Homecoming pt. 22
Dawn bounced down the staircase. "This is cool, Spike. Did Xander built this? I think the ladder's better exercise, though. I love what ..." She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, struck speechless by the sight of her sister sitting in her friend's bed.
Her sister stared back at her. "Dawnie?" she asked quietly. "How? What are you ...?" Her words were cut off by the body flinging itself on top of her.
"Buffy? What are you doing here? Where have you been? You look like hell. It's so great to see you. I missed you. I am so pissed off at you. Why are you in Spike's bed? What's going on?" She had a million questions, but her face beamed with joy.
Spike gently peeled her back. "Give your sis some air. She's not been well."
Buffy was beaming back. "I missed you, Dawn. They wouldn't let me see you. And I live here now."
"With Spike?" Dawn's confusion only lasted a moment. "Cool."
"But how did you know Spike was back? When did you talk to him? And aren't you going to get in big trouble for coming here?" Buffy asked with concern.
"I met Xander and Spike last week in the Building Box. I was just, like, amazed that he was back. I was so excited, but Mr. Thompson, he's my foster dad, he was in the next aisle so I tried not to scream or anything. But I wanted to. In a happy way. He told me I should drop over today, but I didn't think I could, not with my tight leash." Her words poured out in the enthusiastic flow Buffy had forgotten. She was getting tired just listening to her. "Anyway, yesterday the Thompsons told me that I'd been so well behaved that I didn't have to report on every little place I went, as long as I was home by 8:30 and didn't get into any more trouble, which I so don't want to do because I'm tired of being treated like a baby, so I said I was going to my friend's place, which I did, and here I am. I think I won't mention you, though, because I don't want them to spaz out, even though they're really nice people and they treat me good, and did I mention they had a daughter my age and she's okay? But this is so amazing, because if you're here now I can come see you and Spike too, and I've missed you so much and ..." She stopped, finally out of breath.
Buffy held out her arms to her little sister, drawing her into a hug. She ran her hand over the back of Dawn's head, stroking her long brown hair. "I missed you too."
The others arrived back in the bedroom, tour completed. "This is truly wonderful, Buffy. I believe you'll be very comfortable here, and I look forward to your complete recovery." Her ex-watcher realized that the sisters had been reunited. "Hello Dawn," he smiled.
"Giles," the teenager shrieked, jumping from the bed and into his arms. "When did you get back? This is so great. And hi, Anya." She looked beyond the ex-demon to a familiar red-head. "Willow?" She hid behind Giles. "Get away from me! Get out of here! What the hell are you doing here?" Her breath was coming in panicked gasps. "Did you know she was here, Buffy? She's dangerous. Get rid of her."
"Dawnie, I ..."
"You tried to kill me! You tried to make me that key again."
"Come here, Dawn." Buffy gestured her back to the bed. "I know you can't believe me, but that was a long time ago, to Willow. She's changed. She saved me. Don't be afraid."
"I don't trust her."
Willow looked at her with pain, but patience. "I deserve that, Dawn. I'll leave."
"No," Xander said. "Don't go." He sat beside Dawn on the bed. "I'm still your friend, right? Good ol' Xander?" When Dawn nodded, he continued. "You don't have to like her. You don't have to trust her, not yet. Just put up with her, for now, okay? For me?"
"But why do you ..." Dawn looked at Xander, then she looked at Willow. She looked at Willow looking at Xander. "Oh. Okay. I don't trust her. But she can stay." She whispered in Xander's ear, 'You have lousy taste.'"
"You haven't seen the bathroom yet," Clem interrupted.
"True," Buffy replied. "And I think I'd better check it out before Clem and I both burst."
Spike helped her down, and led her along the tunnel. He stroked her hand with the back of his thumb. "Welcome home, love."
Dawn bounced down the staircase. "This is cool, Spike. Did Xander built this? I think the ladder's better exercise, though. I love what ..." She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, struck speechless by the sight of her sister sitting in her friend's bed.
Her sister stared back at her. "Dawnie?" she asked quietly. "How? What are you ...?" Her words were cut off by the body flinging itself on top of her.
"Buffy? What are you doing here? Where have you been? You look like hell. It's so great to see you. I missed you. I am so pissed off at you. Why are you in Spike's bed? What's going on?" She had a million questions, but her face beamed with joy.
Spike gently peeled her back. "Give your sis some air. She's not been well."
Buffy was beaming back. "I missed you, Dawn. They wouldn't let me see you. And I live here now."
"With Spike?" Dawn's confusion only lasted a moment. "Cool."
"But how did you know Spike was back? When did you talk to him? And aren't you going to get in big trouble for coming here?" Buffy asked with concern.
"I met Xander and Spike last week in the Building Box. I was just, like, amazed that he was back. I was so excited, but Mr. Thompson, he's my foster dad, he was in the next aisle so I tried not to scream or anything. But I wanted to. In a happy way. He told me I should drop over today, but I didn't think I could, not with my tight leash." Her words poured out in the enthusiastic flow Buffy had forgotten. She was getting tired just listening to her. "Anyway, yesterday the Thompsons told me that I'd been so well behaved that I didn't have to report on every little place I went, as long as I was home by 8:30 and didn't get into any more trouble, which I so don't want to do because I'm tired of being treated like a baby, so I said I was going to my friend's place, which I did, and here I am. I think I won't mention you, though, because I don't want them to spaz out, even though they're really nice people and they treat me good, and did I mention they had a daughter my age and she's okay? But this is so amazing, because if you're here now I can come see you and Spike too, and I've missed you so much and ..." She stopped, finally out of breath.
Buffy held out her arms to her little sister, drawing her into a hug. She ran her hand over the back of Dawn's head, stroking her long brown hair. "I missed you too."
The others arrived back in the bedroom, tour completed. "This is truly wonderful, Buffy. I believe you'll be very comfortable here, and I look forward to your complete recovery." Her ex-watcher realized that the sisters had been reunited. "Hello Dawn," he smiled.
"Giles," the teenager shrieked, jumping from the bed and into his arms. "When did you get back? This is so great. And hi, Anya." She looked beyond the ex-demon to a familiar red-head. "Willow?" She hid behind Giles. "Get away from me! Get out of here! What the hell are you doing here?" Her breath was coming in panicked gasps. "Did you know she was here, Buffy? She's dangerous. Get rid of her."
"Dawnie, I ..."
"You tried to kill me! You tried to make me that key again."
"Come here, Dawn." Buffy gestured her back to the bed. "I know you can't believe me, but that was a long time ago, to Willow. She's changed. She saved me. Don't be afraid."
"I don't trust her."
Willow looked at her with pain, but patience. "I deserve that, Dawn. I'll leave."
"No," Xander said. "Don't go." He sat beside Dawn on the bed. "I'm still your friend, right? Good ol' Xander?" When Dawn nodded, he continued. "You don't have to like her. You don't have to trust her, not yet. Just put up with her, for now, okay? For me?"
"But why do you ..." Dawn looked at Xander, then she looked at Willow. She looked at Willow looking at Xander. "Oh. Okay. I don't trust her. But she can stay." She whispered in Xander's ear, 'You have lousy taste.'"
"You haven't seen the bathroom yet," Clem interrupted.
"True," Buffy replied. "And I think I'd better check it out before Clem and I both burst."
Spike helped her down, and led her along the tunnel. He stroked her hand with the back of his thumb. "Welcome home, love."