In Dreams
by Cariann

Prologue

Her blonde hair lay fanned out on the white pillow, and her eyes were closed as soft moans escaped from her lips. Her nails scratched a bloody trail down his pale back as he thrust into her. Her back arched, and she let out a primal scream as she crashed over the edge. Then everything went black, but her scream echoed in his mind. A flash of white light tore through the darkness nearly blinding him, and he closed his eyes in protection. And then he couldn�t feel her body beneath his anymore. He tried to reach out for her, but his hand found nothing but emptiness. He felt a heat on his skin, and if he didn�t know better he would think it was the sun beating down on him. Fear swept over him, and he kept his eyes closed afraid of what he would find if he opened them.

�Open your eyes,� she whispered.

Spike reached towards the voice as a panic rose inside of him, but nothing was there. He took a step forward and felt nothing underneath his feet, but he didn�t fall.

�I�m right here,� she said, but her voice sounded so far away.

Spike took another step and still did not connect with anything solid beneath his feet. He didn�t open his eyes. He had seen some disturbing things in his long unlife, and he had faced some pretty frightening prospects, but this was the first time he had ever been terrified to the depths of his being.

�It�s okay. Open your eyes,� she coaxed him in a soothing voice. When his eyes remained closed she added, �Trust me.�

Spike did trust her, and he slowly opened his eyes not knowing what would happen, or what he would see. What he saw made him gasp. He was standing in the middle of a field that seemed to have no end and no beginning to the blanket of wild flowers that were now underneath his feet. Above him the sky was a bright crystal blue with puffy white clouds zooming by at rapid speed. Spike stared at the sky in bewildered fascination as the sun streaked across the expansive sky. It had been over 120 years since he had seen a blue sky, or never if you consider the sky was never truly blue in Victorian London.

In less then a minute a wave of stars washed over the sky bringing with it the blackness of the night. Spike cried out in protest wanting the day to come back. Almost as if his demand was answered the sun broke through the night bringing day again. Spike blinked a couple of times not really registering the oddness of the phenomenon. Instead he was still enraptured with the feeling of the heat on his skin, and the light in his eyes.

Within seconds the sun turned black and wet drops started to slowly land on Spike�s upturned face staining it red. Spike absently wiped them away with the back of his hand leaving trails of smeared blood. Spike heard a slow rumble in the distance and before he could even register what it was the sky exploded in a down pour of blood.

Animalistic instinct overtook Spike and he opened his mouth letting the blood pour down his throat as his face contorted into harsh ridges. He swallowed it hungrily savoring the delicious flavor, and then he stopped. It wasn�t human blood, and it wasn�t animal blood. It was Slayer blood.

�Drink it Spike,� she demanded.

Spike frantically looked around him searching for her. All he saw was her blood raining down upon him. He started running as the blood drenched him. It coated his skin, clothes, hair, every inch of him, but he didn�t stop to drink. He just ran knowing he had no idea where he would end up. He didn�t care. He had to find her.

The ground suddenly disappeared from his feet and he was falling. He thrashed in the air looking wildly around him, but all he saw was black. He strained his eyes trying to see anything, but there was nothing. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. He closed his eyes and prayed to a God he didn�t believe in to make it stop.

Something heard his pleas, and he found himself sinking into a thick liquid pool. He opened his eyes, but he was still shrouded in blackness. He moved his arms, and legs trying to push himself back up to the surface, but an unseen force was forcing him further and further down. He didn�t need to breath, but he felt like he was going to drown in the thick substance as he continued to plummet further and further down.

�Drink it,� she demanded again and the black liquid turned a dark red and Spike knew it was her blood without having to taste it.

Spike thrashed his head back and forth refusing to do it preferring to drown then to drink her blood. He couldn�t drink her blood. He loved her. He couldn�t take her life.

�It�s the only way,� she cried desperately.

Confusion swept over Spike. He didn�t understand why she wanted him to drink her blood. She needed her blood didn�t she? Why would she want him to take her life? He kept his mouth closed. It had to be a trick. A test to see if he really loved her. No he wouldn�t do it.

He heard her sobs, and reconsidered. He started to open his mouth, but stopped. No. He had to be strong. He loved her. He would prove it to her. He would not drink.

A white light tore through the sea of blood. Spike howled and quickly shut his eyes. And then he felt her beneath him again as he thrust into her. Spike let out a sigh of relief and opened his eyes only to find himself staring down at Buffy�s corpse.

~*~*~*~

Spike sat on top of his tomb with a cigarette dangling between his shaking fingers. He brought it to his lips and inhaled lowering his hand before he exhaled the smoke. He stared at his shaking hand. He hated to admit it but he was terrified. Very few things terrified him, but the dreams he had been having since Buffy�s death scared him to his core.

He usually didn�t even dream when he slept, and if he did he dreamed of killing, or screwing. His dreams for the past three weeks had been neither. They were confusing, disjointed, and abstract, but the one thing they had in common was Buffy�s blood. He was surrounded by it, enclosed in it, drowning in it, buried in it, enticed by it, taunted with it, but he always refused to drink it.

Spike knew he didn�t have prophetic dreams. That was Dru�s thing, but he was slowly beginning to realize these dreams had to mean something. He knew he should talk to Giles about it seeing as how they concerned the Slayer, but Spike didn�t want to admit he was having these dreams. He wanted to forget about them, but most of all he wanted them to stop.

Spike took another drag off his cigarette. His hand had stopped shaking thankfully. Spike hated how these dreams made him feel. How pathetic was it for him to be sitting in his crypt shaking like one of his victims over a nightmare? It disgusted him that he was afraid to sleep.

Spike tossed his cigarette to the ground and hopped off his tomb stomping out his smoke. The worst part was he didn�t like to feed anymore. When he looked at blood he wanted to throw up, as the sensations of his dreams would rush through him. He would close his eyes, but the taste repulsed him. He forced himself to drink it. He had to do it to survive, but it infuriated him that he drank out of necessity instead of desire.

Spike grabbed his duster and slid it on. He had to get out of his tomb. It was easier to forget his dreams when he wasn�t where they occurred though he couldn�t forget them no matter how hard he tried. In her death Buffy haunted him more then when she was alive.

�

Part 1

Spike flicked the lid of his lighter open and immediately snapped it shut. He repeated the action over and over again, the clicking noise soothing to his frazzled nerves. It kept his hands occupied and his mind blank. That�s all he wanted�his mind blank with no thoughts or dreams of Buffy to torment him.

Around him the 24-hour diner he sat in was bustling with people even though it was well after midnight. It was one of the few places still open in Sunnydale and the night crawlers congregated here human and non human. His cup of coffee sat untouched on the tabletop. He ordered it so he could sit here and not draw attention to himself though the incessant clicking of his lighter was not helping him with that one.

One of the letters in the neon sign outside was flickering off and on and Spike watched as the light danced across the fake wood tabletop. It wasted time�a thing Spike had too much of these days. For the first time eternity seemed too damn long to Spike.

�So this is where you�ve been hiding?�

Spike stopped with his finger pressing on the lid of the lighter ready to snap it closed. He didn�t need to look up to know who was now standing at his table. He flicked the lid closed with a loud snap and pocketed the lighter in his duster. He didn�t move his head to look at her. Instead he only moved his eyes.

Dawn stood with her hand resting lightly on the tabletop watching him intently for his reaction. Spike hardly recognized her. She had cut her long brown hair to just below her ears and dyed it black. Her eyes were outlined in heavy black and her lips were a dark blood red. She wore a pair of red leather pants that Spike had seen on Buffy before and a black tank top that hugged her chest showing off attributes Spike was never aware she had.

�All dressed up in big sisters clothes now are we?� Spike asked, anger evident in his voice.

He averted his eyes from her and focused on the cup of coffee sitting idly in front of him. Her appearance disgusted him. Sweet, pure, innocent Dawn dressed up like whore, or what he imagined she thought a whore looked like. She didn�t look bad actually. A tad on the slutty side, but none of that mattered because it just wasn�t her.

�What of it? It�s not like she needs them,� Dawn flippantly answered. Spike openly flinched at her words. �She�s dead Spike.�

�Are you looking to follow her?� he growled his eyes briefly flashing a dangerous yellow.

Spike�s hand shot out in a flash and grabbed Dawn around the throat. She let out a strangled gasp as his fingers dug into her throat. As quickly as he grabbed her he released her as pain tore through his skull. He grabbed his own head in agony as the last remnants of the shocks tingled down his nerve endings.

Tears welled up in the corners of Dawn�s eyes quickly spilling down her cheeks leaving black streaks in their wake. She clutched the table, as her knees appeared to give out on her. A pair of hands encircled her waist keeping her on her feet.

Spike glared at the boy touching Dawn instantly not liking him. He was about 18, maybe 19, with longish greasy brown hair. He wore ripped jeans, a white wifebeater, and tattoos covering his arms in intricately decorated sleeves. Worst of all he was human. Spike knew he was trouble, but there was nothing he could do about it.

The boy reached around Dawn and grabbed Spike by the collar of his duster. �What the fuck is your problem man? Are you looking to get your ass kicked?�

Spike glanced down at the boy�s hand on his chest before bringing his eyes back to look at the boy fixing him with a deadly glare. �You and what army?�

The boy pushed Dawn out of the way sending her tumbling to the ground and grabbed Spike with both hands. Spike shot a quick glance at Dawn making sure she was okay. He wanted to tear this boy�s heart out and make him eat it, but there wasn�t a damn thing he could do. Frustrated, Spike forced himself to remain in control. If he showed his anger with nothing to back it up he�d be in trouble.

The boy slammed Spike back into the booth, and Spike�s head connected with the wall. Not reacting, Spike just kept his eyes locked on the boy trying to scare him that way.

�Randy stop it,� Dawn shouted.

She grabbed at his arm trying to pull it off of Spike, but Randy threw her off of him. Dawn went sailing backwards landing with a thud against the wall. A growl escaped Spike�s chest low and dangerous. Fear flashed across Randy�s face, and Spike could smell it pouring off the boy in waves.

Before Spike could do anything else Randy came crashing into him having been kicked from behind by Dawn. Dawn grabbed him by his hair pulling him off of Spike. Spike watched in fascination as Dawn sent a series of punches to the boys face the last one causing a spurt of blood to erupt from Randy�s nose. Finishing him off with a kick to the groin, Dawn watched him as he fell to the ground moaning and crying in pain.

Dawn turned her head slowly to look at Spike. She looked like a fallen angel. No matter how hard she tried she couldn�t mask her innocence even as she stood before Spike her chest heaving from the fight, her eyes glowing with anger and pain, and her face stained with black tears.

The manager approached them but kept his distance as he shouted, �Out. The both of you before I call the cops.�

Spike glanced down at the boy crumpled up on the floor wailing in pain before bolting out of his seat and grabbing Dawn�s hand. He dragged her quickly out of the diner and she followed him willingly.

Dawn was silent as Spike kept hold of her hand as they made their way away from the diner. Spike didn�t know what to think of what happened in the diner, or what to make of Dawn. She was obviously hurting and acting out, but Spike didn�t know why, or how the gang could let her do this to herself. She was asking for trouble prowling the streets at all hours of the night dressed as she was with the company she was obviously keeping.

Yet the thing that unnerved him the most was she had no fear. He couldn�t smell it. He couldn�t see it in her eyes. Back at the diner, even when he had grabbed her neck, she was never afraid. That scared him. If she lacked fear she was an easy target.

�How come you never came to see me?�

Spike stopped at her question. He turned to face her as her question echoed in his mind. He hadn�t seen her since that night. Since that night he failed to protect her. It wasn�t that he was avoiding her really. He just couldn�t deal with everything right now�Buffy�s death�his failure�the dreams. It was all too much to deal with without having to see Dawn�a mini little Buffy. Okay so maybe he was avoiding her.

Dawn was watching Spike waiting for him to answer. Her tone was accusatory, her stance defiant. She was trying to hide her pain, but Spike could see through the fragile walls she had built up around herself that were slowly crumbling despite her best efforts to be strong. Outside she may have been showing no fear, but inside she was just a frightened little girl that was desperately trying to survive all alone in this world that had been nothing but cruel to her in her short life.

�I�� Spike started to say, but stopped. What could he say? He had been avoiding her because she reminded him of everything he had lost even though he had never had it to begin with. That he was selfishly wallowing in his own sorrow tormented by dreams he didn�t understand, and guilt he didn�t know how to deal with. That he wanted to forget and bury everything that had connected him to Buffy especially her.

�It�s because of her isn�t it? Because you never cared about any of us but her?� Dawn accused him her voice trembling with anger.

�That�s not true,� Spike argued defensively.

�Isn�t it?� Dawn pushed walking slowly towards Spike. Spike shook his head no as she continued to get closer to him. �I was made from her you know. Her blood is my blood.� Spike didn�t move. He didn�t answer as Dawn stood right before him her body almost touching his. �My blood is her blood. It�s all the same. We are the same. I can feel her inside of me.� She raised her head to look up at Spike her eyes searching his as she pressed her body up against his. �Do you want to feel her?�

Before Spike could process what was happening her lips were on his. She held onto his shoulders, and stood on the tips of her toes as she attacked his mouth in desperation and anger. She bit his lower lip to get him to open his mouth tasting the blood as it trickled onto her tongue as it slipped into his cold mouth. Spike groaned as he lost himself in the feeling of her tiny soft warm body pressed up against his hard cold one and her tongue lapping at his own.

And then he pushed her away. She stumbled backwards caught off guard by the suddenness of it. Spike licked his bottom lip tasting his own blood. She had bitten hard. Spike took a step towards her not knowing what he was going to say, but he had to say something. She was so lost. He had to help her, but he would have to catch her first. She had taken off into the night.

~*~*~*~

He had her cornered in an alley. Her back was against a chain link fence and she slid her fingers through the openings gripping the cold metal. She was scared now. She wasn�t scared of Spike hurting her, not only because he couldn�t due to his chippage, but also because she knew he would never hurt her physically.

She was scared of what he would say. That he would see right through her, and know. She watched him as he stopped a few feet away from her watching her with a concentrated gaze. He seemed to be reading her, probing her mind for the truth. It made her uncomfortable.

Dawn raised her chin, and looked him straight in the eye. She wasn�t going to let him get the best of her. She had kissed him because she was pissed that he abandoned her after Buffy�s death. He was the only person whom she felt ever understood her and he vanished. She was suffering alone. Sure Giles, Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya were there but they weren�t what she needed. They treated her like a child. Spike was the only one who treated her like a person. He was the only one she could ever talk to. Now he didn�t want her. It made her believe he had only been nice to her because he wanted to get into Buffy�s pants, so she lashed out. She had thrown Buffy in his face.

�You don�t have to do this,� he said.

�I�m not doing anything,� Dawn replied coolly.

�Right your not doing anything�just taking a late night stroll.�

�It�s a free country,� she shot back crossing her arms across her chest.

�You�re right. Your free to get yourself bloody killed.� Anger seeped into his words and Dawn suppressed a smile at knowing she was getting him to react.

�I can handle myself. I think I proved that back at the diner when I saved your helpless ass.�

�What are you trying to prove?� he asked struggling to keep the overwhelming fury that was taking over him out of his voice.

�I�m not trying to prove anything.�

�You�re not?� Spike questioned with a disbelieving arch of his scared eyebrow.

�No Spike I�m not, so don�t stand there and psycho vampiralyze me. I�m so sick of people telling me how I should feel, and what I�m thinking.� Dawn�s voice rose, and she started losing control of her anger, her fa�ade crumbling around her. �They don�t know. You don�t know. No one could possibly know, so just leave me the hell alone.�

Dawn tried to rush past Spike, but he grabbed her arm and whirled her back around. She struggled against his hold trying desperately to reign in the tears that were threatening to fall. She couldn�t do this now. When she had wanted to talk he hadn�t been there.

�Let me go,� she shouted desperately.

�I�m not going to hurt you,� Spike assured her trying to get her to stop struggling by pulling her body closer to his.

�Yes you will.�

Spike seemed genuinely insulted at the notion. �I would never hurt you.�

�No? You�ll just leave.�

Dawn crumbled in his arms as soon as the words left her mouth. She had verbalized her greatest fear out loud and the walls she had built up around herself vanished, as she had nothing left to hide. Her whole life was a lie, and the only real thing she had known in the handful of months she had been real was the love of her mother and sister and both were gone. She couldn�t lose anything else. If she did she feared she would disappear.

Her defenses down, Dawn desperately clung to Spike trembling in his arms. She had tried so hard to be someone else to escape the feeling that she was nobody. She had dressed up in Buffy�s clothes, and cut her hair to be anything but whom she was. She was scared of who she was. She destroyed everyone she loved, and who loved her. She didn�t want to love anymore. She didn�t want to care. She didn�t want to hurt anymore.

But she couldn�t hide from Spike. Deep down she didn�t want to. She knew it would be safer, but she couldn�t shut it off no matter how hard she tried. She did care about a lot of things still. She wished she didn�t. It would be easier, but she did.

~*~*~*~

Spike followed silently behind Dawn as they walked up to the kitchen door of the Summers� home. She pushed up the sleeves of his duster to insert the key in the lock. She pushed open the door and walked inside turning around to invite Spike in, but found him walking over the threshold without an invitation.

�How�d you do that?� she asked the shock apparent on her face.

Pain flashed across his face as the memories of that night flooded him.

Come in, Spike�

I'm counting on you, Spike�

You don't come near the girl, Doc�

I made a promise to a lady�

No --

�She invited you didn�t she?� Dawn inquired fascinated and a little stunned at the idea.

�She did,� Spike cautiously answered.

�I�m glad,� Dawn responded with a smile.

Spike was surprised by her answer. She was being so open right now, allowing herself to be vulnerable which was a sharp contrast to earlier.

Spike watched Dawn as she moved to the cabinets removing two mugs. He followed her with his eyes as she walked around the kitchen making hot chocolate constantly having to push up the too long sleeves of his duster. He had given it to her in the alley because she was cold and he suspected because she wanted to cover herself.

Dawn stopped in the middle of her actions and asked him, �Are you going to sit down?�

Spike sat down at the island in the middle of the kitchen. He looked around nervously. �Where�s your father?�

Dawn shrugged. �Asleep probably.�

�And if he were to wake up he wouldn�t mind having a strange English man in his kitchen with his 14 year old daughter?�

�He doesn�t care.� She said this with no emotion in her voice.

�I�m sure he does,� Spike assured her guessing that was the right thing to say.

Dawn stopped and faced Spike. She rested her hands on her hips and fixed her gaze on him. �If he cared he would have come back after mom died. If he cared he wouldn�t be selling the house and dragging me to LA. If he cared I�d have memories of him not manufactured by some fanatical monks.�

Her words stung Spike as he felt her pain. He closed his eyes not knowing what to say and knowing that nothing he said could possibly lessen her pain. At a loss, he offered a simple, �I�m sorry Niblet.�

Dawn shrugged and turned back to watching the water boil on the stove. �No big. I mean he�s not really my father right?�

�You�re not alone.�

Dawn didn�t turn around. �I feel alone. Isn�t that all that matters?�

Spike didn�t answer her. Instead he watched as she poured the boiling water into the mugs. She gave the drinks a quick stir before topping them off with a handful of mini marshmallows. She tucked the bag of marshmallows under arm, pushed up the sleeves of Spike�s duster, grabbed the cups, and carried them to the island. She set the cups down, and tossed the bag of marshmallows onto the counter before sitting across from Spike.

Spike picked up his mug, and took a drink, the scalding liquid not affecting him in the least. Dawn dug into the bag of marshmallows removing a handful.

�I hate these damn things,� she said before aimlessly popping a few into her mouth.

�Why?�

Dawn shrugged and didn�t answer. Spike watched her with confused interest, as she seemed to get lost in her own thoughts as she chewed on the marshmallows while watching the steam rise off of her hot chocolate.

Not looking up, Dawn spoke again. �I hate it you know.� Spike tilted his head to study her trying to figure out exactly what she was referring to. �It was so stupid,� Dawn continued. �I was just sitting there one day and hating myself and the world and I�� she paused and sighed, �just did it.�

�Did what?� Spike asked hesitantly afraid of what she was talking about and what she might possibly have done in her state of despair.

Dawn looked up at him giving him a look of disbelief that he didn�t know what she was talking about. �Cut my hair.� Spike let out a sigh of relief that made Dawn smirk. �What did you think I was talking about?�

Spike didn�t answer. Instead he reached out his hand and played with a strand of her hair. �It looks fine.�

Dawn turned her face rubbing her cheek against his hand. Spike quickly dropped his hand. A look of disappointment crossed over Dawn�s face, but it was quickly replaced with a knowing smile.

�I know.�

�Do you?�

�Yeah,� she said quietly before picking up her mug and taking a sip.

Spike waited for her to continue. He knew he wouldn�t get any answers if he pushed her to talk about it. She had to want to talk about it, and Spike would be there when she was ready. It may not be tonight, or even tomorrow, but eventually she was going to want to talk about it.

�She would have you know�eventually.�

Dawn didn�t look up at she said this. Instead she poked at the marshmallows in her hot chocolate causing them to sink below the brown liquid before popping back up again. Spike watched her curiously. She was making no sense. Her thoughts seemed to be random and vague to Spike, and he wondered what she was trying to get at if it was anything at all.

When Spike didn�t respond Dawn looked up at him her eyes hollow and haunted. �I try not to hate her you know, but sometimes I do. I really hate her.�

Spike couldn�t hide his shock at her anger filled words. He knew Dawn was having issues dealing with Buffy�s death and everything surrounding it and herself, but he never expected to hear her say she hated Buffy.

�I mean how could she do this to me? How could she just abandon me?�

�She saved your life,� Spike interjected rather calmly considering the torrent of emotions seizing him at that moment.

�She saved my life by taking away the one thing I still had in this world.� Dawn�s eyes welled up with tears and her voice rose. �How am I supposed to go on without her? What am I supposed to do?�

Dawn�s voice cracked as she spoke, but her tears did not fall. Spike was paralyzed in his seat. He wanted to comfort her, but the look in her eyes clearly said nothing could comfort her. He stared at Dawn her eyes shadowed in a dark ring reflecting the torment she was engulfed by. He felt powerless to help her and that feeling ripped him apart inside. He could only stare at her as she gazed at him looking for answers in his eyes that he didn�t have.

They heard the pounding on the stairs at the same time. Dawn didn�t move as Spike jumped up and ran for the back door. He practically ripped the door off its hinges as he darted outside cursing under his breath as he hoped her father hadn�t seen him.

Spike leaned against the side of the house in the shadows not wanting to leave Dawn. Needing to make sure she was okay.

�Dawn, what are you doing up?�

Spike edged closer to the door to listen to the conversation transpiring inside the kitchen.

�I couldn�t sleep.�

�It�s 2 in the morning. Where have you been?�

Spike could hear the anger and accusation in Mr. Summers� voice. Spike�s body tightened as he readied himself to step in if need be.

�Nowhere.�

�Go to bed. We�ll talk in the morning.�

�I�m not tired.�

Spike could hear the defiance and he was proud of her.

�This isn�t up for discussion young lady. Go to your room.�

There was an incredibly long silence and Spike debated whether he should go back inside. He didn�t like not knowing what was happening. He moved slightly towards the door, but stopped when he heard footsteps leaving the kitchen followed by a second pair.

Spike quickly ducked around to the back of the house, and climbed up to the overhang by Buffy�s window. He slipped into the open window and immediately stopped as he was overcome with emotion. He could still feel Buffy in her room. She was everywhere�her scent, her aura, her power all lingered there and it washed over him filling him with her essence.

Spike�s skin tingled causing him to shudder�and then he heard her.

�I�m right here.�

Spike�s head snapped around as he searched the blackness for her. Fear coursed through him, a fear he had only experienced in his dreams. He didn�t think he was dreaming right now. No, he was pretty sure he wasn�t dreaming. Did that mean...Spike stopped his thought not allowing himself to consider it. He was imagining things.

�Trust me,� she pleaded.

Spike instinctively shifted to his vampiric visage as his eyes tore through the darkness seeking her out, but he found nothing. He growled in frustration and a little bit of fear.

The door opened spilling light into the room from the hallway. Spike lunged towards the door his predator instinct commanding his actions.

�I knew you�d be here,� Dawn said as she stood in the doorway seemingly unaffected by Spike coming at her as if to attack.

Hearing her voice Spike stopped inches from her fangs glistening in the light of the doorway. Dawn shut the door blanketing the room in darkness again. Spike could sense her moving towards the window and his eyes followed her quickly adjusting to the dark so he could see her. She stopped by Buffy�s bed and picked up a stuffed pig in her small hands. Spike watched her not saying anything as she turned the pig over in her hands.

�I�ve been having these dreams�� she started but stopped.

�What kind of dreams?� Spike prodded needing to know.

�Just dreams,� Dawn answered distantly.

Dawn set the pig on the bed before sitting on the edge of it. She picked at the bedspread while Spike watched her wanting her to elaborate on her dreams. He had been having dreams too. He wanted to know if they were related even though he already knew they were.

Spike sat down next to her and Dawn didn�t move. He wanted to ask her about the dreams again, but he knew she wouldn�t tell him unless she wanted to.

�My dad still won�t admit she was the slayer. He�s in denial or something,� Dawn said with a shrug. �He blamed it on Giles when he tried to explain saying he was filling our heads with lies.�

�It�s not an easy thing to accept,� Spike offered impatiently wanting her to go back to talking about her dreams.

�I guess not. I mean Mom freaked too when she found out, but then you were there for that.� Dawn turned her head to smile at Spike. �I was hiding on the stairs. Well I guess I wasn�t really hiding on the stairs. I wasn�t really there, but that�s what I remember.�

�It was an interesting night.�

�I didn�t know what you were that night. When I asked my mom later who you were she said you were in a band with Buffy.�

Spike chuckled at the memory. �She played the triangle.�

�Did you love her then?� Dawn asked.

Spike didn�t know where that question came from. He fumbled over his words not even sure of the answer himself. �I think I hated her then,� Spike answered.

�Funny how things change.�

�Yeah,� Spike agreed quietly.

They fell into silence. Spike again wanted to question her about her dreams, but her behavior the whole night had been so erratic and unstable he didn�t want to set her off, so he just waited as she stared straight ahead out the window.

The night wore on and neither moved nor spoke as they continued to sit in Buffy�s room. Spike wanted desperately to know what Dawn was thinking, but he never asked. He wanted to know about her dreams, but he didn�t push. He had so many questions he wanted to answers to, but he stayed silent and so did she.

Finally, as the night started to disappear, Dawn stood up. �I don�t like to sleep at night.�

�Neither do I.�

�She talks to me in my dreams. Says stuff I don�t understand.�

Spike, suppressing his happiness in her finally elaborating on her dreams, asked, �What does she say?�

�Don�t trust her. Don�t believe her. Stuff like that,� Dawn answered almost dismissively like it wasn�t important.

Spike hesitated before asking, �Is there blood?�

Dawn looked at Spike and for the first time that whole night she seemed to be the Dawn he remembered. �No,� she answered with disgust. And then it disappeared and the Dawn from that night returned. �The sun will be up soon.�

�Are you going to be okay?� Spike asked as he stood up.

Dawn looked at Spike her eyes vacant and distant almost as if she was not in her own body. That was his answer. Of course she wouldn�t be okay. Spike could not tear his eyes from hers� as he seemed to be lost in the vacuous depths.

Finally, Dawn looked away and towards the window. Spike followed her gaze and inwardly groaned. Light was starting to spill into the room from the rising sun effectively making it an ordeal for him to get back to his crypt.

�Stay. My dad never comes in here.�

Spike started to protest, but Dawn was already leaving the room. �Good night Spike,� she called out quietly before exiting the room.

The door closed and Spike was left all alone in Buffy�s room except he wasn�t alone. Buffy was there. He could feel her all around him.

Continued

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