Dawn jumped the last few rungs of the ladder to the floor of Spike's crypt. It had taken her hours to convince Buffy and Angel that she was okay. She had waited until they were fully occupied with Caddie and Micah before slipping away. She had remembered to swing by the butchers to pick up the vampire's meals.

"Spike?" she called. "You still here?"

"Something wrong, pet?"

Dawn spun around, clutching the paper bag to her chest. Spike stood a few feet away, looking better than he had in a long time. "I brought you dinner," she said, holding the bag out to him. He took it but made no indication he was going to eat.

"There's something bothering the little bit," he said, tilting his head. "She went and turned into a doorway and didn't turn all the way back."

"It feels weird," Dawn admitted. "I feel…in between. Like I'm not all here. But I can't tell Buffy or Angel because they'd freak out and they have enough to worry about with Caddie and Micah."

"So they brought the baby home, eh?" Spike turned away, putting the bag of blood on the coffee table and wandering across the room.

"Yeah. The thing is, they're all twelve years older than they're supposed to be."

"Time travels differently in different dimensions," Spike told her. "Who's Micah?"

"She's a Fey. Supposedly Buffy adopted her or something and raised her. She gives me the creeps."

"Fey, huh? Demon hunter. Dangerous. Wouldn't want to get on her bad side."

Dawn plopped down on the couch with a sigh. "Life really sucks sometimes," she muttered. Spike snorted and started laughing.

"You're one to talk," he said, sounding more like a sob. Dawn jumped to her feet and hurried over.

"I'm sorry, Spike. What'd I say? What happened, you know, wherever you were?"

He laughed somewhat erratically. "Don't know what to do with a demon who saves the world. So you toss him into purgatory for a few centuries until all the bad's been burned away, and send him back, good as new." He shuddered and began to pace. "Only he's not new, he's broken and not what he was. Doesn't know what he is anymore, a demon or a man. Something both. Something neither. Got the spark now. Burning away and leaving a scar." He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair.

Dawn shook her head. She didn't understand Spike's ramblings and didn't really try to. She just wanted him to be better. But at least being with him was better than being alone.

*****

The next few days passed so quickly Angel could barely count them. Micah and Caddie were both frightened and fascinated by a world they had only heard about. Angel and Buffy did their best to try to help them adapt, but Dawn tended to disappear for long periods of time. At first Angel put it down to the fact she became a portal to a different dimension. Then he became concerned.

"I'm worried about Dawn," he told Buffy one night about a week after they had returned from Revona. She continued to brush her teeth, giving her husband a curious look. They hadn't had much time to talk about…things, and it was sometimes strained between them, but they both tried hard.

"She leaves in the morning and stays out all day," Angel continued. "I've called her friends, but they haven't seen her."

"Did you try asking her?" Buffy suggested, putting her toothbrush away.

"Yes, and she lied." Angel sat on the edge of their bed and watched Buffy change into her pajamas.

"And you know this how?" she challenged.

"I could smell it on her," he told her. She gave him a strange look.

"I'm not even going there." She crawled underneath the covers and curled up on her side facing him. "You could try stalking her. After all, you're good at lurking."

He lay back next to her. "Are you accusing me?"

"No. That's how we met," Buffy said, putting her head on his shoulder. "In all seriousness, if you're that worried, follow her. Willow and Oz are coming over tomorrow. They can help me watch the girls."

"Dawn will hate me if she catches me," he pointed out.

"Don't get caught," Buffy said simply.

*****

Buffy was right; Angel was good at lurking. Dawn didn't even suspect she was being followed. Angel trailed her from their house through town to the butcher shop. He waited, slightly confused, until she re-emerged carrying a paper bag. That explained the mystery of her disappearing allowance. Angel scented the air. He could smell the blood from across the street and his stomach turned. Ever since he had been changed back to human, the smell of blood made him nauseated. He had had to learn to endure it.

When Dawn entered the cemetery, Angel grew concerned. What on earth was Dawn doing with blood in a graveyard? Thank heavens it was broad daylight or every vampire in the area would converge on the teenager.

And then they arrived at Spike's crypt. Angel's concern turned to suspicion. Dawn slipped inside, and after waiting a few minutes, Angel followed. He heard Dawn's voice coming from the lower level.

"You have to eat. You don't want to starve, do you?" There was a moment of silence, and then she said. "Stop it! I don't understand the crazy-talk, okay? Just eat something, please."

Angel silently descended the ladder and scanned the chamber quickly. Dawn stood with a bag of blood in her hand, offering it to a shadowy figure huddled in the corner.

"No," the figure said. "Blood is death. Something always has to die. Kill everything I touch. Don't want to hurt you."

"Dawn, get away from him," Angel said coldly. Dawn gasped and spun around, the bag slipping from her fingers and bursting on the floor.

"Angel, what are you doing here?" she asked nervously.

"I said, get away from him," he said again. Dawn moved guiltily to the side, offering Angel a clear view of the pathetic creature huddled against the stone wall. "Spike," Angel hissed. "Why aren't you dead?"

"I was," the resurrected vampire said almost indignantly, lifting ice-blue eyes to stare at his grand-sire. "I wanted to be. Make all this go away. They wouldn't let me rest. Wouldn't let me sleep. Sent me back. All burning and broken. Shoulda listened to you. You could have warned me. About the spark."

Angel scowled. "What the hell are you talking about, Spike?" he demanded harshly. "What's wrong with you?"

"Gave the spark back. It shows you things. All the blood. All the faces. Every last one I destroyed. How do I make it stop?" Spike pleaded, his expression desperate. "I can't stop it. They put it back and now all it does is burn."

Angel took a step backwards in shock. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," he breathed. "Your soul?"

Spike nodded slowly, a tear tracing a crystal trail down his pale cheek. Angel shook his head, still unable to believe it. "They gave you your goddamn soul back."