CHAPTER 2:

Spike winced as the pain and stiffness of his various injuries set in. He watched as Dawn's friend knelt beside Angel and examined the unconscious vamp's wounds; the guy seemed to know what he was doing and Angel sighed and drifted off into a quieter sleep. The three of them were in the sewer below the Hyperion waiting for Dawn to come back from getting Gunn help and Spike was getting increasingly nervous as the chances of stray demon survivors from the battle coming across them grew. He glanced back towards the entrance again and again.

To pass the time, he asked Adanar,

"So where did you meet Dawnie?"

Adanar stood up and stretched. His six foot seven inch frame could have passed for human but there was a strangeness to his features while his copper hair and skin had a metallic sheen that gave him the look of a movie robot. His voice was so melodic that he seemed to sing rather than speak, as he answered now,

"We were paired for Death Ring training on Kridjator. I was fortunate; she is a skilful warrior; my people are healers and do not use violence. Dawn kept us both alive until I managed to overcome my repugnance."

Spike frowned,

"Kridjator. I've heard about it somewhere. I have a feeling that whatever I was told wasn't good?"

"No. It is one of the few Hell worlds with a civilisation. Dawn once compared it to an Empire of this world. The Roman Empire, I believe she called it. It also had a slave economy and staged fights to the death between specially trained slaves."

"Is that where she got the scars on her face?"

Spike lowered his voice, Dawn was in sight.

Adanar shook his head.

"No. She scarred herself to avoid the breeding pens and get out of the brothels. The Kidjatori abhor imperfection, even when it is not a genetic trait."

Dawn glanced down at Angel and Adanar assured her,

"He sleeps. He will be fine."

She nodded and turned to Spike.

"We can't stay here. As soon as the parameds took Gunn away the police began a search of the hotel and all the buildings that were damaged when the portal blew."

The blond vamp hauled himself to his feet, drained of energy and feeling every twinge in his aching body.

"We can get to my place through the sewers but it's a hell of a hike."

She gave him a brief but wicked grin,

"Don't worry, Spike, I'll piggy-back you if you get too tired."

Outrage gave him strength.

"Like buggery bloody hell you will Niblet! I'd sooner crawl than be lugged about like a motherless child by you!"

He turned and marched away without looking to see if they followed.

They reached Spike's sorry little apartment almost two hours later and while Dawn wasn't piggy-backing Spike, she was half carrying him without any complaints from him. She settled him onto the couch and directed Adanar to lay Angel on the bed. As the Ganaru gave his charge further treatment she poked into every cupboard of Spike's kitchen and peered into his icebox, returning to the small living room with a bottle of bourbon and a carton of blood. Wearily Spike swung his legs to the floor and made room for her to sit beside him, accepting the bourbon and taking a few good sized mouthfuls before exchanging it for the blood.

He watched Dawn gulp down as much of the alcohol as he had, noting she didn't pull a face as it flowed down her throat and commented,

"Slayer'll have a fit if she sees you do that, Bit."

"By my count I'm barely three month's off turning twenty. Besides, she is very noticeable by her absence. Couldn't spare you guys a few of the baby slayers I've come across since hitting Earth three weeks ago?"

Spile was surprised.

"You've been back three weeks and haven't been in touch with Buffy? Why not?"

She shrugged.

"I wasn't sure if this was my world; what with the time discrepancy and a humungous hole where my home town used to be. We had a hard time getting used to living with three times less gravity than we're used too; kinda like mountain sickness would be, I think. Then there's the whole witch issue; rumour has it she's still out there doing the magic thing. I'm more than not happy about that. Way pissed, to be accurate."

He could understand; Red had sent her to Hell after all said and done. But to leave Buffy wondering, especially after the First not appearing in Dawn's form had given her hope that her sister was still alive somewhere, was cruel.

He opened his mouth to explain but she spoke first.

"I know all about the First and the new Slayers, the witch's spell and you having a soul, dragging the Hellmouth into that pit and coming back as a ghost. Six years on Kridjator didn't make me forget how to use a computer. I hacked into the Watcher Council's central data base."

Spike blinked then began to chuckle.

"You always were the clever one, Bit! Old Rupert is gonna choke when he finds out you did that!"

She said complacently,

"Only if you tell him, and you won't do that, will you Spike?"

"And risk you coming after me with a pointy wooden stick? Not bloody likely. Besides, I like to think you got all the sneaky stuff from me!"

He held out a hand for the rapidly diminishing bottle.

She passed him the bourbon,

"I do whatever it takes. Guess maybe I did get that from you."

He took it and said thoughtfully,

"All the same luv, you should let her know you're back. She's got this big empty space inside where you used to be."

As Adanar came out of the bedroom, she stood and muttered,

"I can relate to that; I've got a big empty space inside where I used to be. Are you too drained to leave?"

The Ganaru glanced from her to Spike before saying,

"I am tired but it will pass soon. The energy I used on Angel should be enough for his system to do the rest. Do you need healing Spike?"

"I'll be fine. I need sleep more than anything but thanks for asking. What's your hurry Bit? We've got a lot of catching up to do and Peaches is gonna want to thank you and your mate for saving our sorry butts."

Dawn had her hand on the door knob and glanced back over her shoulder at the concerned vamp,

"Adanar needs protein to get his strength back and I'm just plain hungry. We need to make sure our stuff is alright and find a better motel than the roach palace we stayed in the last two days. We'll be back this evening. You get some rest, okay?"

He yawned as he waved them good bye. By the time they reached the street Spike was curled up on the couch and beginning to snore.