PART 3: Time to deal

Chapter 10: FORGETTING EMPTINESS

DISCLAIMER: Can be found on Chapter 1.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Willow walked through the front door and went strait to the kitchen. Buffy was not there, but she could hear the washing machine. She hurried to the laundry and found Buffy doing laundry.

"Buffy, what you doing home? We, me and Xander went to see you at work but you were a no show!" Buffy picked up a clothesbasket of the floor and handed it to Buffy who was washing bed sheets.

"Dawn came home from school sick so I came home to check on her...She is sleeping in my room cause I had to change her bed!" Buffy put the sheets in the basket and both Willow and Buffy headed for the clothesline outside.

Once they were outside Buffy and Willow hung up the sheets and they were quiet the whole time. Buffy didn't seem to want to talk so Buffy let Buffy have her silence. Once the sheets were up, Willow decided to ask Buffy why she was upset.

"So, is Dawn okay? Cause you seem upset, worried?" Willow sat down on a chair that was outside and Buffy did the same, putting the basket beside her while she did that.

Buffy looked at the door and then turned to Willow. "When I came home, the house looked empty so I went upstairs. Once I got up there, I could hear Dawn crying in the bathroom so I went to see what she was crying about. So I opened the door and I found Dawn crying her eyes out holding a pregnancy test and-" Buffy stoped mid-sentence again looking at the door.

"Is she pregnant, I didn't even know she had even had sex, let alone a boyfriend?" Willow stopped, noticing Buffy's upset expression and realising that she wasn't helping.

"No, she hadn't looked at the instruction properly and waited until the colour changed properly. Anyway, I don't know if she had sex. I thought there could be a demon who could have done this, like a demon spawn or something so I was wondering if you could get the gang together and research." Buffy stood up and picked up the basket.

"Have you asked Dawn if she had sex. Cause we could be researching for nothing if- I mean, have you prepared yourself for finding out that Dawn actually had sex." Buffy looked at Dawn blankly and then walked back into the house. Willow followed.

Finally Buffy came out of the laundry and sat down at the kitchen counter. "I don't know, I mean I can't even imagine my little sister having sex. I know my sister isn't a little angel but I didn't think she could ever do something like...either way, I gotta do something!" Willow put her hands around Buffy, she wasn't crying but Willow could see her best friend needed some kind of reassurance and comfort.

"Buffy, why don't you make dinner, I mean it's 4:00 and you have patrol tonight. That's doing something cause Dawn will be run down from crying. You can have dinner and then go on patrol. I'm gonna go to the Magic Box and look up demon spawn and I'll be home at 6:00 to look after Dawn okay." Willow rubbed Willow's back and Buffy nodded her head.

"Okay then, I'll cook. And you look up demon spawn...But what do I say to her once she wakes up!" Willow was heading for the door and Buffy was following her.

"She knows your gonna need an explanation and it wasn't that long ago that you came home and had to tell your mum that you had sex with Angel. When you think about it, she isn't that much younger than you were when you had sex. Not that that was right...Or wrong, I mean you loved Angel and I think I better stop talking cause I'm not making this any better." Willow opened the door and then stoped.

"Buffy, Dawn's had a lot to deal with and I think she just needs you to be understanding. Not forever, I mean your gonna have to put your foot down at some point. But for now tonight at least listen to her and let her cry. She knows she done wrong!"

Finally Willow left and Buffy was left alone. She went into the kitchen and started to prepare dinner.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Dawn woke up and found herself in Buffy's bed, which she found strange and disorienting. Then she remembered what had happened.

Buffy knew that she thought she was pregnant.

Dawn went downstairs and went to the lounge room. She put the television on and curled up on the couch. The TV had got Buffy's attention and she went into the lounge room.

"Dawn?" Buffy called Dawn from the entry.

"Yes Buffy?"

Buffy walked into the room, an apron around her waist and a spatula in her hand. "I need you to tell me just one thing for now, cause we will talk about this tonight after I've patrolled. I've made dinner."

"What do you want to know?" Dawn asked Buffy, afraid of the question Buffy was inevitably gonna ask!

"Have you had sex?"

___________________________________________________________________________________________