Chapter 1: Revelations
The door to the Summers' home opens to revel the slayer Buffy Summers, Her watcher Giles, and her little sister Dawn. Tired and worn out from the long day, Buffy looked back over at her baby sister and her watcher as she closed the front door. Buffy still could not believe what had all happened that day.
Buffy had come home after a long night of slaying and other things, looking for her mother. She called for her, asking her if she wanted to pick Dawn up from school. She turned into the living room, to see her mother, eyes wide open, legs off the couch, and not moving.
"Mom?"
Buffy ran over to her mom and tried to wake her, but she would not move. It was then that Buffy got up, and ran to the phone, to call 911. She just could not be dead. She just could not be...
"Buffy?"
Giles spoke up to shake Buffy out of her mind. Giles knew that she been through a lot that day. He was worried about her, and how she would survive. Grief was something that could not just heal over night. It had to take time to move on after someone as precious as a mother does. He looked back over at Dawn, how seemed to be in the same emotional state as Buffy. He would have to stay here tonight, and take care of them. He could not leave them alone tonight. Not the way they where. He sighed as he walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, which caused her to awaken.
"Huh?"
"Buffy? Are you ok?"
She smiled softly as she nodded, looking back over at Dawn, who was still standing next to the door, her arms crossed against her chest, looking like there was no hope left in the whole world. Buffy sighed softly as she walked over to Dawn, moving her fingers through Dawn's long chestnut colored hair. She turned to look at her sister, those sad doe eyes looking into her older sisters, looking for comfort, and hope.
"Dawn?"
"Buffy, how are we suppose to live with her gone?"
Tears streamed down Dawn's face as Buffy pulled her into her arms, letting her sister cry it out. Buffy let her eyes let tears fall down her face as well. Buffy did not know how to answer her baby sister. She did not know how they where suppose to move on either. Her mother had always been there for her, to watch over her and her sister. Now, Buffy had to be the one to look over her, and be the mother. She did not know if she could handle the responsibility. Her mind slipped back to the memories of the day before, as her eyes fell upon the living room, where she found her mother.
She called 911, and she was told to remain calm, and try to start CPR. She dropped the phone as she moved over to her mother, titled her head back gently, breathed into his mouth, and started pushing on her chest through the tears. Suddenly she felt the rips crack from her pressure. She panicked and picked up the phone, telling the woman on the phone what had happened. She was told not to worry about it, and that she probably just broke a rib. She sighed as she listened to the woman, and told her that she needed to make another call. She pushed a button that automatically dialed Giles' Number.
"She's here, at the house. "
"Buffy?"
"Come. "
She hung up the phone, and held it to her chest as she heard the sirens pulling into her driveway. She opened the door, standing with the phone in her hand, and waiting.
"Buffy?"
Dawn looked into her sister's lost eyes, knowing that she was reliving the moment where she found her mother, laying on the sofa, dead. Dawn moved a piece of her sister's hair as Buffy blinked her eyes to look at her sister. She sighed as Dawn smiled, hugging her sister once more.
"Buffy, its going to be ok. We will get through this. I know we will. Mom would have wanted us to get through this."
Buffy looked into her younger sister's eyes and nodded. For a fourteen year old, she was incredibly wise for her age. Buffy messed with her hair as Giles stood, watching the two girls. It would have to be his job to protect them. He would just have to. Buffy and Dawn were two of the most important people in his whole life. Buffy was his slayer, and Dawn was like a daughter to him. He loved them both with all his heart, and did not know what he would do if he ever lost them. Either of them. He could feel a part of the grief they where feeling with the loss of Joyce. It would never be as great as Buffy or Dawn's pain, but he could feel it. He sighed softly, looking over at Buffy and Dawn, before speaking up.
"Buffy, if you need me to stay the night, or even a couple of days, I'll do that."
Buffy turned to look back over at Giles, a small smile forming on her lips. He had always been there for her when she needed him. He was like the father she never had. Of course, she had had a father there for a bit, but it did not last long. He left her and Dawn, and her mother. Buffy smiled, and nodded, holding Dawn close to her.
"That would be nice, Giles. I don't think we'd mind, would we Dawn?"
"Nope. I would rather not be alone with just Buffy. The house would be too quiet."
Giles nodded, as he looked back over at his two girls. Buffy smiled softly, before looking back over at Dawn.
"Are you hungry, Dawn?"
"A little."
"Giles, could you?"
"Of course. I'll go start dinner."
Giles walked off towards the kitchen, as Buffy and Dawn stood in the same spot, not moving. Buffy turned her head to look back over at Dawn. Dawn seemed lost in her thoughts once more. Buffy smiled as Dawn turned her head to look back over at her.
"Buffy?"
"Yes?"
"I think I'm going to go get out of these clothes before dinner."
"Alright."
"I love you, Buffy."
"I love you too, Dawn."
Buffy watched her little sister ascend the stairs towards her room. Buffy did not know what she would do if she was left all alone, without Dawn, or Giles, or her friends. It would be horrible. She did not know if she could survive if Glory got what she wanted from Dawn, and she disappeared. Buffy sighed as she turned back to the living room. She did not know if she would ever be able to walk into that room again. All those memories just kept flooding back to her once more
"She's in here."
Buffy stated as the two EMT people walked into her home with there equipment and other gadgets. Buffy could just stand there as one of the EMT questioned her and everything. She could just answer questions as they tried to bring her mother back form the dead. Nevertheless, she was as cold as ice, and she was not moving. They decided that they could not save her, and told Buffy that the corner would be by to pick her up.
"I'm very sorry for your loss."
"Thank you."
She followed them to the door, wishing them good luck. She sighed and closed the door, before looking around. It was then that it hit her. Her mother was gone. Then next few minutes she wondered her way through the house. She sat the phone down in the kitchen. It was then that she heard the front door open, and Giles calling out her name.
"I'm here."
He turned to the living room as he saw Joyce, lying on the ground.
"Oh my God. Joyce?"
"No! Giles."
He tried to revive her before Buffy called out something that she would remember for the rest of her life.
"We're not supposed to move the body!"
Giles turned to look at her as she felt her hand move to her mouth, and she felt her lip quiver, with tears streaming down her face. Giles rushed to her, embracing her as she stared at her mother, shocked at what she had just said.
As the memories continued to flood back at her, she walked over to the sofa, sitting down on it softly. Her mother was gone, and there was nothing that could bring her back. At first, she had been convinced that Glory was the one that did this, with the whole brain sucky thing. However, she had gone to the hospital with Giles and her mom. Moreover, after a lot of waiting, to see what had happened to her mother, the corner came out, and told her that it had been from a complication from surgery to remove the tumor from her brain. It was an aneurysm, which had caused her to die. The doctor said she probably felt some nausea and passed out on the couch, and more than likely she felt very little pain, and that even if Buffy had been by her side at the time it happened, there was no way to know if she had be there, it would have made a difference.
Buffy had been holding in the tears for so long, to be strong for Dawn, and she just could not do it anymore. She practically slumped into her legs, her face holding her hands, as she cried. It seemed as if the tears would never stop, and she was in some way relieved that they had finally come. She sighed as she continued to cry, putting her head on the pillow, wrapping her arms around another one, as she felt her eyes let more tears fall down her face. All she thought about was her mother. Her smile, her laugh, and that she would never see that again.
"Buffy?
She looked up to see Giles, holding a tray of tea and coffee, and Dawn standing beside him, watching Buffy cry her eyes out about the death of her mother. She sighed as she sat up, still quivering. Giles sat the tray down on the table, before moving to Buffy's side, sitting down on the couch. Buffy turned to look into his green eyes that filled her with such a hope and comfort. She smiled softly, but tears continued to fall down her cream-colored face. She felt herself lay her head on his shoulder, letting the tears flow. He sighed softly, wrapping his huge arms around his slayer's frail body. Dawn joined them on the couch, letting her arms wrap around her sister as well. It was to help Buffy.
Dawn looked up at Giles, as he cuddled Buffy close to him, comforting her. There was something in his eyes that Dawn had never seen before. It was almost like how Angel used to look at her, or Riley. It was strange to Dawn, and shook the feelings away, but that was what it felt like to her. Could Giles love Buffy more than he was letting on? Dawn did not know if he did, but some small part of her was freaking. Giles and Buffy? That would be beyond disgusting. Yet, another small part of her hoped it was true, so that she could see her two favorite people in this crazy world happy. She smiled as Giles eyes met with hers and she saw what looked like a blush, as he looked back down at Buffy, before pulling away.
"Buffy, I put a pizza in the oven. I didn't think we had time to cook a big dinner"
"That sounds fine to me. As long as Dawn eats it."
Buffy looked up, breaking the whole group hug, to look back over at Dawn. She grinned as she moved a piece of her blonde hair from her pale and tear-stained face. Dawn nodded, smiling.
"Pizza sounds pretty good, Buffy. I'll go check on it."
Even before Giles could get even get a syllable out of his mouth, she had left, looking back over at Giles, and giving him a small smile. It made Giles ears turn red, and looked away from the younger of his two, as he looked back over at Buffy. Dawn seemed to be acting strange, as if she saw something in him that he could not see. He shrugged it off his mind, as he turned back to Buffy, smiling softly.
"Thanks, Giles. I needed that."
"You're welcome Buffy. I'm always here to help."
He stood up, with his back turned to her. Something seemed to be odd about the way that Dawn had been looking at her. Did Dawn know? Did Dawn... He let out a rather frustrated little sigh, before looking back up at the ceiling, praying to God that he had not given himself away. Buffy seemed to notice what was going on and stood up, putting a hand on his shoulder. It made his blood boil, but he calmed himself down as he looked back over at Buffy.
"You miss Mom too?"
"Yes, Buffy."
He had to make her think that that was the reason why he seemed so upset. Nevertheless, of course that was not the reason. He smiled as he took her hand off his shoulder, and clung to it, before dropping it as Dawn came back into the room, with three plates full of pepperoni pizza. He moved away from Buffy, as she walked back over to her sister.
"Looks delicious. Do you want to eat in here, Dawn?"
"Um, I am kind of not hungry anymore. I think I'm just going to go to bed."
Giles looked back over at her, as the young teenagers' eyes lock with his, sending a shiver down his spine, as if she wanted to kill him. Buffy nodded as she took the tray, and placing it down on the table again. She looked back over at her, smiling.
"All right then, Dawn. I am thinking of going to bed soon too, after I eat. So, go ahead if you want."
Dawn nodded, giving her sister a quick hug, glaring at Giles once more, before heading up the stairs, unlacing her hair. Buffy looked clueless up at where her sister had just left, before looking back over at Giles, figuring that she was just depressed from loosing her mother, and wanted to go to bed early. Buffy picked up a plate with a nice and juicy piece of pizza, sitting back down on the couch. Giles watched her, eating silently, as he felt thoughts running through his head. Buffy could never know how he really felt about his slayer. It would destroy her. He sighed as she finished the piece of pizza before looking up at him, smiling softly.
"I'm going to take a cue from Dawn, and go get in the shower. Good night, Giles."
"If you need anything... "
"I know where to find you, I know."
He smiled as he walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her softly. He knew that if he ever lost Buffy, he would be lost in the world, with no reason to live. He smiled as she hugged him back, feeling his heart beat faster before he pulled away.
"Good night."
"Night..."
Buffy arrived in the bathroom, with her robe, nightgown, and undergarments in hand. Buffy brushed out her long blonde locks, looking into the mirror. She felt tears going down her face, but tried to push them away. Her mother would never be able to brush her hair again, or smile, or laugh, or taste pizza, or feel her heart beat. She looked into the mirror, with her red tear stained face. She put the brush down, getting undressed to jump into the shower. She turned on the water, grief still threatening to wash over her again. As soon as it was warm enough, slipping into the water, and letting it flow over her back, and shoulders, soaking her hair. She continued to cry, before becoming lost in her thoughts, and the memories of talking to tear about her mom, and finding Dawn in the morgue.
Downstairs, Giles was settling into the couch, with a small blanket and pillow, and the plate of his pizza sitting on his chest. He turned on the TV to some old documentary and munching on his pizza. He had to find some way of getting his mind off the golden-haired beauty that was up in the shower. How had he managed to keep these feelings away from her, and everyone else for so long? It had been since she had began neglecting her in college that he knew of his true feelings. And now, Dawn knew how he felt. He knew this could be danger. He didn't want to push anyone away. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, getting the first few seconds of rest and relaxation that he had had all day. And he heard a thump that made him fall of the couch.
"BUFFY?"
As he reached the top of the stairs, he saw Dawn rushing out of her room.
"Dawn, I'll check on her. Go back to bed."
She protested but went into her room, as Giles headed for the bathroom door. He opened the door, not surprised by what he saw. He inched forward, to find Buffy being dowsed with water, and naked. He grabbed the towel Buffy had sat out and blushed, trying his best not to let her nakedness distract him. He closed his eyes, as he turned off the shower and the water. He wrapped the towel around her cold, limp body, before picking her up into his arms, letting her head fall on his racing heart. He headed towards her bed room, with Dawn following close behind, holding her night gown close to her heart.
"Giles is she?"
"She's fine, Dawn. She's just been through so much today, her mind couldn't take it. She just needs her rest."
Giles took another towel, whipping off her face from the water droplets and drying her hair. He touched her tenderly, with nothing but love and worry. Dawn watched him work, and felt the quiver once more. Giles seemed to love her sister more than she knew. She moved over as he got up and turned around, letting her dress her sister. Giles turned back once Dawn had moved away, and put the covers over her, letting her body rest. She needed it, and deserved to be at peace. He turned back to Dawn, as she stared into his eyes. She didn't know how she felt about the way he was being around her.
"Giles.."
"Dawn, go to bed. I'll stay with her."
She sighed, looking him in the eye, before she reluctantly agreed, and walked out of the room. He looked back down at Buffy, who seemed to be breathing fine. He was just glad that she hadn't hurt her head. He smiled as he took her hand in his, as he sat in a chair beside her bed, which is where he stayed until light began to enter the room the next morning.
He got up, and moved over to Buffy, kissing her forehead softly. He wished that he had enough courage to kiss her soft petal like lips, but he felt it would be too much of an invasion. He didn't want her to know how he truly felt or else she could break his heart. He pushed her hair back before leaving, closing the door behind her. He turned to see Dawn stand there, looking at him, arms crossed and the death glare appearing upon her face.
"Dawn?"
"Giles, we need to talk..."