Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Angel are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB. Not mine, please don't sue.


Chapter 7: Changes

The vampire growled menacingly at Dawn. His face clearly indicated that she should be afraid.

"Really?" she replied. She let out a light laugh. "I've seen scarier vamps than you." She pulled a stake from her back pocket, and gripped it tightly. She positioned herself just like Connor had taught her in the alternate reality, and the vampire took the bait. Before the vamp could blink, she had it on its back, and thrust the stake into its heart. She looked up in time to see Connor wrestling with his.

"Connor!" she shrieked, causing them both to look at her. She tossed him the stake, and he caught it. Impaling the vampire, he coughed as it turned to dust.

"Are you all right?" He asked frantically, getting up. Connor gripped his chin in his hands, checking her over. She placed her hands on top of his.

"I'm fine." She reassured him. He kissed her roughly, overjoyed that she was ok. They broke apart and Dawn glanced back at the house. "Do you think your parents heard anything?"

He shook his head, before glancing around.

"Come on. Let's get you back to the hotel to get your stuff." He put an arm around her shoulder.

*

"Dawn, please, think about this." Buffy pleaded as Dawn stuffed her clothes into her suitcase.

"I have." She shoved a couple more shirts in there. Connor was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Dawn." Buffy grabbed her sister's arm. Dawn reluctantly looked at Buffy. "You're my sister, and I love you."

"And that's why I need you to let me go." She sighed. "I didn't think this was how it was going to be." Dawn said softly. "I knew you wouldn't be happy, but…"

Dawn was startled by her sister's hug.

"I can't lose you." Buffy cried. Dawn's eyes met Connor's and he backed out of the doorway to give them a minute.

"You won't." Dawn started to cry too. "I need to do this, Buffy."

"I get that now." Buffy paused. "Spike and I are going back to Rome – Giles called with an emergency involving some of the girls." She finally said.

"When?"

"Tonight, as planned." She stared at Dawn. "I don't want to leave you here, but I can't force you. We'll be back in a couple months to visit – Giles thinks that we'll have everything sorted out by then."

"I'm going to miss you so much."

The sisters hugged tightly.

"You call me every night." Buffy demanded. "Promise me."

"I promise."

*

"Thanks again for letting us stay here, Mrs. Reilly." Dawn said to Connor's mother. The older woman smiled.

"Please, call me Colleen." She smiled at Dawn. "Mrs. Reilly is my mother-in-law."

"Ok." She replied.

"I would do anything for my son…even if I don't necessarily approve." Dawn blushed, but knew there was no anger behind the words.

"This is the last thing I expected to happen."

"It's going to be ok, Dawn." Colleen sat down and smoothed Dawn's hair back. "We'll make it ok."

Dawn couldn't remember the last time someone had touched her in such a motherly way. Buffy had tried, but…

Connor interrupted the moment, bringing Dawn's bags in from the car. She had a couple pieces of incredibly heavy luggage, but he wasn't even straining under the weight. Connor eyed them, but wisely didn't comment.

"We're going to have to make some room for your stuff." He said instead.

"We'll have to clear out the guest room too." Colleen added. "There's not enough room for the baby in here." Shouts and laughter from the living room drifted down the hall. Connor's mother glanced at the doorway. "Your sisters are home – we're going to sit them down and explain everything while you two get situated."

Dawn sighed as his mother left the room. She sank down onto Connor's – their – bed and looked up at him. He moved one of her suitcases aside and sat next to her on the bed.

"Are you ok?" He asked, touching her arm.

"Yeah…just a little overwhelmed." He rubbed his hand up and down her arm in a soothing motion. "Life is crazy, isn't it?"

"It really is." Connor agreed. Dawn felt his thumb brush across her cheek, and realized she was crying.

Her anger at Buffy was gone now, and she missed her sister. It was hard to imagine not being with her every day. Since their mom had died, they'd pretty much been inseparable – not counting Buffy's own death.

Connor pulled her into his arms, and settled them back against the bed. All her emotions came flooding out – everything she'd been repressing since the minute she and Connor had met whirled through her.

Finally, with a shuddering breath, she couldn't cry anymore.

*

"You'll be ok at the airport by yourself?" Connor asked for the third time.

"Yes, I promise." Dawn smiled at him. "Besides, Willow will be with me – we've got school related things to discuss."

"Yeah, I'm meeting with my adviser today too." Connor pulled a comb through his hair. He hadn't gotten much sleep. Dawn had finally dozed off after her crying jag, but he just couldn't turn his brain off. He was still struggling with everything.

With the baby.

He knew he couldn't tell Dawn. She believed their baby would be something Good. Connor didn't know how to believe that after all the Evil he'd seen in himself. Someone like him didn't create things that were Good.

"Dad – er, Angel said he wants to see me this afternoon too." He continued, hoping she couldn't read his emotions on his face. "I think he's going to make good on the internship story."

Dawn nodded absentmindedly. Her dreams had been plagued with nightmares, and she fought to hide how tired she was from Connor. She kept dreaming about a demon – tall with a long flowing brown robe, and a…vase? He and Connor were fighting.

Connor lost every time.

She quickly kissed him good-bye and they set off in opposite directions.

*

Dawn yawned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

She was trying to focus on what Willow was saying, but it wasn't working.

"I definitely think we can get you all graduated before the baby comes." Willow said. Dawn stared at her, eyesight blurring.

"Great." Dawn replied, glad that Willow had stopped talking. It was hard to focus on anything at this point, she was so tired.

"Listen, Dawn, I wanted to tell you…" Willow sounded nervous.

"What?" She asked, a little more alert.

"Lindsey asked me out on a date." Willow's voice was quiet.

"Wow." Dawn was startled. Alternate reality Willow and Lindsey had been together. It shouldn't have surprised her that they would get together here. "What did you say?"

"I said that I would think about it."

"Does he know about…?" Dawn trailed off.

"Tara?" Willow finished. "Some."

"Do you want to go out with him?"

"Maybe?" Willow answered, sounding unsure.

"He seems like a nice guy." Dawn mumbled, yawning again. "Why don't you take a chance?"

"Are you ok, Dawn?"

"m'fine." She replied. "Didn't sleep well."

"Maybe you should head home and take a nap."

"That does sound good." Dawn agreed, standing up. She swayed a little, and the room spun. Spots danced in front of her eyes. She thought Willow said something but she couldn't make it out for the ringing in her ears. Then everything went black.

*

"Thanks, Dad." Connor said, looking at Angel. "I really appreciate this." Angel looked ecstatic every time Connor called him 'Dad'.

"I know that I didn't support your decision to marry Dawn – but I just want what's best for you." Angel told him.

"If someone had told me a couple of weeks ago that I have two dads, and I'm this supernatural being, I would have laughed in their face."

"Having you back in my life is more than I could have ever hoped for."

Connor met Angel's gaze. "I did what I did to save you…and as much as it hurt, I'd do it again."

"I can't say that I wasn't angry at first…but after everything, I think I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything, Connor." Angel put a hand on his shoulder. "I did it because I love you."

"I love you too, Dad."

"What do you say we check out the training room and see what you remember?"

"Sounds good." Connor grinned. He remembered that he wanted to tell Angel about the vampires that attacked him and Dawn last night, and figured they could discuss it while working out.

Angel's phone rang and broke the momentary silence.

"Willow?" Angel said into the phone, answering it with a glance at the dial. "What's going on?" After a moment of murmuring, Angel snapped his phone shut. He put his hand on Connor's shoulder, propelling him forward. "We've got to go."

"What is it?" Connor knew it was bad.

"Dawn's in the hospital."