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Dawn practices with her sword, diving at imagined monsters and even throwing in a somersault or two. Having fun... and showing some skill, too! I can't believe she's really into the Slayer stuff like this. It's not just talk. But I don't want to let on how impressed I am. It would only encourage her, and I will not have her getting involved in dangerous fighting. No patrolling, no training from B. I have to stop that, even if I have to get into it with Buffy all over again.

But I can still enjoy the show. Nothing like watching a beautiful woman use a sword the right way. She's showing off, the way I've shown off Slayer stuff for her before. Every now and then, the way she moves is so fluid and unconscious that I almost wonder if a little bit of Dark Dawn is coming through.

It would be fun to get up and practice with her. Not happening. She wants to share that with me, but I want to keep her safe. That means no fighting. She can help with the Slaying all she wants–when it's research time. With Giles and Willow gone, Dawn's the designated bookworm, and that's all I can let her be. Everyone thinks she's the one who takes care of me. But I have to take care of her too. After all, isn't that why the monks gave us memories of each other in the first place?

I abandoned her in Boston to keep her safe. You better believe I'll rain on this parade if I have to.

So the only person I'll share the field work with is Buffy. Except B won't accept me fighting at her side anymore. That's pretty clear. She does trust that I'm with the good guys now... but that doesn't mean she likes having me around.

"Come on, you'll miss the sunset." I pat the blanket next to me. We're watching the day end on the roof of my building, just like we used to do in Boston. Buffy's letting Dawn stay over with me, the perfect ending to her birthday. And this time, no warnings about being beaten to death whispered in my ear!

Dawn does one last jump and thrust and then joins me. We lean back against a big pipe, sinking into some mismatched sofa cushions I scored in the back alley.

She carefully returns her sword to its case and sets it down next to her Key box. "After the sun sets, let's look at me again."

"I won't say no to that!"

"And then I think I'll store the box away. Keep it special instead of using it all the time."

I understand what she means. "Yeah. Plus you don't want to lose it. No more witches around to make you a new one."

"I hope they come back soon. And Giles."

"Me too. Until then, the Scoobies are down to just you and Xander and Big Sister." Maybe not even Anya anymore, if she's serious about this vengeance demon thing.

"And you. You're part of the gang too!"

"We'll see. I wouldn't mind being on B's team again, but I'm not holding my breath."

"Well you're done trying to kill each other. That's a good sign!"

I pull her close to lean against my shoulder. "I never did," I say quietly.

"What?"

"I never tried to kill her." It's the truth. We've both had thoughts of killing each other from time to time. But she's the only one who went all the way with it.

"But..."

"Oh, I put her in harm's way lots of times. I was all set to hurt her bad when Angel and I captured her. And I left her to face the Council in my body. Beat her up plenty of times, and vice versa! Gave her about a million reasons to mistrust me like she has. I killed someone. I thought about killing Xander once. Willow too. Tried to poison Angel! But I never quite tried to kill Buffy. Not once."

"I'm glad." Dawn picks up her new journal and writes something about that. I'm tempted to read over her shoulder but I resist. Probably something along the lines of, "Dear Diary, I found out my girlfriend didn't exactly try to kill my sister." Poor Dawn. I wish loving me was simpler!

It's sad to think of all the journals she burned. She had stacks of the Dawnmeister Chronicles when we were in Boston. I named them myself–even wrote a few notes to her in the pages. All gone now. All those memories of our love when it was new. I'm glad she's starting them again.

These last few months would have been a hell of a lot simpler if those diaries were still around to show to B!

She puts the book away. "So shouldn't you and Buffy finally start patrolling together again?" She looks at me hopefully.

"Not happening. I know it's been whole hours since our last big fight, but let's not tempt fate. Besides, we can cover twice the ground if we avoid each other."

"Oh," she says, sadly. "But..."

I kiss her. "I know. It would be nice, but that's just not how things are."

This is only depressing her. I search for a happier topic. "So, what kind of job do you think I should get when I have my shiny new high school diploma?"

"Probably something part time. 'Cause you should go to college."

"Xander didn't go, and he makes more money than any of us."

"Working on a certain new high school won't hurt his career either."

"Not a word about that, Dawn. That's our secret."

"It so isn't! They all know it was you. And I'm trying to get Buffy to apply for a job there too. No more Doublemeat. Wouldn't that be cool? You giving jobs to Xander and Giles and Buffy?"

"I don't want to bribe people into respecting me, Dawn."

She sighs, snuggling close. "I know. I won't say anything. But they do know."

The sun sinks lower on the horizon, and her hand finds its way to my upper thigh. She'd better not try to make a move on me! She just turned sixteen, and I'm more than a little worried she might start in on the whole sex thing again.

"If you do go to college," she says, dreamily, "I'll help you study."

"I'm sure you will. We'll see. Or maybe I'll just go right into my own business."

"Faith's Friends? Your stuffed animals?"

She tries to hide her amusement but I pick up on it. It hurts my feelings a little... because I guess I know she's right. Nobody would buy them. My animals are pretty crappy. She's the only one who would want them. "Maybe. Or maybe jewelry."

She smiles. "I think that's a better idea. These came out pretty good!" She fingers my lily pin. And afterwards, her hand stays lightly on my breast. Feels nice there.

She's not gonna make me go all the way and wake up regretting it. But if she wants to make out on her birthday, well... I'm up for that pretty much any day! I reach for her key necklace. "Yeah, not bad." I let go of it and cup her breast.

She slides on top of me and kisses me, straddling my lap. One of those kisses. Her pelvis grinds against mine, just once. I don't like where that's headed so I hold her butt to keep her still. That I do like!

More kissing, her tongue deep in my mouth. She squeezes my breasts, feeling the nipples. No bra in the way. Then she unhooks hers and pulls it out of her sleeve. I see enough through her blouse to tempt me away from her cute behind. I caress her breasts the same way she's touching mine.

Wow. OK, I guess we're still on the "making out" side of the line, not crossing over into "making love." But we're breathing hard, and her eyes show the same hunger I feel. We have to be careful not to lose control.

She pulls my shirt up and strokes my belly, an odd, almost smug smile on her face. "There's something I need to warn you about, Faith."

"What's that?" I gasp when her thumb inside my shirt finds my left nipple.

"I love you."

"You too baby." Kiss. "I love you too."

"Forever and ever."

"Forever and... ahhh!... ever...." She's shifted and brought her knee up between my legs. "Dawnie...."

"And I'm going to make love to you. And it's going to be really, really hot."

I can't help pressing back against her knee, but... "No... Dawnie..."

Another kiss. "Don't look so scared! It breaks my heart. We will make love. That's fair warning. But not today. You're so not ready."

"We're not..." a shift of her leg against me makes me lose my thought for a moment. "We're not going to be ready ever, Dawn. Not ready to hurt each other."

She smiles. "We won't hurt each other, Faith. That's really not what sex is about. We'll make each other feel wonderful, and we won't regret a thing. And then we'll do it all over again."

I pull my hips away from her to clear my head. "I take it you had one last talk with our sex-crazed Tara?"

"No I didn't. But she's still right, and you and Buffy are wrong. Making love with the right person is amazing. It's beautiful. For a while I didn't know who to believe... but I do now."

"How come you're the expert all of a sudden? I'm the one who's actually had sex. I know how awful you feel afterwards."

"I wish you hadn't done it then... but you're wrong. I know that now. Know it. I've seen it."

"What are you talking about?"

She hesitates a moment and then spits it out. "Faith, I've watched Willow and Tara make love. I've felt their love from beginning to end. Nothing but happiness."

"You what?"

"Don't freak. It wasn't me, exactly. It was Dark Dawn. Miss Kitty Fantastico."

"The cat? They had sex in front of the cat? They really are warped!"

"Settle down. It was a dorm room and I... I mean she... was just a little kitten. You think they should have thrown the kitty out in the hall? It's only vague memories, anyway, not like... techniques or anything... Except..." her eyes unfocus, and the way she holds herself seems just a little bit Dark Dawn. "OK, maybe a few techniques. But the point is, I was very connected to Tara. I was her familiar. And I didn't know much but I knew love when I felt it. And when she made love to Willow, it was all love. Before, during, and after. Just like she told both of us. You've never had sex with someone who loved you, Faith. You're not the expert. Buffy's had her share of bad mistakes too. I've never had sex at all, but guess what? I'm the expert here now. That's all there is to it. And however long it takes, I'm going to help you know what I know. Whatever screwed you up, my love for you is stronger. I'm not going to push you, but I'm not going to give up. Are we clear?"

"Very clear. You're still wrong, sweetie. Are you through?" My voice is gentle and I stroke her hair, but she's the one who's messed up here. Which sucks, because I really need to make out with her right now! And that wouldn't send her the right message at all. I wish I could believe Tara's view on sex. But I can't. No magical voyeur cat weirdness is going to change what I know.

"I'm through. For now. But someday..."

"No, baby. Really... no."

She brings her thigh up between my legs again, pressing into me and moving back and forth just a little. Not fair! I can't possibly argue while that's going on.

Her hands are on my body again too... and mine on hers... and she kisses me again... and...

Between kisses she whispers, "I'm patient. Just give me a 'maybe someday'... OK?"

"Uhhhh..." She's kissing my collarbone now. What were we talking about?

"Maybe someday," she says again. "That's all I ask."

It would be so wonderful if she were right. I nod slightly. "OK... maybe... someday..."

"Good. It'll be worth the wait, I promise." And she kisses me again, still pressing into me with her knee. Oh god...

"Dawn?"

Oh, shit... Buffy!

 

---

 

I call again, "Faith? Are you guys up here?"

I start back down the stairs, but then Dawn answers. "Um. Yeah."

"Why didn't you answer?" I see now, they're on the other side of some big pipe, sitting with their arms crossed over their chests. Looking a little rumpled and out of breath, and sitting just a little too far apart. Busted! Part of me is ready to go Mom on their hineys. The other part is the one smirking. I bet I almost caught them kissing on the mouth.

"What's that smile for, B?"

"Just happy to see everyone enjoying this fine evening!" They exchange guilty looks and I smirk wider. "You weren't in the apartment... and then I saw the door to the roof open. With the lock broken. You do know what 'No Admittance' means, right?"

"Must have missed that," says Faith dryly.

But I'm not here to make them suffer. I've done enough of that lately I think. "Here, Dawn, you forgot your sleeping bag."

Another guilty exchange of glances. Hmmm... I take it they prefer to sleep together in that one tiny hammock! That does it. I open my mouth ready to let loose some stern warnings in full Mom mode... and just manage to control myself. I can't stop them sleeping together, and her social worker's not gonna find out. So I just... won't think about it. It's not like Dawn's going to get pregnant. And Dawn did promise to let me get her protection before she did any... OK, back to the not-thinking-about-it place!

"Oh," says Dawn as I hand over the sleeping bag. "Thanks, Buffy."

Nobody says anything else. It's uber awkward. I turn to leave them alone.

I had some thoughts of trying to go on patrol with Faith. After all, with Giles away, somebody has to make sure Faith doesn't do something stupid and get herself killed. Besides, we were quite the team in our Chosen Two days. But those days are gone. I get that now. We'll keep the peace by keeping our distance. Dawn says Faith has wanted to do the Scooby thing with me for months. But that's just Dawn's wishful thinking. The Slayers are on the same side now, more or less, but we'd better stick to patrolling solo. We work best alone these days.

"Hey," says Faith, "Sun's about to go down... Set! Sun's about to set. Stay and watch the show if you want."

Dawn smiles encouragingly. So I join them on the blankets, hesitantly, leaving Dawnie in the middle. She pulls a blanket over all of us. The view is nice up here. You can even see a sliver of ocean.

I get the feeling this is something very private for them. Watching the sunset on the roof like this. I've heard Dawn mention doing that in Boston. This is something very personal they're letting me in on, and I'm grateful.

But that doesn't do much for the tense silence. So I decide to reveal the little surprise I hid in Dawn's sleeping bag. I pull out a telephone with a note on it, and hand it across to Faith.

"What's this?"

"A telephone. You use it to talk across great distances. One last birthday present for Dawn. Now you can actually call her instead of just dropping by. I mean... you can still drop by, I just thought..."

"Buffy," says Dawn, "isn't that the phone from the basement?"

"It's old but it'll do the job."

Faith nods. "That's cool. I was getting around to it anyway."

"Awesome, now you can call my cell phone!" says Dawn. "And nobody will be able to listen in." I don't meet her eyes. She turns to Faith, "Now you have to sign up. Call the phone company tomorrow. Promise!"

Of course, that's the part Faith will keep putting off. So I took care of it. "It's already set up, Faith. I signed you up. Your phone number's on the note. First month's taken care of. When you get a bill... try to remember to pay it."

"I'll try, Mom." Then she softens, "and, you know... thanks."

"Don't mention it."

I see that Dawn has her sword up here. I'm glad she likes it. "So... Dawn, ready to start your training tomorrow afternoon? Start simple... dodging and staking... work our way up?"

Dawn looks at Faith, and Faith gives me a look.

Faith wants to shelter Dawn. I've been the same ever since the big Glory thing. Ever since I had to replace Mom. But I'm past it. Dawn's stronger than Faith gives her credit for. And not half bad in a fight. "Dawn... she doesn't own you. You don't need her permission for this."

She squeezes Faith's hand on top of the blanket. "Yeah, Buffy. I do. 'Cause it might be dangerous. Especially if I ever end up coming on patrol. She'll worry. I need her to know I'll be safe." She stares at the sun as it touches the horizon. "I caught her walking on the edge of a roof even higher than this, once... back in Boston... and I told her to stop and never do that again. I didn't know she was a Slayer... I guess she could have kept right on doing it. But she didn't. She knew how it made me feel. So if she tells me not to do this... I won't." She turns to her girlfriend. "But Faith, I really, really want to!"

Dawn's words remind me just how good they are for each other. I really hope they're right, that I'll find that kind of love someday too.

Dawn's giving Faith puppy dog eyes, but Faith shakes her head. "And I really, really want you to have a safe hobby, Dawnie, without swords and vampires and demons. Ever thought of playing softball?"

"First of all, when I touch a softball, windows tend to break. Second, Clem's softball team is all demons. Third... I'll be so careful, and do everything Buffy says! I'll always plan ahead if we do any patrolling, and I'll always make sure I'm the one with the advantage. I'll keep a stake ready at all times–"

"The stake is not the power," Faith and I say in unison. Both trained by Giles. "Dawn," I say, feeling like a Watcher, "you have nothing like vampire strength. Relying on your weapon and not your wits is a big no-no." Dawn gapes at me, surprised at the sudden scolding.

But Faith nods, pleased at my approach. She looks at me a while, and finally gives in. "OK."

Dawn's eyes brighten. "OK? Really?"

"OK. You can train with B. If you're extra careful and do everything she says."

"Extra careful, Dawn," I agree. "Unlike some Slayers I could name."

Faith rolls her eyes. "I mean it, Dawnie. Every little thing she says, every time, right away, no matter what! You gotta be even more careful because you're the Key! You gotta promise both of us."

"I promise! Oh, thank you, Faith! Thanks, Buffy! And I can practice with you, too, Faith, so you know I'm paying attention!" She's bouncing with excitement. Faith gets a hug of thanks... for me training her! Go figure.

"You and the Key thing!" I say to Faith. She's so afraid that someday something's going to come after the Key again. I really don't think so. The moment of the portal has long since come and gone, and nobody but the late Glory would have any use for it anyway.

On the other hand, I don't mind Faith being on the lookout... just in case.

I lean close to Dawn and reach an arm around her shoulders under the blanket. I find Faith's arm already there. It's weird, accidentally touching Faith in that gentle way after so much animosity. I start to withdraw, and then change my mind. If Faith doesn't want my arm touching hers, she can move. But she doesn't. So we both hold Dawn, my arm over Faith's.

Dawnie doesn't say anything, and her face doesn't change... but somehow she seems so happy right now, at this moment. I can't figure out what just changed, but something big is different now. It's weird. Takes me a while to figure out the change isn't her, it's me. I'm happy.

Happy? That's what that feeling is, isn't it? Haven't felt that in a long, long time. Wow. For the first time ever, I feel pretty sure Dawn and I are gonna do OK even with Mom gone. And the weirdest thing of all is, it seems like Faith has a place in that. Giles was right. Faith is exactly what I need to help look out for Dawn. And exactly what I need to help with the Slayer stuff too?

"So," I say, casually, "where you going on patrol tonight?" Just making conversation... and maybe sounding her out a little on the Chosen Two thing.

"East side graveyards mostly. At least, that's what Giles had in mind, if I'm feeling all obedient. How 'bout you?"

Neither of us takes our eyes off the brilliant red of the setting sun. I shrug. "I was kinda headed for those parts myself." Dawn glances at me, noticing that my plans seem to have suddenly changed. An hour ago she heard me tell Xander I was patrolling downtown. But she says nothing.

"Cool," says Faith. "Maybe we'll run into each other."

"Maybe we will."

As the sun slips away, Dawn smiles.

 

~ The End ~

 

 

Is this the end? Yes and no... mostly no. Yes, "The Box" has reached the ending I planned, and the story of Dawn's origin and Faith's return to Sunnydale is complete. But along the way I came to realize that there is more to tell with these characters. Their journey isn't over. So the Dark Before Dawn series will get one more sequel, and I hope it will be a fun one. Rated R for sex and violence. I won't be posting it right away–I'm on to writing more Faith/Buffy now ("In Your Dreams")–but I have already made good progress. I've written the beginning of the sequel, the end, and some parts in between. I've planted some seeds for it in "The Box." (Dawn's lost diaries? More important than she knows!) I can already tell it will be longer than anything I've written–and I'm in the habit of underestimating my story lengths! It will be in three volumes that add up to one long arc. My outline already looks much longer than my outline for "Witch's Faith." Gulp! One good thing: it's written in third person past tense, which really helped me write Witch's Faith faster. (My recent stuff written first person, present tense, with multiple viewpoints, has been a giant pain in the ass!) If you're curious, here's what I know now about the sequel (no important spoilers): Faith was right. Something very, very bad will come for the Key. Buffy and Faith will still have issues... but not the same ones. Faith and Dawn will still be cute together. Faith will still need Dawn to run her life. Willow and Tara will be back, and more powerful than ever. The story will open about a year later–my own Season 7, like "The Box" was my Season 6. I'll tie in with the actual season in a few places, but the plot as a whole won't be based on the TV season. The Season 7 Big Bad will exist, but will not be the main thing the Scoobies are dealing with. The ending won't be like the TV show. It will be a change from "The Box," written more in the style of "Witch's Faith": more plot, action, mystery and suspense, not just relationships (but plenty of that too). Impending doom and a big series finale at the end. Maybe a prophesy or two. It will also be more in the style of the show itself. That means a few truly terrible things will happen, even to characters I like. It will have major villains, very evil and very strong–not just one, but several. Some from the show, some of my own creation. And why do Big Bads always wait their turn and come one at a time? How convenient. The Scoobies may not be that lucky anymore. It will bring back lots of lost storylines and characters from all seven TV seasons, and tie them all together. Interesting characters whose stories never really blossomed in the show. They won't be the main characters but they'll have vital roles to play. There will be important roles for male characters. Can't waste half the cast! I always seem to focus on Giles, but I'm making myself branch out. Spike is too fun to ignore. There might even be relationships that aren't lesbian. I like a challenge. (Non-lesbian sex scenes? Don't hold your breath.) It will still focus mainly on my Big Five, though: Buffy, Faith, Dawn, Willow and Tara. Our girls will face worse things than any of them have ever dealt with. I feel sorry for them already. But they're a brave bunch. The ancient story of the Key's creation will be told. The Key may have been around "just this side of forever," but I think some familiar characters may still have played a role in making it... On the show, the Big Bads never seem to do everything they can right from the start. They always screw around for weeks, not making full use of the followers or powers they have. Why didn't Glory kill or kidnap all the Scoobies early on? She could have. If the Mayor wanted Buffy off her game, why didn't he have Willow and Xander and Giles killed instead of just Angel? He could even have done it himself, since he was unstoppable for 100 days. And vice versa, the Scoobies never seem to do everything they can to research and fight the Big Bad until the end when things get serious. Why didn't Buffy work tirelessly to at least capture Angelus as soon as he appeared? Why didn't Buffy or the Initiative take a missile to Adam immediately? I understand why not: the show had to make each Big Bad arc last a season! But my idea in this story is that neither side will screw around or waste time. Both good and evil will have a lot of power, and they'll use it. They won't make many obvious mistakes. They'll think ahead. They'll be sneaky and secretive. They'll have backup plans for their backup plans. They'll fight like it's the end of the world right from the very start–which might not be far from the truth. The story will start out with the kind of threat that could almost be a season finale, and things will only get worse. But the Scoobies will have a lot of power on their side too. All action? No. Love and romance will be as important here as in any of my stories. In fact, there will be a number of different pairings in the story, some major some minor, some old some new. Some that will end in tragedy, some that will find happiness. This will partly be a Willow/Tara story. In "The Box," Tara lived, so Willow never went dark and deadly. The gang still doesn't know Willow's true dark power. But they're going to learn the hard way just what veneficus means. Willow and Tara will have to deal with that darkness together. Oh–and Kennedy will get to meet Tara. This will also be a Faith/Dawn story of course. They clearly have some unresolved issues to work through still, and they'll have some new ones too. It may not be smooth sailing forever and ever. What about poor Buffy? This will also be her story. And maybe, just maybe, there's a beautiful love waiting for her. Someone new? Someone from the past? Someone painfully complicated and inconvenient? Someone Dawn won't be one bit pleased about? We'll just have to see. Thanks for following this story for so long! I'll keep them coming...

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. Thanks for reading! (If you'd like to be notified when I post new stories, let me know.)

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