A Little Easier, Maybe Not
Author: Pumpkin Belly
A/N: I'm really sorry for the shortness of the last few chapters but hopefully this one will make up for it. About Connor: Everyone knows who he is and that Angel's his father and so on, but Buffy was the only one who had met him before last chapter. The others had just heard about him from Dawn and Buffy. Hope that clears that up. Oh and I have Spike living with Buffy and not Willow just because it's my story and I can do whatever I want.
Previously: "Umm Congratulations?" Willow offered.
It'll be Alright
"Thanks, Willow." Dawn said hugging the redhead; trying to hold back the tears she felt forming behind her eyes.
The rest of the group looked at the couple with a mixture of disappointment and shock. An uncomfortable silence settled on the room.
"Dawn, I think maybe I should talk to you alone." Buffy commanded rather than asked.
"Ok." Dawn said, her voice barely above a whisper, "What about the others?" She asked.
"They can stay here and keep Connor company." Buffy said walking out of the room. Dawn opened her mouth to say something but changed her mind and followed Buffy out of the room.
"Hey," Connor said catching her arm, "It'll be alright." Dawn didn't respond she just kept walking.
"Dawn, I." Buffy began when they were both seated, "I don't really know what to say." She took a breath, "I thought that if you were having sex you would have known enough to use protection."
"We did though." Dawn said, her voice wavering slightly, "It just didn't work."
"How far along on are you?" Buffy asked.
"About 3 months." Dawn said, not looking into Buffy's eyes fearing that all she would see was disappointment.
"When did you find out?"
"In the hospital. They ran some tests and when they came to tell me everything was all right, they said the baby was ok too." Dawn said, and then she burst into tears.
"Oh, sweetie." Buffy said moving to pull Dawn into a hug.
"It was so hard Buffy. Connor was in a coma and they didn't know if he was ever going to wake up and then Angel comes in to talk to me about taking away Connor's memories so that he could wake up but no one would remember him and I didn't know what was going to happen." Dawn cried.
Buffy didn't know what to say, so she just held Dawn until her tears subsided.
"I'm sorry." Dawn said when she stopped crying, "I thought I was done crying. I was a mess in the hospital." Dawn laughed grabbing a tissue from the box on the counter.
"I should have been there." Buffy stated.
"Oh no, it was ok. We got through it and everything's going to be ok now. I just hoped that you would be a little happier with the wedding." Dawn said.
"You're just so young, Dawn." Buffy said.
"I love him, Buffy. That isn't going to change." Dawn said forcefully.
"What about the baby? How are you going to go to school and take care of a baby? And what about money?" Buffy questioned.
"Angel already volunteered to help out with anything we needed and Connor doesn't go to school so he can take care of the baby during the day. Everything will work out." Dawn insisted.
"Ok. If you think this is the right thing to do then I'll support you." Buffy said.
"Thank you so much Buffy, this means a lot to me." Dawn said hugging Buffy.
"No problem." Buffy said hugging Dawn back, "So do you want to go back in there?" Buffy asked pulling back from Dawn.
"Not really," Dawn said looking towards the family room, "I need a breather first." Buffy nodded in understanding and went in to see the others while Dawn went out the back door and sat on the steps.
A few minutes later she heard the door open behind her.
"Buffy I told you I," Dawn began turning around expecting to see her sister instead she found herself staring up at Spike, "Oh, hey Spike." Dawn said.
"Hey nibblet," Spike said sitting down next to Dawn and pulling out a cigarette.
"No smoking," Dawn said snatching the cigarette from Spike, "Second-hand smoke not good for the baby." She said patting her stomach.
"Oh, right. Sorry." Spike said putting away his lighter, "Gonna take some getting use to, you being pregnant and all."
"Yeah I know. I'm still not use to it myself." Dawn said leaning back to look at the stars.
"My offer to kill the little poofter still stands though, if he ever hurts you." Spike said, turning to face Dawn.
"He won't." Dawn simple said with a smile on her face.
"Now he won't." Spike said with a smirk on his face.
"What did you do, Spike?" Dawn sat up and looked at Spike, horror written all over her face.
"Just explained to him what would happen if he ever did something to hurt you." Spike said cryptically.
"Oh god." Dawn moaned. Then smiled at Spike, "Thanks." She said before leaning over to hug him.
"Yeah well, can't have him hurting my little bit now can I." Spike said hugging her back.
"You better get back inside. Everyone's real anxious to see you." Spike nodded towards the door.
"Is Xander still upset?" Dawn asked, fearing that the answer was yes.
"No, the whelp pretty much calmed down and has now taken to sending death glares at your boy."
"I better go in there and save him then." Dawn said, standing up, "Are you coming?" She asked at the door.
"Yeah, I'll be right there." Spike said, looking desirably at the discarded cigarette on the ground before standing up and following Dawn inside.
"Let me see the ring." Anya commanded when Dawn walked into the room. Dawn held up her hand with her engagement ring on it as Anya began to examine it. "If you 2 ever break up you could sell this for a lot of money on ebay." Anya said before moving back to her seat by the fireplace.
"Uh, thanks." Dawn said before moving to sit next to Connor on the couch.
"Not to close." Spike said as he walked into the room. Connor quickly pulled his arm away from Dawn's shoulders.
"Oh please Spike," Dawn sighed. "We're having a baby, we've been closer than this."
Willow blushed at this comment while Xander looked away from the couple embarrassed. Anya mumbled something under her breath that sounded like "I bet you have."
"Dawn Summers." Buffy shouted.
"What we have." Dawn shrugged.
"Well, uh," Willow began trying to changed the course of the conversation, "How did Connor propose?"
"Oh ok well," Dawn began telling the group about her proposal, threading her fingers through Connor's while she talked.
When Dawn finished telling her story and answering the rest of the questions just as she had with the gang in L.A. it was about midnight.
"It's getting late guys we should get going." Xander said, starting to get up. Anya followed suit and gathered up her things.
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna head home too." Willow said, "I'm happy for you Dawn, really congratulations. Bye everyone." Willow said before exiting behind Xander and Anya.
"I probably should go patrolling." Buffy said when everyone left, "The vampires don't like to take a night off. Spike you coming with?"
"Yeah, I could kill some things. Are you going to make up the couch for the boy before we leave, pet." Spike said.
"You don't have to do that, he can stay with me in my room." Dawn said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I don't think so, bit. I won't have his hands all over you." Spike said.
"Spike, he's already had his hands all over me." Dawn smirked.
"She has a point, Spike." Buffy said.
"No I can take the couch its no big deal." Connor said.
"That's a good boy." Spike said flashing his teeth at Connor.
"Spike stop it!" Dawn said hitting his shoulder, "You couldn't hurt him even if you wanted to." Dawn said. "Connor's going to stay in my room and that's final." Dawn announced.
"Fine," Spike said defeated, "But I'll be right next door so don't try anything."
"Spike lets go." Buffy said grabbing her jacket off the wall, "We'll be back around 3, Dawn."
"Ok, have fun." She called back.
"We're finally alone." Dawn said once Spike and Buffy had left.
"That we are." Connor said pulling Dawn closer to him.
"Whatever could we do?" Dawn said innocently.
"Oh I have some ideas." Connor said before leaning down and capturing Dawn's lips.
A/N: Hoped you liked this chapter. Review and tell me what you think. Also if you desperately want something to happen tell me in a review or email me. You can find my address in my profile.