A/N: I'm posting this (against my better judgement) because if anyone out there still remembers this story, I figure that it wasn't fair of me to leave you guys for so long … still, I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on this …
And, yes, I realize it's short. I'm seriously working on it.
From at least two months ago, thanks spk, pinkyblue-ice, and Moonjava for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I am the evil genius, Joss, and I control the characters of BtVS! Muhahahahaha! … Or I'm just a dementedperson sitting at home with illusions of grandeur. I still get to borrow the characters to play with them , though … hehehe …
Rating: PG-13. Swearing, angst, violence. You have been warned …
Pairings: B/S eventually. W/T, X/A.
Distribution: Yeah, sure, take it. Tell me first, though.
Reviews: Much appreciated. Much loved.
Previously: Buffy's stalker gets closer, and Angel – who is revealed to be Buffy's ex and now a policeman – gets involved in investigating …
The car ride home was filled with a deafening silence, each of the friends too deep in their own thoughts to make conversation. Even Xander's quip relating Buffy's rented minivan to the Scooby Doo Mystery Mobile failed to bring anything but wan smiles to their faces.
After the group had thoroughly intimidated Angel, told their story, and gotten his promise to investigate as soon as he could, they filed out of the police station to find Buffy waiting. In a un-Buffy-like way, she had opted not to face her ex after the initial punching, though no one wished to penetrate her cloud of broodiness to question her on it.
On the way to the parking lot, they'd also dispelled Xander's suspicions that Angel was the stalker – Anya vouched for him and Spike added that 'the great poof doesn' have the persistence nor the brains for somethin' like tha'.' The latter had earned a small laugh from every one of the friends except Buffy – which worried Spike. He made a mental note to talk with her later.
The guys were dropped off at their apartment (Spike temporarily living with Xander because he said the house was now so infused with estrogen, it was scary) and by the time the girls had arrived home, it was already past nightfall.
None of them really had the energy to prepared a dinner, so they each scrounged around the kitchen and heated up leftovers of their choice. Almost as if the events of the last twenty-four hours had caused her to become a zombie, Buffy walked around with a listless look and ate only out of necessity. While the others remained quiet, they still noticed her behavior.
"Buffy?" Willow asked gently when 'dinner' had ended. "Are you ok? Do you want to talk? 'Cause we're all here --"
The blonde smiled half-heartedly. "Thanks, Wills. I think I'll go to bed, though. It's been a long day."
No one said anything as she walked upstairs, although the four girls exchanged looks. Soon enough, they followed their friend, and each went to their own room for the night …
oOoOo
Dawn woke with a start. Rubbing her eyes blearily, she glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. It read 3:24 a.m. She heaved a sigh and flopped back down onto the bed. The teenager had no idea what had woken her, but she lay still for a minute, trying to find her way back to slumber.
That's when she heard it. A quiet sniffle. At first, Dawn thought her ears were playing tricks on her, but it came again. Knowing now that she wouldn't fall asleep, she pulled back the covers and sat up, listening intently.
Hmmm … she was closest to Buffy's room …
Quietly, Dawn opened her door. Padding down the hall, she slipped into her sister's bedroom.
"Buff?" she whispered.
The blonde froze for a minute, then a tearstained face turned towards her.
Buffy swiped at her tears and sniffed again. "Did I wake you, Dawnie? I'm sorry. Go back to sleep."
"What's wrong?" Dawn ignored her sister's words.
"Nothing," Buffy snuffled, attempting a watery smile.
Dawn walked over and crawled under the covers, sitting in bed with Buffy.
"If nothing was wrong, you wouldn't be crying, so --"
"I wasn't crying!"
Dawn looked at her sister in that half-amused, half-disbelieving way that reminded Buffy of Spike. She colored a little at her blatant lie.
"So," Dawn emphasized, "Spill."
And that simple word was enough to make the blonde talk.
Buffy shrugged. "I don't know exactly what it is …"
"Does it have to do with Angel?"
Buffy winced. No beating around the bush with that one. "Partly," she answered truthfully. "But it's just been everything lately …"
"So start with Angel."
Shrug again. "You probably already get what happened. I guess, he was my first love and all, and we fell apart."
"Do you still love him?"
The blonde surprised herself when she found the answer to that question. "Um … no," she replied dazedly. And she could feel that it was true. "It's mostly the shock of seeing him again."
Dawn suddenly grinned. "I could almost feel sorry for him, though. The way we laid into him this afternoon …" Her grin got wider. "Especially when you punched him."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah, guess I had some suppressed anger after all …"
"So he wasn't why you were crying?"
Her sister shook her head. "I think I've been over him for a while. I just realized it today."
"Then, what?"
"No reason, really …" Buffy grew grave, suddenly. "Dawnie, I'm scared," she whispered.
She sounded so lost and young, Dawn instinctively pulled her into a hug.
"Don't be. We'll figure it out," she reassured, knowing what her sister meant.
"I should--"
"Nuh-uh, Buffy. No playing hero and running away again. We've already decided that we'd be stronger together – all in Sunnydale."
"What would I do without you, sis?" Buffy smiled.
Dawn snorted. "Still beats me how you survived L.A. without me. At least you found Anya to keep you on track."
Then the two shared a laugh and slowly drifted off to sleep.
OOoOo
"AAHHHHH!" Willow's shriek pierce the air, causing everyone to rush to her room. It was later the next afternoon, and the redhead had headed straight for her sanctuary after arriving home from school.
"Wills? What happened?" Dawn was the closest, and first to get there. Tara then came running up the stairs. She pulled her girlfriend into a comforting embrace, trying to shield her from what had upset her so much.
When Buffy and Anya drifted in, the other two had noticed what had made the redhead scream. Dawn stood, covering her mouth, eyes wide. Tara had turned away, with Willow's face still pressed against her shoulder.
"Guys?" Buffy asked. "What's wrong?"
Dawn pointed to what was on Willow's desk wordlessly.
"Oh, holy penis …" Anya said when she looked. No one laughed at her strange choice in expletives, though.
Willow and Tara's goldfish, which had all once swam happily in their small aquarium, now lay lifeless in a plastic bag on an envelope. The fish tank seemed to mock them with it's emptiness. To a passerby, it could look as if the fish were only in hiding.
Even Tara, who was usually the most levelheaded, couldn't seem to bring her self to look at the fish.
"I-I f-forgot and I l-left the window open this morning," Willow said shakily. "A-and I found things like this just now.
"God, that is just sick," Dawn breathed softly.
"I'm so sorry, Willow," Buffy said in horror, eyes still riveted to the desk.
They were all at a loss for what to do.
Finally, Tara suggested softly, "W-we could h-hold a funeral for them in the backyard later…"
Willow nodded frantically and numbly. Another awkward silence settled.
"I'll call Xander and Spike," Anya finally offered.
"D-don't forget A-angel. T-there might be some clue-finding to do here." The shocked had worn off the redhead a little.
Everyone stood around helplessly when Anya left to make the calls.
There was more silence. Dawn's voice seemed oddly too loud when she asked, "Should we move" –she gestured helplessly at the fish – "And get the note?"
"L-let's wait a little while, Dawnie," Tara said. "Until the guys get here."
No one protested. They were all eager to put off actual contact with the dead pets as long as they could.
Buffy smiled encouragingly at Willow, but it didn't really reach her eyes. "C'mon," she said, tugging on her friend's arm. "We'll go wait downstairs instead of waiting around here."
The redhead allowed her friend to lead her out of the room, with Tara's arm still around her shoulder. Dawn trailed after them.
The fact that the stalker had done this in broad daylight was not lost on any of them.
To them, it was an act of murder.
And it suddenly made the scary possibilities they had been trying not to think of all the more possible …
ummm ... does anyone still care?
le faye