"Mahal"
By: Lynn
DISCLAIMERS: Making it short...NOT MINE!
SUMMARY: AU; Just another story where everybody's human and Angel, Oz, and Xander are the new students in school.
DISTRIBUTION: Are you kidding me! I NEED someone to host my fics. Just e-mail me if you want them. Previous Parts found at: http/
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BETA READER: Ashley Russo (last parts un-beta¡¦ed)

Part 10

Dawn and Jessica sat on one of the picnic tables, laughing and eating their lunch. At the same time, Jessica was studying her history notes for her upcoming exam.

"Hey guys," Connor said when he joined the two, taking a seat next to Dawn.

The girl then loudly gasped in surprise, squealing, "Oh my God Connor! You cut your hair!"

He ran a hand through his thick brown hair. It was now cut a few inches shorter, the front falling just above his eyebrows, went over the tops of his ears, and then the back ended about to the middle of his neck. "Yup, I did," he shyly smiled at her enthusiasm.

"It looks so good! I love it!" He looked older and less... girly.

"Thanks."

Jessica looked up from her notes she was looking over, "You should've seen our mom when she first saw it. She was going crazy. She nearly cried tears of joy."

Connor glared at his sister, to which she returned when he swiped her pretzels.

He popped one in his mouth and got up, "I'll be back," he declared, walking off.

"Oh my gosh. He is so cute!" Dawn gushed over Connor.

"Ugh, gag me," Jessica mumbled while munching on a pretzel.

When Connor came back later, he was sporting a gloating smile on his face, "I am loving this new hair cut. Got me five numbers. Two of them are seniors," he held up a couple of torn pieces of paper and then put it in the pocket of the light red pin-striped shirt he wore over his blue t- shirt.

Dawn frowned and looked sadly towards Jessica and then down into her homemade salad.

Jessica, getting really sick of her brother's obliviousness, took matters in her own hands and started to do something about it.

"Dawn, can you do me a favor and get me a Mountain Dew," she handed the money to Dawn.

As soon as her best friend was out of hearing range, Jessica swiftly kicked her brother under the table.

"Ow," he exclaimed, while rubbing his sore shin, "What the fuck did you do that for!"

"Because you're a stupid jerk!"

"What! It was just a pretzel! We have more at home you know!"

Jessica rolled her eyes, "What are you, retarted! This has nothing to do with the pretzel dumbass! It's about Dawn!"

"Dawn? What did I do to her?"

"She likes you Connor," his eyes widened and his jaw dropped in shock, "Yeah that's right, she likes you... A lot. She worships the ground you walk on and you're the only one who can't see that. And frankly, I'm sick of it!"

"Are you serious?"

"You know I am Connor."

"I always thought she was cute, but I never thought she would...," he trailed off.

"You need to talk to her?"

"I don't know."

When Dawn came back and handed her friend the bottle of soda, Jessica gathered up her stuff and got up.

"I gotta go," she announced while she threw away her trash in the nearby trash can.

"Why?" Dawn furrowed her eyebrows, starting to gather her belongings, too.

"Um, I have to... find Angel or Oz... or somebody," she half-lied, "I have a wicked hard History test and I need help." It was actually the truth, she gave herself a mental pat on the back for the good excuse to leave Connor and Dawn alone.

She went around the table and leaned in towards Connor and whispered in his ear, "No time like the present, right? Love ya," she kissed him on the cheek. After Connor returned her sentiments, she made a mad dash to leave the two and find her other brothers.

Dawn slung her back pack onto her shoulder and was about to catch up with Jessica when Connor gently grabbed her arm.

"Hey Dawn, stay," he urged her to sit back down, "The whole three months I've known you, you and I have never been alone together. Sit," he patted the bench.

The light brown haired girl eyed him warily before slowly sitting down.

They both sat in awkward silence, Connor was nervously sorting out his thoughts while Dawn chewed one of her fingernails, equally nervous that she was actually alone with the guy she admired so.

"So..." Dawn lamely tried to start a conversation.

"So, um, yeah..."

"Yeah..." she responded, and the awkward silence dragged on.

After quickly debating inside his head, Connor finally made up his mind and decided to get it over with, "Do you wanna go out with me to a movie or dinner or something," he incoherently mumbled and cleared his throat.

'That wasn't so hard,' he thought, he just hoped she understood him so he wouldn't have to do it again.

Unfortunately, she didn't, so once again, he gathered what little confidence he had left to ask again. This time he took a big gulp of air and said his words slower. He didn't understand why he was having so much trouble , he'd done it millions of times before, how was this any different?

"Would you go out with me sometime?" he looked into her blue eyes, the same blue eyes that bugged out of her head when he asked the question.

"What...Why... Huh," she stuttered dumbly. She cleared her throat, "Y-you wanna go out with me?"

Connor softly smiled and took hold of her hand, "Yeah, I do."

The girl looked down at the hand lying on top of hers. She beamed at him and exclaimed, "Yes," and then she frowned at her utter lack of coolness, "Um... I mean, I would love to Connor," she calmly corrected herself.

Buffy and Willow were sitting under the gang's usual oak tree. The whole time Willow was chatting, though, the blonde had a pensive look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked without Buffy having to say anything. Her best friend had on her resolve face so she knew that brushing it off and telling her nothing would be useless.

"Will, I really want to talk to you about something, but I have to know that you can keep it a secret?"

"Buffy, I've lived across the street from you since we were two, and we've been best friends since then, you know I can. I've done it millions of times before."

"Alright, well, I uh-"

"Hi guys," Buffy was cut off by the youngest Roarke.

"Hey Jess," they both greeted, looking up at her as she stood over them.

"What's up?" Buffy asked her.

The girl shrugged, "Nothing, I was just looking for Angel, Oz, or Fred. Have you seen them?"

"Well Fred is helping one of the science teachers with something, and Angel and Oz are with the guys by the football field," Willow answered, "Male bonding time I guess."

"Okay, thanks," she moved to leave in that direction, but stopped in her tracks, "Hey, would one of you like to do a photo shoot for me for my project?"

Willow and Buffy glanced at each other and then back towards the brunette girl in front of them.

"Come on guys," Jessica begged, "It's due in two days, and I'm tired of using Cordelia as my subject."

"I'll do it," Buffy offered, she knew Willow wouldn't feel comfortable posing in front of the camera by herself.

"Thank you Buffy, you are a life saver. We'll do it during sixth period. No one's there during that time so it's perfect. I could get you a pass to get out of class. Is that good for you," Buffy nodded, "Awesome. I gotta go now. Bye guys."

"Bye," they said to the girl as she went off to find her brothers.

"You were saying?" Willow prodded, trying to pick up where they left off.

"What? I was saying something?" Buffy innocently attempted to avoid the subject, having already lost the courage to confess to Willow.

"Buffy..." Willow began to scold her blonde best friend.

"Fine," Buffy paused and looked down at her hands that rested in her lap, "I'm starting to really like someone."

"Ooh, a crush!" Willow perked up in suspense, always loving this kind of gossip, "Who is it?"

Buffy looked into Willow's blue eyes, "Angel," she whispered.

The surprise and excitement were clearly evident on the red head's face, "Really!" She always wanted Buffy and Angel to hook up, she just never said anything because it looked like the two only wanted to stay friends.

Buffy nodded. "This is great," Willow exclaimed.

"No it's not Will."

The excited red head frowned in confusion, "Why not?"

"Because he's with Nina."

Willow's exhilaration was then officially killed when she remembered the other blonde. "Oh, yeah. That's bad."

"No kidding."

Willow looked sympathetically towards Buffy, putting a hand on hers, "You know Buffy, maybe it's..." she trailed off, and had a thoughtful expression on her face, "Aw screw it." She dropped the pity speech she was going to do and decided to encourage her friend, "You know what? I think you should just tell him how you feel. He and Nina aren't that serious, and plus he's too good for her. What with her, you know...," she tried to come up with a flaw of the older blonde, and finally came up with one, "sickenly sweetness. Yeah, she's so nice that it makes me nauseous. It's like-"

"Okay Will," Buffy smiled at her friend's babble and her lame attempt to insult Nina, "I get it. But I don't think I should-"

"Ah," Willow held up a finger, "I've made up my mind. You have to talk to him," she pointed a finger to her own face, "Resolve face."

"But-"

"Resolve face!"

Knowing the determined red head would never back down, Buffy relented with a sigh, "Fine. I'll talk to him."

"Promise?"

"You can count on it."

"So, um, Sam, would you do me the honor... No, that sounds lame... Hey Sam...," Riley was mumbling to himself, trying to find the perfect way to ask Samantha out on a date. After much encouragement from his cousins and friends, he finally decided that today was the day that he would ask her out.

He was nervously pacing back and forth on the side of the football field, and watched as the drill team practiced. The brunette captain was so captivating and beautiful to him as she lead her troop around.

When the team finally decided to take a break, Riley figured that was his cue. He took a glance behind him, searching for some moral support from his friends as they sat in the bleachers. Lucky him, they weren't even paying attention. Angel and Oz were busy helping Jessica do last minute cramming, and Gunn was rambling on and on to Spike and Xander on how he suspected Fred cheating on him with the college librarian, Wesley Wyndham-Price.

Riley shook his head and made a beeline toward Sam who was chatting with other girls on the team. Before he could reach her, he heard his name being called. He turned to his right to see Forrest Banks jogging his way toward him. Forrest was an annoying black kid that thought he was the shit of the school, but in actuality, everybody couldn't stand him.

"Hey Riley. What's up man," Forrest raised his hand for a five. Politely, Riley put out his hand and let Forrest slap his palm. "Hey Forrest."

"So, what you up to?" The wannabe Gunn questioned.

"Actually, Forrest, I'm kinda-"

"That's great. Look, can I ask you a favor?"

Riley rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, "What?"

"You know Jessica Roarke, right? I mean, I see you hang out with her."

Riley looked at him as if he asked the most stupidest question on Earth, which was kind of true, everybody knew that they were cousins, "Well, yeah... we're related. She's my little cousin. I've told you that."

"Oh right." Riley eyed him with a raised eyebrow, "Anyways, I was wondering if you can hook me up with her. Maybe even Dawn, too."

"Forrest, you're not really their type."

"Come on man. Just put in a good word for me. Those two look like they aim to please, if you know what I mean."

Riley took a threatening step towards the jerk-off, "Look, you stay away from my cousin and Dawn, and don't you EVER say shit like that about them, or trust me, you'll regret it. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I got it," Forrest took a step backwards, a terrified expression on his face.

Riley shot him a tight smile and nodded, "Good," he patted him on the shoulder, "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta do something."

A couple of periods later, Buffy and Jessica were alone in the photo lab, having just finished the photo shoot Jessica needed for her project.

While Jessica rolled up the chords of the lights and put them away, Buffy stood patiently in front of the backdrop, talking to the other girl as she tidied up.

Buffy thought for a moment and then told her, "Angel told me what happened to your dad. Must've been hard for you."

Jessica paused in her task, a wave of sadness washing over her, but she quickly tried to cover it, "It was a long time ago. I barely remember it," she lied just like Angel did, "Wait, what did he tell you exactly?"

"That your dad was murdered."

"Oh, um… We usually tell people that he died in a car crash. Well, Angel, he usually just avoids talking about my dad's death all together."

Buffy furrowed her brow, "What?"

"Um, yeah. He really doesn't like reliving it. I wouldn't either. I don't know what I would've done if I found Dad… You know he was the last person to talk to him right before he… died, right?"

"He what?"

"Oh…," she sat at a nearby desk and mumbled to herself, "I should've known that he would keep that part to himself."

Buffy pulled up a chair in front of the girl. "Would it be bad if I asked you about it would it?"

Jessica hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether or not if it was a good idea to tell Buffy. Finally, she settled on the fact that Buffy was a trustworthy person and wouldn't treat them any different by pitying them if she told her.

"Well, um, the day that it happened," Jessica paused to take a breath to soothe herself, she hated telling or hearing this story, "We were going to have a family night and go to some sort of restaurant. We did it every week," just as Angel did, she smiled at the memory, but it turned suddenly turned into a frown, "We haven't done that since Angel…," she cleared her throat and Buffy briefly wondered what she was talking about, "Anyways, we were all in the car, waiting for Dad to get out so we can go. He was running a little late, so Angel volunteered to get him. When he got there, he found dad on the floor, with blood coming out of his chest." Jessica inhaled a hitching breath as she held in her tears, "Angel ran to him to stop the bleeding, but there was too much. He was still alive, barely, Angel told me that as he was dying, he held his hand and he told him that he had to take care of our brothers and look after his girls," she let out a sob and Buffy held her hand, "He said that he was the man of the house now, to be brave and know that he'll always be with us and will always love us. They found Angel clinging to Dad's body. It took two men to pry him off. He didn't talk at all for an entire week."

As Jessica finished off with tears running down her cheeks, Buffy pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring you down," Jessica said, trying to wipe away her tears.

Buffy's hazel eyes met Jessica's dark brown ones that were so identical to her brothers', and she smoothed back her dark hair, "No, no. I'm grateful that you told me." She hugged Jessica again, not even beginning to imagine the tragedy the family had to go through.

TBC…