Disclaimer : I do on own BTVS or Angel, Joss and Mutant Enemy does. If I did I wouldn't be writing this crap on outdated software. Oh, and I don't own Starbucks, not that I would want to. (angry grumble, angry grumble)

A/N: I'm skipping the violence part for now b/c when I looked at my R.D. for it, I was like "Damn, this sucks." Then I gave it to my friend and she was like "No, it blows. Just skip it, dude." So I will until I figure out why it sucks and blows, dude.

Last Chapter

He climbed down and dusted off his black leather duster. (No pun intended) He knew what was next, he had to make it up to her, no matter how much it hurt him.

Chapter 8

Walking swiftly to the square, dull, and brown building in front of him, Spike felt that someone or something was following him. His paranoia was interuppted by his thoughts of what he was about to do, but then he thought of Dawn and how he hurt her because what her boss did to her. And even though he would get the mother of all headaches because of it, Mr. Miller had to pay.

When he arrived at the top he could sense that Dawn's boss was on the floor. He followed the scent of Slayer blood into a large room with many books on shelves. The furniture was all cherry oak and it smelled greatly of stress. A small pool of blood was on the desk, it stank of fear. Suddenly Spike heard the door open and close.

"Who are you? You're not supposed to be here." said a gray-haired man behind him.

"I'm the man that's gonna give you justice."

An hour later Spike found himself at Dawn's door, knocking sheepishly. Jen answered.

"Dawn in?" he questioned looking at his feet.

"Yeah, we're all eating dinner. C'mon in." She stepped back opening the door as she motioned to let him in.

Jen followed him in the kitchen. She was right, he thought, they were all there, eating macaroni & cheese, talking and giggling at each other. They seemed almost.....normal. Well, as normal as a vampire, a Slayer, and a witch could look laughing over humorous battle stories. His wonder at them was short-lived by Angel's angry expression when he noticed that Spike was standing next to Jen, who was now eagering sitting down waiting for someone to ask her if she wanted another helping.

Willow looked up from her food and glanced at Angel then Spike. She barely even noticed Dawn's slightly freaked-out face when she smiled and let out a "Hi, Spike." Willow didn't know that he had never left Dawn. She was only told the need-to-know facts and she guessed that any uncomfort that was painted on Dawn's face was merely because of Angel and Spike's hatred towards each other.

"Nice to see you, Red. How's it going for you in...Hawaii? With that, Wicca chick, Tara, right?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." she mumbled with a mouth full of macaroni & cheese.

"Dawn? Can I talk with you? Privately?" Before Dawn could even question Spike, Angel placed his hand on hers squeezing a bit, letting her know that he did not want her to go with him.

She was about to deny Spike but then thought of what he had said the night before about how she needed Angel's permission to sleep with him. Dawn gave Angel a cold glance and got up and walked into her bedroom, followed by Spike. Normally, she wouldn't have chosen her bedroom to talk privately with a vampire, but she decided to throw that in just to be a little more rebellious.

"What do you want?" she said annoyed, but Spike wasn't paying attention. He was nervously fiddling with whatever he could get his hands on. "Spike? Did you hear me?"

"What? Oh, yeah..I..umm..." Before he could said anything Jen burst through the door.

"Turn on the T.V.! Quick, channel 5, now!"

Dawn didn't hesitate, Spike was going to stop her but thought better of it. After all, he didn't know what Jen wanted her to see, for all he knew it was a puppy stuck in a well. He didn't want to raise her suspisions if he didn't need to.

She turned on the television. A newcaster standing in front of a square building, was talking. "It's was a horrific sight tonight at the Sunnydale Business Plaza, when Mrs. Coretta Miller walked into her husband's law office just minutes ago to see him lying on the floor, murdered." Dawn gasped. Although she did hate Mr. Miller she certainly didn't want him dead. "Police say that he was found badly beaten with many broken bones and bruises and it seemed like all the blood was drained from his body but the true cause of death, for Richard Miller, was his trachea being ripped out of his neck. Back to you, Sue."

Dawn turned off the television then glanced at Spike, the only person who knew what had happened. He looked almost frightened, then it hit her like a speeding train. She turned to Jen, who was still staring at the T.V. in disbelief.

"Jen, can you leave us alone for a second?" Dawn asked with a weak smile. She nodded at her and left without another word.

After Jen left, Dawn stared at Spike, cold eyes penitrating his flesh. Spike could feel it, he desprately tried to avoid her glare.

"Spike? What..did..you..do?" She walked over the dresser next to her and picked up something Spike couldn't see. Then she walked over to him, cornering him at the door.

"Wait, luv. It's not what it looks like." he pleaded cowaring in fear. Whatever was behind her could've been a stake or another thing like could easily hurt him. "I was only trying to protect you!" He put his hands up in surrender.

"Answer me!" She lifted he right arm to his heart, it was a stake. He pushed her back a little afraid she might really kill him.

"All right. I killed him. I went up there, tossed him around a bit, and when he finally confessed what he did to you, I ripped out his thought and drank him dry! Are ya happy?" When he finished his speech, he noticed that there were tears in Dawn's eyes.

"How?" she barely whispered.

"What do you mean?" Spike gave her a puzzled look.

"The chip. How did you do that with the chip?" Spike thought about it for awhile.

"I don't know. I didn't feel anything."

Tears started to pour uncontrollably from Dawn's eyes, she dropped the stake and fell to the floor, weeping. Spike was deep in thought before he realized how upset she was. "I don't beleive it." he mumbled to himself. All the years of hoping the chip would stop working and he would be a real vampire again, and this is where it happens. Just my bloody luck, he thought.

Spike kneeled down to comfort Dawn. When she looked at his face, all she saw was his eyes. His ice blue eyes looking down at her and instead of seeing happiness of what he was now able to do, who he was able to be, she saw sorrow for the pain he had caused her.

With much effort she climbed to her knees face-to-face with the man she loved. Spike put his arms around her waist, lacing his fingers behind her back. Her lips crashed onto his in such a fit of passion that she thought she would fall backwards if he wasn't holding her.

"I'll always love you...," she moaned into Spike's mouth. She pushed him away, breathing hard. "...but I can't be with you."

"What do you mean, pet?" he said still holding her, thinking she was still traumatized.

Dawn got up and sat down on her bed. She groaned into her hands and Spike sat down next to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked trying to read her face.

"What's wrong?! Your what's wrong, Spike! You! Me! Us! Everything's so fucked up now."

"Why?"

"Because it was one thing when you had the 'bad boy/government chip which means I can't hurt anyone' combo going. That was hot yet not so dangerous I needed to kill you. But now..." She looked at Spike. "It's not right. And, frankly, Spike.." Dawn got up and moved towards the door.

"Frankly, Spike.., what. Frankly, Spike, you're an ass. Frankly, Spike, you're an idiot. Or, wait I get it, frankly, Spike, I don't give a damn!"

"No. It's not that, it's..."

"What?!"

"I don't what it to be right. I don't want to fall in love with a soulless vampire. I don't want to worry that you'll get hungery one night an decide to snack on me, or Jen, or someone else I care about. Then what if we break up. I can't be worried about crazy vampy vendettas. I'm a Slayer. I don't need to worry that my boyfriend gonna try to take over the world or try to turn me into a vampire."

Spike just stared at Dawn for what seemed like an eternity but in reality was only a few minutes. "You really think I would do that?" She nodded her head.

He began to chuckle. "I don't beleive this." he laughed, standing up. "All those years of hoping you still loved me, that your feelings were unchanged. That you still felt the same way you felt when you asked me to bite you, and this... Pining for you with my every thought. I wanted you to be different..."

"Different?" she gulped.

"Yes. Different than Cecily, Drusilla, Buffy, and all the other women who I loved so desperatly, who never really loved me back." he glanced at her painfully. "But I guess your not." he said almost inaudibly. He took something from his pocket and placed it on her dresser. Before could see what it was Spike gave her a tight hug and whispered in her ear. "I did love you, Nibblet." Spike kissed her on the cheek and walked silently out the door, leaving Dawn in a state of shock.

She walked over to her dresser. Scared of what she might find. She picked it up, it was a ring. The ring had a simple yellow gold band with a princess cut diamond in the center and two smaller ones on either side. The gold shimmered and the diamonds were sweet and humble yet clear and beautiful. She stifled a tear as she stared at it. Dawn stared at the door, she knew Spike wouldn't stick around with Angel longer than he had to.

She placed the ring on her left ring finger, a perfect fit. She was about to start crying again when she thought of what her declining the ring meant to Spike. How Dawn was he only reason for staying good and without her would he turn back to an unlife of evil. She knew what she had to do, but felt to weak to do it.

By the look in Spike's eyes she thought it would be awhile before he felt like killing again. So Dawn took the ring off, changed into her pj's and went to bed.

Spike looked up at the window, the lights had been turned out. Fighting back tears, he walked the streets of Sunnydale. Finally he noticed a sweet young girl working as a waitress at the local Starbucks. After about 15 minutes of small talk and six Mocha Espressos, they were in the back of the coffee shop making out.

He stopped for a second. "What's your name, luv?" he asked hungerily.

"M-Michelle." she said quietly, slightly afraid by the way asked her.

"Well, Michelle, my name's Spike, and you know what." he smiled slyly

"What?" she smirked back at him. She closed her eyes, waiting to be kissed again.

"I'm starving." Getting into vamp-face. Michelle opened her eyes and cried out but no one heard her. His fangs impaled her flesh, within a few minutes she was dead. He let go and she fell to the concrete floor of the alleyway.

"I hate it when they go fast." Spike said to no one, wiping his mouth. "It's just no fun." he shrugged his shoudler and took off into the night to claim another victim.

A/N: See told ya you would just hate Spike. Well anyway, I hope it wasn't too bad with the no voilence. Lots of angst, well just mini-angst. Anyway not quite sure how the story should go next so write me a suggestion in your reviews. BYE!