Author's Note: to FinebyFive, Kate, DawnMarsters, Dante's Girl, REVlover92, Crystal and John Fields; thank you for writing such kind reviews. It's people like you who keep authors writing, you guys rock! I only hope that I can keep pleasing you and other readers out there with my work.

John: I COMPLETELY agree with you. That is a large reason why I wrote Loss of Innocence; to try to highlight Spike's loyalty to ALL the Summers women and also because I wanted to explore a side of the Spike/Dawn relationship that wasn't explored in the show. I feel this pairing has a great deal of potential if handled properly, so I'm going to try my best!

Dante's Girl: You know, Spike killing Dawn's attackers might just be a good idea. I'll see if I can work that into to the story. It could work out because this story hasn't been pre-written, this is what happens: I write a chapter, post it, wait for a few reviews to come in and then proceed to write the next chapter and so on and so on. I'm not promising anything though, we'll just have to see how it falls into place!

DawnMarsters: Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are the only reviewer I've had so far who has reviewed more that once, you're awesome! Don't worry the Spawn is DEFINETLY coming! I hope you can bear with me for just a little bit longer though. I don't want to rush the whole Spike/Dawn romance thing nor do I want this story to drag out forever, so it will happen soon enough, I promise.

I intended on having this chapter fairly quickly but I've been suffering from what is often referred to as writer's block, I apologise for the delay. So have a read and let me know what you think…….. ENJOY!

Spoilers & Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Buffy groaned inwardly and tried to ignore the bolt of pain that was shooting through her right shoulder; a result of an overeager vamp catching her unawares and tackling her violently, causing her not-so-pleasant encounter with a tombstone. Even Buffy couldn't deny that she was a little off her game lately, but could you blame her? Glory had decided to really up the intensity in her search for the Key and Buffy knew it was only a matter of time until she found out that it was Dawn. She just didn't know how much longer she could juggle the impending apocalypse, her routine slaying duties and looking after Dawn. Buffy could feel herself beginning to crack under the pressure, she just hoped that she was doing a convincing job of hiding it from Giles and her friends. Shaking herself from her thoughts she decided to cut her patrol short and head home to Dawn. Her sister was still incredibly frightened and easily agitated, not that she was complaining it was completely understandable. It had after all only been a few weeks since she was raped. Buffy was just aware of Dawn's need to feel safe therefore she tried extremely hard not cause the younger girl to worry. With that last thought Buffy ran the rest of the way home. The sooner Dawn could see her return from patrolling safe and unharmed, the safer her sister would feel, hopefully. Well for tonight anyway.

Spike sighed as he watched Dawn pace back and forth across her living room floor. It had almost become a nightly ritual for the girl over the past few weeks. Every night Buffy would patrol, Spike always intending to accompany her in said patrolling but always ended up staying with Dawn. He couldn't really explain why this was, to himself or anybody else for that matter. Perhaps it was the pain he saw every time he looked into Dawn's eyes. All he knew was that more and more as the days wet by he felt an overwhelming urge to take away that pain, or at least attempt to. He wanted to ensure that nothing or nobody caused the youngest Summers pain of any sort ever again, that wasn't wrong, was it? "Pet, you're making me dizzy just watching you, could you sit down? Big sis will be home safe and sound soon enough but wearing a hole in the bloody carpet isn't gone bring her home any faster!" The second that words left his mouth Spike knew he had said the wrong thing, or at least the tone was completely wrong… or something, god he was no good at this sort of thing! Taking a deep unnecessary breath he decided to try again. "Dawn…I'm sorry….that didn't come out so good. What I meant was that Buffy will be fine, she always is. She just wouldn't want you to get yourself all worked up about her and neither do I…." At this point Dawn had stopped pacing and was now looking at Spike, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "God, I'm sorry Spike, you're right….you must think I'm so stupid…."

"Why the bloody hell would I think that?" Spike asked firmly, coming to stand directly in front her. Dawn opened her mouth to answer Spike's question but the bleached vampire cut her off before she had the chance . Without thinking Spike grabbed hold of Dawn's hands to make her pay look at him before continuing on from his previous statement. "Listen, to say you've been through a rough time lately would be the bleedin' understatement of the centaury. I get your insecurity as of late, so do the rest 'em. Stop beating yourself up about it, you're allowed to feel this way, got it?" he said firmly, shaking her hands which he still held in his own slightly for emphasis. He silently watched as Dawn considered what he said and after a moment it appeared that she had accepted his words, at least for the moment anyway. Despite her best efforts to stop them from doing so, tears made their way down Dawn's cheeks. Dawn noticed the pained look that crossed Spike's face, only momentarily as Spike was always quick to suppress it but it was the look that Dawn was getting more and more from the normally non-expressive vampire these days. "I'm sorry Spike" Dawn whispered, bowing her head so that she wouldn't have to see those blue eyes looking at her, judging her. She couldn't help but feel that she was letting everyone down, letting him down.

Spike couldn't stand seeing her cry. Every time she did it felt like stake was being driven directly through his heart, not that had actually ever happened to him before so he could only guess that's what it felt like. While he was trying to think of something to say Dawn decided to continue "It's just that everything….everyone seems to scare me at the moment…..I'm just so scared Spike and I don't know what….." Letting go of her hands gently tilted her chin upwards so that he could see her face and tentatively brushed some hair off her face in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. "I know Bit, I know. You don't have to be scared though. I'm not gonna let another bad thing happen to you Dawn, ever. I swear it" They stood like this in silence for a moment until they heard footsteps up the front path. "See I told you Buffy would be fine, here she is now" Spike in mock cheerfulness gesturing towards the front door. His look of relief quickly turned to one of terror as the front door was kicked down and saw Glory standing in the entrance to the Summers' residence. "Oh bloody hell" he muttered and then everything around him plunged into darkness as he felt Glory's fist connect with his face.

tbc