Chapter 12

February 2nd, 2004…

Anastasia was up at 6 o'clock, as usual. Kara slipped silently from the bedroom, after sliding out from under Spike's arm, and took Ana from her room before she could wake her sister. A diaper change in the bathroom across the hall later, Ana was ready for her breakfast.

"I hope you grow out of these early mornings, little one. Mommy would really like to sleep in again."

"Birfday!"

"That's right. Today, you and your sister are 1." Kara held up her index finger. "One."

"Wun…"

"Yep, you and Lilli are one."

"Mama wun?"

"No, Mommy's 30." Kara placed her in the high chair and went to the refrigerator to retrieve a bottle.

"Da' wun?"

"Definitely not. Daddy is 151."

"Big…"

Kara chuckled. "Yeah, it's a big number. Sebastian is even older, and Anya takes the prize. Here you go, sweetie. Nice, warm milk."

Now that they were a year old, she was going to be weaning the twins off breast milk. It was time to stop being a snack factory. Once Ana was finished, Kara took her back upstairs for a bath. The new clothes weren't going on until right before the party scheduled for later.

Lillian woke up a little before 10 a.m. Kara repeated the morning process, while Ana was strapped into her bouncy seat. The guests would be arriving at two, and she still had to frost the cake, vacuum, then wake up Spike.

When it came time to change the girls for the party, there was a minor scuffle when Ana decided she liked her sister's dress better than her own. Kara had never bothered dressing them alike, since they didn't look exactly identical, anyway. Running out of time and patience, and seeing her daughter gearing up for a full-on tantrum, she gave in and switched the dresses, putting Ana in the blue, and Lillian in the green. Kara pulled the sides of their hair back in little clips, and sent them to find their father.

She had just finished securing the helium-filled balloons when the first guest rang the doorbell.

"Bet you a twenty it's Rupert and Joyce," Spike commented, playing on the floor with the girls.

Sure, don't bother to get up, honey. I've only been on my feet since 6, she grumbled in her head. 1:50 p.m. – yeah, it probably was them. They were the only couple they knew who were guaranteed to arrive early.

"Hi. Welcome to birthday central," Kara greeted.

"Hello, dear. You look nice," Giles said, kissing her on the cheek, before moving further into the house. Joyce had the presents.

"Hi, Kara. Are the girls awake?"

"Oh, yeah. They're in the living room with Spike, playing with blocks." She was just about to close the door, when she heard the approaching footsteps of Wes and Fred. "Hey, you guys! I wasn't sure you'd make it."

"Well, Winifred convinced me that since it was the middle of the day, we wouldn't be missing any cases by leaving the hotel, so, here we are," Wes replied.

"Well, the more, the merrier. Is Cordy on her way?"

"I think so," Fred responded. "She had a last minute Connor mess to clean up, and said we should go on without her."

"I know how that is. Help yourself to snacks in the kitchen."

By quarter after two, everyone had shown up, including Cordelia, with Connor and Lorne. Despite making sure to tell everyone that they didn't have to bring gifts, the twins were quite spoiled. They had already received a couple things from the out-of-town friends, too, the previous week.

Ana and Connor were soon running around the furniture. The two seemed to compound their energy whenever they were in the same room, a non-stop whir of activity until one of them got tired. Lillian was the opposite, feeling shy around the large group and preferring to sit with her father, or Tara, her godmother. She listened to the grown-ups talk while she flipped the pages of her book, looking like she was engrossed in the pictures, unless you knew her well.

"Cordy, can we go ou'side?" Connor asked.

"No, sweetie, not without adults."

"So come!"

"Kara?"

"The backyard's still muddy from Friday's storm."

"Sorry, Connor. Not today," Cordelia said firmly. "It's an inside play day."

"No wanna," he pouted, until Ana pulled on his sleeve and pointed to the toy chest.

"Just as well," Joyce commented. "You don't want her to ruin that pretty dress."

"Yeah. Yavanna sent them from New York."

"We got lucky it wasn't gold-plated spoons," Spike quipped.

As the group caught up and shared stories, Lillian moved from person to person. Most of them didn't notice; since she did so silently, but when she stopped in front of Lorne, he looked down and gave her his attention, bending down to speak with her at her level.

"What's up, sweetie pie?" he asked gently.

She touched his hand and sent a feeling of intense curiosity to him. He chuckled, and answered her question.

"I'm from Pylea. It's very far from here. Want to know something?" She nodded. "I can read thoughts, too, but only when people sing. You like it when Mommy sings, huh?"

"Uh-huh. Mommy pwetty," she whispered.

"I like it, too. Wanna have a seat with Uncle Lorne?"

She smiled at him. "Okay."

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"Still no clue on the identity of the mystery thief?" Kara asked Giles, when they were in the kitchen.

"No, I'm afraid. He hasn't been seen near that house again, and either no one around there knew his name, or they're not talking. Either way, it seems to be a dead end search. I only hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the ass."

"So do I. Well, I better get this cake out there. The natives are getting restless."

Upon seeing the cake enter the room, Dawn started the Happy Birthday Song. The twins clapped and bounced, anxious to get a closer look.

"Okay, girls, blow on the candle. Like this." They mimicked their mother, and blew hard at the flame on the 'one' candle, extinguishing it. Tara and Spike pulled them back before they could smash their little hands into the icing. Everybody cheered and clapped, and Kara took the cake away again to go cut pieces. She brought back two tiny cubes of white cake for the twins to have, then started serving everyone else.

"Yum."

"Good stuff, Bit?"

"Uh-huh!" Lillian replied.

"Pwesents!" Ana exclaimed, already on a new thought topic.

Connor jumped in to help sort the boxes. He could recognize the first letters of each girl's name well enough, so he picked up what he could and placed it in front of the correct twin.

Kara had to stall Ana long enough with each gift to read who it was from, because she was tearing through the wrapping paper as soon as the box was in front of her. Lillian was more patient, though her sister's enthusiasm was infectious.

Most of what they received was in duplicates – no twin left out – though different colors had been chosen, when applicable. The floor was a mess when they were done, wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons everywhere. The box for the miniature outdoor plastic slide became the most fascinating item, and they pulled it towards the music room to play. The three toddlers were soon giggling in the corner, and the adults ignored.

"They really do like the presents, guys. There's just something about new boxes…" Kara tried to explain.

"It's what kids do," Joyce replied. "There's a new fascination every year."

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Once the sun went down, Wes, Fred, and Lorne were the first to leave, knowing work would probably be waiting for them by the time they reached the hotel. Cordelia stayed until Connor fell asleep. They found the kids in the box, asleep in a pile. They had played 'til they dropped. Spike put the girls to bed, and the Sunnydale crew stayed a while longer. It became more rare all the time for the whole group to be together in one place.

Willow and Tara had just gotten settled in Irvine. Anya was three months along, and already driving Xander crazy with shopping for baby things. As soon as they'd gotten home from the Christmas trip, she had given him a list of furniture he needed to build for the new nursery, formerly the guest room. Dawn was back in school, since the sixth of January, and had just finished semester finals right before the twins' birthday. She was taking three Advanced Placement courses, and that left little time for socializing. Once Giles had come back from England, he and Joyce had been busy deciding what to keep and what to donate of their combined possessions, and redecorated the Summers' home, now the Summers-Giles home. Combined with what everyone else already had going on, these get-togethers were now more precious than any of them would have once imagined.

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Later the same month, Dawn started receiving replies from the universities she had applied to. She waited until all of them arrived before she read them. Dawn always got the mail before Giles or her mother did, since she was home earlier, so no one knew that she had the envelopes.

Nervously chewing on her lip, she opened the first one. Accepted. The next two she opened said the same thing. The last, though, that was her first pick. Oh, god, I can't look. Maybe she should have someone else open it and tell her. No, the suspense would still be killer, either way.

"Come on, Dawn. You're a big girl. Just suck it up and open the damn letter," she told herself. She took a deep breath, ripped open the envelope, scanned the letter, and screamed. "Ohmigodohmigodohmigod!"

She paused from jumping on the bed long enough to wonder how she would pay for it, then went back to bouncing until she lost her balance and ended up on the floor.

"I have to call Michael!"

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May 2004…

"God, I'm tired!" Buffy groaned, dragging herself into the house.

"You weren't the one climbing the back of that beast to get it to raise up and expose its underbelly," Sebastian replied. "Heavens, that thing was a gusher. I think I have goo in places I didn't know I had."

"Aww, poor baby. Next time, jump off when I cut off its head."

"It was 15 feet tall and swaying all over the place! I didn't know where to land." He yanked her back from the bathroom door by her collar. "Nah-unh, missy. I'm twice as filthy as you are. That shower is mine!"

"Meany! I would have shared, you know!" she yelled through the closed door.

"Yeah, right! I'd be getting in here only when the hot water runs out, 'cause that's when you always leave the shower!"

Okay, so he had her there, but was it her fault his shower had the perfect water pressure for relieving post-slaying aches? It's not like she'd gotten to test it before they picked out the place. She smirked, before turning on the sink faucet to fill a glass. The answering yelp from the bathroom as his water turned to cold for a few seconds was satisfying. Buffy peeled off her clothes and set them on top of the washing machine, then wrapped herself in an old towel so she could sit on the sofa without staining it with demon blood.

What was on TV at 3 o'clock in the afternoon?

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June…

"Hurry! The ceremony's about to start!"

"Hey, I'm not the one who thought we had to stop for bloody flowers at the last minute!" Spike retorted.

Willow spotted them and waved from their spot in the bleachers. The graduates were just starting to file onto the football field to take their seats. Kara handed Ana to Tara so she could take out her camera. 400 students made up the graduating class of 2004 for Sunnydale High, the largest ever. Dawn was towards the end of the line, of course, and the group cheered as she passed their position. She gave a little wave, looking embarrassed.

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"…Dawn Summers, attending USC in the fall…"

"WHOOOOOOOOO!" Buffy, Willow, and Xander hollered, standing. Joyce was on her feet, too, but just clapping.

Kara got close-ups of Dawn accepting her diploma, shaking the principal's hand, and coming back down off the stage. The teen high-fived with her friends when she got back to her seat. There were only around 20 – 30 students after her, and the rest of the kids were getting restless. The California sun was beating down on the field, the day typically 85 degrees in mid-June, and they couldn't wait to get those gowns off.

"…Congratulations, Class of 2004!"

Caps flew up in the air as the senior class celebrated their freedom. They still had to go back to the gym, turn in their caps and gowns, and receive their actual diplomas to take home. The music started up again, and they filed out of the stadium. Parents, friends, and family members started making their way down the bleachers, eager to catch up with their daughters and sons. Most of the students would be going to Grad Night later at the Sunnydale Hilton.

"I see her," Sebastian said, the tallest of the group. Buffy stayed tucked into his side, the crowd jostling them as the group tried to find Dawn. They followed the knight's lead and soon found the girl talking with her friends.

"Dawnie, I'm so proud of you!" Joyce gushed, sweeping her youngest into a bear hug.

"Mom…!"

"Oh, sorry! Hello, girls. Excited to be moving on to a new chapter in life?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Summers. Hey Dawn, we'll catch you later tonight."

"Okay!" She batted her mother on the arm as soon as her friends had moved away. "That was totally embarrassing! Please don't talk to my friends anymore!"

"Nonsense. I was just being polite. Are you ready to go, honey? We'd like to take you to dinner to celebrate."

"Uh…yeah, I guess. Here's my shiny, new diploma. Bonus in having no scorch marks, too."

"Hey! Someone had to blow up the Mayor. He was a giant snake demon," Buffy replied.

"Yeah, I know, heard the story a million times. Can we go? I'm dying of heat after being stuck in polyester for 2 hours," Dawn complained.

"So, where would you like to eat, Dawnster?" Xander asked.

"Any place is cool, as long as there's A.C. Wow, Anya…you're getting big!"

"Thanks for stating the obvious. Yes, our unborn son is making me horribly fat. I'm hot, and uncomfortable, and I really need to pee."

"Eh…we'll meet you guys at the cars," Xander said, pulling his wife away in a hasty retreat. Anya's hormones weren't making her the most pleasant woman on most days.

"Right, so…parking lot?" Buffy added.

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"Can I have a graduation every year? You guys are being really generous!" Dawn said later, at the restaurant. She had cards, flowers, balloons, and presents scattered in front of her on the table.

"Getting spoiled on your birthday and Christmas ain't enough, Niblet?"

"Well…"

"USC, huh? That's so exciting!" Willow said.

"Yeah, I really liked it when I took the tour. It was my first choice," Dawn happily replied.

"Yes, for some strange reason, she turned down UCLA," Joyce teased.

"Mom…"

"Yeah, I know…you want to make your own path. I suppose it doesn't hurt that a certain young man will be attending as well?"

"Mom! Go pick on Buffy!"

"Hey! Don't point her at me. At least I didn't pick the most expensive school on my list!"

"Oh, that reminds me. We have a meeting with your Student Advisor on Monday, Dawn."

The teen turned to Kara and squeaked, "Help!"

"Hey, the waiter's coming!" Kara blurted out. Attention turned to giving orders at the opposite end of the table, and the teen sighed in relief.

Dawn picked a card to open at random from the stack. It was from Sebastian. Congratulations, Dawn. I'm very proud of you. We'll talk later about your gift. She quirked an eyebrow in question at him, but he only smiled, and winked.

The card from Kara and Spike held a fairly sizeable check. There was a note in Kara's handwriting saying she remembered how expensive textbooks were, and imagined they were only worse now. "Thank you!" Dawn whispered. Kara nodded, and gave her a quick hug, before turning to the waiter who had reached them.

Tara and Willow gave her a 12" tall graduation bear with balloons secured to him. It was one of those kinds you could write on with a marker. "You can take that to Grad Night and get all your friends to write messages," Willow explained.

"Thanks, guys. This is cool."

She received $100 from Xander and Anya, and a note from Anya saying she could have her job again if she fails at college and drops out. Dawn giggled, and shook her head. In Anya's way, that was supportive.

Buffy gave her a sappy card that threatened to make her cry and laugh at the same time. Her sister wrote like she talked, including the fumbling over words and scratching out others when it wasn't perfect. "Love you, too, you big dope," Dawn said, after she read it.

The last card and gift set was from her mother and Giles. Dawn found a charm to go on her bracelet, from Joyce, and a leather-bound journal from Giles that included an event calendar. The card was from the both of them, though she knew her mother must have picked it out. Giles still wasn't very eloquent when it came to expressing emotions, so he said more with a hug, or a look.

"Thanks, everybody. I couldn't have gotten through the past four years without your love and support, and the few times of saving my life. I know I'm not going away until September, but I'm promising now that I won't get so wrapped up in school that I never come home. I'm ready to step out on my own because you guys have all taught me stuff I can use for a long time. So…thanks, again. To my family."

"Yay, Dawnie!" Ana exclaimed, banging the tray on her high chair. Her little voice piping up broke the more serious mood, and they laughed.

"Thanks, Ana," Dawn said.

By the time they were finished with dinner, it was time for Dawn to head to her party, so she left in her car. The group hung around a while longer, getting dessert and talking.

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Sebastian came over the next morning to take Dawn out for a private chat.

"What's up?" she asked, as he drove.

"It's about your graduation gift. I wanted to talk to you first, since it's for you, after all. Do you mind if we wait until we reach our destination?"

"Okay. Where are we going?"

"Just to the beach. It's still relatively quiet at this time of day."

Sebastian parked the car, and then they walked over to a picnic table and had a seat. He handed her an envelope and waited for her to read the contents.

Dawn's jaw dropped. "You paid my tuition?"

"I hope that isn't stepping out of line…"

"No…it's amazing…why?"

"Well, one: I have more than I could ever probably think to do with. Two: I think of you as a sister. And three: just because I wanted to."

"All good reasons, but you didn't have to do this. Between Mom and Dad…"

"You'd still be owing the school at the end of your education. Dawn, you're going to do great things. Think of this as my investment in bettering the future. If I was mortal, I'd feel safe leaving the world in your hands when I was gone. You have such a big heart, and I know you will leave a lasting impression on all those you're going to meet. Besides, you can't refuse. The university already has the money," he replied.

"You're annoying when you're being magnanimous, you know that?"

"I'll accept that. Come on, my dear. I'll buy you an ice cream." She couldn't resist that charming smile, any more than she could stay mad at Spike when he pulled out the puppy dog eyes. Dawn put on a good show of reluctantly taking the hand that offered to pull her off the bench.

"Mom's going to flip out, you know."

"I know. Chocolate cone, like usual?"

"Yeah. Make it two scoops."