Dawn was fed up. She was fed up of being alone, fed up of being afraid. She was fed up of being the only one who cried anymore. And, above all, she was completely fed up of hearing about Riley Finn. He’d been back for all of a week now and you’d think he was the best thing since sliced bread, with how excited everyone was about him staying. She, however, was not excited. She didn’t understand how Buffy’s friends could even talk to him – after all, he had hurt Buffy. Well, okay, she wasn’t exactly sure what had happened between him and Buffy but he had done the worst thing ever in the Summers’ book: he had left.

Everything had gone wrong after that: her mom, Glory, Buffy. And now he came waltzing back into town expecting everything to be the same as it had been then, but she for one was not going to forget. She could not forgive him for what he had done and, despite all his efforts to get in her good books, she was determined to hate him. After all, he must have done something pretty bad to make her sister upset like that.



She couldn’t stand the way everyone went on about the returned soldier. Riley this, Riley that. Oh, did you know Riley’s been patrolling? Who cares?! Spike had been patrolling ever since Buffy’s death and no-one had ever got excited about that. They just seemed to expect it, but then Riley came along and they saw it as this grand, noble gesture. It made her so angry.

She also didn’t like the way their attitude towards her friend had shifted ever so slightly since Riley’s return. They didn’t say anything different but she saw how awkward things were when Spike visited and Riley was there. Everyone would look sort of embarrassed, as if being friends with Spike was a bad thing. And even though he hid it, she knew Spike was affected by the whole thing, which made it so much worse.

He could pretend like he didn’t care, that he didn’t need friends – but she knew better than that. After all, if he was so happy by himself, why was he so pleased to have the company of a fourteen-year-old? He was the only one that understood anyway. Now that Riley was back, the others seemed to have forgotten that Buffy had ever been there, that she had been their leader. They treated Riley as if he was the new Slayer – a new leader, someone to follow. Spike said it was because they were desperate for stability but she didn’t consider that an acceptable excuse for behaviour. They seemed to have forgotten what they all shared.

Not Spike though. Spike never forgot. He hid it, tried to pretend that he hadn’t been crying when he obviously had, tried to pretend e didn’t drink himself into unconsciousness almost every night - but he never forgot.



What she hated most about Riley’s new role was that he seemed to have decided to take control of her life too. He was determined that she should be going to summer school to make up for her missed lessons – hello, she’d been kidnapped by a hell god! – and he always treated her like a little sister, asking after her, checking up on her. She was sick and tired of him. He had seemed so cool at one time but now she just despised him – even if a very secret part of her had missed him. She would never admit that though.

He would call her ‘kid’ and ruffle her hair and it was the most infuriating thing in the world. And everyone seemed to follow his lead. She had been treated as a grown-up before, but now she was back to being a child again and she hated it. As it continued, she found that the only place she could find any peace was at Spike’s crypt. And they even wanted to take that away from her.



She crept to the top of the stairs, carefully avoiding the squeaky floorboard as she tiptoed forward, straining to hear the voices below her feet.

“I mean, he’s… she’s only fourteen… not a good idea.”

She tiptoed down a few steps and settled, focussed on the voices in the kitchen, trying to pick up the conversation as it wafted up to her.

“Giles, you can’t think it’s a good idea?”

“Well, I agree that it’s somewhat… strange… but Dawn has developed an… affection for Spike.”

“And you don’t think that’s weird?” Riley asked, “Surely you don’t think a fourteen-year-old girl should be hanging around his crypt?”

“I mean, it is a bit weird,” Willow spoke up hesitantly, “But they’ve been very close since… I think they… they look after each other.”

“Well, maybe we should be looking after Dawn,” Riley spoke up once more.

There was a rumble that might have been agreement but before she could hear their next words, a door opening behind her startled her. She bolted upright and tried her best to look innocent as Tara gave her a pointed look.

“Dawnie?” she asked with a tiny smile.

“I was just…”

There was no point even trying to lie to Tara and trailed off with a sigh, raising worried eyes to the blonde.

“They don’t want me to hang out with Spike anymore,” she whispered, nodding downstairs.

“I’m sure they’re just talking,” Tara soothed, even as a frown flitted across her expression, “They don’t mean it… I’m sure.”

“You know what he’s been like,” Dawn protested, “He needs someone to take care of him.”

Tara smiled and stepped forward, holding out a hand.

“How about we go back to your room and watch some television?”

She threw a glance downstairs and then turned back to the witch, smiling ever so slightly as she took her hand and followed her back to her room.



The next afternoon – when she should have been signing up for summer school – she hurried through town, to the cemetery where Spike lived. She weaved her way through the gravestones and approached the crypt, looking around her quickly before pushing the door open and going inside. She closed the door behind her and then scanned the room, her eyes coming to stop on her friend with a pained expression. He was passed out on the floor, a pile of empty bottles by his side.

She dropped her bag to the floor and went to his side, kneeling on the dusty floor. She considered for a moment before poking him in the side.

“Spike?”

He let out an indeterminate groan and she smiled sadly.

“Spike? You wanna get off the floor?”

He groaned again and then he moved, his head turning, sad, blue eyes fixing on her.

“I was just resting,” he got out lowly, struggling as he tried to push himself up.

“Liar,” she whispered, grabbing an arm and helping him into a sitting position, his back propped against the armchair.

He gave her a crooked smile that was more like a grimace and then closed his eyes for a moment, looking more tired than ever. She crossed her legs in front of her and just sat in silence, waiting for him to compose himself.



A moment later, she had to speak up.

“They don’t want me to see you anymore.”

He turned his gaze to her, his expression veiled.

“And ‘they’ would be?”

“You know who.”

He gave a disgusted cough and sank his head back against the chair. He tilted his head and his expression turned serious.

“Won’t let them keep you away, L’il Bit. Made a promise.”

“I know,” she whispered, holding his gaze.

He nodded and sank his head back on the chair tiredly.

“You look awful,” she spoke up.

She saw the ghost of a smile pass over his lips and she smiled too.

“Thanks.”

“You said you wouldn’t drink so much,” she said quietly, not meeting his gaze as he righted himself.

“I had a bad night,” he explained, “Sorry, Bit.”

She nodded in understanding and then turned her head to him.

“I should steal all your booze!” she threatened.

“You wouldn’t dare,” he challenged with a raised eyebrow.

“Just you wait,” she replied, smiling widely and feeling even better when he returned his own tired smile.



They fell silent and she just sat watching him out of the corner of her eye, worried about her friend. Their silence was broken all too soon though by the sound of the door swinging open. They both looked up and she narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of Riley.

“Dawn, there you are!”

She crossed her arms over her chest but any attention that was on her quickly shifted to the vampire at her side. She thought she saw something flicker in Riley’s expression but then he turned back to her.

“It’s time you got home,” he said softly, “It’s getting dark.”

“I’m fine just here,” she retorted, raising her chin in defiance.

“Go on, Nibblet,” Spike spoke up, surprising her and drawing her eyes to his, “You run on home.”

She frowned at her friend and glanced at Riley before turning back to him.

“Go on,” he coaxed.

With a frown, she got to her feet but turned back to her friend. He looked so small, so helpless on the floor by himself.

“I’ll see you again soon,” she said, half-question.

“’Course you will,” he answered, favouring her with a half smile.

She held his gaze for a moment longer and then turned to Riley, marching past him with her arms crossed, determined not to enjoy any time spent with him.