A/N Yes I know I've been away for a while but I'm back. Enjoy!

Title: Destiny Diverted

Author: Angelbach

Email: 12

Category: W/A

Disclaimer: The characters of Willow, Angel, Spike and others belong to Joss Whedon and Grr-Argh. Although if Angel and Spike ever wanted to stay with me, I'd never turn them down.!!! All other characters belong to my imagination.

Notes: Season 6 Buffy/Season 3 Angel. No Connor and no Darla.

Part One

"Spike! Spike!" Dawn Summers threw open the bleached vampire's crypt door, jumped inside and then slammed it shut. "Spike, wake up! I need your help!"

"What the…! Niblet, what the hell are you doing here. Where's Red?" Spike sat up abruptly, his demon in full evidence. A glare that faded away as it was replaced with one of astonishment as he watched the young woman jumping nervously from foot to foot in the middle of his crypt. "And keep bloody still, you're gonna give me a ruddy headache with all your hopping."

He cast a quick look round the crypt, before returning a glowering look to the youngest member of the Slayerettes. "And just where the hell is the Buffybot?"

"Patrol of course. Where else would she be at this time of night?" Dawn shot back.

Scowling, he threw back his covers and got out of bed… only to be greeted with a squeal of intense embarrassment from Dawn and the sight of her swiftly turned back.

"Spike! You're… clothes!" Dawn covered her eyes, blushing furiously but even then she could still see in her mind's eye the brief glimpse of naked vampire she had caught.

"Aw hell!" Spike grabbed his jeans and pulled them on, thanking who ever was listening for the fact that vampires could no longer blush as well. Pulling on his habitual black t-shirt as well, he growled to himself. "And why I give a damn about what she saw, I need to get my head examined. I'm turning into ruddy Peaches!"

Moving forward, he caught hold of Dawn's shoulders and shook her, albeit hard but gentle. "That was your on darn fault, Dawnie. Now where's Red. You know it's still not too safe for you to be out on your own."

"Ow Spike, that hurt!" She shook him off and spun round to face him, the glare in her hazel eyes similar to the one her older sister had often turned on him when she had still been alive. "I can look after myself, Spike, regardless of what everyone thinks, and Willow is at home. Her head was hurting her again when she woke up this afternoon, thanks to that… that…!"

"Dawn!" He growled warningly, not wanting another lecture from the redhead he shared Dawn's guardianship with on his language. "I'll have to tell her this time."

"You don't have to tell her anything and you know it. You do it to just annoy her... and me!" Dawn actually stamped her foot at him. "And I was only going to say that girl any way!"

"So you say, pet." He shrugged it off, not really wanting to go into it with her. "As for Will, I take it they had another bloody argument."

"What else!" Dawn sat down in his armchair, curling her legs underneath her. "It's all they do these days since Will refused to do that spell."

Her eyes darkened for a moment as she remembered what the redhead had told the blonde witch. "Buffy's finally done all she was destined for, Tara. I will not bring her back from heaven just because we miss her. She deserves to rest at last."

"But Willow, what if…" Tara had stuttered.

Willow had held up her hand, her eyes darkening slightly. "I said NO! Tara and that's my final word on the subject."

Returning to the present, she suddenly eager eyes back to Spike. "Don't you want to know what I've been up to? Why I need your help?"

"Dammit Dawn, of course I ruddy well do." He growled sitting down on his bed to pull on his boots. As he did so, he caught a look he was fast learning to recognise and abruptly sat up again. "Niblet, don't tell me you've been following… Niblet!"

"Alright I won't tell you've I've been following Tara."

"Dawn, you bloody promised!"

"She made Willow cry this time, Spike." Dawn said her attitude stubbornly unrepentant. "And I so did not promise! You just said I was going to because I had no proof."

"Don't try and play word games with me, Dawnie." Spike growled again as he returned to doing his boots up. "You'll lose."

The teenager promptly stuck her tongue out at him then grew worriedly serious. "Spike, I think I found my proof. Well, enough at least to convince you at least."

"You better start talking then, pet. I'll decide what to do when I've heard this supposed evidence of yours." As she started to grin slightly, he growled warningly. "And this had better be bloody worth it, Dawn because Red as an excuse aside, you ain't ruddy wandering around Sunnyhell for any other reason. "

"Believe me Spike, it is. It really is." Dawn sat forward, dark eyes lighting up. "You are so going to be proud of me, Spike, I promise you."

"Then start spilling your guts, pet."

END PART ONE