Magic Box, 1230 hours.

"And then I arrived here," the older Dawn said in the Magic Box as Buffy, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, and Giles sat around her at the table in the middle of the shop. It had been nearly an hour since Dawn began telling the group various details about the war back in her own timeline. And by the time she was done, the older Dawn felt exhausted after recounting all the horrors she had seen and experienced.

As were Buffy and the others- the blonde Slayer reaching out and holding the older Dawn's hand before whispering, "and now we're here. We're alive, Dawnie."

"The fighting's over," Tara said looking into the older Dawn's eyes as the latter turned towards her.

Dawn then released a breath and whispered, "it's over but… but those experiences stay with me. I… Look, there's a lot of things that happened which I wish I could change," Dawn placed a hand on her chest and spoke with sincerity, or at least as much sincerity she could manage, "but the problem with trying to fix the future is that there are unintended consequences." Dawn then turned to Willow and said, "I hated Amy. I loathed her for what she did to you."

"She tortured me," Willow said recalling what Dawn told her earlier, "but I was…"

"I was angry that she was alive, I was so angry," Dawn said as the hand she placed on the top of the table rolled into a fist while the hand that Buffy was holding tightened slightly. Buffy looked at the hand, and then back at her sister with a look of sadness at how what the latter experienced, "I wanted to kill her. To stop her before she… she hurt you. But I didn't. I couldn't kill her because she hadn't done anything."

It was Willow who breathed a sigh of relief before saying, "I knew you wouldn't kill her. I mean, even after everything that happened in your timeline…" Willow's voice trailed off as Tara looked away from Dawn and towards the edge of the left side of the table. Willow's voice seemed so far away as the redhead continued to say that Dawn knew what was right from wrong. All the while, Tara felt her heart racing in her chest.

'She's lying,' Tara thought to herself as she glanced back at the smile Dawn, who had her head turned towards Xander, had plastered on her lips. When Dawn said that she hadn't killed Amy, Tara saw a flash in Dawn's aura… a telling sign that her admission was a lie. Dawn killed Amy, that was the thought in Tara's mind. She looked away from Dawn and to Buffy who was rubbing her sister's back before the former turned her head back to the blonde Slayer.

For an instant, Tara and Dawn's eyes met. And Tara, not wanting to indicate to Dawn that she knew the truth about Amy's murder, told Dawn, "we're all here for you, Dawnie." Tara then leaned back on her seat after Dawn grinned at her before looking at Buffy who hugged her tight.

All Tara could do was watch. She knew that the others wouldn't believe that the older Dawn murdered an innocent by breaking into her and Willow's room, at least not without any proof. It wasn't until Dawn, while hugging Buffy, glanced back at her that Tara realized she was staring at the two sisters. Tara glimpsed a moment of shame from Dawn before the latter looked away.

And Tara averted her gaze to Willow. She reached out, held the redhead's hand, and then gently squeezed. Willow then turned to Tara, leaned in, and then gave a kiss on Tara's cheek before whispering, "see, I told you she didn't do anything." Tara smiled at Willow before looking away at Xander holding onto Anya, and then to Giles.

'There's no proof,' Tara reminded herself when she thought about taking Giles aside and confiding in him. She believed that he would be somewhat receptive at least to her theory of what she believed the older Dawn had done, but then again, she reminded herself that there was no proof that Dawn actually did anything. All she had was her own perspective of Dawn's aura flashing when she lied about not killing Amy.

'There is no physical proof.' Tara then resigned to her silence, turned to Willow and nodded her head after the redhead reminded her that they had class in an hour.

"How about we have dinner tonight?" Buffy said, "we'll order some pizza…"

"Some wings," Xander said with his arm around Anya.

"Some wings," Buffy repeated with a smirk while the older Dawn chuckled at Xander.

"Now that we are all set for the most part," Giles said closing his notebook where he had written the more important details of what the older Dawn had been telling them about the future. However, he noticed that the brunette hadn't mentioned anything about the man or woman who killed Tara – the very event that seemed to set off Willow's fall. He still worried about the redhead and reminded himself to contact the Devon Coven for assistance in training her. "We should not speak about event that may or may not happen to anyone other than us. Knowledge of the future, even if it's only one person who knows what could happen, is dangerous."

"Well, G-man, you did write everything down," Xander pointed at the notebook.

"I'll be keeping this hidden away from prying eyes," was Giles' reply before turning to Dawn, "Dawn, you haven't mentioned the people responsible for killing Tara. Since Buffy didn't die in this timeline against Glory, and so was not resurrected, we do not have to worry about the First Evil making any moves for the foreseeable future. However…"

Anya then understood what Giles was saying or at least trying to say, before he interjected, "you could still die, and Willow could go crazy and destroy the world."

"I would have said it with a little more tact, Anya," Giles sighed while taking off his glasses. Anya shrugged her shoulders while Buffy and Dawn frowned at her.

"I'm sorry, but there really isn't any time to be tactful," Anya sighed shaking her head before leaning forward and resting her arms on the table. "Whatever Willow could do if Tara is killed…"

"And that's a big 'if'," Buffy said looking at Tara and then at Anya, "a very big 'If'."

"If Tara dies," Anya whispered looking at Tara, and then at Buffy, "Willow could very well, in her grief, do something that will allow the First into this realm. The possibility is there."

"Which is why I hope we are all in agreement that finding the people who killed Tara in the other timeline should be sought out," Giles said, the others nodding their heads in agreement. They then turned to Dawn who was shaking her head before asking them about what Giles said about changes to the future.

"Are you gonna kill them?" Dawn asked Buffy while the others looked on. Buffy narrowed her eyes before shaking her head and saying 'no', "even if they killed Tara?"

"That was what happened in another timeline," Buffy reminded Dawn, "they haven't done anything yet." Dawn stared at Buffy and knew that her sister wouldn't kill a human unless it was absolutely necessary. She remembered the story about the Zookeeper who wanted the powers of the Hyena, she recalled the fight Buffy had with the coach of the swim team- both enemies were human and Buffy killed them in the heat of battle. 'She wouldn't harm Warren and the others because they hadn't done anything yet. And that may just get Tara killed.'

"They are dangerous," Dawn said looking at the entire group as a plan formed in her head. Dawn just had to make her argument sound convincing. "They will kill Tara. And that will force Willow into grief," Dawn turned her head to look at the redhead, "a dark grief. I…"

"I.. I will…" Willow admitted before turning towards the confused Tara who asked what she meant. Willow then took a deep breath and clarified, "I would kill them if they hurt you, baby."

"Willow," Buffy said shaking her head, "no…."

"You will not," Tara said grasping both of the redhead's hands, "no matter what happens, you have to promise me you will not do anything so foolish."

"I…."

"Promise me, Willow," Tara begged. Willow stared into Tara's eyes for a few seconds before closing them and then nodding her head while Tara continued, "It's something that I don't want." Tara then turned to the others and then back to Willow while saying, "I know what I got into when we became one, Willow. I know that either one of us could die. I've made my peace and… I mean I don't want to die. Who would want to die?" Willow tightened her grip on Tara's hands, "but if I go, then it's my time. And I don't want you going on a revenge quest."

"And we're here for you, Will," Xander said while Tara glanced at the older Dawn who was staring at them with her single eye. Tara couldn't tell what the brunette was thinking from her facial expression, nor what she was feeling from the confusing colour palate of her aura. Tara then turned her attention back to Willow while Giles leaned forward on the table and asked Dawn the question they had all been thinking.

"Who was it that killed Tara, Dawn," Giles asked. Dawn then turned to the Watcher and frowned.

"You're all making a big mistake," Dawn said shaking her head, "there's no redemption for these two… and…"

"Dawn, please," Giles whispered.

"What are you gonna do?" Dawn asked as anger crept up in her voice, just as she wanted if she was to trick the Scoobies. Dawn knew that Tara was the one who needed to be convinced that there were only two people involved in Tara's death. Dawn had almost forgotten about Tara's ability to read aura's and sense feelings. She only recalled those abilities when Tara mentioned she felt how enraged Dawn had been with Amy. So now, Dawn had to really be angry at both Andrew and Jonathon. 'This is going to have to be one convincing lie', she thought before speaking out, "tell them that they're being naughty boys and sending them to their rooms?"

"Dawn," Giles said taking off his glasses, "I realize that…"

"Jonathan burst into the backyard with a gun!" Dawn slammed her fist onto the table. Everyone jumped back at the 'thump' of the fist hitting the table-top, and at the anger that emerged from Dawn as her face started to turn red, "Buffy stopped that idiot and Andrew from robbing a bank. They wanted revenge! That idiot Jonathon rushed in and fired! He shot Buffy!"

"What?" Buffy asked her eyes widened, "Dawn, you never…"

"Xander pushed you away but you were shot!" Dawn growled as tears welled in her eyes, "he continued firing! One of the bullets hit the window in Willow's room and shot through Tara's heart! He did it! I was there with Tara's body! I…." Dawn looked away as she tried to reign in her anger, real anger and rage at remembering when she sat in a corner of Tara and Willow's room staring down at the dead witch. "Willow went dark. She saved you Buffy, but… but Tara dying? That did it for Willow."

"We'll prevent that from happening," Buffy assured Dawn who continued to shake her head.

"Wait, you said Jonathan killed Tara?" Willow asked, "which…."

"Jonathan Levinson," Dawn said as she sat back down while the others, especially Giles, Buffy, Willow, and Xander looked at each other in surprise.

Tara and Anya looked at each other before looking to the others and asked if they knew the name. It was Buffy who said that Jonathan had gone to Sunnydale High with them. Willow then mentioned that Jonathan had nearly committed suicide in the school's tower before Buffy talked him down, "and that time she thought he was going to start shooting the other students."

"Yeah," Buffy said shaking her head, "I can't imagine him killing Tara."

"People change, Buffy," Dawn whispered, anger in her voice, as hate for Jonathan grew, "you beat him and Andrew…"

"Andrew?" Anya asked.

"Andrew Wells," Dawn said, "Tucker Wells' brother."

"Oooooh," the others said.

"The Jonathan I know became… or maybe he always was… a misogynistic psychopath," Dawn said shaking her head, "he's dangerous."

"That's not the Jonathan I know," Buffy said before turning to Willow and Tara. "I need the both of you to run a location spell. I want to know where Jonathan and Andrew are at this exact moment in time. Once we find them, then we'll come up with a plan."

"Which is?" Anya asked, "I mean the plan."

"Keep an eye on them," Buffy said before telling the others about a surveillance mission on Jonathan and Andrew. "I want two teams each with either Willow or Tara." When the two witches gave her a questioning look, Buffy explained that she wanted the Scoobies tailing both Andrew and Jonathon to have witches who can use their magic to listen in to any conversations the two of them had together or alone. "But stay away and just listen in, and watch them." Buffy then turned to Xander, "Xander, you still have your army training?"

"You mean covert intel gathering?" Xander deadpanned.

"Yeah."

"Yep," he nodded his head in response while tapping the side of his head, "it's all in there."

"Alright, break off into two teams," Buffy ordered before turning to Tara and Willow, "Will, I know you said you were gonna pull back on the magic. But I need you and Tara to search for a spell that'll let you listen in, and then I need you two to perform a location spell that'll ."

"Tara and I will check on a spell for listening in," Willow nodded her head, 'no-one is hurting my Tara. No one.'

The Magic Box, forty-five minutes earlier.

The two groups were about to leave the Magic Box for their surveillance mission when the older Dawn said, "you're making a mistake, Buffy."

"Dawn," Buffy shook her head as she walked over to her sister standing by the table, "they haven't done anything yet. We know Jonathan, he's a little weird but… well…" Buffy stopped talking as she recalled the time when Jonathan used magic to alter reality so that he was the greatest hero the world has ever known. However, that magic was later dissipated and Jonathan apologized personally to Buffy for what he did to the entire planet. Back in the present day, Buffy took in a deep breath before continuing to speak, "he's made some mistakes, but he's not that bad. Whatever made him go nuts in your timeline? Well, we'll make sure it doesn't happen here. If we have to, we'll intervene and ask the both of them to join us."

"Buff…." Dawn said exasperated while thinking to herself, 'that's what you should do, Buffy. Jonathan is a good person who fell in with the bad crowd. And Andrew needs some guidance. Both of them will help you. I… I'm sorry. I'm sorry because I need you distracted… because I need you to look the other way when I take out the greatest threat to Tara… to Willow's happiness.' While Dawn was telling Buffy and the others that she couldn't be a part of a mission to watch the people who hurt her family, she thought to herself, 'I'm sorry, Buffy. But you just would not do what needs to be done. I'm sorry.'

"I get it, Dawnie," Buffy said nodding her head. Dawn had been exuding anger from her very soul, but it was anger at having seen Tara's body lying dead. It was anger at the world having ended when they failed to destroy the seed. I was her anger and rage at Angel being taken over By Twilight, it was her anger at seeing Buffy die. It was her anger at having lived through a hell that forever scared her soul that exuded off her while hearing Buffy repeat the line that they were just going to watch Andrew and Jonathan.

The older Dawn hoped that her anger and rage would confuse Tara, 'I can't look at her. Just stare at Buffy. Just stare at Buffy.'

"I'll make sure your future never happens," Buffy whispered as she took a few steps forward and then hugged the older Dawn. Dawn then wrapped her arms around Buffy's back and hugged her tight. This was her sister. Yes, a younger version of the sister she knew… but her sister nevertheless. And Dawn just hugged her for a few more seconds before parting. Dawn watched Buffy and a seemingly unaware Tara leave the Magic Box while she, Giles, and Anya were left behind to tend to the store.

Sighing, the older Dawn then told Giles that she was going for a movie.

"Dawn," Giles called before the older Dawn turned, put her hands into her pockets, and then walked towards the counter, "perhaps you should wait for your younger self. It would be better if you went with someone, and…"

"I'm fine, Giles," Dawn said chuckling, "look, I know you think I'm suffering from a bad case of PTSD and a whole lot of other acronyms." Dawn then shrugged, "and maybe I am. I lived through a hell, Giles. I just need some time to get used to this whole new timeline."

"I…." Giles was about to continue speaking. But Dawn then interjected.

"Look, you guys are gonna be here when the younger me is done with school," the older Dawn said, her eyes shifting to the wall clock before shifting back to Giles, "just keep an eye on her… well… on me… the younger me, like you've always done, Giles."

"Of course."

"And…." Dawn placed her hands on the glass counter as she remembered how much Buffy had struggled financially back in her own timeline, especially after she came back from the dead, "Giles, Buffy is the longest serving Slayer."

"She is." Gilles agreed.

"She will be a Slayer for a very long time. She will save the world many times over," Dawn said, "she fought like crazy before sacrificing her life for me and others to escape. Giles, in my timeline Buffy died after she jumped into the portal that Doc opened. When she was brought back months later, we…" Dawn closed her eyes as she remembered how stressed Buffy had been before she stared at Giles while Anya looked on, "we were nearly bankrupt."

"But the money from Joyce's life insurance… it should have…" Anya said before being interrupted by Dawn while Giles look on in stunned silence.

"The money was used to pay the medical bills," the Older Dawn said as she looked at Anya, and then at Giles, "you helped when you could but… it wasn't enough. Buffy had to work at a dead-end job and… and it was a struggle." The older Dawn stared at Giles before continuing, "Giles, can you talk to the Council about giving Buffy a stipend."

Giles narrowed his eyes before looking away, his expression indicating that he was deep in thought.

"Slayers are supposed to live for at most a year," the older Dawn said, "and Buffy's been doing it for far longer than that, and she's saved the world many times over. She deserves something from the Council, Giles. Especially now."

"I should have thought about this earlier," Giles whispered looking back at Dawn, "let me call the Council. You do realize that this has never been done before? The Council paying a Slayer."

"I know," Dawn said, "but Buffy's unique. And times have changed, Giles. She has to look after my younger self, she has the house, she has… has so many things. She deserves something."

"She does," Giles agreed taking off his glasses, "I'll talk to Quintin."

"Okay," Dawn said as she stepped back, 'now they're gonna be distracted with this', "I'm gonna go out for a movie. I'll be back later tonight? We'll meet up here?"

"Yes, of course," Giles nodded his head before he turned around and shuttled back to his office with Anya rushing behind him. The older Dawn smiled before she turned and headed for the front door while thinking to herself, 'it's Warren's turn. And then I check in on Spike. Hopefully, he's left the city.'

The Mears Household, forty-five minutes later.

The older Dawn walked up to the cream coloured house. She stood on the sidewalk, just steps away from the walkway that led past the front lawn to the porch, and then the front door of the man who caused so many problems for her and her family. It was just after she left the Magic Box that Dawn took a cab back to the Summers family home where she rushed to Buffy's battle chest. Opening the cover, Dawn reached and grabbed a dagger which she then placed in-between her jeans and the small of her back. She then covered the hilt and handle of the blade with her shirt.

'Now for the second step,' Dawn thought as she walked into the middle of the living room and mumbled a spell. The same spell that cloaked her while sending a surge of energy out into the world to mimic her lifesigns in case Tara was checking in on her. After having released that energy, Dawn then performed a location spell for not just Warren, but Buffy and the others as well; the older Dawn wanted to be sure that her family was nowhere near Warren when she made him pay.

'Ummm…' Dawn thought tilting her head as she stared at a dot that represented Warren on a map of Sunnydale which was etched into the air over the living room carpet, 'thought you would have gone away from here, Warren. Especially after you built the Buffybot.' Dawn then smiled before dissipating the spell- Warren was back at his home while Buffy and the others were on the other side of the city. The older Dawn walked out of the house, then turned left on the sidewalk, and then she went on over to the main street where she caught another cab that took her to the neighbourhood where Warren lived.

And now, after walking through the neighbourhood with the face of Lilian, one of the dead Slayers from her timeline, Dawn found herself knocking on the front door. She felt the warm sheath of the dagger against her lower back as she put her arm down upon hearing a male voice on the other side, followed by footsteps rushing to the door.

"What?" Warren yelled upon opening the door. But Dawn could see he was about to say something else before stopping himself once laying eyes on her. Warren then slicked back his hair with his left hand and straightened his shirt with his right and asked in a gentler voice, "may I help you?"

"I'm sorry," the older, disguised, Dawn said with a southern drawl while she, as Lilian wearing a yellow sundress with thin straps on her shoulders, smiled at the man, "I thought I was knocking on the right door. You're not Liam."

"No, I'm not," Warren said leaning against the door frame while he eyed 'Lilian's' full lips. Dawn's skin crawled as she suppressed a shudder of disgust when Warren's eyes shifted down from her lips, to the thin straps that were around her shoulders, to her cleavage, and then down to her legs and back up again. "And I'm sorry I'm not. But you know, you could come in and have a drink. It's a hot day, and…"

"You're so sweet," 'Lilian' chuckled standing at the doorway while Warren continued eyeing her and licking his lips, "If you could give me directions to Liam's home, I would be in your debt."

"Liam's your boyfriend, or…"

"No," chuckled 'Lilian' shaking her head, "just an important… how would I say… an important man in my life. He looks after me real fine."

"Looks after you, does he?" Warren said, his eyes gleaming while Dawn felt as if she wanted to vomit. "Where does this Liam of yours live?" 'Lilian' then gave the man the same address before saying that Liam lived there- right in Warren's home. She explained that they had met on a dating site and hit it off. She then excitedly said that she was in love with the man. And it was then that Warren chuckled before saying that she was at the right address, but there was no Liam living there. "But I wish I was on that site though," Warren smirked at 'Lilian'.

"But he gave me this address and everything," the southern belle, who was now confused, said looking into Warren's eyes, "I came to Sunnydale to see him and… and he said he would take care of me."

"Oh, you poor girl," Warren continued to chuckle as he looked at the sadness on her face when she realized the situation she was in before saying that 'Lilian' was most likely pranked into coming to Sunnydale, 'what a naïve girl' Warren thought while asking if she had some bags with her.

"I wanted to thank him for letting me visit him," 'Lilian' said as her face turned scarlet while she looked away, "so I… I brought only this set of clothes on my back." 'Lilian' then turned her head back to the confused look on Warren's face. She stared at Warren who, after a few seconds, opened his eyes wide as he realized why it was that the girl in front of him brought only the clothes on her back, "he said he loved me. And that he was going to show me his love, and…"

"Okay," Warren interrupted while thinking, 'she's really a naïve girl'. "I'm sorry you were tricked," he said as he tried to turn this situation around to his benefit- 'after all', he thought to himself, 'how many times do I have a hottie like this one stand on my porch.' Warren then stepped back into his house and to the side, "you can come in and stay here until you have to leave. I swear that I'm a gentleman."

'Sure you are,' Dawn sarcastically thought to herself while 'Lilian' nodded her head before saying that she didn't want to bother him, "I have a flight back to New Orleans in three days, and in the meantime, I can…"

"Three days?" Warren asked.

"Yes," 'Lilian' nodded her head before continuing, "I'll get a hotel room, and then call my daddy, and ask him to send me some money to…"

"Or you could stay here for three days," Warren said motioning into his home.

'Lilian' chuckled before saying in her sweet southern voice, "you are simply too kind. But that would be an imposition on you, and…"

"No imposition at all," Warren said as he reached out with one hand. 'Lilian' grabbed the hand with a wide smile before being gently pulled into the house, "you can use my phone." Warren then closed the front door and stared at 'Lilian' who was looking around the house. The woman then looked back at him and asked for the phone so that she could call her father. "Oh right," Warren exclaimed before motioning to follow him, "but I do get to take you out to dinner."

"Isn't it dangerous to let in stranger into your home?" 'Lilian' sweetly said following Warren.

"Not when they look as beautiful as you," Warren said looking over his shoulder as they approached the phone. "Don't worry, I have a room here that you can stay for the three days."

"Oh?" 'Lilian' said in an embarrassed tone while Warren smirked at her while eyeing her like a piece of meat.

"My parents will be out of town for the week," said Warren turning his head back to the phone which was a few steps away, 'and you can stay in my room. With me. Now, I'll let her talk on the phone while I go back down and get something that'll have her become putty in my hands. I think mom has some extra bottle of her sleeping pills in the restroom.' Nearing the phone, with Warren's back facing her, the young man never saw 'Lilian' dissipate leaving only Dawn in her shirt and jeans following him. Warren never saw her pull out the dagger from behind the small of her back. And he never saw the dagger being swiftly and cleanly stabbed into his back.

"Ack!" Warren choked turning around after he was pushed away by Dawn after she pulled the knife out of his back. As he turned he gasped again when he saw the one-eyed woman rush forward. He tried to push her away with her hands, but missed, and then felt something slice his throat. He stumbled back while reaching behind him as warm liquid flowed down his back before stumbling onto the floor with the phone and the table it stood upon. He then wrapped a hand around the cut on his neck to stop the bleeding, but he could still feel the blood flowing free through his fingers. Warren saw that the southern belle in the orange sundress was gone. All he saw right now was a one-eyed woman with brown hair holding a bloody dagger that had fresh blood dripping onto the carpet. And the question in his mind was, 'why?'

And as if she read his mind, Warren got his answer just as his eyes were getting heavy from the loss of blood, "this is for the pain you could have caused, you bitch."

"B… bitch," Warren repeated as he lay in a pool of his own blood on the carpet. The older Dawn saw the young man close his eyes before she looked around the home and then smiled. Dawn reactivated the glamour once again when he stopped breathing.

She then raised her left hand at the body and whispered, "be glad I gave you this mercy. You don't deserve it." Dawn then stared at the body while closing her eye and mumbling a spell. She then opened her one eye and said, "ignis." Dawn then turned around as the body started to smoke. She opened the door as thicker smoke started to burst out of Warren's open mouth, nostrils, ears, and every other opening. She mentally shut the door behind her while putting the dagger back into its sheath at the small of her back.

And she walked away, a weight off her shoulders, as Warren's body began to be engulfed in flames.

Walking to the sidewalk, Dawn smelled burning flesh and a smile appeared on her face as she turned left. She, as Lilian, looked over her shoulder while flames could be seen through one of the windows. She knew that the fire spell wouldn't stop until its target was consumed. And that meant Warren's body, and the entire house. This time, Dawn was leaving nothing to chance as the flames started to spread in the house. Willow, her timeline's Willow, had told her that the pain from the spell, with the fire literally burning the body from inside out, was excruciating and the victim would scream loudly while still flailing around.

And Dawn saw that spell in action a few days after Buffy died when a team searching for food and more survivors was confronted by demons. Willow used that very spell to burn them while using another spell that kept the burning demons away from her and her group so that they did not get burned. And that was why Dawn needed to stab Warren- to get him to stay still. The Older Dawn really wanted to hear Warren scream, but she thought it better to just make the death as quick as possible… especially since his screams would have attracted suspicions from the neighbours.

'Now, this would be another mystery that the Sunnydale Police Department could never solve,' the older Dawn thought in relief, 'And now Tara is safe. Next stop, Spike.'

TBC.