Chapter 4

"This is it?" Willow asked unsure of whether Dawn was correct or not as she looked at the Waste Management building.

"Yeah." Dawn said as she released a sigh.

"Are you sure?" Willow crinkled her forehead as she looked out the car window at the building.

"I'm certain." Dawn responded as she got out of the cab and paid the driver.

They stood on the sidewalk as they stared at the building in front of them. Neither one of them really knowing what to do. Dawn hesitantly walked up to the closed gate and pushed on it; hoping it would open. She groaned in frustration as she turned and looked at Willow.

"It's locked." She said bluntly as she walked to stand next to her friend again.

"Well, what should we do now?" Dawn asked after a moment of silence.

"Stay here." Willow ordered as she walked up to the gate. She held out her right hand and was about to say something before someone spoke through a loud speaker.

"Can I help you?" The voice asked and both Dawn and Willow looked around in confusion before realizing it was coming from a speaker near the gate.

Dawn walked up to the speaker and spoke into it while pushing a button that she hoped was the right one. "Uh, yeah. We're here to see Agent John T. Myers."

"What about?" The voice asked back.

"Um, well. It's of a demonic manner." Dawn looked at Willow and shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't real sure what she should say to convince the guy to allow her in.

"Name, please." The stern voice demanded.

"Dawn. Dawn Summers." She responded with a shaky voice.

"One moment please." The man spoke and they stood in front of the gate for about ten minutes before it opened up.

They slowly walked through to the building's large doors and they opened almost instantly. Willow held Dawn's hand while giving her a reassuring smile and Dawn thankfully returned it. They both walked onto a large tile that rested a few feet away from a desk where a man stood.

"He is expecting you, now." The man said.

"Well…" Dawn started but the man interrupted her.

"Watch your hands and elbows." He spoke and both Dawn and Willow looked at him with a confused expression before they felt the floor lower beneath their feet.

Dawn hugged Willow as they were lowered into a large facility with many levels. Dawn slowly let go of Willow as she scanned the area in awe. Willow quickly grabbed Dawn's arm as she saw the girl look a little too far over the edge.

"They could've at least put railings on here." Willow complained as they reached the bottom. In front of them stood large, gold colored double doors. They looked at each other in reassurance before proceeding through the doors. Inside was just absolutely beautiful to the girl's eyes as they scanned the area. There were shelves and shelves of books and the structure had fascinating designs on it.

"This looks almost historic." Willow whispered with fascination.

"You are correct." They heard a voice somewhere in the room and Dawn turned around to see a large aquarium in front of her. She slowly walked up to it and placed her right hand on the glass as she looked in the water. Suddenly, Abe swam up to the glass and placed his hand by Dawn's.

"Hi, Abe." Dawn spoke with a smile.

"It is good to see you again, Dawn." Abe responded.

"Uh, Dawn." Willow spoke, unsure of the sea creature.

"Oh, it's okay, Willow. This is Abe. Abe this is my friend Willow." Willow waved her hand hello.

"Willow. The name of a tree. A very powerful witch; swallowed up, at one point, by the power you possess. You've experienced love, loss and revenge. Death is all too familiar to you. To both of you." Abe read Willow as she stood there; feeling more and more uncomfortable about the creatures correct observation.

"Are you psychic?" Dawn asked.

"That I am, Dawn." Abe answered as he started to swim around in his tank again.

"Cool." Dawn whispered as she watched Abe swim.

"Hello, Dawn." She heard someone say behind her and she turned to see Myers standing near the door.

"Uh, hi." Dawn answered as she walked back over to Willow.

"Who's your friend?" He asked as he walked through the room.

"Willow. Willow this is Agent John T. Myers. Myers this is Willow." Dawn introduced and they slightly shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Willow." Myers said politely only to get a head nod from Willow in return.

"So, why are you here?" He asked as he sat down in a chair nearby.

Dawn looked down at the floor before answering. "You were… right." Dawn stammered out and Myers stood back up; thrusting his hands in his pants pockets.

"What do you mean?" Myers asked.

"We did a spell." Willow interrupted and Myers quickly turned to face her.

"A… a spell?" Myers stuttered.

"Yeah. You got Dawn here frightened by the fact that she may still be useful to some demon out there so she called me. I came over and we did a spell to check and see if you were right. And, unfortunately, you were." Willow explained and Myers looked lost.

Before he came to the Bureau he didn't believe in Demons but that belief fell when he met Hellboy. But he never believed in witches and now here was one standing right in front of him.

"You-you're a…" Myers tried to ask the question but the word just wouldn't fall off his tongue.

"Witch? Yeah. I am." Willow answered.

Dawn had wandered over to the stands sitting in front of the glass and started looking through Abe's books as Myers and Willow talked. She could tell Willow didn't like him in the least. But then again, Willow was protective of her; maybe not as much as Buffy but enough to know that if anyone messed with Dawn, then they were in for a rough ride. They all turned toward the door when they heard it come crashing open.

"Hey! Hey! Dawn! You're here!" Hellboy exclaimed when he saw the petite brunette standing in front of him.

"Saepio impedimentum!" Willow spoke as she held up her hand and her eyes turned black. Hellboy moved forward to welcome Dawn but he bounced backwards as an invisible shield blocked his path.

"What the…" Hellboy said as he pushed on the shield with a stone finger.

"You stay away from her." Willow spoke with a deep voice, her eyes still black.

"Woah. Woah. Willow. It's, uh, it's alright. This is Hellboy. I told you about him remember. He's a good demon, I think." Dawn explained as she witnessed Willow's over- protectiveness towards her.

"Yeah! And who do you think you are!?" Hellboy exclaimed with anger written on his face.

Dawn quickly looked at Hellboy with a glare and he stood back from the shield a bit. She rolled her eyes before turning her attention back at Willow. Willow glanced at Dawn before fixing her eyes again on Hellboy.

"Are you sure?" Willow asked and Dawn nodded her head.

"Yes, I'm sure. He was the one who saved me." Dawn explained and knew if she added that part in then Willow would at least think about accepting him.

She slowly lowered her hand and closed her eyes to turn them back to normal. As her hand fell, so did the shield and Hellboy quickly walked over to Willow.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" He asked again as he loomed over her. Willow slowly raised her gaze to Hellboy's face.

"I'm Willow. Dawn's friend. And a powerful witch. So, don't mess with me buddy." Willow said sternly.

"A witch, huh?" Hellboy asked with a laugh.

"Uh, Hellboy…" Dawn started, getting his attention, "if I were you, I wouldn't pester her. She can throw you across the room without even touching you." Dawn warned and Hellboy looked at Willow and then back at Dawn; receiving a head nod from her.

"She is correct." Hellboy heard Abe say as he swam up to the glass of the tank.

"So, you study witchcraft, huh." Myers said as he stood next to Hellboy.

"Yep." Willow answered not taking her eyes off of Hellboy's.

"Cause. We could use someone like you here." Myers stated; causing Willow to break her gaze off of Hellboy.

"What? No. I'm just here for Dawn." Willow answered.

"No. I agree with Myers here. We could use someone like you. What else can you do?" Hellboy asked sarcastically; not really believing how powerful she claimed to be. Willow looked over to Dawn and she sent Willow a wicked smile while nodding her head anxiously.

"Come on, Willow. They don't seem to believe you." Dawn said.

"Dawn, you know I can't use magic for just anything now. Remember what happened because of that." Willow refused.

"I know. But…" Dawn started.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Dawn. I think this girl just isn't as powerful as she claims to be." Hellboy snickered at Willow and got a glare in return; from both girls.

A smile slowly formed on Willow's face as she kept her eyes on Hellboy's; his smile still on his face. Slowly, and unnoticed, she rose Hellboy off the floor. Her eyes grew black and a slight breeze blew through the room.

"What the… Hey!" Hellboy yelled when he noticed the red head was floating him in the air.

"Believe me, now?" She asked in a husky voice; her smile still playing on her face.

"Okay, fine! Yeah! Now put me down!" Hellboy demanded and Dawn couldn't help but laugh.

"As you wish." Willow replied as she released her mental hold on the demon; causing him to fall to the floor below with a loud thunk. Dawn's laughter grew at this as Hellboy slowly climbed to his feet; rubbing his nose in the process.

"Yeah. I'd say we could use her." Hellboy said as he wiggled his nose to get the tickle feeling to cease.

"Actually, we came here for something a little more important than that." Willow changed the subject when she remember what they were actually there for.

"Right. About that spell." Myers agreed as both him and Willow looked at each other.

"It showed us." Dawn spoke up; staring at the floor.

"What? Showed you what?" Myers asked as he looked at Dawn; intrigued with what they were telling him.

"What's after me. What's going to happen to me and that…" Dawn started but fell silent as she stared up at Willow with tears in her eyes.

"I'm going to die." She whispered and Willow once again wrapped Dawn in her arms. After a moment of the two hugging; Willow pulled Dawn back and stared her in the eyes.

"I am not, and I do mean not, going to let anything happen to you. Okay?" She reassured her.

"How?" Dawn asked; surprising Willow with the question.

"What?" Willow asked with a crinkle of her forehead.

"How can you be sure you won't let anything happen to me? Buffy said that and I still got caught by Glory and Buffy's the slayer. And you can't exactly take my place like Buffy did." Dawn blurted out quickly and frantically.

"Well, because…" Willow started; trying to find a way to reassure her, "because…"

"Because now you've got us." Hellboy cut in as he walked up to the two girls and rested a comforting left hand on Dawn's shoulder.

Dawn slowly looked up at him with tear stained cheeks and sent him a weak smile. Hellboy smiled back as they held each other's gaze for a few moments before he spoke up.

"I promise, kid, I'll do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to you." Hellboy spoke as Dawn stared at him with a different perspective.