Dawn sleepily heard a noise but that wasn't what woke her up. No it was the strange feeling that something wasn't right.
She got up slowly and slid her feet in her slippers and quietly left the room. She wasn't surprised when she saw a shadow turn the corner to the stairs. She followed as quietly as she could but each time she rounded the corner she saw the person slip around another corner. Now she was well and truly curious.
She hesitated at the door leading outside but upon holding her wand tighter she slipped out the door.
When she saw who it was creeping out she simply said in a loud whisper "Where are you going?"
When he turned around she bit back a gasp. She hadn't seen him cry since their mum had died and now here he was with tear tracks running down his face holding a duffle bag.
She stepped closer to him and said quietly "You're running away!" It wasn't really a question but it hung in the air between them.
He nodded slowly and Dawn could only narrow her eyes in confusion and said "Why?"
He sighed and looked much older than their 12 years and said "I can't tell you."
At these words something inside her snapped as she said "What do you mean you can't tell me? We've told each other everything since we could talk. I'm your sister of course you can tell me."
He looked at her sadly and said "No you're not."
She stood still and stared at him like he was an idiot and said "RIIGGHTT, I'm not your sister, and tinkerbell is real. Did you hit your head?"
He gave her a tight grin and said "Ask Buffy? I'm sure she will tell you how I'm not real, just a thing." Dawn was confused again and said "You're leaving because you had a fight with Buffy, Are you DAFT? Seriously because that has to be the stupidest reason to leave in the entire world!"
She heard him mumble shut up as he turned his back on her but she was too quick and grabbed hold of his arm and said "You're 12 years old, where do you think you will go?"
He shrugged and said "What does it matter I'm not real."
She stood still again and this time he started run walking but stumbled on some rocks and fell with a cry of pain. She rushed forward and was by his side in seconds brushing the rocks from his hands.
She shook her head at him and said "This is stupid, come back inside and we'll fix your hands up and talk."
He shook his head as another batch of tears started climbing down his face and said "It doesn't matter, I'm not real, don't you get it, none of this (he pointed to the specks of blood seeping from the cuts the rock made) is real, the pain I feel, not real, the blood, not real, I'm not real."
Dawn shook her head at him and said "Don't be stupid!"
He pushed her away and said "I heard them talking about me, about what I am, you don't get it Dawn, all the memories we have, they aren't real. They put it in my head, in your head, in everyone's. I'm just some fake brother who shouldn't exist, some key."
Dawn was now in shock, she knew about the key of course, everyone was talking about it. They knew Glory was after this key but no one knew what or where it was. Now Cayden was claiming to be it in a public street at 3 in the morning.
She hissed at him "Shut up". Then in a normal voice said "Even if you are, you're still my brother, I don't care about some fake memories, Our blood is the same. We're twins Cay, Our Blood is identical. Look." She picked up one of the sharp rocks and much to the shock to her brother proceeded to cut a small nick in her hand.
She grabbed hand and pointed to their blood and said "See exactly the same." Cayden took a breath to calm himself before letting Dawn lead him back into the House.
She gave him a smile but inside she was in turmoil. This whole situation was wrong, He had always been the one to protect her, calm her down, and make her see sense. The way Cayden was acting was like he didn't believe anything anymore. She sighed as he sat down on the chair in the kitchen looking blankly in front of him. She knew he wasn't seeing anything and that she probably should get someone to help. Buffy and the others would have just gotten to bed if her calculations were right.
She took one last look at Cayden and said "I'm going to go get some bandages, don't move!"
Cayden nodded blankly at her before continuing to stare ahead.
She sighed again but rushed up the stairs, intent on dragging her sister out of her bed and talk some sense into their brother.
Buffy and just fallen asleep when Dawn started shaking her awake. Her eyes were open in a second and she was ready to battle whatever was around. Upon seeing Dawn she relaxed and said "What?"
Dawn rolled her eyes and said "Cayden is down stairs trying to run away because you said he wasn't real, just a thing. I don't think I am very good at convincing him otherwise."
Buffy sprang up again and rushing out the door before Dawn could say a word.
She stared at the door her sister had exited in shock before following suit and rushing down stairs.
She had half expected to find Cayden gone but when she got down there, she found him encircled in Buffy's arms and crying really hard.
She went to his back and encircled her arms around him too, therefore encasing him in a sister sandwich.
Buffy was whispering words which she was just able to make out. "It doesn't matter what you are, you're still our brother." She heard Cayden sob back "You said I wasn't real." Buffy squeezed him tighter and whispered "No I said that would be how you would feel. You a real otherwise I wouldn't be able to hug you."
Dawn felt tears of sympathy run down her face when Cayden said "I don't understand this, everything I know is a lie. WHY!" Buffy pulled out of the hug and looked him in the face and said "These feelings we have, there real, I love you, you and Dawn, and you're my only family. You have to believe in what you feel otherwise nothing is real. The memories we have may not be real, but we feel they are, so they are."
Dawn then said "Family isn't always about blood, look at Harry! Buffy thinks of him as a brother." Cayden looked down, the tears finally stopping and said "Why me?" Buffy smiled and said "Everyone has a destiny; we don't get to choose what we are, look at me!" Cayden nodded slowly and said softly"I'm sorry." Buffy shook her head and wiped his tears with her hand and said "You've got nothing to be sorry for. I suppose I should have listened to Harry and told you. I'm sorry for not trusting you with this."
Dawn put her hand in his and squeezed his hand and said "You're not going to try to run again are you?" He shook his head and said "It's just so confusing. I mean, I go from being a nearly 12 year old with a older sister who is a slayer and younger sister who is a pain in my butt". Dawn let out a "Hey" and whacked him in the head with her hand and then said "You're only like a minute older." He gave her a smile and then frowned a little and said "And now I'm this key thing. It just….It's a lot to take in."
Buffy sighed and said "If you want we can talk to Giles tomorrow and he can tell you more about this. I think you both need to sleep though before Molly has my hide."
Dawn grinned and said "I don't know it might be interesting staying up and see what Mrs Weasley does to you." Buffy pouted at her and said "You're so mean."
Cayden merely got up dragging Dawn with him and said softly "Night Buffy." Dawn threw Buffy a look that conveyed how worried she was before following, well being dragged by her brother up the stairs.
Buffy shook her head, and slowly lowered it in her hands and muttered "Yep, that went well".
Meanwhile back on the street an unseen Snake slithered away quite proud of what it had found out.
So sappy I know but now I actually know where I am going with this story, just took me like 30 chapters to work out where I want to go. Hope you like the reaction. It's different to how Dawn reacted because well Cayden is a different person who views things differently. I didn't really see him cutting himself on purpose, little dramatic for him. And remember the whole Snake's being able to see the Key, doesn't mean he heard anything cause i am not too sure if snake's even understand human talk.
Hope it was ok of a reaction though. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and still reviewing, you all keep me wanting to write.