Chapter 18

Connor looked from Cordy to Lorne and back again.

they are hiding something.

Angel seemed to be thinking the same thing. "so, that's *everything* you know?"

Cordy smiled nervously, "sure is angel!"

Lorne nodded, "that's exactly what she told me Angelcakes."

Connor raised and eyebrow. "so, they want dawn, because she will lead them to this 'giver ' person, who

they intend to send to a hell dimension, then sacrifice so that the demon these monks follow will get more

powers."

Cordy nodded, "not just any powers either, this giver is meant to be able to give huge power, as in, power

to snap you and Angel like twigs."

Angel nodded, "okay, really strong evil guy, we get that part. But are you sure you're not leaving

something out between dawn and the giver. How does she lead them to him?"

Cordy glanced quickly at Connor, well, actually, she sleeps with your son and conceives him!

She shrugged, "sorry, that's all I know."

Connor frowned, why did she look at me when she said that?? , "So you have no idea who the giver

actually is?"

Cordy shook her head. YOUR SON!!

Gunn frowned, "why don't you just go back and ask the monk? He's still calling out for you to save him."

As if on cue a loud mournful cry emitted from the kitchen.

Fred nodded, "yeah cordelia, I'm sure you could get more info out of him."

Lorne looked worried.

Angel and Connor noticed this.

Cordy stood up quickly, "maybe tomorrow. I'm too tired now. It's nearly dawn. I'm going to sleep."

With that she turned and practically sprinted upstairs, casting a soft light up the hallway.

Lorne jumped up, "I'm bushed too! Night all!"

With that the green demon dashed up to his room.

Fred and gunn looked around.

Fred stood slowly, "um, right. Well. I suppose they're right, it is late..er… early." She took Gunn's hand,

"comm'on honey."

Gunn grunted at Connor and Angel and headed after Fred.

Angel spoke first, "Cordy and lorne know something else."

Connor nodded, "yeah, and I'd say it's a big something."

Angel stood, "I'll see if I can weasel it out of her." He turned and headed upstairs. "you should go to bed

too Connor."

His son nodded, "yeah.."

He paused and considered telling his father the weird vision thing that had happened to him a few hours

before.

He'd been out patrolling, just finished off two vampires when he felt as though someone was choking him.

The feeling had been so real that he'd found himself unable to stand and had fallen to his knees in the

middle of an alley. His vision had dimmed and his head begun to throb. Spots of light had danced before

his eyes. Then he felt Dawn. It was as though she was next to him. He could feel her warmth and smell the

blood running through her veins. He'd sensed someone else as well. Some one familiar, almost like his

father. He'd even heard Dawn calling his name, although he couldn't actually hear her voice. Then the

choking feeling had passed and he'd fallen forward into a pile of vampire dust.

Slowly Dawn had faded from his consciousness.

Angel was looking down at him looking concerned, "connor? Are you okay?"

Connor decided not to tell Angel, it was too complicated to explain. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Angel opened his mouth to say something else but the phone began to ring.

Connor jumped up and headed across the foyer for it.

Angel looked hard into his son's back for a minute, then turned and headed upstairs. there's something he

wanted to tell me. Oh well. He'll say when he's ready I guess.

"hello, Angel investigations."

Connor answered the phone the way Cordy made him.

"connor!! Oh my god! I can't believe *you* happened to pick up the phone at 4am in the morning!"

Connor felt a warm feeling run through him at the sound of Dawn's voice, "Dawn!"

why is she calling this late? Something must be wrong

"are you okay!? Has something happened!??"

he heard dawn laugh on the other line, "no silly. Well, nothing *bad* happened.. although a lot of really

weird things happened tonight."

Connor thought back to the choking feeling, "dawn… Did someone try to strangle you?"

The line went dead.

"dawn?"

".. how did you know that Connor?!?"

"Um.. I had a vision.. kind of thing.. a couple of hours ago. I *felt* you, I could her your words in my

mind."

"Oh my god! The same thing happened to me! I could feel you or sense you or something!"

Connor frowned into the phone, "what exactly happened?"

"well, Spike, Buffy and I were in the graveyard looking for the cult that's after me, and we ran into 3

vamps. Long story short, buffy and Spike killed two of them, the third one crept behind me and tried to

strangle me."

Connor felt rage that something had tried to hurt his Dawn, he took a deep breath, calmed himself and

waited for her to continue, "and?"

"And.. then I kinda sensed you.. and someone else… they seemed familiar though.."

"And how did you not end up strangled?"

"It was sooo weird! I felt this tingly feeling, then I got all strong! Seriously! As in I could woop your ass! I

punched this vampire and he flew like, twenty feet!"

Connor felt confused, how can this be? My Dawn isn't strong.. "so you killed the vampire?"

"yep!"

"I'm just glad you're okay dawn."

"aww… you're so sweet connor!"

"So, did you guys find the cult?"

"Yep, spike went into their lair and sussed 'em out. The big ugly demon dude was there. He's killed a heap

of people, and some of the monks."

"Yeah, the place we found here was the same."

Connor heard Dawn yawn, "you're tired. You should go to sleep."

In response she yawned again.

"yes dawn. You're realllyy tired. Go to bed."

"No no.. I'm fine.. yawn..fine.."

"Dawn. Go. To. Bed….Now!"

"okay! Okay!..Geez…I'm going upstairs….." Connor heard her feet on the stairs, then a door open, " I'm

in my room.. " a flopping noise, "there.. I'm in bed Connor.. Ah, the wonders of the cordless phone."

Connor shook his head, "okay.. now sleep!"

"Hey, I'm in bed, noone said anything about sleeping.."

"No, dawn. Sleep."

She sighed, "alright alright fine. 'nite Connor."

"sleep well dawn."

******

Connor turned of the lights in the foyer and headed upstairs towards his room.

His mind was clouded over with the strange events of the past few days.. or weeks..

First dawn had appeared and he'd practically jumped her on a stairway… then he'd run away… then Dawn

had started somehow visiting him in his dreams, (he still wasn't sure how that happened exactly) He'd

found out he was a comic book character… His girlfriend who he appeared to be somehow telepathically

linked to was being chased by a cult.. Then he'd had that vision in the alley.. not to mention finding out his

father was in a hell dimension for a century..

He passed his father and Cordy's room. A faint glow was emitting from under the door.

His father's voice drifted out towards him, "You're like a human night-light.."

He just made out a loud slapping noise and an "ow!" before he reached the next flight of stairs.

Connor suddenly felt a wave of extreme tiredness wash over him. He couldn't remember ever being so

tired. All he could think of was his bed.. his soft..warm.. bed..

He reached his room, walked blindly through his living room, almost tripped over the playstation 2 he'd

left on the floor and collapsed on his bed. He managed to pull his shirt of but couldn't be bothered

taking off his pants.

I really should take of my pants…no.. too tired..maybe my shoes?

he sat up, ripped of his shoes and fell back down again.

there. Good enough.

With a groan he rolled over, pulling his covers around himself and fell instantly into a deep sleep.

******

Connor opened his eyes.

It was cold.. and still dark outside. He missed his nice warm shirt.

I must have only dozed off for a minute..

He shivered and reached out for his covers, I must have thrown them off or something

He was dimly wondering what woke him up when he realised that the mound of doona next to him had

made a groaning noise.

He peered into the darkness and focused his senses. It was Dawn.

"what are you doing back here? I haven't 'dreamt' about you since you left.."

She was asleep.

Connor frowned and tried for the millionth time to think of a logical explanation for Dawn's appearances.

There's just no answer! The only thing I can think of is a spell.

Dawn moved in her sleep, unconsciously drawing herself up against him.

Connor wrapped his arms around her.

she stole my doona, sharing body heat is the least she could do..

He felt his blood singing at her proximity. Just holding her warmth against him made him feel more relaxed

and at home then he'd ever felt before. It was as though his very body recognised her.

Connor sighed and inhaled the sweet smell of her shampoo and felt himself smiling.

His eyelids drooped as he listened to the steady beat of her heart against him.

******

Dawn stirred in her sleep, almost rising to consciousness. She suddenly felt warm and loved and for the

first time in weeks did not dream, but slept blissfully.

******

Connor knew where he was. He recognised the smell of the place before he opened his eyes.

He was in hell.

He could feel the heat of the place, sense the pain and the violence all around him.

He was back where he had spent his first 18 years.

Finally he made himself look around himself. He *was* in Quar-toth. He knew this very place. Holtz had

made him climb the cliff behind him when he was 8. He'd had to carry a battle-axe far to large for him

strapped to his back. There'd been a demon he had to kill living in a cave three-quarters of the way up. He

remembered exactly where it was.

I wonder if that demon's bones still lie in there

He focused on the barren waste land spread before him. The sky was black, who knew when the sun would

next rise? If it ever would again.. He could here screams and yells of countless soulless creatures fighting

and dying.

"Why am I here?"

He sensed something move to his right. He turned, just catching a glimpse of a thin man before he could

slip from his vision.

A voice addressed him from his left, "If you are here, then I must kill you."

Connor felt a movement in the air and ducked out of the way of an axe blow.

that was close! This person is strong!.. and I am unarmed..

He heard a noise and quickly ducked another pass of the deathly sharp metal.

"wait! I am unarmed."

Silence greeted his words.

"Who are you? You do not smell like anything else I have killed in this place."

Connor restrained a sigh of relief, this man would talk to him. Good.

"I am called Connor. I grew up in this place, but I am not of this Dimension."

The figure walked closer, in full view now, "Neither am I. My master tells me that I must kill every

creature I encounter until I the day I am 18, then I may return to my home world."

Connor felt his heart skip. The boy before him reminded him of himself a year or two ago.

"Your master?"

"Yes. He is a great holy man. He tells me it is my destiny to give power to his cause. He wishes for me to

fight the evil in my home world. That is why I must stay here and grow strong."

Connor recognized the boys words. "You are the giver."

The figure's head snapped up to face connor's in the darkness. The axe blade suddenly pressed against

Connor's throat, "How do you know me by that name!?"

"I know you're story. I know of your master and his followers."

The blade pressed harder into Connor's skin, "how could you?"

"I am from your homeworld." He paused and wondered if he ought to say more, to convince the boy of his

honesty, "I am a friend of Dawn's."

The axe blade dug in sharply, drawing blood.

so, he knows who dawn is..

But Connor had had enough, he reached out suddenly and pulled the axe from the boy's grasp.

The boy stumbled back, falling into a fighting stance.

Connor stood the massive axe beside him and carefully wiped the blood from his chin, taking no notice of

the boy.

Eventually the giver relaxed, "who are you to speak of my mother in friendship?!"

Connor's mind reeled. dawn is his mother?!!?!? It made sense to him now.

"If dawn is your mother. Then I must be.. must be… your father."

The boy before him froze. "No. My father is dead."

Dimly, as if he was aware this was not real, Connor said softly, "this must be a vision of the future then.

This is what Cordelia would not say…"

Around him the screaming of demons quieted and the hot rank breeze off the hell-desert became fresh and

cold.

He looked up, expecting to see the familiar stars of Quar-toth, but instead saw the white of his bedroom

ceiling.

He looked down at Dawn's sleeping form where she curled against him, her breathing even and deep, her

lips almost smiling. He pressed two fingers against her soft dry lips and kissed her gently on the tip of her

nose.

He leant back into the pillows and made his heart rate slow and focused on sensing her.

He could taste her blood. He could smell her soft sweet scent. dawn…

But underneath it he felt something else. It was like him. Or his father.

He swallowed and placed a hand against Dawn's stomach, not able to accept this truth. He felt it. It was

there.. a part of him.. growing into his son. His son who would be sent straight to Quar-toth to live out the

same horrific childhood as himself if he could not save him.

It was my son that I sensed during my vision. He .. he *gave* Dawn that power!

He thought back to his dream conversation with his son. He knew his mother… did that mean Dawn was

held in hell as well?… And he was dead.

who else dies I wonder. My father? Cordelia?.. Buffy and Spike would surely die to try and rescue Dawn.

If she was still in Quar-toth, they must have all failed like me. They must all die as well.

******

note:

OoOOoOOoOOoo.. finally the lame title is making sense ey?

Of course when I started this.. I had no idea *how* exactly it would.. but hey!

Thanks for the reviews ppl! I have figured out where wesley's gonna come into this…eventually…

******