Buffy sat on her bed and looked at her toes with chipped nail polish, her
head swimming. There were so many things consuming her at that point
without her sister becoming the new slayer. Buffy fell back and landed
softly with her head on her pillow. She heard the door open behind her;
she rolled over and watched Willow and Xander walk in.
"Can we come in?" Asked Xander sheepishly.
"You are."
"Oh, right."
Xander put a thoughtful frown on his face while Willow smiled softly and sat next to Buffy on her bed. Xander soon followed her lead.
"Is there something I can help you guys with?"
"Well, that's sort of the reason we're here," responded Willow, "You're acting kind of strange and we wanted to know if there was something wrong."
"Yeah, Buff. You're acting so, I don't know, distant?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Buffy, please, you think you can fool us?" Asked the witch, "we're your best friends we know stuff." Willow smiled and Buffy returned her gesture.
"Besides, since we've gotten here, you have looked like your going to cry," Xander told her, trying not to sound accusatory.
"Yeah, and, I couldn't really ask last night, but, why were you crying. I mean, I strongly believe that it wasn't just about Faith." Willow cocked her head as she watched her friend contemplate the question.
"Xander. Willow. It's just, I just…" Buffy broke into tears, "I just don't want Dawn to have to endure what I did."
"What do you mean?" Questioned Xander.
"Oh, well, let's see, besides the demons and vampires? Saving the world like eight times, falling in love with a man I knew I could never save, having to work at a fast food restaurant, dying twice, do need me to continue?"
"No, that's really enough," Willow mumbled.
"But, think of how lucky she is Buff. She has her very own, preassembled Scooby gang, she already has a sister to teach her all the ropes, not to mention that she has been exposed to it pretty much her entire life. Plus, she'll be getting the best watcher EVER."
Buffy smiled at the thought of how now Giles would HAVE to come back; however, it was not enough to sooth her fears, and there was something else bothering her.
"It's not just that, you guys. I think, I think I'm a little jealous."
"Jealous? Buffy, why? After the reasons that you just gave…"
"But after the reasons that Xander just gave," said Buffy interrupting, "she is going to have it so much easier than I had. I know this may sound childish, but, it's not fair."
"Buffy, no. It's not childish at all," Willow insisted, putting her arm on Buffy's shoulder, "Dawn is going to have it much easier, but…"
"But think of it this way," Xander interjected, "now she'll be spared all the pain that you had to go through until you met us."
Buffy sighed loudly realizing that no matter how much she argued, her friends were right. She looked up at them and smiled lovingly before throwing her arms around each of their necks. She felt as though a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders.
"Uh-Buffy-AIR!" Xander gasped through her slayer grip.
"Oh, sorry," she replied as she wiped the "happy tears" from her eyes, "I love you guys so much."
Xander planted a soft kiss on her forehead, "we love you too. And you know we'll always be there for you."
Buffy stood up and walked toward her door. "I want to talk to Dawn."
Willow ran in front of Buffy's door before she could reach the knob.
"Can't."
"Why?"
"She's out."
"Out, where?"
"Okay, Buffy. I'm not sure but I think she went to see Spike. Please don't be-"
"Spike, how come?" Buffy interrupted.
"Yeah, I mean really, Will. Why would she go to see Spike?"
"I think she wants him to know, that, uh, that she's the slayer."
"Oh." Buffy sort of drooped. She wanted to tell Spike, she wanted a reason to see him, even if it wasn't for THAT.
"Oh well, you can talk to her when she gets home," insisted Xander.
"Yeah, I think you should probably let her talk to him alone." Xander eyed Willow suspiciously. "It's just that, Dawn and Spike get really close over the summer, so, maybe we should just let them talk. But, hey, she may not even be there, so…" Willow trailed off, she knew when she was babbling.
"Yeah, when she gets home," Buffy said, and she and her friends walked downstairs.
"Can we come in?" Asked Xander sheepishly.
"You are."
"Oh, right."
Xander put a thoughtful frown on his face while Willow smiled softly and sat next to Buffy on her bed. Xander soon followed her lead.
"Is there something I can help you guys with?"
"Well, that's sort of the reason we're here," responded Willow, "You're acting kind of strange and we wanted to know if there was something wrong."
"Yeah, Buff. You're acting so, I don't know, distant?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Buffy, please, you think you can fool us?" Asked the witch, "we're your best friends we know stuff." Willow smiled and Buffy returned her gesture.
"Besides, since we've gotten here, you have looked like your going to cry," Xander told her, trying not to sound accusatory.
"Yeah, and, I couldn't really ask last night, but, why were you crying. I mean, I strongly believe that it wasn't just about Faith." Willow cocked her head as she watched her friend contemplate the question.
"Xander. Willow. It's just, I just…" Buffy broke into tears, "I just don't want Dawn to have to endure what I did."
"What do you mean?" Questioned Xander.
"Oh, well, let's see, besides the demons and vampires? Saving the world like eight times, falling in love with a man I knew I could never save, having to work at a fast food restaurant, dying twice, do need me to continue?"
"No, that's really enough," Willow mumbled.
"But, think of how lucky she is Buff. She has her very own, preassembled Scooby gang, she already has a sister to teach her all the ropes, not to mention that she has been exposed to it pretty much her entire life. Plus, she'll be getting the best watcher EVER."
Buffy smiled at the thought of how now Giles would HAVE to come back; however, it was not enough to sooth her fears, and there was something else bothering her.
"It's not just that, you guys. I think, I think I'm a little jealous."
"Jealous? Buffy, why? After the reasons that you just gave…"
"But after the reasons that Xander just gave," said Buffy interrupting, "she is going to have it so much easier than I had. I know this may sound childish, but, it's not fair."
"Buffy, no. It's not childish at all," Willow insisted, putting her arm on Buffy's shoulder, "Dawn is going to have it much easier, but…"
"But think of it this way," Xander interjected, "now she'll be spared all the pain that you had to go through until you met us."
Buffy sighed loudly realizing that no matter how much she argued, her friends were right. She looked up at them and smiled lovingly before throwing her arms around each of their necks. She felt as though a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders.
"Uh-Buffy-AIR!" Xander gasped through her slayer grip.
"Oh, sorry," she replied as she wiped the "happy tears" from her eyes, "I love you guys so much."
Xander planted a soft kiss on her forehead, "we love you too. And you know we'll always be there for you."
Buffy stood up and walked toward her door. "I want to talk to Dawn."
Willow ran in front of Buffy's door before she could reach the knob.
"Can't."
"Why?"
"She's out."
"Out, where?"
"Okay, Buffy. I'm not sure but I think she went to see Spike. Please don't be-"
"Spike, how come?" Buffy interrupted.
"Yeah, I mean really, Will. Why would she go to see Spike?"
"I think she wants him to know, that, uh, that she's the slayer."
"Oh." Buffy sort of drooped. She wanted to tell Spike, she wanted a reason to see him, even if it wasn't for THAT.
"Oh well, you can talk to her when she gets home," insisted Xander.
"Yeah, I think you should probably let her talk to him alone." Xander eyed Willow suspiciously. "It's just that, Dawn and Spike get really close over the summer, so, maybe we should just let them talk. But, hey, she may not even be there, so…" Willow trailed off, she knew when she was babbling.
"Yeah, when she gets home," Buffy said, and she and her friends walked downstairs.