A/N: Here's the next to the last chapter of A Slayer's Path...
Beta by Spikeslovebite




Dana and Buffy stood in the middle of a sacred circle of desert sand provided by Clem. He’d been a busy demon over the past several hours. Buffy had told him where to go and he’d persuaded two nice Fyarls to accompany him as bodyguards.

They had driven into the desert and right where Buffy said it’d be, Clem found the remnants of past brush fires. He gathered three gallon jars full of the special sand, and whispered words of thanks to whatever could be listening and watching. After running to the Fyarls, they drove back to LA, stopping one other time for the remainder of the supplies.

Spike circled the girls, with a scented-lavender candled. He kept sneaking peaks at the door. Even though the lavender was distracting his senses, Spike smiled as he sniffed the air. He turned to the door and waited.

Buffy noticed his distraction and said, “Spike, you need to keep going.”

“Can’t right now, luv.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing, pet. Everything’s right, now,” he replied, as Clem opened the door revealing Spike’s surprise.

“Dawn!”

“Hey, sis. You think you can marry Spike and not invite me to the wedding? As if. Who do you think you are?” Dawn huffed, stomping in the room.

Dana actually began to growl at Dawn. Dawn just rolled her eyes and held up her hand. “Oh please, you don’t scare me. Stop that now.” Dana looked at Buffy who just shrugged with a small smirk and stopped growling.

“Okay, now, as Spike explained this to me; I’m getting another sister.” She stepped close to the circle without marring the sand. “Hey, D. Now, I know that you’re older than me and I think older than Buffy, but since you’re going to be new to our family, you’re going to be my little sister. I’ll show you the ropes, giving you tips on what it means to be a Summers woman, show you the infamous pout, the hairy eyeball, and all the other cool stuff. Okay?”

Dana visibly relaxed during Dawn’s welcome. She quirked her head to the side and said, “Sister!”

“That’s right. We’ll hug and sing Kumbaya later.” Observing the circle and what Spike was doing, Dawn shook her head. “This is why you so needed me here. You are doing this all wrong. Besides Spike needs to be inside the circle with you two.”

Turning to Clem, she ordered, “Bring me more sand and a bowl. Really, Buffy, what were you thinking?”

Buffy started crying in happiness at her sister’s approval of her marriage to Spike and her acceptance of Dana. Her family was growing again, making her miss her mother so much. She’d always liked Spike, and Buffy thought she would like Dana as well.

Clem handed Dawn the sand first. She poured a wide circle to encompass Spike and the inner circle with Buffy and Dana. After muttering a few blessed words, she said, “Spike, it’s safe for you to break the inner circle of sand and join hands with Buffy and Dana.”

Spike did so. The three watched as Clem then handed Dawn the bowl. Dawn produced a small knife that Spike thought might have been his old Swiss Army knife and pricked the ring finger of her left hand. Squeezing the tip so the blood would flow, Dawn allowed several drops to fall into the bowl.

Dawn nodded to Clem and stepped just outside the circle. She ordered Clem to clear the room, and Clem followed Bruce and Rieff out the door.

“This is for family only and for Dana,” Dawn said. She poured her blood on the four directions — north, south, east, and west — blessing and offering words of praise to each protective spirit.

“We humbly seek the Powers of Good and ask them to watch over us. Bless us and help us heal our sister.” Dawn picked up the candle and began walking around the three inside. “We call forth Senaya…the First of the Sisterhood of the Slayers. We humbly beseech her to come.”

Like when Dawn directed the Shadowmen shadow puppet wheel, drums started sounding. Dawn spoke louder over the drums. “Come forth Senaya. Heal your sister. Bring her peace!” She directed her attention to Spike, “Now Spike!”

Spike grabbed Buffy’s wrist and bit it, allowing the blood to well. He then did the same to Dana and finally to himself. Each put their bloodied wrist over the center of the circle and mixed their blood.

Dawn spoke over the drums. “They are blood kin. Vampire and Slayer alike. As it once was, and now it will be. He shall safeguard the line. Senaya, come!”

A mist appeared where Spike, Buffy, and Dana’s hand were joined. Buffy and Spike could smell Senaya’s unmistakable scent — desert sun, clay, and wild flowers. The mist hovered for a moment, ghosting a kiss on both Buffy and Spike’s cheek before flying into Dana’s body.

Dana gasped from the intrusion. Her body rocked from the impact. Spike and Buffy held her arms firm. Dana’s eyelids fluttered closed. The drums stopped; everyone waited. Dana wasn’t breathing.

Then right before Buffy was about to shake her, Dana gasped for air, her eyes flying open in surprise.

“It’s okay, Noodle,” Spike reassured. He then started speaking to her in their ancient tongue.

Dana responded to Spike, her eyes clearer and less pained. She cooed a bit when Buffy cupped her cheek. Dana released their hands and looked at her now-healed wrist with wonder.

Dawn coughed, “Okay, to break the circle now?”

Dana answered, “Yes, big sister. You said something about a hug?”

Buffy released a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Everything would be okay now. Senaya had seen to it. A part of her wept for the loss of her elder. Now, things would be so different.

Dana turned to Buffy as if she heard her inner thoughts. Her eyes became older than time. Speaking in the ancient tongue, she reassured, “She and I are one now. The line will run from you. You are The Slayer, forever and always.” Then Buffy saw Dana’s eyes clear and the innocent, once-broken girl emerged. “Thank you, Buffy and Spike.”

“No problem, Noodle.”

“Oh God, Spike. Noodle? Really?” Dawn asked incredulously. “Could you be any more lame?”

He scooped Dawn up in a hug as she squealed, “Yeah, Niblet, I can.”

“Put me down right now, you brute!”

“Yes, put her down, so she can give me a hug,” said Dana. Spike watched with pride as his Niblet and now Noodle gave each hugs, welcoming each other.

Buffy grabbed his waist, giving him a side hug. “Look at our little family, Spike. Bet you didn’t know when you married me that there would be kids kids involved.”

“Ha. Bloody ha, Slayer. You’re a riot. I knew bloody well what I was getting myself into.” Spike leaned down and kissed her nose. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Dawn focused her attention on Spike, wearing a very Joyce-like expression on her face. “So, when are you going to make Buffy an honest woman legally, Spike? I need the human ceremony. I want to wear the god awfullest bridesmaids dress. One that would rival Anya’s toxic green.”

Spike looked at Dawn as if she’d grown two heads and then laughed. “That depends on your sister. When are we going to do that, love?”

“Right after we take care of some last minute business