A/N: I'm really sorry for taking so long with this chapter. After the last one, I just lost my will to write. Well, this story at least. Feel free to read and review my other stories.
The next day, Angel sat at his desk, supposedly working, but really just brooding. Even his Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots couldn't cheer him up. His gloom somewhat diminished his vampire hearing, so he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a knock at his door.
"Come in!"
It was Dawn. He was somewhat disappointed at that; he didn't know what he expected. "Hey, Angel," she said softly. "How are you doing?"
He gave her a look that seemed to say "How do you think I'm doing?"
"Right. Duh. I just, uh, I just thought you might want to know how she's doing."
"Her doctors already gave me all the information," he replied brusquely.
"I know. I meant how she's doing, not how her body's doing."
"Oh, right."
"Well, she's calmed down a bit, but I think what she really needs right now is familiarity. I didn't have the heart to tell her about the crater formerly known as Sunnydale.'
"Yeah, that would probably be a bit much for her," he muttered distractedly.
Dawn stood there for another minute, in silence.
"What!?" he snapped. "Is there anything else? Because I'm kind of busy."
She glanced at his empty desk. "I just thought you might want to help her out. Try to get something familiar, from her high school days, to help her feel comfortable."
"Like what?" Angel asked, his tone softening. Dawn was just trying to help, and it wasn't fair of him to hold it against her that Cordelia trusted her more than him. "Everything from Sunnydale's been destroyed. Well, except for whatever you brought out."
"I don't know. We barely brought more than the clothes on our back. Actually, Xander—wait, that's it, Xander!"
"What about him?"
"Come on. She barely thought about anything else while they were together. I was only like eleven, and I could tell. If we could get him to come down..."
"Look, Cordelia hasn't said anything nice about that kid since, well, since as long as I've known her."
"Cordelia doesn't say many nice things about anyone."
Angel began to refute this claim, until he realized that this Cordy, this real Cordy really didn't. And this Cordy was crazy about that immature, greasy-haired twit.
"Angel," Dawn said, "I know you're not too fond of Xander, but I really think his being here would do her some good."
"Yeah, I guess it would. It's just—"
"I know. It won't help you at all. But it'll help her, and isn't that what you're all about? Doing the right thing for its own sake? Because that's what you claim. But since I've been here, all I've seen you do is sit in this office, making phone calls, and getting a huge paycheck for it."
Dawn expected him to get angry or to deny her accusations, but instead he just said, "You're right. Can you get in touch with him?"
"Um, yeah. I mean, I can email him, but he's traveling a lot so he can't always get internet access. It might take awhile to respond."
"And even then he might not come."
"He will. Look, I know he was kind of immature when you knew him, but did you ever know him to do the wrong thing? I'll take your silence as a 'no'. I'm going to go email him." Dawn walked out of the office, leaving Angel at his desk, improbably feeling even more alone than before.
The next day, Angel sat at his desk, supposedly working, but really just brooding. Even his Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots couldn't cheer him up. His gloom somewhat diminished his vampire hearing, so he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a knock at his door.
"Come in!"
It was Dawn. He was somewhat disappointed at that; he didn't know what he expected. "Hey, Angel," she said softly. "How are you doing?"
He gave her a look that seemed to say "How do you think I'm doing?"
"Right. Duh. I just, uh, I just thought you might want to know how she's doing."
"Her doctors already gave me all the information," he replied brusquely.
"I know. I meant how she's doing, not how her body's doing."
"Oh, right."
"Well, she's calmed down a bit, but I think what she really needs right now is familiarity. I didn't have the heart to tell her about the crater formerly known as Sunnydale.'
"Yeah, that would probably be a bit much for her," he muttered distractedly.
Dawn stood there for another minute, in silence.
"What!?" he snapped. "Is there anything else? Because I'm kind of busy."
She glanced at his empty desk. "I just thought you might want to help her out. Try to get something familiar, from her high school days, to help her feel comfortable."
"Like what?" Angel asked, his tone softening. Dawn was just trying to help, and it wasn't fair of him to hold it against her that Cordelia trusted her more than him. "Everything from Sunnydale's been destroyed. Well, except for whatever you brought out."
"I don't know. We barely brought more than the clothes on our back. Actually, Xander—wait, that's it, Xander!"
"What about him?"
"Come on. She barely thought about anything else while they were together. I was only like eleven, and I could tell. If we could get him to come down..."
"Look, Cordelia hasn't said anything nice about that kid since, well, since as long as I've known her."
"Cordelia doesn't say many nice things about anyone."
Angel began to refute this claim, until he realized that this Cordy, this real Cordy really didn't. And this Cordy was crazy about that immature, greasy-haired twit.
"Angel," Dawn said, "I know you're not too fond of Xander, but I really think his being here would do her some good."
"Yeah, I guess it would. It's just—"
"I know. It won't help you at all. But it'll help her, and isn't that what you're all about? Doing the right thing for its own sake? Because that's what you claim. But since I've been here, all I've seen you do is sit in this office, making phone calls, and getting a huge paycheck for it."
Dawn expected him to get angry or to deny her accusations, but instead he just said, "You're right. Can you get in touch with him?"
"Um, yeah. I mean, I can email him, but he's traveling a lot so he can't always get internet access. It might take awhile to respond."
"And even then he might not come."
"He will. Look, I know he was kind of immature when you knew him, but did you ever know him to do the wrong thing? I'll take your silence as a 'no'. I'm going to go email him." Dawn walked out of the office, leaving Angel at his desk, improbably feeling even more alone than before.