Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, unfortunately.

Rating: PG 13

Pairing: D/C, with a little bit of B/A

Author's Note: Here is my attempt at a D/C fic. Basically this will follow one week in the lives of Dawn

and Connor as they get to know each other. The timeline is a little screwy, but I had to make it work. So this is set in Buffy Season 7/Angel Season 4, after the events of Sleeper and before the events of Apocalypse, Nowish. I know that's a little messed up, but it's the best I could do. Please Read and Review. Thanks! Erin

Chapter 1: First Impressions

Friday afternoon, Sunnydale

"Buffy, I don't understand why I can't come," Dawn complained. She was sitting on the bed in Buffy's room, while her sister was running around throwing clothes into a suitcase. "You're taking Spike, and he's not even sane! So why not me?"

Buffy turned and looked at Dawn. "Dawn, I already explained this to you. We need to go to England because Giles needs our help. I don't even know what we're going to be up against, but if he's having us come all the way there, it must be bad. And I am not letting you get hurt! As for Spike, we think a change of pace could do him good." She continued to pack.

"Well then why can't I stay here? I don't want to go to LA," Dawn said. "I can so stand up for myself, you even started teaching me to fight, or did you conveniently forget that?"

Buffy glared at her sister. "I don't have time for this. We need to be on the road in less than an hour. Are you even packed yet?"

Dawn stood up reluctantly. "No." She began walking out of the room, then stopped. "Does Angel even want me there? I'll probably just get in the way, like I do here," she said spitefully.

Buffy didn't look up this time. "He loved the idea when I talked to him. And of course you won't get in the way," she said, sounding somewhat unconvinced.

Dawn stormed out of the room and entered her own. She threw herself down on the bed. She couldn't believe this. When would Buffy ever trust her to take care of herself? She was sixteen years old. She sighed and stood up to start packing.

Two hours later

Friday night, Los Angeles

Xander's car pulled up outside the Hyperion Hotel. Dawn was somewhat relieved, it was incredibly cramped in the car. Xander was driving, Anya was riding shotgun, and Willow, Buffy, Dawn, and Spike were crammed in the back. It wasn't as bad as the beginning of the ride, when it was still light out and Spike had to lie on the floor covered with a blanket.

"I still can't believe Giles is encouraging me to leave the shop and our source of income," Anya said, sounding extremely irritated.

Buffy closed her eyes for a moment. "Anya, he said that he needs everyone on board." She turned to Dawn before Anya could object. "Are you ready?"

Dawn nodded she climbed over Spike, who had been silent throughout the whole ride. She fetched her bag from the trunk.

"I'll walk you in," Buffy said, trying to hide her anticipation of the fact that she was about to see Angel.

"Bye Dawnie. Have fun," Willow said, smiling. Dawn smiled back and waved to everyone. Then she followed Buffy.

"This is some digs Angel has," Dawn said, looking up at the hotel, impressed. Buffy nodded. Her voice felt strangely frozen at the moment.

They walked through the doors into the lobby. Immediately Cordy came running towards them from behind the desk. "It's the Summers girls! Oh my God, I haven't seen you guys in forever!" she said, hugging them both. Dawn smirked when she realized that she had technically never even met Cordelia or Angel, because all of her memories were fake up until two years ago.

"Wow Cordy, you look great," Buffy said to her former almost-friend.

Cordy grinned. "So do you! And Dawn, you got so big, you are quite the young lady now." Dawn smiled. At that moment Wesley, a small brunette, and a tall black man came out of the office.

"Oh, here they are, you guys know Wesley, and this is Fred and Gunn," Cordy said, introducing them. "Fred, Gunn, this is Buffy and Dawn."

Fred smiled and waved. "Hi!" she said brightly. Dawn instantly liked her.

Gunn looked Buffy up and down. "So this is Buffy," he said. "The slayer."

Buffy smiled. "That's me." She turned to Wesley. "Hi Wesley," she said, trying to ignore her shock at his much changed appearance.

Wesley smiled. "Hello Buffy. Hello Dawn."

At that moment, Angel came down the stairs, accompanied by a flamboyantly dressed green skinned demon. Buffy's heart skipped a little beat, as it always did when she saw her former lover.

Angel smiled as he approached the Summers girls. "Hey! You made it," he said. He locked eyes with Buffy for a moment. He fought the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. "Um, this is Lorne," he said, gesturing to the green demon, and reluctantly breaking his eye contact with Buffy.

"Well if it isn't the Summers women, we've heard so much! All lovely of course," Lorne said, shaking hands with Buffy and Dawn. Lorne was another one that Dawn instantly took a liking to.

"Angel, can I have a word?" Buffy asked, motioning outside. Angel nodded.

"Cordy, why don't you show Dawn her room," he said, before following Buffy.

Cordy put her arm around Dawn. "I have your room all fixed up. Let's go check it out," she said, glancing over her shoulder at Buffy and Angel.

Buffy and Angel walked outside. "I know I can trust you to take care of her," Buffy said quietly.

Angel nodded. "Of course. We'll do everything we can to make Dawn feel at home." He tried to ignore the Scoobies, who were watching their exchange eagerly from the car. "Do you know when you'll be back?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. Hopefully within a week. It's a good thing Dawn's on break from school this week," she said. There was an awkward silence.

"Well Dawn's welcome here for as long as you need. Do you know what kind of trouble there is in England?" he asked, concerned for the safety of his love.

"Don't know. That's the question of the hour. But it must be big if Giles asked all of us to come," she replied.

He frowned. "Well please be careful." His mind was racing, there was so many things he knew he should tell Buffy. Connor was the one thing that sprang to his mind. Buffy still didn't know that he had a son. But she interrupted his thoughts.

"I should really be going, we have a plane to catch," she said. "I'll just say goodbye to Dawn," she said, heading back inside.

Angel nodded. Against his better judgement, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Be careful. We'll take good care of Dawn here."

She was slightly taken aback by his kiss, but smiled. "I know."

They headed inside and out of the watchful gaze of the Scoobies. Dawn and Cordy were just coming back downstairs.

"Well, bye Dawn. Be good," Buffy said, giving her sister a hug.

Dawn smirked. "I'll try not to cause panic and mayhem everywhere I walk."

Buffy ignored her sister's comment. "Bye. I love you." Then with a final fleeting smile at Angel, she left the hotel. Angel, Dawn, Cordy, Gunn, Fred, Wesley, and Lorne were left standing around the lobby silently.

"So is your room okay Dawn?" Angel asked.

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, it's fine." She was obviously uncomfortable, which was not unreasonable considering half the people in the room were utter strangers and the rest had never really met her anyway. It was all just a load of crap planted there by the monks.

"Well folks, I'd better be leaving, I have a reading with a Skarl demon in twenty," Lorne said. "I just hope he doesn't sing Gloria again. My ears were ringing for weeks after that little number. Nice meeting you little one," he said to Dawn. "Ciao!" And with that he left. Dawn was disappointed, she liked Lorne a lot.

"Yeah, we'd better get gone too, we have to clean out that vamp nest on 12th," Gunn said, getting a few weapons from the cabinet, and handing some to Wesley and Fred.

"You guys need help?" Angel asked.

"No, we have it under control, just stay here with Dawn," Wesley said, testing the spring on a crossbow. The three of them headed out the door. Soon it was just Angel, Dawn, and Cordelia remaining.

"I'll be right back," Cordy said, heading upstairs. "Don't have too much fun without me!" she said, jokingly. Now it was only Angel and Dawn. Angel opened his mouth to speak.

"Cordy's acting a little off because she actually just got her memory back," Angel said. At Dawn's curious look, he quickly replied. "Long story."

At that moment a tall, lanky boy with ruffled brown hair entered the hotel. Dawn immediately straightened up. Whoever he was, this boy was really hot. She instinctively smoothed her hair and smiled.

"Connor! What are you....I mean it's great to see you," Angel said, remembering their fight only days before.

But Connor didn't reply, because he was too busy staring at Dawn. The beautiful brown haired girl was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen. He noticed her looking back at him and felt self conscious. "I just came to see how Cordelia was," Connor said, not breaking his gaze at Dawn. She was just so beautiful...

"She just went upstairs," Angel said, noticing the gaze between the two teenagers. He gulped. "Dawn, this is my son Connor, Connor this is Dawn Summers, Buffy's sister." He braced himself for Dawn's reaction to the words 'my son.'

But she didn't even seem to notice. "Hi Connor," she said flirtatiously. Connor felt a little flip in his stomach, and he was sure it had nothing to do with what he ate for lunch. All of a sudden Angel's words seemed to register, and she broke the gaze for the first time. "Your WHAT?" she asked suddenly.

Connor moved quickly towards the stairs. "I'll just go see how Cordy is," he said, trying to smile at Dawn. Then he walked upstairs. But he stopped at the top to admire the gorgeous body of the brown haired girl, who was now frowning at Angel, as his father attempted to explain.

"It was a prophecy, this whole child born from two vampires thing..." his father said quickly, at Dawn's furious gaze. He noticed that Connor was still listening. "Why don't you come in my office and we can talk," Angel said to Dawn.

Dawn followed Angel, but stole one last glance upstairs where Angel's mysteriously handsome son was still watching her. She smiled as a thought crossed her mind. Maybe this week isn't going to be so bad after all.