A/n: This takes place just after "Lies My Parents Told Me" and just before "Dirty Girls".

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Dawn stood before the dreaded office door as her apprehension pumped adrenaline through her veins. She couldn't control her fear of what she was about to say and to whom she as about to say it. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should just go spend an nice, relaxing lunch period outside with Kit. But Dawn knew that any kind of rationalization couldn't excuse her from what she needed to do. She wrapped her slim fingers around the door handle and pulled gently so as not to disturb any one inside.

She took a step in and could already smell the various perfumes of the different secretaries flooding her nose and taking over her sense of smell. It was like dead flowers when they all came together. Like early Spring... or late fall. More like late fall, Dawn decided, since early Spring connected too closely with new life.

The teen continued through the labyrinth of cubicles till she reached her destination and there was no turning back now. She had already been spotted by Principal Wood, who smiled at her half-heartedly before walking into his office and shutting the door behind himself.

'God, Spike really did a number on him,' Dawn noted to herself. She hadn't seen him since the "incident" and would never have expected new-Spike to beat on him so hard. But Spike did have his reasons and well, things weren't always what they seemed.

Dawn sat at the visitor's chair and cleared her throat loudly. Buffy jumped and looked up from her computer.

"Dawnie, hey. What's up? Is everything all right?"

"No."

"Oh well, is it something-"

"Just stop!" Dawn commanded harshly, interrupting her sister, "for the next like, five minutes you are not my sister okay?"

It took a moment for Buffy to understand but when she did, she smiled warmly and nodded. "So, Dawn, what's on your mind?"

Dawn took a deep, cleansing breath and began. "Okay, see, here's the thing. Some of the stuff I'm about to tell you, you're probably not gonna believe so just bear with me here.

"Uh, there's been some stuff going on at home. Like, major end of the world stuff. So, as you might guess, there's a hell of a lot of tension between me and well... everyone. Everyone's on edge and everyone's afraid and stuff. It's kind of upsetting but after having a sister who's a Slayer for over six years, you get a little used to it. But it's different this time. All these girls from all over the world are shacking up at my house and well, it's just, I never get a moment alone, you know?

"Anyway, it's just been kinda stressful knowing all this stuff but not being able to tell anyone who isn't already 'in the loop'. I wanna talk but I never know who to talk to. Actually, I had a really cool conversation with Spike the other night and-"

"Whoa, whoa, Spike?"

"Buffy!"

"Right, sorry, go on."

"Anyway, the thing about Spike is, he's this guy who, let's just say he was really important to me and then, things just got bad and now, things are better. And I found that they got better when I talked to him about it and so that's why I'm here... to talk... about my sister."

Buffy cocked a curious brow and titled her head ever so slightly. "Oh? What about your sister?"

Dawn felt the tears welling in her eyes as the sobs rose in her throat. IT was that familiar burning feeling that she knew so well but wished to god that she didn't. It was too late, however, she already put one foot in so...

"I think that... sometimes I think... that she doesn't even know I'm around anymore. Like it doesn't even matter that I'm there," her tears began to fall but she continued. "I mean, that's so selfish, I know, what with everything that's going on but, I can't help but feel this way."

"Dawn, that's not selfish at all, to want to be noticed."

"I know, but I can't help but feel like it is. The world is about to end and I'm worried about not getting attention? It's not fair to anyone. Though I recognize that, I can't help it. I want to be loved, I want to have a hug from my sister because I may never get the chance again. This is the battle of a lifetime and we could all die or she could die or I... I probably will die but and she can't even stand to look at me, and she thinks that I don't know why."

Buffy was taken aback. "Oh, and why is that?"

"Because she's knows that she can't put anyone before the world. I heard her arguing with her watcher the other night. And some of the stuff she said... she was really mad because Giles tried to get Spike killed and, they said some stuff thinking that no one would hear. But I did. I didn't mean to, I wish I hadn't, but I did. She knows that she would give me up for the world and her admission of that makes her feel guilty. But I understand what she has to do. She's the fricking Slayer, nothing should come before that. But it did once, she gave her own life for me once."

Buffy nodded understanding as tears threatened to fall from her own eyes. "She did."

"She's a hero, you know. She's not like everyone else. She takes on so much. She-she take on the world and no can share that with her, not even a little bit. Because the power, it's just hers. It's lonely and I see the loneliness that she feels. I wish I could take some of it on. I wish I could help her but I can't. Because in the end she's always alone."

Buffy wanted so badly to say something. She wanted to defend herself though she knew it wouldn't do any good. She had been told so many times that she was alone and she was so tired of it... but, she promised Dawn she would listen as a counselor, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

"It's like, my sister used to be able to do this thing where she could... I don't know, turn off the Slayer. She would leave the house to patrol and as soon as she walked through the front door she was just my sister again. She would just be Buffy. But now, she doesn't have that anymore and it's just all slayer all the time and all I want is..."

"What Dawn? Tell me what you want."

"I just want to have my sister back, just for a little while."

"Oh Dawn!" Buffy exclaimed, completely forgetting her promise as she walked to her little sister and wrapped her arms around her, "you can have me any time you want. You will always have me. For God's sake Dawn! You are me! I love you more than anything. You don't have to hold back from me ever!"

"I know, Buffy, I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Dawn," Buffy cooed her sister gently as she traced circles with her finger tips on her sister's back. "Hey, you haven't been stealing again have you?"

Dawn pulled back and laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "No, not recently."

"Okay, as long as we're not regressing into past not-good-type habits, I think we can work something out. Something not overly time consuming but-"

"Buffy!" Dawn interrupted her sister preemptively stopping a possible ramble, "I get it. I do. Thank you."

Buffy placed a caring hand up to her little sister's flushed cheek and shrugged. "Hey, it's what I'm here for."

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TBC...

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