To Dawn

Posted on Sun May 26th, 2019 @ 12:25am by Buffy Summers

Mission: Sunnydale, A new Darkness
Location: The Bronze

Walking up to the entrance of the Bronze brought back many memories for Buffy, some good and some bad. This time would be for the worst reason ever to go to the Bronze. The gang was meeting there because one of their loved ones, their family had been taken from them.

Faith was behind the rest of them. They may not like her but she deserved to be there as well.

"I feel like a penguin." Xander says walking into the Bronze

Willow remembered each time she and Xander had gone to the bronze before and after they met Buffy. She remembered the first time Buffy had saved her and Xander from vampires. Faith wasn't hated they just weren't sure about her attitude lately. "Why do you feel like a penguin?" Willow asked her Best friend.

"Black and white tux with a striped tie. I can bet you twenty bucks Spike would say something if he was here

Buffy gave him the best smile she could muster "I think you look very handsome, Xander" she said trying not to sound sad.

Xander hugs Buffy "you don't have to try and cheer me up. But Dawn wouldn't want to see her big sister sad" Xander says

"I know" Buffy said and pouted her bottom lip out.

Faith gave a look between the two of them a moment. Giles had gotten it cleared for them. It wasn't all made up special though to much.

"Same Bronze" Buffy said looking up at Xander.

"Somethings never change." Willow agreed, "And yes Xander you look very nice." She smiled at him softly.

"Hasn't changed a bit at all." Xander says smiling

Faith of all people did not bring alcohol, even if Giles had said they could, he just wasn't going to supply it.

"Well i think i have something in the trunk be right back." Xander says walking out to his car

Willow hadn't had a drop of alcohol since she nearly became an alcoholic after Oz left her. She went to get a smoothie from the bar instead.

She moved up stairs to the usual spot that she would perch and watch. Leaning against the railing a moment. After that Faith came down to get a glass of water.

Xander comes in with a case of wine and beer "didn't know what to get

Buffy went over to the bar with Willow and leaned up against it "how you doing?" she asked her best friend.

"Good, other than what happened to Dawnie." Willow said softly. "I've been studying on and off with the English coven of witches that helped me passed that dark period of mine." She said softly.

"Cool" Buffy said softly "everything's good now?" she paused "magic wise, I mean" she looked over at Willow, tears still in her eyes.

"Thats good Willow." Xander says walking up to the bar.
"Yeah, I'm getting good at controlling that darkerside." She said softly leaning over the bar to revitalize the potted plant there. Willow smiled over at Xander as he joined them. "How are you doing Xander?" She asked softly.

"Im doing better than can be expected

Faith moved to the side crook arm of the bar and leaned on it, sipping on her water. Just listening.

Buffy turned her back to the bar and looked around the Bronze, it just wasn't the same. Everytime she had been here in the recent past it was with the whole gang, which included her sister. Was this her curse? People around her she loved had to die, her mom and Dawn were probably the hardest. She missed Tara and and Anya and there were other friends she had lost along the way in this crazy battle she called life.

"Hey Buff, you will see Dawn again. Hell, she is probably watching you right now with your mom" Xander sayd

Buffy smiled at her friend "thanks Xander" she said hugging him.

"So has anyone heard from Angel as of lately? I know he moved to L.A. but he should be told about Dawn if not to give his condolences to Buffy." Xander says

"I know I haven't, but then the last time I saw him or his it was to put his soul back where it belonged." Willow said softly knowing that Angel was no longer a sore spot with Buffy since she had moved past him. Though she knew buffy would always love him, she just knew they couldn't be together.

Buffy only shook her head letting her friends know she hasn’t heard from the Vampire with a soul either.

"I'm sorry Buffy. Maybe i'll call him if i knew where he was now." Xander says as he looks at the rest of his friends

She gave her typical half smile and nod toward Xander "We can handle this" she said with confidence.

There actually was a voice that came from the back of the room, considering that they were the only ones in there. "Might want to do your speech though for Dawn, Willow. I can't given I only knew her in passing."

Faith gave a glance over, "What in the hell are you doing here." That was rhetorical.

Willow was surprised as well, "Wow nothing like putting me on the spot. I figured the speech would be all Buffy, but ok" She focused on that other than the surprise visit of Angel arriving and wondered who called him since Spike wasn't here and he was the one that knew Dawn almost as well as Buffy and the rest.

"What to say about Dawnie, Well she was like a sister to all of us. More so to Buffy being blood, but she had no hesitation in treating each of us like family right down to being a pain in the ass to each of us. She was a good kid, even if her life had come into ours as suddenly as she had, Dawn was etched into our lives and our hearts. We will miss you Dawnie, but we will remember you for as long as each of us are still on this earth." Willow said softly struggling to keep the tears shining in her eyes from rolling down her cheeks.

Buffy smiled at Willow with tears rolling down her cheeks, she really couldn't say anything at the moment. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and raised her glass.

Xander raises his drink "To Dawn Summers, forever loved. Lost but never forgotten" Xander says(edited)
"To Dawn" Buffy added quietly before taking a drink of her beverage with the rest of the room. She knew her sister wouldn't want them crying all night, so with a big chug of her drink she made her way back over to her friends and tried her best to fake a smile.

"To Dawn." Even though Faith kept to the side she was not going to be a bitch. She meant it.