It was a beautiful mid-August night in Paris. No matter how many times she walked back to Adam's place after going to Joe's, Dawn could not help but notice the city's beauty. It was so different from Sunnydale in so many ways. It had its own heartbeat, it's own pulse and way of doing things. It took a while, but Dawn had started to get used to the more laid back Paris style of living. She had even begun to settle into a routine of sorts, using Buffy's gift from Adam to learn and speak French almost fluently.

She was also spending more and more time with Richie Ryan. He had been a constant companion to her ever since that first night meeting him in Joe's bar. They usually walked home together, which was what they were doing this particularl night, having decided to call it a night a bit early and get some sleep. She knew that he volunteered for these walks partly out of friendship and partly because Buffy was worried for her safety and wanted someone there should something happen. Dawn was grateful for his friendship as Xander and Buffy both seemed to be caught up in their own worlds, their own problems.

Dawn wasn't jealous of the lack of attention. There was a time she might have been, but she had long since come to realize that while Buffy loved her greatly, she also had a higher duty to attend to and that meant she couldn't always spend time with Dawn socially. She had been working hard at merging the two Watcher's Councils, declaring that keeping the knowledge of each other a secret was just not going to work in this new era.

Changing the slayer line was not enough. Buffy and Adam had taken to changing the Watcher's Council as well. Dawn was incredibly proud of her. She had seen the way the Council had treated Buffy when she was the only active slayer and knew that this was the right thing to do. Watchers were only useful if they served the best interests of their slayer and this way they did just that.

Dawn wondered if Buffy was this intent on her new duties as liaison because she was bored by the lack of demon activity in Paris. Until she had called Willow a month ago and put a renewed effort into her activities she had seemed at a loss. Now, she was constantly busy and it seemed that it was satisfying her, at least somewhat.

Adam was never far from her side. Dawn had noticed not only his attention and his willingness to help, but the way he looked at her sister when she wasn't looking. Buffy didn't seem to realize his feelings for her. Either that or she was politely ignoring him. Either way, Dawn's heart went out to the enigmatic immortal as he seemed to genuinely care for her sister. Dawn liked him, and thought he might be good for Buffy if only she could open her eyes to see that.

Xander remained aloof and unresponsive to both of them and it hurt Dawn to see him pull so tightly into himself. There was a time when she had felt a distinct closeness to Xander….a kinship formed through their relative ordinariness in a sea of extraordinary people. He had called her that once. After she had thought she might be a slayer, only to find she was just Dawn Summers once more. He had told her that she wasn't special, but rather extraordinary and she had loved him for it. Not the way a woman loves a man-she had gotten over her crush on him long ago-but as a sister loves an older brother, or more importantly, a friend. Xander had seen something in her that even she had been blind to and had showed it to her, right when she had needed it the most. He had paid attention, known what she was going through, when her own sister did not.

It hurt that she was unable to do the same for him. She wanted so badly to be there for him, to tell him that she understood how he felt. But she didn't. She had lost friends, but Xander had lost something more precious. He had lost his sense of safety, his home and his love. Dawn was not naïve enough to think she could possibly understand his feelings. But she wanted to. She wanted to help him the way he once helped her…to show him that she too could see when others couldn't.

Richie understood that about her. She had trusted him almost from the beginning. Although he was immortal, he didn't seem to have the look of cynicism and world experience that Adam and Duncan wore without even realizing it. His face was an open book, earnest and trustworthy. He wore his heart on his sleeve and was not afraid of showing that.

She had never felt so close to someone that she had known in such a short time, and the feeling made her slightly nervous. Was this what it was like to have serious feelings for someone for the first time?

All her other experiences with members of the opposite sex had been disastrous. The most notable of them, was the vampire football player she had gone out with on Halloween, and RJ, another football player whose enchanted letterman's jacket had caused her to nearly kill herself to prove her love.

In both cases, her feelings had been sharp, intense and insistent. They had made her feel that if she didn't have the object of her affection her world would end. It was silly, she knew that now. Real feelings, she was beginning to learn, were much different.

With Richie she didn't have that feeling of intense urgency. She didn't have to know his feelings right away, or feel nervous and foolish in his presence. She wanted him, that much she had already decided. This was different though. It was muted, comfortable and warm. She felt safe in his presence as she never had before. And she was comfortable and at the same time awash in tingles and nerves whenever he flashed that megawatt smile of his or laughed at one of her jokes.

It was the most unique thing she had ever experienced, and she had absolutely no desire to rush it. She was happy being his friend and thinking from time to time what it might be like to be more…to touch his hand in a way that was no longer casual…to have him wrap his arms around her and pull her close.

No matter what happened, she knew she would not lose Richie Ryan, even if his feelings for her did not mirror hers. He wasn't the type to pull away like that or jeopardize the friendship. She liked knowing that.

"You're a million light years away." Richie's voice cut through her thoughts of him and she turned to give him a smile of apology. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing," she told him, choosing not to voice her feelings for him at this time. "And everything. This is such a beautiful city."

"It's nice," Richie agreed. "I miss the States sometimes though. It was home. I mean, I didn't always have it the greatest, but it felt natural. Here I feel out of place a lot. I mean, I don't speak French very well, and the guys I hang out with are hundreds of years older than me. Sometimes it feels like I'm out of my depth."

"I know how you feel." She told him honestly. "When all your friends are not only older, but have super powers, you feel a little out of it as well."

"Xander doesn't." Richie stated. Dawn sighed.

"No, but he hasn't exactly been Mr. Attentive lately," Dawn pointed out. "It's not his fault. He's hurting. I get that. I just wish I could talk to him."

"Even Mac couldn't get through." Richie said with a heavy sigh. "If Mac can't get someone to open up, it's pretty bad."

Dawn nodded, liking that he didn't try to hide his thoughts or sugar coat things for her benefit. It was as if he saw her as a mature person and not the slayer's kid sister. It was not often that happened.

"Hopefully when all this stuff with the Council dies down Buffy can do something to help him." Dawn said, but even as she spoke she knew that wasn't going to be the case. Only Xander could help Xander and he would do so when and if he was ready. Richie didn't contradict her though, he simply nodded and continued walking.

There was a few moments of comfortable silence before he turned to look at her once more with a quizzical look in his eyes.

"What's your favourite movie?"

The question caught her off guard.

"Err, nice segue?" She chuckled and she could swear she saw him redden, even in the moonlight.

"I just…I realize I don't know anything about you, beyond what happened in Sunnydale and who you are. I don't know what music you listen to, what TV shows you watch, what books you read, or what movies you like."

"And you…want to know this stuff about me?" She felt her heart speed up at the idea of Richie wanting to know so much about her thoughts and feelings. Until now, not even her closest friends had gained that kind of knowledge. There had always been far too many more important things to worry about than whether Dawn Summers liked romantic comedies or not.

"Yea, I do," Richie was saying. "I like you Dawn and I want to know everything there is to know about you. A person's favourite movie can tell a lot about their personality. Course if it's Silence of the Lambs I might have to withdraw my curiosity."

"The Princess Bride," she said with a grin. "No serial killers for me thanks. Just Cary Elwes and Andre the Giant."

"I used to love that one." He admitted with a slight grimace. "Until I became immortal. Now I avoid anything with sword fighting in it on principal. I get too much of that in real life to ever want to see it on the screen."

"I'm the same way about monster movies," Dawn admitted. "So what about you then? What's your favourite movie?"

"I love the Lethal Weapon movies," Richie told her with a broad smile. "Something about Mel Gibson and Danny Glover that is just so funny."

"And Mel's pretty cute," Dawn joked.

"Do you…" he trailed off now sounding slightly nervous. "Do you want to go to a movie with me maybe?"

"Yea, sure," she replied, wondering why he was suddenly shifting nervously back and forth on the balls of his feet. They had spent countless nights at Joe's just talking and hanging out…what did it matter if they changed the location of where they spent time together? "When do you want to go?"

"Do you understand what I'm asking you Dawn?" Richie said, ignoring the question. Dawn was suddenly as nervous as he was. Was he going to ask her what she thought he was?

"Umm, a movie?" She sounded stupid but she couldn't help herself. The intensity in the look he was giving her took away all attempts at coherence or rational thought.

"A date," he clarified. "I want to take you out on a date."

"Why?" The question came out before she had time to tell her mouth to be quiet. Richie however, to her surprise through his head back and laughed. She felt herself becoming slightly annoyed with his amusement. "I don't think it's that funny."

"It's not," he assured her, noticing her indignance. "I'm not laughing at you, I swear it's just…do you not know how amazing you are? How entertaining, and strong and pretty?"

"You think I'm all those things?" Her voice was small, almost getting lost to the warm Paris air. He smiled and touched her cheek gently.

"And more," he promised her. "What guy wouldn't ask you out?"

"Last time I counted?" She said wryly. "All of 'em. But if you're serious…I'm interested in going out with you. I'd…I'd love to."

"Great!" He smiled that huge smile of his that reminded her of a little boy. "Umm, I'll let you mention it to Buffy first and then we'll pick a day."

"Mention it to Buffy?" She echoed, "why?"

"Cause you are her sister." Richie said as if it was perfectly logical. "I met her first, and you're younger and she could kill me in a New York minute if she felt like it. Given all these things I think it's good if we let her know what's going on upfront. I'd like my head to be in tact when we go out."

"Buffy won't mind," Dawn said confidently. "Why would she? After all, you're her friend!"

Richie nodded and kept walking. It was clear that he wasn't as sure of things as Dawn was.