Chapter 3

"So… why are we watching this movie?" Connor asked the sixteen-year-old in the next seat.

"Because it came out in October, but I haven't seen it yet. And the book's really good."

"And why do we need a giant bucket of popcorn for just the two of us?"

"Because movies are always better with popcorn," Dawn said. "Besides, it's been hours since I've eaten."

"So, how do you know my father and Cordy?" Connor asked.

"Well, my sister used to date your dad, which sounds wrong saying it out loud, and she knew Cordy in high school. They both helped her fight demons and stuff." she replied.

"Wait," Connor said. "Why was she fighting demons in high school?"

"She's the slayer."

"Oh!" Connor said. "I've heard about those."

The lights in the theater dimmed and the two teenagers settled down to watch the trailers.

"Do you think they've finished the spell, yet?" Connor asked.

Dawn shrugged. "Don't know. Anyway, I'm gonna enjoy the few hours Buffy lets me out of her sight. She really has trouble leaving me alone." Dawn paused. "Well, granted I recently fell under a love spell that caused me to lie down on train tracks, but she tried to kill my principal, so she can't judge."

Connor looked at her with an expression that was somewhere between confused, worried and amazed. "I'm thinking we should have a long conversion after the movie."

BtVS - A:ts - Sw9

Wesley continued to tie up the demon with duct tape. He had found a bunch of rolls under the counter and with about half-way through the first one.

"I say we cut his head off" Gunn said.

"He may have information we need," Wesley responded. "When he wakes up…"

Gunn interrupted him. "When he wakes up, we don't even know if this tape's gonna hold him. I say we cut off his head while we have the chance. Unless y'all enjoy being demon food."

Buffy cut in. "I think I've got to agree with Junior Watcher here. We have no idea what's going on, and this is our best option."

"I bet this is a Karathmama…nyuhg demon," Wesley said. They all ignored him.

Cordelia joined in. "And if he eats us?"

"Punch him in the face and cut off the darn head."

"Why don't we just go outside?" Willow asked. They turned to her.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that!" Buffy moaned. It was so simple!

"Oh!" Wesley said. "I think I may have an idea!"

They all turned to him. "I remember reading in my books about a test for Slayers."

Buffy raised her eyebrows.

"When a Slayer turns eighteen, she is locked in a house with a vampire foe she must defeat. This could be some version of that!"

Buffy gave him a look. "First off, I'm sixteen. Second off, then what the heck are you all doing here. And third off, that doesn't sound like a very nice test."

Cordelia spoke next. "I think it's something. So do we search the… hotel or whatever we're in?"

"Shouldn't we at least try Willow's idea?" Xander asked.

"My guess would be the door has been bolted." Wesley said.

"My question," Cordelia said sarcastically. "Do we: A: See if there's something here that wants to kill us, or B: Helplessly wait around while trying a loser's idea."

"It would…" Willow started. Cordelia glared at her and shut her up.

"So we're doing my idea?" Wesley said, a bit too excitedly. Willow went over to the elevator.

Liam suddenly entered the conversation. "Does anyone else hear that noise?" He kept hearing multiple strange… thumping sounds. Buffy stopped to listen, but the rest of the group mostly ignored him. She shrugged after she couldn't hear anything weird.

Willow came back to the group after seeing the buttons on the elevator. "Well…"

The group shifted their attention on her. She blushed.

"Well, what, Willow," Cordelia said sarcastically. "We haven't got all day."

"If we're doing Wesley's plan...There are five floors, plus the basement, so... why don't we split off into pairs and check them?"

Buffy shrugged again. "It's a plan. Liam and I can take 4 and 5, Wesley and Fred, 2 and 3, Willow, you and Xander can do the ground floor, and Gunn and Cordelia got the basement."

"What makes you think I'm gonna take orders from a little white chick?" Gunn said.

Buffy paused and looked at him. "How old was the oldest vampire you've killed?" she asked, her tone lowering.

Gunn shrugged. "'Bout a hundred and fifty, I don't know."

She smiled. "Mine was almost six hundred. I'd been fighting vampires for almost half a year and I was in a dress. Get why I'm taking charge?"

He looked at her, almost respectfully. "Okay then. I guess me and the beauty queen are taking the basement." Cordelia grunted. She didn't really like Buffy and still wasn't completely getting all this vampire nonsense.

"Great!" Wesley said, happy that he had partnered up with Fred.

She's such a pretty girl... he thought. He hoped that they could stay in touch after all this was over with. "Let's find some weapons and get started!"

BtVS - A:ts - Sw9

"Wow," Connor said as they walked out of the theater. "That was…"

"What?" Dawn said.

"I don't know. Interesting, maybe. It…"

"Makes you think, right."

Connor nodded. "At least with vampires, there's a demon there, but not being able to die… it's…"

"I think that's the point," Dawn said.

"So, before the movie, you mentioned a love spell," Connor said. "Do you want to explain what happened there?"

Dawn nodded. "There was this guy, RJ, who had a jacket that caused every girl who looked at him in it to fall in love with him. My sister and I happened to be two of those people."

"And that caused your sister to try to kill your principal?"

"We all tried to prove we loved him the most."

Connor nodded, then changed the subject. "So, what's your story? I mean, how do you fit into the supernatural world?" He almost added, Or are you just the slayer's sister?, but realized that would be like asking himself if he was just Angel's son.

"Well, I was originally a big ball of energy."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. So I'm technically only two years old."

Connor shrugged. "By that definition, I'm not even one."

Dawn looked at him. "How did that happen, anyway?"

"I was raised in a hell dimension. Time moved faster there."

"...That sounds harsh."

"Yeah," Connor replied. He didn't like thinking about Quor'toth if he didn't have to. "It was."

"So," Dawn said, trying to lighten the mood. "What do you want to do now?"

Connor was about to respond when a scream filled the air. He and Dawn looked at each other, and pulled out their stakes before running off the save the day.

That was chapter 3 of Spin with Nine. I hoped you enjoyed it! Welcome back to Dawn and Connor! An imaginary cookie (fully-baked) to anyone who can guess what movie Dawn and Connor watched (the month it came out is correct). Thanks to Starway Man for the ideas you left in your review. Feel free to keep on giving them. Looking over it, I just realized how much of this was Dawn and Connor, so if you don't like them... sorry, but I'm to lazy to change this chapter. And Cordy! I don't know if completely shutting down Willow's (logical) idea was a good thing or bad thing, but it makes my life easier, so... Review if you liked this!