A/N: Thanks for all of your reviews from all chapters. Thanks to kurt couper for the review it really made me want to update, warn me if my writing starts to suck. And thanks to daybreak for the review, I'm glad you liked the fight scene, I was worried about it.

One favor, could you guys tell me if Angel is really out of character, or badly written? (Or for that matter if any of the others are?) Ok on with the show.

"Bloody Hell Nibblet"

I looked up at him panting. I tossed the remains of my stake away and sat back against my feet.

He had made the first move.

Spike stood there mouth slightly agape, a stake in his hand. I smiled at it, "You weren't going to use that for suicide were you?"

He closed his mouth and glared, "No. I was going to help you out" He walked over to me and extended his free hand and pocketed his weapon. I grabbed his hand, cool in my grasp, nails painted black and let him help me up.

He pulled me to my feet and I was close enough to him to see the details of the scar on his eyebrow. "Who said I needed your help?" I asked cockily. He was still holding my hand.

Studying my facial features, he let go. He stood looking at me and I swallowed catching my breath.

"I do" he responded. My body was covered with sweat from the fight.

"Why would you think that?" I asked gazing into his eyes. I forgot how blue they were. They suddenly shifted to left.

"Because there is a group of vamps right behind you" he swiftly pulled out a stake, and shoved it at me and prepared for battle.

I let out a small sigh and turned to face my opponents. I sized up my attackers; there were five, a butch one with a buzz hair cut, a small one with long hair, one without an eye, another swinging a chain and one female, they were all wearing leather. They must be the first vamp's I slayed gang.

"You take Cyclopes and the chick. I'll take army boy and Shorty" Spike ordered.

"What about-" I was going to ask about the guy with the chain but he burst into dust. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Spike with a crossbow

"That was the last of my ammo" Spike said tossing his weapon aside. The vamps enraged by the lose of their own charged at us.

"Time to party" I breathed getting into my fighting stance. The girl growled and opened her jaws as she leapt at me. I kicked he towards One Eye, they went down like dominos. They quickly recovered. Punching the girl and elbowing the guy I brought my stake up and drove it towards her heart. She blocked and kneed me in the gut, my stake dropped.

Grunting I stepped back and did a jump kick and sent the girl flying. Cyclopes grabbed me by the shoulders and lifted me off the ground. I struggled to get away, yanked my necklace off and shoved it into his snarling mouth as it came towards my neck. I clamped his mouth shut as his skin hissed and smoke rose. He let go of me and I stooped to pick up my stake. One Eye gagged and spat out the cross clasping his neck. I ran the stake into his heart; it burst into dust along with his body. The girl ran through the ash and tackled me to the ground.

I brought my knees up to my chest and forced her off with my feet; straitening my legs. I jumped to my feet. She let out a scream as she began to claw me. I knocked her hands away as best I could but she scratched my cheek and my shoulder.

"If we're going to chick fight" I said through clenched teeth, I grabbed her long red hair and pulled her head down. She rammed her forehead into my stomach and I folded over her body. She pushed me against a tree forcing me straight up. She clamped her hand around my neck and pushed me up along the bark. The air was squeezed out of my throat. I brought my nails up to her hand and dug in but she didn't release. I shot my other hand into the braches and broke one off. I stuck it into her chest and she let my neck go. I tumbled to the ground and gasped for air.

"You missed Bitch," she snarled pulling the wood out of her chest and tossing it aside.

I somersaulted, avoiding her foot, and stopped by the discarded branch. I grabbed it and leapt to my feet.

She smiled then let out a yelp of pain then was ash. Spike stood behind the pile and cocked his head to the side "Still think you don't need my help?"

"I was this close to dusting her" I protested throwing my branch his way. He caught it and twirled it between his fingers.

"More like this close to having your throat ripped out"

I rubbed my neck "Shut up Spike". I stomped back over to where I slayed One Eye and picked up my necklace.

"Good come back" he commented sarcastically following me; wiping the dust off his jacket.

I began to put the necklace back on and rolled my eyes at him. As I did up the clasp I felt a warm liquid seeping out from the bottom of my hairline. Frowning I looked at my hands the first three fingers of my right hand were covered in blood.

"Oh shit" I whispered as my legs buckled. The last thing I remembered was Spike's arms catching me and with a sigh sinking into the soft leather of his jacket.

I opened my eyes slowly and was blinded white. Reflexively I shut them then tried again. As my eyes focused I could see I was lying in a bed in a white room. Something was beeping, with each beep my head pounded. I groaned and sat up groggily, the movement made me dizzy.

I tried to become more alert and forced my self through the haze. I saw that Angel was sitting in a chair at the foot of my bed. His arms were crossed and if I thought he looked pissed before, I didn't know what to call this.

"I'm not conscious yet," I whispered, in a feeble attempt to make him go away. I laid back down closing my eyes. The fog became thicker. My body throbbed and the cuts in my back stung under the pressure.

I heard a familiar chuckle. It was Spike; he was sitting at the right side of my bed near my head. I didn't need to see him to know that it was him, I was now aware of the smell of cigarettes and black leather. I opened my eyes anyway. He brushed my hair away from my face with cool ruff fingers; his caresses lessened the pain. The smog began to clear.

"Don't need my help do you?" He smirked. I smiled weakly. Though he wore that arrogant grin I could see the concern in his eyes. Attempting to make that look go away I sat back up. The haze didn't thicken this time.

"How long have I've been out?"

"Long enough for the Poof to decide to chain you in the basement and never let you out" he responded with a scoff as he leaned back in his chair.

"Kinky"

Angel's glare hardened and he got up to leave. He paused at the door "I want to see you as soon as you're out of bed". He didn't attempt to close the door softly, I winced.

"You've certainly got his knickers in a twist"

Unfortunately I was out of bed in a few hours. There's a downside to everything, even magic. At least my headache was gone I thanked pulling on a pair of jeans. Tying up my halter I inspected my face in the mirror; the scratches were almost gone and the bruise on my chin was small. Zipping up my boots, I figured by the amount I've healed I was out for only a couple of hours.

Fred softly knocked on the door "How's it going in there Dawn?" she cooed.

Angel had sent his gentlest henchmen to make sure I'd show up.

"In the span of two days you've snuck out twice, stolen a car, destroyed the garage door, skipped school, attacked a student, fought vampires, been knocked unconscious and that's probably on the beginning" he said standing by his desk.

"Probably" I nodded and the pain in my head returned. I sat down in the chair in front of his desk and tried not to look as tired as I felt. Healing can take a lot out of a girl.

I was expecting his rant to continue and braced myself for his voice to rise. Instead he sat down in his chair and buried his head in his hands. I blinked at him in confusion. He glanced up at me and the anger in his eyes had been replaced by concern and a dull exhaustion. I thought he would last longer then this; thought he would try more scolding and punishments but he seemed to have given up, as if he had been trying to control me for a long time…but I had just gotten there. He mumbled something to himself as he got up and all I could catch was "Conner".

He sat at the front of the desk on it's top to my right. Leaning against his hands gripped at the edges he began to speak, this time softer. "Dawn, I know I can't control you," he seemed to be taking the 'reasoning' route "but I can try to protect you. Buffy entrusted me to do that."

Crap, Buffy. If all this gets back to her then she will flip out. She'll want me back and the whole reason for me to be here is to stay away from her. My plan of reducing her wigging levels would be shot.

"How can I do that when you go looking for trouble? Picking fights with vampires? That's suicidal. You aren't a slayer how did you plan on defending yourself?" He waited for my response.

"How about you trust me on the whole 'defending myself issue', I can take care of myself." I paused "Despite my recent coma, I rarely ever get hurt that bad" I could see he was about to protest so I continued "And I promise not to make the boys cry and go to school enough to pass" I stood up intent on leaving.

"I think Buffy wants you to do more then stay out of a coma, avoid beating up boys and going to school enough," he stated standing giving me a stern look.

I squared my shoulders to his and told him earnestly "As long as I'm generally happy, healthy, passing and alive then Buffy is fine. You tattling on me to her will just stress her out." I chose my next words more carefully aiming for his love of my older sister "She doesn't need that. For everything she's done, she deserves a little peace." I added a slight plead to my voice "Can't you at least try to give that to her?"

"Hey I am trying," he rebutted defensively. I forced myself not to smile; he was saying his lines perfectly. I never thought Angel would be easily manipulated. I guess love truly does blind you.

"Remember that when she calls. Think about how much you want to load on her. Think about how much you want to stifle her with things that she can't do anything about. Think about her need for freedom"

Bull's-eye. By the look on his face he caved…well for now.