Buffy picked up the mail and wandered in to the kitchen, holding a bank statement out to Dawn, who took it opening it with toast half in, half out her mouth. Spitting the toast out, Dawn stared fixedly at the statement in her hands. Buffy rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Dawnie! That's just so gross! Can't you even eat properly!"?

Looking towards her sister Dawn held out the piece of paper for Buffy to look at, taking it she spits out her orange juice in shock, all over the side.

"Oh my god! What.How?"

Dawn walks over, and looks at the piece of paper again.

"How do you recon I got that much! I mean. Dad never gives us money!"

Buffy stares at the piece of paper. She had been giving Dawn an allowance each month; it let her experience money management, something which Buffy herself had never been good at. But the allowance wasn't much, defiantly not enough to make this amount of interest since the last statement!! Confused, she sighed and looked at her sister, whose wide eyes had reverted back to the plate of toast, and was stuffing some in her mouth as she picked up her bag.

"I've got to get to school. Buffy. hello?"

She waves her hand across Buffy's face, and Buffy pulled herself out of the thinking daydream.

"What? Oh, yeah sure Dawnie, Just come straight home, Willow's flying over today and were going to pick her up remember"

Dawn nodded and smiled, mouth full of toast; she leaves out the back door, shutting it behind her. Buffy looked at the Statement again, how had she got this much? It defiantly wasn't Giles, he sometimes put a little money in their bank accounts, but he always told them before hand, or put his name on the statement, next to the amount. There was no name and he hadn't called. Buffy mind wandered. Xander? No. he had his hands full with Dawn's birthday party. She was going to be 18 in about a month. Willow? Possible, but Will was like Giles, always phoned or put her name. Sighing she put the statement in the fruit bowl along with the rest of Dawn's junk and walked upstairs to have a shower.

Dawn practically ran home, Willow was coming! She hadn't seen the red headed witch for almost 8 months now, not since Buffy's last birthday. She burst in the front door, dumping her bag next to the coat stand in the hall, she ran through to the kitchen and opened the fridge, taking out a strawberry low fat yoghurt.

"Buffy, you here? We gotta pick up Willow remember!"

"Right here Dawnie. come on. were gonna be late!"

Dawn walked to the front door again, and grinned at her sister who looked at the yoghurt in her hands with an annoyed expression.

"Come on then!"

Walking out the front door she clambered in to the passenger seat of Buffy's "new" car. Her sister had taken and passed (only just) her driving test about a year ago. Giles had helped them get the car, it wasn't exactly the most wonderful car in the world, but hey! At least it got them places!

Willow saw them before they saw her. She smiled. Dawn had grown slightly since she'd last seen her, either that or Buffy had shrunk. She watched as Buffy's "spider sense" picked up the fact that they were being watched. The blonde girl turned round, eyes searching, they landed on the red head and widened in to an excited stare. The next thing Willow knew was an inability to breath as Buffy hugged her tightly.

"Oww! Buffy! Breathing room needed!"

Buffy let go her eyes shining and grinning insanely, and Willow giggled, feeling the exact same excitement and love that Buffy's face was showing.

"Oops. sorry! Oh Will! I'm so glad you're here!"

"me too"

She smiled at her best friend again and hugged her; Buffy hugged her back. the breathable kind of hug though. There was a pressure on the sides of her waist and she turned, only to be hugged by Dawn who'd finally noticed that Willow had arrived, and run over to greet her.

"Hihihihiiiii, you're back! And it's my birthday soon!!"

Willow laughed and hugged the 17-nearly-18-year-old.

"I know Dawnie! Why do you think I'm here!"

Walking back to the car, Dawn chattered on about what had been going on in Sunnydale since they'd last seen Willow. Buffy walked next to Willow, arms linked and offering helpful hints to aid Dawn's storytelling. On the drive home Dawn brought up the subject of her bank statement.

"I mean, LOADS! Not just a little load, but a lot load!! Will! I'm Rich!!"

Buffy looked at her friend, swerving the car slightly.

"Will, you got any idea who might have put it there? I mean. there's so much!"

"Yeah. I know who put it there. I did."

The two other girls looked at her wide eyes questioning. Dawn was the first to speak.

"You did! Oh my God! Willow! Thanks!"

"Why?"

Struggling out of Dawn's grasp, Willow looked at Buffy, whose green eyes were questioning.

"Oh. umm. well. Its kind of a birthday present. I mean come on Buffy! The girl's gonna be 18!"

"Yup!" Dawns face appeared between them "which means that you guys won't be able to call me a Kid" She grinned. Buffy rolled her eyes at this comment and told her sister to sit down, then shot Willow a "we're going to talk" face. Willow couldn't help feeling a little worried about this.

Drawing up outside her house, Buffy watched as Willow jumped out the car and ran, throwing her arms around Xander. Who hugged her back, tears clearly visible in his eyes. Buffy got out and opened the rear doors, so that Dawn could get out, she really needed to talk to Giles about the child locks, they didn't seem to unlock and Dawn wasn't about to jump out the car any old time!

She walked up and joined the little huddle on the front lawn, Xander seemed to be desperately trying to look manly, whilst Dawn just jumped about excitedly. After a few moments of chaos, when Anya arrived carrying a small demonic looking baby (product of the first ever human-demon relationship), Buffy led everyone inside and started making Dinner. a Dangerous task, in its self.

Two weeks later

Willow tiptoed across the hall. It was about 3:30am and she'd been up until midnight with Buffy, getting all the presents set out downstairs for Dawn the next morning, but before she could sleep there was something she needed to do first. She opened Dawn's door slightly and listened, the girl was asleep, snoring slightly and wearing (she noted as she entered the room) her sisters PJs.

"Buffy's really not going to be happy"

She whispered to herself as she placed a thick envelope on Dawn's bedside table. Looking at the girl's sleeping face she bit her lip.

"Don't worry Dawnie, he explains a lot."

Turning back to the door she leaves, ready for sleep but with a knot of anxiety in her stomach.

Opening her eyes Dawn laid on her bed looking up at the ceiling. She'd had a seriously weird dream about maracas, but there was something else, sitting up she looked at the calendar on her wall.

"24th July. OH MY GOD!!!"

She squealed excitedly and jumped off the bed, knocking her lamp off the table beside it. Picking it back up, and facing the chipped base towards the wall, ("So Buffy can't see.") she looked at the envelope that was placed next to her. Picking it up she looked at the neat handwritten name on the front, it wasn't Willows writing, and defiantly not Buffy's untidy scribble, intrigued she turned it over and opened it, pulling out the thick paper inside and starting to read.

Niblet,

You obviously know who this is now. That is unless some wanker has started calling you by a name that I invented. If you don't want to read on I'll understand, I don't know how much Big Sis has told you. But if you do read on then this letter might clear a few things up, things that I should have said before and things that I need to say now. First of all. Happy Birthday! I'm sorry I can't be there to see you open all those crappy presents that Big Sis, Whimp boy and Red have brought you, I'm kind of stuck being a certain persons punch bag. You might want to know now how I got this letter to you; don't ask her where I am, she promised me she wouldn't tell, and Red's one of the only people I can trust to keep a secret. I'm sorry. I meant to say goodbye before I left, but I couldn't bring myself to ask to see you, especially after what I did to Buffy. Sorry again for just taking off. Once I'd left Sunnydale, I headed back to the motherland and ran in to the Witch. She's been in contact with me ever since, please don't yell at her! (I know you will!) I asked her to keep my whereabouts secret. I'll leave this here, it's long enough not to look like a note, but short enough not to make me look like a total Poof! I love your sister with all my heart. And you will always be my Little Bit.

Spike.

P.s. D O N T buy any of that crappy girly stuff with the money! It took me a while to collect!!

Dawn sat on her bed whilst reading the letter, as she finished she lay back in bed and curled the covers under her chin, eyes watering. After a few minutes she climbed back out of her bed again, and holding her letter close to her she padded along the landing and to her mothers room, where Willow was sleeping. She stood looking down at Willow, her eyes filled with tears and her emotions confused.

The witch opened her eyes, aware that there was someone in the room with her, sitting up she turned at saw Dawn standing at the end of her bed, Eyes wide and watery, holding the opened letter.

As Willow looked at her Dawn felt the urge to cry, she walked round and climbed in to the bed, Willow cradled her as she cryed, feeling the girls pain and confusion.

As the sobs quietened Willow continued to stroke the girls hair, comforting her. After a few more minutes, Dawn stopped crying and wiping her eyes she sat up. Looking at Willow she smiled and hugged her.

"Thank you Will."

"He misses you Dawnie"

"I know. Will?. Does her really love her that much?"

Willow sighed, thinking of the Blonde Vampire's face as he'd written the letter, the look of worry, pain and love that had flashed across it as he'd written the last few lines.

"Yes Dawnie. I think he does."

Buffy opened her eyes with a groan, her alarm always woke her up at about 5 o'clock. it was annoying, but once she was awake she couldn't seem to get back to sleep.

"At least Dawn didn't wake up by jumping on me this year."

That in it's self was strange. Dawn was always really excited on her birthday, maybe she'd overslept! She climbed out of her bed and opened her bedroom door, she could hear Dawn's excited chatter from down the hall and she followed it looking round her mum's door to see her sister and Willow playing Thumb Wars and obviously waiting for her. She walked in and the turned to look at her.

"Morning guys" She grinned and jumped on to the bed. Dawn crawled over and hugged her.

"I'M 18!! And officially an adult!"

Buffy laughed as Willows eyebrows shot up in to a "so you think" face and then went back to normal as Dawn looked at her.

"So. Dawnie. Presents?"

Dawn grinned and ran downstairs at Buffy's suggestion and a few seconds later the two older girls followed her.

Dawn opened the last of her presents that were on the kitchen table, there wasn't one from everyone, most people were giving her theirs at the party tonight. Ripping the paper off the outside of a small book like present from Willow. She sat there staring at a black book with her name on the front in silver writing; she opened it and read the first page out loud.

"The Dawnmeister Chronicles. Continued. Oh Willow!! It's beautiful!"

She caught Buffy's questioning look at Willow and thought quickly.

"Thank you! But. you put all that money in my account. why get me a present?"

Willow looked at Dawn and catching her train of thought she smiled and answered her.

"You needed something to open! Do you like it?"

"It's amazing!"

Willow smiled as the girl clutched the diary to her chest.

"It's locked magically only you can open it, that way your secrets can stay secret"

Dawn threw her arms round Willow, hitting Buffy on the nose accidentally as she did so. Running upstairs she pulled her letter from Spike out from under Willow's pillow and put it in to a pocket in the front of the diary.

Buffy watched her sister go, once she was out of the room she sat down on a stool holding her nose.

"oww. and I was hoping that her being an "adult" now would make her less clumsy!"

She Looked at Willow who'd made herself at home and was now making pancakes, whilst sucking a teaspoon covered in honey.

Willow looked towards her friend, taking the teaspoon out of her mouth.

"nope. She's always going to be like that. she's the baby".

That Night

Dawn stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom and smiled. The dress was amazing! A deep blue that made the green in her eyes stand out, short enough to look sexy but not short enough for Buffy to tell her she looked like a hooker. Willow had done her hair, it was pulled back from the front, clasped at the back of her head with a small clip and the ends had been curled. Her make up was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but it highlighted her features, making her look grown up. The excited glimmer in her eyes though made her look like a school child at Christmas.

Buffy and Willow stood at the bottom of the stairs. Buffy wearing a short lilac dress that she'd found in her wardrobe and hadn't worn for years, her hair pulled up in exactly the same way as Dawn's but with a small lilac butterfly holding her curls in place. Willow was wearing a tight-fitting green top and black trousers, hair tucked behind her ears. Dawn looked down at them talking, she could feel a tickle of excitement in her stomach and coughed slightly to attract their attention.

Willow looked up first and caught Buffy's arm, turning her away so that she couldn't see her sister. She beckoned for Dawn to come down and as she got half way down Willow let Buffy turn and look. She stood and stared, then turned to Willow and sniffed slightly.

"My mascara's going to run!"

The Bronze

They were only waiting for a few more guests. Buffy looked around and spied her sister dancing with Xander on the other side of the hall. Willow walked over with her drink and Buffy took it.

"You sure he's coming?"

Willow smiled and nodded.

"Yup. Do you really think he'd miss this? Come on Buffy! You and Dawn are almost Giles' children! Anyway, he asked me if he could bring one of the girls he looks after. you know, with the council. Apparently she's got a serious Vamp phobia. He wouldn't say anymore, confidential."

Buffy smiled at this.

"Vamp phobia? And he's bringing her to Sunnydale? Was he drinking or something when he decided this?"

Both the girls laughed, then turned hearing Dawn's excited squeal. Buffy darted forward and both of the girls threw themselves at Giles.

Willow watched them smiling, her gaze drifted to the girl that had walked in with Giles. She was about the same age as Dawn, with dark shoulder- length hair that was almost black and deep brown eyes. She was wearing a pair of hipster jeans and a Maroon top, with a black cardigan over the top. Willow walked over and after hugging Giles she turned to the girl.

"Hi. You must be Erin. I'm Willow"

The girl took Willow's outstretched hand and smiled nervously.

"Nice to meet you"

Her voice had a slight mixed English and Irish accent to it. Willow smiled as Giles introduced the girl to Buffy and Dawn, then to everyone else.

Buffy smiled at the girl Giles had brought with him, she smiled back turning to Giles and asking something. He nodded and the girl's dark eyes turned back to Buffy wide and questioning, she started over.

"Hi. ummm. You're Buffy right?"

"Yup"

Buffy smiled at the girl, who looked as though she was going to say something, after a few minutes she looked at Buffy again.

"You're the Vampire Slayer aren't you."

Dawn looked over at her sister, the girl Giles had brought with him was sitting next to her and they seemed in deep discussion. She felt a pang of jealousy, it was her birthday and Buffy wasn't joining in the fun. She'd been talking to the girl for about 45 minutes and Dawn was annoyed. She walked over and stood waiting for them to notice her.

"So. the people don't die, not straight away. They almost die but don't, they stay alive long enough to swallow some of the Vampire's blood"

Erin's eyes were wide as Buffy talked and Dawn could see a slight glint of terror in them. She coughed slightly and stepped up to them.

"Buffy? Giles was wondering where you guys went."

She smiled at Erin who smiled back; Dawn felt her hatred for this girl melt slightly.

Willow stood outside the Bronze, breathing in the air it was stuffy inside. She Jumped slightly as she heard her name called, looking round her eyes widened and she walked over to the person who'd called her.

"You're here! In Sunnydale!"

She looked at the blonde vampire in front of her.

"Yup"

He looked around slightly worriedly.

"Everyone inside?"

Willow nodded as Spike took out a cigarette.

"Why did you come back?"

He looked at her; his eyes shining with unshed tears. Willow held her breath waiting for an answer.

"I miss them"

Talking the two 18-year-old girls walked outside, Dawn breathed in, shivering slightly as the wind whipped round her bare shoulders.

"Should we really be outside? I mean. isn't it dangerous?"

Dawn had got used to Erin's lilting accent, she'd got used to her all together. She liked her.

"It's ok. We'll be fine. Buffy's here remember."

She smiled at the girl who looked back and giggled.

"Oh! I forgot!"

Erin pulled out a small packet from her pocket and handed it to Dawn.

"It's not much, but Rupert gave it to me for you. Happy Birthday!"

Dawn grinned taking the packet and opening it, it was a small broach, which she pinned on and then, hugged the other girl.

"Thanks."

She stopped, hearing voices.

"Can you hear."

Erin looked at Dawn's face and listened hard, her dark eyes widening as she too caught the sounds of a whispered conversation. The girls walked silently over to the corner of the Bronze and Dawn stuck her head round the corner trying not to giggle as Erin whispered.

"Kissing?"

She stopped. Staring. She stepped out from behind the corner, looking at the talking couple, Willow and...

"Spike?"





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