Even though he had woken early in the morning it was two in the afternoon before Spike was coherent enough to answer any questions. But then he was so thunder struck by who they sent to do the interrogating he couldn't form two words to string together. She came in looking much older then she had the last time he had seen her. She had a self-assurance almost, she was in control of herself like she had never been before. Some one had taught his 'little bit' how to fight, and while he would miss the gangling teen that had once had a crush on him, the toned confident young women standing before him was breath taking. "Hi Spike. Where have you been? You never call, you never write. You've been alive for who knows how long and you haven't bothered to call your friends. Now dose that seem fair to you?" Spike was still speechless. Dawn took her hands off her hips and pulled a chair close to the bed so she could talk to Spike on his level. It amazed her that he hadn't spoken yet, normally if you were tearing him down he would at least have a come back or defend himself but now he just sat there staring at her. Finally she lost her stern look and through herself at him. She hugged him tight and only let go after she had alternately chewed him out for leaving her and filled him in on what had been going on. When she was done Spike smiled and let out a laugh, "Things really haven't changed all that much. Buffy looking for her lover and Giles buried in his work, I expected some things to change but the only difference is the location on the map. Is Red still doing ok controlling the magic?" "Yeah she's getting better at making it do what she wants and not the other way around. Is there anything I can get you? Make no mistake I will interrogate you all night if I have to but there is no sense in being uncomfortable while I'm at it." Spike was served warm blood ten minutes later and they set off on the discussion. "I really have no idea where I was but when Angle opened the mail I was back. Unfortunately it was to haunt him. I was like chained to him I couldn't be more then four floors away and I was like a ghost couldn't touch any thing except at random, I could walk through walls though, that was fun. Anyway after a while I got better at concentrating and eventually I could be normal again. After I could get away from Angel I ran to the nearest bar got sodding drunk and started a barfight. I needed it cause hanging with Angel and his all the time was maddening. Fred is like Willow used to be, Gunn was cool I've heard until he had them mess with his head now he's all lawyerish, Cordy is in a comma in the hospital, Wesley is a pretty good fighter now but he's still the same bookish watcher type. They were all ok except no one seemed to remember why they had taken over the LA branch of Wolfram & Heart. And Angle isn't the same as he was, he's even more broody and bloody annoying. And don't get me started on Harm, still exactly the same only now she's off humans and she's Angel's secretary. Eve is the liaison to the senior partners and boy can she be a pain in everyone's arse. She never has the answers and when she does she never tells you straight out. Lorn is about the same as always I suppose, I mean I never met him or Gunn or Fred before so who knows what they were like before they were put in charge of a multi billion dollar operation but they seem ok despite it all. You should have seen the Halloween party. Fred and Wes were drunk off there asses. Angel and Eve couldn't keep their hands off each other. And Gunn was pissing all over the place. It turned out none of them were in control of them selves. Lorne had had his sleep removed and he hadn't slept for at least a month. His psychic whatever was out of control and instead of feeling what others thought he was telling them what to do unintentionally. And when he was angry he turned into this freakishly huge beast that just went nuts. He killed several of the guests, all of them demons, and it turned out ok because after that he had his sleep put back in and sanity returned. And the demons were going to attack because they thought Angel wanted to kill him but they were happy after Lorne's out burst because they love bloodshed at their parties and if there had been no sacrifice they would have beheaded the lot of us for sure. So that was that. There's a bunch of other stuff but I really want to know how you've been. How you're gettin on with big sis, where you're going to school, who taught you to fight? You know the important stuff, and you can't leave out boy stuff either."
Spike was sitting up now and out of the covers he really needed to hear what she had to say. He had gotten used to her excited chatter about everything and no one at Wolfram & Heart had been like that except Fred on occasion he was practically thirsting for girl talk. Spike was odd that way, he loved the gossip, and the way a girl would light up when she would tell you about the boy she had a crush on. Plus how else would he get the latest fashion tips? Spike thought back to what he wore before Dru turned him and shuddered. Dawn answered two of his questions easily with one sentence. "Giles is training Andrew and me as watchers, I learn the fighting and the schoolwork downstairs. You should see what Andrew, Xander and Robin have done to the place. Buffy and I are ok. She doesn't have to protect me anymore even though she still tries, and it helps her being gone all the time trying to find Angel. Her and Faith are actually close friends now. The only thing that's not ok right now is Buffy being hurt. She's confined to her bed until her ribs are mended and she's been on every one to leave her alone. You are the best of my patients so far. Buffy's being her normal bitchy self, Diana, the slayer, hasn't woken up, Willow won't let herself rest because there's so much to do before the slayers get here, and Giles hasn't slept for a week. I think Willow finally got him to bed last night. Oh I didn't tell you! A couple of watchers are left and they're looking to start a new council only this time its different. Especially since Giles and Willow get to be in charge. Watchers still learn all the bookwork that they had to before but now they have more combat training. Andrew and me have been working on speed and strength. The watchers had to be able to train the slayers before but now they have to be able to keep up with them to a point. And no more funky tests like the one when Buffy turned eighteen. Plus the slayers get to learn some of the watcher stuff. Like at least one other language and the more common demon species. That way if they don't have a watcher they can still fight demons. Since most of the watchers got blown up only a few are left and there are more slayers out there then anyone realized. So the school is going to be for slayers watchers and magic users. Or something like that. We're training other people to save the world on a regular basis. After they complete their training the slayers with families will go home and we'll try to get custody of the underage girls with no homes. The ones who stay on for additional training will later be sent to guard hell mouths. Not alone but we'll probably send two slayers a watcher and a witch or warlock. It really depends on the situation I suppose. The first batch comes in today, this is like a trial run. They want to get it right before they except more students and before more schools are set up. Right now after were done their thinking of seven schools, one on every continent except Antarctica and a second in Asia, maybe even a second in the U.S. I just want to fight I was disappointed not being a slayer. But I'm glad Amanda is. If I had my choice I would want to work with her. I don't know where they would send me if they did assign me to a slayer or two. How many slayers you're assigned to depends on if they get along and where you're going and all that. A lot of watchers will have a second or third just because there are so many slayers and watchers will take longer to train then the slayers. I don't think the girls from Sunnydale will need watchers. And things between watcher and Slayer will be different this time. The watcher still watches and guides and trains but they don't give orders. Did you meet Kendra? She was all about the rules and the slayer handbook and the volumes and volumes of texts. She was submissive and she never looked at boys she was so shy. She turned to her watcher for orders about everything. Buffy broke her of a couple things but she was still the way she was trained to be. It should work out, at least we hope it will. I can't wait to see how it turns out. I want to meet the watcher trainees and see if I'm really watcher material or if Giles just used it as an excuse to get me to train. I can't help thinking that he just wanted me to help Andrew. I really don't know but I've always been the one without a say or something to contribute so now that I will have my say I don't know if I can do it. I'm just so uncertain of how it will turn out. I love the training and the books but if it came to life and death decisions I would probably shut down. It's confusing but I'm going to work it out it may just take some time. Listen to me babble.
"There was something else you wanted to know? What was it? Oh boys! Nothing really. I mean I don't have a boyfriend, all of the guys that live here either have no interest in me, are way to old, or already attached. No wonder most of the slayers are turning gay they have no boys! You should see it when we ordered out this one time. I think they scarred the daylights out of the pizza boy. They wouldn't let him leave. You know actually I found that quite funny, Giles said we would never order pizza again. No boys for Dawn though. But there are several cute guys in this city. There's this one he's kind of brainy but he is so hot! I met him in the campus library at Stanford. Giles sent me there to get a book but he kept calling the guy and asking for more and by time I got there the guy had a huge stack of books. So I finally get them all in my arms and would you know it I turn around and practically knock Conner off his feet. That's his name. So he helped me carry all the books to the car and I got his name but I haven't looked him up in the phone book yet. What am I going to say 'Hey it's the girl who almost killed you with books about Demon anthropology do you want to go get coffee sometime?'" Dawn looked at her watch and gasped she had spent several hours with Spike and the new slayers were due to arrive anytime. "I've got to go. I'll see you later." She jumped out of her chair and rushed from the room.