A/N : I've gone all out of sequence with my fic writing/posting but I felt the need to finish off this story, at last. So here it is, the final chapter, and a little Epilogue too. Thanx so much to all the reviewers of the previous chapter as well as everyone else who has reviewed any ir all of the chapters of this fic. I have loved writing it, and I always enjoy reading the wonderful comments you all take the time to write for me. Thanx again, and here's the end of he story...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 22 - From Beginning To End

Two days passed and Dawn continued to try to come to terms with the little bombshell that had been dropped in her lap on Saturday night. Her real, biological mother was most likely to be her (adoptive) Dad's girlfriend, Buffy Summers. Both she and Spike had lied to the teen about it for quite a while, though Dawn had yet to ask how long or the whole story about her birth. Somehow she couldn't bring herself to ask such questions of her father, since she knew she would always see him as such no matter what she found out about those people that created her over fifteen years ago.

The only person who could properly answer all the questions that filled Dawn's head was Buffy herself and the brunette had quite decided she must go and see her and talk things through with her, if she was willing.

It was Thursday and Dawn overheard her Dad on the phone to the local florist shop.

"Yeah, that's the building. 'S on the second floor, Apartment 21b" he told them, "The card? Oh yeah, um, Dearest Buffy, Hope you're soon feeling better, Always thinking of you, love Spike"

When she heard him hang up, Dawn moved from her hiding place on the stairs and came down smiling as if she'd never heard a word. Spike didn't think anything of it and carried on as normal, but Dawn was glad to have the information that Buffy was sick. That meant she'd be home all day, and most likely alone. She had two free periods this afternoon, right before the end of school, since one of her teachers had assigned them reading time, knowing he'd be absent today for whatever reason. All Dawn had to do was sneak out of school and head to Buffy's apartment, talk things through with her and then get back to school in time for her Dad to pick her up, never knowing she'd been gone, until she chose to tell him of course.

It seemed weird, sneaking around behind Spike's back. Dawn really didn't keep secrets from her father, or Drusilla when she'd been alive, but now it was a necessary evil. It wasn't a big bad lie or anything, just a little sneakage that would hopefully lead to good things eventually.

Buffy was just about sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. This was only the second day she'd stayed home from work but she was so incredibly bored. Yesterday had been awful when she couldn't stop visiting the bathroom and throwing up, but by the end of the day that had all calmed down and she was just so tired. Xander looked after her when he got home, encouraged her to eat a little and refused to let her go to work today since she was still very much in need of sleep.

It was now early afternoon and after many hours of sleep and some more dry food, Buffy was feeling almost normal, if not a little fragile. Daytime TV was driving her insane and she was vaguely wondering if she should dig out a dvd when there was a knock at the door. Dragging herself off the couch she wandered over and opened the door only to be confronted by a very large bunch of flowers that completely obscured the person holding them.

"Delivery for Buffy Summers" said a young female voice and as Buffy took the bouquet from the girl's arms she realised who it was.

"Dawn" she gasped slightly, feeling a million different emotions as she looked at her own little girl standing there on the doorstep with her school bag on her shoulder and an uncomfortable look on her face.

"The flowers are from my Dad" she pointed out, "Not that he knows I'm here. The florist left them downstairs in the hall, I figured I should bring them up"

"Thank you" Buffy said absently as she pulled the card from the flowers and read Spike's message, "He's a very sweet man" she smiled slightly.

"He is" Dawn agreed, "He's pretty must the greatest guy ever... but I'll bet every girl says that about her Dad, right?"

"Not every girl" Buffy shook her head sadly, not really sure what to do next. Dawn knew though and she said so.

"I wanted to talk to you, about... stuff" she explained, "Can we do that now? Talk, I mean, about you and me and... everything?"

"Of course, sweetie" Buffy was almost in tears as she moved away from the door letting her daughter inside. She took the flowers through to the kitchen, filled the sink with water and placed the stems of the blooms into the liquid. Bracing herself on the kitchen counter she took a couple of deep breaths before heading back out into the living room where Dawn was now sat on the couch waiting.

"It's a little messy in here" Buffy apologised, pushing some magazines into a pile on the table and putting an empty packet of cookies into the waste paper bin.

"Buffy" Dawn said, reaching out to put her hand on the older woman's arm, "It's not important" she told her, "Please, I just need to ask you about some stuff"

Buffy nodded as she left the rest of the tidying up and sat down on the couch next to Dawn, studying her hands in her lap since it seemed that was the only safe place to look right now. It was a good sign that her little girl had shown up here wanting to talk, she thought, but she still dreaded this ending badly and Dawn hating her so much.

"Whatever you want to know, Dawn, I'll tell you" she said quietly, "but first I want to tell you how sorry I am" she glanced at the girl briefly before continuing, "I never meant to hurt anybody, not back then, and not now. I love you so much, and I know that probably sounds insane because we barely know each other, but you're my little girl Dawnie, I know you are"

Both of them started to get emotional and Dawn sniffed and composed herself some before she spoke.

"Tell me what happened" she said shakily, "Why did you give me away?" she asked, a lone tear escaping down her cheek as she looked at the woman who was apparently her Mom. Buffy closed her eyes a moment, taking a breath, before she began her story, hoping against hope that by the end, Dawn would be able to at least forgive her a little bit, and not hate her for what she had done.

"...it was only when you yelled about me not being your mother, I just couldn't bear to hear it and I'd told you the truth before I'd even realised it" Buffy finished her concise narrative of events from her first date with Angel right up to the moment a few days ago when the truth had outed about Dawn being the daughter she and her first love had created.

"Huh" was all the teen could say at first as all she'd been told sunk in, "but, you were just a kid" she said eventually and Buffy nodded her head.

"I was" she agreed, "I didn't think so then of course, I thought I was real grown up and so in love with Angel. The world looks different when your fifteen years old, Dawn, I know that" she said, daring to take hold of her daughters hand as she looked over at her, "You think things are so simple, and that it's all going to end so perfectly, but it doesn't always" she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Dawn found her face was also awash with salt water though she'd barely noticed she was crying til now, she'd been so caught up in the story of the real parents that she never knew and how and why she'd never known them.

"Where is he now?" the girl asked suddenly, "Angel" she said in explanation when Buffy looked a little confused.

"He's gone, sweetie" the blonde said gently, unsure as to how Dawn would take it, "He... he got into a bad crowd and there was a fight..."

"He's dead" Dawn said flatly, not needing to hear anymore. Though this man was apparently her real father, Angel didn't seem at all pleasant if Buffy's story was to be believed and she was a hell of an actress if she was lying, Dawn thought. Even if she could fool her, the girl knew Spike would have seen through any lies and deceptions. Buffy was genuine and as crazy as it was she was Dawn's mother, like it or not.

"I only have one other question, really" she said, wiping her face with the backs of her hands. Buffy waited expectantly for that question, knowing it could not be any more difficult or painful to answer than those that had gone before.

"Do you love my Dad?" Dawn said eventually, "I mean, the guy I call Dad" she amended just in case there was any confusion over her important question.

"Yes, Dawnie" Buffy said emotionally, "I love your Dad so much" she told her sincerely, "but I also love you, and if you can't deal with having me around..." she swallowed hard before she could continue and even then her voice was barely audible by the end of her sentence, "If you don't want me here, I'll go, and I won't come back" she promised, though it almost killed her to do so.

"I don't want that" Dawn answered, though til a few minutes ago she hadn't been certain of the fact, "I... I'm not saying that all of a sudden you can just be my Mom" she explained, "I had a Mom and I loved her so much. You're a good person, and I know you didn't want to hurt anybody. My Dad would never trust you if you weren't for real and I believe everything you told me, but... it's complicated" she paused, trying to work out what she actually meant to be saying, "I guess what I'm trying to say" she said at last, "is that, if you wanna stick around, I'd like to spend time with you, maybe get to know you? Not like a Mom right away, or maybe even at all but..."

"But we could be friends?" Buffy asked hopefully. If that was all that was on offer she'd take it, she'd take less if she had to if only her daughter could accept her in some small way into her life.

"I think we could" Dawn nodded as tears streamed down both their faces once again, "I think my Dad kinda needs you, in fact I know he does. He loves you, and you love him and apparently you both love me" she laughed slightly though it really wasn't funny.

"Thank you, Dawn" Buffy cried, pulling the girl into a hug without thinking, "You don't know what this means to me" she sobbed as she held her tightly to her.

"Yeah" Dawn said softly, hugging her back, "I think I kinda do"

Spike was sitting outside Sunnydale High, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and thinking about Buffy. It was becoming a bit of a habit since he'd done it every day this week so far. It was tearing him apart seeing her at work and knowing he couldn't be close to her, but it was almost worse not seeing her at all, knowing she was home alone and suffering and he couldn't even go and see her. They'd agreed to stay apart for Dawn's sake, and Spike did not regret the decision, he'd hate to see his little girl hurting anymore than she already was, but it didn't stop his heart breaking a little more every time he thought of the woman he loved and must keep his distance from.

"Hey Dad" said Dawn as she appeared by the drivers side window, "Is it okay if we give my friend a ride?" she asked hopefully.

"Er, yeah, sure thing, Bit" Spike agreed, "but I..." the words died on his lips as a shaking Buffy stepped into view. It was only now he noticed they both looked a little the worse for wear around the eyes, obviously from crying.

"Hey, Spike" the blonde said softly, "I... Dawn and I, we kinda talked"

"You did?" the bleached blond asked, quite confused and overwhelmed by the situation. Buffy really was the last person he'd expected to see with his daughter right now.

"I had free periods" Dawn admitted, "I kinda snuck out and went to see Buffy" she explained, "I needed to talk to her Dad"

"Right" Spike nodded, "and the outcome of this little talk was positive I'm hoping?" he said, glancing between the two of them. They shared a half smile before Dawn answered him.

"I was thinking since Buffy's feeling better we could take her to the ice-cream parlour?" she suggested, opening the back door of the car and bustling her mother in, getting her to scooch down so they could both fit.

"Ice-cream parlour?" Spike echoed, with a frown, as he turned in his seat to look at the pair of them in the back, "Bit, you can't just..."

"Dad" she interrupted, with a sigh, "I didn't 'just' do anything, okay? I mean, I'm not saying I wanna play happy families or whatever, I don't think we're all ready for that" she said seriously, "but... well, you're always telling me I should act like a grown up, and I'm always telling you I can, so now I'm proving it" she said with a slight smile, "Me and Buffy talked it all over. I get why she had to let me go, and why she's back now, and I'm not saying I'm okay with everything yet. It's all kind of intense" she admitted, "but you love each other, I know you do, and I want things to be good, for all of us to be happy" she told them.

"Well, Buffy" Spike smiled, swallowing hard as emotion almost overcame him, "I reckon our little girl's all grown up"

As the blonde nodded she caused a tear to roll down her cheek which she hastily wiped away. Dawn got hold of her hand on the back seat and squeezed it as they smiled at each other.

Things weren't perfect yet, and it certainly wasn't going to be an easy ride to any sort of happy ending, but they were on their way, and that was okay for now.

- The End... Almost! -