"Buffy! I can't see you!"

"Dawn, hang on, I'm coming."

Creatures clawed at her.

Pitch blackness.

"Dawn! Where are you?"

"Buffy, here, follow my voice."

There was a scream followed by something warm and wet raining on Dawn.

Suddenly the scene was illuminated with a blinding light. As Dawn's eyes adjusted the image of Buffy's dead body filled Dawn's head. She screamed….

"Dawn, it's ok, you're dreaming. You're safe." Angel was holding her arms and she was still screaming.

Dawn saw where she was and her breathing started returning to a more normal rate. She began to cry.

Angel cradled her in his arms, "Was it Buffy? The same dream?"

Dawn nodded through her sobs leaning into Angel's shoulder. "It keeps happening Angel. I can't do this anymore. Every time it happens I'm still shocked by the end. Why does it keep happening?"

"I don't know Dawnie, I don't know." He rocked her stroking her hair.

Two weeks had passed since Dawn had started living at the Hyperion. Two weeks since life as Dawn had known it had been taken away from her. She had suffered the same nightmare repeatedly.

Sweat and tears glistened on Dawn's face and she removed herself from Angel to wash her face in the bathroom.

Angel sat on her bed, watching her sadly. "I'll go down and make breakfast. Come down when you're ready."

Dawn looked at her face in the slightly cracked mirror. Defiant blue eyes looked back at her, telling her she was being a wimp. They were still wet from tears. She blinked them away and pursed her lips, tilting her head to the side. She rolled her eyes whilst shaking her head and headed into her room to get changed.

Angel was putting pancakes on a plate when Dawn walked into the room

"Perfect timing. So what do you want to do today?"

"I want to go out. Explore LA and try to forget about Sunnydale, just for a little while."

This was a step forward. Dawn hadn't wanted to go out since Angel had saved her from the vampire.

"Well, you know I won't be much use to you if I step out into that sun. Don't worry though I'll get one of the gang to go with you."

"Can't I go by myself. I need to stand on my own feet. I feel like some sort of parasite feeding off all of you."

Angel smiled, "I assure you, you do not look or act like a parasite. Well not most of the time." He threw her a wink.

"If I had something to throw, you would be coming into contact with it right about now," Dawn said sharply with a raised eyebrow.

They both smiled at each other.

"So, about me going out…..without an escort."

"Oh Dawn…." Angel said exasperated.

"Please. Please. Please. Pleeeeeeease." She pulled her hair away from her neck and tilted her head to the side, speaking in an innocent voice, "I'll let you drink from me."

Angel morphed into his vampire features and gripped her arms. He was shocked by the audacity of what she had said. She looked into his eyes, pretending not to be scared, but he could both smell it and see it in her eyes.

"Don't ever joke about things like that Dawn. It's serious. Promise me you won't say something like that again."

Dawn rolled her eyes but he shook her.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. I won't, I don't know what made me say it. I'm sorry Angel."

He released his grip and his face returned to normal. He looked as if he was going to say something further but he seemed to dismiss it.

"Now, I know you need space Dawn but I still don't want you going out by yourself. Shall I ask Cordelia? I can't be there to save you during the day. There are evil humans as well as evil demons."

Dawn pouted indignantly but quickly nodded after seeing his expression.

She ate her pancakes slowly whilst Angel talked to Cordelia.

Cordelia walked into the room with a smile on her face, "Looks like it's just me and you Dawnie. The mall for shopping? Pizza?"

She shrugged, "I haven't really decided yet. Both sound good though. I do need some more clothes. You probably want yours back by now don't you?"

"Don't worry about it. I have plenty. But you do need some of your own."

They headed out into the buzz of LA.

A few hours later they were both collapsed in a both coffee shop sipping iced mochas. "Wow Dawn, I mean I thought I was the queen of shopping, but I am totally wiped. Maybe I'm losing my touch."

Dawn grinned, "I doubt it Cordy, you just need to get back into it."

Bags littered the floor around their feet and Dawn had acquired several new outfits.

Cordelia eyed the bags proudly, "Never mind, it's all on Angel's credit card." She winked at Dawn.

Dawn's eyes widened, "Oh crap. I don't know how I'm going to repay him. Is he one of those secretly loaded vampires?" She asked the question hopefully.

Cordy shook her head in mock mournfulness and then smiled, "Don't worry about it Dawn. He told us to buy clothes. I'm not sure he meant this many but he'll understand. It's the least he can do." She said the last sentence quietly.

"Cordy, I don't blame him anymore. I think I understand why he did it and he might not have saved them anyway. I was just being selfish, wanting to have someone to take my anger out on."

Cordelia looked at her for a moment before saying, "Well, shall we head home then?"

"Cordy, I really would like some time on my own. Do you think I could stay out alone for a bit?"

"I don't know Dawn, Angel was pretty adamant that you stayed with someone all day. How am I supposed to cover for you?"

Dawn's face fell.

"Ok, ok. How about I stay here with all the bags for about an hour. It'll still be light for a while. That'll give you some time to yourself and then you come back here and we can go home together. One hour. I know it's not much but it's better than nothing."

"Thank you Cordy. I'll be back in an hour."

She left Cordelia to order another mocha and headed out into the street. She didn't know where she was going but she wanted to get a feel for the place. She looked left and right before deciding to go left. They'd been to some of the shops along the street so she kept walking. At the end of the street on the right there was a park, the park she remembered coming to the first night she came to LA. She sat on the bench and pondered her life, her new life; Angel, LA, Cordy, the Hyperion, Fred, Gunn, Wesley. They all seemed rather meaningless, they were just names without connection to her. She sighed. Obviously it was going to take time but she couldn't help being impatient. It still felt like a dream or a cruel joke. Any minute now Buffy and Spike and everyone would come and pick her up and take her home apologising for playing such a mean joke.

She spent so long deliberating about the dream sequences she wished would happen that she dozed off. When she woke up it was dark.

"Oh crap" she said outloud. Cordy was going to kill her. Her face paled. "Angel is going to kill me," she whispered berating herself.

"Hmmm. You know what I think? I think we're going to kill you first."

Dawn's eyes widened as two vampires walked out from shadow. "Oh f***."

She frantically scanned the ground for weapons, any pointed pieces of wood but unfortunately for her, no one had left any stakes lying around. One of the vampires advanced on her and grabbed her arms but she kneed him in the groin and ran for the park exit. The vampire landed in front of her and started walking forward, making her stumble backwards.

"You're not going anywhere baby. You look far too tasty for that."

She felt footsteps behind her and she knew the other vampire was closing in on her. She tried dashing sideways but the vamp in front simply side-stepped. They were too quick for her.

The vamp behind her grabbed her so that her back was pressed against her chest. He pulled her hair back so her neck was clear and lowered his head. She struggled trying to kick backwards. "Angel! You can come out any time now. I give you permission to save my ass. Angel!"

The vampires waited, expecting someone to come but there was silence. "Looks like there's no one to save you now cutie."

He lowered his head again and she felt two fangs pierce her neck. She screamed, not believing this was happening to her.

Suddenly a figure came into view and knocked the vampire off her. She breathed a sigh of relief and put her fingers up to her neck. Blood stained her fingers red. She had known Angel would save her eventually.

She looked more closely at the man who had just dusted one of the vampires and was starting on the next. It wasn't Angel! He wrestled with the other vampire and finally pinned its throat against a tree with his hand, thrusting the stake into its heart. She was impressed by his fighting skills, he had the speed of a vampire but he didn't look like one.

He turned around dusting himself off. She took in his intense blue eyes and raised eyebrow.

"Are you ok?" He moved closer. "You're neck…one of the vamps got you. It's ok, you'll be alright. Here…" He took a tissue and held it to her neck. Dawn's breathing increased.

"Do you want me to walk you home? There might be more of those guys out. You have to be careful here."

"I know. I've been bitten before."

His eyebrows rose, "Really. You should carry a stake with you then. Why weren't you carrying a stake?"

He sounded a lot like Angel.

"I'm Dawn by the way. Thanks for taking care of them for me. I didn't mean to be out this late…I fell asleep." She half-grinned.

He didn't return the smile. "I'm Connor. That was a stupid mistake to make. Next time you'd be dead."

Dawn pursed her lips, "Ok fine, I made a mistake but it won't happen again. I'm ok now aren't I?"

"Thanks to me."

Dawn glared at him, "Yeah, well, as I said, thanks."

She started to move towards the park exit. Then she whirled round her eyes narrowed.

"Connor? Connor? Where have I heard that name before? Angel."

The way he moved, the way he talked, but he couldn't be.

"Are you Angel's son?"

Connor looked sideways, "Yeah." His eyes flicked back up to meet hers, "How'd you know?"

Dawn made a frustrated noise, "It's a very long story. Well actually maybe not."

"My sister is…was the slayer, Buffy. I lived in Sunnydale until two weeks ago when it was all destroyed. Angel found me and brought me here. I'm staying with him at the hotel. Anyway I heard Buffy talking about Angel having a son, and how he was called Connor. You sure grew up fast didn't you. Is that something to do with having vampires for parents?"

Connor looked blank, "No, it's because I grew up in a hell dimension. I have the strength from having vampires for parents."

Dawn looked surprised by this information, "Wow that must have been…."

"Tough," he answered for her.

"Wait a minute, why hasn't Angel told me about you. Why haven't I seen you at the Hyperion?"

He looked away again, "Angel and I don't get on too well. I prefer that our paths don't cross unless necessary. I don't go to the Hyperion unless they need my help."

"But he's your father." Dawn didn't understand.

"Maybe, biologically or mystically or however way he made me, but I grew up thinking Holtz, this guy who had his wife and children killed by Angelus, was my father. Anyway it really is a long story. Angel is a beast."

Dawn didn't disagree with him. He seemed pretty set in his decision. She then remembered where she was.

"Oh god, I've gotta get back. Angel will be worrying. Oh Cordelia is gonna be in trouble with Angel. Crap."

Connor nodded, "I'll take you back."

They walked back to the hotel in silence.

Angel paced around LA, tracking her scent. He guessed she must have travelled a fair distance that day considering all the paths her scent took. Suddenly he smelt her blood and he broke into a run.

A few blocks away, Dawn stopped and turned towards Connor.

"I think I can make it from here. You don't have to come with me."

"I think I should and I think I want to."

Dawn smiled shyly. She leant her back against the wall. She felt slightly faint.

He stepped forward concerned and then realised her neck was still seeping blood. He bent over her neck and pressed his fingers gently against the bite marks. She shivered slightly.

"I don't understand. You should have stopped bleeding by now. Are you feeling ok? Are you dizzy?"

Dawn nodded slowy, "A little."

She started to slide down the wall but he gripped her arms and pulled her back up.

"Dawn, stay with me. I'll get you to the hotel, you need sugar or something and rest. You must have lost a bit too much blood."

Dawn shook her head, "I'm fine, honest."

He let go of her arms and she stumbled.

"No….you're not."

He picked her up but she protested so he placed her down again, holding her arms firmly.

Then he was knocked off his feet and Dawn stumbled backwards towards the wall. Angel had knocked Connor to the floor and was pummelling his face with his fists. Connor fought back, pushing Angel off him and slamming him against the wall. Then they realised who they were fighting.

"Connor? Sorry I didn't realise."

Connor rubbed his cheekbone, "Yeah, me neither."

Angel remembered Dawn and was kneeling in front of her in a flash. She blinked slowly, everything a little fuzzy in her head. She recognised Angel's face in front of her.

"Sorry Angel. I feel dizzy."

He pulled her to her feet and lifted her gently.

"Come on Connor, we better get her to the hotel. You can tell me what happened."

Connor raised an eyebrow, "Sure thing, Dad."