Dawn watched the hideous brown robed minions from her perch on a stack of packing crates. Two stood in front of the door to the Magic Box, not that she wanted to go back in with Glory anyway, and two more were blocking her escape from the alley. She couldn’t help but think of the pain Glory was inflicting on Spike. He was the only one who didn’t treat her like a freak when they found out that she was the key thing. Dawn mentally slapped herself again for even thinking for a second that Spike would betray her.

‘Buffy,’ Dawn screamed silently, tears running down her face. ‘Please help Spike.’ Dawn hid her face in her knees and sobbed quietly. She sat for what seamed like hours when the door suddenly crashed open to reveal a very pissed off God.

“Let’s go.” Glory demanded, as she swept down the alley, rage coming off her in waves.

“But most ravishing one,” a minion cowered. “What should we do with the girl.” Dawn looked up, her whole body cowering in fear. Glory looked at her thoughtfully before shaking her head.

“Forget her, the Slayer will get my message. I’m bored now, let’s find me a nice new dress. That stupid vampire got blood all over this one.” The group hurried out of the alley, following Glory like the good minions they were. Dawn sat for a moment to make sure they were gone before running into the Magic Box. Dawn stopped and stared at the unconscious vampire.

“Spike.” Dawn whispered, tears filling her eyes again. The vampire lay motionless in the middle of the training room. He was not dust so Dawn guessed he was alive, but his wounds were ghastly. Dawn rushed to his side and fell to her knees. Spike’s face was purple and swollen, one eye closed completely from the swelling. Small cuts and bruises covered his chest an stomach. Long fingernail tracks ran criss cross over his chest, like somebody’s demented idea at tic tack toe. His neck was the worst. If he had been alive he would have suffocated from the air loss. Part of his neck was sunken in and there were hand shaped purple marks surrounding his mutilated throat..

“B-Buffy.” Dawn whispered in anguish. Dawn ran her hand softly through Spike’s hair. “Buffy.” Dawn said a little louder, tears over flowing her eyes and trailing over her face. “BUFFY!” Dawn screeched over and over again, her shock induced wordlessness broken, the pain and horror evident in her voice.

The door burst open and the whole gang rushed in, armed to the teeth. Buffy was the first to reach Dawn. She looked down at the crumpled form that Dawn was knelt beside and gasped. Dawn continued to scream and Buffy fell to her knees beside her.

“Dawnie what happened.” Buffy asked, pulling Dawn into a strong embrace, rocking her to calm her. Dawn stopped screaming at Buffy’s touch and broke down into sobs. The others looked on in horror at the battered vampire. It was Tara who made the first move. She grabbed Willow’s hand and pulled her out of the room. They returned a few minutes later laden with towel, first aid kits and a basin of water. Buffy succeeded in pulling Dawn away from Spike to let the witches closer to the wounded vampire.

“Oh Spike,” Willow whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “Buffy, what do we do for him? Who could’ve done something like this?” Willow looked up at Buffy with pain filled eyes. Buffy was speechless. Dawn mumbled into her shoulder causing Buffy to jerk back with surprise. Dawn raised her tear streaked face and looked at Buffy.

“Glory did this.” Dawn ground out between clenched teeth. “She was back here when we came to play cards.”

“Dawnie are you alright.” Buffy demanded, looking her sister over in fear.

“I’m fine. Spike told her he would give her the Key if she didn’t make me watch what she was doing to him. It’s all my fault.” Pulling away from Buffy in shame, Dawn started to sob again. “If it wasn’t for me Spike would’ve been able to fight back. Instead he let her bea-” Her face crumpled in pain. “Do those things to him to protect me.” Buffy watched helplessly as Dawn fell to her knees, clutching her stomach, tears falling down her face.

“What do we do?” Willow asked, looking down at the damaged vampire. Giles took Dawn in his arm and carried her to the couch, away from the group.

“We fix him.” Buffy said, determination in her voice. “He saved Dawn. We fix him.” Willow looked up helplessly at her girlfriend. Tara gave her a small smile and began to wash Spike’s chest with a warm cloth.

“What can I do.” Xander asked quietly, and smiled sadly at Buffy’s startled look. “He saved the Dawnster. Anything to help.” Buffy smiled and walked over to Xander to give him a hug.

“We need blood.” Buffy said as she released her friend. “Human blood will help him heal faster.” Xander nodded and took Anya’s hand.

“We’re on it. We’ll pick off a Red Cross truck if we have to .” Xander said with a wry smile as he pulled Anya out of the room. Buffy sank to her knees beside Spike. She tentatively ran her hand across his face, in a gentle caress.

“I don’t understand.” Buffy whispered. “Why would he let her do this to him.” Tara looked at Buffy, a gentle smile upon her lips.

“He’s not as evil as he likes us to think.” Buffy looked at Tara in shock. “Oh sure. Vampire, bloodsucker but he had feelings. Do you really think that the chip is what made him stop?” Buffy looked at Tara in confusion. “We need to take off his shirt. I can levitate him but I need you to pull it off.” Willow laid out a towel beside Spike’s lifeless body. Buffy laughed to herself at the thought. Of course his body was lifeless, he’s a vampire.

Willow and Tara moved back and began to chant quietly. Spike’s body rose slowly off the floor. Quickly, yet carefully, Buffy removed Spike’s duster and the ruined shirt. The witches slid Spike’s body so that he was over the soft towel and slowly lowered him to the ground. Buffy gasped now that she could see all the wounds clearly. Not an inch of his chest was spared. Blood welled up from dozens of cuts, a dark crimson against the pure paleness of his skin. At least four of his ribs were broken and there were finger shaped holes around his heart. Buffy grabbed the wet cloth and carefully bathed the scratches till they stopped their bleeding. His chest was peppered with bruises. Buffy ran her fingers softly against each one.

“He endured so much.” Buffy whispered, more to herself than to the witches sitting beside her. With a shake of her head, Buffy wrapped and bandaged each welt, wincing in sympathy as she recataloguing each mark. She had barely finished when Xander and Anya rushed into the room, brown paper bags clutched in their arms.

“We stopped by his crypt and grabbed a few of his things.” Xander said as he reached into one of the bags for thermos. “I had Willy heat up some of the good stuff for Spike.” Xander looked down and whistled softly. “Has he woken up yet?” Buffy shook her head as she took the jug from him.

“No. Not even when I wrapped his broken ribs.” Buffy moved to Spike’s head and carefully lifted his head onto her lap. She could hear the bones in his neck shift. Her eyes were bight at she filled the lid of the thermos with the stolen blood and raised it to Spike’s lips. She opened his mouth and poured a small amount down his damaged throat. The blood trickled slowly from the side of his mouth as he refused to swallow. Buffy looked at Giles helplessly.

“As disgusted as I am with the suggestion, maybe blood from the source would wake him.” Buffy looked at Giles and nodded at his suggestion.

“I’ll do it.” Dawn volunteered as she knelt beside Buffy. “He saved my life.” Buffy smiled and ran her hand over Dawn’s hair.

“It’s ok Dawnie.” Buffy looked back down at Spike and smiled. “Slayer blood here. If anything would wake the bleached wonder, it would be my blood.” Giles took off his glasses and frantically polished them. Buffy grinned at his action. “Giles, that dagger on the wall should work.” Giles, cursing his suggestion, retrieved the dagger and passed it to his Slayer. Buffy slid the blade across her wrist, leaving a thin train of blood behind. She held her wrist softly against Spike’s mouth and waited. Buffy stroked Spike’s hair softly , waiting for any movement from the vampire. Finally, as she was about to give up hope, his lips moved softly against her wrist. Buffy’s eyes rose quickly to Dawn’s and she smiled.

“He’s drinking.” Buffy said in amazement. Spike’s lips moved weakly against Buffy’s wrist, slowly pulling the precious life force from her. Buffy watched as Spike’s face shifted, revealing his demon visage. She grew warm as his tongue caressed the cut softly. Spike’s eyes remained closed but his lips moved faster, sucking her blood more forcibly into his battered body. Heated tingles ran from her wrist to the rest of her body as Spike continued to caress her. Buffy gasped in shock as she felt his fangs plunge into her skin, opening the wound wider. Buffy smiled weakly at the gang, as they stepped closer to her.

“I’m fine.” She reassured, looking right at Giles. Catching her unspoken message, Giles herded the group out of the room. Dawn refused to budge from her sisters side.

“Dawnie, we’ll be fine, just go up front and I’ll be up in a minute.” Dawn reluctantly rose and shuffled unwillingly from the room. Giles stared at his Slayer as she fed the Vampire from her wrist. Buffy’s hand continued to caress Spike’s soft curls. With a sigh he turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him.