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skylar0graceTitle: Room With A View.
Author: SkylarGrace.
Status: Complete.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Is it an accident when two worlds collide?
Spoilers: All of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’.
Disclaimer: ‘Supernatural’ and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended. ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and all related characters are copyright Joss Whedon and ME. No infringement intended.
Dean and Sam Winchester moved slowly through the dimly lit warehouse, their weapons raised as they scanned the room. Dean signalled for them to move to the left and Sam followed Dean through a door. As they walked down the corridor, Sam kept an eye out behind them.
Four days ago, Ellen had caught wind of a job that needed doing in Cleveland; women who had gone missing in pairs, and she suspected it was for some ritual that was used to end the world. Sam and Dean had managed to track down the group of demons to the warehouse and were checking for survivors before locking and torching the place (Dean’s idea).
There were a few rooms off the corridor and Dean peered into each one as they passed but each was empty. One room remained and the door was locked. Dean leaned down and quickly picked the lock. He pushed the door open quietly and moved inside as soon as he saw two women tied up to chairs in the middle. Sam closed the door behind himself and spoke quietly.
“It’s okay, we’re here to help you,” Sam said softly to them. The brunette threw the blonde a raised eyebrow and Dean stopped before narrowing his eyes at them. “What are you doing Dean? Let’s get them out of here before we’re noticed,” Sam said as he nudged Dean. Dean tilted his head to the side.
“What if they’re in on it? Look at them, they’re not even scared.” He pointed in their direction. “Who doesn’t get scared when a bunch of demons kidnap you and try to sacrifice you?” Before Dean or Sam could speculate further, the blonde threw her head back dramatically.
“Uhhh, Hunters, should’ve figured.” She turned to the brunette beside her, ignoring the looks from the men in front of her. “Dawnie, you think you can get them out of the building safely while I finish up here?” Dawn threw Buffy a dirty look.
“It’s Dawn, and yeah, I’ll give them a barrier and they can get themselves out. I’ll stay and help.”
Buffy eyed the men in front of her. “Somehow, I doubt they’ll go. They’ll try to be the heroes and save the poor defenceless women.”
Dawn snorted. “Right, defenceless. Can’t you just knock them out Buffy?”
“Hey!” Dean interrupted. “In case you haven’t noticed, this place is crawling with demons and you two are tied up…”
His speech was cut short as Buffy effortlessly snapped the ropes from behind her back and stood. Dawn’s ropes magically fell into a pile on the ground as she stood beside her sister. Both Dean and Sam automatically raised their guns and Buffy rolled her eyes.
“Come on! You were the one talking about being quick!” she said. Dawn watched as their eyes moved from Buffy to herself and back again. Dawn stepped forward and Dean cocked his gun.
“Look, we need to get you out of here before…” Dawn stopped talking and tilted her head. Buffy turned her back on the Hunters and grabbed her sister’s arm.
“Dawnie?” Buffy said. Dawn looked at Buffy.
“They’re coming…twenty maybe...both entrances. You get ready, I’ll protect them,” Dawn said gesturing to Dean and Sam. Buffy gave a nod. “In the corner,” Dawn commanded in a low voice. Neither man moved and she raised her hand and flung them there. Before they could protest, an orange barrier rose around them. “Stay there and you’ll be safe.”
Dawn ignored their protests and turned back just as both doors opened and demons poured in. Buffy dropped automatically into a fighting position and lashed out at the first demon, sending him flying backwards and knocking over another two. A sword appeared out of nowhere and dropped into Dawn’s hand as she swung, the metal slicing through a demons stomach before clashing against another’s own sword. Sam called out to Dawn to warn her about the demon who'd snuck up behind her but it was too late and the demon delivered a blow which made her drop to the floor instantly. Without thinking, Sam ran forward and Dean was surprised to see the barrier was gone. He raised his gun and shot the first two demons moving toward Dawn’s now unconscious form on the ground. Sam reached down and pulled her into his arms, dragging her off to the side of the room.
Dean moved quickly to Buffy’s side. “Sam’s got her.”
Buffy threw another worried glance over her shoulder before taking down the two demons in front of her. Dean was impressed with her skill as she seemed to have a great deal of strength in her small body. She used little effort as she traded blow for blow. Dean picked up Dawn’s sword and began taking out the demons in front of him. Suddenly he was pushed to the side and realised that Buffy had been thrown into him. Quickly helping her up, Dean fought off the sword getting uncomfortably close and saw a demon deal Buffy another backhand. Her head snapped to the side and she turned slowly back to the demon.
“Oh, you just made a huge mistake!” Buffy said dangerously. The demon laughed.
“You sneak in here and try to take out me and mine. The story ends here, Slayer!” he hissed back. Dean raised his eyebrows as Buffy laughed.
“Do you know how many times I have heard that over the last ten years?” Buffy quipped. The demon pushed his sword up against Buffy so that he was close to her face.
“Do you know how many Slayers I’ve taken out, just like you?” he asked.
Before Buffy could respond, both the demon she was fighting and the one swinging a sword at Dean were flung back into the wall behind them. Buffy whirled around angrily to see an exhausted looking Dawn still laying in Sam’s lap and slowly lowering her hand.
“Dawn, stop it! You do it again and you’re grounded!” Buffy said and Dawn gave her a soft laugh before closing her eyes.
In a matter of minutes, Dean had taken out the last few remaining demons and watched as the leader circled Buffy. He launched an attack which Buffy defended, retaliating with one of her own and stabbing him through the shoulder. He screamed in pain and Buffy smiled. The demon lunged forward again.
“You didn’t answer my question Slayer.” He swung the blade at her head and she swung her own to block it. “Do you know how many Slayers I’ve taken out, just like you?” he asked again. Buffy laughed as her sword plunged deep into this stomach and she looked him in the face.
“There’s never been another like me before.”
She smiled as the light vanished from his eyes and she pulled out her sword, allowing him to drop to the floor. She spun quickly around to Dawn and knelt down beside her. Sam was holding his hand against a large wound to the back of her head that was bleeding badly. Buffy reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile. She pressed the speed dial and it was answered after one ring.
“Will, I need you here now. It’s Dawn.”
Without waiting for a response, she hung up and turned to the middle of the room. There was a bright white light before a red-head appeared out of nowhere. Dean raised his eyebrows in surprise and Willow moved quickly to Dawn. She put her hand to Dawn’s head and a soft glow appeared underneath it. Willow pulled her hand back and looked to Buffy.
“I’ve stopped the bleeding but I can’t do any more here. Bring her back and I’ll fix her there.”
“She’ll be okay though?” Buffy asked worriedly and Willow smiled reassuringly.
“I’ll meet you back there.” She stood and closed her eyes. A moment later she was gone.
Sam stood slowly and Buffy tried to take Dawn. “I’ve got her,” Sam said. Buffy looked taken aback and looked at him questioningly.
“You know I’m the Slayer right?” she asked. Dean and Sam nodded. “And you’re not running for the hills?” Dean looked over at her.
“Do you want us to be?” he asked.
Buffy shook her head. “Never met a Hunter before who hasn’t,” she said as she led them out of the warehouse. “Well one actually. He was in Sunnydale for a while and he got on really well with my mum, which was surprising. But he left. He did come back for her funeral though so I think he did actually care; it was the only time I ever saw him cry.”
Once she had reached the outside of the warehouse, Dean led the way to the Impala. Before they could reach it, a vampire walked around the corner into their line of view. Spotting four humans, one apparently wounded, it snarled before advancing with a smile. Buffy automatically threw out her stake and it embedded itself into his heart as he turned to dust. Buffy seemed unfazed by the action as she walked to the car leaving two stunned men behind her.
“Most Hunters either think they can take me on, or they give me lots of room. A Hunter told me once that wherever the Slayer is, the Hunters don’t go. They figure she can handle whatever comes up and stay away. Guess you didn’t get the memo, huh?” Buffy asked as she reached the car and turned around to face Dean. Dean reached around behind her and unlocked the car, not taking his eyes off of her once.
“Guess not,” he replied with a smirk. Buffy gave him a genuine smile before opening the door and climbing into the backseat.
“You should sit in the front,” Sam said, “You’ll need to direct us where to go.” Buffy shrugged and climbed over to the front seat, giving Sam the room to place Dawn on the backseat with him.
The drive to the school was fairly quiet as Buffy directed Dean on its location. When he pulled up in front of the mansion-style school, there were already a few people waiting out the front; Willow, an older man and a dark haired woman.
“Are they all dead B?” Faith asked.
“Yep, they won’t be ending the world any time soon,” Buffy said giving her a smile. Faith threw her arms in the air and groaned.
“How come you get all the fun and I get stuck with the mini-Slayers? I need to kill something!” she said as she squirmed.
“Actually it would be a good idea if you patrol tonight and see what the fall out from this is,” Giles said and Faith jumped in the air.
“Yes!” she said running down the drive and turning around only to wink at Buffy. “I’ll see ya later B!”
Willow led the group inside and they sat down in a large living room off the foyer that had a medical kit on the table. Sam laid Dawn down gently on a lounge and tilted her head to the side so Willow could access it better. Willow cleaned and dressed the wound and Dawn began to stir as she finished.
“Dawnie?” Buffy said as she knelt down before her concerned. Dawn let out a loud groan. “Are you in pain?” Dawn turned her head to look at Buffy, opened her eyes and glared.
“It’s Dawn!” she said emphatically. Buffy turned to Willow and smiled sardonically.
“She’ll be fine,” Buffy deadpanned. Dawn sat up slowly and looked around the room as her eyes swam into focus.
“Hunters I presume?” Giles said, looking over at Dean and Sam. Dean reached forward and shook Giles’ hand.
“Yeah, I’m Dean Winchester and this is my brother Sam,” Dean said. Giles stopped mid-shake and pulled his hand out of Dean’s as if he were burnt. Dean looked around and saw everybody in the room looking at them surprised.
“John?” Dawn managed to squeak out. Buffy saw the look of pain on Dean’s face.
“He’s dead, isn’t he?” Buffy said as she sat down beside Dawn. Sam looked over at them.
“Yeah, a couple of months ago,” Sam said quietly as Dean stood beside him stoically. Dawn began softly crying and Buffy pulled her in and hugged her, placing a small kiss in her hair. They stood silently for a moment, letting the other people in the room grieve before Dean spoke.
“How did you know him?” he asked with a voice void of emotion.
“We met him when he came to Sunnydale about eight years ago on a job,” Giles clarified. “He was a good man and a skilled Hunter. He will be sorely missed.” Dean gave a nod but remained silent. Willow felt uneasy and motioned to Giles.
“We’re gonna call the Council and update them,” she told Buffy. Buffy nodded but continued to hold onto Dawn who was now sitting with her face buried in Buffy’s shoulder. As Willow and Giles left, Sam moved closer to the Summers women.
“Why did Dad go to Sunnydale?” he asked.
“Sammy!” Dean said sternly. He didn’t want to talk about their father and that was where this was going. Buffy looked over at Dean. “We should go,” Dean said suddenly pointing toward the door and ignoring Sam’s scowl.
“No, you should stay. We have a number of spare rooms and at least this way you won’t have to find a motel,” Buffy offered. Before Dean could reply, Sam looked over at Buffy.
“Thank you. We’d love to stay,” Sam said firmly, throwing a glare at Dean. Dean sighed and rolled his eyes. There was a small awkward silence before Dawn spoke up.
“He was working a job and ran into Buffy while he was hunting it,” Dawn replied looking at Sam. He gave her an encouraging smile. “He stayed for a few months but he left suddenly one night after we had a fire and we didn’t see him again until Mum’s funeral.” Dean looked at her shocked.
“Your mother was killed in a house fire?” he asked. Dawn looked at him confused.
“No, it was an aneurysm,” Buffy said, looking to Dean. “But it scared the hell out of him and he took off before I could explain that Mum left the heater too close to the curtains in her room.” She gave him a pointed look and Dean knew what she was trying to say. He gave a small nod.
“What was he hunting?” Sam asked as he tried to stay on a safe subject.
“Der Kindestod.” Buffy said. Both Dean and Sam looked puzzled. “He is like death. He kills children by sucking out their life force. It was killing the sick kids at the hospital and your Dad caught wind of the story. He came down there to see what he could do but bumped into me killing it. Actually it was the second one that I’ve killed. It looked pretty weird to him because he couldn’t see it, he could only see me getting tossed around and attacking what looked like air.” Buffy smiled at the memory.
“How come you could see it?” Sam asked.
Buffy shrugged. “I was sick at the time. I had a forty two degree fever. I killed it but couldn’t make it out of the basement on my own so your dad helped get the kids it had stashed in the basement back to their room and helped me to mine. He stayed with me til Giles came.”
“And he didn’t ask you any questions?” Sam asked surprised. Buffy laughed.
“Actually he was silent until Giles got there and then he told him off for using me while I was sick. He thought Giles was training me to be a Hunter and had made me fight something even when I was sick. He saw me in a cemetery a few nights later taking out a pack of vamps and my cover was blown. He knew something was off by the way I fought and though he didn’t say anything he must have done some research cause he met me in the cemetery the next night with a stack of paperwork on Slayers.”
“Dad has something on Slayers in his journal. Must have written it in after he met you,” Sam said. “Did he tell you anything about his life?” Buffy looked quickly at Dean before returning her gaze to Sam.
“He told us he had two sons. He was estranged from both of them at the time though. One because he wanted to leave and the other because he was protecting him.” Buffy noticed the quick look Sam shot Dean’s way but Dean pretended not to see it.
“He wanted to make amends,” Dawn interjected. “I heard him talking with Mum about it. He didn’t know how to go about it but he wanted to try.”
“After he left I researched the pieces of information he had given me and found out what he was hunting; why he ran,” Buffy said.
“If he’d stayed you could have helped him,” Dawn said with a hint of bitterness.
“He was protecting you,” Dean said simply and Buffy nodded.
“Buffy could have handled it,” Dawn said crossing her arms over her chest. Buffy gave her a sad smile.
“You don’t know that Dawn.” Buffy briefly looked at her hands. “I’ve died so many times already, that could have just been another one. He didn’t need more guilt.” The room settled awkwardly before Dawn stood up.
“I need some air,” she said as Buffy reached for her. Buffy let her walk out of the room before she looked at Sam and Dean.
“I’m sorry guys. She’s still hurting that he left. Our Dad was never there and she took to John really quickly; he doted on her. He taught her to shoot a gun so that she could protect herself but he didn’t want her anywhere near this war.”
Sam stepped back. “I’m gonna go talk to her.” He left the room quickly and Dean looked toward Buffy. She gave him a small smile.
“Tell me,” Dean said clearly and Buffy nodded.
“He was there for about six months and despite everything, he seemed happy. I don’t think he realised it but he was starting to build a life. He had picked up some work so the cards wouldn’t get recognised and he stayed in my old room at Mum’s house. He told me that he wished he had done some things differently with you. Sam wanted out, he wanted a normal life. And though he was scared, John wanted him to have what he had with your Mum. He didn’t like the fact that he had put so much on you too early; he didn’t want you to cut yourself off from people.”
“Sometimes it’s better to be cut off. It’s hard enough to protect yourself without having to worry about a wife and two point five kids sitting at home,” Dean said. Buffy stood and faced him.
“That’s crap and you know it.” Dean looked at her surprised. “I died and went to heaven before being ripped out of there and being sent back here. At first, this was hell. Knowing what I’d lost, where I’d been. But we have to live in this world. We have to actually live in it. If you cut yourself off from it you’re already half dead. Whether you want to or not, you’re going to fall in love with someone who is actually perfect for you and it will be that much harder to let her go. Your self-imposed exile from this world will backfire.”
“And then when she dies, I will too,” Dean yelled angrily. “No thanks, I think I’ll skip that part.”
“You’re looking at it the wrong way. Everyone’s going to die Dean. Even those who know nothing about what we do. And you don’t see them cutting themselves off. Of course it’s going to hurt Dean. Ask anyone who was happily married for fifty years before their spouse died. But it’s the fifty years they’ll remember, not the one day when it ended. You need to live. It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do and there’ll be times when it sucks more than anything but it’s worth it.”
They stood silently watching one another for a few moments before Dean quickly took a step forward and pulled her in for a kiss. Buffy was briefly stunned before she stepped closer into his embrace and kissed him back, winding her arms around his neck.
~
Neither of them saw the stunned faces of their siblings who were standing in the doorway. Sam quickly grabbed Dawn’s hand and pulled her back to the front door. He quietly opened it, pushed her through and closed it behind him without making a sound. Dawn stood there with her mouth wide open staring at him. He gave her a small smile.
“I have to admit, I never saw that coming,” Sam said pointing a thumb toward the school.
“But…but…that wasn’t supposed to happen,” Dawn stuttered. “I entertained the idea that when we came back inside and it was quiet, they’d killed each other but that…that…that was not anywhere in the vicinity of what I thought had happened.” Sam smiled at her.
“Hey, I think we got the desired outcome anyway, didn’t we?” he asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “We wanted Buffy to get him out of the funk he’s been in.” Dawn glared.
“That’s my sister!” she said. “I swear if he hurts her I will turn him into a rat, like Amy, and watch him run around in a cage for the rest of his life!” Sam laughed.
“I know you won’t do that. And why would you think he will be the one to do the hurting? Buffy runs just as much as Dean does.” Dawn rolled her eyes.
“Guess they’re perfect for each other then,” she replied sarcastically. She sighed heavily and looked at the gravel beneath her feet.
“Hey,” Sam said, stepping toward her. “This could be a good thing. Why don’t we just assume it will be, huh? Deal with anything else as it comes.” Dawn gave him a reluctant smile before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Alright. Do you think we should tell them it was a set up?” Dawn asked as she looked into his face. Sam just raised his eyebrows.
“What will Buffy do to you when she finds out?” Dawn pulled away from him and looked back toward the building. Images of what Buffy would do flashed before her eyes and all of them made her cringe. Dawn frowned and he laughed at her expression.
“Exactly. Dean will do the same to me. So I suggest we just hold off and if we never have to tell them it will be too soon.”
“I still miss him Sam.”
Sam pulled her into a hug, wrapping his long arms around her small body and holding her as close as he could. Dawn buried her head in the warmth of his chest and sighed contentedly. Sam gave her a small squeeze. “I know, me too.”
“How long should we wait out here for?” Dawn asked, casting a glance at the front door.
“Well, it is Dean, so maybe for a while,” he said.
“Eww!!! That was way more than I needed to know and ‘hello?’ my sister!” Dawn screwed her face up in disgust and Sam laughed again.
“I’m sure we can find something to do to keep us occupied,” Sam said huskily. Dawn gave him a bright smile before stepping back and pulling him toward the building.
“Come on, I know a back way that will bypass them.” Dawn broke into a run and Sam smiled before he ran after her.
~
Buffy stepped back from Dean’s embrace and looked up at him.
“What was that?” Buffy asked as she took another step backward. Dean took a step toward her.
“I thought I would take you up on your offer,” he replied staring at her. Buffy swallowed nervously.
“Um, what offer?”
Dean smiled. “I think we should start counting from now. I have a feeling I won’t want to waste any time.” Dean took another step toward her and Buffy could feel the heat coming off his body as she looked up into his face.
“Huh?” she asked, her voice coming out raspy.
“Fifty years right? We should start counting from this moment, this day. Then we’ll talk about this again, okay?” He leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft kiss. Buffy kissed him back before pulling away.
“We won’t live for another fifty years,” Buffy replied. Dean kissed her again.
“Now who’s being the pessimist?” he asked. Buffy gave him a vivacious smile and pulled him down to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body closer to his. They kissed until the need for oxygen became and issue and Buffy looked up at him.
“So, fifty years, huh?” she said smiling.
“Fifty years,” Dean replied resolutely as he swooped down and kissed her again.
~Fin.
Author: SkylarGrace.
Status: Complete.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Is it an accident when two worlds collide?
Spoilers: All of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’.
Disclaimer: ‘Supernatural’ and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended. ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and all related characters are copyright Joss Whedon and ME. No infringement intended.
Dean and Sam Winchester moved slowly through the dimly lit warehouse, their weapons raised as they scanned the room. Dean signalled for them to move to the left and Sam followed Dean through a door. As they walked down the corridor, Sam kept an eye out behind them.
Four days ago, Ellen had caught wind of a job that needed doing in Cleveland; women who had gone missing in pairs, and she suspected it was for some ritual that was used to end the world. Sam and Dean had managed to track down the group of demons to the warehouse and were checking for survivors before locking and torching the place (Dean’s idea).
There were a few rooms off the corridor and Dean peered into each one as they passed but each was empty. One room remained and the door was locked. Dean leaned down and quickly picked the lock. He pushed the door open quietly and moved inside as soon as he saw two women tied up to chairs in the middle. Sam closed the door behind himself and spoke quietly.
“It’s okay, we’re here to help you,” Sam said softly to them. The brunette threw the blonde a raised eyebrow and Dean stopped before narrowing his eyes at them. “What are you doing Dean? Let’s get them out of here before we’re noticed,” Sam said as he nudged Dean. Dean tilted his head to the side.
“What if they’re in on it? Look at them, they’re not even scared.” He pointed in their direction. “Who doesn’t get scared when a bunch of demons kidnap you and try to sacrifice you?” Before Dean or Sam could speculate further, the blonde threw her head back dramatically.
“Uhhh, Hunters, should’ve figured.” She turned to the brunette beside her, ignoring the looks from the men in front of her. “Dawnie, you think you can get them out of the building safely while I finish up here?” Dawn threw Buffy a dirty look.
“It’s Dawn, and yeah, I’ll give them a barrier and they can get themselves out. I’ll stay and help.”
Buffy eyed the men in front of her. “Somehow, I doubt they’ll go. They’ll try to be the heroes and save the poor defenceless women.”
Dawn snorted. “Right, defenceless. Can’t you just knock them out Buffy?”
“Hey!” Dean interrupted. “In case you haven’t noticed, this place is crawling with demons and you two are tied up…”
His speech was cut short as Buffy effortlessly snapped the ropes from behind her back and stood. Dawn’s ropes magically fell into a pile on the ground as she stood beside her sister. Both Dean and Sam automatically raised their guns and Buffy rolled her eyes.
“Come on! You were the one talking about being quick!” she said. Dawn watched as their eyes moved from Buffy to herself and back again. Dawn stepped forward and Dean cocked his gun.
“Look, we need to get you out of here before…” Dawn stopped talking and tilted her head. Buffy turned her back on the Hunters and grabbed her sister’s arm.
“Dawnie?” Buffy said. Dawn looked at Buffy.
“They’re coming…twenty maybe...both entrances. You get ready, I’ll protect them,” Dawn said gesturing to Dean and Sam. Buffy gave a nod. “In the corner,” Dawn commanded in a low voice. Neither man moved and she raised her hand and flung them there. Before they could protest, an orange barrier rose around them. “Stay there and you’ll be safe.”
Dawn ignored their protests and turned back just as both doors opened and demons poured in. Buffy dropped automatically into a fighting position and lashed out at the first demon, sending him flying backwards and knocking over another two. A sword appeared out of nowhere and dropped into Dawn’s hand as she swung, the metal slicing through a demons stomach before clashing against another’s own sword. Sam called out to Dawn to warn her about the demon who'd snuck up behind her but it was too late and the demon delivered a blow which made her drop to the floor instantly. Without thinking, Sam ran forward and Dean was surprised to see the barrier was gone. He raised his gun and shot the first two demons moving toward Dawn’s now unconscious form on the ground. Sam reached down and pulled her into his arms, dragging her off to the side of the room.
Dean moved quickly to Buffy’s side. “Sam’s got her.”
Buffy threw another worried glance over her shoulder before taking down the two demons in front of her. Dean was impressed with her skill as she seemed to have a great deal of strength in her small body. She used little effort as she traded blow for blow. Dean picked up Dawn’s sword and began taking out the demons in front of him. Suddenly he was pushed to the side and realised that Buffy had been thrown into him. Quickly helping her up, Dean fought off the sword getting uncomfortably close and saw a demon deal Buffy another backhand. Her head snapped to the side and she turned slowly back to the demon.
“Oh, you just made a huge mistake!” Buffy said dangerously. The demon laughed.
“You sneak in here and try to take out me and mine. The story ends here, Slayer!” he hissed back. Dean raised his eyebrows as Buffy laughed.
“Do you know how many times I have heard that over the last ten years?” Buffy quipped. The demon pushed his sword up against Buffy so that he was close to her face.
“Do you know how many Slayers I’ve taken out, just like you?” he asked.
Before Buffy could respond, both the demon she was fighting and the one swinging a sword at Dean were flung back into the wall behind them. Buffy whirled around angrily to see an exhausted looking Dawn still laying in Sam’s lap and slowly lowering her hand.
“Dawn, stop it! You do it again and you’re grounded!” Buffy said and Dawn gave her a soft laugh before closing her eyes.
In a matter of minutes, Dean had taken out the last few remaining demons and watched as the leader circled Buffy. He launched an attack which Buffy defended, retaliating with one of her own and stabbing him through the shoulder. He screamed in pain and Buffy smiled. The demon lunged forward again.
“You didn’t answer my question Slayer.” He swung the blade at her head and she swung her own to block it. “Do you know how many Slayers I’ve taken out, just like you?” he asked again. Buffy laughed as her sword plunged deep into this stomach and she looked him in the face.
“There’s never been another like me before.”
She smiled as the light vanished from his eyes and she pulled out her sword, allowing him to drop to the floor. She spun quickly around to Dawn and knelt down beside her. Sam was holding his hand against a large wound to the back of her head that was bleeding badly. Buffy reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile. She pressed the speed dial and it was answered after one ring.
“Will, I need you here now. It’s Dawn.”
Without waiting for a response, she hung up and turned to the middle of the room. There was a bright white light before a red-head appeared out of nowhere. Dean raised his eyebrows in surprise and Willow moved quickly to Dawn. She put her hand to Dawn’s head and a soft glow appeared underneath it. Willow pulled her hand back and looked to Buffy.
“I’ve stopped the bleeding but I can’t do any more here. Bring her back and I’ll fix her there.”
“She’ll be okay though?” Buffy asked worriedly and Willow smiled reassuringly.
“I’ll meet you back there.” She stood and closed her eyes. A moment later she was gone.
Sam stood slowly and Buffy tried to take Dawn. “I’ve got her,” Sam said. Buffy looked taken aback and looked at him questioningly.
“You know I’m the Slayer right?” she asked. Dean and Sam nodded. “And you’re not running for the hills?” Dean looked over at her.
“Do you want us to be?” he asked.
Buffy shook her head. “Never met a Hunter before who hasn’t,” she said as she led them out of the warehouse. “Well one actually. He was in Sunnydale for a while and he got on really well with my mum, which was surprising. But he left. He did come back for her funeral though so I think he did actually care; it was the only time I ever saw him cry.”
Once she had reached the outside of the warehouse, Dean led the way to the Impala. Before they could reach it, a vampire walked around the corner into their line of view. Spotting four humans, one apparently wounded, it snarled before advancing with a smile. Buffy automatically threw out her stake and it embedded itself into his heart as he turned to dust. Buffy seemed unfazed by the action as she walked to the car leaving two stunned men behind her.
“Most Hunters either think they can take me on, or they give me lots of room. A Hunter told me once that wherever the Slayer is, the Hunters don’t go. They figure she can handle whatever comes up and stay away. Guess you didn’t get the memo, huh?” Buffy asked as she reached the car and turned around to face Dean. Dean reached around behind her and unlocked the car, not taking his eyes off of her once.
“Guess not,” he replied with a smirk. Buffy gave him a genuine smile before opening the door and climbing into the backseat.
“You should sit in the front,” Sam said, “You’ll need to direct us where to go.” Buffy shrugged and climbed over to the front seat, giving Sam the room to place Dawn on the backseat with him.
The drive to the school was fairly quiet as Buffy directed Dean on its location. When he pulled up in front of the mansion-style school, there were already a few people waiting out the front; Willow, an older man and a dark haired woman.
“Are they all dead B?” Faith asked.
“Yep, they won’t be ending the world any time soon,” Buffy said giving her a smile. Faith threw her arms in the air and groaned.
“How come you get all the fun and I get stuck with the mini-Slayers? I need to kill something!” she said as she squirmed.
“Actually it would be a good idea if you patrol tonight and see what the fall out from this is,” Giles said and Faith jumped in the air.
“Yes!” she said running down the drive and turning around only to wink at Buffy. “I’ll see ya later B!”
Willow led the group inside and they sat down in a large living room off the foyer that had a medical kit on the table. Sam laid Dawn down gently on a lounge and tilted her head to the side so Willow could access it better. Willow cleaned and dressed the wound and Dawn began to stir as she finished.
“Dawnie?” Buffy said as she knelt down before her concerned. Dawn let out a loud groan. “Are you in pain?” Dawn turned her head to look at Buffy, opened her eyes and glared.
“It’s Dawn!” she said emphatically. Buffy turned to Willow and smiled sardonically.
“She’ll be fine,” Buffy deadpanned. Dawn sat up slowly and looked around the room as her eyes swam into focus.
“Hunters I presume?” Giles said, looking over at Dean and Sam. Dean reached forward and shook Giles’ hand.
“Yeah, I’m Dean Winchester and this is my brother Sam,” Dean said. Giles stopped mid-shake and pulled his hand out of Dean’s as if he were burnt. Dean looked around and saw everybody in the room looking at them surprised.
“John?” Dawn managed to squeak out. Buffy saw the look of pain on Dean’s face.
“He’s dead, isn’t he?” Buffy said as she sat down beside Dawn. Sam looked over at them.
“Yeah, a couple of months ago,” Sam said quietly as Dean stood beside him stoically. Dawn began softly crying and Buffy pulled her in and hugged her, placing a small kiss in her hair. They stood silently for a moment, letting the other people in the room grieve before Dean spoke.
“How did you know him?” he asked with a voice void of emotion.
“We met him when he came to Sunnydale about eight years ago on a job,” Giles clarified. “He was a good man and a skilled Hunter. He will be sorely missed.” Dean gave a nod but remained silent. Willow felt uneasy and motioned to Giles.
“We’re gonna call the Council and update them,” she told Buffy. Buffy nodded but continued to hold onto Dawn who was now sitting with her face buried in Buffy’s shoulder. As Willow and Giles left, Sam moved closer to the Summers women.
“Why did Dad go to Sunnydale?” he asked.
“Sammy!” Dean said sternly. He didn’t want to talk about their father and that was where this was going. Buffy looked over at Dean. “We should go,” Dean said suddenly pointing toward the door and ignoring Sam’s scowl.
“No, you should stay. We have a number of spare rooms and at least this way you won’t have to find a motel,” Buffy offered. Before Dean could reply, Sam looked over at Buffy.
“Thank you. We’d love to stay,” Sam said firmly, throwing a glare at Dean. Dean sighed and rolled his eyes. There was a small awkward silence before Dawn spoke up.
“He was working a job and ran into Buffy while he was hunting it,” Dawn replied looking at Sam. He gave her an encouraging smile. “He stayed for a few months but he left suddenly one night after we had a fire and we didn’t see him again until Mum’s funeral.” Dean looked at her shocked.
“Your mother was killed in a house fire?” he asked. Dawn looked at him confused.
“No, it was an aneurysm,” Buffy said, looking to Dean. “But it scared the hell out of him and he took off before I could explain that Mum left the heater too close to the curtains in her room.” She gave him a pointed look and Dean knew what she was trying to say. He gave a small nod.
“What was he hunting?” Sam asked as he tried to stay on a safe subject.
“Der Kindestod.” Buffy said. Both Dean and Sam looked puzzled. “He is like death. He kills children by sucking out their life force. It was killing the sick kids at the hospital and your Dad caught wind of the story. He came down there to see what he could do but bumped into me killing it. Actually it was the second one that I’ve killed. It looked pretty weird to him because he couldn’t see it, he could only see me getting tossed around and attacking what looked like air.” Buffy smiled at the memory.
“How come you could see it?” Sam asked.
Buffy shrugged. “I was sick at the time. I had a forty two degree fever. I killed it but couldn’t make it out of the basement on my own so your dad helped get the kids it had stashed in the basement back to their room and helped me to mine. He stayed with me til Giles came.”
“And he didn’t ask you any questions?” Sam asked surprised. Buffy laughed.
“Actually he was silent until Giles got there and then he told him off for using me while I was sick. He thought Giles was training me to be a Hunter and had made me fight something even when I was sick. He saw me in a cemetery a few nights later taking out a pack of vamps and my cover was blown. He knew something was off by the way I fought and though he didn’t say anything he must have done some research cause he met me in the cemetery the next night with a stack of paperwork on Slayers.”
“Dad has something on Slayers in his journal. Must have written it in after he met you,” Sam said. “Did he tell you anything about his life?” Buffy looked quickly at Dean before returning her gaze to Sam.
“He told us he had two sons. He was estranged from both of them at the time though. One because he wanted to leave and the other because he was protecting him.” Buffy noticed the quick look Sam shot Dean’s way but Dean pretended not to see it.
“He wanted to make amends,” Dawn interjected. “I heard him talking with Mum about it. He didn’t know how to go about it but he wanted to try.”
“After he left I researched the pieces of information he had given me and found out what he was hunting; why he ran,” Buffy said.
“If he’d stayed you could have helped him,” Dawn said with a hint of bitterness.
“He was protecting you,” Dean said simply and Buffy nodded.
“Buffy could have handled it,” Dawn said crossing her arms over her chest. Buffy gave her a sad smile.
“You don’t know that Dawn.” Buffy briefly looked at her hands. “I’ve died so many times already, that could have just been another one. He didn’t need more guilt.” The room settled awkwardly before Dawn stood up.
“I need some air,” she said as Buffy reached for her. Buffy let her walk out of the room before she looked at Sam and Dean.
“I’m sorry guys. She’s still hurting that he left. Our Dad was never there and she took to John really quickly; he doted on her. He taught her to shoot a gun so that she could protect herself but he didn’t want her anywhere near this war.”
Sam stepped back. “I’m gonna go talk to her.” He left the room quickly and Dean looked toward Buffy. She gave him a small smile.
“Tell me,” Dean said clearly and Buffy nodded.
“He was there for about six months and despite everything, he seemed happy. I don’t think he realised it but he was starting to build a life. He had picked up some work so the cards wouldn’t get recognised and he stayed in my old room at Mum’s house. He told me that he wished he had done some things differently with you. Sam wanted out, he wanted a normal life. And though he was scared, John wanted him to have what he had with your Mum. He didn’t like the fact that he had put so much on you too early; he didn’t want you to cut yourself off from people.”
“Sometimes it’s better to be cut off. It’s hard enough to protect yourself without having to worry about a wife and two point five kids sitting at home,” Dean said. Buffy stood and faced him.
“That’s crap and you know it.” Dean looked at her surprised. “I died and went to heaven before being ripped out of there and being sent back here. At first, this was hell. Knowing what I’d lost, where I’d been. But we have to live in this world. We have to actually live in it. If you cut yourself off from it you’re already half dead. Whether you want to or not, you’re going to fall in love with someone who is actually perfect for you and it will be that much harder to let her go. Your self-imposed exile from this world will backfire.”
“And then when she dies, I will too,” Dean yelled angrily. “No thanks, I think I’ll skip that part.”
“You’re looking at it the wrong way. Everyone’s going to die Dean. Even those who know nothing about what we do. And you don’t see them cutting themselves off. Of course it’s going to hurt Dean. Ask anyone who was happily married for fifty years before their spouse died. But it’s the fifty years they’ll remember, not the one day when it ended. You need to live. It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do and there’ll be times when it sucks more than anything but it’s worth it.”
They stood silently watching one another for a few moments before Dean quickly took a step forward and pulled her in for a kiss. Buffy was briefly stunned before she stepped closer into his embrace and kissed him back, winding her arms around his neck.
~
Neither of them saw the stunned faces of their siblings who were standing in the doorway. Sam quickly grabbed Dawn’s hand and pulled her back to the front door. He quietly opened it, pushed her through and closed it behind him without making a sound. Dawn stood there with her mouth wide open staring at him. He gave her a small smile.
“I have to admit, I never saw that coming,” Sam said pointing a thumb toward the school.
“But…but…that wasn’t supposed to happen,” Dawn stuttered. “I entertained the idea that when we came back inside and it was quiet, they’d killed each other but that…that…that was not anywhere in the vicinity of what I thought had happened.” Sam smiled at her.
“Hey, I think we got the desired outcome anyway, didn’t we?” he asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “We wanted Buffy to get him out of the funk he’s been in.” Dawn glared.
“That’s my sister!” she said. “I swear if he hurts her I will turn him into a rat, like Amy, and watch him run around in a cage for the rest of his life!” Sam laughed.
“I know you won’t do that. And why would you think he will be the one to do the hurting? Buffy runs just as much as Dean does.” Dawn rolled her eyes.
“Guess they’re perfect for each other then,” she replied sarcastically. She sighed heavily and looked at the gravel beneath her feet.
“Hey,” Sam said, stepping toward her. “This could be a good thing. Why don’t we just assume it will be, huh? Deal with anything else as it comes.” Dawn gave him a reluctant smile before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Alright. Do you think we should tell them it was a set up?” Dawn asked as she looked into his face. Sam just raised his eyebrows.
“What will Buffy do to you when she finds out?” Dawn pulled away from him and looked back toward the building. Images of what Buffy would do flashed before her eyes and all of them made her cringe. Dawn frowned and he laughed at her expression.
“Exactly. Dean will do the same to me. So I suggest we just hold off and if we never have to tell them it will be too soon.”
“I still miss him Sam.”
Sam pulled her into a hug, wrapping his long arms around her small body and holding her as close as he could. Dawn buried her head in the warmth of his chest and sighed contentedly. Sam gave her a small squeeze. “I know, me too.”
“How long should we wait out here for?” Dawn asked, casting a glance at the front door.
“Well, it is Dean, so maybe for a while,” he said.
“Eww!!! That was way more than I needed to know and ‘hello?’ my sister!” Dawn screwed her face up in disgust and Sam laughed again.
“I’m sure we can find something to do to keep us occupied,” Sam said huskily. Dawn gave him a bright smile before stepping back and pulling him toward the building.
“Come on, I know a back way that will bypass them.” Dawn broke into a run and Sam smiled before he ran after her.
~
Buffy stepped back from Dean’s embrace and looked up at him.
“What was that?” Buffy asked as she took another step backward. Dean took a step toward her.
“I thought I would take you up on your offer,” he replied staring at her. Buffy swallowed nervously.
“Um, what offer?”
Dean smiled. “I think we should start counting from now. I have a feeling I won’t want to waste any time.” Dean took another step toward her and Buffy could feel the heat coming off his body as she looked up into his face.
“Huh?” she asked, her voice coming out raspy.
“Fifty years right? We should start counting from this moment, this day. Then we’ll talk about this again, okay?” He leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft kiss. Buffy kissed him back before pulling away.
“We won’t live for another fifty years,” Buffy replied. Dean kissed her again.
“Now who’s being the pessimist?” he asked. Buffy gave him a vivacious smile and pulled him down to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body closer to his. They kissed until the need for oxygen became and issue and Buffy looked up at him.
“So, fifty years, huh?” she said smiling.
“Fifty years,” Dean replied resolutely as he swooped down and kissed her again.
~Fin.
