AN: Sorta a sad story. But I promise a happy ending.


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“Sweet girl follow me into the sky, and let me see what you dream of. Will I see prince charming holding your hand, or will the sea wash it away.” Buffy sang quietly as she rocked back and forth on her small bed. She glanced around the small white room. Shivering, she brought her knees, clad in a pair of cotton white pants under her chin. She wrapped her arms around them and willed the icy feeling that enveloped her daily to spare her some mercy. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the memories flooded her mind.


//Flashback//

Buffy woke with a start as she heard yelling. A chill ran up her spine as there was crash. She grabbed Mr. Gordo and hugged him tightly to her chest. She slowly pushed her blanket to the side and quietly slid to the floor. It felt cold against her bare feet. It felt a little colder than usual in the house and she was grateful that she had on her fuzzy pink ‘Hello Kitty’ pajamas. She slid on her purple slippers and headed towards the door to the hall. Her golden blonde hair fell across her face and she quickly pushed it away. She pushed the door open slowly and peaked out.

“No! Don’t!” Buffy heard her father yell as a man in a black mask kick her mother in the gut. Her mother let out a grunt as his shoe came in contact with her sensitive belly. She was laying sopping on the hard wood food.

Buffy covered her mouth with her hand to suppress a scream bubbling from deep in her heart. Her eyes glazed over as another man hit her father for his out burst. He was being held by two men. He winced but recovered quickly as he heard soft crying on the leather couch. Dawn, Buffy’s three years old sister was sitting on the lap of a strange woman. Buffy fear was more intense when she saw the silver blade that was held against her baby sister’s throat. Buffy pushed the door open further and tip toed down the hall. The people were too preoccupied to notice her.

Buffy slipped through the kitchen door. She pulled a chair up against the wall with a phone on it. Buffy hardly breathed trying her hardest to keep from making a sound. She crawled onto it and stood on her toes trying to reach the phone. Tears of frustration clouded her vision when she realized that the phone was just out of her reached. She dropped down on her knees and squeezed her eyelids shut. A sob left her lips which she instantly regretted as she heard footsteps heading her way. Buffy scrambled to her feet and spun around searching for a place to hide. She quietly ran toward the sink and crawled into the cabinet under it. She left it open so she could see what was happening.

One man came through the door followed by Buffy’s father and Dawn. Her mother was bleeding severely and was being dragged in by her hair. Buffy bit her bottom lip as tears ran down her reddening cheeks. Dawn’s face was red and puffy from crying and she had blood dripping from a cut on her cheek right under her left eye. Her father wasn’t fairing much better. He was rapidly loosing blood from a gash on his forehead. He was forming a black eye and had a bloody nose. Trying to keep the blood out of his eyes, he winced when hand brushed against his swelling eye.

“I swear I heard something.” One man said looking around obviously puzzled.

The woman glared at him. She punched him on the shoulder and smirked when he grimaced. “Idiot! Stop waisting our time.”

She looked around and smiled evilly as she spotted a knife stand on the counter. Grabbing a knife and pulling it out she turned back to the rest of her gang she added, “Maybe this little trip to the kitchen wasn’t that useless.”

It was a large knife with a white handle. Buffy recognized it as the one her father used on Thanksgiving to carve the turkey. The fear for her family was making it difficult to breath and she had to stuggle not to start gasping.

As the hour went by Buffy had closed the cabinet door completely. It didn’t help that the screams would get so loud that she doubt that she’s ever be able to forget the pain that shot through her heart. The hours started to blur together and Buff started to give up all hope that they’d leave. Her cheeks were stained with her tears and her lips were dry. She felt a constant pain in her back as she crouched around her knees. Her throut was dry and there was a pounding in her head caused by her muffled sobs.

“Come on. Let’s go. This is starting to get boring.” Buffy raised her head from her lap as she heard the feminine voice.

“Yeah. It is isn’t it?” Another agreed. Buffy heard shuffling feet and than heard the front door open.

Crawling out of the cabinent she winced at the sun light coming from the partially opened window. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust and her eyes whidened. Her scream pierced the deafening silence that had permeated the house.

There was blood every where. She backed away slowly until she was pressed into a corner. She slid down the wall and brought a shaky hand to her lips.

She rocked back and forth. Tears came to her eyes and she was amazed she had any more tears left in her. She stared blankly at the wall across the room. It was the only place she could stand to look at due to the fact that it was the only part in the room that wasn’t smeared with blood.

A song that her mother used to sing to her repeated itself in her mind and she softly sang along with it, “ Sweet girl follow me into the sky, and let me see what you dream of. Will I see prince charming holding your hand, or will the sea wash it away”

//End Flashback//






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Chapter 2: Normal For Now



Buffy walked slowly down the hall. Her baggy cotton white pants dragged on the tile floor. The long sleeves of her button up white shirt hid her delicate hands. She didn’t bother to push away the locks of hair that fell across her face.


Her eyes still on the newly shined floor, she lifted her hand and drags it lightly against the wall. Her other had played with a silver chain similar to the chains that lay around her neck. She wore a pair of silver hoop earrings that weren’t usually permitted but she didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything anymore.


Buffy chewed on her bottom lip as she closed her eyes. The next thing she knew she was laying on her back. She opened her eyes fully prepared to glare at the damned person that ran into her.


She blinked a couple of times and hardly registered the apology that was sent her way. Her eyes were focused on the bright bleached hair the speaker had. She felt her kleptomania kick in.



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Spike hit the ground with a thud. He murmured a few curses as he struggled to stand. His struggle was fruitless since when he saw the person he’d run into he fell right back onto the floor. She was a beautiful girl with golden blonde hair. He hardly noticed the dark rings around her eyes and the thinness of her lips.


“Sorry, luv. Sorta got lost and...” He trailed when he realized that she wasn’t paying attention to him. His brows as he realized she was staring at his hair. He raked his hand through it self consciously.


“William! There you are. You get lost?” Giles asked as he turned the corner. He frowned when he realized that he was sitting on the floor with Buffy who was staring at him as if she was about to pounce. Knowing Buffy, he knew she would. For a second he wondered what had caught her attention. He laughed as he saw Spike suddenly fuss over his hair. He should have known it would be his son’s radio-active hair.


Spike glared at his dad and said, “Da, I told you. It’s Spike now!”


Giles shook his head as Spike stood up. Buffy stood up too but her eyes remained locked on Spike’s hair. Spike shifted uncomfortably.


“Buffy. Shouldn’t you be in the in the cafeteria eating breakfast? I told Tara to make you something special for you since it’s your turning sixteen.” Giles said with a smile.


Buffy tore her eyes away from Spike hair to look at Giles. She replied simply, “I’m not hungry.”


“Ah well you should eat. You need you energy. Oh yes this is my son William.” Giles said gesturing to Spike who was now standing by a wall.


Buffy forced her eyes away from his hair and looked at the rest of him. He was wearing all black. Black shirt, black jeans, black boots and a black leather duster. Now that caught her attention. She took a step toward him and placed a hand on his sleeve. The leather was soft and worm.


Spike breath caught in his throat as she place a small hand on his arm. There was a look of curiosity in her eyes as she tilted her head to the side.


Giles smiled slightly. It’s been a great while since Spike had been this flustered by a girl. It was usually the other way around.


Buffy pulled her hand away and tugged on a strand of her hair. She went back to chewing on her bottom lip and stared at the floor.


Spike sighed and leaned against the wall. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. He reached in to his other pocket and pulled out a lighter.


Buffy glanced up at him and stared at his hand as he flicked the silver lighter on. A reddish orange fire was produced but it only distracted her for a second and her eyes went back to silver square between his fingers. She watched intently as he returned it to his pocket.


She looked at Giles, who was glaring at the cigarette Spike had acquired. “I think I am a little hungry.”


Giles looked at her and smiled. He saw her looking at the lighter. “Good. Enjoy you breakfast.”


Buffy walked over to Giles and gave him a hug. Spike, who was still a little dazed from when she had touched his arm, was pleasantly surprised when she gave him a hug, too.


“Well, William let’s head to my office.” Giles said as he and Spike headed down the hall.


Buffy smiled a little as she fingered the small lighter she had in her fingers. This was going to be one of her favorite objects in her collection.


~*~


Buffy sat at a table in the cafeteria. She chewed on a bite of her strawberry waffles as she flicked the lighter on and off. She held it close to her face for a second the flicked it on. She tilted her head to the side. ‘Pretty’ she thought and sat it down on the table next to her plate.

“Hey Buffy. Happy Birthday!” Willow said as she sat down in front of her. Willow had been there for about four years due to her high level of paranoia. They’d been friends ever since Buffy saved her from a gang of frogs by the pond out behind the mental institution.


“Hey Willow.” Buffy herself was suffering from Napoleonic Complex and kleptomania. Actually quite the combination. “Where’s Xander and Faith?”


Xander and Faith Harris were Buffy’s other best friends. They’d come there a couple years after Buffy. They were twins and their mother had been on drugs during their birth. Xander had turned out to have mania and Faith had turned out to have simple depression (AN: This is actually more severe than it sounds. Some one suffering from this might refuse to eat for days at a time. Also effects the persons energy.). It was a little strange at times because Xander would be so chirpy and Faith would act so...well depressed.


“Um Faith is in her room. She said she wasn’t hungry again. Last I heard, Xander was being attacked by Harmony. I would have helped him but um Harmony is a little scary.” Willow suddenly gasped and added, “Buffy! You have to go save him! What if she-”


“Willow! I’m sure he’s fine! But let’s go kick her ass any ways.” Buffy cut Willow of with a smirk. Harmony was a bitch. Buffy had known her for years. They used to go to preschool together before the...well before the death. Harmony had always been really snobby to everyone. It took a while but her parent had realized a couple months after Buffy got sent to St. Katherine’s Mental Institution that Harmony had Megalomania (AN: That’s a personality disorder in which someone constantly thinks that he/she is more superior or wiser than most others.).


Willow giggled but immediately sobered when she saw the lighter. “Buffy! Where’d you get that!?!? That can be used as a weapon! Weapons aren’t allowed!”


“Relax Wils! I picked it up from Giles’ son.” Buffy said rolling her eyes as she took another bite of her waffles.


A look of surprise marred Willow’ face as she replied, “Giles has a son?” Her eyes widened once again, “His son brought a weapon!?!?”


Buffy smiled and stood up. She placed the lighter into her pocket. She pushed her chair in and picked up her tray. Willow stood too, still babbling something about weapons. Buffy carried her tray to the kitchen her thoughts wondered back to Giles’ son. William. Or was it Spike? That’s what he said it was. Buffy got a tingly feeling in the pit of her stomach every time she thought about him.


“Hello Buffy. Did you enjoy your breakfast?” Tara asked kindly as she smiled at Buffy. Buffy smiled back as she handed Tara her tray. Tara Maclay was the chief there and a very good one at that. Buffy shuddered every time she thought of the last one. Buffy didn’t think that her food was even edible. If it was it definitely didn’t look, smell or taste like it.


“It was delicious. Than you Tara.” Buffy said as she grabbed Willows hand and tugged her out into the hallway. “Willow! Ok I understand that you have a thing against breaking the rules but GET OVER IT!”


Willow crossed her arms across her chest and pouted, “Well you didn’t have to yell.”


Buffy shook her head in disbelief. Willow never stopped amazing her. “C’mon Willow we’ll be late for the ‘Blank Room’.”


The ‘Blank Room’ was a huge white room with al kinds of things to do. But if you didn’t get there before nine thirty am than the place would be crowded. Buffy had a thing about making card houses. Willow was always telling her that it was dangerous. That she could get a paper cut or something. Buffy just ignored her though. She’d never give up the cards.


When willow and Buffy walked into the room they saw Xander arguing over the paints with Harmony. Buffy walked over to them and pushed Harmony. Harmony let go and glared at Buffy.


“You’re so evil Fluffy!” Harmony screeched at her.


Buffy mocked hurt and sniffled, “Oh I think I’m gonna cry. Big ol’ Harmony called me evil.”


Buffy ignored her reply as she walked over to a table in a corner. This was were Buffy usually sat to make her house of cards. Buffy sat down next to the boy that was already there.


“So... Angel or Angelus?” Buffy asked as she reached in to the basket for a couple of cards.


He looked up from the book he was reading and replied, “Angel.”


Angel O’Conner had Dissociative Identity Disorder (AN: Think split personality only more... well a lot like the curse. It’s usually triggered by sexual contact or violence.)They called his ‘other self’ the meaner him, Angelus.


Buffy nodded and started Building her house of card. Angel returned back to his book. Willow was braiding Faith’s, who had been sitting by the window the whole time, hair. Xander was painting some picture. He was actually pretty good at it. Harmony was yelling some kid, Jonathan. Everything was normal. For now...




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