Chapter 4: Flooded

October 16, 2001 – Tuesday

Summers Home

Dawn watched, phone in hand, from the stairs as Buffy moved about the basement. "So, we meet at last, Mister Drippy," Buffy said as she looked at a leaking, groaning water pipe. She held up her wrench and began to tighten the pipe with a few twists.

"Want me to call a plumber?" Dawn questioned.

"No," Buffy countered.

"You sure?" Dawn asked.

"Yes," Buffy said glancing toward her sister. "I'm on it, okay?" She twisted the pipe shut with one final twist and leaking stopped.

The leaking didn't stay stopped though as every other pipe behind Buffy burst open, spewing water in a dozen different directions at once.

Dawn groaned as the spray started to soak her to the bone. "Shift into Turbo!" she cried. "White Phoenix Turbo Power!" she finished as she morphed.

Buffy frowned wondering why Dawn was morphing, then she turned around and her eyes went wide.

October 17, 2001 – Wednesday

Summers Home

Willow and Tara sat at the kitchen table as Buffy and Dawn stood beside the sink. Buffy turned on the kitchen sink water faucet and stares at the stream of water pouring out of it.

"Dawnie," Tara said drawing the Ranger's attention to her. "You're not eating breakfast?"

"Not hungry," Dawn told Tara as she looked down at her bowl of cereal and meant every word of what she said. Her worry over how they were going to pay the plumber was seriously ruining her appetite.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Dawn," Buffy told her sister as she turned on the kitchen tap. "It's unbelievably important," she continued in a trance-like voice as she watched the water pour from the tap as Dawn looked at her in concern. "You should eat breakfast at least three times a day."

Willow moved over to the sink and turned off the faucet, breaking Buffy out of her trance.

"I'll, um, grab something before school," Dawn informed her sister as the cellar door opened and Xander led a large man out of the basement.

"And a big Sunnydale round of applause for Tito the amazing Plumber extraordinaire," Xander chirped.

"So, how's it looking down there?" Tara wondered.

"Like we should start gathering up two of every animal," Xander admitted sadly.

"Basically, your pipes are shot," Tito explained. "I mean, the whole system's going to have to be replaced. You need the full copper re-pipe down there."

"Full copper re-pipe?" Willow questioned looking from Tara to Dawn. "That sounds potentially pricey."

"If you have any questions, our number is on the invoice," Tito informed them as he handed Buffy the bill before walking out of the house.

Dawn peered over Buffy's shoulder at the bill and grimaced.

XANDER

"Tito cut you a good deal down there," Xander informed Buffy. "Those are his bargain prices. I did a little haggling for you."

"Thank you," Buffy said as she smiled at him. "So? We'll pay him, what's the big deal."

Dawn, Willow and Tara all exchanged looks.

"Uh, Buffy, I know you're still getting back on your feet after…" Willow started.

"Lying flat on my back?" Buffy finished with casual aplomb.

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "But there's some money stuff we have to talk to you about."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy sat at the coffee table going through her checkbook as she laughed. "So, okay, you're telling me Dawn and I are broke?"

Everyone watched Buffy, looking very much concerned.

"Sadly yes," Dawn sighed. "If you remember mom's will had her life insurance going into her estate so it couple be split between you and me evenly."

"Because of that," Tara said taking over the explanation. "The estate paid off her outstanding debts first, which included the medical bills."

"Yeah, they pretty much sucked up all the money," Willow finished.

"Which you're still hemorrhaging, by the way," Anya interjected.

"How'd I do that?" Buffy questioned.

"What Anya means," Dawn cut in. "We still have bills to pay. Electricity, phone, the insurance on the house. I had the foresight to ask Willow and Tara to pay rent when they moved in to help out. But being college students well…"

"We have limited funds," Willow informed her friend. "Pretty much Tara and I gave Dawn everything we saved by moving out of the dorms. That money is running out. And my parents are adamant about not giving me more than what it would cost to live in the dorm to live in someone else's house."

"And after the fight with my dad last year, I've been pretty much cut off and disowned," Tara added.

"What about mom's gallery? Or child support payments for Dawn?" Buffy questioned. "Isn't there money coming in from those?"

"The gallery was sold by the estate, Buffy. Against my objections I might add. I tried to have the Buffybot tell them we could reopen the gallery and use it for a source of income. Mom's lawyers didn't agree," Dawn answered sadly. "All we have left is the house. And yes, we are getting some payments from dad for me. But it's not enough to cover everything."

Buffy nodded as she looked at her sister. "I'll take care of this. I promise. I just don't know how yet," she informed her.

"I know how," Anya cut in as everyone looked at her. "If you want to pay every bill that's coming, and have enough left over to start a nice college fund for Dawn?" She paused for dramatic effect. "Start charging."

"For what?" Buffy questioned.

"Slaying vampires!" Anya answered excitedly. "You provide a valuable service to the whole community. I say, cash in."

"Well, that's an idea…you would have," Buffy said dismissing the suggestion.

"Buffy, if you think about it," Dawn cut in. "It's not really farfetched. Angel does it after all in L.A."

"I know he does," Buffy said. "But that's not who I am, Dawn. And that shouldn't be who you are either. We shouldn't be charging innocent people for saving their lives."

"Spider Man does," Anya informed them.

"He does not!" Dawn countered. "Xander?"

"Action is his reward," Xander told his girlfriend reluctantly.

"Why are you never on my side?" Anya cried as she stood up and walked out of the house.

"What are you talking about?" Xander cried. "Not on your side? Anya! I am your side!" he said as he followed his girlfriend out the door.

Streets of Sunnydale

Buffy sat quietly, dressed in a blazer, blouse, and skirt; her hair up in a conservative bun. She glanced over at her sister as Dawn drove her down the street in the Phoenix Racer. Dawn had explained to Buffy that she had gotten her learner's permit while her sister was gone. To the people on the street the Zord looked like a sports car, which was because the Zord had multiple modes. Flight and Racer for both Vehicle size and Zord size uses.

"You are kind of quiet," Dawn said with a quick glance at her sister.

"Just thinking," Buffy answered as the bank came into sight and Dawn pulled the Zord over at the curb.

SUNNYDALE SECURITIES BANK

Buffy sat before the loan officer's desk. "There's a first time for everything, is my philosophy," she said practicing what she would tell the loan officer. "This is my first big loan…Collateral? No problem…No problem…Love the tie…I'm a problem solver…Let's crunch those numbers!" She glanced over at her sister and sighed.

"It's okay, Buffy," Dawn informed her. "You sure you don't want me to morph? I could use my Ranger status to help you like I did for Xander when he got his apartment."

"While the thought is appreciated, Dawn," Buffy said as she smiled at her sister. "We should try this the hard way first." She glanced down at her skirt. "Stupid skirt," she muttered as she scooted the skirt out from under her.

It was then that the loan officer, Mr. Savitsky, walked into his office and sat across from the sisters.

"Hi," Buffy and Dawn greed.

"Sorry to keep you both waiting," he apologized. "I'm Carl Savitsky. Loan Officer."

"I'm Buffy Summers. Loan Applier-for," Buffy said as she smiled and he nodded. "And this is my sister, Dawn." She laid a thick file of papers on his desk. "I didn't know what you'd need to see exactly, so I brought in everything. I'm very responsible that way."

Mr. Savitsky nodded again as he smiled comfortingly. "Okay. I don't think I'll need this…or these…old report cards, definitely not…" he said going through the folder. He handed most of the papers back to Buffy.

"Um, so…about my getting a loan…?" Buffy stated.

"Yes," he cut in. "Well, what we've got here is, financially, a bit of a tangle," he informed them.

"I know. And I figured you could just cut through that tangle with scissors," Buffy said as she gestured using scissors. "Where the loan is the scissors." She looked at him hopefully.

"Ms. Summers, the only collateral you have is your house, which was never fully leveraged, and has been losing equity over the last several years," he informed her. "For some reason, Sunnydale property values have never been competitive."

"What about the fact we have a Power Ranger for a reference?" Dawn cut in.

"I wish that could make all the world of difference," he said sadly. "While that is tremendous that you know one of them well enough for them to give a reference. I'm afraid just their word alone isn't going to be enough."

Buffy glanced at her sister as she tried to hide her growing horror. "Are you saying you won't give us a loan?" she asked looking back at Mr. Savitsky.

"Well the problem is, you have no income. No job…" he informed her.

All of a sudden a security guard's body came crashing through a teller's window, sending glass spraying as he landed with a painful thud on Mr. Savitsky's desk before rolling off and onto the floor.

Buffy and Dawn leapt to their feet spinning around to see a tall, green demon that had barged into the bank creating what could only be described as one hell of a riot. Next the demon picked up a bank customer and tossed him after the security guard. There were screams, but for some odd reason—none of the other customers actually made a move to get out of the demon's way. They just stood there and screamed. "No job, I wish," Buffy said resigned.

Dawn frowned. "Shift into Turbo!" she called out. "White Phoenix Turbo Power!" The loan officer's eyes went wide as he watched Dawn morph. He heard her whispering about her being the reference.

The sisters rushed over to the demon.

The demon paused in its roaring and destruction-causing-activity when the Slayer and Ranger stood in front of him. He looked down at them as though wondering what the heck they were doing there.

"Are you in the wrong line?" Buffy asked him. "That's for deposits, that's for withdrawals and this one? Is for getting kicked in the face"

Before the demon could even start to reply the sisters both delivered a sharp and powerful high forward front kick in perfect unison, causing the demon's jaw to crack loudly and his head snapped to the side.

"She told you," the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger said with a shrug.

The demon backhanded Buffy so powerfully in response, she was sent rushing along the floor into one of the barriers. He turned toward the Ranger and before he could send her flying as well, she hit him with three roundhouse kicks in quick succession, sending him staggering backwards.

Buffy quickly got to her feet and rejoined her sister as the three of them engaged into a full-on fight, one in which Slayer and Ranger quickly gained the upper hand. That is, until the demon picked Buffy up off the floor and threw her into the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger knocking them both to the floor.

They jumped back up to attack the demon. Both Slayer and Ranger got in a few good solid punches to the demon's jaw, arms, and torso, before it seemed to decide it was fighting a losing battle and it ran out of the store.

"Chicken," Buffy muttered as everyone eyed her and her sister. They returned to Mr. Savitsky, who stood at his desk, in shock. "Now, about our loan…I'm not saying that my sister and I are charging you for saving your life or anything. But let's talk rates."

Mr. Savitsky looked at them, dumbly.

The Magic Box

"He still turned you down?! That's crazy!" Willow cried as she watched Buffy and Dawn sparring. "I mean, okay, even if the bank was robbed—which you two battling demons couldn't possibly know—you'd think there'd be some kind of reward." Buffy kept attacking Dawn, harder and faster, as Willow continued to talk, "But no, they're like, 'We only give you money if you prove you don't need it.' What kind of system is that?"

"You're asking the wrong gal," Buffy informed her friend as she spun and sent a kick straight at her sister. Dawn disappeared in a beam of white light before the kick could hit her.

"Hey," Willow said in realization. "Buffy, you're mad," she informed her as Dawn reappeared in another beam of white light.

"Buffy, I may be a Slayer now," Dawn cut in. "But I'm no good to you if you put me in the hospital while my injuries heal themselves."

"Sorry," Buffy apologized before looking at Willow. "And you noticed," she said as Willow nodded. "It'll pass." She moved over to the punching bag and started on it instead of her sister.

"No!" Willow countered. "I mean, anger is a big, powerful emotion you should feel."

"Oh, well, that's good then," Buffy admitted as she stopped hitting the bag. "It's gone now."

"Okay—let me make you mad again," Willow suggested. "Ready? Um, um…Last semester? I slept with Riley," she said with raised eyebrows.

"I doubt that," Dawn said incredulously.

"Caught me. Big fib," Willow admitted. "…To cover up my sleazy affair with Angel."

Buffy and Dawn glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. "Will, what the hell are you doing?" Buffy questioned looking back at their friend.

"She's trying to piss you off," Dawn informed her sister.

"Yes," Buffy agreed. "True. Why?"

"Because, you know, since you got back, you haven't exactly been…big with the whole range of human emotions thing," Willow informed the elder Summers sister.

Dawn looked at Willow for a moment wondering if Willow had deduced what Buffy had told her in private. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, Buffy hasn't really…" Willow started before looking at Buffy. "No, I mean it's just, um…You know this is really my problem. I'm all over the place and, forget I even said anything because you know…Banks, man." She shook her head as she looked at the sisters for agreement on the banks issue.

Dawn moved to the punching bag deciding to spot for her sister as Buffy went back to punching the bag, methodically.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Don't be such a wiener dog," Anya said as she and Xander sat by the table. Behind them near the front of the shop stood Tara and Lynn looking through some books. "Look at them, researching demons for the billionth time. They need a peppy boost of happy news."

"You're right. I'll tell them," Xander said as he stood up. He almost immediately sat back down. "Soon as Buffy, Dawn and Willow come in."

"Chicken," Anya said shaking her head.

"Would you stop?" he questioned looking at her.

"Dare you," she quipped.

"Anya, if I tell them we're engaged right after you dared me to…" Xander stated with a raised eyebrow. "Wouldn't you always wonder if that's the only reason I did it?"

"Oh," she cried in realization.

"Score one for Captain Logic," he said excitedly.

"No, no. Captain Logic is not steering this tugboat." Any countered shaking her head. "I smell Captain Fear at the wheel! God, I hate this. This tone in my voice? I dislike it more than you do, and I'm-closer to it!" she said as Tara and Lynn joined them, setting books down on the table.

"I still don't get it," Xander announced. "What type of demon robs a bank?"

"The kind that wants money," Anya replied

"What do you even call that?" Xander questioned.

"This," Lynn said as they all looked at her. She held up a book and pointed to a drawing of the demon the sisters had fought at the bank. "I'm guess on how you sat it. It's got an apostrophe. I think it's Mmm…Fashnik. Or Muh Fashnik, or even Em Fashnik. I'm not sure," she said as Buffy, Dawn and Willow exited the training room. She showed the sisters the book. "Is this him?"

Buffy and Dawn squinted for a moment at the image, before nodding. "That's him," Buffy said. "This thing was strong guys."

"No weapons that either of us could see," Dawn added. "But still really dangerous." It was then that she noticed Buffy's attention was on something else. She followed Buffy's gaze to the door where Giles stood looking straight at Buffy.

Giles hurried straight over to Buffy and pulled her into his arms. She returned the embrace accidentally adding in her Slayer strength. "My God, Buffy. You're alive. You're here. And you're still…" she said, "…remarkably strong."

"Huh? Oh. Sorry," Buffy apologized as she backed off. She was quickly back in there holding him just as tight as she was a moment before.

"Willow told me, but I didn't really let myself believe…" Giles admitted.

"I take some getting used to," Buffy admitted. "I'm still getting used to me."

"It's…" he said trying to form his thoughts into words, "…you're a…"

"A miracle?" Buffy finished for him.

Giles nodded. "Yes. But then, I've always thought so," he said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"So…" Giles said looking at both of the Slayers. He sat to the left of Buffy who sat to the left of Dawn.

"I can start. How was England?" Buffy asked. "How was life?"

"I'm not sure how to answer that," he admitted looking at her. "I arrived home. Met with the Council."

"Tons of fun," Dawn quipped.

Giles nodded his agreement. "Other than that, there wasn't much to report," he went on. "I keep a flat in Bath. Saw a few old friends and almost made a new one, which I believe is statistically impossible for a man my age."

"Nothing is impossible," Dawn countered. "Look at me. Who would have ever thought I would have been a Power Ranger or dating a Witchlighter?" she asked as Giles nodded again.

"Anyways now you're back," Buffy interjected.

"Yes," he agreed.

"Wow," Buffy said in mock surprise. "Giles, are you miserable about it, or just really British?"

"I can't lie," Giles admitted. "It was difficult leaving Sunnydale, leaving, at the time, the only Slayer here without a Watcher. And coming back was…"

"I'm guessing the word is 'inconvenient,'" Buffy suggested.

"You know that doesn't matter," Giles admitted.

"So, you knew Dawn was a Slayer?" Buffy questioned.

"I learned about it not long after Dawn herself learned about it," he informed him. "Dawn came to me. Told me about the mission against Divatox that resulted in the defeat of the demon Maligore. Told me there…"

"I know the story, Giles," Buffy cut him off. "Dawn told me about the months I was gone. The mission she went on with the other Rangers."

"Of course," Giles sighed. "Since I was officially her Watcher after the Council's visit last year. I remained so for a time as the Council did not send another when you…" He let out another sigh and decided a change of topic was in order. "So, how are you? Really. You look tired."

"Me? Nah. Fine," Buffy told him before glancing at Dawn and letting out a small sigh of defeat. "I mean, yeah, sleeping's hard…" she said turning back to face him, "…but just because of that whole waking up in a box thing. So maybe it's waking up that's the problem. But only for a second. I sleep okay. Great even, except, you know…for the dreams…"

Dawn noticed how her sister trailed off with an almost haunted look in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked as she reached out and took her sister's hands in her own. "We're in this together, remember? Once a Ranger. Always a Ranger."

Buffy shrugged; she truly had no answer to her sister's question.

Giles gently reached out and put his hands on Buffy's shoulders. "You seem to be doing remarkably well under extreme circumstances. I'm proud of you." He then looked at Dawn. "Of you both."

"Well, actually, it wasn't me. Willow brought me back. I just lay there," Buffy tried to joke.

"Yes. I only meant—" he started.

"I know what you meant," Buffy cut in. "Just a little post post-mortem comedy…" She sighed as she stood up. "Dawn we better start prepping." She glanced at Giles. "The slayage."

"There is always that, isn't there?" Giles said looking at the sisters.

"Seems that way," Buffy admitted as she and Dawn squared off against one another.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Giles!" Anya cried as Giles walked out of the back. "God, we are so glad to see you. We missed you. You can't have the store back."

"I know," he reminded her.

"You signed papers," she continued.

"I did, and do we have information on this demon I suddenly find so desperately interesting?" Giles questioned.

"That we do," Xander informed him.

"This one robs banks," Willow added.

"I found him," Lynn informed the Watcher as she handed him the book.

"M'Fashnik. Oh," Giles said looking at the book.

"You know it?" Tara asked.

"By reputation," Giles told her. "It comes from a long line of mercenary demons, known to perform acts of slaughter and mayhem for the highest bidder"

"Well, it is the American way," Xander joked.

"But now the question becomes, what's out there powerful enough to control one of these things?"

No one had the answer.

Summers Home

"I know, it's so cute you could die," Buffy said as she tried to make up a guest bed for Giles on the living room sofa. "But they're all I got."

"Think nothing of it," Giles informed her as he took a pillow and pillowcase while Buffy tried to tuck a sheet around the sofa cushions. "They're whimsical."

"They were mine when I was little," Buffy admitted looking at the sheets that had teddy bears on them. "I couldn't find the guest sheets. Mom always did this stuff." She looked at the sofa realizing that she had made a complete mess of it.

"It's a little…" Giles started before catching himself. "That's fine! I'll just…" he said as he started straightening out everything on the couch.

"I blame the sofa," Buffy sighed as she looked at her former Watcher and Mentor. "We need a real pull-out bed. The kind with no payments 'til two-thousand-and-infinity."

"What?" Giles asked suddenly worried.

"Just, money stuff," Buffy admitted sadly. "Apparently mom's medical bills ate up mine and Dawn's inheritance. All we have left is the house. The money that we've been getting from dad and the money Willow and Tara gave Dawn for rent, is slowly drying up."

"How bad is it?" he asked sympathetically.

"I'm kind of trying to not think too much about it right now," Buffy answered.

Giles finished tugging on the sheets as he turned toward Buffy. "A sound policy. At least for tonight," he agreed.

"Yeah, I'll just put it out of my mind for a while, take a break, get some perspective…then wake up at four a.m. terrified," Buffy said as she plumped down on the freshly made sofa, grabbing a cushion to hold.

"Buffy, you may be putting too much pressure on yourself," Giles informed her. "To return from some unknown level of Hell…it's only natural coming back would be a process."

Buffy glanced toward the stairs thinking of Dawn, the one person who knew the truth of where she had been. "In the meantime…" she said, "…I'm scaring everyone with the exception of Dawn who has been the most supportive person I know.".

"That may take some time, too," Giles admitted.

"Good. I've always hoped to freak out the people who love me," Buffy said with a weak smile. "And not just in the short-term, but you know—as a lifestyle."

"If it's any consolation, life can get overwhelming even for people who haven't been…where you have," he admitted thinking back to when he had been her age. When he had rebelled against his calling as a Watcher.

"I guess, but I don't know, Giles, I mean…stuff like spoons are still weird to me," Buffy admitted as she looked up at him. "Then you add complex financial issues on top of that, and—Buffy go bye-bye." She shook her head. It was all just too much for her.

Giles looked for something, anything comforting to say. "Perhaps you should just go night-night instead," he suggested.

Buffy smiled. "Was that meant to be soothing?" she asked.

Giles nod. "And it became a debacle of epic proportions," he admitted as he sat down next to Buffy. "But—Tomorrow, you and I can sit down together and go over everything. Every bill, one by one. We'll work it out together."

"I'm glad you're back," she admitted looking at him.

"Well. I'm glad you are too," he said as he went to place a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder. But she stood up before he could even make contact. He watched her with obvious concern; he knew two things right off the bat. One he would need to speak to Dawn about the finances and everything else in general and two he would need to speak to Willow about her use of magic in bringing Buffy back.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Willow was rummaging around in the cupboards in the kitchen when she noticed Giles was standing in the doorway. "Hey, Giles," she greeted. "You have a good talk with Buffy?"

"Yes, now that she's back," Giles informed her looking a little grim.

"Isn't it awesome?" she asked excitedly.

"Tell me about this spell you performed," Giles half instructed, half ordered.

"Okay," Willow said suddenly excited. "First of all - so scary. Like, the Blair Witch would have had to watch like this," she said covering her eyes. "And this giant snake came out my mouth and then there was all this energy crackling and then this pack of demons interrupted but I totally kept it together and the next thing you know…Buffy," she finished proudly waiting for his praise.

"You're a very stupid girl," he said sadly quiet.

Willow blinked, that wasn't what she was expecting by far. "What? Giles…"

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Giles asked, controlled anger building in his voice. "The forces you've harnessed? The lines you've crossed?"

"I thought you'd be…impressed or something," Willow said, sounding deflated and sad.

"Oh, don't worry, you've made a very deep impression," Giles assured her, his anger mounting. "Of everyone here—you are the one I trusted the most to respect the forces of nature."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Willow asked, hurt.

"Think what you've done to Buffy," Giles told Willow.

"I brought her back!" Willow almost-shouted at him.

"At incredible risk," he countered.

"Of what? Making her deader?"

"Killing us all. Unleashing a hell on Earth. Shall I go on?"

"No, Giles," Willow protested. "I did what I had to do. I did what nobody else could do"

"Oh, there are others in this world who could do what you did," Giles told her. "You just don't want to meet them."

"Okay, probably not…" Willow admitted. "But they're bad guys. I'm not a bad guy. I brought Buffy back to the world and maybe the word you should be looking for is congratulations"

"Having Buffy back in the world makes me feel indescribably wonderful," Giles said. "But I wouldn't congratulate you if you jumped off a cliff and happened to survive," he said, sounding extremely frustrated.

"That's not what I did Giles!" Willow protested.

"You were lucky," Giles told her, plain and simple.

"I wasn't lucky, I was amazing," Willow said sounding self-assured in her abilities. "And how would you know? You weren't even here"

"If I had been, I would have bloody well stopped you!" he said.

Willow blinked in surprise that he would have actually stopped her from bringing Buffy back. Had he not seen what Buffy's death had done to Dawn? How the Power Ranger turned Slayer had become suicidal not long after Buffy's death. He would have willingly left Buffy in hell. All for the 'Greater Good'?

"The Magicks you channeled are more primal and ferocious than you can hope to understand," Giles continued, "And you're lucky to be alive, you rank, arrogant amateur"

"You're right," Willow replied calmly. "The Magics I used are incredibly powerful. I'm incredibly powerful," And suddenly her voice became deadly menacing. "And maybe it isn't a good idea for you to piss me off."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Willow finally relented. "C'mon, Giles, I don't want to fight. Let's not, okay? I'll think about what you said, and you…try to be happy Buffy's back."

Giles regarded her for a moment. "We still have no idea where she was or what happened to her."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn stood on the back porch her arm wrapped around Buffy as they stood there listening to every word Giles and Willow said.

"And I'm far from convinced she's come out of all this undamaged," Giles said.

"It's okay," Dawn whispered and then she looked down and saw a cigarette butt land at Buffy's feet.

Buffy stepped on it and ground it out. "Hello, Spike."

Spike stepped out of the shadows, approaching the sisters. "You two hear all that noise?" he asked as the sisters nodded.

"Just enough to make me feel crappy," Buffy admitted looking at Dawn.

"You know watcher-boy doesn't mean anything by it," he informed them.

"I guess," Buffy said with a sigh. "Everyone's all…they all care," she told him. "They all care so much, with the exception of Dawn, it makes it all harder."

"Not sure I followed 'round that bend, love," Spike said.

"I understand," Dawn interjected as she looked at her sister. "Buffy has been pretending that she's been find being ripped out of where she was. When in reality she's not."

"Dawn's right," Buffy said as she laid her head on Dawn's shoulder. "It's exhausting, and then I get all…"

"…and with the exception of the Ranger, that makes 'em worry even more," Spike said in understanding. "Want me to take 'em out? Give me a hell of a headache, but I could probably thin the herd a little." He smiles, slyly— obviously joking.

Buffy and Dawn smiled at him in appreciation for the support he's offering even if he might not know the whole truth.

"Knew I could get a grin from you two," Spike said.

"Thank you, Spike," Dawn said. "I think I will beam Buffy upstairs."

"Take good care of her, Ranger," Spike informed her with a nod as he watched them both disappear in beams of white and silver light.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Thank you, Dawnie," Buffy whispered as she sat down on her bed.

"Your welcome," Dawn said as she sat next to her sister. "I had guessed at what I said to Spike downstairs. But why didn't you tell me any of that? I'm here for you, remember?"

"It's just hard, Dawn, talking about that stuff," Buffy admitted. "Besides I don't want to burden you anymore than you already are."

"You're not burdening me," Dawn countered. "You are not only my sister, who I love dearly. You are not only a fellow Slayer. But you are a Ranger. Once a Ranger. Always a Ranger. We are in this together. Just as Tommy, Kat, Rocky and the others showed me over the summer when I was…"

Buffy sighed as she nodded remembering how Dawn had told her for a while she had been suicidal up till the mission with the other Rangers from Angel Grove when they had told her that for all intents and purposes she was their sister and that no matter what they would always come to her aid.

"As they showed me, we're in this together, no matter what," Dawn said as she brushed her sister's hair behind her ear. "And I will always come to your aid, just as they said they would always come to mine. So, you don't have to hide anything from me."

Buffy nodded as she laid her head on Dawn's shoulder.

October 18, 2001 – Thursday

Summers Home

Dawn came down the stairs, having stayed with Buffy till her sister had fallen asleep.

"Dawn?"

Dawn looked up and saw Giles rise from the sofa in the living room.

"Can't sleep?" he asked as he walked over to her.

"Not really," Dawn answered as she glanced back at the stairs. "You?" she asked as she looked back at him.

Giles looked at the book in his hand. "Evidently not."

"You ever try mixing parts of every cereal you got together in one bowl?" Dawn wondered.

"Does it work?" Giles asked with a raised eyebrow.

Dawn shrugged. "Going to find out. You want to join the experiment?"

"Perhaps I'll be the control group," he suggested. "As you get older, you'll find you lose patience with throwing…up…" He was interrupted by the door knob rattling. "Is that locked?" he asked.

"Should be," Dawn answered just the door is knocked off its hinges. There stood the demon she and Buffy had come across at the bank. "Shift into Turbo!" she called. "White Phoenix Turbo Power!"

Giles took a step toward the demon, but before he could do anything, M'Fashnik swatted him aside and as he fell, his head hit the banister, knocking him out cold.

"The Power Ranger. I will take care of you before turning to the Slayer." The M'Fashnik demon took a step toward the Ranger. He lunged toward her, but suddenly was stopped cold.

Buffy had a hold of him and she yanked him away. "You're paying for that door, buddy!" she told the demon, glancing down at the detached door, before punching him so hard he went flying past Dawn and into the table.

He got up quickly, stretching out his arms as he roared in frustration, causing him to knock over a table lamp with a loud smash. "You both have cost me!" he yelled at them.

"We cost you?" Buffy said incredulous. "That's a designer lamp you mook!"

Slayer and Ranger swung round in tandem and hit him with a roundhouse kick that sent him spinning into the sofa, but before he could land the Ranger grabbed him and hurled him in the direction of the dining room.

The fight was fairly simple and straight forward with Buffy and the White Phoenix Turbo Ranger exchanging blows with the demon, before the Ranger, after being slid along the dining room table called out, "White Phoenix Power Sword!"

The Ranger spun in a 360-degree arc and when she was facing the demon again, she had her sword in hand. "Buffy!" she called and tossed the sword to her sister, who was closer to the demon.

Buffy stabbed the demon directly in the heart with the sword and its light blue blood oozed over the weapon and Buffy's hand as the demon fell to the floor, dead. "Ew," she grumbled, shaking the blood off her hands.

The demon's body lay there motionless and taking up a hell of a lot of room.

"I hate it when we fight demons that don't clean up after themselves," the Ranger groaned.

"Yeah so do I," Buffy agreed.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later that day the sisters along with Xander, Anya and Willow were gathered in the living room surrounded by the debris. Xander was examining the crushed coffee table. Willow and Dawn were looking at the shattered lamp, trying to put it together like a jigsaw puzzle. Anya was helping trying to tackle some of Buffy's finances.

Buffy was sitting on a chair that had been taped-together back looking around at the wreckage, dazed and overwhelmed. "This is going to take forever, isn't it?" she asked.

"Not forever. Just, a very long time," Anya informed the Slayer. She handed Buffy the notebook she had been writing in. "Here. A first approximation of your spanking new debt."

Buffy sighed as she glanced at Dawn. "We've trashed this house so many times. How did Mom pay for all this?" she asked as Dawn shrugged.

"For starters?" Xander interjected. "She saved money with this crappy coffee table."

"There is always that 'charging' option," Anya suggested.

"While that's how Angel makes a living," Dawn said. "I don't think that's for use."

"Dawn's right," Buffy agreed. "We will definitely…probably not be doing that."

Giles joined them, pressing a cloth to his forehead as Tara followed behind him, having been tending to him. "Well, now I know I'm back in America as I've been knocked unconscious."

"Aw. Poor lumpy Giles," Buffy quipped.

"What do you think that demon wanted, anyway?" Tara asked looking around the living room. "Aside from costing you a bundle."

"We don't know," Dawn answered. "All he said was we cost him."

"And now he's way too dead to get any more out of him," Buffy added. "Wish we knew who hired him."

"Maybe I could do a locator spell…" Willow suggested as Giles shot her look. "Or not."

"I could get Dimitria and Alpha Six to try and see if they can find anything," Dawn suggested. "It would probably be a long shot though."

"It's been four hours," Xander said giving up on his repair work. "I'm calling it, people. This coffee-table. It's gone. Damn it!"

"So is the lamp," Dawn said sadly. "And this was one of my favorites."

"The big problem here's that all the pieces are in pieces," Tara admitted.

"Let's take these out to the trash and give 'em a decent throwing out," Willow offered as she, Tara, Xander and Anya picked up pieces of lamp or table and left heading for the trash can.

Giles looked at Buffy, noticing that she was staring at nothing. "Buffy?" he said drawing Dawn's attention to her sister.

"Buffy?" Dawn echoed a she moved over beside her sister.

Buffy looked at first Dawn and then Giles. "I don't think I can do this," she admitted.

"Yes, you can," Giles countered. "Your mother dealt with this sort of thing all the time. She took one crisis at a time, without the aid of superpowers, and got through it all. So, can you."

"You sure?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"I'm positive," Giles promised.

Buffy nodded as the phone rang. "Who'd be calling?" she asked looking at Dawn. "Everyone we know has a wrist communicator."

"I don't know," Dawn admitted.

"Be right back," Buffy said as she stood up and headed for the kitchen. "We'll get into this. I want to kick financial obligation's ass."

"Do you think there are any jobs out there for a fifteen-year-old?" Dawn wondered.

"Hopefully you won't have to," Giles said hopeful. "It is a shame your mother's gallery was sold by her estate."

"I know," Dawn sighed. "I tried to tell the lawyers that we could use it as a source of income. But they were like, mom's bills were more important in the short term." It was at the moment that her sister returned from the kitchen. "Buffy, who was it?" she asked.

"Angel," Buffy answered.

"Is he in trouble?" Giles asked suddenly worried.

"He knows I'm…He needs to see me," she explained. "And I have to see him."

"Yes, of course," Giles agreed. "You'll leave for L.A. tomorrow?"

Buffy shook her head. "Not L.A. And not here," she said looking at her sister. "Dawn I need you to teleport us somewhere in between…a place…"

"Okay," Dawn agreed as she moved next to her sister.

"I see," Giles said. "Well, we'd better get these bills and things out of the way before you…"

"I got to go now," Buffy said as she wrapped an arm around Dawn. "Thanks for taking care of this for me."

Dawn hits the teleport button of her wrist communicator and she and Buffy disappear in a white and silver beams of light.