Chapter 15: Dealing

They all stood, frozen. Then the knock came again.

"Detective, would you please..." Principal Howard motioned to the door.

"Sure," he said. He was careful to keep himself between Xander and the door as he opened it. "Yes?"

"Oh, Detective Phillips, I spoke to Dawn. Perhaps we can close the door so we can speak privately."

"Dawn? You've been talking to Dawn? Did you upset her?" Xander fired the questions at Ms. White as he walked toward her.

Detective Phillips stepped forward to block Xander. "Back off!"

Ms. White hesitated, then stepped forward into the room and closed the door. She briefly rested her hand on the detective's arm. "Let me speak to him." She approached Xander, hand outstretched. "Hello, I'm Ms. White. I'm a counselor here at the school and yes, I have spoken to Dawn. Perhaps we can sit down and I'll try to explain the circumstances."

"I've already heard the explanation from the principal and the detective. Now I want to see Dawn."

"I think you're the one that needs to be explaining," offered Detective Phillips.

"I don't understand." Ms. White looked confused. "I just spoke to Dawn and she said that she was not the victim of date rape or any other kind. I believe she was telling the truth. I think there's something going on, but honestly don't think this is it. There is the possibility of post- traumatic stress disorder since she was one of the survivors from Sunnydale. I really need to do a full evaluation."

"Not date rape since she 'doesn't date'." Detective Phillips air-quoted the last bit before continuing. "But was it something else. Did you force that little girl to..."

"NO! I didn't force her." burst out Xander, before continuing quietly. "And she's not a little girl."

Detective Phillips looked Xander in the eye. "Statutory?"

Xander hesitated. It was the only way to divert their attention from Dawn. He dropped his head before nodding. "Yeah."

Detective Phillips looked over to Principal Howard before explaining. "Consensual sex with a minor. Still illegal in this state."

A commotion outside the door drew their attention. Dawn burst through the door, crossed the room, and had thrown herself into Xander's arms before anyone could move. The receptionist was standing in the doorway. "She came out of the office and was across the waiting room before I could stop her."

Principal Howard waved her out the door, "It's fine, Mrs. Beckett. We'll handle things from here."

They waited until the door was closed again. Then Ms. White spoke first, "Dawn, I thought you were going to wait for me?"

"It doesn't take that long to find out I've got three weeks detention, so I came looking for you."

"Dawn!" Dawn looked at Xander as he pulled back to look at her face. "Detention?" She shrugged as she gave him her "What can I say" look. Then she turned back to the others and continued, "Then I saw the footprint."

"The footprint?" inquired Ms. White.

"The clay from his current construction site. I knew it was Xander, and if you called him you had probably explained what happened today." She turned to look at Xander. "I had to see if you hated me for what I did to you."

"What you did to him?"

Dawn turned and noticed for the first time that Detective Phillips was in the room. She drew herself further into Xander's arms as she shrank back from the officer. She looked back to Xander's face. "Am I going to be arrested?" she asked as tears trembled on her lashes. "Will I have to go to jail?"

"No. Of course not. You're going to be fine. You're gonna be just fine." Xander soothed her as he stroked her hair.

"You didn't tell her that she could be arrested for..." Detective Phillips sounded incredulous.

"No! Of course not." Xander regretted his harsh tone immediately as Dawn cringed.

Principal Howard quickly decided that if cooler heads were to prevail, someone else was going to have to take charge. She clapped her hands together and immediately had everyone's attention.

"I think we need to sit down and talk. Why don't we let Ms. White raid the mini-fridg in her office. She keeps drinks for her visitors in there. Detective, perhaps you could help her? Dawn, what would you like. I know a lot of students like Red Bull."

Dawn looked at Xander. "I don't know. It has a lot of caffeine. I think I'll just stick with Sprite." She looked back at Xander and smiled when she saw him smile.

Ms. White and Detective Phillips left to find sodas. Principal Howard looked at Dawn and Xander and smiled, "School will be out in a few minutes so we should be able to talk undisturbed."

"Oh." Dawn put her hand over her mouth as she turned to look at Xander.

"What?"

"I'm supposed to meet Amber after school. I asked if I could go to her house tonight." Dawn dropped her eyes as she finished. "I didn't think I would be able to face you after I realized..."

"Dawn, why don't you go ahead and meet her. Tell her that you and I are having a little meeting with the principal. If you still want to go to her house later, I'll drop you by on the way home."

"Ok. I'll be right back," and she headed for her regular meeting place with Amber.

"She's a sweet girl," said Principal Howard.

"Yeah," said Xander proudly, "She's the best."

Detective Phillips overheard as he and Ms. White returned.

Principal Howard immediately went into command mode. "I think we all agree that we want what's best for Dawn." Getting no disagreement, she continued, "So I think we need to keep our cool and do our best to not upset her. We want her to be able to tell us the whole story without being pressured."

Detective Phillips immediately protested, "Pressured. The girl won't even order a soda with caffeine because he doesn't approve. You don't honestly think she'll say something that might get him in trouble with him sitting in the room. She needs to be taken downtown and interrogated without him around."

"You are NOT interrogating Dawn!" protested Xander. "I admitted to statutory rape. If you want to arrest me, fine. Just give me time to get someone here who can take care of her."

Detective Phillips directed a piercing glance at Xander. "You said you were with her because you were the only person available. Were you lying?"

"No, I wasn't lying. But I could get the ex-boyfriend I told you about earlier. He could watch her until Buffy can get here from Ohio."

"Why would Buffy be coming from Ohio? Why would I have to stay with Angel 'til she gets here?" They turned to see Dawn standing in the doorway. "Xander, are you going somewhere?"

Detective Phillips stepped forward. "Mr. Harris has confessed to statutory rape. We will need to take him down town, process him, and place him in holding, pending a bail hearing. If he makes bail, he will have a restraining order issued against him that restricts contact with the minor in question."

"No." Dawn whispered as she collapsed to the floor.

Xander rushed forward and gather Dawn up in his arms. He carried her into the principal's office and placed her on the couch. He turned to look at the detective. "You didn't have to tell her like that, you bozo. What if she had hurt herself?"

"I didn't know she was going to faint. And you're the one who had sex with a minor so I somehow don't think her welfare is one of your priorities. It apparently didn't concern you that you might hurt her."

"I didn't hurt her." Xander's shoulders slumped as he ran his hands down his face. He felt like he had been doing that a lot lately. He reached down to brush the hair back from her face. She looked so young and pale. "She said I didn't hurt her."

"You son of a bitch," exploded Detective Phillips. "You don't know? Were you drunk?"

"Xander?"

Xander turned back to the couch and took Dawn's hand as he sat on the edge. "I'm here, Dawn."

"You said wherever you were. You promised..."

"That I'd come running. I remember."

"You can't come running, if you're in jail."

"It's best this way. You only have another couple of weeks of school here. When you finish you can join Buffy in Ohio with the others. They can keep you safe. Besides, research girl here. You can hit Giles up for that job. You may be needing it."

"You think so."

"You're a strong woman, Dawn." He grinned at her. "I think it would take a little more than one of my screw-ups to put you into a faint."

"Oh, I hope you're right."

"And just think," he added jokingly, "I might just be safe from Buffy in prison. I just hope Willow doesn't go all protective over you. We already know how safe jail would be with her around."

"This is all my fault. I can't let you take the blame." She sat up and threw her arms around Xander's neck. As she squeezed him tight, she whispered, "I wish I had never drugged you."

"Dawn, NO!" Xander shouted as he pulled back, knowing what it took for her to say it. "Dawn, no." His voice had dropped to a whisper as he looked into her eyes.

"Xander, I'll gladly give up our beautiful night together, I'll even give up my baby, if I can take back what I've done to you. You don't deserve to have your life ruined because I'm stupid."

"Dawn, you're not stupid." He smiled, "Just occasionally immature, like the rest of us."

Suddenly, Xander looked around the room. "Hey, we're still here. I guess this counselor wasn't a vengeance demon." Their eyes meet and they chimed in together, "Justice demon."

"Would you care to explain that?" Detective Phillips asked, reminding Xander and Dawn that they still had an audience.

Xander helped Dawn sit up and joined her on the couch. They both turned to look at Detective Phillips. They looked at each other, then back to him. Both started shaking their heads.

"Not really," said Xander.

"What about the rest of that conversation? What did she mean about drugging you? What baby?" He rapid fired the questions before turning his focus to Dawn. "Are you pregnant?"

"I think so."

"And what was that about you drugging him?"

*I can't let this hurt Xander.* Dawn drew in a deep breath then said in a rush, "Xander didn't rape me. I raped him."

"Dawn, NO!"

Dawn ignored Xander and plowed ahead. "I put cold medicine in his food knowing he was on his way to a bar and would be drinking. I waited an hour, called the bar, told the bartender that my husband had been drinking before he left the house and was probably thoroughly snockered."

"Snockered?" questioned Xander.

Dawn looked back to Xander. "I heard Giles say it once."

Responding to Xander's puzzled look; "It sounded better than 'drunk'."

She turned back to her attentive audience. "I then asked if the bartender would be so kind as to pour my husband into a cab and send him home. When Xander got there I took him into the bedroom, gave him enough encouragement to get him started and just let things happen. I know if Xander had at any point realized it was me, he would have stopped. So it's not his fault. You can't put him in jail." Her voice dropped to a whisper as her eyes returned to Xander. "I need him."

Dawn tore her gaze from Xander to turn back to Detective Phillips. "I didn't realize until I heard the lecture today, what I had done. I mean, I had heard of date rape before, but I just never connected what I was doing with it until you spoke today."

Dawn took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and put on her brave face. "But I realize that's no excuse. Will I go to jail?"

"Well, that depends." Detective Phillips was giving them both a stern look from beneath his eyebrows.

"She is not going to jail," said Xander fiercely. "You cannot put a seventeen year old girl who is probably pregnant in jail."

"It happens all the time, son. Now, will you let me finish. Under the laws of the state of California, someone of legal age who has consensual sex with a minor can be charged with statutory rape by a parent or legal guardian of the minor. Legal authorities or school officials may also file the charges, if they deem it in the best interest of the child."

"But I..."

Up when the detective's hand, halting Dawn's words.

"Young lady, will you please let me finish. I think in this case, this would not be deemed 'consensual' because although the minor party consented, the legal party did not. Which brings us to the issue of rape. Not a word," he said, waving his finger at Xander, "not a word."

"In cases where both the victim and perpetrator are adults, the charges are usually brought by the victim. In many of these cases if the victim refuses to file charges the perp walks. Only when there is enough evidence to convict the perpetrator without the testimony of the victim, usually testimony by one or more credible witnesses, can authorities file the charges."

"What about when the perp?" Dawn hesitated with a questioning look at the detective. He nodded and Dawn continued, "the perp is a minor and the victim is not?"

"I really don't think that's an issue since in California any minor who is pregnant is automatically emancipated, i.e. freed from the custody of parents or legal guardians. This gives the pregnant minor the liberty to make decisions regarding their person."

Xander tilted his head and looked at the detective. "Has anyone ever told you that you talk funny?"

"Xander."

Xander turned back to Dawn at her warning tone. "Yeah?"

Dawn plastered on her biggest, fakest smile and spoke through gritted teeth. "Do not insult the man who can put us in jail, no matter how funny he talks."

"Yes, dear."

Detective Phillips watched the exchange in bafflement. He finally shook his head and went on. "Basically, if Mr. Harris doesn't choose to file charges against you, Ms. Summers, then there is no case."

"Well, I don't choose to file," stated Xander emphatically.

"Now there's a shocker. Yes, well,..." continued Detective Phillips, clearing his throat, "that still doesn't change the fact that what she did was illegal, not to mention dangerous. She could have killed you."

"We've already had a discussion about boundaries, trust issues and how she is never doing anything like this ever again. We also discussed the fact that she is a minor. I just didn't want to make her feel worse by pointing out that she could actually be put in jail for this particular stunt. As for the dangerous, Dawn is research girl. She told me that she looked up studies done by drug companies, by attorneys working on lawsuits, and by the medical community; she read medical journal articles; she even did her own calculations based on my weight and the milligrams of active ingredients in the cold pills she gave me. She knows how long it takes me to finish a beer and how long it would take me to have enough in my system to do what she wanted. So, basically, if anyone outside the medical profession is drugging me, Dawn would be the person to do it."

Ms. White finally broke into the conversation. She had waited as long as she could. "But why Dawn? Did you have a crush on him or an obsession with him? Why go to that much trouble to have sex with a man who didn't want you?"

"Hey! I'm wantable."

"Dawn, I'm sure that's not what she meant. You're beautiful and very...wantable." Xander reassured her. "Your sex appeal isn't the issue."

Dawn focused back on the question. "I misunderstood something I saw and thought Xander was going to commit suicide. I knew he wouldn't desert me if I needed him. Once I got the idea, I did the research, made the plan and set everything up. The next morning I hit him with the 'I might be pregnant, you can't die and leave me right now' thing."

"So you may not be pregnant?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But I am over a week late. We're going to do the test tomorrow. There are tests that will show results earlier but their accuracy ratings decrease proportionally."

"Let me guess," Detective Phillips said, "research?"

Xander nodded. "Ever since Dawn gave me the 'might be pregnant' news, she's been researching. Pregnancy in general, teen pregnancy in particular, fetal development, proper nutrition—hence the 'no caffeine' rule. Her rule, not mine."

Detective Phillips was looking suspicious again. "You said when you first arrived that you and Dawn were living as friends, and you act like you don't remember anything from that night. But you seem very friendly to just be friends. I mean, 'We're going to do the test tomorrow.' It sounds more than friendly."

"Detective, Dawn and I have known each other for seven years. We have faced life and death together. Whatever her motivation, she chose me to be her first lover. We may be going through a pregnancy and raising a child together. We are friends. I think that is a good foundation where we can build a relationship that is way more than just friends if we decide that's what we want."

"Well," said Detective Phillips as he held out his hand to Xander, "I wish you luck, however this turns out."

Xander shook his hand. "Thank you, sir. We appreciate your understanding."

The detective turned to Dawn. "Young lady, I think it's best if you keep your feet on the straight and narrow. Avoiding alcohol and drugs would be your best bet. And I don't want to hear of any shoplifting either."

"Xander, you told him about that?" said Dawn as she punched his arm.

Xander shied away from her with a grimace. "It may have come up."

Dawn just rolled her eyes at Xander before turning back to the detective. "Yes, sir. No shoplifting. No drugs or alcohol. Straight and narrow."

Detective Phillips' eyes narrowed briefly as he tried to determine if she was mocking him. He decided it was just teen-speak and decided to let it go. Respect for authority just wasn't taught like it used to be. He turned back to Principal Howard as he said, "Thank you for the invitation to speak. I always appreciate the opportunity to help educate the next generation."

"Of course, Detective Phillips. We appreciate you volunteering your free time for this program." Principal Howard stated as she leaned forward and offered her hand.

As the two shook hands, Xander and Dawn both focused on the principal's arm where her sleeve had moved. A small, key tattoo was visible just above her right wrist. They looked at one another with eyebrows raised. Xander shook his head slightly, indicating they should wait to talk about it. They turned back to the room just as the detective finished his goodbye to Ms. White. Detective Phillips gave a last nod to the room at large before leaving, closing the door firmly behind him.

"Well," said Xander, "now that that's out of the way, I guess we're free to leave?" The last was said with a questioning look at Principal Howard.

"There is still the small matter of class skipping."

Dawn's face fell. "Oh, yeah."

"Dawn said something about three weeks." Xander flinched as Dawn's elbow caught him in the ribs.

Ms. White ducked her head to hide her smile as she watched the exchange.

Principal Howard smiled also. "Three weeks would be a little hard to do since there are only two weeks left in the summer semester."

At Dawn's look of relief, she continued, "However, I think we both know that if there is no punishment, Mr. Simpson will make your life miserable."

Dawn grinned. *So even the principal knew what a little toad he was.*

"What I'd like for you to do, Dawn, is to visit with Ms. White each afternoon for the next week. If that interferes with Mrs. Parker giving you a ride home, I can give you a lift. I live near you."

"That's okay," said Xander quickly, "My schedule is flexible. If she can't ride home with Amber, I'll pick her up. You never know, Ms. White may decide she needs to see me too, like family counseling. We could get a two for the price of one deal."

They did another round of goodbyes and Xander hustled Dawn out the door.