Chapter 5 Closer to Fine

Cheyenne Mountain

Colorado Spring's Colorado,

Jack O'Neill was pissed off; Carter was still on down time so he didn't have anyone to visit when he was on base and bored. That leg of hers was going to take a while to heal, he had a Vampire living in his basement and he had just been called up to the Mountain on his day off.

"What what what what what the hell do you want?" He barked at the nerds in the computer server room. "Don't you normally call Carter for this kind of" He waved a hand at all the equipment adorning the room " stuff."

"Yeah we do," one of the men said, "but we thought you'd want to see this before we called her."

Jack leaned over and looked over his shoulder as the technician tried to explain what was going on.

Dawn's Room

Hyperion Hotel

Los Angeles, California.

Conversation was kept light and easy as Dawn and Sam attempted to get to know each other.

"I got injured badly a couple of years back, it scared me lot. I had a four year old at home, and here I was gallivanting around the gal world but," Sam tried to keep the blush off her face at her near slip up. Luckily Dawn didn't notice, "I had to make a choice, I chose to leave the field and work in the Lab." she sighed.

"Do you miss it?"

The ringing of her new cell phone cut off Sam's answer. Rolling her eyes she muttered under her breath as she reached to answer it. "He knows where I am, he knows why I'm here, so why the hell is he calling me? Carter."

Hey Carter," the voice of her ex-CO floated over the phone, "listen, I know this is a bad time but we've got a little problem."

"Sir," Sam tried not to sound to exasperated with him, "I'm not the only person qualified to pull your files out of the recycle box when you accidentally delete them."

In the background, despite herself Dawn smirked.

"Not that kind of problem, someone's attempting to break into the computer systems and they're damn close. We've traced them to Los Angeles but that's as close as it gets. Any ideas?"

Sam started to head out to the hallway to continue the conversation when a laptop in the corner caught her eye. "Are they looking for anything in particular?" She paused at the door waiting to hear the answer.

"Um." She could hear muffled voices in the background. "Yeah personal files Yours in particular."

"Hold on a sec, Sir." Sam covered the mouthpiece hoping that Jack wouldn't hear what she was about to say.

"Dawn?" The teen looked up startled. "Is there anyone you know of who is particularly good with computers, say a hacker?"

By the way Dawn's face paled Sam knew that the girl knew exactly who it was "Because," Sam continued "There's someone in California trying to get into the files at the base. Any ideas?"

Dawn finally crumbled under Sam's intense gaze. "Willow" The teen shrugged. "She's probably trying to find out about you. If anyone can do it she can."

Uncovering the mouthpiece again, Sam brought the phone back up to her ear "Sir, tell the boys to wait 10 minutes and then send out a pulse that'll literally stop them in their tracks yes Sir I have a fairly good idea wait another 10 after that then call me back thanks Sir."

She turned around and grinned at Dawn. "Can you show me where Willow's room is?"

Willow's Room

10 minutes later

Dawn looked at Sam curiously as they stood outside Willow's room at the Hyperion hotel. Seeing her questioning gaze Sam simply shook her head, from inside they heard a cry of frustration pushing the door open they saw Willow sitting at her laptop typing furiously trying to save whatever it was she was doing.

From the door Sam smirked. "You know you shouldn't try to hack into a classified military installation when the person who designed, implemented and updates the system is in the same building as you."

Willow turned a glared at her. "What the hell did you do to my computer?"

"Me? I didn't do anything, it's a security failsafe"

Dawn stood in the background not really paying attention, her brain and heart trying to reconcile what she had been told and what she wanted.

No more monsters

A normal life

No more monsters

A home

No more monsters

A new start

No more monsters

"Sam," a quiet voice came from the door way, startled out of what was about to become a full blown argument with Willow the blond Major turned to face the girl.

"I wanna go with you." The words were so quiet that Sam thought she may have heard wrong.

Limping over to her Sam looked Dawn in the eyes, "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

In the background Willow opened her mouth to protest but closed it again. She couldn't stop it so why try

~@~

"You take care Dawn." Anya wrapped her arms around Dawn awkwardly one last time as Sam loaded her things into the taxi. "Remember if a boy or girl try's any naughty touching kick them in the no-no spot. It hurts no matter who you are, and Xander says no orgasm friends for another two years."

Dawn nodded seriously taking the ex-demons words to heart, and turned to face Xander, the young mans eye cast to the ground hands shoved deep in his pockets, looking up he saw Dawns tear stained face regarding him, head tilted to the side eyes open and emotional. How many times had he seen that particular look on Joyce and Buffy? How many times had he seen it directed at him?

She walked over to him and he enveloped her in a tight hug. The kind of hug that makes you feel as though nothing in the world can touch you.

"Be good Dawnie, remember to come and visit anytime." He let go and held her at arms length. "Not sure where you can visit us yet cause that sister of yours had to turn our town into a hole in the ground, and if you see her around somewhere tell her I said hi," although Dawn got the deeper meaning of the words uttered to her. Stooping slightly, he looked at her directly and seriously. "You go be normal. One of us has to It's what she would've wanted."

She nodded as her lower lip trembled. Looking up she saw Willow watching from her room; the Wiccan's refusal to come down had hurt Dawn but she understood. They had spent the night before in Willow's room; it hadn't been easy, trying to convince Willow that it was what she wanted to do, but eventually Willow understood.

And Dawn knew that she was making the right choice.

Xander tried to wander casually over to Sam, but the Major saw him coming and stepped out of earshot of the rest of the group before the young man could reach her. Looking at her his good eye filled with pain.

"I have just one more question" Sam didn't reply but looked at him expectantly

"Why you guys and not us? I mean, why was she willing to listen and work with you guys and not us?"

Sam looked around at the group standing in front of the Hyperion Hotel, not entirely sure of how to answer that particular question.

"She didn't have to be General Buffy with us." Seeing that Xander was about to protest she hurriedly continued "Who did you guys always look to, to solve the currant problem? Buffy! Maybe, just maybe that's why she stopped listening. She got so used to being told that she was the one that had to do everything and make all the hard decisions, that she forgot that you guys were there to help and listen." Sam paused to once again gather her thoughts "I'm just guessing here but we all know what it's like, doing the right thing, not the easy thing the right one, maybe that's it. To us she was just a kid who was thrown into a situation she shouldn't have had to handle, to you she was The Slayer." Sam shrugged slightly "I don't know for sure."

Looking anywhere but at Sam, Xander tried to hide the tear that leaked out of his eye "It just hurts so damn much"

Smiling wryly Sam laid a hand on his lower arm "I know"

"Look after Dawnie for us"

Without waiting for a response he headed back inside the hotel without looking back. It was time for country music. The music of pain.

Standing at the door to the cab Dawn's eyes met Giles', unshed tears glistening there, despite what she and the others said; they both knew this was it. The chances of Dawn coming back after getting a taste for normal were slim at best.

Colorado Springs

Five hours later

It was a weary pair that arrived at Colorado Springs airport. There hadn't been much conversation but on the same token neither of them felt like talking. As they entered the luggage pick up area Dawn stopped abruptly causing Sam to run into her back.

"Whoa," was all she could say as she saw a giant of a man standing there looking decidedly uncomfortable.

Following her line of sight Sam had to hold back a chuckle at Dawn's reaction to Teal'c.

"That's our ride."

Dawn gulped visibly; this guy would have been less scary if he was sporting pointy teeth and wrinklies.

Sam's Home

Colorado Springs, Colorado

As they stood outside the Sam's house Dawn was suddenly gripped with fear. It had seemed so easy up until now. She could hear the music and smell the barbecue cooking in the back yard and wondered how many people were actually at the house. How many people she would have to see? Speak with? Be nice to?

"T can you take Dawn's things up to the spare room." The Jaffa nodded and moved to start pulling things out of the back of Jack's truck.

"Don't worry." Sam wrapped an arm awkwardly around Dawn's shoulders and led her round the back of the house; "none of them bite."

As they rounded the corner of the house she could see a group of about 10 people. None of them seemed phased at the new arrival. Sam took her around and introduced her to everyone, even a very pale Sarah Mackenzie who Janet had managed to spring from the Academy hospital for the evening.

Finally after the sun had set two familiar figures entered the backyard. Dawn's face split into a grin as she recognised Spike and Faith.

Faith hung back for a moment taking in the sad stance of the 16-year-old. Her mind flashed back to those last moments in the cave, when Buffy had re-opened her eyes.

"Go on"

"I ain't leaving you here B"

"I got the clean up, you go kick some Demon ass. It's what you're best at."

Taking the blonds words to heart the brunette turned to leave, but halted at her voice.

"Faith"

"Yeah?"

"It's not your fault."

As they were talking about what they were going to be doing now a eight year old blond whirlwind came running over, wanting to play hide and go seek. As Dawn looked into the bright hazel eyes she felt something she didn't think she had ever felt before. Peace.

There was something familiar about the smile of the young girl; Spike and Faith sensed it too. They relaxed more when the girl, Bethuen Carter, Dawn was informed, was around. Dawn had seen the smile before, so many times, and it comforted her in a way that nothing else could.

Told her that everything was going to be okay, maybe not today, but one day soon.

For now, she was getting closer to fine.

AN: That's it folks. The end of the story, I know I said I was going to do a sequel but currently I have no plans to do that. I do however have an idea boiling at the back of this disturbed brain of mine, itching to be written. That particular story was going to be the sequel but the way it's begging to be written just doesn't fit in with how I ended this.

So if you have any questions or comments, good or bad shoot me off an email. I LOVE feedback