Author's Note; Thinking about flaming me? Yeah, well, I guess I can't stop you. But in the true spirit of a Spike fanfic author I'd first like to say; "bite me!" ;D

Disclaimers apply.

STILL A KID,
written by Whipper

I haven't been this pissed for almost a year. Not since I left this hellhole after having finally realized that me and Buffy wasn't gonna happen. As I stalk through the Bronze, my target laughing and flirting, I try to come up with a good way to punish her. I seriously consider taking my belt too her... until I remember that I still hurt from the last time my father put me through that a little bit more than a century ago. Maybe a spanking then?

But the Scooby Gang would probably stake me. Buffy might understand me though. But she'd stake me anyway. Just for the fun of it. But for Dawn to walk around like that, act like that... Buffy and her stupid little friends were probably all dead. And if they weren't I'd make them wish they were. Letting her go out like that! She wasn't in danger just from my kind but also from every single teenage boy who laid an eye on her! And what was I supposed to do about that with that sodding piece of shit in my head?

"Dawn."

I hardly recognize my own voice but I guess she does cause she breaks out in a run as soon as I've gotten her name out. Her "friends" look at me as I've grown a second head and I can't resist giving them my game face. It gives me a grim kind of satisfaction to see them scatter.

Then I set after Dawn, once again considering the cons and pros of spanking her bony ass.

When I catch up with her she's already in trouble. Big surprise there.

"Let. Her. Go."

I grunt out each word, giving the two vamps holding my Niblet against the wall my "don't mess with me, children" look. Although, to be perfectly honest, I want them to mess with me. Not that I need a reason to kick their asses all the way to Hell but a bit of resistance would be fun.

One of them, some ugly newly turned kid with pimps and bad hair, throws himself at me. I kick him. Hard. It hardly takes me more than five seconds to dust him. I'm getting pretty good with the stake. Buffy would be soo proud of me. I laugh out load, looking around searching for the other vamp.

He's trying to run, only problem is that he's dragging Dawn with him. Stupid move. Especially since her mood seems to match mine. She's cursing, kicking, biting... using every trick I've ever taught her and even some new ones that I don't recognize. For a couple of seconds I consider standing by, watch her... see if she's any good. But then I remember how pissed I am at her and decide she don't deserve the pleasure. She's been a bad, bad little girl.

I pull him off her and smile, broadly, making very sure he sees the fangs. Not for any particularly reason, I just like to be recognized for who I am. I'm getting a wee bit tired of all those rumors about me; how I've gone soft. Like the big Poof. My new playmate growls and tries to bite me.

"Stupid move, mate."

And then he's dust too. Leaving me alone with the Niblet. And, even though my unplanned workout has made me decide that a spanking might be a little bit old fashioned, she's still in big trouble with Mr Big Bad. Dawn doesn't seem to care much though, she just glares at me with an angry look on her face.

She's so like her sister. Never a thank you.

"Now, little girl, why don't you tell Spike what you are doing here? Dressed like that. Flirting. Almost getting yourself killed."

"Why don't you tell me what the fuck you're doing back here at Sunnydale?"

"Language, Niblet!"

She clues me in on her dislike of my concern for her bad language by throwing a bottle of holy water on me.

"Bloody hell!"

It doesn't hurt too much, thanks to the leather coat, but still. It pisses me off. A lot. And thus I'm once again thinking about the pros about spanking as a way to punish that stupid little bint. Even though I appreciate the fact that she's learned enough not to leave home with some kind of weapons I'm less than happy with having it used against me.

"Guess you weren't quite as defenseless against those nasties as I first thought... huh, Niblet?"

"Don't call me that. Ever again."

And then she begins to cry. Of course. Tears and make up running down her face, her short hair all messed up... And I'm glad. She looks nothing like the seducer anymore. She's just a kid after all. My kid.

"Come on... don't cry, pet."

"I'm not crying."

"Of course not. My mistake."

I wait a couple of seconds before I step up to her and pull her hard against me. Holding her as she struggles a little then grabs hold of my duster with her small hands, sobbing into my t-shirt.

"I wanna go home, Spike."

"Come on then, pet."