CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: SUMMERS
Wednesday: 7am
14th January 1998
California: Sunnydale
Tim hadn't slept too well that evening, the thought of his wife's first daughter rolling through his head. He couldn't believe that Buffy was in Sunnydale, alive and well. He tried to forget about the Slayer parts of it and just tried to focus on the rest. Buffy Summers was alive!
He groaned and rolled over in bed, wondering how to break this news to his wife. He reached out to touch her, but found only an empty space beside him. He opened his eyes and saw a note lying on the pillow.
"Hey hun, I wanted to get a bit more work done earlier this morning. I've taken Dawn with me. Love you! J."
'Typical,' he thought tiredly. 'The one morning I have to tell her the most exciting news, and she goes to work early.' He rolled his eyes and figured that it could wait until they were both home from work.
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Beth walked into the gallery a smile on her face. She had slept surprisingly well the previous night, dreams of her real family coming through the walls of her memory. She couldn't really get a good enough picture of either of her parents, but she had remembered the way she had felt around them. Safe, loved, protected. She had been scared at times, but she had always known that she was loved.
Joyce looked up to see who had walked into the gallery. She looked surprised to see Beth standing there.
"Oh, Bu – Beth," she said, almost slipping. She still wasn't certain whether it was true. She had desperately prayed for it to be true though. "You weren't meant to be working today."
Beth smiled and nodded. "I know. I just thought Id come and volunteer for Dawn duty," Beth said. "I'm gonna go crazy if I stay at home today, so…I thought I'd come and see if you needed a hand with anything."
Joyce smiled, wondering where this girl had learned generosity and self-sacrifice. It was almost too good to be true.
"That would be appreciated. I might be able to pay you a little for it," Joyce said.
Beth waved her hand at the offer. "Joyce, I'm volunteering for this," she said. "To do that, it means I don't get paid. Seriously, if you need the help, I'd love to hang with her."
"She said pretty much the same thing," Joyce said. "She was kinda sad when I told her you weren't working today."
"Well, I'd love to take her off your hands," Beth offered.
Joyce thought for a moment. "Well, she needs some help completing some assignments for school. Missing two days was going to make her fall behind, so her teachers gave her the homework. She didn't get a chance to do it last night, and if I know Dawn, she'll be bugging me for help all day."
"I'll see what I can do for her," Beth said with a laugh.
Joyce smiled and led them towards her office where Dawn was seated at Joyce's desk, schoolbooks strewn across the desk. Dawn looked up and her eyes lit with excitement when she saw Beth.
"Hey!" Dawn cried.
Beth grinned at the younger girl. She didn't know why she was so attached to Dawn, but she knew that she definitely liked the younger girl. Dawn kind of reminded her of Chloe from the Council.
"Hey Dawnster. I hear you might need a bit of help with your school stuff," Beth said.
"Do I ever!" Dawn replied.
Beth turned to Joyce before Joyce could leave them alone.
"Do you need your office? Cos I can take her to the park or something. Get some air and do some work," Beth suggested.
"That would be helpful actually," Joyce said. "I was wondering where I would do all my paperwork."
Beth nodded and looked towards Dawn. "Come on then. You heard your mom. Let's go!"
Dawn grinned and quickly packed up her books in her school bag, racing out the door, giving her mom a quick kiss on the cheek.
"I'll make sure she gets lunch," Beth assured Joyce.
"Oh, let me give you some money," Joyce said.
Beth just shook her head. "My shout."
"Are you sure?" Joyce asked worriedly.
Beth just grinned. "Trust me, if I couldn't afford it, I would have accepted your offer."
With that, Beth and Dawn left the gallery, leaving Joyce to hope that Beth did end up being her eldest daughter.
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Beth and Dawn settled themselves down on a grassy patch in the park, lying on their stomachs in the sun, Dawn's schoolbooks spread in front of her.
"Mom never lets me do my homework sitting like this," Dawn said.
"Well, we better not tell you mom about this then," Beth said. "I'd probably get fired or something."
"Nah, mom really likes you."
"You think?" Beth asked.
"Yup," Dawn replied. "I think she thinks you're a good influence or something."
"Buffy Summers, a good influence," came a voice from behind them. "Who woulda thunk it?"
Both Dawn and Beth rolled to see who had spoken. Beth grinned when see saw Faith standing above them.
"Hey Faith," Beth greeted. "This is Dawn. Dawn, my best friend, Faith."
Faith knelt down beside Beth and lay on her stomach as Beth and Dawn did the same.
"Hey kid," Faith greeted.
Dawn's eyes narrowed. "I'm not a kid."
Faith just nodded. "Sure you're not."
Dawn rolled her eyes. She was used to being patronised by Willow's best friend Xander. And, like Beth had told her the day before, she should just ignore the teasing rather than react to it.
"So, what's going on?" Faith asked.
"Homework," Dawn replied miserably.
"Ooo, fun," Faith said sarcastically. "Hey, aren't you meant to be in school?"
"I got suspended," Dawn said sheepishly.
Faith's eyes lit up, obviously impressed. "You? Suspended? What for? Stealing a twinkie?"
"I got in a fight," Dawn answered.
"I told her that fighting wasn't the way to handle problems," Beth said, grinning at Faith.
"She's right Dawn," Faith said, fighting a laughing fit. "Fighting's definitely not the way to solve anything."
"I know," Dawn said grudgingly, not catching the way the brunette's mouth was twitching at the corners. "Buffy said to ignore them til they go away."
"B's right," Faith said. "Sides, if you keep missing school, then you'll hafta keep doing a couple of days worth of work at once."
Dawn's nose wrinkled at the idea. Faith moved quickly and sat up cross-legged.
"I gotta jet B. Just wanted to make sure you were alright," Faith said, concern evident in her voice and in her eyes.
Beth nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright. I'll fill you in later, alright?"
"Sure thing," Faith said.
"I meant to say thanks, by the way. For the other night," Beth said.
Faith grinned and shrugged it off. "S'what friends are for, remember?"
Beth smiled and touched Faith's hand softly.
"Still. You really came through for me."
Faith grinned and stood up. She nudged Beth's leg with her foot. "I'll catch up with ya sometime tonight then. Later D, B."
Dawn waved and looked back down at her schoolwork. Beth just watched until she could no longer see Faith anymore.
"What did she help you with?" Dawn asked curiously.
"Just some family stuff," Beth replied.
"Are you guys related?" Dawn asked.
"Nah, not really. She's kinda like a sister and a best friend rolled into one," Beth explained.
Dawn nodded and chewed on the end of her pencil thoughtfully. "I wish I'd had a sister," she said.
"Yeah? Older or younger?" Beth asked.
"Older," Dawn replied. "One of mom's employees, Willow, she's pretty cool. She's kinda like a sister. But…I dunno. If I had a sister, I think I'd want her to be like you."
Beth grinned and poked Dawn in the ribcage. "Well, if I had a little sis, I'd want her to be like you, too."
Dawn grinned. "Thanks."
Beth pointed to Dawn's schoolwork and watched as Dawn rolled her eyes.
"Do I really hafta do this? It's so nice outside today. Couldn't we just…I dunno, go for a walk or something?" she complained.
"We can go for a walk when you're done," Beth said. "You're mom would gut me if you didn't finish this stuff."
Dawn sighed and went back to her work. She stopped suddenly as she thought of something.
"The form you filled out for my mom when you got the job…it said your last name was Giles," Dawn said.
"Yeah?"
"And Faith called you Buffy Summers," Dawn continued.
Beth had forgotten about that. She tended to forget important details like that whenever Faith was around. She couldn't explain it even if she had tried.
"Well, my uncle prefers it when I use his name on papers and stuff. It just makes it easier for us if we've got the same last name," Beth explained.
Dawn nodded, thinking that Beth's explanation had been sufficient. She went back to her work and completed it with some prompting and help from the other girl.