FIC: Cold reunion 8/?

["jend1205" <jend1205@xxxxxxxxx>]

Author Jen D and Kim
Rating: NC-17- Rape, Violence
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Believe me I have three boys, I own 
nothing.
Spoilers: Up to five

Dawn sat on the counter watching as Willow talked on the phone. For 
Dawn it hadn't been so long ago that she had thought that her life 
was a lie. She was just a big ball of energy that the monks had 
brought to life. She had lost her mother and she had thought her 
sister had hated her. But Buffy didn't hate her; as a matter of fact 
they had spent the bigger part of the night before laughing and 
talking. Dawn thought she knew more about her sister or mother 
whatever she was, then some of her friends. Plus there was Willow. 
Even if the memories of the red head were fake, she still remembered 
that she had always looked up to Willow after Buffy had brought her 
home the first time. She remembered the sadness and pain of learning 
Willow had disappeared those years ago. Now she was back and even if 
she wasn't the same shy girl she had been when she had left, Dawn 
still felt a connection. 

Willow watched the young girl sitting on the counter lost in her own 
world, "Hey, where'd ya go."

"Huh, oh, just thinking."

"Bout what", Willow asked a look of concern on her face.

"Oh just how much has changed the last few days. Who was on the 
phone?"

Willow studied her for a moment, "Faith, her and Bu?your sister are 
going to patrol tonight and she wanted to know if you could stay till 
they're done."

"Can I", Dawn asked?

"Of course you can. Dawnie, as long as I am here you can stay with me 
anytime."

"What about when you go?"

"I don't know, kid. It's not you, really", Willow said noticing the 
hurt look on the younger girl, " I just don't know whether I'm the 
right role model for you or not. Plus there's the whole not being 
sure whether I ever want to be in the same room with your sister. I 
just don't know if she and I could band together enough to give you 
that kind of support and structure in your life. I'm not much of a 
look to the future kind of girl. I live in the here and now, can we 
just go from there and see where things go."

"Do I have much of a choice?"

"We all have choices, Dawn. You can choose to stay away from me, if 
it's too much. I would understand. I won't like it but I will 
understand."

"No, I'm sorry I just hate the thought of losing you when I just 
found you."

Willow turned away from Dawn and stirred the pasta on the stove 
wondering if Dawn would be able to handle it if something went wrong 
with the ritual. Willow had spent the whole day reviewing the 
material Giles had delivered that morning. She knew she needed to get 
it done before Glory had more time to figure out exactly what 
the `key' was and where the slayer had been hiding it. Willow knew 
the longer she waited the better the chance of that happening. So she 
had made up her mind that she was going to do the ritual in two days, 
the next full moon. She was worried that the teenager would blame 
herself for Willow's death if things didn't go as planned, "You know 
I have to do this ritual, right."

"I don't want you too", Dawn said tears welling in her eyes.

"I know, kid and I really don't want too but I don't see much choice."

"What if you don't make it"?

"Then you have Buffy to take care of you, and Faith. I think they can 
take her if it comes down to the only choice they have. I will always 
be a part of you, the monks made sure of that. I want you to make me 
a promise though", Willow asked and waited for a nod, "You won't 
blame yourself if something goes wrong. Remember life is full of 
choices and this is mine to make. My choice? my decision. I had a lot 
of bad things happen in my life and this is my chance to do something 
good for you and I guess Buffy too. She saved my life more then once 
and I owe her that. All I want from you is for you to live your life 
and be the best that you can be, for me and for your sister. Hell I 
never planned on having kids and honestly I can't anyway, so your it, 
so make me proud". Willow pulled Dawn into her arms rocking her 
until the sobs had stop and then wiped the tears from the girl's 
eyes, "Now I think dinner is ready, maybe we can play a game after."

"Chess?"

"You still remember how to play?"

"You taught me. Mom used to play with me but she wasn't much 
competition. Buffy doesn't know how. Giles is good but he is always 
busy. There's this boy in school who is real good and sometimes we 
play at lunch."

"Oh boyfriend?"

"Maybe", Dawn laughed and jumped off the counter to help set the 
table.

"Tease", Willow laughed and handed her the glasses.