A/N: Here we go, chapter 10! This is an especially long one for you guys. And I wrote the entire thing in the past two days...I'm on a roll! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter...I don't really know what else to say so I'm just going to say go read! But I am glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter. More about Kerri will be revealed, and I think its safe to say she will have a big impact on this story. Also, I understand you guys miss the Sunnydale gang...I do have an appearance planned by one person for a future chapter, but you might be surprised as to who. My lips are sealed. But I'm just wondering, who would you most like to see visit? As always, thanks for your feedback, it truly helps me write faster.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 9: Sanity Fair, Moonjava, Daybreak and destructo boy, Katie, Freezyboncoolipants, and IllyriaJem (here's another Connor-centric chapter for ya! XD)
> > > > >
Chapter 10: Close Encounters
Saturday, August 22nd, 2003
The next day Dawn and Buffy sat quietly in the kitchen, finishing breakfast. Connor had already gone on to work. "So, how's work been?" Dawn asked Buffy, eager to break the silence.
"Fine. I think it's really helping my Italian. And the work is really easy. Pastries are much easier to deal with than hormonal teenagers," Buffy said dryly.
Dawn smiled. "Well hey, you never know. Maybe when I get into school they'll be looking for a counselor."
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Dawnie, I can barely give decent advice in English."
Dawn sighed. "Well I just wish you would get out more, that's all."
Buffy stared indignantly. "Hey, I get out plenty."
Her younger sister rolled her eyes. "Sure. Home, work, graveyard, home, work, graveyard..."
"Hey, occasionally I go shopping," Buffy said in her defense. As Dawn was about to argue the phone rang, and the eldest Summers snatched it up. "Hello?"
"Buffy. Hey."
She closed her eyes briefly, letting herself enjoy the comforting sound of his voice. "Hi Angel." Dawn grinned and flashed her sister a thumbs up sign before obediently retreating to her bedroom to allow her sister some privacy.
"So, how are you?" Angel asked hesitantly.
Buffy sat down on the couch, cradling the phone to her ear. "Better than ever. You?"
"I'm fine. I miss you," he said quietly.
She felt the familiar pang in her heart that she always felt upon hearing his voice, seeing him, or even thinking of him. "I miss you too." There was a long pause in the conversation, however it could not be called awkward silence. It was simply a silence in which two people that knew everything about each other didn't need to speak words to convey their emotions.
He cleared his throat. "So, how are Connor and Dawn?"
"They're good. Connor's at work. Things are going really well with the moving company, he seems to like it and he's making good money. And Dawn's getting ready to start school in a few weeks."
"How is their...their relationship?"
Buffy smiled. She knew he couldn't see her, but she hoped he could feel it in her voice. "Going strong."
"Good. I'm glad." He hesitated. "And how are you? How's work?"
"Not bad. You know Gina, the slayer that I work with? Well she's doing great. We go patrolling together. She's really come a long way. And on top of that she's dating one of Connor's friends now."
"That's nice. Have you found any other slayers?" Angel asked.
"No, not as of yet. But I think my fellow former Scoobies are having much more luck in that department."
"How is everyone? Willow, and the rest of your friends?"
"They're good I think. I've talked to Willow a few times. She's still in Brazil with Kennedy...but I don't know, the last time I talked to her she sounded a little...strained. I think they might be having problems. But otherwise they're doing well, they're working with a few slayers down there. And Xander's in Africa. I've only talked to him twice, but Willow said he's doing well. And Giles and everyone else are in London, they're doing really well, Giles is even working on rebuilding the council, so it's kind of like Slayer Central again."
"That's great. And how are things withe apartment? Do you guys need anything?"
"No. We're really doing fine. We have actual income now. Your gift gave us time to get off our feet, and I'll be forever grateful for that. But we're good now."
"You know I'd do anything for you."
She swallowed. "I know. And that means more to me than you'll ever know." There was another long pause. "So, how is everyone in LA?"
"Good. We're helping the helpless as usual," he said, with a slight note of humor in his voice.
She smiled at that. "And no one has ever done it better."
"Okay, you're probably not going to like me asking this...but how's Faith?" Angel said hesitantly.
Buffy thought a moment. "I actually haven't heard from her. But I assume she's okay...we're not exactly the best of friends in case you didn't notice. And why would you think I wouldn't want you to ask?"
"Come on Buffy, we both know the answer to that," he said gently.
She sighed. "That's ancient history. I know that there wasn't anything...between you two. You just have a bond because of the whole redemption thing and I accept that."
"Good. Because I remember a time when you weren't so sure."
She thought back to painful times in Sunnydale: Angel's charade to learn Faith's true colors that led to him kissing her...she still felt physical pain at the memory of being forced to watch that. "Angel, I'm a different person now. And Faith and I, I think we came to sort of an understanding those last few weeks in Sunnydale."
"I know Buffy...none of us is the same as we were back then. But some things...will never change."
Translation: I'll always love you, she thought sadly, interpreting the obvious meaning behind his cryptic words. "You're right. Some things will never change." Another silence filled the phone line.
"Well I guess I'll let you go...but Buffy, could you maybe tell Connor...if he has time...to maybe, think about calling? I'd just like to hear his voice," Angel admitted.
She nodded. "Will do." Another pause. "Goodbye Angel."
"Goodbye Buffy." There was another silence, with neither of them wanting to hang up and break the connection, no matter how distant. Finally, Buffy hung up the phone and placed it back in its proper spot, closing her eyes for a moment. Talking to Angel gave her such mixed emotions; part of her was greatly comforted and refreshed by simply talking to him and hearing his voice, but it also made the pain of not being able to be with him come rushing to the surface all over again.
Dawn slowly emerged from the bedroom. "So, how is he?"
She looked up at her. "Good." She glanced at the clock. "Wow, its getting late already. And I need to go run a few errands before work." She started gathering her things hurriedly.
Dawn frowned in concern. "Do you want to talk? Because I think you need to."
"No, I'm fine, really. Just busy." She leaned in and gave her sister a quick kiss on the forehead. "Bye Dawnie. See you later." And with that she was gone, leaving Dawn to stare after her worriedly.
> > > > >
Meanwhile, Connor and James were pulling the moving van into the Tyman residence for the second straight day. "So, you plan on hanging out with Kerri again?" James said nonchalantly.
Connor gave him a strange look. "What do you mean by 'hanging out'?"
"I don't know, whatever you guys were doing up in her room for all that time yesterday," he said as he switched off the ignition. Today was quieter outside, only one delivery truck was parked outside, and there were no people in sight.
"James, we already had this discussion," Connor said, sounding slightly impatient. "But in case you forgot, let me simplify it for you. I love Dawn. Kerri and I were just talking. She needs a friend."
"Hey, you're the one going all defensive," James said, hopping out of the truck and starting up the walkway.
Connor sighed, hurrying to catch up. "Hey man, I'm sorry if I snapped..."
"No, it's alright. I get it, maybe I was out of line. Let's just forget it, okay?" James said. Connor nodded in agreement as they stepped in the open door, into a sea of expensive-looking furniture and unpacked boxes. Temira Tyman stepped out from the living room, wearing a perfectly pressed royal blue pantsuit. "Hello gentlemen. I could use your help moving things upstairs today. Connor, why don't you help myself and Mr. Tyman with our bedroom furniture," she said hastily.
Connor started to nod, but a clear voice sounded from behind him before he could.
"It's okay mother, I'm sure I can find things for Connor to do. You can have his little friend."
Right then several things happened at once: Connor and James whirled around to see Kerri standing there, a polite yet slightly mischievous smile on her face; Mrs. Tyman made a strange noise that was something between a cough and a hiccup, and James muttered "who's she calling little?" just loud enough for Connor to hear.
"Darling, I thought your room was settled," Mrs. Tyman said in an odd tone.
Kerri smiled sweetly. "No, I still need my dresser and desk brought up. And I'm sure Connor would just love to assist me with that."
Not wanting to start an argument, Connor nodded his head. "Sure, I can help you Kerri."
She smiled in delight. "Perfect! Now you can just bring that white desk right over there up to my room. I'm sure you remember where it is. Meet ya there!" Then she sauntered up the steps as quickly as she has descended them.
Connor turned around for a second, and saw Mrs. Tyman abruptly exiting the room, looking oddly stiff. He leaned over to James. "Was it just me, or did it seem like something weird was going on there between Kerri and her mom just now?"
But James didn't even register what he was saying. "Did you hear that? She just called me little! I'm like as tall as you."
Connor had to struggle to contain his laughter. "Maybe she wasn't referring to height." He turned quickly and started towards the desk, ignoring the chenille throw pillow that hit him in the back on the way.
> > > > >
A few minutes later Connor maneuvered the desk into Kerri's bedroom. "Perfect! You can put it right over there by the window," she said perkily. He pushed it into place. When he turned around, she was standing right near the door. Today she was wearing a dangerously short jean mini, with a blue embroidered tank top. Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, and her feet were bare.
Connor glanced around the room. "So, what else did you need moved up here?" He was shocked when in response to his question she shut the door to her room. "Um, Kerri, I'm working."
"I know. But I don't think anyone will care if you take a little break." She said down daintily on her bed.
"Your mom might. She seemed a little...weird this morning," Connor said.
"Oh, that's just mom. I told you about her current situation...you know, why we moved?" She lowered her voice. "I think it's the anti-depressants. Sometimes they make her act funny. She can't help it."
Once again he found himself taken aback by her blunt honesty. "Um, okay. Because it almost seemed like she didn't want me to help you."
"Oh, you're just paranoid! I'm telling you, she does this all the time. The doctor said its common, with her heavy dose of medication." She leaned back and stared at him. "I thought maybe we could talk some more. I really enjoyed that yesterday. Just being able to talk and have someone listen...its been a long time since I've had that."
He felt himself relaxing a little. "Okay. I guess we could talk for a few minutes. But then I should really get back to work."
She smiled. "I'll take all that I can get. So, why don't you tell me more about this girlfriend of yours? Dawn."
He blinked. That wasn't quite the question he was expecting. But he remembered James's words. If James is right and Kerri is after more than just a friendly ear, then maybe it would be good to make her aware of how much I love Dawn. "Well, she's seventeen. Beautiful. Very smart, and funny."
"She sounds perfect," Kerri said with a smile. "There must be something wrong with her."
Connor laughed. "Why do you say that?"
"Because no one's perfect, silly," she joked. "Seriously, what's her flaw?"
He thought. "She doesn't have one, really."
"Well, is she, you know, clingy?" Kerri asked.
Connor raised an eyebrow. "No...why would you ask that?"
"I don't know, just it's not exactly the norm for seventeen year olds to have a live-in boyfriend. I mean, people your age are supposed to be experimenting. Finding yourself. Just seems a little soon to be like a married couple."
"We're not like a married couple. We just love each other very much, and there's no reason for us to want to...experiment," he said, looking out the window.
"Well you're older than her. So you've probably had other girlfriends," she said nonchalantly. When he didn't reply, her eyes widened. "Oh my God. She's your first, isn't she?"
"And the only," he said firmly.
Kerri quickly crossed the room to stand next to him. "But seriously, she's your first girlfriend! Which means she's your first kiss, your first date, your first time..."
"What's wrong with that?" Connor said, a little confused by the sudden very personal direction the conversation had taken.
She looked at him like he had suddenly sprouted an extra head. "Connor! I'm not saying there's something wrong with it, I'm just saying it's highly unusual. Teenage guys, they never settle down with just one girl...don't you get curious?"
"Maybe I'm not like other guys," he said quietly, looking directly at her.
She took a step closer. "But Connor, you can't tell me you haven't wondered...okay, answer this question. Do you plan to marry Dawn?"
He took a moment to think about that. Sure, he had thought about it before. But he had never really...considered the prospect. "Yeah, I suppose I am."
"Well don't you realize what that means?" she said incredulously.
"No, I really don't," he said, suddenly uncomfortable.
"It means, that assuming you're not a cheating jerk like my father, that she'll be the only one you're ever with. You'll never get to feel another girl's skin against yours..." she reached out and touched his cheek. "Never get to experience anything new...no surprises."
He grabbed her hand, moving it away from his face. "I don't want surprises. You know I think I should really get back to work."
She ignored him. "You'll never get to feel another girl's lips kissing yours...how do you know you're not missing out on something fantastic?"
"Because I don't care about that, I only want to be with Dawn," he said, trying to sound as stubborn as possible. But he did have to admit that he had never really thought about that before, the things Kerri was saying.
"Connor..." for a moment she stared directly into his eyes. "Maybe I should demonstrate." Before he registered her words or knew what was happening she had grabbed the back of his head and kissed him firmly on the lips.
For a moment he felt frozen; everything was spinning, and he couldn't quite form a coherent thought. Finally he realized what was going on, and grabbed her shoulders, pushing her away from him roughly. "What the hell was that?" he demanded loudly.
"Just thought I'd give you a taste...don't tell me I didn't pique your curiosity." She tried to reach out and touch him but he swatted her hand away aggressively.
"Don't touch me. I'm done with you. James was right! The whole 'lonely' bit, it was just an act. You wanted this all along." He stormed towards the door.
"Connor, no! That's not true, I just want to talk!" she called out.
He turned around, so angry he could barely see straight. "Sure. Whatever you say." He tried to open to the door but realized in horror that it was locked. "Open this door Kerri."
She folded her arms. "No. Not until you listen to me."
"Fine then." Without hesitation he turned around and kicked the door. The lock broke and it swung off its hinges. Kerri yelled in protest, but he blocked it out, storming down the stairs. He spotted James unpacking a box, and grabbed his arm. "We're leaving. Now."
James looked bewildered. "But...the job..."
"Screw the job, we're leaving. Steve can send someone else to finish." James chased after Connor as he walked briskly down the walkway. "You drive." He hopped into the passenger seat. James started the van, and pulled away. As they turned the corner, a bewildered Mrs. Tyman stepped out onto the porch. "Keep going!" Connor demanded when James opened his mouth in protest. He obliged, and they cruised out of the cul de sac. Damn her, Connor thought angrily. She had him completely fooled. What an idiot he had been, truly believing all she was after was a friend who would listen! Damn her.
> > > > >
Later that night Connor slowly entered the apartment, his mind racing. After riding in silence almost the entire way back to company headquarters, he had finally told James what had happened.
"You were right, okay? Kerri was after me. I'm an idiot," he said angrily.
"Hey, I'm not gonna say 'I told you so' or anything. But maybe you should listen to me more often," James half-joked. There was a pause. "Are you going to tell Dawn?"
Connor shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know if I'll be able to. But I never want to see Kerri Tyman again. So that solves half the problem."
"Hey, but didn't you say she's going to school with Dawn in the fall?" James responded. Connor swore under his breath. "I don't know what the hell I'm going to do. Bottom line is, I screwed up, I trusted her, I let her play me. And then she kissed me, and I'm going to have to live with the consequences. But at least I didn't kiss her back."
"Well then why are you so upset about it? You didn't do anything," James insisted. "It should be a compliment to Dawn that you weren't interested." Connor remained silent. "Unless...man, are you all upset because you wanted to kiss her back?"
"Of course not!" he had said very defensively. "I think this discussion ends right now."
At that point he had changed the subject. When they had gotten back to headquarters, Connor had calmly told Steve, the boss, that he had taken himself and James off the Tyman case for personal reasons. He said he understood it was probably unprofessional and he would accept the consequences. But to his relief, Steve hadn't seemed to care. He had seemed a little perplexed, but had agreed to send other men over to finish the job. His only concern was that Mrs. Tyman had requested English-speaking movers, and he had no more. Connor had bluntly said that if the Tymans and the movers couldn't understand each other, it would probably work out for the best. Steve had shrugged and agreed. "You're one of my best men, if you feel you don't belong on this job, I understand." Then he had given Connor and James another assignment, and that was how they had spent the rest of the day. It had been an easy job, just moving an elderly Italian couple from one apartment to another. It had been a good distraction, but now that he was actually walking through the door about to face Dawn, the strange mix of feelings that made him feel slightly nauseous came right back.
"Hey baby," she said, emerging from the bedroom with a bright smile on her face. She threw her arms around him and kissed him gently on the lips. He held her waist and kissed her back, unwillingly remembering the other kiss he had received that day. The memory was met with a feeling of intense guilt. I should tell her, he thought. It's better for her to find out now from me than some other time. He looked down into her smiling blue eyes...staring at him with nothing but complete love and trust. No. I can't. It would break her heart if she found out I kissed another girl. Even if it wasn't my idea.
"Hey...what's the matter?" Dawn said. She could tell something was bothering him. "Did you have a bad day at work?"
"Yeah, we just had some customers that kind of...bothered me." He poured himself a glass of water in the kitchen area.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she said, placing her hand on his shoulder.
He shook his head. "No, it's okay. But I'm kind of tired. I think I'm going to lie down for a while."
She looked concerned. "Okay...do you mind if I lie down with you?"
"Of course not." He downed his glass of water and placed it in the sink before taking her hand and gently leading her into the bedroom. He kicked off his shoes and relaxed onto the bed. Dawn did the same, and gently snuggled into the crook of his arm, lying her head on his shoulder. He breathed in the scent of her hair, trying to make himself relax.
"Are you all upset because you wanted to kiss her back?"
He closed his eyes, trying to stop that line from replaying over and over in his head. The truth was, he didn't know why he was so upset. James had been right, he hadn't kissed Kerri back, so he shouldn't even feel guilty. So why did he feel so dirty and dishonest?
Had he wanted to kiss her? Was it possible her words had gotten to him?
No. Impossible. I don't care about getting the chance to kiss other girls. I only want Dawn. And right then, as he lied there silently with her in his arms, he was one hundred percent positive that was true.
So then why was he feeling this way?
Just forget about it. Forget it ever happened. It was unimportant. All that matters is Dawn. He told himself that over and over again until he finally fell asleep.
> > > > >
2 weeks later
Tuesday, September 8th, 2003
"Dawn, are you almost ready? They should be here any minute," Connor called.
"I'm coming!" she called back from the bathroom.
He sighed and paced around the living room. He would never understand why it took women so long to get ready.
"I'm still not sure about this," Buffy said hesitantly. "Dawn starts school tomorrow, it really isn't the best time to go party."
"Hey, you agreed. We even invited you. We won't go out too long, I think it'll be good for Dawn to enjoy one last fun night out before tomorrow. James and Gina agree," Connor insisted.
She smiled slowly. "Okay. Just be home by eleven."
"Eleven thirty. Come on Buffy, you know the clubs don't even get going until at least ten."
Connor blinked when he saw Dawn, who had finally emerged from the bathroom. She looked stunning in form-fitting dark jeans, a gold sequined tank top, gold heels, and some bangly jewelry. Her hair was down in waves, and she was grinning at him. "You look amazing," he said honestly.
"Glad you think so," she said happily, grabbing his hand.
In the two weeks that had passed since the incident in Kerri's bedroom, Connor seemed to have forgotten about it. He had let himself become absorbed in the daily grind, and even felt silly looking back on how upset he had been. He was determined to put the whole occurrence behind him, and so far he felt he was doing a good job. Whole days had passed without a single thought of Kerri Tyman, and he wanted to keep it that way. James hadn't spoken of the incident either, much to his relief.
There was a knock at the door. "Well you kids have fun," Buffy said with a smile. "And don't stay out too late...11:30."
Dawn smiled triumphantly. "You're the best." She gave her sister a quick hug as Connor opened the door to reveal James and Gina. They were both dressed nicely as well, Gina in an outfit that Dawn had helped her pick out: jeans with a black halter top, and new black boots.
"Hey guys. We're ready," Connor said, holding the door open for Dawn. Buffy waved hello to the other couple as Dawn grabbed her jacket and headed out the door.
"Have fun! Be careful!" she called responsibly as they headed down the hall. When they disappeared from sight she sighed. "Be careful? I'm turning into a mom."
> > > > >
"This is so much fun," Dawn said excitedly as the four of them finally sat down on some red plush couches in the corner after about a half an hour of nonstop dancing. "I can't believe we've lived in Italy like three months now and haven't come out to a club!" She sat down in Connor's lap, draping her arms around his neck.
"Italian clubs are better than American ones. The music is better," James said. He draped an arm around Gina's shoulders, and she smiled happily.
"Gina, are you having fun?" Dawn asked, having to speak loudly over the din of the loud techno music.
She nodded enthusiastically. Dawn had noticed earlier that she seemed very happy tonight. Something seemed...different.
James looked at her. "Would you like something to drink?"
Gina nodded after a moment. "A soda, please."
"I'll have one too, if you don't mind," Dawn said with a smile. James nodded, standing up.
"Connor, wanna come help me get drinks?" he asked.
"Sure." Connor carefully lifted Dawn off his lap, placing her on the couch next to him. "We'll be right back." He leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss.
"I'll be waiting," she whispered. The two guys wandered off towards the bar, leaving the two girls alone. Dawn immediately switched to the opposite couch so she was sitting next to Gina. "Okay, what's up with you? You're doing this weird glowy thing."
Gina glanced around before leaning in towards Dawn excitedly. "It happened. With James."
It took a moment for that to register, but when it did, Dawn's eyes widened a little in understanding. "Oh! Oh my gosh, that's huge Gina. When?"
"Last night. He show up at café, to walk me home. We got ice cream on the way. And then I go back to his room. And...things happened, and then he told me he loves me," she said proudly.
Dawn smiled. "That's really great. And then what?"
"Well, I told him I love him too! Because I wanted to tell him before. I just didn't want to..." she struggled for words.
"Scare him off?" Dawn suggested.
Gina nodded. "Yes. Scare him off. But he loves me too! And then, I spend the night."
"So how was it?" Dawn asked eagerly. But the glowing look on Gina's face spoke volumes about how the night had been.
"Perfect. And I want to thank you. Our talk, it made me understand better. About being a good girlfriend," Gina said happily.
Dawn reached out and touched her hand. "I'm glad I could help. And I'm really glad you guys are happy."
> > > > >
"So, things seem perfectly fine with you and Dawn," James said nonchalantly as they waited for the bartender to fill their orders.
Connor gave him a suspicious look. "Why wouldn't things be fine?"
James gave him a look like he was pathetic. "Come on man. It wasn't that long ago that you were like, flipping out that you'd screwed everything up."
"I thought we agreed not to talk about this. The whole thing with Kerri, it's behind me. I've forgotten all about it," he said, half truthfully.
"Sure man. Whatever you say." Their drinks were placed on the bar and James picked two up, leaving Connor to get the other two. "But I'm glad you're moving on. Because it really didn't mean anything."
They shut up when they reached the couches again. They distributed the drinks and sat back down, Dawn happily resuming her position in Connor's lap. The four of them sat there and chatted and sipped their sodas for a while. At one point when there was a lull in the conversation, Connor suddenly kissed Dawn. When they broke apart, she muttered "what was that for?"
"It's because I love you. And you look so beautiful," he whispered. They kissed again, more passionately this time, until they became oblivious to their surroundings. Seeing the big public display of affection, Gina looked over at James hopefully.
"Oh what the heck," he joked, pulling her in close for a kiss.
The two couples remained like that for quite a long time until one of Connor's hands ventured a little further than it should in such a public setting, causing Dawn to reluctantly break the kiss. "Maybe we should stop now," she said sheepishly.
"Oh, get a room," James joked, breaking apart from his own make-out session. The four of them all laughed.
"Connor, what do you say we go back out on the dance floor?" Dawn suggested. But Connor's mind was no longer with Dawn. It was on the three girls that had just entered the club. A tall blonde, a curvy redhead, and a stunning brunette in a designer minidress that he knew all too well. He froze, staring as Kerri Tyman entered the club with her two friends, pausing to look around at the partying crowd and nodding her approval. She turned to say something to one of her friends, and they headed over towards the bar. James meanwhile had followed Connor's line of sight, recognizing the girl immediately.
"Uh, Connor, didn't you hear your girlfriend?" James said nervously.
Connor snapped out of it, turning to face Dawn, who looked a little confused. "Uh, no. What did you say?"
"Whoa, what just happened to you? You were totally like in another world just now," Dawn said worriedly.
He tried to force a smile. "I'm fine. Just spaced out for a minute."
"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to dance some more," Dawn said, less enthusiastically.
"Why don't you and Gina go. We'll catch up in a minute," Connor said, giving her a quick kiss.
"Come on Dawn," Gina said, standing up. Dawn went with her, somewhat reluctantly, looking back at Connor as she retreated.
"Hey, was that who I think it was?" James said quietly once they were gone.
Connor nodded, running his hands through his hair and closing his eyes. "Yeah. It was."
"Doesn't look like she's so lonely anymore. Check out the entourage," James commented. He turned his attention back to his friend. "Hey, do you wanna go?"
Connor shook his head. "No, I don't." He thought for a moment. "Let's go find our girls." He got up and walked purposefully towards the spot where Dawn and Gina were dancing, James tagging along.
Dawn was pleased when her boyfriend's arms snaked around her waist. "There you are." She turned around to face him, moving to the beat. "Dance with me."
He did, trying to focus on nothing but her while one eye involuntarily roamed the club. This'll show her that I'm taken. He tried to dance as best as he could, although he was sure he still looked awkward. The song changed to one with a slightly faster tempo, and Dawn began moving her hips back and forth. He spun her around a few times. About halfway through the song he was jarred from the hypnotic trance of the music and Dawn's dancing when a girl brushed into Dawn from the side. He looked up and was only slightly surprised to see Kerri, pretending to apologize to Dawn as her eyes met his. She gave him a clear, defiant look that practically dared him to watch her before dancing away a few feet and rejoining her friends.
"Hey, do you know her or something?" Dawn asked.
Connor shook his head quickly. "No. Why?"
"It just seemed like she looked at you funny." She seemed to shrug it off as she got back into the dancing. He tried to follow suit, but he felt the uncomfortable feeling of someone looking at him. He unwillingly looked behind Dawn to see Kerri, grinding sexily to the beat with her two friends, her eyes locked with his. He felt his whole body tighten, and he quickly maneuvered Dawn so that his back was to Kerri, with James and Gina between them.
The song ended, and Connor couldn't take it anymore. "Hey, we should probably head home," he said, taking Dawn's hand.
"But it's only eleven," she protested.
"Yeah, but there might be traffic on the way home, and it will look good for Buffy if I have you home early," he said reasonably.
She sighed. "Okay, if you say so." She tapped Gina on the shoulder and told her they were going to head out. Gina and James followed suit as they walked through the crowd, Connor not looking back at the spot where he knew Kerri stood.
> > > > >
"Well I had a great time tonight," Dawn said as they changed into their pajamas. "We should do that more often."
Connor nodded in agreement, slipping into bed. "Yeah. We should."
Dawn turned around, noticing him lying down. "You're just going to go to sleep?"
He looked at her. "Um, yeah. Why, you wanted to..." his voice trailed off.
She shrugged. "I don't know, back in the club you were all over me...I kind of assumed you'd want to..." She climbed into bed next to him, wrapping her arms around his neck seductively.
He closed his eyes. He couldn't do this now...his mind was still racing from what had happened at the club. "Baby, not tonight. Buffy's awake in the next room, and you have to get up early tomorrow." He turned to face her, feeling guilty. "Maybe tomorrow."
She failed at hiding her disappointment. "Okay. Fine. Good night then." She gave him a quick kiss before turning out the light slipping under the covers.
Connor was awake long after Dawn's breathing told him that she was asleep. Dammit. I was there. I had forgotten about it, and then that little tramp has to prance into the club and act like that. He realized with dread that Kerri had seen Dawn tonight, and she would most likely see her again tomorrow. If she says something to Dawn about us...he started to tell himself that she wouldn't. But then he thought back to how she had deceived him and decided that he couldn't put anything past this girl. I guess I'll just have to hope they don't have any classes together. Or maybe she didn't get a good look. It was kind of dark in there. He knew that he was being ridiculous, but it was all he could do to make himself feel better. I'll figure it out in the morning, he finally decided as he drifted off to sleep.
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TBC!
PLEASE review!