[continued from previous message]   
      
   "I brought you some of your clothes," Buffy said, putting a paper grocery   
   bag on the table. "They said you could use some."   
      
   "I'll take that," Mrs. Kendall said as she got up from the chair she was   
   sitting in. Buffy handed the bag to her and she began looking through it.   
      
   "Do we get any privacy?" Buffy asked.   
      
   "No."   
      
   "You think I'm going to beat her up or something?"   
      
   "Or something. We can't risk you passing her any contraband."   
      
   "It doesn't matter," Dawn said. "I'm getting used to being watched all the   
   time."   
      
   "I hear you have a tutor. That working out okay?"   
      
   Dawn gave a short negative laugh. "There are five other girls in my classes   
   about my age – older and younger. And I guess they haven't been in school   
   much, so they're teaching us from books I had in the seventh and eighth   
   grade. It's – boring."   
      
   "Well, look on the bright side – at least you'll make all A's."   
      
   After the fourth time Dawn wrinkled her nose, Buffy asked, "What's wrong?   
      
   "Something in here kind of – smells."   
      
   Dawn put one hand next to her mouth so Mrs. Kendall couldn't see, and   
   whispered, "Have you been patrolling at the city dump?"   
      
   "Dawn!" Mrs. Kendall interrupted. "No whispering. If you can't say something   
   out loud, then it doesn't need to be said at all."   
      
   "Yes ma'am. No ma'am." Then to Buffy she said, "Well?"   
      
   "Is that me? I thought it was this room. I had to get a job … at the Double   
   Meat Palace."   
      
   "Cool! Can you bring me some burgers and fries?"   
      
   "I don't know, maybe. Anyway, I started a few days ago. I'm working double   
   shifts to try to make enough money so that when you come home we can get by   
   with me working just one."   
      
   "Why can't you still work two of them? Willow and Tara will be there."   
      
   "No, they won't. They had to move out."   
      
   "Why?"   
      
   "It was one of the conditions of you coming back. Apparently, 'some people'   
   think that lesbians who dabble in 'pretend magic' are a bad influence on   
   you."   
      
   "That's CRAP!"   
      
   "Dawn!" Mrs. Kendall broke in again. "Language."   
      
   "Sorry."   
      
   "Tara moved back into the dorm. But she took the last available room, so   
   Willow's staying with Xander and Anya for now.  Xander has to go out of his   
   way to take her to class, then drop Anya off at the magic shop before he   
   goes to the construction site."   
      
   "I bet Anya's loving that."   
      
   "She thinks Willow should get her own car, or chip in for gas. Anyway, Will   
   said it's not too bad. They put a bed and small dresser in a small room they   
   have, maybe it was supposed to be walk-in closet. Anyway she's not on the   
   sofa, so she has some privacy.   
      
   "Why didn't she go back home?"   
      
   "Well, I think she is still a bit uncomfortable living with her mom after   
   that whole MOO thing."   
      
   "Yeah, I can see that."   
      
   "The house sure is big – and empty, with nobody there but me. But I keep   
   most of the lights off, and I only turn on the water heater when I want to   
   take a hot, hot shower or do the dishes, so I'm saving money there."   
      
   "Hard to wash that smell off, huh?"   
      
   "Apparently. So, are you making any friends?"   
      
   "I guess. I really don't have much in common with the other girls. They're   
   in and out of foster homes, so they have kind of an attitude, you know?"   
      
   "I can imagine."   
      
   "So, is anybody else going to visit me?"   
      
   "I don't know. They'll have to fill out a form; I did. And then it will have   
   to be approved. But I'll talk to them. They all miss you and I know they   
   want to see you."   
      
   "Ten more minutes," Mrs. Kendall said.   
      
   "This is all the time we get?"   
      
   "Nine more minutes."   
      
   Buffy quelled her anger. "So can I bring you anything else next time?   
   Magazines? Books? Any favorite clothes?"   
      
   "Something from the Double Meat Palace? One of those Medley burger combos   
   would be great, and a large chocolate shake."   
      
   "I'll see what I can do."   
      
   "When can you come back?"   
      
   "Next week, I think."   
      
   Buffy looked over to Mrs. Kendall, who nodded, then went back to pretending   
   to read her magazine.   
      
   "Dawn, I'm going to get you back home. You can count on it. And sooner than   
   anyone thinks."   
      
   "I know you will. But if it takes longer, that's okay. I know you're   
   trying."   
      
   "Trying, and going to succeed."   
      
   After one last, long hug and exchanging 'I love you's' Buffy left, and Dawn   
   went back to her room to wait for supper.   
      
                   The Magic Shop   
                   Monday Afternoon   
                   4:50 p.m.   
      
   When Buffy entered the Magic Box, everyone was already there – Xander, Anya,   
   Willow and Tara.   
      
   "I'm glad you guys made it," Buffy said. "I've got news."   
      
   "I was already here," Anya said.   
      
   "You seem to be in a good mood," Willow noted. "Is the news good news?"   
      
   "It is," Buffy answered, smiling broadly. "I took your advice and went to   
   see a lawyer. It was one of those ones with free first-time consultations.   
   And it seems like that the Social Services lady overstepped her boundaries –   
   big time."   
      
   "How so?"   
      
   "Well, first off, there is no reason, no legal reason, why you and Tara   
   can't be living in the same house with Dawn. And there is no reason why Dawn   
   can't visit with Xander and Anya. And there's no reason why she can't come   
   here anytime she wants to."   
      
   "So why the big whoop-de-doo about Dawn hanging with all of us?" Xander   
   asked.   
      
   "Because she is really religious and everybody should live exactly the way   
   she thinks they should. The lawyer said he wouldn't be surprise if there   
   have been complaints about her from other parents who've had their kids   
   taken away."   
      
   "So everything was bogus?" Tara asked.   
      
   "No, not entirely. Apparently I'm the problem. He said that my not having a   
   job to support Dawn was a valid concern, but now that I'm working, AND   
   working double shifts, it makes it seem like I’m really trying to do the   
   right thing for Dawn."   
      
   "What about you walking around all night?" Willow brought up. "You know –   
   the drugs or prostitution?"   
      
   "That was another big concern. But I told him I'd take drug tests all day   
   long if they wanted me to. And he said that since no one had actually seen   
   me soliciting, then those allegations 'have no merit'."   
      
   "Does that mean we can move back in? If you want us to?" Willow asked   
   hopefully.   
      
   "Are you kidding? Of course I do! I love you guys being there. But there was   
   one thing he mentioned."   
      
   "Good or bad?"   
      
   "Well, I'm not sure. He said that it would look better if I had paying   
   tenants. You know, to look like there was more income coming into the   
   household."   
      
   "Of course we could pay something. Tara?"   
      
   "Sure. It's only fair, since we've been living there for free all summer."   
      
   "Any more roadblocks?" Xander asked.   
      
   "Well, there is still all the legal stuff to take care of. So, I hired him.   
   And it's not going to cost as much as I thought."   
      
   "Right," Anya said sarcastically.  "Lawyers. You can't trust them, you know.   
   When I was a Vengeance Demon, after scummy boyfriends and husbands, lawyers   
   were third on the list for revenge."   
      
   "We'll be glad to chip in if it'll help," Xander volunteered.   
      
   "Chip in?" Anya said. "Chip IN ?"   
      
   "He thinks we won’t even have to go to court. He said he'll file all the   
   papers and talk to the judge in chambers. He said two thousand dollars would   
   be enough. And even if something happens and we do have to go to court,   
   that's all he'll charge."   
      
   "Really?" Willow said. "That doesn't sound like any lawyer I ever heard of."   
      
   "I wondered about that too. But it turns out, he kind of knows me. He was   
   one of the chaperones at the Prom. And he was there for that whole 'Class   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)