Title: Rendezvous in Rome
Author: Christine
Email: Buffygirl43@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Summary: Post 'Chosen'. Set in the present time, May - June 2004 and after the Angel episode 'The Girl in Question'. What happens when the person Dawn loves comes back?

Part One


Crap. Smut. Talk show. Crap. Infomercial.

There was just nothing good on television tonight. Dawn flicked the TV off and tossed the remote on the couch while curling her legs up and looking out the window. She still hadn't quite gotten used to Italian television. Sure the commercials were more risqué and nudity was as common as soap operas, but they didn't fill the void. She wanted her VH1, hell, even her MTV. Comedy Central was her favorite, and she hadn't seen that in over a year. She felt guilty for complaining; here she was in Rome, Italy, one of the most exquisite and beautiful places on earth, yet something was missing from her life.

Buffy had been pretty much AWOL for the past few weeks, shacking up with The Immortal, or as she liked to call him 'Mr. Mysterious'. She didn't even know his real name yet. Dawn still didn't get her sister's choice of men. Sure Angel and Spike were gorgeous and enigmatic, but she wasn't sure if she could put up with their vampire 'situations'. Even Andrew had found dates, female ones to be more precise, and Dawn had once again stifled the urge to gently tell him she knew he was gay.

As she lay there curled up on the couch looking out at the twinkling lights of Rome, she thought about what the other members of the Scooby Gang were doing right now. Willow was probably out with Kennedy gallivanting around Brazil, Giles was probably hard at work training the new Slayers in England, and Faith, well, who knew what she was up to. The last she heard from the brunette Slayer was two months ago in Bermuda, soaking up the rays and having a hell of a time with the pool guy in the hotel she was staying at. Her mind drifted to the one person she wished could be here right now. As far as she knew, Xander was still in Africa hot on the trail of a few new Slayers.

Dawn sighed. She missed him above everyone else; they had gotten close last year, only to have to say goodbye to each other after Sunnydale's demise. She hadn't spoken to him in over three months and missed hearing his voice over the phone, even if it was just a quick hello. Brushing her hair back with her fingers, she stretched and lazily got up off of the couch. She was halfway to her bedroom when she heard a knock on the door.

Rolling her eyes, she did a quick turn and headed back the way she came. "Andrew, I swear one of these days I'm going to super glue the house key to your forehead..."

Yawning, she pulled back the chain lock and turned the other lock systematically before turning the doorknob. She tugged the door open expecting a debonair Andrew flanked by two attractive females, neither speaking a word of English. What she didn't expect was the six foot, 230 pound scruffy man standing in front of her with the classic black eye patch adorning his handsome face. She suddenly forgot to breathe.

"Xander?"




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