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This is the most awesome birthday. Willow and Tara are back together, Buffy's alive again... and Faith is here!

I was kinda expecting to walk in on a fight after lunch. But Faith and Buffy are totally cool, just like I asked. Well, Faith is totally cool anyway. Buffy went up to Willow's room and came back a little jumpy. Slayer stuff I guess. She'll handle it. Willow was a little upset too, and I thought maybe she screwed up again with her powers. But she told me it's not that. She says Buffy's just a worrier. Tell me about it!

But whatever's eating Buffy, she's still not fighting with my girlfriend. Watching her like a hawk, but not fighting. That's the main thing.

Besides, it's not just Buffy acting nervous right now. Everybody's pretty worried about the cake. I asked Tara to make it with cheese in the middle–my own recipe. Chocolate and cheddar are the best!

Tara takes the lid off cake the cake... still warm! Hug time. "Thanks, Tara."

"Lookin' good, T-Rex," says Faith. "Mint frosting. That's authentic Dawnie."

Buffy takes a break from pretending she's not watching Faith and puts in the candles. Tara lights them with an actual wand. It's so Harry Potter.

Every year since Faith left me in Boston, I've made the same birthday wish. "Come back to me." Last year that wish meant Buffy too. And they both came back. Looks like I'll need a new wish this year.

Anya hasn't said much to anyone. Not a word to Xander. But all of a sudden she's excited. "Dawn, you'll be pleased to know that birthday wishes are now twice as effective when spoken aloud." She gives me a big sugary smile and a very intense stare.

Buffy looks at Faith first, then Anya, and tugs Anya two steps back. "In your head, Dawn," she warns me.

"No offense," I tell our resident vengeance demon, "but I'm a traditionalist." I blow out the candles and wish silently. I wish Buffy and Faith would be friends.

Applause. Buffy's glaring at Faith, like it's her fault if Anya tried to get me to speak a wish. Oh, well. Some wishes take time.

Willow hands me the knife. "Let the slaying of the cake begin!"

Xander and Buffy make a little face at all the cheese inside. Giles frowns. I give everybody just a small piece until they realize how good it is. Everybody but Faith and me. Faith knows I'm a genius for inventing foods!

Faith loves the cake. She takes two more pieces. Everybody else is "too full" for seconds. Not too full for more ice cream, though, I see! Their loss.

But enough with the cake already. I'm after presents! They say sixteen is a good year for presents.

In the living room, Faith catches me eyeing the brown box she had sent here. "Wish I'd known it got here, I woulda brought something to wrap it," she says.

"Well I did try to call and tell you... but the you not having a phone got in the way." I sit in her lap on the couch and kiss her cheek to show I'm kidding... mostly.

"OK, OK... I promise, next week I'll get a phone. I mean it this time."

"You better!"

Buffy inches closer. She's trying so hard to be good, I should be grateful... but I can tell it freaks her out to see me on Faith's lap. Too bad. It's my birthday.

I go for the biggest package first. Big and flat... and heavy! From Xander.

He helps me get it free from the pile. "So... what's the Dawnmeister going to do when she grows up?"

Good question. "Probly wait for Faith to catch up," I tease. She pinches my butt.

Buffy practically trips over herself putting a stop to that! "Here, let me help you." She takes the present and holds one edge. Far enough away to make me leave Faith's lap. I roll my eyes, but Faith nudges me off. I go along with it to keep the peace.

Xander's gift is a mirror he made himself. "I love it!" Hug.

And from Giles, a big crystal. He must have seen me admiring it at the magic shop. "Cool. What's it do? Does it have special powers?"

"None that I'm aware of. But excellent for holding down papers on windy days."

"That's OK. I didn't figure Buffy would let me have anything with real magic."

Buffy gets really tense next to me, and Willow and Tara exchange glances. Wow... I wonder if they did get me something magical! That would be so cool.

I reach for Faith's little package. I'm dying to know what she ordered so long ago. She stops me. "Do mine last, Dawnie. It's kinda for everyone."

"OK."

My sister sits back down. She jumped up like something bit her when I reached for Faith's present! Now she realizes I've noticed how weird she's acting. She snaps out of it and hands me her gift with a smile. A smile that tells me I'm going to love what she got me! Something in a long package. I tear into the wrapping.

"No way!" I stare in amazement. "It's the exact one I wanted!" The short sword from the catalog, that Buffy and Faith both said I shouldn't have! I never thought they'd let me do any fighting! The sword feels perfect in my hand. I knew I chose a good one! And expensive too!

"There's more," says Buffy. "A sword's no good if you don't know how to use it. You did pretty good helping my fight those root things. I've decided it's time to give my little sister some training!"

"Are you serious? And I can come on patrol?"

"Not so fast! First things first. I'll teach you to kick and dodge. Then it's Staking 101. Then swordfighting. And then maybe you can help a little on patrol sometimes. We'll see. I promise nothing!"

I hug her tight. "Thanks, Buffy! I can't believe it!"

I let Buffy go to find Faith on her feet, fists clenched. Oh, no. She is really mad at Buffy! "Outside. Now."

My sister sighs. "Faith..."

Faith cuts her off. "We can do this in front of Dawn, or we can do this outside. Right now."

 

---

 

"Are you crazy, B?" I'm so mad I don't even care about promising to be good. This can't be real! Buffy would never do this!

"One of us is! Why are you making a big scene? The one thing Dawn asked was–"

"Me? Buffy, you just gave Dawn a weapon! You're talking about her fighting! You're talking about letting her in on the slaying!"

"Yes, Faith, maybe I am! She doesn't need to be protected from every little thing! You didn't see her fight. She can handle herself! So I promised to show her the world, not hide it from her! Did you see how happy she was? Or is that not really what matters to you?"

"How happy she is? There's only one thing in the world that matters more than that... how alive she is! Last week you were with me 100%... no fighting, no patrolling, no weapons! Protecting Dawn is our number one job! What has gotten into you, B? That was the one thing we could agree on!"

We circle each other in the front lawn. Our favorite spot for violence these days. "Yeah, funny how you agreed with me so quickly when it came to that one little thing."

"What?" What the hell has gotten into Buffy since she talked to Red? I was so sure she finally trusted me... and now I'm not sure I trust her!

"Why is it so important to you that Dawn not learn to defend herself?"

"What the hell are you talking about, B? You bought Dawnie a sword! Not a toy sword, not a practice sword... you spent money you don't even have, on a real sword that will get her into real danger! Why?? How could you even afford it?"

"Because she's not a baby anymore, she's growing up! And I used my discount!"

"She's not a Slayer either, she's.... You get a discount? How the hell do you get...." I shake my head. "That's not the point. The point is, you just bribed Dawn. You care more about her gratitude than you do about her safety. I knew you were messed up lately, B, but this–"

"How dare you say that!" She grabs the front of my shirt and slams me back against the front porch.

OK, B. You started it. "I dare say it because it's true! Take a step back, B! Look at what you've done. You're training your little sister to fight demons in the most dangerous town on the planet. That's not part of growing up, B! That's not some hobby! That's life or death, not something for fun!"

"Listen to you now... Slaying's not fun? I thought that was your whole deal!"

"I'm the Slayer!" I've been holding back, but my patience is all used up. I kick her off me and she lands on the ground, hard.

She springs up and we circle each other again. It's just so natural for us to be at each other. "Like hell you are. You're a Slayer. Some of us have show a little more dedication to that than you! And talk about dangerous... you're the one who rushes blind into every battle! But suddenly you're the only one who knows what's best!"

"What we do gets people killed, B. My Watcher took hours to die and I saw it happen! And the only reason she died was because I'm the Slayer and some vampire wanted to get to me. I loved Dawnie, and I left her, forever, so she would never be a part of that world! So don't underestimate what I'd do to to save her from it!" My anger is draining away and leaving fear. I'm so scared for Dawnie! She's not like B and me. I can't let her take the first step down this deadly path. I lower my fists and talk quietly. She just has to understand. "Buffy, two of the three people I've cared about most in the whole world have died because of slaying. Dawn is not going to be number three."

"The Mayor's death?" she sneers. "Now that was a tragic loss!"

I hesitate. I hadn't meant to bring up the other person, it just came out. "No, Buffy... your death."

I'm not gonna get into my whole thing with needing Buffy to like me. She may think I never caught on to how much she cared about me when I came to Sunnydale. But I knew. I needed it. And I hated it too. I've looked up to her ever since my Watcher first told me about her. Lived in her shadow, wanted to get rid of her, and wanted to be her too. When Angel told me she was dead all I could think was that it should have been me.

We fall silent, glaring at each other.

For the first time, we notice Dawn sitting in the doorway, crying. Tara's rubbing her back.

I don't think I've ever seen accusation on T-Rex's face before. It hurts.

"Dawnie..." I kneel down in front of her. "I'm sorry... I worry so much about you...." I hug her.

She doesn't pull back, but she doesn't respond. "You just had to fight. Even today. You had to hurt each other." She's crushed. She looks at both of us, so disappointed.

I started it, not B, but she apologizes too. "We're sorry, Dawn. It wasn't the time or the place. We'll deal with this another time, not in front of you." She helps her sister to her feet. "Come on... it's your birthday... let's forget all about this."

But it's not that easy. Buffy and I both know how much it hurts Dawn when we fight. I'm sure Buffy's been preparing for days not to let that happen, same as I have. But we did let it happen. This fight could probably have waited... but not for the Chosen Two! And to think, half an hour ago I thought B and I were getting along.

"I'm going to my room," says Dawn quietly.

Willow puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's your birthday Dawnie! Don't you want to get back to the fun stuff?"

"I need to be alone for a while. I'll come back. If there's no fight going on!"

I take Dawn's hand, and when I squeeze her fingers she does the same back. My Dawnie is hurting, and I follow her by instinct. But she stops me. "I need to be alone."

"We'll be here," says Buffy with fake cheer. "I bet there's lots of exciting presents left!"

Dawn disappears and the rest of us turn to the coffee table. Two presents from Will and T-Rex... including a gift bag with their little box that Buffy's already mad about. And the package of mine that I can tell makes Buffy nervous. She thinks it came from the Mayor somehow. And she's right.

Oh, yeah. Lots of exciting presents left.

We all sit in awkward silence. Except Anya. "Who wants more ice cream?" Nobody answers. I can faintly hear Dawn start to cry again upstairs, and it almost makes me start crying too. Right here in front of everyone. We always cried together in Boston, but now she's crying alone. Buffy looks down at her hands. She hears the crying too. It stops after a while, but I'm starting to get just how much Dawn needs B and me to be on good terms. I wish we could give that to her.

Eventually, Buffy starts to speak, hesitates, and then goes for it. "I'd like to suggest something, to make sure this day doesn't get any worse for Dawn. I think you guys shouldn't give her the Key spell." Red puts her face in her hands. Buffy explains what she means. "I just mean–not today. Tell her you've got something that will be ready tomorrow, or next week... Just don't do this today. Please?"

Buffy's wrong, as usual. "She's already seen the gift, B, we can't just take it away. And it's probably the only gift good enough to make her forget what just happened!"

Buffy turns to me, still quiet but furious. "It's not your gift, Faith, it's Will and Tara's! Why are you so obsessed with the Key? Why not just forget that whole thing? Why do you have to stir it all up?"

"Stir it up?!" I glance upstairs, lowering my voice again. "The more we know about the Key, the better we can protect it! When did protecting Dawnie stop mattering to you?"

"Protect her by having Will and Tara study the Key week after week? Protect her from what? Glory's dead and nobody else cared about the Key except to keep it away from her!"

"I hope you're right, B. How can you be sure? What if some day you're wrong? Don't you see? Damn it, Buffy, how is it better not to know?!"

"How can you not see that Dawn just wants to be human?! You claim to love her, and you want to rub it in that everything you two had never even happened?"

"OK, why am I suddenly taking all the heat for Red and T-Rex's little gift?" I know I'm talking too loud. Dawn might hear.

The witches hold hands, looking pained.

Xander interrupts, quietly. "If you two have any self-control at all... now's the time."

Dawn's coming down the stairs. Her eyes are a little red, but she's done crying. Poor Dawnie.

We shut up, find smiles, and welcome her back. She sits on the couch between B and me again.

Dawn kisses Buffy on the cheek, and me too, and then reaches for the bright blue bag with Willow and Tara's spell box inside. She reads the card on top, smiles at the witches, and unties the bow.

Buffy is twisting a throw pillow hard enough that the seams are starting to split.

Oh, boy... here we go!

 

~ Continue to Episode 22 – The Box ~

 

If you enjoyed this story, try CV. Buffy agrees to a meeting with someone from her past. It's not what she expected. (Faith/Buffy. Faith and Dawn have a very different relationship in that story.)

I always appreciate feedback in my Guestbook, or by email. Reader responses will determine whether I publish more stories, and will help improve them! Thanks for reading! (If you'd like to be notified when I post new stories, let me know.)

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