Chapter 3

Mac and Faith had spent the majority of the evening in silence, neither of them willing to strike up conversation with the other, Faith being slightly gun shy of strangers especially those in the Government, and Mac who had heard some stories about this girl from Sam simply didn't know what to say.

Although there was something on Faith's mind, something Mac had said when they first met earlier in the day.  She wanted to ask about it but didn't know how.

"Ok" Mac finally decided to break the silence "We've been wandering round pretty much in silence for 2 hours 41 minutes and 20 seconds now, and you keep looking at me funny was there any thing you wanted to ask me"

Faith raised her eyebrows "Damn, colour me impressed, how do you do that?"

Mac grinned "Secret"

"Ahh" Faith nodded and chewed her lower lip trying to work up the courage to ask her question "You've had to hit back a lot?"

"More than some, but not as much as others" Mac's answer was cryptic at best but it told Faith more than anyone else would get out of it.

"Sometimes, when you have to hit back so much, you don't know any other way"

Mac knew that the girl was fishing for information, but didn't want to ask straight out.  Giving Faith a small smile Mac thought about all the ways she could answer the unasked question

"But then someone will offer you a hand to get you out, so what are you gonna do?  Take it and break the cycle or slap it away and stay in the cycle that someone else stuck you in?"

Silence once again descended over the pair, and remained.

As the sun started to rise that morning the four women met back at the house they had been staying in.  Sam grabbed a 6 pack of beer and a bottle of water from the fridge and they made their way onto the roof, there Buffy, Faith, Sam and Mac sat watching the sunrise.  Mac drank the water and the other three passed the beer between them.  As they basked in the early morning sun an odd sound started to creep up on them, as it got louder and louder Sam and Mac immediately recognised the sound as that of a helicopter approaching at fast speeds.

"He wouldn't…" Sam groaned and dropped her head into her hands.

Standing up she looked wildly around as the helicopter came into sight.  From the co-pilots seat Colonel Jack O'Neil waved to Sam.  With hands on hips Sam stamped her foot in frustration "Damn it, bloody hell and fuck.  What does he think he's doing…?"

Looking up to see a man eating a banana and another woman looking slightly frustrated Buffy laughed, "Well you did say for him to either stop calling or come out here and help, well it looks like he wants to help."

The four women watched at Jack indicated to the pilot, a very large black man, to land in the street below.

The four of them watched as he expertly piloted the chopper down and onto the street like he had been doing it his entire life, although Sam knew that that this was only the second time he had been in one and the first time he hadn't been allowed to pilot it.

With an aggravated sigh, Sam shook her head and went back inside the house and out onto the street to confront those in the chopper.

"Should we go after her, maybe stop her from using them as a punching bag?" Faith grinned at the other two

"Nah" Buffy grinned, for the first time in a long time, back "He's her Commanding officer, she can't hit him"

"Although" Mac joined in "The big guy looks like he could take some punishment" she waggled her eyebrows

The three of them watched as Sam stormed out of the house, grabbing another drink each they sat back to watch the show.

Summers Home

1630 Revello Drive

Dawn Summers had stayed up the rest of the night, sitting on the back porch trying to work out where it had all gone wrong.  She had wondered what her Mom had meant when she said Buffy wouldn't choose her.  She was right, Buffy had chosen Sam; someone none of the knew.  Buffy would never choose her for something important.  Little Dawnie always having to be protected.

Brushing away the tears she suddenly felt the need to run, to get away.  Unheeding of the dangers she knew were out there, she stood and started running as fast as she could, not knowing or caring where she was headed.

 Buffy, Faith and Mac were still sitting on the roof watching the group stand round the helicopter have a rather heated conversation, when a flash of brown down the other end of the street caught Buffy's eye.

"Dawnie…" she breathed and without another word Buffy jumped off the roof and ran after her.

"Oh Shit" Faith quickly followed suit when she saw who Buffy was running after.  Mac not able jump off the roof without risking major injury climbed down at a slower pace.

By the helicopter Janet Fraiser simply gaped as the two girls ran off without even stopping.

Trying to keep Dawn in sight Buffy didn't bother to look at who was following her, all she wanted to do was make sure her sister was all right, Faith followed but at a distance to allow the sisters some privacy.  Finally catching up to her Buffy called her name trying to get her attention.

Without warning the girl stopped and turned around tears still streaming down her face.

"Why?" she screamed, "Why don't you ever choose me?  All it ever is, is Dawn stay here, Dawn don't touch this, Dawn you're to young, Dawn this and Dawn that.  You're always ordering me around never letting me do anything, or help in anyway.  I just want to help.  Is that to much to ask?"

All through her yelling Buffy just stood there and waited.  When she finally stopped Buffy looked her straight in the eye and simply said "Yes"

Taken aback Dawn didn't know what to say so she just stood there mouth open "It is to much to ask" Buffy continued "When I want you safe, it's too much to ask.  When I want nothing more than for your biggest problem to be what you're going to wear to school or that cute boy in the seat across from you.  You want to walk the path I do, and get pissed when I try and keep you off it.  Go ahead and get pissed at me, but remember this, I know this path well and its caused me nothing but pain.  I'd be taking the easy way if I let you do it.  I love you Dawn and I don't want you to go through what I've been through.  I love you so much that it hurts and I would do anything to give you a chance at a normal life.  The chance I never had.  I will always choose you Dawn.  I will always choose for you to live, but I will never choose for you the life I've had to live"

"Then why did you leave, you should have stayed and fought them, fought me.  Made us see that we do need you" Dawn asked when she had finally found her voice.

"You told me to.  I would do anything for you Dawn.  Even walk away"

With those parting words Buffy did just that.  She turned and walked away.

And it was the hardest things she ever had to do.