Authors notes.... If anyone can give me a definite spelling for the head of an order of monks I would greatly appreciate it, all other spelling is correct Australian English Spelling.

A big hello to all who wanted to know whose soul was used, read on, I have decided to extend the original version, so it may take a little longer to get to the actual name.

Its a bit of a talk fest so action fans are in the wrong story.

Monastery Chap 7-9.

Soul mate

"Do you really need to know? It will not affect you're relationship with them? You will not be able to read their mind or anything else interesting"

"Please" Dawn was still quiet "I would like to know, was it my mother?"

The Abbott sat back in his wheelchair, half his face bathed in the warm light, the other in darkness.

"We wanted too"

He paused, wondering if he should continue, then looking at Dawn's face.

"But she was unwell and we thought it unwise to risk further injuring her, we did not know how serious it was until she died, I am sorry for your loss, but it was not her."

"Then who?"

Buffy watched her sister edging ever closer to the truth.

"We do not know their name, we needed a soul quickly, and so we searched, and found the strongest, purest brightest soul of all your friends and took a piece from it."

"So, are they like Buffy, you know, are they my sister?"

"Oh no!" The abbot chortled, and the Bursar came forward and shifted the old man slightly so he was more in the sun "this person is not related to you, if anything they would be, what is the word that Anne used? Soul mate?"

"Anne... Anne of green gables?" Buffy asked in surprise

"Yes, it was very well known in Canada... This person, your soul mate is not related to you, but they in fact may be closer to you than blood"

The Head of the order of monks, waved a hand towards Buffy, and propped himself up on one arm.

"The soul is a very strong bond, you will be happy when you see them, sad when you don't, the best friend you could ever have, they would love you, that way we were sure that just in case Buffy failed to protect you, others would"

"Your spell worked well" Buffy sat down again, thinking of all the people who had risked their life to keep her sister safe from the Knights, the evil god, the Crazy people.

"Yes, we were afraid it had worked too well when we found out you had died in your sisters place, we thought that if Glory came too close you would have killed Dawn to save the world."

Buffy and Dawn looked away from each other

"But it is past now, and we must finish, I am very tired"

"Yes of course" Buffy Said with resignation

"But first let me bless you" The bursar behind him indicated they should kneel

The Abbott placed his hands on their heads and spoke in an ancient tongue then made the sign of the cross.

"Now, we have a song service especially planned in your honour, it is only an hour long so I am sure even you can sit through it, then I suggest you walk to the caves, they are quite lovely in the afternoon"

The Bursar led them out and too the chapel where the entire congregation of monks and some builders were waiting, as soon as they walked in the music started, Buffy could not have been happier, Dawn was her sister, and that was it. For the first time in years she enjoyed a trip to church, so much so, she hardly noticed Dawns silence.

The Caves

Dawn had said little while brother John had helped them pack their lunch. Buffy thought the organist had been in fine form throughout the song service and had said so.

"Thank you, but I have good music to work with"

"I really liked that last song, what was it about?"

"Oh, it was about smiting of enemies and trampling out the evil"

Dawn smirked "I thought you would like that one."

"Oh, so now you talk, okay, which one did you like then?"

"The one in, not Latin, but something, definitely a Romance language."

Brother John started Humming a tune

"Yeah, That one!" Dawn was starting to get excited

"It is in Romanian, the last Abbot was from there, it was one of his favourites".

"What is it about?" Dawn Asked

"It is about Sacrifice and living a good life when evil is all around, like all good songs...

We'll here you are" He handed them a basket "Just follow that track for about half an hour, you will soon find the spring."

Buffy and Dawn walked of down the trail, Buffy started Humming

"Your in a good mood." Dawn commented

"I am surprised your not! Everything I have worried about is now officially unimportant, I get to go back to Rome with my sister who will stay my sister and then we can go shopping!"

"Shopping is good." Dawn said with less than her usual enthusiasm

"Hey what's wrong? I'll even buy you that pair of Stilettos I have been banning you from!"

"Buffy, do you think he was right? I mean, can we trust them?"

Buffy didn't waste a seconds though" Of course, lets face it, these guys have been here for centuries fighting Demons, they were almost wiped out by Glory and if they wanted to hurt us, they could have done it before now and without us even knowing, I mean, if they could make a person, what else could they do?"

This seemed to brighten Dawn up "Hey, look, isn't that one of the flowers Willow said to collect for her potions?"

Buffy looked at one flower on the side of the trail, almost identical to dozens they had already passed, "er, maybe? How about you pick it and I will go on ahead, I think I hear water."

Buffy left her sister with a pocket knife in hand and walked to a pool with a waterfall dropping into it, she lay down the basket, looked around and smelt the air, fresh, listened to the bird song, and felt alive.

Dawn soon arrived and the two girls slipped out of their shirts into bathing suits carefully stepping behind the waterfall, and into a world of shimmering light.

"Wow, it's beautiful" Buffy exclaimed

"Err Buffy, come in a bit further"

Buffy walked further into the cave, it had mostly been cleaned, recently too by the looks of it, but on the roof there were a few splatters of blood, and underneath a box of medical supplies, a torn robe next to a broken sword hilt.

"Not quite what the Bursar meant when he said beautiful"

"All because of me." Dawn said without bitterness, "Do you ever wish I was not your sister Buff? I mean, all this was because of me, you dying, insanity everything be-"

"No" Buffy's voice was speaking normally, it amazed her she had not expected to sound anything but sad, or bitter, or maybe hysterical "The memories may not be original but they are real, I am happier with you here now than I have been for most of my life, I died so that you could have a chance to live, a part of me could go to college, have a family, now I, we can have that, it's not like Dad is around, so you are my family and I am eternally grateful".

"Woh, I was not expecting a speech, I thought you got over them after we buried the first's army."

"He he, yeah, I was a bit longwinded then, I wish Andrew had not taped so much."

Dawn giggled "Yeah, he has started to transcribe them too you know." Dawn paused "Buff?"

"Yeah Dawnie?"

"Um, I, I mean, look."

"Something to say sis?"

"Never mind, Lets eat, I'll tell you later."

And with that she turned and dove straight through the middle of the waterfall, so Buffy followed.

Watershed

Buffy and Dawn had set up the picnic basket on the grass banks of the pool, after lunch Buffy was tanning on a large boulder while Dawn was dipping her toes in the cool water.

"You know" Dawn said to no one in particular "Brother John said that all the monastery's water is from this spring and it is fresher than Evian?"

"Really? Maybe they should bottle it and sell it to religious health nuts" Buffy was feeling Playful, the entire trip had turned out better than she hoped, Dawn was DAWN, they would leave tomorrow and Dawnie would graduate back in Italy and then... who knows, London with Giles, Cleveland with Faith, Africa to find Xander. The Summers women were free.

Dawn flicked water at her "Been done already I think...Buffy?"

Her voice was uncertain again, as it was in the cave, and with the Abbot?

"Yes Dawn?"

"I was thinking, about my soul mate"

"Really? Why, you heard what the Old guy said, one of the gang loves you, makes no difference who, that could be anyone? Willow, Giles, even Tara,"

Buffy rolled over, trying to ensure the tan was even, she wished it was Tara, it would explain why Willow and Dawn got on so well, and then Tara would always still be around, or perhaps Giles, then he would be her real father, not that absent...Buffy's thoughts were interrupted.

"When he gave the blessing, did you understand it?"

"No, languages is your gig, I just kill things"

Dawn mouth briefly broke into a grin, before looking a little embarrassed.

"Well, you know how he said that my soul mate would love me?"

"Yup, well, we all Love you sis"

"After the blessing bit, the usual God and Jesus stuff, he said and I suspect you love him too'."

"Him? Giles is your soul mate?" Buffy was sitting up now.

"Um, Buffy, that was not the translation of love that he used, it was more the, um, romantic kind of love."

"Well you don't LOVE Giles and-"

"And he was right, I am in love with my best friend"

Buffy froze, who did Dawn spend the most time with in Sunnydale, who loved her the most and who else would die for her without a second though.

"NO!" She Yelled, and jumped off the rock

"No! Don't say that, don't even joke about that, you can't love him"

Dawn was backing away "Why not, it's true, you know it, otherwise you wouldn't be so angry" she stepped backwards into a tree and Buffy was almost at her, so she spoke with determination "I love him, I love Xander."