| Now on the long dusty desert road, Sunnydale and hour behind them. The silence had been excruciating for a while. Neither one of them wanting to remember what had just happened. They had just altered their lives in such a way that there never would be any going back. Not now, and who knew maybe not ever. �So where are we going Bit, or are we just going to drive around the desert until I fry or have to snack on you to stay alive.� Spike who had both hands on the wheel was still trying to get over what he had done. If he had drunk for naught but a few minutes, more, he would have killed Buffy. Luckily for him his fledgling days were long behind him. His blood sang with that of the Slayers power, its ancient magic something he hadn�t felt for almost thirty years. It was slightly intoxicating, thus the reason for both hands on the wheel. �LA to my dads. I don�t exactly know if he�s there or not. I know he won�t care, he sent me a key a couple months ago in case I ever wanted to visit. I�ll stay there until he gets back and then work out something.� Dawn huddled against the door, her arm was still in pain and her head hurt. All she wanted to do was go to sleep and wake up with tonight nothing more than a dream. �So what will you do if big sis decides she�s bringing you back? She�s going to try you know that.� Spike knew that Dawn in some way was more afraid of Buffy than of any other thing that bumped In the night. �You won�t let her will you. Please don�t let her take me back Spike. I can�t live in Buffy�s world any longer. I�ve tried.� Dawn was visibly upset at the thought that her sister would force her back to Sunnydale. �No, Nibblet I won�t let her hurt you. I�ll move heaven and earth before I let her take you back. It�s your right not to want to be there and she is either going to respect that or face the consequences.� Spike took Dawn�s hand in his comfortingly. The kid had sure been through a lot in the last year and he was going to make damn sure that she wasn�t hurt again. �Why don�t you hop in the back and get some sleep, we still have more than an hour before we hit L.A. then well have to find someplace to rest for the day? We�ll head to your father�s house tonight.� The long dark highway stretched in front of them as Dawn curled up on the backseat lulled to sleep inside Spike�s smoking blanket. Spike frequently stared at her through the rearview window anger built up inside him at what Buffy had put her through. Even he at his worst would have never gone after Dawn, the thought had never even crossed his mind. It was the same reason he never went after Joyce whatever humanity that was left in him looked at both of them as his family. The nights spent with all of them drinking hot cocoa while Dawn did her homework and Joyce talked to him about the gallery were precious to him even before he ever got the soddin� chip in his head. Something had changed in him the night that Joyce let him cry on her shoulder about Drusilla. That was the first night that he had met Dawn, she had come downstairs dressed in pajamas and braids looking every bit of her thirteen-year-old age. She had gotten a bowl of ice cream and had sat beside him as he cried in his cocoa and had actually laughed at him. She told him that he reminded her of Xander cause he was always whining about the way Cordelia was treating him. Her ice cream finished she set the bowl in the sink look point blank at him and asked. �What�s the deal with guys in Sunnydale? All of you need to grow a spine.� And flounced back upstairs without so much as a goodnight. Leaving her mother shocked and Spike feeling a little worse. Cause of course she compared him to Xander, the biggest whelp this side of Angel that he had ever seen. Sensing the sun�s pull on the day Spike put the pedal to the metal and had just made downtown L.A., knowing that he didn�t have any choice he pulled up in front of a run down old hotel. �Wake up Nibblet, we have to get inside before I fry. You can come get your stuff later.� �Where are we?� Dawn brushed her face from her eyes and slowly eased out the door that Spike was holding open for her. �Place called the Hyperion, pet, don�t know how welcome I will be, but you�ll be safe here.� Spike slammed the door and grabbing Dawn�s hand made a mad dash for the front door just as morning�s rays broke the day. Dawn and Spike walked toward the front desk when a hulking figure came out of no where, tackling Spike to the ground and making Dawn scream in shock. In the darkness of the room, Dawn couldn�t make out what had Spike pinned to the floor, but recognized the voice in its fit of rage. �What are you doing here Spike? I thought I told you to stay out of LA.� The grip on Spike�s neck wasn�t cutting off his air supply since he didn�t have any, but was blocking the flow to his brain making him see stars. �Didn�t have a choice, had to get the bird out of Sunnydale? Let us stay the day and by nightfall we�ll both be gone.� �Angel?� Dawn couldn�t believe that Spike had brought her here of all places, he must have been really desperate. It proved to Dawn that Spike meant what he said, that he would do anything to keep her safe. �Dawn, where�s Buffy? Why isn�t she here with you?� Angel still in game face didn�t let go of Spike but his face turned toward her looking a little confused if that was possible with his demon guise. Just the thought that he might call her and take her back made Dawn bite her lip in nervousness, tears forming in her eyes. He would send her back or call Buffy. They should never have come here. Angel wouldn�t understand, he was always on Buffy�s side. There was no hope for her now. Sensing her defeat Dawn crumpled to the ground in tears. �We�re here because of her you stupid git, now get off of me.� Spike pushed Angel off of him and went to Dawn scooping her up in his arms before turning to stand in front of his sire �Have you got a room somewhere in this hovel? She�s been through a lot and needs some sleep. I�ll explain everything to you once she�s settled.� Angel was doubly confused at the tenderness in which his childe carried the Slayer�s sister and became down right perplexed when he heard William The Bloody whisper. �It will work out Bit, don�t worry I�ll take care of it I promise.� Spike smoothed the hair from her face and almost rocked her in his arms. �There�s plenty of rooms upstairs take your pick. And Spike I want full details as soon as your ass gets back down here.� Luckily the rest of the AI team would be in for work in an hour and soon they would be able to get to the bottom of why the Slayer�s little sister was in town with the enemy. |
| Chapter Two: |