Could Have Had it All Bvts/Spn chapter 1
Title: Could Have Had It All Bvts/Spn Chapter 1
Author: Noturbaby
Fandoms: Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Rating: PG-13 - R
Warnings: None (eventual het sex) W.I. P
Word Count : approx. 3000 each chapter
Pairings: Dean /Buffy, Sam/Dawn, Willow/Oz, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya Most BtVS characters make an appearance.
Summary:
Buffy and Dean met in High School and fell in love. College, a curse, Dawn, and Buffy's death and John Winchester challenge their love. Set in
SPN season 2 ep 1 In My Time of Dying with flashbacks to Buffy Seasons 4 and 5.
Dean is in a coma and unaware that Buffy was ever brought back to life. Buffy realizes she does want to lose Dean, but is it too late?
Based on High School Sweethearts and Second Chances.
Master Post Prologue
Shiloh County Hospital - 2004
The nurse looked up at the six foot five man and prayed she wouldn't need to call security. "Sir, please, you need to lay back down and relax. The doctor…"
"No, I need to see my brother. Where's Dean? Is he all right?" Sam winced as he tried to stand again, ignoring the nurse's hand on his chest.
"Sir, your brother is getting the very best care, I can assure you. And you will get to see him," the nurse tried to stay calm, but Sam Winchester was pushing her to her limit. "Right now the doctors are doing everything they can for him. All you can do is lay back and try to get some rest. He's going to need you when he wakes up. You'll be no good to him if you're dead on your feet."
Sam huffed and glared at her. "Look, I know you're just doing your job, but he's my brother and I've got to know how he's doing."
With a gentle smile, the nurse tried again. "I'm glad you realize it's my job to take care of you. You have also been in a car accident and suffered some pretty serious trauma. Now, lay back and take your meds and I'll find out what I can and report back to you, deal?"
Finally, Sam followed the nurse's request and lay back. "Thank you."
"Thank you, Mr. Winchester." She patted his arm and handed him a cup of water. "Okay, then. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Dean sat up in his hospital bed having the worst cotton mouth he had ever suffered. Seeing that he was alone, he hopped out of bed and ventured into the hall. After checking a couple other patient rooms, he was disappointed to not find Sam.
"Sam? Sammy!" he called, but no one responded, the halls were eerily empty and quiet. Taking the stairs down to the next level, he came upon a nurse's station where a nurse was doing paperwork. "Oh, thank god," he muttered. Walking up to the nurse he spoke up. "Hey, hi, I'm wondering if you can help me. I'm looking for my brother and my father. We were in a car accident."
The nurse looked up for a moment, but then ignored Dean and turned away to file some papers .
"Hey! Excuse me!" Dean hollered, but the nurse continued to ignore him.
"Mr. Winchester?"
Sam sat up in his bed. "Did you find anything out about my family?"
The nursed kept her voice calm. "Your father is still unconscious, but his vitals are strong. He did suffer a broken arm and the doctors were able to repair the damage from the gun shot to his leg. The doctors are sure he'll make a full recovery."
"And my brother?"
The nurse took a deep breath. "Your brother sustained serious internal injuries to his liver and kidneys, severe blood loss and head trauma." She saw Sam's eyes widen in panic. "He's fighting very hard to stay alive, and the doctor's are quite hopeful."
Sam tried to get out of the bed. "I've got to go to him."
"I'm sorry, but you can't. He's in intensive care right now. You can see him in the morning."
Sam sighed heavily, resigned to waiting for the morning when the nurse added. "But, we were able to reach your sister. She's on her way."
Sam blinked in shock. "My sister?"
The nurse looked surprised by his reaction. "Yes, your sister. It is common practice to call next of kin in situations like yours. Fortunately, one of you had her number in his wallet."
Sam shook his head, nearly smiling in spite of himself. "Dean. Dean would have Dawn's number in his wallet." After all, Dawn had almost become Dean's sister.
Sadly, Sam realized he hadn't talked to Dawn since he moved in with Jess. How had he let so much time slip by?
Neither of the Summers girls had said much since leaving Cleveland. As they made their way into the hospital that following morning, it wasn't lost on Dawn that Buffy was lagging behind.
Finally fed up and full of frustration, Dawn turned to her sister and snapped, "What is your problem? Can you hurry up, please?"
Buffy stopped all together. "I don't know if I can do this," she whispered.
Irritated, Dawn huffed. "You don't know if you can do this? Oh, you're doing this. You're going to go see Dean if it the last thing you do because it might be the last time you do. He might not make it, Buffy!" She took a breath and ignored the pain on her sister's face. "You're doing this because you owe him. He was there for us when Mom died and he was there for me when you died. I will not let him die without," she swallowed her emotions. "I will not let him die." She turned and continued toward the hospital. "Now, come on."
Buffy followed slowly.
She hadn't seen Dean since the night she died. Not in person, not close enough to talk, to touch. Though the thought of seeing him and letting him know she had been alive all these years was nerve wracking, to say the least, Buffy was just as worried about seeing John Winchester and Dean's reaction to finding out his father had known the truth.
Sunnydale - Spring 2002
Buffy froze at the sound of a gun cocking and a gruff voice demanding, "Who are you? What are you?"
Buffy turned slowly to face John Winchester. "It's me."
"Bull shit. Buffy Summers is dead. I buried her."
"I came back."
John didn't lower his gun, he only squinted at her. "How? How is that possible?"
Keeping her voice as calm as she could, Buffy answered. "Willow. She did a spell and brought me back."
"No, not possible. Sam and I put wards in place."
"She removed them."
"Then you wouldn't mind taking a sip of this." He reached into his pocket and tossed her a silver flask of Holy water.
"Will you lower the gun when I do?"
"Do it and we'll see." Buffy took the proffered flask and drank. John shook his head, though he was satisfied she wasn't a demon. "So witchcraft, you were brought back with witchcraft." He cautiously lowered his gun.
"Yeah," Buffy answered just above a whisper.
"Does Dean know?" John demanded, though it cut him to think Dean would keep something like this from him.
"No -"
"Good. Don't you even think of telling him. He practically died when you were killed. He barely spoke, he barely ate, for months he's grieved for you. He only just started hunting again." John noticed Buffy's pained expression but went on. "I even questioned his motives at first. But he said you'd want him to keep fighting." John glared at the girl before him and stepped closer to her. "You know, nobody comes back from where you were the same as how they left," John growled. Buffy nodded but kept her eyes lowered. "If Dean finds out you're back, it'll kill him."
Buffy wanted to argue, wanted to tell him how much she needed Dean, but she couldn't. All she could think of was how empty and wrong she felt; how full of self loathing. She thought of what she and Spike did and felt even lower than she had before. John Winchester was right. A person doesn't come back the same; she knew she didn't.
John saw she wasn't going to argue. "So, Willow. She's the one working all the dark magic?"
Buffy nodded as she came back to the present.
John checked his gun. "Where is she?"
Instantly defensive and on guard, Buffy sneered, "You're not going to touch her."
"She has to be stopped."
"Then I'll stop her," Buffy said in determination as she pushed passed him.
"If you don't, I will." John took a step towards her, invading her space. "You've got twenty-four hours. If Willow isn't handled, or if one more person dies, I'm taking Willow down. Understood?"
Buffy glared at him, not intimidated in the least. "I'll deal with Willow. You just stay away from her." She pushed passed him, forcing down the rage building inside.
"Twenty-four hours, Slayer." The hunter stepped away, but there was venom in his voice as he added, "Stay away from my family or the witch won't be the only one I put down for good." Buffy had been about to put him in his place when his icy glare silenced her.
Watching her leave, John prayed he was doing the right thing by Dean. His son had been nothing but a shell for nearly a year. Dean wouldn't be able to cope with knowing that she had kept her return a secret from him. John was certain it would break him.
Shiloh County Hospital - 2004
"I'm looking for my family, the Winchesters. I'm Dawn. I was told they had been in an accident."
The desk nurse smiled. "Yes, I'm so glad you made it. Why don't you take a seat and I'll get a doctor to address you concerns."
"I'd like to see my brothers, first, if that's all right."
The nurse took a deep breath. "Uh, well, I guess I can take you to see your brother, Sam. He can fill you in on the condition of the rest of your family."
As the nurse made her way around the desk, Dawn turned to see if Buffy was going to join her. Buffy tilted her head to indicate some charts the nurse left laying on the desk; Dean's happened to be on the top of the pile. Dawn nodded to her sister and followed the nurse to her 'brother's' room.
"Sam!" Dawn rushed him and hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank god."
"Dawn," Sam's breath rushed out of him with her hug. "It's so good to see you."
They held each other close and the nurse smiled. "I'll let you give your sister the update on your family, but before you leave, stop at the desk, okay?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah will do."
"They're letting you out?"
"Yeah, no reason to keep me; I'm doing pretty good, just banged up a little."
"A little?" Dawn caressed his face gently. "You look like you were hit by a truck."
Sam chuckled, but grabbed his sore ribs. "Not funny, Dawn."
"What really happened?"
Sam took a calming breath. "We finally caught up with the demon." Dawn gasped as he continued. "It had possessed my dad and nearly killed Dean, but we managed to get away. I was driving Dean and my dad to the hospital when we were hit by a semi. The driver had been possessed." He nervously ran a hand through his hair. "Dean is gonna kill me when he sees the car."
Dawn stared up at him for a long moment. "How is Dean?"
"Uh, a little better, I guess. They moved him out of ICU this morning, but he's still unconscious and the doctor said -," Sam's voice caught. He swallowed back his mounting anxiety and relaxed a little as Dawn took his hand.
"Why don't we go see him?" Dawn suggested hoping that seeing his brother would calm Sam's fears.
Dean was still staring after the nurse at the desk, when he felt a strange sensation in his hand. "What the?" He looked down at his right hand; it felt warm and somehow looked brighter than the rest of him. He flexed it a couple times but then felt it get squeezed.
Bewildered, he returned to his room, maybe there was something on his chart or perhaps a doctor would be near by. Entering his room, two things caused him to come to a stand still. First, was the sight of himself laying in bed with a ventilator breathing for him. Second, was was the reason his hand felt warm; someone was holding it. "Buffy?" He approached her cautiously. "Am I dead?"
A quick check of the monitor showed his heart was still beating and the ventilator was pumping air into his lungs. "How?" he asked looking at the woman holding his hand. "How is this possible? How can you be here? Are you a ghost?"
"Dean, please," she whispered, drawing Dean's spirit even closer. She rested her cheek against their entwined hands, letting her tears wet his hand. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
"No. No, this is impossible." Dean knew Buffy was dead. She had to be. He saw her die. He watched her casket get lowered into her grave. He had seen the crater that Sunnydale had become. "This has to be a dream."
He moved to Buffy's other side and crouched down. Seeing her tears, he instinctively went to brush them away. "Don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry." He studied her features. She looked older, care worn, but she was still beautiful. Dean felt an ache in his chest he hadn't felt in years. A yearning he had kept buried. The same one that had kept him from falling completely for Cassie, for Lisa, or for any other woman.
Buffy wiped her eyes and stood. She kissed his cheek and whispered, "I'll be back. I promise."
Dean's hand flew to his cheek as if he felt her lips brush his cheek and for a moment, he couldn't move. "Wait, Buffy, don't leave!" He chased her out the door only to be distracted by the sight of his brother walking towards him with Dawn at his side. "Sammy?" Dean froze as he recognized the person walking with his brother. "Dawn?" He looked the other way hoping to see Buffy again, but there was no sign of her.
He followed them into his room. "Sam, you're all right. You look good, considering."
Sam nearly cried when he saw his brother. "Oh, god," he whispered. Dawn grabbed Sam's hand and squeezed.
"Dawn, look at you, you're beautiful. You're so grown up," Dean said with a proud smile. "You must be why I thought I saw Buffy." His voice was sad as he realized Buffy hadn't really been in his room, holding his hand. Her spirit or essence was still with Dawn. He must have imagined the entire scene. Turning to his brother he asked, "Sam, how's Dad? Have you seen him? Is he okay?"
"Sam, Sam Winchester? Your father is awake, you can see him, now, if you'd like," said a doctor who just entered the room.
Dean sighed in relief. "Thank god."
"Doc, what about my brother?"
"He's suffered some major internal injuries and severe blood loss, but it's his head trauma that concerns me. He has the signs of cerebral edema. But, we won't know his full condition until he wakes up, if he wakes up," the doctor added solemnly.
"If?" both Dawn and Sam asked.
"Screw you, Doc, I'm waking up," Dean argued back. "Sam, you're the psychic, tell me you can hear me! Go get some hoo doo medicine man to work his mojo on me."
"You don't know Dean," Dawn said as she approached Dean's bedside and took his hand. "He's not going to let some car accident be the end of him. He's going to get better just to kill Sam for wrecking his Impala."
"He is fighting very hard," the doctor said a slight smile before leaving them alone.
Sam stared at his brother as if concentrating on him was going to make Dean wake up. "Sam?" Dawn's voice was soft. "Why don't you go see your dad? I'll stay with Dean."
Sam nodded. "Yeah, okay. I should let him know how Dean is."
"Uh, I don't think he'd like knowing I'm here."
A worried Sam looked at her and wondered what his dad would do if he found out Dawn Summers was visiting Dean. He couldn't still despise the girl, could he? "I won't say anything." The one constant Sam knew was his father's ability to hold a grudge.
Dawn pulled a chair close to Dean's bedside. "Hey, Dean," she spoke just above a whisper. "This isn't the way I pictured seeing you again. And I'm really sorry it's been so long since we've talked. But, I'm really glad you still think of me as your sister. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I'm going to be here for you and for Sam as long as you need me because you taught me that's what family does."
For the millionth time she remembered Dean leaving and she cursed the spell that prevented her from telling him her sister was alive.
Sunnydale, 2001
Dawn was on the floor of her room, listening through the vent, to the heated conversation below.
"You can't do this to her, Dean," Sam pleaded. "She's been through enough."
"That's my point exactly. Her mom's dead, her sister's - gone. I can't abandon her, too." Even through the vent Dawn could hear the pain in Dean's voice.
"Do you seriously think dragging her around the country with us is the best thing for her? I love her, too, Dean, but we've got to do what's best for Dawn."
"Dean, Sam's right. Dragging her away from everything and everyone she knows isn't a good idea, and you know it," Xander spoke calmly, hoping not to upset Dean, this was the most the other man had said in the past month.
"I can't just leave her."
"No one wants you to," Tara said gently.
Dean finally raised his eyes to meet those of the others in the room. They all loved Buffy and Dawn, too. "I can't stay." His voice cracked as he replied.
Willow spoke up finally, "Dean, Buffy would want you to keep fighting, to keep looking for whatever killed your mother."
"Buffy would want me to look after Dawn."
Xander quietly said, "We'll be here to look after Dawn."
Tara walked over to Dean and took his hands in hers. "Dean, you need to do what's best for you, now. We will still be your family and this will still be your home. Dawn knows that."
Joining Tara, Willow put an arm around Dean and her head on his shoulder. "Dawn knows you love her, but she wouldn't want you to forget about your family."
"We'll handle things here and you come back as often as you can," Xander added.
From across the room, Dawn whispered, "Dean?"
"Dawn." Dean's voice quiet again as he broke from the others to cross the room. He could see the tears just below the surface and he dragged his hands from her shoulders to her arms. "You okay, Sweetheart?"
"Yeah," she nodded then she shook her head. "No, but they're right. You have to go and it's okay, I get it."
"Dawn," his voice a broken whisper.
"Promise you'll come home when you can." Dean's only response was to release her arms and study a spot on the floor. Dawn threw her arms around him in a tight embrace and whispered, "I'll always be your little sister. Nothing will ever change that."
Dean closed his eyes and hugged her just as tightly and whispered, "Promise you'll never forget it."
Dean looked down at his hand. He couldn't feel Dawn's touch the way he had felt Buffy's and it frightened him. If that had been Buffy holding his hand earlier, why could he feel her and not Dawn? If he didn't imagine her, what was Buffy? A ghost? A reaper? An angel? Dean dismissed each one. The only reaper Dean had ever seen was an old ugly man. And angels? Angels didn't exist.
That left ghost, but that was impossible. Sam and his dad had placed wards all around her casket and grave site. A ghost haunts a locale and Sunnydale was blown off the map.
Dean's mind began to form a frightening conclusion, one he wasn't completely ready to accept. Had Buffy become a demon when she defeated Glory and jumped into that portal?
a few lines of dialogue were taken from SPN 2.1
flashbacks based on season 6 Buffy
Chapter 2
Author: Noturbaby
Fandoms: Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Rating: PG-13 - R
Warnings: None (eventual het sex) W.I. P
Word Count : approx. 3000 each chapter
Pairings: Dean /Buffy, Sam/Dawn, Willow/Oz, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya Most BtVS characters make an appearance.
Summary:
Buffy and Dean met in High School and fell in love. College, a curse, Dawn, and Buffy's death and John Winchester challenge their love. Set in
SPN season 2 ep 1 In My Time of Dying with flashbacks to Buffy Seasons 4 and 5.
Dean is in a coma and unaware that Buffy was ever brought back to life. Buffy realizes she does want to lose Dean, but is it too late?
Based on High School Sweethearts and Second Chances.
Master Post Prologue
Shiloh County Hospital - 2004
The nurse looked up at the six foot five man and prayed she wouldn't need to call security. "Sir, please, you need to lay back down and relax. The doctor…"
"No, I need to see my brother. Where's Dean? Is he all right?" Sam winced as he tried to stand again, ignoring the nurse's hand on his chest.
"Sir, your brother is getting the very best care, I can assure you. And you will get to see him," the nurse tried to stay calm, but Sam Winchester was pushing her to her limit. "Right now the doctors are doing everything they can for him. All you can do is lay back and try to get some rest. He's going to need you when he wakes up. You'll be no good to him if you're dead on your feet."
Sam huffed and glared at her. "Look, I know you're just doing your job, but he's my brother and I've got to know how he's doing."
With a gentle smile, the nurse tried again. "I'm glad you realize it's my job to take care of you. You have also been in a car accident and suffered some pretty serious trauma. Now, lay back and take your meds and I'll find out what I can and report back to you, deal?"
Finally, Sam followed the nurse's request and lay back. "Thank you."
"Thank you, Mr. Winchester." She patted his arm and handed him a cup of water. "Okay, then. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Dean sat up in his hospital bed having the worst cotton mouth he had ever suffered. Seeing that he was alone, he hopped out of bed and ventured into the hall. After checking a couple other patient rooms, he was disappointed to not find Sam.
"Sam? Sammy!" he called, but no one responded, the halls were eerily empty and quiet. Taking the stairs down to the next level, he came upon a nurse's station where a nurse was doing paperwork. "Oh, thank god," he muttered. Walking up to the nurse he spoke up. "Hey, hi, I'm wondering if you can help me. I'm looking for my brother and my father. We were in a car accident."
The nurse looked up for a moment, but then ignored Dean and turned away to file some papers .
"Hey! Excuse me!" Dean hollered, but the nurse continued to ignore him.
"Mr. Winchester?"
Sam sat up in his bed. "Did you find anything out about my family?"
The nursed kept her voice calm. "Your father is still unconscious, but his vitals are strong. He did suffer a broken arm and the doctors were able to repair the damage from the gun shot to his leg. The doctors are sure he'll make a full recovery."
"And my brother?"
The nurse took a deep breath. "Your brother sustained serious internal injuries to his liver and kidneys, severe blood loss and head trauma." She saw Sam's eyes widen in panic. "He's fighting very hard to stay alive, and the doctor's are quite hopeful."
Sam tried to get out of the bed. "I've got to go to him."
"I'm sorry, but you can't. He's in intensive care right now. You can see him in the morning."
Sam sighed heavily, resigned to waiting for the morning when the nurse added. "But, we were able to reach your sister. She's on her way."
Sam blinked in shock. "My sister?"
The nurse looked surprised by his reaction. "Yes, your sister. It is common practice to call next of kin in situations like yours. Fortunately, one of you had her number in his wallet."
Sam shook his head, nearly smiling in spite of himself. "Dean. Dean would have Dawn's number in his wallet." After all, Dawn had almost become Dean's sister.
Sadly, Sam realized he hadn't talked to Dawn since he moved in with Jess. How had he let so much time slip by?
Neither of the Summers girls had said much since leaving Cleveland. As they made their way into the hospital that following morning, it wasn't lost on Dawn that Buffy was lagging behind.
Finally fed up and full of frustration, Dawn turned to her sister and snapped, "What is your problem? Can you hurry up, please?"
Buffy stopped all together. "I don't know if I can do this," she whispered.
Irritated, Dawn huffed. "You don't know if you can do this? Oh, you're doing this. You're going to go see Dean if it the last thing you do because it might be the last time you do. He might not make it, Buffy!" She took a breath and ignored the pain on her sister's face. "You're doing this because you owe him. He was there for us when Mom died and he was there for me when you died. I will not let him die without," she swallowed her emotions. "I will not let him die." She turned and continued toward the hospital. "Now, come on."
Buffy followed slowly.
She hadn't seen Dean since the night she died. Not in person, not close enough to talk, to touch. Though the thought of seeing him and letting him know she had been alive all these years was nerve wracking, to say the least, Buffy was just as worried about seeing John Winchester and Dean's reaction to finding out his father had known the truth.
Sunnydale - Spring 2002
Buffy froze at the sound of a gun cocking and a gruff voice demanding, "Who are you? What are you?"
Buffy turned slowly to face John Winchester. "It's me."
"Bull shit. Buffy Summers is dead. I buried her."
"I came back."
John didn't lower his gun, he only squinted at her. "How? How is that possible?"
Keeping her voice as calm as she could, Buffy answered. "Willow. She did a spell and brought me back."
"No, not possible. Sam and I put wards in place."
"She removed them."
"Then you wouldn't mind taking a sip of this." He reached into his pocket and tossed her a silver flask of Holy water.
"Will you lower the gun when I do?"
"Do it and we'll see." Buffy took the proffered flask and drank. John shook his head, though he was satisfied she wasn't a demon. "So witchcraft, you were brought back with witchcraft." He cautiously lowered his gun.
"Yeah," Buffy answered just above a whisper.
"Does Dean know?" John demanded, though it cut him to think Dean would keep something like this from him.
"No -"
"Good. Don't you even think of telling him. He practically died when you were killed. He barely spoke, he barely ate, for months he's grieved for you. He only just started hunting again." John noticed Buffy's pained expression but went on. "I even questioned his motives at first. But he said you'd want him to keep fighting." John glared at the girl before him and stepped closer to her. "You know, nobody comes back from where you were the same as how they left," John growled. Buffy nodded but kept her eyes lowered. "If Dean finds out you're back, it'll kill him."
Buffy wanted to argue, wanted to tell him how much she needed Dean, but she couldn't. All she could think of was how empty and wrong she felt; how full of self loathing. She thought of what she and Spike did and felt even lower than she had before. John Winchester was right. A person doesn't come back the same; she knew she didn't.
John saw she wasn't going to argue. "So, Willow. She's the one working all the dark magic?"
Buffy nodded as she came back to the present.
John checked his gun. "Where is she?"
Instantly defensive and on guard, Buffy sneered, "You're not going to touch her."
"She has to be stopped."
"Then I'll stop her," Buffy said in determination as she pushed passed him.
"If you don't, I will." John took a step towards her, invading her space. "You've got twenty-four hours. If Willow isn't handled, or if one more person dies, I'm taking Willow down. Understood?"
Buffy glared at him, not intimidated in the least. "I'll deal with Willow. You just stay away from her." She pushed passed him, forcing down the rage building inside.
"Twenty-four hours, Slayer." The hunter stepped away, but there was venom in his voice as he added, "Stay away from my family or the witch won't be the only one I put down for good." Buffy had been about to put him in his place when his icy glare silenced her.
Watching her leave, John prayed he was doing the right thing by Dean. His son had been nothing but a shell for nearly a year. Dean wouldn't be able to cope with knowing that she had kept her return a secret from him. John was certain it would break him.
Shiloh County Hospital - 2004
"I'm looking for my family, the Winchesters. I'm Dawn. I was told they had been in an accident."
The desk nurse smiled. "Yes, I'm so glad you made it. Why don't you take a seat and I'll get a doctor to address you concerns."
"I'd like to see my brothers, first, if that's all right."
The nurse took a deep breath. "Uh, well, I guess I can take you to see your brother, Sam. He can fill you in on the condition of the rest of your family."
As the nurse made her way around the desk, Dawn turned to see if Buffy was going to join her. Buffy tilted her head to indicate some charts the nurse left laying on the desk; Dean's happened to be on the top of the pile. Dawn nodded to her sister and followed the nurse to her 'brother's' room.
"Sam!" Dawn rushed him and hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank god."
"Dawn," Sam's breath rushed out of him with her hug. "It's so good to see you."
They held each other close and the nurse smiled. "I'll let you give your sister the update on your family, but before you leave, stop at the desk, okay?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah will do."
"They're letting you out?"
"Yeah, no reason to keep me; I'm doing pretty good, just banged up a little."
"A little?" Dawn caressed his face gently. "You look like you were hit by a truck."
Sam chuckled, but grabbed his sore ribs. "Not funny, Dawn."
"What really happened?"
Sam took a calming breath. "We finally caught up with the demon." Dawn gasped as he continued. "It had possessed my dad and nearly killed Dean, but we managed to get away. I was driving Dean and my dad to the hospital when we were hit by a semi. The driver had been possessed." He nervously ran a hand through his hair. "Dean is gonna kill me when he sees the car."
Dawn stared up at him for a long moment. "How is Dean?"
"Uh, a little better, I guess. They moved him out of ICU this morning, but he's still unconscious and the doctor said -," Sam's voice caught. He swallowed back his mounting anxiety and relaxed a little as Dawn took his hand.
"Why don't we go see him?" Dawn suggested hoping that seeing his brother would calm Sam's fears.
Dean was still staring after the nurse at the desk, when he felt a strange sensation in his hand. "What the?" He looked down at his right hand; it felt warm and somehow looked brighter than the rest of him. He flexed it a couple times but then felt it get squeezed.
Bewildered, he returned to his room, maybe there was something on his chart or perhaps a doctor would be near by. Entering his room, two things caused him to come to a stand still. First, was the sight of himself laying in bed with a ventilator breathing for him. Second, was was the reason his hand felt warm; someone was holding it. "Buffy?" He approached her cautiously. "Am I dead?"
A quick check of the monitor showed his heart was still beating and the ventilator was pumping air into his lungs. "How?" he asked looking at the woman holding his hand. "How is this possible? How can you be here? Are you a ghost?"
"Dean, please," she whispered, drawing Dean's spirit even closer. She rested her cheek against their entwined hands, letting her tears wet his hand. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
"No. No, this is impossible." Dean knew Buffy was dead. She had to be. He saw her die. He watched her casket get lowered into her grave. He had seen the crater that Sunnydale had become. "This has to be a dream."
He moved to Buffy's other side and crouched down. Seeing her tears, he instinctively went to brush them away. "Don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry." He studied her features. She looked older, care worn, but she was still beautiful. Dean felt an ache in his chest he hadn't felt in years. A yearning he had kept buried. The same one that had kept him from falling completely for Cassie, for Lisa, or for any other woman.
Buffy wiped her eyes and stood. She kissed his cheek and whispered, "I'll be back. I promise."
Dean's hand flew to his cheek as if he felt her lips brush his cheek and for a moment, he couldn't move. "Wait, Buffy, don't leave!" He chased her out the door only to be distracted by the sight of his brother walking towards him with Dawn at his side. "Sammy?" Dean froze as he recognized the person walking with his brother. "Dawn?" He looked the other way hoping to see Buffy again, but there was no sign of her.
He followed them into his room. "Sam, you're all right. You look good, considering."
Sam nearly cried when he saw his brother. "Oh, god," he whispered. Dawn grabbed Sam's hand and squeezed.
"Dawn, look at you, you're beautiful. You're so grown up," Dean said with a proud smile. "You must be why I thought I saw Buffy." His voice was sad as he realized Buffy hadn't really been in his room, holding his hand. Her spirit or essence was still with Dawn. He must have imagined the entire scene. Turning to his brother he asked, "Sam, how's Dad? Have you seen him? Is he okay?"
"Sam, Sam Winchester? Your father is awake, you can see him, now, if you'd like," said a doctor who just entered the room.
Dean sighed in relief. "Thank god."
"Doc, what about my brother?"
"He's suffered some major internal injuries and severe blood loss, but it's his head trauma that concerns me. He has the signs of cerebral edema. But, we won't know his full condition until he wakes up, if he wakes up," the doctor added solemnly.
"If?" both Dawn and Sam asked.
"Screw you, Doc, I'm waking up," Dean argued back. "Sam, you're the psychic, tell me you can hear me! Go get some hoo doo medicine man to work his mojo on me."
"You don't know Dean," Dawn said as she approached Dean's bedside and took his hand. "He's not going to let some car accident be the end of him. He's going to get better just to kill Sam for wrecking his Impala."
"He is fighting very hard," the doctor said a slight smile before leaving them alone.
Sam stared at his brother as if concentrating on him was going to make Dean wake up. "Sam?" Dawn's voice was soft. "Why don't you go see your dad? I'll stay with Dean."
Sam nodded. "Yeah, okay. I should let him know how Dean is."
"Uh, I don't think he'd like knowing I'm here."
A worried Sam looked at her and wondered what his dad would do if he found out Dawn Summers was visiting Dean. He couldn't still despise the girl, could he? "I won't say anything." The one constant Sam knew was his father's ability to hold a grudge.
Dawn pulled a chair close to Dean's bedside. "Hey, Dean," she spoke just above a whisper. "This isn't the way I pictured seeing you again. And I'm really sorry it's been so long since we've talked. But, I'm really glad you still think of me as your sister. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I'm going to be here for you and for Sam as long as you need me because you taught me that's what family does."
For the millionth time she remembered Dean leaving and she cursed the spell that prevented her from telling him her sister was alive.
Sunnydale, 2001
Dawn was on the floor of her room, listening through the vent, to the heated conversation below.
"You can't do this to her, Dean," Sam pleaded. "She's been through enough."
"That's my point exactly. Her mom's dead, her sister's - gone. I can't abandon her, too." Even through the vent Dawn could hear the pain in Dean's voice.
"Do you seriously think dragging her around the country with us is the best thing for her? I love her, too, Dean, but we've got to do what's best for Dawn."
"Dean, Sam's right. Dragging her away from everything and everyone she knows isn't a good idea, and you know it," Xander spoke calmly, hoping not to upset Dean, this was the most the other man had said in the past month.
"I can't just leave her."
"No one wants you to," Tara said gently.
Dean finally raised his eyes to meet those of the others in the room. They all loved Buffy and Dawn, too. "I can't stay." His voice cracked as he replied.
Willow spoke up finally, "Dean, Buffy would want you to keep fighting, to keep looking for whatever killed your mother."
"Buffy would want me to look after Dawn."
Xander quietly said, "We'll be here to look after Dawn."
Tara walked over to Dean and took his hands in hers. "Dean, you need to do what's best for you, now. We will still be your family and this will still be your home. Dawn knows that."
Joining Tara, Willow put an arm around Dean and her head on his shoulder. "Dawn knows you love her, but she wouldn't want you to forget about your family."
"We'll handle things here and you come back as often as you can," Xander added.
From across the room, Dawn whispered, "Dean?"
"Dawn." Dean's voice quiet again as he broke from the others to cross the room. He could see the tears just below the surface and he dragged his hands from her shoulders to her arms. "You okay, Sweetheart?"
"Yeah," she nodded then she shook her head. "No, but they're right. You have to go and it's okay, I get it."
"Dawn," his voice a broken whisper.
"Promise you'll come home when you can." Dean's only response was to release her arms and study a spot on the floor. Dawn threw her arms around him in a tight embrace and whispered, "I'll always be your little sister. Nothing will ever change that."
Dean closed his eyes and hugged her just as tightly and whispered, "Promise you'll never forget it."
Dean looked down at his hand. He couldn't feel Dawn's touch the way he had felt Buffy's and it frightened him. If that had been Buffy holding his hand earlier, why could he feel her and not Dawn? If he didn't imagine her, what was Buffy? A ghost? A reaper? An angel? Dean dismissed each one. The only reaper Dean had ever seen was an old ugly man. And angels? Angels didn't exist.
That left ghost, but that was impossible. Sam and his dad had placed wards all around her casket and grave site. A ghost haunts a locale and Sunnydale was blown off the map.
Dean's mind began to form a frightening conclusion, one he wasn't completely ready to accept. Had Buffy become a demon when she defeated Glory and jumped into that portal?
a few lines of dialogue were taken from SPN 2.1
flashbacks based on season 6 Buffy
Chapter 2