Author's Note: On Buffy's pairing I have decided to go OC. Dawn's Watcher (who will no longer be the canon Lydia for multiple reasons, for one it's easier to create a backstory on a character that is OC than one that is canon and had very little character development in her two appearance, with the second being her death) will be paired with Buffy. I am still trying to think about how to actually work that out.
Fanfictionfanatic2324 - First I do know of the story. Second As I said above I am going OC on Buffy's pairing. Given Amy's arc in canon I can't see Dawn steering Buffy to Amy. Oz has his share of problems, even if I paired Oz with Buffy I can see him still leaving to learn how to control the wolf. Cordelia, given her personality I can actually see her and Buffy clashing.
Chapter 1: Welcome to the Past
September 11, 1997 - Thursday
Consciousness slowly returned to Dawn Summers; when she opened her eyes, she saw that she was standing in a living room. She could tell she was in a house, but where exactly was this house? Was it in Sunnydale? And what year was it?" Being that she was standing in a house and not in an abandoned building she knew her wish to D'Hoffryn had worked. As she looked around the room, she spotted by the door a purple backpack beside a purse.
Dawn stared at it, then stared at it some more. Then it registered "Right. Things I might need." She sat down on the floor next to the backpack and purse. She picked up the purse and rummaged through it. She withdrew a woman's clutch wallet, she would look at that in a moment, a set of keys with a key fob, and an old-style cellphone. First though she wanted to check her appearance, she pulled out a compact mirror and looked into it. She looked... younger. She could tell she was no longer twenty-two, but much younger, possibly around sixteen or seventeen. Depending on the year she surmised this might be so she could fit in at Sunnydale High.
She picked up the clutch wallet, a quick check revealed close to $200 in various denominations, while the other held various cards: a driver's license, three credit cards, a debit card, and a social security card.
She opened the backpack next, there was a leather-bound book, several file folders filled with various papers. The book was a diary of some sort. Dawn opened it and read the first page. There were two lists. The first was easy enough to understand. Angelus, Mayor Richard Wilkins, Adam, the Initiative, Glory, Warren, Andrew, Jonathon, and finally, the First Evil. These were the upcoming Big Bads, obviously. The second list read: Radica Games; Metal Management; Trans-World Entertainment; Reliability, Incorporated; Arterial Vascular Engineering; The Spire Corporation; Jackson Hewitt; and finally, MindSpring Enterprises.
Dawn recognized some of the names in the second list as businesses. Jackson Hewitt, she knew had done first her mother's taxes then later Buffy's when Buffy had worked for Doublemeat Palace and then eventually Sunnydale High. She suspected this was possible places to invest in if she should need money. There was also a list for Superbowl and World Series winners as well as items to patent. She closed the book and looked at the cover, it was just a reddish-brown leather. "This is my Gray's Sports Almanac!"
She put the book down and picked up the first folder. "Aha. My life as a time traveler." The first page held a birth certificate.
Apparently, she had been born in Los Angeles on October 11, 1980 to Mark Summers and Lyssa Thompson. "Celia's parents, Uncle Mark and Aunt Lyssa! And looking at the birthdate that makes me Celia's twin." she said shocked at the revelation. "Which makes me three months older than Buffy."
She set the birth certificate aside. The next page had some biographical details regarding Mark and Lyssa, some of which she had known already since they were originally her aunt and uncle. She had known that Mark had worked for Paine and Hope Law Firm as a senior associate, and that Lyssa had worked for one of the Hollywood movie studios as an executive. She also remembered that they had died in a plane crash, she couldn't remember the exact date though.
As she turned to the next page, she saw that she had been declared an emancipated minor due to Mark and Lyssa's deaths. The next document detailed her inheritance. "I have an inheritance," she said surprised. She remembered that in her original timeline that Uncle Mark and Aunt Lyssa having no other children after Celia's death had left their estate to various charities. With her inclusion into their family that meant she now had inherited their estate instead. According to the documents it said she was a millionaire after Mark and Lyssa's final expenses were paid. The documents also said her inheritance was in trust for her till she turned eighteen and that she could only touch the interest till then.
Mark had set it up that his employers would be executors of not only his and Lyssa's estate but also the trust fund. She found a few other documents, namely school enrollment, a list of phone numbers to call if she needed anything that included her lawyers, the judge who handled her emancipation, a child psychologist, a couple of teachers, and a doctor.
In the second folder she found a deed to a house at 1625 Revello Drive, Sunnydale, California. "That must be the house I'm in now," she said. Her name was on the deed along with the law firm. She assumed that was so they could manage the legalalities of owning a home by a minor, such as property taxes and home owners' insurance. She found the title for a car, a Ford Mustang. She was surprised that a more expensive car hadn't been given to her instead, like a Mercedes.
Dawn put the paperwork back in the backpack. She decided to check out the rest of the house before getting in the car and trying to find out what year it was. Downstairs there was the living room, kitchen, dining room, study, a bathroom, and access to the garage. Upstairs were four bedrooms, another bathroom and access to the attic.
Her cell phone rang, she picked it up and flipped it open. She pressed the receive button, and said, "Hello?"
"Ms. Summers? Dawn? Good morning. This is Anthony Paine. Did I wake you?"
"No, Mr. Paine, I've been awake for a little while. What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to let you know that I got a call from the movers. They'll be at your new house in Sunnydale in about three hours with your things. That should give you plenty of time to get some breakfast, check out of your hotel, and drive over to meet them."
"Wonderful. Thank you, Mr. Paine. That's great news."
"No problem. Is there anything we can help you with this morning?"
"Not that I can think of. But if I think of anything, I'll call," Dawn admitted. "May I ask has Aunt Joyce been informed of my moving to Sunnydale?"
"We thought you might like to do that yourself. So we did not inform her of the move."
Dawn nodded. It would better this way, she thought.
"If there is nothing else, Dawn, I'll talk to you later."
"No that was all," Dawn said. "You have a good day." She disconnected and closed the phone.
Three hours before the movers arrived. Since she had found no food in the kitchen yet that meant that she ought to go out and get something to eat. Possibly drive by her old house and see if she could see if Buffy was home or not. And definitely find out what the date was.
Dawn thought about Buffy and knew she needed to make sure Buffy was home before revealing herself to her sister. Then came the thought about herself. Was her younger self already here and if so, did she have the Key?
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn drove by Buffy's house and saw that the car she recognized as her mom's was in the driveway which meant she had arrived after they had moved to Sunnydale, but before Joyce had passed away from an aneurism when her mom's estate sold the car and the gallery to pay for Joyce's final expenses.
Thinking about the Gallery, Dawn knew one thing she could invest in, potentially turning Joyce's gallery into a national if not international contender. Which would ensure that Buffy and her younger self would have money in case she could not change Joyce's fate, which was going to be her first task after the reveal.
As Dawn drove, she spotted Willow and Xander walking down the sidewalk. "No Buffy, but from the looks of Willow and Xander I would say they're definitely still in high school. Which narrows down the when considerably. Could be during one of the summers when Buffy was not in town."
Dawn drove on past and down the street to a convenience store. There she got a soda and newspaper. The date on the newspaper read: September 12, 1997. "Buffy, dad, and possibly me if I am already here, will be coming home from L.A. in a couple days," she realized. Which meant she had a few days to get settled. "I have no idea how I am going to approach Buffy now. She wasn't in the best of places during that summer. Of course, I wasn't in the best of places either. I should never have followed her to the Master's cave that night."
Dawn carefully kept her attention on the newspaper as Xander and Willow passed where she was parked. She didn't look up at them, she wanted to wait if she could to reveal herself to them as well. "Better to do it all at once." She knew that might not be possible though.
Dawn glanced at her watch. It was almost time to meet the movers. She started the car and drove back to her new home.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
It took the movers the rest of the afternoon to get the house set up. She directed them and soon every corner of the house was filled with either furniture or boxes. She had the movers line the boxes along unused wall space out of the way of foot traffic, the furniture she had them place to her exact specifications. In the end the living room itself looked like a mirror of the living room in Buffy's house. The same was the case with the master bedroom upstairs.
When the movers left Dawn decided instead of unpacking that she would go grocery shopping instead. Amazed at having spent nearly five hundred dollars in groceries, Dawn brought her purchases home and spent the next half hour putting them away. She unpacked a box of dishes and a box of silverware, so that she would have at least something to eat off of till she finished unpacking the rest. Dawn did the same in the living room and laughed when she found a small model DeLorean. She also found pictures of herself with Mark and Lyssa as well as with Celia. She smiled at the picture of Celia. She had only been two years old when Celia had died in the original timeline but she had heard much about her from both Buffy and Joyce over the years.
Dawn then went upstairs and unpacked her toiletries, bath supplies and the clothes that had not been in her suitcase as well as make the bed. When she looked at the alarm clock, she had set on the dresser she found it was getting late. She decided to go to the Bronze and maybe do a quick patrol of one of the cemeteries before going to bed.
She dug through her recently unpacked clothes, she considered a dress but remembered that Buffy had always preferred jeans to a skirt or dress as both hampered the ability to fight. So she picked out a red silk blouse that hugged her curves and a pair of leather jeans. When she looked at herself in the mirror her mouth went to her face as she realized why she had chosen the outfit. It reminded her of Faith.
Dawn wondered what she would do about Faith. If she headed off Buffy and warned her of what happened on her seventeenth birthday that meant Kendra very likely would not die and if Kendra did not die that meant Faith would not be called. Which worried her because she was afraid Kakistos might still come after Faith. And she wanted Faith alive for she wanted to finally show Faith what she had held inside herself for years, her love. So she would have to find a way of getting Faith to Sunnydale, not only to protect Faith from Kakistos but potentially start a relationship that till now she had only dreamed of.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn parked her car and queued up in line for the Bronze. Soon, she was inside. She took a quick look around. She saw Cordelia and the so-called Cordettes in one corner. At the bar she saw Willow and Xander, talking and laughing between themselves, nursing their sodas and occasionally munching on pretzels.
Dawn moved to the bar and stood next to Xander. "Could I have a Diet Coke, please?" she asked as she watched the bartender pour the drink.
She watched Xander and Willow take notice of her out of the corner of her eye knowing once they looked over they would recognize her.
"Dawnie?" said Willow as Dawn nodded. "You can't be Dawn. Dawn's eleven-years-old."
"I am, Dawn," Dawn admitted as she thought to herself, At least I know now that I do exist at this point in this timeline. The next question is ascertaining whether my younger self has the Key. "And how I am older is a complicated explanation."
"You're a Terminator," said Xander as several people looked at him shaking their heads.
"A little louder," joked Dawn, "I don't think the people on the balcony heard you. No, I am not a Terminator, but you aren't far off base though."
Willow's eyes went wide with realization as she stared at Dawn. "How far?"
"How far in the future I'm from?" Dawn asked as Willow nodded. "A little under twelve years."
"If you are actually Dawn from the future and not a machine or something else out to kill us," said Xander. "Tell us something only we would know. So, we know it's really you."
Dawn nodded as there was one thing, she knew that only Xander, Buffy, Angel and herself knew. None of them had told anyone of her first experience with a vampire.
June 2, 1997 – Monday – The Master's Cave
The Master held Buffy by her arms pinning her so that she could not escape. "You tried. It was noble of you. You heard the prophecy that I was going to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They didn't tell you everything," he said as he whispered intimately in her ear. "You're the one that frees me." He smiled. "If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that."
The Master buried his fangs in Buffy's neck as he drank her blood. He reared back at the power flowing through him. "God, the power!" he said as Buffy sagged in his grasp. "By the way..." he said as he let Buffy fall to her knees before falling face-down into a pool of water. "I like your dress."
He walked out of the cave passing Dawn who had been hiding and watching everything unfold. When he was gone, she ran to Buffy and pulled her sister out of the pool. "Buffy?" she said.
Buffy didn't respond, Buffy wasn't even breathing. Dawn feared her sister was dead.
"Buffy, please," Dawn begged her sister as she cradled Buffy's head in her lap. It was then she heard footsteps approaching. When she looked up, she saw Xander and Angel approaching. "Xander!"
"Dawn!" Xander said as he rushed to her and Buffy, shocked to see Buffy's little sister there.
"She's not breathing, Xander. Help her, please," Dawn begged as tears streamed down her face.
September 11, 1997 – Thursday – The Bronze
"That's easy," said Dawn as she looked toward Xander, straight into his eyes. "A couple months ago from your point of view, almost twelve years ago from mine. You and Angel found me in the Master's cave, cradling Buffy's head in my lap. Begging her to wake up. I told you, 'She's not breathing, Xander. Help her, please'."
Willow looked at her friend for confirmation that what Dawn had just said was true. That Dawn had followed Buffy into the Master's cave.
"She's right," he said. "Dawn followed Buffy the night she went to fight the Master. I found Dawn just as she said cradling Buffy's head begging Buffy to wake up. She even begged me to help her wake Buffy up. The only people that knew that was me, Angel, Buffy and of course Dawn. When Buffy went to fight the Master, she had me take Dawn home and remain with her till Mrs. S. came home." He looked at Dawn. "Something major must have happened for you to travel back in time."
"Something did," admitted Dawn as she took a sip. "Let's wait till Buffy and my past self-get back from L.A. For the full explanation. I intended to reveal myself to Buffy then and give everyone an explanation including you two and Giles."
"How old are you now?" asked Xander.
"Unofficially twenty-two," answered Dawn. "Officially sixteen. I'll be seventeen in October. When I was sent back things were changed and I was de-aged to my current age to fit in with you guys."
"That means you will be going to school with us," said Willow.
"Yes," said Dawn. "And just so you know I do hope we have some classes together." She saw Xander and Willow look at her quizzically. "It's been awhile since I've seen you both and I want to get to know you again."
"Are these losers bothering you?"
Dawn spun and looked at Cordelia, the source of the voice. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" she asked. "I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention."
Cordelia smirked at Willow and Xander, then visibly ignored them by putting her full attention to Dawn. "I asked if these three losers were bothering you."
"Not at all," said Dawn. "Their actually friends of my cousin, Buffy Summers. Since Buffy hasn't come back from spending the summer with Uncle Hank, they have been showing me around town. Thank you for your concern though. Buh-bye!" She gave Cordelia her back.
"What's with being Buffy's cousin?" asked Willow after Cordelia had walked off.
"Officially it's true," admitted Dawn. "When I came back, I was inserted into our cousin's family. You know that just got me to thinking. You know Dawn as Dawn, but there is also me. I wonder how it was explained that both Hank and Mark named their daughters Dawn?"
"That is an interesting question," agreed Willow. "Maybe Mrs. Summers would have an explanation?"
"Depends," said Dawn said. "If fake memories were planted in her mind or not."
Dawn glanced at Xander and Willow and smiled. She debated asking Willow to dance but two things stopped her. At this point in time Willow considered herself straight, and Dawn had no intention of doing something that would derail Willow from falling for Tara. Besides the person she really wanted to dance with Faith who of course wasn't here yet.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Hey," said Dawn as she dug in her purse for her car keys. "Need a ride home?"
"Wow," Xander said as they came upon Dawn's car. "You have a Mustang?"
"Yep," said Dawn. "So that ride?"
"Sure," Willow and Xander agreed.
"You guys are going to have to give me directions, okay?" Dawn said still rooting for her keys. "It's been awhile since I've been to either of your houses."
"I've been meaning to ask about that," said Xander. "I know something bad happens or you wouldn't have come back. But did something happen to Willow and I?
"You died Xander," said Dawn. "Willow, you were still alive when I came back. Buffy was dead and Faith…"
"Faith?" asked Xander wondering who Faith was.
"Faith was a Slayer," said Dawn. "There was two Slayers between me and Buffy. Faith was my predecessor."
"You're a Slayer," said Willow, her eyes wide at the revelation.
"I am," answered Dawn. "Anyways Faith died protecting me and then I was called. I was the Last Slayer."
"What do we have here, boys. Someone ordered take-out."
Dawn shifted her hand from her keys to the stake hidden in the bottom of her purse. She pulled it out and threw her purse to Xander. "Get in the car. I know you can help, but I would hate to explain to Buffy when I finally reveal myself to her that I got you two killed."
Xander nodded as he took the purse and rummaged in it for the keys as Dawn turned to face the vampires.
"Now don't be like that. The party's only getting started!" a female vampire said sarcastically.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Xander and Willow get in the car. "There is another stake in the glove compartment, just in case," she said to Xander who was sitting in the front passenger seat.
Xander nodded as he opened the glove box and took out the extra stake.
The vampires closed in on Dawn. "Get her boys."
The three male vampires rushed at Dawn. She stood her ground in the middle of the three of them waiting for one to strike.
The first vampire lunged at her trying to grab Dawn by the waist. She easily dodged out of his reach. As the demon passed by, she slammed her stake down through his back and he dusted. The second vampire walked up to her in a steady pace. He fired a right straight towards her. Dawn easily blocked it and was ready for next one. The vampire wasted no time in firing a left uppercut. Dawn grabbed the arm and twisted it hard. The vampire screamed in pain as he knelt down. She drove the stake through his back as well dusting him.
The third vampire came at Dawn and she spun in a roundhouse kick aiming for his ribs. The vampire grunted in pain as she rammed the stake right through his heart and he dusted. Dawn turned to face the female vampire who swung at Dawn's head. Dawn ducked and brought up her fist right into the female's chin knocking her backward. Taking advantage of the the female vampire's disorientation she drove the stake home and dispatched her as well.
"Dawn, are you okay?" asked Willow as Dawn slid in behind the steering wheel a second later.
"Yeah," said Dawn. "Been a long time since I dusted a vamp. Gave me a workout. Now I understand about H&H."
"H&H?" asked Xander.
"Hungry and horny," answered Dawn. "And the one person I would love to relieve it with is not here and in the original timeline didn't arrive for another year. I'm going to drive over to Giles. I'm going to need you guys for the introduction. Giles may recognize me but he will want proof and I already gave you guys proof."
"Right," said Xander and Willow.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn noticed that the lights were still on in Giles' apartment and she smiled. She knocked, paused, then repeated the action.
The door opened just enough to reveal a tired-looking Rupert Giles. "Willow? Xander?" He opened the door wider. "Who is this?"
"Giles! It's great to see you," said Dawn.
Giles looked at Dawn studying her face, a face he recognized.
"You know Buffy's little sister?" Willow asked Giles who nodded. "Meet her all grown up."
"You will forgive me if I don't believe that to be true," said Giles as he looked Dawn. He went back into his apartment and a second later he came back with a crossbow.
"Wise precaution," said Dawn. "There is so many things I could be. Shapeshifter, evil robot that looks like Buffy's sister, witch who has cast a glamour spell."
Giles nodded as he stepped back from the door and let the three teens in. One test down, Dawn was not a vampire or she wouldn't have been able to enter without a verbal invite. He picked up a cross and tossed it toward Dawn who caught it and smiled. Test two complete, she was not a demon who might have been repulsed by the cross. "Ihr Goetter, ruft Euch an! Verbergt Euch nicht hinter falschen Gesichtern!" he said. Third test down, Dawn wasn't a shapeshifter nor was she a witch who had cast a glamour spell.
Giles lowered his crossbow. "That out of the way," he said as he looked at Xander and Willow. "I assume you tested her knowledge to make sure it was really, Dawn?"
"We did," said Xander. "There is something I haven't mentioned to anyone since the day Buffy dusted the Master. Our Dawn followed Buffy into the Master's cave. Angel and I found her there. This Dawn knew all about that."
"You didn't tell me that Dawn had followed Buffy," said Giles with a glare at Xander.
"Sorry," said Xander. "But she knew that. And the only people besides myself who knew are Angel, Buffy and Dawn."
"I intended to wait to reveal myself till Buffy and Mini Me came back from L.A. so I could do it all at once," said Dawn. "But things changed. First I bumped into Xander and Willow then as we left the Bronze, we bumped into four vampires that I dusted."
"You dusted four vampires," said Giles. "Last I knew Dawn Summers was not a potential."
"As far as we knew I wasn't," said Dawn. "I was called as a Slayer around a little over six years from now."
"If you are from the future," said Giles. "Why are you here?"
"To change the world I came from," answered Dawn. "You see in the world I came from the First Evil was taking over. Buffy died sometime after the battle, I guess third time was the charm. Another Slayer, Faith, died protecting me. You and Xander along with a lot of potentials died during the battle with the First. By the time I came back, out of everyone, only Willow and I were left alive. Willow helped me prepare to come back. I came back to stop the First from taking over. The future I came from I was the last Slayer." She didn't mention August or the fact that Willow was a powerful witch who had harnessed ancient magics to force a potential to be called as a Slayer. She figured she would need to talk to Willow alone first before she revealed that.
"Can you provide me proof that what you are saying is true," said Giles.
"As far as the proving by telling you something only you would know. Not much," admitted Dawn. "There were only a few times we were even together by this point in time, usually when mom knew she was going to be late and wanted me to wait with Buffy till mom arrived to take me home. I have something that might help you to believe, but it's not something you would know. It's something Buffy said to me in the future. Dawn listen to me. Listen. I love you. I'll always love you. But this is the work I have to do. Tell Giles I figured it out. And I'm okay. Give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now - you have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."
Giles listened to the speech Buffy had given Dawn on Glory's tower and nodded. While it did not prove she was who she said she was or that she was indeed a Slayer. It did provide enough doubts given what he knew of his Slayer. "So, Buffy said that to you," he said.
"Yes. Just a little under four years from now," said Dawn. "There was a big bad that was using my blood to open a portal to a hell dimension. Buffy sacrificed herself for me, so I wouldn't have to. For it had…"
"…to have the blood," finished Giles with understanding. He knew of several rituals that required the use of blood, especially when it came to portals. "Now could you give me a demonstration of some kind that you are indeed a Slayer?"
Dawn looked around; she spotted a chest doubling as a side table. "This looks heavy. May I?" Dawn asked as she moved over to the chest. Giles nodded as Dawn cleared the top of the chest, then opened it seeing it was full of Giles' weapons. She closed and latched the chest then lifted it above her head. She moved it to a single hand, taking its weight on one arm. She the carefully put the trunk on the floor.
"I have to make some calls," Giles said. "If everything is true, I still have some doubts. You will need a Watcher and since I am Buffy's I can't be yours. I will tell them as little as I can, that way if you are truly from the future then you won't have to worry about someone kidnapping you and trying to extract future information. That said I would suggest whoever is assigned to you that you tell when you can trust them not to reveal the truth."
"Okay," said Dawn.
"I assume you have some form of ID?" he asked. "I need the information to try and sell the lie."
Dawn fished out her wallet out of her purse and tossed it to Giles. "That should have everything you need."
Giles headed up the short flight of stairs to the apartment's upper level, leaving Dawn, Willow and Xander alone.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Giles wanted to believe Dawn was who she said she was. The best way of doing that would be to test Dawn. If she was a Slayer then the rest was likely true as well. That meant getting a team here to assess Dawn. He picked up the telephone receiver and dialed the overseas number. Then it started ringing, on the fourth ring someone answered.
"British Library, Periodicals Section. How may I direct your call?"
"This is Rupert Giles. ID 06241972. I need to speak to whomever is on duty right now, please." He could hear typing through the phone line. He knew that his identification was being pulled up on a computer.
"Please hold. I am transferring you to Doctor Whittaker." (A/N)
There was silence for a few seconds before a woman's voice came on the phone.
"This is Whittaker. Giles? What brings you to call at such an ungodly hour? Given that your Slayer hasn't even returned from Los Angeles..."
"That's partially why I am calling, Jodie. I have something of a situation brewing and needed some information." He paused, as he tried to think of a plausible lie incase Dawn was telling the truth. "A young lady just barged into my apartment. She claimed she was a Slayer and knew I was a Watcher. She claimed she had just dispatched three vampires."
"Is her name Kendra Young?"
"No," said Giles. "Why?"
"Kendra Young is the new slayer called by your Slayer's momentary death at the hands of the master vampire, known as the Master. If this young woman is not her then we need to ascertain if your Slayer died again. For last reports from Sam Zabuto said his Slayer was alive in Jamaica."
"Agreed," said Giles as he searched for pen and paper. "I assume the team in Los Angeles is still monitoring her?"
"They are. I will get you their contact information. While my assistant is getting the information. What proof do you have of her claim?"
"She lifted my weapons chest one handed with ease," said Giles. "And I have already performed multiple tests to ascertain whether she was a witch who had cast a glamour spell upon her self or a shapeshifter, that test was negative. I also tried to ascertain if it was possible, she was a demon or vampire and both of those tests were negative as well."
"Really?"
"She gave me her identification. It is possible it's a forgery though. For the name on the identification is that of Dawn Marie Summers. Which is the name of my Slayer's sister. Hence my initial tests for shapeshifter or witch hiding behind a glamour spell."
Giles heard keys tapping in the background, he assumed Whittaker was pulling up information on her computer.
"This is a coincidence. Our background checks on your Slayer show that there are two Dawn Marie Summers. One is your Slayer's sister and the other is her cousin. So, I would hazard to guess the identification may not be a forgery. Won't know for sure without more in-depth background checks on this Dawn Summers. Give me her identification number and social security number if you have it available and I will start the background check."
Giles gave the information Whittaker asked for. "While I still have my doubts, I think she might be telling the truth. After all we both know that it is possible for even sisters to be called one after another. A cousin being called after the other wouldn't be much different."
"True. And it wouldn't be the first time a potential was missed during the sweeps. Regardless if your Slayer is alive or not, I am going to immediately authorize a team to leave immediately for Sunnydale, they should arrive tomorrow, your time... ah, Jeremy has brought me the contact information."
Giles wrote down the information then disconnected the call and dialed again. When a man answered he once again gave the appropriate passwords and identified himself.
"Ah. You're Buffy Summers' Watcher. She is still visiting her father. Since Sunnydale High is starting school next week, she will be heading back we believe tomorrow or the next day. What can I do for you?"
"Just checking the status of my Slayer," said Giles.
"Currently she is asleep. We've had her father's home bugged with cameras and microphones ever since she and her sister arrived, just in case we had to separate the girl from her father. My last check-in with my man on the scene was about twenty minutes ago."
"Anything interesting to note?" Giles asked.
"Well my man currently in the van reported earlier that the little girl started sobbing uncontrollably. Apparently there was a discussion between your Slayer and the girl. Apparently from what I understand the girl saw your Slayer briefly die."
"Thank you," said Giles as he disconnected the call. He sighed he had all the available proof he needed to confirm that the Dawn downstairs was very likely the same one currently in Los Angeles, but older. He dialed Doctor Whittaker back. "It's Rupert," he said. "My Slayer is still alive."
"I spoke to the Council," Giles said when he returned downstairs. "I have everything I need to confirm you're not lying. And Buffy is indeed alive and currently in bed sleeping."
"What truly cinched it?" asked Dawn.
"What you said Buffy told you in the future for one. I could actually picture Buffy saying that if she was truly protecting you," said Giles. "But what really cinched it as you said was a contact in L.A. monitoring Buffy." He saw Dawn glare at him. "Standard procedure in case things go south in the field when the Watcher is not with the Slayer. In this case it was a precaution given that your father did have Buffy committed briefly before the divorce."
"And you wanted to make sure he didn't do it again," said Dawn as Giles nodded. "Okay. So, you were saying about what convinced you."
"You did," said Giles. "Or rather the other you did. The surveillance team admitted overhearing the other Dawn sobbing. And overheard Buffy talking to her. They admitted there had been a conversation between the two of them about what happened in the Master's cave. I now have the needed proof that tells me you are telling the truth and that you are indeed from the future."
"So, if all that is true," said Willow. "Then that means in the future that you and Xander die doesn't it? And that I help Dawn to come back to change everything?"
"I believe that is a reasonable assumption," admitted Giles. "To sell the lie, I had to pretend you just burst into my apartment, Dawn, and blurted out that you were a Slayer and knew about Watchers and dispatching vampires. So, the Council is sending a team to evaluate you and to make sure you are, in fact, a Slayer. I believe you, but it is within the realm of reason your strength is by product of something else too."
"I know," said Dawn. "I had the same thought after I was called. There were circumstances that proved it to me though. Circumstances I intend to tell when I give everyone, including Buffy, mom and Mini Me. And before you tell me I can't tell mom. Buffy does reveals she is a Slayer almost a year from now and mom's reaction was not good. Told Buffy to get out and never come back. Of course, mom never meant it, but it hurt Buffy a lot."
Giles sighed and nodded in understanding. Besides Dawn would have to reveal herself to her family anyways since Dawn officially is Buffy's cousin. "Does that explanation come with how you are Buffy's cousin? The Council does background checks on all Slayers, and Buffy's pulled you up."
"It does," said Dawn. "Since you said they do background checks I assume they are doing one on me?"
"They are," said Giles. "For now, go home, get some sleep all of you. The team the Council is sending will be here tomorrow morning – later today, I should say, since it's now past midnight.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn dropped Willow off first. She stayed in the car as Xander walked Willow to her door.
"Can I ask," said Xander when he got back in the car and fastened his seat belt. "You're gay, aren't you, Dawn? I kind of saw the way you were looking at Willow in the Bronze."
"Yes," said Dawn. "I at one time had a crush on Will, but she was seeing someone else. Then I fell in love with another girl, she is the one that died for me."
"I'm sorry," he said as he reached over and patted her arm comfortingly. "Must be hard knowing she doesn't love you, at least not yet, while you love her."
"It is," said Dawn.
"If you ever want to talk about it, I'm all ears."
"I know you are," said Dawn. "I am going to tell you something that you told me. They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie. To be the one who isn't chosen; to live so near the spotlight and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes, 'cause nobody's watching me. I saw you last night, I see you working here today... You're not special. You're extraordinary. At the time we thought I wasn't a Potential. That I was like you, without powers. You know what my response was to that?" He shook his head. "Maybe that was your power. Seeing. Knowing."
Xander smiled. "Maybe it is. Maybe I should get a cape."
Dawn laughed. "Cape is good," she said as she pulled up to the curb in front of his house and put the car in park. When he didn't get out right away, she said, "This is your house, right?"
Xander looked. "Unfortunately," he muttered, just loud enough to hear.
"I know," said Dawn. "I met your parents once. So, I know what their like. So that offer for someone to talk to, goes both ways."
"Thanks," said Xander as he saw her undoing her seatbelt. "You don't have to, Dawn."
"You're my friend, why wouldn't I?" replied Dawn. "Things are going to change; I can promise you that. And I think one of the first things I might start with is your parents."
They got out of the car and made their way up the sidewalk. The door suddenly opened Tony Harris appeared in the doorway. "Get inside, boy! You were supposed to have been home an hour ago. Tell your little slut to go home. She isn't peddling it in my house."
Dawn frowned. "Which room is yours?" she asked. She saw Xander look at her confused. "You will see, which room is yours?" Xander pointed. Dawn waved at Tony Harris and then smiled as she opened a portal. "Your room is through there."
Xander looked back and forth between the portal and Dawn. "How?" he asked.
"Magic," said Dawn. "I'll tell you more about it after I reveal myself to Buffy. When we get together for that big group explanation."
Xander nodded as he turned and looked at the portal. He stepped through it and Dawn let it close behind him.
Dawn walked up to Tony Harris. "You need to get sober or I will report you and your wife to the police for child abuse. Understood?"
Tony Harris who was still staring at the place where the portal had been slowly nodded.
Author's Note: Jodie Whittaker was the latest Doctor on Doctor Who. It's just a little bit of a nudge and wink.
Also when Giles and Dawn were talking about portals and rituals requiring blood. I had debated adding a nudge and wink there as well. It was said in Bargaining that Giles knew how to activate Acathla, which was why he was kidnapped. So I thought about mentioning Acathla there. I also thought about adding a reference to my Dawn of the Caribbean story, Dawn of the Pack as the From Hell contained a portal that was opened by Dawn's blood. In the end I decided not to reference either.