A new day starts at Dawn
Riley Finn stood by the sign that told him he was back.
Sunnydale.
It was two years since he had been there.
A lot had happened. Graham had died. That was the thing that made him come back to Sunnydale. Willow needed to know. Graham had always had a weak spot for the redhead.
He took his bag up from the ground and swung it onto his shoulder.
Best not delaying the meeting that was inevitably going to come.
Buffy Summers.
She had been in his head every minute of the day he was in Belize. The pain he felt when he thought about her faded. But it still hurt. He still couldn't understand why she hadn't come to the helicopter that day.
He got into his car and drove through the streets. Memories came back. Memories of his days in the Initiative, of his life with Buffy.
He loved her the most when they were just walking hand in hand.
He also thought of her friends.
Willow, of which he knew she would be devastated by the news of Grahams death.
Xander, who made him realise that he would only hurt himself by staying.
And Dawn. He had missed her the most. She used to be like a little sister to him. Sweet little Dawnie. With a smile he remembered her spontanity, her sparkling lifestyle.
Without knowing it he drove into the street where Buffy lived. Unconsciously his head had remembered the way, although it was more than two years since he rang the doorbell at the Summers residence.
The house was dark. He realized Buffy was probably on patrol, but he had expected Dawn to be at home. A little dissapointed he drove further, his mind focused on where to spend the night.
A young woman suddenly crossed the street right in front of his car. He hit the brakes with all the strength he had in him and pulled the steeringweel so he wouldn't hit the girl. His car smashed into a tree and a little dizzy he stepped out of the vehicle. He had to find out if she was allright. He looked upon the shivering girl who simply stood there watching him. At first he didn't recognize her.
'Riley'
her soft voice spoke.
With a shock he realized it was Dawnie. No, it wasn't Dawnie. It was Dawn, the little girl he knew turned into a beautiful young woman. Yet she didn't look too happy. Her face made her look older then the seventeen years he knew she was. It was a face with grieve in it.
'Dawn'
he simply replied.
Both were still a bit shaky.
'so I almost literally bumped into you'
He knew it sounded lame, but he was a little lost for words.
A little smile showed up on her face.
'What are you doing here? God.Riley'
Her voice sounded happy and before he realised it they were hugging eachother. The way she held him made him realise something was off...something was wrong...very wrong.
They were in her house. She lived on her own. He asked her why, and immediately her face lost the bright shiny look it had had upon it.
'I couldn't stay at home anymore. It was too big for me'
He didn't understand. He didn't even know if he wanted to understand. He saw how she looked at him, hating it to be the bearer of bad news.
'Riley...Buffy died'
She kept looking at him, expecting him to collapse. He didn't. It hurt, but it made things easier as well. He had always known his heart would belong to her as long as she lived. Maybe because of this he finally could move on.
He felt his heart ache at his egocentric reasoning. Here he was, looking at her sister, who was in more pain than he ever saw on anybody's face, and he was thinking it was a good thing she died. He stood up and simply took her into his arms.
'I'm sorry Dawn.what happened?'
She explained everything to him. How she sacrificed her life to save the world, to save her sister. He felt a warm feeling for the girl who had turned him down so coldly. In the end she wasn't egocentric at all. She had given her life to save the world. Hot tears came streaming down his face. And there her arms were...hugging him, comforting him. Her fingers wiped away his tears, and her voice kept soothing him. It would be okay, she told him. Life was hard, but things would be okay. Eventually, there would be a new day.
He stood there at her grave trying to ask her for forgiveness. All the time he was in Belize a part of him had hated her. Cursed her for not showing up the night he left. And now he knew. Yesterday Xander had told him. She came. She had been too late. The helicopter was flying away and she screamt for him so hard she couldn't speak for three days.
He felt tears welling up in his eyes again.
'I'm so sorry Buffy. I never should have left. Maybe then...maybe I could have helped...'
Dawn came walking next to him as he left the cemetery. It wouldn't have been different, she told him. In the end...she would have died for humanity. It was the faith of being a Chosen One.
He wondered how she could be so strong. In the last two years she had lost both her mother and her sister. And yet when he looked at her, she looked like she was coping with things better than he was. He felt guilty for all the times she wiped away his tears when he should have been the one to hold her when she was crying.
But he couldn't be that strong. He had been through too much to be able to deal with things that easily. Belize had made him face his worst fears. He had seen his best friend fall in battle, when he wasn't able to do anything but watch him. Belize had been all about death.
First, when he came there, he thought maybe he could die there. In battle. It would be a heroic death, and all people would remember the strong loyal Riley Finn...not the coward he had become when he ran away from the love of his life.
Slowly he began to rebuild his life. Every day he woke up he felt a little less dead.
She helped him with it. They spent a lot of time together. At first, decorating his room at Lowell House, which had been empty for two years. After that they went to the beach and watched movies at the cinema.
Sometimes his own laughter surprised him. Was he really able to laugh so short after he learnt about Buffy's death?
After a short while he realized it was Dawn who made him feel this way. And he was thankful for it.
They were watching a movie at her house, some romantic thing she loved. He couldn't focus on the movie but instead watched her. `She is cute` he thought. His own thoughts surprised him. But suddenly it hit him. It was the start of a new day. And a new day starts at Dawn.
Riley Finn stood by the sign that told him he was back.
Sunnydale.
It was two years since he had been there.
A lot had happened. Graham had died. That was the thing that made him come back to Sunnydale. Willow needed to know. Graham had always had a weak spot for the redhead.
He took his bag up from the ground and swung it onto his shoulder.
Best not delaying the meeting that was inevitably going to come.
Buffy Summers.
She had been in his head every minute of the day he was in Belize. The pain he felt when he thought about her faded. But it still hurt. He still couldn't understand why she hadn't come to the helicopter that day.
He got into his car and drove through the streets. Memories came back. Memories of his days in the Initiative, of his life with Buffy.
He loved her the most when they were just walking hand in hand.
He also thought of her friends.
Willow, of which he knew she would be devastated by the news of Grahams death.
Xander, who made him realise that he would only hurt himself by staying.
And Dawn. He had missed her the most. She used to be like a little sister to him. Sweet little Dawnie. With a smile he remembered her spontanity, her sparkling lifestyle.
Without knowing it he drove into the street where Buffy lived. Unconsciously his head had remembered the way, although it was more than two years since he rang the doorbell at the Summers residence.
The house was dark. He realized Buffy was probably on patrol, but he had expected Dawn to be at home. A little dissapointed he drove further, his mind focused on where to spend the night.
A young woman suddenly crossed the street right in front of his car. He hit the brakes with all the strength he had in him and pulled the steeringweel so he wouldn't hit the girl. His car smashed into a tree and a little dizzy he stepped out of the vehicle. He had to find out if she was allright. He looked upon the shivering girl who simply stood there watching him. At first he didn't recognize her.
'Riley'
her soft voice spoke.
With a shock he realized it was Dawnie. No, it wasn't Dawnie. It was Dawn, the little girl he knew turned into a beautiful young woman. Yet she didn't look too happy. Her face made her look older then the seventeen years he knew she was. It was a face with grieve in it.
'Dawn'
he simply replied.
Both were still a bit shaky.
'so I almost literally bumped into you'
He knew it sounded lame, but he was a little lost for words.
A little smile showed up on her face.
'What are you doing here? God.Riley'
Her voice sounded happy and before he realised it they were hugging eachother. The way she held him made him realise something was off...something was wrong...very wrong.
They were in her house. She lived on her own. He asked her why, and immediately her face lost the bright shiny look it had had upon it.
'I couldn't stay at home anymore. It was too big for me'
He didn't understand. He didn't even know if he wanted to understand. He saw how she looked at him, hating it to be the bearer of bad news.
'Riley...Buffy died'
She kept looking at him, expecting him to collapse. He didn't. It hurt, but it made things easier as well. He had always known his heart would belong to her as long as she lived. Maybe because of this he finally could move on.
He felt his heart ache at his egocentric reasoning. Here he was, looking at her sister, who was in more pain than he ever saw on anybody's face, and he was thinking it was a good thing she died. He stood up and simply took her into his arms.
'I'm sorry Dawn.what happened?'
She explained everything to him. How she sacrificed her life to save the world, to save her sister. He felt a warm feeling for the girl who had turned him down so coldly. In the end she wasn't egocentric at all. She had given her life to save the world. Hot tears came streaming down his face. And there her arms were...hugging him, comforting him. Her fingers wiped away his tears, and her voice kept soothing him. It would be okay, she told him. Life was hard, but things would be okay. Eventually, there would be a new day.
He stood there at her grave trying to ask her for forgiveness. All the time he was in Belize a part of him had hated her. Cursed her for not showing up the night he left. And now he knew. Yesterday Xander had told him. She came. She had been too late. The helicopter was flying away and she screamt for him so hard she couldn't speak for three days.
He felt tears welling up in his eyes again.
'I'm so sorry Buffy. I never should have left. Maybe then...maybe I could have helped...'
Dawn came walking next to him as he left the cemetery. It wouldn't have been different, she told him. In the end...she would have died for humanity. It was the faith of being a Chosen One.
He wondered how she could be so strong. In the last two years she had lost both her mother and her sister. And yet when he looked at her, she looked like she was coping with things better than he was. He felt guilty for all the times she wiped away his tears when he should have been the one to hold her when she was crying.
But he couldn't be that strong. He had been through too much to be able to deal with things that easily. Belize had made him face his worst fears. He had seen his best friend fall in battle, when he wasn't able to do anything but watch him. Belize had been all about death.
First, when he came there, he thought maybe he could die there. In battle. It would be a heroic death, and all people would remember the strong loyal Riley Finn...not the coward he had become when he ran away from the love of his life.
Slowly he began to rebuild his life. Every day he woke up he felt a little less dead.
She helped him with it. They spent a lot of time together. At first, decorating his room at Lowell House, which had been empty for two years. After that they went to the beach and watched movies at the cinema.
Sometimes his own laughter surprised him. Was he really able to laugh so short after he learnt about Buffy's death?
After a short while he realized it was Dawn who made him feel this way. And he was thankful for it.
They were watching a movie at her house, some romantic thing she loved. He couldn't focus on the movie but instead watched her. `She is cute` he thought. His own thoughts surprised him. But suddenly it hit him. It was the start of a new day. And a new day starts at Dawn.
