Title: Engine
Author: edjo
Rating: PG
Word Count: 265
Summary: Family is a mobile term. Post-Chosen.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to none other then Joss Whedon.
A/N: This was the prequel for a series I had planned that never really
got very far. It also works as a bit of a one-shot, and who knows,
maybe someday I'll write that series. Reviews are definitely
appreciated!
Buffy hates airports.
She feels emotionally drained. Visiting her father shouldn't have that effect, she thinks. She should feel refreshed, full to the brim with glad feelings from seeing him after all this time - he's her flesh and blood. Instead she feels dull and weary.
Dawn plops down in the plastic chair next to her, and hands her a chocolate bar. "Here. Chocolate makes everything better. It's a cure-all."
Buffy gives her a small smile, "Even for emotional trauma caused by negligent dads?" She instantly feels a pang of guilt stab through her abdomen as Dawn's face falls. She doesn't know what to say to make it better though. The new relationship she and Dawn have formed this last year hasn't made it any easier to connect to each other. She wants to make the effort though.
"Hey," she says brightly. "We don't need Hank Summers. Just because he's our father, doesn't mean he's family. We just... seem to have the same last name. It doesn't mean anything. We have each other, and a... a whole family that will be waiting for us at the airport tomorrow."
Dawn nods slowly, and visibly brightens. "The family that slays together, stays together right?" she states with a semi-forced giggle.
Except when they don't, Buffy thinks.
"Right," she agrees with a firm nod of her head. She hesitates for a moment, then opens the chocolate bar, and pops a piece in her mouth. She snaps off another and offers it to Dawn, who accepts it and sighs, leaning her head on Buffy's shoulder.
They sit and wait.