Author's Note: I literally just wrote this all in one shot. Please ignore my poor Latin, I tried to make it half right with a dictionary, but I'm sure it's totally wrong. Forgive me. Only one more chapter coming after this. Sorry this is short, but it's pivotal nonetheless. Oh and just a warning, this chapter contains swearing. Enjoy, and please review!

Chapter 5: Consequences

"Normal" Dimension

Dawn walked inside the Summers' home a half an hour later, the spell and ingredients tucked away in her backpack. She had been debating what to do the whole way home, and still hadn't reached a decision. As soon as she walked inside Buffy ran up to her, looking very frazzled.

"Dawn! Oh thank God! Where the hell were you?" her sister said, half angry and half relieved.

Dawn was startled. "I was at Janice's..."

Buffy looked at her angrily. "I was just on the phone with Janice's mother. I called to tell you to come home early, because Angel was going to take us out to dinner. But she said you weren't there, and no one had any idea where you were. Willow and Tara are out scouring the city for you right now. So once again, where the hell were you?"

Dawn closed her eyes for a brief moment. She had to think fast. As she was considering her options Angel came into the room. "Dawn! There you are. Where have you been? We were so worried. You almost gave your sister a heart attack," he said, wrapping an arm tightly around Buffy. They both looked at Dawn expectantly.

"Well I thought I was going to Janice's, but then I got talking after school to this new girl. She just moved here, she's really nice. And by the time we were done talking, it was late so I figured I should just come home," she said quickly.

Buffy looked at Dawn again. Some of the anger was gone from her eyes, but it was replaced with suspicion. "Okay. But never do that again, do you understand?" Buffy gave Dawn a quick hug.

Dawn hugged her sister, relieved that she had bought the lie. While she was in the embrace with Buffy, she noticed Angel staring at her suspiciously. Uh oh, what if he didn't buy it? She tried as hard as she could to look relaxed.

The two sisters broke apart. "Well, I'd better go get started on my homework," Dawn said, heading up the stairs. Buffy nodded. Angel just looked at her.

Vampire Dimension

Buffy ran down the street, the necklace tight in her grasp. She was going to Dawn's room, she was going to wish herself into every dimension that existed until she found her sister. She just hoped that the energy at the hotspot in her sister's room had returned.

"Buffy, wait!" Angel yelled, running behind her. "It's not the answer!"

They ran all the way to the Summers' home, neither one tiring. Angel finally caught up with Buffy on the porch while she fumbled for her key. He grabbed her arm. "Buffy, don't do this."

She didn't look at him. She opened the door and ran inside. Angel stopped her again.

"Buffy I am not going to let you do this. I love you too damn much to let you do something this dangerous."

Briefly fazed by his words, she paused for a moment. But then she remembered Dawn and ran upstairs, with Angel following her closely.

"Normal" Dimension

Up in her room, Dawn closed the door and collapsed on the bed. That was a close one. She removed the stuff from Rob from her bookbag and tucked it away on the highest shelf of her closet. Until she decided whether or not to use it, she couldn't risk Buffy or Angel finding it. She immediately felt a sense of deja vu. She felt as if she was back home, hiding away her stolen stuff. She hadn't wanted to tell any lies in this dimension. She wanted a fresh start. But only two days in she was back to lying to her sister.

She sat down at her desk and attempted to do her math homework. After two minutes of staring at the numbers she was interrupted by her stomach growling. She decided to get a snack, and then start making up the answers.

She headed downstairs, but stopped dead when she heard raised voices.

"I'm just saying that I don't think she was telling the truth!" Angel said, much more loudly than usual.

"Of course she's telling the truth! She's my sister, she would never lie to me!" Buffy yelled. Dawn felt a pang of guilt.

"Listen to me Buffy, I can tell when someone is lying to me. Just like you are lying right now when you say that you believe her!" Angel bellowed.

"Well I don't want to hear you accusing my sister of something she didn't do! And who gives you the right to call me a liar?" she yelled.

"Buffy, open your damn eyes! She had guilt written all over her face! Dawn could be in trouble, and you are too blind to even see it!"

Dawn felt tears coming to her eyes. This wasn't right. They were supposed to be happy here.

"I know my sister much better than you do! And if you refuse to show her some respect, I suggest that you leave right now," Buffy said shakily. Dawn could tell from the sound of her voice that she was crying. It was something she had learned to recognize from their crazy life back home.

"Well then maybe I will. And when you decide to listen to me, I'll come back." She heard loud footsteps and then the door slammed. Dawn jumped when she heard breaking glass from downstairs. Buffy was taking out her anger on the decor. Then she heard her sister sobbing quietly.

Dawn ran back to her room, blinded by her tears. She shut the door quietly behind her. This wasn't fair. Everything had been perfect here until she came. Now her sister wasn't even happy in a dimension without evil. And it was all because of her. She knew what she had to do.

She walked to her closet and grabbed the bag from the magic shop. She couldn't let herself ruin everything for the people here. They deserved to be happy somewhere. She was going home. If she had to ruin things for everyone, it may as well be for the people that were already miserable.

She set up the circle of candles next to her bed where the portal had opened. Blinded by her tears, she struggled with the matches until they were all lit. Then she poured the pile of sand in the center, and sat down. Wiping her eyes, she held the paper with the incantation in front of her.

"Facultas aliquantus navitas ego impero tu," she said, sounding out the Latin as best she could. "Navitas adeo hic, ego impero tu revenio. Ego impero tu, remeo!" Suddenly there where a flash of bright light, and a moment later Dawn was lying on the floor of her room again. Only there were no candles, no sacred circle. She stumbled up and ran to her dresser. She opened the bottom drawer of her jewelry box. It was there. All of her stolen stuff. She was home.

At that moment Buffy burst in the door. Her sister stopped dead when she saw Dawn. Angel ran up behind her and stopped abruptly to avoid running into Buffy.

Dawn smiled weakly. "Hey guys."

Vampire Dimension

Buffy walked into Dawn's room. She had just heard a strange noise, like energy crackling. She looked in to see Dawn sitting at her desk doing homework.

"Hey Buffy," her sister said with a smile. "What's up?"