Absolute Destiny (Book 5) (girlxgirl)

Chain Reaction

Faith and I were a family once.

I stare at Faith as she looks at Cordy's hand before doing it myself.

It's weird to think of her in that way. There's just something that is off about that. The idea of Faith and me and Dawn as a family gives me a strange feeling. I guess I had a thought or two about Dawn and Faith being in love and maybe being married and having Faith as a sister-in-law some day. But I never thought of it in any other way. And even then it was more of a passing thought then anything. Is that because of the way I thought or did this decision from this other me make me do it?

After taking a deep breath, I take Cordy's hand and so does Faith.

"How could you not tell me?"

The three of them look at me and I just really want to hurt them.

"HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME?"

"Dawn?"

"You didn't think I was important enough? Is that it? I guess since I'm not real then I don't really matter do I?"

They get up to face me.

"Dawn, what are you talking about?"

I point the knife at Buffy.

"DON'T! Don't play stupid! You've been playing stupid all along, trying to make me think there was nothing going on. But there was something going on, and I knew there was something but you wouldn't tell me. You can't keep it from me anymore. None of you can, because I know now. I know the truth and you can't do anything about it. I know that I'm just a stupid key and my feelings don't really matter."

"That's not true."

"It is. It is true because if I was real then you would've told me the truth. You never would've lied to me."

Faith steps forward and I shove the knife at her, making her back off.

"Dawn, just put down the knife and we can talk about this."

I look down at the knife in my hand.

"Why? It's not like anything I do will ever matter."

I step forward and swing the knife, cutting the air.

"How do you even know I'm really holding it? Maybe you just think I am because it's what the monks want you to think. Did you think of that? I could do anything with this knife and it wouldn't really matter because nothing I do really matters."

Faith tries to come at me again and I swing at her.

"Dawn, calm down..."

I swipe at her again.

"SHUT UP! Just because you think you're my mother doesn't mean you can tell me what to do. I don't have a mother, I don't have ANYONE! I hate you!"

Buffy and Joyce stand next to her.

"I hate all of you!"

Things shift again.

"Dawn?"

"Come in Mom..."

She comes in with two other people and it's not like I have to guess who they are.

"Or is it Grandma?"

Then again...

"Maybe it's just Joyce."