Author's Note: This is my first attempt at writing fanfic of any kind. Reviews will be greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to the good people at ME and the fantastic, brilliant, legendary Joss

Spike pulled open the fire escape door that led an alley at the side of the Bronze and slipped out into the night. Why had he even bothered turning up at the Bronze anyway? Spike snorted to himself in response, he already knew the answer to that. The reason why he'd turned up to the Bronze on a Friday night, uncharacteristically was the same reason he went to just about everywhere he went to these days, to run into Buffy. That's right, the Big Bad that tormented Europe for over 100 years was following the Slayer not to kill her, but to check her out! Could he get anymore pathetic? he seriously doubted it.

Spike was dragged from his mental-scolding by the sounds of somebody crying. A female somebody for that matter. Spike merely rolled his eyes. It was probably just some drunken chit crying hysterically over a bad date or some other feminine crap like that. Spike almost couldn't believe how much he didn't care. So he lit up a cigarette and was about to walk away when a nagging thought made him stop. What would Buffy do? God, now he was trying to please the Slayer without her even being here to see it! Maybe he had found a new level of patheticness after all. Sighing dramatically, he turned back and walked towards the sounds of the still-crying girl

"I suggest you pick yourself up and run along home pet, all sorts of nasties that go bump in the night out here" he said flatly, taking a drag of his cigarette. When the girl, who he could now see was lying on the ground curled into a ball, didn't appear to even register his presence he started to get annoyed. "Oi, are you deaf? I said…." Spike froze when he saw the girl's face "bloody hell" he muttered to himself, kneeling down next to the girl he placed a hand on her shoulder to try turn her over. "P..please….stop" came a soft, broken whisper.

"Dawn, luv it's me. It's Spike". Dawn hesitantly turned her head, seeing that it indeed was the British vampire, concern and anger darkening his usually nonchalant features.

Spike was seeing red. His senses were invaded by the overwhelming smells of fear, blood and sex. What kind of monster would do this to a girl like Dawn? It had to of been a monster, Sunnydale certainly had enough of them and besides no human could be that evil, that ruthless could they? Spike growled deeply, letting his demon form appear. He was going to get the bastard who did this and he was going to kill him. There was no way in hell that they would get away with hurting this girl. Quickly slipping back into human visage, Spike gently pulled the girl up so that she was sitting, back up against the wall. It was here, under the dim light of a near-by street lamp that Spike could see the full extent of her injuries. Her face a mess of dirt and tears, her lower lip was badly swollen and bleeding a little. As Spike's eyes travelled down her beaten form he could see that her clothes were torn and bruises were already forming on various parts of her body. He then noticed that Dawn had started to shake, out of being cold or shock Spike wasn't sure (but it was most likely the latter) so he took off his infamous duster and wrapped it protectively around Dawn's shoulders. "Is it because I'm the Key?" Dawn whispered, bringing Spike out of his thoughts "What?" Spike asked, his eyes widening in disbelief

"I'm being punished…because I'm the Key…because I'm evil….."

"Hey!" Spike interrupted her, tilting her head upwards so that he was looking directly into the large blue pools of her eyes that usually held a brightness and innocence, but were now replaced by immense fear and pain. It was almost enough to break his un-beating heart.

"Now we'll have none of that, you hear?" Spike said firmly, placing his hands on her shoulders to ensure that she was looking at him. "This is in no way, shape or form your fault Dawn, okay? You are NOT being punished because there is nothing to punish you for. This has nothing to do with you being the soddin' Key! So I won't have you thinking that, it's rot…."

Sometime during Spike's pep talk Dawn to shake harder and as sobs overtook her body she fell forward and landed against the surprised vampire's chest. As Dawn sobbed into Spike's shoulder and clutched frantically at his shirt Spike froze. He didn't know what to do. How could he, William the Bloody, possibly help the broken girl before him? Sighing, he awkwardly wrapped his arms around Dawn's shaking form It was then Spike realised that he'd possibly been too stern with the girl. Who was he kidding, he'd scared the crap out of her! He should've known better than to talk to her that way in her fragile state. All he had wanted to do was to make her understand that she wasn't responsible for this. Hearing her sobs grow louder, Spike tentatively stroked her hair and tried his best to soothe the youngest Summers by murmuring platitudes in her ear, promising her that it was going to be okay, that she was safe. In retrospect these were promises that Spike shouldn't have made, as there was no guaranteed way of keeping such promises, not in Sunnydale.

tbc