The car bumped and rattled as it came over the hill, racing down
until it slammed right into the base of the bold 'Welcome to Sunnydale'
sign, breaking one of the posts but thankfully leaving it still
standing. The battered Ford opened up it's driver's side door, a figure
quickly emerging to survey the damage thoughtfully.
The brown haired young woman sighed as she looked at the damage
over worriedly. "Gee, I hope I don't have to pay for that," Dawn Summers
muttered. With that she climbed back into the car, backed up and pulled
away from the sign.
Thump! Without the support of the car's front fender the sign
toppled over, falling forward with a loud crash. "Damn," Dawn sighed.
The town was oddly quiet even for night time, the streets
deserted of people. 'I knew I should have stayed at that hotel until
morning,' Dawn thought, keeping a wary eye out.
Figures broke from an darkened alley, a man running frantically
from a dark haired woman. Dawn slammed on the brakes as quickly as she
could, but he still bounced off her hood, face pressing against her
windshield. He looked into the car and snarled, his face animalistic as
his teeth gleamed. The dark haired woman yanked him backwards, flipped
him over and then drove what looked like a wooden stake into his chest,
dusting him.
"Oh god oh God OH God..." Dawn stammered, her knuckles white on
the steering wheel.
The dark haired woman went around to the half open driver's side
window, looking down at her with an amused sort of compassion, "You all
right, kid?"
"That.. that was... a vampire," Dawn squeaked.
"Must be new in town," Faith muttered to herself. She tilted her
head to the side to ask, "You know anybody here?"
"I'm looking for my big sister," Dawn's face was getting some
color back as she continued a bit more steadily, "Buffy."
"Summers?" Faith blinked. She smiled down at the girl
thoughtfully, "I'm a friend of hers, sort of." She offered the girl her
hand, "Faith."
"Neat name," Dawn shook it, "I'm Dawn."
"You want a guide?" Faith offered casually.
Dawn hesitated, looking up at Faith thoughtfully. Tight blue
jeans, T- shirt, that stake casually tucked into a pocket, she looked
like trouble. Still... "Please," Dawn smiled.
Faith went around to the passenger side, climbing in beside the
young woman. "Do you know where she is?" she asked.
"Got a letter postmarked Sunnydale," Dawn pulled it from her
pocket, nearly swerving off the road again as she passed it to Faith.
"Eyes on the road," Faith barked. She looked at Dawn with a
frown, "How long have you been driving, anyway?"
"I got my learner's license a few weeks ago," the car's engine
groaned loudly as Dawn inexpertly shifted gears.
"Should have known," Faith muttered as she gave the girl
directions to where Buffy was living. "Did Buffy say anything about her
life lately?" she asked curiously.
"Not really," Dawn shook her head, "why?"
Faith kept her mouth shut as the car went out past the edge of
town, eventually pulling in front of the mansion. It had once been
abandoned, but more recently it had begun to be restored, cleaned up to
make it more livable.
"Wow," Dawn looked at the building in surprise. She hesitated,
sitting there behind the wheel, then looked over at Faith pleadingly,
"Would you mind...?"
"I'll come up to the door with you," Faith offered. She smiled
to herself as they walked forward and thought, 'Guess I've always had a
thing about lost kittens.'
Dawn looked around for a door bell, finally taking the door
knocker and thumping it down twice against the door. The brown haired
young woman fidgeted there nervously, then the front door opened up and
Dawn blinked in surprise.
Willow's red hair was messy, a robe pulled around her roughly.
The pale young woman blinked at Dawn, then looked up at Faith, "Friend
of yours?"
"Dawn Summers," Faith gestured with a slight smile, "meet Willow
Rosenberg."
"Summers?" Willow blurted. "I'll go get Buffy," she quickly
turned, the robe swirling to indicate she probably wasn't wearing
anything underneath.
Dawn had the oddest look on her face as she watched Willow go.
She looked up at Faith who was whistling innocently and hopefully asked,
"She's Buffy's roommate?"
Faith chuckled softly, "You'd have to ask Buffy, I think."
"Big help you are," Dawn muttered back. They saw Willow
disappear into a bedroom and a few moments both Dawn and Buffy emerged
in matching robes, Buffy blushing furiously as she tied the belt around
her waist. "Yes, we interrupted something," Dawn sighed.
Faith snickered softly.
Buffy rushed to the door, "Dawnie!" She hugged the smaller girl
a moment, then the blonde pushed back a bit to ask, "What are you doing
here?"
"Sorry," Dawn smiled up at her sister tentatively as she
explained, "got into a bit of a fight with Dad, and I kinda took
off...."
"Dad'll be having kittens," Buffy sighed.
Willow had a odd little smile on her face, one that was echoed
on Faith's face. "Why don't you two come inside?" Willow offered.
"Thanks," Faith grinned as the four went into the livingroom.
The place was fairly clean, the couch a bit battered but
serviceable, the kitchen just beyond nearly spotless. Faith flopped down
casually, watching with some amusement Buffy's reaction to Dawn's
presence and Dawn's wary looks towards Willow.
"I'll get some refreshments," Willow said as she moved smoothly
into the kitchen.
"Buffy," Dawn hissed, "are you and she...?"
The blush flared to life again as Buffy looked down nervously. A
steadying breath, "Yes, Willow and I are lovers."
"That is so cool," Dawn squealed happily. She leaned forward
eagerly to ask, "Is it better than sex with boys?"
"It is for me," Buffy blinked.
Willow brought a tray of cups in, the oddest look on her face.
"Coffee for Buffy and Faith," she passed those cups, "soda for Dawn,"
she passed the girl a glass, "and my regular."
"Is that tomato juice?" Dawn looked at the red fluid curiously.
"Not exactly," Willow took a drink, keeping her cup separate.
"Sorry for surprising you," Faith said, though the dark haired
slayer didn't look too repentant. In fact, she still looked pretty
amused.
Buffy gave her a look, but didn't comment on it. "I'll call Dad
later," she sighed as she drank her coffee, "let him know where you
are."
Dawn looked nervously at Buffy and Willow before asking, "Do you
think that I could stay with you for awhile?"
"Somehow I doubt your father would approve," Willow said
diplomatically.
"Dad's too busy with his new girlfriend," Dawn sighed, drinking
some of her pop, "I doubt he's even notice I was gone."
Buffy winced visibly. Faith drank some coffee, smiling slightly
as she added, "There is something else you should tell her, maybe?"
"Huh?" Dawn looked at Willow and Buffy in confusion.
Willow took a drink, letting her face shift to vampire mode as
she swallowed more blood. She shifted back to normal, looking up to see
a visibly pale Dawn looking at her in shock.
"Willow doesn't hurt anyone," Buffy quickly said, "she's been
cursed with her human soul."
"You okay?" Faith asked the stunned Dawn.
That is SO neat," Dawn bounced up and down in her seat excitedly
as the other three women all sweatdropped.
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