OK for all you lovely people out there this is chapter 10…I am currently sitting my GCSEs so I haven't been able to write for a long time. 1 more week and it's all over!!! Right, a warning this is extremely short and just a tad slushy…I will pick up the pace again but this is just a filler.

Enjoy:

Chapter 10

"Buffy?" Dawn could feel hot tears burning at the back of her eyes. Her face flushed and Daniel placed a cool hand on her shoulder. She shivered before approaching her dead sister and reaching out a hand tentatively, "Can I?" she asked unsure as to whether or not she had solid form. Buffy nodded and Dawn prodded her just to check "good," she muttered and caught the blonde a stinging blow across the cheek before throwing her arms around her in a bone crunching hug. "You left me all alone!" she sobbed.

"Dawn, I had..." began Buffy.

"It should have been me that jumped off that tower," she cried loudly pulling back to stare at Buffy, "I'm not even real!" In that moment something overcame Buffy.

"I'm sorry Dawn, I couldn't watch you die." There was something about her, something calm that had never been there when she was in Sunnydale. It reminded Dawn of how people looked when they died, peaceful and angelic and she shuddered involuntarily. It made her feel ridiculous for needing – wanting her sister back so badly. In her heart she knew that Willow and Tara could care for her and that she would never lack for love but she didn't want to carry on in such a way. Having lost her sister within months of losing her mother, she might not be real but it still tore her apart. Daniel's face was a portrait of empathy – he looked to be feeling her pain and she drew strength from this kind man.

"Buffy, you have to come back to…" she stumbled a little on the strange sentence "Earth. You can come back through the Stargate – we need you." Sighing she blinked away more tears "I need you."

"I can't Dawnie…I just can't." this time it was her turn to implore, she looked dreadfully sad for a second.

"But there was no new slayer," continued Dawn, "and Faith…"

"Will find her own way." Insisted Buffy all trace of dejection gone, "Dawn this is heaven, I don't have to slay or fight…I'm almost normal." Dawn's heart plummeted, she took a step back feeling betrayed. Her sister had not chosen her, she wanted to be normal without her family and it hurt her badly.

"Buffy, you're dead!" she said angrily through gritted teeth, "and so is the gang…we can't be round each other even though we need each other because all we can see in each other is you." It was partially true, while the friendships that had been forged still stood as strong as before the scoobies had all needed a break from each other to deal separately with their losses.

"Buffy," interrupted Daniel quietly, "she's right." He said feeling bad when her demeanour crumpled. "You are needed, big things are coming and you need to help stop them."

"Me?!" she squeaked anxiously, "break out Faith…call Angel…Spike…" with a wild glance around she whispered "anyone."

"They have their part to play," agreed the former Doctor gently, "but you have to play yours for it to work." For a moment she looked crestfallen – like she might cry and the two spectators to the forlorn pantomime of emotions on her face felt for her. Eventually she straightened, schooled her emotions and nodded.

Thanks for stopping by to read, have a nice day now :D

Coffee Bean

xXx