maevebran

Title: A Little Vacation

Author: Maeve Bran

Rating: K+

Summary: Zack and Dawn get a little time off before going back to the Jeffersonian.

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

Twistedshorts Challenge: #45 "Summer Fun"

Notes: Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Offshoot of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries. Takes place hours after "Our Mrs. Addy."

Dawn and Zack Addy were sitting on the couch in Dawn's apartment. Across from them, in chairs snagged from the kitchen table, sat Special Agent Seeley Booth and Dr. Temperance Brennan. The air was tense and no one really wanted to be the first to speak.

Finally, Booth spoke. "Tell us again what happened?" he asked, sounding incredulous.

"We were at a party and wound up at the First Church of Elvis, where we got married," Zack explained for fifth time.

Booth laughed-- again-- like this was the funniest thing he had ever heard.

"You find this funny, Agent Booth?" asked Dawn. "If you had been there and brooding, Buffy would have married you," she retorted.

Booth was trying to take a drink of his coffee when Dawn made that statement, but instead of actually swallowing it he ended up spraying it all over the intervening coffee table. Brennan came to his rescue with some napkins and started wiping it up while glaring at him.

"Why would you say that?" Booth asked, after he had regathered some semblance of composure.

"Well, it goes back to you looking like Angel. If you haven't noticed he spends a significant amount of time brooding . . . " Dawn let that thought complete itself in the minds of her audience.

"We were talking about you and Zack, not Booth and Buffy," Brennan reminded Dawn. "I know it has been sudden, but do you have any idea what you might do now?"

"Like I told Buffy when she and Willow were here this morning, I can go to school just as well in DC as here. I know I will have to wait until the fall semester, as it is probably too late to apply for the spring term now," Dawn answered.

"So you do intend to stay married?" Booth asked, figuring that it might be safe to speak now that Brennan was occupied with other thoughts.

"Yes, we thought we might as well give it a try since we . . . " Zack stopped and blushed, leaving both his boss and her FBI man with no doubt what he would have said. "I mean we can't procure an annulment."

"If that is the case, then I'm telling you to take a couple weeks off. Talk to Hodgins about moving your bride into your apartment . . ." Brennan suggested.

Dawn looked at Zack. "Why would you need to talk to Hodgins about my moving in?" she inquired.

"Because I live above his garage" answered Zack, not in the least ashamed.

"You live over someone's garage?" Dawn shrieked.

Zack was too concerned with the fact that his new wife was shrieking to answer, so Booth spoke hurriedly to fill the gap. " I'm told that it is really quite the garage, with twelve cars and a boat. The apartment has a bedroom, living room, kitchen, another bedroom, a den, and two bathrooms."

"Oh, if that's the case, I guess it will be all right." Dawn was placated by Booth description.

"I won't object to your presence, as long as you understand that Zack's job comes with long hours." Brennan returned to the topic of Dawn moving to DC.

"That's alright, world savage and slaying have long hours and little thanks. So I'm used to it. Besides, Willow was relieved to find out that she would no longer have to be Toni's Watcher. Watching your girlfriend is really awkward," Dawn assured her.

"I wont expect to see either of you in DC until the last week of January. That gives you two and a half weeks to get everything straightened out," Brennan said.

Packing Dawn's stuff and arranging for the movers to move it only took a week and a half. So they had a week to enjoy as vacation. Vegas was having a heat wave, so they stayed in town. One day they toured the major casinos for their attractions. Another they stayed in. Today, however, they were at the beach on Lake Mead.

Dawn spread out two beach towels next to each other. Zack helped her slather on the sunscreen, and then she returned the favor. They laid there about talking of their respective histories. She told him about being the Key and how Buffy had sacrificed herself. Zack told her stories about growing up with three brothers and four sisters.

"You had an interesting life," Zack said.

"Especially when you consider I've only existed for about four years but have the memories of a nineteen year old," Dawn said without the bitterness that once would have accompanied the statement. "But the day is too nice to talk about Sunnydale. How about we go on those jet skis? Or would they be too dangerous or unsound?" she teased him.

"I have no problem with jet skis as they don't go over any structures. I object to driving because of the lack of structural integrity of many roads and bridges," Zack explained.

A few hours later they were again relaxing in the sun after having gone on the jet skis and swimming. After another hour or so of lounging they decided to go home and get something to eat. They got to her apartment and opened the door to find Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles all waiting for them. A banner saying "Congratulations" in sparkly silver on a white background hung above the kitchen counter. Beneath the banner was a small stack of presents.

"We thought that there should be at least one celebration of your nuptials," Giles explained. They moved and revealed a buffet prepared on the counter.

"Grab a plate and dig in," Willow encouraged when no one seemed likely to move. The words spurred Dawn into action.

"Let me go change and then we'll get the party started," Dawn said and then realized this did not bode well. A Summers party? It was doomed. She might be Mrs. Addy, but she had chosen to keep Summers as a second middle name, which indicated how this was going to go. "Wait, are we sure a party is a good idea?"

The Scoobies all looked around, remembering past parties. "Uh, we didn't think of that. I'm sure since we aren't on the Hellmouth we'll be fine," Willow said. "Go change."

Dawn did just that and returned a few minutes later. After Zack had likewise changed everyone dug into the food. Soon the party was in full swing. After exchanging stories of Scooby parties past and why there was some reason for concern, they told some of the funnier stories of Hellmouth life. Then everyone had finished eating.

Buffy brought their attention to the small pile of presents. "I think it is time for them to open these," Buffy said as she brought over a small bag with pastel flowers on it. Dawn removed the tissue paper and revealed a white satin confection. The card said it was from Willow.

"Thank you," Dawn said, blushing furiously. Zack was looking just as embarrassed.

Next, Xander wheeled over a rectangular lump draped in a sheet. Dawn removed the sheet to reveal a wooden chest. Zack was puzzled at the all the trays and odd slots until Dawn said, as she hugged Xander, "Thank you for the weapons chest. I needed a place to story my weapons."

"Weapons?" Zack asked timidly.

"Yes, besides stakes, I have a collection of axes, arrows, bows, crossbows, and Holy Water. All of which I know how to use and must train my slayer to use," Dawn explained.

"Oh," Zack said, a little stunned.

Buffy brought over another oddly shaped package and handed it to Zack, then handed a similar package to Dawn. They opened them to find his and hers short swords. The cards said they came from Angel.

"What am I going to do with this?" Zack asked.

"Don't worry, dear, I'll teach you," Dawn said to the accompaniment of much laughter.

Then came another frilly bag out of which Dawn pulled several more things of satin and lace. This card indicated that Faith and the slayers who survived Sunnydale had banded together and were responsible for the blushes creeping up both Dawn's and Zack's faces.

Then Giles handed Dawn a package that was suspiciously booked shaped. Dawn opened it to find the Legends of Vishnu. "It may come in handy. I know you don't have it. It was one of the books that I had shipped to England and therefore survived the Hellmouth," Giles explained. Dawn jumped up and hugged him.

Buffy brought the last gift over. "I saved the best till last," she said as she handed a silver box to Dawn. Inside were several framed pictures. Dawn lifted out the top one. It was a picture of Buffy, Dawn and Zack taken a month ago in front of the Washington Monument. The next one was of Dawn and Buffy at the Hyperion Hotel the morning after the Hellmouth. The last picture was of Buffy, Dawn, and Joyce taken months before Joyce had died.

"How?" Dawn finally managed to ask.

"I had sent some pictures to Angel that year. He had copies made and sent to me after we had settled here knowing I had lost everything." Buffy explained. "I had this one enlarged and framed for you." Dawn launched herself into her sister's arms and they both cried. For all they lost and all that had come since and for the separation to come.

When they finally broke apart Buffy addressed Zack. "Welcome to the family, such as it is." She hugged him. "But if you hurt her, I will beat you to death with a shovel."

When everyone looked at her strangely, she said, "What? A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend."

(fin)

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