Chapter 16. Earth Bound. Here is another chapter for you all. Enjoy. Is Darla evil or she good? What do you guys think?

The party is over and everyone heads to their rooms. Dawn is in her room and her maids comb her long hair as she gets ready to go to bed. The maids finish and Dawn dismisses them to go to their rooms. Dawn walks over to her bed but she then hears a knock at her door. She goes to get it and she sees Connor on the other side of it.

"Connor, what are you doing here so late?" ask Dawn.

"I need to tell you something," replies Connor. Dawn invites him and he closes the door behind him. "I want to apologize for leaving when my mother came. I didn't want to go but…"

"It's okay. I didn't mind. I just wondered where you went. You're mother was little upset. I want to apologize to her. I did force you."

"No! No. You didn't. I wanted to know your future. I really did." Connor caresses her face. Dawn touches his hand then Connor gets a quick vision. He closes his eyes for minute.

"Connor are you okay?" ask Dawn. He opens his eyes and starts to breath heavily. "What's the matter? Connor talk to me."

"I think I had a vision."

"You did. That's great. What did you see?"

"Us."

"And."

"Over there." Connor points at Dawn's bed.

"Oh." Dawn pulls away and tries to cover herself with her hands. "Maybe you should leave."

"I wasn't going to hurt. I wouldn't. If you want I'll go but I want to tell you one more thing."

"What?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow. Me and my mom. She wants to leave this city. She thinks it's not safe."

"You can't leave. You're our only hope."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Tara said that a man will come to help us battle the dark warriors. She said that I would be close to him."

"Are you trying to say that you think I'm some kind of prophecy."

"Sort of. I know it sounds ridiculous but we need you. They are never going to give up…"

"It's that the only reason why Angel and Spike accepted me to become a Jedi?"

"No, you are skillful. They accepted you because you are good." Connor turns away from Dawn.

"Everything was a lie."

"No, that's not true Connor."

"Tell me one thing that wasn't a lie?" Dawn looks at Connor for second. "That's what I thought." Connor walks over to the door. "I thought that I had a real family here, but I was wrong. Families don't lie to each other. Families don't keep secrets."

"Connor please wait."

"No. You know I actually came here tonight to tell you that I was going to miss you and that I didn't want to go. Now, I see no reason why I shouldn't go." Connor grabs the door knob. Dawn runs over to Connor.

"I don't want you go."

"There is nothing you can say to stop me."

"I love you." Connor lets go of the door knob. He then turns around to look at Dawn. She walks over to him and looks at him straight into his blue eyes then moves in for a soft kiss. Dawn releases Connor's lips and looks at him. "I…" Connor interrupts by kissing her back. His hands grab her cheeks and they move over to the bed. Dawn flops on the bed and Connor releases her lips and looks at her.

"Maybe I'll stay." Dawn smiles. "I mean I don't think that there is any place I rather be than here with you." The two lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.

"So you'll stay?" Dawn turns her head to Connor.

"I'll stay." Connor turns his head to Dawn. "I'll talk to my mom in the morning."

"What did you think she meant by you not being safe here?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's a vision."

"I think if there is danger there's no better place to be safe than here at the palace. We have the knights and all."

"Lets just get some sleep."

"Goodnight Connor."

"I love you too." Dawn smiles then closes her eyes and falls to sleep.

Morning comes, and Tara is the first person to enter Dawn's room without knocking. The covers are over Dawn's head and Tara doesn't see her.

"Dawn I need to talk to you about something," says Tara. "I know you're going to say I'm being paranoid but I know I'm not." Tara walks over to the bed and pulls the covers off. Her eyes widen when she sees Connor and Dawn cuddle together. "Dawn!"

Dawn and Connor wake up and see Tara.

"Tara I can explain," says Dawn. "It's not what you think."

"I'm sorry," says Connor as he gets off the bed fully clothed to Tara's relief. "It's my fault. We were talking late and I fell asleep."

"Right," says Dawn. "I didn't want to wake him."

"If Giles found out about this he'd…"

"Please don't tell him. I promise that it won't happen again."

"I can't promise that."

"Why not?"

"Cause he's coming over here right now. He wants to talk to you about something, well we want to talk to you about something."

"We need to hurry." Dawn heads to her door to see if Giles is in the hallway and he is. "Giles, morning." Dawn gives him a sweet smile as she closes the door.

"Did Tara talk to you?" ask Giles.

"No, she's inside," says Dawn. "We were waiting for you."

"Well, lets not keep her waiting."

"We don't have to go in so…" Giles pushes the door open and passes by Dawn. She quickly runs after him.

Back inside Connor and Tara head over to the balcony. Connor climbs out and climbs the wall. Tara watches him as he makes it the next floor balcony window.

"I kind of have feeling you've done this before," says Tara as Connor gives her a smile and waves. Tara turns around and the door opens. "Good morning sweetheart." Tara walks over to Giles and kisses him. She then gives Dawn a sign to make the bed. Dawn does it quickly and as Tara releases Giles' lips he turns around. He sees Dawn with a smile then he turns back to Tara who also has a smile.

"Are you two hiding something from me?" ask Giles.

"Why would we be hiding something from you Giles?" says Dawn.

"I may not be a seer but I do know you two well."

"It's nothing at all," says Tara. "Just your mind playing tricks on you."

"What is it that you guys wanted to tell me?" ask Dawn.

"Um, Tara and I…we both believe that there is something not right about Connor's mother," says Giles.

"What? Why would you think that? Is she lying, is she not Connor's real mother?"

"No, Dawn. It's not that," Tara says. "It's that I sense darkness in her and she has a dark past…"

"No, she's Connor's mother. She is good just like Connor. You saw it wrong Tara. She must have had it hard giving her son up and having to live the rest of her life not knowing where her son was and if he was safe and…"

"Dawn, please understand," says Giles. "We are not saying that she is evil but we know nothing about her. Just what she's told us and Tara's vision when she touched her. We wanted to tell you this first hand and hope that you have caution with the both of them."

"I will." Dawn walks over to her closet. "Tara, send for my maids."

"Of course," Tara says as she and Giles head out of the room.

Later, Dawn heads over to Connor's room. When she is about to knock on his door she hears arguing coming from inside.

"I don't want to go," says Connor. "I want to finish my training and become a Jedi."

"Connor, it's too dangerous here," says Darla. "The dark warriors…the Queen is a main target. She'll always be a target and that draws dangers from all the sides of the Universe. You need to think about this."

"I have."

"I don't want to lose you again. Please come with me."

"You won't lose me mom." Connor hugs his mother as she cries on his shoulder. Darla gets a vision of what happen to Connor and Dawn last night. She pulls away from the hug and caresses his face.

"I know why you don't want to go?"

"Please understand mom."

"You love her. I understand that perfectly well."

"We'll be safe here. I promise that no one is going to hurt us."

"I hope that you can keep that promise." Darla hugs Connor again.