Chapter 1
'2 years. Almost 2 years since my Mom and sister died. A year and a half since I returned to LA to live with Buffy's ex-boyfriend Angel McKenna.
Probably wondering why my sister's ex. Well Angel's rich and in the eyes of children's services way more suited to take care of me then any of my sister's other friends. Angel and Buffy dated when she was in high school. He's five years older than Buffy and nine from me.
Now you probably wonder why I'm living with Angel rather than my Dad. Well that's easy.... Hank Summers is too busy banging his secretary to be bothered with raising me. So he signed over custody of me to Angel. I was glad I like Angel... he's way nicer than Dad.'
"Dawn dinner's ready" Angel yells
"Be right there" Dawn returns. She closes her journal shoving it under her pillow. Sixteen year old Dawn hops off her bed hurrying out of her room downstairs. She enters the kitchen where she finds Angel pouring their drinks
"How was school?" Angel asks glancing at Dawn
"Same as always" she shrugs "how was work?"
"Boring meetings all day"
"I told you we should have played hooky and gone out and done something fun" Dawn says punching him on the arm
Angel smiles fondly at her "Yes well we didn't"
Dawn picks up the drinks carrying them to the table "Don't you have any plans for tonight?" she asks
"No" he replies "I was supposed to meet up with Darla but she had to go out of town last minute."
"Don't sound too upset" Dawn remarks lifting her brow
Angel sets a plate of food before her on the table "Why would I be? Darla and I are friends that's all." he sits down at the table across from her
"You see that but she doesn't" Dawn says. At the look on Angel's face she rolls her eyes "Angel you really don't see it do you. Its so obvious. I mean Darla is not an actress. Why do you think she puts up with me? Answer she thinks I have some influence over you."
"Darla and I have been over for a long time Dawn. She hasn't and won't change enough for me to even think of her as anything more than a friend."
"OK but Darla doesn't seem like the type to back down. She wants you back Angel."
Angel shrugs "Don't you have plans with Rick?"
"No the dork cancelled to hang out with the guys" she scowls
"Movie?"
"Sure" Dawn grins
Angel grins back "Let's finish up and get the kitchen cleaned up first"
Hour later
'I'm 25 years old and caring for my deceased ex-girlfriend's 16 year old sister.' Angel watches as Dawn laughs 'Dawn is the closest thing I have to a family.'
Dawn looks up sensing Angel's eyes on her and flashes him a quick smile before turning back to the TV.
'Dawn's grown up a lot since Joyce and Buffy died. Even so I still remember the little girl I met all those years.' Angel mentally shakes his head 'Movie. Lose deep thoughts for now'
After midnight
Angel awakens to the TV on to find Dawn asleep beside him her head on his arm. He smiles faintly remembering the times the Summers girls would fall asleep against him as they watched movies. 'I miss those nights' he blinks back tears. He grabs the remote turning off the TV. He shifts Dawn laying her on the couch he covers her with a blanket as he turns off the lamp. "Good night Dawnie" he says softly
8AM
Angel pulls his black BMW up infront of the highschool "Need a note?"
"Don't have time" Dawn says hurried
"I'll call the attendence office and explain" he assures
"Thanks" Dawn leans over kissing his cheek "Bye" she says jumping out of the car
"I'll have your car taken to the mechanics. Need me to pick you up?"
"No I'll bum a ride"
"Call if you can't"
" 'kay" she slams the door hurrying up the stairs into the building to her first period class. "Sorry" she apologizes to her teacher
"Your late Miss Summers" the teacher chastises
"Car wouldn't start. Had to get a ride."
"Note?" teacher asks
"Didn't have time. Angel will call the attendance office later"
The teacher nods
Lunchtime
Dawn and her three friends Joanne Blakely, Tanya Vanski and Lauren Lanson sit down as one of the cafeteria table laughing
"So Dawn why were you late?" asks the blonde haired Joanne
"Like I said the car wouldn't start"
"Nothing to do with your hunky guardian?" redhaired Tanya smirks
"No" Dawn shakes her head
"You are so lucky to share a house with him" Lauren sighs "he is so gorgeous"
"Come on guys Angel's my friend he's almost would've been my brother-in-law. He dated my sister."
"Uh Dawn that maybe but he is one hot stud. Don't tell us you haven't had some killer dreams about him" Tanya snickers
Dawn looks away
The girls grin "You have" Joanne smirks
Dawn shrugs "A few times" she admits
Tanya sighs "Man I'd love to do him"
"Tanya" Dawn yelps "come on stop it"
"Dawn's blushing" Tanya teases
"Guys come on Angel's Angel. He's still in love with my sister" Dawn reminds "Now can we stop talking about Angel" she pleads
"Oh fine" Tanya grumbles
After School
"Dawn they were just teasing." Lauren reminds her best friend as she drives
"I know" Dawn nods "Its just... Angel is my friend above all"
"Yet your finding yourself attracted to him" Lauren nods
"Yeah" Dawn admits "very attracted." she rubs the back of her neck "even though I'm attracted to him I can't forget how much he loved Buffy and she loved him."
'2 years. Almost 2 years since my Mom and sister died. A year and a half since I returned to LA to live with Buffy's ex-boyfriend Angel McKenna.
Probably wondering why my sister's ex. Well Angel's rich and in the eyes of children's services way more suited to take care of me then any of my sister's other friends. Angel and Buffy dated when she was in high school. He's five years older than Buffy and nine from me.
Now you probably wonder why I'm living with Angel rather than my Dad. Well that's easy.... Hank Summers is too busy banging his secretary to be bothered with raising me. So he signed over custody of me to Angel. I was glad I like Angel... he's way nicer than Dad.'
"Dawn dinner's ready" Angel yells
"Be right there" Dawn returns. She closes her journal shoving it under her pillow. Sixteen year old Dawn hops off her bed hurrying out of her room downstairs. She enters the kitchen where she finds Angel pouring their drinks
"How was school?" Angel asks glancing at Dawn
"Same as always" she shrugs "how was work?"
"Boring meetings all day"
"I told you we should have played hooky and gone out and done something fun" Dawn says punching him on the arm
Angel smiles fondly at her "Yes well we didn't"
Dawn picks up the drinks carrying them to the table "Don't you have any plans for tonight?" she asks
"No" he replies "I was supposed to meet up with Darla but she had to go out of town last minute."
"Don't sound too upset" Dawn remarks lifting her brow
Angel sets a plate of food before her on the table "Why would I be? Darla and I are friends that's all." he sits down at the table across from her
"You see that but she doesn't" Dawn says. At the look on Angel's face she rolls her eyes "Angel you really don't see it do you. Its so obvious. I mean Darla is not an actress. Why do you think she puts up with me? Answer she thinks I have some influence over you."
"Darla and I have been over for a long time Dawn. She hasn't and won't change enough for me to even think of her as anything more than a friend."
"OK but Darla doesn't seem like the type to back down. She wants you back Angel."
Angel shrugs "Don't you have plans with Rick?"
"No the dork cancelled to hang out with the guys" she scowls
"Movie?"
"Sure" Dawn grins
Angel grins back "Let's finish up and get the kitchen cleaned up first"
Hour later
'I'm 25 years old and caring for my deceased ex-girlfriend's 16 year old sister.' Angel watches as Dawn laughs 'Dawn is the closest thing I have to a family.'
Dawn looks up sensing Angel's eyes on her and flashes him a quick smile before turning back to the TV.
'Dawn's grown up a lot since Joyce and Buffy died. Even so I still remember the little girl I met all those years.' Angel mentally shakes his head 'Movie. Lose deep thoughts for now'
After midnight
Angel awakens to the TV on to find Dawn asleep beside him her head on his arm. He smiles faintly remembering the times the Summers girls would fall asleep against him as they watched movies. 'I miss those nights' he blinks back tears. He grabs the remote turning off the TV. He shifts Dawn laying her on the couch he covers her with a blanket as he turns off the lamp. "Good night Dawnie" he says softly
8AM
Angel pulls his black BMW up infront of the highschool "Need a note?"
"Don't have time" Dawn says hurried
"I'll call the attendence office and explain" he assures
"Thanks" Dawn leans over kissing his cheek "Bye" she says jumping out of the car
"I'll have your car taken to the mechanics. Need me to pick you up?"
"No I'll bum a ride"
"Call if you can't"
" 'kay" she slams the door hurrying up the stairs into the building to her first period class. "Sorry" she apologizes to her teacher
"Your late Miss Summers" the teacher chastises
"Car wouldn't start. Had to get a ride."
"Note?" teacher asks
"Didn't have time. Angel will call the attendance office later"
The teacher nods
Lunchtime
Dawn and her three friends Joanne Blakely, Tanya Vanski and Lauren Lanson sit down as one of the cafeteria table laughing
"So Dawn why were you late?" asks the blonde haired Joanne
"Like I said the car wouldn't start"
"Nothing to do with your hunky guardian?" redhaired Tanya smirks
"No" Dawn shakes her head
"You are so lucky to share a house with him" Lauren sighs "he is so gorgeous"
"Come on guys Angel's my friend he's almost would've been my brother-in-law. He dated my sister."
"Uh Dawn that maybe but he is one hot stud. Don't tell us you haven't had some killer dreams about him" Tanya snickers
Dawn looks away
The girls grin "You have" Joanne smirks
Dawn shrugs "A few times" she admits
Tanya sighs "Man I'd love to do him"
"Tanya" Dawn yelps "come on stop it"
"Dawn's blushing" Tanya teases
"Guys come on Angel's Angel. He's still in love with my sister" Dawn reminds "Now can we stop talking about Angel" she pleads
"Oh fine" Tanya grumbles
After School
"Dawn they were just teasing." Lauren reminds her best friend as she drives
"I know" Dawn nods "Its just... Angel is my friend above all"
"Yet your finding yourself attracted to him" Lauren nods
"Yeah" Dawn admits "very attracted." she rubs the back of her neck "even though I'm attracted to him I can't forget how much he loved Buffy and she loved him."