Summery: Set after Buffy death at end of season 5, through to when she's brought back. (I'm going to change that a little). People's feelings and reactions to her death, and her resurrection.

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. you know the drill.

Authors Note: Hey guys!! Here's my next fan fic! Hope you like it. I've tried to use all the advice people have sent me! Thanks Evangeline! Love Lucy XxXx

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Tara listened to the quietness of the house. Willow was snoring slightly next to her and there was a whisper of wind in trees outside and, what was that? Smiling she closed her eyes. Dawn was walking downstairs.

It had been only three days since Buffy had left them, no one was saying much, but Dawn hadn't said anything. She lay in her bed all day and refused to move, Xander had stormed in earlier that day and grabbed a hold of her arm, pulling her out the bed. She'd bitten him. Everyone was worried about the slayers little sister and Tara couldn't help thinking that maybe she'd be better if Giles would let Spike up to see her.

The blonde vampire had called round every evening, sitting on the back step and waiting until someone would let him in to see Dawn. No one would. If it was up to her Tara would let him in, she knew that he loved Dawn like a sister, probably more like a daughter, and Dawn loved him back as a big brother. They needed each other; they didn't have Buffy any more

_ _ _ _ _

Dawn walked downstairs, hand trailing along the familiar smoothness of the wallpaper. Her mouth was dry and throat sore, Buffy would be out slaying now, Willow and Tara sleeping. She walked tentatively in to the kitchen, feeling the cold tiles on the bottoms of her bare feet. Letting the water run for a moment she put her glass under the rush, filling it half way.

"Half full or half empty?"

She turned quickly, hearing her sister's voice behind her, from the doorway where she would be leaning.

"Buffy?"

Dawn's eyes searched the darkness. Nothing. No one. She was alone. She turned back and poured the water back down the sink before turning and walking back to her bed.

_ _ _ _ _

"Morning Dawnie. want breakfast?"

Getting no response Willow sighed and closed the door again. It wasn't surprising that Dawn wouldn't talk to anyone and that she stayed in bed all day, not allowing anyone near her, but it was unnerving. No one had seen her act like this, ever, they were all used to her frequent teenage outbursts. But this was different, total shut down. Walking back down stairs Willow sat at the breakfast bar and watched her girlfriend making pancakes.

"Does Dawnie want any?"

"She didn't move again. Oh Tara! I'm so worried! This isn't like her at all!"

Putting down the pancakes and turning off the stove Tara walked over and put her arms round her lover's crying form.

"I know baby. She's just trying to find a way of coping without Buffy. We all are"

Willow looked back at her before holding her close again.

"I miss her so much .."

"We all do baby. We all do"

_ _ _ _ _

Putting his arms around her waist he pulled her away from the edge, her body was limp but he could hear the steady beat of her heart deep with in it. He carried her gently down; laid her on the ground away from the construction site. He waited, watching her as she lay there, running his blooded fingers through her hair, whispering words of reassurance and comfort. As her eyes opened he saw her smile at him and smiled back. She was safe. She was alive.

Spikes eyes flashed open and the smile he had on his face vanished. He turned over and buried his face in the pillow sobbing in pain and anger.

_ _ _ _ _

"I know it's hard Willow, loosing Buffy is the hardest thing that's happened to any of us. But we have to go on. Live, Buffy would want it"

His voice cracked slightly as he spoke, but he carried on talking. Tara marvelled at his ability to do this, the strength he had.

"Giles it's too much for her! She's already lost her mother, and now Buffy!"

Willow was frantic. Dawn hadn't eaten since the night Buffy had died and she was looking frail and deathly pale, they all agreed to let her mourn in her own way, but if it was going to affect her like this Willow wasn't going to let her carry on. Stepping in to the room fully Tara cleared her throat.

"I.I don't want to interrupt, b. but, I d...don't think she's accepted the fact that Buffy's d.dead until she does then she'd n.not going to get any better. I think she needs to see Spike."

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AN: Hope you liked it!! Please R+R! I'm trying to improve my writing, so if you have any pointers please give them!! OH!! It WILL be Spuffy. Promise!! Love Lucy XxXx

Disclaimer: Blah, I don’t own anything, blah, blah. You know the drill.

Authors Note: I’m SO sorry I haven’t updated for so long!! I haven’t been able to work out how to do this ‘Get Spike + dawn in the same room’ bit without it being totally wrong! Thanks for the support and ideas; I owe this chapter to Jen (who yelled at me every day for about a month) and Jaimeth (who put new batteries in my thinking cap). Please R+R I’m hoping to get another chapter up ASAP! Love Lucy XxXx

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Dawn could hear them talking downstairs but the voices weren’t distinguishable, she closed her eyes lying back on her bed allowing the tears to slide down her face.

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“No. I know that Dawn trusts Spike but I do not think he is who she needs to see right now. She needs to over come this on her own, just like the rest of us, and we can help her”

“Giles she doesn’t want us! You’ve seen how she ignores us or doesn’t listen. I don’t think I’ve heard her say anything since the day…”

Willow’s voice tailed off with a small sob, Tara pulled her to her, looking over at Giles.

“P-please… g-give him a chance?”

Giles watched the two witches, tears rolling down Willow’s cheeks as Tara wipes them with her fingers. He could cope with his own grief, burying it deep inside whilst others let theirs out, but seeing the despair and misery clear in Willow’s eyes he realised they were right, everyone grieved in their own way. He may need to do it alone but maybe Tara was right about Dawn, she needed someone to trust implicitly, someone who knew her depth of pain.

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The knock came at about 6 o’clock, a quick rap of knuckles against the glass of the back door. Willow opened it gently but pulled back fast as Spike entered the kitchen without even asking as he’d done before.

“I’m seeing Dawn”

His voice was tight, gravely from the effort of not allowing his worry and grief to show. As she nodded a little Willow noted his once bright eyes were dulled, their blueness turned to a dark grey. His duster hung as always from his shoulders, but he seemed almost lost in it now, he didn’t walk with the swagger to carry it off. Watching him dart up the stairs Willow wondered about the peroxide vampire, it wasn’t possible for him to have really loved Buffy without a soul, but maybe in some odd demony way he had.

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A cold hand wiped the tears from her face and Dawn opened her eyes. Spike was kneeling by her bed. She didn’t say anything just watched him, her eyes filling as his did, moving back she allowed him room to lie next to her then cried in to his black shirt, her grief and bitterness over flowing.

“It hurts”

Spike’s vampire hearing picked up the two small, almost silent words between the sobs and he folded his arms around her his own eyes spilling.

“I know love… I know”

- - - - - - - - -

Tara walked to Dawn’s door and listened, she could just about make out Spike’s voice above her rapidly beating heart, the murmur of his reassurances, after a few moments she smiled a little, tiptoeing away after hearing Dawn’s choked voice, hear heart rate returning to normal.

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Disclaimer: Blah, I don’t own anything, blah, blah. You know the drill.

Authors Note: I’m SO sorry I haven’t updated for so long!! I haven’t been able to work out how to do this ‘Get Spike + dawn in the same room’ bit without it being totally wrong! Thanks for the support and ideas; I owe this chapter to Jen (who yelled at me every day for about a month) and Jaimeth (who put new batteries in my thinking cap). Please R+R I’m hoping to get another chapter up ASAP! Love Lucy XxXx

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Dawn could hear them talking downstairs but the voices weren’t distinguishable, she closed her eyes lying back on her bed allowing the tears to slide down her face.

- - - - - - - - -

“No. I know that Dawn trusts Spike but I do not think he is who she needs to see right now. She needs to over come this on her own, just like the rest of us, and we can help her”

“Giles she doesn’t want us! You’ve seen how she ignores us or doesn’t listen. I don’t think I’ve heard her say anything since the day…”

Willow’s voice tailed off with a small sob, Tara pulled her to her, looking over at Giles.

“P-please… g-give him a chance?”

Giles watched the two witches, tears rolling down Willow’s cheeks as Tara wipes them with her fingers. He could cope with his own grief, burying it deep inside whilst others let theirs out, but seeing the despair and misery clear in Willow’s eyes he realised they were right, everyone grieved in their own way. He may need to do it alone but maybe Tara was right about Dawn, she needed someone to trust implicitly, someone who knew her depth of pain.

The knock came at about 6 o’clock, a quick rap of knuckles against the glass of the back door. Willow opened it gently but pulled back fast as Spike entered the kitchen without even asking as he’d done before.

- - - - - - - - -

“I’m seeing Dawn”

His voice was tight, gravely from the effort of not allowing his worry and grief to show. As she nodded a little Willow noted his once bright eyes were dulled, their blueness turned to a dark grey. His duster hung as always from his shoulders, but he seemed almost lost in it now, he didn’t walk with the swagger to carry it off. Watching him dart up the stairs Willow wondered about the peroxide vampire, it wasn’t possible for him to have really loved Buffy without a soul, but maybe in some odd demony way he had.

- - - - - - - - -

A cold hand wiped the tears from her face and Dawn opened her eyes. Spike was kneeling by her bed. She didn’t say anything just watched him, her eyes filling as his did, moving back she allowed him room to lie next to her then cried in to his black shirt, her grief and bitterness over flowing.

“It hurts”

Spike’s vampire hearing picked up the two small, almost silent words between the sobs and he folded his arms around her his own eyes spilling.

“I know love… I know”

- - - - - - - - -

Tara walked to Dawn’s door and listened, she could just about make out Spike’s voice above her rapidly beating heart, the murmur of his reassurances, after a few moments she smiled a little, tiptoeing away after hearing Dawn’s choked voice, hear heart rate returning to normal.

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A/N: Please R+R! I live off feedback!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own a single thing to do with BTVS (well… apart from a lot of merchandise), I don’t own the characters but I do the plot…

Authors Note: Told you I’d do my best to get another chapter up ASAP and here it is. The funeral. It doesn’t go in to detail because I hate funerals, but Xander’s mentioned in here :). Please R+R Another chapter coming soon! Hope you like! Love Lucy XxXx

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“Hello Spike”

“Watcher”

Giles watched the vampire sit at the breakfast bar in the kitchen; a mug of warm blood from Tara nestled in his hands. His fingers were tapping lightly on the side of the mug nervously as he avoided the Watcher’s gaze, keeping his head bent low. Giles wondered about the vampire, he had changed a lot since Buffy’s death, the sarcasm and teasing that had so often laced his voice was gone and the only saw him around if he wanted to talk to Dawn or if he was patrolling.

The change in Dawn since Spike had been around was dramatic, although it was clear she was still grievously upset she was at least eating meals and would answer questions or ask for something if she needed it. She didn’t talk about her sister at all to the others, only Spike, but it was a start.

“Hi Giles, Hey Spike”

Willow walked in to the kitchen, putting a pile of papers on the side.

“I’ve just been to the funeral home…”

Both men looked up at her and Tara, hearing her lovers voice appeared from the basement.

“T-they say the funeral can be arranged for a week tomorrow if that’s enough time for us…”

Her eyes had become glassy with unshed tears, Giles paled a little as did Tara, Spikes head bent again. Giles coughed slightly before nodding and speaking up.

“That should be fine… I-I will phone Angel, I’m sure he would like to be there”

Spike stood walking to the dining room doorway, turning back to the occupants of the kitchen he swallows before muttering ‘Dawn’ and walking out of the room completely, leaving the others to wait nervously for the reaction of the teenager.

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The week passed so quickly Dawn couldn’t understand how everything had been arranged in time. Wrapping the coat around her shoulders she looked at herself in the mirror, the black dress that reached her knees made her look older, she swallowed doing up the buttons of the coat before heading out of her room and towards the stairs.

A lump caught in her throat as she saw the arrangement of white lilies below her in the hallway. Spike looked up, his eyes catching hers, understanding flickering like a light. She descended, taking his hand as Willow and Tara opened the door for Giles who was dressed in a black suit, his car polished behind him.

They climbed in to the car, Dawn never leaving Spike’s side, her eyes widening as she saw the Hurst in front of them, fresh tears threatening to fall. Spike pulled her on to his lap putting his arms protectively around her; she leant against him, avoiding the gaze of Willow next to them. Spike understood.

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The ceremony was short, early evening, to allow certain ‘people’ a chance to attend. Angel had arrived with a message from Cordelia and Wesley, his usual dark wardrobe seeming even darker. Giles had spoken, Dawn as well as the two witches hadn’t been able to confine the sobs that arose in their throat and even Spike and Xander felt the tears falling down their cheeks.

As the coffin was lowered in to the ground Dawn struggled from Spike’s arm, rushing forward and placing something on the top of it as it descended in to the ground. A small smile graced everyone’s lips as she drew back, and the coffin with the Slayer’s favourite stake ‘Mr Pointy’ lying on it disappeared from view.

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A/N: hope you liked. please review! - XxXx