Chapter 7:

A week had passed with no sign of Connor when Angel came up to Dawn's room.

"Do you have any idea why Connor might have left?"

Dawn shifted in her chair, Thinking of her wet dreams. "No, not really.. I mean I just met the guy! How am

I supposed to know the inner most workings of his mind!?"

Angel's eyebrows raised, "Dawn, I just thought.. I mean, you were the last person to see him. He didn't

mention , say, going to fight some demon or something ?"

Dawn shook her head, "No."

Angel sighed, "Did he say he was going anywhere?"

Dawn shook her head again, "No! I would have told you if he told me anything!!"

"Okay! Okay. I'm sorry Dawn." He looked up into her eyes, reminding her briefly of the way Connor had

looked at her a week before, the way he looked into her eyes every night when she was dreaming.. How can

I tell him!? There's no way!

"I just have to know what's happened to him Dawn, I have this horrible feeling, I feel it in my heart. He's

hurt. Someone has hurt my son. I want to find him, please Dawn, what do you know?"

Dawn felt tears prick her eyes. I'm the one who hurt your son Angel! I'm so sorry. He's run away from me.

Not some demon…and now I can't stop dreaming about him..

Angel looked a bit shocked, "I'm sorry Dawn. I didn't mean to upset you.." It's just I can tell there's

something you're not telling me.

Dawn tried to still her tears. Even though she hardly knew Connor. She missed him. It was like when their

eyes had met for the first time something had happened and he was a part of her.

"I'm sorry Angel, but he didn't tell me anything. We barely had a conversation. I don't know why he left."

That at least is the truth.. sort of.

Angel sighed, "I believe you Dawn.. But if you remember anything he might have..said.. tell me, alright?"

Dawn nodded mutely and watched as the vampire left.

She stood and walked through to her bedroom. The balcony beckoned to her. She walked out onto it and

looked out over the city, "Connor… ? are you real…?"

She felt the tears again Why am I crying I hardly know him..just cause I kept dreaming about him doesn't

mean I'm in love with him or anything..

******

Connor looked up at the balcony of the hotel he knew was her room. Dawn, I want to see you…I want to

make sure what's been happening between us isn't just my imagination..To his surprise she walked outside,

as if drawn by his thoughts.

She stared out into the city, tears glistening on her lashes. "Connor… are you real…?" She said my name…

Dawn said my name...

Then she was gone, her window shut. "I am real Dawn"

Connor stared up at the empty pane of glass that had held her face.

Dawn…

******

Cordy was worried about Connor, and when Angel got back from talking to Dawn, she knew he hadn't

heard anything knew.

"dawnie didn't know anything?"

Angel sat down on the bed next to her and held his head in his hands. "Oh, she knows something, I don't

know what it is though. She doesn't know where he is, but I think she knows something about why he

left.."

Cordy frowned, "Angel, I just can't think of anything that could have happened to drive him away.. And I

certainly can't think how Dawn could be involved.."

"Cordy, something happened. I know that he's hurting, I can feel it."

"And you think Dawn has something to do with him being hurt?….oh!" She looked at him in dawning

comprehension, "You think something happened between them!…"

Angel lay back and looked at the ceiling, then drew Cordy to his side and kissed the top of her head.

She snuggled up to him. "I just can't see that happening Angel."

He turned towards her, "You didn't see what happened when I introduced them."

"Oh?"

"It was odd. It was like they knew each other or something…I thought Dawn was gonna pass out.. she

tripped over and fell on him…it was.. they were both acting really weird and wouldn't even speak."

"Oh Angel! They're teenagers! They were probably embarrassed! Think about it, dawn: shamed out cause

she acted like a total klutz in front of a cute boy she doesn't know who happens to be her sister's ex-

boyfriend's son. Connor: shammed out cause he's shy and a pretty girl, who happens to be his dad's ex-

girlfriend's sister, tripped on to him. That's why they were acting weird, nothing out of the ordinary, just

awkward teenagers!"

"Yeah, I suppose, still… I might go speak to her again in the morning."

"oh god angel!" Cordy whacked him with a pillow, "If you must traumatize the poor girl, I'm coming!"

******

Dawn yawned and pulled on her nightie. It was a plain cotton slip that came to her knees, not a lacy granny

one or anything though. She just liked it cause those silk ones were gross and sweaty to sleep in.

She was too depressed and tired to go through her nightly beauty/skin cleaning ritual though, and collapsed

onto the bed, her thoughts turning instantly to Connor.

She lay awake for a few minutes, sobbing quietly too herself, and muttering about how pathetic she was,

then she was asleep.

******

(I screwed up a bit of the formatting in the middle…sorry… to stupid to fix it..)

**(also, thanks for taking the time to review! J I hadn't forgotten wesley.. suuurreeee….hee hee… and

yes, it is set a bit in the future I guess… but buffy/angel time is confusing as hell anyway.. some seasons no one

actually gets any older and we'll just assume dawn isn't a complete skitz..)