Unknown Factors (Book One)

Ch.60: You are the one that I desire

  "Candles? We can't have candles?" Dawn questioned as we were cleaning out the magical objects from Willow's room.

  "Dawn, it's a magic clearance."

  "Everything must go." I added.

  "B-But they're just candles."

  "Well, yeah, to you and me, they're just candles...." Buffy began.

  "But to witches, they're like bongs." I finished. Dawn sighed while closing her eyes.

  "So, no candles, no charms. No-"

  "Bird." Willow said as Buffy was heading to the bathroom to clean it out.

  "No bird?"

  "The peacock on the table. It has two crystals in it." Buffy picked up said object and looked inside. "Tara, she....she left them."

  "I'll make sure she gets 'em." Buffy promised. "Aud, could you go ahead and start downstairs?"

  "Uh, sure." Setting down the box full of magic texts, I grabbed an empty box and headed downstairs. Cleaning out the dining room first, I then moved on to the living room. Grabbing a jar off of the table next to the couch, I heard Dawn come down the stairs. "Dawn, do me a solid. Can you grab the fertility god statue on the desk over there?"

  "Kokopelli? No. I-I love him." Dawn looked at me as I glanced at her. "And he was Mom's."

  "Dawn, we gotta." I told her while setting the box under my arm on the coffee table.

  "Why do we have to get rid of so many things I like?"

  "Dawn, Buffy and I explained this to you. Willow has a problem. The next few weeks are gonna be extremely hard on her as it is." Turning, I began to take the cushions off the couch to check for any lost magical items. "Any reminder of what it is that she's trying to stay away from," I continued as I heard her walking to the desk. "you know, could cause her to give in to temptation." Feeling under the cushions, I felt something cold and metallic and pulled it out to see it was a lighter. "And that would be bad." I said in a lower voice, knowing who the owner of the flip lighter was. Tossing it into the box, I went back to searching the couch.

~

  "Dawn, come on. You have to eat breakfast." I called out from the kitchen

  "Xander's gonna be here any second." Buffy added as I was cooking at the stove. "She's gonna be late for school again." She walked over as I was putting ham into the eggs. "How do you think Willow's doing?" Buffy asked while picking up the mixing bowl and whisk to put it into the sink.

  "Better. Not completely okay, but better. She's starting to actually get some sleep, and she's shaking a lot less. Oh, and she said she wanted to do some more research on the stolen diamond." I replied just before Dawn walked in.

  "I called you before." Buffy said.

  "Didn't hear you."

  "Hey, Dawn, making you an omelette. Want anything special on it?" I asked.

  "Not hungry." Listening to her heartbeat, I could tell she was lying. 'She must still be upset with Willow....'

  "Dawn, you need to eat something." Buffy stated.

  "Thanks for your concern." Dawn slammed her glass of juice onto the island before storming out.

  "Why is she lashing out at you? I thought it was Willow she was upset with."