DISCLAIMER- All work of staggering genius belongs to Joss, anyone seriously bumming Angel's cancellation in light of the brilliance that is Angel: After The Fall – Gunn a vamp? Wes doomed to live in THAT suit? I can't help but cry…

***

Dawn was late for training that day, something that Angel noted the moment she entered the apartment using the oh so annoying and increasingly cliché downward look at his wrist followed by a light tapping. Dawn considered stalking past him with a not so subtle slam into his shoulder but thought better of it, the apartment was eerily silent. The extra few minutes she had taken applying make up had been a waste with Connor failing to show up that morning.

"Come on Dawn, where is your centre? You're not focusing!"

The calm broken by Angel's terse voice, Dawn tripped over her feet, her balance completely shattered. This Yoga-Tai Chi-Buddhist crap had looked so much easier when she had spied on Buffy practicing it with Angel. He was frustrated with her, she knew this, his scowl was slightly scowlier.

"Are things okay? Classes?" A small hacking sound; a cross between a cough and a disgusted snort "Boys?"

Dawn couldn't stop the shudder at the thought of discussing her crush on Connor with his Dad who was kind of like her brother in law which would make Connor her nephew…sort of.

"God no! Just you know girl stuff"

It was a cop out but if her years spent in the scooby gang had taught her anything it was in the face of the words girl and stuff, boys cleared the hell away. Just like Xander, Giles and Andrew had done a million times before Angel struggled with words before mumbling something about axes and polish.

"I'll just go then" She called as she left the door slamming behind her. Her stomach was curling but she shrugged it off as nothing, her time away from the hellmouth having apparently impaired her sister radar. Walking up to the dorms she reasoned that she could get at least another three hours sleep before she needed to be at any lectures. So deep in thought as she pushed open her door Dawn failed to notice the grim looking blonde sitting on her bed, nor the bag she had left in front of the door which she promptly tripped over. Sprawled quite unattractively across the ugly floor, Buffy stood over her with a glare.

"Miss me?"

***

For such a small girl, Buffy really did have quite a set of lungs on her. She seemed to be more focused on the fact that Angel was training her than on the whole crush thing. Sensing the opportunity to change the subject and her impending lecture Dawn quickly interrupted Buffy mid rant.

"When are you going to see them?" She didn't need to explain who, Buffy fell silent and Dawn felt momentarily guilty for playing that card, it was a low blow, but her ears had been begging for a reprise, not matter how small. The room was so quiet Dawn could hear the heavy foot steps coming towards her door that didn't belong to a student; it was the heavy tread of someone wearing hiking boots. Rushing for the door, she opened it a crack and greeted Gunn who was almost fully healed, the only reminder of the alleyway fight the long scar across his stomach.

"Sunnydale, you left your Latin book at the apartment, I asked Connor to bring it to you but he just snarled a lot and than fled, probably went off to brood for a change" Gunn laughed to himself holding the book over her head as Dawn reached.

"Angel wants you back at the apartment after class, research."

She rolled her eyes and pouted until he finally gave up the book, smirk firmly in place.

"Does he ever not? Can you please explain something to him? If I wanted a baby sitter I would be at the academy having the scoobies breathing down my neck and a slayerguard twenty four seven." Gunn merely shook his head and held up his hands in mock surrender.

"No thanks, I like my neck unbroken, see you later Sunnydale, don't forget the Krispie Kremes."

Dawn slammed the door not bothering to reply, Buffy had moved to scan the trees, trying to ride herself of the feeling that somebody was watching the room. Behind her Dawns' shoulders were hunched up around her neck her hands trying in vain to ease the tension that lay there.

"So I guess the big reunion will be tonight then, I finish class at five", Buffy whirled around and frowned at her sister making her feel the four years old she really was.

"Dawnie I'm not here to see them, I'm here to save your ass" She paused "Again. Angel's son? Come on Dawn really? You couldn't have found some other guy here, one that wasn't created out of a demonic lineage as a vessel for some kind of hell god?"

Dawn stared back at her sister, hating that she had to explain herself; especially to someone who's own romantic history read like a Greek tragedy, only more tragic.

"What you'd prefer me to find some immortal being to shack up with, with a centuries old past who may or may not be evil currently?"

Buffy's eyes narrowed at her sister knowing full well she was trying to pick a fight.

"Low blow, I was in love with Angel."

"What about Spike?"

"He was, important to me." Buffy's voice sounded small even to her knowing full well that while Spike had been important to her, it wasn't love exactly.

"Yeah, as a sex toy!" Buffy's hand clenched into fists at her sides and Dawn stepped closer to her, "You can't help who you like, and Connor is…I don't know. Annoying, arrogant, chauvinistic, brooding! He drives me insane, from the first time I met him I wanted to just-"

"Kick him in the shins?"

Dawn looked at her sister in surprise and nodded, the lines in her forehead vanishing

"Yeah, exactly. He was such a little know it all, he treated me like I was some little kid who had been busted playing Grown Ups. I just wanted to kick him in the nads and slap that smirk off his face."

A faint smile crossed over Buffy's face, not a ghost of one but a real smile.

"Sounds familiar."

Dawn sat down on her bed, her overworked limbs cramping with exhaustion.

"I came to school to get away from being Dawn, the Vampire Slayer's sister. I just wanted my own life away from all that mystical crap and I can't even get that right! I give up; maybe I should just take Xander's advice and give up on dating altogether! Or worse just date Andrew!"

Her hair fanned out across her bed as she fell back, her eyes begging to be closed. The shadow of her sister came across her bed, bemusement in her eyes, something Dawn hadn't seen in a long time.

"There are so many things wrong with that sentence. First of all Xander only said that because he doesn't want you dating anyone; and the fact that everyone he has dated has ended up being demonic in some way or another. Don't even mention the words Andrew and dating in another sentence again. You are far too young to be so damn jaded, did living with me really screw you up so badly?"

"Think about it Buff, name one relationship in our messed up lives that didn't end with death, violence and mayhem."

Buffy stared down at her sister, silent, her foot tapping incessantly against the floor.

"There has to be at least one!"

Dawn sat up, moving to lean against the wall, ticking each off her fingers.

"Willow and Tara- ended with Tara dying and Willow almost ending the world. Xander and Anya- Anya went back to being a Vengeance Demon and slaughtered a fraternity. Xander and Cordelia, one world- rebar. And don't make me list everything that went wrong on the Angel, Riley, Spike rollercoaster because while I do like this room, I don't want to spend my dying days here."

Buffy sunk down onto the bed beside her, her shoulders slumping, her knees pulled up to her chest, her head resting atop them twisting to look at her sister.

"I'm so sorry Dawn; I had no idea just how badly all of this had affected you."

Dawn sighed, laying her head on Buffy's shoulder.

"I'm not saying it was all bad, I mean sure you cried a lot with Angel but I remember you smiled a lot too. And with Riley there was; well let's just say you weren't as tense." She nudged her sister who let out a strangled cry. "If I learnt anything from those relationships is that you really can't choose who you fall for. I didn't call you to save me! I called you to help me!"

Sighing loudly, Buffy scooted backwards until her back leant against the wall.

"Well we better get started, how my expertise is needed here I'm a little fuzzy?"

Dawn pushed herself away and smiled wryly at her sister.

"Who else is an expect in breaking through to someone whose five main hobbies include; brooding, fighting, brooding, polishing weapons and brooding?"

"Point taken."

***

And I'm back for the new year! Since FINALLY getting Angel s6 in comic book form- IT TOOK FOREVER TO GET HERE- my muse is back- FYI his name is *&^#$%^, I'll be back soon with more, before feb, I promise!