I have become found of a new pairing: Dawn/Spike, after reading a few good fics about them I fell for them, hence a challenge for them:

Dawn (17 years old) has long ago stopped listening to big sis and is doing things her way, she's discovered a strength she didn't know she had. As she was made from the blood of a slayer some skills are starting to show, she's found out she can handle herself. And since then she's been out fighting vamps. Spike is the only one knowing about "the nibblets" nightly activity and is in no hurry to mouth off to any scooby, not even big sis who he is in fact crushing on. Instead he's Dawns personal guardian angel, ready to step in if anything goes to far.

Dawn has to be injured in a fight, pretty badly, though not fatal, but enough to make spike worry. She refuses Spike to take her home and threatens to stake him if he tells anyone about what she's been doing. As a solution he takes her to his crypt. He sneaks into their house and takes some of Dawns things to his crypt and when Buffy wakes up and sees her sisters room empty she concludes that Dawn's run away (she hasn't been completely oblivious to Dawn's rebelling...), Buffy doesn't know about Spike's crypt having a basement, hence nobody finding Dawn.

While taking her time to heal Dawn and Spike starts to bond, they've been friends before, but they become closer friends now. And they find out they are one of a kind. (loads of fluffy scenes people, remember that he USED to be a poet)

The next step, up to you to how you write it, only I DON'T want porn (you know, the hard description and the words they use in porn films), if you want to give the event a chapter stay to erotica, fellings instead of camera-angles... if you get my drift... I read NC-17 like most people, but I think erotica-NC 17's way better than p.o.r.n-NC 17...

Dawn believes in herself that Spike's not yet over her sister and for some reason can't decide on if she believes that Spike has feelings for her because of who she is, or if it's because of who she's related to...

Scenery musts: (yes I *have* been redecorating his crypt)
- a fireplace (in USE at least ONE time)
- bed & couch (Spike takes the couch.... in the beginning)

Story musts:
- Spike finds his inner poet
- Spike nicks either a jewelry or something else he think would look great on Dawn
- Dawn stays with Spike even when she's all healed up ;)
- Dawn telling Spike about dreaming of running off to somewhere exotic or at least some other place
- Spike confessing past secrets to Dawn that he hasn't tol ANYONE else
- Even though Spike's been crushing on Buffy nothing has EVER happened between them, not even a kiss (and btw, she's NOT with Riley... either she's single or with Angel)
- Dawn still keeps a diary (which had landed in the heap of stuff Spike nicked from the Summers house) and she writes pretty blushing things about our dear "William the bloody"
- In the long years together with his grandsire Spike picked up a thing or two about drawing and he teaches Dawn to draw (cute scene, please)

Use at least 4 of these (preferably all):
- A black rose
- Poetry book
- Dawn and Spike on shop-lifting spree
- A stray black kitten with a white spot on the neck, which Dawn names: "Raven", "Lestat", "Eowyn", "Moon" or "Shadow"
- Spike and Dawn actually skipping town, like she's been dreaming about
- Someone chasing Dawn because she's the key, the power to tear down the reality walls is gone, but there's more power origining in the key
- Dawn coloring her hair black
- Dawn getting a tattoo either of a dragon, black rose with a leaf falling, a teary eye, a flame, some celtic design (DON'T think of giving her a chineese symbol, too teenage!)
- Spike's pet name for Dawn is "dark goddess"
- Dawn getting involved with the craft

Big challenge means big story, I can't have a five page thing dropped off in my inbox, I NEED a long and good story. Good stories are those that we wish never end... Write it with passion for Dawn/Spike ;) Remember to mix in all sides of both characters, Dawn's sweetness as well as her rebel side, Spike's inner "William" and the sarcastic, smirking vampire we all love!