A/N - Another chapter already? Actually, I wanted to upload this entire fic tonight. I keep losing power though because of thunderstorms so two is the best I can do. The rest of the story will be released tomorrow.
The day began, as per usual, with the screeching of Dawn's alarm clock. The high pitched whine would not be halted by silly things like walls, awakening every person in the home.
Willow groaned, fruitlessly trying to block out the noise by hiding under her pillow. She felt the mattress shift besides her as Tara got up to start the day. As much as Willow enjoyed her girlfriend's initiative, it was way too early to be awake.
The alarm was still going, the screaming reaching fever pitch.
"How can she sleep through that?" Willow moaned, tossing the pillow off the side of the bed and struggling to her feet.
"Willpower?" Tara offered, shrugging a robe on over her pajamas before opening the door and making her way to Dawn's room.
The screeching cut off abruptly, blissful quiet descending to soothe frazzled nerves. Willow contemplated going back to bed now that peace had been restored. The mattress certainly looked inviting, blankets still radiating warmth, but her mind was now raring to go. It was an unfortunate side effect of being inquisitive - once her head got going, there was no way to stop her racing thoughts.
Regretfully, she made the bed and moved to the closest to pick out clothes. Tara had disappeared downstairs to start breakfast. She could hear her girlfriend talking with Dawn, the two chuckling at something.
One person was unaccounted for though…
Willow rolled her eyes good naturedly, realizing Buffy must have once again forgotten to set her alarm. Her best friend was so calm and collected during slaying but in the real world? Let's just say there was room for improvement.
After dressing in jeans and a pink sweater Xander had bought her several years ago for her birthday, she walked across the hall to Buffy's room. The door was closed but Willow paid it no mind, cracking it open and peeking inside.
The curtains were closed, leaving the room in semidarkness.
"Hey sleepyhead, it's time to get up." Willow marched across the room to the window. "Dawn has to leave for school soon."
The only response she received was a quiet murr, the noise oddly high pitched.
Shrugging at the lack of actual words, Willow deftly opened the blinds, light spilling forth brutally. She stepped back hurriedly, having forgotten the morning sun shone directly into the room. Her vision was fuzzy, black spots dancing across her eyes and she blinked several times to clear them.
When her gaze fell on Buffy's bed, she blinked again.
And again.
And again.
"Tara?" she called out in a squeaky yell, not taking her eyes off the bed.
The blonde appeared within moments of being called, having detected the panic in her girlfriend's voice. She stepped into the room, immediately going to Willow's side.
"Honey? What is it?" she asked, a hand cupping the redhead's face and turning it so she could get a look at wide green eyes.
Willow's head moved but her pupils remained fastened somewhere to their right.
"Bed." she said, voice still an octave higher than normal.
With a feeling of trepidation that did not fit the situation, Tara turned in the direction of the bed. Her gaze clouded, troubled by what she saw.
"W-what happened?" she stammered.
Willow was no longer in any state to speak. She simply shook her head.
Because before them, nestled in a heap of blankets, was a tiny, blonde baby. She was curled up contently, a thumb stuck between her lips as she drew deep even breaths.
"Buffy?" Tara whispered, horror struck.
Large eyes peeled open slowly at the name. The small form awkwardly rolled over to get a look at the two new people in the room.
"Baby." Willow said, brain still effectively fried.
And then a small mouth opened, revealing only a partial set of pearly white teeth. It was almost endearing.
Until a terrible wailing noise pressed up from that tiny chest and filled the room.
Dawn hated mornings with a fiery passion. What was there to like about waking up early and going to school with a bunch of miserable teenagers? And besides, she was a key and inanimate objects were not required to be educated last time she checked.
She pushed her half finished bowl of cereal away spitefully and eyed the empty kitchen. A few moments ago, Tara had gone upstairs at the request of Willow. Buffy was still nowhere to be found but that was nothing new. The last two weeks, her sister had only managed to see her off to school twice.
Thinking of Buffy caused her head to throb, a spasm in sync with her heartbeat. The last two months had been literal Hell for her. So much had been divulged and then she had lost her mother. She was so totally alone, a castaway. Everyone had a reason to avoid her and the only person who made her feel even remotely normal - Spike - had been driven off by Buffy.
Willow and Tara were there for her but it was not the same. She wanted, needed, family. But Buffy had cut herself off, acting as if everything was the status quo.
And that more than anything fueled the fury Dawn felt her small body could not contain.
Out of everyone, she was the one who deserved to freak out. She wanted to break things and cry and scream but instead everyone was treating her like a package marked fragile. Why couldn't anyone understand that her world was falling apart? Everything she had ever known, every feeling, every moment of joy and heartache and fear had been falsified by some old men.
Her life now held the surreal sense of a dream - a nightmare. And she could not wake up, could not escape from the feeling that she simply was not real.
A baby was crying.
The noise was so random, it pulled Dawn from her dismal thoughts. She looked up uncomprehendingly at the ceiling as if expecting to find a small child hovering above her.
The sound continued and was joined by other noises. Feet were stomping, someone was yelling, and then something crashed.
Bolting from the table, Dawn ran up the stairs two at a time. Her first thought was Glory had finally made a move. It made sense, the Goddess had not been heard from for ages. She could be attacking Tara and Willow right now. There was no sound of fighting. Where was Buffy?
Reaching the top of the stairs, she looked around warily. The crying had cut off. Her heartbeat throbbed in her ears, a deep pounding which only seemed to grow with the silence.
"Willow?" She shuffled forward, ready to bolt at the slightest provocation.
Buffy's door was partially ajar.
"Tara?" Her tone was creeping into the range of hysterical.
Still no answer.
She was directly in front of the door now, one simple push and… and what?
Gulping, she tried to steady herself. She was a Summers, sister to the Vampire Slayer and daughter to an independent woman who had survived a divorce and raising two girls.
But that wasn't true, was it?
Because she was not really Dawn Summers at all. Buffy was not her sister. And Joyce was not her mother.
Still indecisive over entering Buffy's room, the choice was taken from her as a hand curled around the edge and pulled it open. Dawn's startled hiss was swallowed by Tara's whimper, her eyes widened comically.
"T-tara? What's going on?" Dawn asked desperately. Tara did not seem injured but she was still acting shell shocked.
"Erm… well…" The blonde was cut off by Willow.
"What are we going to do? We don't have baby food or clothes or ANYTHING!"
The words Willow spoke, theoretically, made sense. But the context was completely lost on Dawn. Wordlessly, she pushed the door open farther. Her wild gaze locked onto Willow who was frantically bouncing a small bundle and crooning.
That small bundle had awfully familiar blonde hair.
"Wi-willow, who i-is that?" she asked, petrified.
Tara sighed, coming to stand besides her girlfriend. Her stance was still tense but her features relaxed as she regained control. "Well Dawn… this is your sister."
And right then Dawn knew she was going to need years and years of therapy to get over her childhood.