Title: Made Of Steel

Author: MysteryGirl

Rating: G

Archive: If You Want! VivaLaMystery@yahoo.com

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Pairing: Just some Dawn and Andrew cuteness.

Summary: She's scared, her hands are shaking.

Hold your head high, Don't look down

I'm by your side, Won't back down

You wanted a hero tonight

Well I'm not made of steel

I'm not made of steel

But your secret's safe with me ~Our Lady Peace

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The sound was somewhat of a shock to him, The Summer's household was usually silent as a tomb, with the occasional mutterings of a slumbering SIT filtering in. Not this night though, someone was crying, he slid out of bed and walked out of the room. He walked into the kitchen and his heart sank to the bottom of his stomach, with a trembling hand he opened the kitchen door further and stuck his head out.

"Hello?" he whispered "Whose out there?"

"Andrew?"

He turned his head to where the voice had come from, half expecting to see Jonathon or Warren standing there behind him. Instead, Dawn sat in the large, white swing that hung from the porch's sturdy roof.

"Dawn?" he asked coming towards her "Are you all right?"

She lifted her head and pushed her long hair behind her ears.

"Yeah," she replied smiling sadly.

He looked at her and cocked an eyebrow. He was rewarded with a laugh and a more genuine smile. He liked to make her smile. He motioned for her to slide over and he sat down next to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She laid her head down on his shoulder and sighed.

"I don't know," she replied.

That's when he noticed how much her hands were shaking, he laced his fingers with hers. He realized what was on Dawn's mind. She was a tough girl, she had to be to have gone through as much as she had and not have lost it. Now was different, things weren't going right and Dawn was scared. Not that he blamed her.

"We're gonna get through this," he whispered.

He wondered why it was him out here doing this. It should have been Buffy or Xander or Willow, instead it was him. Him, Andrew, the reformed bad guy was sitting on the Slayer's porch holding hands with her little sister and wondering what shampoo she used that made her hair smell like his mother's apple cobbler.

"I try not to think about it," she exclaimed "I try and help, do my homework and not think about it but then night comes and it creeps into my head."

He knew what she meant. He owed the Slayer and the others so much, so much that he pushed his fears aside and tried to help. He only ended up in the way, he thought laughing slightly.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Me," he exclaimed "Want to know a secret?"

"Sure," she replied.

"We're all scared. Buffy, Willow, Xander, Kennedy, Spike…Me. We're all scared, Dawn. The most important thing is that you don't let how scared you are control you." he said.

She looked up at him. Her face was pale in the light from the moon, her lips were a dark pink and for a minute he wondered what it would be like to kiss her.

"Andrew?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem," he replied smiling down at her.

She smiled back at him.

"Come on, Dawn." he said pulling her up "Let's go inside and have some hot chocolate."

Author's Note: I know it was lame and kind of cheesy but I liked it.

MysteryGirl