Categories > TV > Angel > Never Will You Be Alone
Never Will You Be Alone
Chapter Eighteen-So Alike
"Fred, you go with Gunn. Dawn, you go with Connor." Angel commanded. Dawn turned to him just as Connor started to walk away.
"And what? Let you face this demon alone?" Dawn protested. The remaining three that had moved to follow his orders turned around at Dawn's words. Gunn attempted to suppress a smile as he did so. Angel suppressed a small smile at the youngest Summers girl. For a moment as he looked at her, he saw Buffy. 'So alike...' He thought sadly. "I'm sorry, but you don't get to do that! You are not immune to toxins. You are not invincible. "
"Demons and vampires alike will be attracted to their blood, mainly Dawn's blood. The power the scent gives off is like a magnet." Wesley had said just before leaving his office. The warning had been departed with slightly cold eyes. Angel looked over at Fred and Gunn before looking back toward his son and Buffy's sister. As he looked at the gentle smile Dawn gave Connor after he whispered something to her, Angel made his decision. Fred had Illyria on her side and she also had Gunn to protect her.
"Fine," he consented. Dawn smiled. "I'll go with Connor and you." He had expected her smile to fall, but it held. She only cast a worried glance to Fred. The timid looking girl winked at Dawn before her hair and eyes turned an icy blue. Dawn's mouth fell open before she recovered quickly. She shrugged and then gave Illyria the thumbs up. The blue haired version of Fred tilted her head. Angel caught Connor's small smile as he laid his arm over Dawn's shoulders and steering her toward the path.
Dawn smiled and wrapped her arm around Connor's waist. For a moment, Dawn could pretend that they were a normal couple taking a walk on a starry night in LA. The weight of the weapon in her hand brought her back. They could never be a normal couple. Not really. The initals in their wrists weren't a lovers tattoo. They were brands. Dawn looked over at her boyfriend. 'Despite knowing all of that...I'd still want to be with him..' Dawn thought.
Connor could feel her expressive green eyes on him as he looked ahead. His senses were alert and his nerve endings were humming from her contact. He could also feel his father's eyes on him every once and a while. The tension he felt was still there. Despite Dawn telling him he could judge Angel for himself, her words were what he held onto: "He's a good man." They were the only thing that kept him from truly hating his father. Her words that night in the inn had brought to question some of the things Holtz had told him. Then when he had learned of Angel's attack against her and her ability to forgive him for it, it had only concreted that idea a little more. She believed in the goodness of his father. Connor looked down and met her green eyes. She blushed and smiled sheepishly at him. He returned it and squeezed her shoulders. 'If someone so important to me could find good in a man that attacked her, then I can at least give him the benefit of the doubt and open my mind a little more...' He thought. Just as he looked away from her, an awful smell assaulted his nose.
Angel was aware of the smell seconds after his son. He cast a wary glance to Dawn and knew that it would be several minutes before the odor of the demon reached her. Angel moved in the direction of the smell, but stopped when Connor didn't follow. He glanced over his shoulder to see his son, torn. A small smile stretched across his lips as he watched him. 'He wants so badly to follow, but is concerned with Dawn's safety..' He realized.
While waiting for Connor to decide, the demon spotted Angel. With a roar, the demon charged. Dawn jumped at the sudden noise before tightening her grip on the handle. Connor breathed out through his mouth to calm himself.
'You've seen her in action. You've trained her. She will be okay.' He reassured himself as the demon swung at his father. The demon stumbled as Angel punched the large demon in the gut. The demon snarled and batted Angel out of the way. Connor moved to protect his girlfriend only to see that she had moved a head of him. He jumped into the battle as he watched Dawn duck the large demon's fist and brought her axe down across the much larger demon's neck. It roared in pain as the axe nicked away three of its scales and tore into the hide. She danced away from his arm while Connor brought his sword on the other side. His swung rang much more purchase than hers, but not enough to kill it. 'One more swing,' Connor estimated as he dodged the rather large arm being swung toward him. His eyes widened in horror as Dawn jumped onto the things back and hooked her axe around the remaining piece of the demon's neck. She kicked away from the demon's back just as his arm swung around to hit her. Its head was severed from its neck with a sickening squish. Dawn landed on the balls of her feet and smiled over at her boyfriend. Connor smiled back and moved to kiss her. Just as his lips were about to meet hers, Dawn's eyes widened in horror.
"Angel!" Dawn exclaimed as she sidestepped her confused boyfriend and ran toward the fallen vampire. His breaths were coming out in short pants. It was then that Dawn knew. The toxins had infected his blood stream. She bit into her lip. 'He had drank the blood of a slayer the last time he was posioned. Her blood is in me as well as the Key...' Angel's eyes widened as Dawn drew a small dagger from her shoe. He shook his head rapidly as he realized what she was going to do. Connor reached her side just as Dawn slid the knife over her wrist.
"Dawn what are you-" Connor moved to grab her wrist only to be lightly pushed away. As he stumbled a little backward, she looked at him. Her green eyes were pleading. 'I can't...' His eyes flicked to his fallen father and the way his chest shuddered. He was dying. Connor closed his eyes and sank down onto the ground beside his girlfriend.
"Drink." Dawn commanded. Angel shook his head. "You stubborn ass! You won't kill me." Dawn's hand shot out and pryed his mouth open. She frowned as she realized that he wasn't even fighting her. 'He's too weak already..' She placed her wrist over his mouth and worked her hand.
Connor could only stare in shock as he watched his girlfriend sacrifice her blood for his father. Even though every bone in his body screamed for him to stop her, he couldn't. He knew his father was dying of posioning. Somewhere in him, he was hoping that what Dawn was doing could save him.
Dawn winced as his fang extended into her wrist. She closed her eyes. The very face he now wore had been the one Angelus had when he had attempted to grab her. It would unnerve her and make her stop.
Connor's brown eyes darted in between his girlfriend and father. Angel had long ago slipped into what Dawn had called 'fang face'. Dawn's eyes were closed tightly and he could smell her fear, but still she didn't pull away. His respect for her grow even more.
"Stop when you can move your hands," Dawn commanded, no trace of fear in her voice.
Angel was struggling with the demon inside of him, with Angelus. He hadn't fed from a person since Buffy. He could hear Angelus whispering for him to keep going, keeping taking what she so willingly gave. 'Willingly..' Angel thought, slowly coming back. 'Willingly gives..' He pulled away from her wrist with a jerk. He could hear the near steady drum of her pulse and smell the fear in the air. His face slowly slid back to normal while Dawn opened her eyes.
Dawn stood to her feet and fought off the dizziness for Connor's sake. Connor stood beside her. She bent and lifted one of Angel's arms to her shoulder. The weak vampire wanted to scream and curse at the girl lifting him. Instead, he silently did it. 'You stupid girl! You could have died! Don't you see that?! I could have killed you! Let Connor carry me and sit the fuck down! You've lost too much!'
"Help me carry him, Connor," she directed. Connor nodded and took most of Angel's weight onto his shoulder. With her free hand, Dawn pulled Angel's cell phone from his pocket and found Gunn in the contacts. "We found the demon," Dawn said upon his answer. "We're taking Angel back to the hotel." A pause. "Yes, he did. He'll be fine." Another pause. "I'll explain at the hotel." With that, Dawn clicked the phone shut and slipped it right back into his father's jacket.
Connor was still in shock by what he had seen his girlfriend do for the man they were laying on the couch in the living room that he almost missed what his father croaked.
"Catch her," he turned in time to see Dawn falling. He wrapped his arms around her waist as Cordelia and Harmony rushed over to Angel.
Chapter Eighteen-So Alike
"Fred, you go with Gunn. Dawn, you go with Connor." Angel commanded. Dawn turned to him just as Connor started to walk away.
"And what? Let you face this demon alone?" Dawn protested. The remaining three that had moved to follow his orders turned around at Dawn's words. Gunn attempted to suppress a smile as he did so. Angel suppressed a small smile at the youngest Summers girl. For a moment as he looked at her, he saw Buffy. 'So alike...' He thought sadly. "I'm sorry, but you don't get to do that! You are not immune to toxins. You are not invincible. "
"Demons and vampires alike will be attracted to their blood, mainly Dawn's blood. The power the scent gives off is like a magnet." Wesley had said just before leaving his office. The warning had been departed with slightly cold eyes. Angel looked over at Fred and Gunn before looking back toward his son and Buffy's sister. As he looked at the gentle smile Dawn gave Connor after he whispered something to her, Angel made his decision. Fred had Illyria on her side and she also had Gunn to protect her.
"Fine," he consented. Dawn smiled. "I'll go with Connor and you." He had expected her smile to fall, but it held. She only cast a worried glance to Fred. The timid looking girl winked at Dawn before her hair and eyes turned an icy blue. Dawn's mouth fell open before she recovered quickly. She shrugged and then gave Illyria the thumbs up. The blue haired version of Fred tilted her head. Angel caught Connor's small smile as he laid his arm over Dawn's shoulders and steering her toward the path.
Dawn smiled and wrapped her arm around Connor's waist. For a moment, Dawn could pretend that they were a normal couple taking a walk on a starry night in LA. The weight of the weapon in her hand brought her back. They could never be a normal couple. Not really. The initals in their wrists weren't a lovers tattoo. They were brands. Dawn looked over at her boyfriend. 'Despite knowing all of that...I'd still want to be with him..' Dawn thought.
Connor could feel her expressive green eyes on him as he looked ahead. His senses were alert and his nerve endings were humming from her contact. He could also feel his father's eyes on him every once and a while. The tension he felt was still there. Despite Dawn telling him he could judge Angel for himself, her words were what he held onto: "He's a good man." They were the only thing that kept him from truly hating his father. Her words that night in the inn had brought to question some of the things Holtz had told him. Then when he had learned of Angel's attack against her and her ability to forgive him for it, it had only concreted that idea a little more. She believed in the goodness of his father. Connor looked down and met her green eyes. She blushed and smiled sheepishly at him. He returned it and squeezed her shoulders. 'If someone so important to me could find good in a man that attacked her, then I can at least give him the benefit of the doubt and open my mind a little more...' He thought. Just as he looked away from her, an awful smell assaulted his nose.
Angel was aware of the smell seconds after his son. He cast a wary glance to Dawn and knew that it would be several minutes before the odor of the demon reached her. Angel moved in the direction of the smell, but stopped when Connor didn't follow. He glanced over his shoulder to see his son, torn. A small smile stretched across his lips as he watched him. 'He wants so badly to follow, but is concerned with Dawn's safety..' He realized.
While waiting for Connor to decide, the demon spotted Angel. With a roar, the demon charged. Dawn jumped at the sudden noise before tightening her grip on the handle. Connor breathed out through his mouth to calm himself.
'You've seen her in action. You've trained her. She will be okay.' He reassured himself as the demon swung at his father. The demon stumbled as Angel punched the large demon in the gut. The demon snarled and batted Angel out of the way. Connor moved to protect his girlfriend only to see that she had moved a head of him. He jumped into the battle as he watched Dawn duck the large demon's fist and brought her axe down across the much larger demon's neck. It roared in pain as the axe nicked away three of its scales and tore into the hide. She danced away from his arm while Connor brought his sword on the other side. His swung rang much more purchase than hers, but not enough to kill it. 'One more swing,' Connor estimated as he dodged the rather large arm being swung toward him. His eyes widened in horror as Dawn jumped onto the things back and hooked her axe around the remaining piece of the demon's neck. She kicked away from the demon's back just as his arm swung around to hit her. Its head was severed from its neck with a sickening squish. Dawn landed on the balls of her feet and smiled over at her boyfriend. Connor smiled back and moved to kiss her. Just as his lips were about to meet hers, Dawn's eyes widened in horror.
"Angel!" Dawn exclaimed as she sidestepped her confused boyfriend and ran toward the fallen vampire. His breaths were coming out in short pants. It was then that Dawn knew. The toxins had infected his blood stream. She bit into her lip. 'He had drank the blood of a slayer the last time he was posioned. Her blood is in me as well as the Key...' Angel's eyes widened as Dawn drew a small dagger from her shoe. He shook his head rapidly as he realized what she was going to do. Connor reached her side just as Dawn slid the knife over her wrist.
"Dawn what are you-" Connor moved to grab her wrist only to be lightly pushed away. As he stumbled a little backward, she looked at him. Her green eyes were pleading. 'I can't...' His eyes flicked to his fallen father and the way his chest shuddered. He was dying. Connor closed his eyes and sank down onto the ground beside his girlfriend.
"Drink." Dawn commanded. Angel shook his head. "You stubborn ass! You won't kill me." Dawn's hand shot out and pryed his mouth open. She frowned as she realized that he wasn't even fighting her. 'He's too weak already..' She placed her wrist over his mouth and worked her hand.
Connor could only stare in shock as he watched his girlfriend sacrifice her blood for his father. Even though every bone in his body screamed for him to stop her, he couldn't. He knew his father was dying of posioning. Somewhere in him, he was hoping that what Dawn was doing could save him.
Dawn winced as his fang extended into her wrist. She closed her eyes. The very face he now wore had been the one Angelus had when he had attempted to grab her. It would unnerve her and make her stop.
Connor's brown eyes darted in between his girlfriend and father. Angel had long ago slipped into what Dawn had called 'fang face'. Dawn's eyes were closed tightly and he could smell her fear, but still she didn't pull away. His respect for her grow even more.
"Stop when you can move your hands," Dawn commanded, no trace of fear in her voice.
Angel was struggling with the demon inside of him, with Angelus. He hadn't fed from a person since Buffy. He could hear Angelus whispering for him to keep going, keeping taking what she so willingly gave. 'Willingly..' Angel thought, slowly coming back. 'Willingly gives..' He pulled away from her wrist with a jerk. He could hear the near steady drum of her pulse and smell the fear in the air. His face slowly slid back to normal while Dawn opened her eyes.
Dawn stood to her feet and fought off the dizziness for Connor's sake. Connor stood beside her. She bent and lifted one of Angel's arms to her shoulder. The weak vampire wanted to scream and curse at the girl lifting him. Instead, he silently did it. 'You stupid girl! You could have died! Don't you see that?! I could have killed you! Let Connor carry me and sit the fuck down! You've lost too much!'
"Help me carry him, Connor," she directed. Connor nodded and took most of Angel's weight onto his shoulder. With her free hand, Dawn pulled Angel's cell phone from his pocket and found Gunn in the contacts. "We found the demon," Dawn said upon his answer. "We're taking Angel back to the hotel." A pause. "Yes, he did. He'll be fine." Another pause. "I'll explain at the hotel." With that, Dawn clicked the phone shut and slipped it right back into his father's jacket.
Connor was still in shock by what he had seen his girlfriend do for the man they were laying on the couch in the living room that he almost missed what his father croaked.
"Catch her," he turned in time to see Dawn falling. He wrapped his arms around her waist as Cordelia and Harmony rushed over to Angel.
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