Chapter 28
In his dreams Connor was standing on a blackened cliff, looking out over a blood red ocean.
He could feel a cold breeze tugging at his hair. The air smelt rancid.
Hunched over the hillside behind him was an ugly stone castle.
Crows spiraled around its turrets.
He knew where he was, but at the moment he was beyond caring.
He could hear a baby crying, but he ignored it.
*****
Cordy was humming cheerfully to herself as she loaded a tray to with food to bring Connor up some breakfast. Sure he wouldn't actually eat it, but she thought it
was best if they treated him as normally as possible.
Maybe he'll get hungry and the smell of fresh coffee and pan cakes will lure him back into consciousness!…
A tad unlikely perhaps, but it had given the seer something to do, made her feel as though she was actually helping.
She was just about to push down the plunger on the coffee when the door bell went off.
Irritated she glanced out the kitchen door towards the front entrance.
"No one we know would come at this unholy hour of the morning."
She ignored it and turned her attention back to the plunger.
The bell when off again incessantly
.
Fred and Lorne appeared in on the stairway, "Hey guys? Could one of you see who that is for me?"
The texan nodded and quickly headed across the foyer.
Cordy plunged the coffee and smirked at it victoriously.
"Aha!"
The green demon settled himself on the counter, "That smells good sweetie."
Cordy smiled, "why yes it does! But it's for Connor.. not you.."
Lorne pouted, "fineee.. "
At that moment the phone chose to ring.
"Arg! What is with these people this morning!? Door bells.. phones! What next the fire alarms?"
Lorne patted her on the shoulder, "Deep breaths darl, I'll go get that."
Sighing, she poured Connor a generous cup, adding milk and sugar then headed out through the foyer.
Cordy resumed her cheerful humming and glanced towards the front door to ask Fred who'd been by.
The person who stood in the door way, silhouetted by the bright morning sun caused a little gasp to escape her lips, cheerful hum forgotten.
A moment later she dropped the tray.
Wesley stood in the front door, and he was making out enthusiastically with fred.
Both jumped as they heard the smash of china meeting the tiled floor.
Cordy put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at fred "Fred! What ARE you doing?!?!"
Fred blushed and glanced at the ground, "Um.. nothing! It was nothing! I was… it's just… I haven't seen wesley in a long time! Some old feelings took me by surprise…"
"Old feelings my ass missy!"
"Ahem. Ladies?"
The politely spoken Englishman returned their attention back to him, "Firstly, Fred, I appologise. That was entirely inappropriate,"
He raised a hand silencing Cordy's on coming outburst, " HOWever.. this is neither the time nor place for that conversation. I am here on much more important matters. From your reactions, shall assume you did not get my message?"
Fred frowned, "message?"
*****
Dawn smiled widely at Jared then followed him through her open door.
I'm going home!! I'm going to see Connor again!
She tried and failed to hold back a grin.
Jared was practically jogging in front of her.
Making sure her son was securely and comfortably held against her, she quickly followed.
She stared at the brown head in front of her, paying no attention to the monotonous passages they sped through, then a thought hit her.
"So Jared, why can't we just open the portal in my room?"
The vampire did not break his even gait.
"We could have. But if we hide where we go from, the demon will be unable to follow us straight away.
Also, he won't know that you have left this dimension until he finds the portal. That will buy us extra time if something goes wrong."
Dawn nodded, then realizing he couldn't see this, replied, "Oh. That makes sense."
She furrowed her brow, "Um, he will follow me eventually won't he Jared?"
Jared responded, "Undoubtabley. However I'm sure your precious Connor and all your other little friends will look after you…"
Dawn froze. The way he'd said connor's name, spitting it out as if it where rotten, shocked her.
"What are you talking about!? Don't you speak about Connor like that! You don't know him! Or my other friends!"
Jared spun around and sneered at her, "I don't know them? I know enough. .. Did you know you talk in your sleep?"
Dawn's mouth opened a little.
"No? the pathetic way in which you moan and cry over your wonderful Connor…"
"What is your problem!? I thought you were my friend… "
Jared rolled his eyes, "I have no need for your friendship. I simply pity you. Pathetic weak mortal."
The baby awoke and gave a little sniffle at the raised voices, he would start crying in a moment.
Dawn's eyes flashed, "Don't you dare speak to me like that! As if being some loser 25yr old vampire makes you better than me!
You're kind are a dime a dozen! I dust morons like you for light exercise on the weekends! I'm the key! I'm immortal! In the sense that I wasn't born, I've always existed…"
She paused and rocked her child a little, " This form I'm in is only 5yrs old! And as a human I think I've achieved a hell of a lot more than you have in 5x that time…"
Dawn frowned. Then raised her chin a little. "And you already know all that. So don't get angry at me just because you're jealous of Connor. "
Jared gave a little laugh, "Jealous!? why would I be jealous of that failure?"
Dawn adjusted her baby then narrowed her eyes at the vampire.
"Because OBVIOUSLY you like me .'weak mortal' or not."
The vampire smirked, "what on earth makes you think that? Your not my type. I was never one for unwed teenage mothers.. there's something so…
trailer park about you Dawn.."
Dawn gasped and before the vampire could react, had lifted a hand and slapped him across the face. Hard. Jared's eyes widened and he raised a hand to
his numb face and wiped away a smear of blood.
shit! That HURT.. I can't remember the last time someone was able to make me bleed.
Giving her son a little kiss on the forehead, dawn looked up at the stunned man, "That's pretty rich coming from a S&M chain-welding nancy boy!….
If I'm such a loser then dead-boy, why the hell are you risking your leather-clad butt for me and my bastard child?.. " She raised her eyebrow quizzically,
Jared was silent. "Now! Quit being such a wanker, and lets get out of here before I really try and hurt you."
With that Dawn walked around the vampire and serenely continued on her way.
Jared looked at her retreated back,
why did I just say those things? I am a pathetic jealous creep…it's weird to think she's so old though.. I hadn't really given it much thought..
she's thousands of years old… what was it Wesley called her? In her true form she was pure energy.. not even human at all really.. and yet she seems so young and innocent.
Sighing he followed, at least she didn't get to upset..apart from the slapping thing that is… I'll have to apologize before we leave.
Unbeknownst to him, Dawn was upset. And angry. She was just focused on getting away from that place.
She smiled a little.
I'll be home soon! I'll get to see Connor..
At the mere though of him, her heart swelled with longing and desire.
She hadn't seen him in so long…she missed him terribly…
Tears pricked the back of her eyes, shaking her head she broke into a smile again.
home!
*****
Upstairs, in the cool darkness of his room, Connor sat up.
He stared blindly at the wall in front of him.
I was in Quar-tooth.. he frowned.
His mind wandered aimlessly for a minute, then his full alertness returned to him.
Dawn was taken. He had been lying here for god knows how long.
Sadness settled back down upon him, he called out for dawn in his mind.
To his surprise, he could sense her.
She's happy!… but why?
He'd only felt sadness and despair radiating from her since she'd been taken.
Connor smiled.
"She's coming home."
Dawn had found a way to return to him.
The boy jumped up from the stale bed sheets.
Then stopped at the foot of his bed.
Slowly he turned.. and walked into his bathroom.
the least I can do is take a shower for when she sees me..i must look a like a total bum..
He nodded to himself and rubbed his chin, effectively giving him self whisker burn.
maybe I should shave will I'm at it..
Humming to himself, he headed for a shower.
*****
Meanwhile.. downstairs…..
"CORDELIA! Would you please listen to me for one second!"
The woman shook her head, "No I will not you dirty great big cheater! Why can't you listen to me?! Get out! Leave fred alone!"
Fred looked from one to the other then sighed, "That's it! I'm going upstairs."
She turned and stomped up the stairs, occasionally looking over her shoulder and glaring.
Cordelia smirked, "SEE!? She DOSEN'T want to SEE you!!"
Wesley smiled and raised an eyebrow, "no cordelia, I believe she doesn't want to hear your ranting."
The seer practically turned pink with anger, "WHAT!? ME RANT! I AM NOT RANTING!!!"
Angel appeared beside wesley, "who's cordy ranting at?"
His girlfriend slapped his across the face, "I AM NOT RANTING!"
Wesley smirked.
Gunn sniggered from the weapons cabinet where he was putting away the stuff he and angel had taken
patrolling.
Angel looked at Cordy blank faced then asked in a small hurt, childish voice, "why did you hit me?"
Cordelia stomped her foot and crossed her arms, "Stop being such a baby and get wesley out of my house!"
Angel raised an eyebrow and looked over at wesley as if just noticing he was in the room,
His expression suddenly went cold, "what do you think you are doing here?"
Gunn appeared beside him and crossed his arms, "yeah, you know you ain't welcome here."
Cordy piped up, "he came him and practically jumped on Fred when she opened the door!"
Gunn's eye began to twitch and he stared very hard at wesley.
The englishman raised his arms protectively, "No No… I did not come here to steal fred away from gunn! That is merely
an unfortunate coincidence.. that .. that happened.. I really came because.."
But gunn interrupted, "WHAT exactly, happened?"
A certain green demon looked up from where he'd been watching events unfold at the front desk, "yes. What was it that I missed?"
Wesley licked his lips nervously, he wasn't afraid for himself exactly, but he didn't want to get fred in trouble, nor did he wish the complicated
Fred situation to overshadow the real, rather important situation he had come to warn them about.
Cordy smirked, "Yes wesley, tell gunn here how you kissed his girlfriend!."
Gunn made a strangled choking noise then leapt on wesley.
Angel and Cordy watched them fight.
Angel looked over at his girlfriend, "should I break them up?"
She shrugged, "Nah, let them get it out of their systems once and for all."
Lorne sighed dramatically, "you people. Well that was buffy on the phone before.. before you were all distracted by that little situation.."
he ducked as a dagger was thrown by gunn and embedded in the wood paneling behind him, "…nice.. ahem, anyway, she and Spike
will be coming down her to see if Connor is awake in say, half an hour?"
Cordy frowned, "they find a wicked short cut or what?"
Lorne shook his head, "no no.. they were at a gas station, they were just going to pop in, didn't think we'd mind… but then spike made them
stop and buy twinkies…so buffy called."
****
Connor was just going to head downstairs when his door opened.
Fred came in.
Seeing Connor awake she gave a high pitched little squeak and threw her arms around him.
"Oh my god! Connor!! Are you all right!? We were all so worried!"
Slightly uncomfortable, Connor patted her back awkwardly, "Er.. thanks Fred.. I'm feeling totally normal.."
"Oh I'm so glad you're okay!"
To Connor's surprise she started to cry.
"Um.. fred? Are you alright?"
She sniffled, "oh.. I'm sorry!.. it's just.. just.."
"just what?"
"oh.. you've enough problems.. I don't want to trouble you."
Extracting herself Fred sat on the edge of his bed.
"No no.. what is it?"
"it's Wesley. He's downstairs."
"wesley? Are you still in love with him or something?"
the texan shook her head softly, "no no…" she paused and sniffed, "yyeesss!!!! I still love him!.. but I l-love Charles as well!.. I'm s-so confused Connor!"
Connor sighed and sat down next to her, "well… I doubt I'm the best person to take advice off…being a teenager and all.. but hey!
I do know you fred.. so maybe I can help you get some sort of a perspective ..maybe.."
Fred sniffled, "thanks Connor."
*****
Jared carefully locked the doors to the tower room behind Dawn.
The room they were in was all bare stone and very small, with a tiny balcony opening off an odd looking window. The roof had fallen in at some stage, and the
floor was littered with broken tiles and rotten beams.
Dawn took all this in in a moment, "Cozy."
Jared grunted.
He pulled a ragged piece of lined A4 paper out of his pocket and studied it earnestly.
The key meanwhile hummed softly to her baby and went to look at the view.
She sighed, "same old same old…jagged cliffs…pounding surf….pooh-y smell… thank god we're getting out of this hellhole."
She turned back to Jared who was murmuring something under his breath.
"so…. What's the drill?"
He ignored her for a minute then replied, referring to the paper, "Well… we have to copy out this particular symbol here….and then…some incantation…
oh, then your blood…and bob's your uncle!"
Dawn nodded, "right. Sounds simple enough. How come no one else knows about this?"
"Well… I think Wesley figured out when he was studying to be a watcher.. years ago. He was looking into the properties of this pendant…
It's a family heirloom.. Mind you, the original ceremony he devised was waayy more complicated.. Anyway, he didn't televise his findings."
Dawn nodded, "It's so weird that Wesley's little brother is a vampire with a bondage fetish…"
Jared raised one eyebrow.
Dawn continued, "So shall we?"
"well… um.. before we do, I should warn you.. This hasn't been done before okay? I doubt it will work exactly as we plan.."
"But it will work right?"
"well, yeah. What I'm saying is that, we should take our time, or should I say take about 45mins.. which is how long we have till someone misses us."
Dawn nodded, "Right. Just one thing though?"
"Yeah?"
"erm.. how do we specify where on earth we pop up?"
"ahhh…" Jared scanned his notes, "Wesley said our best bet would be to focus on the erm, 'time and space' we wanted to appear in."
"oh right.. just like thing of our house or something?"
"yes, just focus very clearly."
"Okay! That's that then! "
Jared nodded and pulled a piece of chalk out of one of his many zippered pockets.
"Shall we?"
*****
Wesley rolled across the front desk of the hyperion.
Falling to the ground behind the desk he clutched a stitch in his side.
Panting he tried in vain to catch his breath.
"Gunn! Is this really necessary?! I didn't come here to have some caveman fight to the death over Fred!!"
He heard the other man snigger, "Oh yeah?! Why else you come over here? Gonna kidnap someone's baby?"
Wesley let out a low growl and stood up suddenly, crossing his arms. "Look are you going to listen to what I have to say or not? Simple question Gunn."
Before said simple question could be answered however, the door bell rang for the second time that day.
Cordelia sighed and headed over, disappointed by the interruption of the entertainment.
An irritated voice came in through the closed door, "Open the bloody door already!! You want me to burn to death out here?!"
Angel muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like, 'if only..' and then Spike burst in.
He ran into the dark and promptly threw his beloved trenchcoat onto the floor and began jumping on it, which was partially on fire.
Buffy followed him in and brushed a bit off soot of her boyfriend's hair.
"What the bloody hell took so long! My favourite jacket's ruined!" Spike empathized his point by poking his finger through a hole.
"There there babe. You can always get a new one."
"No I can't! this one was special.. had it for years…"
Wesley coughed, "touching as Spike's love of his jacket is, I REALLY have to tell you people something!"
Angel sighed, "I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY! And if gunn wasn't beating you up right now, I would! Gunn, please, continue."
Before gunn had the chance to 'continue' however, wesley raised his arms slightly, "Fine. You don't want to hear what I have to say, I'll show myself out.
When later in you realise you're mistake…I just hope…" he sighed as he headed out the front door, "that no one dies."
But attention had turned to Spike, and no one heard the last part.
*****
AN: only one more chappy me thinks!
Ps. There were probably typo's galore up there
.. sorry.. however.. I intend to revise this whole
story later.. so… yeah.. reviews are nice!
