The Newest Kitten

Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy are not mine, sadly. They belong to the people at Fox, the WB, UPN and of course the Evil Tyrant of all things Buffy, Joss Whedon.

Description: Though there is an emphasis on W/T, this is a D/T story(not in a romantic way though, are you crazy?). A little sappy I know, but since Joss took them away from me, I'm going to do exactly what I want to with them in my stories. Tara does live on.

Quick Explanation of the Title: Posters at The Kitten, The Witches and The Bad Wardrobe board are known as "kittens". After Dawn's wonderful reactions to the couple in Seeing Red, she was declared by the board to be an official kitten.

Spoilers: The entire season six. BSD fully revealed. Set after the Tara Trials (if you missed them, they basically tell how Tara came back to life).

Rated: PG-13

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Dawn felt lonely, more lonely than she had ever felt in her life. When her mom and sister had died, she thought things had reached an all-time low, but now she knew she had been wrong. Tara was dead. Anya had left in disgrace. Spike had left in worse than disgrace. Giles had gone back to England. Buffy was still coping with her problems, leaving her somewhat distant. Xander was doing the same. And the events of the past spring had left Willow so scarred that Dawn feared she might never fully be the girl she once had been. At times like this Dawn's soul ached more than ever for Tara's comforting presence.

Sometimes when she slept she felt better. She'd even had a few dreams where Tara had told her that everything was going to be alright.

But then the morning always came.

Dawn sighed. She sat on the couch, flipping through channels of cartoons that she had no intention of actually watching. The familiar noise made her feel a little better. Willow and Buffy were both still asleep. How they could sleep in so late baffled her. After all, Dawn had started joining the late night patrols, and she got just as exhausted as the rest of the scoobies did slaying the creatures of the night. But there was something in her that made her want to live for the next day. Something she couldn't explain. Perhaps it was that so many of the people she loved had died, yet she lived. She couldn't waste the chances that they never had.

Dawn felt the tears coming on and she pushed them back. She had cried enough all summer. Impatient, she decided to try again with Willow. After all, much like the demon controls the vampire, the magic had controlled Willow to say those horrible things about her. It had not been the true thoughts of Willow herself. Dawn had already forgiven her.

Dawn went to Willow's door. She paused for a moment, thinking she heard giggling. That was odd. Willow hadn't giggled since ... well since the day she and Tara had got back together. Dawn shook her head to clear it. Willow must have the television on. Dawn knocked.

Willow's voice called back, "Just a minute!" in a somewhat startled tone.

There was murmuring. Dawn realized the television was not on.

Willow opened the door a crack. "Dawn! Is there something you need?" Willow was wearing a bathrobe. A hastily closed bathrobe.

"Who is in there?" Dawn asked, feeling nausea attack her insides. How could Willow? After everything. After Tara. How could she touch someone else? How could she even look at someone else? Dear God, how could she giggle with someone else?

A waver of uncertainty flickered across Willow's face. She stepped out of her room, shutting the door behind her. "Look, let's sit down and talk about this. I have something important to tell you-"

"Let me guess, you needed to move on with your life and now you have. I can't believe you. I thought you were more loyal than that. Whoever she is, she'll never be half the person Tara was!"

The door opened and Tara emerged, clad only in a sheet.

"Uh honey, maybe we should show her first and explain later."

Dawn wasn't sure how to handle the new information in front of her.

"A bot?" she asked.

Tara didn't even answer the question. She didn't have to. She took Dawn's hand lovingly in her own and looked into her eyes. "I came back," she said.

Dawn looked over at Willow. "You raised her? But I thought your magic was gone."

"She didn't do a thing. Actually she did plentyto inspire me, but she didn't use any magic. I came back," Tara repeated.

"How?"

"I couldn't stay in heaven when people here on earth needed me," Tara told her lovingly.

The tears of hurt that Dawn had held back only a few minutes before came flooding down her cheeks. This time, they were tears of joy.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you!" Dawn hugged Tara tightly.

Tara hugged her back. "Whoops!" Tara caught her sheet as it started to slip, nearly revealing what was for Willow's eyes only.

Dawn didn't even notice. "There were so many things I wanted to tell you. Things I thought I'd never get the chance to say ..."

"Then how about you let me get dressed and we'll say them, alright?" Tara said, asking both her lover and Dawn the question.

Willow nodded. "You two should talk. We'll have plenty of time to be together later. Plenty. Because I'm never letting you go again." Willow kissed her passionately, onlookers be damned!

This time it was Dawn who giggled. Willow pulled away, blushing slightly. "Don't stop on my account!" Dawn told her.

"If I don't stop, I won't be able to stop, and then you'll never get a chance to talk. I'll be waiting honey." She gave Tara another quick peck.

Tara hurriedly threw on her Goddess garb, as she had no idea where the rest of her clothing was. Her clothes had all been in her apartment when she had died. She would have to ask Willow later what had become of it. Not that she had much need for it when her red-headed soul mate was around.

Tara and Dawn sat down on the steps.

"Wow, you look beautiful," Dawn began. Tara smiled, only increasing her beauty. "I guess what I wanted to say is that I love you. I never told you that before, and I didn't know if you knew. You've always been the kindest, most giving person I know. Like last year, you were there for me. Always. And I was so wrapped up in my own problems that I never stopped long enough to think about how you were feeling, with the break up and moving out and everything. But you never complained, you just sat there while I worried about not getting enough attention. God, I was so selfish!"

"You were hurting too," Tara assured her. "It's not selfish to be in pain, it's only selfish if you wallow in that pain, and refuse to let anyone in to help you."

"Well," Dawn admitted, "I did a lot of that too."

Tara laughed. "But it sounds like you're not going to do that anymore. You've grown a lot since I left."

"Thanks." Dawn beamed. "I also wanted you to know that you're probably the best friend I ever had. Well, pretty much the only friend."

Tara was concerned. "Don't you make friends at school?"

Dawn shrugged. "What's the point. If I care about someone, they'll only get hurt or die."

Tara put her arm around Dawn. "Now I want you to listen to me. People get hurt because there is a dark force that controls Sunnydale, not because you love them. Love is wonderful and I don't ever want you to shut it out." The glow from her reunion with her lover emphasized to Dawn indeed how wonderful love was. "I'm glad you're my friend, and even more glad that I'm yours. But I shouldn't be your only friend. I want as many people as possible to get to know the wonderful young woman that is my Dawnie."

Dawn blushed, and not just at the compliment. "Well, actually there is someone ..."

Tara caught on, "But not necessarily just a friend, right?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe. I know I'm just in high school, but I think I might be in love."

Tara nudged her. "That's wonderful. Tell me about him. I'm not an expert on boys but-"

"It isn't exactly a boy."

Further realizations hit her. "Oh! Well, then it looks like I'm a good one to talk to after all, because I am an expert at pining away over another girl." She glanced fondly back at the bedroom. "And sometimes, it pays off. Does she know?"

"Nobody knows. Except you of course. You won't tell Buffy will you?" Dawn pleaded. "I just need to figure out myself first before I try and go explaining it to others."

"Of course not. You take your time. Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

"Because I'm gay?"

"No, because you're in love. You might have a harder time of it than others, but in the end love makes everything worthwhile."

"Speaking of love," Dawn told her, "I should let you get back to Willow. The two of you have some catching up to do."

"Yeah we do." Tara and Dawn started giggling like crazy. "I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me too."

"You know, anytime you need me ..."

"You'll be there. I know." Dawn gave her a sly wink. "And I'll make sure to always, always knock first."