Author's note:

Hey I know, Author's notes are a pain in the butt, I know how you feel I'm usually like 'just get to the story already' But this is kinda Important so please dont skip over this.

This Chapter was my first attempt at angst. This story is supposed to be love and drama kind of. And it is supposed to be angsty cuz of the thing that happened with Buffy in L.A. which I have been kinda vague about in the fic. (The time will come dont worry) But anyways I figured I should try my hand at some angst and since I had not included Dawn as a character I decided that I could try it out with her.

Please let me know how it is, this is my first try at some real angst and I need your imput. Cuz i have another fic out which is supposed to be mostly angst. I need to know if my angst is any good. So i can continue with this fic and WaC. Let me know how it is in your reviews.

Now On To The Story

Chapter 24

'She brought hope and happiness to those around her'

Buffy leaned against the door and sighed happily, this day had turned out great. It had a rocky start at first but then it progressed into something great.

Spike wasn't such a bad person after all; in fact he was a great person and she could not wait until tomorrow to see him again.

Buffy dropped her book bag down next to the coat rack and went straight to her bedroom, he mom wasn't home yet so she figured that it would be another late night at the gallery. Checking the fridge for any post-it notes would be a waste of time.

Buffy bounced onto her bed and picked up the phone to call Cecily but decided against it, I don't have to fill them in right away, I don't even know for sure if there is anything to tell.

I have to see him again. I have nothing to do here, might as well give him a visit. Homework is done thanks to him and now her evening was clear. Its still early only 5pm, I could ask him to meet me at the bronze, Oh but then we might run in to Anya and Cecily. No, that's no good. I think I'll just take a walk by myself, he's probably home snoozing by now anyways.

Images of Spike sleeping peacefully in his silk covered bed snuck their way into her mind and she brushed them away quickly, Bad Buffy. No having thoughts of bleached blondes with sexy accents in bed. Buffy mentally slapped herself for that one. No more thoughts concerning…that English studmu-…GUY!

Buffy slipped out of her school clothes and pulled on a pair jeans and a red t-shirt that had the name of the local band, Dingoes at my baby, written across the front. The only guy she knew in the band was Oz, but he hung out with Spike and that group, he wasn't so bad though and he went out with Willow Rosenberg, she was okay too.

Buffy put her hair in a loose ponytail, checked her make up (just in case she happened to run in to anyone) wrenched opened her bedroom window, carefully climbed off the roof and ran off into the night.

Spike threw himself onto his bed and lay there for a few minutes allowing the events of the day to try and make sense of themselves.

First he'd had detention with Buffy which had turned out to be less horrible then he'd thought it would be. Buffy had accepted his offer to help her with her homework, then they'd had a quiet but comfortable ride to Buffy's house, after that a pretty decent conversation outside until he tensed up when she started talking about Slayers, and finally ending in a nice, sweet kiss goodnight which she had not rejected as he'd thought she would. Not to mention he'd managed to ask her out on a date with out making a total doofus of himself.

Spike stood up and looked for his cigarettes; he was beginning to feel a bit restless. It was still a little early and a walk might be just what he needed. And he could stop by the crypt and see what was on the telley.

Spike opened his drawer and rummaged around 'til he found a fresh pack of cigarettes and shoved them in his pocket.

Spike dashed out of the house and into the night, the wind had died down since he'd dropped Buffy off at her house, so he slid out of his duster and hung it on a tree branch.

Spike decided to head straight for the graveyard instead of his usual routine of heading to the Dead house for a couple of beers.

Buffy wasn't sure where she was going until she found herself standing in front of the entrance to the graveyard. She wasn't sure she wanted to come here; it had been her sister's favorite place to play.

Dawn had never been scared of anything much less 'a bunch of dead guys under the ground' as she liked to put it.

Buffy wasn't scared either, graveyards just creeped her out like they should any normal person. But then Dawn had not been normal, she had been a weird little girl from the day she was born.

Fighting off unknown beings in her sleep, putting ketchup on her pancakes, peanut butter in her tuna sandwiches, and watching Soap operas instead of cartoons.

Buffy smiled as she thought of how brave her little sister had been, even as she was fighting for her life, motionless in a hospital bed after being hit by a bus.

That was part of the reason Buffy and her mother had moved to Sunnydale, the town had one of the best hospitals in California; unfortunately it hadn't been good enough.

Buffy wiped a tear away from her cheek as she entered the clearing where Dawn had been buried, the grave had a set of fresh flowers and Buffy knew her mom had come recently. It had been hard the first year, especially since Buffy was still in bad shape after the incident in L.A.

Becoming a Slayer took more out of her than it should have because of her sisters' death but Buffy had been determined and successfully locked away the feelings that hurt the most, she'd built a sturdy wall around it.

But lately she found that the wall was crumbling, ever so slowly, brick by brick. And now it was starting to hurt again. Like it had before.

Buffy kneeled in front of her sister's grave, "Hey, how are things where ever you are? Must be fun living carefree up there. We miss you all the time, Mom and I. Dad hasn't made one phone call to us since the move to Sunnydale. I think mom tried to call him, when you died but he must have moved away too"

Buffy sighed and read the inscription underneath the name, 'She brought hope and happiness to those around her' "You would've hated what I've become Dawn. You're lucky; the pain is gone, where you are. I'm going to try and fix things. But it maybe too late for me, the walls are so thick. But I can feel them crumbling. I don't know why, but they've begun to come apart on their own. If you were here, you could help me." Hearing a twig snap Buffy stood up and whirled around.

No one was there; she glanced down at Dawn's grave and muttered a quick goodbye before running home.

Next time she would remember to bring flowers.