Disclaimer: Nothing here is mine, or else I would be doing much more exciting things than writing this.

Pairing: D/C, a little angsty B/A

Rating: PG-13

Author's Notes: Here is the second installment of my Dawn & Connor trilogy. This picks up right where Falling left off. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Explanations and Decisions

Buffy gaped at Dawn. Then she focused her gaze on Connor. "Excuse my French, but who the hell are you?"

Connor tried to smile. "I'm Connor. It's nice to meet you too."

Angel realized he should interrupt before things got really out of hand. "Buffy, can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Buffy ignored him. "What do you want with my sister? What are you even doing here?" she demanded.

Dawn reached out and squeezed Connor's hand. "Buffy, calm down. I think you should go talk to Angel."

Buffy looked from Dawn, to Angel, to Connor, and back to Dawn. "Why? What is Angel's connection to this boy?"

"I'm his father," Angel said quietly.

Buffy froze. Then she slowly turned to face him. Her expression was a mix of hurt, confusion, and anger. "W-what?"

"Buffy..." he reached out and took her hand. "I need to talk to you alone."

Not really knowing what to say, she went with Angel, but not before looking at Connor one last time. Angel led her into his office and closed the door.

Dawn sighed. "Well that went well."

"It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. She didn't try to fight me, so that's a plus," Connor said hopefully.

Dawn stared at the office door worriedly. "I guess."

Cordelia came out from behind the desk and smiled at the couple. "You guys did great."

"You don't think we were too drastic? Like springing this on her all at once like that?" Dawn asked.

Cordelia shook her head. "No, honey. It was the only was you could do it. And this is in Angel's hands now. Let's just hope he can get through to her."

"I owe you an apology. I should have told you when you dropped Dawn off; I really wanted to but I 't find the words," Angel began.

"But...it's not possible. I thought vampires..." Buffy's eyes were wide, and she still had that hurt, confused expression on her beautiful face. Just the sight of her pain was more than Angel could stand.

"Can't have children. I know. So did I, until last year."

Buffy frowned. "Last year? But he looks about eighteen years old."

Angel sighed and sat down. "That's because he is. It's a really long story, so can you just let me-"

"Who's his mother?" Buffy asked quietly.

"Darla," Angel replied, looking down.

Buffy bit her lip. "When we talked, after I came back, you told me that she was alive, but you didn't tell me that you slept with her, or that you had a baby together!"

"That's because I didn't know yet. Look, two years ago when Darla came back she messed with my head a lot. It drove me to the edge. I fired Cordy and Wes, I was completely lost. Then I slept with her, and it was my wake up call," Angel said. He looked Buffy in the eye. "But you need to know that it meant nothing. It was just sex."

"You didn't...lose your soul," Buffy said slowly, feeling slightly better.

"No. Because I wasn't happy. Not like I was on the night that you and I..." his voice trailed off. He closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "I got back on track, things were finally right again. But then last year, after I saw you, Darla came back, and she was pregnant. None of us knew how it was possible, but it turns out there was a prophecy. About the human child born from two vampires. It said that he would play a major role in the battle between good and evil. That child was Connor."

"Darla had a lot of problems during the pregnancy. She couldn't handle carrying a human child. She sacrificed herself so Connor would live. But the problems didn't end there. There were lots of demon groups after Connor, because he was so important to the world." He smiled slightly. "As usual, Wolfram & Hart took a special interest."

"But how is he eighteen years old?" Buffy asked, still confused.

"There was a man, a vampire hunter named Holtz that Darla and I terrorized back when I didn't have a soul. He made a deal with demon, skipped centuries to wake up here and make me pay. And he did. He took Connor into a demon dimension and raised him as his own, as payback for his family that I killed."

"Oh my God," Buffy said softly. "How did you get him back?"

"We didn't actually. I tried everything, the stain is still on the lobby floor from one of the darker attempts. But eventually he found his way back on his own. Time moves faster where he was, so he was a teenager. He came back to kill me. Holtz had made him hate me. He also came along for the ride. For a while we were making progress in our relationship, but then Holtz died. I think he must have made it look like I killed him, because Connor sent me on a one way trip to the bottom of the ocean."

Buffy sat up straight. "What?"

"I was there all summer. Wesley found me. So Connor and I don't exactly have a loving relationship," he said sadly.

"Wow. Angel, I'm really sorry that you had to go through all of that. But that still doesn't explain your son being my sister's boyfriend."

Angel laughed. "I can't explain it either. But they really hit it off this week. I've never seen Connor happier. And I know that he really cares about Dawn."

Buffy paced around the room. "So he wants to come to Sunnydale."

"I guess. They decided that on their own."

Buffy looked at Angel. "Would you be okay with that?"

Angel looked sad. "I would miss him. But all I want is for him to be happy. And right now, he is happy wherever Dawn is."

Buffy shook her head. "I only left her for one week."

Angel smiled. "It only took a minute for me to fall in love with you."

Buffy blinked, slightly taken aback. There was a brief moment of silence.

"Buffy, I know that you only want to protect your sister. But you don't need to protect her from Connor. He really is an amazing kid. And he's a very good fighter, he could really help you out."

"But Angel, I can't let my little sister have her heart broken," Buffy said.

"You don't have to worry about that." Angel reached across the desk and took her hand. "Maybe this is their chance. Maybe they can have what we...what we can't."

Buffy felt a tear roll down her cheek. "So I guess I'd better clear some space on the couch. But if he tries anything with Dawn, he will be on the next bus to LA."

Angel laughed. "Sounds good."

Buffy stood up and wiped the tears off her face. "Well I guess we'd better go tell them the good news."

Angel stood up as well. "They will be thrilled." Buffy headed for the door, but Angel stopped her before she could open it. "Buffy..."

Buffy turned around. "What?"

He looked into her eyes. "When I was in that box at the bottom of the ocean...all I thought about was you. Getting out so I could see you one more time."

Buffy reached out and touched his face. She searched for the right words, but failed to find any. Instead she just turned around and went back into the lobby.

Dawn jumped up when she saw Buffy and Angel emerge from the office. Connor took her hand, and they stood there together.

"Angel and I discussed it, and we've decided that if you two want to be together, who are we to stop you," Buffy said.

Dawn gasped. "You really mean it? He can come back to Sunnydale with us?"

"Yes."

Dawn shrieked and threw herself at Connor, who spun her around and kissed her. "Thank you so much," Connor said to Buffy. "All I'm asking for is a couch to crash on until I get my own place." Buffy nodded, and smiled at him.

Angel stood beside Buffy. "I think it's time for a proper introduction. Buffy, meet Connor. My son."

Buffy reached out and shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Dawn was beside herself with joy. "Let's go get our bags!" she ran for the stairs.

"Connor, do you want me to send your stuff from your apartment?" Angel asked.

Connor shook his head. "It's all upstairs. I moved out today. I knew that you would make the right decision." Then he followed Dawn.

Buffy turned to Angel and smiled. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted when Willow entered the hotel.

"Buffy? Are you almost ready?" she asked, waving to Angel and the others.

Buffy sighed. "Yeah, just waiting for Dawn and her boyfriend to get their stuff."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "I'm guessing this is a long story?"

"Understatement of the year," Buffy said dully. "Tell everyone we'll be right out." Willow nodded and went back outside.

"I can't believe she gave in that easy!" Dawn shrieked, as they began to maneuver their bags from her room. "Connor, this is going to be so amazing. It's a new beginning for us!"

Connor grinned at her. "I know. And it should be fun, I've always wanted to go to the Hellmouth."

Dawn smiled wryly. "Believe me, it looks much better on the brochure."

They reentered the lobby and joined Buffy and Angel. "Got everything?" Buffy asked, noticing the big stuffed dolphin Dawn was holding. Connor must have gotten it for her.

Dawn nodded. "Yup. Just let me say goodbye." She hurried over and exchanged quick hugs with Cordy and Fred, and said goodbye to Wesley and Gunn. Meanwhile, Connor turned to his father awkwardly.

"Take care of yourself," Angel said to his son. "And you know that if you ever need anything I'm just a phone call away." Connor nodded.

"Thanks Dad," he said honestly. "For letting me go."

Angel nodded, truly touched that his son had called him dad. "Be happy. And take care of Dawn. Or else we're both going to have one angry slayer on our hands."

Buffy laughed. "You got that right."

Dawn returned, accompanied by Cordelia, who gave Connor a quick kiss on the cheek. Dawn hugged Angel, and thanked him for everything. Then she and Connor went outside. Buffy lingered behind for another moment.

"Thank you," she said to her former lover.

Angel nodded. "Anything for you." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. They gazed at each other for one long moment before Buffy left.

Angel stood there for a moment, then headed upstairs. "I'll be upstairs if anyone needs me," he muttered. Then he was gone.

Cordelia stared after him sympathetically. "Poor Angel."

"I know. Connor left, and he had to see Buffy, and explain everything. It must be really hard for them," Fred commented. Then the two women sighed, and went back to work.

Outside, the Scooby Gang, complete with the newest recruits, sat waiting in the two cars. Xander, Willow, Anya, Spike, and a potential named Kennedy sat in Xander's car, while Giles and two potentials named Molly and Annabelle waited in the rental car. Everyone was getting quite bored, Buffy had been inside for over 30 minutes. The fact that everyone was jet lagged didn't help much either. And everyone was dying to see Dawn's boyfriend, especially Spike, who had snapped out of his little trance as soon as he heard that his Niblet was dating.

When the three emerged from the hotel, everyone craned their necks. "Kinda scrawny," Spike said with a frown.

"I think he's cute," Willow said, smiling.

Anya laughed. "But your opinion doesn't really count on that, does it?"

Dawn, Connor, and Buffy reached the car before Willow could reply. "Hi guys," Dawn said. "This is Connor. My boyfriend." Mostly everyone waved and smiled, except for the potentials, who didn't really know what was going on, and Spike, who was fuming.

"We'll have to squeeze," Buffy said, after they put the bags in the trunk. "You guys get in the back." Buffy got in the front with Giles, while Dawn and Connor squeezed in the back with Annabelle and Molly. Everyone was pretty silent as the cars pulled away from the Hyperion Hotel. Connor slipped his arm around Dawn's shoulders, and she leaned back. They were on their way to a wonderful new life together.