Dawn stepped out of the bathroom, dressed now in her favorite Power Puff Girls pajama pants and a blue bay doll tank top. Her wet hair was pulled back in a clip and she had scrubbed all the make up off her face. She climbed into bed, hitting the play button on her CD player on the way. Her thoughts were centered completely on what had *almost* happened earlier, and how she didn't know whether to be scared, excited, or just completely confused. Maybe all at once? Dawn closed her eyes as the song on the radio caught her attention.

****
Some things are basically beyond the vision of doubt
Some things I understand that I'm better off without
Like dingy walls painted clean
Broken words unseen
****

Kissing Spike was still new. Dry humping Spike in the living room was out of the park. But it had happened, because her instincts had kicked in and before she could say *moving too fast*, Dawn had been straddling her would-be big brother and ready to take things further than she was ready for. Unless she *was* ready, and she just didn't know it. But if she really wasn't, it could ruin everything. And when Spike had left her like that, she had felt empty, like she had lost a limb. She had been away from him before. But it was different now. Now, she needed him and he was distancing himself.

Dawn felt a tear slide down her cheek but she ignored it as her eyes began to sting and she began to cry in earnest. She had never felt so alone.

***
I said maybe the world's as it should be and you disagreed
Bolder than Paradise and longer than good-bye
I carry your name around with me
Like a wish I sometimes untie
***

The phone rang, and she sprung out of bed and knocked the receiver to the floor as she yanked it to her ear. "Spike?"

"No. It's Jag."

"Oh..."

"Dawn, something really bad happened."

Dawn's heart stopped and her knuckles turned white as she gripped the phone, "What is it?"

"Spike's hurt. He was patrolling and he had a run in with someone. A human. He's not dusted, but she got him real good with a stake. It's really close to his heart."

"Where is he?"

"We're at Mia's. He as only a block away. Can you get here? Dawn? Hello? Dawn, are you there?"

The phone lay forgotten on the floor as Dawn's car ripped out of the driveway.

***
Wide open spaces and amber waves of grain
That's where I used to live
In the kingdom of my youthful reign
Before I was a prisoner to the silo
Walled into the shadows
Shy to the sky
***

He was paler than usual, and a wooden stake protruded from his chest, so very close to his heart. Dawn felt Mia rubbing her back soothingly but she ignored her and stood at his head, one hand reaching out to touch a stray curl of blond.

"He's been out for a while." Mia told her, "He said something about the girl, but we couldn't really understand."

"I think it was the chip that did the most damage." Jag added, "He probably tried to fight back just enough so he could run like hell...The thing probably zapped him pretty hard."

Dawn nodded absently and looked at the stake. "Did you try to take it out?"

"Not by hand." Mia said, "I tried to magic it out, but I don't know enough. I was gonna call Will and Tarah, but I figured you'd want to know."

Dawn didn't reply, she just looked at the stake for a long moment then whispered, "Back up."

"What?"

"Just do it. Give me some room."

Mia and Jag looked at eachother and backed away slowly. All of Dawn's energy was focused top the stake now, and she muttered in Latin under her breath, her hand gripping Spike's with bone-crushing strength. Her eyes began to take on a darker green and her pupils dilated as she chanted louder, and the stake trembled. She didn't have time to worry about shifting splinters that could so easily penetrate his heart or how she may end up with dust in her hands instead of flesh and bone. She just did it and the stake flew out of his chest with so much force it went through the wall across the room. Spike stayed solid and his eyes slowly opened.

"Hey, nibblet." He rasped, trying to get up.

Dawn pushed him down, "Stay. I need to make sure there aren't any splinters."

"Ugh...can I get somethin' for the pain?"

Mia shrugged, "Sorry. I only have Tylenol and my parents being the health nuts they are, no JD to numb the pain."

"Bloody hell. I have a gaping *hole* in m'chest and--"

"Spike?" Dawn said sweetly, "Shut up."

"Right, then." Then as an afterthought, "Are you *high*? What the hell's with your eyes."

She shook her head as the tears that had been waiting to spill fell down her cheeks and her pupils finally began to shrink, her eyes returning to green, "I thought you were dust."

Spike squeezed her hand and pulled her down so they were almost nose to nose, "I'm a little too stubborn for that, don't you think?"

Dawn choked back a sob and kissed him softly.

Mia and Jag backed out of the room, unnoticed.

***
Bolder than Paradise and longer than good-bye
I carry your name around with me
Like a spell I sometimes let fly
***