Slayer Jr.
Dawn Summers lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her long, straight brown hair fell limply by her ears. Tears glistened in her blue eyes and she rolled onto her stomach, hiding her sobs in her pillow. Buffy had been dead for about five months. There was a knock on the door. "Dawnie?" Willow's voice called out softly. She opened the door and saw Dawn lying on her stomach. "Oh Dawn." She said softly, tears streaming down her face as well. Dawn sat up and Willow sat down next to her, hugging her. "It's not fair." Dawn sobbed into Willow's shoulder. "First mom, now Buffy, and it's my entire fault." She cried even harder. Willow looked Dawn in the eyes. "Why is it your fault?" She asked gently. "Because if I hadn't been made in the first place, Buffy wouldn't have given up her life." Dawn looked at Willow, who started at her. "One, it's not your fault and two, Buffy didn't die for a key, she died for her sister, Dawn Summers." Willow said smiling at the 16 year old. Dawn smiled back. "Really?" She said. Willow nodded and hugged her. "I'm going downstairs. Coming?" Dawn nodded. "Um, Willow, do you mind if I call Angel?" Willow looked at Dawn surprised at first and then smiled. "Go ahead sweetie." Dawn gave her a hug and rushed into the kitchen. She grabbed the cordless phone and ran up the stairs into her room. Xander, Anya, Tara and Spike were all sitting in the living room. Giles had left for England on Buffy's death. Willow walked into the somber group and Tara looked up. "How's she taking it?" She asked Willow. "Better than expected. She's called Angel to come though. They're really close." Spike looked up at the mention of the vampire. "Well, we don't need two bloody vampires' with a soul in the room at once so I'm going to go broad like Angel boy does." He walked out the door, his coat billowing behind him. He ran his fingers through his bleached blonde hair. He pulled out a smoke and a lighter, his hand shaking. Tears fell down the vampire's face. "Bloody Hell slayer." He whispered to no one. "You've come up with a whole new meaning of pain." He walked into his crypt and shut his door. Meanwhile, Dawn was upstairs packing her bag. She hadn't called Angel to tell him the news. She couldn't take it here anymore. She was going to run away to L.A. and hopefully stay with Angel. She'd miss everyone here, especially Spike, but it was too painful. She packed stakes into her bag and pulled out some money she had been saving. She had a hundred bucks. She should be able to make it. Dawn packed the money into the bag and slung it over her shoulder. She was wearing sneakers, jeans and a loose sweater that had belong to Buffy. She called out the door. "I'm going to bed, I'm exhausted. I can take it from here." She called to Willow. "Okay Dawnie, see you in the morning." Willow said. Xander and Anya sat there. "Well, we're going to go since everyone's leaving. Xander stood up and gave Willow a hug. "It'll be okay." He said gently. Willow smiled bravely, struggling not to cry. "Yeah I know. Xander and Anya, there's something I want to talk to you about tomorrow." The couple nodded and let themselves out. Tara smiled at Willow. "Let's go to bed." Willow nodded her red hair flying in her face. They climbed up the stairs and fell into bed, Willow thinking about who the next slayer would be. Dawn peaked out of her door, making sure no one was looking. She shut it and opened her window. She had left a note on her bed saying she had gotten up early and gone for a jog. She'd be back later in the day. Dawn tossed her bag out the window and it landed with a thump. She winced and hoped that no one had heard. Slowly, she put out her legs and then she let herself drop. To her amazement, she barely felt a thing when she landed. She merely shrugged it off and walked for the next half an hour to the Sunnydale bus station and caught the last bus going to Los Angeles. She checked her watch. It was quarter to eleven, so she sat back and slept for the next two hours. She dreamed the weirdest dream. She saw herself slaying vampires and then she had changed into Buffy. She woke up with a start as in her dream a vampire was about to bite her. The bus was stopped and she stretched and yawned, pushing her light brown hair out of her face. She blinked sleepily and walked off the bus. She realized it would be too hard to find Angel at night, so she found a little alley and curled up in a ball, pulling out a blanket and using her bag as a pillow. She clutched a stake in her right hand and fell asleep as soon as her head hit her bag.