Author: ImmatureLittleGirl Email: immaturelittlegirl@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Joss Whedon and maybe other people, I'm not sure, I just know that I don't own them...
Summary: Dawn goes to live with her father in LA and has to learn to live without her sister. Strange coincidences lead her to meet an interesting person. Dawn/Connor
Rating: PG-13 I guess.
Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I didn't forget about it, I just haven't had the chance to write. I've also had a really hard time with writer's block, so please forgive this chapter's sucky-ness. I'm sorry if you hate this chapter, I kind of do too. There's really only one thing worse than reading a boring chapter and that's writing one…
Part 11
As Connor and I strolled quietly into the Hyperion's lobby, I was struck by the intense silence that permeated the room. A young woman was seated on the sofa I had rested on the night before, quietly writing in a notebook while skimming through files she had spread out on the coffee table in front of her. Wesley, my sister's former watcher, was also standing at the counter, seemingly engrossed in a large, old, book. Both of the room's occupants seemed unnaturally quiet.
Gunn followed a few steps behind us, evidently unnoticing the somber atmosphere of the room. "We're home!" he announced, as he breezed by Connor and I, immediately heading towards a box of doughnuts resting on the counter. My stomach growled loudly at the thought of food and I couldn't help but be lured into the lobby further by the doughnut's temptation.
"Where in the hell have you been all night?" Angel shouted, as he marched into the lobby followed by the strange green demon Cordelia had introduced as Lorne. The booming sound of Angel's voice caused me to halt and spin in his direction immediately. I swallowed thickly and waited for someone else to answer the question, unwilling to draw any extra attention to myself.
"She spent the night sleeping with your darling baby boy," Gunn chimed before picking up a glazed doughnut and taking a bite.
"What?" Angel asked, his eyebrows rising in shock as he looked to Gunn for further explanation.
"How old are these things?" Gunn asked Wesley, grimacing and spitting the doughnut into the wastebasket beside the counter, rather than paying attention to Angel.
Angel's eyes darted between Connor and I, before his gaze finally rested on me. "You slept together?" Angel repeated.
"N-no! No!" I denied emphatically, my eyes widening in panic.
"Do you realize how dangerous it was to be running around in the middle of the night? You should have immediately come back here or at least gone home," Angel chastised.
"Sorry," I mumbled, backing away nervously.
"You're sorry? You're lucky you weren't killed!"
"I'm sorry," I repeated, a hint of annoyance creeping into my voice.
"Leave her alone," Connor defended from his place, still standing on the stairs near the entrance.
"I'm not the person she needs to worry about, right now," Angel stated seriously, glaring at Connor as he descended the stairs swiftly and stalked closer to me. "Last night you were targeted by a large group of vampires. Your father has been worried about your whereabouts all night long and is very upset about you skipping classes, not to mention your sister, who has sworn to eviscerate you the moment she gets her hands on you!"
My muscles involuntarily tensed up at the mention of Buffy's anger. I certainly wasn't afraid of my sister, but I also didn't enjoy being the matter of her temper tantrums. I felt Connor's hand slip around my waist and his breath just beside my ear as he leaned in close to whisper, "I won't let her."
I couldn't help from smiling as I realized he had taken my sister's threat literally. Angel's eyes narrowed in our direction and he folded his arms over his chest in aggravation.
"All right, enough of that! We need to know what happened last night. Can you tell us what they said to you, or if you noticed anything significant about them that might help us figure out who they are?" Angel asked, looking over to Wesley.
"Yes, did you happen to observe anything unusual about their appearance that would differentiate them from your average vampires?" Wesley questioned, looking up from his old tome for the first time since Connor and I had arrived.
"Hmm… They kinda looked like evil, purple, monks," I offered.
"They were purple?" Wesley questioned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Are you certain they were vampires?" Wesley began flipping through the pages in his book frantically.
"Oh no! They weren't purple, more of a pasty-white color. But their cloak-things were purple. Ooh! And Connor stole one of their cool sword things. Show'em, Connor," I explained, nudging Connor's arm gently.
"Here," Connor mumbled, tossing the sword to Angel.
"Careful with that thing," I hissed quietly to Connor.
"There seems to be an engraving on the hilt," Angel commented as he examined the sword.
"Allow me to inspect it," Wesley instructed, holding his hand out for the sword. Wesley traced the strange symbols that decorated the swords handle with his finger. "Hmm… The inscription appears to be written in Sanskrit. I believe it is making reference to a 'dimension opener' and also 'freeing the master,' but I would need to cross-reference this. My familiarity with Sanskrit has weakened over time. There also appears to be an engraved picture of a tiger on the base of the blade."
"Does that help?" I asked, hoping that Wesley would now know what to do.
"Well, I'll have to translate the rest of the inscriptions, but so far we know that these vampires are most likely of Indian decent. It also sounds as though they are looking for you to open the dimension in order to free whomever they consider to be their master," Wesley explained.
"Me?" I squeaked, wrapping my arms around my chest. The hand Connor had wrapped around my waist pulled me closer to him protectively.
"One would assume, given that they are looking for a way to open dimensions, and they have also already attacked you."
"From now on, Dawn, you are not to be out after sunset unless you are accompanied by one of us," Angel instructed, glaring sternly.
"No way! I'm not going to sit around at home on my but all night while there are vampires and demons running around," I insisted.
"Well, I know it isn't really any of my business," the young woman who had previously been taking notes interrupted. "But maybe she could help us here, at Angel Investigations with research. We've been pretty swamped with work, so she could prove to be a big help for us, and you wouldn't have to worry about her being out on her own fighting without any help."
Angel paused for a moment as he thought over the suggestion. "Would you agree to that?"
I glanced at Connor to see if I could read his thoughts on the idea, but his expression remained blank. Thinking the woman's suggestion over myself, I realized that by agreeing I would still be able to aid in the defense against evil, just from a much safer position.
"I guess I could agree to that. And maybe I could even help you guys out in the fighting occasionally!" I offered, smiling hopefully.
"No. No fighting," Angel stated.
"Not even maybe?" I asked, pouting slightly.
"Come on Angelcakes, humor the kid," Lorne persuaded.
"Fine, maybe."
"Great!" I smiled brightly at my small victory, while Angel appeared to be regretting his possible admission already.
"You can start Monday. Come here right after school ends," Angel instructed.
"Sure thing."
"Gunn, would you mind taking Dawn home before the sun sets?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, no problem. You guys have fun with your research. Let's go." Gunn hopped off the counter he had been sitting on and started for the door.
"See you on Monday!" I bid, pulling Connor with me toward the door Gunn had just exited.
I noticed that the sun was already beginning to set as Connor and I descended the stairs and began walking toward where Gunn's truck was parked. It amazed me how quickly the day had blown by, and yet I still had so much more ahead of me. My pace slowed noticeably, once the thought that I still had to face my father occurred to me. Connor looked down at me questioningly, but I shrugged off my anxiety and gave him a small assuring smile.
"Thanks for coming with me," I said as Connor opened the door for me.
"Yeah, no problem," Connor replied with a shrug and climbed into the truck after me.
I rested my head on Connor's shoulder once he comfortably settled in beside me and allowed him to lace his fingers through mine. Gunn cast us a suspicious glance before starting the engine and pulling away from the curb. The droning on of the radio was the only sound that was heard the entire drive back to my house.
The truck pulled to a stop in front of my home just a few minutes later. I noticed that my father's car was parked in the driveway, which unfortunately meant that he was home. Of course, the one night a week he happens to make it home on time, also happens to be tonight.
Connor silently opened the door to the truck and stepped out so that I could exit the cab.
"Thanks for the ride," I mumbled to Gunn, before sliding off the edge of the seat and hopping down to the sidewalk.
"Yup," Gunn answered, fiddling with the radio, not paying me much attention.
My gaze was once again drawn back to my father's car in the driveway and I bit my lip nervously as I tried to think of something to tell my father about my previous night's whereabouts.
"Will you be okay?" Connor asked, staring down at me.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," I responded and began to slowly back away, unable to tear my eyes away from Connor's.
"Wait," Connor whispered, reaching a hand out and resting it on my arm. "I…" he began, but trailed off. I paused and waited for him to try and finish what he was saying, but instead he pulled me closer to him. Staring down at me, he hesitated a few seconds before leaning down and pressing a light kiss to my lips.
"I…uh…thanks…" I mumbled, blushing furiously. I glanced in Gunn's direction to see if he had been watching just in time to see his head snap away from us quickly. An amused grin was playing over his features. Connor's hand slowly trailed down my arm until he reached my hand. He squeezed it gently, then let go and stepped away.
"See you Monday," I said quietly, before turning and marching toward the front door.
Fortunately, the front door was unlocked, so I was able to sneak into the house without having to ring the doorbell and greet my father immediately, but I was only just in the front foyer a second or so by the time my father was already on me.
"Where the hell have you been?" my father shouted as he marched down the stairs. How fair is it that I have to have this conversation, twice? Last month, I didn't have any father figures in my life; now I have several?
"I slept over a friend's house," I answered, sighing loudly.
"Without asking my permission?" he fumed.
"I left a note," I replied, rolling my eyes.
"A note that just said you were going out with friends. It didn't say where you would be, whom you would be with, or what time you would be home. And a note is not asking permission!"
"You weren't around to ask. You never are. Am I just supposed to sit at home all by myself every night because you aren't home to ask permission if I can go out?"
My father paused in his argument, obviously unsure how to continue.
"I received a call from your principal about your skipping classes yesterday. I am not going to allow you to run wild like your sister did. We're going to set some ground rules from now on. For starters, you're grounded for the next month. You can go to school and come right home directly afterwards. Once that's over, you're not to be out after eleven o'clock without my permission, and no matter where you go, I want you to make sure to tell me where you are going to be and who you will be with."
"I can't be grounded! I just got an after school job," I informed him, a slight whine creeping into my voice.
"Doing what?" he asked with evident shock.
"I'm going to help out at a private investigator's office as a… secretary."
"How did you get that job? Why didn't you tell me you were looking for a job?"
"It was offered to me by Buffy's friend; he runs it," I explained, hoping the interrogation was coming to an end.
"Hmm, well I suppose that you could probably use to learn some more responsibility, and a job could teach you just that. All right. You can take this job, as long as you come directly home after work every day," my father conceded.
"Gee, thanks," I mumbled, beginning to start past him and head up the stairs.
"Dawn, where'd you get that shirt?"
I froze in my place, midway up the stairs.
…So close.
"It's… Buffy's," I covered, instinctually placing the blame on my sibling without thought.
"It looks awfully big for Buffy," my father commented, suspiciously.
"Hmm… maybe that's why she didn't mind me borrowing it," I offered, shrugging with exaggerated innocence.
"Who did you say you were with last night?"
"Emily." It began to frighten me how easily lying was coming for me.
"The Emily that called here last night looking for you?" My dad's suspicious glare was turning quickly into an angry one.
"I… Well, at first I-I was hanging out with our other friends, Josh and Connor… and Tim. Emily… she was supposed to meet up with us. The times must have gotten confused… She was probably calling here to see where we were. She caught up with us eventually, though. And then I slept over her house. Ya know, so she wouldn't have to drive me home," I explained, trying to throw together my excuse on the spot.
"I see. You better not be lying to me, Dawn."
"I'm not," I muttered pathetically, staring down at the floor.
"I made dinner for you. It's ready whenever you are. I have some work to finish up, so I'll be eating in my office, if you need me." And with that, my father stalked off down the hall.
As soon as he was out of sight, I sprinted up the stairs and into my room, slamming the door behind me. I quickly changed into clean clothes, and then sprawled out across my bed, burying my head in the pillow. I couldn't believe everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. I also couldn't believe everything I had gotten myself into. Hadn't I planned on changing my life around? What happened to my nice normal life here in LA away from the demons and the slayers?
I rested in my bed for a few long minutes before my stomach began to growl and I was reminded of my father's offer of dinner. I quietly crept down the stairs and into the kitchen to see what had been left for me to eat. To my surprise, I found a plate of food from an actual home cooked meal waiting for me on the kitchen table. There was chicken and vegetables and noodles and a bowl of salad. I immediately glanced around the room to make sure this was still our kitchen, skeptical that I had somehow found my way into the Twilight Zone. My father never cooked. He wouldn't have had the slightest idea where to begin. The few meals we shared typically consisted of take out or something very simple, like TV dinners. But apparently, my father had miraculously picked up the ability to cook.
I sat down at the table and tested the food. I wasn't sure if the food was really that good or if I was really just that hungry, but I managed to wolf the dinner down in just a few minutes.
Once my tummy was contented, I cleaned up the kitchen a little and then started toward my room, but stopped once I heard my father's voice wafting out of his office. He didn't sound as though he was engaged in a business call, and my curiosity got the better of me. Quietly, I tiptoed closer to his office door, in time to catch the end of his phone conversation.
"I'll see you soon. Love you too, Honey. Good night, Dear."
My mouth dropped open in shock. I knew that my father had dated a lot since divorcing my mother; I even suspected it was going on before the divorce, but I had never heard him tell any other woman he loved them.
Quietly, I backed away from the door, and snuck up the stairs without allowing my father to realize I had overheard his conversation. I wasn't sure what to think about this newest revelation, and I certainly wasn't ready to confront my father about it.
Instead, I climbed into my bed with the remote control to my TV, and watched the pictures play over the screen, while my head spun with everything that was going on around me. At least, I was comforted by the thought that things couldn't possibly get more complicated than they already were. But then again, one would think I'd know better than to take comfort in such an assumption.
TBCAN- Not beta'd, so, as always, if you find a mistake, let me know. Again, sorry for the delay in updates. Hopefully, the next one won't take quite so long, but it would be foolish of me to make any promises. I love reviews! J