Hi! I was wondering if anyone could recommend any good Spuffy stories that also include a nice Spike and Dawn friendship.

I just got finished with Chiaroscuro, which includes a healthy amount of it, and in the past I've also enjoyed Journeys and Nan Dibble's unfinished WIP, which feature Spike's relationship with Dawn almost to the same extent as his relationship with Buffy.

I would welcome more stories in this vein (Canon or AU are both fine) in which Spike's affection for Dawn plays an important role in the story, or in Spike's character development. (I would even enjoy some Spuffy human AUs that have this element present as well).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Devil Piglet's "Roundabout" and "Prayers to a Broken Stone" are good. Both are at All About Spike.
Bitterness' "Long Time Gone" is an AH Au with heavy duty Spike and Dawn. That's at Bitterness fic.

Well dang, there go my recs! Links:

Roundabout

http://www.allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=16

Buffy goes Psycho Slayer, sending Spike and Dawn on the run. But a little homicidal mania never stood in Buffy and Spike's way before...




Prayers to Broken Stone

http://www.allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=824

I will go down with this 'ship/I won't throw my hands up and surrender. Spike, Buffy, Dawn, Cleveland. Starting over is harder than it looks.




Long Time Gone by bitterness

http://www.angelfire.com/oxrosesthornxo/longtimegone/longtimegone.html

AU all-human. When Buffy and Spike were in high school, everything was nearly perfect for them-- until she mysteriously disappeared. Now, five years later, Buffy's returned for her mother's funeral, and to take over caring for her sister, Dawn. Can Dawn and Spike ever forgive her for running away? Especially when she won't tell them why?

Base Elements By Limber

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/755839/1/Base_Elements

Summary: Post-Season 6: Two years on, a reluctant Spike is drawn back to Sunnydale with a mysteriously ill Dawn. There's quite a bit of setup, though, so be patient. Eventually S/B, but very plot/character-driven. WIP

Haunted by Kantayra. (also at Nocturnal Light)

Seven years ago, Spike fled Sunnydale and his abusive relationship with Buffy. Now, he and still-best-friend Dawn are working together in their own demon hunting agency. However, when they're called out to investigate a chain of supernatural murders at Cascade Mountain Lodge, they discover that Buffy's on the case as well. Will they be able to solve the mystery before they become the next casualties? And what does the solution have to do with the events of seven years ago?

Slaps forehead! The entire Blood series by Nan Dibble! That's at All About Spike too.

This Messy Life by Kalima at the Crypt

Link:


This Messy Life by Kalima

http://www.echonyc.com/~stax/Buffy/kalima/messy.html

Rahirah/Barb C mega series has a lot of Spike/Dawn interaction. Most particularly "The Road to Byzantium" and " A Raising in the Sun". You can find the entire series here, listed in chronological order.

Also, maybe not allowable here, but nevertheless........ Goldenusagi wrote a lovely short story called 'Dawning' on her journal here that dealt with Spike and Dawn's 'memories' of their encounters prior to her actually being a reality.

check out enigmaticblue's stories I've read a bunch of them and they always include dawn and spike being friends no matter how buffy and spike are getting along.

"Journeys" series by Mary.

Thanks everyone for all these recs; I've now read most of them, and they are all uniformly excellent. I really liked "Dawning," in particular, which was very well done. I've recently discovered enigmaticblue from another thread, and you're right -- those fics are very satisfying reads and always include some worthwhile Spike & Dawn friendship. Another author whose stories seem to fit into this subcategory would be Niamh (on this site); I'm thinking in particular of her Origins series, which has some positive Spike and Dawn moments.