A/N: I can't believe I have to say this again. School is consuming a lot of my time, so again, I apologize for the long update time. I feel really bad about it. But I finally got this chapter to come out in a way I'm pleased with, so I hope you enjoy. And you might need to have a little bit of faith in me. Remember, fics that are 100 fluff get boring after a while...

This is now my longest fanfic. And there is still much more to come! Huge thanks to everyone who has continued to review! You guys are the best. I appreciate your continued support of this fic.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 12: Revelations

Connor practically leapt off the couch when Dawn walked in the door after school. "Hey! There you are," he said, attempting to swallow to rid himself of the horrible dry feeling in his mouth. "How was your day?"

She shrugged and started to respond as she placed her bag on one of the kitchen stools, but stopped suddenly and gave him a strange look. "Are you okay? You seem...weird."

"Just what every guy wants to hear," he said meekly, attempting to make a joke. "Nothing's wrong. I just...missed you. That's all."

A slow smile spread across her face. "Well isn't that sweet." She stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "My day was okay. It was hard. I had trouble keeping up with what the teacher was saying in most classes, but I survived. And I made a friend! Another American girl," she said happily, kicking off her shoes.

Connor froze. No, that's not possible. "What's her name?" he croaked.

"Amelia. Amelia Montgomery. She moved here from New York three years ago, with her dad. He's Italian, and when her mom died he wanted to reconnect with his roots. She's so nice, it was great to be able to talk to someone I have stuff in common with," she said. But Connor hadn't heard anything after the name, he was too busy sighing in relief that this was not the girl he had feared it would be.

"That's nice. I'm glad." He hesitated, unsure how to proceed. "Are there any other Americans?"

Dawn flopped down on the couch, looking exhausted. "Yeah. There's one other girl besides Amelia and I. Her name's Kerri something." She frowned. "I got such a weird vibe from her. She bumped into me at lunch and we had the most bizarre conversation. I just didn't like the way she was looking at me. And you know, I think I've seen her before...Connor? Are you listening?"

He swallowed, trying to rid himself of the strong taste of bile that had risen in his throat upon Dawn confirming his worst fear. "Yeah. I'm here."

"Well I remembered that I saw her last night, at the club. She bumped into me on the dance floor. She gave me a strange look then too. I don't know what her problem is," Dawn said with a sigh. "It sucks, you know? You can move wherever you want and there's still going to be the stupid biotches who just get off on acting all superior to everyone else."

He tried to move towards her but he found himself oddly frozen in place. "I know...it sucks."

Dawn sat up straight, giving him her impatient, 'now I've had it' look that he had come to know pretty well. "Okay Connor, please talk to me. Something really off with you. Actually, now that I think about it, something's been weird for a while now." She paused. "What is it? Is it something at work bothering you?"

It did all start there, he thought, cursing the day he had ever ripped off that stupid little tab of paper. It was amazing how much that tiny little action had screwed up his entire life. He snapped out of it, realizing he had to say something. He sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just a little stressed out."

She frowned. "Why is that? Are you working too much? That's it, isn't it? You're working so hard to try and make a good life for me that you're burning yourself out and heading for a nervous breakdown!" she said, sounding very upset.

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "No baby, that's not it at all. It has nothing to do with you."

"Is this about what we talked about this morning?" she asked tentatively.

He smiled. "No. I told you, I'm more than satisfied with our sex life." He paused, trying to figure out a way to explain this without, well, explaining it. "I think there's just a lot going on in my head right now. I can't really explain it."

She frowned. "I don't really understand."

He walked over slowly and sat down next to her on the couch. "I've just been thinking a lot about where I'm going with my life. I mean, long term. I'm working for a moving company Dawn. I don't have hardly any education, no resume. I just don't know if I'm going to be able to make a stable life for you, for us, once you're out of school. I don't think I deserve you," he said, saying the last part very quietly, the validity of the statement hurting him more than she would ever know.

She put her arm around his shoulders. "Oh, Connor. You don't have to think about that at all. I love you Connor. And all I care about in my future is you. I don't care what kind of life we have. I don't need a fancy house, or a nice car, or any of that. All I need is you, and I'm happy."

He felt tears rising to his eyes, a very rare occurrence for him. Willing them to stay back, he managed to reply. "I feel the same way." There was a brief moment of silence. Then he cleared his throat, and stood up. "I'm sorry, but I have to go to work...I have to cover for someone on the late shift tonight."

"Oh..." Dawn said, her eyes expressing hurt and disappointment. "You didn't mention that before."

"I guess it just never came up. I'll be back soon," he said quickly. He leaned down and gave her a kiss before turning and scurrying out the door.

He walked quickly to the stairs and down to the street level before pausing to kick the wall for no reason. He was going insane. He couldn't deal with these lies anymore. He didn't have to work, he didn't have to do anything, he just couldn't stand to be with Dawn any longer. She kept saying things that only made him feel worse. Its amazing how these lies just pile up on top of each other until you can barely see your way out, he thought grimly.

He walked a few more blocks and then sat down on the curb on a quiet corner, trying to clear his head. He had no earthly idea what he was going to do next. He wasn't sure how long he sat there before an idea came to him. It was risky and might not help at all, but at this point he really didn't have much left to lose.

That settles it. Tomorrow I'll try to end this, once and for all. He slowly stood up and walked a little further. If he was going to stand by his facade of being at work, he couldn't go home yet. For an instant the image of Dawn sitting alone in the apartment with that hurt look in her eyes. He struggled to push it away. I'm doing all of this for you, baby. I screwed up and I can't let my mistakes hurt you anymore than they already have.

I just hope you'll understand someday.

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The next day, Connor stepped out of the cab in the all too familiar cul-de-sac that housed the Tyman residence. He had left almost immediately after Dawn had departed for school. He knew that Kerri wouldn't be at home, and just hoped that the person he was there to see was.

He slowly walked up the long pathway to the front door, trying to remind himself again what he was doing here. You're just going to talk to Mrs. Tyman. She seemed to disapprove of her daughter, if I read her right. And she did move her for a very sympathetic reason. She's been through a lot. His main hope was that maybe he could convince Temira Tyman to talk some sense into her daughter. If Kerri would only promise to stay quiet, this whole thing would be over, and Dawn would never have to know. It was a longshot, but right now it was the best option he had.

He rang the doorbell and waited a few seconds before he heard footsteps on the other side. The door swung open and the regal-looking Temira Tyman, wearing a smart black pantsuit and bright red stilettos, regarded him with curiosity. "You look familiar," she said, obviously trying to place him.

"Yes. I worked here about a month ago, I'm from the moving company. Could I come in? I wanted to talk to you about something that happened while I was here."

She considered this for a moment before stepping back and opening the door wider to allow Connor to enter. He stepped in quickly and she closed the door behind him. "Come with me to the deck, I can get us some tea and we can have a little chat."

"It's okay, I don't need anything. I really just wanted to talk," he said quickly, following her through the house to a small sun porch with a classy table and chairs. He sat down awkwardly in one and she sat down opposite him, staring expectantly and tapping her perfectly manicured fingernails on the table.

"Well, young man...what was your name again?"

"Connor," he said simply.

"Well, Connor. What exactly was it you wanted to talk about? Is the moving company suing me or something?" she asked calmly.

He shook his head quickly. "Oh, no. It has nothing to do with my company. I'm actually here about something that happened to me personally while I was here." He took a breath. "It involves your daughter."

Mrs. Tyman did not look surprised. "So what is Kerri up to now?" she asked dryly.

"Mrs. Tyman, I have a girlfriend. I love her very much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her," he said honestly. "But when I was working here, Kerri kept...talking to me. She started telling me all sorts of really personal stuff. And I guess I thought she just needed someone to talk to, but then she kissed me. And I felt horrible about it, because I never wanted to cheat on Dawn. I wanted to tell her the truth, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her I'd kissed someone else. And I thought it had all blown over, but Dawn started school yesterday, and she told me she'd run into Kerri. And from her description of how Kerri treated her, my guess is that she's planning to tell her, and ruin everything."

Mrs. Tyman sighed, massaging her temples. "Oh dear. Well I do have to say that most of that is your problem. What happens to you and your girlfriend is not of any concern to me."

"I understand that. But I would hope that your daughter's actions do concern you," he said seriously. "I really don't want to be rude, but she's a manipulator. And I'm not going to let her interfere with my life."

All of a sudden Mrs. Tyman seemed to crumple. Her whole expression changed from someone calm and together to someone weary and sad. "Oh dear," she said again. "I should have known we couldn't escape it."

"Escape what?" he asked, feeling like he was missing something.

She sighed. "Connor, my daughter is very troubled. In our hometown in Florida, she ran into some...difficulties with some local boys and their families. It got to the point where I didn't know what to do, so Richard and I decided that maybe if we started fresh, moved to another country, she could leave her problems behind and start fresh. But I see she's up to her old tricks again." She paused. "Just out of curiosity, how old are you?"

"Eighteen," he said, very confused at this point. "I don't understand. Kerri told me that you moved here..." he stopped himself, unsure if he could continue.

Anger flashed across Mrs. Tyman's face. "What did Kerri tell you about our moving here?"

He shook his head slightly. "She told me that you moved here because you and Mr. Tyman were having marital problems," he said, not going into the gory details.

"That could not be further from the truth. Richard and I have always been very happy together. The only thing that has ever jeopardized our happiness is our daughter," she said vengefully.

A little taken aback, Connor struggled for what to say next. "What did Kerri do that has caused so many problems?"

She crossed her arms angrily. "The reason I asked how old you were was because my daughter tends to have a 'thing' for younger men. And by younger, I'm talking fourteen years old. High school freshmen. When Kerri was seventeen and a high school junior. And I don't know about Italy, but in Florida being caught in the janitor's closet engaging in inappropriate acts with severely underage boys is highly frowned upon."

Connor found himself suddenly speechless. "Um, wow. I had no idea she would go that far."

"I told you my daughter is deeply troubled. It goes as far back as I can remember. In fifth grade she got in trouble for kissing a boy in class. In middle school she was repeatedly sent home for dressing inappropriately. But you can't possibly understand how the incident last spring impacted Richard's and my lives," she said, building up steam as she got angrier. "We were respected members of the community. School board, parent committee, Homeowner's Association. We lived in a very nice community and led very social lives. Then everything changed. We were ostracized, practically driven out. We barely had any choice but to leave."

Connor shook his head, still in shock. "Were there any charges filed?"

"Filing charges when both parties are underage is a tricky business. There was an investigation, and naturally since Kerri was considerably older she was conveniently blamed entirely. But we managed to come to an agreement to have no charges filed, especially when we informed the other parents we were leaving."

He ran a hand through his chair. Out of all the things he had thought that Mrs. Tyman might have to say, this was definitely not one of them. "Wow...have you considered that maybe she needs professional help?"

To his great surprise, she laughed loudly at this. "Last time I checked having an overactive sex drive and a desperate need for attention didn't make you certifiable."

"Well...maybe its not my place, but there is programs for...sex addicts," he said quickly.

"I hardly think Kerri is addicted to sex. For her, it is more about the attention. She's naturally very flirtatious and seductive. Rejection upsets her a great deal."

"That's probably why she's been out to get me ever since I told her there could never be anything between us," Connor said, understanding. As he looked at the older woman, he realized that the initial impression of togetherness was very inaccurate: Temira Tyman was actually a very emotionally worn-out woman, with a lot of baggage. He supposed that some people tried to forget about their problems by keeping them bottled up inside, and putting on a false air almost made them believe that image themselves. As he looked at her now, she looked about ten years older than she had when she'd answered the door. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. It sounded like Kerri had put her through a lot.

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you expect to accomplish from this little chat, Connor?" she asked wearily.

He sighed, sitting back and gazing off into space. "I'm not exactly sure. I guess I've just been feeling horrible since that day here, with Kerri, and I'm just trying to do what I can to save my relationship with Dawn before Kerri tells her and ruins everything."

"If you would like I can attempt to talk some sense into Kerri. But I can't promise that it will do any good," she said honestly.

He nodded. "I understand. And I appreciate all of your help." He stood up. "Thank you."

"Good luck young man," she said. "And I apologize again for my daughter's actions."

He nodded. "It's not your fault. And I think if I learned anything today, its that I have to end this now once and for all." He stood there a moment before nodding a final time to Mrs. Tyman, and then he proceeded slowly to the door. As he stepped outside, he felt sure for the first time in weeks of what he had to do. If anything could be learned from Kerri's mother, it was that you could put up any front you want to the outside world, but it wouldn't make your problems go away, and they would only get worse over time. Connor headed home, knowing without question what he had to do, only wishing he had found the courage to do it sooner.

> > > > >

Dawn entered homeroom that day and smiled when she saw Amelia waving her over. She sat down next to her new friend. "Hey, good morning," Amelia said brightly.

"Hey," Dawn said, a little less than enthusiastically.

Amelia frowned. "Is something wrong? I know I've only known you for like, 24 hours, but I can tell something's up."

Dawn sighed. "Well, you're right. I don't know, its probably nothing, but Connor was just acting weird last night. That seems to be a theme lately." She paused. "I'm a little concerned. We were talking and then all of a sudden he got up and left to go to work."

"Well if he had to work he had to work," Amelia said practically.

Dawn shook her head, unconvinced. "I don't know though. Something's off with him. And to be honest, its scaring me."

"When did this start?" Amelia asked with concern.

She thought back. "I guess it was about two days ago. I know its not that long, but these past couple of days have felt like a lifetime." She shook her head. "I'm probably totally overreacting."

"Well I hope you guys sort things out. I'd love to meet Connor sometime. Just from what you told me yesterday it sounds like you guys have a real fairytale romance almost," Amelia said with a smile.

Dawn tried to smile. "Yeah. We have had some great times."

At that moment Kerri Tyman sauntered into the room, her shampoo commercial hair floating behind her, demanding everyone's attention as she walked by. She stopped when she passed Dawn, flashing her brightest smile. "Hi Dawnie! You look so cute today. That top is to die for."

Dawn glanced down at her purple sweater self-consciously. She didn't reply as Kerri continued to the back of the room. Images of Kristy back in Sunnydale flashed through her mind as she remembered the years of torment that menacing girl had put her through. "Not again," she said quietly as she rose and strode purposefully to the back of the room, leaving Amelia to stare after her in confusion.

Dawn planted herself directly in front of Kerri's desk, demanding her attention. "Okay. I am not going to deal with this. I don't know what your problem is with me, but your phony little compliments and cheesy nicknames aren't going to work for me. I refuse to go through this school year with you smirking at me behind my back for no good reason. This is supposed to be a fresh start for me and I am going to have a good year, whether you like that or not. I just don't understand why. Why did you pick me out of all the girls in this classroom to be the one you can pick on all year? And also, you're never going to call me 'Dawnie' ever again."

Kerri's mouth was literally hanging open at this point. She had never in a million years expected Dawn to show such spunk and stand up to her. She was used to having other girls practically bow down to her. Dawn felt smug when she saw the shocked look on her new rival's face. The rest of the classroom had grown quiet, and a few of the kids were whispering among themselves in Italian, presumably trying to figure out what had just gone down. She stole a look back at Amelia to see her friend staring at her in complete awe, her own mouth also slightly agape.

After one of the longest silent moments of Dawn's life, Kerri finally spoke. "Wow...well I guess I'm sorry."

This time it was Dawn who had to blink a few times. "Did you just apologize?" She hadn't ever thought it would be that easy.

Kerri shrugged. "Yeah. Obviously I underestimated you. I must say, I'm impressed. You've got spunk."

Satisfied and a little triumphant, Dawn nodded, crossing her arms. "Okay. So I guess we understand each other." Deciding there was nothing left to say, she turned and started to walk back to her seat when she heard Kerri say something half under her breath.

"I can see what he sees in you."

Dawn froze in her tracks before slowly turning around. "Excuse me?"

Kerri had an expression on her face that was downright scary: triumphant, wicked, yet nonchalant. "I said I can see what he sees in you. Connor, I mean."

The former Key felt her heart begin to pound loudly in her chest. "How do you know my boyfriend?"

"We had a little encounter a few weeks back. He's a great guy, Connor. Great kisser too."

Dawn felt a hard lump rising in her throat as she stood there frozen to the spot. She tried to move her mouth to speak but no words came.

"He helped my family move here. Very attentive guy. Took care of all of my needs," Kerri said casually, her eyes locked with Dawn's.

Dawn felt her vision start to swim a little as thoughts raced through her mind.

"American family that just moved into a new development...rich. The daughter's your age. She's going to school next month too. We had a nice chat."

"Nice chat? Should I be jealous?"

"Of course not. You know I love you. But Kerri, I felt bad for her. Sounds like she's been through a lot."

She had never made the name connection before. But suddenly Connor's behavior over the past few days was starting to fall into place. But she hated where that place was.

She saw images of Kerri bumping into her at the club. That look she had given him...

"Hey, do you know her or something?"

"No. Why?"

She grabbed onto a nearby desk to steady herself, pulling her eyes away from Kerri's. No. She's lying. She has to be. Connor would never...but whether she liked it or not, if Kerri was telling the truth, it would explain Connor's recent behavior.

"Very attentive guy. Took care of all of my needs."

"Go to hell," she finally managed to croak out. She turned around, still a little dazed, and grabbed her bag from the desk. She vaguely heard Amelia say something to her but she just shook her head and hurried from the room, barely noticing the hushed whispers. She almost bumped into the teacher as she hurried out the door. All she could seem to hear were her own footsteps on the tiled hallway and the beating of her own heart in her chest. She had to know. She had to know now. But Connor would never cheat on me.

Would he?

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TBC!

I feel so evil right now...please review!