***POST CHOSEN*** I truly believed I was done with this story, but I
received some complaints on how I left it. So, without further adu,
chapter five.
Dawn stood on the roof of the Hyperion, gazing at the stars that could be seen through the immense light of LA. She was deep in thought about what she and all the others had just experienced, what they had just done, three days ago. She had lost two of her best friends and all of her loved ones had been wounded in many different ways. Even Andrew, her rock in this time of turmoil had suffered an immense wound. She watched the stars and wondered why Buffy had to lose Spike, why did Xander have to lose Anya, and thanked God that she hadn't lost Andrew. She remembered the past three years, the only real years of her life, and remembered the pain that every apocalypse brought onto her, and she realized that comparatively, this was a good year. In fact now, the battle was over for good, it was a great year. Now if only she could convince every one else in the group to see it that way. If only she could convince Andrew that he needs to let that anger and sadness go, so she could have him back, so they could start their lives. "Why did it have to happen this way?" She questioned the stars as if they would answer, and was shocked when they did.
"Because, it had to be done." Angel's voice was distinctive and Dawn was only thrown for a moment by the voice appearing from nowhere.
"I know it had to be done, but with all the loss, some of the pain can't be undone."
"I know, and that happens a lot in our line of work. But now, since the way things went down, we won't have to do that work anymore, well, not as hands on anyway." Angel pondered his new situation silently. He had a hotel full of slayers, and more all over the world. What would this leave him to do?
"Well, we're out, but you're not." Dawn stated softly as she tried to catch Angel's eyes as they raised from his semi-brooding state, "You're not finished yet."
"No, I suppose I'm not. But you all are. That's the important thing, you guys can finally live your lives."
"But it's not going to happen, is it? When everyone heals, in what, a week, we'll be out into the fight again. With all the pain that they feel, they're going to march right back out onto the battlefield and find more evil to fight. Xander and Giles are already talking about rebuilding a watcher's council with Wesley. Buffy and Faith are talking to the girls about sticking together until they could be 'placed in priority areas.' And my God, my boyfriend is traumatized because he didn't lose his life!"
Angel's eyes lifted quickly and he smirked a little, "So that's why you're doing the brooding thing. I thought you were being a little to quiet. What happened to him?"
"He was fighting with Anya, trying to hold back the Bringers. They were doing well, until one came after Andrew and he didn't see it, Anya jumped in front of him and took the knife to save his life. He can't get over it. I know it's bad, it's horrible, I probably would be messed up too. But I can't take it, he was my rock, and now I don't know what to do to be there for him." She was fighting the urge to cry, or scream, both seemed relevant at the moment.
Angel quietly walked up to Dawn and gave her a hug, and softly whispered, "Just give him time. Don't push him too hard, everyone's gotta deal with their emotions, but he'll get over it in time, I promise." He squeezed her and let her go, and looked into her eyes, "But as for now, you seem to be ok, and you have a lot of people down there who aren't. So why don't you and I go and try to take their minds off of their loss."
She walked up to his side and they walked towards the door of the roof, and Dawn laughed, "You know what?"
"What?" Angel asked wondering how the girl could switch gears so fast.
"I was just thinking, this has been a good year for me. Does that seem just a little odd?" She asked looking into Angel's eyes for an answer.
"For someone who has faced a hell god, their own mother's and sister's death, and danced with and kissed demons, I say this year was cake for you." Angel and Dawn laughed as they walked into the stairway, going down to hopefully make the day easier for each of the people the loved the most.
"She loved him you know?"
"Loved who?" Angel asked .
"Spike."
"I know, and he still loves you."
"Spike?"
"No, Andrew."
"What are we gonna do Angel? You're after a woman who loves someone else, who is gone, by the way, and I'm in love with a man that can't get over someone that's gone as well."
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to make her some Cocoa and have talk about shoes."
"Wait, Angel talking about shoes, I may need to leave Andrew alone for a few more minutes, this could be interesting. I always knew that, that hair gel and those pants were a signal, and now the shoes, my dear Angel, I think you're a little on the funny side." Dawn laughed as she pushed Angel and ran down several stairs to get away from the mockingly angry vampire.
"Well, Spike ol' boy, looks like you gave someone else in this world your sense of humor," Angel said to himself as he watched Dawn exit the doorway and run to find Andrew.
Dawn stood on the roof of the Hyperion, gazing at the stars that could be seen through the immense light of LA. She was deep in thought about what she and all the others had just experienced, what they had just done, three days ago. She had lost two of her best friends and all of her loved ones had been wounded in many different ways. Even Andrew, her rock in this time of turmoil had suffered an immense wound. She watched the stars and wondered why Buffy had to lose Spike, why did Xander have to lose Anya, and thanked God that she hadn't lost Andrew. She remembered the past three years, the only real years of her life, and remembered the pain that every apocalypse brought onto her, and she realized that comparatively, this was a good year. In fact now, the battle was over for good, it was a great year. Now if only she could convince every one else in the group to see it that way. If only she could convince Andrew that he needs to let that anger and sadness go, so she could have him back, so they could start their lives. "Why did it have to happen this way?" She questioned the stars as if they would answer, and was shocked when they did.
"Because, it had to be done." Angel's voice was distinctive and Dawn was only thrown for a moment by the voice appearing from nowhere.
"I know it had to be done, but with all the loss, some of the pain can't be undone."
"I know, and that happens a lot in our line of work. But now, since the way things went down, we won't have to do that work anymore, well, not as hands on anyway." Angel pondered his new situation silently. He had a hotel full of slayers, and more all over the world. What would this leave him to do?
"Well, we're out, but you're not." Dawn stated softly as she tried to catch Angel's eyes as they raised from his semi-brooding state, "You're not finished yet."
"No, I suppose I'm not. But you all are. That's the important thing, you guys can finally live your lives."
"But it's not going to happen, is it? When everyone heals, in what, a week, we'll be out into the fight again. With all the pain that they feel, they're going to march right back out onto the battlefield and find more evil to fight. Xander and Giles are already talking about rebuilding a watcher's council with Wesley. Buffy and Faith are talking to the girls about sticking together until they could be 'placed in priority areas.' And my God, my boyfriend is traumatized because he didn't lose his life!"
Angel's eyes lifted quickly and he smirked a little, "So that's why you're doing the brooding thing. I thought you were being a little to quiet. What happened to him?"
"He was fighting with Anya, trying to hold back the Bringers. They were doing well, until one came after Andrew and he didn't see it, Anya jumped in front of him and took the knife to save his life. He can't get over it. I know it's bad, it's horrible, I probably would be messed up too. But I can't take it, he was my rock, and now I don't know what to do to be there for him." She was fighting the urge to cry, or scream, both seemed relevant at the moment.
Angel quietly walked up to Dawn and gave her a hug, and softly whispered, "Just give him time. Don't push him too hard, everyone's gotta deal with their emotions, but he'll get over it in time, I promise." He squeezed her and let her go, and looked into her eyes, "But as for now, you seem to be ok, and you have a lot of people down there who aren't. So why don't you and I go and try to take their minds off of their loss."
She walked up to his side and they walked towards the door of the roof, and Dawn laughed, "You know what?"
"What?" Angel asked wondering how the girl could switch gears so fast.
"I was just thinking, this has been a good year for me. Does that seem just a little odd?" She asked looking into Angel's eyes for an answer.
"For someone who has faced a hell god, their own mother's and sister's death, and danced with and kissed demons, I say this year was cake for you." Angel and Dawn laughed as they walked into the stairway, going down to hopefully make the day easier for each of the people the loved the most.
"She loved him you know?"
"Loved who?" Angel asked .
"Spike."
"I know, and he still loves you."
"Spike?"
"No, Andrew."
"What are we gonna do Angel? You're after a woman who loves someone else, who is gone, by the way, and I'm in love with a man that can't get over someone that's gone as well."
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to make her some Cocoa and have talk about shoes."
"Wait, Angel talking about shoes, I may need to leave Andrew alone for a few more minutes, this could be interesting. I always knew that, that hair gel and those pants were a signal, and now the shoes, my dear Angel, I think you're a little on the funny side." Dawn laughed as she pushed Angel and ran down several stairs to get away from the mockingly angry vampire.
"Well, Spike ol' boy, looks like you gave someone else in this world your sense of humor," Angel said to himself as he watched Dawn exit the doorway and run to find Andrew.
