Thanks to Zigpal, Rabidreject and g120 for reviews. Glad you like it so far, including how Dawn was introduced.
Basically this episode is just showing the new family dynamic with Dawn involved…which is basically what the episode was originally I guess…
A/N: First person italics are Dawn's thoughts/diary entries just like in the original episode.
"So this new regime with Buffy involves…more slaying?" Joyce asked Giles as she made herself coffee in the kitchen.
"Actually it focuses more extensively on her training," Giles admitted with a nod, "But yes 'more slaying' will come into it"
"And Dawn?"
"Dawn?" Giles asked in confusion, looking over at Joyce from the other side of the kitchen, near the fridge.
"I don't want her involved in this…. extra-curricular" Joyce chose her words carefully.
"Well, I'll admit, I didn't intend her to either…" Giles told slowly, slightly confused as to what point she was trying to make.
"Doesn't mean she won't want in," Joyce pointed out, "She joined you and Buffy training yesterday,"
"That was only meditation, Dawn was perfectly safe watching,"
"I know, that's the point," Joyce sighed, putting her cup down on the counter as she looked at him, "She watches the training, she has always been eager to join in with research…and that's been fine…to a point," she admitted reluctantly, "But I know with this new slayer thing she'll want to join you both on patrol as well and that's…not safe- I want her away from that"
"As do I," Giles assured her, looking at her with concern, "What's suddenly brought this on?"
"I…" Joyce shrugged, "I don't know. I just suddenly feel very worried for Dawn…more than I ever remember being before. You know she's always been intrigued by the Watcher thing…eager to find out more and more…and I'm…concerned I guess that this new regime would cause her to find out…too much"
"I know," Giles said in understanding, giving her a little comforting hug, before pulling back to look at her, " 'Watcher thing'?"
"You know what I mean," She smiled and then faltered when she realized he was just looking at her. She self consciously checked herself, "What's the matter?"
"Your outfit…"
"What about it? Is something wrong with it?" She looked it up and down checking for any stains she perhaps hadn't noticed or a tag sticking out.
"No it's great…really great…" He told her, still staring.
"How great?" She asked with a coy grin.
"Great enough for me to wonder if it's possible to talk you out of it…" He mumbled in reply as he kissed her.
Dawn bounded down the stairs a smile on her face because she'd gotten to the bathroom before Buffy. Buffy had beaten her the last four times, but for today Dawn had had the upper hand. She couldn't wait for her sister to move back into her college dorm though. Like really couldn't wait.
In the kitchen, I walked in on Mom and Giles kissing again. It's like they think while they're making with the smoochies no one will walk in the room. They're always smooching- more so since this whole engagement thing. I think they're almost as bad as Buffy and Riley, except I like Giles and I don't really like Riley. Riley always treats me like a kid, but Giles…well he still treats me like a kid but it's not all patronizing. Kinda like Dad used to be with me I guess. Which is nice. At least I don't get all wiggy like Buffy does when they kiss. And I'm meant to be the immature one. Please, if Buffy got more self-involved she'd well…be really self-involved.
Like this wedding thing. Buffy is totally not getting involved except for when like Mom forces her to (which is quite often) but I'm into it. Although I kinda have an ulterior motive. Like if I help enough…I'll get to pick out my own bridesmaid dress. With no limitations. But no way is Mom gonna let me have strapless. She'd freak. She wouldn't let Buffy have a strapless when she was seven. Course the skirt didn't come past her butt but still…guess Mom's generation just isn't cool with mini skirts and well…things without straps. Although like a year ago I was in Mom's room and I came across a mini-skirt. Black denim. I thought it was pretty cool and assumed it was Buffy's. So I went to ask her if I could borrow it…you know in exchange for finding it for her. Buffy totally wigged though. She wouldn't tell me why. No one tells me anything around here.
It's like Giles- he won't even let me reader the Watcher chronicles even though it would totally be helpful.
Adults.
Okay when they've been kissing (and more I think…I'm not sure though…not sure I want to be…but I can definitely say some of their hands are not in the line of vision…whatever) that long even I have issues with it. Especially when they're in front of the cereal cupboard. Come on- a girl's gotta have breakfast hasn't she?
"Mom?" Dawn pointed limply at the cereal cabinet as Joyce and Giles pulled apart.
"Huh? Oh sorry honey," Joyce apologized stepping aside to let Dawn past just as Buffy came into the room. As she went to get her breakfast she spared a moment to throw Dawn an evil look for getting to the bathroom first.
Dawn worked carefully around her sister as she got her breakfast together and her Mom and Giles being too lost throwing sly glances each other's way didn't notice Dawn taking Buffy's bowl, cereal, milk…
"I might be home a bit late tonight," Joyce told Giles, "We've got a lot of work to do to prepare for the Gurion show…you remember?" Giles nodded.
"Yes, well, erm Buffy and I are just going to the Magic Box today…for you know Slayer supplies," Joyce didn't say anything in reply but just gave him a pointed look and he sighed in acknowledgement, "And yes, I will be taking Dawn shopping for school supplies also," He got a sweet and casual peck on the cheek as thanks.
"What? What? What?" Buffy asked, only hearing of this plan for the first time, "Back to school supplies for Dawn? But that means Dawn has to come to the Magic Box as well"
"Ooh yay! Magic shop!" Dawn cheered but her grin soon faded when both her Mom and Giles looked at her with disapproval.
"You're going along Dawn, you are not buying anything from there," Joyce told her, "The only buying will be at the mall-" Dawn smiled, "for back-to-school supplies only" Dawn's grin faded at her Mother's words as there was a knock at the door and Joyce went to answer it, with Buffy following as she continued to complain about Dawn tagging along.
Dawn looked pleadingly to Giles, wishing to have at least one small item from the magic shop. Giles held his hands up, palms facing her in mock surrender.
"I-I…don't look at me," He told her, "You heard your Mother, Dawn." And he headed through the dining room to the hall also. Dawn stomped after him in a sulk.
"But back-to-school supplies are boring! They're all about…well, school…no imagination on the item choice front"
Usually I can wear Giles down. If I act all upset and such. He gets this sympathy face where you know he really doesn't want to but feels he can't say no. Course when Mom ever finds out I've used what she calls 'emotional blackmail' she completely freaks. Like I'm mistreating Giles or something. Please. He totally loves buying me things and like I'm gonna complain.
I remember back when Mom and Giles started dating she told me I could stop calling him 'Mr. Giles' anymore and call him Rupert. But please, that name's just way too British to say seriously. Plus I prefer what Buffy and her friends call him. You know, just Giles. Seems cooler I guess.
"At the store? He was dead?" Joyce asked with concern as she continued to get ready. Giles was sat on the bed as he explained what had happened at the magic store while Buffy paced, clearly anxious to patrol and find what had committed the murder.
"An all-you-can-eat for a brand new Sunnydale fang club," Buffy explained with disgust.
"Is Dawn okay? She didn't see-" Joyce asked in worry.
"Don't worry, we got her out of the store immediately," Giles assured her, "and I made sure to take her home straight after the, ah, discovery,"
"Oh good-" Joyce nodded in relief and then paused as she looked over at Giles, "Wait, you didn't take her for school supplies?" She asked in exasperation.
"I love the way you prioritise Mom," Buffy said sarcastically.
"Buffy," Joyce's voice revealed she was trying to be patient with her oldest daughter, "Dawn starts school again in a couple of weeks…"
"I know, but a guy was killed today," Buffy countered, "It kind of made back to school supplies a moot point"
"One of us can take Dawn tomorrow," Giles offered referring to him and Joyce, "But we kind of have an issue about Dawn today"
"What do you mean?" Joyce asked, concern written across her face.
"Well you're at the pre-show reception, Buffy's patrolling, and I'm at the store researching…"
"Which leaves Dawn on her own," Joyce finished in realization, "Well who's gonna look after her?"
"I don't need anyone to look after me!" Dawn argued across from her own room.
"Yes you do!" All three adults called back in synchronized reply.
They're always shoving me off on babysitters. I'm fourteen. I'm not a kid- it's not like I need a babysitter.
"I'm old enough to be a babysitter!" I shout in protest but it's not like any of them will ever listen. Giles is researching at the magic store so maybe I'll get to tag along. So I'm not allowed to buy stuff, but if there's no owner then you can't technically 'buy' can you? It wouldn't be anything major. Just a spell book or two. It's not like I'm gonna get a vampire-magnet or something. I wonder if that exists? I don't think so. I mean who would want something that attracts vampires? Maybe a lonely vampire.
So yeah, anyway, babysitting wise it's always Mom and Buffy who are busy so I'm either left with Giles or Xander. Personally, if I have to have a babysitter, when I don't even need one, Xander's definitely my choice. He's the only one who treats me as I am…as a woman, even if he does say I'm like a kid sister to him.
"I don't want her at the magic shop anyway, Rupert," Joyce pointed out when he offered to take Dawn with him, "But especially not when it's a murder scene,"
"Well who are we gonna get at such short notice?" Buffy asked in exasperation and then her look of realization matched her Mother's and Giles. "Xander?" She offered.
"Xander," They repeated with relief in stereo. There was the sound of running footsteps and then Dawn appeared in the doorway.
"Okay," She smiled.
He hadn't really been doing research at the shop. Okay, so he had been researching. It just hadn't been about the vampires who'd attacked or the death of Mr Bogarty. The Magic Box was just too good an opportunity to resist. The profit to be made from owning a place such as that was enough alone to convince Giles to buy. But the truth of the matter was he'd been at a loss for a while- he no longer had had a calling or a career and the magic shop was just what he had been looking for.
The smile on his face immediately faded however when he walked into his house. He knew something was wrong- everything felt odd and the struggle and complaints he heard from the kitchen only confirmed that.
He ran in to find Riley on the phone to what he assumed was the emergency services as Xander was tending to an injured Anya on the floor.
"What happened?" Giles asked, looking around at the scene before him.
"Harmony attacked." Xander explained, "Or her 'minions'…"
"Harmony Kendall? Hold on- 'minions'?" Giles' tone was incredulous.
"Yeah, we were right there with ya," Xander smiled at him before his face became serious, "But they came back- attacked Anya and…and they took Dawn"
"Dawn?" Giles sounded extremely panicked, "What? Where? How long ago?"
"Giles, it's okay," Xander desperately tried to calm him down, "Buffy has gone to get her." Giles still looked unconvinced as he looked at the open back door with worry, "It's just Harmony and three losers from High School she's sired. Buffy can uber deal. She and Dawn will be fine"
"Y-yes, I suppose you're right," Giles struggled to push his concerns aside as he knelt down to help Xander with Anya.
As Buffy and Dawn finally reached the back door of their home, they opened the door slowly, carefully and quietly and creeped into the room silently, neither wishing to be caught returning from the slaying. This plan was ruined however by the fact that Giles was sat at the kitchen counter. He looked at the two of them silently.
"I preferred it when I only ever saw that look in the not-so-pleasant setting of the school library," Buffy grumbled, moving Dawn out of the way slightly so she could close the door.
"So…how much do you know?" Dawn asked bluntly, silently wondering how much she and her sister could talk their way around and out of.
"Dawn you know better than to give vampires invite," He said to her disapprovingly and Dawn immediately defended herself.
"It was a slip-up! I didn't mean to!"
"Just like you didn't mean to shout at Anya and shove her aside to run away at night where vampires were specifically waiting for members of this household?" Giles countered calmly.
Buffy looked between Giles and her sister and saw Dawn squirming uncomfortably as she tried to think of a way to excuse her actions. As annoyed as Buffy was with her, she couldn't not throw her a life preserver.
"Xander and Anya said they were waiting right at the door anyway Giles," Buffy reasoned, "Plus everything's sorted out right? Vamps dusted and Dawn hasn't even got a scratch,"
"For once," Dawn mumbled and Buffy threw her a look that clearly said 'don't push it'.
At that point the three of them heard Joyce come in through the front door and a moment later she walked into the kitchen.
"Sorry I'm so late," She apologized, "Everything go okay?"
As Giles went to answer he caught Dawn and Buffy's pleading looks and he inwardly sighed.
"Fine, apparently," he told her, "I only just got back a bit ago myself. The amount of different shop leases considering the abnormal amount of owners was quite a bit to look over"
"Huh?" Joyce looked at him in pure confusion, "What do you mean? What did the leases have to do with what happened?"
"I'll talk to you about that in a bit," he told her and she nodded in acceptance before looking over at Dawn.
"Well, I know at least one of us is supposed to be in bed by now," she said and Dawn smiled in reluctant acceptance before walking out of the kitchen, kissing her Mom obediently on the cheek before she left. Joyce smiled tiredly as she looked at Buffy and Giles.
"So how was the exhibit?" Buffy asked, feigning interest. Art may be her Mother's thing, but it had never been hers. Couldn't hurt to look interested once in a while though, could it?
"I'm still not sure about this," Joyce said, looking around warily at the Magic Box in all it's unopened…well not so much glory as danger, "From what Buffy said about previous owners…"
"That they have a life expectancy of a Spinal Tap drummer?" Buffy supplied and Joyce tilted her head in acknowledgement.
"Exactly…I mean is this the safest business venture?"
"Well, can any business venture be considered safe?" Giles countered from behind the shop counter with a smile.
"Don't get facetious," Joyce told him and the smile faded.
"Well," Giles cleared his throat- a clear sign his answer was going to be a serious one, "I have thought this through. I mean I was a librarian for years. This is exactly the same except people pay for the things they don't return" He walked out from behind the counter and headed over to Joyce who still looked concerned and unconvinced, "Plus, I've had more experience with all things hellmouth over the many years than any of the previous owners and with a slayer constantly making appearances I don't doubt, I'd say I have rather an edge,"
"Hmm…" Joyce sounded so very unconvinced. She thought of all the grizzly endings the previous owners had come to and she didn't want the same thing to happen to Giles.
"Stop worrying," he told her, "Trust me,"
And then they're kissing again. Buffy just rolled her eyes and headed into the backroom. Apparently they're gonna turn it into some training room for her or something. Better if it was a games room. Save the world and then have a game of foosball. It'd be the perfect balance. Mom just told me off for being so silly when I made the suggestion. Upside? She can't really have an issue with me being here anymore now that Giles owns it. So pretty much of the good there. Who knows? Maybe she'll actually let me read the contents page of one the spell books next.
Buffy keeps nagging at me to not touch or break anything. She still thinks I'm Little Miss Nobody, just her dumb little sister. Boy is she in for a surprise.
God, they're still kissing.
I'm beginning to see Buffy's point.