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New York Police Precinct

Night

At her desk, Dawn was going over a report when a familiar voice spoke up.

"This reminds me of seeing you do your homework back in Sunnydale."

Startled by the voice, Dawn whipped her head up, stunned to see Willow standing a few feet away, looking like a proud mother as she smiled at Dawn.

"Will, hi!" Dawn said excitedly as she got up and walked over, throwing her arms around Willow.

"Hey Dawnie," Willow said happily as they shared a loving embrace.

"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you," Dawn said as they released each other and the smile left Willow's face.

"I'm sorry to kind of throw this on you, but Dawnie we need your help," Willow said carefully and Dawn immediately understood.

"This is about the killings," Dawn said, feeling foolish for not having realized it earlier.

"Yeah. I know it's awkward, but all our police connects have dried up. And if a vampire is doing this-"

"One is," Dawn interrupted Willow, who looked at her in surprise. "Another body was found, killed like all the others. I called Spike and he came to check it out. He confirmed it's a vampire behind this."

"And he said it reminded him of some of Angelus's work?" Willow guessed and Dawn nodded.

"He told me Buffy had reached out as well, but I prefer the opinion of someone who can see face to face what I'm dealing with," Dawn said and Willow nodded.

"I get that. I guess you deal in facts now, not just instincts and feelings," Willow noted and Dawn smiled slightly.

"I wouldn't say that. I learned a long time ago that feeling and instinct is almost as important as facts and evidence. But a bad cop is a cop who values one over the other," Dawn said and a beat passed. "Is she here?"

"We're all at a hotel. I know you're still mad at Buffy for what happened, but there's a vampire out there killing people. We specialize in that kind of thing. And I know the girl I helped raise won't put pride and bitterness over innocent lives," Willow said and Dawn was silent for a long moment.

"What do you need?" Dawn finally asked.

"Everything you have on the murders. We need to know everything the police haven't released to the public," Willow explained and Dawn nodded.

"I have my own files. I'll drop them by tomorrow before I go to work, just text me the name of your hotel and what room you're staying at," Dawn said, to Willow's relief.

"Of course. Thank you Dawn," Willow said gratefully.

"Like you said, innocent people are dying, it's more important than hurt feelings. But if Buffy thinks she can use this as an excuse to worm her way back into my life, I need to be clear. I will give you the files and anything you may need, but that's all. I don't think it's a good idea for me to work with Buffy."

"I understand. I'll let everyone know," Willow said, a little disappointed but not surprised.

Considering how everything had been left between Dawn and Buffy, it was a bit of a surprise Dawn was even willing to let them have the files.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry this is what it takes for us to see each other again," Willow said and Dawn smiled sadly.

"Me too. Maybe once all this is over, we can try and see each other for things that don't involve supernatural killers," Dawn offered.

"I'd like that. I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Willow said before awkwardly leaving.

"Yeah…guess so," Dawn said with a heavy sigh, wondering how she was going to deal with this.

Dawn and Peter's apartment

Later that night

Peter was doing dishes, having eaten dinner and put something in the fridge for Dawn when he heard the key turn in the door before Dawn walked in. Peter put the plate he had been drying away when he saw the look on Dawn's face.

"Did something happen? Another body?" Peter asked in concern.

"No, nothing like that," Dawn quickly assured him and Peter relaxed slightly.

"So why do you look like Thanos just dusted your best friend?" Peter asked in confusion and Dawn grimaced.

"My sister is in town," Dawn said with a sigh. "She got word about the killings and came to investigate."

"Oh," was all Peter could say.

It wasn't like he was unaware of what Dawn's sister did for a living, given the first time he and Dawn had met; he'd stumbled on her fighting off a vampire. But he was also aware of the volatile history between the sisters, and although Dawn had never told him why they cut off contact. But it wasn't any of his business. If Dawn ever wanted to tell him, she would.

"So what are you gonna do?" Peter asked after a moment and Dawn sighed.

"I agreed to give them my files on the murders; I'm dropping them off at their hotel tomorrow," Dawn said with a shrug. "Beyond that, hopefully we won't have to see each other and one of us can find this killer before it's too late."

At the tone of her voice, Peter shot her a look, knowing she was trying to convince herself as much as him. At his look, Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Okay, maybe I'm fooling myself. But is it so bad that I don't want to see her?" Dawn asked as she plopped down on their couch.

"No. In your place, I can't say I'd react any differently. But we might not have a choice. If we're all working the same case, it just be a matter of time before you run into her at work. You might want to prepare yourself for that," Peter said as he sat down next to her.

"Maybe," Dawn admitted before looking over at him with a slight smirk. "You're far better at the pep talks than Buffy ever was."

"I will take that as a compliment," Peter said with a laugh.

A laugh that was cut off when the door suddenly opened and Spike came in.

"The demons in this town are wusses. Barely even had to beat one to get some answers," Spike said before noticing they seemed in an intense conversation. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Did you know Buffy was in town?" Dawn asked as she looked over her shoulder at her sister's…boyfriend? Lover? She never knew what to call Spike and Buffy's relationship.

"No, she doesn't really share her plans with me when I'm not there. I come and go as I please, not really part of their inner circle," Spike explained with a shrug. "But is it really such a surprise Big Sis decided to check out these murders?"

"Guess not," Dawn said with a heavy sigh.

"Did you find anything Spike?" Peter asked, reminding them of what Spike had come in for.

"Yeah, took until I got to the third demon hangout around here, but one of them finally knew something. There are rumors going around of a human who can control vampires and make them kill," Spike explained and the couple looked at him in disbelief.

"You're telling me that this is a human making a vampire kill?" Peter asked in disbelief.

"It makes sense. It bothered me how obvious this bloke was being. Since humans got less superstitious, vampire usually don't go out of their way to be too obvious. They kill, yeah, but they make sure to do it in a way that only those in the know can figure out it was a vampire," Spike explained as Peter and Dawn listened intently.

"So we're not looking for a vampire…we're looking for a human," Dawn muttered.

"Or at least a vampire behaving strangely," Spike added.

Hotel

Same time

"It could have gone worse," Faith said once Willow relayed her meeting with Dawn to the rest of them.

"She's agreed to give us the information on the killings, so I count this as a good sign," Giles said a bit too hopefully.

"She also said she doesn't want anything to do with us G-Man," Xander pointed out.

"You're being awfully quiet B," Faith noted as they all looked over at Buffy, who was sitting on the couch, completely silent.

"What exactly do you want me to say Faith? Dawn has made it clear how she feels about me; she wants nothing to do with me. I can't force her to want me in her life," Buffy said trying to sound calm although they could see how upset this made her.

"Buffy, did you ever…apologize to her for what happened?" Willow asked after a moment.

"What would the point be? Dawn made it very clear the last time we saw each other she hates me now," Buffy pointed out.

"Little D was pissed. You never said something you didn't mean because you mad?" Faith pointed out and Buffy was silent.

"'I'm sorry' can go a long way Buffy," Xander said gently.

"Have you apologized to her?" Buffy asked and Xander was silent. "Well, when you do, let me know how that goes. Right now, I have a killer to find."

"Speaking of vampires, um, Buffy, there's something you should know," Willow said as she remembered something Dawn had said. "Spike's in town. And he's helping Dawn look into this."

"What?" Buffy asked as she looked at her best friend startled.

"It makes sense; he's the only vampire she trusts. And he's helped her before," Faith noted and they all looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "Dawn's called him a few times when she thinks a case has a connection to the supernatural. Spike didn't tell you?"

"No," Buffy said, not sure whether to feel angry he didn't or relieved that Dawn had someone she could count on in these kinds of things. "He told you?"

"Not willingly. He was at her apartment one time I called her and he answered the phone. Little D made me promise to keep it a secret but since the cat's out of the bag," Faith shrugged.

"How come he gets forgiven but we don't?" Xander grumbled unhappily.

"Because he didn't have a soul when he did what he did. Seriously Xan-Man? What are you, five?" Faith asked incredulously and Xander had the sense to look sheepish at his immaturity.

"I do not believe there is anything more that we can do until weget those files from Dawn," Giles said after a few moments. "We do not know the city or the demon hangouts. It would be unwise to attempt to track this vampire down."

"Yeah…yeah, you're right," Buffy said with a heavy sigh. "We'll meet here tomorrow morning. For now, let's head to our rooms, get some sleep. I have a feeling we won't be getting much until this vampire is dust."


Later that night, in the room they had been given, Willow and Faith laid in bed, Willow drifting off to sleep as Faith lazily stroked her hair.

"Are you mad at me? For keeping what was going on from Spike and Dawn from you?" Faith asked quietly, her voice jolting Willow awake.

"No, of course not," Willow assured her, rolling over so she was face to face with her lover. "I understand keeping a promise to a friend. Especially when things are so tense between Buffy and Dawn. I don't blame you for keeping her trust. You're loyal to the people who are loyal to you; it's one of the reasons why I love you."

A smile flashed across Faith's face, the same smile that she had every time Willow said she loved her. And every time she did, Willow would curse her teenage self for being so unreasonably jealous and hostile towards Faith. Such petty, bitter feelings had prevented her from seeing the amazing woman that had been beneath the cocky, lonely front. And as Faith leaned over, capturing her lips with her own, Willow put such thoughts behind her, focusing on the here and now.

"We're supposed to be sleeping," Willow said between kisses as Faith rolled her onto her back and got on top of her.

"Do you want me to stop?" Faith asked with a cheeky grin.

"God no."

Faith laughed at Willow's blunt response before they resumed kissing, slowing beginning to remove the redhead's sleepwear.


In her own room, Buffy laid down in bed, looking at a picture from her wallet. It was of her and Dawn, back before their mother had died. Buffy had thrown her arms around Dawn and, although Dawn tried to look annoyed, she hadn't been able to help the smile on her face. Buffy wasn't sure who had taken the picture, either Joyce or Willow, but she was always had it in her wallet.

Buffy stared at the picture for a moment before putting it back in her wallet. Rolling over, she closed her eyes, trying to get back to sleep, even as her thoughts were of her fractured relationship with her sister.

Know I said that Dawn would meet up with the Scoobies this chapter, but I felt it was too soon without a chapter of Dawn dealing with the knowledge of Buffy being in town.

First, Willow/Tara is my OTP for Buffyverse and one of my favorite ships of all time. But, with that said, a post season six Willow and Faith is certainly an interesting ship that could have been explored. And anyone is better than Kennedy.