A/N This is getting a little darker than I originally planned so thought I'd better re rate this just to be safe.
Again please let me know what you think.
The doorbell rang as Dawn left the kitchen and she went for her wallet.
"I'll get it!" she yelled to others.
She opened the door to find the delivery guy, and took the boxes out of his hands, "So what's the damage? Oh wait I've only got a ten, don't suppose you'd take Pounds or Euros would you?"
The man in front of her stared blankly at her.
"Didn't think so. I'll get some more, just wait a second."
She left him at the doorway and had only gotten a couple steps back inside before Sam walked into the hall.
"I thought I'd get us all pizza but I don't have enough cash on me; you got any Sam?"
He didn't move, he just stared at the figure in the door and in a calm tone said, "Dawn can you come here for a second?"
"What?"
She looked at the expression on his face, she'd seen it that look too many times, from her sister, from Willow, from Giles; all the times she'd put herself in the way of something that came calling. She slowly turned round to see the black soulless eyes of the pizza delivery guy.
She tried to close the door and even got as far as the reading room before she felt the full force of the blow that sent her flying towards the back wall. She saw Sam across the room from her, like her pinned, unable to move even though he seemed to struggling for all his worth.
He, or more precisely it, stepped through the front door before shutting it behind him. She could hear its footsteps in the hallway; it stopped for a second at the entrance to the room, as it seemed to take in its handy work. Sam grunted as he pulled, trying to break free; Dawn tried as hard as she could to move, though she knew it was futile. It bypassed her and walked straight up to Sam.
"Hello Sammy," it picked him up and threw him across the room sending Sam flying into the dresser.
"Sam!" yelled Dawn.
Dean came rushing in closely followed John and Missouri.
The possessed deliveryman grinned sickeningly, "Nice to see the whole family up and about."
Dawn saw John pull a gun from his belt but he was unable to follow through before all three of them were sent flying themselves.
All of them were unable to move, pinned to the walls, like some odd eclectic arrangement of badly hung pictures. The man in Sam's vision stepped back and gave way to the woman, a crone, who had followed him into the house.
She stood there eyes as black as coal, preparing to hold court.
"Hello John, you know we've been looking for you, and this as well," she said, as she picked up the colt that had been knocked out of his hand, handing it to her companion who was standing behind her, beside the door.
"You black eyed possessed bitch!" John growled.
"You can do better than that," the crone replied.
"You've got it, whoopee for you, so go. Leave us alone you freak," said Dean, trying to pull himself free.
She turned to face him, "Oh you're still chatty, always the talkative one, leave you alone you say. What would Daddy think of you if I did that? Anyway wouldn't that be anticlimactic?"
Dean started to howl in pain.
Sam screamed, "Dean!"
John pulled at his limbs unable to move them, shouting, "Leave him alone."
"Leave him alone, did he leave my offspring alone? Did he leave my spawn alone?"
"You're not him," said Sam.
"No," replied the crone, "But, as a father could not standby and let the killers of his children walk, neither could a mother, and my master has generously given me the opportunity to play with your little Dean."
"You're Meg's mother?" Dean spat out. He coughed, trying desperately to hold things together as wave after wave of pain tore up his insides, "Boy, did you hit every branch of the ugly tree on the way down."
The crone stood directly in front of him as Dean felt his chest tightening again, ripping at his heart, causing him to scream out.
"You know where she is now, where you and your brother sent her to with your little exorcism. I hear her Dean, I hear her cry out for my master, and for her brother, the one you killed, from the bowels of the pit."
She walked over to him and stroked his face, causing him to recoil, "You'll hear her, you'll see her, and you'll be her toy; you and your father; while she crawls out of the prison you sent her to."
"Don't you touch him," yelled John.
"Or what?" she laughed, as she took a step over to John.
Dean coughed again, before starting to black out. Dawn watched, silently, "It's going to kill him," she thought. She began to search her mind for anything and began to mutter under her breath.
Sam and Missouri saw the girl begin to move her lips.
"It was coming true!" Sam thought, "It's all coming true!" and it would not be long before Dawn would have the life literally choked out of her.
Dean suddenly took a sharp intake of breath, the pain had slacked, the tearing had stopped; he panted, steeling himself for the next wave to hit. The possessed old woman took a step forward towards her victims, but couldn't move any closer; she was surprised but barely seemed to acknowledge it. Her companion who had been watching, straighten slightly, seemingly waiting for something. The old woman looked round the room for a second, deciding on what new approach to take.
"So you've got some new members of the family, Johnny?" she started to smile, "You have been a naughty boy."
"Don't know what you're talking about," said John, looking at her but also watching his injured son out of the corner of his eye.
"You don't think you can get a daughter without us hearing about it, do you?" The old crone gave out a little laugh, "It seems poetic justice, your family takes a son and daughter from my master so we take the same from you - what do you say? Seems like a fair trade?"
Sam swallowed hard as he glanced over at his injured brother; Dean was barely holding his head up and Dawn seemed to be continuing to utter her quiet pray.
"Why don't you just go, you've got the colt?" shouted Sam, "Is it me you want? Why don't you just take me then?"
"Sammy. No!" shouted John.
The crone turned from John to focus her attention to Sam, "No, not now, you know this Sammy."
She then turned to Dawn.
"Leave the child alone, she's just here for a reading," said Missouri trying desperately to get it attention from the girl, "How did you get into my house?"
"Your little bobbles? You're playing out of your league little seer," she cocked her head to the side, "Isn't that sweet, she's praying."
Sam and John struggled finding that they were more able to move, as the old crone faced Dawn. Dawn looked the old crone in the eye, she spoke clear and her voice did not waver as she faced a demonic force that stood in front of her.
It wasn't English, Latin or even Greek she spoke, Sam couldn't quiet identify where the words that Dawn was uttering originated, but whatever she was saying, it had taken the wind out of this demon's sails.
The crone took a second to regroup, "So the new little Winchester has a little talent? But that only protects them not you," the crone narrowed its eyes and peered at Dawn, "And you know that don't you?"
Suddenly the crone threw out its arms, hands grasping at Dawn's throat, but still Dawn spoke as she struggled, unable to use her own hands to defend herself. The words were becoming harder to get out.
Dean could feel the pain rising again from inside him; he screamed and passed out.
Sam, John and Missouri cried out to him as they watched helplessly, as Sam's vision unfolded before them.
"Let her go."
The crone turned her head, hands still round Dawn's throat, to see the small blonde in the doorway to the reading room.
"I said let her go - now!" she said in a calm, commanding tone
Sam saw Buffy standing there, unflinchingly and steadfast. She took a few steps forward entering the room, gaze firmly fixed on the crone and Dawn.
The crone flicked her head towards the possessed deliveryman who stepped forward to take hold of this interloper. John started to struggle again hard although any leeway that he and Sam had before was gone. He did not expect to see what happened next, hell none of them expected to see what happened next, well not the fully conscious ones at least.
She didn't look behind her, did not seem to acknowledge to the large man who was presently striding towards her. He flew through the air with ease, taking out the window and part of the back wall of the reading room on the way out of the house, and not for one second had Buffy taken her eyes off the crone.
It looked at her; the whole room looked at her.
"It was not a request," Buffy said firmly, in the same calm, but what appeared more threatening, tone, "Let her go."
The crone looked from Buffy to Dawn who was now losing the struggle to breathe. It dropped her, shocking Dawn back to life.
"This isn't any of your business."
Buffy took a step forward, "I don't know what your beef is. BUT I DON'T CARE!"
Dawn spluttered, causing the old woman to look down, Dawn continued to cough as she raised her hand and gave thumbs up sign to her sister.
The old crone looked back up to see a wry smile begin to form on Buffy's face.
She took a second, but then the old crone took of running, closely followed by Buffy.
This exit caused the previously immobile occupants of the room to be released from their previous positions.
"Dean" Sam rushed to his brother's side, closely followed by John, who picked up the body of his unconscious son, "He's still breathing," Sam said relieved.
Xander burst into the room, "Dawn?"
He rushed over to the girl who was being cradled by Missouri.
"I'm alright," Dawn gasped, "But Dean."
Xander looked over at the group at the other side of the room, and then to the hole in the wall, "I see your sister's been here."
"It took off, she went after it," Dawn swallowed, her throat burned.
Xander gave her a little smile, "They always run," he stood up and turned to Sam and John, "Look after her," before he took off after the previous two.
John looked at Sam who stood up and ran to the kitchen, when he returned seconds later, carrying the shotgun that had been hidden under the sink.
"NO DON'T," Dawn rasped, as Sam ran passed her to go after Xander.
"Please they can handle it," she cried to John as the little black woman gently rocked her.
Sam was out of breath before reaching the man who had bolted from the house minutes before him. Xander was breathing heavy, but seemed to be standing watching something.
As Sam ran up to Xander, he saw what the other man was observing - she was taking them on, both of them, and she was holding her own, hell strike that, she was doing a lot better than that! She was just sidestepping the blows and the swings that they were trying to land on her.
Sam raised the shotgun, ready to fire; at what he didn't really know. A hand forcefully came down on the barrel pushing it towards the ground.
"Don't be stupid. Put that away," Xander said.
"What?" asked the shocked Sam.
"You could hit her. Anyway she doesn't need it."
Buffy kicked the deliveryman in the stomach sending him flying into a tree, as she turned her attention towards the old crone.
"Ahhh. That's gonna sting!" said Xander.
Sam just stood watching dumbfounded.
"She's had a tough week." Xander said, to which Sam just nodded.
The old woman fell to her knees as she started to expel black smoke from her mouth. Buffy turned and proceeded to start pummelling the other one who had barely gotten back to his feet. He in turn started to expel smoke.
"Faster than an exorcism. OK that does it, Sam call 911." Xander said, as he started to make a move towards Buffy who was still hitting the deliveryman as the smoke left his body. He ran up behind her and grabbed her in a bear hug.
"Enough - they're gone." He prayed to all gods, goddesses and the various PTBs out there that she could hear him.
She threw him off, knocking Xander to the ground and turned to face him, but the red haze had begun to lift from her eyes and she stopped.
Sam ran over to them, trying to hide the shotgun behind his back, "Ambulance on its way."
"Good, we'd better get out of here before they get here," said Xander, as he got up.
Sam went over to the deliveryman; he bent down and checked for a pulse while picking the colt out of the unconscious man's belt. Buffy watched him as he stood up.
"He's still alive. Think he'll be OK," Sam said.
"I know," she said, as she turned to walk away.
As the three of them got back to the house, they found it empty.
"Where are they?" asked Buffy as she frantically ran from room to room.
"Dean was badly hurt - hospital." stated Sam.
The ride to the hospital was a quiet one as Xander sped along the road.
Buffy had been calling Dawn's number but was getting no answer.
"If they're at the hospital she'll have it switched off," said Sam.
"They'd better be there," she said in a tone that was hopeful but also fearful.
They pulled into the parking bay and sprinted into the ER. Xander went to the front desk, as the other two searched the chairs in the waiting room and looked down the hall for any signs for their family. Sam caught sight of Missouri standing next to a cubicle.
"Hey," he shouted to catch her attention.
Missouri turned to see him run towards her; she flung her arms round him, "Thank God you are alright!"
She pointed over to some side rooms, "They're over there."
Sam nodded and rushed over to the trauma rooms.
Missouri saw Buffy and Xander behind him; she felt it now, not the wisps as she done in the past few days but all of it, the complete raw stomach punch of power that emanated from the girl.
"Buffy?"
"Dawn?" said Buffy, as she turned to see her sister sitting on the gurney; she pulled her in close.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have left you,"
"It's never stopped you before, and you thought it was safe," Dawn rasped, "Hey less on the squeezing, I'm okay, really."
Buffy let her sister go.
Xander looked at her, "You sure you're alright?"
"Well I was before the hugging. She made me see a doctor, had a story all worked out as well." Dawn said, as she acknowledged what Missouri had done.
"I wasn't going let her not be seen to," responded Missouri.
"Thank you," Buffy said, as grabbed hold on to the shocked little woman, giving her a big hug, "What about the others?"
Missouri looked at her, "John, he's fine; Dean, we're still waiting."
"Can I ask for the who's, what's and the whys?" Dawn said, hoping for some explanation from the three people in front of them.
"Turns out dad and the boys do a little clear up on the side of their own," said Buffy, which caused Missouri to look at her.
Dawn shook her head, which she admitted to herself was a bad idea, as it caused her bruised throat to ache a little more, "No Way!"
"Giles called; well actually he called Andrew when he couldn't get hold of any of us. The seers came back," explained Xander as he handed the girl a cup of water that had been sitting on side.
"Thanks," Dawn, took the cup from her friend's hands, "Good timing as always."
"Well you know them, though for once more than five minutes warning! I know they say it isn't an exact science and all, but it would be nice to actually be able to plan," said Buffy.
"Anyway, anti seer feelings aside," Xander said, "Looks like Giles is on his way here."
"I'm not anti seer. I would just like it, if on those occasions, that they do decide to give me the heads up on things, that they can do it with a more convenient timeframe.
"What maybe they can write them down, put them in a little book for you, like say a codex and give you a couple of hundred years to digest," added Dawn, who then proceeded to cough.
"I don't like prophecies, you know I don't like prophecies or visions especially seeing as most of them seem to involve me either up to my neck in goo or ending up six feet under okay. You never get one stating that the slayer will sit down with a good book and have a cup of coco."
Xander looked at his friend for a second, "You are getting old aren't you?"
Missouri watched Buffy for a second, "I take it that you and the Winchester boys are in a similar line of business?"
"You could say that," answered Buffy.
Missouri stood there and crossing her arms, "Really?" she asked in a slightly hostile tone.
"We're not evil if that's what you're worried about. We don't mean them any harm," responded Dawn, raspily.
"You, young lady, should not be talking," Missouri said before turning her attention to the other two, "and what exactly then do you do then?"
"We stop things' getting out of hand that's all," explained Xander.
"It's as Dawn said we're not here to hurt anybody. I just needed to know if they were…or are my family. With what I deal with, we thought it best to find them first. Before anyone or thing else does," added Buffy in a contrite tone.
Missouri looked at her and smiled, "That's what your brother said."
Missouri turned too see Sam and John coming down the hallway.
"How is he?" asked Dawn.
John looked straight at Buffy, face as black as thunder not saying a word.
"John?" asked Missouri.
"They're going to keep him in overnight; for observation," answered Sam.
"John?" Missouri asked again as the hunter silently looked at Buffy who had begun to stare back at him.
"If I had known what you were into…," said Buffy, in a hostile tone.
"Buffy!" said Dawn hoping to keep the peace.
"Did they follow you here?" he said accusingly, "Did you come looking for us because of them?"
"No," Buffy answered, as John took a step forward.
"Dad," Sam pulled at his father's arm, "He's in shock," he did not want this to turn into full out fight; especially considering what he witnessed earlier that evening.
Buffy stood her ground, "You think if I worked for them I'd have left my sister with you?"
"Buffy - please, not here," begged Dawn.
Buffy continued to look him in the eye, "As it is you should be thanking her for keeping you alive."
"Alive, what are you going on about girl? My son's stuck in here and you're going on about her keeping us alive?" said the confused, exhausted and very angry man.
Buffy coldly took a step towards John, causing Xander to jump in between the two of them.
"Buffy back off!" he said before turning to the other one, "You too, this isn't the time or the place."
Both the slayer and the hunter took a step back, causing Xander to breathe a sigh of relief, "Right I think some introductions are necessary," he looked Buffy in the eye, "Proper ones."
Missouri stuck out her hand offering it to the one eyed young man in front of her.
"Missouri Mosley, I can sense energies and am able to read thoughts."
Xander took it and shook it warmly, "I'm Alexander Harris, originally from Sunnydale California, watcher of the Cleveland Hellmouth and head of the North American branch of the International Watcher's Council. Though I keep telling people that the two jobs really should be split," he took a quick glance at Buffy before adding, "I'm also a carpenter by trade so I'll be round to fix your window tomorrow."
"Thank you," the little woman said surprised; she had actually forgotten the gapping hole in wall of her house.
Sam took a second to look at the laid back guy, the guy was always joking around, the man he'd had gotten to know over the past few days, and wondered about the long title he had given himself.
"Sam… Samuel Winchester, I was a pre law student but ehmm I now work with my brother … and my dad hunting down evil."
John continued to stand there silently.
Dawn put her hand in the air, "Dawn Summers, another Sunnydale survivor, going to college in the fall, member of the research wing of the Watcher's council European branch. Mostly ancient languages and … some other stuff, oh and younger sister to Buffy Summers."
John turned to look at the young woman sitting on the gurney who had just spoke for a second, before turning back to his staring contest with the woman in front of him.
"John Winchester got two boys Dean and Sammy. Found out this morning that I had a girl, now not so sure. I'm looking for the Demon that took my Mary, took her in front of me and Sammy, when he was a baby; took his girl too," he then added in a low tone, "And I'll take out anything bad I have to between here and there."
"Alright can't say the obsession thing is healthy but I'll play for the moment," Buffy said, "My name is Buffy Ann Summers, my Mom's name was Joyce, just found out a few days ago my father wasn't who I thought it was. He's some guy from Kansas with a couple of kids of his own. Never lied about that, never lied to you at all really."
She stood very still, "I'm the Slayer, well Head Slayer precisely; I'm the thing that monsters have nightmares about."