Disclaimer: Buffy and all related characters do not, and never will, belong to me.
Always
It was a little past one in the morning when fifteen year old Buffy Summers quietly climbed through her window and into her bedroom.
Instantly she could hear her parents downstairs fighting and she rolled her eyes.
Such a nice sound to come home to.
"Don't blame me just because you can't control the girl, Joyce!"
Her father's voice was loud and angry and with an impatient motion Buffy slammed her door shut, running a frustrated hand through her hair.
They were fighting about her again!
Again!
Why couldn't they find something else to fight about? Why her?
"Well maybe if you were around more often, Hank, she wouldn't be fighting all the time and acting out so much!"
Joyce Summers' voice held an edge of hysteria to it and Buffy felt angry tears prick her eyes.
They never fought about Dawn.
Only her.
Troubled Buffy and the fights and the 'acting out'.
Acting out. The phrase set Buffy's teeth on edge every time. It wasn't like she had chosen to be this way!
Her life had been simple once.
Her life had been good once.
But that was before.
Before she had become the Slayer.
Before her parents fought and screamed over all the trouble she got into and whose fault it was.
Before.
"Ever heard of discipline? Ever considered trying it out once in a while?"
"What am I supposed to do with her, Hank? Tell her no more burning down school buildings and send her to her room without supper?"
Even through her closed door Buffy could still hear her mother's voice, shrill with an angry sort of sarcasm and she clenched her fists, getting up from her seat on her bed to pace agitatedly.
If they didn't quiet down soon they would wake Dawn…
Dawn.
Buffy swallowed guiltily. She knew it scared her little sister when their parents fought. It scared her too, come to that, but Dawn was only a kid.
Buffy ran a hand through her hair again, sighing. It was her fault. She couldn't delude herself into thinking otherwise, as much as she may want to.
She could only hope Dawn was sleeping through this latest bout of screaming.
Something downstairs shattered then and Buffy winced, reflecting that if Dawn was still asleep than not much would wake her.
Mommy and Daddy were fighting again.
Dawn whimpered; burying her tear streaked face into her pillow.
Dawn hated it when they fought.
It scared her.
The sound of something breaking, followed abruptly by a shrill shriek caused her to cry out and leap out of bed in fright.
Were Mommy and Daddy okay?
Dawn stood there, trembling in the middle of her room, tears streaming down her face.
Why wouldn't they stop fighting? Didn't they know how it scared her?
Shouldn't they care about that?
Buffy was pacing in her dark room, trying not to listen to the screaming fest downstairs, when her door slowly creaked open.
The Slayer's eyes narrowed, her senses on alert, listening.
Dull illumination flickered in from the nightlight out in the hallway and after a few seconds she could make out the blue eyes and tousled brown hair of her little sister.
Great.
They'd woken her after all.
Buffy felt a surge of irritation but nonetheless tried to keep it out of her voice when she spoke.
Dawn was innocent in this. None of it was her fault.
"What are you doing here, Dawnie?" she asked softly, despite already knowing the answer. It happened sometimes on nights like this.
Nights when their parents fought.
Dawn, having nowhere else to go, would scamper to her older sister's room, looking scared and upset.
"Mommy and Daddy are yelling," the nine year old whispered now, her lower lip trembling, and Buffy sighed, motioning Dawn in the room and closing the door behind her.
Dawn, knowing she was welcome now, ran forward and burrowed under her older sister's covers and Buffy turned on the lamp beside her bed, knowing Dawn didn't like complete darkness.
"They're fighting about you," Dawn whispered, eyes round and fearful. "Why do they fight about you?"
"I don't know, Dawnie," Buffy murmured. "Honestly, I think it just gives them a reason to fight."
"Don't use that tone with me, Joyce! I don't have to stand here and listen to this! There are plenty of more enjoyable places I could be, you know!"
"Yeah? Maybe you should go to one of those places then! Maybe that would be better!"
Quickly Buffy strode over to the radio sitting on her dresser and switched it on, hoping the music would help to drown out her parents voices.
She settled on a station that sounded low and gentle, the music filling the room.
"D-Daddy's not leaving is he?" Dawn asked, tears spilling down her cheeks, her voice hitching.
Sliding into the bed beside her sister Buffy pulled the covers up so they settled over her as well.
"Buffy?"
Dawn's voice was tiny and afraid and Buffy closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see the desperate worry in that blue gaze.
"It doesn't matter," she said after a moment, her voice quiet.
"W-What do you mean?" Dawn asked, trying to stifle a sob.
Opening her eyes Buffy reached out and ran a hand gently through her little sister's soft brown hair. "I mean," she said, her voice soft, "no matter what happens, whether they stay together or not, you're going to be okay. I'm always going to protect you. Dawnie, I'm always going to be here for you. Okay?"
Sniffling, Dawn's blue eyes met Buffy's hazel ones, their gazes holding for a moment before Dawn's expression crumpled and she threw her arms around her big sister, sobs wracking her small frame.
And, in the muted light of her lamp, music playing softly in the background, Buffy rocked her, fingers still gently running through Dawn's hair.
"I'm always going to keep you safe."
-End.
A/N: I originally got this idea... quite some time ago. The first part has been written for ages but for some reason I put it away and never really wrote the rest. Recently though, it came back to me and now, finally, it's finished.
Hope it wasn't a complete waste of time.