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[isaidquirky]

After greeting everyone who was awake (everyone but Willow...of course), I went into the next room to prepare for the day. Wesley and I were heading into the city to meet Dawnie at the airport. Or perhaps I should say, meet Dawn. She wouldn't be the little Dawnie who drank gigantic milkshakes anymore...but I hoped she still liked them. I couldn

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[wesley_pryce]

I left a note for everyone telling them where we were going. I took the sign I had made with me. It was so very bright and early and we had to catch Dawn's flight and I yawned as I unlocked the vehicle and started the engine.

I began to talk as we drove down the long road to Kathmandu. "Well, after you were gone things became different. Willow saved the life of Buffy who almost died in that attack as well. Your family is still alive and well, and Buffy was in Italy with Andrew for awhile and Xander is doing great. The new eye is working wonderfully for him. We'll have to work on thinking of how to bring back Anya... here we are." I said pulling into the parking lot of the airport and walking to the airport terminal.

I held up a big cardboard sign that had a color print of something special to Dawn on it.

[_xxdawnxx_]

I picked up my canvas bag and hoped that my luggage made it over ok, I probably should have made that carry-on sized too.

As I stepped into the terminal I looked around. There was Wesley holding up a big sign. What a dork, he acts like it's the end of the world with his serious tone on the phone, making his serious face now, and he's holding up a big sign.

I noticed next to him a woman with long light brown hair. She turned toward me a little more. That's when I saw her and everything went black.

[isaidquirky]

I stood with Wesley at the gate in the airport and fidgeted, tugging at my clothes as usual. I couldn't believe I was nervous about Dawnie, no matter how old she was, but I couldn't help it.

I saw her exit the gate and could hardly breathe. She really had grown up.

[wesley_pryce]

I dropped the sign and ran to Dawn and caught her in my arms. Damn it, she fainted! I went through my mind thinking of her medical history and determined it was probably shock at seeing Tara.

I put her at a cleaner part of the terminal and loosened her shirt and fanned her face. I called for a medic as I tried to improve her blood flow and all the other medical knowledge I had about this sort of thing.

[isaidquirky]

I followed Wesley as he attempted to revive Dawn, feeling guilty and horribly useless. I hadn't even imagined that the sight of me could be so shocking for her.

While Wesley looked for a medic, I smoothed Dawn's hair away from her face and stroked her cheek gently.

"Come on Dawnie, wake up."

[_xxdawnxx_]

I awoke feeling a little groggy. I looked up and saw Wesley, I must hae fainted.

"Oh hey, Wesley. Sorry about that, um jetlag I guess, I thought I saw Tara, but that's got to be impossible."

I looked down at my unbuttoned shirt. I hit Wesley.

"Ew, you perv!"

[_xxdawnxx_]

I looked over.

It really was Tara.

I threw my arms around her to make sure.

It felt like her.

It smelled like her.

I wept and asked "how?"

[isaidquirky]

Dawn clung to me for dear life and I knew she hadn't changed as much as I'd feared.

"That's a good question, Dawnie. I don't know that much about it myself. Wesley did a spell, and here I am. And I won't be going away again."

[_xxdawnxx_]

I didn't want to let go. I was afraid if I did she would go away. Gone forever, like before.

"But Willow said it couln't be done. She said she tried everything."

[isaidquirky]

I gently rubbed her back as she held onto me, remembering all the times I'd held her like this the summer after Buffy died. I knew I had to keep my promise not to leave her again...she'd lost far too many people in such a short time.

"I'm sure Willow did try, sweetie, but she must have missed something. I've seen her, but we haven't talked much. We'll need to, soon, but I think it's hard for her. She's waiting for us back at the cabin."

[_xxdawnxx_]

"What was it like? Where you were. You're not upset like Buffy are you?" I paused for a moment. "I didn't know what to do. I just sat there watching you hoping. I should've done something. Anything."

[isaidquirky]

"I don't remember much of what it was like. It just felt like a void...no pain, no happiness...just peace. I'm okay with leaving that. I have better things here...you, Willow, Buffy, everyone."

For a second I didn't realize what she meant, that she'd been watching me.

"Oh no, Dawnie, you found me? After...after Warren? I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have had to deal with that. You didn't do anything wrong. I don't think anyone could have done anything."

[_xxdawnxx_]

I tried to shake off the weird feelings as I picked myself back up.

I felt silly. This was probably ten times harder for her than me. I buttoned my shirt back up, just realizing I was still slightly exposed. I picked up my bag and took out a bottle and took a couple sips of water, wishing I had something more. Champaign, balloons, confetti, streamers, pizza. Though now that I think about it I don't think she ever liked the anchovies and green olives I always insisted on.

"So, what's all the new excitement about?"

[isaidquirky]

As Dawn composed herself, I watched her, amazed at how much she'd matured but was still the Dawn I knew. A pretty girl had become a beautiful woman, just like I'd hoped.

"Wesley's being very secretive about the new Big Bad, or whatever it is. He brought me back, though I still don't really know why, and then called everyone else to his cabin. Willow, Oz, and a strange blue-haired woman, whose name I think is Illyria, are there now. We haven't heard from Buffy or Faith yet."

"Enough about the few short days of my life so far. What about you? What's been happening these last three years? I want to know as much as possible, even the things you don't tell Buffy," I told her with a half smile.

[wesley_pryce]

I listened to them talk as I sat there on the airport terminal chair. My hands loosely rested on my thighs.

"But Willow said it couln't be done. She said she tried everything."

I brought up my bandaged hand with the missing fingers and waved it gently over at Dawn as I smiled grimly. There were just some things you couldn’t do without exotically rare artifacts not found in California and chopping off bits and pieces of yourself. “So how was your college experience Dawnie?” I asked.

[_xxdawnxx_]

"A lot like being on a hell mouth, but without the fun. I didn't know studying could get more boring then Giles's books. But I find myself wishing for an apocolypse during my marketing class, y'know, just to spice things up.

Since you last saw me I've gotten broken, bruised, and scarred.

That was a really great thing you did Wes. Sorry I rag on you all the time."

I started walking but realized I had no idea where I was going.

"Ok secret agent Pryce, where we headed to?"