Sorry - I've been held up a little, but now we can go on. Massive thanks to ebineez01 for beta'ing as always, but also for helping me get my head around something. You rock!

It had gotten late. Dawn had asked Spike to explain a sonnet to her and they had gone from that one to another one and then another one. Eventually he closed the book.

"I should probably walk you home. Don't want you out there on your own after dark."

Dawn didn't want to stop. It was nice sitting with him like that, listening to him read Shakespeare. She usually didn't get it, the language was too unfamiliar to her, but when he talked about what he thought it meant it started to make sense. She sighed. He was right, and she hated that. They would start to get worried about her.

They walked side by side in silence until Dawn said:

"You know, you should teach me to fight. So I can defend myself."

Spike stopped to look at her.

"That's actually a good idea."

"Really?"

She was so used to Buffy telling her no that it took her by surprise.

"Really. Sunnydale is a dangerous place. I'd feel better knowing you can look after yourself."

She started to smile.

"So it's a deal?"

"Deal. We'll start tomorrow after school. I'll make room."

And they did. Homework, and then training. Dawn obviously lacked Buffy's strength, but she was a quick study. He got her once when she messed up a move, accidentally hitting her between the shoulder blades pretty hard. She huffed out a breath and he could tell he had hurt her – instantly proven by his chip going off. He leaned against the wall, desperately trying not to let her see exactly how much it had hurt. She turned around.

"Hey, that was – oh my God. Spike?"

She stood close, reaching out to touch his aching head, and then she pulled him into her arms. He fought the pain for a moment, and then he simply let go. Relaxing into her embrace as if she could draw the pain from him like poison from a wound. They stood until the pain slowly, very slowly started to fade away.

"How long is this gonna hurt?"

"An hour maybe."

"I'm sorry. I didn't even think of the chip."

Spike said it wasn't that bad, but she insisted he get some rest.

"We can pick up where we left off tomorrow."

"OK."

He had to admit to himself that laying down might be a good idea.