Chapter 2

Sisterly Advice Only a Slayer Could Give

"Buffy, you won't believe this I met the cutest guy today!" Dawn was nearly shouting over the phone to her sister as she dissolved into girlish teenage squeals that evidently didn't go away upon completion of High School. "We were in Chem and the teacher was a total dick, but that's totally unimportant, except Connor made it all better. But wait till I tell you how total fatetastic it was! Here I was, gettin ready to leave, and I go and drop a book on his foot!" Dawn heard nothing but silence on the other end.

"A book Buffy? You know, how you dropped that book on Riley's head the first day you met, then started dating and fell in love? I know he and I are so gonna be just like that, of course minus the vamp sucking and leaving without saying goodbye, then coming back married and stuff."

"So Dawn, I can't wait to hear all about him, really."

"I know, I'm smitten! But I can't help it, he's just so yummy."

"Wait," Buffy's voice was in slayer tone and Dawn was none too happy about it. "Did you meet him during the day, outside, in direct sunlight?"

"Yes Slayer, he isn't a vampire. Ya know, just because you dated two vampires, and I accidentally went out with one just that once, does not mean that all Summers women are vampire magnets."

"Hey don't forget Dracula who seduced Mom into inviting him into our house for coffee."

"You mean that same Drac you had a bite-night of Reily cheatin with?"

"Must I point out you are in no way helping your case. And please could we stop with the Riley dredging? Anyway, so you wanna tell me about this Gyllenhaal? Ya know, anything you may have left out, like his shoe size for instance." The crackling phone line mingled with Buffy's voice, a sad reminder of how far away she was.

"Well, he's cute, but I already said that, he's also very sweet, and gentlemanly. He even walked me to my door-"

"What! He knows where you live?"

"OK, crazy person, when are you gonna start acting like a sister, and not this insaneofreak? He lives in my dorm, Buffy, plus, he would have found out sooner or later seein as he's picking me up tonight and we are going out for coffee."

"You're going out on a date with him, already?"

"Buffyyyy, enough with the crazy!"

"Sorry, Dawn. It's just that with all the demon fighting and Apocalypse averting we've been doing the last few years, you never really got a chance to date, and I just don't want you rushing into such unknown territory, without the proper weapons."

"You better be talking about metaphorical weapons, cause I already told you he wasn't a vamp and he is way too cute to be a demon. Besides, I carry Mr. Pointy Jr. with me at all times, just like you made me promise. Hey, did I tell you I painted him pink? He'll still work right? I just decided since I had to have him with me all the time he might as well be fashionable. But now I'm thinking pink is so yesterday and am considering black, you know cuz black goes with everything."

"Coffee is so the last thing you need right now. And yes, I was speaking metaphorically." Dawn heard Buffy hesitate and draw in a deep breath before continuing, "You and I never really sat down and talked about sex."

"Oh my God, this isn't happening…first of all Mom and I had that talk."

"Dawn, I didn't mean the physical part, obviously-"

"Secondly," Dawn continued as if Buffy hadn't interrupted, "if you seriously think after watching you and Spike go all postal, with that anguishy sex stuff, not to mention the car-wreck that was the Angel one-nighter; that I didn't take away some knowledge of the issues that arise when sex enters into the relationship, well then I think you need a refresher course in Dawn. I may still be a virgin Buffy, but I'm not naïve."

"Dawn…you know I can't…" Buffy's voice had become barely a whisper and Dawn heard the beginning of tears form.

"Oh God Buffy, I'm sorry. I know how much you hate to think about them let alone hear their names, I didn't mean anything by it, don't cry, please. I promise my lips are sealed, no more talk of them which even includes singing, ya know you can never be too careful."

"No Dawn, it's not your fault, I'm just freaking. It's not even really about them, it's about me thinking how I hurt them, leaving Spike to die alone to save the world, and sending Angel away. Then when Spike un-dies and they both come here to see me, I hide from them with their arch enemy, just so that I wouldn't have to deal."

"Buffy, you really have to stop doing this to yourself, ya know, you're not to blame for everything…sure three of the people you love at one time or another tried to end the world, but that's more coincidence then anything else, and you stopped it so props for you. Sure Sunnydale no longer exists, but that's good right? Cause no more Hellmouth."

"I really hope there's a point to this soon…"

"You see, all this bad stuff that seems to gravitate to you, comes out ok in the end. But you can't see that. So I worry about you bein' so far away, all by yourself, no one to talk to, go out with…"

"If this is a pep talk, you better not need to pass any positive speaking classes in school in order to graduate. But you're right. I'm the last person who should be giving relationship advice."

"That's not what I was tryin to say."

"It doesn't make it any less true. I realize I need to stop treating you like a kid. It's just so hard. You're my baby sister. But you have seen more than anyone your age should have to see in a few lifetimes. The strange thing is, that I feel confident that you can handle yourself when it comes to the things that go bump in the night. - no pun intended -." When Dawn started laughing, she heard Buffy sigh before continuing what would probably be one of her drawn out speeches she had perfected while battling The First.

"Those are the things I trained you for. It's the real life stuff, outside of the demon realm that I worry about. As I see you already noticed, I wasn't particularly good in that aspect of my life. I just wanna save you all the pain I went through."

"But Buffy, you know you can't. It's my turn to live in this world…and I'm going to do it, no matter how hard it may be at times, just like you taught me." The words Buffy had said to her just before she jumped to her death to not only save the world, but to save Dawn, raced across her thoughts. 'The hardest thing to do in this world is to live in it.'

"You promised to show me the world remember? The good and the bad, you know, before The First took up residence in Sunnydale and tried to destroy the world all over again and everyone had to get all serious and stuff. You had finally stopped shielding me from the horrors of the world, but we were too busy dealing with it for you to show me the beauty." Dawn fell silent for a beat.

"I just want that life above ground in the light where there's Double Chippy Mocha Fraps, puppies, and boys. I just want to be out of that darkness you were always trying to find a way out of…and still are. I do still really need you Buffy, well sane Buffy, even though we're not dealing with monsters anymore."

They were both sniffling at this point, and decided to get off the phone before one broke down completely, which would inevitably cause the other to do the same. So Dawn and Buffy said their good-byes with promises to talk soon, and hung up the phone. Dawn jumped up off the bed and immediately started grabbing things from her closet and throwing them on her bed to try on, in an attempt to find the perfect outfit. She still couldn't figure out what this strong pull towards Connor was. It was as if he reminded her of someone else. His adorable stammering speech reminded her of Xander, and since she had once had a crush on him, perhaps that's what it was.

After two hours of frustrated searching that resonated in the now buried bed and floor of her room, she finally found what she was looking for. Tonight was going to be special. She just knew it.