Buffy scanned the contents of the letter for the fifth time praying that the words would change.
Dear Ms Buffy Summers,
It has come to our attention that you have not been coping well with your parenting duties towards Dawn Summers.
The staff at the Department Of Social Services strongly suggests you find a male caregiver to act as a father figure for your sister.
You have three weeks to find a suitable caregiver. If this person fails to meet our standards when we review you once the time is up, we will be forced to take action, resulting in you losing custody of your charge.
Doris Kroger
Department of Social Services
Child Protection Division
With a shaking hand, Buffy dropped the letter on the kitchen counter and slumped to the floor as sobs wracked throughout her body.
That was where Willow found her an hour later, her knees tucked under her chin, red, puffy eyes, mascara smeared down her checks.
"Buffy? What's wrong?" Willow asked anxiously.
"They're going to take her away," came the soft reply.
Willow knelt down beside her friend, "Who, Dawn?"
Buffy nodded and wiped at her tear-streaked face. "They sent a letter, I need to find a male caregiver," she explained between sobs.
Willow examined the letter. "It says you have three weeks, Buffy, that's plenty of time, we are going to find someone. I'm not going to let Dawn get sent away."
Buffy blew her nose. "Who? I mean I've gone through everyone. There's no one"
"Giles will do it. Do you want me to call him? It's only ten o'clock over there"
"No, I'll do it. Hand me the phone." Buffy punched in Giles's number in Bath.
"Hello?" his voice sounded tiny over the phone.
"Giles, it's me."
"Buffy? Is everything ok?"
"No," she replied, choking back a sob.
"What is it? Is there anything I can do?"
"They're threatening to take Dawn away. I need to get a male caregiver for her. I was wondering if you could come back and-and help. I know you said I could do it, and I thought I could, but I can't. Oh, God." The rest of Buffy's thoughts were swept away in a flood tears.
Willow eased the phone out of Buffy's hand, "Hi Giles," she whispered.
"Willow, what's going on?"
"Way too much, Tara left me, I got into an accident, Dawn hates me, and now I've given up magic and I'm going through withdrawal, what about you?"
"Well, I miss you all terribly."
"We miss you too. So about Dawn?"
"Willow, I'm so sorry, but I don't think I can help. I'm busy at the moment, I've taken up a part-time position at a museum, I can't move back to Sunnydale."
"Oh"
"I'm sorry, but I just can't."
"But what about Dawn?"
"She could always come stay with me until things get sorted out."
"No offence, Giles, but I think she's want to stay with Buffy, or at least in Sunnydale."
"You know that if I could come, I would, it's just-"
Willow cut him off, "I know, that's fine, we'll find somebody else."
"Have you tried Wesley?"
"Sorry Giles, I have to go, goodbye."
Willow hung up the phone, and then turned to Buffy who was still shaken by muffled sobs. "I'm sorry, Buffy. He can't come. He did suggest Wesley though."
"Do we remember Faith? I don't want Wes looking after Dawn the way he looked after her."
The redhead sighed, "You're right."
"So what am I going to do? Xander and Anya won't be coming back from their honeymoon for another month, and that will be too late. Dawn hates Angel. And Wesley's a moron. There's no one else."
"Yes, there is," Willow said, a faint smile on her lips, "and Dawn already loves him."
"Who?"
"Spike."
Dear Ms Buffy Summers,
It has come to our attention that you have not been coping well with your parenting duties towards Dawn Summers.
The staff at the Department Of Social Services strongly suggests you find a male caregiver to act as a father figure for your sister.
You have three weeks to find a suitable caregiver. If this person fails to meet our standards when we review you once the time is up, we will be forced to take action, resulting in you losing custody of your charge.
Doris Kroger
Department of Social Services
Child Protection Division
With a shaking hand, Buffy dropped the letter on the kitchen counter and slumped to the floor as sobs wracked throughout her body.
That was where Willow found her an hour later, her knees tucked under her chin, red, puffy eyes, mascara smeared down her checks.
"Buffy? What's wrong?" Willow asked anxiously.
"They're going to take her away," came the soft reply.
Willow knelt down beside her friend, "Who, Dawn?"
Buffy nodded and wiped at her tear-streaked face. "They sent a letter, I need to find a male caregiver," she explained between sobs.
Willow examined the letter. "It says you have three weeks, Buffy, that's plenty of time, we are going to find someone. I'm not going to let Dawn get sent away."
Buffy blew her nose. "Who? I mean I've gone through everyone. There's no one"
"Giles will do it. Do you want me to call him? It's only ten o'clock over there"
"No, I'll do it. Hand me the phone." Buffy punched in Giles's number in Bath.
"Hello?" his voice sounded tiny over the phone.
"Giles, it's me."
"Buffy? Is everything ok?"
"No," she replied, choking back a sob.
"What is it? Is there anything I can do?"
"They're threatening to take Dawn away. I need to get a male caregiver for her. I was wondering if you could come back and-and help. I know you said I could do it, and I thought I could, but I can't. Oh, God." The rest of Buffy's thoughts were swept away in a flood tears.
Willow eased the phone out of Buffy's hand, "Hi Giles," she whispered.
"Willow, what's going on?"
"Way too much, Tara left me, I got into an accident, Dawn hates me, and now I've given up magic and I'm going through withdrawal, what about you?"
"Well, I miss you all terribly."
"We miss you too. So about Dawn?"
"Willow, I'm so sorry, but I don't think I can help. I'm busy at the moment, I've taken up a part-time position at a museum, I can't move back to Sunnydale."
"Oh"
"I'm sorry, but I just can't."
"But what about Dawn?"
"She could always come stay with me until things get sorted out."
"No offence, Giles, but I think she's want to stay with Buffy, or at least in Sunnydale."
"You know that if I could come, I would, it's just-"
Willow cut him off, "I know, that's fine, we'll find somebody else."
"Have you tried Wesley?"
"Sorry Giles, I have to go, goodbye."
Willow hung up the phone, and then turned to Buffy who was still shaken by muffled sobs. "I'm sorry, Buffy. He can't come. He did suggest Wesley though."
"Do we remember Faith? I don't want Wes looking after Dawn the way he looked after her."
The redhead sighed, "You're right."
"So what am I going to do? Xander and Anya won't be coming back from their honeymoon for another month, and that will be too late. Dawn hates Angel. And Wesley's a moron. There's no one else."
"Yes, there is," Willow said, a faint smile on her lips, "and Dawn already loves him."
"Who?"
"Spike."