Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating this story, I got caught up in finishing The Buffyverse's Island. I really like this chapter, and I hope you do too!

Chapter 4: Lucky

The next morning

Christmas Day

Dawn groaned slightly as the first rays of sunlight penetrated the windows and fell on her face. She slowly woke up. At first she didn't realize where she was. Then she felt Connor's arms around her and remembered. At first she smiled, remembering the necklace and his confession of love. Then an alarm went off in her head and she realized the severity of the situation.

"Connor! Wake up," she said, shaking him gently.

He began to stir. "What?"

"Connor, it's morning! I've been here all night. Buffy is going to kill us!"

Connor was suddenly wide awake. "Oh. But...we didn't do anything."

Dawn blushed slightly. "I know that, but Buffy probably won't believe us." She stood up quickly. "I need to get home."

Connor stood up. "Dawn..."

"What?"

He smiled. "Merry Christmas."

She smiled back. "Merry Christmas to you too." They kissed gently. But Dawn looked a little antsy.

"Am I making you uncomfortable? Because you were here all night?" Connor asked.

Dawn fidgeted a little. "Well, yes. But it's not because of you. I mean, I know you would never...try anything. I'm only a little uncomfortable because, I mean, we're in love. And I guess that I'm just realizing that I'm in a serious relationship. Which is a good thing," she rushed. "I love you. But, I'm just not ready for...that yet. And, Buffy's going to kill me when I get home," she added.

Connor gave her a hug. "I know how you feel. This is all new to me too. But I am happy with where we are right now. Just being with you. And we never have to do anything that you're not ready for."

Dawn smiled. "You're the best boyfriend ever."

Connor laughed. "You are the best girlfriend ever." They kissed again.

"Well, I'm going to shower. You can call Buffy and check in," Connor said. Dawn nodded, and he left.

She walked to the phone and took a deep breath. It was after 8 o clock, and she knew everyone was probably up by now. She just hoped Buffy hadn't gone out looking for her yet. She picked up the phone and dialed home. Buffy answered on the second ring. "Dawn?" she asked frantically.

"Hi, it's me. Merry Christmas," Dawn said weakly.

"Dawn, where the HELL have you been? I wake up, and your bed is empty. I thought you were out lying in a ditch somewhere! Are you with Connor?" she demanded.

"Yes. But we didn't do anything. We just fell asleep last night," she said.

"You better get home right now, and then we are going to have a serious talk." Buffy sounded livid.

"Okay. I'm really sorry that I worried you." But Buffy had already hung up.

A few minutes later Connor emerged from the bathroom, showered and dressed. "How'd it go?"

"She's freaking," Dawn said with a sigh.

"It's okay. I'll help you talk to her." They kissed quickly before Dawn grabbed her things and they headed out the door.

When they walked in the door of 1630 Revello Drive, Buffy was waiting, with a furious look on her face. "Dawn, upstairs."

"Buffy, I'm really sorry. We didn't mean to fall asleep, I swear I would never-" Connor tried to intervene but Buffy cut him off.

"Connor, I need to talk to Dawn alone right now. You can wait down here." Then she walked upstairs. Dawn gave Connor a small smile before following.

Once they reached Dawn's bedroom they entered and closed the door. "Buffy, you have to believe me when I say that nothing happened."

Buffy looked her straight in the eye. "I know."

Dawn frowned. "Well then what's with the third degree?"

Buffy sighed. "Dawn, when I found out you spent the night with Connor, even though I believe that nothing happened, it gave me kind of a wake up call. I realized that my little sister is in a serious relationship. And I realized we had to have a talk."

"That's just how I felt this morning. Connor and I even talked about it, and we both agreed that we wouldn't go any farther until we were both 100% ready." Dawn's eyes widened. "Wait, you don't meantheTalk? Because I know about the birds and the bees, I don't need a lecture."

Buffy sighed and sat down on the bed. "I know. I know that you aren't a child anymore. And that really frightens me." Her eyes widened as she noticed Dawn's necklace for the first time. "Dawn, where did you get that necklace?"

Dawn's fingers flew towards the heart charm protectively. "Connor gave it to me. For Christmas." She frowned. "You thought I stole it, didn't you?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, it just surprised me. How did he afford something like that?" She stood up to examine it closer.

"Angel sent him the money. He saw me looking at it when we were at the mall last week, and he surprised me with it last night." She flipped it over to show her sister the inscription.

Buffy smiled. She remembered the night Angel gave her the claddagh ring. It really amazed her, and also frightened her a little, of how similar Dawn and Connor were to her and Angel. "It's beautiful."

Dawn paused a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Buffy, this isn't just about the fact that I'm in a serious relationship, is it? It's about the fact that I'm in a relationship with Angel's son."

Buffy looked up, slightly taken aback. "It does affect me," she said without thinking.

"I've noticed," Dawn said simply.

"It's just. I love him so much. And I still do. And when I found out that he had a son, it almost killed me. Because I know that this is most likely the only child he's ever going to have," before she even realized it, all of her emotions involving the situation came pouring out.

"And you're not his mother," Dawn finished.

Buffy looked down. "Yes. And I know that it's probably incredibly selfish of me, but I can't help feeling this way. And even though I know that Connor isn't Angel, when I look at him I feel all the pain all over again. It's like having Angel there in front of me every day."

Dawn was slightly shocked. She didn't know that Connor's presence in Sunnydale had affected her sister so much. "I didn't realize how hard it is for you."

Buffy shook her head. "You couldn't possibly. But I do want you to be happy." She wiped the tears away that had started to fall. "Angel said something back in LA. He said that maybe you guys could have...what we can't."

Dawn smiled. "Wow. That's really sweet."

"Just promise me something," Buffy said.

"What?" Dawn asked quietly.

"Promise me that you'll cherish every moment you have with Connor. Because you are more lucky than you know."

Dawn hugged her sister tightly. "I will. I do."

"And make sure that before you take a huge step and sleep with him, that you are totally ready," Buffy added.

"I will," Dawn said.

They pulled away and Buffy looked in the mirror. "Look at me, I'm a mess," she said.

"Buffy, do you wonder what would have happened if you hadn't slept with Angel that night?" Dawn asked suddenly.

Buffy shook her head. "Amazingly I don't. Because that was our time. I was ready, and there is no other way things could have happened. I suppose it was fate."

"How did you know you were ready?" Dawn asked quietly.

Buffy smiled at her. "You just know." There was a brief silence. "I'm going to go wash up. You should too, because one of us has a cute boyfriend waiting downstairs," she said with a smile. Then she turned around and left.

Dawn just sat there for a moment, thinking about the things Buffy had just said. It was the first time her sister had ever really opened up to her so much. It really explained a lot, and Dawn really understood what her sister had been constantly going through ever since Angel had come into her life for the first time. And most importantly, it had showed her how lucky she was.

A few minutes later Buffy descended the stairs. Connor jumped up from the couch. He had been waiting anxiously for Dawn's return. Everyone else was outside training the potentials. "Where's Dawn?" he asked.

"She's showering," Buffy said. There was a brief silence. "She's not in trouble or anything. I believe you."

Connor let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "Good. Thank you."

"Connor, I think I owe you an apology," Buffy said slowly. "I know that I've been a little less than friendly to you. And I just want you to know that it's not you. It's because you remind me so much of Angel."

Connor was taken aback by her sudden confession. "Is it hard? To see me?"

Buffy sighed and sat down heavily on the couch. "Yes it is. Almost as hard as it is to see him. I guess I hadn't really accepted until today that you are not him. And that you only have my sister's best interests at heart. So I promise that from now on I am going to be nicer to you, and totally supportive of your relationship with Dawn."

Connor was shocked. "Thanks...what changed your mind today?"

"I just talked to Dawn. I think I just needed to let it all out. And amazingly, I feel better now. I realize that you and Dawn are not Angel and I. For one thing, you're not a vampire, and you don't have any pesky gypsy curses. You don't, do you?" she asked quickly.

"No," he said with a laugh.

There was a brief silence. She turned to him suddenly. "Do you love her?"

"Yes," Connor said without hesitation.

She smiled sadly. "Hold on to that. You two are so lucky. You're young, you're in love, and you have your whole future ahead of you."

Connor's heart was breaking for the blonde slayer. He hadn't realized how much pain she still felt because of his father, and probably vice versa. Dawn had told him the story of their relationship, but he hadn't really understood until now. "I'm sorry that it couldn't work out with you and my father."

"I know. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. But maybe you and Dawn are." She turned to face Connor. "But if you break her heart, you will find out what an angry slayer is like."

Connor laughed. "I have no doubt."

Buffy stood up. "I should go help outside. Dawn made me promise we'd all come in and do the Christmas thing, so the sooner we finish the better." She started to walk away, but then stopped. "Oh, and Connor?"

"Yes?" he asked.

She smiled. "Merry Christmas."

He smiled back. "Merry Christmas to you too."

She turned and walked away, leaving him with his thoughts. Buffy was a truly amazing woman. He had never really thought about how much being the slayer had changed her life. It wasn't like his situation at all. He fought demons and vampires because that's what he was raised to do. But he could stop any time if he wanted to. Buffy couldn't. Her fate had been chosen for her. He looked out the window and watched Giles sparring with Kennedy and Molly. They had the same deal. Any chance they had at a normal life had disappeared a month ago when they had come to the Hellmouth. And Buffy and Angel loved each other a lot, at least as much as he loved Dawn, and maybe even more. But they could never be together. He realized how truly lucky he was. He didn't have a sealed fate, and he had the chance to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved.

"You won't believe the conversation I had with Buffy," Dawn said, running downstairs.

"I know. I talked to her too," he replied. "She really is amazing."

Dawn smiled coyly. "Should I be jealous?"

He grinned. "Never." He kissed her gently.

They broke apart when they heard people coming inside. A moment later Buffy, Giles, Willow, Kennedy, and Molly joined them. "Hey Dawnie! Merry Christmas," Willow said. "You too, Connor." Connor smiled at her. These people were Dawn's family. And who knows? Maybe they would come to be his family too.