Chapter 25

I had serious writers block trying to write this chapter. I think it's passed now.Yea me! Sorry this took awhile and thank you everyone for your reviews.

.........................................................

Preview: Dawn tells the group of her meeting.

It took awhile for Dawns tears to stop falling but finally was quiet.

"Dawnie?" Willow asked. "Are you OK to tell us what happened now?"

Dawn was sitting with Emerald. They were both pale and looked exhausted. Andrew had gotten them both a glass of water and was still fussing over Dawn. Dawn smiled reassuringly at Andrew before saying tiredly.

"Yeah, I guess I am"

"Perhaps the two of you should rest first." Wesley said.

"Yeah you both have the I'm about to fall over award in your grasps." Lorne commented.

"I'm fine." Dawn said a little stronger "I'm sorry you guys, for breaking down. It was just a shock."

"Hey no big. We all have our breakdowns." Gunn said kindly "Maybe you could just tell us if the house is gonna eat us?"

"Yeah that would be good to know." Xander commented.

"It's not." Dawn assured them. Everyone heaved a big sigh of relief.

"Buffy you were right." Dawn said to her "when you walked in and said you felt protected you were."

"So there was a protection spell on this house even after Mr. Richardson died?" Giles asked.

"Not exactly." Dawn said "He saw Buffy and the rest of us. He saw our homes destroyed and the things we have all been through. The spell was dormant until Buffy walked through the door. He said the friendship and love we have makes the protection even stronger than he first made it"

"That's amazing!" Willow said "So you actually met him?"

Dawn smiled. "Yeah and he is great. He is still watching over us though. He hoped we wouldn't mind."

"Watching us?" Fred asked glancing around the room.

"Watching over us." Dawn corrected. "In a protection way, not a creepy, I'm a stalker, way. He was worried we may not like that part."

"Hey I'm fine with it." Buffy said. "It's like having a grandpa around to keep an eye on us."

"I told him you would love it." Dawn said before rolling her eyes "I'm getting scared that I understand you too well."

"So what upset you enough to send you back in tears?" Angel asked.

Dawns smile faded. "he wasn't the only one I met."

"Do you want to talk about it Dawn?" Buffy asked softly.When Dawn still sat silently Buffy turned to Emerald.

"You heard the whole thing?" She asked.

"Most of it yes," Emerald said "But it's not my story or place to tell."

"I saw Spike." Dawn blurted out.

"Man that guy really does get around." Gunn said "The Powers must think we are really messed up."

"Oh Dawnie I'm sorry" Willow said "I know how close you two were."

"Why was Spike there?" Angel asked puzzled "What do the Powers care about a barrier spell?"

"Well.." Dawn said hedging "He really wasn't there for the Powers."

Angel stared at Dawn piercingly

"Then why was he there?" He asked suspiciously. Dawn frantically tried to think of a lie that Angel would believe. Emerald, seeing her dilemma, jumped in.

"It was personal. He was worried she would hate him for leaving." She said to Angel. To Dawn she said telepathically

"He is suspicious. He thinks we know more than we are saying. Want to finish convincing him we don't?" Dawn nodded her head to Emerald.

"That's right." Dawn said to Angel."He wanted to say good-bye and let me know that he will still look out for me."

Dawn reasoned that that at least that part was true. As for the Cordy thing, well, she just wouldn't mention it. That way it was not really lying, just omitting horrible events to come. Angel still looked suspicious so Dawn decided to distract the group.

"I ummm, saw someone else too." Dawn said quietly.

"Your Mom?" Willow guessed by the sadness in her tone.

"No." Dawn said "Not Mom."

She took a deep breath and looked at Xander.

"I saw Anya."

Xander flinched and blinked before looking at Dawn and asking

"So, she is in a good place?"

"Yeah she seemed to like it." Dawn answered.

"Xander?" Buffy asked "Were you worried that Anya was in some kind of Hell?"

"Well.... a little." He confessed "I was scared that the good she did as a human may not have made up for 1000 years of being a vengeance demon."

"Xander?" Willow said horrified "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't know." Xander said quietly "Maybe because I was too scared that she could be somewhere horrible and I wouldn't be able to help her."

"She's fine Xander." Dawn assured him "She did have some messages though. Do you want to hear them?"

Xander nodded "I do. And knowing Anya, if I didn't she'd find a way to make me listen. I don't want a bolt of lightning striking me anytime soon."

Buffy laughed "And Anya probably already has a guy lined up to do that just in case."

Giles smiled as well "I have little doubt that when I die Anya will be running things up there. I will say in all seriousness that she was one of the most extraordinary women I ever met."

The Scoobies all nodded in agreement.

"So what did she say?" Xander asked Dawn.

"Well, for starters she said she loves you and is proud of you. She also said even though she thinks you can never do better than her that you should move on." Dawn said watching him closely. Xander smiled and nodded before excusing himself and going outside.

"Should I go after him?" Willow asked.

"No" Giles said "I think we should give him a few minutes."

"There is more for you guys." Dawn said.

"For us?" Buffy asked, surprised.

"yep. Andrew?" Dawn said to him. He looked up at her questioningly.

"Anya said congratulations for surviving. She said to tell you how glad she was that you made it."

Andrew smiled sadly and nodded. He had liked Anya. They bonded before she died while robbing the hospital and in the final few moments of her life.Andrew swallowed and blinked back tears while promising himself to learn all he could from Giles to make her proud.

"I told her she was the perfect woman." Andrew said quietly "I didn't get a chance to add one of the most special I ever met."

"She knew Andrew." Giles said feeling bad for the boy.

"She also asked me to thank the rest of us for teaching her to be human." Dawn said. "She told me it was worth it."

The Scoobies looked sad and AI let them work out their feelings for a few minutes. Xander came back in with eyes red from crying and they filled him in on the rest that Dawn had said.

Lorne finally spoke up

"This Anya, she sounds like she was a firecracker.Was she?"

"You have no idea." Giles said chuckling. He told them about when he and Anya thought they were engaged and that Spike was his son. The group howled with laughter about the bunnies Anya kept conjuring up and the skeleton Giles had to fence with to protect her. Amid more laughter the group started telling their own stories of Anya. Even Angel joined in and told his people about his first meeting with Anya.

"So then she says, "So you're Angel," He told the chuckling group "She looked me up and down without an ounce of fear and told me I was large and glowery."

After a few more stories the group sat smiling and looking around.

They were interrupted by Felice and another Watcher who came in looking worried.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Felice said "But Angel one of your employees stopped by. It seems Cordelia is getting worse. If we are going to try to help her we need to do it NOW."

Angels smile died.

"But we haven't figured out how to do it." He said worriedly.

Dawn looked at Emerald before hiding her face.

"I'm afraid we have to try something that may be risky." Giles said before turning to Emerald "What you did before, could you do it again?"

"But Mr. Giles!" Emerald said "It didn't work. She wasn't strong enough."

"Cordy was a higher power." Angel said "Maybe that will be enough to help her."

"But we can't be sure" Buffy said worriedly "What if she already gave up?"

"If we don't do something now I'm afraid we may have a bigger problem on our hands." Felice said.

"Like what?" Gunn asked.

"Wesley filled me in on the apocalypse that was averted here in LA." Felice said "Cordelia being completely taken over by a demon combined with her higher power gifts will make her indestructible."

"So she will become Jasmine?" Fred asked.

"Worse I believe." Felice said.

"So we need to come to a decision." Wesley said. "Try to remove the demon now or gamble with humanities lives."

"Have to say I don't like either of the options." Xander said.

"Angel?" Wesley said looking for a decision. "It's your call."

Angel looked tired. He looked at Emerald and Willow.

"Do it now." He said finally.

The group silently prepared to leave for the hotel and whatever they would come up against.

.........................................................

I'm hoping my writers block is over and the rest of the story is easier to write. I changed some things around that I had planned so I had to scratch some stuff and add others. Thanks for your patience with me and remember to review! I do read them all!