AN: General Disclaimer, All characters belong to Joss Whedon. I just borrow some for my own amusement. This is my first time publishing anything so all feedback is encouraged and welcome. Thanks for reading! *CulieQ

"Mommy," Dawn Summers began, "I'm back from Chhi-cag-o!" Precocious six-year-old Dawn hugged her mother's waist. "Hi Dawnie," Buffy Summers, knelt down and enveloped her daughter in a ferocious hug. After just kicking her Psychology final's butt she was exhausted. However, due to her daughter's arrival, sleeping was something that could wait. "Dawnie Girl, want to go see Grandma Joyce? Mommy needs to take a quick shower and then we can watch a movie together?"

After mulling over what her mother said, Dawn scampered off to see her grandma, leaving a very exhausted Buffy in her wake. Grabbing her toiletries, and a freshly dried towel, Buffy made her way into the bathroom. She opened the shower curtain, turned the silver nozzle to the left, and then sat on the toilet seat to wait for the water to get warm enough.

Left alone in her thoughts, Buffy was reeling. As much as she loved Dawn, seeing her brought up memories of Parker that Buffy tried to suppress. She had spent the last five years trying to make herself over, she was now a better person then she once was. She had tried to redeem her past by living better in the present. Rubbing her eyes, Buffy put her face in her hands, and let the tears freely fall down her face.

The sound of the shower muffled her sobs. She tried to tell herself that she wasn't the same insipid fourteen year old she once was, at twenty she was a responsible adult. She finally had gotten her life together… After leaving Los Angeles, with her mother and relocating to Sunnydale, life became mundane and simpler. She had better, truer friends, and for once she had a healthy relationship. Angel was the antithesis of Parker. It seemed fitting that her next relationship was with Angel, because he was her savior and guardian.

Angel O'Neil was similar to Parker only in physique. Angel was tall, dark and handsome, but in contrast to Parker he was genuinely nice, and treated Buffy with respect. Buffy did not know a healthy relationship until, Angel… But, at the end of high school he left her for a future in LA with empty promises of someday. Buffy tried dating after that, but after an unsuccessful gamut of flings, and one night stands, Buffy found herself reverting back to her old ways. She quickly, quietly and succinctly pulled herself back together, and tried to move on.

Dawn Charlotte Summers gave her mother quite a wake up call. Buffy's friends had no idea of her past. They didn't know about Faith, her former best friend, or Parker her evil Ex-baby daddy. They certainly had no idea she had a daughter. It wasn't like she was ashamed of being a teen mother; she was ashamed of her former self.

Dawn had gone to live in Chicago with Buffy's Aunt Darlene who could not have children of her own. Buffy still spent the entire summer, Holidays, and went out to see Dawn on her Birthday, which happened to be April 14th. Every time, Buffy left she informed her friends that she was going to LA, when in reality she was going to Illinois. Dawn knew that Buffy was her birth mother, but that didn't matter because Dawn loved Buffy like she had been raised by her.

The year before Buffy came to Sunnydale was spent raising Dawn, and going to school where the whispers were so loud that they reverberated through her ears at lightening speed. Parker Abrahams, had already graduated, so Buffy never had to see him at school, which was a blessing. Seeing Dawn everyday was a constant reminder of Parker, and how badly he ended up hurting her.

After she found out she was pregnant, Parker told her to get an abortion, because the baby was just a mistake. Buffy, refused saying that it was against everything she had ever believed in. The day Buffy told Parker her news, was the day he broke up with her. He was selfish, and his true loves were whisky and motorcycles. He told Buffy that she was just a good lay, and that's all she was good for. He told her that he lied when he said he loved her and wanted a clean break.

Buffy had relived that day for years in her mind. She was broken when she started to see Parker; her family life was in turmoil because her father was cheating on her mother, and her best friend Faith was dragging her down a destructive path because she had newfound love with addictive drugs.

Buffy did not remember having sex with Parker the first time. She was so coked out of her mind that she couldn't remember what it was like. She knew for sure that it was an… experience, but it wasn't how she was supposed to loose her virginity. At fourteen, she was inexperienced at best, and had a nativity about her. But when that pink plus sign showed up on all five pregnancy tests, her decisions had consequences, her actions were now her burdens to bear.

When Dawn was born, the tiny pink bundle she was, Buffy made a silent vow to change for Dawn. After a month home, being solely responsible for this new life, Buffy became anxious to return to some semblance of normalcy. Buffy needed to return to school, she missed most of the beginning of Sophomore year because of her pregnancy, but through a lot of hard work was able to catch up on all of her assignments. She was finally a sophomore, and the first day back was absolute hell.

Faith, her former best friend and confidant since Buffy was in Kindergarten didn't even look her in the eye and called her a slut. That snub hurt, more then Buffy was willing to admit. She could understand the whispers of the girls who didn't know her, but the one person who was suppose to have her back, abandoned her. Buffy went from being popular to no one special. She was just the girl with a baby.

Buffy shuddered from the memories that were overwhelming her… She got out of her scalding shower, dressed and made her way down stairs. She heard her mother and Aunt in the kitchen with hushed voices; she stood unobtrusively by the door and caught the end of their conversation, "Joyce, Dawn is going to have to stay here. I love the little munchkin but I got a job offer in New York that's full of traveling, and that's not conducive to a six year old."

"I understand, Dawn is obviously more then welcome to stay here full time, you know how appreciative me and Buffy have been for all you've done for her. Sunnydale has been good for Buffy, she's improved so much. She is happier then I've ever seen her, she has College, her friends, and a part time job," Joyce took a sip of her tea, "I think Buffy is finally able to handle being a full time single parent, and I know its been hard for her without Dawn. I don't know how I would have handled everything she went through... She's a different girl, Darlene, and I'm so proud of her."

Smiling at the words of praise her mother just gave her, Buffy summoned the courage to open the kitchen door, "Hi mom" she turned to her Aunt, "Hi Auntie D!" She gave her aunt a warm welcome, and took a seat at the kitchen table. "So," she began, "What's up?"