Title: Chamomile
Part: 2/10: In My Daughter's Eyes
Author: Jmaria
Rating: Pg-13 (so far, might have to up it later on though)
Spoilers: 5 by 5 (s & b)
Disclaimers: I own Chamomile (the kid, not the tea) Everybody else was already claimed!
Summary: Breakdowns, revelations, death threats, curses, tea and a mongoose!

A/N: GaH! I didn't realize how awkward that second scene was! Ok, me 'splainy. When I originally started writing this story, Dawn was making out with a guy, and the whole Fang Gang was spying on her. That story was going in a whole different direction ( I might actually reuse that bit, stupid mongooses are back, grrh.) So if Cordy, and Gunn's reactions (reread his bit, and it really doesn't make sense) don't make sense, now you know why! Someone commented on how blunt Dawn is. Yup. She's 15, she's gonna be bad in the tact area. Oh, and Willow? She's not with them in England. It's just the Fang Gang.

A/N2: On the subject of the three stories in this series, there is a very specific reason why they aren't all slammed together. They might all cover the same characters, but each story is designed to follow a SPECIFIC CHARACTER! Friday, I'm In Love! focuses on Charlie and Buffy's relationship, i.e., how they met. The Hardest Choice focuses on Buffy, and well the title says it all, folks! THIS STORY is ABOUT CAMMI AND DAWN! Those are the main characters. That, and each of the stories was written with totally different things driving them. (sorry for the rant, only one real complaint about it, but I felt the need to splurge and go full rant.)

Oh, and I'm (after the first two chappies, of course) going for 'light-hearted'. If you've read any of my older fics, you'll catch my drift.

Onward, Edgar the mongoose! (I had to name him. He was adamant about it!)

2. In My Daughter's Eyes

"You ok?" She asked.

It wouldn't have bothered him if it hadn't been the umpteenth time that she'd asked him that question. He didn't know what to do, what to say. He felt -

"Hey, Red! Could you get the comatose look outta your eyes and answer the kid?" The black man called over to him. Charlie raised his head just in time to catch the woman with the glasses smack her hand on his shoulder and hiss, "Charles!"

"I'm not a kid, Gunn," Dawn snapped, her eyes on Charlie.

"Buffy's -" He started, his voice failing him. HIM! The dragon tamer, the fearless son, the one who'd fought alongside other members of the Order against Voldemort's Death Eaters.

"She's gone, Charlie." Dawn couldn't help it. This was too hard! She couldn't do this. "She's dead because of me!"

"What?" Charlie's head snapped up. "You said she slipped and fell. That was no one's fault, little one." He said softly. Cordy and Angel caught each other's gaze over Charlie's head. He didn't know that Buffy's been the slayer. That she hadn't told him about her life, at least not all of her life. Dawn kept her head down.

"She - she left a note. She - She didn't tell us about you. That's why -"

"She never spoke of me?" Charlie held his breath.

"Not after you left. Willow knew about you two. Back when - before Cammi. Mom and I just thought Riley was the father. But then he took off. Big old jerk. And then Glo -"

"Dawn," Angel warned as the girl started to babble.

"Right. Then Mom - Mommy died. And it was just -" Her voice shook a little, "It's just so hard to be brave. I don't know if I can do it!" A single tear rolled over her cheek.

"No one's asking you to be brave." Charlie said, brushing away the tear. She stared at him as if he'd grown three heads.

"You weren't there! She -" She choked on a sob.

"The kid doesn't need this right now," Angel grumbled from the corner he was sitting in.

"'M not a KID!" She spat.

"Are so," Angel said, turning his gaze to Charlie.

"What are you, five?" Cordy said, smacking his shoulder. She glared at him. This wasn't the easiest thing for any of them to do, but he was just being stubborn. She turned to face Charlie. "You've read the note?"

"Yes." His fingers clenched on the tear-stained missive.

"Then you know Buffy left Cammi and Dawn to you." She said softly. "But we don't know you. And we're as close as family can be to the little ankle-biters."

"Would you think I'd abandon my child?" He asked, angrily, rising to her bait. She gave him a look of pure spite.

"You did the first time."

"I didn't know! Buffy - she never tried to contact me. I - I never saw her outside of those five precious days!" His voice was raw with grief. "This isn't easy to accept! She was so young and full of life. You think I can be a stone? I've loved one woman in my life, and not more than thirty minutes ago, I found out she's dead and I have a daughter and sister to raise! I did not abandon Buffy, contrary to your beliefs that I'm little more than a womanizing bastard who spits in the face of responsibility!" Dawn gave a tiny gasp at that. He caught it. "And, why in heavens name would I separate them? Of course I'm taking them both in!"

The room was silent for a moment. Angel was the first to rise to his feet. Charlie and Dawn both looked up at him.

"He'll be true to his word." Angel said darkly. He squeezed Dawn's shoulder, his face softening towards the teenager. "She wanted you to be with a real family, Dawn. I think this is as close as it gets." She started to say something, but he cut her off. Again. He had an annoying tendency to do that. She idly wondered if Buffy ever caught that. "Besides, this is probably the safest place for you to be right now. Considering what we have to deal with at home." Angel turned to face Charlie. "Take care of them, or I'll break your legs off and feed them to you."

"Funny, funny Angel! Quoting your favorite mobster movie again! What a kidder!" Cordy said, forcing out a tinny sounding laugh.

"Which one would that be again?" Dawn raised an eyebrow. Cordelia's eyes widened a bit as she smiled sweetly at her and replied.

"The Mobster likes Her. Starring Harry Bellafonte," She lied through her teeth, smiling broadly at the three very confused looking redheads. "Get over here, Summers."

She pulled the younger girl into her arms, giving her a quick They all seemed to follow in suit, hugging the girl they barely knew for more than ten days. Fred and Gunn were already in the car when Wes and Cordy finished saying good-bye. Angel was the last to leave.

"Dawn, I - um."

"Just go, Angel. I know you need to, you know, be gone. She didn't give me a choice. . .but I guess I can deal with it."

"Dawn, take care of yourself."

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to, now." She turned back to the Weasleys. "Goodbye, Angel."

She slowly closed the door, shutting out her old scary life and welcoming in the new one.

Charlie was trying desperately to work through the emotions this tiny little slip of girl had sent him diving headfirst into. She'd settled down the little girl then plowed right on through with what Buffy had told her, about the note that she'd written, even gave him the half-dozen letters she'd tried to write to him when she'd been pregnant.

How could he turn his daughter away? And he certainly couldn't turn the teen away, because this was all the family she had left. She was sitting at the table, having shut the door on the man who'd done nothing but scowl at Charlie the moment he set foot in the door. He gave her a small smile as he sat across from her. Arthur and Molly Weasley were hovering around the room, neither were particularly sure of what they should say or do.

"She named the baby Cammi?"

"What? No, that's just what we called her. Her name's too big to call her that yet. And it's kinda a stupid name."

"What is it?" He leaned forward, eager to learn anything about Buffy, the baby, and their life before now. Dawn gave him a peculiar look. "What?"

"You really loved her."

"Yeah . . " He said quietly, but not taking his gaze off the young girl.

"Buffy named her. Her name's Chamomile Anne Weasley Summers. She hid the Weasley part from us, but it's on her birth certificate, which kinda now explains why Riley did that whole ditch and run deal earlier this year." Charlie burst out laughing. She gave a little jump. "What?"

"She named our daughter after tea?" He said, laughing even harder.

"Oh, that. Yeah. . . Well, the letter said she wanted to give you a bit of each other's names. That's why her middle name's Anne, and she didn't know your middle name, and Chamomile starts with CH like Charlie. But the real reason she named her Chamomile was because she was craving decaffeinated Chamomile tea throughout the pregnancy. Said since the baby craved it so bad, she was getting named for it. Mom liked it." She smiled softly. "So, you got anything to eat? Cause, I've been kinda food deprived for like four hours. I'm starving."

Charlie cast a glance over his shoulder at his parents, a sinking feeling in his stomach. He wasn't sure how they were going to cook without telling her they were wizards. He gave her a nervous little laugh.

Dawn knew she should be listening. He was trying to manuever her into the living room. But she was too deep in thought - Willow'd be proud that she was being all introspective and junk - to try to figure out why he was being sneaky.

She knew she was just trying to shove away all the pain and grief she was going through. This, this coming here was just too final. She'd hated the idea when they first read Buffy's letter. And it wasn't just that she was being shipped off to live with total strangers. It was because Buffy took the time to write it. Because it meant that Buffy knew she wasn't gonna make it. It meant that her sister had given up on her, and given up on Cammi. She'd been ready, willing, and able to die.

"Well, I suppose I should tell you about your new family. Mum's making something for us to eat. Does Cammi eat food yet, or - ?"

"She's still on formula and some jar food. But - Buffy was going to start her on solids in the next month or two." She stared at the pictures on the wall, they were all of red-headed boys, and some of a red-haired girl. "Wow, redheads really run in your family. Ever have a brunette or a blond?"

"What? Oh, no. Well, not until now. You and little Cammi will be the exception to the Weasley family rule." He gave her a small grin.

"How many kids are in your family?"

"I'm the second born of seven children. Six boys, and Ginny of course."

"Seven kids? And you all live here?" She demanded.

"Well, yeah. My sister Ginny's about your age - you're fifteen right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Ron's sixteen, and the twins are eighteen, and Percy's twenty, and Bill's twenty six."

"And you're all a bunch of moochers."

"What? No -"

Before he could finish his sentence, there were two loud popping noises in succession behind him. She let out a shrill shriek, jumping to her feet. Only to fall right back down after taking two quick steps back. Charlie whirled around to face two familiar faces that grinned back at him.

"Demons!" She cried, wrapping her fingers around Charlie's wrist, trying to tug him down.

"Where?" One of the newcomers cried, turning around in a circle like a dog chasing it's own tail.

"She meant you two idiots, Fred."

"Oh, then why'd she scream? And who is she?" The other one asked.

"Thank you two for breaking this so gently to her."

"And who is she?" Fred asked again.

Dawn turned her face up to look at the three men standing in the living room. Things were getting stranger and stranger.

"What's going on, Charlie?" She whispered.

"Well, Dawn, it's like this. . . we're wizards."

"Oh. . . "

Molly was placing the plate chock full of food in front of the girl. She hadn't said much since George and Fred had apparated into the room, frightening the poor dear. Why, she was nothing more than skin and bones, the little dear. She smiled at the girl. The baby was on her lap, her little hazel eyes memorizing the three male faces studying her so intensely.

"So, you're the proud papa, eh Charlie?"

"Shut it, Fred."

"You're acting just like Percy now, Charlie." George said, watching as the little baby cooed at Charlie.

"You guys are so weird." Dawn said, grinning at the goofy faces Fred and George were making at Charlie.

"Oh, well that's just peachy keen, now isn't it? Taking his side, and making with the jokes at your new family's expense."

"Please, you like being in trouble. I bet you two aren't happy unless you're in trouble." Dawn said, rolling her eyes as she popped a piece of fruit in her mouth.

"Now, now, little miss sunshine, no making fun when you barely even know us."

"What are you two even doing here? You're supposed to be with Bill in Hogsmeade keeping an eye on Harry," Molly asked, sitting next to Dawn. She motioned for the girl to give her the baby. Dawn hesitated. "You can't eat and hold the baby, dear. Merlin knows, I've tried and failed many a time." Dawn gave her a smile as she handed the baby over.

"Well, our dear Bill got an unexpected guest. They're having some downtime and Tonks is keeping an eye on Harry."

"Oh, dear. The girl means well, but -"

"Why do you need to keep an eye on this Harry guy? Is he like an arsonist or something?"

They all turned to stare at her, like she was cracked. Well, nearly all of them. Fred spit out a spray of juice all over George, who had milk coming out of his nose from laughing so hard. Molly sighed at her sons' antics.

"What?"

"So this guy's tried to kill him for the last six years?"

"Yes, and failed every time."

"And you think he's safe at this school?"

"Well, it's relatively safer than being in a muggle school."

"Wait, a muggle, that's like a normal person?"

"Yes. Wait, you're supposed to be in school, aren't you?" Charlie asked, suddenly realizing this. "School's don't let out for summer holidays for at least another month!"

"Yeah, and I'm not enrolled -"

"Which means you'll be repeating a year if you go to a muggle school."

"Yeah, I guess."

Charlie sat across from her, watching her as she seemed to mull it all over. Well, it couldn't hurt, if he tried. Dawn caught him staring at her.

"What?"

"How'd you like to meet the rest of my family?"

"Aren't they up at Hogsmeade, or something?"

"Yeah, I think you might like it up there."

"All of us?"

"The twins, Cammi, you and I."

"A road trip."

"Sort of."

Dawn thought about it for a few minutes. She smiled brightly at him.

"Cool, when do we leave?"

* * * End part 2: In My Daughter's Eyes * * *

A/N 2: um, feedback please? The part titles are songs from the new Martina McBride cd called Martina. Also, this story has an actual outline I'm working from (unlike all my other stories)