Chapter One: White Lie
Buffy wearily pushed open the front door of her house. She leaned against the door for a moment as she shut it behind her, willing the pain radiating from the base of her skull away. It took her a full thirty seconds to shrug off her coat and sit gingerly on the couch.
"Buffy?" Dawn called from the top of the stairs. Buffy winced as she heard her little sister take the steps two at a time, each step echoing in her head.
"Yeah?" she called out, straightening out her form on the edge of the couch.
"Hey!" Dawn said brightly. "How was your day?"
Buffy immediately grew suspicious. "What did you break?" she asked.
"Nothing!" Dawn held her hands up. Her left arm was clad in a colorful purple cast, the only injury still visible from the car accident she and Willow had two weeks ago. "I was just wondering what kind of day you had because last week when I asked if I could sleep over at Madison's tonight, you said to ask you in another week and pray that you has a good day." Dawn said brightly.
Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes. That's right. Dawn did ask, and she did say she'd think about it.
"Where does this girl live?" Buffy asked.
"One street over, eight houses down. I left the address on the counter, and the number where you can reach me." Dawn skipped over and gave her sister an impromptu hug. She leapt back in surprise when she felt Buffy wince in pain.
"Hey!" Dawn held Buffy at arm's length and looked into her eyes. "You flinched. Are you okay?" concern etched into her young face.
"Yeah, just a headache." Buffy said carelessly. At the stricken look in Dawn's face, she quickly added "Xander got in a few lucky punches when we were training. Nothing my super healing powers can't cure."
"Yeah, whatever, Wolverine." Dawn sighed. "I can stay home, if you want. I always took care of mom when she-" Dawn trailed off, letting her hands drop to her side.
Buffy stood and put her arms around her little sister. "I got kicked in the head. That's all." She looked into Dawn's tearful eyes. "Two aspirin, a medium cheese pizza and 'The Truth about Cats and Dogs' in the video player and I'm good as new. Promise."
"What about Willow?" Dawn asked quietly, making it clear she didn't like the idea of Buffy being alone in the house with Willow.
"Willow went away for the weekend, some collegian thing." Buffy smiled.
"Willow's having fat cells implanted in her lips?" Dawn asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "That's collagen. Willow's doing something for college this weekend. Some career fair event."
"Oh!" Dawn smiled and wiped away her tears. "Okay. But I can stay, if you want."
"I never actually said you could go," Buffy needled. "but if you leave right now, you can get to your party before sunset."
Dawn hugged her sister with a squeal. "Ooh! Thank you! Thank you! I'll be home tomorrow morning!" Dawn dashed up the stairs to grab her back pack and CD's.
Buffy smiled and headed to the downstairs bathroom. There was some ibuprofen in the medicine cabinet. She felt mildly guilty for lying to Dawn. This headache came out of nowhere, just like the one last week. The one last week had lingered for hours, and Buffy had just lain in her bed in a fetal position, willing the pain away. This one didn't seem to be shaping up any better. She vaguely wondered if they had any vodka lying around as she swallowed the pain medication.
Dawn reappeared behind Buffy. "Okay, I'm off. Are you going to patrol tonight?"
"Nah, activity has been way down lately. I can take the night off." Buffy walked into the kitchen. Dawn could see the way her sister held her shoulders a little too tense.
'Kicked in the head, my foot' Dawn thought.
"Call me when you get there, so I don't worry?" she asked.
"Sure. Go call the pizza guy and lie down." Dawn paused, her words registering when spoken outloud. "Wait. That came out wrong."
"Go. Have fun." Buffy pushed Dawn out the door. Call the pizza guy and lie down? Where did she pick up such dirty thoughts? Her memory flashed back to the time she caught Dawn in Spike's crypt, talking. Buffy frowned. "Figures." She managed to get through the whole day without thinking about Spike. She winced again, the pain in her head creeping back.
Buffy wearily pushed open the front door of her house. She leaned against the door for a moment as she shut it behind her, willing the pain radiating from the base of her skull away. It took her a full thirty seconds to shrug off her coat and sit gingerly on the couch.
"Buffy?" Dawn called from the top of the stairs. Buffy winced as she heard her little sister take the steps two at a time, each step echoing in her head.
"Yeah?" she called out, straightening out her form on the edge of the couch.
"Hey!" Dawn said brightly. "How was your day?"
Buffy immediately grew suspicious. "What did you break?" she asked.
"Nothing!" Dawn held her hands up. Her left arm was clad in a colorful purple cast, the only injury still visible from the car accident she and Willow had two weeks ago. "I was just wondering what kind of day you had because last week when I asked if I could sleep over at Madison's tonight, you said to ask you in another week and pray that you has a good day." Dawn said brightly.
Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes. That's right. Dawn did ask, and she did say she'd think about it.
"Where does this girl live?" Buffy asked.
"One street over, eight houses down. I left the address on the counter, and the number where you can reach me." Dawn skipped over and gave her sister an impromptu hug. She leapt back in surprise when she felt Buffy wince in pain.
"Hey!" Dawn held Buffy at arm's length and looked into her eyes. "You flinched. Are you okay?" concern etched into her young face.
"Yeah, just a headache." Buffy said carelessly. At the stricken look in Dawn's face, she quickly added "Xander got in a few lucky punches when we were training. Nothing my super healing powers can't cure."
"Yeah, whatever, Wolverine." Dawn sighed. "I can stay home, if you want. I always took care of mom when she-" Dawn trailed off, letting her hands drop to her side.
Buffy stood and put her arms around her little sister. "I got kicked in the head. That's all." She looked into Dawn's tearful eyes. "Two aspirin, a medium cheese pizza and 'The Truth about Cats and Dogs' in the video player and I'm good as new. Promise."
"What about Willow?" Dawn asked quietly, making it clear she didn't like the idea of Buffy being alone in the house with Willow.
"Willow went away for the weekend, some collegian thing." Buffy smiled.
"Willow's having fat cells implanted in her lips?" Dawn asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "That's collagen. Willow's doing something for college this weekend. Some career fair event."
"Oh!" Dawn smiled and wiped away her tears. "Okay. But I can stay, if you want."
"I never actually said you could go," Buffy needled. "but if you leave right now, you can get to your party before sunset."
Dawn hugged her sister with a squeal. "Ooh! Thank you! Thank you! I'll be home tomorrow morning!" Dawn dashed up the stairs to grab her back pack and CD's.
Buffy smiled and headed to the downstairs bathroom. There was some ibuprofen in the medicine cabinet. She felt mildly guilty for lying to Dawn. This headache came out of nowhere, just like the one last week. The one last week had lingered for hours, and Buffy had just lain in her bed in a fetal position, willing the pain away. This one didn't seem to be shaping up any better. She vaguely wondered if they had any vodka lying around as she swallowed the pain medication.
Dawn reappeared behind Buffy. "Okay, I'm off. Are you going to patrol tonight?"
"Nah, activity has been way down lately. I can take the night off." Buffy walked into the kitchen. Dawn could see the way her sister held her shoulders a little too tense.
'Kicked in the head, my foot' Dawn thought.
"Call me when you get there, so I don't worry?" she asked.
"Sure. Go call the pizza guy and lie down." Dawn paused, her words registering when spoken outloud. "Wait. That came out wrong."
"Go. Have fun." Buffy pushed Dawn out the door. Call the pizza guy and lie down? Where did she pick up such dirty thoughts? Her memory flashed back to the time she caught Dawn in Spike's crypt, talking. Buffy frowned. "Figures." She managed to get through the whole day without thinking about Spike. She winced again, the pain in her head creeping back.