend's wrist gently, trying to ease her into conversation. "C'mon Buffy, you've been acting strange all day..."

"I have? How?" Buffy argued.

"Researching? Actually reading the stuff? Instead of skimming pictures? Sooo not the Buffy I know..." Willow pointed out.

"I miss school.." Buffy lied lamely. "The whole college thing."

Willow's eyes widened. "Okay, now I KNOW something's wrong. Very wrong." She tugged her friend down onto the small couch to the side of the room. "It is Riley?"

Buffy didn't answer.

"Or Spike?"

Her head shot down, eyeing the floor. Willow smiled (or frowned, she wasn't quite sure) to herself. Bingo.


Dawn smiled at the dentist with relief, three hours later. She'd had no cavities so there was no need to see him again until it was time for another cleaning. A definite ray of sunshine amidst all the clouds today. Now she had to head home and do her homework. Joy.

"Are you sure you don't need a ride, Miss Summers? It is dark out now..." the dentist, Doctor James, asked.

"Oh, no thanks Doctor James. I'll be fine, my house isn't too far from here..." Dawn responded.

"I'm surprised your sister isn't here to pick you up..." the dentist frowned, disapprovingly.

*Me too*... Dawn thought, growing slightly worried. Maybe Buffy had run into trouble? Of the slimy, green, scaly, fangy, oozy type? She forced the thoughts from her head. "Um, she was...uh…food shopping…so since home isn't too far, she figured 'd be ok. I'm a big girl."

The dentist smiled. "Yes, you are. Just be safe."

"I will," Dawn nodded, grabbing her backpack. "Goodnight..."

"Good night, Dawn," the dentist called as she left the offices.

She stepped out into the cool night air, straightening the straps of her 50 lb. backpack as she did. She sighed, a bit frightened at the completely bare, silent street that greeted her. The smarter residents of Sunnydale were inside locked doors at this point, she surmised. She suddenly wished Spike was around. Well, she had been wishing he was around all day, but she wished he was here even more than before right now. He had always been there to protect her, when Buffy wasn't.

And with that, she began wondering just where the in the bloody hell Buffy was, and if her sister was okay... She started down the block, her fears relenting slightly. At least it wasn't a long walk to home. Once she was home, she'd call Giles to ask him if he knew where the slayer was.


Riley strolled into the magic shop, ringing the little bell on the door as he did. The members of the gang all looked up, half expecting to see William the Bloody waltzing into their mists after realizing that he had become an integral part of the group and couldn't just LEAVE like he had.

"Hey Spike we found…" Xander trailed off as he realized who it was. "Oh. Hey Riley!"

Ignoring the younger boy's slip and giving him points for the cheery greeting, Riley smiled smally. "Hey everyone. Um… so, is Buffy…"

"Training room," Giles responded, not taking his eyes off of the fascinating book he was looking at. Riley wasn't someone he worried about often. As long as he wasn't terrorizing Buffy, everything was fine. Though, the watcher wondered if the boy wasn't the reason Spike had left recently.

Riley nodded and headed back towards the training room, straightening his shoulders and setting his jaw. He ignored the offhanded way the Scoobies had dealt with him. To them, he was just harmless, old Riley. Good old, dependable Riley. Well, he needed to be different from here on out. Fiercer, more passionate, more tumultuous. He could do that. He really could.

The ex-commando creaked the door open, revealing the training room, where Buffy and Willow sat, talking deeply about something or another.

The girls looked up at the sound of his footfalls on the tile, and abruptly ceased their conversation; bathing the room in silence, save for his footsteps and their breathing. He pretended not to notice how silent they had gotten upon his arrival. "Buffy." He tried to put force behind his voice. "We're going to talk."

"Um…I'll go," Willow stated quietly, looking from her best friend to her ex, then back again. Buffy nodded, and with that small motion of consent, the witch quickly made her way out of the room, smiling awkwardly at Riley as she passed. He smiled back just as awkwardly, and she hurried out the door, closing it behind her. She had research to do, anyway.

"Hi, Riley," Buffy greeted, regarding him curiously.

He tried not to do anything awkward, like run his hand through his hair or fidget. He tried to exude confidence, ferocity. If that was what she wanted, that was what she'd get.

She was puzzled now, not seeing any of his usual foibles. He didn't rub his neck with his hand or fidget with his arms or hair. You know, those little things that made him Riley to her. "What's up?" she asked, slightly worried.

He didn't respond at first, completely blanking on what he had planned to say to her. He only knew it had been something passionate, a declaration of love more heated than anything he'd ever been known to do. But it had suddenly left him in her presence, and his throat momentarily went dry. Noting the look she was giving him, he decided it would be best to say SOMETHING. Anything.

"I can be what you want me to be," he blurted before he could stop himself. He mentally smacked himself the second he said it, noting her immediate, bewildered reaction. Whatever happened to cool aloofness to sudden passion, to nothing again? That had been his plan, in any case.

She looked surprise. "What?"

He decided to be straightforward. "You want some monster? You want an up and down ride? Heat? Passion? Hate? Love? I can give it to you. Just give me the word. And it's yours."

Buffy realized Riley was sounding desperate, and it sort of scared her. Good old, reliable Riley wasn't so good or reliable right now. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I mean, I know what I said last night must have been weird…but… it didn't DO anything to you, did it?"

He looked at her. "What do you mean? It did EVERYTHING! I know what you want now. You want someone who drives you nuts and up and down and all over the place. You want something unpredictable and crazy."

His words stunned her. She didn't want that… did she? Inwardly, she sighed. What did she know? She never knew what she wanted. Or she wouldn't admit to herself what she wanted. In ether case, his words hit something. Pushing that little twang of panic and shock back, she tried to face him with reason. "What are you talking about, Riley? That's not what I want."

He was immensely frustrated right about now, and he couldn't help but run both hands through his hair simultaneously, emitting a high-pitched sound of frustration as he did. "Fine. Fine, let's say for a second, that ISN'T what you want. What DO you want, then?"


Dawn walked briskly, trying to remember that Spike had said if she needed him, he'd be there. It sort of gave her comfort, even though she knew he wasn't here, right now. But the mantra gave her enough confidence to continue her solitary walk down the street, backpack bouncing noisily behind her as she did. She pictured anything out there that would even dare touch her being ripped apart by her guardian vampire, then spit upon and made fun of as it died a horrible, pain filled death. The thought of him tearing into anything and anyone that wanted to hurt her eased her internal worry. She strode with a little more confidence after a while, as she neared the Magic Shop. She was soooooo going to kill Buffy for this once she got there. That's what she told herself, anyway. She knew her sister was preoccupied with Spike and Riley issues, but still, Dawn figured this little situation was good enough to get her some 'get out of jail free' cards when it came to Buffy. If she played her cards right, anyway. She smirked a smirk reminiscent of Spike's at the thought.

"Hey Dawn!!! Dawn Summers!!! Hellooo!!"

Dawn jumped visibly at the sudden sound in the previously dead silent night. Obviously, she hadn't been as calm as she first assumed. Taking a deep breath to quell the sudden tremors racking her body, she turned around to see who had called her. She saw her friend Lisa and a group of others walking on the opposite side of the street, back in the direction of town. "Um…hey guys!" she called, smiling and waving at them. "Where're you all going at 8 o'clock at night?"

Lisa waved her over so they wouldn't have to shout across the street. "We thought we'd go study at the Bronze, you know, for that HUGE English test we have tomorrow over Great Expectations? Most of us need to do some major cramming for Mister Wilson's exam. I hear it's going to be a killer."

Dawn blanched. "Oh my God, I forgot completely..."

The group looked at her, incredulous. "How could you FORGET?" Jasmine asked her friend, disbelieving. "It's like, the biggest grade of the six weeks!"

"God, I've just been busy," Dawn sighed. "Hey, can I come with you guys to study? I mean, if you don't mind or anything."

Lisa nodded. "Sure D. There's live band tonight at the Bronze, so we thought we'd check it out amidst all the studying," the girl explained, grabbing onto Dawn's arm and marching them back in the direction from which she had first come, towards the club. Dawn just hoped Buffy didn't kill her for this. She needed to study, anyway. It was important. Plus the whole live band at the Bronze? Definitely something to go see. Buffy would understand.


Spike polished off the rest of his blooming onion and pushed the plate away from him at the Bronze. The band blew, the sound a mix between alternative and folk, and he had been asked to dance by so many Goth chicks tonight he really was tempted to take one out and kill her just because it was wearing on him. But then he thought about Buffy, and about beating the odds and breaking the rules, and all he could do was politely decline each offer they made him.

He sipped his Guinness and sighed. Here he was, again. Good old Sunnyhell. The one place that drew him like a moth to a flame. He toasted it with his bottle and grinned ironically to himself. So… now what? He was here… and after numerous tests to just make sure he hadn't been hallucinating, he could hurt humans. If the man he'd slugged was any indication, anyway. But that man had been a ponce, and as far as Spike was concerned, had deserved the broken jaw for the way he had been treating his girlfriend.

He set his drink aside and watched the evening crowd gyrating to the terrible music. What the hell were they all doing here anyway? It was a weeknight. They should be at home, studying, like his Nibblet was. No question that Buffy'd be helping little sis for that big Great Expectations test coming up tomorrow. He had been the one to help her with summer school after Buffy had died, studied with the Bit and all that school stuff she'd been forced into. They'd done good together, she and him. He wondered what she was doing right now. He missed her. Her and big sis.

You're lost little girl
You're lost little girl
You're lost
Tell me who
Are you?

As if some higher power was out to play with his mind, Spike saw Dawn walk into the Bronze, surrounded by a group of her mates. He gaped, frozen for a second, surprised to see her here on a school night, without anyone to watch out for her, on top of that? The vampire grew annoyed. Was that it, then? Was Spike the only one who had time to keep an eye on Platelet? He growled low in his throat and left his table by the bar, fading back into the shadows of the dimly lit club. He'd watch out for her, like always, but she didn't need to know he was here. One thing good about being a vampire, he mused, was that he could fade in and out of the dark with little effort. Before long he was sidled up not 10 feet from her and her little buddies who were gathered around some of the old couches, books on the table and soda money in hand.

I think that you know what to do
Impossible? Yes, but it's true
I think that you know what to do, yeah
I'm sure that you know what to do


He watched them from behind, and studied Nibblet. She looked tired. A little frazzled. Spike realized he must have forgotten to study for the bloody test. And didn't she have a dentist appointment this week? Where the hell was Buffy? She hadn't ditched Bit to run off with Cap'n Styrofoam, had she? Worry gnawed at him. Dawn looked slightly disturbed, like something was weighing on her.

You're lost little girl
You're lost little girl
You're lost
Tell me who
Are you?

Then one of her fella friends put his book down and asked her to dance, being all goofy about it and making her laugh a little, but it was mostly forced. That whelp of a boy with his hand on Dawn reminded Spike a lot of Xander, and he swore that he'd die before he saw Dawn get picked up by the likes of that. The two headed for the dance floor and Dawn looked around, in the group of writhing people, looking somewhat uncomfortable. He wondered why.

You're lost little girl
You're lost little girl
You're lost

Dawn let Ronald lead her out on the dance floor just because she didn't really know how to say no to him without hurting his feelings. All she really wanted to do was study for her test. Normally, Spike would have helped her, and she would have been safe and sound at home, but things hand changed drastically between then and now.

She was sort of afraid here, knowing that no one knew where she was, or was looking out for her. She realized she should have called Buffy to let her know where she was. If her sister had figured things out buy now, she would be worried sick.

She danced with Ronald for a little bit, so as not to insult him, but halfway through excused herself and headed towards the bar, where she knew she could borrow a phone to call Buffy.

Dawn walked up to the bar and coughed, alerting the bartender to her presence. He frowned at looked at her. "Look kid, there's no way in hell you're old enough to…"

"I don't want alcohol," she responded hastily. "I was just wondering if I could borrow your phone."

"Uh, yeah," the man agreed, pushing a tan phone towards her. "Local calls only."

She nodded. "Yeah. Just a local call…"

She waited, the sound of the phone ringing at her house on Revello drive. She patted her fingers on the countertop while she waited for an answer, noting a bunch of guys wearing UC Sunnydale shirts screwing around and grinning as they strolled up the bar. One of them looked right at her and she turned away, just waiting for Buffy to pick up. Then, a meaty hand suddenly pushed down the button on the phone and all she heard was the dial tone. "Hey!" she protested, glaring at the college boy.

"Hey yourself girlie," he responded, leering.

Buffy turned her eyes and walked away from him. She sighed, looking heavenward. Is this what she came back to life for? To be tortured to death until she made a decision about her romantic life?! Especially considering how every decision she's made in the past has been a bad one. She groaned, turning on her heel to face him, a few feet away now. "Riley, why can't you just settle for being really important to me right now?" Buffy asked, almost pleaded.

He frowned slightly at her statement.

"I don't know what I want, okay? I told you a thousand times over. I just DON'T know!" She exclaimed, before calming herself with a deep breath that inevitably turned into a long-suffering sigh. "Can't we just take this slow? Why do we have to rush into decisions?"

"I don't wanna be strung along like a lapdog, Buffy. It may work with Spike, but it doesn't work with me," Riley shook his head. "I don't think you'll ever decide if we just keep putting the issues on the back burner."

"I don't string along anyone, Riley," Buffy snapped back, lips pressing into a thoughtful frown. Did she? She bit her lip, unsure of herself. Why did he have to tear all her resolve apart?! "If you can't give it time Riley, than just go on and walk out of my life again. Except, this time, don't come back!"

"You know that's not what I want, Buffy. I don't know if that's what you want, but all I'm saying is, how much longer can you keep putting it off?"

Riley stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm a good man Buffy. I try, I really do. But it never seems enough. If you need more than I'll try to give you more. If you want a little bad boy in your man... I...I... could try..."

Buffy shivered in his embrace. She turned her eyes. "Riley, you can't change who you are to make me happy. Just like I can't change who I am to please anyone, I've tried. I'm the slayer, and no one seems to get that. They're never satisfied. They want more Buffy, or more of the slayer. When will anyone be satisfied with just me?!" She pulled away, uncomfortable in his embrace. "I don't want a bad boy Riley, or a good boy or whatever it is you've gotten into your head. How can you possibly know what I need, if I don't?!"

"Buffy, I'm a human being. I can do all the things you need and want. To walk in the sunlight, to get a job, take care of you, give you a family..." Riley pleaded, trying to dig his way out of the hole she buried him in. "Spike can't do that. He can't give you children; he can't walk in the sunlight. He's a killer! A soulless demon! He's an evil monster, who's nothing but a killer!"

"He's not a killer!" Buffy defended. "Not anymore!"

"All because of some extra hardware in his brain!" Riley tried to rationalize. "Can't you see he's a killer! He's soulless."

Buffy glared. "I know plenty of killers with souls!" She couldn't believe the lengths she was going to defend Spike.

"What if he turns on you??! What if you wake up one day and he kills you, or your friends?! Or Dawn?! How can you risk that? Look what happened with Angel! And he had a soul!" Riley argued. "There's no remorse in Spike. No love. Just evil."

"Stop it!" Buffy wanted to pull her hair out in frustration. "Spike wouldn't hurt Dawn!! I know it! In my gut! In my heart! In my head! It's all bubbling around inside! Can't you see it?! Spike's changed!"

"Changed for how long? I'm the closest you get to perfect Buffy. I love you so much, can't YOU see that?" Riley was losing badly.

She stared at him like he was made of glass. Her jaw dropped.

"What? What did I say?" he asked.

"Oh God... Dawn...." Buffy mumbled. She broke her transfixed gaze. "I forgot Dawn! I forgot!" her eyes welled up with guilty tears and she ran from the room.

"Buffy!! Wait!!!" Riley called.

"I can't! Dawn's all alone!" she burst into the other room.

"What's wrong?" Giles asked.

"Dawnie... we need to find her..." Buffy rushed out the store, not bothering to explain anymore than that. She ran towards the school first, and if she wasn't still there she'd check the dentist.

Riley looked at the stunned group. "I'll go check home and the cemetery," he stated, a bit meekly. Tara and Willow offered to check their place and school.

Xander took Anya's hand and led her towards the door. "Anya and I will check the streets and hospital."

Giles nodded. "I'll wait here incase she decides to come by."

"I'm using the phone, you'll just have to wait your turn," Dawn pulled the phone
towards her and started dialing again., sparing an annoyed look at Frat boy.

The older, bigger boy ripped the phone from her hands. "Screw you, little girl. I'll use the damn phone whenever the hell I want to." He picked up the receiver.

Dawn growled angrily and glared at him. "Yeah, piss off," she muttered, unconsciously uttering one of Spike's favorite phrases.

The college boy stopped dialing and turned his head to her. "What did you say to me!?"

"Wow, Frat boys really are dumber than your average dumb person..." Dawn snorted. "I said… piss off!" She grabbed the receiver away from him.

His friends laughed at him. "You gonna let a high school brat overpower you, Terry?"

"Easy now..." the bartender warned. One of his friends laughed drunkenly and socked the guy right in the face, knocking him out. Dawn swallowed hard, her heart pounding in fear as she regarded the expressions of her oppressors. She'd gone too far. She just couldn't stand bullies, never had been able to stomach them. So as her principles dictated, she stood toe-to-toe bravely with the taller, muscular, football type guy. She stared hard, hoping her fear wasn't showing in her eyes.

"You're a dead little bitch..." the one called Terry grabbed Dawn's arm forcefully.

"Ow!" she grunted. "Lemme go, you jerk!!!" She squirmed, and smacked at the offensive appendage holding her in his grip, but it was too tight. She was going to pass out soon, from fear. Oh God... what had she gotten herself into?!

Dawn had always thought a vampire, or demon, or something dark and ugly living inside of Sunnydale would eventually kill her. She, for the most part, had forgotten that there were human monsters out there as well. And sometimes, they were far worse than any demon she could ever have met. Dawn tried to get the bully to leave her alone, but he just laughed and shoved her into a group of his friends on the far side of the bar, near the wall at the back of the club. She could smell the alcohol on their breath as she stumbled into two of them, and she scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Leave me alone!" she protested, when one of them smacked her rump and grinned. "Don't touch me!"


Spike stuck to the shadows, noticing Dawn had made her way off the dance floor. He took the long way around the club to keep from being seen, following the familiar smell and feel of her. He didn't want to alert her to his presence, just yet. Technically, he was supposed to be gone. Slinking around towards the bar, his brow furrowed when he didn't see her right away. He had been sure this was where she was headed…

"Ow! Stop it!!!"

The sound of her voice caught his attention, and he immediately stood straight up, hearing the distress and the pain there. He growled low in his throat, and had to hold him self back physically for a moment so he wouldn't vamp out right then and there. Forgetting his carefully laid plans, he charged forward, shoving his way through a necking couple and a group of kids smoking and laughing by the stairs. And when he came into full view of the bar, the tenuous hold he had on his calm severed completely. Three lugs in UC Sunnydale sweaters were laughing and grabbing at his Platelet like stray dogs nipping over a king's meal. He could see their slightly dilated pupils and smell the beer on them from a mile away. The vampire frowned. This just wouldn't do, now would it? There were certain things in his life that he would not watch, would not allow. One of them was daytime talk shows. Another of them was seeing Dawn that bloody terrified. So terrified that she was shaking, that her voice floundered and she looked absolutely hopeless. He had seen her wear that expression only once before, back at the tower with Doc, and by the life and un-life of him, he bloody well refused to stand by and see it again. Fail her again. This time, this time, he could handle it. He strode forward purposefully and shoved the one kid with his back to him out of the way, intercepting Dawn as she was shoved in his direction and pulling her behind him.

"Spike!!!" Dawn exclaimed in surprise, relief flooding her immediately, though he noted her voice still shook slightly. "What are you…"

"I told you I'd be here if you ever needed me, didn't I, Nibblet?" he asked, letting go of some of his anger to look at her reassuringly. His eyes were so much softer when he looked at her. Her and Buffy.

Dawn took in the warmth of his fondness in his expression and relaxed a little, though she was still terrified. "You always have been," she stated quietly.

He smiled at the irony of the statement, recalling the tower again briefly, before dropping it for another brood time, another brood place. He turned back to the three college blokes, who looked quite indignant, now that their fun had been stopped. "Hey, who the hell do you think you are, you 80's punk reject?" a blonde one asked, crooked nose turned up at the smaller, more wiry Spike. The vampire growled.

"I think, I'm the one that's going to take the lady home. And I think, I'm the one that's going to make you apologize to her. What do you think, if you do at all?" Spike asked conversationally. But Dawn could hear his fury bubbling just below the surface. Whenever he got like that his voice was flat and cold. It meant he was pissed. It meant that he needed a decent spot of violence, and that if anyone touched her again and scared her like that, he would rip them apart, human or not. He had always been like that for her. She realized it was because they needed each other. They had needed each other to convince the other that Buffy's death hadn't been either of their faults. And over the months, they had clung to that need rather than separate when Buffy had returned. He was her best friend.

Every time she had been remotely hurt, Spike had been there for her. Whether it had been something as terrifying as reliving nightmares of Buffy's death at night or something as trivial as scraping her knee. He protected her. Not just because he had promised to, but also because he loved her.

"I think you're stupid, cuz there's three of us and one of you," one of the jocks responded, a decidedly stereotypical sneer in his voice. "That's what I think."

Dawn stepped back a bit from Spike, knowing he'd need room to maneuver. He wouldn't be able to hit the humans without setting his chip off, but she knew he'd do it anyway. He was just that way.

"I'm impressed. You counted past one," Spike responded. Hearing Dawn step back, he turned slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eye. "Bit, get ready, we're leaving."

"Yeah, in a body bag," the college boy with the surfer accent scoffed. The one next to him, the brunette with the spiked hair, grinned and nodded like an idiot.

"Both of them," he agreed.

Spike was incensed. He would let them threaten him because he was an equal match for them, whether they knew it or not. But threatening to kill Dawn just made him see red all around. He wanted to snap their necks between his hands, or drain them dry and laugh as the life faded out of them slowly and painfully. He wanted to kill them for even thinking that he'd let them hurt his Nibblet. But a voice in the back of his head told him that doing that WOULD lose for him, one of the most precious things in his life right now. Killing them would estrange him from Dawn. She would fear him, would loathe him. Be disgusted and call him murderer. He didn't think he could take that, not from her.

Hearing one of the jocks sneaking up on him, Spike made a decision, right then and there. He worked around his fury. So instead of spinning around like he had wanted to so he would end up behind his attacker to be in a good position to rip the kid's jugular out, the vamp he simply ducked the punch from the side easily, having heard the clumsy git move to draw his arm back in preparation for an attack. Spike hated sucker punchers. The jock, completely off balance from missing Spike, lurched forward, and the vampire caught his extended arm, pushing it downward and breaking it across his knee. The sound of shattering bone was pleasant, a sensation he had sort of missed since the insertion of the chip. The boy cried out in horror, seeing the jagged end of bone extending through the meat of his arm. Spike brought up his elbow and clocked his opponent in the face, knocking him backwards into the bar hard and rendering him unconscious. He knew Dawn wouldn't have liked to see the bone breaking, but Spike REALLY hated sucker punchers.

The other two jocks, still standing stock still from utter surprise, looked at each other, the heap on the floor that was their friend, then back at Spike. They charged forward at the same time, intent on driving the bleached blond man in the black duster back into the edge of the bar and winding him. The vampire leapt over them in a graceful arc, executing a perfect flip over them at the last second. Imagine their surprise when he clanked their heads together harshly from behind and shoved them into the bar, to land other friend, who was already unconscious and twitching on the floor. Both of them slid bonelessly to the ground, completely blacked out. They would probably be like that for a long while.

Taking a moment to admire his handiwork, Spike smirked at the three unconscious lugs, who all reminded him in one way or another, of Captain Cardboard. Then, he remembered that this little altercation hadn't been a simple bar brawl to satiate a little bit of blood lust. Dawn was still here. Spike stiffened and turned around slowly, so he could look at her.

The girl stood behind him with her mouth open slightly, eyes big and bewildered. She stared at the pile of College boys for a minute, as if coming to terms, and then forced her gaze back to William. Her brow furrowed, and she moistened her lips, speaking slowly to keep her voice from shaking.

"What…what kind of demons were they?" she asked softly, though she already knew the answer.

"You and I both know you know the answer to that one, pet," Spike responded gently. He almost expected her to draw back in fear, try to hide away from him, now that he could hurt humans. He waited for a reaction, braced himself for it by closing his eyes. He could see her reaction in his mind's eye. She was recoiled in absolute horror in his mental image, and putting a stool between herself and him as if it would afford a meek means of protection from the bloodthirsty monster. Her lips would be trembling slightly and her eyes would be huge and liquid. He heard the mental image of his girl whimper a quiet, 'don't hurt me, please' in that shaky way her voice got when she was scared. He saw her eyes well up with tears, saw her look at him a moment before turning around and running as fast as she could, in the opposite direction. He was used to that sort of thing now he supposed, or he should be, anyway. The people he loved running from him because he wasn't what they wanted him to be. He expected it.

What she did next surprised no one more than him. Maybe it surprised her a little too. He suddenly found himself arm deep in Platelet, her hands wrapped tightly around his neck as she sobbed against him. "They were horrible Spike… I was scared…I didn't think…" she trailed off, crying softly. "They were monsters."

Spike tightened his arms around her protectively, cooing words of reassurance in her ears, though he knew that she knew what those boys would have taken from her if they'd been given the chance. "It's all right Bit, I've got you." He squeezed her for emphasis. "I've got you."

She nodded against him and tried to stop crying, though he could still feel her body give the occasional shudder of disgust. "Thank you, for protecting me," she said quietly, drawing the back of her hand across her eyes to dislodge the tears there.

"Until the end of the world," he muttered back, petting her hair gently.

"Spike?" her voice was small.

"Yes, pet?"

"You're more human than any of them. People like that." She wanted him to know that. He needed to believe it.

"I'm a vampire, luv."

"I know," she responded, hugging him tighter. And she accepted him. It made his throat catch slightly. Chipless, and violent, and undead, she accepted him. He was reminded yet again, why he loved this girl.

"Let's get you home, Bit. Big Sis will worry," he murmured, pulling back slightly and looking at her still tear stained face. He pulled the cuff of his duster over his hand and wiped the liquid away from her cheeks gently.

She nodded. "Let's go home."


Riley searched the house on Revello Drive from top to bottom, but no Dawn. He sighed, wondering if checking the cemetery was worth it, or if he should look in the parks. Where would a fifteen-year-old girl want to go in the middle of the night anyway? When he had been that age he'd been home at 6 every night, doing his homework or playing football with his brothers. Times sure had changed.

He considered the night he'd found Spike in Buffy's room, and how protective of Spike, Dawn had been. He wondered if she'd gone to his crypt. Or… what if Spike had come back and kidnapped Dawn?! Riley left the house and ran down the block at a dead run. If he managed to save Dawn, maybe Buffy would realize what a beast Spike really was.


Minutes after Riley had left the Summer's house, Spike escorted Dawn through the front door and deposited her unto the threshold rather gallantly. He had been a Victorian gentleman, after all. Dawn smiled up at him. "I'm glad you were there tonight, Spike."

"Where's big sis?" Spike asked, scared brow knitting. "She shouldn't have left you all alone at the Bronze."

Dawn sighed. "I dunno... she was supposed to pick me up from school and take me to the dentist. She never showed, so I went by myself, and was on my way home, when I realized I forgot all about my big test tomorrow."

"Buffy didn't help you?" Spike sighed.

"No...she...uh..." Dawn paused. "Well, she's been kinda..."

"With Cap'n Cardboard, eh?" Spike asked, trying to sound confident about saying that. It didn't quite play out.

"No, no not at all." Dawn shook her head. "Spike…she's just been…well, kinda lost since you left."

Spike's eyes widened and if his heart still beat, he was sure it would've stopped from the absolute shock of his Bit's statement. "What?"

Dawn tried to suppress a small smile. "We were both pretty distraught..." She pouted, suddenly looking up at him those huge, luminous eyes. "How could you leave us?" Dawn asked, smacking him in the chest furiously.

Spike frowned sadly, wanting to stake himself for the hurt in Dawn's eyes but caught her hand with his own instead, and held it. "I'm sorry, Little Bit... I thought it was for the best..." Spike sighed, squeezing her hand gently. "Your sis... and I...she needed me to leave..."

"No Spike... she didn't! Don't you see, that's all the men in her life do… leave..." Dawn explained; her voice filled with sadness. She didn't want to betray her sister. She'd leave it up to her to explain the state she was in after he left.

"I'm sorry, Nibblet. I'm here now, an' I promise you 'll never leave you again." Spike pulled her too him and hugged her gently. "Until Buffy finds out 'm chipless and runs a clothespin through me anyway...."

Dawn gasped and pulled back from his familiar embrace. She couldn't believe she'd almost forgotten that! "How, how did you get the chip out? Is that where you went Spike?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Was on my way to LA, when this thing was attacking someone in the graveyard..." Spike started, awkward to admit what a sodding hero he was turning out to be. "Some type of electrical demon..." He paused. "It shocked me, an' when I woke...presto, no chip buzzing around in my head."

"H..how...did you know?" Dawn was almost afraid to ask.

"I didn't kill anyone..." Spike said defensively, disappointment in his eyes. She thought he'd gone back to being a killer.

"I know!" Dawn wanted to wash the look in his eyes away. "I know you'd never hurt someone unless they were bad... I thought you know, maybe you'd punched someone or something. Not killed anyone!"

"How can you be sure, Nibblet?" Spike found her blind faith in him surreal.

"Because you love us too much. Love controls every little thing we do in this world Spike. Love is stronger than anything, and you're no monster." Dawn explained.

"I wish I could believe you," Spike leaned against the doorframe.

"You can. You've risked so much for us Spike. You woulda died for us. The night Buffy died is when I realized how strong love could be. She'd die for me, as you would...for me...or for her..." Dawn stared at him, daring him to contradict her.

"Right then," he stumbled nervously. "So after I woke, the girl I tried to..." he couldn't say it. "She came back and I well... I was a bit disoriented 'n whatnot, sorta knocked her down. Funny thing was, it didn't hurt. My instinct told me to keep on with the plan and leave SunnyD. I went to LA... killed a few demons...punched a guy harassing his woman and that's when I knew for sure the soddin' chip had been short-circuited..."

"Well, I guess that's a good thing for you, right? No more neutered vampire..." Dawn smiled.

"How is it, you trust me so, Nibblet?" Spike asked, even uncertain of himself.

"Cuz I love you..." Dawn shrugged. It was that easy, as far as she was concerned.

Spike groaned to mask his intense pleasure at her comment. "I've turned into a soddin' poof I 'ave..."

"You have not!" Dawn shook her head. "You're still all bad... look at the hair… well not that you can… But you got the leather, and the hair and the attitude...the accent... and the nail polish. Well, not so much the nail polish. But you're bad… you're one big bad ass!"

Spike raised his scarred brow. "Easy there on the language." He stopped when he realized what he'd said and groaned internally. "See!" He rested his head on the doorframe. "I'm a bleeding nancy boy..."

"You are not! You kicked major...butt... tonight!" Dawn chose her words carefully this time, though her eyes gleamed playfully at her protector.

He grinned in response, despite himself. "I did, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did!" Dawn giggled. "So… why did you come back?"

"Someone told me I was needed here..." Spike was honest. He'd leave out the karaoke bit; she'd never stop rubbing it in his face if he told her. " Plus…well...I couldn't stay away any longer. Bloody missed you two, pet. So, I'm risking my undead life in hopes of helping big sis, and her not staking me."

"I won't tell her!" Dawn promised. "I swear Spike."

"Thanks Bit... but if I don't, she'll never trust me again, if she ever did find out," Spike sighed. "She may just stake me...I don't know... but I gotta tell 'er."

"Well… maybe if you tell her, and be honest, she'll believe nothing's changed," Dawn offered. "I know you're not gonna turn all bad..."

"I wish I did," he mumbled under his breath.

"Spike... You'd never hurt us. That chip didn't make you who you are. It may have guided you, but you decided who you are. A wonderful man I trust and love." Dawn smiled reassuringly.

"Who just happens to be a vampire," Spike added.

She shrugged. "Who happens to be a vampire."

"Will you be all right?" Spike asked, changing the subject.

"I'm fine. Going to look for Buffy?" she asked.

"Yup, if I come back fitting in a lil urn, don't let her flush me down the toilet eh, Bite Size?" he reached up and rubbed her face with the back of his palm gently.

She giggled. "No problem." she leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Be careful. Don't get staked."

He grumbled about mushy stuff and rubbed his cheek where she'd come in contact with him, turning to leave. After a minute, he looked back. "If she comes back here, don't tell her 'bout the chip, kay, Platelet? I want her to hear it from me..."

"Promise," Dawn flashed what she hoped was a passable imitation of the girl scout's honor sign as she watched him jog down the steps and down the block.

She shut the door, and for the first time in days, she smiled.

TBC...