By Dawn's Early Light by Grundy

---

Where The Heart Is

---

Buffy was torn when they left Thranduil’s halls. On the one hand, the wood elves knew how to throw a party. Mirkwood feasts were a little more boisterous than those of Lothlorien. (Also, the elves of Mirkwood were considerably earthier than the Galadhrim.) And now that he’d finally loosened up around her, she wouldn’t have minded spending more time with Legolas – especially given that she did have some getting even to do with her brothers, and she felt like he’d be a good ally. On the other hand- parents who were almost definitely pretty unhappy with her right now. And possibly grandparents as well.

It hadn’t occurred to her before, but she was feeling sort of lucky at the moment that aside from her parents, grandmother, grandfather, and siblings, Thranduil and Legolas as the closest thing to family she has here. The familial disapproval might be intense, but it will be limited. It’s not like she had a huge extended family the way some of the wood elves do. Not on this side of the sea, at least.

And her brothers were so in trouble for letting her find out from Legolas that they’re cousins. Thankfully, they’re not close kin- their grandfathers were first cousins. She might actually remember that bit of genealogy, considering how she’d learned it...

Legolas was a wonderful source of information. He just had the world’s worst sense of timing about when to share it. The bit about elven marriage practices, for instance. That definitely should have been shared sooner. At least there had been no harm done. They were both still single. Not that she thought Thranduil would have been too bothered if she had done the local equivalent of a drunk Vegas wedding with his son, but she and Legolas are both pretty sure that they’re better as friends.

It was probably just as well they were leaving before she accidentally found a way to publicly embarrass herself.

Travelling with Bilbo, Mithrandir, and Beorn was fun. Bilbo believed in regular meals and comfort whenever possible – and it was mostly possible, now that he was hanging out with elves, a wizard, and a skinchanger the entire region now knew not to mess with. The hobbit also, against expectation, turned out to be a pretty good cook. Buffy had gotten the impression from what she knew of him that he was the sort of gentleman who had servants. But Bilbo had assured her after he’d caught her curious stare at the campfire the first evening that all hobbits adored food - as such, those who could not cook with some degree of skill were rare, and something of an embarrassment to their families.

Mithrandir favored her with plenty of lore and history of Arda as they rode, apparently aware without being told just how much she didn’t know that an elf her age and official adult status should have known. He also seemed to realize that while the nature stuff was interesting, she particularly liked to hear anything he cared to tell them about dragons. The wizard even managed to make it sound like much of what he was saying was for Bilbo’s benefit instead of hers. She meant to find some way to thank him privately before he went his separate way.

Beorn was just plain fascinating. He’s not the first skinchager she’s ever known, but he is the first bear, and unlike werewolves, he’s fully in control of his transformation. As curious as she was about him, she held back from asking too many question, partly because she wasn’t sure if it was rude, and partly because he’s got that whole laconic thing going. She would have called the emotion that rose within her when it occurred to her how much he reminded her of Oz homesickness except for one thing.

To her own surprise, she realized that she no longer thought of Sunnydale as ‘home’. Somewhere in the mixed up, muddled up adventure that had been their trip to the Woodland Realm, Imladris had turned into the picture that came to mind whenever someone said home. Instead of palm trees and beaches, there were waterfalls and mountains in her mind’s eye now.

Home for her has always been wherever her family is, and that’s Imladris. Her brothers, her sisters, and her parents are all at home there, so she’ll find a way to be at home there, too. She thought quietly about California, and then silently bid it farewell, finally accepting once and for all that Sunnydale was nothing more than a memory, a place where she’d lived for a few years- a blink of an eye for an elf.

Elrohir bumped against her, accidentally on purpose.

You are thinking thoughts of that other place, little sister. Do you miss it so much, truly?

He sounded wistful, and a little sad.

She shook her head.

I miss the people I knew. Giles, Angel, Oz. Wow, I even miss Spike. That’s something I never thought I’d say. But I miss home more.

The brightening of his face when he realized what she meant was better than miruvor, and twice as warming. A wave of joy washed over them both from Elladan.

We will be home soon enough, he said jubilantly, and you will be happy when you see what kind of welcome we get. Ada never forbids us from travelling, but he is always pleased at our return.

Buffy hoped he’d be pleased to see her, despite the whole accidental battle thing.

Ada will never not be pleased to see you, Elladan said firmly. You are his daughter.

And even if he is a bit annoyed, Elrohir added, you are still here.

That both her brothers touch her then, almost as if reassuring themselves what Elrohir has just said is true, suddenly made clear just how deeply shaken her family had been all those years that passed in Arda, in a way Buffy hadn’t understood before. It wasn’t just the uncertainty of the loss, of not knowing what had happened to Celebrian and her daughter.

Because even without the physical touch, she could feel her brothers’ presence. She hadn’t understood the importance of that before the battle, but after, she finds herself brushing against their minds every so often, just checking in. Even though she’s at a distance, she was also faintly aware of Dawn – Tindomiel, whatever she chooses to call herself now. Arwen was closer, a blaze of starlight and joy in the back of her mind. And her parents, too. If she focused, she could probably find grandmother and grandfather as well. And if it was like this for her, if it’s already so natural that she takes their presence for granted and would be alarmed if they were suddenly gone…

Her brothers and Arwen and their father spent hundreds of years with an empty space where she and her mother should have been, a lack of presence they could not have avoided. A wound that wouldn’t heal – and one that they must have felt immediately when her mother moved from one world to the other. It’s how her brothers arrived so quickly the day she, her mother, her sister, and the Scoobies left Sunnydale for good.

That was a very good day, Elladan said quietly. One we had given up hoping for.

Which is how we can be quite sure that Ada will not be as angry as you fear, Elrohir assured her. You could dance through Mordor naked and he would do nothing more than scold so long as you came back alive and unharmed.

Though we would prefer you not test that theory, Elladan added hastily.

She rolled her eyes.

Why exactly would I want to dance through Mordor naked? Isn’t that where the Big Bad used to hang? Surely dancing through it with a sword would be more useful.

Her brothers sigh in sync.

It was a joke, sisterling. Meant to be ridiculous- so that you don’t get ideas. If we said ‘Mordor’ and ‘sword’, you would certainly be tempted.

Would not! she retorted. I’ve had enough of battle for a while. I want to go home, let Ada spoil me, and catch up on Scooby time and Dawn time.

And Nana? Elladan prompted, well aware that she did not expect their mother to be nearly as calm about her doings.

And let Nana yell at me and hopefully not lock me up for the rest of time.

She’d rather not tell her brothers about the time she was thrown out of the house. She didn’t want them to worry about Mom’s reaction the way she’s worrying. She also didn’t want them to feel like they had to pick between them. Whatever ripped her mother and her out of Middle Earth has already hurt her family enough. She’s not going to add to the damage.