Chapter 3 - Blood Back Guarantee

August 6th, 2001 – 0425 Hours (4:25 A.M.)

PRESENT - 2 MONTHS, 4 DAY AFTER BUFFY'S DEATH

Sunnydale, California – 1630 Revello Drive

Be Brave

Dawn gasp, shooting up from her pillows. Her breaths shallow and frantic as she fought for air, catching her breath after the nightmare that continued to plague her dreams.

It was the same, it was always the same.

Every single detail of that horrid night re-lived in perfect detail. Of all the things she could dream about, why this? Massaging her temples with a hand she pulled the covers up to cover her bare chest with the other. An unconscious reaction, unnecessary in the sanctuary of her bedroom, but logic had no place in the fuzzy thoughts of a fresh day yet to see the sun.

Why did everything in her life turn to ash?

Buffy was dead, sacrificed to save a world that had never, and would never appreciate all she had suffered on its behalf.

Her mom was gone, another casualty of the unfair cruelty known as life if Giles was to be believed. She still wasn't certain that implanted memories and a brain tumor were wholly unrelated. She'd likely never know.

Spike …

The world seemed a lesser place without his brash personality. Somehow she knew he wouldn't have it any other way. She knew a part of him had died that night. Something had died in all of them the instant Buffy's heart had stopped. The vampire … the man had taught her so much, given her so much in so short a time before finally finding his end after a century unliving the illusion of immortality. He'd given until he'd finally gave all that was left.

All because of her, because she'd decided she was a Slayer.

She scoffed at herself, throwing her head back into it's pillowy home. Her eyes clamping back closed, praying silently to any god that would listen to take it all back. There was one person that connected all the dots. The person she hated, the one she saw every morning when weary blue eyes looked back from the reflection in the mirror.

Was this what she was? The Key? The Slayer? Dark power destined to destroy everything it touched? Someone worthy of only the pain she brought to others as they slipped away? Watched as they rejected her one by one and fled or died?

The Scoobies more resembled an Alcoholics Anonymous group now, rather than the cohesive unit they'd once been. Weakly glued together by the ghosts of friendships and the knowledge that no one else could really understand what they'd been through. No one except those who'd been there. The charismatic center they'd all formed around now buried in the nicest coffin they'd been able to afford.

That was it, all the years of sacrifice, blood, and battle and her sister's only reward had been a coffin just slightly above what the State of California deemed an acceptable bare minimum by law.

It just wasn't fair.

Everything her sister had given up and the world was still slated for another doomsday looming on the horizon that she was clueless on how to stop. As if her sisters life had only been a stop gap measure against the wheels of darkness, ceaselessly intent on grinding the world into nothing but the hell they came from.

She let her eyes slowly open, embracing the sting of tears begging to be set free. Afraid sleep would only bring the nightmares back once more. The glassy green eyes staring into nowhere framed in the battered face that never ceased to haunt her dreams.

It was always the same.

But did it have to be?

12 DAYS LATER

Sunnydale, California – 1630 Revello Drive

Willow studied Dawn's clammy face, keeping a keen eye on the now dazed blue eyes. "Um … I think we better call it a day. You're not looking so good."

Dawn nodded, wiping some of the cold sweat off her face with a sleeve "Not feeling so good either. How much did tou fake … take?"

Willow's eyes darted to the floor for an instant before her face slipped into a half hearted smile. "Enough for today. Sorry Dawnie, but we need to get ready as quickly as we can. There's only a few more days left before the window opens. If we miss it, we'd have to wait until conditions are right again. And that's months away.

"Oh." Dawn leaned up from her chair as the room began to spin.

Willow quickly pressed the delirious young slayer back into the chair. "Oh no-no-no. Back in the chair."

Dawn was too tired to refuse her 'doctors' orders. Letting the redhead overpower her back into the same position where she'd been sitting for the last hour.

"Drink."

Dawn scowled at the mug coming her way. Her nose wrinkling in protest about what was about to happen. She grimaced as the pungent fluid touched her lips. The horrid taste now all too familiar as she forcing it down her throat before gag reflexes could have their say. "What the hell is in this stuff anyway?"

"You don't wanna know."

Dawn raised an eyebrow only for her eyes to slam shut an instant later, her face contorting into a grimace. Quickly clamping a hand over her mouth she forcibly swallowed back down some of the fluid her stomach had just attempted to expel.

A few moments of willing herself not to wretch and her composure had returned. "I don't wanna know? Or I really don't wanna know?"

Willow grinned "Amy got it for me. There's a couple ways to brew it depending on what materials you have, but some of the recipes … better not to know. I'd make it myself but …"

"I know, tight time table, yada yada."

"Right"

"I hate all this sneaking around."

Willow shrugged "Well, Anya's got a big mouth, hence, Amy. We have to wait till the last minute to tell them."

"I'm not a kid, I get it, okay." Dawn growled "So … you and Amy?"

… … … "You're not patrolling tonight right?"

"No."

"Good, the potion takes a while to restore your blood. Meanwhile, drink as many fluids today as you can."

"We've been over this before Willow."

"Mighta taken a tinsy bit more blood today than last time."

"How much is a tinsey? A little tinsey? Or a big tinsey?"

Willow flinched "A little … big … ish tinsey. One more time and we should have enough. Now drink."

Dawn was surprised to hear a growl, only seconds later as she took in Willow's startled face did she realize it had come from her own throat. Both caught off guard by the less than subtle warning from the slayer within and it's displeasure of being used as a blood bank. Her own feelings weren't far off as another luke warm mug of the gritty goop headed towards her mouth.

"This better work" Dawn warned as she began fighting another battle with her stomach.

"It'll work Dawnie. One-hundred percent Willow guaranteed or your money … err … blood back."