5 Fics Where Dawn Copes With Loss
And the poor girl certainly has had a lot to lose in her young life. These ficlets and shots all revolve around that central, reoccuring theme that Dawn must constantly adapt to and cope with. The stories range in scope from Buffy running away after S2 and her death in S6, to the deaths of Joyce, Tara and Justin. One thing all these works have in common? Some really, really superb Dawn characterization.
1. The Flowers You Gave Me by hands_of_blue
Dawn, Spike, PG, the summers between S2/S3 and S5/S6
Summary: It’s a special kind of day when it rains in Sunnydale.
Review: What I enjoyed so much about this fic is the slow evolution of Dawn's understanding of disappearance and death, first viewed from a child's eyes and then as a teenager. This fic touches on that inalienable truth of how perception changes with time and that patterns and cycles regularly arise. It's also a beautiful, tight piece that brings all the imagery back together by the end, sinching the story up neatly.
2. She Always Wanted to Be Harriet the Spy by ubiquirk
Dawn, Tara, PG-13, a slightly AU take on "Villains" in S6
Summary: Dawn remembers Tara.
Review: Ubiquirk took a really fun and clever premise - that Michelle Tratchenberg played both Dawn and Harriet - and rolled that coincidence into a ficlet to explain Dawn's early bonds with Tara. The slow unraveling of that fateful night when Dawn finds Tara shot has you on the edge of your seat because you know it's coming and you don't want it to. Suspenseful and clever, this ficlet gives us a few more moments with Tara; moments that Dawn will cherish forever.
3. Whitewash by only_passenger
Dawn/Spike, NC-17, post The-Gift
Summary: When the days become too much to bear, Spike makes the nights a little easier.
Review: Straight up - this fic has maybe the best Dawn charactierization I've seen all year. Left to her own devices, Dawn must try and ease the sting of abandonment and orphanhood she feels after Buffy's jump. Like any rebellious teen, drinking becomes an outlet to dull the pain. This fic takes an interesting look at the decisions Spike may have had to make in order to keep his promise to Buffy. What sort of protection would Dawn need? What types of desires would she have? This shot explores those morally grey areas of what that summer could have held for Dawn nd Spike with beautiful and sensual aesthetic. In the end, despite what we want, we can't be children forever and Dawn makes sure of that.
4. Life Lessons by eowyn_315
Dawn, Buffy, Spike, PG-13, shortly after "All the Way" in S6
Summary: Buffy gets a lesson in parenting when Dawn's teenage rebellion tests their relationship.
Review: One of the many omissions on the show during S6 was Joss & Co. never truly dealt with the reality and consequences of what it meant for Buffy to have to be Dawn's guardian. We know she sucked at parenting, but that unfortunate truth was never hashed out in a constructive way. Eowyn presents us with a missing scene, of sorts, that brings Buffy's parenting and Dawn's feelings of neglect into the spotlight. Another wonderful aspect of this fic is Spike's involvement as Dawn's pseudo-parents and his role in protecting her. When Buffy and Spike come to heads about handeling Dawn's behavior, sparks fly!
5. Wool Over My Eyes by clawofcat
Dawn/Xander, NC-17, post-NFA
Summary: Dawns discovers that pain can work both for and against you. The question is: can she channel her lose into strength?
Review: Well, this one's a bit of cheat since it's my own, but it matches the theme of this post. People deal with loss in all sorts of different ways and we know that inflicting physical pain on herself was not beyond Dawn. This sensual fic takes a rather cathartic look at how pain and, more specifically, BDSM can be used and channeled to cope with loss and find relief. The scenario presented here is one of many directions an adult Dawn could have taken. Though it a bit unusual, Dawn has found something and someone that's made her chaotic and frightening life a bit more stable.