Elizabeth was sleeping. It had been a very long bus ride and she had fallen
asleep, but was awakened when the bus driver announced the stop.
"All getting off for Sunnydale California" he said and Elizabeth woke quickly. She got off and gathered her things. She was in a strange place. She didn't know her way around, or anyone here, except her mother of course. She walked to a payphone and looked in the phonebook for her mother's address. She just hoped it was listed.
"Let's see, Summers, Joyce" Elizabeth said and found he address. "All right, 1630 Revello Drive." Elizabeth wrote the address on her hand and headed to her mother's house.
**********************
"She what!" Hank Summers asked in fury. "When?"
"I-I don't know. I woke up at about eight, and I found this note" Dawn said.
"Oh my god, Hank, she could be anywhere" Francine said.
**********************
Buffy got out of the cab that was stopped in front of her mother's house. She was very nervous. She hadn't seen her mother in over a year. She paid the cab driver and walked up the steps and knocked on the door and a girl, about her age answered.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought that Joyce Summers lived here" Elizabeth said.
"She does, I'm Faith" Faith said.
"Hi, I'm Elizabeth, Joyce's daughter" Elizabeth said.
"Oh, uh, come in" Faith said and Elizabeth entered the house. "She's upstairs, um I'll be right back" Faith went upstairs and returned two minutes later with Joyce.
"Elizabeth, oh my god, what are you doing here?" Joyce asked and hugged Elizabeth.
"I want to live with you mom, I miss you" Elizabeth said.
"Does your father know you traveled all the way here?" Joyce asked.
"No, not exactly" Elizabeth said.
"Oh, oh my, uh come, sit, I have to call your father" Joyce said.
"No! please don't, I don't want to go back there" Elizabeth said.
"Honey has something happened?" Joyce asked.
"No, well, I just. . .I hate it there, please mom, I miss you, I want to live with you, please, I'm almost eighteen, I think I can make my own decisions, please?" Elizabeth begged.
"Okay honey, all right" Joyce said and Elizabeth hugged her.
"Thank you mom, and please, don't call dad for a while, okay" Elizabeth said.
"Okay, Elizabeth honey, this is Faith, Michael's daughter" Joyce said.
"Who's Michael?" Elizabeth asked.
"My fiancé" Joyce said.
"Oh, wow" Elizabeth said.
"Faith, sweetie, will you show Elizabeth around?" Joyce asked.
"Sure" Faith said. "Come on." She and Elizabeth went upstairs. "This is my room, um you can stay in here if you want, we have a spare bedroom, but it's filled with boxes and stuff so. . ."
"Thanks" Elizabeth said.
"Girls I'm going out for a while so be good" Joyce said.
"Okay Joyce" Faith said.
"Bye mom" Elizabeth said and Joyce left.
"So, do you go by any other name, a nickname?" Faith asked.
"Not really" Elizabeth said. "I haven't found one I like."
"Well, let's just see" Faith said and got on the Internet. "Okay Elizabeth, Liz, Lizzie, Eliza, Beth, Bethany, Betty, Betsy, Buffy, hey Buffy that's cool" Faith said.
"Buffy, I like it, Buffy Summers, cool" she said.
"Okay, so you're Buffy" Faith said.
"Yep" Buffy said. "So, how long have your dad and my mom been dating?"
"About seven months, they've been engaged for about two months, the wedding's next May" Faith said.
"I had no idea" Buffy said.
"So, you'll start school here then, Sunnydale is pretty boring, um, you can hang with me and mine" Faith said.
"Okay, thanks" Buffy said.
"Actually, if you want, I'm meeting them for lunch, do you want to go?" Faith asked.
"Sure" Buffy said.
"Okay, well I'm going to get ready, um, you can put your stuff anywhere" Faith said and went into the bathroom. Buffy put her things down and sat on Faith's bed. She was here. Her mother was letting her stay, this was great, but she missed Dawn so much. She had wished that she brought her with her, but she couldn't go back now. After about ten minutes Faith came out of the bathroom. "You ready?"
"Yeah" Buffy said and they left. They met Faith's friends at this café.
"Hey guys" Faith said. There were about nine people there.
"Hi" A girl with red hair said.
"B, these are my friends, this is Willow" Faith said and the red-head smiled and waved. "That's her girlfriend Tara." She pointed to the girl with light brown hair sitting next to Willow. "This is Xander and his girlfriend Anya." She pointed to one the guys that was sitting there, the one with dark brown hair and the blonde haired woman sitting next to him, they both smiled. "This is Gunn and his girlfriend Fred." She pointed towards a cute black guy and a pretty light browned hair woman next to him. "This is Cordelia and Oz, they're not together" Faith said and pointed to a girl with dark brown hair and a guy with red hair like Willow's. "And this is Spike." She pointed to a guy with blonde hair and in all black. "Guys this is my soon-to-be step sister Buffy."
"Hey luv, nice to meet you" Spike said in an English accent.
"Hi" Buffy said. Spike pulled up a chair for her and she sat down.
"So, B is gonna hang with us, that okay?" Faith asked.
"Sure, welcome to the group" Xander said.
"Okay, Buffy, what do you want to eat?" Willow asked. "Our treat, a sort of 'welcome to Sunnydale'."
"Oh, you don't have to-" Buffy began.
"It's really no trouble" Tara interrupted.
"Um, okay, a cheeseburger I guess" Buffy said.
"Cheeseburger it is luv" Spike said and ordered for her.
"So, Buffy, what brings you to Sunnydale?" Cordelia asked.
"Um, well I was living with my dad in L.A. but I hated it there, I hate my dad's new wife Francine, I just had to get out of there" Buffy said. "I feel bad though, I should have taken my little sister with me."
"You have a sister?" Faith asked.
"Yeah, she's ten, her name's Dawn" Buffy said.
"Hmm" Faith said. After they were done eating the rest of the gang went their way and Buffy and Faith went back home to find Buffy's mom and Faith's dad making out on the couch.
"Dad" Faith said.
"Mom" Buffy said.
"We really do not need to see that" Faith said.
"Hey, we were here first" Michael said.
"Did you girls have a good time?" Joyce asked.
"Yeah, it was fine" Faith said and then took Buffy by the elbow. "Come on B, let's go get some popcorn and go upstairs. They both went into the kitchen.
"B?" Joyce asked to herself and then followed Faith and Buffy into the kitchen. "Who's B?"
"Buffy is" Faith said.
"Who's Buffy?" Joyce asked.
"Me" Buffy said. "Faith got on the Internet and found nicknames for Elizabeth and I liked Buffy the best, it's cool huh?"
"Yeah, cool" Joyce said a little confused. After making the popcorn Faith and Buffy got two sodas and went upstairs to watch a movie. They fell asleep there and were awakened by Joyce.
"Girls, wake up" she said. "Buffy I'm signing you up today, so come one girls we're going to be late."
"We're up" Faith said and Joyce left. "So, B, it's your first day at Sunnydale high, you exited?" Faith asked.
"Yeah" Buffy said.
"What's wrong, I know that you just met me, but technically I'm your sister, so you can talk to me" Faith said.
"I miss Dawn" she said.
"Why don't you call her" Faith said.
"I would, but if I call I'm going to have to talk to my dad or Francine, and I don't want to" Buffy said.
"Did one of them do something to you?" Faith asked.
"No, they were just, they just are, to wrapped up in their lives to pay any attention" Buffy said.
"Oh" Faith said.
"Well, let's get ready, I just hope I don't get too lost" Buffy said.
"Don't worry, I'll show you around" Faith said. After getting dressed the girls went downstairs to where Joyce and Michael were drinking coffee.
"Okay, hurry up and eat and then I'll take you to school" Joyce said. They ate breakfast and then got their stuff and Joyce drove them to school and signed Buffy up with her schedule exactly like Faith's. after doing that she went home and the girls went to class.
**********************
Dawn was sitting in class wondering where Buffy was. And then she remembered something. Before Buffy left she told her that she wanted to go live with their mother. Maybe she was in Sunnydale.
"Dawn?" the teacher asked.
"Yes Mrs. Tyson?" Dawn asked.
"Are you all right, the bell rang?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, sorry" Dawn said and got her stuff and left. She went to the cafeteria to meet her friends.
"Hey Dawnie" Keri said.
"Hey" Dawn said.
"Is something wrong?" Myra asked.
"I miss Elizabeth" Dawn said.
"You're sister? Where did she go?" Tyler asked.
"I'm not sure, I think she went to Sunnydale" Dawn said.
"Why?" Keri asked.
"Because that's where my mom lives" Dawn told her.
**********************
"So, we should go to the Bronze tonight, no cover charge" Xander said.
"What's the Bronze?" Buffy asked.
"Oh, it's this club at the corner of Berkley and Hyde, it's pretty much the only thing to do here, but it's cool, do you want to go?" Faith asked.
"Sure" Buffy said.
"Cool, everyone else joining?" Faith asked.
"I'm in" Xander said.
"Me too" Anya said.
"Ditto" Cordelia said.
"Spike?" Faith asked.
"Sure" Spike said.
"Gunn, Fred, Oz?" Faith asked.
"Yep" Gunn said.
"Sure" Fred said.
"I'm in" Oz said.
"All right, see you all tonight at eight, B and I gotta roll, see ya" Faith said and drug Buffy away.
"Thanks Faith, for everything, for being my friend so quickly, and for. . .everything" Buffy said.
"No problem" Faith said as they entered their class.
**********************
Dawn opened the door to her home and walked inside. She went straight up to her room and got on the Internet and searched for Joyce Summers. She found her phone number and then wrote it down and put the paper in her pocket and went downstairs.
"Hi Freda" she said.
"Hello darling, how are you?" Freda asked.
"I miss Elizabeth" Dawn said sitting down.
"I know you do sweetie, me too, I wish I knew where she went" Freda said.
"Yeah, me too" Dawn said. "Um, is it okay if I go to a friend's house, I'll be back before dinner?" Dawn asked.
"Sure, be careful" Freda said.
"Thanks" Dawn said and left and went to the nearest payphone and dialed the number she had written on the paper.
"Hello?" came a man's voice into the phone.
"Hi, is Elizabeth Summers there?" Dawn asked hopefully.
"Uh, yes she is, who's calling?" the man asked.
"It's her sister Dawn" Dawn said.
"One moment please" the man said and put down the phone and a couple minutes later Buffy came to the phone.
"Hello?" Buffy said.
"Elizabeth!" Dawn said happily.
"Dawnie, oh my god how are you?" Buffy asked just as happy.
"I'm fine, I miss you, why did you go?" Dawn asked.
"I had to Dawnie, I couldn't stay there anymore" Buffy said.
"Oh, why didn't you take me with you?" Dawn asked.
"I'm sorry Dawnie, I just wasn't thinking, I'm really sorry, and I miss you so much" Buffy said.
"Me too" Dawn said. "Look I only have one quarter, and I think my time's about to run out. Please just come home" Dawn said.
"Dawnie I can't I-" Buffy began, but she heard a clicking noise and then a dial tone. "Dawnie? Dawnie!" she said.
"Elizabeth? No, Elizabeth are you there?" Dawn asked, but she wasn't. she hung up the phone disappointed and walked back home.
**********************
"Dawn are you there? Dawnie?" Buffy tried but no one was there. She hung up the phone and sighed.
"Who was that?" Faith asked, coming down the stairs and sitting next to Buffy on the couch.
"My sister" Buffy said.
"What did she say?" Faith asked.
"She uh. . .she called to say, 'hey'" Buffy said. "She asked why I left, why I left her behind."
"Are you all right?" Faith asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine" Buffy sighed.
"Okay, do you want to start getting ready for the Bronze, if you don't want to go tonight I'll understand" Faith said.
"No, it's okay, uh, I'll be just a couple minutes" Buffy said.
**********************
Dawn walked home slowly. She was happy that she talked to Buffy, but sad that she couldn't see her. She walked through the back door of her home and Francine was sitting at the kitchen table writing.
"Oh Dawn, there you are" she said.
"Yeah, why, what's wrong?" Dawn asked.
"Nothing, your father and I have got an idea on where your sister is" Francine said.
"R-really? Where?" Dawn asked.
"Well your mother lives in Sunnydale right? Well we think that Elizabeth might have gone there" Francine said.
"Oh" Dawn said.
"All getting off for Sunnydale California" he said and Elizabeth woke quickly. She got off and gathered her things. She was in a strange place. She didn't know her way around, or anyone here, except her mother of course. She walked to a payphone and looked in the phonebook for her mother's address. She just hoped it was listed.
"Let's see, Summers, Joyce" Elizabeth said and found he address. "All right, 1630 Revello Drive." Elizabeth wrote the address on her hand and headed to her mother's house.
**********************
"She what!" Hank Summers asked in fury. "When?"
"I-I don't know. I woke up at about eight, and I found this note" Dawn said.
"Oh my god, Hank, she could be anywhere" Francine said.
**********************
Buffy got out of the cab that was stopped in front of her mother's house. She was very nervous. She hadn't seen her mother in over a year. She paid the cab driver and walked up the steps and knocked on the door and a girl, about her age answered.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought that Joyce Summers lived here" Elizabeth said.
"She does, I'm Faith" Faith said.
"Hi, I'm Elizabeth, Joyce's daughter" Elizabeth said.
"Oh, uh, come in" Faith said and Elizabeth entered the house. "She's upstairs, um I'll be right back" Faith went upstairs and returned two minutes later with Joyce.
"Elizabeth, oh my god, what are you doing here?" Joyce asked and hugged Elizabeth.
"I want to live with you mom, I miss you" Elizabeth said.
"Does your father know you traveled all the way here?" Joyce asked.
"No, not exactly" Elizabeth said.
"Oh, oh my, uh come, sit, I have to call your father" Joyce said.
"No! please don't, I don't want to go back there" Elizabeth said.
"Honey has something happened?" Joyce asked.
"No, well, I just. . .I hate it there, please mom, I miss you, I want to live with you, please, I'm almost eighteen, I think I can make my own decisions, please?" Elizabeth begged.
"Okay honey, all right" Joyce said and Elizabeth hugged her.
"Thank you mom, and please, don't call dad for a while, okay" Elizabeth said.
"Okay, Elizabeth honey, this is Faith, Michael's daughter" Joyce said.
"Who's Michael?" Elizabeth asked.
"My fiancé" Joyce said.
"Oh, wow" Elizabeth said.
"Faith, sweetie, will you show Elizabeth around?" Joyce asked.
"Sure" Faith said. "Come on." She and Elizabeth went upstairs. "This is my room, um you can stay in here if you want, we have a spare bedroom, but it's filled with boxes and stuff so. . ."
"Thanks" Elizabeth said.
"Girls I'm going out for a while so be good" Joyce said.
"Okay Joyce" Faith said.
"Bye mom" Elizabeth said and Joyce left.
"So, do you go by any other name, a nickname?" Faith asked.
"Not really" Elizabeth said. "I haven't found one I like."
"Well, let's just see" Faith said and got on the Internet. "Okay Elizabeth, Liz, Lizzie, Eliza, Beth, Bethany, Betty, Betsy, Buffy, hey Buffy that's cool" Faith said.
"Buffy, I like it, Buffy Summers, cool" she said.
"Okay, so you're Buffy" Faith said.
"Yep" Buffy said. "So, how long have your dad and my mom been dating?"
"About seven months, they've been engaged for about two months, the wedding's next May" Faith said.
"I had no idea" Buffy said.
"So, you'll start school here then, Sunnydale is pretty boring, um, you can hang with me and mine" Faith said.
"Okay, thanks" Buffy said.
"Actually, if you want, I'm meeting them for lunch, do you want to go?" Faith asked.
"Sure" Buffy said.
"Okay, well I'm going to get ready, um, you can put your stuff anywhere" Faith said and went into the bathroom. Buffy put her things down and sat on Faith's bed. She was here. Her mother was letting her stay, this was great, but she missed Dawn so much. She had wished that she brought her with her, but she couldn't go back now. After about ten minutes Faith came out of the bathroom. "You ready?"
"Yeah" Buffy said and they left. They met Faith's friends at this café.
"Hey guys" Faith said. There were about nine people there.
"Hi" A girl with red hair said.
"B, these are my friends, this is Willow" Faith said and the red-head smiled and waved. "That's her girlfriend Tara." She pointed to the girl with light brown hair sitting next to Willow. "This is Xander and his girlfriend Anya." She pointed to one the guys that was sitting there, the one with dark brown hair and the blonde haired woman sitting next to him, they both smiled. "This is Gunn and his girlfriend Fred." She pointed towards a cute black guy and a pretty light browned hair woman next to him. "This is Cordelia and Oz, they're not together" Faith said and pointed to a girl with dark brown hair and a guy with red hair like Willow's. "And this is Spike." She pointed to a guy with blonde hair and in all black. "Guys this is my soon-to-be step sister Buffy."
"Hey luv, nice to meet you" Spike said in an English accent.
"Hi" Buffy said. Spike pulled up a chair for her and she sat down.
"So, B is gonna hang with us, that okay?" Faith asked.
"Sure, welcome to the group" Xander said.
"Okay, Buffy, what do you want to eat?" Willow asked. "Our treat, a sort of 'welcome to Sunnydale'."
"Oh, you don't have to-" Buffy began.
"It's really no trouble" Tara interrupted.
"Um, okay, a cheeseburger I guess" Buffy said.
"Cheeseburger it is luv" Spike said and ordered for her.
"So, Buffy, what brings you to Sunnydale?" Cordelia asked.
"Um, well I was living with my dad in L.A. but I hated it there, I hate my dad's new wife Francine, I just had to get out of there" Buffy said. "I feel bad though, I should have taken my little sister with me."
"You have a sister?" Faith asked.
"Yeah, she's ten, her name's Dawn" Buffy said.
"Hmm" Faith said. After they were done eating the rest of the gang went their way and Buffy and Faith went back home to find Buffy's mom and Faith's dad making out on the couch.
"Dad" Faith said.
"Mom" Buffy said.
"We really do not need to see that" Faith said.
"Hey, we were here first" Michael said.
"Did you girls have a good time?" Joyce asked.
"Yeah, it was fine" Faith said and then took Buffy by the elbow. "Come on B, let's go get some popcorn and go upstairs. They both went into the kitchen.
"B?" Joyce asked to herself and then followed Faith and Buffy into the kitchen. "Who's B?"
"Buffy is" Faith said.
"Who's Buffy?" Joyce asked.
"Me" Buffy said. "Faith got on the Internet and found nicknames for Elizabeth and I liked Buffy the best, it's cool huh?"
"Yeah, cool" Joyce said a little confused. After making the popcorn Faith and Buffy got two sodas and went upstairs to watch a movie. They fell asleep there and were awakened by Joyce.
"Girls, wake up" she said. "Buffy I'm signing you up today, so come one girls we're going to be late."
"We're up" Faith said and Joyce left. "So, B, it's your first day at Sunnydale high, you exited?" Faith asked.
"Yeah" Buffy said.
"What's wrong, I know that you just met me, but technically I'm your sister, so you can talk to me" Faith said.
"I miss Dawn" she said.
"Why don't you call her" Faith said.
"I would, but if I call I'm going to have to talk to my dad or Francine, and I don't want to" Buffy said.
"Did one of them do something to you?" Faith asked.
"No, they were just, they just are, to wrapped up in their lives to pay any attention" Buffy said.
"Oh" Faith said.
"Well, let's get ready, I just hope I don't get too lost" Buffy said.
"Don't worry, I'll show you around" Faith said. After getting dressed the girls went downstairs to where Joyce and Michael were drinking coffee.
"Okay, hurry up and eat and then I'll take you to school" Joyce said. They ate breakfast and then got their stuff and Joyce drove them to school and signed Buffy up with her schedule exactly like Faith's. after doing that she went home and the girls went to class.
**********************
Dawn was sitting in class wondering where Buffy was. And then she remembered something. Before Buffy left she told her that she wanted to go live with their mother. Maybe she was in Sunnydale.
"Dawn?" the teacher asked.
"Yes Mrs. Tyson?" Dawn asked.
"Are you all right, the bell rang?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, sorry" Dawn said and got her stuff and left. She went to the cafeteria to meet her friends.
"Hey Dawnie" Keri said.
"Hey" Dawn said.
"Is something wrong?" Myra asked.
"I miss Elizabeth" Dawn said.
"You're sister? Where did she go?" Tyler asked.
"I'm not sure, I think she went to Sunnydale" Dawn said.
"Why?" Keri asked.
"Because that's where my mom lives" Dawn told her.
**********************
"So, we should go to the Bronze tonight, no cover charge" Xander said.
"What's the Bronze?" Buffy asked.
"Oh, it's this club at the corner of Berkley and Hyde, it's pretty much the only thing to do here, but it's cool, do you want to go?" Faith asked.
"Sure" Buffy said.
"Cool, everyone else joining?" Faith asked.
"I'm in" Xander said.
"Me too" Anya said.
"Ditto" Cordelia said.
"Spike?" Faith asked.
"Sure" Spike said.
"Gunn, Fred, Oz?" Faith asked.
"Yep" Gunn said.
"Sure" Fred said.
"I'm in" Oz said.
"All right, see you all tonight at eight, B and I gotta roll, see ya" Faith said and drug Buffy away.
"Thanks Faith, for everything, for being my friend so quickly, and for. . .everything" Buffy said.
"No problem" Faith said as they entered their class.
**********************
Dawn opened the door to her home and walked inside. She went straight up to her room and got on the Internet and searched for Joyce Summers. She found her phone number and then wrote it down and put the paper in her pocket and went downstairs.
"Hi Freda" she said.
"Hello darling, how are you?" Freda asked.
"I miss Elizabeth" Dawn said sitting down.
"I know you do sweetie, me too, I wish I knew where she went" Freda said.
"Yeah, me too" Dawn said. "Um, is it okay if I go to a friend's house, I'll be back before dinner?" Dawn asked.
"Sure, be careful" Freda said.
"Thanks" Dawn said and left and went to the nearest payphone and dialed the number she had written on the paper.
"Hello?" came a man's voice into the phone.
"Hi, is Elizabeth Summers there?" Dawn asked hopefully.
"Uh, yes she is, who's calling?" the man asked.
"It's her sister Dawn" Dawn said.
"One moment please" the man said and put down the phone and a couple minutes later Buffy came to the phone.
"Hello?" Buffy said.
"Elizabeth!" Dawn said happily.
"Dawnie, oh my god how are you?" Buffy asked just as happy.
"I'm fine, I miss you, why did you go?" Dawn asked.
"I had to Dawnie, I couldn't stay there anymore" Buffy said.
"Oh, why didn't you take me with you?" Dawn asked.
"I'm sorry Dawnie, I just wasn't thinking, I'm really sorry, and I miss you so much" Buffy said.
"Me too" Dawn said. "Look I only have one quarter, and I think my time's about to run out. Please just come home" Dawn said.
"Dawnie I can't I-" Buffy began, but she heard a clicking noise and then a dial tone. "Dawnie? Dawnie!" she said.
"Elizabeth? No, Elizabeth are you there?" Dawn asked, but she wasn't. she hung up the phone disappointed and walked back home.
**********************
"Dawn are you there? Dawnie?" Buffy tried but no one was there. She hung up the phone and sighed.
"Who was that?" Faith asked, coming down the stairs and sitting next to Buffy on the couch.
"My sister" Buffy said.
"What did she say?" Faith asked.
"She uh. . .she called to say, 'hey'" Buffy said. "She asked why I left, why I left her behind."
"Are you all right?" Faith asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine" Buffy sighed.
"Okay, do you want to start getting ready for the Bronze, if you don't want to go tonight I'll understand" Faith said.
"No, it's okay, uh, I'll be just a couple minutes" Buffy said.
**********************
Dawn walked home slowly. She was happy that she talked to Buffy, but sad that she couldn't see her. She walked through the back door of her home and Francine was sitting at the kitchen table writing.
"Oh Dawn, there you are" she said.
"Yeah, why, what's wrong?" Dawn asked.
"Nothing, your father and I have got an idea on where your sister is" Francine said.
"R-really? Where?" Dawn asked.
"Well your mother lives in Sunnydale right? Well we think that Elizabeth might have gone there" Francine said.
"Oh" Dawn said.