Room 328, Sunday Afternoon
Dawn was sprawled out on the bed, writing a long overdue e-mail to her sister.
To: Buffy
From: Dawn
Date: February 24, 2008
Re: Not dead yet
This has been your weekly update. Just, y'know, imagine that I'd remembered to send, oh, the last twelve of them, and be thankful I spared your inbox. Aren't I nice?
...
Yeah, I didn't think that was going to work, but it was worth a shot. First, I'm not coming home for break. No killing me, but there might be a trip of some kind and I want to go on it if there is. No, I don't know where it's to, but it's probably not going to be Scotland of four years ago, so you'll just have to count on seeing me after graduation if you don't visit before then.
NOT THAT I THINK THAT MEANS YOU SHOULD GET ON A PLANE OR ANYTHING. SCOTLAND NEEDS YOU.
What?
Anyway, classes are going okay. I really like my Mythology class in particular, and I'm not doing nearly as badly in Driver's Ed as you did. Um, not that I'm sure that I could, but that's between you and Mom's minivan. I'm still waiting to hear back from colleges, and have no idea where I want to go if I end up getting into more than one. Is it good that it's taking this long? Please tell me it's good that it's taking this long?
Luke and Rikku are doing well. Did you meet Rikku and Luke? I can't remember. Rikku's doing well in particular, apparently, but she's happy and having way too much fun with her new guy who may or may not be her new guy on a definite guy-like basis. Luke's dad is getting married to his high school girlfriend and Luke's maybe the tiniest bit wiggy about it, but I think it'll work out.
If not, well, you'll probably see the fireworks from 2004.
Now comes the stuff I wish I didn't have to tell you. There was a bad plague here a few months ago, and I caught it, since it was magic-based, and I'm, well, yeah. It was...well, it was pretty bad, but not as bad as it could have been. One of the other students, Bart, died. I didn't know him, and now wish I had, just so I could miss him properly. No one should die without anyone to miss them, which seems kinda like the unofficial Scooby motto. Anyway, there was a memorial service, and I couldn't even make it because I was still sick, or getting better from getting sick. Not that that's important, since he's still gone and way too young and he shouldn't have been, especially for such a small-minded, prejudiced, stupid-ass reason. Sam was by my bed pretty much the whole time, except for when he was being research guy. Faith and Dean and Xander stopped by, too.
SEE, I'M SENDING YOU E-MAIL. I MUST BE BETTER.
But that's not even the worst part, and I really wish I didn't have to tell you this part, except that I know that if you find out when you come for graduation--you are coming for graduation, right?--I'll be dead like disco.
Yes, disco's dead. No, don't ask Angel. Ask Spike. Or Oz. Or heck, even Willow. Okay, maybe Giles instead of Willow.
Anyway, remember when I told you about the demon that killed Sam and Dean's mother?
YES I TOLD YOU. OMG, BUFFY, EAT SOME FISH AND TAKE SOME GINSENG OR SOMETHING.
*ahem*
As I was saying before the mental you interrupted, Sam started having bad visions (or good visions, but they hurt him, so I'm going to call them bad because excrutiating pain is way of the suck, even if they tell you important things) about the demon attacking his sister (OMG, SOOOOOOO CUTE--the baby and/or Sam, not the demon, just so we're clear) and his soon-to-be stepmom (Principal Washburn. Did I tell you that? I can't remember if I told you that.). So they went all GRRRRRR (which wow, is it really, really wrong to find that attractive in one's boyfriend? Because it looks really good on him) and to DEFCON one (that's the bad one, in case I'm upside down), and things were going pretty okay until Alec came back for Dean's birthday and got possessed by the very demon they were looking for.
Yeah. High suckage factor right there.
Oh, but wait, there's more! I, who didn't know about the whole Alec is possessed by a demon Thing, was all "Hi, welcome back!" to him right up until the moment where he tried to kill me. Did a pretty decent job, too, since I got pretty much burned alive toasted and was in a coma for a day or two while--well, I don't really know what happened, because hi, coma girl.
YES, I'M BETTER. SEE THE E-MAILNESS?
Anyway, I woke up and told the guys about Alec and his nasty demon center, and they got all GRRRRRRRRR (this was way less fun) and went demon hunting with the help of an amulet that Karal (he's a priest, and very cool, plus he blushes way easily, so that's fun) and Altra made with a little help from some monk-stuff I can't access, and I don't know what happened during the fighting because I stayed back where it was safe and slept instead of fighting.
No, really. It was late.
Besides, the fighting came later. The one with Dean was really nasty, and I hated it tons. We seem to be okay now, but I wonder if you can ever really get better once you find out you have the ability to tear each other's guts out without sharp weapons, you know? Sam and I fought too, but it wasn't as bad, maybe because we were both so worried? I didn't want him to fight, and he didn't want me to fight, and, well, yeah. Plus, Sam had a huge case of the guilts because of something the demon said to him and I still don't think he's over it, but it's at least better. A little.
Sam and I seem to be better, anyway. It took a couple of weeks, but yeah, much better.
Like I said, I still don't know what's going on with Dean, and that sucks, because I miss him.
*sigh*
In non-Winchester-related news, I'm taking sword lessons from Luke's dad (Professor Anakin Skywalker, when you're Googling) and practicing that lots in my spare time. See, a perfectly Buffy-approved activity.
Aren't you pleased?
BUFFY! DO YOU KISS SPIKE WITH THAT MOUTH?
If not Spike, do you kiss anyone with that mouth? Aww, c'mon, inquiring minds wanna know. It's been a long time, you need someone who makes you happy, and I live to annoy you with stupid crap.
This e-mail is going on for months and I've run out of almost-deaths to report, so I'm gonna sign off. Take care of everyone and write or call or show up when you get a chance, okay?
Miss you.
Love,
Dawn
The door was open.
To: Buffy
From: Dawn
Date: February 24, 2008
Re: Not dead yet
This has been your weekly update. Just, y'know, imagine that I'd remembered to send, oh, the last twelve of them, and be thankful I spared your inbox. Aren't I nice?
...
Yeah, I didn't think that was going to work, but it was worth a shot. First, I'm not coming home for break. No killing me, but there might be a trip of some kind and I want to go on it if there is. No, I don't know where it's to, but it's probably not going to be Scotland of four years ago, so you'll just have to count on seeing me after graduation if you don't visit before then.
NOT THAT I THINK THAT MEANS YOU SHOULD GET ON A PLANE OR ANYTHING. SCOTLAND NEEDS YOU.
What?
Anyway, classes are going okay. I really like my Mythology class in particular, and I'm not doing nearly as badly in Driver's Ed as you did. Um, not that I'm sure that I could, but that's between you and Mom's minivan. I'm still waiting to hear back from colleges, and have no idea where I want to go if I end up getting into more than one. Is it good that it's taking this long? Please tell me it's good that it's taking this long?
Luke and Rikku are doing well. Did you meet Rikku and Luke? I can't remember. Rikku's doing well in particular, apparently, but she's happy and having way too much fun with her new guy who may or may not be her new guy on a definite guy-like basis. Luke's dad is getting married to his high school girlfriend and Luke's maybe the tiniest bit wiggy about it, but I think it'll work out.
If not, well, you'll probably see the fireworks from 2004.
Now comes the stuff I wish I didn't have to tell you. There was a bad plague here a few months ago, and I caught it, since it was magic-based, and I'm, well, yeah. It was...well, it was pretty bad, but not as bad as it could have been. One of the other students, Bart, died. I didn't know him, and now wish I had, just so I could miss him properly. No one should die without anyone to miss them, which seems kinda like the unofficial Scooby motto. Anyway, there was a memorial service, and I couldn't even make it because I was still sick, or getting better from getting sick. Not that that's important, since he's still gone and way too young and he shouldn't have been, especially for such a small-minded, prejudiced, stupid-ass reason. Sam was by my bed pretty much the whole time, except for when he was being research guy. Faith and Dean and Xander stopped by, too.
SEE, I'M SENDING YOU E-MAIL. I MUST BE BETTER.
But that's not even the worst part, and I really wish I didn't have to tell you this part, except that I know that if you find out when you come for graduation--you are coming for graduation, right?--I'll be dead like disco.
Yes, disco's dead. No, don't ask Angel. Ask Spike. Or Oz. Or heck, even Willow. Okay, maybe Giles instead of Willow.
Anyway, remember when I told you about the demon that killed Sam and Dean's mother?
YES I TOLD YOU. OMG, BUFFY, EAT SOME FISH AND TAKE SOME GINSENG OR SOMETHING.
*ahem*
As I was saying before the mental you interrupted, Sam started having bad visions (or good visions, but they hurt him, so I'm going to call them bad because excrutiating pain is way of the suck, even if they tell you important things) about the demon attacking his sister (OMG, SOOOOOOO CUTE--the baby and/or Sam, not the demon, just so we're clear) and his soon-to-be stepmom (Principal Washburn. Did I tell you that? I can't remember if I told you that.). So they went all GRRRRRR (which wow, is it really, really wrong to find that attractive in one's boyfriend? Because it looks really good on him) and to DEFCON one (that's the bad one, in case I'm upside down), and things were going pretty okay until Alec came back for Dean's birthday and got possessed by the very demon they were looking for.
Yeah. High suckage factor right there.
Oh, but wait, there's more! I, who didn't know about the whole Alec is possessed by a demon Thing, was all "Hi, welcome back!" to him right up until the moment where he tried to kill me. Did a pretty decent job, too, since I got pretty much burned alive toasted and was in a coma for a day or two while--well, I don't really know what happened, because hi, coma girl.
YES, I'M BETTER. SEE THE E-MAILNESS?
Anyway, I woke up and told the guys about Alec and his nasty demon center, and they got all GRRRRRRRRR (this was way less fun) and went demon hunting with the help of an amulet that Karal (he's a priest, and very cool, plus he blushes way easily, so that's fun) and Altra made with a little help from some monk-stuff I can't access, and I don't know what happened during the fighting because I stayed back where it was safe and slept instead of fighting.
No, really. It was late.
Besides, the fighting came later. The one with Dean was really nasty, and I hated it tons. We seem to be okay now, but I wonder if you can ever really get better once you find out you have the ability to tear each other's guts out without sharp weapons, you know? Sam and I fought too, but it wasn't as bad, maybe because we were both so worried? I didn't want him to fight, and he didn't want me to fight, and, well, yeah. Plus, Sam had a huge case of the guilts because of something the demon said to him and I still don't think he's over it, but it's at least better. A little.
Sam and I seem to be better, anyway. It took a couple of weeks, but yeah, much better.
Like I said, I still don't know what's going on with Dean, and that sucks, because I miss him.
*sigh*
In non-Winchester-related news, I'm taking sword lessons from Luke's dad (Professor Anakin Skywalker, when you're Googling) and practicing that lots in my spare time. See, a perfectly Buffy-approved activity.
Aren't you pleased?
BUFFY! DO YOU KISS SPIKE WITH THAT MOUTH?
If not Spike, do you kiss anyone with that mouth? Aww, c'mon, inquiring minds wanna know. It's been a long time, you need someone who makes you happy, and I live to annoy you with stupid crap.
This e-mail is going on for months and I've run out of almost-deaths to report, so I'm gonna sign off. Take care of everyone and write or call or show up when you get a chance, okay?
Miss you.
Love,
Dawn
The door was open.