Foreword: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and/or David Greenwalt. Also, I think I've gone crazy, because this is not something that I normally write. Anyway. This takes place in Buffy's seventh season, and Angel's fourth, up through both's third episode, (except for where Cordelia comes back and Angel's in love with her, because I don't like her) which is as far as I've seen. Old characters will be returning. The pairing situation is complicated, so I'll leave it a surprise. Enjoy. Shouldn't be too many spoilers, if any at all. Also, events from the Buffy books do factor in.
Special thanks to my Watchers, Jessica and Kathy. Jess for naming my demons and looking others up. Thanks to Kathy for proofreading and making me skinny and graceful (not weighty and awkward). Thanks to Kit for being the Buffy expert and helping me out when I need info.
The Darkest Hour before Dawn
Four
Dust settled on Dawn Summers's face.
She lay on her back on the sidewalk just outside the cemetery. Her sister's face came slowly into view above her.
"Remember what I said about the power a few nights ago?" Buffy said. "I think you forgot."
"Shut up," Dawn said. Buffy reached a hand down and pulled the girl to her feet. Dawn brushed vampire ash from her face and hair.
"Come on," Buffy said, smiling. "I need to be at the house when Angel and Wes get here from LA."
"'Cause you're SO ready to see Angel again." Dawn said.
"No," Buffy said. "Because it's good for the hostess to be there when her guests arrive."
"So they're staying with us?" Dawn asked. "Which, I guess, is cool, because Wesley is kind of cute and all that—"
"I do not need to hear this," Buffy said. She began walking down the sidewalk back toward their home.
"But it's the truth!" Dawn called, and turned as a hand settled on her shoulder. She almost screamed.
"Mom?" she gasped. Joyce Summers smiled at her daughter. "No," Dawn said, her voice breaking.
A hand covered in thick slime slid over Dawn's cheek, and she screamed. Her mother's face melted away before her eyes and the demon that Buffy had been describing took its place. Dawn screamed again and turned to run.
"Duck!" Buffy yelled. Dawn dropped to her stomach on the pavement, and heard the solid sound of boots connecting against muscle after sliding through slime. A sickening thud sounded in the night. Dawn rolled to her side in time to see her sister snap the goo demon's neck.
The older blonde turned back around. "I guess we can let Willow look at it now, since we have one and all." Buffy said.
"Yeah," Dawn said.
"Who was it?" Buffy asked. She watched a tear slide down her little sister's cheek. "Dawn?"
"It was mom," Dawn whispered. Buffy sighed. She leaned down and lifted the arms of the demon silently, her fingers sliding in the slime. Dawn stood and walked around to take the thing's feet.
~`~
Angel drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove toward Sunnydale. The drive from Los Angeles had seemed much longer than it actually was.
Beside him, Wesley Wyndham-Pryce slept. The ex-Watcher had come along with great reluctance, and then, only after being offered an opportunity to save the world had he offered to go along with the ride. Wesley snored softly, his head resting against the window.
In the back seat, Lindsey was singing along absently with the radio, his voice soft. Lindsey had been all for going to Sunnydale, for visiting the Slayer. Connor was beside him, half pouting and half-watching Lindsey.
Connor had not wanted to go to Sunnydale, and was subsequently ordered by his father to get in the car and shut up. Lindsey had spoken to the boy quietly for a few minutes, and the struggle was over. Connor seemed to take to the former Lawyer. Angel assumed that it had something to do with both Lindsey's and Connor's tendencies toward evil.
A song they'd heard three or four times since setting out began to play on the radio. Lindsey leaned forward between the seats and turned it up, singing loudly in Angel's ear. He winced, but said nothing. Connor joined in. Wesley stirred, and turned to look at Angel's son.
Connor blushed and ducked his head, the sound stopping from his lips. Lindsey stopped as well, and Wesley turned down the volume as they passed into Sunnydale.
The rest of the ride was quiet as Angel navigated the streets to Buffy's home. He pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. Buffy was standing on the porch.
Or rather, Buffy was standing over something that was lying on her porch. Willow was kneeling next to it. Willow got to her feet immediately.
"Angel!" She said, surprised. Buffy did not turn. She nudged the thing at her feet with her foot.
"Nice to see you Willow," Angel said, walking up onto the porch and giving the redheaded witch a warm hug. Willow actually smiled.
"Willow, Buffy," Wesley said, following Angel's steps onto the porch and hugging the blonde Vampire Slayer, then Willow. "It's good to see you both."
"Buffy, Willow, this is Lindsey," Angel said, pointing out the ex-lawyer. Buffy nodded, and Willow smiled. "Lindsey, this is Buffy, and this is Willow." He gave the witch a squeeze. Then he sighed.
"And that's Connor," Angel said, pointing at the boy, who hung back, leaning against the car.
"My son."