Dawn's Fairytale
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Almost a week after the events of The Reforging of the Key, Willow's spell to "fix" Tara and Dawn is derailed when Dawn unknowingly uses an enchanted pen to write a fairytale, drawing herself and the others into the story. To get back to the real world, they have to all work together to rescue Princess Buffy. Along the way, Willow's failed spell is revealed, and the Scoobies discover the reason for the new relationship between Spike, Tara, and Dawn.
Author's Note: This fic probably won't make a lick of sense if you haven't read The Reforging of the Key.
…
Something was not right. Something was really most definitely not right, and Willow intended to get to the bottom of it and fix it. Her resolve face firmly on, she pushed aside her feelings of guilt for lying to Tara and started up the first of the night's spells.
Just out of phase enough with reality to be both intangible and undetectable to all senses, she slipped from the backroom of The Magic Box and made her way back home. She knew Tara, Dawn, and Spike would be there, having a movie night. She'd been invited as well, but had claimed a last minute tutoring session.
I have to do this, she told herself. She wasn't going to be spying on them, not really. All three of them had been… off ever since that night almost a week ago, when Spike had freaked out over the bot, and Dawn – who had randomly gotten a perm without even consulting her, despite all the nasty chemicals involved – had screamed at her about it. And Tara ran off after Spike without even so much as a hello.
Tara – all three of them really – had been so strange since that night. Dawn and Spike seemed to have lost whatever emotional healing they'd gained since Buffy's death – heck, Spike actually seemed to be worse than right after her death – and Tara had been so different. She was still her Tara, still gentle and sweet, but she had a new confidence about her. She was decisive and had become more comfortable stating her opinions.
There wasn't anything wrong with that, but it had happened so abruptly. That just wasn't normal. Nor was the way Dawn and Spike were acting. They'd always been weirdly attached to each other, especially since the fiasco at Glory's tower, but it was even deeper now. And they both seemed equally attached to Tara, to the point where Dawnie obviously preferred her to Willow instead of viewing them equally as she once had.
I'm not jealous, she thought firmly. I'm just concerned.
Then she passed through the front door and very definite jealousy at the closeness she saw surged through her. Tara and Spike were sitting on the couch together with Dawn on the floor in front of them. The vampire was curled up against her girlfriend's side as she absently ran a hand through his hair. Tara laughed about something happening in the movie and ate a handful of popcorn before holding another handful out where Spike could eat it from her hand.
Eew. Why would she do that? Willow wondered in disgust. There was definitely something very wrong here. She had to figure out what and fix it. Taking a deep breath to fortify herself, she triggered the next spell, this one designed to show her any magics as well as revealing the emotions of those around her.
The only magic around the three of them was…. Well, that was weird. Why would Tara have put a binding spell on Spike? At least it explained the creepy feeding of the undead. He couldn't grab his own popcorn with his hands bound together like that. It didn't, however, explain the cuddling and petting of the undead. And nothing really explained the binding spell itself. If Tara was worried enough to use one, despite Spike being completely harmless when it came to humans, why would she be treating him like… well… a pet or something?
Willow shook her head in bewildered unease and studied their emotions. Dawn was grieving her mother and sister, the emotions fresher and rawer than they should have been, but covered with the happiness and contentment of sharing a nice evening in with people she loved. Thick bands of emotion connected her to Tara and Spike. The connection to Tara wasn't quite parent and child, but the one between Dawn and Spike definitely was.
The bleached blond's emotions were a mix of depression, grief, and a sense of horrible loss, all tangled together with the confusion of too many life-changing events in too short a period of time. Keeping that all in check was a feeling of safety and calm somehow connected to Tara and her binding spell.
What kind of sick freak felt safe and calm from being bound? She shuddered in revulsion and turned her attention to Tara. There was confidence and warmth, plus sadness that two people she loved so much were hurting. There was determination to do whatever she could to help them through it. The emotions connecting her to Spike…. It wasn't romantic or sexual in any way, but she loved him deeply and that love was returned. There was also a sense of… of… nothing really quite fit, but the closest Willow could think of was ownership.
Her shy, sweet, timid lover had been replaced by a confident, assertive woman who felt like she owned someone and got a sense of power and strength from it. Willow felt sick. Tara – her Tara – would never want to own someone. Even if that someone was a vampire, and not an actual human being. She couldn't see the magical traces, but Spike had to have done something. Some kind of spell that had bound Dawn to him emotionally and was turning Tara into a replacement for his crazy, ho-bag ex. She was sure the creepy vampiress was into all sorts of weird stuff.
Don't worry, baby, Willow thought as she ghosted back through the door to return to The Magic Box and research a way to turn Tara and Dawn back to normal. I'll find a way to undo whatever he's done to you and Dawnie. I'll make everything better.
…
…
Tara laughed at the antics on the TV screen and reached into the bag of popcorn, holding some out for Spike once she'd eaten hers. Her other hand was running through his hair, and she was pretty sure he would have been purring if he'd been a cat. The binding spell and physical contact seemed to be helping him, at least a little bit.
I'm here for you, Spooky, she thought. Her gaze shifted to the girl sitting on the floor in front of them, happily munching from her own bag of popcorn. I'm here for both of you.
She felt a little guilty about it, but she was glad Willow hadn't been able to join them. She loved her girlfriend and enjoyed being around her, but Spike and Dawn were her family and right now, they needed her attention. She wished she could just tell Willow and the others about all that had happened, but Spike was worried about what they might do if they found out.
Tara had to admit his fears there were valid. Xander was always trying to find an excuse to stake him, and Willow… well, Willow had been relying more and more on magic lately. She could easily see the beautiful redhead trying to somehow erase their memories of the dream world.
Yes, Spike and Dawn were feeling raw and wounded right now, but time and emotional support were what they needed to start the healing process, not mind-altering magic. Once they had gotten used to the memories of the waking world again, she knew they'd both be in a better place emotionally than they had been before the dream.
Tara had some of her own adjustments to make. While the memories of being with Willow were more immediate, it still felt a little odd at first each time she got into bed with her. For the most part, in the dream, she had only shared her bed with another person three nights of the week, and that person had been male and technically dead. Cuddling a warm, living, curvy female body felt both familiar and strange at the same time.
She shook her head slightly to clear it and focused on the movie again. She'd get herself and her family through this transition period, and they'd all be the stronger for it.
…
…
The next day, Dawn ambled down the stairs at the totally reasonable hour of five past noon, given that it was a Saturday. She was still sleepy enough that she didn't notice the absence of any adults or the note and package on the kitchen island until after she'd fixed herself a sandwich.
The note was from Tara, letting Dawn know that she had been called in to work a shift at the bookstore, Willow was doing some more tutoring, and that Spike had stayed over and was in the basement if she needed anything. It also explained that the package had come in the mail for her.
She frowned slightly as she picked up the package and looked it over. Instead of a return address, the upper corner simply said "Grandmummy."
Ookay, so, apparently one of my grandmas has been watching Masterpiece Theatre, or something, she thought dubiously. Not that there was anything wrong with that. One version of her had grown up watching all kinds of British stuff, after all. It just seemed very strange that one of her grandmothers would send her package signed like that so soon after the dream world experience.
She shrugged and opened the package, any lingering unease swept away by curiosity. Inside was an elegant silver pen and a black, leather bound notebook. The words Dawn's Fairytale had been engraved in silver on the cover.
The instant she touched the pen, there was a spark, like she'd been zapped by static electricity, and the thin wall last night had built around her grief was gone. Mommy, Buffy, she thought, holding back a sob. She needed to… needed to….
She grabbed the notebook and opened it, setting pen to paper in a weird, trancelike frenzy as she began to write.
…
…
Willow walked into the house, wondering if she could get away with making guilt cookies without actually telling anyone what she felt guilty about. This is for the best, she reminded herself. Using her magic on the bookstore owner to get Tara called in was ultimately for a good cause and not something she should feel guilty about. The same was true of lying again about where she'd been.
She'd have to tweak a few things, but she was pretty sure the spell she had found would work for her needs. She'd be able to reset Dawn and Tara to how they were last week, before the weirdness had set in.
"Hey, Dawnie," she called out in greeting. The girl was sitting at the kitchen island, an untouched sandwich sitting there as she wrote furiously in a strange book. Willow forced back a wave of irritation and hurt when Dawn's only response was a distracted grunt.
It's for the best anyway, she thought grumpily as she made her way upstairs with her purchases from The Magic Box. I won't have to explain why I bought all this stuff.
She set up quickly and began her spell. Some of the ingredients had to steep while she chanted over them, so it would take a few hours. Then, everything would be the way it was supposed to be.
…
…
…. While the heads of the warring factions of the Minotaur Dogs bickered over who had the right to kiss the princess awake, the prince of the catkin gathered her in his arms. He knew she didn't love him and probably never would, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was her.
He kissed her, breaking the spell and bringing the princess back to herself. Her eyes opened and she gazed at him, an emotion he'd never thought to see directed at him shining from their green depths.
The squeal of delight from the princess's sister chased away the Minodogs, leaving nothing to distract the prince and princess as they held each other close. From that day on, the two lived happily ever after with the younger princess and the faithful unicorn centaur who had helped take care of her.
The silver pen dropped from Dawn's cramped, shaking hand. She felt numb… emptied out and hollow… and her hand throbbed with pain from the hours of non-stop writing. She sat there for almost another hour, just staring blankly at her hand.
Then Willow's spell was finished and more of the magic in the pen was activated. It sucked in the power from Willow's working and used it to activate one last spell. At that moment, several people from Sunnydale and beyond were sucked into Dawn's story.