Chapter 25

Dawn was walking the streets of Sunnydale. She wasn't really surprised that her mindless wandering had lead her to the house she had "grown up" in. She just stood there for a few moments looking at the house that no doubt everyone would want her to move back into once they realized she was back. She had hoped she could have gone a little longer without them realizing that she was here, but she didn't have much choice, not with the demons that had been following them from Cantaria showing up at any moment. They had to know she was back so that they would stay out of the way. Her babies had to fight this time around, not her sister.

As she looked at the house she had once called home she began to realize just how much she missed her real home. The home that had housed her and her husband, her mother-in-law, and three of her four children. Her home was in England. Home was where the heart is, and as much as she loved the people in the house in front of her, she loved the house back in England more. It had happier memories, along with the ones she never wanted to forget or give up. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered her home back in England. It was then that she felt an arm move around her waist. She looked up and smiled into the eyes of her oldest son. "You ready for this Mum?" She looked at him for a moment before nodding and pulled her baby boy into a quick hug. She couldn't help it, he was her oldest son but he would always be her baby boy to her. "Where are the others?" she asked him casually. "Dani is out for a night on the town. Which, that in itself, is a bloody miracle. Andy is helping Nana with odd jobs around the house, seeing as he is taller than me and all." Dawn chuckled at her son's sarcastic tone as he finished the statement about Andy's height. "And Will has locked himself in the basement again." Dawn shook her head, "That boy becomes more vampiric everyday." Michael chuckled and squeezed his mum's waist gently. "Do you think that either of them realize that we all know he has more vampire qualities that Andy and I?" "Sweetie I don't think they even realize you and Andy have Vampire qualities, there to busy hiding Will's nearly complete Vampire existence." Michael sighed at that, "I just worry about both of them, do they honestly think we won't love them or something?" Dawn looked into her son's sad eyes and places her hand on his cheek. "Baby that is just Dani and Will. They get that trait from your father just to warn you. He likes to think that there are just some things I shouldn't know and you and I both know that's how your brother and sister think." Michael nodded and smiled slightly at his mother. And the two began the walk up the walkway to the front door.

Dawn put her hand over the doorknob and unlocked the door with her powers, when she heard the click of the lock she looked up at her son and smirked. Michael just smiled and shook his head at his mothers' antics. And with that the two walked into the Summers house and made their way toward the living room. Dawn smirked as she caught on to what her son was doing. "Nice house. Could use a few more paintings and some more old world charm but hey who am I to say. I live in England where every house has old world charm." " Michael you were four when you lived in the house in England how the hell do you remember if it had old world charm or not?" Dawn grind at her son as the group that was gathered in the Living room looked at them all in shock. "Hey being the son of the key has its advantages. -- By the way there's a demon in the back yard that Dani might like to get her hands on." Dawn made a movement with her hand and Michael pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed his sister. "Dawnie?" Dawn turned to her sister and smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I love you all and I'd love to stay and chat, but I have battle tactics to plan, demons to kill and dimensions to save." Dawn answered casually, yet lovingly toward her family. "And I do believe that is Dani now, and if we don't hurry she'll have all the fun!" Michael said to his mother and smirked at Giles. "Thanks for understanding my sister, Giles." Giles nodded and smiled as he watched mother and son walk off through the kitchen and out to the back yard.

Spike sat where he was unable to move. He had just seen his wife, and truthfully her attitude hadn't surprised him. What did surprise him was the age of his son. Then his thoughts moved to his baby girl. He couldn't help but smirk at the thought of everyone calling her Dani instead of Danielle, it just screamed of something Dawn would do. Then his son's last statement to Giles came flooding back to him, and he looked toward the man who had been a father figure to the slayer and his wife. If something was going on with his daughter, that he didn't know about, he was glad that, at least, Giles knew. He knew he could trust his daughters' life in his hands. He could wait till his daughter or his wife was ready to tell him what was going on. He had never been one to pressure Dawn into telling him anything she wasn't ready to tell him, and he had that same respect for his little girl.