Disclaimer: Joss, not me, owns Dawn, Buffy, Xander, Willow, their mothers, their cousins, they're half-brothers, their mom's sister's boyfriend's mother, and Spike.(despite my wishes to the contrary) Reviews: please Distribution: Just tell me

Other: I would just like to thank all of you who, for some odd reason, enjoy my writing. The reviews are awesome! I think I've even managed to convert some anti S/D shippers, according to some e-mail. (Wipes away tear) I'm so proud. =) I probably won't be keeping up with the gang in the present every little step because that would be really confusing to jump back and forth through time. Once in a while I might update as to where Spike is on his memories. I only wrote that so everyone would know what was going on in SunnyD. Now. On with the story. BTW: does anyone know Spike's former last name? For the life of me, I can't recall. Help would be much appreciated.

Dawn finally got herself to get out of bed. She dreaded having to get back into the walking torture chamber the woman referred to as a corset. She was never much of a feminist, but this was just ridiculous. But hey, things could be worse, right? So she was about 120 years in the past. She could be in some other dimension, where she was turned or something...else. She stood up, stretching her muscles. The cracking of her back sounded disturbing, but it felt a lot better.

A woman suddenly came in. She was dressed like Trudy off 'Titanic', only seemed to be not much older than herself. "Top 'a the morning to you, missus. I trust you slept well." Her cockney accent had caught Dawn off guard, and she stood very still, her eyes wide. The girl had brought another dress, which seemed even tighter than the one last night.

"Hi," Dawn managed. The girl hung the dress up, dusting it off, not really acknowledging Dawn's small reply.

"The household's all astir with you here now. Everyone wondering who you are. I hear tell you're not sure yourself, is that right?" Dawn had a feeling anything she said would pass through the ears of everyone in the house, so she decided to maintain a concrete story.

"No," she said. "Everything is so blurry up until last night." The girl was visibly disappointed, but maintained a smile.

"You remember your name, though?"

"Yes, Dawn. Dawn Summers. I think that's my name. It sticks with me." Dawn realized she slipped up last night. She was lucky Spi...William's mom didn't catch it. She really had to work on the name thing. If she slipped up, she'd be in not just a pickle, but an uncooked cucumber. The maid took the dress off what Dawn would call a anger and approached Dawn with it. Seeing that she didn't have her corset on, she put the dress down and retrieved it.

"Here, let me help you," she said. Dawn lifted her arms and let the girl put the dratted thing on her. She hung tight to the bedpost as she felt the oxygen be squeezed from her body. The girl finally tied the last tie.

"My name is Margaret by the way."

"Nice to meet you." Thank you so much for breaking my ribs, she thought behind a smile. The girl picked up her dress.

"The missus sent this to you. It was Master William's sister's before she got married." A sly smile crept up on the young maidservant's face. "But I don't think the Master's feelings toward you are at all brotherly." She approached her to put the dress over Dawn's head. Dawn's eye's furrowed together.

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked, unsure if she was ready to know.

"Well, he's obviously take a liking to you, is all. You'll have to excuse the household. A curious bunch we are." "But I only met him last night!" Kind of.

" But we'd never seen Master William as he was last night. The proverbial cat usually gets his tongue when he talks to girls." Spike? Not talk to girls? That's a laugh. "But not last night, he wasn't. He must really like you." Boy, Dawn thought. Things sure did move fast here. Margaret finished the ties on her dress, and turned Dawn around to look in the mirror. Whoa, Dawn thought. The dress really was pretty. She felt...girly in it. It was baby blue with lace around the neck. Suddenly, she appreciated the suffocating apparatus. Her waist looked really tiny. She saw Margaret come up behind her with a ribbon and started working it into her hair. Her locks were slightly curled from being slept on. In about ten minutes, her hair was halfway pulled back with some hanging on the side. She felt like she stepped into a Gone With the Wind scenario.

"Come. The Missus and Master are expecting to breakfast."

Dawn timidly stepped into the dining room. WILLIAM sat next to his mother, who was at the head of the table. William looked from behind his glasses at her with his shy blue eyes. So unlike the eyes she was used. She longed to see that cocky twinkle in the familiar blue orbs. Maybe she could help him with that, before he was turned.

The thought hit her like a ton of bricks as she sat down.