Thanks for the great reviews, and special thanks to fr3ddi3f@n, my first
reviewer! I am glad you like the story so far.
Spike opened the front door and looked around frantically for any sign of Dawn. He had a good idea of where she might be, and he ran up the stairs to the master bedroom. Opening the bedroom door, he saw Dawn lying motionless on the bed, a notebook dangled loosely from her fingers.
Spike froze in the doorway, what little color he had in his face drained away. After regaining his composure, he staggered over to the bed and sat down. He traced a finger lightly over Dawn's tearstained face, and listened for her pulse.
It was there, shallow, but there. Spike let out the unnecessary breath he had been unconsciously holding. He looked at her body, and felt as those a hand clenched his insides. Dawn's shirt was nothing but bloody shreds from Glory's knife. It hung loosely off her shoulders and stomach, giving Spike a good look at what he really didn't want to see. The wounds that he had hastily bandaged had soaked through entirely, drenching the sheets below her in crimson.
'How in bloody hell did she survive this long?' Spike asked himself, and at the thought of her survival, a wave of panic hit him. He needed to keep her safe. He owed it to Buffy and her half-witted friends. And besides, he loved the Nibblet after all.
"Bit", He whispered softly, pushing a stray piece of Dawn's hair behind her ear. Dawn nuzzled into his hand, but did not awake. "Nibblet. . . wake up pet" Spike said with a little more urgency in his voice. Dawn scrunched her face in pain, and whimpered, "Spike?"
"That's right Dawn, it's the Big Bad" Spike said half-heartedly, although he knew she was still asleep. He put his face an inch or two from hers, wiped a few tears away, and said, "Dawnie, you need to wake up, it's very important for you to get out of this house. Glory is on her way and-" "GLORY?!" Dawn sat straight up with terror radiating off her torn body. Spike caught her as she collapsed in pain of her sudden movements, opening some of her wounds.
Spike held her as she moaned in pain, rubbing her back reassuringly. "Come on Nibblet, we need to get out of here, can you walk, Bit?" Spike looked at the determined look on Dawn's face and gave her an encouraging smile. "C'mon Luv, try for me". He set Dawn on the floor gently, and watched her take a few numb steps before catching her fell. "No matter, I'll carry you." Spike said, slightly frowning at her weak condition.
Dawn looked up at Spike's face for the first time, and gasped at him. "Spike. . . what happened to you?" She said, reaching out a small finger and tracing his jaw line, her lips trembling with sadness. Spike had cuts, large and small, covering his entire body. He had ripped up his shirt to use for bandages, giving Dawn an even closer look at his bad condition. A bandage was wrapped around his head, already soaked through with blood. He looked down at her horrified face, and gave her a toothy grin.
"I saved you, that's what happened to me. I'll explain later, we need to go luv." Spike's words proved no condolence to Dawn, who started crying the moment he had said them. "You too! No, it's all my fault, I hurt everyone I love. No, I'll walk myself; you're already hurt because of me, and-" she trailed off, sobbing.
All of a sudden, a loud CRACK erupted from downstairs. Spike's eyes looked around wildly for the source of the noise, then realization hit him: Glory was in the house.
Spike opened the front door and looked around frantically for any sign of Dawn. He had a good idea of where she might be, and he ran up the stairs to the master bedroom. Opening the bedroom door, he saw Dawn lying motionless on the bed, a notebook dangled loosely from her fingers.
Spike froze in the doorway, what little color he had in his face drained away. After regaining his composure, he staggered over to the bed and sat down. He traced a finger lightly over Dawn's tearstained face, and listened for her pulse.
It was there, shallow, but there. Spike let out the unnecessary breath he had been unconsciously holding. He looked at her body, and felt as those a hand clenched his insides. Dawn's shirt was nothing but bloody shreds from Glory's knife. It hung loosely off her shoulders and stomach, giving Spike a good look at what he really didn't want to see. The wounds that he had hastily bandaged had soaked through entirely, drenching the sheets below her in crimson.
'How in bloody hell did she survive this long?' Spike asked himself, and at the thought of her survival, a wave of panic hit him. He needed to keep her safe. He owed it to Buffy and her half-witted friends. And besides, he loved the Nibblet after all.
"Bit", He whispered softly, pushing a stray piece of Dawn's hair behind her ear. Dawn nuzzled into his hand, but did not awake. "Nibblet. . . wake up pet" Spike said with a little more urgency in his voice. Dawn scrunched her face in pain, and whimpered, "Spike?"
"That's right Dawn, it's the Big Bad" Spike said half-heartedly, although he knew she was still asleep. He put his face an inch or two from hers, wiped a few tears away, and said, "Dawnie, you need to wake up, it's very important for you to get out of this house. Glory is on her way and-" "GLORY?!" Dawn sat straight up with terror radiating off her torn body. Spike caught her as she collapsed in pain of her sudden movements, opening some of her wounds.
Spike held her as she moaned in pain, rubbing her back reassuringly. "Come on Nibblet, we need to get out of here, can you walk, Bit?" Spike looked at the determined look on Dawn's face and gave her an encouraging smile. "C'mon Luv, try for me". He set Dawn on the floor gently, and watched her take a few numb steps before catching her fell. "No matter, I'll carry you." Spike said, slightly frowning at her weak condition.
Dawn looked up at Spike's face for the first time, and gasped at him. "Spike. . . what happened to you?" She said, reaching out a small finger and tracing his jaw line, her lips trembling with sadness. Spike had cuts, large and small, covering his entire body. He had ripped up his shirt to use for bandages, giving Dawn an even closer look at his bad condition. A bandage was wrapped around his head, already soaked through with blood. He looked down at her horrified face, and gave her a toothy grin.
"I saved you, that's what happened to me. I'll explain later, we need to go luv." Spike's words proved no condolence to Dawn, who started crying the moment he had said them. "You too! No, it's all my fault, I hurt everyone I love. No, I'll walk myself; you're already hurt because of me, and-" she trailed off, sobbing.
All of a sudden, a loud CRACK erupted from downstairs. Spike's eyes looked around wildly for the source of the noise, then realization hit him: Glory was in the house.