Displaced ↠ BTVS [1]

four; summers' blood

"Maybe home is nothing but two arms holding you tight when you're at your worst." -Unknown

Paige's POV

First, let me start out by asking this: how would you react if your grandmother, who had died long before you were born, suddenly appeared in front of you?

And let me leave you with this thought: if you had a chance to talk to someone you loved that had passed away, what would you say to them?

-

"What can I do for you?"

I stood there, utterly speechless.

"I-I uh-um...."

She raised eyebrows, smiling.

"Yes?"

My first instinct, besides to fall over, was to hug her. How badly I wanted wrap my arms around her and tell her that I loved her; I still cannot express.

Why....was she alive? It's not like I wanted her to die or anything, I just - what does that have to do with the Scooby Gang not meeting?

I cleared my throat nervously.

"I'm interviewing neighbors a-b-out their lives f-for the school newspaper - and I-I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?"

"Sure, c'mon in."

I walked into the Summers' house, observing everything around me - that I could. I mean, it wasn't like she was gonna give me a whole house tour.

"Here, have a seat." She smiled and patted the couch.

I sat down.

"Buffy, Dawn, come here please!" She called.

My heart started to beat faster. I had forgotten about them.

So suddenly they appeared.

Dawn came out first, Mom - Buffy slowly following.

They looked the same, although they also looked - solemn. Lonely, sad, confused and afraid.

"This young lady," she gestured to me, "wants to ask us some questions for a school interview - what's your name, honey?" She turned back to me and asked.

"Paige. That's me." I gave a little wave and smiled shyly to the girls.

"I like that name." Dawn smiled a little.

It made me laugh.

You see, my Aunt was the inspiration for my name. She suggested it, Mom liked it, there you have it.

"Gee, I wonder why." I thought.

I had found a piece of paper and pencil in my pocket, so I would proceed to write the answers to the questions down. Mostly so I didn't look suspicious.

"So, what are your names?"

"Joyce Summers, Buffy Anne Summers, and Dawn Summers."

"I'm Joyce Summers, and like I said, these are my daughter's, Buffy and Dawn."

"Your birthdays?" I played with the pencil in my hand.

"June 12, February 29, and January 19."

"Mine's June 12." Joyce said, then gestured over to Buffy and Dawn. "Girls?"

"Oh, uh, February 29th." Dawn fiddled with a blanket on the couch.

I smiled.

My family has always found this hilarious because of Dawn's origin, if you know what I mean.

"Every four years? Wow."

She shrugged. "Officially, yeah, but we celebrate it every year."

"Buffy!" Dawn elbowed her big sister, who was spacing out.

"Huh?" She snapped her head up, confused.

"When's your birthday?" Dawn said, exasperated.

I held back a laugh. I mean, I had watched their sister fights all the time, and they still did it, even in an alternate universe. I guess some things never change.

"J-January 19."

"Okay, um, what would you say your lives are like?"

Joyce tilted her head. "Say it again, dear?"

"What are your lives like? You know, good, bad, perfect, okay, amazing....I could go on."

All three of them laughed, and for a second I felt right at home again.

"You remind a lot of these two." She pointed to her daughters, laughing.

"Yeah. I'm a lot like them." I thought.

"So...your lives?"

"Well, not too exciting. We..."

-

I'll sum up what she said.

In the real world: Buffy was my Mother, Dawn was my Aunt, and Joyce...well, she was dead. Buffy and Dawn were with the Scooby Gang. Buffy was the slayer, but her friends played a big role in that. There was always some to go to. They were happy.

In this world: From what I had gathered, almost everything about their lives was exactly the same, except there was no Scooby Gang, and Joyce was still alive for some reason. With out friends, Buffy was depressed and lonely, and Dawn was angry and sad often. She felt like her sister didn't care about her. Joyce was doing her best to keep her family together, with Buffy being the slayer and everything.

Of course, Joyce didn't say that last part. I just tried to improvise the best I could.

-

I asked a few more questions of off the top of my head, and then I left.

I had thought of a few places Giles could've been, and I wanted to get to him as quickly as possible. I could always come back here anyway.

I hugged everyone goodbye. I felt I needed to.

I hugged Joyce especially tight, because I knew I might not ever get to again.

Ever.

"I love you." I thought as I had my arms wrapped around her.

And here's the amazing thing she hugged me back.

"I have their blood in me," I thought as gave the house one more look before going on my mission to find Giles.

"It's Summers blood."

A/N: Don't totally love this chapter, but hey, it's something.