He walked into the room, his throat immediately constricting at the sight of her in the hospital bed. She'd never looked quite so fragile to him before.
Dawn gaped when she saw him. "Oh my god, Andrew—is all that blood yours?"
Andrew shook his head. "No. Most of it's yours."
Surprisingly, Dawn sighed in relief. "Oh, good."
"Good?" Andrew asked.
"Well, yeah. I've had transfusions, so if it's my blood, then it's all taken care of."
"They put you on a lot of drugs, didn't they?"
Dawn rolled her eyes. "No. Well, yeah, but still… I don't like the idea of you being hurt, Andrew."
"And I'd rather it be me than you," Andrew replied. He came closer to her, taking a seat in the chair by her bedside. "I'm sorry, Dawnie. So, so sorry."
"For what?" Dawn asked, frowning.
"For this. It's all my fault."
"Your fault?" Dawn's frown grew. "Andrew, if you hadn't stopped Cynthia, I'd be dead right now."
"And if it wasn't for me having all that information on the Key around her, this wouldn't have happened in the first place," Andrew replied.
Dawn reached over the side of the bed and took his hand. "Andrew, the information you gave me on the Key is invaluable. I learned more from it than I ever thought I'd be able to. It answered so many questions for me."
"But you said…"
Dawn admitted with a blush, "I lied. I was mad at you."
"Oh." Andrew cleared his throat. "Still, I… I feel like she came after you because of me, that she hurt you because of me. I'm not sure I can forgive myself."
"Do, because I'm certainly not holding it against you. It's not your fault. She came after me because of what I am, not because of you. This is far from the first time I've had to deal with a wacko who wants the Key." Dawn squeezed his hand as best she could with as weak as she felt.
"I…" Andrew shook his head. "When I saw you lying there, I thought… I thought you were dead."
Dawn looked down, away from him, and replied softly. "I think I was."
Andrew started at her admission. "Dawn…"
"When the Key left me, there was just…nothing. I felt myself die. And then it came back inside of me, and with it this new surge of energy. I feel stronger." She frowned. "Or at least I will when I'm no longer recovering from a major stab wound." Dawn turned back to look at him again. "What you did, when you stopped her, you brought me back, Andrew."
He stared at her for a moment, trying to process what she'd told him. Dawn had been dead… Even as he looked at her now and knew she was alive, the thought that she had been something else for even a moment was more than he wanted to face. He couldn't lose Dawn, not like that.
"I'm okay," Dawn said, trying to assure him enough to make the look of horror leave his face. "I'm not dead now, and I certainly don't plan to be again anytime soon."
"Dawn, if you'd stayed…" Andrew swallowed, unable to say the word. "I couldn't…"
"I know," Dawn told him. "I couldn't take it if you died either." She almost told him what had transpired while he'd been unconscious, but held her tongue. He already felt guilty enough. Somehow, she didn't think he'd be overly thrilled to know she'd willingly stepped into the circle in order to save his life.
Andrew reached up with the hand Dawn wasn't holding on to and cupped her cheek. "You're the one person in this world I could never get over losing."
The sincerity on his face and in his words brought tears to Dawn's eyes. "Andrew…"
"You're the only person who's ever really known me, Dawn," he continued. "The only person who's cared enough to even try. I don't know how I ever thought I could spend my life without you because I can't. I knew that for certain the moment I saw you there on the ground, lifeless and still. If you can somehow find a way to forgive me for what I did to you, Dawn, three years ago, I…"
Dawn raised her finger and placed it against his lips. "I've already forgiven you, Andrew. I couldn't…I couldn't go on doing anything but loving you. It's all I know how to do with you anymore."
Andrew blinked, staring at her for a moment in awe. "You…you really still love me? After everything?"
Dawn shrugged. "Kinda can't help it. Believe me, I tried there for a while, but I gave up. Somehow you managed to steal my heart three years ago, and it's still yours."
Andrew gave her a crooked grin. "I'm not sure how it happened either, but I'm glad it did. I still love you, too, Dawn. I always have. Pretty sure I always will."
"I guess we're stuck with each other then."
"That's what it looks like."
Dawn smiled at him, the thumb of her hand still gripping his stroking his warm skin. "I can think of worse fates. I love you."
Andrew raised their joined hands to his lips and kissed hers. "I love you, too."
"I think I need to rest a little more," she told him after a moment of silence passed between them. "Can you stay in here with me?"
"Of course. I'd be happy to."
Dawn smiled again before she closed her eyes, and Andrew settled into the chair, his hand still linked with hers.
*** *** ***
There was a sweet scent to the field where Dawn stood, like grass after a spring rain. She closed her eyes and breathed it in, letting the warm sun wash over.
"You made it here."
Dawn opened her eyes again, and she smiled warmly when she saw Summer standing in front of her. "I did."
"I'm glad," Summer said. "I was worried about you, Mommy."
Dawn felt her throat tighten when the little girl called her "Mommy," confirming the suspicion she'd already had. "Summer, can you answer a question for me?"
"Maybe. I can't answer them all."
"I know." Dawn knelt down to the girl's level, and met her eyes, no doubt in her mind now that they were eyes just like Andrew's. "Will I ever get to see you outside of here, in the real world?"
Summer smiled slowly. "You want to hold me, don't you? You want to hold me, breathing in the scent of baby-fresh skin and know I'm yours."
Dawn smoothed her hand down the side of Summer's long brown hair. "I do."
"You will. Someday." Summer's smile turned almost teasing. "You're not enough of a grown-up yet."
Dawn chuckled. "No, I suppose I'm not."
"I can't stay now," Summer said, taking a step back from Dawn. "But I wanted to give you a gift."
"A gift?" Dawn asked.
Summer nodded, then reached out and placed her hand against Dawn's abdomen. A pale green light flowed from the girl, until it was filling the field, becoming all Dawn could see.
Dawn woke up still in the hospital bed, and she sat up, feeling no pain in her stomach as she did. She touched where her wound had been and smiled. "Thank you, Summer," she said softly.
She turned to the side, a feeling of warmth and love flooding her as she saw Andrew, curled up asleep in the chair. Dawn knew as she watched him sleep that even with everything he'd been through, the man she'd fallen in love with three years before was still there, still needed her.
Dawn scooted to the edge of the bed, her legs hanging over the edge, and reached out, gently shaking Andrew. He bolted awake, but quickly calmed when he remembered where he was. Then he saw Dawn sitting up and frowned. "You should be lying down," he told her, his voice still groggy from sleep.
Dawn shook her head. "Nope. I'm all better now."
Andrew's brow furrowed. "What? How long was I asleep?"
"I don't think it was that long," Dawn replied with a giggle. "I just sorta…healed really quickly."
"You what, managed to heal a major stab wound in your sleep?"
"Pretty much," Dawn said, nodding. "It was a Key thing, I think." She decided not to give him details about Summer. He'd meet her for himself when the time was right.
"Oh. Handy that." If Dawn's wound had healed, then Andrew wasn't going to argue. He already knew she wasn't your average girl, and honestly, he was simply relieved she was all right. Even with the doctors assuring him she was healing just the way she should, he'd worried that some unexpected complication would pop up, and he'd lose her. He'd already come so close to that…
"Yeah, very handy," Dawn agreed. "Let's get out of here. I'm all healed up now, so there's no point in hanging out in a hospital."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." Dawn looked down and frowned. "Although I do think I need some new clothes. I'm sure the ones I was wearing are pretty trashed, and I don't feel like running around in a hospital gown."
Andrew chuckled. "I'll get Buffy. She should be able to get you some clothes."
"And probably freak," Dawn said. "But I guess I probably can't keep her from finding out that my stomach wound miraculously closed, so I might as well get the big sister freak out over with."
"She'll probably be happy you're all right," Andrew said.
"Yeah, after the freak out. Trust me. Anytime I do anything weird because of the Key, Buffy goes all mother hen on me, like she's afraid it's going to make me explode or something." Dawn rolled her eyes. "I don't go all wiggy every time she stakes a vampire."
"She cares about you," Andrew pointed out. "You're her family."
"Oh I know that," Dawn replied. "I'm just not in the mood to get all fussed over right now. I want to get out of here and go home, after the day I've had."
"Then let's get her in here and get the fussing over with," Andrew said, rising to his feet. "The sooner you get out of the medlab, the sooner you can go home." Andrew started walking off, but stopped when he felt Dawn reach out and take his hand.
"Andrew?"
He looked into her eyes, his heart thumping faster at what he saw reflected there. It amazed him that still, after so many years apart, Dawn could have this effect on him. No one had ever made him feel anywhere near what she did. She made him feel like he was worth something. She made him feel wanted. "Yeah?"
"When I said I wanted to go home, I meant…" Dawn paused for a moment, her head ducking shyly. "I meant I wanted you to come with me."
Andrew thought he knew what she was asking, but he wanted to make sure all the implications were really there. Not just an invitation for something physical, but for something more as well. "You want me to come home with you?"
"It's where you belong, isn't it?"
Andrew searched her face for a moment before he smiled. "Yeah, I think it is."
Dawn grinned back. "Then go get Buffy so I can tell her I've magically healed in my sleep and we can…" She stopped, swallowing the lump in her throat before she finished. "And we can go home."
Andrew replied by cupping her cheek in his hand and tilting her face up to his for a tender kiss.
*** *** ***
"So what happened again exactly?" Buffy asked, her brow creased.
Dawn sighed. "I told you like a million times, Buffy. I healed in my sleep. Now will you please go find me some decent clothes so I can get out of here?"
"How in the world did you heal in your sleep?" Buffy asked, as if she hadn't already asked that question. More than once.
"I just did," Dawn replied, obviously frustrated. "I think it was some sort of Key thing."
"That doesn't sound like other 'Key things,'" Buffy replied with a frown. "Are you sure it's healed?"
"Buffy, I'm pretty sure I can tell whether or not I have a gaping hole in my abdomen."
"You should let someone take a look at you again, Dawn," Buffy said.
"I know what happened," Dawn maintained. "And I'm fine. Would you just trust me on this one?" Dawn didn't want to share what had happened with Summer with Buffy either. Something about it felt too personal, a shared moment between mother and daughter—even if the daughter wasn't due to make her appearance in the world for several more years.
"Dawn, I don't…"
"Buffy, please. We can have a nice long chat later, I promise. Right now I just really want to go." Dawn gestured towards Andrew with her eyes, trying to indicate to Buffy exactly why she really wanted out of there.
It took Buffy a moment to catch on, but when she did, she cleared her throat. "Oh, well, um that'll be good then. We'll talk later. You want to leave now, so I'll just go…get those clothes."
"Thanks," Dawn replied with a slight smirk.
Buffy ducked out of the room, leaving Dawn, Andrew, and Spike behind. Andrew had just enough time to be thankful that he wasn't alone with Spike before Spike clapped him on the shoulder tightly and asked, "Would you step out in the hallway with me for a bit?"
Andrew swallowed hard, but nodded. Spike led him into the hallway, tight grip still on his shoulder, as Dawn called out, "Don't break him, Spike! I mean it!" Spike gave her a small wave of his hand without turning around to look at her as he left the room with Andrew.
As soon as they were alone, Spike's hand dropped, and Andrew tried to remind himself that he had actually faced scarier things than the ex-vampire—even if he was hard pressed to remember what they were at the moment.
"That girl in there, she means the bloody world to me," Spike began, gesturing back towards the hospital room. "You've already hurt her once, and the only reason I haven't hurt you for that is because she seems to have forgiven you, and I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt. But as it stands, I don't think you deserve her. A woman like Dawn is nothing less than a treasure, and I'm not sure you realize that."
"I do!" Andrew said quickly, then wondered if interrupting Spike had been smart. But when Spike's only response was an arched eyebrow, he continued. "I made a mistake before, but it was never because I ever thought Dawn was anything short of amazing. I know I don't deserve her, but I love her. And…and I'm going to do everything I can to be the best I can for her."
Spike gave a short nod. "Good answer, Watcher boy. But I'm going to be keeping my eye on you. Hurt her again like you did before, and then I will make you bleed. Got it?"
"I do."
"Good." Spike nodded his head back towards the hospital room. "Go on back to your girlfriend."
Andrew expelled the breath he'd been holding with relief and hurried back to Dawn to wait with her for Buffy to return.
*** *** ***