Chapter Text Disclaimer - I don't own Buffy or her friends, or the Winchesters and their respective world. - They belong to their respective owners

A/N: Have completely given up all hope of ever getting these short so if you were expecting something snappy - give up all hope.

Dean hung his jacket on the hook behind the door. He turned round to see his brother standing in front of him - causing him to jump.

"Sam!" he said, as he hit Sam in the arm, "You do that one more time and I swear that I'm gonna put a bell on you."

Sam looked at his brother, "Where were you?"

"Out." said Dean.

"You went looking for them, didn't you?"

"I went out for some air, alright?"

"You did - I don't believe you Dean!"

"Will you keep your voice down?"

"You found them, didn't you?" replied Sam, in a slightly more hushed tone.

"Yes, you happy now? Any beer?"

"Beer? You want a beer?" asked Sam, slightly shocked

"Yes, I would like a beer. Got a problem with that?" said Dean, as he looked at his brother.

"No, but anything else you want to say first?"

"Can I actually get inside the house before we do this?"

"Yeah, of course, sorry man."

"Beer Sam, please?"

Sam opened the refrigerator and pulled out a couple of bottles as his brother sat down by the kitchen counter. He handed a cold one to Dean before pulling up a stool himself.

"So?"

"Thanks for this man," Dean said, before he took a large swig from the bottle while his brother looked on.

"Well?"

"Staying at the motel. You know the guy this morning, Xander?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, eye patch."

Sam said, taken aback, "But this morning?"

"Must have been a glass one."

"Okay, anything else?" Sam asked taking a drink himself.

"Yeah," Dean took another swig.

"You saw the girl?" Sam looked at his brother, waiting for his response.

"Yep, and her sister too."

The lights went on in the kitchen as John stood there, "I told you to leave it Dean."

"Well, I couldn't, anyway they came looking for us remember - not the other way around."

"You think something is off?" asked Sam his brother.

Dean looked from Sam to his father, "We're using fake ids, credit cards and cash for the doctors and we ain't been in this town for more than five minutes in over twenty years, and they turn up now?"

"As you said this is our old home town, she could just be using it as a lead?" said Sam, hopefully.

Dean shook his head, "That girl was at the med centre this morning when you guys were there!"

"But she met Missouri and she didn't sense anything in either of them," said Sam.

"Yeah, and the holy water didn't work on Dad did it?" said Dean, before he looked over at his father, "Sorry sir."

Dean felt uncomfortable; his father seemed to be unsure how to respond.

"Dean, I understand that this needed to be checked up on but I could have or Sammy…"

"No offence," Dean interrupted, "I don't think that would have been a good idea."

"Dean?" asked Sam.

"Sam, you went weak at the knees a couple of days ago when that spirit thing hit, and as for you Dad; this girl comes looking for her old man. Even if the two things aren't connected and she ain't another Meg, I'm thinking, best keep the prime suspect out of the way till were sure of what she wants."

Dean took another drink while John looked at his son and understood what he was saying and it hurt, this was his mess, trap or not and he didn't want to put his boys in this position, Dean was not fit for trouble yet.

John pulled up another stool trying to lighten the tone as quickly as possible, "Well?"

"Anyway as I was saying - met her, blonde, short, kinda hot if she wasn't possibly family and filled with attitude!"

Sam's face brightened up, "Yeah?"

Dean grinned, "Oh, you are going to love her Sam."

Sam got up and went to get a beer for his father, "Really?"

"So, anything else?" asked John.

"Only saw her for a second, but she knows how to put you in your place. Appears to have your stubborn streak Dad."

"Great, what the world needs another pig headed Winchester!" said Sam, as he passed the beer to his father.

Dean continued, "She's older than the other one - 'bout my age if I had to guess; but not by much."

"Older?" Sam looked puzzled, and on seeing the look on his son's face John jumped in.

"Sam, I never cheated on your mother!"

"No-one's saying that Dad," Dean said, trying to keep the peace, "Sam, calm down."

John continued to justify himself, "You know what happened between me and your mother."

Dean put down his beer and looked at his father, "Dad, this is me you're talking to."

"What do you mean?" John felt his heart quicken.

"I'm the one who had to fill in the forms for stuff for school; had to get the info from the old box file."

"How long have you known?"

"Since about sixth grade, it's OK, never bothered me."

"What are you on about?" asked Sam trying to break into the conversation.

Dean shook his head at his younger brother, "You know for all your college smarts you still can't count can you?"

Sam looked from his brother to his Dad, "What?"

"Born July. They got married in February!" explained Dean.

Sam continued to look confused, "They were married a year and a half before you were born."

Dean raised an eyebrow as John avoided his youngest son's gaze, the realisation of what had been said crept across Sam's face.

"You knocked Mom up! This gets better and better."

"It wasn't like that Sam; I'd known your Mom for years. We had gone out a few times but it was nothing serious, when I got out of the service, I bumped into her again. When we found out she was pregnant, it was a few months down the line and we decided to make a go of it. Best decision I ever made. You know I never regretted one moment I spent with her," John said, and looking contrite, he added, "I just never wanted either of you to think any less of her."

"We could never do that Dad," said Dean, as Sam looked on, unsure of what to say to his father's confession. "But, look on the bright side Sam, if it wasn't for me accidentally turning up, you'd never have been."

"Yeah like that helps. So Dad, this girl could have been another one of your little accidents from back in the day?"

John head snapped up, "Samuel please?"

"Now I know where he gets it from," said Sam.

Dean looked at his brother slightly insulted, "Hey dude, I always use protection."

"You keep doing that, so when some kid comes looking for you, you can feel better." stated Sam.

"Are you three going to go bed or you planning to stay up all night gossiping like old women?"

Sam turned to see the little woman in the doorway, "Sorry we woke you."

"Who said you woke me? I was waiting for this one to get back safe and sound," she nodded in Dean's direction as she picked up one of the empty bottles, "Just like the two of you."

"You know you missed your calling!" replied the middle Winchester, as he got off his stool and picked up his bottle and took it over to the recycler.

"And do pray, what was that?" Missouri asked.

"Prison warden," he said, as he gave her one of patent pending Dean Winchester grins.

As the car pulled up to the house, Buffy looked up the steps from the passenger window.

Xander was tired and he was wearing his patch this morning, he had been on the phone most of the night to Giles getting the low-down on what he'd found out about the Winchesters.

The fact that the family were listed as missing by the Lawrence police had not helped, but Giles had confirmed that they were originally from the town and had disappeared a few months after Mary, the boys' mother, had died in a house fire, which had started in Sam's nursery. However, he had found a few disjointed reports of the family, various school records, and reports of John from different towns over the years.

The longest record he could find for any of them was for a Samuel Winchester, son of John and Mary, enrolling at Stanford - however, he had seemed to disappear after the death of his girlfriend, again by fire for which he had been present.

The only other real report he could find after that was from the St. Louis police; a Sam Winchester identified the body of his brother Dean, the suspect in a number of murders, who had been shot and killed. He had also checked that there had definitely been a funeral with a body, so he discounted that.

However, with coincidence of the family's disjointed movements and Sam's presence at both fires, tied in with his possible other abilities - he could not discount that theory that Buffy's newfound family included a possible elemental fire starter as well as a psychic.

Therefore, he had gone to the seers and he was still waiting to hear back.

"So how do you want to handle this? Softly, softly or shock and awe?" asked Dawn.

"If they've been missing for twenty years we'd better come up with a better story than, 'Hi, we were just lucky to find you'," said Xander.

"So, you think that 'our witch friend found you with a spell using my blood' story won't do?" said the slightly distracted slayer.

"They are staying with a reader, they might be OK with the truth?" said Dawn.

"True - but do you want to risk it?" asked Xander, "Buffy?"

"What if they never wanted to be found?" said Buffy to no one but herself.

"We could say that we going through the possibilities, and this guy was on the list. We found out that they were missing, so we went looking for possible relatives of his, by going to the medical centres and town hall to go through records?" said Dawn, trying to come up with a plan.

"Sounds feasible," said Xander.

"So came looking for him in small town Kansas. Didn't expect to find him," said Buffy, finally taking full part in the conversation.

"We just have to keep that up with the psychics."

"I can do that!" said Dawn, "However, is there such a thing as big town Kansas?"

"I'm not really sure," replied Xander, "Anyway Buffy, you know you'll have to rein in the mojo. Don't want to scare the locals do you?"

"What? Sweet and innocent me?" Buffy said, smiling, "Okay, I'll play nice!"

As they walked up to the door, it opened causing Buffy to come face to face with the young man whom she had met the night before.

"Hello again," Dean smiled, "You decided to come and visit."

"Yeah, told I could do with a reading," said Buffy.

"Well don't let her fool you, she's all smiles on the inside - please come in."

The three of them entered the small hallway.

"Hey Dean, did you just get the door?" Sam stopped in his tracks.

Dean had been right she was tiny, Christ she reminded him of the pictures of his mother, and if her mom had looked anything like her, well the woman would have definitely been his Dad's type.

"This is Sam, my brother," said Dean, "Sam, you remember Xander and Dawn from yesterday and this is Dawn's sister, Buffy."

Sam just stood there and smiled at the girl.

"Hi, pleased to met you," she put out her hand.

"Likewise," he said taking it.

"They've come for a reading. Is the psychic wonder out back?" asked Dean.

Sam stood silent for a second before responding to his brother's question, "Yeah, they're finishing clearing up."

"Alright. Is there anything we could get you?" Dean asked the three arrivals.

"No thanks we're fine," replied Xander, as Buffy just looked at the two men in front of her.

Sam stood there starring back at her and after a few seconds, Dean clipped his brother in the stomach, shocking Sam back to reality, "Oh, I'll just go and get her."

"That would be good dude," said Dean.

Sam turned and left to fetch the occupants of the other room.

"Can't get the staff," apologised Dean.

"Tell me about it," said Xander.

"So dude, the eye, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Work related injury," explained Xander.

Buffy felt a pang of guilt, it had been her plan that had put Xander in harm's way, her fault and just pure luck that he had not lost more than that eye.

"Really!" cringed Dean, "What are you in?"

"Construction - carpentry mostly. You?"

"This and that, but not much at the moment," replied Dean, "Wreck kind of took me out of commission for the past couple of months."

"Miss Mosley said that the three of you were recuperating," Dawn chipped in.

"Car was blindsided. We were lucky to walk away so I'm told," answered Dean.

"But you are all alright now?" asked Buffy quietly.

"Dad's just got his cast off, Sam's OK; so we're just staying here for the whole R & R thing - but to tell you the truth it's driving me up the wall."

"So you've not lived here long?" continued Buffy.

"Nah, prefer the open road," replied Dean, "Like to see what's out there."

She could picture him doing that, the way he said it sounded like he was at home living out of a bag.

The little black woman dried her hands on a towel as she walked up to Dawn and gave her a hug, before doing the same to Xander.

"You two gave me quite a fright yesterday!"

"We're sorry about that; Xander was just doing his overprotective thing. Doesn't like seeing me upset," explained Dawn.

Xander looked at Buffy. The expression on his face seemed to ask, "Why am I the bad guy in all this?" to which she simply shrugged her shoulders.

"That's alright honey," said Missouri, she turned to Buffy, "So this is the sister you were worried about," she took Buffy by the hand and tilted her head.

Xander and Dawn held their breath. The same question went through both their minds, "How good was this woman?"

But, she didn't seem to react apart from a simple nod to Dean, who seemed to relax at her sign.

"I'm sorry for your woes, you must mind that your mother never wanted to harm you."

Buffy, took her little sister's hand, "I know. We both do."

John Winchester's leg hurt like hell as he hobbled down the corridor with his cane, he'd been standing up too long and he knew it. He'd been told to take it easy, but that was something he didn't have time for, his boys were vulnerable and he would not stand for that. He had too much to make up to them.

Now this girl was another thing he didn't have time for, he did not want to be sidetracked; he did not have the time to worry about anyone else.

Sam had come bounding into the kitchen, which had been exaggerated by his lanky limbs, announcing, "They're back!"

He had gotten to the doorway in time to see the two girls take each other's hands. They had looked so small.

"But it isn't really me who you are here to see, is it?" said Missouri, before turning round to see John in the doorway and for the first time John Winchester came face to face with Buffy Summers.

At this point Xander Harris thought he was going to pass out as he watched his friend, his general react to the mortal man who was standing in front of her.

"Hello, I'm Buffy."

"My name's John and you've met my sons, Dean and Sam."

"Yes," she replied. She gave a little nod towards Dean without taking her eyes off John, "Nice little recon mission you sent him out on last night."

Dean scratched his head, "Well Missouri said you know… I thought."

Sam looked at his brother and back to the woman in front of him. The attitude was there, she could be John Winchester's child from that alone.

Missouri turned to Sam and Dean, "Well those dishes won't clean themselves."

Dean opened his mouth for a second, but took one look at the little woman and thought better of it, and announced, "I'm washing Sam," before heading out to the kitchen.

She gestured over to Xander "I think some people need to talk. Would you like some coffee?"

He looked over at the girls for a second, before turning back to the woman in front of him, "That would be nice."

Dawn watched as Xander left them and taking a deep breath turned back to face the stranger in front of her. He looked world weary but resolute all at the same time.

"She does her readings over here," he pointed to the room Dawn had been to the day before.

"Thanks," Buffy said taking the lead.

It was a small room, comfortable with lots of little knick - knacks, just as you would expect to see in the home of a favourite aunt. Buffy also noted the salt lines that Xander had seen - possible precaution, those with abilities had been known to attract spirits as well as other things.

John sat down in one of the armchairs and tried to get his leg in a comfortable position, it was still nagging at him.

The two young women sat down on the sofa in front of him. Missouri had passed them; there had been no acting up as if they were possessed; so this was real.

He was no good with words at the best of times, his boys could attest to that, so he had no idea of how to start this conversation. He took a breath before starting, "Missouri said that you were looking for me."

"Yes," said the blonde, "Not that I'm happy about Dawn going to a psychic."

That much was true; she had enough of predictions, prophecies and destinies to be fulfilled already in her life.

"We didn't expect to find you, to tell you the truth," Dawn said, "So I didn't know if going to a psychic was a good idea or not."

"Good Dawn - stick to the prepared half truth," Buffy thought.

"Yeah, well we didn't have much to go on at first - a name, discharged from the marines and going home to Kansas."

Buffy looked like a little girl lost when she said those words.

"Didn't you mother say anything else?" he asked, slightly confused.

"She passed a few years back," said Dawn.

A slight chill went down his spine; they had lost their mother, just like his sons.

"We … I found out about … I was going through some of her old things."

He realised how much it hurt the younger one to say this.

"According to some old pages we found, Mom had a fight with Dad. She was upset - she met some guy in a bar," said the older girl. She seemed surer of herself now, taking over from her distressed sister, and she sounded disapproving all the way. Boy, did it make him feel cheap.

"So you went looking for him?" asked John.

Buffy answered, "Yes, as I said we didn't have much to go on. But our friend Will, God bless, can't leave well enough alone!"

"Process of elimination, John's, ex - marines, Kansas with similar blood types." added Dawn.

"And you got me?"

Buffy nodded, "Yes, well when we found that you were technically a missing person, we thought we you may still have family round here. But we didn't have much luck at the town hall or the med centres - though Dawn bumped into your son."

"Sam," said John, "As for the police thing really should do something about that, didn't realise that we were technically missing," he said lying through his teeth, "had it been any other time we wouldn't have been here, we're just staying here till Dean's a little stronger."

"He said about the car accident," said Buffy.

"The wreck took a lot out of him," explained John, but the image of his child being held against that wall came flashing into his mind. He couldn't help picturing his son's face while that thing, no, while he, tightened his grip around Dean's heart.

He took a deep breath, and though his heart was in his throat at this point, he knew had to ask this, "May I ask how you lost your mother?"

Buffy looked at him for a second, "Brain tumour - a few years back."

He was relieved, no repeat of what had happened to Mary.

"And what about your Dad?" he asked tentatively, curious to see if the guy still in the picture or had he simply abandoned her to do this search alone.

"Dad's not really about. Think he's in Spain right now," answered Buffy.

"Europe, that's far," said John.

"Well we've been over there for the past few years ourselves, Italy & France mostly," Dawn added.

"That must have been nice."

"Yeah, well we lived in Rome while Dawn finished school then we did the whole travelling thing for a couple of years, but she's off to college soon."

Dawn smiled, sure the whole travelling thing- including the tracking down of demons, vampires and other assorted nastiness along the way.

"And what do you do?" John asked as he scratched his nose.

"Counselling work all over, troubled teens in crisis situations mostly."

John sat forward elbows on his knees, "So may I ask what you expect from me?"

Buffy looked at him, "I don't want anything - don't expect anything. I don't need a kidney or expect back allowance or anything like that… I just want to know where I came from. So I was hoping that you'd be willing to take a test just so we know."

She had matched him tone for tone.

He was impressed; but he was still in one of those spots he didn't want to be in. Like the first time Dean had demanded to know the truth about what exactly had happened to his mother. Or, the time, he'd had to field questions from a 12-year old Sammy, about what exactly the boy had caught his older brother doing with that girl in the back seat of that car.

However, he couldn't just say sorry and I don't think it's a good idea, he'd been out voted the night before three against one - and he hadn't expected the revolt to be lead by Dean.

In the kitchen then previous night:

As Dean put the bottle in the recycler, the older woman looked at him as she picked up Sam's empty bottle.

"So you gonna fill an old woman in or let me wonder?" she asked as she walked over to the bin.

"I thought you wanted us to go bed?" asked Dean.

Missouri looked at him, "Well you're up now and everyone else was told."

"Re-cap – okay. Short, blonde, seems bossy, pretty, and oh yeah, Sammy's just learned that we're the products of a shotgun wedding." Dean smiled.

"Dean" said John.

"Well it's true isn't it?" Sam asked his father.

Dean continued on, "Told them that they were welcome anytime."

The older woman thoughtfully nodded, "Good."

John looked at his old friend, "Good, this isn't good."

Missouri turned to him, "If this isn't on the up and up and they come, I'll know and then it will be on our terms, not theirs."

"And what if it isn't a trap?" asked Sam, "What if this is just a girl come looking for her family?"

"Then we get rid of her, as quick as we can," stated his father.

"We'll do no such thing!" said the elder of his sons.

"Dean, in the long run it will be better for her," replied John, trying to explain.

Dean shook his head, "No it isn't and you know it,"

John looked Dean, "She'll be in danger if they find her."

"Yes I know, but she's come looking for us. So it is best for her and us to be sure of who she is and for her to know what's at stake."

"He's right, John," Missouri interjected.

"No - if it isn't confirmed then they won't know to go after her!"

"That's bull Dad," added Sam, "Send her away without knowing, and she'll still be a target if they go after our friends again. If we find out she isn't family, then she is safe. Demon won't have any reason to go after her."

"And if she is your sister - you want her dragged into this?" asked John looking at Sam.

"Dad, look it's as Sam said she's here, and if we do nothing, she could get caught in the crossfire. So, you take a test and she isn't family then she's out of the equation - we cut her loose. But if there is any possibility that she is my sister; then I am not having her walk around with a fucking target on her back and her not knowing why," said Dean in an agitated tone.

"What if I don't want to take the test?" asked John.

"Well then don't. She wants DNA then mine or Sam's will do. Should be able to show if we're family," answered the riled Dean.

Sam watched this clash between his brother and his father; he'd never seen Dean go up against their father like this - before the wreck, he would have been pleased to watch his brother finally do this, proud even, but right now, he wasn't so sure.

"Boys, it's late and we're all tired, we should continue this in the morning," Missouri said, "Sam, your brother's been through a lot today, maybe you should make sure that he gets to bed."

Dean stared at his father, "I can get there myself!"

She took Dean by the arm, "Dean, honey, humour me, please?"

As they walked out of the room, a solemn Sam looked over his shoulder to see her sit down by his father.

"That could have waited," she said.

John took a drink from the bottle in his hand, "Didn't expect that."

"Boy's hurting badly."

"I know. I just don't know how to fix it."

"No you don't do you?" Missouri said as she looked him in the eye, "You haven't been good at the emotional stuff for years, John."

"Haven't had the time."

"No, and they've grown up without it."

"What do you want me to say? That they deserve better?"

"You'll get no argument from me there, John Winchester."

"What do you want me to say?"

She sat there silently waiting for him to continue.

"What, that before it tried to use me to rip his heart out it screwed with his head."

"I know that, but you have got to say something to that boy. He thinks that he's failed you."

John looked at her for a second, "He knows I don't think that."

"Does he?"

"Look, you think I'm happy about the fact that the one time I told him how I felt is when I was possessed?" he said.

"What?"

"Before, when it tried to get the colt, it told him I was proud of him, proud of the way he looked out for us."

"So that's true?"

"Yeah, well that's how he knew something was wrong - 'cause I didn't chew him out for using a bullet to save his brother. He knew I was wrong 'cause I told him I was proud of him!"

Missouri shook her head, "And let me guess, you haven't said one word to him about this since."

He looked at her.

"Jesus John, you are gonna break one day - or break him."

"He needs to look out for Sam. He shouldn't be thinking about playing big brother to this girl…"

"He's doing what he's always done burying his pain in something - like his father."

"What do you mean?" he asked slightly confused.

"Just because his obsession isn't hunting down everything in is sight, don't mean he hasn't got one - it's you and Sam, his family, that is all he'll let himself have. He has to protect you whatever the cost, that's who he is, you taught him that!"

He looked at her, she was right- when he'd put little Sammy in his brother's arms all those years ago. He'd given him that job, to protect his family - and hadn't he taken to it. Hunting by John's side, backing his plays without question, Christ, he remembered catching him at 10-years-old with a needle and thread in his hands, trying to patch clothes for Sam to wear in his kindergarten's Christmas pageant. Why should this girl get any less attention than he gave the rest of his family?

"So what do I do?" he asked.

"Listen to them, both of them; and take it one step at a time and if this child does come a calling, talk to her. If her story holds true take the damn test, 'cause your boys are right, not knowing could cause us all more problems in the long run."

The kitchen the next day:

"So Xander how long have you known the girls?" asked Missouri, as she poured two cups of coffee while the Winchesters finished the dishes.

"Since High School. Known Buffy for …. God has it been over a decade?"

"Really?" said Sam, as he finished drying a cup.

"Fell off my skateboard first time I saw her!" Xander smiled, as he remembered how he'd ended up at the bottom of the steps of Sunnydale High that day, "And Dawn, well she was part of the package, especially since Joyce died."

Missouri felt the pain in the young man's heart as he mentioned the woman, "I'm sorry."

"Well me and Will, another friend, we practically lived at Buffy's when we weren't at school. Saw more of Joyce than my own mom."

Sam sighed and felt a little pang of jealousy and he knew Dean would be probably feeling the same thing. He wondered if their Mom would have adopted their friends in the same way, if she'd only been given the chance.

Dean pulled the plug and dried his hands as the water drained.

"So, you and Buffy? Or you and Dawn?"

"No, it's not like that," Xander said, shaking his head, "I'm just here as the moral support."

"Okay," Dean said as he shrugged, "Anyway what type of a name is Buffy?"

"No idea man, it's a secret that Joyce took to her grave. I'm completely stumped."

"You been a reader long?" Xander said to Missouri, hoping to change the subject.

"All my days," answered the little woman.

"Interesting work?"

Missouri replied, "Yes it is."

"She gets to meet a lot of people and meddle!" added Dean, as he poured himself and Sam coffee while Missouri glowered at him.

"What the boy means is that I enjoy helping people."

She turned back to Xander, "Like you, you've lost people close to you - lots of them?"

Xander shifted in his chair as he stared at the bottom of his coffee cup.

Sam saw the other man's discomfort, "Missouri I don't think that this is a good subject."

"It's alright," (hold in your thoughts Harris), "We're originally from Sunnydale, California."

He said it in a way that seemed to suggest that it would answer all of their questions.

Dean pulled up a chair, "Yeah?" He'd heard that name before.

"Earthquake caused the town to fall into a sinkhole a few years back, most people got out, but some didn't. Since then the girls have been doing the whole Europe thing."

"And you?" asked Sam.

He took a second, and knowing what the reaction was probably going to be, he told them the truth.

"Cleveland."

Sam spat out his coffee, "Sorry"

Xander did not even bat an eye at Sam's response, "Yeah I know it isn't as glamorous as Europe, but my job's there."

"As for the Europe thing?" said Dean, as he looked at his brother with disgust.

"They did Rome for a couple of years, then France, Germany, Switzerland, but Dawn's finally off to school in the fall so I'm not sure where Buffy's going to end up."

"Which school?" Sam asked, with great interest.

"Oxford."

"Really?" said Sam.

Dean saw Sam's face light up; this girl had not only gotten her baby sister through her mother's death, gotten her into one of the world's top schools, but also taken her to see the world - if only he could have done that for Sam.

"So all of this all came as a bit of a shock then?" said Missouri

"Dawn was finishing up a painting she was doing for a friend's wedding present, when she found some of Joyce's old diary entries."

"Christ, that is a real bad way to find out," responded Dean.

"Yeah a real shitter," said Xander, wondering how they were getting on in the next room.

"Look I can really see where you are coming from, but I'm not sure?" John said, shifting uncomfortably, maybe he could get them to leave of their own accord, and then he wouldn't have to deal with the fallout.

"As I said, I don't expect anything, except maybe get to know you a bit. I'm not looking for a father figure, kind of got one. I'm just trying to get a handle on all of this. But if you aren't comfortable with this as I said, I can go."

This was not someone asking, she was telling him she wasn't going to go, unless he kicked her out. She was as pig headed as his boys.

"We're not exactly the Brady bunch as my son Sam would say."

"Who is?" asked the younger girl.

"Look, I don't know and I'm not sure what's involved."

"Oh it's quite easy all you need is a mouth swab and they take DNA from that. Most doctors' offices can do it."

Both Buffy and John looked at Dawn.

"What?" said Dawn, "I looked it up."

To all those from Kansas I'm sure it is a lovely place, I am really sorry if I have insulted anyone. I am no good at geography I'm sure there is a lot of big towns there it is just I've never been, so I really don't have any idea.

The same sentiment goes to the people of Cleveland.