Brace Yourself by Enigmaticblue

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Chapter 10: Another World

"She's an extraordinary girl/In an ordinary world/And she can't seem to get away...She sees the mirror of herself/An image she wants to sell/To anyone willing to buy/He steals the image in her kiss/From her heart's apocalypse/From the one called whatsername/She's all alone again/Wiping the tears from her eyes/Some days he feels like dying/Some days it's not worth trying/Now that they both are finding/She gets so sick of crying/She's an extraordinary girl." ~Green Day, "Extraordinary Girl"

Xander wandered into the Magic Box around noon, wondering if Anya would agree to have lunch with him; he hadn't been sure if she'd be able to leave, so he'd brought it with him. Dinner had gone so well the other night, Xander wanted to try it again.

It hadn't been all about the sex between the two of them; Xander had simply enjoyed being with Anya—watching movies, talking, hanging out. By the time the split had come, he could have honestly said that Anya was his best friend.

That had been the worst part of their break up—not only had he lost Anya, but with Willow in England, Xander had felt adrift. It was one of the reasons he hadn't wanted to criticize Buffy's relationship with Spike; he couldn't afford to lose another friend.

"An?"

"Xander." For the first time in the last few months, her tone was warm, and she actually looked pleased to see him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were working today."

"I'm on my lunch break," Xander replied, holding up two sack lunches. "I stopped at the deli down the street because I wasn't sure you'd be able to get away."

She smiled at him, clearly pleased. "Thank you. That was very thoughtful."

He shrugged. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving," Anya replied. "Flip the sign over? I think I can take an hour break."

Xander did as she asked, and sat down next to her at the table, handing her one of the lunches he'd purchased. He still remembered what kind of sandwich she preferred, right down to the condiments. "How's the day been?"

"Good," she said, digging into her food. "Did you know Giles is flying into town today?"

He shook his head. "What for? He was just here."

"He thinks the Council might try to do something to Buffy," Anya explained. "Tara told me this morning when I talked to her. She had a class with Buffy earlier."

Xander nodded, knowing how word tended to spread around their small group. "Is Buffy worried?"

Anya shrugged. "Tara didn't think so." She hesitated. "They're engaged, you know," she said evenly.

Xander frowned, trying to figure out who Anya was referring to. After going over the various possibilities in his mind, there was only one. "Spike and Buffy? Really?" He considered it, then sighed. "Well, I guess it was inevitable."

Anya raised an eyebrow. "That's all you're going to say?"

Xander was a little confused. "Anya, Buffy's pregnant with Spike's kid. Whether I liked him or not, that's pretty much permanent." He grimaced. "Besides, Spike's not so bad."

She nodded slowly. "I see."

Xander suddenly realized that it might not be his reaction to Spike and Buffy getting engaged that she was looking for—after all, they'd been together for a while, and it was old news by now. "Are you okay with it?"

"With what?" Anya asked quietly.

"With them being engaged."

"I don't know."

Her confession was so quiet Xander almost missed it, and he was at a loss. "Would you ever want to try again?" he asked.

Anya shook her head. "I don't know, Xander." She met his eyes. "I really wish I didn't love you so much sometimes, you know?"

It stung, but at the same time, Xander thought it was nice to hear that she still loved him, whether she was happy about the fact or not. "I know," he finally said, covering her hand with his where it rested on the table.

Xander knew he was going to have to make a decision soon about where he wanted their relationship to go. He'd wanted to spend the rest of his life with Anya when he thought that the world might end; the question was if he'd make the same decision knowing that they might be together for the next fifty years.

~~~~~

The door swung open just as Giles began to knock. He couldn't see anyone at first, but soon realized that Spike was standing behind the door, to avoid any exposure to the sun. "How are you, Spike?" Giles asked as he stepped inside.

"Fine," the vampire replied. "How was the flight?"

"Uneventful, thankfully," Giles said. "I take it Buffy filled you in on our conversation."

"She did." Spike led the way to the kitchen, where the blinds were drawn against the sun. "We both decided that there wasn't much to be done right now."

Giles nodded. "I agree. Is there any more word on the man following Dawn?"

Spike shook his head, looking frustrated. "We've got a name, an' a list of known contacts, but that's about it. The bastard seems to have gone to ground, and I've bloody well looked everywhere I could think of."

Giles heard the frustration in Spike's voice and rightly guessed that it had to do with his perceived inability to keep Dawn safe, and to prevent any further harm from coming to her. "You can't be everywhere," he said. "Nor can you hold yourself responsible for the actions of others." When Spike shook his head, clearly not buying the argument, Giles added, "It's clear that you're doing your best, Spike."

Something akin to gratitude flickered across his expressive face. "Yeah, well..." He shrugged. "You hungry or anythin'? Think there's leftovers from dinner last night in the fridge."

"Not really," Giles replied. "I can see to my own needs if you want to get back to sleep," he suggested.

"Yeah, I didn't get much," Spike replied. "I'll be around if you need me, though."

Giles watched him leave, then checked the fridge and cupboards, pleased to discover that Buffy had purchased some decent tea since he'd last been there. He was just sitting down to enjoy a cup when the door banged open, and a few seconds later Dawn stomped into the kitchen dramatically.

"Hey, Giles," she said, brought up short by the sight of him. "When did you arrive?"

"Not long ago." He raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

"Is Spike around?" Dawn asked in return. "I need to talk to him."

"He went back up to bed," Giles said.

The girl let out a heavy sigh. "Okay."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

She meant that she didn't discuss it with him; he wasn't her normal confidant. "Very well. How did you get home?"

"Willow picked me up," Dawn replied. "She just got a new car. It's kind of cool."

"Good. I'm sure it will come in handy."

Dawn watched him warily. "How long are you staying this time?" she finally asked.

"Indefinitely." Giles sipped his tea. "I am no longer part of the Council, and Anya needs my help with the shop. It seemed like a good idea to relocate."

"Again?"

"I probably wouldn't have left if I'd been able to see the future," Giles admitted.

Dawn nodded. "Yeah. I guess that's how everybody is." She paused, then said, "Kirsty invited Janice to her party, but not me, and Janice is hanging out with her all the time now."

"I see." Giles had no idea who Dawn was referring to, but he could at least hear the pain in her voice. "I'm sorry that this has been such a difficult few months for you, Dawn."

She smiled. "Thanks. I think I'm going to start on my homework."

Giles watched her go, thinking that she had probably grown another inch in the last month or two, and that she was growing up quickly. In truth, it simply made him feel old.

~~~~~

"What is on your hand?"

Dawn watched as Buffy glanced up from her text book. "What?"

It was a homey scene. Giles had already gone to bed, since he'd lost a lot of sleep over the past few days, but Buffy and Dawn were working on homework while Spike read a book. She'd managed to fill Spike's ear about her recurring troubles with Kirsty and Janice, and he'd offered to eat them for her. All was right with the world.

Except that she hadn't seen the ring on Buffy's left hand until just that moment.

"You're engaged," Dawn said accusingly. She glared at Spike. "You didn't tell me!"

"Was waiting for your sister to break the news," he replied, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Buffy. "Did you tell your Watcher already?"

Buffy blushed. "Not exactly. He saw it earlier when we were cleaning up after dinner."

Dawn stared at her. "Does everybody else know?"

Buffy hesitated. "Well, Tara saw it this morning when I went to class, and I didn't tell her that she couldn't tell anybody, so... It's hard to say."

Feeling incredibly hurt, Dawn muttered. "Great. Thanks, Buffy. I guess that just shows how much you think of me."

"It wasn't like that, Dawn!" Buffy protested. "Spike asked me last night, and then..." She trailed off. "I just hadn't thought about it. It feels normal."

Spike smiled. "That right, luv?" he asked warmly.

"Pretty much," she admitted. Looking at Dawn, she said, "I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner. You should have been the first to know."

"That's right, I should've," Dawn said, still feeling hurt.

Dawn watched as Buffy met Spike's eyes, and they seemed to do that unspoken communication thing they were getting so good at. "We still needed to talk to you about Spike moving in," Buffy said. "Are you okay with that?"

"Would it matter if I said I wasn't?" Dawn asked, knowing she was being a brat and not caring.

"It would," Spike said evenly. "We'd still have to do what we thought was the best thing, but if you didn't want me living here, I'd take it into consideration."

Seeing the pain in his eyes, Dawn hastened to assure him. "I don't mind. I just wondered."

"I'm sorry that we didn't tell you right away, Dawn," Buffy said with some asperity. "But remember that you had to rush out the door this morning because you forgot to set your alarm, and with Giles in town, there hasn't been a lot of time for the big announcements."

"Sorry," Dawn muttered. Looking at Spike, she asked, "You're really moving in?"

"An' we're thinkin' of turning Buffy's old room into a nursery," Spike said. "That okay with you?"

Dawn considered the question. "Yeah, that would be cool. Can I help?"

"As much as you like," Buffy responded, sounding relieved. "We're going to need you, Dawn."

She made a face. "You just want free baby sitting."

Spike gave her the smile he used to get what he wanted; it worked about as well as her puppy dog eyes did. "There isn't anybody we trust more."

"Yeah, okay," Dawn said. "But I want to plan the baby shower."

Buffy sighed. "Fine. But no stupid games."

Dawn wasn't about to make any promises.

~~~~~

Tara had promised Dawn that she would pick her up from school so that they could go shopping. Dawn wanted to throw Buffy a combination baby shower and engagement party, and that required party supplies. Tara knew that Willow would likely want to help as well, which meant that they could end up spending even more time together than they were already.

Spending time around Willow was awkward, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Tara could see the changes in the other woman, and it was clear to her that Willow had grown up considerably during her time with the coven. Tara was reminded more and more of the girl she'd fallen in love with—and that was the problem.

Tara wasn't in love with that girl anymore, and she worried that Willow would try to press the matter.

She could be fretting over nothing, however, because while Willow had been tentatively friendly, she hadn't made any moves of a romantic nature. Tara hoped that they could eventually settle into a friendship, since avoiding one another was simply not an option.

Tara entered the school library, looking for Dawn. She soon spotted the girl's backpack and books, but Dawn was nowhere in sight. Tara sat down at the table to wait, assuming that Dawn had merely left for a moment and would soon return.

After fifteen minutes, Tara began to get concerned. It seemed strange that Dawn would leave her things unattended. She went up to the information desk, smiling at the woman who sat there. "Hi. Have you seen Dawn Summers recently? I'm supposed to be picking her up today."

The librarian frowned. "She asked me to watch her things while she used the bathroom." Glancing at the clock, she added, "That was over an hour ago."

Tara nodded, smiling tightly. "I'm sure she just lost track of time. Thanks." She hesitated, uncertain of her next move. With a last glance at Dawn's things, she hurried out of the library and down the hall to the office, where the public phone was located. She quickly dialed Buffy's number, and when she didn't get a response, called the Magic Box.

"The Magic Box. How may I help you?"

Tara was relieved to hear Giles' measured voice. "Giles, it's Tara. I'm at Dawn's school, and she's not here."

"Where is she?" he asked.

"I don't know!" Tara exclaimed, then tried to modulate her tone. "When I got here, Dawn's things were in the library, where she said she'd be, but when I asked the librarian about it, she said that Dawn had left an hour ago."

There was a pause. "Have you looked around the school?"

"No," Tara said shortly. "It's a large school, Giles. I have no idea where she would be."

"And you haven't spoken to Buffy or Spike yet?"

"They weren't at home," Tara replied. "I thought you would be the best person to call."

"Of course. I'll contact Willow, and we'll set up a locator spell. Hopefully we'll have some information on Dawn's whereabouts before Buffy finds out that she's missing."

Tara wasn't quite so hopeful.

~~~~~

He'd come out of nowhere, as far as Dawn could tell. One minute she was headed to the bathroom, and the next there was a cloth over her mouth and nose, and everything went black.

When she finally woke up, it was impossible to tell what time it was, but she could hear voices a few feet away. She remained still, hoping they wouldn't notice that she was awake. Her hands were bound in front of her, but some subtle tensing of her feet told her that they hadn't done the same to her ankles.

"I didn't think you'd manage it, human. As soon as our buyer gets here, you'll get your payment."

"When's he supposed to get here? I've got a bus to catch."

"Clients can't be rushed, particularly when they're paying as much as this one is," the first voice growled.

"I'm hungry," the second voice whined.

"I suppose we could eat while we're waiting," the first one allowed. "Will she remain sedated, or should we give her another dose?"

"You do that, and you might kill her. She's just a little thing; she should be out awhile longer."

Dawn squeezed her eyes tightly shut, listening carefully as the footsteps echoed and then diminished. Once she couldn't hear anything but the distant sound of water dripping, she opened her eyes, realizing that she was in a cave of some sort.

"Crap," Dawn muttered, quickly considering her options. She could stay where she was and wait for rescue. Tara was supposed to meet her at the school, and she would raise the alarm as soon as she realized that Dawn was missing. If they didn't get there before the "buyer" did, however, things could get really ugly, and Dawn knew she might not have another chance to create a portal.

This possibility led her to her second option—open a portal to another dimension, step through, close it behind her, and then open another back to Sunnydale. It was the reason that Spike had given her the knife, and she still had it. Even though pocket knives weren't allowed in school, she'd made a habit of carrying it, being careful not to let anyone see it.

Of course, Dawn had never opened a portal from another dimension; there was no real guarantee that she'd be able to do it.

The desire to rescue herself for once, as well as the fear of what might happen if her captors returned before Spike and Buffy showed up, had Dawn wriggling stiff fingers into the pocket of her jeans and working the knife free.

Pushing down the wave of dizziness that hit as soon as she got onto her knees, Dawn closed her eyes and focused on where she wanted to go. She tried to remember the safest place Anya had told her about—somewhere without nasty demons or creatures who would look on her as a tasty treat. When she had centered herself, Dawn used the knife blade to cut her finger, letting a drop of blood fall to the ground.

For a moment, she didn't think it was going to work, and then the energy began to swirl in front of her. As the portal opened, Dawn heard a shout behind her, and she propelled herself through as best as she could, tumbling onto leaf-strewn earth.

"Crap, crap, crap," Dawn muttered, trying to squeeze out another drop of blood to close the portal.

It shut, but not before the man who had grabbed her for Rack had come through. He grabbed her by the upper arm, shaking her. "You're going to get us back!" he said angrily. "You're going to get us back, or I'm gonna make you wish you hadn't been born, girly-girl."

"Let go of me!" Dawn shouted, knowing that it was futile. She should have waited for Buffy; her sister would never find her here.

He leered at her. "You don't get us back, I'll be taking it out of your hide, hear me?"

The man pulled her up against him, and Dawn didn't bother to hide her shudder of revulsion. His hand came down to slap her hard across the face. "You don't want that, you'll—"

His eyes widened briefly, and he abruptly released her. Dawn scrambled backwards to avoid his falling body, staring at the knife hilt sticking out of his back.

And then at the young man who had thrown it.

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