ka-mia2286: I debated over whether to use the missing day or not but decided just to go for it anyway, so thank you for resting my fears that it was too much.

Chapter 6

After realizing she must have looked horrible to Angel with makeup smeared all over her face, she washed her face clean before grabbing her still packed bag and opening the door just in time to hear the doorbell ring.

Hank Summers rose off of the couch, wondering who could be at the door this late at night. Opening the door he saw a dark haired man standing there. "Can I help you?"

"Uh yeah, I'm here to collect Dawn."

Hank frowned "What do you mean your here to get Dawn" Hearing footsteps coming down the hall he spun around and saw his youngest daughter enter the room. "Dawn what's this man talking about?"

Taking a deep breath Dawn stepped up to her father. "I'm going with Angel dad, I've already spoken to Buffy and she said I could"

"I don't care what Buffy said, your not going anywhere"
Hank cried angrily.

Angel, still unable to enter the apartment with out an invite, glared at Hank. "I'm sorry Mr Summers' but if Dawn wants to leave, no one, even her father" The three occupants in the room heard the disdain clearly in his voice. "Is going to make her stay somewhere she doesn't want to. Now, I'm taking Dawn with me, you can let her go peacefully, or you can hurt her more by arguing, either way it's your call."

He looked back at his youngest daughter and saw that once more she was close to tears.

Dawn tilted her head so she was looking him straight in the eyes "I'm sorry, I just can't stay here, the memories, they hurt too much."

Hank sighed. He too had realized that they just didn't fit in each others lives anymore, He'd been gone to long and both his girls had moved on, if he insisted on Dawn staying here, it would only lead to her becoming more and more upset and he didn't want to cause her anymore pain than she'd already had to endure. Sighing again he leaned over and gave her a quick and awkward hug. "Ok Dawn, but will you meet me tomorrow morning for breakfast and I'll give you your birthday money then"

Dawn looked up, surprise clearly showing on her face. "You remember my birthday?"

Hank looked slightly hurt "Of course I remembered you birthday, who else do you think puts money into your bank account every year."

Dawn shook her head, "Dad, I don't have a bank account, Buffy has one at the First Bank Of Sunnydale but I don't."

"You both have one in the National here in L.A, I've put money in there every month since you girls have left. That's the way your mother wanted it.

Dawn's shocked look returned before she shook it off. "Umm ok" She looked over at Angel.

"Whatever you want Dawn"

"Ok dad, I'll meet you for breakfast, but it's just gonna be you right?" She glanced apologetically over to Cyndi, "I'm sorry, I'm sure your really nice and all but it just hurts"

Cyndi smiled at the beautiful girl in front of her and nodded in understanding. "It's ok Dawn, really, don't worry about it, I understand."

Dawn gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you"

After taking a quick look at his fiancé to make sure it was indeed ok, he nodded to his youngest. "Just me,"

Nodding in return Dawn stepped outside the door and stood with Angel, "Mike's at 8 o'clock"

"Yes, we'll talk more there ok?"

"Ok" With that she turned around and started walking down the stairs.

Angel turned to follow but was stopped by a hand on his arm. "You'll look after her right, we might not be close but she's still my daughter."

Angel nodded once. "With my life" before he turned and followed Dawn.

Not understanding it in the slightest, but something in Hank Summers believed that man, and believed that he'd done the right thing in letting Dawn go. That didn't mean he wasn't going to call Buffy himself and check. Running his hand through his thinning hair he grabbed the phone and dialed the number for his eldest.


Buffy heard the phone start ring as soon as she put the toothbrush in her mouth. "Of course" She muttered. Throwing her toothbrush in the sink she picked the phone up, pressing the on button she put it to her ear. "Angel?"

"No Buffy, it's your father."

Her anger at her father instantly kicked in. "What do you want?"

"I want to know why you sent a stranger here to get your little sister?"

At the tone of his voice Buffy almost growled. "1, Angels not a stranger, we've both known him for over 6 years and 2, I asked him to see if she was okay, if Dawn left it was because Dawn wanted to go, all I did was tell her that if she wasn't happy there she didn't have to stay, and speaking of her not being happy, how dare you take her up there and throw all of this on her at once, she may be more mature than most fifteen years olds but she still just a kid" Buffy paused for a second, glad that Dawn wasn't here to hear her say that before continuing. "What, did you think that you told her you were getting remarried that she would want to throw you your engagement party, come on dad" She said the last word sarcastically. "You know how she felt when you and mom divorced, she was upset for months, now it's not even a year after mom died and your getting married again. You have to know how hard that is for her."

Hank visibly deflated. "I know, I realized now that I should have handled this a lot better, but I didn't. I can't change it but I don't want to cause her any more pain, either of you. That's why I let her go, I just had to check and make sure she was safe with Mr Angel."

Buffy laughed lightly. "It's just Angel, and she's couldn't be in safer hands, I trust Angel with my life, but more importantly, I trust him with Dawn's and that's not given lightly."

"Ok, I'll be meeting her for breakfast in the morning, is there anything you want me to tell her?" Hank said tiredly.

Buffy shook her head before realizing her couldn't see her through the phone. "No, I should be getting a call from Angel any minute, I'll talk to Dawn myself."

"Ok Buffy, I'll go now but believe me I am sorry for the hurt I caused her."

"I believe you, but it's not gonna make it any easier for her."

"I know, good bye Buffy"

"Bye dad."


Once he'd put Dawn's bag onto the backseat he took his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and held it out to her. "Do you wanna call your sister, and let her know your staying with me?"

Taking the phone out of his hand, she nodded. Dialing the number she waited for an answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey Buffy"

"Dawnie, you ok, dad just called and told me you'd left with Angel"

"Yeah, I couldn't stay there Buffy, not yet anyway, so I asked Angel and he said I could stay at the Hotel with him."

"I knew you could"

Dawn flashed Angel a quick smile before turning her attention back to the phone. "So you and Xander still coming up tomorrow, right."

"Actually" Buffy said. "Willow wants to visit Cordy, apparently they've been keeping in contact through e-mail and stuff, so we're borrowing Xander's car and driving up, Xander's gonna swing the patrol with Spike while were gone, so soon as I finish work, have a shower and change my clothes we'll leave, should be up there around 7.30, that ok?"

"Yeah that's fine, so I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You will, I love you sweetie"

"Love you to Buffy, do you wanna talk to Angel?"

"Yeah just for a minute"

"Ok I'll put him on, bye Buff." She took the phone away from her ear and passed it back to Angel.

"Yeah Buffy?"

Dawn couldn't hear what was being said on the other end of the phone but after a lot of 'Uh huh' and 'no's and a 'your welcome' she pretty much got the gist of it.
Angel flipped the phone closed and turned back to Dawn "You ready to go now."

At her nod, they both got into the car and drove away.

End Chapter 6

A/N: Know that when I was writing this I had every intention of torturing Hank but my muse just lead me to a completely different place. Sorry if you were looking for major Hank bashing.