Graveyard: Early Monday Evening

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

It was her last patrol in Fandom. After that it was over the causeway and then... whatever came next. She'd sent out a *handwavey* e-mail and left notes for various people to let them know if they wanted to see her off, that this would be the place for it.

Sitting on a gravestone, Mel took one last look around. Could someone really feel sentimental about a graveyard?

[Goodbye post for Mel. If you think you got notification then you did. Will be subject to bouts of AFK-ness throughout the day.]

Comments

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"C'mon, Dawn," Mel said with a small sad grin. "You knew I couldn't stay here forever."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"No," she shook her head, "I'm sure I didn't sign anything or see anything that said you had permission to leave. Nope, sorry. You're stuck. Where's your stuff, I'll help you take it back to the dorms."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Everything I want I'm taking with me," Mel said gesturing to her outfit, which included the scythe, several stakes (most labeled courtesy of Willow), a couple of daggers and a certain leather coat that used to belong to a vampire.

"Anything else I'm taking with me. And I am leaving, Summers. It's time."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"But I don't want you to go. Who's going to be your Watcher?"

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"You're always going to be my Watcher, Summers," Mel said sincerely. "You and Xander. I don't want anyone else. But we both know I can't stick around here forever. I'm just honored that I could be your first slayer. The next one who gets you is going to be pretty damn lucky."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"Except for the comparisons I'll be making to you all the time, sure," she shrugged. "You need someone to watch your back, though."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"I worked solo for a long time before I came here," Mel said. "And as long as you make your future charges say 'Rocketship, I say cut 'em a break."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"Rocketships, space shuttles, the entire NASA program, you got it," she nodded, not intending to give in in the slightest. "They do have some big clunky shoes to fill, though."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Mel gave Dawn a sad smile. "Listen," Mel said, "I'm really crappy with this whole mushy stuff, but I wanted to give you something."

She reached into pocket and pulled out Erin's police badge and offered it to Dawn.

"This was my sister's. I want you to have it."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn stared down at the badge for a minute, then realized where it must have come from. "I--are you sure?"

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Mel nodded looking a little choked up. "She would have liked you. Being a police officer meant everything to her and-"

Mel paused for a moment and try to reel in some of her feelings and forced a grin.

"She would have wanted it to go to family. I can't think of another person other than Xander that I'd give this to."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn was going to be crying like a girl in a minute, see if she wasn't.

She sniffled, then grinned damply back at Mel.

"I'll take good care of it, but you might want to visit it once in a while, in case."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Don't start crying on me, Summers," Mel said, swallowing once or twice. "This whole goodbye thing sucks as it is."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"Can there be hugging goodbye?"

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Mel let out a chuckle and reached out for her friend. "Tell anyone else and I'll deny it."