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Here's the next chapter you've all been waiting for. :) Hope ya like it!
Chapter 19 – The News

Sunnydale High

She walked through the front doors of the school and managed to find the office despite the fact that she hadn’t been inside the school for years. As she walked into the office she was quiet, but when she reached the desk she asked the woman sitting behind it, “What class is Dawn Summers in? I need to see her.”

“May I ask for your name?” the woman asked.

“I’m her sister, Buffy Summers.”

“And what is this regarding?”

Buffy gulped nervously. She hadn’t said it yet. “My mother… our mother…” Buffy looked down and finished, “she passed away this afternoon.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry dear. Let me look up where she is and I’ll have someone show you there.”

“Thank you,” Buffy said quietly, pulling her gaze back up to the woman behind the desk.

A few minutes later Buffy was walking down the hall to Dawn’s classroom. The woman who had showed her to the classroom went inside and told the teacher what was going on. The teacher said, “Dawn, your sister is here for you.”

Dawn looked around nervously. Something was wrong. Buffy wasn’t supposed to be here. She was supposed to be on a plane back to San Francisco. Slowly Dawn picked up her things and walked out of the classroom and stopped in front of Buffy. She looked her sister in the eye and said, “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Dawn, let’s just go home,” Buffy said gently.

“No. Tell me what’s going on,” she demanded.

Buffy glanced at the floor and then met Dawn’s eyes. She had to look at her when she said this. Dawn had to know that this was really happening. “Dawnie… fits Mom. She… she’s…”

Dawn started to break down, her legs gave out and the next thing she knew she was on the floor with her sister’s arms around her. “No… no…” The tears were streaming down her cheeks. This couldn’t be happening.

“She’s gone Dawnie. She’s gone,” Buffy said as her breath hitched. She just held Dawn for a few minutes. When Dawn had begun to calm down Buffy helped her stand and they went back to the front office and signed Dawn out. They made their way out to the parking lot, getting in the car and driving home. The drive was made in silence.


Summers' house

Back at the house Giles stood at the back door and watched little Will as he dialed his son’s number in LA. When Spike answered the phone Giles took a step back into the kitchen and said, “William” in a serious tone.

“Dad? What’s going on? Is everything alright?” He could hear the tone his dad had taken and he knew that something wasn’t right. “Is it Buffy? Are she and Will ok?” he asked, suddenly getting worried that something had happened to them.

“No, son. It’s Joyce. She… she passed away… I just found out and wanted to call you for Buffy.”

“Oh…God…” he said slowly, trying to come to terms with the news. “Is she alright?” he asked. “Where is she? Can I talk to her?”

“She’s stunned, but staying fairly calm. She went to the school to tell Dawn. I’m here at the house watching Will and waiting for the coroner to come get the body.”

“Oh… Dad…” his voice was cracking. He was unsure of what to do or say at the moment. “What do I do?”

“I don’t know William. This won’t be easy for Buffy. She’ll need someone to lean on. Don’t you want that to be you?” Giles said calmly.

“Yes, I do… I want to be there for her. I shouldn’t have left…”

“You did what you thought was best. There’s no sense in beating yourself up about it now.”

“You’re right,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I’ll be on the next flight home. Tell Buffy I’ll be there as soon as I can.” There was a pause. “And Dad…”

“Yes, William.”

“Thanks for calling me. I’m sure she’s right distracted at the moment.”

“A bit, yes. I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon.” The line went dead and Spike quickly packed a bag and included a black suit. He knew he’d need it for this trip. He called ahead to the airport on his way out his building and had a driver from the complex he lived in drive him to the airport. From the car he booked a flight that was leaving in an hour. Feeling somewhat relieved that he would be leaving LA soon to be with Buffy he closed his phone and laid his head back and closed his eyes for a few minutes. Before he knew it they’d pulled up to the airport and he was thanking the driver and tipping him before hurrying inside to check in for his flight.


Buffy called the house and talked to Giles while she was driving with Dawn.

“Giles?” she said when he answered the phone. “Is Will ok?”

“Yes, he’s still playing in the yard. He hasn’t noticed a thing.”

“Good. And… did they come?” she asked.

“Yes. I signed for her. They said for you to go to the hospital morgue to fill out some paperwork though.”

“Ok… um…” she began slowly. “Can you stay at the house and watch Will?”

“Of course. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Thank you Giles. I’ll call when I’m on my way home.”

“Very well. Do you need me to call anyone else?”

“No, I’ll call my friends on the way to the hospital. Did you call him?” she asked, referring to Spike.

“Yes. He said he’d be on the first flight available.”

“Oh, ok.” She wasn’t quite sure what to say about that. “Thank you for everything Giles,” she said a minute later. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Alright. Bye Buffy.”

“Bye,” she said, hanging up the phone. She then dialed Willow’s number to tell her what was going on. “Hi, Willow,” she said quietly.

“Buffy? I thought you were gone already.”

“Something happened Wil.”

“Oh… what’s wrong Buffy?” She could tell that something was off.

“It’s Mom… I found her when I got home… she…” It was still hard for her to say it. “She’s dead, Willow.”

“Oh,” Willow said quietly. “I’m so sorry Buffy. What can I do?” she asked, trying to be helpful.

“I’m headed to the hospital now to take care of some paperwork. Dawn’s with me… would you mind terribly… meeting us there?”

“No, of course not,” Willow assured her. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

“Thanks Wil. I gotta call Xander next. See you in a few.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.” Buffy hung up and dialed Xander.

He answered on the second ring with a “Hey Buff… what’s going on? I thought for sure you’d be headed to San Francisco by now.”

“Yeah, not so much.”

“What happened?”

“Mom… she… um… she died Xand.”

“Buff, I’m so sorry. What do you need?” he asked.

It was reassuring that her friends were really here for her when she needed them. “Well, Willow is meeting Dawnie and me at the hospital in a few. Can you be there too?” she asked.

“Of course I can. I’ll be right over.”

“Thanks.” They hung up and she took a deep breath. Then she looked over at Dawn. “Dawn, are you ok?”

Dawn was quiet for a moment longer before she looked over at Buffy and said, “I don’t know. I still can’t believe…”

“I know,” Buffy said, reaching out and tucking some of Dawn’s long brown hair behind her ear. “I can’t believe it either, but we’re here for each other. That’s what counts now. I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

Dawn nodded and turned to stare out the window once more.

A few minutes later Buffy parked the Jeep in the parking lot of the hospital. She and Dawn got out and made their way inside, asking where the morgue was. They went downstairs and waited in the waiting room. A few minutes after they had sat down they were joined by Willow and Xander.

They waited for nearly an hour, agonizing minutes ticking by and Buffy getting more and more anxious to get out of the hospital before the medical examiner came out to talk to Buffy. He pulled her aside and talked to her saying that it was an aneurism, likely a side effect of the surgery they did to remove the tumor. Then he went over the paperwork he needed her to sign.

Once she signed everything she went back to the group and said, “All done.”

Dawn looked up. “Can I see her?”

Buffy looked at Dawn and said, “Do you really want to?” She glanced at her friends for help, not feeling too sure that this is a good idea, but neither Willow nor Xander seemed to object.

Dawn nodded and Buffy turned back to the medical examiner to ask if they could go in and see their mother. He showed them to the body and pulled back the sheet for them. Dawn covered her mouth and buried her face in Buffy’s shoulder. With a glance and a nod to the doctor Buffy signaled for him to cover her again before walking out with Dawn. She waved for her friends to follow her out.

She got Dawn in the car and then turned to Willow and Xander. They each gave her a hug and assured her they’d be around to help with anything she needed from them. “Thanks guys,” she said with a small smile.

Buffy started the Jeep and drove home with Dawn. She sat in the driveway and noticed that Giles’ car was gone. Once inside she saw Spike lying on the couch. He startled her at first but she said, “I’ll be right back” as she lead Dawn upstairs. She got Dawn to bed with a goodnight kiss and tucking her in. Then she checked on Will, sleeping on the mattress on Dawn’s floor. She kissed him and brushed his hair off his forehead in a motherly gesture.

She quietly tiptoed downstairs to meet Spike in the den. He stood to meet her as she walked in. They just stood their looking at one another for a moment before she took a step closer and then another step and she was in his arms, holding onto him for dear life.

They went upstairs together and changed out of their daily clothes, climbing under the covers without a word. She leaned into his body, laying her head on his chest and resting her hand over his heart. He wrapped his arms around her small form and watched her as she slowly fell asleep. All night he watched her, not wanting to miss anything, not wanting her to wake and be afraid. He just watched her as she slept the whole night through.


Chapter End Notes:
Happy holidays to everyone! And I'll try to finish up Chapter 20 soooon. And please review! It can be my Christmas present. :D lol



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