Here We Come To Save The Day

By Karen

Chapter Thirteen

Connor turned his head at Buffy’s scream and frowned as he saw Riley and Dawn standing frozen together. The soldier staggered back and then Connor saw the stake impaling his beloved’s heart. He saw her lips move but over the sudden roar in his ears he had no idea what she was saying. He pushed away from his perch on Buonce’s shoulders and threw himself into mid-air but the air in the room suddenly had the consistency of syrup, and he could only watch in appalled horror as Dawn’s eyes lost focus and she crumpled to the floor. As his feet touched the floor he was aware of Spike springing towards Riley, his face twisted with hate and loss and then he was scrambling on all fours towards the body of his girlfriend on the floor.

Buffy had fallen to her knees beside her sister and was frantically trying to pull the stake out of Dawn’s chest and stop the terrible bleeding all at the same time. She screamed for Giles and Spike as the stake came out with a faint pop and then a fountain of black heart blood splashed across her face. Connor finally reached Dawn’s side and threw himself across her body, “Dawn! Dawn, please no, Dawn.” He stared wildly between the gaping wound in her chest and her still face, desperate for any sign of a response. His hands pushed against the wound and he lifted his head to bellow, “DAD!”

Angel’s head snapped round at the shout of terror from his son and his heart leapt into his throat as he saw Buffy and Connor crouched over Dawn’s body. His eyes flashed gold as he yelled, “Gunn, Fred, take over.” He ducked a wild swing by the savage demon and sprinted to Connor’s side. “Let me see.” He shoved Connor aside and bent to Dawn to do something, anything that would help the young girl on the floor.

Connor grabbed Angel’s arm, “Please, save her. Do something, please. I can’t lose her.”

Angel swallowed at the tone of desperation in his son’s voice and then gently placed his hand over Dawn’s eyes to draw them closed. He looked up at Buffy who was staring at her sister’s face as Giles rocked her in his arms. Her face was streaked with silent tears, but she showed no signs of being aware of his presence. He turned to look at Connor whose face bleached of colour and backed away from the look on his father’s face. “Connor, I’m so sorry. She’s gone.”

Connor’s eyes went blank with shock and he began to tremble violently, “No, that’s not true, you can save her. Save her please, don’t let her go.”

Angel reached for his son, “There’s nothing I can do, I’m sorry.”

Connor swung out violently and spat, “No, you just won’t do anything. Turn her, we can save her. Please, turn her.”

His voice broke on a sob and huge, fat tears began to streak down his face. Angel swallowed again and said gently, “There’s nothing there to turn, son. She’s gone.”

Connor’s head began to shake back and forth in denial and he drew his knees up to his chest as his body shook with sobs. Angel edged forward and then slowly slipped one arm, then two around the heartbroken boy. Connor held himself stiffly for a few minutes more and then slowly collapsed against his father’s chest. Angel pulled him closer and slowly eased his face round until he could no longer see the body on the floor.

On the opposite side of the room Drusilla nudged a sobbing Kit and Carlos, “Free me, quickly.”

Kit turned a tear drenched face to the vampire, “What?”

Drusilla rattled her wrists, which had remained chained to the wall throughout everything, “Free me. Hurry.”

Kit stared down at the pale face and then around the room at the shocked and sobbing people around them. Gunn and Fred were hacking madly at the now very dead demon on the floor, whilst Spike had literally ripped Riley apart with his bare hands and now tore pieces of muscle and bone asunder, sobbing with indescribable pain as he destroyed. Xander stood with Willow and Anya pressed to his chest, his eyes closed as tears leaked out from under the lids. Kit turned back to Drusilla, “Its over. Dawn’s dead.” She began to gasp with pain and her chest heaved as wild sobs fought their way out.

Drusilla shook her head, “No, little bird has just begun to fly. I can guide her home before the nasty cats get her, such pretty feathers would be wasted in the ground.”

Carlos stared for a moment and then whirled to look for something to help him free the vampire. His eyes caught sight of the third soldier’s abandoned gun on the floor and he lunged for it then span back to point the muzzle at bolt behind Dru’s head. She ducked out of the way and Carlos fired with an almighty bang. The rest of the gang jumped with shock and then Drusilla was pushing past the two teenagers to get to Dawn.

Buffy watched with blank eyes as Dru reached out for her sister and then abruptly flung herself forward, “NO! Don’t touch her, leave her alone!” The two women crashed to the floor under the momentum of Buffy’s leap and Drusilla was pinned under the grieving Slayer. She ducked a wild punch and then flipped the small blonde to lie underneath her on the floor.

“I can help you.” Drusilla’s whisper made Buffy’s eyes widen and then before she could react Dru had brought her fist down and smashed it into her temple. Buffy lost consciousness as Drusilla jumped up and looked at Angel, “Keep her asleep, Daddy. I have to go to the dark places to get my little bird, and the Slayer would keep me in the light.”

Angel nodded and his eyes flickered past Dru, “Gunn, Xander, hold Spike down.”

Drusilla turned to look at Spike as he knelt in the remains of Riley Finn and stared uncomprehendingly between Buffy and Drusilla. As the two human men came up behind him she gave him a sweet smile, “Sweet William, I can make your little birds whole.”

Spike’s face flickered for a moment and then twisted with rage as he realised that Drusilla had hurt his mate. He snarled, but before he could spring for her throat, Xander and Gunn were upon him and bearing him to the ground. Fred, Anya and Willow ran forward to help and then Cordelia’s voice was heard, “What the hell happened?”

She stared at Drusilla for a moment and frowned, “And who let undead walking loose?”

Dru smiled, “Seer.”

Cordy cocked her head to one side, “What of it?”

Her face flooded with horror as Drusilla stepped to one side and she saw Dawn lying on the floor and Connor in Angel’s arms behind him. Drusilla held out a small, white hand, “Will you help me find our lost bird?”

Cordelia side-stepped the thrashing pile of bodies on the floor as Spike tried to fight his way free, and walked briskly to Dru’s side, “What do you need?” She followed the vampire to Dawn’s body and knelt down while Drusilla knelt on the opposite side to face her.

“We need blood.” Dru dragged a long fingernail over her palm and opened a deep gash, then switched hands and did the same to the opposite palm. Cordelia held out her hand expressionlessly and kept her eyes level on Drusilla as the same thing was done to her. Dru nodded and then reached down to Dawn’s chest and hooked her fingers into the wound. Cordelia realised an instant before what she was intending to do, but her protesting cry was given no heed. With a horrible tearing sound, Dawn’s chest was ripped apart until her ruined heart lay before their eyes.

Drusilla snatched at one of Cordelia’s hands and placed it in the gaping chest and then put one of her own hands in, so the two girls held the still muscle in their hands. She raised her other hand and stared into Cordelia’s horrified eyes, “We need to be linked.”

Cordy nodded, she raised her own hand and then looked into Angel’s eyes and then at the head of their son. Her chin set with determination, “I’m not coming back without her.” She turned her head and met Dru’s gaze, her hand swung forward and their palms met with a loud smack. For a moment nothing happened and then a violent green light leapt from Dawn’s chest, split into two speeding tails and slammed into the seer and the vampire. Both women’s heads were thrown back and their mouths opened to spit the green fire towards the ceiling. Angel bent over Connor’s body protectively and turned his face away from the light, he hugged the boy to him and began to pray to all the gods he knew that owed him a favour.

******************************

Cordelia stared around her and gave a fair imitation of Angel growling, “What the hell am I doing back here?”

Drusilla glanced at the beautiful colours and swirling mists that surrounded them, “You know where we are?”

Cordelia flicked a swirl of pink light that wafted under her nose and glared at the vampire, “Yep, this is a higher realm, and you shouldn’t even know it exists much less be able to get in. What gives?”

Drsuilla shook her head, “We can only see to follow the bird’s trail, not choose another path. I’m meant to be here, dearie, otherwise we could not find my grandchilde.”

Cordelia looked around her again, “If there is anything to find. What makes you think she’s here?” Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, “And how did you know there was anything to save?”

Drusilla pointed to a slip of green that wound skilfully and quickly through the pulsating mass of a blue and white nebula, “Only the soul was released not the power. The little bird can be found and anchored to her lost half once more.”

Cordelia followed Dru’s pointing finger and understanding lit her eyes, “Dawn still has some of the Key in her?”

For the first time Drusilla looked annoyed, “No! She is still the Key itself. She has suppressed all in her that is not human and so there is nothing there that remembers being more than that.”

Cordelia nodded, “Uh-huh. And what are we going to do about that?”

Drusilla looked at the trail of green once more, “Remind her.”

*****************************

Dawn looked thoughtfully around her, “Oh-kaay. This is new.” She whirled as she heard something behind her and punched the large, onyx demon squarely between the eyes, “Back off.”

“Ow!”

Skip held his clawed hand up to his face, cradled his face and said reproachfully, “What did you do that for?”

Dawn’s eyes narrowed as she raised her arms in a defensive gesture, “Generally when big, ugly demons sneak up behind me they aren’t looking to give me a hug and make friends.”

“There’s no need to get personal!”

Dawn adjusted her balance and scowled angrily, “Yeah? From where I stand there’s a whole lot of need. What the hell is going on?”

Skip took his hand from his face and mentally readjusted his cloak of dignity, “You’re dead.” He sighed, “I would have led up to it but you’ve got kind of an attitude problem there that tells me the softly softly approach isn’t really gonna cut it with you.”

Dawn began to scoff and then her eyes clouded with a vague memory. Skip watched with interest as a range of emotions flitted across her face before she decided on mightily pissed off. “The son of a bitch, he killed me!” The demon backed up slightly as Dawn lowered her hands quickly and stepped towards him, “You send me back, right now! I am so gonna kick his ass for this.”

Skip winced as he remembered the quick look he had taken at Dawn’s family before coming to meet her, “That’s no longer an issue, he no longer has an ass to kick.”

Or a head, or a body…… or a spleen.

He brightened slightly, “There may be an arm that’s kind of in one piece.”

Dawn glared at him for a moment and then flashed a quick grin, “Spike, right?” Skip nodded and Dawn giggled lightly, “Bet he was way annoyed.” The smile fell off her face abruptly, “Oh god, they think I’m dead. Buffy, Connor, everyone thinks I’m dead! How do I get back?”

Skip winced at the anguish in her eyes and said gently, “You can’t. That’s what being dead means.”

Dawn’s eyes filled with tears and she whispered, “No.” She stared wildly around her at the calm woodland glade she found herself in and then looked back at Skip, “There has to be a way. I’m here and I know who I am, that’s not dead.”

The demon grimaced with sympathy, “I’m afraid it is. I’m here to lead you to your reward.” He took a step towards Dawn and then two hasty ones back as her eyes narrowed in warning.

“You move another inch and there’s gonna be one more dead person standing here.”

Skip sighed irritably, “What is it with you Sunnydale gals? You just never know when to quit. You’re dead, as in no longer of the living. Now follow me and lets go get you settled in your nice new realm.”

Dawn lifted her chin, “Where I come from being dead is not mutually exclusive to being of the living.” She glanced around her again, “There’s a way home and I’m going to find it, and if you try and stop me I’ll hang you from the nearest tree by your chin ring. Get me?”

Skip winced, “Nice image, but it doesn’t change the fact that being less than alive and having no body to speak of to go back to is gonna cramp your style somewhat. Now be a good girl and come with me.”

He made to take a step towards her again and then staggered sideways as a fist came out of nowhere and socked him in the eye. “I don’t think so!” Cordelia swung round to Dawn, massaging her fist, “You ok, sweetie?”

Dawn’s mouth fell open in shock and then she launched herself at Connor’s mother. Cordelia’s arms closed about her like a steel trap and she eyed Skip over Dawn’s shoulder. The demon straightened up with a hand cupped to his face and his face fell, “Oh no, not you again.”

Cordelia glared at him, “You are getting to be a real pain in the ass.”

“Funny, I was just about to say the same thing about you.”

He squared his shoulders, “Look, Cordelia, this is none of your business. The kid’s dead and we have places to be. Hand her over.”

Drusilla stepped in front of Cordelia and Dawn, her eyes glowing fiercely and snarling in full vampiric fury. Skip’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly for a few moments before he spluttered, “You brought a demon to this place?”

Cordelia snorted, “Hello? Have you looked in the mirror recently?” She moved Dawn to one side and slung a companionable arm around her neck before saying coolly, “More to the point have you looked at me? Also of the demonic persuasion here.”

Drusilla looked Skip dead in the eye and growled a single word, “Mine.”

The much larger demon backed off slightly and then rounded on an unimpressed Cordelia, “Have you any idea what an affront it is to the Powers to bring this thing here? She was marked to be one of our most powerful warriors in the fight and then she gave herself to the darkness and created centuries of suffering and chaos.”

Cordelia grinned delightedly, “You’ve heard of her? Great, that’ll make this so much easier.” The smile fell off her face and her tone chilled until you could cool meat with it, “We’re taking Dawn out of here and back home. You try and stop us and little miss pale and crazy, will rip your face off and use it as a napkin after she sucks you dry. Understood?”

Drusilla bounced eagerly on her toes, “Oh yummy! Cakes and treats for all.”

Dawn winced, “I’ll pass.”

Skip threw his hands up, “You still don’t get it do you? She can’t leave. Dead. Not breathing. No longer with the pulse. Roadkill. She’s dead, you don’t get to keep her.”

Dawn trembled against Cordelia, “What if he’s right?” She turned her head to look into Cordelia’s eyes, “Cordy, this will kill Buffy. And Spike. Oh god, I died to save him, he’ll never get over this, the guilt will destroy him.” She swallowed the tears clogging her throat, “And Connor, I don’t want to leave Connor.” The tears started to leak from her eyes, “Cordelia, I don’t think I can get back.”

Cordelia sniffed, “Horseshit. You’re a Scoob and we don’t ever say die, much less do it.” She swung a gimlet eye towards Skip, “Dru, if he so much as twitches, kill him.”

The vampire nodded eagerly and licked her lips in exaggerated anticipation.

Cordelia took pulled Dawn round to face her and took a firm grip of her shoulders, “Dawn, listen to me. The reason we were able to find you is that you left a trail. Look.” She nodded over Dawn’s shoulder and the younger girl stared behind her at a faint green line stretching away into the trees. She turned back to Cordelia with wide eyes as the older woman said firmly, “You’re the Key. A living breathing bundle of kick ass mystical energy and there is nothing that you don’t have the power for, do you get me?”

Dawn shook her head, “No. I’m human. I stopped being the key when we lost Buffy.”

Cordelia gave a quick, hard shake, “No, you didn’t. You’ve buried the power so deep that its been crushed beneath the weight of your humanity. Think about it. You fight demons and destroy vampires and no matter how many times you get knocked down, you always come up swinging.” She took a breath, “You keep up with Connor effortlessly and don’t even break into a sweat. He’s as supernatural and otherworldly as they come but you match him punch for punch. You don’t think that’s odd at all?”

Dawn ran a nervous tongue over her lips, “I…I’m the Slayer’s sister…….”

“That’s not how it works and you know it. Joyce was Buffy’s mom, how many times did we witness her hacking two demons to death at the same time and then dusting a nest of vamps? Oh I know, NEVER!” Cordy gave the trembling girl a gentle, understanding smile, “You have your own power and the sooner you stop fighting against it and open yourself up to it, the sooner we can all go home.”

“NO!” Skip leapt forward and then was sent flying backwards into a tree as Drusilla backhanded him away with a snarl. He rolled to his feet, “The Key cannot be allowed to exist in the world. The power must be contained and kept where it can do no more harm.”

Drsuilla crouched and prepared to spring, “My little bird wants to fly, be a good kitty and let her alone.” Her head began to sway from side to side, “I can smell the wind as it ruffles her feathers and it’s so sweet, the nasty kitty is making my bird tumble.”

Cordelia rolled her eyes, “Drusilla, linear really is the only way to go.” Her eyes narrowed suddenly, “Dawn, get behind me.” A breeze picked up and then quickly turned into a gale, “Hey, vampirella, heads up. We’ve got company.”

Dawn stared wildly around and then jumped as a tall man strode out from the trees. She gasped as she saw his eyes were pure white and flashed with the light of the a thousand stars in the dim light allowed by the trees. Cordelia ran her eyes up and down the impressive figure before her, “Well, you’re a definite improvement. Higher Being, right?”

The figure shook its head, “We are more.”

Cordy actually looked faintly impressed, “You’re a Power? Cool.” She lashed out and smacked the man’s hand away as he reached for Dawn, “Hey, hands off the mystical key, buddy.” She looked slightly worried when the man didn’t even deign to notice her resistance but kept moving slowly forward. Taking a firm grip on Dawn’s hand she backed away from the relentless being before her.

“We will have the key. It must be contained.”

Cordelia raised an eyebrow, “Sing me a new tune. That one is so last year.”

“The key must be contained. Its power is too great. The balance could be destroyed.”

“Uh-huh, and I get that. I do really, but the operative word here is ‘could’ not ‘will’.”

She shoved Dawn behind a tree and skipped out the other side to race for the other side of the clearing. The man turned slowly and began to march relentlessly after them. Skip darted forward to join his master and then went sprawling as Drusilla’s foot shot out and tripped him up. The vampire tucked her foot demurely back under her dress and brushed innocently at the skirt before walking forward and stepping on Skip’s head just as he raised it from the ground. She ground her weight on the back of his head for a moment before stepping off, “Oops!”

Cordelia still had Dawn firmly behind her as she backed up and thought furiously for any options. She felt the girl tremble with reaction and fear behind her and then suddenly Cordy stopped dead and turned thoughtful eyes on the man approaching her. Her face brightened suddenly and a slow, triumphant grin lit up her face, “You can’t take her.”

“The key must be contained. Its power is……”

“Shut. Up.” Cordelia stomped forward and poked her finger sharply in the man’s chest and glared up into the glowing eyes, “You can’t take her. That’s why Skip’s here. He had to get her to go with him of her own free will.”

“You are wrong.”

Cordelia laughed, “Wrong my higher being ass. You can’t take her because she has more power than you.”

“No.”

The finger poked sharply into the man’s chest again, “Liar. You’re a Power, an ultimate force so you go get her, pal. Go on, I dare you.” Cordelia stepped aside and gestured expansively at Dawn, “Go, I won’t stop you.”

Dawn’s eyes widened and she stared between Cordelia and the Power in horror, then she caught it, the slightest flicker of uncertainty in the being’s eyes. Her mouth opened in wonder, “She’s right. You can’t make me go.”

“The key must be…….”

Cordelia turned her back on the slightly unsettled being, “Yeah, yeah.” Her entire face glowed as she gave a megawatt smile, “Ok, lets go.”

Dawn returned the smile and then screeched in horror as the man’s arm came up over Cordelia's shoulder and flexed to come around her throat, she began to run forward and then Drusilla appeared with a snarl to lock herself on the Power’s back and sink sharp fangs into the unprotected neck. Cordelia whirled round and assessed the situation in an instant, “Dru! Drusilla, get off him!” She batted the vampire sharply around the side of the head and then grabbed a fistful of long dark hair and forced the fangs out from the skin, “Enough! We’ve won, go get Dawn.”

Dru snarled fiercely, Cordelia raised an eyebrow, “Don’t make me hurt you, fangster.” The two women eyed each other for a moment before Dru slipped down the man’s back and set her feet on the ground. Cordelia gave the decidedly rattled Power a soft push to send him stumbling back into Skip’s horrified arms. The demon caught his boss and then went to the ground flat on his ass under the weight of the being. Cordy folded her arms and said scathingly, “You know, for all your universal smarts, you’d think you people would be a bit more clued up about the habits of vamps. Never attack a sire’s mate in front of its childe, that way lies pain and munchiness like you would not believe.” She flicked her hair casually back from her face and said coolly, “Now me, the vamp and the key are leaving, and if anyone tries to stop us…….we’ll let Drusilla have seconds.”

Skip spluttered with horror for a second before he managed, “You don’t know what you’re doing. If the Key wills it she could destroy everything. EVERYTHING. No more worlds, no more people, no more Powers. She doesn’t just unlock the dimensions, she can move them or create them or seal them forever. She has to be contained.”

Cordelia stared at Dawn, “Cool.” Then she looked back at Skip, “And thanks for the info. Ok, new threat. You try and stop us and I’ll get my little uber power here to create a dimension just for you and bright eyes, and then I’ll get her to throw it so far out into the dimensional universe that you’ll still be moving a millennia from now, ‘k?” Without another word she walked to Dawn’s side and took the Key in one hand and Drusilla in the other, “Ok, ladies, home.”

As they walked away Dawn glanced back over her shoulder and caught sight of Skip still sitting on the floor, cradling the fallen Power and gaping like a landed fish, “Uh, Cordy? I don’t actually know how to do that.”

Cordelia’s _expression didn’t change, “Walk faster.”

************************************

Back in the stone basement hope was fading fast. Drusilla and Cordelia had been held in the green fire for over two hours and there had been no indication that they had made any progress in restoring Dawn. Angel still cradled Connor in his arms as the boy stared blankly at the floor, whilst Giles held Buffy and Spike as they rocked together in their grief on the blood drenched floor.

Anya, Xander, Willow, Fred and Gunn had gone out into the house and taken care of the last of Buonce’s followers and now they sat in exhausted, grief stricken silence waiting for the end of the long night. Kit and Carlos had fallen asleep in each other’s arms, worn out by desperate grief and helpless sobbing.

Angel kept his eyes on the three girls before him and fought against dwindling hope with every minute that passed. His biggest fear was that Cordelia would disappear into the unknown once again, and leave him to deal with his broken son alone. He knew his mate well enough that if there was any chance at all Dawn could be found, then Cordelia wouldn’t come back without her. Which meant that Cordelia wouldn’t be back as she wasn’t altogether on board with the whole despairing of all hope thing.

He frowned as a low hum sounded just at the cusp of his hearing and looked around him for the source of the noise. Nothing. He shook his head slightly but the noise persisted and then his eyes widened as the green light around the girls began to pulsate in time with the humming. “Uh, guys…..”

The explosion of light and noise rocked the basement and knocked everyone flat on their asses. Angel shoved Connor under him and bent his head to the floor as Drusilla flew backwards and crashed into the wall behind him. Narrowing his eyes he stared into the fierce glare and yelled with surprise as Dawn’s body arced on the floor and her eyes flew open. White and green light flashed over her body and then she opened her mouth and screamed. Her body writhed and her fingers scrabbled for purchase on the floor as the wound in her chest knitted slowly together, there was a low thump and then Angel swore he heard her heart start to beat again. Dawn relaxed against the floor and the light slowly faded until she was just lying on the floor, taking huge shuddering breaths.

Buffy pushed up from the floor and stared as her sister sat up shakily and pressed a hand to her tattered shirt, “That hurt.”

“Dawn?”

Dawn turned her head and grinned at her white-faced sister, “That would be me.”

Buffy tried to stand up but her legs collapsed under her, she settled for crawling on all fours across the floor and the remains of Riley to snatch disbelievingly at Dawn, “Dawn? Oh god, Dawn. You came back.” She sobbed and pulled her sister into her arms and ran her hands over her sister’s hair and back, gently at first and then with more force until she was literally grabbing at the proof her sister was alive and whole.

Dawn cradled Buffy to her, holding her as the Slayer went completely and utterly to pieces. She looked over Buffy’s shoulder and grinned at Spike, “Hey Pop, I’m home.”

Spike’s face was a perfect blank as he returned her stare, only a muscle twitched in his jaw as he remained frozen on the floor. Dawn reached out one hand towards him, “Spike? I’m ok.” Her eyes flickered uncertainly, “Aren’t you happy?”

He stood slowly and walked over to stare uncomprehendingly down at her, then he sniffed the air. Emotion flickered over his face briefly before he sank to his knees and touched a light finger to her forehead to scrape some blood onto his nail. Without taking his eyes of her face he raised the finger to his lips and darted his tongue out to take a taste. Dawn raised her hand and placed it gently against his cheek, “Its me. I’m alive.” Before her eyes the life rushed back into his eyes and fierce and exultant joy filled his face.

“’Bit?”

Dawn’s eyes filled with tears to match the ones streaming down Spike’s face, “In the flesh.” She yipped with surprise as his arms shot out and tugged both herself and Buffy to his chest. He held them both for a moment and then began to heave disbelieving dry sobs as two pairs of arms wrapped firmly around him and then they slowly toppled to the floor to lie in a tangle of emotion and deep, abiding relief.

Angel sat slowly up and tugged Connor into a sitting position. He turned the boy towards the three people of the floor and with a voice breaking with emotion said, “She’s ok. Your mother did it. She brought her back.” Connor followed the line of Angel’s finger and frowned slightly, Angel shook him firmly, “Snap out of it. Dawn’s back, she’s not dead.” He jumped to his feet and dragged Connor to his, “She’s alive Connor, look.”

Connor stumbled in his father’s wake and then found himself looking down into a very familiar, and very much alive, face. Dawn winked at him, “Surprise!”

Connor fell to his knees and gasped as she snagged his hand and kissed the palm noisily, “I would give you a proper kiss but I don’t think Spike and Buffy have plans to let me up for a while, so you’ll just have to wait.”

The Destroyer touched her eyelids lightly and said wonderingly, “Your eyes, they’re different.”

Dawn blinked at him and then her eyes crossed as she tried to see what had happened. After several frantic seconds of staring at the end of her nose she asked worriedly, “They’re not all white and shiny are they? That would not be good.”

Connor frowned in confusion and then shook his head, “No, they’ve gone green. No blue, anywhere.”

Dawn bit her lip and then shrugged awkwardly against the floor under the combined weight of Spike and Buffy, “Oh well, I was dead a couple of minutes ago, what do I care if I got the colour of my eyes wrong when I came back.” She swallowed as Connor’s eyes filled with tears and batted impatiently at Spike and Buffy, “Ok, enough of the panicked relief, we’re wasting good smoochie time here!” She wriggled determinedly under the frantic clutches of her parents and somehow made it to her knees. With a soft sigh she leaned forward and placed a delicate kiss on Connor’s lips. “I love you.”

Connor closed his eyes and shivered at the longing and passion in her voice, his arms came up to encircle her gently as he returned her kiss, then they tightened to drag her against him as he released all his fear, love and relief in a frantic savaging of her mouth. Dawn moaned as her breasts were crushed against his naked chest and then she was kissing him back with the same passionate fury. Connor pulled his mouth away from hers and sucked in a lungful of air before burying his face in her hair, “I thought I’d lost you.”

Dawn shuddered as she thought of how close they came and then her arms wrapped around his neck, as she whispered, “Never.”

Angel looked up with tears in his eyes as Cordelia staggered up and gave him a weak smile, “Hi honey.”

He caught her as her knees gave out, one sniff had his eyes glazing with panic and he swung her up into his arms, “You’re hurt!”

Cordelia laid her head on his shoulder and sighed with satisfaction as she looked down at Dawn and Connor, “Just a little cut. Being thrown headfirst into solid brick will do that to you.” She smiled up at her vampire, “I did good, huh?”

She turned her head as a hand touched her lightly on her arm and found herself looking into the exhausted eyes of Buffy Summers. The Slayer swallowed, “Cordelia….I…you…” She closed her eyes for a moment and took a moment to pull herself together. Several deep breaths and aborted questions later she opened her eyes, “What happened?”

Cordelia grinned happily, “Oh we went, we saw….” Drusilla eased past the rest of the gang as they moved in on Dawn on the floor and paused at the door to smile back into Cordelia’s eyes. The seer lifted one hand in farewell as the vampire slipped out into the night, “We snacked on a Power That Be. The usual.” She leaned her head back on Angel’s shoulder with a groan, “Can we discuss this later over some aspirin and pizza? I’m beat.”

Giles walked up to place a bracing arm around Buffy and the still shaken Spike, “Excellent idea. I believe if I never see this place again, it will be too soon.” He turned to Kit and Carlos who were beaming with happiness as they stood next to Dawn cradled in Connor’s arms. “I believe you children brought transport with you?”

Carlos nodded, “You’re van’s outside.” He stumbled slightly as Xander poked him sharply in the back and then mumbled, “G-man.”

Giles’s eyes narrowed at Xander as he sniggered delightedly behind his hand and then he sighed, “Very well, lets make a move.”

Buffy and Spike took up position on either side of Connor as he made his way carefully to the door, neither willing to give up complete physical contact with Dawn just yet.

Gunn slung his arm round Fred’s shoulders and followed in their wake, then he frowned thoughtfully, “Hey Connor, how did you get down here anyway? Did you bring your Dad’s car?”

Connor and Dawn exchanged glances with each other and then Kit whispered, “Uh-oh.”

Angel frowned, “Why uh-oh? Has something happened to my car? What’s happened to my car?”

Connor flushed guiltily and turned round to meet his father’s eyes. His eyes shifted uneasily to Gunn’s face and then back to Angel’s. “I get extra grace points because my girlfriend died, right?”

 

~Fin~