Putting the Pieces Back
Written by BlueFern
Takes place after Same Time, Same Place
Shattered
She was looking down. The blood dripped off her hands. There was so much.
"Why do you do this?"
She turned her gaze toward the speaker. A man with deep blue eyes stared at her.
"What." She had no idea what he was talking about.
Where was she? Who was this man? What happened to her?
He sighed and pulled her up from the floor. She was cold. His touch was even colder.
She looked into his eyes. Full of fear and concern.
He led her down a hallway. Seemed more like a tunnel.
It was so dark and cluttered.
He was muttering to himself. She couldn't really make out the words.
The blood had stopped flowing.
They went up some stairs where he stopped at the door.
He looked back, past her, into the darkness.
"Go away! I will be right back! She needs to go home and I am taking her!"
He pulled her through the door into a brighter corridor.
Seeing the lockers and classrooms, she realized they were in a school.
Thank goodness she had stopped bleeding or it would have been all over the floor.
They continued to walk.
She looked at the strange man once again. He seemed tired.
His shirt was ripped and his hair was a mess.
Was she dreaming? Was this real? Was she real?
They were outside now. It was a dark night. The air was moist and it felt good against her skin.
He had hardly touched her during the walk.
Only now and then taking her arm to lead her around something.
And had said a few things she could not hear.
She didn't know where he was taking her or how long it took to get there.
The next thing she knew they were in front of a door at a house.
He lightly knocked then turned to look at her quickly before the door opened.
"Oh thank God! Dawn! Where have you been? What did you do? Not again!"
A blond woman stood in front of her, anger and obvious relief easy to read in her expression.
She turned to the man. He wasn't looking at her.
She returned her gaze to her. "Come on."
She took her hand and carefully brought her into the house.
He followed. Silent.
Sitting on a couch while she was bandaged, she watched as the man stood near the door.
He observed them both quietly and with affection.
The woman got up and left the room. The man following.
~
She knew he would follow her. They had a silent understanding about certain things.
She stopped at the kitchen counter and waited till he was in the doorway.
He never really got close to her anymore.
"Where?" she said.
"In the basement." He replied.
"How long?"
"Uh maybe three minutes." He said with a hint of shame.
"Thank you."
"I should have gotten to her sooner." He insisted.
She knew he came as soon as he possibly could have.
Luckily Dawn never really ever made the cuts that deep.
She turned and waited.
"I know she has done this before but I don't know why." He stated.
"Neither do I. I wish I did. I want my sister to stop hurting herself."
She hated having to take care of her mother when she wasn't herself.
Now she was doing the same for her sister.
She couldn't stand knowing she was powerless.
Things had been so bad for everyone. When was it ever good?
Everything changes and usually not for the better.
She could see that he was fighting to keep himself together in front of her.
She had destroyed this beautiful creature and had no idea how to fix him.
Everyone she cared for suffered. And sometimes even by her own hands. Especially him.
But she had not done anything to Dawn except love and protect her. And now, she too, was broken.
She didn't know how to show Dawn that she was important and real.
"The headmaster is going to be cross." She heard him whisper.
"Yes, you should get going." She answered quietly. "See you tomorrow, Spike."
He turned and walked out the still open door. He shut it carefully.
She felt like crying. How can she fix someone else when she herself was still so shattered inside?
She desperately wanted to help him but had no idea how to even begin.
But with Dawn it was simpler, usually.
Get her to bed and in the morning she would be better.
She remembers the first time her sister cut herself. Dawn wanted to know if she was real.
Did she really think that bleeding herself proved anything besides that she was scared and confused?
But why was she doing it now?
Dawn would heal rapidly, thanks to her seeming to have Slayer's blood in her.
But it was still horrible to know that her sister was hurting that badly inside, that she had to show it on the outside.
Why wouldn't she talk to her?
She returned to the living room to find Dawn still sitting on the couch.
"Let's get to bed, sweetie." She coaxed.
~
Written by BlueFern
Takes place after Same Time, Same Place
Shattered
She was looking down. The blood dripped off her hands. There was so much.
"Why do you do this?"
She turned her gaze toward the speaker. A man with deep blue eyes stared at her.
"What." She had no idea what he was talking about.
Where was she? Who was this man? What happened to her?
He sighed and pulled her up from the floor. She was cold. His touch was even colder.
She looked into his eyes. Full of fear and concern.
He led her down a hallway. Seemed more like a tunnel.
It was so dark and cluttered.
He was muttering to himself. She couldn't really make out the words.
The blood had stopped flowing.
They went up some stairs where he stopped at the door.
He looked back, past her, into the darkness.
"Go away! I will be right back! She needs to go home and I am taking her!"
He pulled her through the door into a brighter corridor.
Seeing the lockers and classrooms, she realized they were in a school.
Thank goodness she had stopped bleeding or it would have been all over the floor.
They continued to walk.
She looked at the strange man once again. He seemed tired.
His shirt was ripped and his hair was a mess.
Was she dreaming? Was this real? Was she real?
They were outside now. It was a dark night. The air was moist and it felt good against her skin.
He had hardly touched her during the walk.
Only now and then taking her arm to lead her around something.
And had said a few things she could not hear.
She didn't know where he was taking her or how long it took to get there.
The next thing she knew they were in front of a door at a house.
He lightly knocked then turned to look at her quickly before the door opened.
"Oh thank God! Dawn! Where have you been? What did you do? Not again!"
A blond woman stood in front of her, anger and obvious relief easy to read in her expression.
She turned to the man. He wasn't looking at her.
She returned her gaze to her. "Come on."
She took her hand and carefully brought her into the house.
He followed. Silent.
Sitting on a couch while she was bandaged, she watched as the man stood near the door.
He observed them both quietly and with affection.
The woman got up and left the room. The man following.
~
She knew he would follow her. They had a silent understanding about certain things.
She stopped at the kitchen counter and waited till he was in the doorway.
He never really got close to her anymore.
"Where?" she said.
"In the basement." He replied.
"How long?"
"Uh maybe three minutes." He said with a hint of shame.
"Thank you."
"I should have gotten to her sooner." He insisted.
She knew he came as soon as he possibly could have.
Luckily Dawn never really ever made the cuts that deep.
She turned and waited.
"I know she has done this before but I don't know why." He stated.
"Neither do I. I wish I did. I want my sister to stop hurting herself."
She hated having to take care of her mother when she wasn't herself.
Now she was doing the same for her sister.
She couldn't stand knowing she was powerless.
Things had been so bad for everyone. When was it ever good?
Everything changes and usually not for the better.
She could see that he was fighting to keep himself together in front of her.
She had destroyed this beautiful creature and had no idea how to fix him.
Everyone she cared for suffered. And sometimes even by her own hands. Especially him.
But she had not done anything to Dawn except love and protect her. And now, she too, was broken.
She didn't know how to show Dawn that she was important and real.
"The headmaster is going to be cross." She heard him whisper.
"Yes, you should get going." She answered quietly. "See you tomorrow, Spike."
He turned and walked out the still open door. He shut it carefully.
She felt like crying. How can she fix someone else when she herself was still so shattered inside?
She desperately wanted to help him but had no idea how to even begin.
But with Dawn it was simpler, usually.
Get her to bed and in the morning she would be better.
She remembers the first time her sister cut herself. Dawn wanted to know if she was real.
Did she really think that bleeding herself proved anything besides that she was scared and confused?
But why was she doing it now?
Dawn would heal rapidly, thanks to her seeming to have Slayer's blood in her.
But it was still horrible to know that her sister was hurting that badly inside, that she had to show it on the outside.
Why wouldn't she talk to her?
She returned to the living room to find Dawn still sitting on the couch.
"Let's get to bed, sweetie." She coaxed.
~