Thank you very much to everyone who has already made an opinion, and the debate is still open:

Would it be okay to kill Joyce off quickly? The story line I want needs her dead, but I don't want to rush it or anything. Would it work if they didn't catch the cancer in time, or should I kill her in like a car crash or something?

I was just going to get rid of her quickly, but then it's just as sudden as it is in the series, and the same things would happen. I really don't want to write her as having cancer, as I can't even watch the bits of episodes that concern it, or read fanfic when a character dies from it … so that leaves car crash leaving her badly wounded, but not dead, or something else that I'm not creative enough to think of!

On with the actual story!

When Dawn woke up at just past eleven o'clock that morning, she was surprised to find herself in bed. She hadn't remembered actually moving from the sofa, or getting changed into her nightie. Her mother had clearly come home after she had fallen asleep – not good. She just hoped that Angel had gotten out in time.

The teenager yawned and got out of bed, determined to find out what had actually happened and where everyone was. If anyone else was in the house, they were being exceptionally quiet about it. In her hurry to find the rest of the household, she missed the note that was placed on her desk.

It took dawn all of ten minutes to realise that she was alone in the house, and another ten for her to process that she was alone in the house. Only one thing stopped her from throwing a party, and that was that the last one that had been at her house had been crashed by zombies. Most kids get in trouble when they throw a party; she and Buffy get zombies, vampires and killer robots. Life can be so unfair sometimes.

It was nearly two o'clock when the front door opened, and by this time, dawn was very much up, awake, dressed and extremely bored. She had even started on her holiday homework for English – write a short story with three characters in it with a beginning, middle and end whilst still leaving room for speculation. She out down her notebook of story ideas and went to see if Buffy was home yet, or if it was another bloodthirsty creature of the night … in the middle of the day.

"Mum?"

"Dawn? Why aren't you in L.A.? Did you forget something? Where's your father then; I didn't see the car."

"What d you mean mum? I got back yesterday evening – didn't you put me in bed?"

"No, I had an overnight thing for the gallery. What do you mean you got back yesterday? You were meant to be spending two weeks – you can't just get the bus back home because you were bored!"

"Dad's going away – he forgot about me. Angel brought me home on his way to see Buffy. Oops. I shouldn't have said that."

"Angel's back? I told him to stay away from here. I told him …"

Joyce started muttering to herself, and dawn quickly fled to the safety of her own room, praying that Buffy didn't bring Angel back with her whenever she got home from wherever they were. She was probably going to be in a lot of trouble when her sister got home.

She took her notebook with her, determined to get all her plot ideas down as quickly as possible, and set about clearing up her desk so that she could write legibly. The entire notebook had to handed in, so that the kids could prove that they did plan the stories, and not just 'go with the flow'. It took her all of ten seconds to find the note that Buffy had left for her.

Dawn.

Morning sleepy head! I got you into bed this morning, just before sunrise – you fell asleep watching television you silly girl! Mum should get back today, but I don't know when – it was a gallery thingy and I wasn't exactly listening- you know how I've been …Me and Angel have talked a bit, and now we're going over to his old mansion before the sun rises. If mum gets home before me, don't tell her Angel's home, coz I want to. I should be back by about three, and then I'll go out to patrol again after some more sleep and a bite to eat.

Love Buffy

(and Angel)

Oh dear. Not only had her mum been angry that Angel was 'home', Buffy was going to kill her for telling. Dawn sighed. This was not her week.