One year

SERIES: Glimpses

STORY: # 12 (Attention: stories are not in time order!)

AUTHOR: Sarah A. David

E-MAIL: SarahADavid@aol.com

DISCLAIMER: „Buffy the Vampire Slayer", „Angel" and associated characters are copyright by Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, Mutant Enemy Inc., Greenwolf Corp., Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television, Twentieth Century Fox, WB and UPN. No infringement is intended.

TIMELINE: After BTVS S5 and AtS S2

SPOILERS: Everything up to BTVS S5 and AtS S2 happened

SYNOPSIS: My sight of the future

DISTRIBUTION: My site, some lists/groups. You want it? Ask me!

FEEDBACK: Yes please.

RATING: I guess everyone who watches the shows can read this fic

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm sorry this took such a long time. I hope the next part will be written a lot sooner. Maybe some feedback and some reviews make me work faster?

Giles had only woken up half an hour ago and it was still early in the morning but already he found himself in the living room. For a last time he wanted to go about the arrangements for the memorial service they had planned for the next day.

Tired he rubbed his nose. He still couldn't believe it: already a year had past since Buffy sacrificed her life for Dawn and the world. He missed her every day and thinking about her made his heart hurt. He might not have acted that way or really shown it to her but to him Buffy was his daughter - a daughter he was bloody proud of. Now he was alone. Well, not really alone. He still had Dawn to care for. Being Buffy's sister made her kind of his daughter, too - but it wasn't the same. Buffy had been his charge, his Slayer. Maybe it had been a special Slayer-Watcher-Bonding? This made him think of Faith who was still asleep in Buffy's room - no - her room. Yes, he did care for Faith, too but he didn't think of her as a daughter. Well, Buffy had been unique and that's why he had loved her and still did.

Since he had brought Faith with him from L.A. she had been living with Giles and Dawn in the house on 1630 Revello Drive. Given the past it had been difficult but they had managed to form some kind of family. The Slayer had changed a lot. Faith no longer resembled the rebellious girl who came to Sunnydale after her Watcher had been killed. Prison had changed Faith for the better and long talks with Angel during his visits had helped her to accept herself.

Now, finally being the Chosen One and not only second choice - like she had always felt - Faith had come to terms with her Calling and her life. Friendships between her and the Scooby Gang had been slowly rebuild.

The ringing of the door bell interrupted Rupert's musings. As she had promised Willow came over early to help him.

"Good morning, Willow" Giles said opening the door for her "It's very kind of you to help me with the last touches".

"Hey, Giles. Good morning to you, too." stepping in she gave him one of her smiles. "I promised you, I would. So, did you get a hold of Mr Summers? Will he come or is he too busy?"

He gave her a look.

"Willow, you know he has changed over the last months. He really is making an effort. And yes, I talked to him. He will come tonight and even stay over the weekend. He plans on spending some time with Dawn."

"I'm sorry, Giles. I know he's trying. But you know, too, that he cancelled some of the planes he made with Dawn. And he can't change the past, how he neglected Buffy..."

"I know, Willow, I know." He gave her a sad smile. "So, I guess it's time to start..."

Dawn gave her alarm clock an reproachful look. After all it was still early. But then she remembered her plans for today and nearly fell out of her bed.

"Shit, I nearly forgot" she hissed under her breath, started to collect her cloths and hurried for the bathroom. Dawn had spent a lot of time over the last week in the office of the school counsellor. She had cried lots of tears to convince her that she wouldn't be able to spent this day in school. It would be too hard on her regarding the fact that it was nearly the anniversary of the sister's death. The young counsellor had convinced the principal that it would be best for Dawn to stay home and only to return to school after the weekend.

Dawn was very pleased with her success. Sure she missed her sister. And the thought of the memorial service made her want to cry. But she had a promise to fulfil and this didn't include participating in it.

When she returned from the bath room Dawn packed a duffel bag. Soon she was finished and reached for the door knob. Then she hesitated and after a moment she let go of her bag and went to her closet. After opening it she reached for the box hidden in the back. She took the diaries out of it and put them in her bag. After another thought she reached for the pig, too.

Another minute later she was down the stairs and met by curious glances from Willow and Giles.

"So, what about that friend of Buffy's from L.A.? Do you know if he will be there?" Giles asked Willow.

"You mean Pike? I don't know. I haven't heard from him since he suddenly appeared here some months ago and asked for Buffy. He promised he would come to remember her but I don't know if he really meant it. I mean he hasn't been here in all the years. I don't know how close Buffy and him were..." Willow answered him.

"Well, then we just have to see." Giles said. When he heard steps on the stairs he turned around. "Dawn, is that you? You're up early!"

"Hi, Dawn!" Willow greeted her with a smile. "What's with the duffel bag?" she asked her irritated.

Dawn was taken aback for second. She forget that Giles had wanted to begin early with his preparations. She had hoped to leave the house before he or Faith would have been awake.

"Uh...I..I'm... Dad called yesterday afternoon. He said he couldn't make it for tomorrow and asked me to come to L.A. to spent the day with him. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you but I wanted to leave you a note, I swear." Silently Dawn congratulated herself for the quick thinking.

"You didn't think of waking me up?" Giles said.

"Silly me!" Dawn grinned at him.

"Yes, silly you!" Giles was angry now. "Did you know I talked to your father yesterday? In the evening, to be exact. Did you know what he told me?" he asked her.

Dawn blushed. She was busted. "No. What did he say?" she managed to ask.

"Well, it might surprise you. He told me that he will leave L.A. this afternoon and will be in Sunnydale in the evening. He even wants to stay the weekend. He worked hard the last week to have time enough to attend your sister's memorial service and then spent some time with you!" Giles told her. "I think you have some explaining to do, young lady! Where do you plan to go to, Dawn?" the Watcher asked.

Willow looked at her somewhat confused "You didn't plan on running away, Dawnie?"

"No, of course not. I'm sorry Giles. And I apologize for lying to you." Dawn smiled weakly at him.

"Then please tell me the truth, Dawn."

"Okay. I'm really going to L.A." she said.

"Dawn, I already told you, your father promised to be here tomorrow. There is no need for you to go to L.A." The Watcher interrupted the girl.

Suddenly Willow looked strangely at Dawn. "You're not planning on seeing your father, aren't you, Dawn. You've got a very different reason for your trip. Am I right?" she asked.

Dawn looked at Willow then at Giles. Then she explained.

"You're right, Willow. I didn't plan to see my father and I'm not planning to take part in your remembering-Buffy's-death-thing. I have a promise to keep, well actually I have two promises to keep. One is about life..." in her mind Dawn could hear her sister say "Be brave. Live. For me" and she continued " and the other is...well, I'm going to meet a friend. I promised to spent the day tomorrow with him."

"And who might this friend.." Giles tried to asked but was interrupted by Willow.

"She's going to see Angel!"

"Yes, I'm meeting with Angel. We're going to spent the day together. This anniversary is not about Buffy's death it's about her gift for us: our lives. I'm not going to sit through a sad ceremony crying a lot. I'm going to remember her life with Angel. And hopefully there will be a lot of laughing. That's what Buffy would have wanted! Do I have your permission to go?" Buffy's sister asked softly.

Giles looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Yes, you have, Dawn. Please, give Angel my regards."

"Thanks, Giles. I will." and with that the girl left the house.

Willow and Giles looked at each and finally Willow said "Maybe we should think about not doing this memorial service. Maybe, we could do something different, less depressing."

"Maybe, you're right.

"I'm glad you could come, Dawnie!" Angel said embracing his love's sister.

"I promised I would, didn't I? And I even brought and old friend of yours with me!"

Sunday afternoon Dawn returned to Sunnydale. Like she had hoped they had laughed a lot together - well, a lot for Angel. She had told Angel many entertaining stories from Buffy's and her childhood. They had talked long hours about many things.

And there had been tears as well.

The End (of this glimpse)