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"Buffy?", Dawn says, "What are we gonna do now?"

Buffy looked at her friends and family, and then turned toward the crater, a slight smile on her lips as she considers an answer to Dawn's question. A world of possibilities occurs to the slayer, the first of which, of course, being a normal life.

'Not a chance of that happening', Buffy thinks cynically, 'There's always something trying to end the world.' At least with The First's plans defeated, perhaps she could afford to take a break. She really wanted to take time to re-bond with her friends and family.

The thought brought her mind to Dawn, and a promise left unfulfilled. She knew that she had started the year closer to Dawn than she had been since...

'Since I was protecting her from Glory.' she thought to herself.

The past summer had allowed them time alone in each others company, and Buffy found that she missed the feeling of closeness that they shared at the time. As she remembered cooking dinner together, trips to the mall, movie nights at home, even training together, Buffy found herself wanting to go back to that simpler time. Perhaps now she could.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of a hand gently grasping her own. She turned to find Dawn looking at her with an _expression of concern.

"Are you okay Buffy?", she asked, the worry evident in her voice.

"I'm fine Dawn, I was just thinking.", Buffy replied with the slightest hint of sadness in her voice, her eyes tearing up as she spoke, "I'm sorry I've been so distant lately, I know it's felt like I've been pushing you away again, but I want you to know that I remember my promise to you." Buffy gave her sister's hand a gentle squeeze and continued, "I want us to go back to the way things were before, when we had all the time in the world for each other. I want to continue to see the amazing woman you're becoming, and I want us to be together, no matter what happens in our lives."

Dawn was left momentarily speechless by Buffy's heartfelt comments. However, she did the first thing that came to mind, and released Buffy's hand, so she could hug the older girl with an emotional conviction that no mere words could convey. As Buffy hugged her in return, Dawn began to speak, "There's no need to apologize Buffy, I knew that when things started to get bad you would start to distance yourself, and I knew it didn't mean that you loved me any less, it was just your way of protecting me. I totally understand why you did it.", the empathy in her voice showing just how well she knew her sister.

"You're not mad at me for that, are you Dawnie?", Buffy said cautiously, still keeping their mutual embrace.

"You were just doing what you thought was right, like when you had Xander try to take me away.", she replied knowingly. Buffy cringed inwardly, feeling slightly embarrassed at the mention of that event. Dawn sensed the change in her sister, and released her embrace, looking Buffy directly in the eyes. "It's okay. I'm over it already.", she assured Buffy with a gentle, compassionate look.

Buffy smiled at her sister, thankful for her insight and understanding. "We should probably get going.", Buffy said, turning to face her friends, "Lets hit the road gang....", she trailed off as she realized that everyone had returned to the bus, evidently to give her and Dawn a little privacy in their moment of reconciliation. She smiled at the thought, and turned back to Dawn, surprisingly finding herself the recipient of a gentle kiss. After a moment Dawn pulled away, a happy look of contentment on her face.

"What was that for?", Buffy asked curiously.

"Just my way of saying 'Thank You' ", Dawn said with a smirk, "and besides, I've been wanting to do that for a while." Buffy's eyes widened slightly at that last comment, and she looked at Dawn with an _expression of surprise.

"A while huh?", she asked, trying to contain her growing curiosity at the revelation.

"Well...just since this past summer." Dawn admitted. "Especially when we were training."

"No wonder I was pinning you so easily during hand to hand combat.", Buffy said, smirking as she thought back to those moments.

"You know, the thought of being pinned to the ground underneath you wasn't exactly incentive to win.", Dawn said teasingly.

"I'll keep that in mind next time we train together." Buffy said, gently grasping Dawn's hand and leading her back to the waiting bus.

As the two girls slowly walked back, they each realized that this was the start of a new and different dimension to their relationship, and though each was uncertain of where it would lead, it promised to be interesting.