Buffy used her key to let herself into her mom's house. 'Funny, I don't think of it as my house anymore' Buffy thought to herself. Now a sophomore, Buffy had lucked into one of the single-bed dorms on the top floor of Stevenson. When Willow had told her that she was moving off-campus to rent a place with Tara, she had offered to look for a place where all three of them could live, but Buffy had opted to stay on-campus. 'I love Willow, and I am bound and determined to be supporto-gal about her life-style, but I don't know if I could live with their smoochies all the time. Does that make me a bad person? Am I a closet homophobe? Oh well, I'll get used to it in time.'
Buffy moved into the living room, dropping her tiny backpack purse onto a chair. The stereo was pumping a local classic rock station while the sounds of pots and pans banging together came from the kitchen. "Hi Mom!"
"Oh, hi Sweetie! I'm in the kitchen doing the dishes." Joyce walked in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel, Buffy moved to her and they shared a hug. "Are you hungry? I could warm up some meatloaf?"
"No, I'm good – I ate a late lunch with Riley."
"Where is your boyfriend, I thought he was going with you to the Bronze?"
"He has a bunch of papers to grade. I told him to blow it off 'til Sunday night but he said 'What if we have to avert the apocalypse on Sunday night? Then they won't get graded, and I need my TA position!' So he's going to meet us there later. Is Dawn ready to go?"
"Lord only knows; I stuck my head in a little bit ago and she almost bit it off. She's convinced that every piece of clothing she owns makes her look like a 'clunky dork-girl'. I offered to help but she just looked at me as if I were a leper…"
"Looks like a job for 'Foster-Sister' Mom, I'll go save the fashion day."
Buffy went up the stairs and paused in her old doorway. Dawn was not in sight, but a piece of clothing came flying out of the closet. Buffy leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms across her chest, a rueful, knowing smile on her lips. Another piece of clothing came flying from the closet, followed by a low guttural sound from Dawn's throat. Suddenly, Buffy recognized the crumpled garment as an old skirt she had left behind when she moved out. Picking it off the floor, she crossed to the closet. "Hey, watch it with the merchandise, Missy!"
"Buffy!" Dawn fairly squealed "You have to help me! I can't go to the Bronze looking like a –"
"'Clunky dork-girl'?"
"Oh…Your mom told you I said that, huh?" Dawn walked over and plonked down on the bed, her face in her hands. "I don't know why I'm even trying. What guy would ever want me, I'm a freak of nature…"
Buffy crossed and sat on the bed next to her. "Come on now, drama-queen; nothing is that bad, is it?"
Dawn raised her head to look at Buffy, tears glittering in her eyes. "My own parents didn't want me." Her voice was starting to shake. "My dad left when I was four. Mom couldn't handle it when the voices started talking through me last year; she started drinking…she called me names…she said I was a devil-child, that I was evil…" Dawn broke down completely, sobbing into the bed spread.
Buffy grabbed a box of tissues from the nightstand and guided Dawn's hand to it. Dawn pushed it away, she was to busy snuffling into the bed spread. Buffy just sat there and stroked Dawn's back, waiting for the storm to pass. When Buffy heard that the sobs had subsided sufficiently, she gently sat Dawn up on the bed. "Feel any better?" Buffy pulled a couple of tissues from the box and began daubing the younger girl's eyes.
"I guess so…" Her voice was nasally
Buffy put the tissue to her nose. "Okay, blow!" Dawn dutifully blew her nose. Buffy pulled another tissue out and held it up. "Again." Dawn blew her nose again. She took the tissue from Buffy and wiped her eyes again. "Thanks Buffy."
Buffy put her hand under Dawn's chin to raise her eyes up "Hey, you're not the only girl whose parents have broken up, you know…"
"Yeah, I know…"
"My dad left when I was real young too…"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. For a long time I was sure that I had done something wrong, that that's why they broke up. But it wasn't me; sometimes people just fall out of love with each other."
"Yeah…But what about my mom and those things she said? I bet your mom never did that!"
"No, you're right, she didn't. She got very upset when she found out I was the Chosen One though. She was mad because I had been keeping secrets from her. But if you want to talk about angry, you should have seen her after I ran away – sheesh!"
"Wait a second, you ran away!"
"Yup. I'm not proud of it, but I did. I couldn't handle my life so I ran away…Anyway, look at us now – We're great. When your mom gets out of the hospital - "
"You mean the loony bin!"
"I mean the hospital. Your mom is sick – mental illness is a disease, not a failure of someone's character."
"But I put her there Buffy – she freaked out because of me…"
"Tell me something Dawn, did you sit down and decide to royally screw up your life and your mom's life?"
"No, it just happened –
"Exactly. Just like I never chose to be the Slayer. But it happened…It was my destiny…And as much as I've tried to wish it away, I can't escape my destiny. I have to accept it, and get on with the rest of my life. Which is exactly what we're going to do right now!" Buffy stood up. "Come on Missy, we've got some serious Bronzing to do, and you cannot attend the Bronze wearing only a bra and panty set – they have a dress code."
Dawn looked up at her. "But what am I going to wear?"
Buffy glanced down at the bed. "How about this little number?" She held up the mini-skirt that Dawn had tossed from the closet. "I used to have this matching sleeveless sweater that went with it." Buffy began rummaging through the pile of clothes in front of the closet. "Yup, here it is. Come on, try it on, let's see if it fits."
Dawn gave a small smile and bit her lower lip. "You think?"
"I bet it does, we're about the same size. Come on, whaddya say?"
"Okay!" Dawn took the clothes from Buffy and started to get dressed.
Buffy disappeared into the closet. "I had some calf boots that – here they are! Put these on. No wait, they're kind of dusty, let me wipe them down first. You put some makeup on. But not too much! Just a little eyeliner and lip gloss. You're pretty enough as you are."
Dawn blushed and sat down at the dressing table. Buffy finished with the boots and walked over to stand behind Dawn. "Buffy, do you think I should wear my hair up?"
"Hmm, the Bronze on a Friday night…No, definitely not. You want to look good, but not look like you tried too hard. Easy-breezy-no-big-deal; like you wake up in the morning and look good anyway. Besides, you have pretty hair, and it looks good framing your face." Buffy smiled at Dawn in the mirror as she tugged the ends of Dawn's hair and gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Look at you, those boys won't know what hit'em."
"Buffy?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you a question?
"Sure."
"Did you ever…I mean, have you ever…Um…"
"Come on, you can ask me anything, we're sisters, right?"
"Right…Well…Have you ever been involved with an older man? You don't have to tell me if you'd rather not…"
"No…It's okay…Um…Yes I have…"
"Was he like way older than you?"
"Yes…"
"I mean so much older, that people wouldn't even think about the two of you as being a couple?" Dawn had finished her makeup and started to zip up the boots. Buffy knew where this was going, but she couldn't think of a way to steer the conversation.
"Yes."
"But I bet it didn't matter to you. You knew what you wanted and you went after him anyway, right?"
"Yes, I did…"
"Cool. I knew that's what you'd do."
"Are we talking about anyone in particular?
"No…I was just being nosy." Dawn stood and modeled for Buffy. "There, how do I look?"
"You look great!" Buffy and Dawn turned to see Joyce standing in the doorway. "Oh, look at my two girls. Let me get my camera!" Joyce turned and started walking down the hallway to her room. Her voice came back to the two girls as they shared a look. "You know it's really amazing, you two really do look like sisters."