| The Hellmouth Opens Again Chapter 2 by Sapphire Stardust Dawn was following Spike at a steady pace. He was far in front of her, but she could still see where he was going. She was way off-course from her home. "If only I had a cell-phone or something. I at least, could tell Willow and Tara I'm okay." Dawn walked across fairly busy streets, and Spike hadn't turned around once. She figured he didn't suspect a thing. "Geez, he had come all this way to the cemetary? Maybe he was just visiting Buffy's gravestone." Just then, she lost track of Spike. She looked left and right but he was nowhere in sight. She hurried forward. "Where could he have gone?" The streets were empty, all that was left was the crickets, the wind and the alleyways. "I know I saw him." Dawn screamed, as a door on the side burst open and startled her. Spike was standing in the doorway. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Spike asked in a sharp voice. Dawn stared at him in a faltering way. "I...I was...." "You were what?!" He stood over her. "Huh?" "I...I...was..." Dawn stammered. She just couldn't get the words out right. Spike gave her such a look of resentment, that she had to turn away. He folded his arms across his chest. "Following me were you." A statement. Dawn lowered her head. Spike sighed and leaned back against the door post. "So why were you following me?" Dawn didn't look up. She paused. "Well, I wanted to-" "To what? Ask me more questions." Dawn shook her head, still not looking up. "No, I wanted to-" "Ask me to walk you home?" Spike said in an angrier voice. Dawn shook her head again. "NO, I just-" "Oh I see, you're afraid you'll get attacked by a vampire again and you need a stake so you can bloody kill them off." "You keep inturrupting me!" Dawn stared up at him. Her face showed that she was hurt by his coldness. Spike noticed it, and turned away. "It's late. You should be heading home." "Spike," Dawn started. "Why are you acting like this?" "Like what," Spike said as he headed inside. Dawn followed him in. "Like, the way you are now. Everything I say seems to make you mad." "I'm not mad alright?" Spike told her as he walked to the fridge. "That sounded mad," Dawn pointed out. Spike poured some blood into a mug. "Here Dawn, have a nice cup of blood." Dawn frowned. The sarcasm in his voice was evident. "Thanks, but I'm on a 'no-blood' diet." "You sure? I'll heat it up for you if you want. But then again, after blood is heated there's usually a layer of skin on top. And you wouldn't want that would you?" Dawn sighed. She remembered when she used to visit Spike and he would enlighten her with all his different stories of being a vampire. Sure it was gross hearing them, but his mood wasn't so cold. He was more upbeat then. He would do anything for Buffy and for her. "I'm suprised you didn't visit Giles and the others," Dawn said. "Well, none of them were being attacked by a vampire were they?" Spike said in a mockingly cold tone. "'Least they know how to deal with vampire attacks," He muttered. "Ugh!" Dawn said, disgusted with his attitude at this point. "Y'know, I was doing just fine there." "So you wanted him to bite you? You should have just bloody said so, I would have left like hell." Dawn sighed. "I didn't want him to bite me." "So the whole thing was staged and that vampire was a bloody friend of yours? Since when did you start walking home late at night in the middle of a cemetary with a vampire as your escort?" Dawn shook her head. "Let me ask you something Spike. Why didn't you let him bite me? You could have walked away. Why'd you rescue me, huh?" She turned to him. He glanced at her, and then back at his mug O' blood. "I think it's time for you to go home." Dawn stood up. "Spike, I want to know. Why did you rescue me?" Spike was still turned away from her. "Look, I heard you scream. I didn't know it was you until I went there and saw for myself." He paused. "I rescued you because it's what Buffy would have wanted me to do." Dawn looked down, feeling a bit of triumph that she finally got Spike to confess something. But at the same time grief because it was only Buffy he cared about. "You miss her don't you? I can't blame you or anyone for missing her. She's taught me soo much though, through her sacrifice and defense." Dawn felt tears burning her eyes. "I should have died. Not her." Spike looked up at Dawn for a second. His look was angry at first but it slowly turned into grief. "Dawn..." He started. "You're not Buffy. You'll never be Buffy." Dawn looked up, totally taken by suprise. She felt like Spike plunged a knife in her stomach. "What brought this on?" She cried. "Gosh, what did I do?!" Spike shook his head and turned away. Dawn got up from where she was sitting and headed to the door. She was in tears, and didn't want to stay another minute. She opened the door, but a hand closed on it. "I'm sorry," Spike said, but he didn't sound sincerely sorry. Dawn gave him a detestful look as he removed his hand. "I don't care if you're sorry. You may have rescued me, but the next time it happens, I'd rather become a vampire then be saved by you." Dawn hurried down the street, unaware of where she was going, and when she would get home. Spike watched her, but something far in the distance, another vampire maybe gave him a feeling of danger for Dawn. "Wait a minute!" Spike called. "Ey Dawn! Don't go that way!" Dawn ignored him. Spike gave an exasperated sigh. "Bloody hell!" Spike muttered as he rushed to get her. Dawn broke out into a run. Spike ran after her, and because he was faster, he easily caught up with her. "Hold it!" He grabbed her arm and yanked her back. "Dammit Spike! Let go!" Dawn yelled, trying to pry his hand off her arm. "No I'm not," Spike told her. He definitely sounded like he wasn't gonna let go. Dawn struggled. "I oughta call the police! They could arrest you y'know! This is physical abuse!" Spike smirked. "Oh and what would they do? Call my mommy?" Dawn didn't stop struggling against his grip. "If you don't let go you'll be sorry!" Spike leaned forward. "Oh really? How so?" Dawn didn't answer, she just used her other arm to punch him squarely in the face. He let go. "Ugh! Bloody HELL!!!" Spike staggered backwards and rubbed his nose. "Ugh...DAMMIT Dawn, what the hell was that for??!!" Dawn looked down at him, trying not to laugh. "I told you you would be sorry." Spike rubbed his nose. "Alright alright, but I was only doing it to get you out of trouble." Dawn raised an eyebrow. "Trouble? What kind of trouble." She rolled her eyes with a triumphant look on her face. "Gosh Spike, there's no trouble he...re........" Her voice trailed off and Dawn's eyes widened, as she saw in the distance a huge fire erupting. "Gosh....what is that?" Spike looked over in the distance, and saw the flames rising higher and higher. It looked odd enough because it was pale green, but even odder, was that the flames took the shape of a demon. "Spike..." Dawn murmured, fear in her voice. "Whats going on?" Spike stared at the flames intently. "Just go inside. I'll be back." "But-" Dawn started. "No buts," Spike silenced. "Just go inside." Dawn didn't continue the arguement. She nodded, and ran back inside Spike's "house". It was dark inside, damp, and the aroma of blood filled the room. Dawn glanced around, and luccily, she found a phone. She dialed Willow and Tara's number, and waited till they picked up. "Hello?" Dawn said. "......Yeah yeah yeah, I'm safe.........no...no...! Willow! Stop freaking out! I wasn't raped okay? I'm at Spike's house..........Yes, he's alive............I would but he doesn't want to come. He's a little moody..........Yes Willow, I'll be alright.......Yeah I know.......I'll remember next time. 1am sharp........no Willow, I don't think he's interested in young girls like me........well that's different.........yeah....yeah, I'll be home in the morning okay?.......NO! No! That's okay, I don't need to talk to Tara too. Just tell her that little Dawnie is okay........Alright, bye." Dawn hung up the phone, sweat dripping on her face. Spike was standing in the doorway. "Little Dawnie?" Dawn cracked a smile. Spike came over to her, and sat down. "I think you've got bigger problems then just going over your curfew. In fact, the whole Sunnydale population has problems." "What is it?" Dawn asked timidly. Spike took a cigarrette out, and lit it. He took a drag and looked back at her. "The Hellmouth is open." Dawn gaped. "....What? Are you sure?" Spike nodded affirmatively. "Positive." He took another drag. "Y'know that big fire you saw just a few minutes ago?" Dawn nodded. "Yeah...what about it?" "Well, it wasn't a fire, it was a demon," Spike told her. "I saw it form into a demon. Who knows where the hell it is now." He exhaled some more smoke, and took another drag from the ciggarette. "But now we face a much bigger problem. We don't have a slayer." Dawn nodded solemnly. "Yeah..." She leaned forward and put her head in her hands. "God......what are we gonna do?" Spike put out the ciggarette. "I dunno...." He patted Dawn on the back. "We'll think of something." Dawn nodded. His words were a bigger comfort to her than he realized. Spike exited the living room and came back with a blanket. "So are you gonna take the couch for tonight?" Dawn stared at him. "I guess so..." Spike tossed her a blanket. "Here." She wrapped it around her gratefully. "Thanks..." Spike nodded. "I'll see ya in the morning. If I don't wake up, you're free to go." He turned around. Dawn watched his back as he walked away. "Thanks Spike." He might not have heard her, but he did turn around to look at her once more. Dawn curled up on the couch with her blanket. She couldn't help but feel attracted to Spike, even though he was a vampire, completely wrong for her and still in love with her sister. She just couldn't get rid of the feeling she got when he looked at her. It made her want to melt, giggle and cry all at the same time. When there was nothing else to think about, the night got the best of her. And she quickly drifted off into a deep sleep. End of Chapter Two |