Title: Sister Moon– (Chapter 2 of How Many Days)
Disclaimer: Joss doesn't play with his toys anymore. Someone has to, dammit!
Rating: R
Pairing: Buffy/Spike, Dawn/Other, Willow/Giles, Willow/Other
Summary: Post-Season 7. This is a sequel to 'Don't Stop the Dance'
Distribution: Anywhere you like, just let me know.
Thanks: Pam Grace, my wonderful beta.
Feedback: I don't wanna beg, but...
Lia - Thanks again for your kind words. I hope you enjoy the ride.
Wolf116 - I can't promise that there won't be tears ahead, but I can promise that they'll be worth it.

Enjoy!
~Xionin (xionin@beautiful-freak.com)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sister Moon will be my guide
In your blue, blue shadows I would hide
All good people asleep tonight
I'm all by myself in your silver light
I would gaze at your face the whole night through
I'd go out of my mind, but for you. -Sting

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sister Moon

The telephone rings at precisely 8AM, and without thinking twice, Giles knows who it is.

"Hello Richard."

"Rupert." The voice on the other end chuckles lightly. "Am I so predictable?"

"Rather." Giles' voice is amused as well.

Richard Ostriak is an old friend; brilliant, witty and the only other Watcher to survive the devastation.
He had been conducting some personal research in Hungary when the Council was destroyed.
The Motherhouse, having no record of where he was or where he was staying, fortunately could not lead the
Bringers to him. This also meant that he had no knowledge of what had befallen his colleagues
until he returned to find a hole in the ground where his home had once been.

Both he and Giles believed themselves to be the last until they'd both checked the voicemail number in Jamaica that
had been set-up for worst-case-scenario, emergency contact. It would be difficult to explain the relief both men felt
at hearing the other's frantic message.

"Glad to be back home, ol' boy. Are you- or rather is the-"

"Yes, Richard, Miss Summers is here, if that's what you're asking."

"Of course, beg pardon. Didn't mean to…I just wanted-"

"You will see her, but she's not ready for your..y-your interrogation. Not just yet. She's- still adjusting to life here in
London and…n-needs time to-"

"Oh yes! Of course, but soon…I hope?"

"We'll see, Richard. We'll see."

To say that Richard Ostriak is obsessed with slayers, particularly Buffy Summers, would be an understatement.
In fact, when the decision was made to assign a replacement for Merrick, it had come down to two choices,
Rupert Giles and Richard Ostriak: the two most-promising, most experienced Watchers in the Council's active roster.
Giles had been chosen, ironically enough, because he was the more disciplined of the two. Richard had the reputation
of thinking outside the box, so to speak, which was greatly frowned upon. Rupert, on the other hand, had embraced
the Council's doctrine with fervor, after having been reprimanded and demoted following his 'Ripper' phase.

It was during that 'phase' that Giles, Ostriak and Giles' childhood friend, Ethan Rayne, had banded together to rival
the Council who were "a bunch of stuffy old aristocrats." They would be a real-world fighting force.

The three of them used the black arts to unleash a reign of terror on the demon world that would have put the Inquisition
to shame. They operated on the belief that real men didn't need slayers to be effective. After all, they were strong. Powerful.
Men could handle such evils better than any woman. They suspected that the slayer's power was mostly myth and were determined
to change the rules of the game.

Ah, to be young and stupid.

The trio operated quite well together until one of them, Rayne, began entertaining delusions of grandeur and
plotted to take over the Council altogether. By the time Rupert and Richard found out about his plan, it was almost too
late to stop him. But stop him they did and were rewarded with reinstatement and a chance to make up for their transgressions.

Moving back into the fold proved far easier for Giles than it did for Ostriak. Richard constantly insisted on bending the rules and
therefore always found himself on farfetched research assignments. It was through these assignments, however, that his
indifference towards slayers turned into intense interest and later into an obsession.

By playing by the rules, Giles proved himself worthy of the greatest assignment of all: his own Slayer. And it wasn't just any
slayer either, he was sent to guard the Hellmouth. When Richard learned of Rupert's new assignment, he felt a combination of
jealousy and pride. He was glad that one of them had been given the honor, but resentful that it hadn't been him.

"I was, er, hoping to come see the new Motherhouse as soon as possible." Richard continued. "I understand if you don't want me
to meet…her…right away, but we really must discuss what our next course of action should be."

"No, you're right. Please do come. Buffy…I cannot guarantee she'll be up for…company…but-"

"Oh, that's fine, Rupes. Really. Colin and I will come up-"

"Colin?"

"Oh, yes…he's…Colin James. He's Robert James' eldest boy. Do you remember Robert?"
Robert James had been the Council's premiere demon linguist. The man spoke nearly 80 languages with complete fluency.
He had been in the Council's headquarters when they were destroyed.

"Ah. James, yes, well the last time I saw young Colin he was, er, about twelve years old."

"Well, he's quite a young fellow now, Rupes. He's twenty and in University. A linguist he is, and I dare say he has nearly
surpassed ol' Jamesey's abilities."

"Well, fine, yes. Bring him along. When are you coming?"

"This afternoon, if it's alright with you, of course."

"Quite."

"Splendid."

Giles hangs up the phone, smiling, and makes an attempt to go back to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The one thing that Dawn notices more and more every day is that it's cold.
London actually has a winter.

And even though they hadn't had a white Christmas, as she'd hoped, it was still
nice to have to bundle up and dash through the chilly, festive air; not having to look at
palm trees strung up with lights. To her, there was always something vaguely obscene about that.

She pulls up the collar on her stylish new coat, one that she bought in Top Shop
having bypassed the ridiculously over-priced Urban Outfitters, and pushes open the door.
A crisp breeze seizes her immediately and the pedestrian traffic flows lightly along the High street in Kensington.
She had stopped into Primetime to return a couple of videos she had rented. It had taken all of her
will not to walk out with another armful, but she did and she is smiling.

Giles will be proud that she isn't "wasting away precious hours in front of the idiot box."

Of course, she is walking a few doors over to the Catherine Wheel to meet a few friends for a pint.
It is her 18th birthday, though, and so she has an excuse to play hooky from her studies. Hopefully this birthday
won't go the way of the last one she had; unnoticed due to pending end-of-the-worldness.

The pub is dark and brimming with conversation when Dawn steps through the door. She pauses a
a moment to allow her eyes to adjust, and then spots the table where her new friends are sitting:
chatting and drinking away in the middle of the afternoon.

"Dawn!" comes the cheers from the small group, causing the eyes of wary patrons to pause and look at her.
She smiles sheepishly and meanders over to the crowded booth, preparing for a little pre-not-so-surprise birthday party merriment.
Yeah, she knows what Buffy and Willow are planning, but she doesn't want to ruin it for them.

Several pair of eyes, mostly male, follow her path. She finds, these days, that people look at her a lot more than they used to.
Perhaps it's the long, chocolate brown hair, with the unusually blonde highlights, that gleams down her back like fine silk.
Or maybe it's her stunning, model-worthy height she's acquired over the last 8 months. 5'11"...and growing.

Or it could be the perpetual smile she sports nowadays, being so far removed from the Hellmouth and all matter of near-apocalypses.

Whatever the cause, it doesn't bother her. She is no longer awkward with herself and now glides through crowds with a
grace that amazes even her. She's all grown up now.

And aside from some occasional...unpleasantness...things are relatively normal. Well, as normal as things can get
when your sister's a slayer, your surrogate father's a watcher, your 'aunt' figure is one of the most powerful beings on Earth
and you spend your days studying ancient Sumerian and several demon languages; all to thwart the evil in the world.

At least her tutor is a total hottie.

Things have settled into a routine, since Dawn and the others came to London. The Council is rebuilt and the new
Motherhouse is bursting at the seams with new members. Giles has slipped into the role of leader with surprising ease,
although Dawn secretly suspects he is a little uncomfortable with it. Willow continues to astonish everyone with
her amazing gifts. One of Dawn's friends, upon meeting the witch, almost insisted that she agree to be the model for
a comic book superheroine he was working on.

She politely declined and then, unbeknownst to anyone, wiped the memory of their meeting from his mind.

And Buffy, well, Buffy has come a long way since that first week in Los Angeles. Once they settled into Giles' home
in the country, she seemed to come back to herself. Dawn spent many nights in front of the roaring fire talking with her
sister about life, death, the future...everything, really. They grew incredibly close in a short amount of time.

Of course, there have been quite a few terryfing and confusing moments over the course of the year that nearly ripped them apart.

The 'glowing', as they've come to call it, has not ceased. Dawn awakes sometimes in the middle of the day, as if from a dream,
to find that she is in a strange place. She'll look around, in a panic usually, and then burst into tears. She hates not
having control of herself during these episodes.

After the first few incidents, Giles had insisted she wear a homing device on her wrist...just in case.
She wanted to yell at him and tell him she wasn't some bloody toddler wandering off from her parents.
But the idea had been somewhat comforting, so she'd given in; finding, on more than one occasion,
that she was eternally grateful fo having it. Mostly for Buffy's sake, as she worries so much;
terrified of losing her. She's lost so much already.

And then there are the arguments with Buffy that come out of nowhere.

"Buffy...look, you're all skin and bones! you have got to eat something!"

"Dawn, I'm fine. I'll eat when I get hungry. I don't need you to mother me."

"Oh you bloody well do, Slayer. You were never one to look after yourself. Always putting
everyone else's needs before your own. Sod it all, you need to look after yourself!"

"Dawn, geez, calm down-"

"Don't you tell me to calm down! I see how you are, nothing's changed. You're wasting away
and for what? You've got to live, pet, so one of us is bloody well living!"

Of course, that was a shocking conversation in a long line of shocking conversations to come.
Buffy had immediately dissolved into a weeping puddle on the floor as Dawn clapped her
hand over her mouth in horror. Everyone else could only stare at her yellowing eyes.

Willow is still trying to make them believe that the whole thing is caused by some sort of transference that
occurred when the amulet's beam hit her, but Dawn isn't buying that theory completely. As much
as she loves and misses Spike, the rage and sorrow and...well, quite frankly...somewhat disconcerting
feelings towards her sister have to stop. And soon, if she's to keep any semblance of normality.

Dawn doesn't delude herself that Buffy's pain has lessened any. She's no fool. Although her sister has become a master
of disguising her inner grief with bright smiles and pleasantries, Dawn can see right through the facade.
Sometimes she catches Buffy looking at her as if she isn't seeing her at all, but rather, inside her. And she
can feel her pain as if it were her own; feel her loss and the incredible sorrow that accompanies it.

Dawn squeezes into the booth and orders a pint of Gaymer's cider. She grins inanely when the waitress asks
for her ID.

"Oh, happy birthday, luv. This one'll be on me, alright deary?"

"Thank you! How nice." Perhaps it'll be a good birthday after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Cake ordered?"

"Check."

"Gifts hidden away?"

"Nice and hidden, yep."

"Guests confirmed?"

"Yup, 15 or so. Even her tutor. Y'know-" Willow pauses to tie the end of the balloon she is inflating.
"I think she has a little crush on him."

"Really?" Buffy smiles brightly. "Oh, that would be so nice for her. What's his name?"

Willow scrunches up her face. "Ummm...Carl? I dunno. Can't remember, sorry."

"That's ok. I'll meet him at the party." Buffy inspects the handmade birthday banner with a small amount
of pride. "You don't think she suspects anything do you? I mean, we were careful not to let the party plans
slip out, right?"

"She didn't get any info out of me." Willow places the balloon into a large bag with other balloons ready for the
'surprise' part of the surprise party for Dawn.

"Well, me neither. And Giles is pretty good at keeping secrets, so I think we're safe." Buffy smiles and
sits down next to Willow. "Thanks for helping, Will. I really want this to be special for her."

"It will be, Buffy. I think it's a great idea." Willow places her arm across her friend's shoulders and gives her a squeeze.
"She's got the bestest sister in the world."

"Nah." Buffy blushes. "She's been the good one. I don't know what I would've done without her these last few
months, Will. She's...she's been my guide." She laughs lightly. "How strange is that? I'm the older one, but
I'm the one leaning on her for support. It isn't right." She frowns suddenly, overcome with the guilt that has
plagued her about Dawn.

"Buffy," Willow takes her hands. "Dawn...is in a position to help you that none of us are and she understands that.
She would do anything for you. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do, but this is...wrong...somehow, Willow. I mean..." She stands up and wraps her arms about herself.
"She's a teenager, she shouldn't have to play therapist to me."

"Again, I say she wouldn't have it any other way. And you're kidding yourself if you think she's a normal teenager."

"I know, I know...the key."

"I wasn't talking about the key."

"Oh..." Buffy lets the other thought hang in the air. She doesn't want to think if Dawn's "channeling" or whatever.
She hopes that they can get through the party without a hitch. She just wants to give her sister a good, old-fashioned
birthday, complete with cake and- "Did we get the ice cream?"

"Whoops. No. Want me to run over to Sainsbury's and get some?" Willow stands and reaches for her car keys.

"Would you? Oh thanks,you're a godsend. What would I do without you?"

Willow shrugs. "Uh, eat dry cake?" They both laugh as Willow heads out.

TBC Chapter 3: Nothing Like the Sun [coming soon, I promise!]