Chapter 16

Love and War

"Shush, Dawn stop. You sure you didn't just hear that?"

"Great, now we're gonna be late cuz some demons decided to have a party. What are you, a demon magnet?"

"Dawn, turn around and get out of here. Go to your room and let me take care of this."

"I'm so not going to leave you alone right now. There must be like a dozen demons on the other side of those trees."

"No problem. I can take twelve."

"And what if it's thirty, can you take them all too? I'm not going anywhere unless you come with me."

"Dawn you know I can't just leave. There may be people in danger. In my experience demons don't tend to party without a little shindig food. This is my job. Now just go. I can't fight and worry about you at the same time."

"Not going anywhere, so deal."

Dawn ran past Buffy up to the tree line to look out over the stream of demons occupying the other side. Buffy grabbed her and pushed her back, shielding her as she crouched to also take in the scene. It was difficult to make out anything through all the ruckus, but it did appear there were at least two people surrounded with the demons closing in on them.

"So, this is maybe that danger thing you came to tell me about?"

"Pretty much."

"Well, at least you're timely."

"I try"

"What? Are you humans going to talk all night or are we gonna fight? I got a bone to pick with you boy, and I ain't leavin till I can use yours to pick it with."

Angel smiled pulling Connor closer to him in an unconscious act of protection. "That's cute, really, a great play on words. So, you go to school here? Cuz I have to say that's some world class educating." Angel was casually walking back and forth, keeping a cautious eye on Connor, all the while appearing completely unfazed by this demon attack.

"I'm not playin' man. If ya want, you can go and just leave us the boy…after all, we're a civil people."

"Yeah… not really people. Some damn ugly demons, but definitely not people."

"I'm givin' you one last chance to take a walk. You might want to take the offer before you really start to piss me off."

"Ummm, yeah….not gonna happen. But thanks for the offer, really. How 'bout instead, you take that walk, and I don't have to show you my scary face?"

"You ain't scarin' me. Can't be any worse than the face you're wearin now." The circle of demons began to laugh at their leader's joke.

"Wanna bet?" Angel's face goes vamp to the surprise of the group of demons.

"Have to say I didn't see that comin' vampire."

"So you gonna walk, or am I gonna kill you? Your choice…tick tick, times a waistin…you see we've got plans and you're making us late."

The demon lunged at Angel, "well then, I guess we fight." Angel backed up so that he and Connor were back to back in battle stance and sent the leader flying into the trees with one swift kick. "Connor, you know what to do, go after the weapon first, and never leave my back, got it?"

"Got it."

The fight broke out in full force. Just as it was getting good, another voice cut through the melee, almost causing Angel to take a sword right through the gut.

"Ok Dawn, I have to go in. Stay here. I mean it. You move and I take you down with them. Got it?"

"Got it."

Buffy made her way through the trees, not worried about making any noise over the clash of weapon on weapon before her. Just as she broke through the tree line, she heard Dawn fall in behind her. "You get killed and I'm telling."

"Like I haven't heard that threat before. Now go on, be the slayer."

Buffy stepped out into the clearing. "Hey guys, looks like your havin a party. Guess my invitation just got lost in the mail."

The entire group froze and looked over at the carefree girl who didn't seem to notice there was a fight going on.

"Oh, come on. I'm cute, I'm fun…really, I'm the life of the party. Oh, yeah, forgot one thing. I'm Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I'm breakin' up this party."

"Buffy?" Angel was incredulous.

"Angel?" Now Buffy was stunned into a frozen stance of shock.

"Connor?" Came Dawn's voice as she stepped out from behind Buffy.

"Dawn?" Angel and Conner said her name in unison.

"You know, the introductions were nice, and we do appreciate it, really…" The leader climbed up off the ground looking over at Buffy and Dawn. "It's just that you little girls should run along now and let us finish our fight to the death."

"You are so gonna regret calling her a little girl." Angel was once again smiling, his face no longer vamped. "So Buffy, you gonna help kick some demon ass or just stand there?"

"Dad, what are you doing? You're asking a girl for help. She's gonna get herself killed!"

"Dad!" Buffy and Dawn yelled in unison.

"She's not a girl she's a slayer. And we really should talk about this later when we're not surrounded by revenge seeking demons."

Angel brought Buffy into the fray by hefting a sword in her direction. She caught it and in a continuing arc beheaded the demon in front of her. But though she was surrounded by demons, the only thing she could see was Connor. She marveled at the strength, speed and technique he possessed, and saw Angel in every aspect of his fighting ability. It took every last ounce of her mental acuity to concentrate on the fight around her, as thoughts about this new development raced through her mind.

Buffy turned to see Angel move swiftly to the right as a demon lunged at her, sending the demon sprawling to the ground. As the demon attempted to get up, Angel sent a short blade flying, hitting him in the neck with an explosion of blood that sent him back down to the ground permanently.

"Angel, what the hell is going on?" Buffy turned to take out another demon that was approaching Angel from his unguarded left.

"Well, it would appear our kids are dating." Angel went low, rolling under a demon before stabbing him from beneath. As the demon's body fell forward, Angel popped up in time to spin a kick at another approaching demon. He nailed him harshly in the head, sending the cracking sound of his now broken neck through the air. Within seconds he was back in position protecting his son.

"Funny, really. A great time for jokes." As Buffy finished this statement, she tucked and rolled to pick up a large round bladed axe now lying on the ground. She discarded the sword, knowing she was more comfortable with this type of weapon, the closest she could get to a scythe. When stakes wouldn't do the job, and rocket launchers weren't available, this was the next best thing.

Buffy rolled back up off the ground and turned to see Angel in the process of fighting off two demons in front of him. Connor suddenly moved away from Angel's back, running quickly across the green to decapitate a demon that was moving towards Dawn. Leaving Angel's back exposed without his knowledge, gave one of the demons a perfect opening and he took it. Buffy screamed Angel's name in warning, but it was too late as he took the sword full in the back, the thrust so hard it went clean through to the other side. Angel fell to the ground, but not before Buffy sent the demon's now decapitated head to the ground first.

"Dad!" Connor yelled out for his father when he saw him take the blow, leaving himself open to attack in the bee-line he made to help him. Buffy watched as Dawn ran into the conflict. She plunged Mr. Pointy Jr. into the side of the attacking demon's neck, causing him to halt in shocked pain long enough for Buffy to finish him off in one clean stroke.

"Dawn get, back! Go into those trees and don't come out until I tell you." Dawn took a last look at Connor and ran into the tree line. Buffy turned back towards Angel to see Connor bent over him.

"Connor!"

"Connor," Buffy yelled again. He finally looked up at her, pain radiating across his face

"It's my fault!"

"We don't have time for this. I need you to take out the two on the right." When he still didn't move, she grabbed him up harshly by the arm sending him in the direction of the demons she needed him to take care of.

"Go!" He took one last look at Angel and turned to quickly take out the two demons Buffy had told him to. Buffy took down three more on her own before she saw the remaining bulk of the demons taking off in full retreat mode.

Buffy looked to Connor who was deftly handling the remaining threats. "Connor, you got them?"

"Yeah, help Dad!"

Buffy ran to Angel's side. He was still on the ground, bleeding badly with a sword clean through his torso. Buffy knelt to place a soft kiss on his forehead, and whispered "I'm sorry," before she stood and in one smooth motion pulled the sword out of Angel, whose only acknowledgement of the action was a pain filled grunt.

Buffy was back down at his side, helping him roll over onto his back. She placed a gentle kiss upon his lips, before pulling back to look worryingly into his eyes. "Angel, are you ok?"

Angel offered a weak smile before answering her. "Just took a blade through my back, so I'm thinkin' not." Angel struggled trying to pull himself off the ground, but the pain from the still fresh wound sent him back down, only this time it was into Buffy's arms.

"Thanks, I think I'll just rest here a moment. It's not a bad place to be all things considered….you look really good."

"You looked good too before you were skewered by a demon."

Connor's quickly approaching form tore them out of their shocked reminiscing. "Dawn's gone!"

"No, she's in the tree line where I sent her." Buffy stood running over to the spot she had last seen her sister. "Dawn?!?" She screamed her name, again and again, shattering the newly stilled night into a myriad of painful and staggering slivers.

All that returned was a deafening silence that roared louder than the battle they had just fought and believed they'd won.

A/N - and they've met. Where's the angst if the meeting happens too soon? I'm quite comfortable with the pace of the plot, and if it has you sending reviews calling me a tease, well then I know it was right all along:) I mean, it's a 22 episode fic, I had to keep some kind of suspense going. But wait, who's the guy with the cryptic notes? TBC