Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Angel are not mine, I'm just playing with them.
Chapter 9: Escape
Dawn was sitting on the floor of the elevator. Connor had stopped it in between floors and was now prying the doors open. She had tried three times to get the crossbow from him, but each time had ended with her on her ass. Quite frankly, it was getting kinda sore, so she was now resorting to snapping and shouting at him whenever possible. Maybe if she drove him nuts, he'd let her go.
"Why are we stopped between floors?" She asked him, watched as he propped the first set of elevator doors open.
"Because I don't want them to know which floor we stopped on." He told her, managing to wrangle the outer doors of the elevator open. He propped those doors open too, wedging stakes at the bottom. Needless to say, Dawn was surprised when Connor looked up at the elevator roof, jumped up and flung open the hatch in the ceiling.
"What are you doing now?" Dawn asked, staring at him.
"We're going out that way." Connor said, gesturing with the crossbow. "Come on, I'll lift you up." He went on, holding out his hand.
"You've got to be kidding me." Dawn protested. "I'm not going through there. Leave me here!" She screamed.
"They are gonna be here any second!" Connor shouted back. Dawn jumped. Through everything, he'd really never raised his voice. "I can't let them catch me. I don't know what they'll do." He explained. She looked at him in disbelief.
"You really think they would hurt you?" She asked, her eyes wide.
"Yes. Now come on." Connor said, impatient.
"You're crazy." Dawn told him, crossing her arms over her chest. "They would never do that, Connor. I know my sister, and I know Angel. They wouldn't hurt you." Dawn tried to reassure him.
"Look, I don't have time to argue with you." He replied. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Connor threatened.
"I won't go willingly." She said, standing firm.
"Fine, then I'll shoot you and then drag you out of here." He answered back, his face completely serious. He hoped she was buying it, because he would never hurt her on purpose.
"You are such an ass." Dawn spat at him, before taking his still outstretched hand. She refused to acknowledge the tingling sensations running up her arm as their hands met. Once she was standing, he bent down cupping one of his hands. The other was still firmly holding the crossbow. Sighing, Dawn placed her foot into his cupped hand. As he lifted her up, she grabbed a hold of the ceiling and pulled herself through the hatch. Panting, she sank to her knees on the elevator roof. Connor hoisted himself up, and closed the hatch.
"What now?" She questioned him. He pointed up. "There's no way I can climb that!" Dawn protested, pointing to the elevator cables. Connor sighed.
"Fine." He replied. Before Dawn could figure out what he was doing, he had pulled her to him, and wrapped both of her arms around his neck. Startled, Dawn didn't know what to do. He unexpectedly whirled around, so that she was leaning against his back. "Don't let go." He warned. He jumped up and grabbed a hold of the cable. She shrieked and tightened her grip.
After several moments of silent climbing, Connor paused.
"Why did we stop?" Dawn wanted to know.
"I need you to hold on to the cable for me." He said.
"I knew it! You really are crazy!" Dawn cried out, her voice echoing loudly in the elevator shaft.
"Dawn, please. I have to go wedge the door open and I can't make the jump with you on my back. You don't want to fall do you?" She was silent for a second.
"No." Dawn finally replied.
"Ok, then grab a hold of the cable." Connor told her. After he was sure she had a good grip, he steeled himself and leaped over to the ledge. He got a good grip on the ledge, and pulled himself up on it. There wasn't much for him to stand on. He got the door open partially and wedged it with a stake. Dawn watched, idly wondering where he'd fit all of the stakes on his body. It was better than imagining what would happen should she let go. He stood fully inside the hall, braced his knee against the elevator door and stretched out his hand toward Dawn. "Give me your hand." He told her. The space between them couldn't have been more than 3 or 4 feet, but to Dawn it might as well have been the Grand Canyon.
"I can't." Dawn said, clinging desperately to the elevator cable.
"Yes you can. Hold on with your feet, reach out and grab my hand." Connor said, trying to be patient.
"I'll fall!" Dawn cried, actual tears forming in her eyes.
"I won't let you fall, I promise." He tried to reassure her.
"You promise? Your last promise is what got me into this mess." Dawn retorted.
"Dawn, look at me." Connor urged. She met his gaze after a second. They stared at each other, and Connor spoke softly. "I won't let you fall." Dawn wasn't sure if it was something in his eyes or the tone of his voice, but she found herself reaching out for his hand. She lunged for it once, and their fingertips brushed. "Good! Again, reach out again." Connor told her. Dawn lunged once more and their hands connected.
"Now what?" She asked him, trying to hand onto the elevator cable with her legs, and still hold his hand.
"Let go, and I'll swing you over to the wall and pull you up." Connor said. She bit her lip, and let go with her feet. She screamed as she swung the short distance to the wall.
"Don't let go!" She cried out, gripping his hand. He reached out with his other hand, and she put her free hand in it. Connor pulled her up and they fell backward into the hallway, Dawn landing on top of him. She pushed herself up a bit, and Connor brushed the hair out of her face.
"I told you I wouldn't let you fall. Now let's get the hell out of here." He said, getting to his feet and pulling her up as well. He pulled her down the hall and into what appeared to be a janitor's closet. He shut the door behind him.
"I don't think this is the way out." She said, looking around the supply room. He just grinned and moved some of the stuff away from the wall. Finding a lever, Dawn gasped as a hole appeared in the floor. He waved the crossbow at her.
"Ladies first." He motioned. She scowled, and slid into the hole slowly. After a few minutes of sliding, Dawn landed on the sewer floor with a splash. Connor arrived seconds later, and helped her up out of the water.
"Fabulous. Just fabulous." Dawn griped. "This was my favorite shirt, you know." She went on. He was ignoring her, intent on remembering the way out of the sewers. "Look, we're out of the building. Just let me go, ok?" Dawn asked Connor.
"I can't." Connor answered. Truth was, he didn't really want to. Sure, she could be a bit of a pain in the ass, but he liked her spirit. And she was pretty. "I need you to help me." He went on, formulating a plan.
"With what?" Dawn sighed, dreading the answer.
"I'll let you know when we get where we're going." Connor replied. The duo walked in silence, save for the splashing of the sewer water.