Part Nine

Dawn groggily opened her eyes as she began to regain consciousness. For the second day in a row, she was greeted with the sight of the cement ceiling of a crypt as she woke up. As if the painful pressure in her bladder hadn't already notified her, the faint sunbeams filtering through cracks in the stone at the far end of the crypt indicated that a new day had begun. At least it was Saturday and she didn't have to worry about missing school again.

Dawn leaned up on her elbow and stared at the pale figure resting next to her. Even though the visions from the night before had long- since faded away, she still felt as though she knew him through and through. Her connection to him was deeper than it had ever been before. With a wistful sigh, she kissed him on the forehead. "Be here when I get back," she whispered.

With a speed that would make any runner envious, Dawn sprinted out the door and too the Visitor's Center. She had no desire for a repeat performance of the other morning. A dust-buster sized Spike was *not* what she needed today. After quickly using the facilities, Dawn dashed past the attendant. He yelled something about it being unhealthy for young girls to spend so much time in the cemetery, but Dawn only half-heard him as she ran back to the crypt. When she opened the door, she was greeted with the sight of an empty couch, and her heart dropped to her stomach.

"Spike, where are you? Are you okay," she asked fearfully.

Two cold arms snaked around her waist. "Missed me, did ya?" Spike grinned into her ear.

Dawn turned around and slapped Spike on the arm. "Don't DO that! You scared me!"

"And that's supposed ta dissuade me, how? I'm a vampire, luv. Fear's a turn-on." Spike leered at her, and Dawn started to giggle.

"Yeah, right Spike. You can't hurt me."

"You…you take that back now, ya hear?" Spike ranted indignantly. "I'm a mean, vicious killer who takes advantage of little tidbits like you all the bloody time."

"I'm sorry, Spike. You're a mean, bad vampire and I tremble whenever I see you," Dawn said in a placating tone.

"So I've noticed, luv," Spike purred as he licked her neck.

Dawn gasped as he touched her. Somehow everything seemed more intensified this morning. Still unused to romantic situations, her curiosity was able to win out over her lust. Forcing herself to separate from Spike before he could become too distracting, Dawn hopped up onto the stone coffin Spike had turned into a makeshift bed. Idly swinging her legs, she asked, "Spike, what happened last night?"

"We going through this again, are we? Don't they teach you kids sex ed or something in school these days?"

"I'm not talking about sex, Spike. And HEY, we didn't *have* sex buster, just to get that straight. What I want to know is why I get all tingly every time you touch me."

Spike stalked towards where Dawn was sitting and said, "Well, kiddo, there's this cute little four-letter word called LUST that pops to mind…" Spike began to rub circles on Dawn's knee and gasped as he felt the connection she was talking about. Electricity practically shot up his arm.

"See, I told you," Dawn breathed out. "You...mentioned something about binding last night. M...maybe that has something to do with it?"

Spike took a step back, still trying to maintain his macho bravado. "Now, if you wanted to talk about binding, you should've just said so, kitten. I've got the ropes and the handcuffs somewhere here abouts."

Dawn blushed before reprimanding him. "Spike, I'm serious. What did you do?"

"Well, it used to be that us vampires, we'd bind ourselves to a human every now and again. Could be convenient, havin' someone loyal who could walk about during the day. Or it could be to show a claim. Like a `hands off' sign to other vamps."

"A claim?" Dawn asked softly.

"Yeah, a claim, so all the other bloodsuckers would know you'd taken a fancy to a particular human. Sometimes it was nice to sink into a bit of tight, hot quim after nothing but cold flesh for years on end..." Spike drifted off, seemingly lost in some fond memories.

"Ahem...Spike. Can we focus please? I don't really need a recap of your sex life for the past hundred years."

Coughing slightly, Spike continued. "Um, well...yeah. Anyway, usually the binding was just a formality. You'd exchange a token amount of blood in front of the minions and that was that. Anyone touched your human, and they were dust. Sometimes, if a bloke actually felt something for the chit he was claiming, you'd see some stuff. Shadows of memories and the like. An exchange of sorts...you'd each have a tiny part of the other inside ya. But I never felt anything like last night. You consumed me. It's a heat like no other."

"Wow..." Dawn said in awe. "Do you think it's because I'm the Key? Maybe I made the link stronger or something."

"That could be part of it. I feel stronger than I have in...ever, and I'm thirsty in the `only for you' sort of way. But maybe I've just takin' a shining to you, nibblet."

"Really?" Dawn said, still having trouble articulating more than a few words at a time.

"The stronger the feelings, the stronger the bond. And from the way you're reacting to just me looking at ya, I'd say our bond is iron- clad." That said, Spike leaned up to kiss her. Dawn had to stoop slightly to give him access, the stone sarcophagus she was sitting on being a bit high.

Spike laid his head in Dawn's lap. "Ever notice what a perfect height these stone coffins are?" he said as spread her legs slightly. "So many enticing possibilities..." He moved to place a kiss between her thighs and Dawn snapped her legs shut.

"How many times am I going to have to say no, Spike?"

"One less than the number of times it takes for you to say yes, pet."

Spike had an incorrigible grin on his face, sending shivers down her spine. Not being able to totally resist, Dawn relented somewhat. "Describe it to me Spike. I've heard Willow and Tara talk, but I have no idea what it feels like. Tell me how it feels..."

"So the little kitten gets off on a bit of dirty pillow talk does she?" Spike chuckled with glee. "Well, seeing as I'm not female and all, I can't quite tell it from the girl's end of things, but I can tell you what it's like to lick a gal till she comes. It's great... like eating an ice cream cone. First you start out with a few long licks, from the base all the way to the top. Place a few open- mouthed kisses on the top, sucking gently. Then things start to drip. You have to lick faster just to keep up with it. No matter what, your face is gonna get all sticky, but it's worth it just to savour that flavour. It's dripping so much you have to lick everywhere to keep it from spilling over. Once you get down to the cone, you might dip your tongue inside a few times, feel around the inside walls of the cone, make sure you get every last drop, then in a few more bites, or sucks as the case may be, you're finished, and you have your last explosion of taste before it's all over. Then nothing is left but the sticky remnants on your face, and a very satisfied partner if you've done your job right."

Dawn didn't even realize it, but as Spike was talking, she had leaned back on the coffin-bed and spread her legs a bit. "Ah, I see we have an eager customer," Spike leered. Dawn didn't know what to say. She couldn't deny that she wanted Spike, that she was very, *very* curious. Luckily, she was saved the misfortune of having to answer by her sister barging into the crypt. Dawn sat bolt upright and snapped her legs together.

"Buffy! Hi! Um,...hi! What are you doing here?" Dawn squeaked.

"What, a big sister can't be concerned after leaving her sister alone with a soulless vampire all night long? You seem a bit shaken up. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, really I am. You just startled me, that's all. I wasn't totally awake yet."

"Well, I'm glad you've finally rejoined the land of the living, it being after 3 and all" Buffy said with forced cheerfulness. "I thought maybe you and I could do the big sister-little sister bonding thing today. Things have been kind of stressed lately, and it would be nice to hang out, just the two of us."

"I guess that would be ok," Dawn said, a hint of trepidation in her voice. "What about Spike?"

"Um, Spike...sunny day...usually the two don't mix."

"I mean, you aren't going to hurt him or anything as soon as I leave are you?"

"No, Dawn. I promise I won't hurt Spike unless he really deserves it." Dawn and Spike both raised their eyebrows, and Buffy explained. "Deserving it meaning he tries to hurt and/or kill you or anyone that I love. But for some reason, he seems bound and determined to help us, whether we want it or not. So who am I to turn down help? I mean, he's got a chip, so it's not like he can hurt you, right?"

"Hey! That's not fair! I'm still plenty bad. Don't go thinkin' I'm all safe," Spike grumbled in protest.

Dawn hurried to silence him. "Spike, not helping things here."

"Right. Yeah. Sorry."

Buffy glared at Spike, but managed to hold her tongue. "C'mon, Dawn. Let's get out of here." She took Dawn's hand and helped her down from the stone casket. "Spike," Buffy nodded stiffly in good- bye.

"Slayer," Spike said, just as formally.

"Bye, Spike," Dawn waved as she began to walk towards the door. "See you later."

"Don't' count on it," Buffy said coldly. At her sister's glare, she softened her tone. "Doing the family bonding thing now, remember. You can probably spare one night without Spike's company."

Dawn just smiled at Spike, know that if she needed him, she'd find a way out of her house. "So, where are we going?" Dawn asked as they walked out the door.

"Well, I'd thought we'd take a walk... maybe get some ice cream," Buffy suggested.

Dawn blanched as Spike's words came flying back into her brain. "Dawn, honey, are you ok? You look a little pale."

"Yeah...yeah. I'm fine...really," Dawn said shakily, still picturing Spike's tongue in combination with ice cream.

Inside, the sound of a deep chuckle rumbled through the crypt.

******

Part Ten

Dawn stared at her door, a relieved look on her face. Alone at last. Double-checking that her door was locked, Dawn picked up a pen and began to write in her journal.

"Buffy was in major cling mode today. I mean, yeah, it was cool that she didn't totally flip over me spending the night with Spike...I mean, spending the night in the crypt, not *with* Spike in the having sex with him sort of way... but she just wouldn't leave my side all afternoon. I barely made it through eating ice cream. Every time I took a bite, I just kept imagining Spike's little metaphor. Only he would compare oral sex with eating ice cream...can we say oral fixation? He has such a nice mouth though. He has a nice everything. Ah! He's so distracting. No wonder Buffy was getting worried...I guess I can't blame her. I mean, one second I'm staring off into space, letting my ice cream melt, and the next I inhale my ice cream cone as fast as possible. The whole time I couldn't stop thinking about him. I don't know if I will ever see ice cream the same again.

I was hoping after ice cream we would just go home, but oh no. Buffy wanted to talk. She kept asking me about Spike. I told her we were just friends, but I know she didn't buy that. I finally got her to shut up when I reminded her of how close she and Spike seemed the other day and maybe it was *her* who was denying feelings for a certain bleached-blonde vampire. She sputtered and swore that she had absolutely no feelings for Spike other than loathing. You should have seen the shade of purple she turned when I patted her on the head and said `suuure.' Talk of Spike was thus ended. Man am I getting good.

After that lovely set of awkward moments, we chilled at the Magic Box for a bit before going home. Once we got there, mom wanted to do the bonding thing too. For the second night in a row she cooked a huge meal, although it was just her, me, and Buffy tonight. I hope she's not overdoing herself. I mean, I don't want her to get sick because of me. She's going back to the hospital for another check-up tomorrow. So far she's been able to stay home, but I've noticed her getting weirder and weirder. She keeps forgetting stuff and her head hurts all the time. I don't know what I will do if she's really sick. I'm so glad I have Spike to lean on. If it weren't for Spike, I don't think I could deal with everything that's going on. I think I love him..."

Dawn set her journal down with a sigh. "I do...I love Spike. Not that I can ever tell him." Even though she'd seen him just the night before, Dawn still missed him. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in his cold arms, but she knew that she needed to sleep in her own house that night. She was just thinking of getting ready for bed when she heard a pounding on her door.

******

"What the hell do you want!" Spike shouted in the general direction of his door. His immediate goal was to go out and kill something. He hoped to God that it wasn't one of the bloody Slayer's friends. He just didn't have it in him to be nice to them tonight.

"`Bout time you lot learned to knock," Spike said with a growl as he opened the door.

"Hey Spike...you seem awfully busy here's your robot bye!" Warren rambled as he backed away from the irate vampire.

Spike grabbed the retreating figure by the back of the neck. "Not leaving so soon are we. Some blokes might call that impolite. Oh, you'd like to come in and sit down. How wonderful." Spike threw Warren onto his couch. He looked in horror at the robotic imitation of Buffy standing before him before quickly bringing it inside, hoping to anything that could hear him that no one had seen it.

"Ooh Spike, you're so big and strong. I just love it when you get rough with me!" the Buffybot crooned.

"Sit down, will you!" Spike yelled at the clinging robot. The Buffybot slid down Spike's body and sat at his feet. She leaned back on her arms and spread her legs wide. "Take me now, you big, scary man!"

"Turn her off! For God's sake, turn the thing off," Spike yelled in horror.

"Buffy, sleep mode," Warren ordered. With a slight exhale of air, the robot leaned back on the ground, looking more dead than asleep, but its legs still spread wide in and enticing gesture.

"Wh…what's wrong? I did everything you wanted. Even all the...special programming. Please let me go," Warren whined.

Spike looked down at the prone form of the Buffybot. He couldn't help his body's reaction...physically, he was more than capable of doing what the robot had asked. His arousal was proof of that. But mentally, he couldn't imagine himself sleeping with Buffy. "Well see, things change they do. I've decided that I don't want a sexbot anymore. Man's gotta have his dignity and all."

Warren got up to leave, running towards the door, and Spike grabbed him again. "Not thinking about leaving so soon are we?" Spike said. His eyes flashed yellow as he dragged Warren back into the crypt. "Not nice of you to not let me finish. You see, I'm a reasonable man, and I appreciate all the hard work you've gone through. I've decided I'll keep the robotic wench...with a few slight modifications. How's about we change the programming on our new toy? What's the time frame on a little bitty change like that? In a few hours you say, that's wonderful!"

"A few hours! Programming is a delicate thing. You haven't even told me what you want changed yet. You can't expect me to do this all in one night!" Warren struggled to get away, but he was too afraid of Spike to make any progress.

"Sit down," Spike said, accentuating his words with a shove. "All comfy, are we? Good...now take notes." With that, Spike began to list his new specifications for the robot.

******

Dawn violently swung open her door and yelled, "what the hell do you want!"

Buffy stepped back in shock. "Well, I was going to ask if anything was wrong, since you were going to bed so early. I guess you just answered *that* question. Now, 'fess up... what is going on? I want to help."

Dawn stepped aside and let Buffy pass, a confused look on her face. "I...I'm sorry Buffy. I don't know what came over me. When I heard you knocking on the door, I suddenly got so angry, like the last thing in the world I wanted to see was you or your bloody sidekicks."

Buffy raised her eyebrows, "My `bloody sidekicks'? Care to tell me where that came from?"

"Umm...watching too much British television lately? You know how much I love that BBC America channel," Dawn laughed nervously.

"Dawn, I really think it's about time we talked about your sick obsession with Spike. I know I'm the big, bad sister and you don't want to talk to me about anything, but I'm concerned about your feelings for Spike. Two nights in a row, you've slept in a *crypt* for goodness sake. And now you're imitating him. I don't think this is healthy for you."

Dawn shoved Buffy hard, causing her to fall back into a sitting position on the bed. "Sit down!" Dawn yelled. "You're just jealous. Spike will *never* sleep with you. NEVER! Right now you are repulsive to him." Dawn turned and spoke to what seemed to be nobody. "Turn her off! How do you turn it off!" Dawn screamed before collapsing onto the floor sobbing.

Buffy was confused and more than a bit worried. "Dawn, honey...you have to talk to me. You're acting crazy, and I think I know why. What I did the other night was *wrong*. I should never have come on to Spike like that. I just wanted to show you that he isn't who you think he is, but in the process I ended up being the bad guy. But you have to believe me...I *never* wanted to hurt you. Please... tell me what's going on. Tell me how to fix things between us."

Buffy stroked Dawn's hair as she cried. "Buffy," Dawn cried," I think there's something wrong with me. It's like I'm feeling things that aren't my emotions. I can't control it."

Buffy helped Dawn off the floor and they both sat down on the edge of the bed. "Sweetie, you are growing up, and as if that isn't hard enough, you have to deal with all kinds of things of the supernaturally wacky. Of course you are going to be feeling a lot of strange emotions, and they may seem like they are foreign, but we all go through them."

"You don't understand, Buffy. Something is really wrong."

"Then why don't you talk to me about it. I'm more than willing to listen. Here, I'll even close the door. Nothing you say leaves this room. I'm certain whatever you're feeling is perfectly normal." Buffy got up and shut the door, and as she turned around, Dawn grabbed her arm and threw her across the room.

"Not thinking about leaving so soon, are we?" Dawn growled as her eyes glowed yellow.

"Ok, maybe I was wrong," Buffy squeaked. "Channeling Spike is definitely *not* of the normal!" Buffy gripped Dawn's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Dawn...are you in there. Can you hear me?"

"I...I'm here Buffy. I'm just not feeling quite like myself," she said softly as she fainted.

"Oh my God," Buffy exclaimed. "Giles...I need Giles. He'll know what to do."

******

Spike staggered a bit and held his head as he swayed. "Bloody hell," he muttered.

"Spike...are you ok?" Warren asked nervously. "You're not hungry are you, because I've got sour blood. Totally unappetizing. Not at all good for whetting an appetite. Yup, eating me would be bad. I'd never finish the robot that way either."

"Would you *please* shut up, you bloody ponce," Spike growled as he regained his composure. "I'm not going to eat you. I've just got this bloody computer chip in my skull. Gives me headaches sometimes." Spike tensed as he realized what he had just said was outloud.

"Wait, you're a robot?" Warren asked, his fear suddenly replaces with curiosity.

"No...I am a vampire. One who will rip your throat out if you don't finish my toy. I just happen to have a government chip inside my bleedin' skull. I conned some government doctor to give it to me. Told him I wouldn't eat his children if he did. It was supposed to make me smarter, help me win my battles and such, but it gives me the worst headaches," Spike partially lied, trying to cover up the slight slip he had made by telling Warren about the chip.

"Wow, what I wouldn't give to get a look at that. It must be really high tech."

Spike laughed derisively at Warren. "Yeah right, like you'd know enough to get it out. You're just a second rate programmer, you are, not a brilliant brain surgeon. You just work on fixin' up miss dolly all nice and neat now."

Warren muttered as he closed the Buffybot back up, the reprogramming complete. "If you wanted the robot to be a neurosurgeon so you could get the chip out, it won't work. The stuff you asked for is so she could take care of a patient, not actually do surgery. Anyway, you have to know a lot about human physiology to make a robot just like a human. I used to go to med school before I got into computers. If you give me a chance, I bet I could get that chip out no problem. I'll do it if you let me keep it once I'm done. I would kill to get my hands on some government technology like that."

"Pasty-faced little boy like you fancies himself a doctor. My luck you'd probably paralyze me," Spike snorted in feigned disgust.

"I'm telling you, I can do it. A vampire like you can't afford to look weak by getting headaches all the time. Signs of weakness are bad, aren't they? I wouldn't trust myself with a human, but you're a vampire. They heal up quickly, right? C'mon, give me a chance. A friend of mine deals with patients of the...unhuman...kind. His lab is not too far from here. Give me an hour and we'll both be better off. You're new toy can even assist."

Spike pretended to be thinking it over, but inside his demon was rejoicing. FREEDOM, it screamed. Spike was rather impressed with the cowardly boy. Who would have thought he wasn't totally oblivious to the unnatural side of Sunnydale. "Ok, kid. I'll give you a chance. No more headaches for me...a sweet piece of new-age fancy tin for you. Let's go."

******

Buffy panted as she kicked on Giles' door. "Giles! Giles...let me in. You have to be here! Open the door!"

Giles raced down the stairs and opened the door. He stepped aside, not actually inviting them in on the slight chance something unspeakable had happened and they had been turned. Buffy allayed his fears by darting inside, carrying Dawn.

"Good Lord, Buffy. What happened? Did you run all the way here carrying her? You could have been killed!"

"I didn't know what to do Giles. I couldn't let Mom find out. She has enough to worry about, what with going to the hospital tomorrow and all. But Dawn, she started acting all funny and collapsed. She...she was acting like Spike, growling and being all vampirey. Then she fainted. You don't think she's a vampire do you?" Buffy asked, worry clouding her judgement.

"Well, I can't say for certain what's wrong, but I can guarantee you she's not a vampire. The pulse, warm skin and lack of you bouncing out the door when you ran in gives me evidence of that. Now please, tell me everything that happened."

"Dawn and I were talking and she started acting all...well...Spike- like. She called you and the gang my `bloody sidekicks' and when I got up to close the door so mom wouldn't hear us talking, she growled at me and her eyes glowed yellow. She tried to tell me something was wrong and I didn't understand. Then it was like she couldn't take it anymore and she collapsed. I ran here as fast as I could. You were the only one I could think to turn to."

"I'm touched that you feel you can turn to me, really I am, but honestly Buffy. What if you had been attacked on the way here? You couldn't keep carrying Dawn and fight at the same time. You must learn to use some common sense."

"My little sister is channeling a vampire, Giles! Being logical isn't the first thing that pops to mind. Now help her!" Buffy screamed. "Please..." she said softly.

Giles took Dawn and set her down gently on the couch. Shaking her softly, he said "Dawn, dear. Can you hear me?"

Dawn sat bolt upright and screamed. "My head...my head!" she moaned before laying back down, tossing and turning on the couch.

Giles backed away from Dawn and spoke softly to Buffy. "If she really is channeling Spike, as you suggest, he may have just tried to harm a living thing. Perhaps the wisest course of action would be to find Spike and bring him back here for observation."

"I don't want that monster anywhere near my sister. She's obsessed with him, and I'm afraid of what he will do to her. Even if he can't hurt her, he can do other things. I mean, he is a functioning man after all, if you get my drift."

"Good heavens, Buffy. She's a child. You can't possibly think Spike has any ill intentions towards her."

"Soulless demon we're talking about here Giles. I don't think age makes much of a difference to a vampire. Even if Spike can't kill, he could get his jollies from corrupting an innocent."

"But that doesn't explain why Dawn would be channeling Spike's behaviour. Are you certain that this isn't just her way of getting attention. You are the Slayer after all, and she does tend to be left out of most of what you do. Perhaps she wants a bit of the limelight herself."

"Are we forgetting that her eyes *glowed yellow*? That is not normal little girl bonding behavior. Something is seriously wrong, Giles."

"So very little is known about the nature of the Key. It was certainly never intended that the Key should fall in love. Perhaps these are the side-effects of her unique nature."

"Whoah...hold on a second. Where did you get the idea that Dawn is in love with Spike. That is so not true!"

"Well, as much as we all disapprove, Dawn has managed to spend quite a bit of her free time with Spike. And yesterday afternoon when you brought her back to the Magic Box I noticed her drawing the words `Spike and Dawn' in bubble letters inside of a heart on the back of a notebook. Now I may be an old fuddy-duddy whom you think is out of touch with life as you know it, but isn't that commonly a young teenager's way of signaling feelings for someone?"

"Ewww! How could you let her do that? That's just...eww!"

"Well, Buffy. I don't feel it is my place to reprimand Dawn for her feelings. I know what it's like to have feelings for someone whom others may deem inappropriate. I was young once as well. So long as her affection for Spike are nothing more than a schoolgirl's crush, I won't put down her feelings. Chances are they will go away on their own. But if I ever thought Spike would do anything to hurt her, let's just say his death would be a slow, painful inevitability."

As they talked, Dawn had quieted down. She was no longer writhing in pain, and her eyes had taken on a dreamy, glazed-over look. Noticing her calm, Buffy and Giles rushed to her side.

"Dawn, honey, are you ok?" Buffy asked worriedly.

"Mmmm...better now," Dawn muttered happily.

Not knowing quite what to do, Buffy chose to sit vigil by her side rather than hunt down Spike. As buffy worried over her sister, Giles began researching to find anything more about the Key.

******

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Spike screamed in pain. "Bloody, fuckin', stupid, son of a bitch, bugger!" He grabbed Warren and pulled him close to his face, fangs elongated and demon very much visible. "Vampire's feel pain too you ponce! Local anesthetic...NOW!"

Spike moaned as he waited for Warren to find the painkillers. He should have known better than to trust a human, but he was sick of not being able to hunt and kill. Finding out that Warren could do more than build robots had been an accidental stroke of good fortune. But that didn't change the fact that he had just had a doctor's saw cut into his head with no anesthetic.

"I'm so sorry. Please don't kill me! It...it was an accident. I didn't think you would need painkiller." Warren quickly took a needle and began injecting an anesthetic into the area where he would be operating. "Don't worry...there won't be any more mistakes. I promise," he simpered.

Spike calmed down as the painkillers took effect. "Better now," he growled, and Warren began to work. It wasn't long until he had found the offending chip. "This is amazing," he whispered in awe, his fear forgotten. "Technology like this is supposed to be years into the future. But no wonder it was giving you such headaches. It's in the totally wrong part of the brain for enhancing mental functions. The way they put it in, it almost looks like a behavior modification device."

Spike stiffened, but Warren was oblivious to the discovery he had just made. He continued muttering to himself, more focused on obtaining the chip for himself than anything else. The Buffybot watched and assisted when she could. Warren took the chip out with a satisfied sigh, and stitched him up. Immediately the wounds began to heal.

"Blood," Spike moaned. "Need blood."

Warren backed away in fear. "Hey man, I did what you said. You promised not to hurt me. A deal's a deal."

Spike growled and pointed. "Cooler..." he groaned. The Buffybot opened up the cooler Spike had given her bring with them. Inside were several bags of blood. She gave two of them to Spike and he savagely ripped them open and slurped them down, one after the other. "Now there's the ticket," Spike murmured in a satisfied tone.

"Good, great. We're done right? I can go?"

"The robot's all ship-shape right?"

"Yeah, she's got everything you asked for. I added everything you wanted. She's a regular Dougie Houser. Bye now."

"Yeah, mate. We're through. Have a nice life and all." This time Spike really did let the scared computer nerd run out the door.

"Shall I take you home Spike?" the Buffybot asked.

"Lead the way, girly," Spike said with a sigh. Leaning against her for support, he managed to make it back to his crypt.

"Oh, God I'm tired," Spike roared, plopping down on his makeshift bed. "If it's all the same to you, I'm gonna go to bed."

"Whatever makes you happy is my desire, Spike. Let's get you out of those clothes. They still have blood on them." Spike was passive as the Buffybot stripped him, too tired to protest much. When he was out of all of his clothes, he slipped under the covers. The robot began rubbing circles over his tired muscles. "My prime directive is to make you happy. I was told that your wish was for me to keep the other Buffy and her family all safe, but there are other ways to make someone happy." As she said this, her hands slipped beneath the covers and between his legs.

Spike yelped and jumped up. "Hell, what do you think you are doing? Bloody git said he reprogrammed you. I'm gonna kill him!"

"The Creator did reprogram me; he added much knowledge to my original program, but my prime directive is still the same. Make Spike happy. I simply have many ways of doing that now instead of just one."

Spike put his hands up to keep her away. "You don't understand. Normally I would fuck the fillings out of a pretty little dish like you, but it would destroy Dawn if she caught me messin' around with anyone else...especially some freakish clone of her sister."

"Dawn. Sister of Buffy. The Key. Protect at all costs. You love this Dawn?" The Buffybot asked.

"Um, well...I...Hey! I don't have to answer anything to you!"

"You're tired and sore Spike. Let me help. Close your eyes," she commanded. "Go ahead, close them." Spike made sure he was still at arms length from the robot before complying. The Buffybot came close to him and whispered in his ear, "I can be Dawn." Suddenly it was Dawn's voice coming out of the machine instead of Buffy's.

Spike's eyes snapped open. "Bloody Hell! How'd you manage that one?"

"Tsk, tsk Spike. Keep your eyes closed. Doctor's orders." The Buffybot said, still using Dawn's voice. She did a quick search of the room and found Spike's stash of bondage toys. She grabbed a silk scarf and tied it around his eyes. Then she pushed him back down on his bed and climbed on top of him. "I can give you what you want, Spike. I can give you what Dawn can't." Spike gripped the robot's hips and moaned.

"My Dawn, how you've grown."

******

Buffy stroked Dawn's hair while Giles continued to research. Suddenly Dawn's eyes snapped open. "What the hell are you doing?" she yelled, pushing Buffy away. "Stay away from me!" Her voice had taken on a slight English accent as scrambled frantically to keep Buffy from her.

Giles was by Dawn's side in an instant. "Dawn, my dear. You must calm down. What is it that's wrong?"

Dawn's eyes were still wide, but they did not see the two people gazing at her with concern in their eyes. She saw nothing...only felt the pleasure that was starting to fill her body. "Spike..." she gasped, throwing her head back.

******

"Dawn..." Spike yelled, pushing into the cold body above him. He imagined the lithe form of Dawn as he ravaged the willing robot. His fingers would have bruised the hips of any human, his grip was so harsh.

For a second he tried to pull away. "Not real...not real," he murmured.

"I'm as real as you want me to be," the robot replied, and she continued to push against him.

******

"Not real...not real," Dawn cried and her fingers clawed at the edge of the sofa. Her breath was coming in gasps as her body writhed and bucked.

Tears streamed down Dawn's face as she tried to fight the feelings surging inside of her. Giles gripped her shoulders and shook her hard. "Dawn...DAWN! You must come back to us. Dawn!"

"Spike!" Dawn screamed as she sat bolt upright, a high-pitched keening sound emanating from the back of her throat.

******

"Dawn!" Spike keened, coming inside the robot. A long moan escaped his throat as his orgasm shook through him.

******

Both Dawn and Spike collapsed into unconsciousness as their pleasure subsided, the experience too much for either of them. Without a word, the Buffybot removed herself from Spike's grip and covered him tenderly with a blanket. Silently, she went and sat in a corner, awaiting the next time she could find a way to please her new master.

******

Part Eleven

Dawn groaned as she sat up, feeling for all intents and purposes like she had a hangover minus the getting drunk part. Her head throbbed and her body ached. Tentatively, she moved to sit up, keeping her movements slow.

"Did anyone get the number of the truck that hit me?" she said to the quiet room.

At her feet, two sleeping figures began to stir. Buffy had curled up in Giles's lap, her arms around his waist. With a start, the Watcher and Slayer woke up and hurriedly disentangled from each other.

"Whoa, I must have been out for a while. Since when have you two been all cozy?" Dawn asked, a smirk on her face.

Buffy quickly scrambled to get off the floor and put as much distance as possible between her and Giles. "I'm gonna go make tea or something," she said hurriedly as she scampered to the kitchen.

Giles moved to sit next to Dawn on the couch. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he began to explain. "We...we were merely sitting watch by your side, to ensure your safety. During the course of the night, we must have fallen asleep. I assure you nothing untoward occurred." Despite his protestations, Giles seemed extremely flustered by Dawn's taunting words.

"Then why are you blushing," Dawn asked, feigning innocence.

Buffy emerged from the kitchen, several cups of tea in hand. She lept to defend Giles as she distributed steaming mugs to everyone. "It's all my fault, Dawn. Really. So leave the old guy alone. I refused to leave your side last night, so Giles sat down with me to keep me company. We both kind of fell asleep, and at some point during the night I turned Giles into a pillow. I mean, he's a lot more comfy than a cold, hard floor."

Buffy totally missed the mixed emotions flying across Giles's face. First anguish at being referred to as `the old guy' and then a warm sort of elation at being deemed a good pillow.

"Yes...well, a...a Watcher's job is to serve his Slayer through all manner of hardship. Even if that hardship happens to be the threat of a floor too hard. My aching back is well worth the knowledge that my Slayer slept the night through in ease."

Dawn giggled at Giles's dry sarcasm. "Hey...since when did you get a sense of humour, Giles?" Dawn asked, still in a teasing mood after finding Giles's in such an un-Watcherlike position.

"I have many talents, I assure you. Unappreciated as they may go," Giles said, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice.

Frowns creased the foreheads of both Dawn and Buffy. Dawn, however, was the first to assure Giles of his worth. "No! Humour's good. Girls just love a guy with a good sense of humour. Don't they Buffy? And, hey! If your back really hurts, I bet Buffy could like give you a massage later or something and make you feel a lot better."

"Dawn, what are you doing?" Buffy asked, not liking the direction the conversation was going.

"It...it's just, you and Mr. Giles make a nice couple, that's all," Dawn said, a hint of a smirk on her face. This was a great way to keep Buffy's attention away from her and Spike.

Buffy's expression was unreadable. She had fought hard to never think of Giles as anything more than stuffy Watcher guy. She realized that two pairs of eyes were staring intently at her, waiting for a response. Not willing to even begin to examine what her feelings might be in front of either Dawn or Giles, she made the appropriate outraged face and exclaimed, "Oh. My. God. Giles and I are *not* a couple. Where on Earth did you get that idea?"

"It's just that Mr. Giles is so sweet, and you two have to be together like, forever, anyway since he's your Watcher and all. It makes perfect sense. And...and you're lonely...he's lonely. Maybe you could like, stop being lonely together?" Dawn smiled nervously as Buffy and Giles stared at her, incredulous looks on their faces.

Giles buried his disappointment at Buffy's clearly negative reaction and lept into the conversation, intent upon making himself seem just as uninterested. "Dawn, dear, while I am sincerely flattered that you think so highly of me, I don't know if it is all together appropriate for you to be...how do you say...fixing me up with anyone, least of all, your sister. The sentiment is appreciated, but I must ask that you leave me to find my own companionship, if and when I so desire it." Giles again had a flustered look on his face, cracking his composure, and this time it was not lost on Buffy.

Rather than force the issue right then, Buffy tucked away that tiny piece of knowledge and instead brought the focus back to Dawn. "I know what this is about," Buffy exclaimed. "You're afraid that I'm gonna go after Spike again. Believe me, you have nothing to worry about. I wouldn't touch his undead ass with a ten-foot pole, and honestly, I don't think you should see him anymore either. But you certainly don't need to fix me up just so I stay away from Spike."

Giles went from being flustered to baffled. Since when had Spike become an object of debate between the sisters? Slipping into his parental/Watcher mode, he began to grill them.

"Wait just one moment here!" Giles interjected. "Go after Spike *again*...Dawn shouldn't see him *anymore*! Just what have you two been keeping from me? Buffy, as your Watcher, I need to be informed of all major happenings in your life, especially when they involve things of an undead nature. Now please do inform me...just what is going on between the Summers sisters and our reluctant ally Spike?"

Buffy suddenly found the ground very interesting. Not being able to meet Giles's eyes, she said quietly, "It's not a big deal or anything. I, um, sorta tried to seduce Spike to prove to Dawn that he is nothing but an uncaring, soulless demon who'd go after anything in a skirt. It, um, didn't go well."

Grief and anger warred across Giles's face. He had never dreamed that Buffy could demean herself so much. "Buffy, you should be *ashamed* of yourself!" he admonished. "While I admit, we need to protect Dawn at all costs, there was no need to whore yourself out to a vampire merely to quelch a shoolgirl's crush. That was unnecessarily cruel and entirely shallow on your part. Just think of the feelings you've harmed. What were you thinking?"

"Taking this a bit personally, aren't we Giles?" Buffy spat out, shame quickly turning to anger at his attack. `Whore myself out to a vampire?' Is that what you think of me? For your information, I did *not* sleep with Spike. I do not have *feelings* for Spike. Let's get that straight right now. How could you think I'd stoop that low?"

Giles was about to lay into Buffy again when Dawn interrupted. "Stop! Would you two just stop?" she screamed. "This isn't helping *anything*. If you two could stop screaming at each other for just a minute, maybe we could focus on the issue at hand...like what happened to me last night."

"Dawn's right," Buffy said. "Now isn't the time to fight. We need to figure out why Dawn was channeling Spike, and how we stop it."

"I...I was channeling Spike? What exactly do you mean by that?" Dawn said, half-fearing she already knew the answer.

"Dawn, last night you went nuts. First point on the creep scale...you were talking like him. Had the British accent down pat. Then things got even wiggier. You *threw me* across the room, and I swear your eyes glowed yellow. Unless you've been pumping some sort of demon steroids, this is *not* normal behavior, Dawnie. I'm scared for you."

"Yes, Dawn. I must agree with Buffy. This behavior is quite out of the ordinary. You appear to be fine now, but we have no idea whether you will have a relapse, if you would call it that. Any information you could give us would be of extraordinary help. Just what is the nature of your relationship with Spike?"

Dawn turned crimson red, and she too suddenly found the floor to be very interesting. "Um...ah...we're friends," Dawn stuttered. That's all...honest! Just...good friends."

Buffy narrowed her eyes as she listened to her sister. Getting up from the chair she'd been sitting in, Buffy grabbed her sister's chin and pulled Dawn's eyes up to meet hers. "Are you sleeping with him?" Buffy bluntly asked.

Dawn scrambled away from her sister, and Giles had to put a restraining hand up to keep Buffy at bay. "Buffy! I can't believe you'd ask me that!" Dawn said, trying to muster enough outrage to deflect Buffy's questions.

Giles guided the Slayer back to her seat, then gave Dawn a sympathetic look as he sat down again. "Buffy, really. Show some restraint. She's only 14...far too young to be engaged in that sort of activity."

Buffy snorted and her lips curled up in a sneer. "Giles, please tell me that somewhere under all that tweed there is a man who still lives in this world. Girls her age...even younger...get pregnant every day. Sex is a real issue here. And just how old were you mister, when you lost your virginity?" Giles coughed and looked towards the ground, his silence answer enough.

"I thought so..." Buffy said with a hint of self-satisfaction at being right. "So answer me, Dawn. Are you sleeping with the bleached-blonde wonder?"

"No!" Dawn yelled. "No..." she said more softly. "I've decided that I'm not ready to have sex yet. I'm only 14, and I'm still growing up. As much as I hate to be called a kid, I'm not really an adult yet either. Throw on top of that being the Key, and you have got one complicated life. I don't need to throw sleeping with a 126 year old vampire into the mix. As if my life weren't crazy enough as it is."

"Dawn, I d..don't mean to pry, but do you mean to tell me that you've actually *discussed* this with Spike?" Giles asked, disbelief written across his face.

"Yeah, we talk about stuff. Spike's pretty cool. I can tell him how I feel, and he doesn't put me down or anything." Dawn's face notably brightened, just at the mention of Spike. A smile beamed across her face.

Giles noted the almost too happy glow on her face, and a faint memory began to twitch in the back of his mind. Something he had read once before...something he had experienced long ago, in the wild days of his youth. "Dawn, is it safe to say you and Spike are close..." Giles asked, moving to tenderly cup the side of her face. "...dare I say, even intimate?" He slowly moved his hand back, gently moving the hair that covered her neck.

Buffy gasped as she truly saw the marks on Dawn's neck for the first time. The first night she noticed them, all she could see were bite marks. She never thought to examine them until now. These were not the hurried marks of a minion looking for an easy meal...they were marks made with care. No vicious tears ran across her throat. Only two angry red marks marred the pale length of Dawn's neck.

"How long have you been letting Spike feed from you?" Giles asked quietly.

"No, no, no, no, no! This *cannot* be happening. You did *not* just tell me that my little sister has been volunteering as vamp chow for that Billy Idol wannabe!" Buffy was furious. She got up from where she'd been sitting and paced furiously around the room. "I'll kill him. If he touched you, I'll kill him!"

"Buffy...Buffy!" Dawn shouted. "Calm down...please! Let...let me explain. You don't understand. I asked him to do it...I *wanted* him to!" Dawn was frantic, and tears streamed down her face.

"Buffy, do sit down!" Giles snapped as he grabbed Buffy by the shoulders and firmly pushed her down into a wooden chair nearby. "You must remain calm. Now is not the time to let your anger control you. We have to hear Dawn out...her life may depend upon it."

The moment Giles mentioned a threat to Dawn's life, Buffy settled down. Anger still rolled off of her in waves, but she kept it contained, barely hidden under the surface. "Fine," Buffy said in a steely tone.

Dawn was curled up in a ball on Giles's sofa. She had let her hair fall to cover the mark on her neck again. "I won't let you hurt him," she whispered.

Giles stroked the frightened girl's hair, calming her with soothing words. "Dawn, I may not be ...fond...of Spike, but at this moment I have no desire to see him come to harm. I fear that you two may have formed a unique sort of bond, and to hurt Spike is to hurt you. I care for you greatly, Dawn. You are like a daughter to me, so if hurting Spike in any way endangers you, I will gladly see him live to a ripe old age."

"So you won't kill him?" Dawn asked hopefully.

"No, *we* won't," Giles said with a pointed look at Buffy. "But I am a bit concerned. From what I know, such a bond can only be formed in blood. An intimate embrace...a lover's kiss. It wouldn't take much..." Giles left the statement open, silently asking if Dawn had indeed done what he feared.

"I...I didn't realize what was happening until it was too late," Dawn murmured, starting slowly. "Spike...he was so gentle with me. Kissing me and touching me...he made me feel so loved. He made me want to live, even after finding out I'm not all together real. So I...I wanted to give him something. I heard vampires had a thing for pain. I mean, every time Buffy beat up on Spike, he got a happy..." Buffy cringed at this little tidbit of information, but Dawn continued. "...so I bit him. I bit him hard enough to split his lip, and my lip got cut on his fangs. Our blood mixed together in our mouths. I thought it would be disgusting, but it was *amazing* Giles. For a second, I could see into him, and through him, all the way back his bloodline. I know you are going to tell me it was wrong, but I wouldn't take it back. Not for the world." Dawn stared at him defiantly, just waiting for an excuse to run out of the house and into her lover's arms.

From her seat, Buffy fumed. She had a million things she wanted to scream at Dawn, but she held her tongue, just biding her time until she could lecture Dawn on every single reason why it was *not* ok to get involved with a vampire.

For a moment, Giles was silent. He pinched the bridge of his nose again and a sigh escaped him. "Dear Lord, it's worse than I had imagined," he gasped. "To feel that sort of connection, your bond must be very deep, founded in the strongest of emotions."

"I love him...I really do. Not in the `oh I just love Justin Timberlake from N'Sync' sort of way. I mean love, love." Dawn clutched a couch pillow to her chest, stunned by the confession she had just made.

"I don't doubt the sincerity of your feelings, my dear, but I don't think you realize the gravity of the situation you are in. You are deeply bound to Spike. It is a feeling unlike any other.” Giles paused a moment and took a deep breath before continuing.

“I hate to admit this, but once, long ago, I too was in this situation. I carelessly bound myself to a vampire, more out of defiance to my father than any real sort of affection. The bond was shallow at best, my feelings for her only being superficial. But when she was slain, killed by the Slayer, my world was turned upside down. I went into a coma for three days, and I was in emotional torment for months afterwards. I felt as though a part of me had died, yet I barely even cared for her. If something should happen to Spike, the consequences to you would be dire. The physical ramifications alone could cripple you, and the emotional pain would be unimaginable. It is unlikely you would survive. And the closer you become to Spike, the deeper your bond will become. Are you willing to take that risk, all for the love of somebody who professes himself to be evil?"

"Giles, you don't understand. I am not a normal teenager. I have something inside of me that *gods* are fighting over. You threaten me with the potential of death if I stay with Spike, but I may not even live past Glory. Why should I give up what may be my *one* chance at love before I am killed, just because I *might* get hurt. I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

Giles and Dawn leaned toward each other, their foreheads touching, as they sat in silence, both thinking on what had been said. Buffy, tired of being ignored, broke the tender moment with another tirade. "I can't believe I am hearing this!" she exclaimed. "You," she said, pointing accusingly at Giles, "you claim you love her...that you love me, yet you almost seem to *approve* of this relationship. There are no bursts of outrage. There is no oh-so- British stuttering at the ‘impropriety of it all’. All you can think to say is be careful, you might get hurt. And Dawn, what were you *thinking*? Letting a vampire feed on you. Has everyone but me totally lost their mind?"

"You dated Angel...now I'm dating Spike. I don't see the problem here," Dawn said, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Dating? Now you're dating him? That's it! I can't take any more of this. I may not be able to stake Spike, but I sure as hell can use him as a punching bag." That said, Buffy stormed out the door of Giles's house.

Giles chased after her, begging for her to stop, but it was no use. She easily outdistanced him, and he was forced to return to his home, panting and out of breath. Dawn threw her arms around his waist and began to cry as they both stared out the door, wondering what the consequences of Buffy's rash behavior would be.

At the crypt, Spike was just beginning to wake up. In his head, visions of a blond ball of anger beating the bloody snot out of him were playing ping pong inside his skull. The words "Be careful, Spike. Buffy's coming," echoed through his mind. With a sigh, he got up, groaning at yet again being awakened while the sun was still high in the sky.

"Guess the Slayer's in the know about all me and kid sis have been up to," he grumbled. Outside he could hear somebody approaching.

"Master, what is wrong? Do you require assistance?" the Buffybot asked.

"You be quiet now, ya hear? I can't have the Slayer getting' into even more of a snit once she gets an eyeful of you. Go hide," Spike said, making shooing motions with his arms. "Don't come out unless you hear me screamin' in pain or the like."

"That will make you happy?" she asked?

"Yes!" Spike hissed.

"Ok," she replied in a chipper tone, flipping her hair to the side as she turned to go to the lower level of the crypt.

Just as the Buffybot disappeared from sight, the real Buffy stormed into the crypt. Careful to avoid the sunlight now streaming into the crypt, Spike crept silently behind her and smashed a large chunk of rock against her head. Buffy crumpled to the ground, unconscious, as Spike stood above her menacingly.

"Oh, this has been a long time comin', Slayer," Spike sneered as he began to drag the unconscious form of the Slayer across the floor.

******

Part Twelve

Dawn tightened her arms around the Watcher's waist. "Giles, what are we going to do?" she asked quietly. "What if Buffy really hurts Spike? What's that going to do to me? And...and what about today? Mom is supposed to go to the hospital today. She'll be devastated if Buffy isn't there for her. And...and..." Dawn was getting frantic, so Giles placed a fingertip over her lips, gently silencing her before her mind could come up with any more things that could go wrong with the day.

"Hush, dear. We will figure something out, but standing here fretting about everything that could happen won't get us anywhere. First off, I think we need to devise a way of protecting you from your link with Spike."

"Protect me? But I don't want to break the link!" Dawn exclaimed, worry creeping into her voice.

"You misunderstand me. I didn't suggest that we *break* the link, merely give you some protection from it. It is a potentially powerful weapon, but like any weapon, one must learn to master it, to control it, else it becomes deadly." Giles stared at Dawn meaningfully, letting his words sink in. She became calm, listening with rapt attention.

"Right now, the bond between you and Spike is very strong, so strong in fact, that there are times where it is difficult for you to distinguish where he leaves off and you begin. This is a dangerous place for you to be. You are unaccustomed to the strong urges of a demon and are in no place to combat them. As things are, you have become a danger to yourself and those around you..."

Giles looked like he was about to continue when Dawn cut in. "Ok, Giles...I think I get it. As, um, interesting as your lectures are, do you think we could move on to what we are going to *do* about this?"

"Oh, yes. Quite right." Giles took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, trying to focus before he continued. "What I propose is that we teach you to center yourself. You must be able to find the calm within and have a place that is solely and completely you in the depths of your mind. In that place you are safe from any outside intrusions, and from it, you can observe the link between you and Spike and call upon it at will, rather than being consumed by it. Now is the perfect time for this, as it is day, and Spike is most likely still asleep. There is less chance of him interfering if he is unconscious, although knowing Spike, I wouldn't rule out the possibility," Giles said with a wry grin.

"Wow," Dawn said in surprise. "That sounds like some wacky Zen stuff there."

"Not quite Zen, as you call it," Giles said with a slight smile, "but it is an advanced form of meditation. Usually I would never even attempt to teach this to a novice. There is always the possibility with mediation at this level that you could get lost inside your own mind, trapped in the walls you have constructed, and unable to regain consciousness. But I believe the circumstances merit such drastic measures."

Dawn gasped as she felt a surge of anger race through her. "Um, Giles, we may have a problem...Spike's awake, and he's not happy. I think Buffy might be with him," Dawn said nervously.

"Oh dear. Then we must hurry. Despite what you may be feeling, you must do your best to remain calm. If you cannot control your emotions, this will never work."

Dawn sat up straight and tried to look brave. "Ok, then. Let's get started."

Giles pulled out a large, translucent crystal and placed it in front of Dawn. "Let's begin," he said gravely.

******

Spike was about to give Buffy's unconscious form a sharp kick to the ribs for good measure, when he felt something change inside of him. A bubbly, bright presence that had been there since the moment he claimed Dawn seemed to withdraw slightly from him, as if a shimmery curtain now separated him from his tiny bit of internal light. As he concentrated, the curtain got slightly thicker, and the light even more distant. He knew that if he wanted, he could tear through the barrier in a heartbeat, but he shrugged it off. "If the little bit wants some distance, fine by me. Probably's for the best. Don't need her getting some third eye sort of vision of me working over her big sis."

"Isn't that right, Slayer?" he asked as he gave Buffy's body a kick.

"Aw hell, never pegged you for the quiet type," Spike laughed as he flung her over his shoulder and took her to the lower level of the crypt. After chaining her to the wall, he moved to rouse the Buffybot.

"C'mon now, clap on, or whatever the hell you have to say. Wake up you stupid piece of tin!"

The Buffybot's eyes snapped open and a bright smile mechanically appeared on her face. "Good morning, Spike!" she said cheerfully.

"Get up," he said gruffly. "I have need of your services."

"Oooh, your presence sends chills down my spine and fear to my heart. Shall I run and scream before you chase me down and ravage me?" she asked, her eyes wide and willing.

"Not *those* kind of services, you mechanical twit. I'm gonna teach you a new game. Real simple. You see that girl chained up there? That's the real you. Go lie in that coffin across from her and pretend you're dead. And here..." Spike bit into his fingertip and smeared some blood and dirt on her head where he had hit the real Buffy. "...that's to make it look a bit more real."

"I don't know if I understand this game, Spike," the Buffybot said with a forlorn voice. This was not the sort of game her programming had taught her.

"Let's just call it a new type of screwing. You can understand that now, can't you? This is just screwing of the mental sort," he said with a malicious grin.

"Ok!" the Buffybot exclaimed happily as she bounced over to the coffin and laid down.

"Buffy!" Spike said in an exasperated tone of voice.

"Yes, Spike?"

"Put your legs together, now there's a girl," he said impatiently.

Finally the Buffybot was in position. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and a peaceful look was on her face. If it weren't for the blood congealing on her forehead, she would look like she was asleep. Not wanting to risk any more mishaps, Spike said evenly, "Your new wake command is `get up you stupid sod'... Nothing else, ya hear?."

"Get up you stupid sod...yes, I understand Spike," the Buffybot said cheerfully, unaware of the insult within the command. That done, Spike ordered the robot to bed. "Buffy, sleep mode," he said quietly. A slight whoosh of air escaped the robot's lips as she became truly still.

Just then, the real Buffy began to stir. Spike quickly took his position kneeling next to the coffin and crying as if in mourning. He pretended not to notice as Buffy moaned softly and slowly opened her eyes. Dried blood covered her face and a deep gash ran across the top of her forehead and into her hairline. "Spike..." she attempted to growl, but it came out more like a weak cry for help than anything.

Spike yelped and lept back in mock fear, turning wildly as if to look for the source of the sound. "Who's there!" he shouted at random into the room. "I won't let you touch her!"

Confusion flitted across Buffy's face as she watched Spike prowl back and forth across the room, searching for a nonexistent intruder. He stormed past her without so much as a glance in her direction, as if he couldn't see her standing there, chained to the wall. "Spike!" she shouted, coughing with the effort. "What's happening..." she cried, Spike's odd behavior and her aching skull causing fear to creep in where normally she would be strong.

Spike whirled around violently again at the sound. "Buffy?" he said, hope in his voice, as he ran to the coffin side. He cradled the limp form inside and began to stroke her hair. "Buffy, oh God, Buffy...I knew you couldn't be dead. I knew it! C'mon, there's a luv. Wake up. Wake up!" he screamed as he began to shake her violently. The Buffybot lay as still as before.

"Wake up..." Spike wailed one final time before gently setting her body back down into its original position. "Bloody hell," he growled, running his fingers through his hair, "now I'm hearing things!"

Buffy strained against her chains as she called out, "Spike! Spike! You have to hear me! I'm right here...why can't you hear me?"

Spike roared as he pushed himself away from the coffin. "GO AWAY!" he shouted as he spun in circles. He kept shouting as he kicked and punched various objects in the room. Finally, he came to where the real Buffy was chained up. Still acting as if he didn't see her, he slammed his two fists into the wall on either side of her head, mere inches from her hair. "Why the fuck won't you leave me alone? Even in death you haunt me, Summers," he moaned, leaning against his arms, but being careful not to touch her.

"Spike, I'm here!" Buffy said, still hoping he would see her.

Spike lept back and narrowed his eyes at the wall. "Yes, Spike! I'm here! I'm really here! Oh, God, please let him see me…"

Spike stared at the wall, then at the coffin, and then at the wall again before taking a tentative step in her direction. "Buffy?" he asked incredulously.

"You can see me? Please tell me you can see me!" Buffy cried.

Spike reached out to touch her, then pulled his hand back sharply, hissing as if he'd been burnt. "Hell, Slayer, I can see you. I can bloody well see *through* you too!"

"But that...that's impossible!"

"Well, luv, how's this for impossible," Spike said gently, "here I am, talking to you over here, when right over there lies your body, all stiff and cold. I hate to break the news to you, but I think you're a ghost."

"This can't be happening...this *can't* be happening. If I'm a ghost, why does my head hurt so much? Huh?" Buffy looked at him accusingly, as if she had just proved her entire point.

"Well, here's how I see it. You took quite a bump to the head, got your skull all bashed to pieces. That's what did you in... but since you've convinced yourself you're still alive, you've left yourself with all the physical symptoms you should wake up with after a nasty turn like that. That's why you've still got blood all over ya too. Look at your corpse. Tried to clean her up, I did. Didn't have the best of clothes to put on her, but I wanted her looking a little less bloody for when your friends come round. Won't do for them to see you a crumpled, bloody mess. So I fixed you up, nice and neat as I could." As he said this, tears started to stream down his face.

"Hell, Slayer. Why'd you have to go and die. It's not easy ya know? Bandaging up the dead body of someone ya used to love. You were so strong...so beautiful. Why did you have to go and die!" As he said this, he began to drift back towards the coffin and the still form of the Buffybot.

"Spike, no! Don't leave me!" She strained against her chains again, trying to reach out to him. "Why can't I move?" she exclaimed.

Spike turned back to her, sadness etched on his face. He moved to cup her face, his hand hovering mere millimeters above the surface of her skin before pulling back. "I think it's a spiritual metaphor, or some such rot. You've literally chained yourself to this earth because you feel you still have things to accomplish. I'm afraid I can't help you there. Only you can set yourself free from this prison."

Spike sat down and stared at the ground, his head in his hands. "I don't know what to do here, Slayer. I really don't," he said, false remorse tingeing his words. Buffy let out a strangled cry and slumped against the wall, tears streaming down her face.

******

Dawn stared at the prison of her own making. All around her was light. Gleaming, white light. This was who she was. No memories from the monks. No influences from her friends, family or the world around her. No Spike. This light was her essence.

She took a few steps forward and held her hand out. The light gave way slightly to show a wall. She could see it all around her. A sphere that glittered, diamond strong. Taking a deep breath, she allowed a door to form in front of her. Through it she could see the link between her and Spike. It no longer glowed pink as it had when she first began. There were now two distinct sections, pure white and blood red...her and Spike, two *separate* entities.

Tentatively, she moved along the glowing beam, allowing her mind to reach into the blood-like light without letting it consume her. Dawn stepped forward, her eyes closed, and red light bathed her, like a supernatural dark room. When she opened her eyes again, she could see into Spike's crypt. Tears were on her face...no *his* face, but inside his head, laughter continuously rang out, loud and clear. Dawn watched the show for a bit, becoming more and more confused by the minute.

Dawn gasped as two rough hands reached out and grabbed her. Spike was no longer talking to Buffy. He sat on the ground, his head in his hand, so the Slayer wouldn't notice his distraction. Mentally he grasped Dawn in an iron grip. "Enjoying the show, little bit?" he growled, the menacing sound sending chills down Dawn's spine.

"Spike, you're hurting me!" Dawn cried. Immediately, Spike's grip loosened and he winced as if in pain.

"Sorry `bout that, luv. Just meant to startle ya. This poking around inside each other's brains takes some gettin' used to."

Dawn backed away, frightened by what she was seeing in Spike. Something seemed off...different somehow. "I...I have to go Spike. Don't leave, I'll be over soon." Dawn retreated into her diamond dome. She could feel Spike following her as she tried to close the door she had opened.

"Dawn, wait!" Spike yelled.

Again, Dawn found two hands gripping her shoulders. "Dawn...Dawn! Come back to me," Giles said urgently as he shook her lightly.

He sighed in relief as her eyes lost that glazed look and focused on him. "I thought I had lost you there for a moment. What happened?"

"I...I did what we've been practicing. I formed a room inside my head where only I existed, with nothing from the outside world. But this time I went further. Once I felt pretty secure, I explored a little. I poked inside of Spike's head, and I was ok for a while. Then he noticed me. He…he tried to hold me there."

"I'm guessing that was his self-preservation instinct taking effect. It's not every day that one has an outside presence invading one's mind. Wh…what did you see while you were there?"

"I don't know really," Dawn said slowly. "It was all muddled. I think Spike was fantasizing or something. Buffy was there, but she kept changing. Sometimes she was in a coffin, wearing really tacky clothes for some reason, and other times she was chained to the wall, blood caked all over her face. It couldn't have been real. Spike can't even defend himself, let along hurt her. Giles...I'm scared. What if Buffy hurt Spike, and that's why he didn't want me to leave. M…maybe he needed to tell me something and I just ran off. He could be in his crypt, bleeding and hurt. He could be dreaming about hurting Buffy because he can't fight back against her! We have to go help him!" Dawn was getting frantic, and she began to tug on Giles's arm, motioning for him to get his car keys.

"Dawn, you must calm down. As difficult as it may seem right now, we need to think logically. When you let yourself into Spike's mind, did you feel any pain? Think closely on that...did you feel pain of any sort?" Giles stared at her intently, and realization flashed in her eyes.

"No, I guess I didn't," she said softly. "I was scared when he grabbed me, but I didn't feel pain coming from him."

"Then it is safe to assume that Spike isn't in any sort of physical discomfort, agreed?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Dawn said, visibly relieved.

"Right, then. While I shudder to think about the implications this has on the frequency of Spike's daydreams about Buffy's death, I don't believe what you saw is the result of Spike mentally seeking revenge for a beating from Buffy. But I do agree that it would be prudent to go to Spike's crypt and see what has occurred, but hopefully we can go with a bit more of a rational mindset now. I'd hate to think all these lessons about centering oneself have gone for naught."

"Yeah, yeah. I get the point. But we have to hurry...Mom's supposed to go to the hospital today at 4 and it's already 1. We have to find Buffy and get her home so Mom won't be all alone at the hospital."

"Let's go then, shall we?" Giles said as he opened the door for Dawn.

"Yup, let's" Dawn replied, hurrying out the door.

Giles sped all the way to the cemetery, and the two raced towards Spike's crypt, getting several strange looks from people visiting the graves of their dearly departed. Once inside, Spike was nowhere to be seen. Dawn glanced around quickly and then exclaimed, "Over here, Giles! I think there's another level!"

The two explorers climbed slowly down to the lower level. Dawn gasped at the sight before here. It was the coffin from Spike's dream, but it was surrounded by candles, casting deep shadows on everything around it. She didn't bother to wait for Giles to finish descending before she rushed over to the coffin. Inside, Buffy was laid out, still as death. Dawn reached out to touch her and shrieked as she felt the cold skin beneath her fingers.

From the wall came a slight sob. Buffy, resigned to being dead, didn't even call out to her friends. She just cried in misery, her willingness to fight drained for the moment. Dawn looked up in surprise. Giles appeared behind her and placed his hands protectively on her shoulders, his brow knitted in confusion.

Dawn reached out slightly with her mind, and then turned to the smirking figure leaning against the wall in shadows.

"Spike, why are there two Buffies?" Dawn asked, her eyes narrowing.

Parts Thirteen - Sixteen
Parts Seventeen - Twenty
Parts Twenty-One - ?