"Dawn's Story" by BonnieD

(This installment of "Back in the Basement" could also stand alone. I'm not sure there's a theme for this particular chapter unless it's self- empowerment. It's just a day in the life of the Slayer's sister. This series branches off just prior to "First Date," and, although I may take some things from the real show as it progresses, I'm leaving others (Kennedy!).

"Sure she LOOKS normal with those preppy clothes, but have you ever talked to her? Well, neither have I, but I can tell you she's weird. Did you hear about the first day of school and the screaming fit she had? Yeah. Right in Mr. Pender's class! Down on the floor! And don't even get me started on cheerleader try-outs!

Plus, her sister is the weirdest of the weird. Runs in the family. Like, I'm sure I'd EVER bring a problem to that crazy bitch. I heard a rumor that she hits on any of the guys that go see her. Yeah. A real slut. They should fire her. It's not like she's doing any good at this school. There've been two suicides, four disappearances and dozens of fights since the year started."

Dawn sat on the toilet seat, her eyes squeezed shut, lip bit between her teeth, and waited for it to be over. She toyed with the idea of presenting herself, storming out there and laying into those girls, but what would be the point. She was outnumbered and outgunned and nothing she could say would have any effect on their opinion of her - not that their opinion mattered in the least. She knew they were shallow and weak and unimportant, but knowing didn't take away the sting of their words.

"AND she hangs with that goth wannabe, Kate or Kris...."

"Kit," a new voice chimed in.

"Yeah, whatever. God, what a strange pair they are."

"It's true Dawn's a little off, but, Tanya, your despising her wouldn't have anything at all to do with the fact that your boyfriend's been flirting with her?" the unnamed voice continued. "Come on. Don't give me the Look. Everyone knows it."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Tanya clipped off her words as she snapped her purse shut.

Dawn stifled a giggle and sent a mental cheer up for New Voice, 'You go, girl!'

"I don't know," the girl said. "I heard from Zach that he's been asking around about her. Lots of questions...." she trailed off vaguely, and Tanya rose to the bait.

"Brian would never be interested in a girl like that. I mean, look at me - then look at her. She's a beanpole! And no tits to speak of," Tanya spoke with the supreme confidence of a high school, bleach blond bombshell. "All rumors. He'd never give her a second glance," she continued airily as she led her gaggle of girls out the door.

"Shows how much you know," Dawn muttered to herself, emerging from the stall and quickly washing her hands before heading for class. It was true that Brian was nice to her, but to tell the truth, she'd never thought of their conversations as flirting before now, especially since he mostly picked her brain about chemistry problems. It was gratifying to hear the rest of the student body had perceived his interest as more than academic.

Brian. Hmm. He was hot. No doubt about that. But since she'd always considered him out of the realm of possibility it would take her awhile to wrap her mind around the idea of him as more than a casual friend. All right - time's up. She'd wrapped and the wrapping felt good. She could definitely get into the idea of Brian Neiderer being interested in her, Dawn Summers!

Dawn floated through the rest of the day on a wave of hormone-fueled daydreams involving Brian confessing his huge secret crush on her. It certainly made her U.S. Government and FST classes more interesting.

She dawdled at her locker after her last class, giving Brian ample opportunity to approach her if he was interested. It's not like there was any big hurry, anyway. Buffy would be conferring with Principal Wood in his office as she did every day now. Dawn rearranged her collection of locker magnets artistically, weeding out any remaining puppies or kitties that might have snuck in there in favor of hot rock and movie stars.

"Hey girl, what's up? You waiting on me?" Kit's low, smoky voice took her by surprise and she started.

"Jeez, don't sneak up like that!"

"Little jumpy are we?"

Dawn shrugged. "I'm just cleaning out my locker," she answered her friend's first question. "There was a lunch bag down in there which might explain the garbage smell we've been complaining about."

"And here I thought it was Ryan-next-door," Kit laughed.

"His locker's pretty rank, too, just a different kind of rank," Dawn replied, shutting the door of her locker with a final clang, shouldering her backpack and falling into step with Kit.

"Did you study for the chem test tomorrow yet? 'Cause I'm not remotely ready for it and I thought maybe we could go over some of the stuff together - maybe at your house," Kit suggested.

The mention of chemistry brought Dawn's thoughts immediately back to Brian. Maybe she could offer HIM a study date. At the same time, she had to fend off Kit's visit yet again. There was simply no way to explain their house full of Potentials. What could she say if she ever did invite a friend over, 'My sister and I run a boarding house'? It was best to stick to neutral territory.

"Sure. I'd love a study buddy," she bumped Kit's arm affectionately. "But let's meet at the Espresso Pump. It's....quieter....than my house."

She paused, then brought up her question. "Kit, do you think.... I mean, would it be weird....if we asked Brian Neiderer to come study with us? Do you think he would?"

"What? THE Brian Neiderer?" Kit snorted. "Study with US? Are you nuts?"

"Well, I don't know. He's always asking me questions and stuff. He might appreciate the help," Dawn explained.

Kit stopped stock-still in the hallway and gazed at her open-mouthed. "Oh my God! You have a crush!!"

"Do not. I just think he's an interesting guy is all."

"Interesting. Right. What brought this on?"

Dawn blushed and squirmed and wished she'd never brought him up. "Forget it. It was a stupid idea."

"No. I want to hear more about this. Why Brian and why now all of a sudden?"

"I think Buffy's probably waiting for me," Dawn began to walk again. "I'll meet you at 4:00 okay?"

"Not so fast, girlie," Kit grabbed her arm. "'Fess up. Enquiring minds want to know."

"It's just something I heard today. I mean, I always thought he was good- looking. Who wouldn't? But I never thought about him THAT way. Today I overheard Tanya and some of her minions talking about me and one of them said....she said...." Suddenly the whole bathroom conversation seemed like a sham. Tanya's friend had only been trying to piss her off. The chances of a Brian Neiderer actually being aware of Dawn as anything more than a brain with legs were astronomical.

"She said what? Spit it out!"

"Nothing. Never mind."

"You are seriously pissing me off now!" Kit exploded. "Share!!!"

Dawn was blushing harder than ever and wanted nothing more than to take back every word she'd uttered, but she knew that Kit could be a real terrier. When something caught her attention, she wouldn't let it go. Dawn caved with a sigh.

"It's dumb. This girl said Brian was interested in me....that the whole school knew it. That he had been 'seen' flirting around with me. Funny, I don't have any recollection of that." Dawn tried on a flippant tone. "It's not like I believed her or anything. But I thought, you know, wouldn't it be funny to give people something to really talk about. Sure it'd be just a study date but it would piss Tanya off and that in itself would be worth it."

Kit wisely played along with Dawn's line of bull. "Well, yeah. I can see that. Doesn't take much to piss off Queen Tanya anyhow. But, Dawn, it is possible, ya know, that the girl wasn't kidding, and even if she was....if you're really interested, you should go for it. God, a jock like Brian would be lucky if you gave him the time of day! You're a beautiful, confident, smart, cool and happenin' chick, right?! We both are! So, if you want to call Brian and invite him along 'just to study' he should be groveling and grateful!!!"

Dawn laughed and immediately felt better. Kit was good at doing that, and Dawn reflected, not for the first time, that she was grateful they had been chased around the school by conjured spirit thingies since that's what it had taken to meet her new best friend.

"Well, we'll see if I get my nerve up," she said. "Either way, I'll meet you at 4:00."

She waved goodbye to Kit and went into Buffy's office to wait for her sister, who, as expected, was cloistered with the principal.

********** Arriving home, Dawn felt more than ever like the mommy, as she picked up crap throughout the front hall and the downstairs; discarded socks and hair ties, cereal bowls, stakes, and empty chip bags. It did no good to call on the girls to pick up their own stuff. They were always far too busy 'training' except when they were stuffing their faces. Besides, no one would ever claim a single dirty plate or glass. The house must have a full complement of gremlins as well as Potentials.

"Hey, Amanda," she greeted the 'Other Sunnydale Slayer', as she entered the kitchen. "Missed you in school today."

"Yeah, I'll have to make up the work, but I didn't want to miss Willow's ward training today. I feel like I'm going to Hogwarts."

"One thing I don't get," Dawn mused, as she rinsed a crusty bowl and set it in the sink. "How can so many girls' parents be cool with this? Surely there must be some that just refuse to believe and to let their kid be taken."

"Mr. Giles is pretty darn persuasive," Amanda explained. "Maybe it's the high-class British thing he has going....." she paused. "Or maybe it's the fact that he brought Spike along as a teaching aide. I mean, my parents weren't very happy about the whole Chosen One, short-life- expectancy thing, but they both agreed that vampires and demons went a long way toward explaining life in Sunnydale. After all, who hasn't lost at least one friend or family member in some mysterious way!"

Dawn nodded. "I'm off to study for a chemistry exam with Kit at 4:00. Wanna come with? You can do your makeup work and suck down coffee with us."

"Sure. That'd be nice." Amanda started wiping down a counter, glowing with the confidence and acceptance that her new life had given her.

Dawn threw open the kitchen door and ran smack into Spike, who had just risen from his daily sleep. They did a little confused shuffle back and forth, before he stood aside to let her pass.

"Hey, Little Bit," he rumbled, offering a tentative smile.

"Hey," she answered, coolly, then added, "I think the nickname's lost its meaning, since I'm now taller than you."

"Are not."

Am too."

He looked into her eyes, which were level with his own, and shrugging, moved past her into the kitchen. Dawn turned and watched him head toward the fridge to search for a snack.

"Buffy stayed after school to talk over stuff with Principal Wood," she said, waiting for his reaction. There was none.

"I guess they're going down to the basement to poke around the seal some more."

Still nothing.

"Principal Wood is such a hottie, don't you think, Amanda?"

The Potential looked up from her task. "Huh?"

"If I was Buffy, I'd date him." Dawn thought she saw Spike stiffen a little at this, as he rummaged in the fridge for his blood, but she might have imagined it. She didn't know why she felt compelled to try to hurt her former protector and friend - unless it WAS because he was her former protector and friend.

All the long, Buffy-less summer, he had been HER rock, HER anchor, HER confidante. But the moment Buffy returned he had disappeared like smoke. She neither saw nor heard from him unless she stopped by his crypt for a visit, during which he was usually quiet and distant. It all made sense later, but at the time it just hurt.

Then, on that awful night when Willow went berserk, Xander had told her about what Spike tried to do to Buffy and the rest of her girlish idol- worship had vanished. For the first time Dawn understood that the stories he once told her of his murderous rampages were really real. She saw his evil now, soul or no soul, and cringed from it.

She couldn't understand how Buffy didn't.

The teen gazed a moment longer at Spike's unresponsive back, as he poured a mug of blood and set it in the microwave, then turned and went to catch up on her laundry and English Lit homework before she went to meet Kit.

*********

"Don't look up!" Kit hissed. "Just keep reading that paragraph. He's headed this way!"

"Did you call him? I know you called him!" Dawn hissed back. "Why else would he just 'happen' to show up here? What did you tell him about me?"

"Nothing! I swear I didn't call. It's just a coincidence."

"What's going on?" Amanda demanded. "Who? Brian?" She craned her neck to look across the crowded cafe.

"Stop staring!"

"Dawn likes him?" Amanda persisted.

"Yes. Stop staring."

"You're kidding, right? He goes with Tanya. Always has, always will."

"Things change," Kit replied.

"He's like a sports god at this school. There's no way.....Uh, no offense, Dawn, but....."

"None taken," Dawn answered dryly.

"I mean. You're really pretty and all, but there's the whole class system thing and...."

"Quit while you're ahead, Amanda." Kit skewered her with the Evil Eye.

"Hey, guys," a husky baritone broke through the girlish chatter, as the sports god himself pushed through the crowd to their table. "Studying for the exam?" He spoke to them all, but his eyes were on Dawn, who began blushing furiously. She tried to will the blood from her cheeks and the adrenalin rush from her system without success.

"Yeah. Should be a tough one." Kit spoke for Dawn, who was obviously tongue-tied. "Why don't you pull up a chair and we can all work on it."

"Can't. I'm just picking up coffee on my way to work," he glanced at his watch. "For which I'm already late. Line's too long anyway, but I thought I'd stop by and say 'hi'. So....um....'hi'." He was suddenly, charmingly bashful and Dawn thought she felt her heart literally stop beating for a second, when his gray eyes settled on hers.

"Where do you...um...work," she managed to stammer past the lump lodged in her throat.

"My dad's hardware store. Thus the not worrying too much about being late." He smiled and Dawn thought she might combust.

"Cool," she answered.

"It's okay."

Dawn racked her brain for another comment, anything to break the ice and make him stay a little longer. God this was awkward.

"Well, I better get going." The beautiful Brian smiled again and nodded at them all and turned to leave.

"If you want," Dawn blurted out and wondered where she was going with that. "I could, we could, I mean, if you need to study later.....or wanted to, you know, I could help with the......cause it's one of my better subjects." Please God just open the hellmouth right now and swallow me down!

He turned back. "Sure, if you can spare the time."

"Great." Her voice cracked on the word.

"I close at 7:00, so we could meet at my house about...7:30?"

Dawn cleared her throat. "Great!" she said, too loudly. "That'd be cool," she added more nonchalantly.

"You know where I live?" Brian quirked an eyebrow. How cute was that? He could lift one eyebrow!

"I-I think so. Lovell St., right?"

"Yeah. Third house from the corner of Crane." Brian backed away a step, bumped into a chair almost knocking it over, then regained his balance with a blush of his own. "All right then. See you later." With that, he turned and left.

Dawn let her forehead drop to the table. "Could I have been any more lame?!!! He must think I'm a total idiot!"

"Get out!" Kit smacked her arm. "He was so into you. Tanya's on her way out, girlfriend. The Queen is going down."

"So not," Dawn argued. "He just needs help to pass the chem test. That's all."

Amanda sucked down the dregs of her smoothie with a resounding slurp. "I don't know. He looked pretty smitten to me."

"Smitten?" Kit mouthed at Dawn.

The former Key sat bolt upright, a look of horror spreading across her face. "Oh my God, I've got nothing to wear. I mean absolutely Nothing!"

"Thought it was just studying," Kit teased.

"Wear your red pullover. That's cute," Amanda added helpfully.

"I have no new clothes. Everything I own he's seen me in," Dawn's voice rose in panic.

"Borrow Buffy's."

"She's like ten times smaller than I am! I have NO clothes," Dawn moaned. "No time to shop and no money to buy anything with."

"For crisis' this beats the First all hollow," Amanda chirped.

"The First what?" Kit asked.

"Huh?" Dawn glossed over Amanda's slip. "Look, I'm sorry to bail on you guys, but...."

"It's okay. Fashion emergency takes precedence over studying." Kit, who never wore anything but basic black, smirked at her lovesick friend. "Dawn, you look great in everything so don't go psycho, okay? He likes YOU not your clothes. Just chill and let whatever happens happen."

"You're right. Of course, you're right," Dawn agreed, but she hopped off her chair anyway and headed home with Amanda in tow.

*********** If the situation at the Espresso Pump had been awkward, trying to make conversation at Brian's house that evening was even worse. Dawn arrived ten minutes late so as not to appear too eager, dressed down in jeans and a white top which had taken her two hours and five changes of clothes to pick, and he led her into the dining room where books and papers were spread out on the table.

"Nice house," Dawn said, looking around.

"Uh, thanks." He gestured her to a seat. "So, how do you want to do this?"

"What?!"

"Review our old tests? Memorize tables from the textbook? What?"

"Oh. I guess, this exam is going to be more information than lab work so, dive into the book?"

"Great. Thanks for coming over, by the way. Between basketball and work I don't have enough time. I still have an English paper to write after we're done here! To tell you the truth, my grades are kinda slipping this semester."

Dawn nodded, sympathetically. "I know what you mean. I don't have a job yet, but there's a lot of other....stuff...I'm dealing with at home that makes it hard to get schoolwork done."

He didn't ask about her problems and they began to study the material, throwing questions back and forth, memorizing content. Within ten minutes the doorbell rang.

"Just a second." Brian went to get the door and soon Dawn heard the familiar voice that had raked her over the coals that morning floating down the hall.

"Hey, sweetie," it cooed. "Why'd you turn your cell off? I've been trying to call you for hours!" Tanya's voice was chocolate covered candy with a hard, petulant center that could chip a tooth.

"I was at work. You know the number there." Brian sounded annoyed. "Besides, I couldn't have talked. We were swamped this evening."

"You should tell your dad to get more help so you can work fewer hours and have more time for ...... me." Slurpy, smacky sounds punctuated Tanya's words. Dawn squirmed in embarrassment.

Brian must have managed to extricate himself. He spoke, a little breathlessly, "Baby, I'm sorry. I know we haven't been together much lately, but if I don't get at least a C on this test tomorrow I may not pass Chemistry. Plus I have a shitload of other homework to do."

"Fine then," she sighed loudly. "I'll make myself a sandwich and watch TV 'til you're done. Just don't keep me waiting too long."

"No. I mean. I REALLY don't have time. I have an English paper, a few math problems, and I'm studying with Dawn Summers right now."

"What?!"

"Studying, Tanya. Ever heard of it?"

"With that geek, Dawn Summers?"

"Yeah. She gets the best grades in the class." He laughed shortly. "Maybe some of it will rub off on me."

"Studying," the Queen repeated.

"So I'll see you tomorrow. And I promise I'll make time to take you out somewhere."

"Oh, no. I think not. I'm going to stay and help you with the 'studying'."

"You don't even take Chemistry."

The next second, Tanya Rousseau breezed into the room and granted Dawn an icy smile that threatened to freeze her to her chair.

"Well HI there! Aren't you a sweetheart to help Bri with his homework?" She enthroned herself on one of the chairs and rested her elbows on the table, idly flipping the pages of one of the textbooks.

"You really don't have to stay," Brian continued to protest as he followed her into the room. "It's going to be really boring....and you'll be kind of distracting....."

"Don't mind me." She pulled a file from her purse and began working on her nails.

Frowning, Brian sat back down and opened his book.

"Listen," Dawn began, "if this is going to be a problem, I can go...."

"No." Brian snapped, then spoke again more gently. "I mean, 'no'. There's no problem." He changed the subject, "What's the symbol for lead?"

They worked on the chemistry for an agonizing half hour under Tanya's hawk- eyed scrutiny until Dawn couldn't stand the pressure any more.

"Darn," she said, glancing at her watch. "I forgot I promised Buffy I'd.....pick up some stuff at the market. I really need to be going home now."

"So soon?" Tanya protested. "I thought you were all about helping my honey with his schoolwork?"

Dawn managed a weak smile. "You'll do fine tomorrow, Brian. Don't worry."

"I'm worried," he answered. "This stuff just doesn't stick with me."

Quickly gathering her book and papers, Dawn stuffed them into her pack and shouldered it. She wanted to toss off a final quip, something clever and cutting to let Tanya know she hadn't won the field, that Dawn Summers was her own person and not to be trifled with, but nothing clever came to her, so she simply turned and left.

Brian managed to walk Dawn to the door without Tanya dogging him. "I'm sorry about this," he said. "I love Tanya, but she can be a little..."

'Bitchy', 'cruel', 'evil' and 'hateful' were a few words that came to Dawn's mind.

"Possessive." Brian said. "She's not as....strong....as people think, you know," he added quietly. "Not like you."

"Yeah, she seems kinda needy," Dawn replied, noncommittally and hopefully loud enough for Tanya to overhear. "Well, see you tomorrow."

********

'What was THAT all about?' Dawn wondered as she walked home, a stake on the ready in one hand. At the coffee shop she had been almost prepared to believe Kit that Brian seemed interested in her as more than a study date, but he certainly appeared to still be under the spell of Tanya the Magnificent. Rumors of his infatuation with Dawn had been grossly exaggerated!

'Fine. Whatever.' she told herself. 'Easy come, easy go.' It had been a nice fantasy for a day, but she wasn't going to let disappointment color her mood. She'd be damned if she would! Feeling empowered, Dawn stalked the shortcut through the graveyard, eyes scanning right, left and occasionally behind her for vamps or other assorted weirdos.

'I am strong. I am my own woman. I am Dawn the invincible,' she mentally chanted. As if on cue to test her beliefs, a newly risen vampire with white hair and a purple flowered dress came at her from behind the nearest crypt.

'Someone turned their grandmother?! Ew.' The girl didn't have time for a moment of pity as the feeble looking old woman launched through the air like a flying linebacker and tackled her to the ground. Dawn didn't hesitate but pushed up with all her strength, wedged her stake in the space between them and aimed it straight into the creature's heart as Buffy had taught her. Gravity did the rest and the vampire basically impaled herself on the sharp wooden stick. Dawn was left covered in a shower of dust, heart pounding and breath ragged from the rush of adrenalin, feeling alive in every fiber of her being. What a rush!!

She scrambled up, dusting her clothes off and retrieving her lost backpack. She found herself shaking but also grinning from ear to ear as she continued her walk home. Take that, self-involved Potentials! Take that, high school beauty queens and handsome jocks! Take that, pretentious principals and annoying big sisters! Dawn Summers can handle herself. Yes!

Keeping alert and watchful the rest of the way home, she thought about her kill, realizing she could never tell about it without Buffy going berserk, and decided it didn't matter anyway. When the showdown with the First's minions, whatever form they might take, came Dawn would be ready to join the fight.

End