Title: Find Your Way Home (5/?)
Author: Ally
Email: slaygal242@a...
Disclaimer: With the exception of my own creations, no Buffy or Angel characters belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon, Fox and UPN.
Rating: G to R
Category: Story/Romance/Angst
Keywords: Alternate Universe/Futurefic
Pairings:
Main: D/X, B/S
Others: A/Fr, W/O, Fa/T, C/D,Gn/A,J/Gi, We/V
Distribution: You want this? Take it; just tell me where it's going.
Summary: 10 years after the events of Becoming, Buffy comes back to a very different Sunnydale.
Author's Notes: Did you ever have a story you can't get out of your head? Well, this is mine. Hope you like it.
Author's Notes 2: I apologize ahead of time if this sucks.
Dedications: To those kind souls who gave me feedback. I appreciate it so much.
Feedback: Always appreciated.
Two weeks had passed without incident. Buffy was getting used to being home again, as were Joyce and Dawn. It had just been the two of them for so long that having another human being in the house was a little disconcerting. Still, they were happy to have her back, even though she wasn't really saying much about the time she was gone.
This night was no different than the last. Dawn had just put Justin to bed and Buffy was watching TV in the family room. Dawn and Joyce were on the porch, enjoying the unusually warm night. It seemed so normal and familiar, but Dawn still felt ill at ease. She wished that Spike was there, since he was the only one who knew about Buffy being home, but he was visiting Angel for the weekend.
"Buffy's birthday is tomorrow."
"Hmmm" Dawn said, shaking her head of all thought.
"Buffy's birthday is tomorrow. We should do something" Joyce said.
"What? No one else knows she's here and she doesn't really look like she wants a party."
"She's my daughter. A daughter I haven't seen in ten years. We have to do something."
Dawn sighed, knowing she could never deny her mother anything. "All right, but something small should do. Just the four of us. I don't think Buffy could handle a surprise and neither could the others."
"Great, I'll pick up the cake tomorrow and you can get some nice gifts for her."
"Ok, Justin will probably like going along with me."
Joyce smiled. "What if we invite Spike too?"
"Spike? I don't think so."
"Why not? He knows Buffy's here and she could use a friend."
"I guess, but Buffy doesn't know that Spike knows that she's here and she hates him" Dawn pointed out.
"How can she hate a guy she doesn't even really know?"
"Because he used to be a vampire who tried to kill her on several different occasions and whose sire almost caused the end of the world, that's why" Dawn said, knowingly.
"Well, feelings can change."
Dawn laughed at that. "Mom, why the sudden intrest in Spike?"
"Because I'm leaving for England on Monday."
"And you want someone to take care of her" Dawn added sympathically.
"I just want both my daughters to be taken care of. You have Xander and the others, but Buffy doesn't have anyone. She seems so scared and alone and she won't tell me why. It's just so frustrating" Joyce said, wiping her eyes.
Dawn got up and sat on the edge of the chair. "Mom, do you feel guilty about going?"
"A little, but I've thought a lot about this and I think it would be best if I go. I miss Giles and if I told him something happened, then he would come home and things would get complicated."
"Mom, don't feel bad. Buffy has me and Justin. She'll be fine, I promise."
Joyce got up and hugged Dawn tightly. "When did you get smarter than me?" she asked.
"Practice" she said with a smile.
Joyce smiled and smiled "Well, it's late. I think I'm gonna hit the sack. Night, honey" Joyce said, kissing her on the cheek.
"Night, mom" Dawn said to her retreating back.
Now it was quiet and Dawn sighed. She closed her eyes and just listened to the the nighttime sounds. She wished Xander was there to enjoy this night, but he was also at Angel's. He wanted her to come with him since the gang was there, but she declined saying she had too much homework. She hated seeing Xander's face fall and hated upsetting him so much, but it was what she had to do.
"How did things get so complicated?" she murmured.
"What?"
She opened her eyes and saw Buffy standing there. "Nothing. What's up?"
"It's almost midnight. Thought you'd like to know."
Dawn smiled her thanks. She got up and stretched, feeling her muscles pull and stretch. After she checked the downstairs, she said good night to Buffy.
"Night Dawnie."
As she was going up the stairs, the clock chimed midnight. Smiling to herself, she bounded down the stairs and burst into a chrous of "Happy Birthday."
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday, dear Buffy
Happy Birthday to you
Buffy laughed and clapped as Dawn finished. "That was great, Dawnie! Thanks" she said, sincerely.
"Well, I've been waiting a long time to do that" she said, quietly.
Buffy nodded, her mood changing instantly. Her posture was slouched and her head was bent. She drew her knees up to her chest. It seemed like she was drawing in on herself.
Dawn hated seeing her sister look so down, but there was nothing she could do about it. "Well, anyway, Happy Birthday" she said, kissing her forehead.
Buffy said, nothing, just looked out the window. Dawn looked one more time and continued up the stairs. Maybe things weren't looking so bright after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following morning, Dawn awoke bright and early. The sun was shining in the clear blue sky. The air was crisp and cool, usual for Sunnydale in January. Kids were playing in thier yards and cars were slowly driving by enjoying the day.
None of this mattered to Dawn though. She was still reliving the remnants of her dream. It was the same dream she was having every night since Buffy came. Her heart was pounding and her pulse was racing. She could even feel the sweat pooling in the small of her back.
After a few minutes, Dawn was calm enough to get out of bed. She was still shaking a bit, but was otherwise okay. She checked to see if Justin was still sleeping, but his room was empty. She felt her pulse race again, but she suddenly heard laughter downstairs and relaxed again.
*I have to calm down* she thought, breathing deeply. She wished she could call Xander or at least Spike, but they wouldn't be home for another day.
She sighed and decided to take a shower. *It better make me feel better* she thought angrily.
An hour later, she was dressed and feeling a little better, but was still tired. She looked in the mirror and bags were forming under her eyes. "Well, it's good enough for today" she murmured, glumly.
As she climbed down the stairs, she saw a sight that warmed her heart. Buffy was sitting on the couch, with Justin curled up in her lap. She smiled and then looked at Buffy's face. It seemed so calm and at peace, no traces of worry or sadness to be found. She hated to break that up, but she had a long day ahead and needed to get a move on. After a beat, she went down the rest of the way and plastered on a smile.
"Hey, guys" she said.
"Mommy!" Justing said, running to her.
"Did he wake you?" she asked Buffy as Justin climbed into her lap.
"No, I've been awake for awhile" she said, with a sad smile.
"Well, if it happens again, you come into my room, okay?"
"K" he said, snuggling against her.
A few minutes later, she felt Justin's breathing even and knew he was asleep. Buffy gave a small smile, but Dawn just rolled her eyes. "He always does this, but I can't really hold it against him."
"Well, he's a cute kid. You should be very proud."
"Oh, I am, but if it wasn't for the gang I don't think I would've made it this far" Dawn said, with a small.
"They are the best" Buffy said, wistfully.
"I'm sure they'd love to see you."
Her face automatically became fearful. "I can't. Not yet. It's too soon."
"But, Buffy.."
"Please, just a little longer."
Dawn sighed. "Fine, a little longer."
She saw Buffy's face relax and her mood change instantly. Dawn wondered why Buffy was so on edge, but didn't want to push her too far. She seemed so fragile, like she would break at any second.
At that moment, Justin woke up and stretched. "Have a nice nap."
"Yeah."
"Good, now go get changed. We have someplace to go."
"Where?"
"It's a surprise."
"Cool" he said, running upstairs.
"Dawnie, I think I have an idea about where you're going and I don't want you to go to any trouble for me" Buffy said.
"How do you know it's for you?"
"Just a hunch."
Dawn smiled and said "Well, don't sell yourself short. You deserve it."
Buffy didn't say anything, as Justin came down the stairs. "Ready!"
"Okay, we'll be going then. You gonna be okay by yourself?"
"I'll be fine. Now remember, no going overboard, got it?"
"Yes, mom" Dawn said, with a smile.
Buffy just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bye."
Dawn waved and soon the house was quiet. She hated when the house was quiet. It gave her time to think and that's when the memories hit her. They assaulted her brain and she closed her eyes. She felt the tears seeping out and let them fall to the ground. She hated feeling this way, so helpless and alone, but it was better to keep her mom and Dawn in the dark, to keep them safe.
At that moment, she felt her back spasm and fell to the floor in pain. *They can never know* she thought, before passing out from the pain.
Author: Ally
Email: slaygal242@a...
Disclaimer: With the exception of my own creations, no Buffy or Angel characters belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon, Fox and UPN.
Rating: G to R
Category: Story/Romance/Angst
Keywords: Alternate Universe/Futurefic
Pairings:
Main: D/X, B/S
Others: A/Fr, W/O, Fa/T, C/D,Gn/A,J/Gi, We/V
Distribution: You want this? Take it; just tell me where it's going.
Summary: 10 years after the events of Becoming, Buffy comes back to a very different Sunnydale.
Author's Notes: Did you ever have a story you can't get out of your head? Well, this is mine. Hope you like it.
Author's Notes 2: I apologize ahead of time if this sucks.
Dedications: To those kind souls who gave me feedback. I appreciate it so much.
Feedback: Always appreciated.
Two weeks had passed without incident. Buffy was getting used to being home again, as were Joyce and Dawn. It had just been the two of them for so long that having another human being in the house was a little disconcerting. Still, they were happy to have her back, even though she wasn't really saying much about the time she was gone.
This night was no different than the last. Dawn had just put Justin to bed and Buffy was watching TV in the family room. Dawn and Joyce were on the porch, enjoying the unusually warm night. It seemed so normal and familiar, but Dawn still felt ill at ease. She wished that Spike was there, since he was the only one who knew about Buffy being home, but he was visiting Angel for the weekend.
"Buffy's birthday is tomorrow."
"Hmmm" Dawn said, shaking her head of all thought.
"Buffy's birthday is tomorrow. We should do something" Joyce said.
"What? No one else knows she's here and she doesn't really look like she wants a party."
"She's my daughter. A daughter I haven't seen in ten years. We have to do something."
Dawn sighed, knowing she could never deny her mother anything. "All right, but something small should do. Just the four of us. I don't think Buffy could handle a surprise and neither could the others."
"Great, I'll pick up the cake tomorrow and you can get some nice gifts for her."
"Ok, Justin will probably like going along with me."
Joyce smiled. "What if we invite Spike too?"
"Spike? I don't think so."
"Why not? He knows Buffy's here and she could use a friend."
"I guess, but Buffy doesn't know that Spike knows that she's here and she hates him" Dawn pointed out.
"How can she hate a guy she doesn't even really know?"
"Because he used to be a vampire who tried to kill her on several different occasions and whose sire almost caused the end of the world, that's why" Dawn said, knowingly.
"Well, feelings can change."
Dawn laughed at that. "Mom, why the sudden intrest in Spike?"
"Because I'm leaving for England on Monday."
"And you want someone to take care of her" Dawn added sympathically.
"I just want both my daughters to be taken care of. You have Xander and the others, but Buffy doesn't have anyone. She seems so scared and alone and she won't tell me why. It's just so frustrating" Joyce said, wiping her eyes.
Dawn got up and sat on the edge of the chair. "Mom, do you feel guilty about going?"
"A little, but I've thought a lot about this and I think it would be best if I go. I miss Giles and if I told him something happened, then he would come home and things would get complicated."
"Mom, don't feel bad. Buffy has me and Justin. She'll be fine, I promise."
Joyce got up and hugged Dawn tightly. "When did you get smarter than me?" she asked.
"Practice" she said with a smile.
Joyce smiled and smiled "Well, it's late. I think I'm gonna hit the sack. Night, honey" Joyce said, kissing her on the cheek.
"Night, mom" Dawn said to her retreating back.
Now it was quiet and Dawn sighed. She closed her eyes and just listened to the the nighttime sounds. She wished Xander was there to enjoy this night, but he was also at Angel's. He wanted her to come with him since the gang was there, but she declined saying she had too much homework. She hated seeing Xander's face fall and hated upsetting him so much, but it was what she had to do.
"How did things get so complicated?" she murmured.
"What?"
She opened her eyes and saw Buffy standing there. "Nothing. What's up?"
"It's almost midnight. Thought you'd like to know."
Dawn smiled her thanks. She got up and stretched, feeling her muscles pull and stretch. After she checked the downstairs, she said good night to Buffy.
"Night Dawnie."
As she was going up the stairs, the clock chimed midnight. Smiling to herself, she bounded down the stairs and burst into a chrous of "Happy Birthday."
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday, dear Buffy
Happy Birthday to you
Buffy laughed and clapped as Dawn finished. "That was great, Dawnie! Thanks" she said, sincerely.
"Well, I've been waiting a long time to do that" she said, quietly.
Buffy nodded, her mood changing instantly. Her posture was slouched and her head was bent. She drew her knees up to her chest. It seemed like she was drawing in on herself.
Dawn hated seeing her sister look so down, but there was nothing she could do about it. "Well, anyway, Happy Birthday" she said, kissing her forehead.
Buffy said, nothing, just looked out the window. Dawn looked one more time and continued up the stairs. Maybe things weren't looking so bright after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following morning, Dawn awoke bright and early. The sun was shining in the clear blue sky. The air was crisp and cool, usual for Sunnydale in January. Kids were playing in thier yards and cars were slowly driving by enjoying the day.
None of this mattered to Dawn though. She was still reliving the remnants of her dream. It was the same dream she was having every night since Buffy came. Her heart was pounding and her pulse was racing. She could even feel the sweat pooling in the small of her back.
After a few minutes, Dawn was calm enough to get out of bed. She was still shaking a bit, but was otherwise okay. She checked to see if Justin was still sleeping, but his room was empty. She felt her pulse race again, but she suddenly heard laughter downstairs and relaxed again.
*I have to calm down* she thought, breathing deeply. She wished she could call Xander or at least Spike, but they wouldn't be home for another day.
She sighed and decided to take a shower. *It better make me feel better* she thought angrily.
An hour later, she was dressed and feeling a little better, but was still tired. She looked in the mirror and bags were forming under her eyes. "Well, it's good enough for today" she murmured, glumly.
As she climbed down the stairs, she saw a sight that warmed her heart. Buffy was sitting on the couch, with Justin curled up in her lap. She smiled and then looked at Buffy's face. It seemed so calm and at peace, no traces of worry or sadness to be found. She hated to break that up, but she had a long day ahead and needed to get a move on. After a beat, she went down the rest of the way and plastered on a smile.
"Hey, guys" she said.
"Mommy!" Justing said, running to her.
"Did he wake you?" she asked Buffy as Justin climbed into her lap.
"No, I've been awake for awhile" she said, with a sad smile.
"Well, if it happens again, you come into my room, okay?"
"K" he said, snuggling against her.
A few minutes later, she felt Justin's breathing even and knew he was asleep. Buffy gave a small smile, but Dawn just rolled her eyes. "He always does this, but I can't really hold it against him."
"Well, he's a cute kid. You should be very proud."
"Oh, I am, but if it wasn't for the gang I don't think I would've made it this far" Dawn said, with a small.
"They are the best" Buffy said, wistfully.
"I'm sure they'd love to see you."
Her face automatically became fearful. "I can't. Not yet. It's too soon."
"But, Buffy.."
"Please, just a little longer."
Dawn sighed. "Fine, a little longer."
She saw Buffy's face relax and her mood change instantly. Dawn wondered why Buffy was so on edge, but didn't want to push her too far. She seemed so fragile, like she would break at any second.
At that moment, Justin woke up and stretched. "Have a nice nap."
"Yeah."
"Good, now go get changed. We have someplace to go."
"Where?"
"It's a surprise."
"Cool" he said, running upstairs.
"Dawnie, I think I have an idea about where you're going and I don't want you to go to any trouble for me" Buffy said.
"How do you know it's for you?"
"Just a hunch."
Dawn smiled and said "Well, don't sell yourself short. You deserve it."
Buffy didn't say anything, as Justin came down the stairs. "Ready!"
"Okay, we'll be going then. You gonna be okay by yourself?"
"I'll be fine. Now remember, no going overboard, got it?"
"Yes, mom" Dawn said, with a smile.
Buffy just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bye."
Dawn waved and soon the house was quiet. She hated when the house was quiet. It gave her time to think and that's when the memories hit her. They assaulted her brain and she closed her eyes. She felt the tears seeping out and let them fall to the ground. She hated feeling this way, so helpless and alone, but it was better to keep her mom and Dawn in the dark, to keep them safe.
At that moment, she felt her back spasm and fell to the floor in pain. *They can never know* she thought, before passing out from the pain.
