Summary: Jump ahead 10 years to Dawn's coming out party. New friends, old romances??
Date Added: Dec 2004
Summerhaven
Chapter 10
10 years later
“Buffy, I don’t think I can do this,” Dawn said nervously while wringing her hands together.
“Of course you can, sweetie. Nothing to worry about. As soon as you hear the music just open the door and float down the stairs. There’s nothing to it,” Buffy replied as she smoothed the puffy silk skirt of Dawn’s emerald green dress.
“Nothing to worry about? NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT? I could fall down the stairs and land on my bottom in front of the whole society and that’s no big deal?” Dawn yelled dramatically as she threw her hands in the air.
“Dawn. It’s not that bad. You will do fine.”
“Ugh. Why do I have to do this? Do I really have to do this?”
“Dawn, calm down. This isn’t really a big deal. You have been to coming out balls before. The only difference is this one happens to be for you. You know how it’s done. Now just relax.”
Buffy lightly grasped Dawn’s arm as she cupped her sister’s cheek. Buffy knew this was nerve-wracking for Dawn and wished there was more she could do besides give comforting words that were obviously not comforting her.
Dawn took a deep breath and looked her sister in the eye.
“You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s just my nerves are going wonky.” Dawn turned towards the mirror and smoothed her hair. “Do I look alright?”
“You look beautiful. Mom would have been proud,” Buffy said as she and Dawn locked eyes in the mirror.
Dawn’s eyes filled with unshed tears as she turned and engulfed Buffy in a hug.
“Come on, Dawn. It’s showtime,” Buffy reminded her, pulling back and wiped the tears from Dawn’s face.
Dawn took another deep, steadying breath and checked her appearance in the mirror.
“Thanks, Buffy. You are the best sister a girl could have.” Dawn smiled and opening the door just as the waltz started.
*~*
“Are you ok?” Willow asked Buffy as the two stood off to the side watching Buffy’s sister dance with Chad Masters, Marquis of Meadowland.
“Yeah…I was just thinking how proud mom would have been of her,” Buffy replied as she watched her sister laugh heartily at something the Marquis whispered to her.
“She would have been proud of you too, Buffy. You have really pulled through since she died.” Willow touched Buffy’s arm and smiled at her.
“Thank you, Willow.” Buffy smiled back at her friend. The two had become fast friends 10 years ago when the Rosenberg family had moved to the neighboring estate, Wildwood Park. Buffy had just suffered the loss of her and William’s child and had fallen in a deep depression. It had hurt Joyce beyond words to see her daughter this way and she had sought out Willow to befriend Buffy to try and take away some of her daughter’s heartache.
Buffy’s father had finally succumbed to the alcohol having died 5 years earlier from excessive drinking. The Summers girls had had another tragedy as their mother passed also, having died not 9 months after the late earl. Joyce had become pregnant right before their father had died and during childbirth had suffered complications that had resulted in the death of her and her unborn child.
Buffy and Dawn were devastated. It took both of them a long time to get over the fact that they were now orphans. Dawn really should have had her coming out party much earlier but with the death of their parents it just hadn’t seemed that important.
“I think it’s really fantastic that Xander is hosting her coming out party,” Willow commented, scanning the area for her friend.
“Yes it is. He has really been there for me and my sister,” Buffy replied as she grabbed a goblet of chilled wine from one of the waiters.
Alexander Harris had come to Summerhaven after Buffy’s mom had passed to pass along his condolences. Since then, Buffy, Willow, and Xander - as he preferred to be called - were inseparable. Xander had pretty much adopted the Summers’ girls and Willow. He was quite protective of all three of them, almost like an older brother.
“I think half the reason he is also hosting this party is for you and I to find husbands. You’d think he was our father or something,” Buffy laughed.
“My god…you are right. All he talks about is how we should be married with armloads of children at our feet.”
“We should call him Father Xander,” Buffy laughed, soon followed by Willow.
“Father Xander, I kinda like that name. Although my many female admirers will think I’m a man of the cloth, so maybe that isn’t really of the good,” Xander mused, his hand resting over his heart as he walked up behind them.
Both women turned toward the sound of Xander’s voice.
“You’re right… it really isn’t,” Buffy replied. “Thank you for this, Xander. It means a lot to me and Dawn that you did this for us.”
“Aww… Buffy. Anything for my girls. My god, how beautiful you both look. If I wasn’t like a brother I would….” He joked as he grasped Buffy’s hand and brought it to his lips and kissing it.
