Disclaimer : Please see earlier chapters
Sorry this has taken so long to post the next chapter but I had major problems wirting this part - well that isn't exactly true I'd write and then ask myself 'where has the plot gone?' But I hope you are OK with this. If not (especially the second half) please let me know - I love to get reviews even if it is constructive criticism.
Thank you to those who have let me know what they think - as I have said it makes my day.
"So what have we missed?" asked Dawn.
"There has been some jotting, but that's it really," said Xander.
Dawn looked at her sister hopefully, "So no fireworks then?"
Xander just shook his head, "'Fraid not Dawn Patrol."
"You sure?" she said slightly disappointed.
Xander shook his head, "He's still standing. So I think it's safe to assume nothing in that vicinity has been spilt."
Buffy reached up and swept a piece of hair out of her sister's face "Did you ask him to?"
"No, but I was kinda hoping he would," answered the slightly dejected Dawn.
"You know what he's like," said Buffy, sympathetically. "He won't unless you ask, but you know he'll say, that we should be the ones to do it."
"Excuse me?" asked Sam.
Both sisters turned to look at him.
"Ehm – I don't, I think," spluttered Dawn.
"I hope you like lemonade," said Missouri as she came out of the kitchen with a tray with glasses and snacks.
Dawn was glad for the interruption, as she took a glass from the little woman. Both brothers looked at her, while she took a mouthful of liquid.
"Right I've just got to get a board up, and you'll be all ready for the glass tomorrow," said Xander; "Then I'm all yours."
Missouri nodded, "I've just got a few things to get together and then we can get started."
"Your wish is my command," replied Xander, saluting the older woman.
Willow looked at Xander curiously.
"She's going to do some housework that involves me dry walling."
"You know after all the comings and goings," said Buffy.
"Is she going to clean her house?" asked the Wiccan. "Can I watch?"
Dean looked at the girl, "Why would you want to do that?"
As Dawn was about to take another sip from her glass, she said quietly, "They're off."
"Always good to swap techniques," answered Willow, "May I ask what you use?"
Missouri stood in the doorway of the house, "Roots and some other things."
"Angelica root?"
Missouri nodded, "Yes."
"A variation on a hoodoo ritual - right?" asked the practically bouncing Willow; "How do you choose your crossroad dirt?"
"It kind of lets itself known," answered Missouri.
"Really?" Willow smiled, "Can I see?"
"You sure about that Missouri?" asked Dean, looking as if he was about to rise from his chair.
"And we're halfway down the inside straight," muttered Xander under his breath.
"It's fine honey," Missouri answered trying to reassure him, that boy was a hunter to the last she thought, even when the odds were stacked against him, "I just don't think I've met someone who is so interested."
"Oh I'm just a student, and Hoodoo is a fascinating subject," Willow nodded, as she tried to calm the young hunter she had just met obvious concerns. "You see a lot of cleansing rituals are based on invoking gods or mystical beings to protect or cleanse a being or a home. Hoodoo has a more African based philosophy; it's based more on folk traditions and various root magicks, there is no real clear set theology. Any invocations made tend to be to ancestors or spirits linked to the area or family, and it usually utilises herbs, roots, minerals and animal parts. Some say that the version found here in the US is a watered down version of Voodoo, crossed with other African magical principles, due to the suppression of slave beliefs. I'm not so sure of that, due to the similarities between what's found here and some of the magicks practiced in West Africa, though there are differences as well. I think that maybe due to it being passed down family lines, rather than having a structured hierarchies. But I'm not an expert in these areas really."
Willow quieted for a second before tilting her head to the side, "So I suppose you could say that the type found here and similar magicks of Africa are like 2 types of bunt cake. Both are the same but different, one you made from a recipe book and the other is your great grandmother's. Though it's not really your great grandmother's because that would really make it old, flaky and not safe to eat, but you catch my drift."
Dean just stared at her, "Huh?"
"And I believe people we have a winner," smiled Buffy. "Less than fifteen minutes and she's got to him. I take all denominations people."
As both Xander and Dawn handed Buffy what they owed, Sam put his hand in his pocket to causing his brother to look at him.
"Thanks man," said Dean caustically, "Feeling the love here." To which Sam just shrugged.
"Don't be too hard on him, he gave you a full hour before she got to you," smiled Buffy, to which Dean knotted his brow.
"You guys bet that I'd confuse him," said Willow, slightly hurt at her friends' actions, "That's so mean."
"Sorry Will," answered Buffy, "But you know I've got to put Dawnie through school, so Sam fork it please."
"Excuse me?" asked Dawn. "Who's paying for whom to go to college? Council sponsorship here, and I'm still working."
"Yeah but I'm contributing to the board," said Buffy, "And whose paying for the new car?"
"Who exactly does your translating sis?" replied Dawn sarcastically before adding, "Also, do we want to tell people why I need a new car?"
"That's not the point," answered Buffy quickly before changing the subject, "Who rescues you when you almost get sacrificed?"
"Depends who's around," Dawn said with a dignified air. "Anyway that's not happened in five months."
"Six," said Willow, "You haven't been kidnapped in six months."
"That long?" Dawn sat down on the steps, "I know I use to complain, but I didn't realise it was that long since... I suppose if I'm honest I kind of miss it. It did fill up my week."
"You used to get kidnapped a lot and now you miss it?" asked Sam curious.
She snorted, "And your life is so normal."
"She's got you there shining boy," said Dean.
"Shining?" asked Kennedy, before she caught Buffy shaking her head out of the corner of her eye, telling her to leave that subject alone.
"Right, you wanted to see what I use," said Missouri, to which Willow nodded.
As Willow followed Missouri into the house Xander turned to the slayers in front of him, "You think leaving them alone is a good idea?"
"She's your friend," said Dean, "If you're worried you shouldn't have let her go in there in the first place."
"Willow's just interested, that's all," said Buffy defending the witch. "You have real trust issues. You know that?"
"Must be genetic," mumbled Kennedy to which Buffy, Dean, Sam and Dawn to looked at her.
Kennedy stood up and gave a little cough before making a start towards the door, "I'll go make sure that Will's behaving herself."
"No, it's just knowing Willow; she's feeling a little bit guilty about all of this," said Buffy explaining the situation to both Dean and Sam. "Probably thinks that locator spell we used made it easier for them to find you guys. So she may try and help with the cleaning."
"The worst thing that will happen is that this will be one very spirit, and demonic free block," continued Buffy.
"That or Missouri might lose her roof," added Xander.
"It only happened once and she was closing a portal," Buffy turned to Xander, "That if I remember correctly you opened."
"My bad really!" Dawn raised her hand in the air, "Forgot the cardinal rule, never hand Xander any material that needs to be read out loud."
Xander looked puzzled before asking Dawn, "Thought we decided that the cardinal rule was never let your sister drive."
"You have a rule for that?" asked Dean.
"Hope you never ever have to find out why," said Dawn, "And that's rule number three."
"I am not that bad!" Buffy huffed, "I did get my licence."
"Tell that to that tree last week," mocked Dawn, "Buffy I love you, but when even the undead refuse get into a car when you're driving, you have to admit you have a problem."
Dean shook his head, "Don't like the sound of that, can't have a member of my family not being able to handle themselves behind the wheel."
"Are you offering to teach her?" Xander chuckled, "I think I'd pay to see that."
"Isn't the Xander rule is rule six?" asked Buffy, trying to change the subject.
"So what is rule number one?" asked Dawn.
"Come back alive?" offered Sam helpfully.
"No that is the overriding ultimate rule as well as rules two, four and seven," said Buffy, "Wait rule number one is not to hurt the books in front of Giles,"
Xander nodded knowingly, "He cries."
"He doesn't cry," Dawn corrected him; "He just whimpers a bit and he gets this panicked look in his eyes, especially when you bring in take out into the library."
"I said I was sorry about the burritos," said Xander, before turning to Sam and Dean "You have no idea how hard it is to get decent Mexican takeout in London."
"You really do have libraries and things don't you?" asked Sam.
"Yeah," answered Dawn.
Dean smirked at his brother, "You'll be right at home then, geekboy."
Sam turned from his brother to Buffy, "You want to see real fear just drop him in one and tell him to find something himself."
"You say that like I can't read or something," responded Dean.
Sam continued, "He's fine as long as they have pictures."
"I usually find what we need," Dean said resolutely, "Anyway I'm the people person, you're the geek."
Sam nodded, "As long it's a cute nurse, waitress or policewoman you have to talk to."
"I like to think of it of playing to our strengths," Dean stated sincerely.
"Cause that works like a charm, especially when the girl from the night before is her sister,"
Dean sat silent for a second staring at his brother, "You will never shut up about that, will you girlie boy"
"Bite me," answered his brother.
Sam laughed as the three others turned to him in interest, "Black dog wasn't it?"
Dean sat there shaking his head; he was not getting involved in this, "It was over six years ago dude. Can't you let it rest?"
Sam ignored his brother and continued to entertain his audience, "He hits on this girl in this bar. Turns out she knows one of the kids that have gone missing. So he sees her a few more times while were in town 'just for research purposes.'"
"You always make it sound worse than there was," huffed Dean, "You were just jealous that you couldn't get a girl like her to look at you back then."
"Dad was getting no where with the cops," continued Sam ignoring his brother's interruption, "So Don Juan here hits on the idea of going through this female deputy."
"She had a name," pouted Dean.
"Yeah Darlene, right?" asked Sam before he went on, "So we get the thing, we're about to leave, but he says he'll meet me and Dad in a couple of days just to make sure that everything is OK."
Dean cut in, "He was bitching about not wanting to change school and someone had to make sure that there was only one."
"Yeah wel,l real reason he stayed was he was getting somewhere with Darlene, and they decide to go back to her place and low and behold."
"Same place as the other girl?" asked Buffy stifling a giggle.
"Oh yeah!" said Sam, "Turns out little…"
"I think her name was Tammi," added Dean, as he buried his head in his hands.
"Little Tammi had just graduated High School couple of months before hand and was at that bar as a dare from her friends. Darlene her older sister, was a little protective of her since it was just them."
"So?" asked Dawn, "What happened?"
Sam swallowed to control his laughter, "Dad gets a call from our friend Caleb saying someone had turned up at his place with buckshot in his…"
"It was the car door right!" Dean shot up straight in his chair, "And you only tell that story so I don't tell anyone how that was around the same time you got your ass kicked by that skunk."
"I did not get my ass kicked," Sam said defending himself.
"Yeah you did," said Dean, "Big shot here wants to show that he's capable of bagging the thing all by himself."
"Sounds so younger sibling," said Buffy
"You make it sound as if I was trying to be John Wayne," interrupted Sam.
"Julie Andrews maybe," replied Dean blithely, "We're in the woods, turn round and he's disappeared."
"So you automatically go into panic mode?" sympathised Buffy quickly glancing down at her sister, "I can so sympathise!"
"Then we hear this scream."
"I did not scream!" said Sam cutting in.
"Oh you so did man; a really high pitched girl like, scream," stated Dean, "Turns out that there's this cave and this jerk here decided it a good idea to check it out without telling anyone, thinking that it could be its lair."
"It fit the pattern," Sam ran his hand through his hair; "Yeah; I know it was stupid to go in by myself."
"Real stupid," Dean continued, before turning to face Buffy, "He thinks he's heard something in there and that he's got a shot. Turns out there was a little family staying there and momma skunk ain't too happy about their visitor."
"Had to go back to the motel in the back of dad's pickup," said Sam quietly.
"Well no way in hell, were you getting in the cab," Dean smirked.
Dawn looked up at her sister, "Small and furries are tricky, eh Buffy."
Buffy knotted her brow, "Oh please – poodles are evil."
"That old lady didn't think so," said Dawn shaking her head.
"I am definitely convinced that she had something to do with it, the old witch," huffed Buffy.
"You're just luck she didn't press charges. Little foofoo wasn't the same after what happened," teased Dawn.
"What happened?" asked Sam.
"It was nothing really," protested Buffy, to which both of the brothers just gave her a knowing look, "It was a hellhound; I'd tracked it for hours – in the pouring rain may I add."
"Very important point," added Dawn.
"So it goes under this bridge, the light is real bad, and I hear howling," explained Buffy, "I'm thinking great – its gone and got itself a mate so I let fly with my axe, hear a yelp and go in for a quick follow through…"
Dawn started chuckling, so Buffy tapped her sister in the back with her shoe to get her to stop.
"At this point I find that there is no hound but there is a little toy poodle pinned to the ground by my axe, scrambling away for all its worth and this old lady looking about she's going have a heart attack. Turns out the bridge had made it all echoy and made the poodle sound bigger than it actually was."
Both Sam and Dean burst out laughing to which Buffy bit her lip, and then started to snigger herself.
Missouri came back out of the house quite animated and bounded over to the grass.
"Sam, honey can you come over here for a second?" she said, causing Sam to look at his brother for a second.
"Sure?" he said slightly confused.
As he stepped towards her, Missouri let out a yell, "Now!"
The windows began to rattle and a blast of light was emitted from the house, causing both Missouri and Sam to be knocked off their feet. It also caused the board that Xander was putting in place to come loose and hit him in the head.
"WILLOW!"
She stuck her head around the doorjamb, "Everyone okay?"
"No, everyone is not okay. Couldn't you have waited five minutes," said Xander, holding his head in pain.
Missouri got back on her feet, and turned to look down at Sam who looked startled; she turned to the witch and gave her a thumbs up.
"We're fine – that was a rush child!" Missouri laughed.
John ran over to his fallen son, "Sam you alright?"
Sam blinked for a seconds, before trying to get back on his feet, "Yeah. What?"
"House clearance I think?" said Giles as he saw the young woman in the doorway, "Hello Willow."
Willow skipped over to the little group followed by Kennedy.
"Hi Giles," Willow stretched up to give the Englishman a warm hug.
"Willow, while it is good to see you, you know shouldn't be here," he said smiling, before turning his attention to the other girl, "Hello Kennedy."
"Distracted her as long as I could," said the other girl.
"Yes, um, of course," Giles blushed slightly, "I suppose we ought to be grateful that the house is still intact."
Both girls turned to face John who was currently checking that his son was alright.
"So this the Dad?" asked Kennedy.
John turned round to see the two young women looking at him, he felt slightly uncomfortable under their gaze.
"Hello," he said.
The brunette smiled, "Cool."
"I'm Willow, this is Kennedy," the red head said.
"I'm John."
"We guessed that," Kennedy nodded in Sam's direction, "He doing okay?"
"I'm fine, I think," said Sam rubbing his head, "What happened?"
"The girl helped out with cleansing that's all," explained Missouri, "We added a couple of extras my usual mix."
Sam blinked, "And I'm on the ground because?"
Willow cocked her head as she explained, "People of a certain disposition, may feel the effects more than others."
Sam looked over to the others on the porch all of which appeared to be fine, apart from Xander appeared to be grumbling as Buffy was checking out his head.
Sam turned to Missouri, "So you, me and Xander?"
"No child, he just got hit in the head by a piece of wood."
"Never know, might knock some sense into him," added Kennedy jokingly.
Giles shook his head, "I doubt it. Why should this be any different from any of the multitude of other times?"
Kennedy turned to the Brit, "So are we keeping?"
Giles sighed, "That is not my decision."
"I'm open to it though, if they are," said Buffy, as the others helped Sam back to the porch, "You never know could make our dull little lives a little more interesting."
"So you two finished the big conflab?" asked Dawn to the older men as she walked out of the house with a cold towel for Xander's head.
"For now," stated Giles.
"So?" she asked eyes hopeful, he looked at her and other girls and guessed what she was asking.
"No Dawn."
"So what have you been talking about?" asked the girl, "I've been to peace negotiations that haven't taken that long."
"We have been discussing your sister's position and what to do about Sam actually."
"You talked through all the options then?" asked Buffy.
"Got to straighten things out, but some of your friend's ideas seem sound," said a resolute John.
Giles nodded, "We need to talk to some certain individuals, but we may have found a course of action that is beneficial to all."
"Really?" asked Willow.
"Wait a minute, decided what about me?" asked Sam.
"Is that all?" Buffy asked the two older men, hand on her hip.
Giles looked at his charge, "Buffy?"
"Oh come Watcher of mine, you're letting down your audience here," she explained.
"I don't know what you really expected?"
"Oh you know the usual," Buffy looked up at him with hope in her eyes. "We all describe what's the what, causing you go quiet. Then you do that wonky eyed thing you do, then announce that it sounds like?" Buffy waved her arms in the air in frustration as she harangued her watcher. "Oh I don't know, something I can't pronounce last seen in 1803 in a small town in Outer Mongolia chewing on a goat."
"Why 1803 and why a goat?" asked a confused Dean, to which the blonde slayer just shrugged.
"I'm sorry. But unfortunately I can't really say that I've heard of anything with this M.O. before," said Giles, "and I do not go all 'wonky eyed'."
Buffy just looked at her watcher sheepishly for a second, as Giles continued, "Though I do agree with your assumption John, that whatever this demon's plan is it is playing a long game."
"Oh," Buffy pouted, "And I was so hoping to find this thing quickly so I can inflict some real damage on this thing before killing it. Preferably in really painful way, possibly having gory being involved. Yep lots of gory, with possibly a little gristle on the side, I'm thinking."
"This in a sending a message kind of way?" asked Willow.
"Definitely, not like it's a new one," stated Buffy. "Just the usual attack my family, I rip you head off, and your arm, and any other extremity that you are stupid enough to put in my way."
"Glad to see those anger management classes are working for you Buff," added Xander.
John looked at his daughter; she had said family, meaning that she was not only upset that it attacked Dawn. She had claimed the three of them, and wasn't about to stand by and let anything hurt them. But, he was the one that was meant to be protecting her. As Dean would put it, it was in the job description. A Dad's job was to help their sons grow up so they were able to fight their own battles, but weren't they always meant to look after their little girls?
His mouth went dry as his heart jumped into his throat, this was a really screwed up situation, and in no way what he was expecting, he'd been through some really weird shit over the years. But this? It left him completely unsure of what to say or do.
"I've been looking for it for over twenty years," John answered, "It seemed it went under ground, and now it's woken up."
"Right, so with the timing of all of this, and you guys turning up here? What exactly does this mean?" asked Dean.
Both Giles and John looked at him silently.
"You all get more cards at Christmas," Xander spoke with all seriousness, then winced as Dawn knocked him on the noggin.
Dawn repositioned the cool towel she had placed on his head, "Sorry did that hurt?"
"I think we may have a better idea of how to proceed, when we know what its interests are," said Giles.
"That would be me," said Sam sounding slightly irritated.
"What about him?" asked Buffy turning to John.
Both John and Giles looked at her, before John explained, "He gets visions. Sees things that are going to happen."
"It appears ,Buffy, that your half brother is developing into a seer and an accurate one at that."
"Oh great, so he'll be highly prized then," Kennedy looked at the older men, "So you think that this demon you guys have been looking for is just after him as for future merchandise to sell or is it a world domination type?"
"Kennedy, stop it now," said Buffy firmly, "You are not helping."
"So we can help you find out exactly what he can really do, and if you want, maybe help out with someone who can help teach him to use it to defend himself. Then if you want, you can take it from there; unless you have anymore info that you want share?" Buffy said to John, before adding. "But if you guys need anything, and I mean anything you call, agreed?"
John nodded to acknowledge what she said. Buffy turned to get the input of the newly arrived witch, "Willow?"
"Hey people," said Dean interrupting, as Willow's head shot up to answer Buffy, "No-one is deciding jack about Sammy, except him you got it."
They all looked round at the young man. Sam had fire in his eyes, he was in no mood to back down or let anyone railroad him. He swallowed, his blood was rising, he may have found himself on his ass five minutes ago, but that was no reason for him to be talked about as if he wasn't there, especially as he had just met half of these people.
"Sam, we were going over options," John controlled his tone.
Sam drew himself up to his full height preparing to go head to head against the one target he knew how to fight, "Options, what options? They wouldn't all happen to do with me would they Dad?"
John took a breath, "Look Sam."
Sam shook his head, "No Dad, this is the same bullshit you pull every single time."
"Sam, you seem to be displaying a number of 'talents'. All of which are untapped and untrained, for which you have already have been targeted." Giles explained calmly as he stepped in. "This, your lifestyle, coupled with the fact that you are now connected with the slayer line may have already brought you to the attention of others."
"So instead of having one demon on his ass he gets more?" asked Dean.
"Yep," said Buffy, looking Dean straight in the eye.
"Ain't that wonderful," answered Dean sarcastically.
"And I don't get to say in what happens to me," asked a very agitated Sam.
"Of course you do," stated Buffy, "But don't you want to know what it wants you for? If anything, you learning what you can really do could draw it out, give you an edge when you find it. The better you know yourself the better prepared you are."
"Then what?" asked Sam.
"How do I know?" she replied, "It's you that sees the future."
As the discussion continued, Sam stood his ground wanting to know what exactly the two men had been talking about, and how it pertained to him. Dawn took the towel from Xander's head and began to go into the kitchen to run some cold water on it.
Dean took it from her hand, "I'll get you some ice."
"Sure," Dawn nodded, uneasy about the way he was withdrawing from the conversation.
It was taking too long for him to come back, so she wandered in after him.
"Dean? You alright?" she asked as she walked around the refrigerator door that had been previously blocking her view. He was standing there, breathing shallowly taking his time, small cylinder in his hand.
"I'm fine," he said, "just give me a second."
"Yeah," Dawn took a step back, trying to catch someone's eye.
"You know it isn't really that bad, small bump that's all, we've all had much worse," Xander gently patted the back of his head as he went into the kitchen. Dawn gave him a nod towards the refrigerator. He looked round the door to see the same scene that had greeted Dawn, "What the …?"
"Leave me alone," protested Dean, "I'm alright"
"Yeah, I know it's 'just' a flesh wound," said Xander, as he bundled the other man into the reading room.
Dawn followed behind the two of them, "Y'know, they don't hand out nitrate sprays if you're perfectly fine. They hand them out if you've got heart conditions."
"Doc said to use it for a couple of days," Dean argued as he was unceremoniously dumped in one of the armchairs, "Just need sometime to heal up, doc just covering his ass, that's all."
"I've heard better tough guy acts from fourteen year olds," Xander sat down on the coffee table in front of him, "-and that's just the girls."
"Got to get back out there, Sam…," Dean tried to get up, to which Xander put his hand on his shoulder.
"-Can hold his own," answered the watcher, taking control of the situation, "What did the doctor really say, and not the bull you told your brother and your Dad?"
"Not much he could say, didn't understand the change in my condition," answered Dean his breathing eased slightly, "Possible arrhythmia he said, couldn't tell him that I'd almost had my insides ripped out by creatures from hell again could I?"
Dawn nodded in agreement, as she stood in the doorway.
"Can relate," Xander pointed to his eye socket, "Head minion imbued with power, decided to play."
"'I'll be fine," he tried to rise out of the chair again, "but right now I've got to get back out there."
"Dean please sit down," said Dawn, "Or I'll make you stay down."
"Let the chosen, destined, and the figures of authority sort themselves out right now mister," Xander looked at him sympathetically, "Us mere mortals got to take care of ourselves sometimes."
Dean bit his lip, he really wanted to know what was going on outside, but they weren't going to let him go, and he wasn't really able to get past them right now. He started to breathe a little harder, causing Dawn to glance at Xander before taking off out the door.
"What's her beef?" Dean asked, "Know I'm irresistible but-"
"You do not go anywhere in vicinity of that direction you hear me!" Xander said firmly, eye cold, "The same goes for your brother."
"Sorry man, just saying she'd be a little too close to home."
"Closer than you think," Xander backing down, "She's just likes the idea of there being another one like us around."
"Another one of what?" Dean asked leaning forward his breathing eased.
"Another person who knows how hard it is not to be chosen. Whose destiny doesn't seem to involve being dumped with a whole load of 'special gifts' from the powers so they can go out and save the world on a daily basis," answered Xander.
"Don't that make me special," Dean said sarcastically.
"In our line of work, and to her, it kind of does," Xander shook his head. "You're kinda like me and Dawnie; we do this out of choice. 'Cause the people we care about are involved, not because we have too. True, we've all lost people, but we never really stayed on this road just because we did. I know your mom got killed, but you're really in this for Sam and your Dad. That and I'm guessing your ego gets a kick from the swooping in and saving people thing. But at the end of the day if you think about it; it's you that can walk, not the other two; even though they and you probably don't want to see it."
Dawn returned to reading room with Willow, "He said the Doctor told him it was an arrhythmia."
"I don't know Dawn," Willow said, "I'm not a healer."
Dean shrank back in his seat as the witch came towards him.
"Don't be such a baby," Willow tutted, "Let me see."
"How bad is it?" asked Buffy as she walked into the room.
Willow placed her hand on Dean's chest after scooting Xander off the coffee table, and closed her eyes for a few seconds, "His energies are flowing in the right directions, it's just slow at the moment, so I don't think it's too bad."
Willow moved her hand, with a questioning look in her eyes, "It's not the first time you have gone through something like this is it?"
"Before the wreck," Dean volunteered, "It was stopped before it could finish the job."
Dawn looked to her sister and then Willow.
"Right," Buffy stood there arms folded across her chest, "Can you go get John and Sam."
"Just promise me you two won't start anything," Xander asked, as he started towards the door.
As he leaned on the kitchen doorjamb, Xander could see that both Sam and John were still hard at it. Giles, Missouri and Kennedy just standing there being unwilling spectators to two people with obvious side issues. They hadn't seemed to even notice that people had disappeared.
"Hey," Xander yelled, "Hate to interrupt the love feast here, but thought you'd like to know, Dean - kind of out of it in here."
"What?" John spun round.
"Yeah, thing turns out something up with his heart," said Xander, "He just didn't want to disturb you guys, funny that."
"What do you mean?" asked Sam concerned.
"He's having some breathing issues," Xander crossed his arms, "Should be okay given some time and a stress free environment, which he is getting spades round here at the moment."
"Where's Buffy and Willow?" asked Giles, slightly agitated.
"With him and Dawn now. Don't worry I told them not to do anything."
"You left them alone?" Giles pushed past Xander into the house.
Dawn stood guard at the entrance of the reading room, "Look, nothing major just a little energy transfer, okay."
Giles continued down the corridor, "Dawn, move now!"
Buffy blinked, as the room started to focus she could see faces, one had a pair of glasses and greying hair the other had masses of brown waves rolling down. The first definitely looked pissed but the second had a little smile on her face,
"Did it work?" Buffy asked.
Dawn looked over her shoulder, both Willow and Dean appeared to be coming round, the colour in his cheeks was returning, "Think we're good."
Giles helped Buffy sit up, "That was bloody stupid! The three of you could have been in real trouble."
Buffy shook her head, "Little jolt that's all, get his healing started."
John raised his oldest son's head; Sam stood back watching Dean's every movement.
"I'm okay Dad," Dean was breathing much easier than before, he smiled, "Think I'm good. Are they okay?"
Dean looked over his father's shoulder at Buffy and Willow, to see Buffy sitting up, "You alright?"
Buffy nodded.
"You sure?" he asked, hoping for confirmation, his eyes full of concern for her, as well as the gratitude he couldn't express.
Buffy smiled as she stretched slightly, "Yep, and don't mention it."
A wide-eyed Willow grinned up at Xander, and Kennedy, as she let out a little giggle, "I feel fuzzy!"