Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns all the Buffy and Angel characters. I own all the characters I create within this story.
Author's Note: I realize that I have potentials living with Buffy before Giles brings them, but I felt it fit in with Dawn's feeling left out. So, just go with the flow. In this chapter, we have Andrew, Spike, and a few bringers in the mix. Also, Buffy finally finds out about her sister's boyfriend.
Chapter 3 - Old Friends, New Enemies
Walking down the street, hand-in-hand, Dawn and Simon enjoyed their ice cream and each other's company. Things had been going well the past few weeks, Dawn thought to herself. Simon would come and spend most nights with her, talking, laughing, kissing, and it never got old or boring. He was so interesting and knew so much. Of course, no one but Anya knew about them, and even she didn't know everything, but Dawn liked it that way. Simon was her own thing, and she shared him with no one, least of the all the potential slayers.
"Where are you," he suddenly asked beside her, a smile on his face as he recognized her far-off stare.
"Oh, just thinking," Dawn laughed as she dabbed her ice cream on his nose and took off up the street with Simon in hot pursuit. She knew he could easily catch her. He had almost mastered channeling his werewolf strength in times of adrenaline rushes, but he was always sporting with her and gave her a head start or simply jogged along until she got too tired to out run him anymore.
Suddenly, their game was cut short as someone stepped out in front of Dawn, causing her to collide with him. Stopping short, Simon kneeled down to Dawn to check for any damage, then looked at the stranger she had collided with.
"Are you alright, sir," he asked the geeky, blond-haired guy, as Dawn stood up, brushing herself off.
"Y-yeah, I think so. You kids shouldn't have been running like that though," the man said, making Simon and Dawn look at one another.
"We're sorr...," Dawn cut herself off as she finally got a good look at the man, "Andrew?"
"Oh, Dawn," the man said, now seeming nervous, "and...," he looked at Simon, but then seemed to decide his name wasn't as important as checking the item in his bag.
"What do you have there," Dawn asked, looking at the building Andrew had just come out of, the butcher shop.
"Y-you know, some sausage, hamburger. I'm on a protein diet," he answered, rather unconvincingly.
"Really," Simon asked, "and how's that working out for you?" He could sense something was off about this guy. Something that made Dawn uncomfortable.
"Obviously not as well as it is for you, you nosy child," Andrew replied, looking the muscular Simon up and down.
"Alright, what's really in here," Dawn asked, grabbing the bag with little resistance from the weak Andrew.
Opening it, she found two pints of blood neatly contained in plastic cylinders. Pulling them out into the daylight, she watched as Andrew flinched at being busted.
"Pig's blood," Simon crinkled his nose as his werewolf senses picked up the scent of the blood, "disgusting."
"Well, no one said you had to...," with that Andrew took off down the alley by the building. He was no match for Simon's super speed however, and was pinned against the dumpster before Dawn could even round the corner.
"DON'T try that again," Simon warned Andrew as Dawn caught up with them.
"Why do you have this Andrew," Dawn asked, to which Andrew shrugged.
"She asked you a question," Simon said, applying a bit more force.
"Ow. You're hurting me," Andrew whined.
"Not yet," Simon let a low growl out.
Stunned, Andrew fainted onto the pavement, Simon failing to catch him, rather on purpose.
"Do you know this clown," he asked Dawn, who was discarding the pig's blood into the dumpster.
"Yeah, his name is Andrew. He went to high school with my sister. He also thinks he's an evil genius," Dawn replied. "Buffy would be interested to know he's in town," she continued when they both looked at each other, silently asking the question of what to do with Andrew.
"Right," Simon said, picking Andrew up, and draping one of his arms over his shoulder, "so, I guess I'm going to get to meet your family and friends today."
"I guess so," Dawn grimaced at the thought.
"You found him where," Buffy asked the two as Willow finished tying up Andrew.
"In town, we were walking, and I ran into him," Dawn said, as Buffy eyed Simon again.
"And who are you," she finally asked after nearly half an hour of asking them about Andrew.
"I'm Simon, your neighbor. Dawn's friend," Simon hesitated not knowing how much Dawn wanted him to divulge.
"Boyfriend," Dawn corrected.
"Right, boyfriend," Simon smiled to her.
"Uh-huh, I see. Dawn may I talk with you in private," Buffy asked, taking her sister out of the room before Dawn you object or agree, leaving Simon alone with Willow, who had been grinning since the two had walked through the door with Andrew. She knew from the essences they were giving off that these two were smitten with one another, and she had to admit, had she been a little younger and straight, she would have given Simon a second look.
"So," Simon began, running a hand through his hair, "do this often?"
"Are you insane, bringing that boy in here," Buffy asked her sister once they were in the hall.
"What do you mean," Dawn began to get defensive, "he's my boyfriend, why shouldn't I be allowed to bring him in here?"
"Well, for one, he's not like us, and how well do you know him," Buffy shot back.
"I know him well enough, and I think he knows me better than anyone in this house," Dawn retorted, trying to keep her voice low so Simon wouldn't hear them arguing. "Plus, he knows all about us!"
"What do you mean," Buffy gave her sister a confused look. How could this boy possibly know about them?
"He's a...," Dawn began, but was cut off by a shout from the room opposite the one they were holding Andrew in.
"Is there a werewolf in this house," Spike's voice came loud and clear down the hall.
Sticking their heads out of the room, Willow and Simon looked at Buffy and Dawn.
"Dawn, is there a vampire in this house," Simon asked, then with glee added, "can I stake him?"
"Where the bloody hell is the werewolf," Spike yelled again.
"There's no werewolf," Buffy opened the door just as Spike came flying through it, and into the hall, having broken free of his bonds.
"Vampire," Simon smiled.
"Werewolf," Spike replied.
"Huh," Buffy and Willow chorused.
"I've always enjoyed ripping the heads from vampires, watching them turn to dust," Simon took a step towards Spike.
"I've fought a werewolf before. You're tough buggers, but I'm tougher," Spike transformed into his demon face.
"Right, I've heard that line before, blood sucker," Simon cracked his knuckles.
"Oo, blood sucker, eh? Least I'm not a giant puppy that piddles everywhere," Spike retorted.
"Right, you're going to pay for that one," Simon lunged forward, only to have Buffy, Dawn, and Willow come between he and Spike.
"I don't understand," Buffy said, pushing Spike away from Simon with all her strength so that he crashed into the laundry hamper at the end of the hall.
"Simon, he's a good vampire," Dawn tried to reason with her boyfriend. She had never seen him so hot-headed.
"No such thing," Simon said, though he backed off.
"I would generally agree with you, but Spike really is one of the good guys," Dawn said, still keeping her hands on his chest to make sure he didn't lunge for Spike again. The vampire was now unconscious from where Buffy had thrown him. "He's just a little crazy right now, but I promise, he's not always like that."
"He's a demon, Dawn," Simon started, "and besides, vampires and werewolves, we're sworn enemies."
"So, you are a werewolf," Willow smiled, looking at Simon more intently than ever.
"Yeah," Simon nodded.
"That's so cool," Willow replied, recalling her days with Oz, then looking at Buffy, "you do like vampires, so it only make sense that she likes werewolves."
Grimacing, Simon shook his head, "how can you like those night walkers?"
"It's a long story," Buffy started, looking from Dawn to Simon. She couldn't believe how fast her little sister was growing up.
"Urgh, what's going on," they suddenly heard Andrew from the other room.
Closing the door, Buffy noticed Anya and Xander coming up the stairs.
"Werewolf," Anya greeted Simon, who gave a small, embarrassed wave.
"Werewolf," Xander questioned, eyeing Simon.
"Yeah, long story," Dawn waved her hand, "more importantly, boyfriend," she motioned towards Simon.
"Boyfriend," Xander again questioned, "I thought we had an agreement that you weren't allowed to date til' you're thirty," he laughed.
"Xander," Dawn smacked him as he reached his hand out to shake Simon's, though pulled the boy in close just as he had his hand.
"If you hurt her, I'll hurt you, got it," he asked, causing Dawn to blush furiously.
"Right, after that embarrassment, come on, Si," Dawn said, grabbing his hand and practically yanking him downstairs.
"Lovely to meet you all," Simon said as he disappeared around the corner.
"Well, Dawny has a boyfriend who's a werewolf. You know this figures though seeing as you're into...," Xander began but was cut off by Buffy.
"We know," she started, "we have more pressing issues though. Namely Andrew. Think you can get something out of him?"
"I'll get him to talk," Anya interjected. Just watch," she said, pushing past Buffy and Willow and entering the room where Andrew was kept. "Listen here bucko, you're going to tell us what we need to know."
Laughing, Buffy and Willow gave Xander a look. Patting him on the shoulder, Buffy couldn't come up with any words of encouragement except, "good luck with that."
"Yes, my father was a watcher, I'm a werewolf, and I'm dating your sister," Simon concluded his story for Buffy and Willow.
"Wow, you've lived such an exciting life," Willow was enraptured by the boy's tale of living in multiple countries since his aunt had assumed custody of him at the age of eleven five years ago.
"Fascinating," Buffy said, taking a bite of her sandwich. She didn't care if this kid was Casanova himself. He had better not hurt her sister or she was going to be laying some major hurt on him.
"It's not that big of deal," Simon said, downplaying his travels.
"Wel...," Willow started but was cut of by a high-pitched scream from upstairs.
Looking at one another, the four scurried upstairs to find Andrew in the grips of Spike, who had his demon face on, and was biting into Andrew's neck.
"Can we stake him now," Simon asked, as Buffy rushed forward to push Spike away.
"What happened," Buffy asked, as she restrained Spike, who seemed to have calmed down for the moment.
Andrew lay on the floor, bleeding from the neck, but Dawn and Anya were quickly retrieving the First aid supplies from the bathroom to treat the wound, while Zander started applying pressure with a sheet, and Simon looked on amazed.
"I knew that vampire was no good, they never are," he proclaimed.
"No, he has a soul. Something must have set him off. Did you guys hear anything from his room? Anyone talking to him or anything," Buffy asked Xander and Anya, who both looked at one another.
"Well, there was some talking...," Anya began.
"Then, some singing," Xander finished.
"The First," was all Buffy could get out before the sound of breaking glass and the front door being forced open downstairs sounded, followed by screams from potentials in the basement.
"They're here," she said, running down the stairs, the rest of the party in hot pursuit.
"Who's they," Simon asked, though his question was quickly answered as a man with his eyes scarred over in symbols came at him with a long knife. Pushing Dawn, who had been in front of him, behind him, Simon pushed the man back, knowing his human strength alone, even with some werewolf strength channeled in would not be enough.
"Dawn, I want you to promise me," he began, as the man began circling the pair of them, "that you won't freak out, and no matter what you won't try to...," he tried to get out, but his body was starting to convulse too much for the last words to come out.
"Simon," Dawn shouted as he fell to the floor, though she was quickly forced to back up as the bringer continued to come at her. That was until a pair of claws caught his foot, forcing him to the ground. A loud growl came, and Dawn watched in horror as the beast before her ripped the bringer to shreds. She had seen her sister taken down many a demon, but never as brutal as what she was witnessing now.
"S-Simon," she managed through her fear, cauing the wolf to look at her, hunger in his eyes. Then, a tremendous howl escaped him, causing everyone, bringers and Scoobies alike to look.
The fighting continued to rage however, as the bringers upped their efforts, not intent on letting the Scoobies make it thought the night. Grabbing a sword herself, Dawn joined the fight, having to ignore the fact that her boyfriend was now a ravenous beast.
Fighting her best, Dawn was losing her fight fast as two, then three bringers ganged up on her. Just as she was about to be struck by one of the long knives, a clawed paw took the strike for her, causing Simon to let out a howl of pain.
Regaining her, Dawn held her sword high over her head, and began hacking at the bringers who made their way towards the door, retreating with Simon in hot pursuit.
"Simon," Dawn yelled after him, but to no avail, he was already gone with the bringers.
"Dawn," Buffy yelled, hoping her little sister was all right.
"Yeah,," Dawn replied, climbing over what used to be the coffee table to get to her sister in the kitchen, where one of the three potentials was laying on the floor, a gash in her leg bleeding.
"She needs medical attention," Xander said, "Anya, why don't you come up with the cover story while I drive," he said, picking the girl up off the floor.
"Good idea," Buffy said, thankful her friends knew how to deal with these situations.
"Who were they," Dawn asked, as Xander and Anya exited.
"The First," Buffy said, "it's minions, the bringers."
"What provoked it to attack, though," Willow wondered aloud, "besides the fact that you're the Slayer, of course."
"I don't know," Buffy replied.
Suddenly, there was a noise at the front of the house, causing the three females and the remaining potentials to rush towards it. When they got there they were met by the low growling of werewolf Simon.
"Simon, I know there's a piece of you in there," Dawn said, taking a step forward, only to have the beast snap its jaws.
Screaming and taking a step back, Dawn aloud her sister to get in front of her as the beast charged forward with a loud howl, only to stop right before it got to them and fall to the floor, writhing.
Transforming back into a boy, Simon grasped his arm in pain. "They have your vampire."
Author's Note: How will Dawn react to seeing Simon's beastly nature? How will Buffy get Spike back, and then there's Giles arriving. All in the next chapter. Please review!