"What about you? What've you been up to in the last week – you never called."

"Well, neither did you!"

"I didn't want to interrupt school – I know you're trying hard to balance everything out now that you've had to start a new routine. I didn't want to get in the way of your new life."

"Angel!" Buffy stopped walking, causing dawn to walk into her.

"Geez!" Dawn wasn't amused AN is that how you spell 'geez'? I've never felt the need to write it down … or say it. "A little warning would be good here, ye with Slayer co-ordination." Her sister just ignored her and continued to stare at her boyfriend incredulously.

"How could you ever think that you would get in the way of my life? You are my life. I told you once that when I look into the future, all I see is you – all I want is you. That hasn't changed, Angel, and it never will."

At this, dawn decided she could take much more of the lovey-dovey stuff, and grabbed hold of her older sister, dragging her towards the apartment building that Angel had just pointed out to be Cordy's new place.

"You can do this later – like when I'm not around."

'You can count on it.' Buffy was not best pleased that one of the most important things in her life thought that he was in her way or something. If anything, she was in his way.

The rest of the journey (all two minutes of it) was spent in silence … apart from the incessant chattering of one pre-teenage girl. Only pre-teen for another two weeks though, and then she was a full-blown hormonal train-wreck in the making. Angel would have thought he had been sent to hell again if not for the simple fact that Buffy was alive walking next to him, even if she was being a bit tight lipped about everything in general.

AN anyone know when dawn's B-day actually is?

"So what's the what in Sunnyhell?"

"Not much. Now that 'Kathy' has gone, willow moved into my room. I think she would have had problems with her original roomie from the sounds of it. I think there's a new party in there every other day! She would have been hiding in the library and stuff. Plus: no more sneaking around when I have to go be slay gal. I mean can you imagine some of the lame covers I would have to come up with to actually keep Kathy away? 'Yeah, I'm going to get coffee – you can't come!' Like that would ever work."

Cordelia, Tina and dawn all laughed, while Angel and Doyle exchanged glances. The two Irishmen headed off to the kitchen to find the booze, leaving the girls to get caught up. Angel would find everything out later, and give Doyle the highlights – right now, Cordy had alcohol in her fridge, and it was calling for two drunken louts to keep it company.

Cordy watched them go and turned to the others,

"I think all men folk are scared by groups of girls, especially giggling ones. It would seem that they never grow out of it."

"I'm just glad that vampires and demons have a higher tolerance of alcohol that humans."

"Mmm. Hang on – demon? Who's a demon?" Tina looked at her, confused.

"I thought you knew, Cordy? Doyle's a half demon – I don't know what kind, I'm kinda bad with the details. He spikes out and everything – it's actually pretty cool once you're used to it." Cordy looked at her, and then set her face in a determined way.

"Excuse me."

"Someone's in trouble!" Ever the little kid, dawn couldn't resist.

So there we are, the cat's out of the bag, and yet another plot line has been saved. I'll get to parker next chapter I think. i really should be writing one of my three essays, but whatever.