A/N: Sorry all that it's been so very very long, I'll try and do better, and I'll make no excuses. Without any further ado, here is the next instalment.


As Dawn heard the door slam behind her she walked on, flying down the steps of the front porch onto the path, turning away from the town she walked fast, completely ignoring the direction she was taking. Her shoulders were tense, arms folded across her chest defensively. She kept her eyes low on the ground, only occasionally glancing up to check she wasn't on a collision course with anything or anyone.

She had absolutely no idea of where she was going or why. All she knew was that she couldn't have stayed in the house. Just couldn't have been near Buffy for a second longer after screaming at her like that, letting everything go.

She remembered the look on her sisters face, the intense hurt and confusion, and felt immensely guilty for a few seconds before she remembered what Buffy had done, how she'd hurt them all.

'Well' thought Dawn 'I'm the last person she expected to blow up at her, meek little Dawn, always following orders. But then, it's not like she knows me know. I'm a completely different person to the way I was back then.'

She walked on faster, so angry at her sister she could barely think straight. While she was walking, all she could think about was Buffy and her blatant disregard for everybody's feelings. So she continued walking, letting her fast stride calm her and take her mind away. All the time not paying any attention to her surroundings or just how far from home she had gone.


Meanwhile back at the house Buffy was alone. Spike had gone out earlier, though still after everyone left for work, to give the sisters some time to talk alone.

She sank into the sofa, going over Dawn's harsh words in her head. A lot of it was true, she mused, but she hadn't thought Dawn would be so explosive now, so ready to dish out harsh truths. The last time she'd seen her little sister, she'd been positively meek and timid in comparison.

When she'd seen Dawn by pure chance in the middle of Boston she had been completely elated, and absolutely sure her sister would feel the same way.

However, she hadn't expected so much open hostility directed at her. Even last night, dawn had seemed more open to the idea of Buffy suddenly being back in her life, but now?

Yes, Buffy accepted that she had been remarkably selfish and thoughtless, but couldn't Dawn see that her and Spike had needed the time alone, couldn't they all see that she had needed that space from her entire past?

She had thought dawn would be glad to see her, a bit upset maybe, but happy and grateful to see her surely.

Buffy finally let her tears overspill, unable really to control them. She put her head in her hands and let her misery and sorrow overtake her, her sobs wracking her entire body. She sat there for hours not noticing the passage of time, but letting her misery grow with each sob, each passing minute until she heard a timid knock at the front door. She looked up and thought for a second before realising that it was probably Spike, then dried her face with her sleeve and went to let him in.

When she saw that it was indeed Spike on the other side of the door, she collapsed into his arms with fresh sobs.

"Love?" He questioned looking down at the seemingly fragile blonde that had just bowled into him.

"She…..Dawn…..I….." She gasped out between sobs.

"Didn't go too well then, pet?" He offered. She drew her head back to look up at him through her tears

"No," She sniffed "She – She hates me, Spike" Then she buried her face in his chest again, her sobs continuing with renewed vigour.

"I'm sure she doesn't actually hate you Love" He told her, nuzzling his face in her long honey blonde hair. "She's probably just upset. I mean, it's gotta be a bit of a shock for the bit, hasn't it? Us just turning up like that seven years after she thought us dead and gone, on the same day she finds out she's expectin. You've just gotta let her calm down, and everything will be fine pet, Honest." Still sobs wracked the tiny body in his arms.

"Er- Love, d'you think maybe we could – er, go inside a bit? Crying on the doorstep of your sisters' house isn't really a great idea, especially seeing as how no-one around here knows us"

Buffy made no acknowledgment that she'd heard him, just moved backwards with her head still buried in his chest, dragging him into the house with her. He pushed the door shut behind them and wrapped the petite blonde in his arms.

"C'mere Love" He whispered into her hair, "It'll all be fine, Promise."

"How…do…you…know…that"" She choked out.

"Cause I Know. It's Dawn, she's your sister. Of course it'll be fine. It'll blow over you'll see. She's just in shock" He comforted.

"But, God Spike, you didn't hear the things she said. It was all true, and it was so horrible."

"Shhh Love, we all say things we don't mean in anger. That's all, she's angry, and the reason for that is that she's shocked and a little upset. She's probably not feeling herself. Don't forget about the baby, that's probably not helping. Hormones n all."

"God, how could I forget?" She asked him, a strange look flashing across her face, before being replaced with a mix of hurt and anger.

"My baby sister, married to my best friend and pregnant at 23! Am I the only one who sees why its wrong? Who sees that maybe she's a bit young for all this?"

"Yeah Buffy, but you can't criticise her over that, plenty of people get married and have children young, and it's not like we've been here to advise. She's had to do it all herself."

"Yes, but I wanted better for her."

"Buffy, its her life, she's gotta live it herself, make her own mistakes You gotta accept the fact that you weren't here to help her make her decisions. You can't criticise her on who or what she chose."

"But this is such a big mistake. It's not something she can just back out of if it doesn't go right. She can't just leave it all behind and turn away when it all goes wrong. She deserves better. She could've done better for herself than this."

"WHAT!!" Roared a voice behind them, Buffy and Spike had been standing in the den and hadn't noticed the front door open and one of the houses occupants arrive home. They spun round to face the entryway and came face to face with a very shocked, confused, hurt and angry Xander.