Willow sat at her laptop frantically looking through every motel and bedsit
Sunnydale possessed, trying to find something that would lead her to Buffy.
After she ran out yesterday, she, Xander, Dawn and Tara had been searching
the town attempting to find her. They had no luck.
She decided to take a break and check the mailbox to see if they had anything. This was usually Buffy's job, ever since Joyce had died, her best friend had been drowning in bills to pay. Luckily, she had sorted most of it, getting herself a job at the Doublemeat Palace and took care of Dawn at the same time. Willow had no idea why Buffy would suddenly run off like this.
She picked up three letters from the doormat, one looked like a bill, the other looked like a paycheque from the Doublemeat - something they could really use. She tossed them on the table and examined the third, it looked a lot like Buffy's handwriting. She opened it and found a cheque payable to Willow's name. A horrible sinking feeling began to rise in her stomach and read the letter. As she read, her expression became sadder and sadder. When she finally finished, she was almost crying.
"Hey Will'," Xander greeted his friend as he strolled in. "Any luck with the Buffy search?"
She didn't answer; she only passed him the letter and looked at the floor. As Xander read the letter for himself, his face dropped. When he had finished, he placed it on the table.
"What are we going to do?" he asked his friend.
Willow sighed heavily, she was overwhelmed. Buffy had almost literally loaded the weight of their family's responsibilities onto her shoulders. It reminded her of the summer of 1998 when the slayer had fled to Los Angeles after several bad pieces of luck. It crossed her mind that maybe her friend had gone there again, but quickly exited when she remembered that LA was Angel's city. Buffy wouldn't run the risk of being caught.
"There's nothing much we can do" Willow finally managed. "This money should do us for a few months but then." she trailed off.
Xander leaned over and place his hand on her shoulder. "I'll help anyway I can."
She smiled appreciatively. "We should tell Dawn." She took a deep breath and called the teenager's name. Xander sat down and held his head in his hands. What was Buffy thinking?
* * * * * *
On the second floor of the house, things were silent. For once, Dawn Summers didn't have her music on loud, instead she was lying on her bed reading a book. The wind blew gently through her window. All the windows in the house were open as it was so hot. Including Buffy's.
The Slayer appeared at the window of her bedroom, stepping carefully inside. She heard Dawn rustling her magazines next-door, and fought back a few tears before closing the door carefully. Confident that she wouldn't be noticed, she pulled a bag from underneath her bed and threw it to the end, walking quickly over to her wardrobe and removing a few items of clothing.
When she was done with clothes, she dragged her old weapons box from the back of her wardrobe. Although she kept most downstairs in Xander's birthday box, she had left some in her room, just in case. She began taking out a few knives and a crossbow. She saw the infamous Mr. Pointy at the bottom, suddenly remembering her dream.
"Buffy?"
She quickly looked towards the door and saw Dawn standing there. "What are you doing?" She ignored her sister's address and carried on packing.
"You're running away," her sister confirmed, seeing the bag. Placing the last few weapons in the bag, she picked it up and headed towards the window again. Dawn ran forward and grabbed her arm. "Buffy wait, please."
The Slayer stopped and looked into Dawn's eyes, her tears liberated and rolling down her cheeks. Her crying was contagious and now Dawn was doing the same.
"Buffy, please don't go. not again."
"I love you Dawn," she whispered in reply. "Never forget that." She leant forward and kissed the brunette's forehead. Then she pulled her arm back and hit her sister hard in face, knocking her unconscious. With a last look at the unconscious form on the floor, she disappeared out of the window.
She decided to take a break and check the mailbox to see if they had anything. This was usually Buffy's job, ever since Joyce had died, her best friend had been drowning in bills to pay. Luckily, she had sorted most of it, getting herself a job at the Doublemeat Palace and took care of Dawn at the same time. Willow had no idea why Buffy would suddenly run off like this.
She picked up three letters from the doormat, one looked like a bill, the other looked like a paycheque from the Doublemeat - something they could really use. She tossed them on the table and examined the third, it looked a lot like Buffy's handwriting. She opened it and found a cheque payable to Willow's name. A horrible sinking feeling began to rise in her stomach and read the letter. As she read, her expression became sadder and sadder. When she finally finished, she was almost crying.
"Hey Will'," Xander greeted his friend as he strolled in. "Any luck with the Buffy search?"
She didn't answer; she only passed him the letter and looked at the floor. As Xander read the letter for himself, his face dropped. When he had finished, he placed it on the table.
"What are we going to do?" he asked his friend.
Willow sighed heavily, she was overwhelmed. Buffy had almost literally loaded the weight of their family's responsibilities onto her shoulders. It reminded her of the summer of 1998 when the slayer had fled to Los Angeles after several bad pieces of luck. It crossed her mind that maybe her friend had gone there again, but quickly exited when she remembered that LA was Angel's city. Buffy wouldn't run the risk of being caught.
"There's nothing much we can do" Willow finally managed. "This money should do us for a few months but then." she trailed off.
Xander leaned over and place his hand on her shoulder. "I'll help anyway I can."
She smiled appreciatively. "We should tell Dawn." She took a deep breath and called the teenager's name. Xander sat down and held his head in his hands. What was Buffy thinking?
* * * * * *
On the second floor of the house, things were silent. For once, Dawn Summers didn't have her music on loud, instead she was lying on her bed reading a book. The wind blew gently through her window. All the windows in the house were open as it was so hot. Including Buffy's.
The Slayer appeared at the window of her bedroom, stepping carefully inside. She heard Dawn rustling her magazines next-door, and fought back a few tears before closing the door carefully. Confident that she wouldn't be noticed, she pulled a bag from underneath her bed and threw it to the end, walking quickly over to her wardrobe and removing a few items of clothing.
When she was done with clothes, she dragged her old weapons box from the back of her wardrobe. Although she kept most downstairs in Xander's birthday box, she had left some in her room, just in case. She began taking out a few knives and a crossbow. She saw the infamous Mr. Pointy at the bottom, suddenly remembering her dream.
"Buffy?"
She quickly looked towards the door and saw Dawn standing there. "What are you doing?" She ignored her sister's address and carried on packing.
"You're running away," her sister confirmed, seeing the bag. Placing the last few weapons in the bag, she picked it up and headed towards the window again. Dawn ran forward and grabbed her arm. "Buffy wait, please."
The Slayer stopped and looked into Dawn's eyes, her tears liberated and rolling down her cheeks. Her crying was contagious and now Dawn was doing the same.
"Buffy, please don't go. not again."
"I love you Dawn," she whispered in reply. "Never forget that." She leant forward and kissed the brunette's forehead. Then she pulled her arm back and hit her sister hard in face, knocking her unconscious. With a last look at the unconscious form on the floor, she disappeared out of the window.