Buffy watched Dawn with eager eyes. It was nice to see her sister looking back at her without the hatred. The ever present sneer was gone. She settled back against Oz's arm and smiled. This was good, so good.
She was happy despite the conversation and the rampant stupidity. Dawn shifted and looked toward Xander as he paced the room.
"So, you're living here?" Xander eyed Ethan.
"For as long as the more permanent residents allow." Ethan nodded.
"And you're both okay with this?" Xander glared at Giles and then turned to face her and Oz. "Have you lost your mind? This is Ethan Rayne."
"He stays, Xander. This isn't your house and you have no say in what goes on here." Giles stood and placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder.
"But he's done so many bad things." Xander waved his hand at Ethan. "Tattooing Eyghon's symbol on Buffy, Band Candy, Halloween, and Fyarl Giles. Do any of you even remember what he's done?"
"I know the list. Giles has a longer one." Buffy sat forward and looked over at Ethan with a shrug. "He's one of the family now. Just the way it is, Xander."
"You've added a lot of people to the family." Dawn coughed and slid forward in her seat. "I mean where were they at Christmas?"
"Leading their own lives. When Giles called them and asked them to help, they came." Buffy stood up. "You two are family to me. I want that, but you don't get to sit in judgement of other members of my family. Are we clear?"
Dawn looked to Xander. They were so suspect of everyone's motivations. Buffy rubbed the back of her neck and considered her options. They weren't going to agree to let Giles and Ethan make with the mojo. She looked between them. Her slayer senses flared.
"Not everything's kosher in Denmark." Buffy looked over at Giles and he nodded.
"What the hell does Denmark have to do with anything?" Xander stopped and turned to look at her. "Please, tell me why I should trust these guys."
"You don't have to trust them." Buffy grabbed his hand. It was damp with sweat. "To be honest, I don't care if you ever do, but you're going to let them do this spell or we are done. You worked black magic on me without a thought for my feelings. I've been nice about it. I'm willing to put the past behind us, but you must do this first."
"That's coercion, Buffy." Dawn crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm your sister. You can't be done with me."
"Actually, I can. I had things split off for you two years ago. You aren't dependent on me anymore. I wanted to be sure you had everything you needed without any hassle." Buffy sighed and let go of Xander.
"Why would you do that?" Dawn looked at her with wide, watery eyes.
"I didn't plan to be alive at this point, Dawn. I started going after big game when you left for college. I kept a little money, but I transferred everything else to you. You had a future and I had a past. It was that simple." Buffy shrugged.
"So, you were trying to die?" Giles asked with a sigh.
Xander paled and Dawn looked like she wanted to puke.
"No, I was trying to do my job to the best of my ability. I am what I am for a reason." Buffy looked at Oz. "I thought my life was over, my purpose was gone. There was all this pain. I had to do something. I wanted to go out in battle, yeah, but I wasn't trying to die. If I had, the Immortal would have taken me out."
"That's a fine line to walk, Buffy." Giles left Ethan and came over to her. "I would have been destroyed."
"That's why I didn't offer Drusilla my throat and beg her for relief. She would have taken me beyond saving and I still could have staked her." Buffy hugged Giles. "I couldn't give up and I couldn't live. Thank you for giving me a home again. It helped so much."
"What does any of this have to do with letting them do spells on us?" Xander looked markedly uncomfortable.
"It doesn't, but you're both gonna let them do this. You're gonna do this for me, or I'm gonna knock you both out and they are gonna do it anyway."
"You had an awful lot to say earlier, Oz." Dawn snarled. "Cat got your tongue?"
"I sure hope not." Buffy smiled from ear to ear. "I have a lot of use for it."
"Yeah, your bodyguard's real fond of laying down the law." Xander glared as Ethan and Giles started chanting.
"He's not my bodyguard. I don't need a bodyguard." Buffy laughed and put a hand over her stomach. "At least, not yet."
Oz raised an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth curved up slightly. It was a private look and Buffy paused, lost for a moment in the joy of it.
"What the hell do you mean by not yet?" Dawn looked from Buffy to Oz.
"We need to shelve that discussion for a later time, my dear." Ethan Frowned as he looked into a bowl of water. "The individual that put these spells on your family is currently draining young Willow down."
"Willow can take care of herself." Dawn shook her head. "And even if she couldn't Kennedy got in late last night."
"Someone close to her but having limited contact with Xander." Giles sighed and slumped. "It had to be a slayer. Damn."
"What does that mean?" Dawn and Xander spoke at the same time.
"We can't all be perfect." Buffy smiled. "I'll try not to kill her."
"You can't kill Kennedy. She's our friend." Dawn glared at Buffy. "Tell her not to do this, Giles"
"Could someone please tell me what's going on?" Xander turned to Giles.
"No." Giles looked at Buffy. "Are you sure you can handle this?"
"Lift the spells." Buffy yanked open the closet and grabbed the scythe. She closed her eyes as its power pushed through her. "I'll go save Willow. Oz, you with me?"
"Saving the ex? I can swing it." He nodded.
"Great, grab an axe." Buffy pulled their coats out and tossed his to him.
"Don't need it." Oz tilted his head as he slid his jacket on.
"Yeah, yeah." Buffy slid into her jacket and stowed the scythe in its guitar case cover. "Lesson the first. You've always got your weapons."