Chapter 11

Researching the New Boy

Xander heard the door bell and rose from the couch to go answer it. A beautiful girl threw herself into his arms hugging him tightly. "Hello little Dawny, are ya angry with me, cause I'm feelin' some hostility." Dawn let go of him smiling at his usual sarcastic behavior. "You look even more grown up than the last time I saw you, and you just keep getting prettier.

"Well you know what they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

"Good one Dawny, at least it wasn't that Cyclops joke. I really do hate those, they lack creativity."

"OK, well, aren't you going to invite us in." Xander moved his gaze to the guy standing silently in the doorway, observing the scene, but his eyes were full of Dawn. This boy was in love with his Dawnikins. Let's just see if he can pass the first test, walkin through that door without an invite. Xander stepped back so that the two of them could walk in, and the boy waltzed through the door no problem. That was the easy test.

"Xander this is Connor, Connor Xander."

Connor reached out to shake Xander's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Dawn's told me a lot about you."

"She's told me about you too. So, what are your intentions with my Dawny?" Connor stammered at this question trying to find the right words to respond.

"Xand, stop it!" Dawn gave Xander a playful shove before looking back over at a now anxious Connor. "Don't mind him, he's under the impression he's my big brother or somethin' but I've grown up," Dawn directed this statement pointedly at Xander, "and I don't need any protecting."

"Hey, I'm not protectin' I'm just jealous 'cause I was your first love and now you've gone and found another."

As Xander was finishing his statement, Buffy and Kennedy opened the door nearly knocking them all over. The weapons they were carrying crashed loudly to the floor, splayed at the feet of Dawn and Connor. Buffy and Kennedy were just returning from a patrol and Xander knew they hadn't expected Dawn and Connor to arrive so early. As Connor reached down to try to help pick up the weapons, Xander pulled him up and put an arm around his shoulders, turning him away from the door, leading him into the living room, so that Buffy and Kennedy could hide their demonic evidence.

Now having Connor's full attention, he got right to the point. "You break my girl's heart and I will make you regret it. I have a patch, so believe me when I say this."

Buffy returned from putting the weapons away in the other room as Xander was finishing his threat. "Sorry Xand, as much as you try, even with the scary patch an all, you just don't bring the fear. You know I am far more convincy with the threats."

"Hi, I'm Buffy, it's really nice to meet you Connor. We were all glad to finally get to meet the guy my sister hasn't stopped talking about for months."

Giles walked into the living room and introduced himself to Connor. "You know, as her only real father figure, I imagine all the bristling from Xander and Buffy is really part of my job description. So, where shall we begin?" Xander noticed that Giles had already removed his glasses and begun to clean them. Xander checked his watched and smiled. Giles was the atomic clock of glasses wiping.

Everyone waited patiently while Giles searched his mind for a question. "What is it that you do young man?"

"Uh, I'm in school with Dawn." Connor looked more than a little surprised by the question.

"Yes, yes, that's right." Giles was silently thinking again. "So, do you like tea?"

"What does that have to do with Dawn?" Xander found the whole situation amusing only because it made Giles so very uncomfortable.

"Well it isn't as if I've had a great deal of practice in this area. Buffy insisted on only dating those I didn't think were in her best interest, and never gave me the chance to question their intentions; although it didn't take a genius to figure out what those intentions were."

"Gilessss," Dawn whined in reminder of no demon talk.

"Dawn, I just have one final question. Is he in any way at all like your sister's past boyfriends?"

"Absolutely not, in no way does he even live in the same universe that they do…I mean, I'm not stupid."

"Hey, that was so totally uncalled for, and yet – a compliment to you Connor." Buffy was bristling a little under the assault of her past loves.

"Well, thanks I guess. Oh, and Mr. Giles? If it helps, I haven't really ever had tea, but my father seems to enjoy it."

"See Xander, it was a good question, at least we know he comes from sophisticated blood."

So, in summary, Connor is essentially, the Xander replacin', Stanford attendin', nonangstifying ex-Buffy boyfriend reincarnate and possible tea drinking bearer of sophisticated blood. Did I miss anything?" Kennedy asked as she entered the room to join the others.

"That whole dead if he hurts her thing." Xander offered. "But whose countin?"

As they moved towards the small table set for the evenings dining, Xander heard Giles ask Connor one final question.

"So, how do you feel about scones?"

Xander missed Connor's answer but found it unnecessary as Giles yelled across the room to Dawn, "Dawn, you may continue your courting."

"So, where's Willow?" Dawn asked.

"She's still at that witch- umm…."

"Sandwich convention, she really likes her sandwiches. We'd be eatin' sandwiches right now if she were here, yes siree we would-"

Buffy kicked Xander under the table to stop his ridiculous rambling, and decided the most respectful way out of this was to change the subject, to Dawn's obvious relief.

"So Connor, hope you like Chinese, cause that's all we've got tonight."

Everyone sat around the living room table comfortably sharing cartons of Chinese food awash in conversation. As her friends talked around her, Buffy quietly studied Connor. He and Dawn were holding hands under the table, and

Dawn looked the happiest Buffy had ever seen her. Guess she's finally found that real life I'm still searching for. But Buffy wasn't jealous, she was just happy to see her sister so glowingly in love. If he hurts her I'll kill him. She knew it was an empty threat, but she could definitely rough him up a little.

The thing that kept drawing her attention back to him had nothing to do with Dawn though. Buffy felt like she knew him somehow, like they had met before or he reminded her of someone. It was a feeling she couldn't shake and she wondered if it had good or bad significance. Perhaps it was some sort of portent like her once prophetic dreams. She had to talk to Giles alone.

"Giles, can you help me in the kitchen for a moment, I forgot to uh, you know, turn off that thingy that I can't reach-"

"No prob Buff, I'll go help you," Xander offered.

"No Xander, just need Giles, it really is a Giles thing."

"What's with the cryptic?" Buffy kicked Xander again, but harder this time. "Owe!" Buffy looked hard at Xander, "Oh, I mean, uh, leg cramp! You should definitely go with her Giles, I'll just sit here massaging my super strength possibly broken shin and its cramp."

As soon as they entered the kitchen, she heard someone put on some music.

"What is it that you needed fixed?"

"He's a demon!"

"There's a demon, in here? Is it invisible?" Giles was searching the room frantically. "Or perhaps a small fear demon?" Giles was smiling at her now.

"No not in here, out there. Connor, he's the demon."

"Buffy, it's not at all unusual to harbor feelings of dislike to a boy who is dating your sister, but it is a tad irrational to accuse him of being a demon just because you don't like him."

"Giles that's not it, I actually like him, which makes this that much more difficult. I felt a portent."

"Buffy do you even know what portent means?"

"I don't have time for you to Giles me right now. I may have left my defenseless sister and friends in there with a dangerous demon!"

"Fine, what was this portent that you believe you experienced?"

"I feel this sort of connection to him, like he reminds me of someone, or we've met before. You once upon a long time ago said that I needed to trust my instincts, and they have always turned out to be right. Are you going to deny that fairytaled lecture?"

"No, however, your instincts haven't always been right. First there was that time you didn't notice-"

"I don't need a season by season recap of the drama that is my life. I just need you to tell me if you think this could be some kind of prophetic thingy."

Buffy, I think it's just what I already said. You're just being protective of Dawn."

Buffy took a long drawn out breath. "Yeah, you're probably right. But don't think I'm gonna let him off that easily. Besides, my instincts have been more dead on than off. Remember when I said the world was about to end and you just shrugged it off? Or that time when you were turned into a demon and I knew it was you?"

"Yes, after you had stabbed me with the weapon you thought would kill me, but I do see your point. Just be fair to the boy Buffy. In my Watcher instinct I say we have nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, there's an instinct I want to trust." Giles gave her a chagrined look and they headed back into the living room. "I guess it's good that you're cheap, or you'd just be one dead Fyarl demon now."

Buffy was surprised at how easily the conversation had flowed tonight since they were under strict orders from Dawn to avoid all references to anything slayer or demonic. She thought it would be difficult, isn't that what they were always talking about? But luckily both Dawn and Connor had plenty of college stories to tell. If only she'd had such a normal campus life.

"So, since we are all done eating, why don't we get all this stuff out of the way so that we can open Xander presents."

"I got Xander presents? I'm movin every month from now on. In a few years I should finally be able to furnish an entire apartment."

"No presents for you until this stuff is in the kitchen."

"Here let me help you with that." Connor quickly rose from the floor to pick up items off the table and followed Buffy into the kitchen.

"Connor, my sister really likes you. I'm glad she found such a great guy, but if you hurt her-"

"I'm dead, already got the speech from Xander."

"Well yeah, but he's no match for me."

"Got it, no Dawn hurting. I can definitely promise that. I'd die to protect her."

Buffy quickly turned back around surprised by his statement, and became simply shocked when she saw the conviction in his eyes. With this conviction she saw love. It was in that moment that she knew he wasn't a demon. Great, now she'd have to deal with Giles and all his British languaged I told you sos. "Well I'm sure it will never come to that. Do you mind passing me those other glasses."

Connor picked up the glasses but turned bumping harshly into Buffy who had walked toward him to help him get them all. The force of the impact shattered a few of the glasses, shards cutting into Buffy's skin and most likely Connors as well.

"I'm so sorry, that was totally my fault," Connor was now crouched on the floor trying to pick up the pieces of glass. Buffy had to reach down to pull him back up to check for any injury. No one had run in to make sure they were alright, but with the music in the other room up so loud she figured they hadn't heard a thing.

"Look, you're bleeding, and all over that beautiful linen shirt. We should get it in the sink to soak right away. I'll have Xan run out to the car and get your bag so you have something to change into. Why don't you take off your shirt so I can make sure you haven't pierced any vital organs, and while I'm at it I'll patch you up."

Connor pulled off his shirt while Buffy rummaged under the counter for the first aid kit that she knew Xander probably had in every room, a testament to the life they all led. She located it and turned to find Connor standing there shirtless, and her eyes flew to the necklace that rested on his bare skin.

She stood there frozen, a memory of another shirtless man in a kitchen, wearing the same necklace he was wearing. Buffy moved and picked the pendant up off his skin, studying it intently in disbelief that it actually was the same as the one Angel used to wear. She looked up at Connor who was now staring down at her, a confused look on his face.

"Where did you get this?" Buffy heard the intensity in her voice and knew she needed to calm down as to not scare the boy.

"Um…It was my father's, he gave it to me."