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Morning dawned, bringing with it the rain. Xander woke up and reached over for Anya. She made a little sound in the back of her throat and cuddled closer. He propped himself up on one elbow and ran his fingers through her hair. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" He whispered, quietly so as not to wake her. He was still completely awed by her reaction to his revelations, he half expected her to turn from him in disgust or fry him on the spot but she didn't. Instead, Anya offered her love freely, giving him a second chance. A chance to make it right between them. The two of them had fallen asleep last night, fully clothed, still talking about what lay between them.
Anya slowly woke to feel Xander's hand rubbing her hair. Arching against him, she smiled and said, "Good morning, Xander."
"Morning, Anya." He said, his hands stilling when he realized that she was awake.
Scooting him closer to her, she murmured, "Don't stop." He began to run his fingers through her hair some more, "Gods, how I have missed this. I have missed you." She raised her lips up for him to kiss them, which he obliged.
A knock sounded on the door and Buffy called out, "Xander, get up. It's time to get ready for work." Turning the knob, she entered the room, pausing for a split second as she saw Anya, a smile breaking out over her face, "Morning Anya."
With that smile, Buffy let both of them know that she approved and Anya smiled back, "Morning Buffy."
Buffy quelled the rising yell of joy, "Dare I hope that the two of you are going to work things out?"
Xander cleared his throat, "Well, we talked last night," he and Anya shared a secret lover's look, "and there is some stuff that I need to tell you, Buffy. Something that I should have told you a long time ago. Then I need to make an appointment with a psychologist to work through some of this stuff. I am going to need your help, Buffy, your's and Anya's."
"You got it." Buffy promised, biting back the flow of happy tears that were trying to escape. "You know I love you both and I would do anything in my power to help you. I am glad that the two of you are going to attempt to work this out, you two have spent too much time and energy on each other to let this go, to let your love go, without a real fight."
Anya stared at Buffy, hearing the echoes of what she told Xander last night in Buffy's words, "I am so happy that you said that." Glancing at her watch, Anya moaned, "Oh damn, I am going to be late for work and so is Xander. And Dawn will be late to school. Buffy, you want me to drop her off on my way to the shop so Xander might make it to work on time?"
"Sure." Buffy said, "I'll go make sure that she is ready." With that, Buffy made a discreet exit and knocked on Dawn's door next, "Are you ready to go, Dawn?" She asked as she pushed the door open.
Dawn had just finished putting Spike's duster under her bed when Buffy came in. Quickly, she put her hands on her made-up bed and smoothed it over. "Yeah," she said, covering very well, "I was just finishing making the bed. But I am ready to go now."
"Ok. Come downstairs then and get something to eat. Anya is going to drive you to school today."
Dawn's eyes lit up. "Cool." She said, coming out of her room to see Anya and Xander come out of Xander's bedroom. "Oh my god!" She gasped before the memories took over.
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Coming out of her room to see Willow in the hall. Telling Willow it's 10:30. Talking about how messed up things are with Spike and Buffy and Anya and Xander. Seeing Tara walk out of the room, wrapped in a sheet. Jumping up and down, saying "I'm not here, I'll go downstairs and watch tv real loud so I can't hear anything that might be going on upstairs!" Happiness and joy.
Arriving home to an empty house. Calling out for Buffy, going upstairs, noticing Willow's bedroom door open. Walking in and seeing Tara's body. Slumping in a corner, crying, shaking, not wanting to leave Tara there alone. How many hours spent there, trapped in a waking hell. Sobbing til the tears no longer come. Watching Tara's body grow cold, watching the blood congeal, feeling her escense depart. Feeling herself grow cold. Welcoming the coldness as it makes the pain numb. Embracing the cold fury. Anger at being left alone to find this, anger at being in Buffy's life where she had buried her mother, her sister, and now her friend.
Buffy and Xander calling for Willow and Dawn, no answer. Buffy coming upstairs into Willow's room and finding Tara's body. "Oh god..." trailing off.
"I didn't want to leave her alone" Dawn, huddling and shaking in the darkened corner in fear and shock, crying. Buffy telling her they have to go downstairs. Hugging Buffy. Xander walking in silently and staring at Tara's body for a moment, pain on his face.
Sitting on the couch as the coroner takes Tara's body down the stairs in a body bag on a gurney. Xander signing some papers at the door as the coroner gives him some instructions as to where to call tomorrow for more answers. Xander walking into the living room, sitting with the two girls. Buffy saying they have to find Willow soon. Xander commenting that if Willow finds Warren, he's a dead man. "Good" Dawn chiming in coldly.
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"God damnit!" Dawn screamed, before collapsing in a heap on the floor, sobbing as if her heart was breaking.
Sharing concerned looks; Anya, Buffy, and Xander all knelt beside the younger Summers. Buffy was the first one to speak, "Dawn, baby?" She tried tentatively.
When Dawn only screamed louder, Anya took a stab at it, "Dawnie," she winced as she used Willow's pet nickname for Dawn, "Dawn, it's ok. Tell us what is wrong. Are you hurt?" Meeting even less success than Buffy, Anya turned helpless eyes to Xander.
Xander looked at the fetal postioned Dawn and very gently picked her up. Caring Dawn, he laid her on her bed and sat down next to her, rubbing her hair, "Come on Dawn, it is ok, I promise. Me and Anya are trying to work things out between us, it's ok, baby."
The words finally penetrated the pain in Dawn's heart and she raised up, hissing, "No, it's not ok." She started talking faster and faster, "I mean this is how Willow and Tara were. And I come home to find Tara dead. Dead, god damnit! Dead like she never exhisted in the first fucking place! That is how either you or Anya will end up. Damnit, I have lost my mother, my sister, Tara, Willow and Spike. I can't fucking lose one of you two as well and that is exactly what will happen in this fucked up place we call Sunnydale!"
"No Dawn." Xander said gently, "This is not like Willow and Tara, don't even think that. Neither me or Anya would ever leave you..."
"That's what Spike said." Dawn cut him off rudely.
Xander's hands tightened imperceptably at the mention of Spike's name, "He did, did he?" He shot Buffy a look, "Honey, I am not like Spike, do you believe that?" She nodded, "Then I am not going to leave you. And neither will Anya. I swear to you, nothing is going to happen to us."
Slowly calming down, the tears dried on her face as she thought about it, "But you really can't promise me that someone won't kill you too, can you?" She sounded completly lost when she said that, so heartbroken, that all three of them felt the tears welling to the surface. Pulling her close to him, Xander nodded to Buffy and Anya who joined them on the bed, hugging Dawn close to their hearts.
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