Chapter 156: Normal Again
"Dawn, where are we going?" Buffy asked from the passenger seat of her own car as she tried desperately not to read Dawn's mind. Dawn had blindfolded her and so far had refused to tell her where they were going.
"It's a surprise, Buffy," Dawn replied. "We're almost there." She pulled the car into the parking lot and smiled. She then led Buffy inside the building. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Buffy said as Dawn removed the blindfold and she smiled at what she saw.
An ice-skating rink.
Dawn reached down and handed Buffy a pair of skates. "Put them on, my love. I want to see you, out there."
"What rink is this?" Buffy wondered.
"Joyce Halliwell Skating Rink," Dawn said. "I'm naming it after mom. This is the abandoned skating rink that Angel took you to when the Order of Taraka came to town. Piper helped me to get a loan to buy it. Grand Opening is tomorrow night. But tonight, the rink is yours."
Buffy smiled as she looked at Dawn and kissed her passionately. She then put on the skates and stepped onto the ice. As she skated, moonlight filtered in from the high windows, bathing her in a soft silvery glow.
Buffy breathed deeply of the cool air. She came to a stop, savoring her freedom, then took off again, picking up speed. Every technique came to her, just as easily as if it had been when she was a little kid. She moved gracefully, effortlessly, her hair blowing gently around her face.
She looked at Dawn and smiled as she leaped into a triple salchow and came down effortlessly. She skated around the ice again and then she spun into a tight pirouette and then sailed off again to the far end of the pivoted now, skating backward, going faster. She launched into an airborne twist, and again came down flawlessly.
Buffy remembered when she had skated waiting for Angel, she had tried an airborne twist and she had landed hard. Maybe it was Dawn, she was happy, happier than she had ever been with Angel or Riley. And it showed in her jumps. Suddenly she heard Dawn's thoughts telling her, that her lover was coming up behind her. She reached out as Dawn pulled up beside her and laced her finger's in Buffy's.
Dawn pulled her sister and lover in close and as she held Buffy's gaze their lips met and Buffy melted into her kiss.
Buffy couldn't have been happier than she was at that moment, as she realized that every moment with Dawn, was heaven. And that the old song by Belinda Carlisle, Heaven is a Place on Earth, was true.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
The next day Buffy hurried through the quiet neighborhood. She wanted to find Warren, Andrew and Jonathan's lair and make it home before the grand opening of Dawn's rink. She wanted to be there for her sister and lover. She looked up at a street sign and then down at a paper in her hand. She had already checked all the other houses on the list with no luck. She hoped this was the one. She quietly and quickly moved to the last address on the list.
She peaked through the window and saw the house was empty and dark. She sighed. She hoped her search today had not been in vain. She walked toward the back of the house through a neighboring alley. Suddenly she heard a coarse hiss as a nasty looking demon stepped out of the dark before her.
"Hi," Buffy said as she and the demon circled each other. "Um, you didn't by any chance just eat a bunch of nerds, did you?"
The demon swung at Buffy fast and heavy and missed as she ducked beneath the swing. She kicked and hit it, working back down the alley. Suddenly the demon hit her and sent her flying, she landed hard several feet away.
Buffy shook her head as she got up and ran up a wall two steps and then pushed off and slammed the demon with a twirling kick, knocking it backwards. She grabbed a trashcan and started banging its head.
The demon shredded the trashcan and knocked Buffy back. And then suddenly a long, needle-like stinger sprung out, dripping. As Buffy came at it, it grabbed her and buried its stinger into her upper arm.
As Buffy struggled, trying to shake herself out of its embrace, something happened.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy suddenly found herself on her feet in a tiny room, an institutional cot next to her, a hyperdermic needle stuck in her arm.
"Buffy!" an orderly said as he and his partner tried to restrain her. "Stop fighting! You're gonna hurt yourself! Calm down! She's gonna break that needle!
Buffy gasped as her eyes darted everywhere.
"Strap her down!" the orderly said as Buffy looked around the stark room wondering where was she.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Suddenly Buffy found herself back in the alley staggering backwards into the wall. The demon that had it stinger in her a moment earlier is now gone. Buffy, stunned and dizzy, rubbed her upper arm.
She slowly and carefully made her way to her car and drove over to the skating rink. As she walked inside she was approached by Dawn.
"Buffy, you're late. Did something happen with your search?" Dawn asked.
"I—I'm not sure," Buffy said as she looked at the patrons of Dawn's rink and became transfixed by them. She started walking through the crowd.
"Buffy? Buffy..." Dawn said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy walked through a hall full of mental patients. She jerked, vacillating with confusion. Then she started to panic as her breathing got erratic.
"C'mon. Time for your—" a nurse said as she approached Buffy.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"—to go home," Dawn said. She was worried about Buffy.
Buffy caught her breath as she absorbed her surroundings. "What?" she asked.
"I said," Dawn replied. "I'm worried, Buffy. You look terrible. Maybe you should go home, get some rest. I'll have Willow drive you."
Buffy blinked at Dawn as she tried to put together what her sister was saying. "Okay. Sounds good."
After Buffy left with Willow. Dawn made her way to Piper, Phoebe and Paige. "I'm worried about Buffy, guys. She seemed out of it. I think something might have happened tonight."
"We'll help you keep an eye on her," Piper said.
And she walks away. Buffy takes a moment, then walks back to her station. Her fries burning.
The next morning Buffy walked down the stairs and into the dining room where she spotted Willow at her laptop. "Hey, what'you doing?" she said as she walked over to Willow.
"I was online. Checking to see if Xander e-mailed," Willow said.
"Oh. Any luck?" Buffy asked.
Willow shook her head. "No such. I mean, I get the deal: that special I-left-a-girl-at-the altar feeling—I'm sure he needs some alone-time. But, still ..."
"Maybe Anya found him, and they're working it out ..." Buffy said as she realized something. "Hey, how come you're all about home and hearth and DSL? I thought you were gonna go see Tara."
"Saw her. Saw her completely," Willow said with a sigh.
"Ow. I got a little scratch from all the brittle."
"It's, when I was seeing her, she was seeing someone else. A girl."
Buffy glanced at the stairs and up them. Was she and Dawn to be the only ones out of all their friends who would find happiness? "What? You mean ..."
"Not seeing seeing a girl, well, maybe. I don't know. It was inconclusive, and I didn't stick around to find Out. Might've magicked my fist through a wall or something," Willow said.
"Oh, Will. I'm so sorry," Buffy said.
"They're prob'ly just friends. I press my lips against my friends all the time," Willow said.
Buffy nodded in agreement. "I'm sure they're just friends. When someone falls for Willow, they stay fallen."
Willow smiled. "Thanks, Buff."
Suddenly there is the sound of the door bell and Buffy went to answer it. As she opened the door she found Xander, looking haggard.
"Hi," Xander said. "I'm back."
Buffy smiled, relieved and happy, wrapped him in a hug.
"Xander?" Willow said as she came to the door. "Xander! You're here!"
As Buffy released Xander, Willow pulled him into an embrace. She closed the door and they turned and walked into the living room. "Dawn!" Buffy shouted.
Dawn came down the stairs and spotted Xander and pulled him into another embrace. "Welcome home."
"Where were you? We were worried," Willow said.
"Thanks," Xander said as he sat on the couch and the girls sat on either side of him. "I know. I tried calling. But I couldn't talk without …" he said as he choked up.
"Are you okay?" Dawn asked.
Xander nodded, though its obvious he's not. "I'm sorry. For disappearing. For walking out like that."
"You don't need to apologize to us," Buffy said.
"Right," Xander agreed. "Is she here?"
Willow shook her head. "Oh. No. You want to find her?"
"I need to. Her suitcase was gone, some of her stuff. The Magic Box has a 'closed' sign, which, like, chills me to the bone—" Xander said.
"She left a couple days ago," Willow said.
"We thought maybe you guys'd find each other," Buffy said.
"Was she looking for me? Before she left, did she say anything?" Xander asked.
"You mean between the sobs?" Willow asked. "There was mostly just wheezing."
"She was kinda, she got a little broken," Dawn said. She knew how she would feel if that had happened to her and Buffy. She knew she would be a wreck.
Xander got up and walked around the room, unable to keep still. "Oh, God ... I didn't mean ... I don't know how this got so mixed up. I blew it."
"No. Well ... there were probably better times to break up with her—" Buffy said.
Xander shook his head. "No! I mean, it wasn't about breaking up. I love her. And god, I miss her so much. Driving out of town, I kept turning to ask her if it was gonna be okay, and each time ... she wasn't there."
"So, you left her at the altar but ... you still want ...?" Willow wondered.
"You still want to date?" Buffy finished for Willow.
"I guess. I know my life is better with her in it. It got all complicated with the wedding. With my family, and her ... demons," Xander said. "And what if it all goes to hell? And forever. But then I left, and ever since, it's been like there's this painful hole inside ... and I'm the idiot that dug it out." Willow moved over to him and squeezed his hand, ready to cry with him. "I screwed up real bad."
"Hey, we all screw up. And who knows, sometimes life gives us what we need anyway," Dawn said.
That night Buffy as patrolled through a cemetery she ran into Spike as he lit a cigarette.
"Looking for me?" Spike asked.
"Really not," Buffy said.
"Oh. Right then, off you go ..." Spike said as Buffy kept moving. He looked at her as she began to move away from him. "Didja cry?"
Buffy stopped and looked at him. "What?"
"The wedding. Two hearts united for eternity, great pelting showers of rice and so forth," Spike explained.
"You didn't hear?" Buffy asked.
"What? Families get outta hand, tear the place up?" Spike asked.
"No," Buffy said as she walked back to him. "Well, yeah, absolutely. But the thing is, Xander left. Wedding didn't happen."
Spike was surprised at that as he sat down on the bench. A second later Buffy joined him. "Gotta say, din't see that coming."
"It was awful," Buffy said. "Anya was ... she was devastated."
"That right?"
Buffy sighed. "And Xander. He's got this idea maybe they can still get back together, but ... he hurt her a lot."
Spike tossed his cigarette down on the ground. "Yeah, well. Some people can't see a good thing when they've got it. End up dumping the one thing they've got going for 'em—"
"Spike."
Buffy and Spike turned to see Dawn approaching with an energy ball already powered up in her hand.
"I warned you, stay away from Buffy," Dawn said.
"Oh. Hey, Dawnie I was, I found Spike here, and I was just trying to find out what he was doing with ..." Buffy said as she looked at Spike who picked up a grocery bag. "... with dangerous contraband. Possibly demon eggs. From a smallish demon."
"Yeah, right, Buffy," Dawn said. "He was trying to get you to sleep with him again. Not happening, Spike. Move away from him, Buffy."
Suddenly Buffy felt dizzy and she swooned. Dawn extinguished the energy ball and ran to Buffy catching her as Buffy fell into her arms. "Baby?" Dawn said.
"Baby?" Spike echoed. "Why are you …" He then realized. "You two are …"
"Now is not the time, Spike," Dawn said as she shimmered out with Buffy, she shimmered into the manor. "Leo!"
Leo walked out of the conservatory holding Wyatt. "What? Piper!"
Piper came down the stairs a second later as Leo handed her Wyatt. He then moved over to Dawn and Buffy and held his hands over Buffy.
"What's taking so long?" Dawn asked her voice sounding panicked.
"She's not healing. I can feel it's a magical poison, but its resistant to my powers," Leo said.
"Get her up to my bed," Piper said as Dawn nodded and shimmered out. "I'm going to call Willow, see if she knows anything. When Buffy doesn't talk to us, she talks to Willow."
"Good idea," Leo said. "I'll check with the other Elders see if they know what kind of poison might block our healing powers."
"Good idea," Piper agreed as Leo orbed out.
Upstairs Dawn laid Buffy on the bed.
"No," Buffy said suddenly as she looked around in a panic. "Dawn …"
"Buffy?" Dawn said. "Are you okay?"
"I'm—I'm ... fine," Buffy said weakly and tad bit disoriented.
Piper walked into the bedroom holding a glass of water. "What's going on, Buffy?" she asked when she noticed Buffy was awake. "Leo tried to heal you. Said you have this magical poison in your body that even he can't heal."
"I've been having these ... flashes. Hallucinations, I guess," Buffy said.
"When did this start, baby?" Dawn asked as Piper handed Buffy the glass.
Buffy took a sip. "Last night, I was checking houses on the list Willow put together, looking for Warren and his pals. Then bam. Some kind of gross, waxy demon thing poked me."
"When you say poke –" Piper said.
"In the arm," Buffy said as she rubbed her arm. "It stung me or something, and then it was like I – No. Not like. I was in an institution. I didn't know what it was at first. But then it happened a couple more times. There were doctors, nurses, other patients. They told me I was sick. Crazy, I guess. And that everything that has happened here in San Francisco, that none of it was real. Just part of some delusion in my head."
Dawn gave Buffy an affectionate squeeze. "I'm real, baby."
"I know how it sounds. But it all felt so ... real," Buffy said.
"Did it hurt?" Piper wondered. "The, uh, hallucination?"
Buffy shook her head as she looked at Dawn. "Mom was there."
"She was?" Dawn asked.
Buffy nodded. "And dad too. They were together. Like they used to be. Before mom was killed by that demon."
Dawn looked at her sister and lover understanding the emotional impact that had to have had on Buffy.
"I'm going to look in the Book," Piper said. "I called Willow, Dawn. She is bringing your Book and she is going to help me find the demon. I called Paige and Phoebe, once we know the demon, they will scry for it and hunt it down and bring it back. Let's hope it has some kind of antidote to its own poison."
Dawn nodded as she looked back at Buffy and she noticed her sister's eyes had lost focus and now had a distant look to them. "Buffy?"
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy sat in a chair. Turning her head she looked at a doctor droning on. She blinked, not comprehending. Next to her Joyce and Hank sat, listening intently to the doctor.
"...possibilities for a full recovery. But we have to proceed cautiously. If we're not careful –"
"Wait. There's a chance Buffy might be like she was before all this happened?" Joyce asked.
"Mrs. Summers, you have to understand the severity of what's happened to your daughter," the doctor said gently. "For the last six years, she's been in an undifferentiated type of schizophrenia –"
"We know what her condition is," Hank snapped. "That's not what we're asking."
The doctor hesitated for a second. "There's a lot about schizophrenia that we still don't understand."
"What do you understand?" Joyce asked.
"Buffy's delusion is multi layered. She believes she's some type of hero –"
"The Charmed Slayer. A witch, Slayer hybrid."
"The Charmed Slayer, right," the doctor said. "But that's only one level. She's also created an intricate lattice work to support her primary delusion. In her mind, she's the central figure in a fantastic world beyond imagination. She's surrounded herself with friends and family—most with their own super powers—who are as real to her as you or me. More so, unfortunately. Together they face overblown, grand conflicts against an assortment of monsters, both imaginary and rooted in actual myth. Every time we think we're getting through to her, more fanciful enemies magically appear and she—"
"Enemies ... Warren ... Jonathan ... They did this to me ..." Buffy said with some clarity as she staggered to her feet.
"Buffy –" Joyce said as the doctor eased Buffy back into her seat.
Buffy's eyes dart around, confused and frightened, drifting in and out.
"Shh. It's all right," the doctor said to Buffy. "They can't hurt you here. You're with your family."
"Dawn?" Buffy said. "Baby?"
"That's the biological sister, right? Not one of the cousin/sisters?" Hank asked.
The doctor nodded. "Yes the biological sister. The magical "key". Buffy inserted Dawn into her delusion, actually rewriting the entire history of it to accommodate her need for a biological familial bond." He looked to Buffy. "But that created inconsistencies, didn't it? Especially when the two of you fell in love."
"She's in love with her imaginary sister," Hank said.
"Yes, even she knows that's wrong. But she still fell in love with her. Over the entire imagined family she will be the last hurdle to getting Buffy back."
Buffy looked at the doctor, her eyes coming in and out of focus.
"Your sister, your cousins, your friends. All the people you created in San Francisco. They're not as comforting as they were, are they? They're coming apart."
Buffy moaned as she tried to look away.
"Buffy," Joyce said soothingly. "Listen to the doctor. What he's saying is important."
"Buffy, we want to help you get better. And I think you want that too. Isn't that why your friends are doing these horrible things to each other?" the doctor said. "And your enemies—look at them. You used to create grand villains to battle against. And now what is it? Just ordinary people you went to high school with. Not gods or monsters. Just three pathetic little men who like to play with toys."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn sat next to Buffy holding her sister close as they sat on the bed. Dawn looked up as Willow and Piper walked into the room. "Well?" she asked.
"Good news," Piper said. "We found the demon. Fits Buffy's description and symptoms perfectly."
"Is this it?" Willow asked as she held up the Charmed Book before Buffy.
Buffy took a moment to focus on the Book and then nodded.
"Good," Piper said. "It's stinger carries an antidote to its own poison."
"Piper, Dawn, Will ... I feel so lost," Buffy said.
"We know," Dawn said. "You're confused, but it's just that crazy juice inside you."
Buffy shook her head. "It's more. Even before the demon. You knew I was ... detached, Dawn."
"I know," Dawn said. "But I've been helping, remember."
"I remember," Buffy said. "But till you started. I tried to snap out of it on my own. To figure out why I was like that. Well ... maybe this is why."
"No. Buffy look at me," Dawn said as Buffy looked toward her. "You're not in an institution. You've never been in an institution."
"Yes I have, remember," Buffy said. "The summer before mom died, after I was called. I told her and dad I was the Slayer. Dad freaked and put me into an institution. Mom must have convinced him to let me out because I was only in there for a week."
"God. That's horrible," Willow said.
"How come you never told me, Phoebe, Paige or even Prue that?" Piper wondered.
"I never wanted to think about it afterwards," Buffy said. "But now I have to wonder what if I never left? What if I'm still in that clinic?"
"Buffy, you're not. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, but it's in the past. You have to trust me. We're gonna get you that antidote," Willow said.
"Paige and Phoebe are already hunting the demon," Piper said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Phoebe and Paige walked through the forest carrying a mace and a tranquilizer gun.
Phoebe sighed. "Poor Buffy," she said. "Thinks none of us are real."
"I know," Paige said. "I hope we find this demon and soon. I don't want to have to commit our sister to an institution because she's gone crazy because of some demon."
"I don't either," Phoebe said.
Just at that moment the demon sprang at them, hissing. It swung at Paige who orbed out and back in several feet away, she aimed the tranq gun.
Phoebe levitated as the demon spun on her and she kicked out, stunning it momentarily.
Paige fired a couple of darts into its chest. The demon barely felt them as it landed an uppercut and sent Phoebe flying.
Paige swung the mace, but the weapon broke on impact. The demon swung again as Paige orbed out again.
Phoebe jumps in and began trading blows with the demon.
As Paige orbed back in she aimed the gun again and fired a couple more tranquilizers.
The turned around to go after Paige, but Phoebe levitated and kicked it in the back. The demon stumbled as it finally began to feel the tranqs. And after a struggle, it finally fell.
Back at the manor Dawn walked into Piper's room carrying a cup of tea. "Baby, I made you some tea," she said as she laid it down on the bedside table.
Buffy looked at Dawn, confused for a moment. "Oh. Thanks, baby," she said as she managed a vague smile. As she tried to sit up, Danw reached over and helped her. "I'm okay, Dawn."
"Yeah. The thousand-yard stare really helps sell that," Dawn said as she put her hand to Buffy's forehead and frowned. "You're burning up, baby."
"I should be taller than you," Buffy said.
Dawn laughed. "Maybe you're not done growing."
"Coming apart..."
Dawn frowned. "What's coming apart?"
Buffy struggled to focus on Dawn. "We have to try harder. We have to tell them all today, while everyone is here."
"We will," Dawn said. "I promise. Just please don't leave, not again."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy sat on a cot, holding Joyce's arm.
"You don't have a sister, Buffy," Joyce said gently. "Or lover."
Buffy stared straight ahead, no longer shocked by the reality shift. "Dawn ..."
Joyce shook her head sweetly as she patted Buffy's arm. "No, honey. Say it. It'll help you believe it."
Buffy's mouth shook. Afraid to let herself. "I don't have a sister and lover. I know. I didn't grow up with her, but then these monks, they made ..."
"Your mind. Playing tricks on you," Hank said.
Joyce leaned in and gave Buffy a gentle kiss on the forehead. "You're our little girl, Buffy. Our one and only. We've missed you so much. we just want to take you home and take care of you."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy found herself reaching for Dawn's face and pulled back, shocked.
Agony in her eyes. Dawn pulled back too. "I'm not even there, am I?"
"What?" Buffy asked utterly confused.
"You said it a second ago. You don't have a sister or a lover," Dawn said as Buffy's guilt and confusion gave way to defeat. "It's your ideal reality, and I'm not even a part of it."
"Baby, I didn't mean ..." Buffy said as Dawn looked away from her.
"I ... I'm gonna go see how Paige and Phoebe are doing," Dawn said as she shimmered out.
Willow stood at the door her eyes wide, she recognized the tone in which Buffy had said the word baby. She quietly made her way back downstairs to the kitchen where Piper was preparing to make the antidote. "Piper, I have to know something, about Buffy and Dawn."
Piper sighed as she looked at Willow. She had not told Buffy or Dawn yet that Phoebe already knew and was happy for them. Now it seemed Willow had figured it out. "Go ahead."
"Are Buffy and Dawn, lovers?"
"Yes," Piper said. "We were going to tell you, Xander, Anya, Phoebe and Paige together."
"What about Tara and Leo?" Willow wondered.
"They already knew, they were first to know," Piper explained. "They learned from a power known as aura sight."
"I know what it is," Willow said. "It's the ability to see someone's aura. What does that have to do with Buffy and Dawn?"
"Their soulmates, it shows in the auras," Piper said.
"Wow," Willow said. "You said the first to know …"
"You actually make the fifth person to know," Piper replied. "Tara was first, Buffy went to her to have her aura read. Then that celebatory dinner I cooked for Buffy and Dawn, that was their first date. I was dealing with some demons and needed help. So Leo orbed to Buffy, Dawn, Phoebe and Paige. He saw a candlelit dinner for two, and put two and two together. At first he had hard time believing what they told him. Then they asked him to use aura sight. And then he knew it was true. I was the third to know, I overheard Buffy and Leo talking. I had a hard time of it at first. Then Leo talked to me about what he had seen. And I realized something. You don't choose who you fall in love with. I should have remembered that."
"Because you and Leo had been forbidden in the beginning."
"That's right. As I said we don't choose who we fall in love with. If we did I might not have chosen Leo simply because of the forbidden thing. Buffy and Dawn are the same way, their love by society's standards is forbidden. But they didn't choose to fall in love, that is something that just happened. Phoebe was the next one to find out. How, she hasn't said yet. But after a short discussion with Chris she found out that Buffy and Dawn are destined to be together. Dawn is Buffy's reward for everything she has ever gone through being Charmed and being the Slayer. And now you know."
Downstairs Paige and Phoebe orbed into the basement of the Manor with the demon. "Hold it," Paige said as she and Phoebe chained it up. From the corner Dawn watched.
Being hopped up on tranquelizers the demon stumbled and fell on Paige who orbed out and back in next to Phoebe.
Piper and Willow came down the stairs. "We need its arm," Piper said.
Phoebe and Paige rolled the demon around got on top of it as Willow pinned the arm down.
"Ready?" Willow said.
Piper nodded as Willow struck it's forearm with a fork and it's stinger popped out. She tore the stinger off as the demon groaned and passed out. She put the stinger in a container. "Paige," she said. "Go to the Magic Box. We'll need Alkanet Root and a handful of Nettle Leaf."
"That's not your typical," Paige said.
"I know," Piper said. "No magic is what is needed here. I'm brewing an antidote, I need the herbs for their medicinal properties."
"I'll keep an eye on the wax job," Phoebe said as Paige orbed out.
Willow and Piper headed back up the stairs as Phoebe looked over and saw Dawn.
"Dawn?" Phoebe said. "How come your not upstairs?"
"I'm not there," Dawn said. "In her delusion."
"Oh, Dawn," Phoebe said as she moved over to her sister. "I'm going to tell you something. I know about you and Buffy. It doesn't matter how. But I know she loves you. I can see that, it's just the poison making her say these things. Making her believe what is not real."
"I know," Dawn said. "But hearing her say it, even though I know she is hallucinating … What if she is having second thoughts."
"She's not," Phoebe said. "If it's the one thing I know, is how much she loves you. Remember she died for you."
Dawn wiped a tear from her face and slowly nodded. "Remind me of one of the worst times of my life, Pheebs. But you're right."
Several hours later Buffy laid in bed, not fully awake, but not fully asleep either.
Piper walked in, carrying a steaming mug. "Buffy," she said as Buffy barely reacted to her. She sat down on the bed next to her sister and patted Buffy's leg. "Wake up. Got the antidote here for you."
It took a moment for Buffy to register Piper's prescence. As she remembered the antidote, she sat up. "What happened?" she asked.
"Everything went according to plan. Got the demon, made the antidote," Piper said as she handed Buffy the mug. "When it's cooled, drink it all down and everything should go back to normal. It might take a little while to kick in, but ..."
Buffy stared at the mug. "Thank you, Piper. You never stop coming through."
Behind Piper, Dawn entered the room.
Piper looked up and smiled. "Hey look whose here."
"How is she?" Dawn asked as Buffy barely reacted to her.
"Make sure she drinks that," Piper said. "I'm going to go tell Piper, Paige, Xander and Willow everything's going to be okay."
Dawn nodded as Piper got up and left the room. She sat down next to Buffy. "I'm sorry, Buffy."
"For what?"
"For thinking you were having doubts about us," Dawn said. "Phoebe set me straight, yeah Phoebe knows and she approves. Buffy I'm in love with you, wholy and completely. You are my light, my life, my soul. Now and forever."
Buffy looked up at Dawn and then at the mug and slowly drank the antidote down.
Dawn smiled as she cuddled into Buffy and held her close. "I love you, Buffy."
"And I you, Dawnie."