-Lobby - Where last Chapter Left off-
Xander and Buffy had only been sitting in silence for a fe seconds when Dawn walked back intot he room. She stared at buffy, "Dad, wants to talk to you. It kind of sounds like no one wants me now."
Buffy stood up, "Dawnie, it's not that I don't want you..."
Dawn shook her head and was already making her way up the stairs, "Talk to dad Buffy. I need to get my clothes together."
That's when Xander stood up and pointed up the stairs, "I'll talk to Dawn and you talk to your dad."
Buffy hesitantly walked towards the front desk and picked up the phone. She took a deep breath, "Hey dad."
"Buffy, It's been a while."
Buffy nodded and held her stern tone, "Yeah, since you called and apologized for not being at moms funeral because you were busy with your new secretary in some other tropical place."
"Buffy, please."
Buffy sighed, "Look dad, I just need to know if Dawn can stay with you this year. Things are getting a little rough and if I could take care of her. I would but I think she would be safest with you."
A silence took over and right when buffy was about to speak her dad did, "Of course we can take her. Do you need any help? I could send you some money."
"No, I'm fine. I can take care of it."
Her dad sighed, "You always were one to keep to yourself. You can do everything can't you Buffy."
"I can handle myself. Now since I'm in L.A. I can drop her off tonight. Are you at the beach cabin or at the old apartment?"
"The cabin actually. Jenny likes it more."
"Whatever Jenny wants, Jenny gets."
"Don't start Buffy."
"You're right dad. I'll see you when I drop off Dawn."
Buffy didn't wait for a goodbye or a click as she slammed the phone down. She knew that leaving Dawn out of danger was the best thing to do but a part of her despised herself for leaving Dawn in the care of her dad.
-Dawn's Room-
She was throwing a bunch of her new clothes and old ones into the one bag she packed when Xander walked in. Dawn didn't even let him start talking before she started her rant, "I can't believe this. She' just sending me away to live with the one man she hates the most in this world. She tells me she wants to show me the world and yet she's doing everything possible to keep me out of hers."
Xander finally interrupted, "Calm down Dawn. You have to understand where she's coming from."
Dawn stopped packing and turned towards Xander, "I get it, she doesn't want me hurt. Did it ever occur to any of you that I could be very helpful?"
Xander nodded and walked to sit ont he bed, "It's not that you're not helpful Dawnie."
"Then what is it?"
Xander sighed, "Buffy doesn't want you to be helpful." At Dawns confused face Xander explained, "Buffy had the world on her shoulders since she was sixteen and despite a few laughs, a few loves, and a few good times she's been extremely alone and unhappy. The way she sees it Dawn is just because you're her sister it doesn't mean you have to have her life. We both know you loved living with your dad and you miss L.A. so Buffy's giving you your chance to see the world she can't show you. Plus, it's not like we're not going to come back for you when we all survive this."
Dawn walked over to sit next to Xander. She grabbed his hand and lent on his shoulder, "You know Xander, I don't know how Buffy or me ever lived without you."
Xander kissed Dawn's head, "Me neither."
Dawn stood back up and started packing, "Tell Willow, I'll miss her."
Xander stood and started wlaking towards the door, "She knows but I'll tell her anyway." Dawn smiled and Xander stood by the door, "I'll be downstairs. Come down when you're ready." Dawn nodded and smiled at Xander before watching him walk away.
-Lobby-
Buffy was back on the couch now staring at a pillow. She was so tranced out by her thoughts that she didn't even notice as Angel walked into the room. He had to sit on the pillow in front of her to get any sort of reaction. When he did sit down Buffy jumped but calmed back down.
Angel looked around the empty room until he couldn't take the silence anymore, "So, why are you making Dawn stay here?"
Buffy shrugged, "She deserves something better then the life I grew up with." When buffy turned her gaze towards Angel she sighed, "Sorry, I got all mad about the immature thing."
Angel smiled, "Here I thought I was going to be the one to apologize."
Buffy smiled back, "You're always the one. It was my turn."
Angel only agreed and the lobby was silent once again. He continued to stare at her until something popped into his head, "So you and Conner talked then?"
"Yeah, he just needed a new perspective of this world and of you."
"Really? So what kind of perspective does he have of me now?"
Buffy smiled and looked to the floor, "The human perspective."
Angel was surprised by the answer, "What?"
Buffy stared at him again, "I'm guessing things have been pretty violent since he got back so I figured if all he sees is you fighting then of course all the stuff Holtz taught him about you is going to stand out. I also figured that I know your human side pretty well so I gave him my perspective of you without the girly instincts."
Angel grabbed her hand, "Thank you."
Buffy didn't have a chance to at all humble because Cordelia walked in and sighed in annoyance, "God I hate packing." She noticed that Buffy and Angel were holding hands and started to fidget awkwardly, "Boy do I have timing."
Buffy stood up and looked outside, "Almost sunset. I still need to find a Drusilla strategy so I'll see you guys when we leave."
Buffy didn't wait for a response as she took off down some hall. Angel cursed himself before smiling at Cordy, "Hey."
Cordy dropped her bag and tried to be subtle, "Did I interrupt something?"
Angel shook his head, "No."
Buffy still stood at the corner of the hall with envy dripping out her fingernails. Cordelia actually accepted his answer and changed the subject, "Gunn and Fred aren't back yet?"
"Nope." Angel then stood up, "They should be back soon, it's almost sunset."
Cordelia nodded, "So what do we do until then?"
Angel shrugged, "We wait."
There wasn't much of a silence because that's when xander walked down the stairs. He noticed the tension and smiled, "Ladies and gentlemen, round two of awkward moments."
Angel only glared at Xander but Cordelia smiled sarcastically, "When are you going to get over the immature sarcastic moments?"
Xander shrugged and walked right up to pair, "When you learn that you can't have everything."
Cordelia couldn't retaliate because Wesley walked into the main room. He smiled, "Looks like we're all almost here."
Angel nodded, "We're just waiting on..."
Fred and Gunn burst intot he room laughing and giggling. They noticed the silence as everyone stared at them and Gunn put down his coke, "What?"
Angel took leader of course, "This whole thing we're dealing with is sort of leading to Sunnydale. We've all agreed to go back with Buffy but it's up to you if you want to come."
Fred clapped her hands, "I'm in."
Gunn nodded, "Me too. We just gotta pack."
Wesley avoided their eyes, "Hurry, we leave at sunset."
Gunn grabbed Fred's hand, "Shall we."
Fred laughed while following him up the stairs. Angel looked around, "I don't like waiting."
Conner announced himself from the top of the railing, "Where's Buffy then?"
Angel shrugged, "She's off trying to plan."
Conner avoided the stairs by hopping off the railing. He strutted down a different hall, "We'll be here in a little while."
Angel shook his head, "Conner, I don't think she wants to talk to anyone right now."
Conner just kept walking, "Are you saying that because you want to talk to her but don't know what to say or is it really true?" Angel didn't give an answer because he figured Conner knew by the way he just kept walking.
-Hallway-
When Buffy heard Conner was coming she quickly tried to find her way towards the kitchen. In her rush though and despite her slayer abilities she ran intot he nearest wall. She would of fell but Conner caught her, "Careful."
Buffy stood up by herself instantly, "Well, I see you're the one to come and fetch me for the late night out."
Conner shrugged, "We still have a little while before sunset."
Buffy sighe din relief, "Good, because I still need a way to get Dru to tell me what's going on."
Conner realized, "Torture always works."
Buffy shook her head, "One, violence is always a last resort. Two, Although she takes pleasure in pain she's not one for violence. She's all about mind games."
Conner smiled and looked away, "Well you're probably a hell fo a lot smarter then her."
Buffy shrugged, "Sometimes. Your dad really did a number on her, I tell you."
Conner looked up very confuse,d "What?"
Buffy cursed herself for letting the Drusilla relationship slip and slowly thought of a way to explain it, "Well... you know Angel did a few bad things when he didn't have a soul and well, Drusilla was one of those things."
"He made her a vampire?"
Buffy nodded and continued, "He uh... well, first he made her insane. He killed everybody she knew and loved before he turned her which pretty much made her isnane."
Conner couldn't hide his dissappointment, "My dad everybody."
Buffy tried to clam him down, "Conner, that's not him anymore. Believe me he regrets it so much. Drusilla is only a symbol of who he used to be and nothing more."
"So why don't we kill her?"
Buffy gave the most obvious answer, "She's the only one with answers. She's insane Conner, not stupid."
Conner smiled and nodded, "Right." Then something popped into his head, "She must of known my mother then?"
"She did. Most of Angelus' days it was him, your mom, Dru and SPike."
"Who's Spike?"
Buffy blinked for a few seconds, "A vampire in the past, just another vampire."
Although her voice was not convincing Conner accepted the answer because he also sense this vampire was a painful personf or her. So he switched subjects instantly, "How insane is she?"
Buffy giggled, "You might laugh." She then thought of soemthing, "Hey Conner, Dru's going to say a lot fo stuff because she also sees more then we do. Just do me a favor and don't believe anything until someone talks to you about the facts first."
Conner was hesitsant but finally agreed, "Fine."
Buffy wrapped her arm around him, "Alright then. Looks like it's almost sunset and showtime." They then both walked off together back towards the lobby.
-Lobby-
Everyone was still standing around when Conner and Buffy wlaked in. Gunn and Fred had come down while Angel smiled at the pair but came back to reality when buffy started speaking, "Where's Dawn?"
Dawn answered from the top of the stairs, "I'm here. I bought a lot of stuff today and I needed to fit it all in a bag."
Buffy nodded, "We'll go by my dads and then we'll go by the cave. Since Angel knows where we're going he can drive L.A. people while Xander can drive me and Dawn."
Angel nodded, "Let's go."
Xander raced up to grab Dawn's bag and then down again. Dawn walked as slow as posisble and only glared at Buffy as she walked out the door. Buffy kicked the wall as she watched Dawn walk out. Everyone else made their way out into the setting sun which left Buffy and Angel alone.
Buffy stared at Angel with a very stern and serious face, "You sure you're ready for this?"
Angel winked at her, "We'll get through it."
Bufyf only half smiled before walking out the door. Angel sighed knowing that being this close to the one woman who opened his eyes for the next little while was going to be EXTREMELY hard.