." Dawn replied hesitantly, and Buffy slowly looked up."Then... then why?" Buffy sniffled."Um... I... I just have some stuff going on that I needed to... work out. But it's over now. Everything's fine now." No it's not. Dawn, you cut yourself." Yeah I know. I was there." Dawn, what drove you to do it if it wasn't me? If it's really over, then it shouldn't matter whether I know or not. And if it's not over, I need to know. Maybe I can help you." No. This isn't something you can help with." So it's. " I don't think you do, Ben. The reality is you prefer to watch, don't you?" She still had a puzzled expression."Well, perhaps sometimes, Kelly, I suppose you could say that, yes." Did I really mean that? It was too late. I'd already said it."I wish I could understand you, Ben." And then she began to cry."I wish I could understand myself. But I do love you, Kelly, I swear."She did not answer me but continued to cry silently. The pillow was now wet with her tears. I kissed her wet salty cheek. “I said when I agreed to pick you up that I would not force you to do something that you were not ready for.”Constance’s hand pressed down on the bed. She slowly rose to her feet, emerging from behind the bed. Her face was bright red as she stood and turned to face me.The young woman was wearing some creation of lace on her chest. It looked a bit like a bra, but had panels that stretched from the band just below her breasts to just above the waist band of the thong style panties that barely. "No, you wouldn't have," Pernice interrupted. "Or at least I wouldn't have. I am here for one purpose."He gestured to Bralan."If it were anyone else anointed as Heiress, I would not have returned," he said flatly. "I agreed to come because it was Bralan, my friend and fellow warrior, who will ascend. The others will come for the same reason. I believe Freeland would have offered refuge for any who sought it. But I don't believe we would have fought in a war for anything less than one of our.