[fic] aftershock
fic: aftershock
fandom: btvs
characters: buffy, joyce, dawn, faith
word count: ~700
prompt: Joyce, Buffy, Dawn (happy) post-Gingerbread and/or Helpless by red_satin_doll for the october meme
setting: Helpless-AU with always-Dawn
Finding Dawn in the house wasn’t the hard part, it was convincing her not to help.
(In a dark hallway, hoping against hope that Dawn is hiding and quiet the way she needs to be, Buffy flashes to an image of their mother with an ax raised high above her head and there’s a joke in there about Summers’ women if she could only think of it.)
So of course, just after she’s made the pun and the vamp is dusted just like he ought to be, she turns a corner and there’s teeny little Dawn, all hair and limbs and big eyes holding a chair over her head like that’s gonna do any good.
It totally, really wouldn’t but Buffy doesn’t tell her that (this time), just slings her arm around her sister’s shoulders and leads them to the door.
Which they stare at for a split second because something is trying to get in, rattling at the doorknob and Buffy is wracking her brain, wondering if the Council sent another vamp after her or something worse and then the old, decrepit thing opens with a crash and there’s their mother, hair wild and a stake in her hand.
Mom?!
Did you go through my stuff!?
Joyce looks down at the stake in her hand for a minute, I borrowed it.
You went through my things!
No! No… I asked Faith for one a few weeks ago.
Faith gave you a stake?
And some Holy Water! Joyce triumphantly pulls a small bottle out of her pocket.
I’m going to kill her.
Someone taps her on the back and she can’t look without something hurting so she just goes with her gut instinct (anyway she’d recognize that perfume anywhere), Faith what the hell?
I came through the back door, did you kill him? All on your own Buffy-human self?
Buffy leans into Dawn’s slight shoulders a bit more and looks down at her, Think mom will spring for pizza if we tell her it’s been like the worst day ever?
Dawn’s steel eyes glint, She’d better.
Faith lifts up her other arm and slings it over her shoulder, taking most of the weight off of Dawn, Mrs. S you brought your car, right?
Of course, it’s just out front. And you can call me Joyce.
Buffy groans, The mighty rescue and your car is just on the sidewalk in front of the house? Do you know anything about stealth?
I’m sorry I’m not Slayer-savvy, I didn’t expect to have to ever rescue my children from a vampire.
God mom, you watch movies don’t you? Dawn’s preteen voice invokes more disdain than Buffy ever wants to be on the receiving end. When you sneak up on a serial killer, at least park a few doors down.
Joyce helps them ease Buffy into the back seat of the car and rolls her eyes, I’ll remember that next time.
Buffy makes Dawn take a really long bath and sits on the toilet talking to her about Janice’s birthday present while Faith and Joyce argue over pizza options in the kitchen. She takes the time to personally brush Dawn’s long hair, her fingers lingering in the long brown strands, before taking a quick hot shower to soothe her aching muscles.
Giles shows up when there’s only one slice left and the rootbeer floats have been demolished and Thelma and Louise are about to fly and Dawn is fast asleep, her head in Joyce’s lap and feet dangling over Faith’s.
Buffy finds Faith’s hand in hers as she answers his hurried questions that Joyce puts a quick end to, sending him out the door with a sharp look. There’ll be more to do in the morning and they all know it, but for now she can sink into the couch with Faith’s leg pinning her down and Dawn’s soft snoring and her mom’s anxious eyes and another movie and maybe a refill on that root beer float.
Because no one died (this time) and no one is leaving (this time) and they’re all in it together (for the first time) and it almost feels like normal.
(Boy if only they knew that taking away the Slayer in her would only awaken the Slayer in all of them, they never would have tried.)
fandom: btvs
characters: buffy, joyce, dawn, faith
word count: ~700
prompt: Joyce, Buffy, Dawn (happy) post-Gingerbread and/or Helpless by red_satin_doll for the october meme
setting: Helpless-AU with always-Dawn
Finding Dawn in the house wasn’t the hard part, it was convincing her not to help.
(In a dark hallway, hoping against hope that Dawn is hiding and quiet the way she needs to be, Buffy flashes to an image of their mother with an ax raised high above her head and there’s a joke in there about Summers’ women if she could only think of it.)
So of course, just after she’s made the pun and the vamp is dusted just like he ought to be, she turns a corner and there’s teeny little Dawn, all hair and limbs and big eyes holding a chair over her head like that’s gonna do any good.
It totally, really wouldn’t but Buffy doesn’t tell her that (this time), just slings her arm around her sister’s shoulders and leads them to the door.
Which they stare at for a split second because something is trying to get in, rattling at the doorknob and Buffy is wracking her brain, wondering if the Council sent another vamp after her or something worse and then the old, decrepit thing opens with a crash and there’s their mother, hair wild and a stake in her hand.
Mom?!
Did you go through my stuff!?
Joyce looks down at the stake in her hand for a minute, I borrowed it.
You went through my things!
No! No… I asked Faith for one a few weeks ago.
Faith gave you a stake?
And some Holy Water! Joyce triumphantly pulls a small bottle out of her pocket.
I’m going to kill her.
Someone taps her on the back and she can’t look without something hurting so she just goes with her gut instinct (anyway she’d recognize that perfume anywhere), Faith what the hell?
I came through the back door, did you kill him? All on your own Buffy-human self?
Buffy leans into Dawn’s slight shoulders a bit more and looks down at her, Think mom will spring for pizza if we tell her it’s been like the worst day ever?
Dawn’s steel eyes glint, She’d better.
Faith lifts up her other arm and slings it over her shoulder, taking most of the weight off of Dawn, Mrs. S you brought your car, right?
Of course, it’s just out front. And you can call me Joyce.
Buffy groans, The mighty rescue and your car is just on the sidewalk in front of the house? Do you know anything about stealth?
I’m sorry I’m not Slayer-savvy, I didn’t expect to have to ever rescue my children from a vampire.
God mom, you watch movies don’t you? Dawn’s preteen voice invokes more disdain than Buffy ever wants to be on the receiving end. When you sneak up on a serial killer, at least park a few doors down.
Joyce helps them ease Buffy into the back seat of the car and rolls her eyes, I’ll remember that next time.
Buffy makes Dawn take a really long bath and sits on the toilet talking to her about Janice’s birthday present while Faith and Joyce argue over pizza options in the kitchen. She takes the time to personally brush Dawn’s long hair, her fingers lingering in the long brown strands, before taking a quick hot shower to soothe her aching muscles.
Giles shows up when there’s only one slice left and the rootbeer floats have been demolished and Thelma and Louise are about to fly and Dawn is fast asleep, her head in Joyce’s lap and feet dangling over Faith’s.
Buffy finds Faith’s hand in hers as she answers his hurried questions that Joyce puts a quick end to, sending him out the door with a sharp look. There’ll be more to do in the morning and they all know it, but for now she can sink into the couch with Faith’s leg pinning her down and Dawn’s soft snoring and her mom’s anxious eyes and another movie and maybe a refill on that root beer float.
Because no one died (this time) and no one is leaving (this time) and they’re all in it together (for the first time) and it almost feels like normal.
(Boy if only they knew that taking away the Slayer in her would only awaken the Slayer in all of them, they never would have tried.)