Sure enough, Mona lived up to her threat. That evening at 6, Buffy and
Willow watched helplessly as the police ordered Dawn to vacate the premises
along with her new legal guardian, Mona. Dawn was in tears, but she didn't
say anything. Buffy knew if the situations were reversed, she'd be
screaming and kicking to stay; she wasn't sure if she was glad Dawn was so
quiet or not.
Buffy had filled Willow in on the situation when the Wicca had awakened later that morning. Willow had asked Buffy if she wanted her to call any of their friends, but Buffy had opted not to do so. Having Anya and (especially) Xander there would have just made the good-byes harder, not just for herself but for Dawn. She could only imagine what Dawn was going through.
The good news was that Mona wasn't intending to return to Montana, at least not immediately. She was still staying in town a week longer, which meant she would be able to see her sister a few more times before the move.
"How could she do this?" Willow asked after Mona, Dawn, and the police were out of sight. "Just swoop in and steal Dawny away from us. How could she?"
"I don't know," Buffy responded. Willow shot her friend a look, and she could see that Buffy had started crying. She had forced the tears to stay inside for Dawn's benefits, but now that her sister couldn't see her she let them flow freely. "I don't understand any of this. She didn't even bother to show up for the funeral." Buffy stopped, a hand raising to her mouth.
How could I have just said that? Buffy asked herself. How could she refer to Mom's funeral as if it were just some run of the mill sale at JC Penny's; didn't her mother's death deserve more respect than that?
Willow could only imagine how Buffy must be feeling. It was pretty much an unwritten law that they never mention Joyce's funeral. While they would never forget the loss of someone so important to them, they did try to keep it as far out of their head as possible.
But now that Buffy had said something, it got Willow to thinking. Mona hadn't showed up for the funeral. According to Buffy, Mona had never once contacted her, Dawn, or her mother since the three had arrived in Sunnydale. Willow had never even heard of the woman until she arrived in town a week earlier. How could a woman who had had no connection with her niece suddenly swoop in and steal her away?
"I'll be right back," Willow said, running into the house. Buffy ignored her. This was a new type of battle, one she had no idea how to participate in. This wasn't fighting a demon; this wasn't bringing an evil human to justice. This was her aunt she was talking about.
Upstairs, Willow logged onto her computer. She went through all the procedures to make sure she couldn't be traced and then logged into the City Hall's websites and tapped into the Hall of Records files. She pulled up Dawn's name.
"Ah hah," she whispered to herself before pushing the print button. And then she performed a search for Buffy's mother in the Sunnydale Gazette.
Buffy was downstairs moping at the table when Willow barged in. "Buffy, Dawn's in trouble!" she said.
"What? What happened?" Buffy said, instantly alert. "What's happening?"
"I just checked the hall of records," the witch reported, "and there is no paperwork about an adoption for Dawn. Mona has never once gone and filed for custody of Dawn. And that's not all. Here." She handed over another piece of paper. She could tell from Buffy's reaction that it was hard for the Slayer to read this.
"Mom's obituary," Buffy gasped. She looked at Willow. "Why are you showing me this?"
"Read it," the witch instructed. Buffy didn't need to be told twice.
"Yada yada. Surgery complications. 'She is survived by'." With that, Buffy stopped. Willow finished the words for Buffy.
"Her daughters, Buffy and Dawn. No mention of her sister. So I did a search, and I can't find any connection between Mona Keller and your mother. Buffy, Mona's not your aunt."
Buffy had filled Willow in on the situation when the Wicca had awakened later that morning. Willow had asked Buffy if she wanted her to call any of their friends, but Buffy had opted not to do so. Having Anya and (especially) Xander there would have just made the good-byes harder, not just for herself but for Dawn. She could only imagine what Dawn was going through.
The good news was that Mona wasn't intending to return to Montana, at least not immediately. She was still staying in town a week longer, which meant she would be able to see her sister a few more times before the move.
"How could she do this?" Willow asked after Mona, Dawn, and the police were out of sight. "Just swoop in and steal Dawny away from us. How could she?"
"I don't know," Buffy responded. Willow shot her friend a look, and she could see that Buffy had started crying. She had forced the tears to stay inside for Dawn's benefits, but now that her sister couldn't see her she let them flow freely. "I don't understand any of this. She didn't even bother to show up for the funeral." Buffy stopped, a hand raising to her mouth.
How could I have just said that? Buffy asked herself. How could she refer to Mom's funeral as if it were just some run of the mill sale at JC Penny's; didn't her mother's death deserve more respect than that?
Willow could only imagine how Buffy must be feeling. It was pretty much an unwritten law that they never mention Joyce's funeral. While they would never forget the loss of someone so important to them, they did try to keep it as far out of their head as possible.
But now that Buffy had said something, it got Willow to thinking. Mona hadn't showed up for the funeral. According to Buffy, Mona had never once contacted her, Dawn, or her mother since the three had arrived in Sunnydale. Willow had never even heard of the woman until she arrived in town a week earlier. How could a woman who had had no connection with her niece suddenly swoop in and steal her away?
"I'll be right back," Willow said, running into the house. Buffy ignored her. This was a new type of battle, one she had no idea how to participate in. This wasn't fighting a demon; this wasn't bringing an evil human to justice. This was her aunt she was talking about.
Upstairs, Willow logged onto her computer. She went through all the procedures to make sure she couldn't be traced and then logged into the City Hall's websites and tapped into the Hall of Records files. She pulled up Dawn's name.
"Ah hah," she whispered to herself before pushing the print button. And then she performed a search for Buffy's mother in the Sunnydale Gazette.
Buffy was downstairs moping at the table when Willow barged in. "Buffy, Dawn's in trouble!" she said.
"What? What happened?" Buffy said, instantly alert. "What's happening?"
"I just checked the hall of records," the witch reported, "and there is no paperwork about an adoption for Dawn. Mona has never once gone and filed for custody of Dawn. And that's not all. Here." She handed over another piece of paper. She could tell from Buffy's reaction that it was hard for the Slayer to read this.
"Mom's obituary," Buffy gasped. She looked at Willow. "Why are you showing me this?"
"Read it," the witch instructed. Buffy didn't need to be told twice.
"Yada yada. Surgery complications. 'She is survived by'." With that, Buffy stopped. Willow finished the words for Buffy.
"Her daughters, Buffy and Dawn. No mention of her sister. So I did a search, and I can't find any connection between Mona Keller and your mother. Buffy, Mona's not your aunt."