"What? Are you crazy?" Buffy demanded. "This is Dawn's home. She's not
going anywhere!"
"Buffy, calm down," Dawn said. "It's just a suggestion."
"Just a suggestion?!" Buffy barked. "Do you mean to tell you you're actually considering going with her?"
"Of course not," Dawn responded. "I'm just saying, it's only a suggestion. There's no need to get all screamy." Turning to Mona, Dawn said, "I know you mean well, Aunt Mona, but Buffy's right. This is my home."
"I thought you'd say that," Mona responded. "She's turned you against me."
"What?!" Buffy shrieked.
"No, seriously, Aunt Mona, you have it all wrong!" Dawn exclaimed. "This is my home. I don't want to leave here. Six months ago I might have agreed to go with you, but I'm needed here."
"That's precisely my point," Mona answered. Buffy found it irritating how through all of this, her aunt was sounding so damn calm. It was like she didn't even realize what she was suggesting was going to rip her family apart. "You're needed here for what? To help fight demons? Dawn, you're a fourteen year old girl."
"Sixteen," Dawn corrected.
"The point is, you're too young for this line of work," Mona continued. "I really do think it would be for the best if you return to Montana with me. If, when you're eighteen, you want to come back, you can. All I want is for you to finish out your childhood without worrying that you're going to get eaten by a Klavloc demon."
"Look Mona," Buffy responded, "we appreciate your concern, but it's out of the question. Dawn's staying. End of story."
"I was hoping you would be an adult about this, Buffy, but I see that's now out of the question," Mona replied. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you this, but it's become quite clear I do. I'm not asking for Dawn to come back with me; I'm telling you she's coming back with me. I've already talked to your father and the court, and they both agree I am much better suited to take care of your sister than you are. I am Dawn's legal guardian now."
"What?" Dawn asked.
"You're not serious," Buffy said, though she herself wasn't sure if her aunt was telling the truth or not. "You can't be."
"Here," Mona said, reaching into her purse and pulling out a piece of paper. She slid the paper across the table to Buffy, who took it, although suspiciously. "It's a court order. It says right there in black and white that you are to turn over Dawn to me immediately."
"Does it really say that?" Dawn asked her older sister. "Is it for real?"
"I don't know, I'm not a lawyer," Buffy said before crumpling the paper in her hand. She threw it on the floor and turned back to Mona. "But it doesn't matter if it's real or not. She's not going with you. Now get out." She had wanted to tell the woman since she had first arrived, but hadn't been able to work up the courage until just now. "Get out, or I'll throw you out."
"Fine," Mona said, rising from the table. "But I'll be back tonight with the police. If you won't release Dawn voluntarily, the police will just make you." Turning to Dawn, she smiled. "Dawn, I'll see you tonight, sweetie." And with that, Mona was out the door.
Neither Summers girl knew what to say at the moment. "Am I really going to have to move to Montana?" Dawn asked. When her sister didn't immediately answer, she repeated, "Am I?"
"I don't know Dawn," the Slayer admitted. "I just don't know."
"Buffy, calm down," Dawn said. "It's just a suggestion."
"Just a suggestion?!" Buffy barked. "Do you mean to tell you you're actually considering going with her?"
"Of course not," Dawn responded. "I'm just saying, it's only a suggestion. There's no need to get all screamy." Turning to Mona, Dawn said, "I know you mean well, Aunt Mona, but Buffy's right. This is my home."
"I thought you'd say that," Mona responded. "She's turned you against me."
"What?!" Buffy shrieked.
"No, seriously, Aunt Mona, you have it all wrong!" Dawn exclaimed. "This is my home. I don't want to leave here. Six months ago I might have agreed to go with you, but I'm needed here."
"That's precisely my point," Mona answered. Buffy found it irritating how through all of this, her aunt was sounding so damn calm. It was like she didn't even realize what she was suggesting was going to rip her family apart. "You're needed here for what? To help fight demons? Dawn, you're a fourteen year old girl."
"Sixteen," Dawn corrected.
"The point is, you're too young for this line of work," Mona continued. "I really do think it would be for the best if you return to Montana with me. If, when you're eighteen, you want to come back, you can. All I want is for you to finish out your childhood without worrying that you're going to get eaten by a Klavloc demon."
"Look Mona," Buffy responded, "we appreciate your concern, but it's out of the question. Dawn's staying. End of story."
"I was hoping you would be an adult about this, Buffy, but I see that's now out of the question," Mona replied. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you this, but it's become quite clear I do. I'm not asking for Dawn to come back with me; I'm telling you she's coming back with me. I've already talked to your father and the court, and they both agree I am much better suited to take care of your sister than you are. I am Dawn's legal guardian now."
"What?" Dawn asked.
"You're not serious," Buffy said, though she herself wasn't sure if her aunt was telling the truth or not. "You can't be."
"Here," Mona said, reaching into her purse and pulling out a piece of paper. She slid the paper across the table to Buffy, who took it, although suspiciously. "It's a court order. It says right there in black and white that you are to turn over Dawn to me immediately."
"Does it really say that?" Dawn asked her older sister. "Is it for real?"
"I don't know, I'm not a lawyer," Buffy said before crumpling the paper in her hand. She threw it on the floor and turned back to Mona. "But it doesn't matter if it's real or not. She's not going with you. Now get out." She had wanted to tell the woman since she had first arrived, but hadn't been able to work up the courage until just now. "Get out, or I'll throw you out."
"Fine," Mona said, rising from the table. "But I'll be back tonight with the police. If you won't release Dawn voluntarily, the police will just make you." Turning to Dawn, she smiled. "Dawn, I'll see you tonight, sweetie." And with that, Mona was out the door.
Neither Summers girl knew what to say at the moment. "Am I really going to have to move to Montana?" Dawn asked. When her sister didn't immediately answer, she repeated, "Am I?"
"I don't know Dawn," the Slayer admitted. "I just don't know."