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Something New:

Five years later:

Buffy thinks they all look perfect. She realizes then that because of that her opinion won't be the most helpful, but she's glad to be here to give it anyway. Dawn walks out of the dressing room for the fifth time holding bundles of white fabric in each hand. A broad smile crosses her face and for a moment she reminds Buffy of the five year old girl that used to play dress up in their mother's clothes; but Dawn isn't five anymore. She's not even a teenager anymore, she's all grown up.

Buffy thinks for a moment about the look the sales clerk gave them when they first arrived at the bridal shop and Dawn had introduced Buffy as her older sister. A little later the forty-something clerk pulled Buffy aside and asked her what her secret was, she told her that she looked too young to be Dawn's older sister, and she did certainly appear younger then Willow and Anya who are now thirty one. Buffy had made up some spiel up about moisturizer and eating a good breakfast knowing that she couldn't tell her the real reason for her apparent youth is because she'll never again age and that being a vampire has toned her features to be as beautiful and alluring as they can be.

Buffy takes note that from now on she'll have to play the role of younger sister in public circles and snaps out of her memory as Dawn makes a full three-sixty rotation before her, Anya and Willow. She twists displaying the a-line, strapless wedding dress adorned with intricate beading. Buffy can tell by the look on Dawn's face that this is the dress and she feels her eyes filling up with tears; tears of joy but also of sadness as she thinks of how much her mother would have loved to be here in this moment.

"I think this is it," Dawn says with a high pitched squeal. "What do you think?"

"Mom would have loved it," Buffy says.

"It's perfect," Willow adds.

"I liked the last one more," Anya says and Willow jabs her once in the ribs. "Ow… but you looked beautiful in all of them," she then adds. Anya's cell phone starts to ring then. She looks down at it and sees that Xander is calling. "Oh, I've got to get this… continue with the oogling over Dawn's dress but don't try anything else on till I get back." Anya gets up and walks out into the hallway. As she disappears Buffy, Willow and Dawn can hear her mumbling something about Raelyn and Jason who are now seven and four.

"Do you really think mom would have liked it?"

"More then liked. Loved. I think this is the one." A high pitched squeal erupts from Dawn's lips as she looks at herself in the mirror. Again Buffy sees her as much younger then the twenty seven year old woman she really is. Her eyes water up slightly as she thinks about her baby sister getting married. Buffy thinks to herself that this is part of why she does what she does; why she's sacrificed so much. She's done it all for moments like this.

...

Buffy sits at a stool in the kitchen while Willow cooks. They're having dinner at the house, all the scoobies together again which is something that hasn't happened in some time. Dawn's fiancé will be joining them, Giles has flown in from England, and for the last week Buffy has been praying that nothing breaks in through the window or decides to attack on this particular evening. Willow opens the oven and pulls out a large rectangular pan covered in juicy steaks.

"Is this cooked too much for you and Spike?" Willow asks poking at one of the steaks with a fork. Vampire cuisine is something she has no understanding of. Buffy and Spike rarely ate regular food, extra rare steaks and wheetie bix being the exception, but tonight they wanted to be as included as everyone else.

"No, those are fine Will." Buffy watches as Willow pulls two steaks off the pan and sets them on a plate which gets covered with tinfoil to keep them warm while the rest go back into the oven. "So are you nervous… about the big day?"

"I don't know, not really I suppose… I mean her and Holden have been together a long time, I kinda expected this ya know… I'm… excited," Buffy says with a smile.

"Is it weird… cause you're mom's not here?" Willow turns toward Buffy and searches her eyes as if afraid that she shouldn't have said anything.

"A little, I miss her, and I can tell Dawn does too… especially now, but I think I've kinda taken on the mother of the bride role. It's kinda nice, you know with this being the only time I'll get to do that." Willow offers her a sad smile. Children just aren't in Buffy's cards, not in hers either but that's different.

...

Dawn walks into her childhood room. She'd moved out years ago but this space has always been hers. Buffy had never redecorated or moved a thing; it was a silent promise that she would always have a place here, always be welcome. As Dawn steps into the lavender painted room, the color her mother helped her pick out, she sees Spike sitting on her bed. He's dressed up a little from his casual all black look wearing jeans and a navy button down shirt. In his hand is a photograph of Dawn and her friends from when she was about sixteen. He stares down at the image in its bright purple frame with nostalgia.

"Hey Spike," Dawn says and Spike looks up at her as if shocked by her presence. He hadn't noticed she was there, must have really been lost in a memory Dawn thinks.

"Hey bit," Spike says with a smile and Dawn moves to sit beside him on her bed. "Just thinking about that time you snuck out on Halloween... nearly got yourself vamped," Spike lets out a low chuckle. "You've really grown up since then, and your choice in men has improved, thank God." Dawn laughs.

"You always were looking out for me."

"Guess I was… we made a good little family for a while, you me and big sis… before you went off to college of course."

"Yeah we did," Dawn agrees. "I um… I'm glad I ran into you snooping through my things… I uh, I wanna ask you something."

"Anything you want bit."

"I was thinking that maybe… maybe you could… The thing is, my dad has never really been around for me and I would… I'd like for you to walk me down the isle." Spike's eyes grow wide and then a large grin crosses his face.

"Oh platelet, I don't know what to say."

"Say you will… you've looked out for me more then anyone ever has… since mom at least. I mean, I don't really see you as a father figure or anything really, more like a big brother… but if anyone is going to be giving me away I think it should be you." Spike smiles and pulls Dawn into a big hug. She squeezes him tightly and knows that this means yes.





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