A/N: There is absolutely no excuse for leaving you guys hanging as long as I have. But I promise you, no matter how much time may pass between updates, I will never abandon this story, so just stay tuned, and be patient! I'm aiming to wrap this up within the next couple of months. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with this, and please take a moment to drop me a review and let me know if you're still reading!

Chapter 24: Plots and Preparations

Four months later

April 23rd, 2004

Following their spontaneous trip to Los Angeles for Christmas, Dawn and Connor felt closer than ever, despite the continued annoyance of living apart. Aside from the lack of alone time that resulted from their busy schedules and separate apartments, emotionally they were more connected than ever, to the point where not being able to wake up next to each other every day was almost bearable. Although he had won major points with Buffy by whisking Dawn around the world to spend Christmas with her sister, the eldest Summers stubbornly refused to budge when it came to their living situation. But she had, however, become a little more lenient when it came to Dawn's curfew, even giving her permission to spend the night of Valentine's Day at Connor's place, but not without first making it clear that it was a one-time thing.

With every day that went by Dawn became more and more fluent in the Italian language, and slowly climbed her way to the top ten percent of her class, winning over her teachers in the process. Meanwhile, Connor had been relieved to find he still had a job upon returning from Los Angeles. As displeased as his boss had been about the way he had blatantly ignored orders and left the country anyway, he simply couldn't afford to fire one of only two English-speaking movers on the staff. So instead he had just endured about a month of the cold shoulder from Steve Goldberg, and a few less than desirable assignments, the most memorable of which being an entire weekend spent moving an 80-year-old lady and her seven cats out of a cramped, poorly ventilated apartment in the slums of Rome that smelled like...well, like seven cats lived there. But he didn't complain, because he was lucky to even have a job after what he'd pulled, not that he wouldn't do it again in a heartbeat.

So overall, things were going as close to perfect as possible. It wasn't until one of the first days in April when something changed.

Considering that the thought had crossed his mind many times in the past, the moment he made the decision was not what he had expected. He'd been convinced that when the time was right he would just know, and it would happen after an incredible night of lovemaking, or while she stared into his eyes and told him how much she loved him. But instead it had happened in the tiniest moment, one that probably would have otherwise been easily forgotten. Connor had finally grown tired of eating microwave dinners every night, and had splurged on a hotplate for his "kitchen". Dawn had brought over some pancake mix to celebrate, and they had attempted to make a real breakfast. But along the way something went horribly wrong, and the pancake batter ended up splattering all over the both of them. She had turned to him, laughing so hard that her eyes began to tear up, pancake batter sloshed haphazardly across her shirt, hair, and face. As she'd reached up to wipe her eyes, her eyes twinkling as she gazed at him, he'd had an epiphany of sorts, or maybe just a moment of exceptionally clear thought where for the first time, he really thought beyond tomorrow, or even next month. It was in that moment, as she flicked a chunk of pancake batter at him, oblivious to the rather large drop sitting right on the tip of her nose, that he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But it wasn't just that, since deep down he'd come to that realization quite some time ago. What was different now was that wanted to make it official.

Later, when she'd gone home and left him alone to contemplate, he realized what he wanted to do. He was going to ask Dawn to marry him, and he was going to do it soon. At first he had waged an inner battle with himself, wondering if this was indeed the right decision. Is it too soon? Are we too young? What will Buffy say? But despite the very worst of the 'what ifs', he kept coming back to the same conclusion. He loved Dawn, and he knew that she loved him. In less than two years together, they had already been through more together than most people face in a lifetime. He was ready to take the next step.

So that was how he found himself pausing outside a jewelry store window while walking to work one day. For a few minutes he gazed at the various pieces on display, trying to work up the nerve to go inside. Finally he just sucked it up and pushed the door open, a small bell tinkling to sound his arrival.

"Potrei aiutarla?" asked an elderly woman behind the counter, moving closer to him. The shop was small and cozy, and thankfully much less intimidating than some of the jewelry stores Connor remembered seeing in the US, with the smartly dressed, pushy sales people and neon lights.

He smiled nervously. "Lei parla degli Inglesi?" His Italian had improved considerably over the past eight months, but he still much preferred English, especially in situations like this.

The woman smiled knowingly. "Yes. What are you looking for today?" she asked politely through a thick accent.

"I...I'm actually looking to buy an engagement ring. For my girlfriend," he stammered.

The woman's whole face lit up. "Ah! Young love. Tell me young man, what kind of ring did you have in mind?" she asked, her English surprisingly clear.

"I'm not sure exactly. This is my first time looking. To be honest, I don't know much about jewelry...or engagements," he added, suddenly feeling extremely out of his league.

"Well why don't you tell me about this young woman of yours, and we'll go from there." She smiled expectantly.

Connor blushed slightly, thinking of how he could best explain Dawn to a complete stranger. "Well...she's beautiful. And smart, and funny. And...she has a real stubborn streak, but she's the most loyal person I've ever met. And when she's happy...her smile just lights up the whole room." He smiled to himself, drifting away in thoughts of Dawn.

"It sounds like she's a very special girl. And for a very special girl, we need a very special ring." The woman moved over to one of the cases and produced a set of keys, unlocking one of the compartments. "How much were you looking to spend?"

Connor blinked. To be honest, he had not considered that at all, he had become so swept up in thoughts of his love for Dawn that he hadn't paused to think about things like money. "Um...I don't really know. I mean, not a lot, I'm not...I can't spend a lot, but I need it to be special."

She nodded absently as she studied the case, seeming to know exactly what she was looking for. "Let me select a few options and then you can look." After considering for a moment, she pulled out three different rings and set them in a row on the counter. "Which one do you like best?"

He bent closer to examine the rings. The first was a small, round diamond on a yellow gold band. It was pretty, but he feared that it was too ordinary, and even though it was probably right in his price range, he worried that the stone might be too small. He knew that girls tended to use their engagement rings as a kind of status symbol, and he wanted Dawn to be proud of it. The second ring was much better. It had a square diamond flanked by two smaller ones on the sides, and while none of the stones could be considered large, their combined effect produced a lot of sparkle. "This one's nice," he commented, picking the ring up to examine it closer. He glanced at the price tag...and nearly dropped it on the counter. This ring would cost him about half a year's pay. Rattled, he quickly returned it to the counter and shifted his attention to the third prospect. "This is interesting," he said almost to himself. The stone was pear-shaped, and he couldn't recall ever seeing one just like it.

"This is a lovely ring. It's 18 karat white gold, and this is a beautiful stone, a half carat. It's unique," she said with a smile. "Definitely stands out in a crowd."

He found himself holding his breath slightly before looking at the price tag. To his relief, it wasn't as outrageous as the other ring had been, although it would still set him back considerably. "Um, do you have...payment plans?"

The woman laughed loudly. "Don't worry about it. We always find an arrangement that works for the customer." She paused. "So what do you think?"

"I'll take it," he blurted before he could lose his nerve. He handed the ring back to the saleswoman.

"Wonderful. Now, do you know her ring size?"

Connor blanched. "Um...no, I don't."

"It's okay, a lot of young men like yourself have no idea of their intended's ring size when they come in here. There are a few simple ways you could find out. The easiest is to find a ring of hers that fits well, and measure the diameter. But don't worry, we'll hold it for you and you can return to let us know the size." She smiled encouragingly.

Connor nodded. "Okay. Do you need any kind of down payment now?"

"That won't be necessary, we can take care of that after you get the size."

He nodded. "Thank you so much for your help," he said sincerely. They exchanged goodbyes and Connor left the shop, trying to think up a discreet way to get Dawn's ring size. He supposed that one easy option would be confiding in one of her friends and asking them to find out for him. Buffy came to mind first, but he felt slightly queasy as he realized that he had no idea how she would react to the idea of him marrying Dawn. He definitely wasn't ready to deal with that conversation until he needed to. Next he thought of Gina, but he worried that the increasingly outgoing Italian slayer might not be the best when it came to keeping a secret as big as this. Then there was Amelia. Connor didn't really know her well enough to know if he could trust her with this information. What if she went straight to Dawn with the knowledge that he was going to propose, ruining the surprise? No, that wouldn't work. He furrowed his brow. The only other option was to try and obtain her ring size himself, which would not be easy. She kept her jewelry in a box on her dresser, and now that they no longer shared a bedroom, he had no idea if the opportunity would arise where he was alone long enough to find one of her rings, and even if he did, she might notice. And he was definitely not creative enough to fib his way out of that situation.

Suddenly the light bulb went off in his head as another idea occurred to him. It might not be perfect...but it was better than anything else he had come up with. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Dawn and Buffy's apartment, hoping against the odds that the person he wanted to talk to would be the one to pick up the phone, and deciding that he would just hang up if she didn't.

"Hello?" came the voice on the other end.

He smiled at his good luck. "Faith, hi. It's Connor." He took a breath. "I need your help."

Faith's eyes grew very wide. "You're proposing?" she asked incredulously. The two of them were sitting across from each other at a booth in the pizza place near the apartment, the same one where several months earlier he and Dawn had sat and began their reconciliation.

"Yes. I know it probably seems sudden...but it feels right," he said, a little defensively.

Faith smiled at him through a mouthful of pepperoni pizza. "I was actually going to say it's about damn time."

He blinked. "Are you serious?"

She laughed. "I always figured you two would end up tying the knot. I mean, you've already done everything else. You lived together, you broke up, got back together. What else is left?"

As usual he found himself astonished by how easily Faith could simplify the most complex of circumstances. "So...do you think Dawn will be happy? I mean, do you think she'll want this?"

Faith rolled her eyes. "Please. She'll be thrilled. Have you even seen the way she looks at you?" She paused. "I still don't really get why you're telling me all of this. What did you need my help with again?"

"I went shopping for an engagement ring today, but I don't know Dawn's ring size. And you live with her...so I was thinking that maybe you could get another ring of hers and give it to me as a sample."

She stared at him. "So we go through all this just for you to ask me to steal one of her rings?"

"Borrow," he corrected hastily, not wanting to give the ex-con the wrong idea. "I would do it myself, but I don't know if I'd get the opportunity. But she would never suspect you."

Faith shrugged. "Sure. I'll do it. Shouldn't be too hard."

"Thank you. And remember...I don't want anyone else to know. I don't even have the ring yet, and once I get it I don't know when I'm going to, you know...I want it to be just right. But anyway, just keep this between us."

"Done," she said with a noncommittal shrug, reaching for a third slice of pizza. An amused expression came over her face as a thought occurred to her. "I can't wait to see Buffy's face when she finds out you guys are gettin' hitched."

Connor winced. "What do you think her reaction will be?"

Faith chewed her pizza, considering that. "Well, I think at first she'll be pissed. But she'll come around, especially if she sees that it makes Dawn happy. I know B can seem a little overbearing sometimes, with the whole Nazi act when it comes to you guys living apart and Dawn's curfew and everything, but she just wants what's best for her. And as you probably know, that little stunt you pulled at Christmas won you some major points. She'll come around, just don't expect her to go crazy over china patterns and flowers right away."

Connor nodded. "I'm sure she'll be a little freaked at first. I mean, marriage is a big step. I'm freaking out a little myself." Faith raised an eyebrow. "No! Not like that. I definitely want to marry Dawn, I know that this is right. I'm just nervous, about what she'll say, and how I'll ask her. I can't screw this up."

"I think you could throw the ring at her and she'd still stay yes. The girl's got it bad for you. But I'm sure you'll think of something all gooey and romantic." Faith finished off the final piece of pizza, running her finger over the plate to pick up the crumbs before licking it in a very unladylike manner.

Connor looked at her in amusement. "Well...thanks again. I really appreciate this."

"No problem. It's not like I have many better things to do these days," she commented as they rose from the table. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

The next morning Connor was searching his apartment for his sneakers when there was a knock at the door. He sighed in frustration. He had very rarely misplaced anything when he had been living with Dawn, because she had always been around to neaten his things and make sure kept everything in its proper place. Nowadays getting ready for work took ten extra minutes because he could never remember where he had left things the night before. Temporarily giving up his search, he padded barefoot to the door and peered through the peephole, surprised to see Faith on the other side.

He quickly swung the door open, and couldn't even get a word out before she held up a ring with a blue stone that he had seen Dawn wear several times. "Mission accomplished," she declared, handing the ring to him.

Connor stared at her with appreciation. "That was fast. And she doesn't suspect anything?"

"Nope. Buffy left early for work, Dawn went to school, I went in her room and got the ring out of her jewelry box. Like taking candy from a baby."

"Great. I'm going to take this to the jewelry store today, and hopefully we can get it back before she notices it's missing. Thanks, Faith. I owe you one."

"No you don't," she added, almost as an afterthought. "See you later."

"Bye," he said, waving before closing the door. He looked down at the little ring in his palm, tossing it up in the air and catching it, a satisfied smile on his face.

The following afternoon Connor emerged from the jewelry shop with a small bag in his hand and a strange feeling in his stomach, something between excitement and terror. He paused on the sidewalk, stepping back out of the flow of pedestrian traffic before removing the small ring box from the bag and opening it slowly. There it was, sparkling even more than before, having been giving a special cleaning before being boxed up. He had to fight the urge to wince when he thought about the cost: he would have to work many hours before it was all paid for, but he just knew that as long as Dawn liked it, no price was too high.

He tucked the ring box in his pocket, pushing it down deep to be sure it was secure, and then tossed the bag in the nearest garbage can. Now there was only one thing left to do.

He pulled out his cell phone as he started to walk to work for his shift, pressing the number one to speed-dial Dawn. She answered on the second ring, her bright voice having as much of an effect on him now as it had the day he'd met her. "Hey you," she said playfully.

He unconsciously broke into a grin. "Hey yourself. How are you?"

"I'm okay, just walking home from school. Are you on your way to work?" Somehow she always knew his schedule even better than he did.

"Yes, I am." He paused. "I'll stop by to see you after. But I was wondering if you had any plans for tomorrow night."

"Well, I do now. What did you have in mind?" she asked curiously.

"I want to take you out," he replied.

"What's the occasion?" she asked, her slightly suspicious tone causing him to start. It wasn't possible she knew, was it?

"Who says there has to be an occasion?" he said a little too quickly. "I mean…I just want to spend some time with you, go somewhere nice for a change instead of my apartment."

"Should I dress up?" she asked hopefully.

He smiled. "Sure. I'll pick you up at seven?"

"How about I can just meet you at your place?" she said. "It's probably best for everyone…Buffy will be home, so you can avoid the third degree."

"Okay, if you want. I'll be waiting."

"Where are you taking me?" she pried. He could tell that he had definitely gotten a hold of her curiosity with his cryptic invitation.

"You'll just have to wait and see," he replied calmly. "I'll stop by later to say good night."

"Okay. Have a good day at work. I love you."

"I love you too," he said. They hung up, and he let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Everything was almost in place. Now he just needed to call the little restaurant he had heard some of the guys talking about at work and make a reservation. He'd heard it was very intimate and romantic, and it sounded like an ideal location for his proposal.

He had contemplated telling James about his plans, but had ultimately decided against it. Even though James was his best friend, he and Gina were closer than ever these days, and he didn't know her well enough to trust that she wouldn't tell Dawn. So he'd decided that aside from Faith, he would keep it quiet for now, and afterwards he and Dawn could decide together how to tell their friends and family. Assuming she says yes, he thought nervously. He was basing all of his plans around the rather colossal assumption that Dawn would want to marry him as much as he wanted to marry her. What if she wasn't ready for this commitment just yet?

Stop, he told himself firmly. His whole life he had always trusted his instincts, and he could feel deep down that this was right. Tomorrow night was going to be a whole new beginning for both of them. With a satisfied nod he reached his hand into his pocket to touch the ring box, the smooth black velvet cool in his hand.

"That's her," the vampire hissed.

"Should we act now?" asked another, taller vampire, crouched behind the dumpster.

"No," said the first. "We must wait for the order to go ahead with the plan." He glared at their target in the distance. "The slayer will not get away with what she has done. She will regret the day she ever chose to attempt to outnumber us." The tall one made a noise that sounded like a snarl, clearly in agreement. Then they both watched in silence as Dawn opened the door to the apartment building and walked inside, blissfully unaware of the two figures watching her from the shadows.

TBC! Please review!