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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's chapter two for you... I promise, the spuffyness will be coming, just stick with me. Reviews are appreciated.

I don't own any of the characters.

Thanks to my Beta, Nichole, for all her help!
Chapter 2


Sunnydale, November 2002


“You are now the official guardian of Dawn Summers.” Willow declared after turning off the computer.

“Wow. You can do that, just like that?” Dawn looked at the now black computer screen.

“I didn’t really do that much. Quentin already fixed the identity, I just pulled some strings at the Social Services. It was pretty easy.” Willow started unhooking the computer and packing it in its bag. “I’ve actually missed the hacking, never realized that before. It’s fun, feels like I have all this power.”

“Thanks, Red, really appreciate everything you’ve done.” Spike gave Willow a smile of gratitude.

“Don’t worry, what are friends for?” Willow smiled back at him before leaving the room. Spike looked after her. Friend... he’d been called a lot of things...

“So... let’s celebrate!” Dawn jumped to her feet. “Let’s get the others and go to the Bronze!”

“You go ahead, I think I’ll just hang out here, get some sleep.” He got up and started heading for the stairs. “Tired.”

“Spike, come on.” Dawn grabbed him by the arm. “You need to get out. You haven’t left the house, almost not the room, since you got back.”

“I just... it feels wrong to do stuff, to have fun, when she’s not...” He couldn’t force himself to finish the sentence.

“I know.” Dawn gave him a hug. “I felt the same way. But then I remembered what she said before, you know, Glory. She would want us to live, she would hate it if we just stopped having fun and stuff because of her.”

Spike knew she was right, so he gave up. “Fine. I’ll go with you, but that’s it. I’m not making any promises to have fun, got it?”

“Yay! I’m gonna go get changed!” And she was out of the room and up the stairs before he could even blink.


Sunnydale, August 2003


“Are you sure we’ve packed everything?” Willow looked around the almost empty room.

“I’m sure. I’ve double and triple checked, and so did Dawn and Xander, and you. You know we have everything.” Tara picked up the last box in the room and carried it downstairs and out to the moving truck. Willow followed.

Everyone were out in the front yard, just finishing loading up the truck,

“I just feel guilty leaving you all like this.” Willow dragged Dawn into a bone crushing hug.

“Oxygen is a very underrated thing.” Dawn managed to get out.

“Sorry.” Willow let go of Dawn and looked around the group. “You sure you’ll be OK? With money and stuff and... other stuff...”

“Willow, we will be fine!” Dawn let out a sigh. This was about the hundred and fiftieth time Willow had asked that – just today. “I’m not going to drop out of school, Spike has a great job which is WELL PAID, plus, Giles is here, and Xander and Anya. And if we have any real problems...” She caught the horrified look on Willows face. “... which we won’t, we’ll call you. Promise. Chicago is only a couple of hours away with a plane.”

“Willow, we really have to go now. We’ll miss the plane.” Tara took a determined hold on Willows hand and pulled her to the car.

“OK. We’ll call when we get there. Or from the airport. They have phones there, right?” Willow got in the back of the taxi after Tara and closed the door. “Be safe, Dawnie. Don’t... play with matches... or talk to strangers...” The taxi started to pull out from the curb and Willow leaned through the window. “And don’t walk alone after dark...” The last sentence she almost yelled from the departing taxi.

“Well, we should head out. An has a doctors appointment.” Xander gave Dawn a hug before he followed Anya to the car, got in and drove off.

“Yes, I should get going too. Awaiting a very important phone call.” Giles walked down the street, he lived just five minutes away.

Dawn and Spike went into the now quiet house together.

“I’m gonna miss them.” Dawn looked at a photo of Buffy, Xander and Willow from high school that was on the mantelpiece in the living room. Spike followed her glance.

“Me too. Me too.” He gave Dawn a, what he hoped, reassuring smile.


Sunnydale, April 2004


“You’re leaving too?” Dawn looked at Xander with so much disappointment in her eyes that he had too look away.

“I’m sorry, Dawnie. It’s just... with the baby and everything. An and I talked and decided that Sunnydale is nowhere to raise a family. We’re thinking a place with a little less hellmouth under the high school.” He tried to joke, but Dawn didn’t notice. “You’ll be going off to college before you know it. It’s just a little more than a year left.”

“I know...” Dawn was looking forward to leaving Sunnydale, too. This place held too many bad memories.

“We’ll only be three hours away, two if I drive really fast.” Xander tried a smile. Dawn smiled back. “Have you decided which colleges to apply to yet?”

“I’m leaning strongly towards NYU. They have a great journalist program. And I’ve always wanted to see New York. Haven’t decided yet, thought.” Dawn shrugged.

“Yeah. Did you talk to Spike about going?” Xander asked.

“Not yet. But with Kennedy here, and Faith getting out of jail next year, he can leave Sunnydale too, if he wants to. I’d like it if he went with me to New York, if that’s where I end up.” Dawn sighed. “I don’t know if he’ll want to, though. I think he has some... bad memories of New York.”

“You should talk to him.” Xander said “He’ll want to do what’s best for you.”

“I know, and I will.” Dawn gave Xander tearful look. “I’m gonna miss you guys so much. How can I be a good Aunt to little Alex if I’m across the country?”

“We’ll figure it out. Don’t we always?” Xander put an arm around Dawn’s shoulders.


Sunnydale, July 2005


Dawn walked through the now empty house, remembering all the happy – and sad – moments she had had there. Now it was all going to be just a memory. For a split of a second she wondered if she had made the right decision, but pushed the thought aside quickly. She had to live her own life. Buffy would have wanted her to. There was nothing for her here.

She went out on the back porch, where Spike was sitting on the steps, and sat down next to him.

“Taking a stroll down memory lane?” She asked.

“I remember the day I decided to kill her. I got a gun and everything, and then when I got here she was sitting here, right here, and she was crying. I think that’s when I knew nothing would ever be the same.” He looked up and Dawn could see tears in his eyes.

“Are you having second thoughts? Do you wanna stay here? I could always go to Sunny U.”

“No. I said I’d take care of you, and I will. Wherever you wanna go, that’s where we’re going. Gonna show you the world...” He sat silent for a while. “Did you pack the rest? Giles will be here any minute.”

“Yeah, I’m all done. I can’t wait to get to New York. It feels kinda weird, though. Nobody will be left here. Willow and Tara will be in Chicago, Xander and Anya in Silicon Valley, Giles in England and you and me in New York.”

“I know the feeling.” He stared out into the garden, but was really somewhere completely different.





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