"Connor's Sunnydale Vacation"
by BonnieD
I first heard someone suggest a Dawn/Connor pairing a long time ago but it meant nothing to me until I was finally able to see season 3 Angel in syndication and meet the brooding Jungle Boy. Then I began to see the possibilities in such a relationship and wondered how you could mess with canon and force them to meet. I knew Her Whininess would never put up with Connor's crap and thought that, just maybe, she'd have better insight into his needs than any of the adults.
This story takes place post season 6 Buffy/season 3 Angel with the facts twisted as needed; ie. Connor found out the truth about Holtz, stopped short of sending Angel to the bottom of the sea and they have a tentative relationship. Everything in Sunnydale happened as in canon until further notice. Dawn's age was stated in season 5 as being 14. With a summer birthday this should place her at almost 16 in my story - not too young for a little romance.
Chapter One
"He's creepy, just plain creepy," Dawn complained again. "I don't see why we have to.."
"Because Angel asked us to," Buffy hissed. "And lower your voice. He's just in the other room and he's not deaf!"
"But, Buffy." Dawn interrupted herself. "Never mind." She resumed scrubbing furiously at the lasagna-encrusted pan in the sink. If there was one thing she'd learned it was not to bother arguing with Buffy about Slayer related stuff and somehow Connor seemed to fall under that heading.
"It's only for a few weeks. A month tops," Buffy continued. "Angel wanted him to have a break from the city. And to see how a regular family lives."
"So he sent him to the Hellmouth for vacation?" Dawn was incredulous. "And he considers US a regular family?"
Buffy pitched her voice even lower. "Plus I think Angel's got some stuff going on over there he doesn't want Connor involved with." She fluttered the hand with the dishtowel vaguely. "He was pretty unclear."
After drying and neatly stacking a plate in the cupboard she added, "Besides, I guess for a kid who grew up in a hell dimension Sunnydale looks like pastoral living."
Dawn shrugged, gave up on cleaning the pan and began filling it with fresh hot water to soak off the stuck on noodles in the tried and true overnight method. "Still, it seems weird to me. I mean, let me get the story straight.Against all odds Angel and Darla give birth to a human baby who right away gets kidnapped and sent to Quor-toth where he grows up then returns with a death vendetta against Angel because his evil father figure brainwashed him. Okay. That's the easy part. But then." Becoming increasingly agitated, Dawn turned off the tap and began wiping her hands dry on her shirttail since there weren't any more dishtowels handy.
"He comes this close," she illustrated with her thumb and forefinger, "to sending Angel on a one way trip to the bottom of the ocean, but learns the truth just in time and begins some kind of tentative bonding with his vampire father, who, and this is the part I don't get, after less than a month of quality father/son sharing time brings him to us to babysit."
"Dawn, it's hardly babysitting," Buffy interjected. "He's older than you."
"Huh, I'd have to do the math on that," Dawn said. "If you go by earth time he's only about, what, three months old or something? And I'm almost two years this summer."
"Hah, hah, very funny." Using the opportunity to change the subject Buffy asked, "Speaking of birthdays, who are you planning to ask to your party next week?"
"Oh, Janice I suppose, even though we don't hang out much any more. And there's this new girl I met at work who's pretty nice, Marie. She just moved here and nobody's had time to tell her any freaky stories about my big sister yet so she still thinks we're normal. Viola, instant new friend. Plus, if I invite her I can just give a blanket invitation to all the other baggers at Shopping Center and maybe." Dawn's voice rose in excitement, "Ryan will come."
"Good plan," Buffy said absently as she stacked another dry plate.
"Anyway," Dawn continued, "I thought I'd also ask.."
"Hello?" The kitchen door opened and Xander stuck his head in and whispered. "Are you girls ever gonna be finished? Cause I don't know how long I can entertain this guy. He's got no conversational skills whatsoever, and.he just kind of creeps me out."
"See!" Dawn pointed emphatically at Buffy. "I told you. It's not just me. Connor is freaky."
"Maybe a little intense," Buffy admitted, "But you guys need to cut him some slack. Just think of everything he's been through."
"What about what we've been through!" Xander complained, entering the kitchen. "A parade of near apocalypses and herds of demons and vampires screwing up our lives, I'd say we've all earned the right for someone to cut us some slack."
"Xander," Buffy wheedled, "Please be nice. It's only for a short time. Do it for Ang.." She cut off at the look on his face. "For me."
Xander rolled his eyes. "Fine. But give me something else to feed him. That'll keep him busy for a while." He strode to the cupboard and began poking around.
"I'll pop a movie in then we don't have to talk to him at all," Dawn reasoned. "What do you think he'd relate to? Somehow I don't think Sense and Sensibility will hold much meaning."
"Too bad you don't have some old Land of the Lost episodes," Xander mumbled as he rummaged. Buffy shook her head. Dawn laughed and left the kitchen.
*********
Entering the living room Dawn was uncomfortably aware of Connor's propensity toward staring. Suddenly she knew how a prairie dog felt when the shadow of a hawk fell across its path. 'Find shelter. Seek cover,' her inner voice warned. 'Danger, Will Robinson!'
Conner was perched on the edge of the couch looking ready to swoop. His eyes never left her as she headed toward the shelf where they kept their limited tape library. Naturally in a household of women they tended toward chick flicks. Buffy declared that she got enough action on the job and didn't care if she watched anything in which cars blew up, bad guys were decapitated or Angelina Jolie pretended to know something about martial arts. However there was an ancient copy of The Matrix Xander had bequeathed them after he got his new DVD player so she grabbed it from the shelf.
"So, Connor," she spoke slowly and enunciated carefully as if he were a foreign exchange student. "This is called a movie. What you see isn't real. It's just a story they're telling."
"Yeah," he replied, eyes narrowing at her condescending voice. His voice drizzled disdain like chocolate syrup on ice cream, "I've seen movies with my. in L.A. I know what they are."
"So-rree," she drawled. "I don't know what you know about and what you don't. Angel didn't say very much when he dropped you off." With a flip of her glossy brown hair she turned her back on him and jammed the movie into their vintage early '90s VCR.
"You'll like this. There's lots of fight sequences." She tried hard to quash her irritation with the unwelcome guest and adopt a conversational tone. "Um.it's set in the future and this guy named Neo finds out that.."
"I know this story," he interrupted. "I have already seen it. The fights are very unrealistic."
"Well then." Dawn started the tape then flopped down in the armchair. "You can have fun watching it again and picking apart all the flaws. That's the best part of watching movies."
"No one can repeatedly dodge a bullet. Once maybe, but.."
Dawn shot him a quelling look. "I suppose you think you can?"
"I have," he replied.
Dawn looked at him full on. He was still perched on the edge of the couch as if ready for flight, a stiff contrast to her sprawled pose. "Let me guess, this is the beginning of the 'When I was back in Quor-toth.' stories?"
"What?" He frowned in confusion.
"Well spears don't count as bullets, and I really don't want to hear you brag on all the demons you've killed, blabbity, blah, blah, blah."
"I didn't say.." His frown deepened.
"'Cause believe me, we have our share of battles here, you know. Don't even think you can impress us."
Connor gave up arguing and concentrated on piercing her with his eyes instead. Dawn withstood it for all of forty-five seconds.
"Stop staring at me and just watch the movie," she commanded. When she snuck a glance over at Connor, she found his eyes trained on the TV.
The techno beat of the soundtrack soon filled the awkward silence. Dawn watched the story unfold impatiently and wondered if Xander was ever going to come back with snacks. She considered that once the mystery of the Matrix had been revealed, the story lost its impact on repeated viewings. Stifling a yawn, she wished she'd put in Sense and Sensibility after all. Romance never got boring.
She cast another glance at Connor. He had finally settled back farther on the couch and was still staring fixedly at the movie. Dawn wondered what was wrong with Cordelia that she hadn't given the kid a makeover yet, but maybe raggedy shag cuts were the new, hip thing in L.A. If so, she hoped the style wouldn't catch on in Sunnydale.
At least his clothes were normal enough she supposed, a long sleeved T with a short sleeve shirt over it, jeans and scuffed black boots. From what Angel had said Connor had arrived in the world dressed in demon hides. Try explaining that to the neighbors.
His eyes, when they weren't drilling holes through you, were kind of pretty she had to admit. Big and blue when they weren't narrowed in a scowl. She wondered what they would look like if he ever smiled.
Dawn decided that she didn't like his lips, far too full, red and effeminate for her taste in guys. As a matter of fact, with the longish hair he was pretty girly looking in general. Not someone she would ever be attracted to.
About the fifth time Dawn snuck a peek at Connor she met his arrogant stare. Caught! Her heart flipped in her chest.
"What?" he demanded.
"Nothing," she stammered. "I was just.." She trailed off and swung her eyes back to the TV.
After a long pause she looked at him again just to see if he was still looking at her. He was. She decided the awkwardness had gone on long enough and she would engage him in conversation if it killed her.
"So what was it like? In Quor-toth. Were there many humans there?"
"No. Just me and my father."
"You never saw anyone then, any other people, until you came here?"
"No."
"Wow." Dawn considered that for a moment. "What about, like, disembodied souls? I mean, if murderers and stuff go to hell after they die, shouldn't they end up someplace like that?"
Connor shrugged.
"How about vampires?" she pressed. "The demon in them has to go somewhere after they go poof here, right?"
"I don't know."
"Well, what kind of things were in Quor-toth then?" Dawn demanded, sitting up straighter in her chair and giving the impression of crossing her arms petulantly, although they actually stayed on the arms of the chair.
"We didn't name them. We just killed them," Connor deadpanned.
"Oh."
It now appeared that a staring match was in progress. Dawn was determined that she wouldn't break and look away first. But that didn't stop her from breaking the silence after another few seconds.
"So how'd you get out?"
"Followed a demon. Fought it and broke through the dimensional wall."
"Re-aallly." Dawn couldn't think of anything derogatory to say since the feat actually was quite impressive, so she changed subjects. "My sister was in another dimension before. A heavenly one. She says it was all peace and light and rest. It sounded really nice but kinda boring."
"I don't believe in heaven," Connor's voice was hard.
"You don't?" Dawn pondered a moment then added, "Well, that's just stupid! If you believe in hell, which you've been to and know exists, then you have to believe in the opposite. Creation is all about balance, yin and yang. You can't have a negative without a positive. That's just common sense."
Connor shrugged and continued to stare.
Dawn frowned, really did cross her arms this time, and continued to stare back.
"What do you think happens then?" she asked after a moment. "When you die, I mean? What do you think happens to the soul or life force or whatever?"
"Nothing. You're just dead." Connor's jaw clenched and he was beginning to look angry instead of arrogant. "Nothing happens."
Dawn hesitated realizing her questions had touched a nerve. She prodded the nerve again to see what would happen. "What makes you so sure?"
"Because my father told me about God and angels and devils and sinners. He told me that righteous people like us would be welcomed into heaven when we died." He paused then snapped, "But my father was a liar. Everything he said was a lie."
Dawn wanted to push it further to debate his logic but Connor looked so hurt and damaged she didn't have the heart to keep needling.
"You know, I wasn't always human," she said. "Some monks made me up out of a glowy, energy blob and put me here to hide me from a hell god."
"I know," Connor replied. "Angel explained it already."
"So I don't know if I have a soul to send to heaven or hell anyway," she added. "Guess the whole argument about whether there is or isn't kinda doesn't matter then, huh?"
Connor reverted to the non-committal shrug.
"I wish I knew, though," Dawn said wistfully, forgetting to stare and dropping her gaze back to the world of the Matrix. "I don't like surprises or secrets. I just want to know what I am and what's going to happen to me."
"Nothing," Connor reiterated. "It'll just go black." He gestured at the table lamp. "Like when one of these electric bulbs burn out."
"Hm." She studied the lamp as if it held the key to all the mysteries of the universe. "That's what you believe?"
He nodded.
"Well," she crooked the corner of her mouth into a smile and gave him a sidelong look. "Guess it's better than a hell dimension."
She startled a smile out of him in return. "Definitely," he emphatically agreed.
"All right," Xander entered the room armed with several large bowls of popcorn. "Who has room for an after dinner snack?" He thrust a bowl at each of them, then arranged himself on the floor right in front of the TV. "Ooh, The Matrix," he exclaimed as if it were a new release he'd been anxiously awaiting.
"Xander, you are such a nerd," Dawn teased affectionately. "Newsflash. Reality isn't real and Neo is The One."
"Dawn!" he slapped her ankle. "Don't ruin the end!"
She laughed and gave him a push with her foot, grabbed a handful of popcorn and began to munch it down.
*********
Connor watched the girl as he steadily ate his way through the bowl of popped grain the man had given him. He wasn't really hungry but had learned early to eat all he could when food was available. In this world it seemed like people were always shoving food at him and urging him to eat. He didn't need any urging.
He decided he didn't like the girl. She asked too many questions and made him think about things he had laid to rest. He preferred the people at Angel Investigations who all tried to act as if he'd always been there. They never questioned him about his former life and that was fine with him.
This girl, Dawn, confused him. She talked constantly but never said anything important. She didn't know anything about fighting and killing demons, didn't know anything useful at all and yet she acted like she was superior to him. He had been here less than a day and seen her go through a dozen different emotions, as uncontrolled as a tiny child. And he was amazed that the Slayer let the girl speak to her so rudely.
Connor ate another handful of popcorn and watched Dawn and Xander banter back and forth. That was one of many things he still was not accustomed to in this world, the way people talked to one another in that teasing manner. His father had never spoken to him lightly. His words always carried instruction and gravity. Connor didn't think he'd ever get used to the constant joking here. He was never sure whether peoples' words were intended seriously or not until after they laughed at him. It made him very uneasy.
He watched Dawn's open, laughing face and felt a tangled mix of emotions rush through him. He wanted to slap her to make her stop giggling. He wanted to be the one making her laugh. He wanted to be like her - so uncomplicated and free. And he wanted something else, ached for something else that he couldn't even define.
Connor tore his eyes away from her and back toward the television. 'Confusing and not worth another thought' he counseled himself. 'She's just a silly child.'
On the screen Keanu listened as Trinity pressed her body against him at the dance club, telling him about destiny and truth in a throaty whisper. Against his will, Connor's traitorous eyes snuck back to Dawn for another look at her pretty, smiling face.
"Connor!"
"What?!" He jerked in his seat and his eyes flew to meet the Slayer's. She was standing in the doorway, slipping a jacket on.
"I'm going on patrol. Wanna come with?" she asked casually.
He nodded and leaped to his feet, ready to bolt from the room.
"Have a nice night. Don't get killed," Dawn said airily. He glanced down as he passed her but she was already engrossed in the movie again.
**********
"It's still kind of early," the Slayer said as he followed her outside. "But I thought I could give you an idea of the layout of the town before any action starts."
She launched into a detailed explanation about the geography of the various cemeteries and the rest of the town. Connor listened intently as he strode along beside her. Finally he was on solid ground again in a paradigm he understood: hunt, find, kill.
After a while Buffy fell silent and they walked companionably through the almost empty back streets of Sunnydale then entered Restfield Cemetery.
"So...how is Angel," she asked presently. "Are you two getting along all right?"
Connor shrugged. "He's okay I guess."
"He told me you're quite an amazing fighter," Buffy continued. "I'll hold back tonight and let you show me your stuff."
Despite himself, Connor smiled. His fighting skills were one thing he could always count on and be proud of. He looked forward to showing the Slayer what he could do.
"What's it like for you working with Angel?" she asked.
"He gets in my way," Connor complained.
"Oh yeah," Buffy agreed, smiling. "That sounds like Angel. He means well but he's a little, all right a lot, overprotective. He thinks no one can function without him."
"I'm better than him, you know," Connor said simply. "He won't admit it but I'm faster than he is and soon I'll be stronger too."
Buffy didn't say anything for a minute. "Well, I guess that makes sense," she finally ventured. "If you have both Darla and Angel's power combined you must be pretty unstoppable."
He almost smiled again at the compliment and decided he liked the Slayer.
"What do you know about my mother," he asked. "No one will talk about her over there."
Buffy maintained silence again while she searched for diplomatic words. "She was...she was...like I said, very powerful and, um, beautiful of course, and, uh....."
"Evil?" Connor finished.
"I was hoping to find a better word but yeah. She was really very...dangerous."
"But she loved me," he said softly. "Somehow even though she was evil she was able to love me, because she killed herself so I could be born. That's what Angel says."
He looked sharply at the Slayer, embarrassed that he had shown too much emotion and was surprised to see her eyes glittering with what looked suspiciously like tears.
"Sometimes," she cleared her throat and started again. "Sometimes evil things can love, you know. I didn't used to believe it, but I know better now."
Connor didn't know what she was thinking of while she said it but he was pretty sure it wasn't his mother's sacrifice.
Suddenly he froze, head up scenting the air. The Slayer stilled too, watching as he turned his head slowly from side to side then pointed at three different unseen targets. She nodded in understanding and fell back allowing him space to hunt alone.
The first vampire came bounding over headstones roaring like a drunk Scotsman. With a flick of his wrist, Connor armed himself with the stake he had hidden up his sleeve, balanced lightly, weight spread evenly between both legs and held steady while the inept vampire impaled himself on the stake in his hand. It was so ridiculously easy it was kind of embarrassing and Connor decided to play out the fight a little longer with his next attacker.
The second vampire tackled Connor from behind, driving him face first into the turf and bumping his head against a granite tombstone. Connor twisted to face him then pushed up with his legs, tossing the demon several yards away. He arched himself upright and stood waiting for the vampire to attack again.
The vamp obliged, as did the third assailant who came tearing through the underbrush. The last was a female who quickly proved cleverer than her minions. As Connor drove the second vampire back with blow after blow to head, chest and stomach, she watched for an opportunity then swept Connor's legs out from under him with a graceful kick. He crashed to earth again and the pair of vampires circled him like jungle cats.
"Nice moves, boy," the female vampire purred. "You're a little hottie and I'd be happy to turn you." She leaned toward him and said confidentially, "'Cause between you and me I'm sick of raising litters of boneheads like this guy." She gestured toward her partner.
"Hey!" he whined. "I'm not your lackey. Already told you that. Just cause you made me don't mean you can tell me what to...." He exploded in a shower of dust as Connor rose up and faced off against the leader.
She grinned with a cheery mouthful of perfect white teeth and a deadly pair of fangs. Reaching out she cuffed the side of Connor's head while driving her knee into his solar plexis. He retaliated with a series of blows that spun her around and a vicious kick to her lower back.
"Whoa-ho," she laughed. "Baby got game." She whirled, snarling, leaped on Connor's back and wrapped an arm like an iron band around his throat. Her fangs hovered inches from his neck and Connor was aware of the Slayer starting to move from her hiding place in the shadows. "Come on, sweetie. Let me do it. I'll make you my consort not a minion. You can't imagine the power, the pleasure...." He drove his stake between his arm and body into her stomach. "OW! Damn!"
She loosened her hold to grab at the protruding stake and Connor broke free of her encircling arm, turned and drove his fist into her face, jamming her nose back into her skull. "Fuck!" she screeched, blood pouring down her face. "You wanna play rough? Fine! I'll give you rough."
They fought like angry alley cats for several minutes, Connor unleashing a volley of punches and kicks, which she returned blow for blow. Finally he gave a dramatic leap into the air and aimed a kick at her head that snapped her neck. The vampire crumpled in a heap. Connor retrieved his stake from her stomach and drove it into her heart. She dusted and he rose, brushing ash from his clothes and panting from exertion.
"Impressive," the Slayer approved coming to stand by him. "Angel was right."
"It was sloppy," he demurred. "I work better with a sword than a stake."
"Well, extra points for not having your weapon of choice then." She smiled. "Need to work on your banter though. It's kind of.nonexistent."
He looked at her uncertainly.
"Joke," she explained.
A trace of a smile touched his lips.
Buffy laughed and slapped him on the arm. "Come on. Let's see what other trouble we can stir up."
They walked on into the night.
To be continued..
I first heard someone suggest a Dawn/Connor pairing a long time ago but it meant nothing to me until I was finally able to see season 3 Angel in syndication and meet the brooding Jungle Boy. Then I began to see the possibilities in such a relationship and wondered how you could mess with canon and force them to meet. I knew Her Whininess would never put up with Connor's crap and thought that, just maybe, she'd have better insight into his needs than any of the adults.
This story takes place post season 6 Buffy/season 3 Angel with the facts twisted as needed; ie. Connor found out the truth about Holtz, stopped short of sending Angel to the bottom of the sea and they have a tentative relationship. Everything in Sunnydale happened as in canon until further notice. Dawn's age was stated in season 5 as being 14. With a summer birthday this should place her at almost 16 in my story - not too young for a little romance.
Chapter One
"He's creepy, just plain creepy," Dawn complained again. "I don't see why we have to.."
"Because Angel asked us to," Buffy hissed. "And lower your voice. He's just in the other room and he's not deaf!"
"But, Buffy." Dawn interrupted herself. "Never mind." She resumed scrubbing furiously at the lasagna-encrusted pan in the sink. If there was one thing she'd learned it was not to bother arguing with Buffy about Slayer related stuff and somehow Connor seemed to fall under that heading.
"It's only for a few weeks. A month tops," Buffy continued. "Angel wanted him to have a break from the city. And to see how a regular family lives."
"So he sent him to the Hellmouth for vacation?" Dawn was incredulous. "And he considers US a regular family?"
Buffy pitched her voice even lower. "Plus I think Angel's got some stuff going on over there he doesn't want Connor involved with." She fluttered the hand with the dishtowel vaguely. "He was pretty unclear."
After drying and neatly stacking a plate in the cupboard she added, "Besides, I guess for a kid who grew up in a hell dimension Sunnydale looks like pastoral living."
Dawn shrugged, gave up on cleaning the pan and began filling it with fresh hot water to soak off the stuck on noodles in the tried and true overnight method. "Still, it seems weird to me. I mean, let me get the story straight.Against all odds Angel and Darla give birth to a human baby who right away gets kidnapped and sent to Quor-toth where he grows up then returns with a death vendetta against Angel because his evil father figure brainwashed him. Okay. That's the easy part. But then." Becoming increasingly agitated, Dawn turned off the tap and began wiping her hands dry on her shirttail since there weren't any more dishtowels handy.
"He comes this close," she illustrated with her thumb and forefinger, "to sending Angel on a one way trip to the bottom of the ocean, but learns the truth just in time and begins some kind of tentative bonding with his vampire father, who, and this is the part I don't get, after less than a month of quality father/son sharing time brings him to us to babysit."
"Dawn, it's hardly babysitting," Buffy interjected. "He's older than you."
"Huh, I'd have to do the math on that," Dawn said. "If you go by earth time he's only about, what, three months old or something? And I'm almost two years this summer."
"Hah, hah, very funny." Using the opportunity to change the subject Buffy asked, "Speaking of birthdays, who are you planning to ask to your party next week?"
"Oh, Janice I suppose, even though we don't hang out much any more. And there's this new girl I met at work who's pretty nice, Marie. She just moved here and nobody's had time to tell her any freaky stories about my big sister yet so she still thinks we're normal. Viola, instant new friend. Plus, if I invite her I can just give a blanket invitation to all the other baggers at Shopping Center and maybe." Dawn's voice rose in excitement, "Ryan will come."
"Good plan," Buffy said absently as she stacked another dry plate.
"Anyway," Dawn continued, "I thought I'd also ask.."
"Hello?" The kitchen door opened and Xander stuck his head in and whispered. "Are you girls ever gonna be finished? Cause I don't know how long I can entertain this guy. He's got no conversational skills whatsoever, and.he just kind of creeps me out."
"See!" Dawn pointed emphatically at Buffy. "I told you. It's not just me. Connor is freaky."
"Maybe a little intense," Buffy admitted, "But you guys need to cut him some slack. Just think of everything he's been through."
"What about what we've been through!" Xander complained, entering the kitchen. "A parade of near apocalypses and herds of demons and vampires screwing up our lives, I'd say we've all earned the right for someone to cut us some slack."
"Xander," Buffy wheedled, "Please be nice. It's only for a short time. Do it for Ang.." She cut off at the look on his face. "For me."
Xander rolled his eyes. "Fine. But give me something else to feed him. That'll keep him busy for a while." He strode to the cupboard and began poking around.
"I'll pop a movie in then we don't have to talk to him at all," Dawn reasoned. "What do you think he'd relate to? Somehow I don't think Sense and Sensibility will hold much meaning."
"Too bad you don't have some old Land of the Lost episodes," Xander mumbled as he rummaged. Buffy shook her head. Dawn laughed and left the kitchen.
*********
Entering the living room Dawn was uncomfortably aware of Connor's propensity toward staring. Suddenly she knew how a prairie dog felt when the shadow of a hawk fell across its path. 'Find shelter. Seek cover,' her inner voice warned. 'Danger, Will Robinson!'
Conner was perched on the edge of the couch looking ready to swoop. His eyes never left her as she headed toward the shelf where they kept their limited tape library. Naturally in a household of women they tended toward chick flicks. Buffy declared that she got enough action on the job and didn't care if she watched anything in which cars blew up, bad guys were decapitated or Angelina Jolie pretended to know something about martial arts. However there was an ancient copy of The Matrix Xander had bequeathed them after he got his new DVD player so she grabbed it from the shelf.
"So, Connor," she spoke slowly and enunciated carefully as if he were a foreign exchange student. "This is called a movie. What you see isn't real. It's just a story they're telling."
"Yeah," he replied, eyes narrowing at her condescending voice. His voice drizzled disdain like chocolate syrup on ice cream, "I've seen movies with my. in L.A. I know what they are."
"So-rree," she drawled. "I don't know what you know about and what you don't. Angel didn't say very much when he dropped you off." With a flip of her glossy brown hair she turned her back on him and jammed the movie into their vintage early '90s VCR.
"You'll like this. There's lots of fight sequences." She tried hard to quash her irritation with the unwelcome guest and adopt a conversational tone. "Um.it's set in the future and this guy named Neo finds out that.."
"I know this story," he interrupted. "I have already seen it. The fights are very unrealistic."
"Well then." Dawn started the tape then flopped down in the armchair. "You can have fun watching it again and picking apart all the flaws. That's the best part of watching movies."
"No one can repeatedly dodge a bullet. Once maybe, but.."
Dawn shot him a quelling look. "I suppose you think you can?"
"I have," he replied.
Dawn looked at him full on. He was still perched on the edge of the couch as if ready for flight, a stiff contrast to her sprawled pose. "Let me guess, this is the beginning of the 'When I was back in Quor-toth.' stories?"
"What?" He frowned in confusion.
"Well spears don't count as bullets, and I really don't want to hear you brag on all the demons you've killed, blabbity, blah, blah, blah."
"I didn't say.." His frown deepened.
"'Cause believe me, we have our share of battles here, you know. Don't even think you can impress us."
Connor gave up arguing and concentrated on piercing her with his eyes instead. Dawn withstood it for all of forty-five seconds.
"Stop staring at me and just watch the movie," she commanded. When she snuck a glance over at Connor, she found his eyes trained on the TV.
The techno beat of the soundtrack soon filled the awkward silence. Dawn watched the story unfold impatiently and wondered if Xander was ever going to come back with snacks. She considered that once the mystery of the Matrix had been revealed, the story lost its impact on repeated viewings. Stifling a yawn, she wished she'd put in Sense and Sensibility after all. Romance never got boring.
She cast another glance at Connor. He had finally settled back farther on the couch and was still staring fixedly at the movie. Dawn wondered what was wrong with Cordelia that she hadn't given the kid a makeover yet, but maybe raggedy shag cuts were the new, hip thing in L.A. If so, she hoped the style wouldn't catch on in Sunnydale.
At least his clothes were normal enough she supposed, a long sleeved T with a short sleeve shirt over it, jeans and scuffed black boots. From what Angel had said Connor had arrived in the world dressed in demon hides. Try explaining that to the neighbors.
His eyes, when they weren't drilling holes through you, were kind of pretty she had to admit. Big and blue when they weren't narrowed in a scowl. She wondered what they would look like if he ever smiled.
Dawn decided that she didn't like his lips, far too full, red and effeminate for her taste in guys. As a matter of fact, with the longish hair he was pretty girly looking in general. Not someone she would ever be attracted to.
About the fifth time Dawn snuck a peek at Connor she met his arrogant stare. Caught! Her heart flipped in her chest.
"What?" he demanded.
"Nothing," she stammered. "I was just.." She trailed off and swung her eyes back to the TV.
After a long pause she looked at him again just to see if he was still looking at her. He was. She decided the awkwardness had gone on long enough and she would engage him in conversation if it killed her.
"So what was it like? In Quor-toth. Were there many humans there?"
"No. Just me and my father."
"You never saw anyone then, any other people, until you came here?"
"No."
"Wow." Dawn considered that for a moment. "What about, like, disembodied souls? I mean, if murderers and stuff go to hell after they die, shouldn't they end up someplace like that?"
Connor shrugged.
"How about vampires?" she pressed. "The demon in them has to go somewhere after they go poof here, right?"
"I don't know."
"Well, what kind of things were in Quor-toth then?" Dawn demanded, sitting up straighter in her chair and giving the impression of crossing her arms petulantly, although they actually stayed on the arms of the chair.
"We didn't name them. We just killed them," Connor deadpanned.
"Oh."
It now appeared that a staring match was in progress. Dawn was determined that she wouldn't break and look away first. But that didn't stop her from breaking the silence after another few seconds.
"So how'd you get out?"
"Followed a demon. Fought it and broke through the dimensional wall."
"Re-aallly." Dawn couldn't think of anything derogatory to say since the feat actually was quite impressive, so she changed subjects. "My sister was in another dimension before. A heavenly one. She says it was all peace and light and rest. It sounded really nice but kinda boring."
"I don't believe in heaven," Connor's voice was hard.
"You don't?" Dawn pondered a moment then added, "Well, that's just stupid! If you believe in hell, which you've been to and know exists, then you have to believe in the opposite. Creation is all about balance, yin and yang. You can't have a negative without a positive. That's just common sense."
Connor shrugged and continued to stare.
Dawn frowned, really did cross her arms this time, and continued to stare back.
"What do you think happens then?" she asked after a moment. "When you die, I mean? What do you think happens to the soul or life force or whatever?"
"Nothing. You're just dead." Connor's jaw clenched and he was beginning to look angry instead of arrogant. "Nothing happens."
Dawn hesitated realizing her questions had touched a nerve. She prodded the nerve again to see what would happen. "What makes you so sure?"
"Because my father told me about God and angels and devils and sinners. He told me that righteous people like us would be welcomed into heaven when we died." He paused then snapped, "But my father was a liar. Everything he said was a lie."
Dawn wanted to push it further to debate his logic but Connor looked so hurt and damaged she didn't have the heart to keep needling.
"You know, I wasn't always human," she said. "Some monks made me up out of a glowy, energy blob and put me here to hide me from a hell god."
"I know," Connor replied. "Angel explained it already."
"So I don't know if I have a soul to send to heaven or hell anyway," she added. "Guess the whole argument about whether there is or isn't kinda doesn't matter then, huh?"
Connor reverted to the non-committal shrug.
"I wish I knew, though," Dawn said wistfully, forgetting to stare and dropping her gaze back to the world of the Matrix. "I don't like surprises or secrets. I just want to know what I am and what's going to happen to me."
"Nothing," Connor reiterated. "It'll just go black." He gestured at the table lamp. "Like when one of these electric bulbs burn out."
"Hm." She studied the lamp as if it held the key to all the mysteries of the universe. "That's what you believe?"
He nodded.
"Well," she crooked the corner of her mouth into a smile and gave him a sidelong look. "Guess it's better than a hell dimension."
She startled a smile out of him in return. "Definitely," he emphatically agreed.
"All right," Xander entered the room armed with several large bowls of popcorn. "Who has room for an after dinner snack?" He thrust a bowl at each of them, then arranged himself on the floor right in front of the TV. "Ooh, The Matrix," he exclaimed as if it were a new release he'd been anxiously awaiting.
"Xander, you are such a nerd," Dawn teased affectionately. "Newsflash. Reality isn't real and Neo is The One."
"Dawn!" he slapped her ankle. "Don't ruin the end!"
She laughed and gave him a push with her foot, grabbed a handful of popcorn and began to munch it down.
*********
Connor watched the girl as he steadily ate his way through the bowl of popped grain the man had given him. He wasn't really hungry but had learned early to eat all he could when food was available. In this world it seemed like people were always shoving food at him and urging him to eat. He didn't need any urging.
He decided he didn't like the girl. She asked too many questions and made him think about things he had laid to rest. He preferred the people at Angel Investigations who all tried to act as if he'd always been there. They never questioned him about his former life and that was fine with him.
This girl, Dawn, confused him. She talked constantly but never said anything important. She didn't know anything about fighting and killing demons, didn't know anything useful at all and yet she acted like she was superior to him. He had been here less than a day and seen her go through a dozen different emotions, as uncontrolled as a tiny child. And he was amazed that the Slayer let the girl speak to her so rudely.
Connor ate another handful of popcorn and watched Dawn and Xander banter back and forth. That was one of many things he still was not accustomed to in this world, the way people talked to one another in that teasing manner. His father had never spoken to him lightly. His words always carried instruction and gravity. Connor didn't think he'd ever get used to the constant joking here. He was never sure whether peoples' words were intended seriously or not until after they laughed at him. It made him very uneasy.
He watched Dawn's open, laughing face and felt a tangled mix of emotions rush through him. He wanted to slap her to make her stop giggling. He wanted to be the one making her laugh. He wanted to be like her - so uncomplicated and free. And he wanted something else, ached for something else that he couldn't even define.
Connor tore his eyes away from her and back toward the television. 'Confusing and not worth another thought' he counseled himself. 'She's just a silly child.'
On the screen Keanu listened as Trinity pressed her body against him at the dance club, telling him about destiny and truth in a throaty whisper. Against his will, Connor's traitorous eyes snuck back to Dawn for another look at her pretty, smiling face.
"Connor!"
"What?!" He jerked in his seat and his eyes flew to meet the Slayer's. She was standing in the doorway, slipping a jacket on.
"I'm going on patrol. Wanna come with?" she asked casually.
He nodded and leaped to his feet, ready to bolt from the room.
"Have a nice night. Don't get killed," Dawn said airily. He glanced down as he passed her but she was already engrossed in the movie again.
**********
"It's still kind of early," the Slayer said as he followed her outside. "But I thought I could give you an idea of the layout of the town before any action starts."
She launched into a detailed explanation about the geography of the various cemeteries and the rest of the town. Connor listened intently as he strode along beside her. Finally he was on solid ground again in a paradigm he understood: hunt, find, kill.
After a while Buffy fell silent and they walked companionably through the almost empty back streets of Sunnydale then entered Restfield Cemetery.
"So...how is Angel," she asked presently. "Are you two getting along all right?"
Connor shrugged. "He's okay I guess."
"He told me you're quite an amazing fighter," Buffy continued. "I'll hold back tonight and let you show me your stuff."
Despite himself, Connor smiled. His fighting skills were one thing he could always count on and be proud of. He looked forward to showing the Slayer what he could do.
"What's it like for you working with Angel?" she asked.
"He gets in my way," Connor complained.
"Oh yeah," Buffy agreed, smiling. "That sounds like Angel. He means well but he's a little, all right a lot, overprotective. He thinks no one can function without him."
"I'm better than him, you know," Connor said simply. "He won't admit it but I'm faster than he is and soon I'll be stronger too."
Buffy didn't say anything for a minute. "Well, I guess that makes sense," she finally ventured. "If you have both Darla and Angel's power combined you must be pretty unstoppable."
He almost smiled again at the compliment and decided he liked the Slayer.
"What do you know about my mother," he asked. "No one will talk about her over there."
Buffy maintained silence again while she searched for diplomatic words. "She was...she was...like I said, very powerful and, um, beautiful of course, and, uh....."
"Evil?" Connor finished.
"I was hoping to find a better word but yeah. She was really very...dangerous."
"But she loved me," he said softly. "Somehow even though she was evil she was able to love me, because she killed herself so I could be born. That's what Angel says."
He looked sharply at the Slayer, embarrassed that he had shown too much emotion and was surprised to see her eyes glittering with what looked suspiciously like tears.
"Sometimes," she cleared her throat and started again. "Sometimes evil things can love, you know. I didn't used to believe it, but I know better now."
Connor didn't know what she was thinking of while she said it but he was pretty sure it wasn't his mother's sacrifice.
Suddenly he froze, head up scenting the air. The Slayer stilled too, watching as he turned his head slowly from side to side then pointed at three different unseen targets. She nodded in understanding and fell back allowing him space to hunt alone.
The first vampire came bounding over headstones roaring like a drunk Scotsman. With a flick of his wrist, Connor armed himself with the stake he had hidden up his sleeve, balanced lightly, weight spread evenly between both legs and held steady while the inept vampire impaled himself on the stake in his hand. It was so ridiculously easy it was kind of embarrassing and Connor decided to play out the fight a little longer with his next attacker.
The second vampire tackled Connor from behind, driving him face first into the turf and bumping his head against a granite tombstone. Connor twisted to face him then pushed up with his legs, tossing the demon several yards away. He arched himself upright and stood waiting for the vampire to attack again.
The vamp obliged, as did the third assailant who came tearing through the underbrush. The last was a female who quickly proved cleverer than her minions. As Connor drove the second vampire back with blow after blow to head, chest and stomach, she watched for an opportunity then swept Connor's legs out from under him with a graceful kick. He crashed to earth again and the pair of vampires circled him like jungle cats.
"Nice moves, boy," the female vampire purred. "You're a little hottie and I'd be happy to turn you." She leaned toward him and said confidentially, "'Cause between you and me I'm sick of raising litters of boneheads like this guy." She gestured toward her partner.
"Hey!" he whined. "I'm not your lackey. Already told you that. Just cause you made me don't mean you can tell me what to...." He exploded in a shower of dust as Connor rose up and faced off against the leader.
She grinned with a cheery mouthful of perfect white teeth and a deadly pair of fangs. Reaching out she cuffed the side of Connor's head while driving her knee into his solar plexis. He retaliated with a series of blows that spun her around and a vicious kick to her lower back.
"Whoa-ho," she laughed. "Baby got game." She whirled, snarling, leaped on Connor's back and wrapped an arm like an iron band around his throat. Her fangs hovered inches from his neck and Connor was aware of the Slayer starting to move from her hiding place in the shadows. "Come on, sweetie. Let me do it. I'll make you my consort not a minion. You can't imagine the power, the pleasure...." He drove his stake between his arm and body into her stomach. "OW! Damn!"
She loosened her hold to grab at the protruding stake and Connor broke free of her encircling arm, turned and drove his fist into her face, jamming her nose back into her skull. "Fuck!" she screeched, blood pouring down her face. "You wanna play rough? Fine! I'll give you rough."
They fought like angry alley cats for several minutes, Connor unleashing a volley of punches and kicks, which she returned blow for blow. Finally he gave a dramatic leap into the air and aimed a kick at her head that snapped her neck. The vampire crumpled in a heap. Connor retrieved his stake from her stomach and drove it into her heart. She dusted and he rose, brushing ash from his clothes and panting from exertion.
"Impressive," the Slayer approved coming to stand by him. "Angel was right."
"It was sloppy," he demurred. "I work better with a sword than a stake."
"Well, extra points for not having your weapon of choice then." She smiled. "Need to work on your banter though. It's kind of.nonexistent."
He looked at her uncertainly.
"Joke," she explained.
A trace of a smile touched his lips.
Buffy laughed and slapped him on the arm. "Come on. Let's see what other trouble we can stir up."
They walked on into the night.
To be continued..
