A/N Ok I just realized how many times I put Angle instead of Angel!!!! Sorry silly me.

Sorry this took so long to update (I realize it's been like a year)and thank you so much for your reviews! They're what made me continue.

I sat in the car staring out the window. I spotted a cemetery that wasn't too far from Wolfram & Heart. I made a mental note of that.

"So…first day of school pretty exciting" Gunn piped up from beside me. Exciting? He sounded like Willow but he seemed to be using a less enthused voice. But he is a lawyer he had to go through years of schooling so he must like it.

"Not really but I can see why you'd think so" I shrugged turning my head to see him.

"Nah I hated school dropped out" he shook his head. I furrowed my brow. This didn't really make sense but what in my life did?

"Ok confused you are a lawyer how could you have dropped out?"

"Never went to law school the firm did this operation to put all of the law information into my head," he answered simply.

"Did it hurt?" I asked while scanning his head for a scar.

"Looks like we're here," he stated not answering my question as he pulled into a parking space. "Some one will be here to pick you up after school"

I narrowed my eyes in annoyance "What has Angel become a car pooling soccer mom?"

He let my comment slide past him and with a stern voice told me to go to school.

I got out of the car and took a deep breath and let it out slowly while looking up at the large building before me. It was made out of brick with those drab school windows. I read over the main doors 'Winston High School'. What kind of name is 'Winston'? I lowered my gaze to the people around me. There were a lot of students walking around the campus. Very diverse, I could easily spot the groups: jocks, brains, cheerleaders, geeks, Goths, wannabe Goths, skaters and the 'rebels'. They were all surrounded by the 'normies' as I like to call them, the people who didn't fit into any of the extreme high school categories. They were just normal students going about their normal day complaining about curfews, first day homework that they were sure they'd get, parents, siblings, part time jobs and gossiping about the opposite sex. I longed to be one of them to just fit in, have friends, a good 'clean' boyfriend, go to school, make mom proud but I've learned there's no use in wanting things you can't have, a leopard can't change it's spots and I can't change my…well what ever it is I can't change it. The best I can do is embrace it. I turned and saw Gunn still parked by the school staring at me, like a faithful watchdog.

I walked towards the front doors and as I opened one of them checked to see if Gunn was still there, and sure enough he was. "Woof woof" I muttered as I entered my brick prison of learning.

I considered just walking through the building to the back door and bailing but making an effort won't hurt…hopefully.

I wandered down the crowded hall when a tall blond guy stopped in front of me. He wore a lettermen's jacket and a wide grin.

"Hi" he greeted in a deep voice, "I'm John".

I smiled innocently "Hi John. You're blocking my way"

"Your new right?" he asked ignoring my not so subtle request for him to move.

"And you'd make a better door then a window" I answered with the same smile still upon my face.

He laughed, low and deep. "Your spunky I like that" he said bringing his hand up to my cheek.

As soon as his fingers touched my skin I grabbed his throat and pushed him up against a line of lockers. I could see all of the students in the hall backing away from me and giving strange looks, some frightened. I ignored the masses and looked into John's face.

"If you ever touch me again, I'll break every bone in your hand" I said sweetly. Letting go of his neck I walked down the rest of the hallway looking straight ahead, trying not to pay attention to all of the students staring at me.

I certainly started this school year off on a good foot. I walked through the school to the back doors and out into the sun. I figure might as well skip, I'm going to get into trouble anyway. And I don't really feel like receiving a higher education today.

I went to survey the city. Going to that one club last night, frankly didn't cut it. I needed to find out what the underground life was like. I was going to be spending a lot of my time with the scourge of the night, might as well find out what their haunts were.

I remember Angel saying something about the underground tunnel he uses to get around. There must be an entrance somewhere…wait. I spotted what looked like a manhole over by a park.

"About time" I muttered shoving the lid off. I climbed down the metal ladder and began exploring the tunnel.

It was a brink cylinder, with a small stream of water trickling down the center. Judging by the flow of the water, the path went down…which meant it went deeper…which meant it was dark…. so higher possibility of finding demons if I followed the water. So follow the water I did.

The only light came from the dim lamps lining the top of the cylinder. I walked carefully in the shadows, forcing my senses to become more aware of my surrounds. That's when I heard someone…something behind me. It's footsteps sounded human…light even like it was moving with an unnatural grace, the kind only certain vampires can possess. I sped up slightly pulling a stake out of my bag and turned a corner.

Leaning against the cool stone, I waited.

As soon as I heard it was in arms reach I swiftly turned the corner and shoved it against the wall with full force. My hand gripping it against the wall I brought the stake to my shoulder and was about to shove it into its chest but froze.

"Spike?" I asked with more confusion then shock.

He relaxed in my grip, "Can't pull the wool over your eyes can I?"

Not breaking my stance I answered "I could've killed you" with all severity in my voice.

"You could've tried," he corrected with a boastful grin.

I gritted my teeth, he was still as arrogant as ever. I took a step closer staring straight into his ice blue eyes and keeping my weapon in pre-stake mode said "Knowing my aim you'd fit into an ash tray before you could say 'bloody hell'"

He lifted himself off the wall; shrinking the space between us to a mere few inches and cocked his head to the side "You wanna dance, do you?"

I tightened my clasp on my stake in response to his offer. I knew he was expecting me to back off or blush, that's what I would have done…if I was still fourteen. He always did that; toyed with me, made me squirm. I used to be putty in his hands, he always had the power. But that was then. I stood there defiantly, and not breaking my stare asked "Is that what you want? To fight Buffy's baby sister? Hit me until I bleed? Do you think you could get that old spark back if I fought like her?"

There was a flash of unmistakable sorrow in his eyes. I pushed further.

"Do I smell like her? You think I'd taste like her?" I said all of this with a straight face not flinching as his gaze hardened.

His cocky tone didn't leave his voice "No Nibblet you don't smell like her, of course there is the distinctive aroma that only comes from a slayer but I figure that's just because you were made out of her. And as for the taste I don't fancy tryin' your blood. Not worth riskin' Angel killing me over it"

I kept my face stiff; I wasn't going to show him the emotion I'm sure he was asking for. I didn't wear my heart on my sleeve like I used to, it go hurt too many times when it was out in the open. "Good" I uttered finally. "Wouldn't want you to risk yourself for anything or anyone 'cause the last time you did the girl you love left you without blinking an eye and you burst into light."

I finally lowered my stake and made my voice as even as possible, what I was about to do was painful to say to him but if he didn't care about me then I didn't need to care about him. "Dieing was the best thing you did for her. She hardly ever thinks about you, and talks about you even less. Your name has come out of her lips so few times I'm surprised she can even pronounce it right. I doubt if you even told her you were back she'd do anything about it"

I could see his eyes becoming awash of emotions and he finally leaned back against the wall, like the air went out of his lungs. He dropped his head.

I clenched my teeth before continuing, held myself back from pulling him into my arms. I put a grin to my lips; a mask "You're a faint ghost that lives in the shadows of her memories," I grabbed his jaw and forced him to look at me, to see the forced composure in my face, making him believe "Memories she's making herself forget. Now she can finally be happy with you gone"

The anger in his eyes came quickly and faded with the same speed. I was prepared for him to fight but he didn't. I didn't know what he was going to say. But I wanted to hear it so I stayed and let go of his jaw.

He looked at me with an unreadable expression "What happened to you Dawn?"

"The reason you don't know is because you don't give a shit," I said sternly as I stepped away from him. "I don't care that you only looked after me because Buffy told you to, but you don't need to anymore. So stop pretending to be my friend. It's a waste" I said honestly and turned back the way I came from and climbed up the latter out into the sun before he could respond.

TBC