Stripped: Dawn and Buffy - Brussels
by Willes
Title: Stripped 1/? (I haven’t decided how many parts to my series there will be, we’ll have to see how the story develops.)
Series: The Changed, Part 1
Author: Willes
Feedback: Any feedback (good or bad) is, as always, greatly appreciated!!!
Archive/Distribution: www.kennedyfanfic.com, www.slayerfanfic.com
Summery: 2 years after the defeat of the first the Scooby’s have been torn apart by troubles they should not have to face alone. Spread across the globe the gang feels more alone then ever but yet they suffer in silence. What will make them realize they need each other more now then ever? Will they remember the friendships they had and will this be enough to help them make sacrifices, yet again, to save the world?
Spoilers: End of Season Seven of Buffy and season five of Angel.
Contents/Warnings: Female Slash, sex, violence, profanity, heavy drinking.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns these characters; I just like to write about them! The original characters are all mine, please don’t steal them!
Beta: Thanks to my awesome Beta Reader – Karen! You are the best (seriously!)

Just for reference the ages for the new characters are approximately as follows:
Mikkel - 18
Frederick - 21
Susie - 16
Charlotte - 18
Ilya - 20
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A teenage boy walked down a deserted Brussels street. He hated these 3 a.m. walks home after closing the convenience store his family owned. It always felt as if someone was watching him. He jumped slightly when he heard a loud bang; the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. His senses heightened, he quickened his pace turning the corner and running straight into a girl with long brown hair and glasses. Her clothes were rumpled like she had slept in them for several nights and hadn’t bothered to change. She had dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was tangled and uncombed. Looking awfully frazzled she let out a small shriek as the boy ran into her. The large pile of books she had been carrying in her arms scattered across the ground.

“Sorry I….” she muttered, rushing to gather her belongings.

“No, it’s ok, I wasn’t looking,” the boy answered, bending down to help her.

Just as they were gathering the last of the girl’s possessions from the ground something leapt at them from the shadows. Grabbing the boy by the throat the attacker pushed him up against the wall of a near by building. The boy struggled against the monster‘s grip, kicking his legs furiously.

“Let me go!!” he said, glaring at his assailant. As he struggled he could swear he saw fangs….

The girl carrying the books was surprised but not scared by the events unfolding in front of her. Keeping her eye on the creature holding the boy she slowly reached into her bag, searching for the stake she always kept close. Just as her hand reached around the familiar wood someone came racing around the corner, stake drawn, plunging it into the attacker‘s heart before he even knew she was there. The creature burst into dust around the boy, releasing him in the process. He staggered, falling to the ground.

Seeing the newcomer come up behind the attacker, the girl with the books took off at a run down the street.

The boy looked up through the dissolving cloud of dust and saw a girl. She had long blonde hair and was wearing stylish clubbing clothes. “Who are you?” the boy asked slightly dazed.

“No one,” she answered, putting the stake back into her pocket and turning to leave. “Just forget we ever met, forget this happened.”

Confused the boy watched her walk off down the street in the same direction the girl carrying the books had run. Standing, he began brushing the remains of whatever the hell that thing was off his jacket. In the process he saw something glinting on the ground. Leaning down he noticed it was a necklace engraved with the name “DAWN.”

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Dawn ran through the front door, threw her books under her bed, kicked off her shoes and flung herself under the covers. Just as she closed her eyes she heard the door open and her sister enter the apartment they were renting while staying in Brussels. They had been traveling consistently for about a year now, renting a hotel room here or an apartment there. Nowhere was home for long these days.

“I told her to lock the door before she went to sleep.” Dawn heard Buffy say under her breath. She heard her sister cross the living room and softly knock on her bedroom door.

“Dawnie, you awake?” Buffy asked quietly.

Oh, thank god she didn’t see me before, Dawn thought. That was a really close call. She had gone out to gather materials often while her sister went clubbing, or whatever she decided to do night after night, but she had never actually run into her sister. She prayed Buffy hadn’t seen her!

“I am now,” Dawn yawned trying to sound groggy. “Why do you always come in and ask if I’m awake. You always wake me up and then I am awake!”

“Just checking to see if my favorite sister was up,” Buffy said sitting on the edge of the bed next to Dawn.

“Well you have your wish. I’m up.” Dawn pouted.

“Good, now we can have some quality sister time!”

“Buffy, it’s 4 a.m., hardly time for sisterly bonding. If you want to bond we can do it in the morning.” But Dawn knew her sister would not be up for bonding in the morning. Buffy would sleep off whatever fun she’d had the night before and wake up in time for yet another night of Buffy fun. It was worse than when she used to be out slaying every night. At least she got up in the mornings then.

Buffy smiled a little sadly at her sister. “Of course you’re right. Now is no the time for bond-iness. Maybe in the morning.” Kissing her sister on the forehead she stood to leave. “You know Dawn,” she began. “I saw someone tonight who looked a lot like you. She was gone before I got a good look at her. I could have sworn it was you but I think she had glasses.”

“That’s interesting,” Dawn said nervously. “I mean that you saw someone who looked me, but who defiantly could never have been me cause I was here, in my bed, sleeping. Sleeping in my bed. The place where people sleep. Which is definitely what I was doing.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Buffy said brushing off the thought. “Besides you don’t even wear glasses.”

“That’s right!” Dawn said a little too perkily. She was hurt her sister had forgotten one of the only things they had done together in the past several months, going to get Dawn her first pair of glasses. “That’s me, a card carrying member of the 20/20 club.”

Buffy gave Dawn a sideways stare. “Has anyone ever told you, you’re a little strange?”

“Yes, you do, all the time. Now get out of my room and let me sleep.”

“Okay, but sister time in the morning,” Buffy said.

“You betcha! Night Buffy.”

“Night Dawnie.”

With that, Buffy left the room. Dawn waited. She heard the bathroom door close and water being run. She waited and listened through the familiar sounds of her sister getting ready for bed. After she heard the click of Buffy’s bedroom door closing, she waited the obligatory ten minutes to make sure she was sleeping deeply.

With a small sigh Dawn threw her tired legs out of bed. She retrieved the books from underneath and headed over to her desk. Turning on the lamp, she put on her glasses and began to read.


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