A/N: Hi guys! I haven't said thank you in awhile, so...THANK YOU! Thanks for all the lovely reviews, and while I don't reply like I used to, I do cherish each one and they always make me smile, so thanks again!

This chapter was fun. Really because we've got some good confrontation in this chapter. Besides, Buffy and Angel have been nice and lovey-dovey for too long! It's time for some spice...

Random Disclaimer: (I don't own Buffy).

Gone Part Two

Angel studied his opponent carefully, calculating his next move. What to do? He had a few choices, some of which might play out better than others. It all depended on his new enemy and whatever strategy she was trying to employ.

"Come on," his attacker complained. "Unlike you, I'm actually getting older."

Angel raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless moved his bishop two spaces.

Dawn smirked, seeing that he'd fallen for her trap. She quickly moved her knight into position. "Check."

Although on the inside he was resisting a smirk of his own, Angel widened his eyes theatrically. "You've got to be kidding me," he said as he moved himself out of check, using his own knight to block Dawn's attack and protect his king.

Dawn's smirk turned into a gleeful grin as she quickly captured his knight.

And once again, Angel resisted a smirk. Pretending to grow frustrated, Angel moved his king safely out of harm's way. Dawn felt the stirrings of victory in her blood, causing her to almost bounce in her seat across the table from Angel. She took a calming breath, much to Angel's secret amusement, and made her next move. Trying to prevent any further advance from Angel, she moved her queen to capture a very annoying rook that he had a tendency to use for sneak attacks when she wasn't paying attention.

And that's when Angel pounced (figuratively of course).

Allowing himself a self-congratulatory smirk, Angel moved a single pawn. "Checkmate."

"No way!" Dawn looked down at the board horrified. "No, I can move—" she trailed off as she realized that while she'd been preoccupied with her strategy, Angel had surreptitiously been moving all of his pieces that she hadn't bothered to think much about to slowly lure her into a trap.

"But I had you!" she lamented. "I can't believe you beat me with a pawn."

Angel grinned. "Don't underestimate the little man, okay?"

"But, but…" Dawn frowned, pouting.

"Always think three moves ahead," Angel reminded her.

"I was."

"But don't become so absorbed in your strategy that you forget about your opponent's." Angel casually tipped over her king, officially ending the match. "You're doing better, though."

Dawn managed a wry smile. "Thanks, but one day, I will beat you."

"I'll look forward to it."

Angel was truly impressed with Dawn's potential. She was definitely Buffy's sister. They had that same tenacity. Dawn was just sixteen though, and Angel knew that Buffy wouldn't be too thrilled with him when he finally told her that he'd been training Dawn to fight for almost a year now. Angel sighed internally, knowing how upset Buffy was going to be with him. Yes, Dawn was sixteen, and Angel didn't want her out on the front lines…but he couldn't ignore the fact that one day, eventually (and much too soon for his liking) she would be. It wasn't something that he could stop. It was simply a given that it would happen. Dawn was like her sister; they were both fighters. Dawn wouldn't sit on the sidelines forever. On that note, another thought began swirling in his mind—a sneaking suspicion that had been brewing all afternoon.

Angel knew when someone had a secret. After all his time on earth, he just knew. The signs were easy to spot, especially if the person wasn't too skilled at lying or hiding secrets in general. Or, as Angel suspected in this case, the person simply wanted to tell the secret but fear was causing them to cling to it. Angel wondered what Dawn was hiding.

Seeing Angel's preoccupied look, Dawn set about cleaning up. She placed the chess pieces and board back in their box and then went into the hall closet, tossing it up onto the top shelf. It landed neatly right beside Monopoly.

When she entered the living room once again, she saw that Angel had hopped off whatever train of thought he was on and was looking at her in a way that always made her nervous. It was one of the few times he really looked his age, his real age—two hundred and forty eight. The wisdom of those centuries was shining in his brown eyes, and she felt as though he knew her every secret.

"Crap," she muttered in defeat, knowing that she had no chance of trying to talk her way out of the pending conversation.

Angel's lips quirked up in mild amusement as he watched Dawn plop unceremoniously onto the couch. "Something you want to tell?" he suggested.

Dawn began twisting her hands nervously in her lap. "Maybe."

"Don't 'maybe' me," Angel said seriously. "Yes or no?"

"Look who's wearing the daddypants today," Dawn muttered under her breath before looking up at Angel. "Willow's been teaching me magic," she admitted.

For a moment, Angel was blind with rage. What the hell was Willow thinking? Angel would never forgive the witch for stealing Buffy from Heaven, and the thought that the redhead would still have the arrogance, the gall to teach Dawn magic filled him with the urge to break something. As it was, his fists were already clinched.

"Okay, look, I know what you're thinking," Dawn said quickly, reading the tension radiating from Angel. "I know what you're thinking, but chill. There's a reason, okay? A good reason."

Angel was struggling to keep a lid on his temper, but he knew he needed a level head for this conversation. "It'd better be a damn good one," he warned calmly.

Dawn swallowed. She'd rather be facing Buffy's angry fire than Angel's icy fury. There was just something exceptionally unnerving about that calm, and it always made her want to shiver.

"Okay, so after Willow pulled Buffy out of Heaven, she felt really bad…" Angel's eyes narrowed and Dawn knew she was treading on thin ice. "Anyway, after that she totally quit magic cold turkey. She didn't do a spell for months, even after you guys got back from Ireland. But magic is such a part of who she is, and it was hard seeing her without a part of herself." Dawn frowned as she remembered those days when Willow just seemed…off. She simply wasn't Willow without magic. "But she still wouldn't cast a spell because she was afraid of her power, so I suggested that she teach me."

Angel still didn't get it. "Why?"

"Because I figured that if she felt as though she was using magic for good, passing along her knowledge, it would help her get back into the groove," Dawn said seriously, her voice taking on a maturity that was steadily growing as time passed. "She needed to focus her power on something good, something that could build. It turns out that I've really got a knack for it. Not as powerful as Willow, never will be, magic is just too innate for her…but I've got some power of my own."

"Makes sense," Angel admitted. Dawn's origin as a dimensional Key was in its very essence magic. It would only make sense for her to retain some of that. This also solved the riddle that had been bugging Angel since he and Buffy had arrived in Sunnydale. Willow and Dawn had been hiding something from Buffy, something that was only exchanged in occasional glances.

"You can't hide this from Buffy," Angel told her firmly. "I can't hide this from Buffy."

"I know." Dawn let out a deep breath. "I just know how she's going to react…"

"She's going to be mad as hell," Angel agreed. "Which is why you're telling her…today."

"Today?" Dawn looked at him wide-eyed. "Are you serious?"

"I get the feeling she knows something's up with you and Willow," Angel said, remembering his fleeting conversation that morning with Buffy. She'd been watching Willow and Dawn with an intuitive glint in her eye, and Angel had asked her about it. But Buffy had simply shook her head, and told him her plans for the day.

Part of those plans was the reason that it was just him and Dawn at the house.

Buffy was getting her hair cut.

Angel still didn't know how he felt about that. It wasn't like he was one of those guys who just loved long hair. Though granted, he did love Buffy's long, luminous, locks. He liked running his fingers through the silky strands…

But Buffy had been adamant, saying that it was too much to mess with and she didn't want to deal with it, especially with the baby coming. That had been the end of the conversation.

However, right now Angel needed to focus on more important things. "Look, if you don't tell Buffy, I'll have to tell Buffy, and I plan on telling Buffy tonight if you don't beat me to it," he warned her. "And honestly, I'd like to avoid that. This is something that you should tell her, Willow too." Angel paused, thinking. "And if I even think for a second that you're becoming addicted to magic, I'll make your life a living hell. Got it?"

Dawn swallowed. "Got it."

Feeling slightly guilty about his threat (even if he did mean it), Angel decided to let Dawn off the hook and change the subject. "How short do you think Buffy will cut her hair?" he asked.

Dawn sighed gratefully at the change of topic. "I don't think she'll get it cut that short. She wouldn't want to make you the first vampire to have a heart attack."

"Funny," Angel deadpanned.

Dawn smirked. "I thought so. You know it's true though, you like her hair long."

"I think she's beautiful either way."

"But you prefer it long." Dawn knew she was right. "And Buffy knows that too, so she won't get it too short."

Angel felt a little bit better. "Really?"

Dawn rolled her eyes, acting like the true teenager she was. "Yes, really!"

Buffy walked out of the hairdresser feeling lighter. Her hair now rested on her shoulders, much like it had when she was seventeen. She couldn't wait to see Angel's reaction. Walking down the sidewalk, Buffy looked around herself absently. She couldn't help but notice a black van partially obscured in an alleyway. Now, Buffy might not be all for the cheesy detective novels, but a black van hidden in an alley? That just seemed a little too conspicuous.

Just as she was passing a spa, she felt something. It was a fuzzy feeling almost, like she was dissolving. Her skin felt tingly all over and Buffy frowned. Unable to help herself, Buffy looked down, expecting to see whatever had made her feel this way.

Except she saw nothing. Nothing.

Buffy whirled around to look at the storefront to her right. She stared intently at the glass…and all she saw in its reflection was the street behind her. Buffy's eyes widened, unable to believe what she was seeing…or wasn't seeing.

She was invisible.

Buffy's first thought was about the baby. What did this mean? Filled with a sudden panic that far exceeded her initial reaction, Buffy hopped into the Plymouth and peeled out of the parking space, not even bothering to give credence to the shouts of shock behind her about a car driving itself.

Within minutes she was pulling into the driveway. She glanced at the clock on the dash. It was four o'clock, which meant that Dawn was home from school, and probably Willow too. Buffy's mind had been awash with possible theories about how this could have happened. At the moment, the best she had come up with was that it had to have something to do with the stolen diamond. It was really the only thing that made sense. After all, what are the chances of the day after the heist, Buffy, the Slayer, turns invisible?

Buffy did not believe in coincidences, and she was through the front door within five seconds of parking the car.

"Angel!"

She saw her vampire come down the stairs, looking slightly anxious by her tone of voice. She didn't blame him, she tended to raise her voice at him a lot these days, no matter what mood she was in.

However, his anxiety soon creased into a frown as he stared at the seemingly barren foyer in front of him. "Buffy?"

"Angel, we've got a problem," Buffy stated obviously (well, to her it was obvious).

"Um, okay." Angel looked around, trying to find her. "First, though, where are you?"

"Right in front of you." Buffy moved closer to him, placing an invisible hand on his chest to prove her point.

Angel stared at her dumbly for a moment. "This isn't good."

"Nope."

"We need to call Cassie."

"Yep."

Suddenly, a soft pop sounded right beside them. "You rang?" Cassie raised her eyebrows, a slight smile pulling at her lips before she promptly frowned as she looked around. "Um, not that you're not good enough for me Angel, but…where's my patient?"

Buffy raised her hand in a pointless gesture. "Here."

Cassie's eyes landed on Buffy's invisible form, narrowing in suspicion. "Oh, I see."

"Really?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"No." Cassie frowned. "Sorry…poor choice of words."

"Okay, let's focus people," Angel said firmly, trying to get the situation under control. "Cassie, why is Buffy invisible?"

"That is why I'm here, isn't it?" Cassie asked rhetorically to herself. "Alrighty, so, um, Buffy…reach out and touch my shoulder, okay?"

Buffy did as she was told and when Cassie felt a hand on her shoulder, she reached up with her opposite hand and wrapped her fingers around what appeared to be air, though in actuality it was Buffy's wrist. "Ready for my golden glow?" the fairy doctor asked with a small smile.

Buffy's first instinct was to nod, but she realized that it wouldn't do much good. "Ready."

Just like her first appointment and those after, a golden glow emanated from Cassie's hand and soon it encompassed Buffy completely, which was new. Buffy didn't dare move for fear of screwing up Cassie's concentration, and Angel was simply frozen. All eyes were on Cassie, who had her head slightly bowed, her forehead creased in concentration.

After a minute or so, Cassie's magic began to retreat back to her, leaving Buffy invisible once again. "Whoa." Cassie blew out a stream of air and blinked quickly, trying to gain control of her thoughts. "That's interesting."

"Mind sharing?" Angel snapped, worry causing him to lose his temper.

"Easy big guy," Cassie said calmly. "Okay, good news is that this can be reversed, quite easily in fact. Bad news is that if we don't do it fast, Buffy's going to dissolve."

Angel chose not to hear the bad news. He focused on the 'this can be reversed' aspect. "How?"

"Well, that's the funny thing," Cassie huffed in frustration. "This isn't pure magic…it reeks of science." The fairy doctor's nose turned up in disgust.

"You mean, like, an Invisibility gun or something?" Buffy asked frowning. "That's actually…plausible."

"Buffy, is that you?" Dawn asked as she bounded down the stairs. However, when she reached the bottom she noticed the strangely beautiful, pointy-eared woman standing beside Angel. "Angel?" she asked hesitantly. "Um, friend of yours?"

"Hi Dawn!" Cassie smiled brightly. "I know we haven't met, technically, but…" Cassie trailed off as she read Dawn's convoluted thoughts. Suddenly, she laughed. "Oh, Dawn! I'm not an elf! They're much taller than I am and not near as interesting. I'm a fairy. Oh, and a doctor! Specifically your sister's."

Dawn stared at Cassie dumbly. After a second she looked at Angel. "She read my mind."

"Yeah, she does that."

Cassie smiled. "I do that."

"Okay," Dawn said slowly. "This is, um, a lot to absorb…"

"And I'd love to wait while you do that, but I can't, little witch," Cassie interrupted quickly. "Now, your sister is invisible, and I kind of need you to fix that…with my help of course."

Dawn's eyes widened. "W-what? You want me to what?"

"Witch?" Buffy repeated shocked. "Cassie what are you talking about?"

Cassie realized that she'd inadvertently exposed the younger Summers. "Oops."

"Buffy, I can explain," Dawn said quickly, with a slight frown. "Um, where are you, exactly?"

"Here," Buffy growled, seizing Dawn's wrist. "Now, what is all this talk about 'little witch'?"

Dawn laughed nervously as Buffy's grip on her wrist tightened. "Um, quite a grip you got there, Buffy," she hinted.

Buffy's immediately loosened her hold. "Talk."

"And I would love to wait while you two hash it out, but I've got patients to see, some not even in this dimension, so…the family drama is going to have to wait." Cassie turned to Angel. "Now, once all this trouble is over, I trust you to keep my patient stress free, capche?"

Angel thought he'd just been bequeathed an impossible task…but he agreed anyway. "Yeah, sure."

"Okay, now," Cassie turned back to the Summers girls. "Dawn, I'm going to need some mint, a hint of vanilla, and a whole lot of luck."

All of Cassie's requested made sense to Dawn except one. "Um, how am I going to get a whole lot of luck?"

"My dear little witch," Cassie sighed. "Four leaf clovers, sweetie! Four leaf clovers! Lots of them."

"Oh!" Dawn laughed self-consciously. "Luck. Um, Irish luck," she looked at Angel who wasn't laughing. "Um…I'll just go…" she trailed off before dashing up the stairs.

Buffy immediately spun towards Angel, hitting his chest. "You knew," she accused.

"I only found out today," Angel tried to defend himself, but Buffy wasn't having any of it.

"My sister is practicing witchcraft!" Buffy's eyes narrowed. "And there is only one person who could possibly teach her…"

"Hi guys!" Willow said cheerily as she came through the door. "I found out more about that diamond! It's super magical, and—oh."

The redhead took in Angel and Cassie. "Um, Angel…why is there a fairy in the house?"

"Hi, I'm Cassie, and you must be the witch that everyone keeps talking about," Cassie said somewhat cryptically. Indeed, there was lots of gossip about a young, powerful witch living at the Hellmouth. "Now, what's this about a diamond?"

"There was a diamond stolen last night," Willow said cautiously. The magic in her veins was reacting violently in contrast to Cassie's and she tried to keep it reigned in. "It has magical properties."

It all clicked in Cassie's mind. "Oh, dear…" she muttered. "That's no diamond."

"It's not?" Buffy asked, causing Willow to jump and look around wildly.

"Buffy?" the young witch asked. "What's going on?"

"I'm invisible," Buffy explained. "And what's this about Dawn being a witch?"

Willow looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Um…I can explain…"

"People!" Cassie interrupted exasperatedly. "Focus! I have patients to see and I am not going to stand here while you two squabble over who's right and who's wrong! Grow up!"

Everyone stared at Cassie shocked.

"What?" Cassie asked irritated. "Fairy's have tempers too."

"Okay, I've got the—" Dawn trailed off as she felt the tension in the foyer. "Stuff."

"Great!" Cassie breathed. "Okay, everyone in the living room. Go, shoo!" she ordered as she ushered them into the room. "Buffy I need you to stand in the middle of the room. Dawn, dear, give me the vanilla."

Wordlessly, Dawn obeyed.

Cassie closed her eyes, muttering the incantation under her breath, her entire being glimmering with gold. Suddenly, her eyes flashed open. Her normally emerald green eyes were now completely white, as was her hair. Without prompt, she reached out and grabbed Buffy's hand, transferring the small flowering plant to the Slayer's hand. Immediately, it had Cassie desired effect. Buffy's form seemed to shimmer and everyone could now see her outline.

"Okay, now that we can sorta see, let's have that mint," Cassie ordered and Dawn immediately handed the herb over. "Good, good," she muttered approvingly. She looked at Willow. "I assume you have a ornate bowl?"

Willow nodded, trying to restrain her magic that was just begging to be used. Cassie's obvious power was so free. She had such control over it, centuries of practice, Willow could tell. Seeing an outlet, Willow closed her eyes and summoned the bowl from her room. When she opened her eyes, the jeweled bowl was in her hand.

Unable to resist the temptation, Willow looked around to see how her act of magic had been received. Angel's face was a stony mask, though she saw the unease and distrust in his eyes. Dawn was simply nervous, glancing between Willow and Buffy. And though Willow could not see Buffy's disapproval, she knew it was there, along with anger. Lots of anger.

"Chop, chop, Willow!" Cassie hastened. "You know what to do."

Willow nodded, and immediately set about putting the mint in the bowl, mumbling incantations under her breath as she did so. With a slight flourish, Willow's fingers fluttered over the bowl and the mint vanished in a sudden blue flame. And though the fire no longer had fuel, it continued to burn.

"Lovely," Cassie said absently. "Now set it at her feet."

Willow did so.

"Okay, here comes the fun part," Cassie rubbed her hands together. "Dawn, I need you to sprinkle all our luck around your sister. Make a nice, tight circle."

Dawn did as she was instructed and when she was finished, Cassie reached out and grabbed her hand. "Right, now let's make a circle around Buffy. Willow take Dawn's free hand. Angel, I don't want you to feel left out, but vampires tend to make magic go wrong."

"Just make Buffy visible."

"Can do," Cassie nodded. "Ready?" she asked Willow and Dawn.

Dawn began to stutter nervously. "B-but I don't know the spell."

"Don't worry, it'll come to you." Cassie smiled before looking directly at Buffy. "Ready?"

"Been ready."

"So testy."

"Hey, I'm invisible! I'm entitled to be testy!"

"This is true."

"Um, Cassie?" Angel prompted.

"Oh!" Cassie nodded. "Right, right. Okay, now just go with the flow, alright? Words are going to pop into your head in a minute so just say them. Don't worry about mispronouncing them because you won't."

Willow shut her eyes, and for a moment her mind was completely blank. Then, a stream of unfamiliar words rushed into her mind and she simply felt compelled to say them. She did not hesitate.

"Os gwelwch yn dda wrthdroi'r nonsens hwn! Rwy'n cymryd gormod o amser allan o fy ddydd i atgyweiria hon!"

The clover surrounding Buffy was suddenly flying around her, encasing her in a cylindrical green blur as it swirled. A tingly sensation began to overcome Buffy, and she hoped that it was a good sign.

"Mae gen i llefydd i fynd, cleifion i weld! Wrth siarad am y, yr wyf yn mynnu bod fy gleifion gael eu gweld! Os yn bosibl, yn awr! Diolch!"

All was quiet and still in the seconds after the last word of the spell was cast. The once green clover was now silver and as it slowly fluttered to the ground, a very visible Buffy was revealed.

"That's better," Buffy smiled relieved as she held up her hand in front of her face, seeing the tan flesh. However, she didn't get much time to revel in her visibleness before a pair of strong arms wrapped around her. Buffy closed her eyes and melted into Angel's embrace, a contented sigh escaping her.

"I hate to ruin the moment, but can I do a real breif follow-up?" Cassie asked.

Reluctantly, Angel let Buffy go. Sticking to her promise, Cassie quickly took Buffy's hand. She'd barely held her patient's hand for five seconds before she let it go. "There, all better."

"Now," Cassie turned to Willow. "Back to all this 'diamond' nonsense. You said it was stolen?"

"Last night," Willow replied. "I've been researching it all day."

"And I imagine you only learned that a farmer somewhere in early fifteenth century Romania found it incased in a mountain side. He dug it out, and then kept it as an heirloom. Sadly, the family lost it in the late seventeenth century and it was never seen again until the early 1940s, where the Smithsonian picked it up and kept it. How in the world it got to Sunnydale I'll never know, but alas, it's no problem."

"How do you know all this?" Willow asked suspicously.

"Because, witch, as I said before, that is no diamond. It belongs to my people." Cassie smiled. "It's a star."

Buffy frowned. "A star?"

"Oh, yes. It's a very long story, but my people are star lovers and we found a way to harness them long ago. Every milennia we capture one and encase it with our magic. They're wonderful for healing! Which is why I really want this one back."

"Now, I'd love to stay and chat, but I want my star back. Don't worry about trying to find it. I'll be able to find it easily now that I know its here. Oh, and don't worry about the kids with the Invisibility Ray. I can see them in my mind's eye. I'll take care of them and break the Ray and all their equipment with great glee, I can assure you." Cassie couldn't help but smile at the prospect. "Buffy, Angel, it's been lovely to see you. I'll see you again at our next appointment in a few weeks. Dawn, work on your concentration more and you'll be golden. Willow, dear, walk me to the door?"

Willow stared at Cassie for a moment before nodding and following the fairy.

Buffy watched Willow and Cassie leave the room. Suddenly, Cassie was in her head.

Buffy, sweetie, don't freak out. I'm just projecting my thoughts into your mind. I need to tell you something. I know that you fear, yes, fear, your friend's magic. While she has used it egregiously in the past, Willow's heart is pure. Her magic is pure, this much I can see. She is powerful, Buffy, yes, extremely so. She is on the cusp of discovering just how powerful. You will need to be with her when that time comes.

In the foyer, Cassie turned her attention to the young witch in front of her. "You have great power, young witch."

Willow swallowed nervously. "That's what people tell me."

Cassie spoke so softly that Willow had to strain to hear. "You feel it, don't you? It's bubbling in your veins, begging to be used, is it not?" Cassie asked, not bothering to allow Willow to answer. She continued on. "Do not fear it, and do not fear the past. Past is past. It is no more, merely a memory. There is nothing you can do to alter it. We only have control over our future. Your time will come, Willow, and when it does, accept it. Greatness often stands upon the brink of destruction. It is a fine line you will tread. Remain true to your heart and you will not know darkness."

Cassie decided that she'd acted her true age, all fifteen hundred years, enough today. So, fixing her expression with a bright, happy smile, she gave Willow a little wave. "Bye!"

And with a pop, the fairy was gone.

Confused by the fairy's sage advice, Willow made her way back into the living room in a sort of daze. Well, she was dazed until Buffy's sharp voice pierced her inner thoughts.

"I can't believe you, Willow!" Buffy immediately scolded her friend. "You've been teaching Dawn magic behind my back?"

"It was my idea, Buffy," Dawn interrupted, not wanting her sister to take it all out on Willow. "It was my idea."

"And what were you thinking?" Buffy turned on Dawn. "Magic is dangerous, Dawn."

"Yes, it is," Dawn agreed. "Which is why you use it with care and never try anything out of your depth."

"How long, Dawn?" Buffy asked. "How long have you been practicing magic?"

"A couple of months," Dawn answered honestly. "It was my idea, Buffy. Willow was so guilty, she wasn't using any magic. She was terrified that she'd screw something up, and it hurt to see her like that! Magic is as much a part of her, as Slaying is a part of you!"

Buffy spluttered, trying to argue her sister's point, but she knew that what Dawn had said was true. Cassie's words echoed in her mind. Her magic is pure.

"Buffy, I'm sorry," Willow apologized. "I am. I-I know that I shouldn't have taken Dawn has my apprentice without asking you, b-but I just…it gave me a purpose for my magic, Buffy. A purpose that I knew was good."

"I was scared of myself for months, afraid that i-if I used a hint of magic for even the littlest thing that it would go wrong and ruin everything," Willow explained tearfully. "When Dawn asked me to teach her, it, well, it gave me hope."

Buffy absorbed that information silently. The idea of Willow teaching Dawn magic frightened her. Not because she believed Willow would teach Dawn dark magic, no. Buffy didn't believe Willow was capable of anything dark. True, she had pulled Buffy out of Heaven, but she'd done it with pure intentions, however misguided they may have been.

The truth was that Buffy was realizing that Dawn was not her little Dawnie anymore. Dawn was growing up. After all, she was sixteen. It only made sense for her to want to be more involved in the supernatural world that she'd been standing on the outskirts of for so long. Especially after last year with Glory, it seemed only logical that Dawn take up a more active role. However, that didn't mean that Buffy was thrilled with the idea, or more so the secret keeping that had been going on for months.

Taking a deep breath, Buffy turned to Willow. "Will, it's okay. If you want to keep teaching her magic, then, well…it's okay with me."

Dawn's face lit up. "Really? Thanks Buffy!"

"Dawn, why don't you go upstairs?" Angel suggested, knowing that he and Buffy needed to talk.

Willow seemed to sense this too. "Yeah, let's go, Dawnie."

Dawn glanced between Willow and Angel, hesitating for a moment. Coming to a decision, she nodded and followed Willow up the stairs. The moment they were gone, Buffy turned to Angel.

"I can't believe it," Buffy sighed. "Magic? Dawnie?"

"It's not so hard to believe." Angel sat down on the couch and motioned for Buffy to join him. When she did, he wrapped an arm around her, hugging her close. "Dawn was the Key, after all. She was pure magic. That's bound to have some residual effects."

"I suppose," Buffy admitted. "I just…it's just a shock. I mean, she's actually growing up."

"Time tends to do that."

"Shut up."

Angel fought a smile. "Well, it's just been a matter of time before Dawn really became a part of the Scoobies."

Angel's words and their context caused Buffy to freeze. She pulled away from him abruptly. "You don't mean that she can actually like patrol and stuff, do you?"

"Yes."

Buffy looked like he'd just sided with the enemy. "What in the hell are you thinking, Angel? Yeah, she's sixteen and growing up, I'll give you that, but she's not patrolling or participating in any supernatural activities!"

"Buffy you can't fight it," Angel sighed, knowing that an argument was brewing. "You saw Dawn today. She has power and she wants to use it. She's been watching from the sidelines too long. She's seen her chance to help and she's going to take it."

"No she won't!" Buffy leapt to her feet and began to pace. "She's not ready!"

"Yes she is."

Buffy huffed. "So what if she can do magic? How much can that help when you're fighting a vamp? She can't fight, Angel!"

"Yes, she can," Angel admitted, looking guilty and Buffy's eyes widened. She knew Angel well enough to realize what he hadn't said.

"You've been training her." The words came out as a whisper. "You've been training her behind my back!"

"Since the trouble with Glory started," Angel admitted truthfully.

Buffy quit breathing for a second as his words sunk in. "You've been training her for nearly a year? You've kept this from me for a year?"

"You were dead half the time, Buffy!" Angel growled, his own temper getting away from him. "I figured you might take a little solace in the fact that if the situation ever arose, Dawn would be able to defend herself. I trained her when I came to Sunnydale, and Spike handled things when I was in L.A."

"You let Spike train her?" Buffy screeched. "Spike! How could you trust Spike?"

Angel scoffed. "You know that Spike likes Dawn. They're actually friends, as odd as it is, it's true and you know it! And it's not as if he could hurt her anyway!"

"You've been lying to me this whole time!" Buffy cried angrily. "All this time you've kept this from me!"

"I was waiting for a time to tell you," Angel defended. "But dammit, Buffy, when has there been a time since you came back? Should I have told you when we were in Ireland? What about during the mess with James? Or when Cordy's visions were manifesting? Maybe when Fred's parents came to town? Hell, maybe I should have told you when Billy was running around creating chaos!"

Buffy growled. "I don't want to fight with you, Angel!"

"Then just listen for a minute." Angel calmed himself so he could speak levelly. "Look, Buffy. I don't think that the fact that I've kept Dawn's training a secret or the fact that she's Willow's apprentice is what's really bothering you."

"Oh, really?" Buffy snorted. "And you, in all your wise years, now what's really bothering me, don't you?"

Angel ignored her sarcasm and continued. "Yeah, I do. You're scared. You're scared that Dawn's growing up. You're scared to let her enter a world that you know is dangerous; that you know could get her killed because it's gotten you killed before. And if your supernatural yourself, and you can die…doesn't that just mean that it's all the more easier for Dawn to meet the same fate? You're scared because you want to protect her and you realize that your losing your hold over that protective net you cast over her. You want to protect her, but she's fighting you."

Buffy had lost all her anger. She knew what Angel said was true. "You're fighting me too."

"You've gotta let her go a little," Angel said softly. "Otherwise she's just going to fight you even more, and she'll do something stupid in order to prove to you that she can handle herself."

"But she could get hurt," Buffy argued weakly.

"We all get hurt," Angel returned easily. "It's not like we'll be throwing her to the wolves. She can fight, Buffy, I've made sure of that, and with her magic that's apparently developing, she'll be a force to reckon with in the future."

"You can't keep her in the protective little bubble you've created," Angel told her as he crossed the room toward her. He gently cupped her cheek in his palm. "I really hate fighting with you."

Buffy cracked a smile. "Me too…I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

Buffy rested her head against his chest, and wrapped her arms around him. "We're so much better at resolving conflicts now."

Angel chuckled. "I can only imagine how this would have gone down a few years ago."

"Oh, I probably would have kicked you out of the house," Buffy told him as a matter of fact.

"I would have avoided you for weeks."

"Then when we finally started talking again, it'd be all awkward."

"I'm so glad we're past that."

Buffy smiled. "But you know, what?"

"Hmm?"

"There is an upside to arguing."

Angel pulled away to look at her, reading the mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Oh, really, and what's that?"

Buffy pulled him back to her, holding him tightly. "Make-up sex."

A few hours later in Buffy's room, with Buffy safely tucked into his side, Angel had to agree with her.

So...what do you think? Buffy knows all about Dawn's recent activities, and is accepting it. Angel got to be angry (I do like writing him angry, I must admit). Oh, and Cassie made an appearance! I do love writing her and since she's not a consistantly appearing character I'm trying to show a different layer of her personality each time she's in a chapter. Obivously, this chapter we got to see how wise she is. I did like writing her Dumbledore moment. :D

Oh, and was that foreshadowing with Willow? I think so! What, oh, what do I have planned? *evil laugh*

And for anyone who's wondering. Cassie found the Trio, destroyed all their stuff with great glee, and then gave them a very stern talking to. Safe to say that Cassie took care of the Trio and they're officially gone from S6 storyline. I know that some of you liked them, but I didn't and I wasn't thrilled with them being in my S6...so I nixed 'em.

Lots of love,

AC