Title: Blank Slates

Author: Alan Hitchen

Email: darkmere2000@yahoo.co.uk

Archive: http://www.realmoftheshadow.com/alan.htm

Pairing: Buffy/Dawn (as Joan/Umad)

Rating: NC-17 (underage sex of an incestuous kind)

Based on: Tabula Rasa by Rebecca Rand Kirshner

Summary: As per the episode, Willow's plan to fix Buffy's malaise and Tara's disquiet has gone awry and everyone at the Magic Box has been rendered unconscious. Night has fallen and Buffy is the first to wake.

"Huh?" said Buffy, lifting herself to her feet and switching on the light.

Willow quickly jerked away from her Xander-shaped pillow as she realised she had been sleeping on the hard floor. A confident "Hey!" was his response to the situation. A confused and timid "Hey" was hers.

Giles found himself leaning against Anya at the table. Tara was sitting alone beside them. Spike fell off the counter with a yell, waking Dawn lying on the floor near the table. "Who are you people?" she asked nervously, then added, "Please don't hurt me," as Buffy approached her.

"It's okay. I don't know anyone here either," said Buffy in a kindly tone of voice.

"Who are all you freaks!?" demanded Xander.

Willow became even more confused. "You don't know me?"

"Not a clue," he confessed.

"But you were all, like, 'Hey'."

"Yes, because you're a girl and I'm a boy and I thought I'd got lucky for once." A thought struck Xander. "Is this a psych test? Am I getting paid for this?"

"It's not just you," Giles interjected. "And I don't think it's a test. Does anyone remember anything?"

"Nope," said Spike from behind the counter.

"Well then," Giles went on, "maybe we just got very drunk."

"Or it's an amusing prank, like on 'Candid Camera'," Anya suggested brightly.

"I don't drink, I think," said Dawn. "And I don't see any bottles or cans."

"And I don't see Alan Funt," added Anya.

"Who?" queried Giles.

"What is going on?" whined the agitated Xander.

"It's okay," said Buffy, acting to soothe frayed nerves. "No-one's hurt, right? And no-one looks all hatchety-murdery. So we're probably safe here. Wherever here is."

Willow picked up a clue from the counter top. "It's a magic shop. Look at this book: 'Magic for Beginners'."

"P-perhaps it's a spell," Tara suggested uncertainly.

"Spells aren't real," scoffed Giles.

"And you would know this, how?" asked Spike.

"And you are?" Giles retorted snippily.

"Hey! ID. Does anyone have any?" yelped Willow, fumbling about her person in search of some identifying document.

"I do," Xander said excitedly, opening his wallet. "Alexander Harris. See, I exist. Cute picture too."

"I'm Willow Rosenberg. Funny name."

"I think it's p-pretty," Tara said with a shy smile.

"Thanks. What've you got?"

"Tara Maclay. I'm a s-student at UC Sunnydale."

"Snap! So am I. Maybe we're study buddies?"

"I don't have a wallet," said Dawn despondantly.

"Me neither," replied Buffy. "Don't worry, we'll take care of each other." She reached out to brush Dawn's hair from her face and Dawn smiled in return. "But, here, look," Buffy took hold of Dawn's necklace, "you're Dawn."

"Or Umad," Dawn said happily, reading the name upside down.

"I'm Rupert Giles."

"Rupert," Anya repeated dreamily.

"Rupert," Spike sniggered.

"So what do we call you then?"

Spike found his pockets were empty, but the jacket had a label. "Err, made with care for Randy." Now it was Giles's turn to snigger. "Bollocks!" swore Spike. "Hey! We're both English, do you think...?"

"No, I do not! You're no relative of mine - Randy!"

"I'm Anya!" interrupted Anya. "This key of mine fits this drawer and these letterheads say Anya Jenkins and Rupert Giles own the Magic Box together." Beaming at Giles she added: "And I have this big sparkly ring. I think we're engaged."

"So you don't have a name?" Dawn asked Buffy with a note of concern.

"Of course I do. I just don't know it yet," Buffy replied matter-of-factly.

"You want me to name you?"

"Thanks, that's sweet, but I think I'll name myself... Joan."

"Ugh!"

"What? Did you just 'ugh' my name?"

"No. I just. It's so blah. Joan?"

"I like it. It's a good name. I feel like a Joan."

"Fine. That's your purgative."

"Perogative."

"Whatever, Joan!"

"Whatever, Umad!"

"Boy, you're bossy!" they said in unison. "Do you think we're... sisters?" They smiled and hugged each other. "Or lovers?" said Willow. They sprang apart guiltily then turned on the readhead.

"Why'd you say that?" asked Dawn.

"I don't know... I just... I think I'm kinda gay."

"And you think we are too?" replied Buffy.

Willow shrugged. "All I know is what I'm feeling. And I'm feeling gay now."

Tara coughed nervously and went pink but didn't add anything to the conversation.

"Look, it's clear we need help," said Buffy, rapidly moving away from the awkward subject. "I'm thinking a hospital would be a good place to start."

"It sounds like Joan has a plan," said Spike, emerging from behind the counter.

"Right then, hospital it is, let's go."

"But do you know in which direction the hospital is?"

Buffy turned to answer Giles just as she opened the door. Three vampires came bursting in, knocking Buffy aside. Spike instinctively vamped out as they attacked him. He kicked one back and fell next to Dawn, who was cowering on the floor, his ugly yellow eyes gleamed with delight as he spied the tasty snack beside him. Dawn screamed as its fangs grazed her neck. Then he exploded into a cloud of choking grey dust revealing Buffy and her trusty stake. Swiftly she turned on the others, staking all three in turn before she could even register that Spike was one of them.

Xander was astonished by the high-speed action he could only recall seeing in comic books. "What the hell were those things?" he gasped.

"Vampires."

"But Vampires are mythical creatures, pure fiction," said Giles.

"Tell that to Dawn," said Buffy, now comforting the sobbing teenager. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Tara and Willow were also comforting each other, and she noted they looked very comfortable in each other's arms, just as she felt hugging Dawn.

Anya's head popped up from behind the counter. "So what do we do now?"

Buffy stood up, helping Dawn to her feet. "We stay here until it's light, then we go for help. Alex, go lock the door. Anya, you check the back. I'll stand guard till morning comes. Until then I suggest you all try to get some sleep. It could be a long night."

...

With the others sleeping on the crash-mats in the practice room Buffy stood guard by the door, looking out onto the moonlit street beyond. Dawn remained by her side, silent and deep in thought, but eventually she spoke to ask the nagging unanswered question. "Do you think Willow's right. That we could be lovers?"

"Aren't you a bit young for that sort of thing?" Buffy responded uneasily.

"Hey!" Dawn bridled. "I have breasts. I'm a woman. I'm old enough."

"Y-es, okay, put it another way, am I too old for you?"

"Too old? Joan, you're beautiful and strong and sexy, what's old about that?"

Buffy blushed and finally turned to face Dawn. "Sexy? Really? Thanks."

"Are you ashamed of me or something?" Dawn continued, trying to read Buffy's expression, to see what she was thinking.

"Ashamed? No, that's not it... Okay then, say Willow is right and we are lovers. How'd you think we met?"

"That's easy," said Dawn, spinning into the centre of the floor and doing exaggerated actions to her words as if she were in a silent movie. "You rescued me from a fangy vampire-thing like you did before and I fell instantly head-over-heels in love with my strong yet feminine rescuer. And when your determined hazel eyes met mine you knew you'd found the one you'd been searching for - your one true soulmate."

"Gabrielle to my Xena, huh?"

"Who to who?"

Buffy sighed. "I wish I knew. These things just slip out, but when I concentrate I can't remember anything at all."

"Me neither."

"Frustrating, isn't it?"

"You're telling me. So, how do you think we met?"

"Hmm. I see you with a bunch of friends and a bunch of fake ID's trying to get into a club. The others get thrown out but you take advantage of the confusion and sneak in behind the doorman. Then realising that you look too young..."

"Hmph!" Dawn spluttered indignantly. "You're really stuck on this age thing aren't you?"

"Come on," Buffy countered. "No college ID. You're not even near 21, are you? Anyway, you keep to the shadows and end up at the back where you see me drinking alone in a booth. You strike up a conversation, and, just to be rid of you, I agree to buy you a white wine spritzer. I get you a lemonade instead, but when I return I find you've had my drink it's gone straight to your head and you're drunk. I take you out to walk it off before I get you home."

"Which is where?"

"Somewhere near Hadley?"

"That it?"

"Sorry."

"No, that's okay, it was worth a try. Go on, you were walking me home."

"Yes, well, I got you there. You're still a bit tipsy and I can still taste the whiskey when you kiss me. But you're kissing me and I'm kissing you and suddenly nothing else matters. And then I realise why it is that none of my relationships have worked out."

"What happened next?" Dawn asked, a gleam in her eye and undisguised excitement in her voice.

"Then your mother came out and found her daughter sucking face with a strange woman. She ran me off with a broom and grounded you forever."

Dawn's face fell. "Forever?"

"A month, but you said it felt like forever."

"You came back then?"

Buffy nodded. "I came back. You showed me a new life. How could I not come back to you?"

Dawn shrieked and leapt into Buffy's arms, covering her face with wet kisses.

"Hey, hey, hey," shushed Buffy. "I came back, but we had to be discreet." She grinned, prising Dawn off her. "Do you even know how to spell discreet?"

Dawn pulled a face. "What is this, a make-out session or a spelling bee?"

"Neither."

"Clit tease."

"What did you say?"

"I said you're a clit tease."

Buffy growled and grabbed playfully at Dawn, who, with muted squeaks of delight, dodged away from the athletic blonde as best she could. When caught behind the stairs at the back of the room, Dawn's struggle to break free quickly subsided as Buffy's passionate kisses overwhelmed her senses.

Her wandering hands latched on to Buffy's breasts and began to rub and tweak the nipples through the rouched material of her blouse and the bra that lay beneath. "Now who's a clit tease?" husked Buffy, as she unsnapped Dawn's jeans and pushed them down. The younger girl moaned as Buffy's hand cupped her mound, now protected only by a thin film of fabric. "You want more?" asked Buffy. Dawn nodded vigorously and Buffy dropped to her knees.

Leaning back against the shelving units, Dawn shut her eyes tight, concentrating on Buffy's every move, feeling every touch.

With her panties swiftly disposed of, Dawn's teenage curls tickled Buffy's nose as her tongue reached out in exploration of Dawn's most private place, licking and lapping and sucking until the inevitable climax. Whimpering softly as she came, Dawn's knees buckled and she slid to the floor. Her eyes fluttered open to find Buffy's face now opposite hers.

"Oh, Joan," she sighed, "you are the best."

Buffy reached out to stroke Dawn's glossy mane then pulled her in for a deep meaningful kiss. "And you are so beautiful," she replied with a smile.

Dawn blushed at the compliment, then boldly pushed her hand down Buffy's waistband and into her panties. Encountering the naked wetness between Buffy's legs excited Dawn and made her bolder still. Immediately inserting two fingers, she began to massage Buffy's clitoris with the ball of her thumb and circle her fingers in one easy movement.

Suddenly she stopped, realising she'd missed out on something that Buffy hadn't, Dawn licked her sticky fingers, then, like a cat that had just found a bowl of cream, dropped her head between Buffy's thighs and tore open her pants and began to lap from the source of all pleasure.

Several orgasms later they lay together on the floor, happy in each other's arms. "Joan?" said Dawn, giving her lover a little kiss.

Buffy grinned and kissed her back. "Yes, Umad?"

"About tomorrow... what's going to happen?"

"I don't know. But don't worry, I'll protect you," she yawned and kissed Dawn's sleepy head, "after all, tomorrow's just another day," she added, and then, like Dawn had just done, fell sound asleep.

...

Morning's light had not yet reached the back of the shop when a stiff and uncomortable Dawn awoke. Her eyes opened and she smiled at the sight of the blonde figure lightly snoring on the floor next to her. Then she gasped in shock as her missing memories suddenly came flooding back along with the realisation of what she - they - had done. But after a while composure returned and she focussed again on her slumbering companion.

"I know we'll never be this close again," she whispered regretfully, "but know this. Right or wrong I love you, Buffy, and that will never, ever change."

And it didn't.