Dawning Light 14: Family Hour (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Anita Blake) PG

[mhalachaiswords]

She's really five now...

Dawning Light
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Anita Blake crossover
Chapter Fourteen: Family Hour
by mhalachaiswords

Summary: Dawn fell from Glory's tower and into the portal. Now she's all alone and scared... but sometimes family comes from the strangest places.
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

Comments

[sparrowsverse]

Dawn's going to be there for thirteen years?!!? Wha?

And can I just say Beth and Franklin need a clue by four! Ah, uncomfortable family dinners. :D

I really loved the interaction between Anita, Micah and Dawn. Perfect combination of family, awkwardness that's been there and them slowly getting it.

Am eagerly awaiting the next part. :)

[mhalachaiswords]

Let's just say that I have an actual plan on this one... it'll all be explained in the end. Which we will eventually see :)

When I started this story, I already had Micah's family in my mind from writing the original family hour. In that, Micah's dad was not having an easy time with Micah being a wereleopard and Beth's not exactly nice to Anita, which translates more here to her being snarky to Micah. Oh, family.

Our three main players will soon be getting it right. They all have their own issues with family. From Dawn's point of view, it's a little hard to see exactly how Micah and Anita are reacting. But they're all growing. And man, am I rambling. Glad you liked it!

[kathemo]

I cannot wait until the next chapter. The tension between dramatic events and settling family bonds are still done beautifully.

I can't think of anything more coherent to say but I'm ridiculously glad you're continuing the series.

[mhalachaiswords]

Thanks! Dawn is living in such a strange world, and trying to cope with it through her own strange internal coping mechanisms. I love how this story is unfolding.

This story will eventually have an end, don't worry. I just need to find the time to get there :)

[mhalachaiswords]

Glad you enjoyed! Writing Dawn is always fun; her language is awesome.

Part two will be started soon, yes. There is a not-insubstantial interlude I need to write to introduce a necessary character to the 'verse, but that's been planned for some time so no worries on that one :)

[thymidinekinase]

I'm so pleased you're writing and posting fic again!

I'd have to reread from the start again to really watch Dawn's personal arc, but I have the impression that she has been gradually transforming from a teenager in the body of a 4YO into a 4YO with the memories of being a teenager. I think you did a good job of conveying that this is who she is, now, and that last melancholy line really drove it home. (Oh, hey, I'm a dunce... there it is at the top, where you say "she's really five now"; that must have been subliminally guiding the direction of my thoughts. Hee.)

Oh, and I was quite touched by the Whedon-tastic conversation about chosen families.

[mhalachaiswords]

I looked back at the LJ and realized it had been over a month. Talk about strange. I felt as if I was writing for that whole month, too.

You're certainly correct about Dawn's slow change. It vaguely echoes her changes in season 4 of Buffy - she started off in the body of a teenager with a wide range of emotions and reactions, but she slowly settled more into the mentality of a teenager. Here, she's four physically and her mind is slowly settling into the brain chemistry of a child. She still has the knowledge of a teenager but her reasoning is more that of a child now.

Whedon is all about chosen families. It's the best part of his shows :)

[cissasghost]

This is brilliant as usual; I can't wait for part 2.

(Also it sucks to be Nathaniel, having to be explained away as the nanny - though that was a great catch on Dawn's part.)

[mhalachaiswords]

Nathaniel's role is hard for anyone to explain, let alone to someone's hidebound parents. I'd personally enjoy it more to see Anita try to explain to her father about Nathaniel.