CHAPTER XV - The City of Angel

Somewhere in the warren of Streets that is LA:

7.00pm

Dawn looked out of the window of the bus. As soon as they could, she and her mom left Sunnydale. Dawn didn't know why her mom was in such a hurry but she guessed her mother just couldn't take it in Sunnydale anymore. Dawn could relate. She soon found out that not only Buffy had disappeared, so had Spike apparently. She had gone to visit him one day and had found the crypt empty, everything was still there but there was a very fine layer of dust that covered everything. Dawn was sure Spike wouldn't let that happen to his stuff.

So Joyce insisted they leave right away. She said it was just for the summer and that they would return to Sunnydale in time for school to start. For the time being they were going to LA. They had arrived just a week ago. Dawn had finally convinced her mother to allow her to go somewhere by herself, on the condition that she would call Joyce every two hours. Dawn checked her watch. She had thirty minutes before she had to get off the bus to go to the nearest telephone and phone her mother to make sure she was fine.

"Damn." she muttered as she dropped her lip gloss. She bent down to pick it up. Suddenly the bus stopped.

"Shit!" she cursed as she nearly toppled over. "What's going on?" she stood back up and demanded of another passenger.

"Break down." the passenger answered.

Dawn's eyes widened.

Great.

"How long will it take to get it fixed?" she inquired of the driver.

"At least an hour, missy." he replied apologetically.

"Perfect." Dawn muttered. She turned to a couple of other passengers. "Do you happen to know where the nearest hotel or 711 is?"

"There is a hotel near here." a woman in her mid sixties replied. "About a couple of blocks that way." she pointed. "It's called the Hyperion."

Dawn grinned at her gratefully. Maybe Joyce wasn't going to murder her.

"Thank you." she said.

"Anytime, dear." the woman responded she arranged her bag on her lap and smiled at Dawn displaying wrinkles.

Dawn returned the smile and swung out of the bus making her way to the Hyperion. About ten minutes into the journey she seemed to notice where she was. Something vaguely familiar and yet she had never been there before. Then next to her was a plaque.

The Hyperion

Found it. Dawn thought triumphantly. She checked her watch. And with minutes to spare.

She opened the gate and walked in. It was rather gloomy, not the usual sun bright most hotels were. Dawn shrugged this detail off. As long as this place had a phone she was okay.

She made her way to what she hoped was the front desk and rang the bell on the counter.

A timid looking girl appeared.

"Hi, I'm Fred." she said. "Welcome to the Hyperion." she looked anxious, as if she had something to important that she needed to get back to...

Dawn cocked her head to one side. Fred?

"Dawn." she replied nonetheless with her perfect southern California smile. "I was wondering if you have a telephone here?"

Fred nodded.

"sure." she said with a twinge of southern accent. "One second." she reached down for a moment and then handed Dawn a telephone. "It's direct line."

"Would you mind if I call a mobile?" she asked.

Fred shook her head.

"Go right ahead."

"Thanks." Dawn replied as she lifted the receiver and dialed her mother's cell.

"-you would think the damned vampires would give us one night off." a voice grumbled.

Fred's face turned white.

"Um, Gunn?" she called nervously.

Dawn turned around. The line was busy anyway.

"I know!" a woman's voice responded. "I mean, c'mon! Give us a break here, god!"

"Cordy, Gunn." another voice, a very familiar voice, restrained.

"What is it?" this one was British.

Dawn's eyes widened. No freaking way!

"Someone's here."

Five people rounded the corner three of which dawn recognized all too well.

"Dawn?"

Fred, who was looking more nervous by the second, seemed to relax.

"You know them?" she asked.

"Unfortunately." dawn replied.

The one Fred had called Gunn pointed to dawn.

"Who's she?" he asked the vampire next to him. A tall, muscular vampire dressed in all black with WAY too much product in his hair.

"Buffy's sister." the vampire answered. "Hi, Dawn."

"Hey, Angel, how've you been?"