Summary: Post-Chosen Buffy, and the rest of the gang leave for L.A. To find a new place to establish their home. Willow doesn't show it, but the Tara's death slowly killed her on the inside, but what is to happen when the powers that be bring her back?

Pairings: W/T ((My fave )) B/F, D/A, (Others to come)

Rating: Pg13

Chapter Summary: The gang get used to life on an active hellmouth again. Just when things start to look up everything comes crashing down again.

Special thanks: Lauren for Betaing, and helping me do some character placements.

((Thoughts in Italics))

CHAPTER THREE – Dealing

"He's what?" Willow asked rushing over to Buffy.

"G man." Faith looked down as she spoke

"Giles. What happened?" Xander demanded.

"They didn't say much. They think someone poisoned his tea." Buffy said as Willow managed to get her over to the couch.

"And that's the way we all knew he would go out." Xander said with his usual sarcasm, but still the solemn look on his face. They all knew how he dealt with things like this so it didn't bother them.

"Who could it have been Buffy? No one disliked Giles. He was rebuilding the council. He was a good guy!" Willow said in disbelief.

"Buffy are you going to be okay?" Faith asked making sure to say her full name.

"I'm going." Buffy said quickly.

"To England?" Faith asked.

"Yea" Buffy responded.

"Then I'm going too" She said without hesitation.

"No you three please stay here with Dawn, and find the hellmouth. Because when I get back I will definitely be looking for something to kill." Buffy said as she stormed out the door.

After a couple hours of them sitting in quiet reminiscing about times with Giles the phone rang.

"Hello?" Willow said as she answered it one the first ring.

"Okay." She replied to whoever it was on the phone. "Okay I'll tell her, Sure thing, okay bye." She hung up the phone and took in a deep breath

"That was Buffy. She said to make sure to watch over Dawn, and find the hellmouth. She also said sorry" Directing that towards Faith. "She got a flight to England that leaves in about twenty minutes so she will be there by tomorrow." She added.

"I understand B's whole alone thing cause it's a slayer thing, but does she leave everyone out when she is hurting?" Faith asked sounding kind of unsure of herself.

"It changes. She just really wants to be alone right now. Well that's not exactly true she wants to be alone right now with whatever or whoever killed Giles." Xander said still saddened.

"Anyways she said she wouldn't stay over a week." Willow said.

Andrew and Dawn where at the movie theaters trying to figure out what to watch. Andrew wanted to see the new Star Wars a third time, but he thought it better to let Dawn pick the movie. They ended up watching some chick flick that neither Dawn or Andrew followed very well. After about an hour sitting in the quiet watching the movie the credits were rolling, and they were still sitting there.

"Good movie." Andrew said trying to seem like he liked it.

"Yea if your into to that kinda stuff." Dawn said looking at him smiling. "Personally I couldn't follow a word of it."

Andrew smiled as he felt a little relieved. "Me either" He admitted.

"Wanna go get some food?" Dawn asked.

"Can't go wrong with food" Andrew said smiling as they walked out of the theater.

A few minutes later the were in an Italian restaurant splitting a pepperoni, and mushroom pizza.

"Mmm" Dawn said as she took a bite of a piece, and the cheese started to dangle from her lips.

Andrew just smiled at her, and took a bite of his own.

"What?" She asked in mock surprise when she saw him smiling at her.

"Nothing" He said still smiling.

"No it's something. What?" Dawn said smiling back, and eating her pizza.

"I was just thinking you were cute when you eat." Andrew said surprising himself with how easy he said it.

"Oh thank you" She said blushing not used to the attention.

After that they just ate while stealing glances at each other. Once they were through eating they left for home hand in hand. Once they got home neither of them were in a rush to get inside.

"I enjoyed tonight" Dawn said smiling at Andrew.

"I did to. Well it would've been pretty boring without the great company I spent it with" He said smiling back at her.

"Thanks" She said blushing again.

"We had better enjoy this. I mean living on a hellmouth there won't be that many days we can spend like this." He said dreading it.

"Yeah" She sighed, and agreed.

"So want to try for tomorrow?" He asked taking her hand again.

"Of course" She said smiling. Part of her thought he would be like every other guy and not want anything else to do with her.

At that Andrew kissed he gently on the cheek, and opened the door for her.

When they stepped inside they saw Faith, Willow, and Xander on the couch Willow still crying.

"What wrong?" Dawn said rushing into the living room. "Where's Buffy? Is she okay?" Dawn said quickly.

"Dawn I'm sure she's fine" Andrew said with a hand on her shoulder for support.

"B's in England" Faith said.

"England why?" Dawn asked confused.

"Giles is dead." Xander said looking her in the eyes.

The news hit them both like a cannon right away Andrew moved to sit down.

"Giles is dead?" Andrew repeated in disbelief. He didn't show it much, but he secretly wanted to be just like Giles. He wanted to be the one respected, and who knew everything.

"Yea" Xander confirmed.

At that Dawn collapsed into Andrew, and started sobbing like Willow was on Xander.

All Andrew could do was be strong for her so he just brushed his hands through her hair, and kept telling her It'll be okay even though he knew that was the furthest thing from the truth.

Eventually they all decided they needed to sleep. Even Faith didn't want to go slay when usually something like this would make her want to slay more. Though she wouldn't tell anyone the reason was she was worried about Buffy.

The next day they were all eating in silence in the kitchen. Dawn still couldn't bear the fact, Andrew trying his hardest to keep from crying since he had been holding it in, Xander still angered, Willow just complete disbelief, and Faith worried more about Buffy at the moment.

"So should we call B today?" Faith couldn't help but ask.

Dawn surprised by the comment responded "She'll call us as soon as she hears something." She turned to Willow for confirmation "Right?"

"Right" Willow said trying to be supportive.

They couldn't really stand a conversation so they just ate then headed off they're separate ways for the day. Xander went to his job at the school for a check-up he did on the craftsmanship every week, Willow and Dawn cleaned up around the house, Andrew went to work, and Faith went to find some local demon hangouts.

Willow and Dawn were in the kitchen eating some cookies Andrew had baked earlier since they decided to take a brake from cleaning.

"So… What do you think Buffy will find?" Dawn asked still clearly upset.

"I dunno Dawnie… I hope she finds who did it." Willow said frowning.

"What's with Faith and Buffy?" Dawn asked out of the blue as Willow almost choked on a cookie when hearing it.

"Buffy and Faith? Nothing, nothing at all." Willow said quickly.

"Willow you're a horrible liar. What's between them?" Dawn said suspiciously.

"Buffy wanted to tell you herself so don't say you heard it from me ok?" Willow asked, and Dawn nodded. "They are together as in relationship together." Willow spat out.

"What? They are lovers?" Dawn exclaimed.

"Yea that was my reaction as well" Willow said.

"But why?" Dawn asked.

"Well loves a funny thing, and even you know they have had they attraction since they first met." Willow added.

"Yea even when she was with Angel they were always holding hands and acting overly friendly." Dawn said remembering. "But that was before she went evil. We don't know if Faith is stable or not." Dawn added worrying about her sister.

"I think Faith has earned a second chance, and she would never harm your sister again. Not if she can admit that she loves her."

Just then the phone rang.

"I'll get it" Dawn said racing to the phone.

"Hello" She said to whoever it was.

"Hey Dawn" replied Buffy over the other end.

"Buffy what's going on? Who?" Dawn said quickly

"I don't know. They aren't sure. They held his memorial today, and I'm coming back tomorrow after helping them get back to schedule. Dawn there isn't anything I can do here" Buffy said reassuring.

"I understand, but what are we going to do? I mean Giles was Giles our leader… Practically our father." Dawn said still very upset about the loss. Buffy understood it… It was like when Their father left them and their mom. Except she would never see Giles again.

"We will get along… And Believe me we will find out whoever is responsible for it." Buffy said even though that would only be a small comfort…

"Okay Bye" Dawn said hanging up holding back her tears.

This had devastated Buffy, But she had to be strong because if she wasn't anyone could be. She couldn't trust Faith to be there for her just yet. She loved her yes, but she can't exactly trust her completely just yet. "Sometime the most adult thing you can do is ask for help when you really need it."

With Dawn's father figure gone she was hurt. She really couldn't take it so she grew closer to relying on those she lived with to take care of her. Xander and Andrew the most since she was lacking a father figure she needed a male in her life Andrew provided the love and Xander provided the experience and wisdom.

Willow was in the same boat as Dawn except she couldn't grow more dependant on anyone because she knew she would be depended on. Willow had to be tough for Dawnie and for Buffy. Though it took all her will to not break down again like Tara. The thought killed her bringing back the stinging memory of the fight they had right after Tara's death. The thoughts of Tara still fresh in her mind. "In the end we all are who we are. No matter how much we appear to have changed."

Faith while she had her own sick and demented father figure, respected Giles and missed him, but was much more worried about Buffy at this moment. She knew that Buffy needed someone more than ever. That when this happened with Joyce she relied on Angel to pull her through Now she just hoped Buffy would trust her enough to help her through this.

To Xander Giles was a friend more than a father figure. He always relied on Giles to give him advice, and straighten him out when he was wrong. In a way Xander was the closet to Giles because they both sometimes felt useless and Unnecessary.

Andrew in the short time he knew him respected, and looked up to Giles as a role-model. He depicted what Andrew himself wanted to be. The one with the answers the one everyone relied on to know, and evaluate. Inside he grieved the loss of his idol, but he knew that even though Dawn and him had only been together for a short period of time that he needed to be there for her. He needed her to trust him.

The six of them went through the depression. They knew things would never be the same again. Andrew went through his job that he usually loved just praying it would be over. Xander couldn't concentrate on any of his work. Dawn sat in her room most of the day waiting on Buffy to get back even though she knew it's be a little over a day. Willow wished she went with him. Maybe she could've done something. Faith sat of her bed awaiting Buffy like Dawn except her worry for the girl was overwhelming.

That night they all slept in their respective beds remembering past times of happiness. They all knew they had something important to do but at the moment the looked it over as if time was standing still.

The next day Buffy got of her flight around three in the afternoon to be greeted by Xander and Faith

"Buffy!" Faith said running up to her hugging her tight.

"Faith" Buffy replied hugging her back knowing it wasn't often Faith shows this side of herself.

"So B… How did everything go?" Faith asked.

"I didn't find who did it. I got everything back on track there. I held the memorial. That's about it." She said dimly

"Dawn is waiting for us back at the house we should go" Faith suggested.

Buffy nodded in agreement as they walked out to Xander's car in silence.

(So so so sorry this took so long. There is so much that needs to be done. I don't know where to fit it sometimes. But this and my chapter of 'What wouldn't have been' are coming soon believe me updates will happen faster now)