Chapter 1: Out All Night

After storming out of the office late one night, all Spike wanted was to go home and get drunk; put his feet up and watch telly. The last thing Spike expected was to be stalked by a vampire… much less the one he found. Can he save her? Set about 2 years after the series finale of Angel, the gang stayed on a Wolfram and Hart. Inplied Spike/Dawn but meh… Oh! And hey! Angst-y

Disclaimer: Guess what? I don't own Buffy! *Gasp!* Nor do I own the beautiful cover picture. *Sigh.*

"Wanker!" Spike scoffed. He'd been arguing with Angle all day. Honestly, Spike was glad to get out of the office; get away from it; have some time just for himself.

It was then that it was then the vampire ran out in front of him. He was aware he was cornering her; he'd been planning this move for the last 300 meters. It was dark but he saw her.

"Come on then!" He roared with a laugh. The demon was yet to show her face but she'd been following him for a while. He had only caught a glimpse; of course, she'd been trying to hide. From what he had seen, she was short, for a vampire, and looked fairly young. He wondered how long she'd been dead.

Crunch!

Spike heard footsteps behind him and spun to face the new vampire. She scrambled away, along the back of a building, an old warehouse by the look of it but Spike was faster. He jumped to where she was headed and snarled.

Spike looked her over; she seemed vaguely familiar, and she'd been following him. Spike shook off the thought; his mind was scrambled, and prepared to fight. He could take her. Besides; if he had met her before, it was probably only in a bar or something; back in his pre-Sunnydale days.

She tumbled along the wall and fell to the ground. Spike slipped into his own game face as the vampire attempted to hit him back. Her skills weren't properly homed, nor were she trained; she was young; about 16, brunette. If fact she reminded him of...

The girl ducked Spike in the brow, knocking him back. It's not that she was overly strong but the punch had come abruptly to a distracted Spike. As he gathered himself, the girl began to run along the dimly lit pathway now, still heading towards the corner. Spike cursed himself; he was so annoyed he'd let her hit him like that.

The vampire came to a halt. She had hit the wall by now; tall and brick. Spike knew she couldn't jump it and couldn't help notice how helpless the girl looked. She fretted and began to scamper. Spike drew closer. She tried to doge him but couldn't escape. She weaved left and right.

Spike pounced. The girl sprang as he hit mid-flight. Spike caught her. The pair of vampires wristed to the ground likes a pair of wild animals. Spike snarled. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a long wooden steak. He pressed it to her chest. The vampire squirmed.

"Alright pet?" He sneered; nothing genuine in his voice. She didn't say anything. In fact, what she did next shocked Spike in a way he never could have predicted. The vampire began to cry. Then it dawned on him.

"Niblet?" He whispered. He couldn't bring himself to say her name. She slipped out of her game face. It was no longer a demon looking up at him. It was little Dawn Summers. Buffy's sister. Of course he had to remember she was dangerous. He made no attempt to lift his body off hers but lowered the steak pressed to her chest

"Spike..." She whispered her voice hoarse. She pressed the back of her hand to his face. He dropped the steak.

"How... did this happen? When..."

"Last year." She said gravely, tears rolling from her eyes again and tumbling down her cheeks like a waterfalls. Spike opened his mouth to speak but she shook her head. "Giles, Willow, Andrew, they all died Spike. Buffy told me to go." She paused. It was clearly too hard to talk about. "She said I had to run away. She told the others I was dead." Spike nodded once in understanding. He rose and offered her his hand; she took it and wrapped herself around him in a tight embrace.

The two stood, in the darkness, simply holding one another.

"I've felt so alone,"

"I know. I'm here now, Niblet." Spike planted a single kiss on her forehead. "You're gonna be okay." He said softly, his voice wavered in uncertainty.

"You're coming home with me. I'll take care of you, pet." Her body shook and he wrapped his arms more tightly around her. He let go only for a second in order to shrug of his duster. He handed it to the girl and she threw it across her shoulders. It was a good fit; a bit long in the arms but aside from that. Little Dawn Summers was still small, but she'd grown an awful lot since Sunny-hell. She smiled gratefully.

"Do you… live close?" Spike shook his head. He began to lead her along the pathway. He kept his body close to hers protectively. With Dawn, he was the kindest he'd ever been. He had a soft spot for her; he loved her like a sister.

"I could take you to see Angel if you like." Spike didn't fancy talking to him but he had to be responsible about Dawn.

"No!" She said almost too quickly. Spike was glad she'd turned his offer down. "I mean… I didn't want anyone to see… " she gestured to her face. She looked even paler in the moonlight; a glowering white. Her face had barely filled out but pike could see she was older in her eyes. Dawn's expression was grave. "Like this." Spike nodded.

"I understand." The sister of the slayer: a vampire. If he hadn't cared for Dawn so much, he would have laughed at the irony.

It took a while to reach the apartment but when they did Dawn was shaking. Spike wasn't sure if it was just because she was cold, scared or hungry.

"It's not much," He started, setting the key in the lock. "But it's better than the last place you saw me in…" Spike let out a nervous laugh as he opened the door. He never had people in so he'd never cared to make sure the place was clean. Empty bottles of booze and cups stained with a rim of blood were scattered across the apartment, both standing and lying flat. Packet and single tiny marshmallows were dotted across the ground, an obvious hazard. (He had to weave Dawn through them.) The wallpaper was peeling and the ivory colour was fading; the place had been that way when he'd bought it and never really bothered to clean it up. There was a separate bedroom though, and bathroom so, for Spike, the place would do.

"No, I like it." Dawn said politely. "Better than where I've been staying." She shared a private joke with herself. A thought occurred to Spike.

"Have you fed today?" He motioned for her to sit on the couch and walked towards the fridge. Dawn shook her head.

He took out a mug filled with cool pigs blood and shut it in the microwave. It whirred for about half a minute before he took it out and handed it to dawn.

"Drink this." She took a long gulp, her face changing in the process. She looked ravenous.

"Is is…?" She returned to drinking.

"It's pig's blood. It's not the best… but it's better than nothing." Dawn continued to down the sticky red liquid; the smell made Spike thirsty so he fetched himself a beer. He knew he had to pace himself with the blood and he'd already had three today.

When she was finished, Dawn placed the cup on the ground and slid into her humanity. She looked up at Spike with big brown eyes and pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. When her wrist came away, coated with blood, she looked utterly disgusted with herself.

Spike slumped into the chair beside her, he tossed his head back. He took a sip from his can. He looked back at dawn. She looked as if she might break at any moment.

"The whole blood drinking thing creeps you out, huh?"

Dawn nodded. "It's not just that… I… I've hurt people Spike… It's like it takes over me…. Becomes me all the while I'm screaming… Screaming to get out."

Spike smiled. "I know how you feel, Dawn."

"No, Spike! You have a soul… I have nothing…"

"You're a good person Dawn," He said himself up more assertively now. His voice had more confidence. "Besides, for over one-hundred and fifty years, I didn't."

Dawn's eyes flickered to the ground, presumably in shame. "I am going to help you, you know." He said, draping his arm across the vampire.

"I know," She said tugging the sleeve of her sweater. It was argyle green and ripped to shreds. Now Spike actually noticed all her clothes were dirty, her jeans were stained and speckled with red and her ankle boots were ripped.

"Do… you er… want to take a shower or somethin'?" Spike offered.

Dawn looked down at herself, frowned and then nodded enthusiastically. Spike stood, made his way through to the bedroom and pulled out his smallest, cleanest looking black shirt, a pair of shorts from god-knows-where and towel.

When he came back into the lounge, Dawn was standing. She took the towel and clothes and bounced through to the bathroom after planting a kiss on Spike's cheek. Spike smiled.

After a while he heard the gushing of the water. Instead of settling back onto the couch and switching on the telly, Spike began to sort the mugs, empty liquor bottles and cans and marshmallow packets. He started with the one Dawn had left and washed them each in turn. He straightened the couch and picked up his dirty clothes. He wanted the place presentable for Dawn.

By the time he was done, the place was near spotless… Well, tidier than before. Spike heard the water run off. He glanced at the clock on the microwave. She'd only been in there fifteen minutes.

Dawn appeared in the doorway dressed only in a towel. It was wrapped tightly around her chest but she seems fine and it was fairly long so Spike said nothing though he was uncomfortable.

She stepped up to Spike and smiled; Spike really wanted to help her; more than ever. "I've really missed you."

Dawn leaned in tenderly. Their lips met. For a moment Spike enjoyed it. He kissed her hard and pressed Dawns back to the wall. And then remembered who he was kissing.

Instantly he sprung away in shock. Dawn looked at him in horror and then hurt blazed across her eyes.

"Dawn," He said, his voice hoarse. "I can't… Not you." She nodded meekly.

"I'm sorry," She said, Spike thought she sounded honest so dropped it.

"I know…It's my fault." That was the last word on the subject. She stepped back into the bathroom and changed into the clothes he'd given her. Spike sat on the sofa with his head thrown back and his arms stretched wide. He ran his hads across his face and through his hair and finally began to relax.

"Thank you. So much. For everything." She said reappearing, shaking a towel through her hair.

"No problem, Niblet." Spike took her hands and sat the girl next to him on the couch. He wrapped her in his arms whispered words of comfort.

He was going to help her. No matter what it took.

Hey guys : ) So, just wondering if you think I should continue. If I do, I know where I'm going to take it. Anyway, I hoped you liked! If so please give me some feedback! Please? : ) Thanks a million for reading.