A/N- Okay, I just wanna tell everybody that in this chapter Dawn talks to her friend Josh. Before, I had written in chapter 7 that Josh fancied Dawn, but I really didn't like it, so I wrote a new chapter 7 (that's the one that is now), when it never happens. Just letting you guys know, for if any of you read that chapter. I'm truly ashamed of it. Anyway, please, review!!!!

Dawn woke up late the next morning. Well, at least later than she thought she would. She didn't think she'd sleep this well in a couch, with only a blanket to protect her from the cold night.

She opened her eyes slowly, only to find that it had not been only the blanket covering her.

Spike's duster was on her.

A smell of spice, cigarette, alcohol, lotion (when had Spike started wearing a lotion?) and his own private something was all around her, his unique smell that sometimes drove Dawn insane.

She breathed his essence in; it made her feel good. But then, realizing what she was doing, she stopped. She stood up quickly, scrabbled a note for Spike, grabbed her stuff and walked out as quick as she could.

While walking through the mild crowded street, Dawn tried to think of anything, anything, but Spike. Her mind seemed to have another idea, though, because the only thing she could focus in was Spike. She sighed in desperation.

She reached her dorm, hoping not having to face anyone. She took some clothes from the closet, and went in the bathroom. After half and hour later, she came out of the shower. She brushed her hair, put on a little make up, and started to walk out again.

Alicia was nowhere to be seen, and Dawn felt a little guilty when she felt a bit of relieve. She knew Alicia would start asking about last night... the way their eyes connected, it had been as if almost... but no, it couldn't be, could it?

Dawn started walking down the street, not knowing where she was going. Suddenly, a red car beeped at her, making her jump.

"Dawn!" a male's voice called. She turned her head to see a blonde guy.

She smiled at him. "Hey, Josh."

"Where are you going? Maybe I can give you a ride."

Dawn looked around her. She didn't know where she was going. "No idea. But I accept your offering for a ride," she said, climbing in the car. Josh could be a good distraction for Spike.

"So," Dawn said. "Where are you going?"

"Just driving around. I do that sometimes." Josh noticed Dawn's distressed face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yes. Just fine," she lied. "I'm not."

Josh stopped the car, looking concerned. "Dawn, what is it? Is it bad? Can I help? Please, tell me, you know you can trust me."

Dawn almost laughed at her friend's worry. He looked like someone had died. She couldn't take it anymore, and a giggle escaped her mouth.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just the way you look."

Josh seemed to be hurt. "Well, forgive me if I'm concerned about you," he said, starting the car again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," she said, giving him a smile. Josh smiled back. They were okay.

"So," Josh said after a moment. "Are you telling me what's bothering you?"

Dawn breathed in. Josh was a guy, maybe he could give her his opinion. "I-I... I," she sighed. "I can't. I mean, I want. But I don't know how to say it. It's frustrating."

Josh grinned at her. "You know, I'm in the mood for coffee. Why don't we go and find a little, nice place while you figure a way of telling me whatever it is that's bothering you?" he offered. Dawn nodded gratefully.

Once seated in their little, green table, with their coffees in front of them, Dawn started to relax. She liked Josh's company. A ray of light illuminated his blonde hair, making it shine, and he was grinning slightly at some joke Dawn hadn't heard.

"You know," she said, suddenly, without thinking, "I used to have a crush on you when I first moved here."

This might seemed to take Josh for surprise, and blushed a little. Dawn just grinned. He laughed. "Really? I didn't know that."

"I did, before... you know."

He gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know." After a moment, he said. "I liked you, too. In a more than friendly way."

Dawn let her head rest on her hand, her elbow was supported on the table. "I wonder why we didn't hook up," she said, absently.

"Wonder why." Josh noticed that she wasn't entirely in herself.

"We should've. Hooked up, I mean. You wouldn't have cheated on me, would you? And I wouldn't have fallen for that jerk, and then I wouldn't be so scared of love, and things would be so much easier with-"

She cut herself, realizing what she was saying.

Josh grinned knowingly. "Ooohh! So that's what's bothering you!" he said, teasingly.

Dawn blushed and looked down. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do! You have the hots for some guy, but you're scared that he might hurt you."

"I-I- I don't!" she said. Josh chuckled. She sighed. "Okay, maybe I do- But! But, I still don't know if he feels something for me, and... and... I still don't know what I feel. It's confusing. Aaaargh!" She smiled sadly at her friend. "You know, I hate to feel like this, so confused!"

"Oh, come on, Dawnie!" he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't suffer. This guy will get to his senses. Any guy that's sane can't resist you once he gets to know you... except Darren."

Dawn sighed. "It's wrong, you know. I've known him since forever, he used to sleep with my sister, and I don't know, maybe he thinks of me like his little sister or something."

Josh looked at her. "Do I know him?"

Dawn shrugged. "Maybe you've seen him around. Darren knows him, and so do Alicia and Lucy. He's this British guy, blonde."

"Oh, I know who're you talking about. He doesn't look that old for having slept with your sister."

"That's not all. He's... different from other persons."

"Since when you, Dawn Summers, care about people being different? From what you've told me, you were surrounded by freaks in Sunnydale."

"That's just it! He reminds me of Sunnydale. He's all from what I've been running away since I was sixteen. Well, not him as in himself, actually he was the hardest to leave, even harder than Buffy, maybe. But still, he brings really bad memories to my head."

"Dawn, those are just excuses and you know it," her blonde friend said, a look of concern crossing his handsome features. "You've got to stop doing this to yourself. You gotta allow yourself to fall in love again. And I'm sure I'm not the first to tell you this. And-" Dawn rolled her eyes. "-and I'm sure you hate to hear this, I know I would, but if you really like this guy you should go for him, you two go way back, I'm sure he wouldn't hurt you."

"Josh," she said hopelessly, "I don't even know if he feels something for me."

"Carl said you two kissed."

"Would you people let the kiss thing go?" she said, rather exasperated. "He was just helping me to get rid of Lucy's cousin. It didn't mean anything."

"You sure?"

Dawn was about to answer that of course she was sure, but then a flash of the kiss came to her mind, making her stomach feel weird.

Josh might've noticed this, 'cause he just smirked.

Dawn let her head plop on the table. She just lifted it up enough to see Josh. "I don't know what I know anymore." She sighed. "Josh, when did love become so complicated?"

"Love ain't complicated. You make it complicated."

Dawn grinned at him. "Look who's talking."

"What are you talking about?"

"When are you ever going to make a move with Alicia? One of this days she's going to fall for some guy and you'll loose her."

"What?" said Josh, blushing a little.

"Oh, c'mon. We've seen the way you look at her."

Josh blushed even redder. "I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered.

Dawn laughed.

*-*-*

When Spike woke up that afternoon, he found his crypt empty. This didn't surprise him, though he couldn't help feeling disappointed.

He stood up, grabbed a bottle of blood of the fridge and settled himself in front of the TV, waiting for the sun to hide.

But then, he saw a note folded in front of the TV. He smiled; Dawn knew him well enough to figure the first thing he'd do would be watch 'Passions'.

He stood up and took the note. It read:

Spike,

Sorry to leave like this, but I had some stuff to do, and I figured you'd sleep until late, sun down and moon up late. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for letting me stay here for the night.

See ya soon,

Dawn.

It was short, but Spike appreciated it all the same. Suddenly, he felt a strange feeling. A mixture between happiness and sadness. It was very different for what he had felt for Buffy. Dawn didn't make him feel like a monster, she treated him like an equal. And that made things harder, because Spike knew that there was no way he'd ever, ever could hate her.

Last night, the way their eyes had connected, he had felt an urge of taking her in his arms and just kiss her, the way he'd kissed her the night of the bloody ballet.

But that had just been an act, and he bloody knew it. He was just kidding himself, Dawn didn't think of him like that... did she? Still, there had been something in her eyes... the way she had looked at him, as if she was longing for something... but what?

*-*-*

Dawn let herself fall on the bed, and sighed. It was starting to get dark, and she had just returned from her day with Josh. It had been a long time since the two of them had spent a day alone together, and she had forgotten how fun he could be; fun and tired.

She closed her eyes, hoping to get a little rest. If her roommates arrived soon, they'd probably would want to go out or something.

Just when she was getting sleep, she felt something hit her face. Her eyes flew open in a shocked expression. Standing right there in front of her were Alicia and Darren, big grins draw on their faces.

"Why'd you do that for?" she yawned, a bit irritable.

"I told you she'd get mad," Darren said to Alicia, without to stop smiling.

"Yeah... but you gotta admit it was fun," the red-head answered. Darren nodded, smiling widely.

"What-? What are you doing?" Dawn said, sitting up.

"Party time, girl!" Alicia said, "Come on! Get up, and let's go."

Dawn sighed. "You guys will have to go to that party without me, I'm not really in the mood of a lot of noise, beer and a bunch of people I don't know."

Darren rolled his eyes. "It's not really a party. You know Alicia, she makes everything bigger than it is."

"Hey!"

"If it's not a party, then what is it?"

"We're just going at Carl's."

"Who?"

"You know, the gang. Lucy and Carl are already there, Josh is in his way. There's just us left," said Alicia, "oh, and you can call that friend of yours, Spike."

Darren smirked. Dawn sighed. "I don't think-"

"Oh, come on, Dawnie. I'm sure he has nothing better to do. Why don't you give him a call?"

Dawn hesitated. "Okay," she said, taking the phone, just to realize that she didn't know his number. She voiced that to her friends.

"Well, you can go to his place to tell him. I can go with you if you want," Darren offered.

Dawn knew what that meant. They would see that Spike lived in the cemetery, in a crypt; they'd knew he was very different, a vampire. She knew they were open-minded, but not that open-minded.

"No, it's okay. I'll go and we'll catch you guys later at Carl's. I'll take my cell so you know where you can find me."

Dawn walked quickly through the streets. She knew this was a nice, safe town, but still, she couldn't help feeling nervous whenever she walked by herself at night.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice someone watching towards her, and before she knew it, she had bumped into him.

"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry, I didn't-" she looked up to see Spike. She smiled.

"Spike."

"Nibblet."

After a moment Dawn spoke.

"I was just going to see you."

"I was wondering what were you doing at this hour near a bloody cemetery when all the evil creatures are out?"

"Such as you?" she said, teasingly.

"Exactly."

They looked at each other for a moment. But then, her brain reminded Dawn of the mission.

"Listen, all the gang is going over at Carl's, and they wanted to know if you wanted to come."

"They who?"

"You know, Darren, Lucy, Alicia, Carl, and Josh, you haven't met him yet, but he's nice."

"They wanted me to come?" Spike said, rising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well," she said, shrugging. "They like you." She grinned. "And well, both Alicia and Darren think you're hot."

Spike's eyes opened widely. "W-What?"

"I'm just teasing. So you're coming?"

"Your friends wanted me to come?"

"Yes! I'm telling you, they do want you there, Spike."

"And you don't want me to come?"

Dawn was taken by surprise. "What?"

"You said that your friends wanted me to come. But you never said you wanted me there."

"What are you talking about?" she said, avoiding his eyes. "Of course I want you there."

"Really?"

"Yes, Spike! Why wouldn't I?" she said, a bit irritable.

"I don't know, bit."

"Okay, Spike, look at me," she said, looking straight at his eyes. "Come. I want you to come. Okay?"

Spike held his gaze with Dawn, and he had that weird feeling again. But Dawn broke the connection. "Okay?" she said again, a little quieter.

"Whatever you want, pet," he said.

And so, they started walking, side by side, neither of them knowing what to say, how to act, the silence getting louder and louder, and both getting more and more eager to arrive at Carl's.

Finally, they arrived, and then, a thought crossed Dawn's mind.

"Spike," she said. He looked at her. "How are you going to come in?"

He smiled, recognizing his Dawn in those innocent blue eyes, and knowing why he had slowly fallen for that girl.

If only she felt the same.

A/N- Okay, okay, I promise there will be a little more action next chapter, but you have to review! Please!!!!