Dawn sat on the bar stool sipping her perfect margarita. She was much older now, with one look you could say she was at least 23 years of age. With her long dark hair, Black eye makeup, Leather clothing and the aged air around her.

She was stirring her drink with her olive stick, lost in though as she watched the ice cubes fight for dominance to the surface of her drink. She pulled out a cigarette and took a long drag. She was just about to finish off her drink when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Ello' Love"

"Spike" Dawn just turned back to her drink took a sip, drag of her cigarette and continued to ingnore him. He was flabergasted when he walked into the Club and saw Buffy's little sister sitting at the bar stool. The last he had seen her she was still only 16 and his Niblit. He took in her womanly form. It was very curvy, fit and her outfit left little to the imagination. Overall Spike liked how his Niblit had turned out, she was downright bitable.

"This seat taken" Dawn just looked at him over her shoulder then waved a hand at the empty seat next to her and turned back to her now none existant drink. "Ear' lemme get ya anouther drink there pet" Spike waved the bar tender over and laid a twenty down "Anouther drink for the Lass, an' a Jack Daniels for myself" The bar tender left with Dawns empty glass and returend with the drinks.

"So Love what ar' you doin' in a club like this, And how ave' you been" Dawn turned her entire bar stool to face the peroxide blond vampire sitting next to her.

"What do you want Spike" She sighed the sentence out, then let out the remaining amount of breath she had out in a huff like manner. Spike was a little taken aback by her deminer twards him. She had apparently changed alot over the past years.

"Just wonderin' Luv, havn't seen you or the others for awile now you know"

"Buffy's Dead, Died when I was 18" Spike watched with sad eyes as she took a sip of her drink. Never once did she raise her eyes to his. He figured Buffy had died allready, what with being the slayer and all it was expected of her to live a short life. Though she did live longer then any other slayer.

"Sorry to ear' about that little one"

"I havn't seen the others sence I left" Spike cocked his head to one side. One eyebrow raised.

"And just bloody when did you leave pet"

"A couple days after my sister died, I havn't been back sence, Havn't talked to them. Nothing. Sides' I think It's better this way..." Spike watched his Grown up niblit as she lost herself in her drink and thoughts.

Flash Back

Everyone was seated in the Summers livingroom. Angel, Cordy, Anya, Willow, Tara, Giles, Faith, Robin, Andrew, Fred, Gunn, Wesely, Xander...Everyone. Dawn had just come home from school. Throwing the backpack in the corner near the door she headed to the kitchen to fix herself somthing to eat.

Right before she placed the cold sandwich in the microwave, Willows hand touched her shoulder turning her around. Willow had obviously been crying.

"Will's are you...Is everything...Whats wrong" Dawn embrased her friend in a large hugg as Xander showed up leaning on the door frame, looking on sadly with his arms crossed.

"Oh Dawnie, I'm soo sorry, Im soo sorry this had to happen so close to your 18th birthday..." Willow was stoped as she choked on her next word and sobs escaped her frame.

"Wha...Whats going on" Right Then Xander decided to make his presence known. He walked over to both the girls he considerd family and envoloped them both in a hugg. Dawn was so confused.

"Maybe we should all go back into the living room" Willow looked Xander in the eye and nodded slowly. Both him and the red head escorted Dawn to the room everyone else was in.

She sat in a big red easy chair. Taking in everyones gloomy and tear stained faces. Angel looked so degected from the world. Giles had his head in his hands. Willow and Xander were holding hands and Tara sat close to her girlfriend. She was confused, but she noticed the one persone who wasn't sitting among them.

"Is it...Were is...Were's my sister"

"Oh Dawnie" Willow broke down again, and Giles's body rocked with a loud sob. Angel seemed to retreat further into his shell of brooding. Cordelia came up and croweche in front of the younger brunette.

"Dawn, your sister, Buffy, The slayer...We found her in a graveyard this afternoon while you were in school"

"No" Dawns voice was barly above a wisper, her face was a look of shock as her eyes glazed over a bit.

"Dawn, Im so sorry"

"NO" Dawn stood up pushing Cordelia onto her back. Tears started to flow down her face and she looked on in a crazed hysteria. Giles stood up immediatly to try and comfort a girl he considerd close to a daughter. "NO No No No No No No NO"

Giles placed a hand on her sholder, but she yanked away violently Glaring the older man down. "Liers, This is all some sick joke, and Its not funny"

"Its no Joke" Giles voice was heart broken and the peices were reaching out to the young lady in front of him.

"Yes it is, A Sick Twisted Demented JOKE!" She started backing away from everyone who were looking at her sadly. Faith stood up and walked over to her as Giles sat down tired and defeated next to Tara.

"Dawn Shes Dead, Shes gone, and shes not comming back" Dawn stopped and glared at Faith. Then she jumped on her, pounding her fists into the slayer. As tears spilled onto the ground like a dripping faucet.

"No she Not, SHE NOT DEAD, I wont accept it, Shes going to walk through those doors any minit" Faith didn't stop her from venting her anger and hurt. But eventually enough was enough and she grabed Dawns fists to prevent anymore hits.

"Yes she is, Im sorry" Faith didn't look dawn in the eyes.

"No, shes gone, shes really gone" Dawn looked away from Faith and just started sobbing. Faith forced herself into a sitting position cradaling the destraught girl in her arms. Letting tears of her own fall.

Everyone looked on the poor girl with the sadest eyes apon her. There hearts going out to her. She eventually fell asleep in Faiths arms after a couple of hours.

"Hear let me take her up to bed" Angel stood over Faith and Dawn, with haunted and brooding eyes.

"No I got it Fang"

"I...Faith I need to be useful, I need to help. Besided you need to get some rest yourself"

Angel didn't look at her as he said those words to her. Faith stood up and handed the small frail looking girl over to him, He placed a gentel Kiss on Dawns forhead and headed up the stairs.

Present Time

"Luv you ganna com' back anytime soon or am I ganna ave' to order me anouther round of drinks" Dawn looked up at him, meeting his conserned face. She took anouther sip of her margarita and pulled out her second cigarett for the night. "You know pet, Smoking can kill you" She gave him a indifferent look as she blowed a large smoke cloud directly in his face.

"Didn't even stay for the funeral you know" Spike didn't know what to say to the woman in front of him. What do you say when someone says somthing like that to you? But she saved him of a responce. "I, Said some mean things to all of them before I left"

"To all of who pet?" Spike pulled out his own cigarett and lit it.

"All of them, Willow, Giles, Angel" At the mention of his sires name he Scoffed. Dawn just shurgged her shoulders aware of the rift between the sire and childer. She attempted to change the subject. "So Spike how have you been"

"Alive, Or Unalive I guess. Been around Tis' all" He surveyed the club around him, then focused back on the girl, no Woman in front of him. "Traveld a' bit ear' and there"

"Is that what brings you to New Orleanes, Travel"

"That and martigra is ganna be ear' soon pet, and i don't miss martigra for the world. Topless women all over" A small smile started to apear on her Dark painted lips. She turned back to the bar and rested her elbowns on the counter. Looking at nothing in peticular. Spike mimicked her action. "Wanna tell me how you ended up in New Orleans now then?"

"Travel"

"Cor, pet, that is my words you can't go usen em'"

"What are you ganna do" Spike looked taken aback a bit at her teasing tone. Last time he saw her he had the bleeding chip in his head. Well she was going to find out he didn't have that little problem anymore.

He Leaned forward and droped his voice to a deadly seductive tone that held the danger of a master vampire. "I could urt' you pet, I could kill you, I could punish you. Theres lots o' things I could do Luv. I don't have that blasted chip anymore" He felt Dawn's Body tense, senced her heart beat speed up and could smell her fear and worry.

"You could" She turned to face him, a resolve on her face, then she hosted a smirk "But The question is Spike, Would you" With that Dawn stood up and started to walk away from him. Or from what he assumed she was walking away.

He stood up quickly and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to him. She ended up so close to him that her nose almost touched his body. "And wear do you think yer' going off to now?" Dawn raised her face, and stood up on her tippy toes to sort of be eye level with the blond in front of her.

"I was going to dance, Care to join me" Spike sofend his facial featers as well as the hold on her wrist.

"Love to pet" He let her drag him out into the middle of the dance floor. She then turned on him and wrapped her arms around his neak and burid her face into the crook of his shoulder. Spike was again suprised for the umpt time that night. He wrapped his arms around her slim, frim waist and started a slow dance rythem with her.

Flash Back

Dawn awoke in her bed, she was tired and a little disgruntled. She couldn't remember how she got into her bed in the first place. Taking a glance at her alarm clock she noticed it was 12 in the afternoon. She almost never slept in this late.

Getting up with a streach she made her way to the bathroom. She filled her glass up with water took a drink, Then she saw her reflection in the mirror and she droped the cup. Glass and water spilling everywear. She practically flew out of the bathroom and down the stairs. Everyone from yesterday was in the diningroom having breakfast or sitting around comforting eachother.

"Bring her back" Dawn Marched up and got right in Willows face, whom jumped back and had a look of sheer suprise on her face.

"What?"

"Bring. Her. Back"

"Dawn I...I can't" Willow couldn't bring herself to look dawn in the eye. Dawn just glared at the witch in front of her, hands on her hips.

"Why not, you did it before so do it again" Her voice was stone cold and hard. Giles pulled Willow behind him, Deciding to step in before Dawn did something she regretted. Like Punched the Hacker.

"Dawn, we can't, we've allready done that once. The resorces for anouther spell are not available..."

"WELL MAKE THEM AVAILABLE!" Dawn was now dirceactly in Giles face, Her eyes brimmed with unshead tears.

"That and she died of natural causes this time, It would be morally wrong...and selfish to bring her back" Giles voice was a wisper.

"Vampires are NOT natural causes..She She was only around her 30's its not fair. You have to bring her back...YOU HAVE TO"

"No, Gunshot" Faces turned to look at Xander who was focused on the table. A small puddle of tears in front of him. He looked up to meet Dawns eyes.

"No Vampires, It was a Gunshot wound to the heart...It...I" Xander broke into heart reanching sobs as Anya rubbed his shoulders from behind. Tears of her own sprinkling the back of his shirt.

"What" Dawns voice was even smaller then when she had first found out about her sisters death. Fred walked up behinder her and hugged her. Dawn didn't return the hug she just stood there the new bit of information swimming in her mind. Then her body just fell into dead wight. Taking Fred by suprise and forcing her off balace. Gunn rushed to her side on the floor and helped his Girlfriend up.

"Thankyou" was Freds small reply

Dawn started clawing at the carpet, and Grasping at it for dear life at the same time. Her legs tucked under her body as her Sobs of pain grew louder and louder. Wes crowched down by the girl and attempted to start rubbing her back, but the second his hand touched her she flew back and hit the chair to the side of her.

"DONT. TOUCH. ME." Her voice was hysterical, Confused, Sad, and Angry at the same time. She stood up on shaky legs, using the back of the chair she had just hit for support. Her face once again drenched in salty tears streaming down her pale skin. She took in everyone around her. Passing them a glance to the eyes one by one.

"If any of you loved her. ANY OF YOU. You would try and bring her back" Her eyes stoped and looked accusingly at Willow. Glaring holes into her very form. When no one responded to her sentence she got even more angry.

"FUCK YOU ALL, You never loved her. NONE OF YOU" at that she ran up the stairs to her room and slammed her door so hard that the enitire house rattled because of it.

End Flashback

Dawn breathed in Spikes unique scent of Used Leather, Sex and Tobbaco. It was a familer smell. Even when she was his Nibblit she memorized that smell. His smell. They were still dancing a slow dance even though a new song had come on. And it was anything but slow.

Spike was relived to know the little chit was alive, and happy to be holding her in his arms. She was just so different from when he last saw her. He was intrieged about this new Dawn.

"Pet its been three songs. People are startin' to stare, lets grab ourselfs a seat" Spike gently pushed her away but kept his hands on her hips as her stayed on his sholders. "right then, I don't fancy the bar stools again, Gives my nice arse a bleeding ache. Lets try the couches over there love" Spike motioned with his head to the Vip lounges that wern't very VIP. And she just nodded.

He guided her through the mobs of bouncing bodies to a vacant leather couch and pulled the curtain around it shut. Sittling down he pulled out anouther smoke.

"Now this is more like it"

"Smoking can kill you, you know" Dawns tone was mix between teasing, mocking and mimiking him from earlier. Spike just raised his scared eyebrow at her.

"Luv, Im allready dead" Dawn rolled her eyes and scoffed at him, plopping down on the other end of the couch. After that they fell into a comfortable silence. Each contimplating and lost in there own thoughts. Until Dawn broke the silence.

"Spike...have you seen or talked to the others, I mean before me that is" Spike took a long drag from his smoke and blew smoke rings out with air he didn't need.

"No Little bit, avn't' been back to Sunny ell' or LA in years" He seemed transfixed on watching the smoke rings appear then disapear.

"Never called, emailed, wrote. Nothing?"

"Ave' you luv..Called, Emailed, or Wrote them?"

"No" She turned her face away from his and focused it on nothin in peticular.

"Then there's your answer pet" Spike put out his cigarett on the arm of the leather couch leaving a burn mark in the nice leather. When he didn't get a responce, or a smart come back he looked over at her. She was off in her own little world again.

Thats when Spike notice her Leather miniskirt, and her Leather calve tie up stellettos. He eyed her legs with appreciation and hunger. They were well toned, firm and muscular. But they were also femini, no doubt about that. The skirt ended a just the right spot to make her legs seem like they would go on forever underneath it.

Spike shook his head, sighed in frustration and retrived anouther smoke. He couldn't belive he had just caught himself starting, and Lusting after his Nibblits legs. But then again she was no longer his Nibblit but he still felt it was wrong in a way.

"Spike"

"Yes Luv" Hes voice was muffled a bit as his cigarett hung on his lower lip and he fiddled with his lighter. She pulled out her lighter, took the cigarett from his mouth put it in her and lit it, then placed it back into his mouth. "Thanks pet" Though he did give her a incredelious look as she had done it.

"Why did you leave?"

"Scuse' me Luv?" He turned so one leg was resting on the couch and hanging off at the knee in a angle of sorts. Dawns little Help with his Lighter problem put her much closer to him on the couch then before.

"Why did you leave sunnydale" Dawn stood up shed her feminin leather duster, and threw it over the arm of the couch she had just preocupied. Sat down closer to Spike still and then reasted her head against the back of the couch. Letting the music from outside the curtians vibreate through her body. She then lazily turned her head to the side to face him, and he was staring out in front of him calmly smoking.

Flash Back

Everyone had been shocked when Dawn had proclaimed how she felt none of them ever loved her Sister. Then proceded up to her room in a fit and slammed the door to her room with unbelivable strength and anger.

"maybe we should go up and cheak on her?" Gunn was unsure of his statement "She didn't look to healthy and all"

"She took it Wicked hard, we all did" Faith was sitting next to wes, rubbing his back as he just stared at the spot dawn had flinched away from him as if he was the murder.

"Leave her be, she needs time to...coap" Giles responded to Gunns statement.

Everyone was silent for a long time, comforting eachother in any way they knew how. Until Willow just broke down down into tears and hard sobs.

"I'm so sorry, I cant do it, Im so sorry, I..."

Xander was immediatly at her side resting his head on her shoulder as he hugged her.

"Miss. Rose...Willow, no one expected you to do any such thing" Wes was by her side in the seat next to her taking her hand in his.

"They were close, this has to be so hard on her, and so close to her 18th birthday" Robin had been silent though most of the past days events. still trying to get over the death of his college.

"Its hard on all of us" cordy was biting her nails an atrosity that almost never happend.

"Yes, She's acting selfish, as if we arnt in pain also, she isn't the only one in pain you know"
Xander gaped at his wife in shock

"Anya, can I see you in the kitchen please"

"Why Xander, to get onto me for not being able to grasp human concepts as well. But its true, she thinking only of herself. And anyway half her memories are fake, made up by monks. She never really spent all that time with her sister, So I don't understand why she has a right to act like any of us, the ones with the real memories aren't allowed to feel pain on the same level as her" Anya had her hands on her hips glaring Xander down.

"ANYA..."

"She had a point you know, I can only feel sorry for her to an extent" Cordy stood up by Anyas side, suprising the x-vengence demon. "I don't like being accused of not caring, or not giving a fuck. And its deffinatly not fair to Angel who might love her more then any of us!"
"Cordy that was quite uncalled for" Wesley was now on Xanders side.

"Yes if I do say so myself, just because she is the key doesn't mean she has no capasity for feeling"

The group could slowley see battle lines being drawn right in front of them. People taking sides making arguments and glaring down the others opposite of them. Thats when Angel dashed in a wild look on his face.

"Oh look whos back from a walk in the sewers, are one and only walking dead" Angel ingored his comment looking at Giles.

"Were's Dawn" Angels voice sounded desperate and strained.

"Upstairs why..."

"Blood"
Present Time

"Number of reasons luv" She rolled her head back into staring at the neon lit celing above them. Giving spike a lustious view of her slinder neak seeing as all she was wearing was a black corsett style top that had no straps. "One of which being your sister an' all"

"hmmmmmm"

"Relationship problems, or the fact she bloody used me for sex, never woulda' worked out anyway, she never could ave' loved me"

"So you split, left sunnydale, Left me" Spike turned his head to look at her a shocked and questioning look on his face. That was soon replaced by a hunger when he saw how much skin her top showed. Shaking his head yet again he focused on the question she had just asked.

"Cor pet, is that what that original question is about, If I left you or not?" He didn't get much of a responce from her physically but her eyes that looked a little glazed over with unshed tears told him everything he didn't want to know. "Jezze pet, I didn' know me leavin sunny ell' would urt' you"

"I don't blame you for leaving spike, Hell I would have to if I were in your situation" Dawns voice was small but held a hint of determination.

"Then whats botherin' you so much luv"

"You didn't even say goodbuy, I didn't say goodbuy" Spike suddenly realized what was hurting her so much. She never told her old friends, practically family that she loved them. And she was pissed off and upset that he didn't even show he had cared for her.

"Oh Luv" He pulled her close to his body in a tight hug. And she snuggled up to him desperatly. She wouldn't let the tears fall, but she felt more comforted and loved now then she had in a long time.

Flash Back

Everyone dashed up to Dawns room. Angel tryed opening it first to find it locked.

"Get it open." Xander practically yelled fearing the worst.

"Xander do calm down, were all trying to get to her panicking isnt going to help"

"Dawn. Honey can you hear me" Tara was standing next to Angel who had his ear pressed tightly to the door, listning for somthing.

Angel looked around the group in a Panic and shook the handel a couple times. "Dawn. DAWN OPEN THIS DOOR NOW"

Faith took her que, and gently moved tara out of the way and into Willows comforting arms. In one solid motion she brought a booted foot upto the door swiftly knocking it down. As the door came to a stop on the floor with a powerful thud, Angel rushed in, Faith behind him and the others following.

"Where is she, Angel you said you smelt blood?" Willow was near hysteria herself the second Angel rushed in, but she was trying to keep her calm if not for her sake but for others.

Robin walked over to her bed lifting her bed sheets. There in the middle of the mattras and coating the underside of the comforter was a pool of fresh blood that had soaked itself into the fabrics.

"Dear God" Giles was agape at the ammount of blood.

"Looks Animal Sacrafice-ish if you ask me" Everyone turned to glare at Anya again. "Well you said she was the key" Anya had a look on her face that said 'duh it explains everything'

Xander walked over to his girlfriend, grabbed her hand and nearly dragged her out of the bedroom. Cordy walked up to her vampire friend, placing a delecate hand on his sholder.

"Angel, Angel are you going to be ok" He turned sad, guilty eyes on her.

"No, I smell the death in the blood, I know there is a body in the house, I just cant seem to place were" It looked like he was trying to hone his vampiric senses on somthing as he spoke to her.

"I, I don't understand. Where on earth could Dawn be" Wesely was cleaning his glasses posing the question to no one in particular.

"Well the windows are still shut, I doubt she went out the window." Fred also had a calculating look on her face.

"Thats because she didn't" Angels voice was hard, and he made his way past cordy and pushed through everyone else, down the hall and into the summers bathroom.

"Dear Lord" Both Giles and Wesely were cleaning there glasses as Fred and Faith rushed past Angel to the body on the floor.

Spike rubbed soothing circles on her back. It took alot of focus to keep his mind on comforting her instead of exploring her. Dawn just sat in his lap, her forhead resting at the nape of his neck. His smell was even stronger now, Sex, Cigarrets and Leather. His smell, and it surrounded her in a protective auora. She was being honest when she had admited to being hurt by him never saying goodbye. She was basking in the comfortable silence that had seemed to fall upon them, and was falling asleep from the rythem of his hand on her back.

"Luv' don go fallen asleep on me now"

"mmmm, would do wonders on your reputation" she replyed abit mumbly.

"Not really pet" He chuckled despite himself. He loved her smell, Strawberries, Tequila, and Leather. A interesting mix for a vampires sences. He would have happily held her all night on that couch until some VIP bouncer kicked them out of the VIP section. He thought about ripping the mans head off and going about his buisness. But looking at the brunette bundle in his hands he thought differently.

"Loudness" Dawn raised her head to realize they were now again, walking across the dance floor twards the bar.

"It was just as loud behind the curtin sweetness"

"No" Dawn protested silently, then she swung her feet abit to realize she was still being carried "Let me down Spike"

"I happen to like the position your in at this moment, so no" She noticed they were passing the bar and headed tward the Exit.

"I can walk for myself" She hissed at him.

"No doubt you can luv, doesn't mean Im going to let you"