Entry: Fic - Singularity in the Key of D
Title: Singularity in the Key of D
Author: dhark_charlotte
Fandoms: T:SCC/BtVS
Rating: Gen
Warnings: None really
Summary: He hadn’t let her down. And that was Important.
Disclaimer: This story is intended for entertainment purposes only and provides absolutely no financial compensation. Recognizable characters belong to their prospective owners/writers.
Distribution: Ask
Prompt 5. Avoid, Class, Sticky
**
The dreams started just before the drama of The First Evil and Dawn had shrugged it off at first, thinking it was all stress related. Against her better judgment, she confided in one person and he’d promised to keep quiet about it. It worried her worried at first, but he hadn’t let her down. And that was Important.
After the Sunnydale collapse, if Spike had still been around he would have seen Dawn’s personality change for what it truly was. But he was dust and everyone else was busy with their own lives. After they’d heard of Spike’s final death in Los Angeles, Dawn stated unequivocally that Europe was not where she wanted to be and insisted on completing her higher education back in California. Her family chalked it up to typical teenage angst and guilt over not being there for Spike. She tried to reason with them that Cali was safer than ever due to the Hellmouth closing and Angel defeating The Circle of the Black Thorn, to no avail. Then she started to use other means of convincing. After numerous threats including, but not exclusive of, invoking D’Hoffryn, suing for emancipation and plain just walking out, Buffy finally gave in.
So… Buffy in Italy with the Immortal, Willow in Barcelona, Giles back in England and Faith watching the Hellmouth in Cleveland. Xander might have had a chance to ‘see’ what was happening to Dawn, but he only checked in sporadically and used his wandering around Africa to avoid memories of Anya. As a result, he never ‘saw’ Dawn.
The only Scooby close to Dawn these days was Andrew. He was the one that helped her box up the Buffybot before the big Sunnydale finale and sent it to his cousin’s place in LA for safe-keeping and she had him wrapped completely around her little finger, well… what could you really expect from someone willing to kill his best friend at the behest of a dead man? The slightly cute uber-geek was utterly enthralled by any and all attention Dawn gave him.
Since Buffy viewed him as mostly harmless, she encouraged him to accompany Dawn to California as a quasi-chaperone and Giles used the Council coffers to arrange a flat-share for the two of them near the college. As long as she checked in on a regular basis, they left Dawn to herself. Eventually, her calls dwindled to once a week, then once a month without repercussion.
Andrew was the only one to personally witness Dawn throwing herself into every technology heavy course she could find. Her class schedule had been relentless and he did everything he could to help her achieve her goals, whatever they might be. She graduated with a triple threat in record time and quickly set up shop developing new technology as if driven by some unseen force. He ran interference for her when she hacked into one of the lesser known Council accounts to pull enough money to buy the only known computer truly capable of learning. Shipkov had attempted to rip Dawn off, trying to pass a very good fake as the real Turk, but once again, with Andrew’s help she was able to pull off a successful switch, leaving Andy Goode’s ex-partner with the fake computer. She thought about the Armenian that had been trying to outbid her and figured he would be pretty pissed when he found out Shipkov had sold him a fake. She shrugged, the jerk shouldn’t have tried to rip her off.
They celebrated with gooey sticky caramel covered apples, Andrew’s favorite and after filling themselves with sugar, he drew up the nerve to finally ask her what she was actually trying to do.
“You can really tell me Dawn. It really doesn’t matter what it is, I’ll still help you.” His eyes shone with fanatical light and Dawn breathed a sigh of relief.
“I had a dream Andrew, and not one of those fluffy ones with unicorns. My physical body only has a few more years left.”
Andrew grabbed her hand, clutching at her with a painful grip as fear filled his gaze.
She patted his hand in an attempt to reassure him. “It’ll be okay Andrew. Really. Why do you think we saved the Buffybot? And my education? The Turk is just the beginning really. Have you ever heard of the Singularity?”
Hope flashed and he offered a weak smile. “Oh yeah, that’s where computers become so smart that they can create better versions of themselves without our help?”
Dawn pulled her legs off his hap and leaned forward. Using her free hand, she took his chin in a gentle grip, forcing him to meet her eyes. She released a tiny bit of the power she’d had to control every second of every day and watched it reflect in his blue eyes. “Andrew, do you remember The Lawnmower Man?”
He smiled widely at that, remembering the weekend long movie marathon they’d indulged in the first weekend they’d moved into their apartment. Dawn had let him pick out all of the movies and she had watched that particular one with a strange intensity. He nodded, enjoying the sensation of her touch and his breath caught when she brushed his lips with hers, the contact light as a feather.
“I need you Andrew.”
He felt those words all the way through his being. She’d said it before, but the seriousness of her tone made them all the more special this time. She kissed him again and he opened to her as he always had, always would; allowing her to give and take as she wanted. No one else knew of these private moments they shared. Andrew knew most of the Scoobies thought he was gay and it didn’t bother him in the least. He and Dawn still maintained separate bedrooms, but their doors were always open to each other and he was most happy in her presence.
She laid her head against his chest, giving him the illusion of her protector and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, stroking her hair as she began to speak.
“We only have a few years to finish our work Andrew. Three at the most and before you ask… Willow can’t fix this. The Key is searching for a new form and if I don’t control it when the time comes, I’ll be gone, Dawn Summers will cease to exist.”
Fear shot through his chest, taking his breath and he clutched her to him. “What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to be my Qwa'ha Xahn, Andrew.” She smiled against his chest when he jerked in response to that term. She knew that the phrase fed his Star Wars/SciFi obsession. He’d been fascinated with Illyria the one time they’d met. He’d even stepped between the two women as a show of protection when the Old One had recognized Dawn as The Key. She’d been amused by Andrew’s feeble attempt and shared her knowledge of The Key with Dawn after sending Andrew on an errand. Illyria’s warning had given truth to Dawn’s dreams and she had begun studying in earnest.
“But... why did you ask me about The Lawnmower Man? You don’t mean that I...?”
“Imagine it Andrew, we’ll be together forever, unconfined and unrestricted within the Singularity.”
Andrew’s hands clamped on her arms and hauled her up his body with uncommon strength, pulling her into him. “Yes.” He kissed her with a fierceness he’d never shown before and Dawn found that she quite liked it.
**