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Rescue and Sacrifice	By : QueenC Category: AtS/BtVS Crossovers > Het - Male/Female > Connor/Dawn Views: 2677 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own AtS or BtVS. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Title: Rescue and Sacrifice (3/?)

Author: QueenC

Rating: R

Pairings: Dawn/Connor; Angel/Cordelia; Buffy/Spike

Disclaimer: Joss owns all. All hail Joss.

Spoilers: Anything and everything is fair game.

Summary: Willing to do anything to get his son back, Angel enlists the help of an unlikely candidate.

Author's Notes: Ok, this story has been rattling around in my brain since halfway through 'Common Ground'. This story is slightly AU. Basically, Dawn discovered that she couse hse her Key powers early on, and has been working with Tara to perfect her skills and Groo never showed up at AI. Also, Buffy isn't quite as hostile to Spike. In fact, they have a tentative friendship. I think those are about the only major changes. And, as in all my stories, Angel is Spike's sire because I simply refuse to believe anything else. Words in *'s are emphasized, words in 's are thoughts, and words in ~'s are dreams.

******

Sunnydale

~ Dawn was hot, again. This time, however, she knew why. As she opened her eyes and brushed the sweat off her brow, she took in the landscape. Dirt and rocks greeted her.

"And the fire. Can't forget the fire," she muttered, patting her pockets for a hair tie. Smiling triumphantly, she quickly pulled her long brown hair back in a ponytail, sighing in relief once it was off her neck. Slowly, she turned in a circle, trying to spot any sign of life. However, as before, there was nothing.

"Ok, this is getting strange. And, coming from someone who lives on a Hellmouth, that's saying a *lot*," she exclaimed. Suddenly, she sensed movement to her right. Spinning in that direction, she brought her arms up, hands balled into fists, prepared to defend herself.

"Who's there?" she asked, her blue eyes wide. Holding her breath, she listened for any sign that someone, or something, was there. Silence was all that greeted her.

"All right, that's it. I don't know where I am, but I'm *not* staying here!" she stated.

"There is no way out. Only in," a voice said from directly behind her.

Dawn gasped, quickly turning around. A boy stood before her, watching her carefully. He had brown hair, which hung in his face, and bright blue eyes that seemed to stare right through her. Once again, she noted the sadness and pain that surrounded him. However, this time, there was something else. She also noted that he seemed to be older than the last time she'd seen him. He was maybe twelve or thirteen, just at the beginning of the awkwardness of puberty.

"Steven, right?" she asked quietly.

He nodded, a slight smile filling his face. "Yes, Dawn, it's me." He tilted his head to the side, eyeing her. "Why haven't you aged?" he questioned in a hard tone, the grin gone.

She frowned in confusion. "Aged?" she repeated. "Why would I have aged? It's only been one day since I was here."

The boy shook his head. "No! It's been five years!" he insisted. Suddenly, he sounded like the little boy that she'd met the night before. "You left and didn't come back. And, when I told father about you, he said that you weren't real," he whispered, his voice full of fear.

Dawn felt her heart breaking at his words. "Oh, Steven, I'm *so* sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know. See, where *I* live, time moves differently. I just talked to you last night."

Steven stared at her, trying to determine if she was lying or being honest. However, once he saw the tears shimmering in her eyes, he knew. Impulsively, he hugged her tightly, laying his head on her shoulder. "I don't want to lose you, Dawn. I wish we'd never met, because then I wouldn't have to lose you," he murmured.

"What? Steven, you aren't going to lose me! I'll keep coming to see you for as long as I can," she promised. She didn't understand what was happening, why she felt such a connection to him. All she knew was she wanted to ease his anguish.

Shaking his head, he pulled back, taking a step away from her. "Don't do it. *Please*," he begged. "Just stay where you belong. *Don't* come here!"

Dawn gasped, shocked. "I-I don't understand," she whispered. She moved towards him, determined not to let him get away this time. However, before she could reach him, he turned around, darting away.

He stopped a distance off, looking back at her, his face full of sorrow. "Please," he repeated. "Don't come here." Then, he faded into the inky blackness.

The instant he was gone, she felt fear unlike any that she'd ever known. "Steven!" she screamed, tears pouring down her face. Faintly, she heard someone calling her name. Sobbing, she began running towards the sound as fast as her legs would carry her. "Steven!" she repeated. Then, she tripped, landing hard on her hands and knees. Suddenly, the ground beneath her disappeared and she was falling. ~

"Dawn!" Buffy exclaimed, shaking her sister softly.

The youngest Summers whimpered in her sleep, her face damp with sweat and tears. "Steven," she sobbed softly. Then, she sat up, her eyes wide. "No!" she screamed. Her eyes landed on her sister and she exhaled slowly, regaining control over her emotions.

The Slayer stared at her in concern. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, kneeling in front of her. "That seemed like one hell of a nightmare." She didn't comment on the fact that the teenager had fallen asleep on the floor, or the name that she had been whispering as if her heart were breaking.

Dawn sighed, nodding. "I'm fine. It was just so real. But, I'm okay now," she answered. Slowly, she stood up, stretching and yawning. Glancing out her clock, her eyes widened. "I was only asleep for half an hour?"

Buffy nodded. "Yep. And, I would have let you sleep longer, except..." she paused, taking a deep breath, still not believing what she was about to say. "Angel is here. He needs to talk to you."

The teenager gasped. "Angel? W-What does he want?" she wondered.

The blonde shrugged. "I'm not sure. He wouldn't tell me, actually. Said that he only wants to tell the story once," she said simply. "So, go ahead and freshen up, then come downstairs, ok?"

Numbly, she nodded, heading into the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection, trying to convince herself that the sinking feeling she had was for nothing. "Calm down, Dawn," she murmured, splashing some water on her face. After a few minutes, the puffiness around her eyes was gone, and she was looking more like the bright-eyed sixteen-year-old that she was. Finally, forcing a smile, she opened the door and headed downstairs. However, as she reached the foyer, she paused, listening to the argument coming from in the living room.

"--doesn't concern you!" Angel stated.

"Excuse me! When it comes to my sister, it *always* concerns me!" Buffy shot back hotly.

"Look Buffy. I had a vision, ok? It had Dawn in it, *not* you!" Cordelia spoke up from her position beside Angel.

"I don't care if you bloody well had the Powers That Be themselves come down here and speak to you directly! You aren't going to just come in here and take the Bit away!" Spike growled, his eyes flashing yellow.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I interrupting something?" Dawn suddenly snapped from the doorway. Quickly, everyone turned to look at her. However, she was too busy glaring at her sister and Spike to notice anyone else. "See, I was under the impression that *I* was the one who made my decisions. But, I guess I was wrong. So, go ahead. Speak for me. It's not like I care, or anything."

Spike sighed, taking a step towards her. "Niblet," he breathed. "Don't be like that. Your sis and I are just trying to do what's best for you, is all. There's no telling what the Poof wants you to do."

Dawn raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "*Angel*," she emphasized, "Probably wants me to open a portal somewhere. And, since I've been doing that for the past few months, I don't see what the problem is!"

Buffy glared at her sister, quickly crossing the room and standing in front of her. "The *problem*, Dawn, is that you've never opened one for more than a few minutes, *plus* you've never had anyone try to pass through it!" she hissed.

The former Key met the blonde's gaze, her blue eyes full of anger. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," she said. "But, whether you like it or not, I *am* going to help him." She then turned to face the stunned vampire, a small smile on her face. "So, where is it you need to go, and why?"

Angel glanced at the people around him, suddenly quite uncomfortable. He could feel the anger radiating off his childe and the Slayer and was suddenly grateful that neither had a stake handy. Then, he felt Cordelia place a hand on his arm, squeezing it gently and, out of the corner of his eye, sawn, Gunn, Fred, and Lorne moving to stand around him, silently offering their support. It was then that he knew, no matter what happened in the next few minutes, he was going to be all right. So, taking an unnecessary breath, he proceeded to tell Dawn, Buffy, Spike, and Willow about the birth of his son, the betrayal of his best friend, and the revenge from a man he had tortured a hundred years before.

******

LA

Wesley Wyndham-Price stared at the empty bottle in his hand, squinting so it came into focus. He had been released from the hospital earlier that day, only to come home alone. There were no 'Get Well Soon' cards, no flowers, nothing. It was as if he had no friends.

With an angry cry, the former Watcher threw the bottle against the wall, watching as it shattered and spewed glass everywhere. "I should have bloody well known better than to trust that bastard, Holtz. His concerns were for vengeance, not the protection of an innocent," he muttered, walking to his liquor cabinet. Yanking the door open, he pulled out some scotch, twisted the cap off and took a large chug, not even wincing as the alcohol burned a trail down his throat.

Once he'd consumed nearly half of the bottle, he stumbled to his couch, falling down on it. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the look of pain and rage he'd seen on Angel's face when the vampire had attacked him in the hospital. "Why didn't they just let him kill me?" he moaned.

"Now, that's no way to be. You know, that's something I don't understand about you humans. When things get just the slightest bit uncomfortable, you start wishing you weren't here. How do you expect to accomplish what you're sent here to do when all you do is complain and give up?" a voice stated.

Wesley struggled to sit up, his bleary eyes finally focusing on a short man standing in the corner of his apartment, wearing the strangest assortment of clothing that the English man had ever seen. "Who are you?" he demanded, attempting to stand; only to cease his movement when the room began spinning.

"The name's Whistler, pal. And, before you even ask, I'm here to help you get your act together and get back on the path that the Powers That Be laid out for you," the man answered, smiling. He then looked around, a grimace on his face. "You know, you really need to work on your cleaning skills. I haven't seen this much filth since I pulled Angel out of that gutter back in New York."

Wesley nodded, his face impassive. "You mentioned something about returning me to my intended path. Somehow, I hardly think that the Powers That Be have me slated to become a maid. Therefore, let's cease with the discussion of my housekeeping skills and focus on the important issue," he said evenly.

Whistler sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets and leaning against the wall, eyeing the man before him. "Suit yourself. I was just trying to offer some advice," he muttered. Seeing the dark look that he was receiving, he nodded, standing up straight. "All right. It's pretty simple, actually. You need to go to that law firm, the one that's been giving our friendly vampire all that grief. What was their name?"

The self-proclaimed rogue demon hunter narrowed his eyes, gripping the bottle he was clutching so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Wolfram and Hart?" he asked incredulously. "I am to go work for Angel's greatest enemy?"

The demon shook his head. "Work for them? I didn't say anything about *working* for them. I said you needed to *go* there. They have a book of magicks that you're going to need," he explained.

Wesley blinked, allowing the words to sink in. Finally, he questioned, "And what, dare I ask, am I going to need a book of magicks for?"

Whistler grinned. "You, my dear sir, are going to save the day."

******

Sunnydale

Willow was in complete and utter shock. Everything that she had ever known had gone askew in the past thirty minutes. She watched as Buffy, after ordering Spike to stay and keep an eye on Dawn, stormed out of the house, slamming the door so hard the redhead was surprised that it didn't fall off its hinges. Of course, the former Big Bad hadn't appreciated being ordered to baby-sit, so he had promptly followed the Slayer, passing on the responsibility of Dawn-duty to the only other Scooby present; Willow herself. Turning her head, the once-powerful witch looked at the person, or rather, vampire responsible for the chaos erupting around her.

Angel was sitting on the couch, his hands clasped tightly together, and studying the carpet. She knew, from years of working with him, that he was brooding, and was virtually impossible to communicate with until *he* was ready to talk.

However, she wanted to discuss everything now. So, not looking at anyone in particular, she did what she had always done when upset and nervous. She babbled.

"This is just...wow. I mean...wow. I always thought that vampires couldn't have kids, since you're, you know, already dead. But, I guess that would explain why your son is some prophecy. And, the whole Wesley thing is just terrible! Not to mention that Holtz guy. He just sounds completely insane. Well, the whole thing is kinda hard to swallow, what with the different dimensions, and time travel, and a law firm, and..." Willow trailed off when she noticed that everyone was staring at her. Blushing, she shrugged. "Sorry. I just...wow," she murmured.

Dawn sighed, rolling her eyes. "Ok, so, are you sure I can open a portal to this Quarter-whatsit place? Because, if pentagrams and demons can't do it, I'm not so sure that little old me is your best bet," the teenager stated. "I haven't been doing this that long, you know. And, as much as I *hate* to admit it, Buffy's right. I've never tried anything like this."

Cordelia nodded, smiling. "I know that it's scary, Dawn. I can't even to *begin* to imagine how much pressure you must be feeling. If there was *any* other way, believe me, we would do it. However, according to my vision, which are *never* wrong, you're our only hope. Only *you* can make a doorway to Quortoth so we can get Connor back," the Seer said softly.

The Key gave her a strange look. "Ok...who are you and what have you done with Cordelia Chase?" she asked dryly. Then, she grinned, facing Angel. "All right. Let's do it!" she exclaimed.

"Do it? What? No!" Willow stated, jumping to her feet. "There will be no *doing* of any kind! No portals, or, or *anything* involving magick until Tara gets here and Buffy and Spike get back!"

"Why can't you just help her with it?" Fred suddenly questioned, speaking for the first time since their arrival. Everyone turned to her and she blushed. "Um, I mean, aren't you the one who gave Angel back his soul? And brought Buffy back? And did all of these other magical things?" she continued meekly.

Willow stared at the brunette, nodding slowly. She was instantly reminded of the pain that she had caused her friends because of her addiction. "Yes, I am. However, I don't do any of that anymore," She answered evenly, trying to keep the pain out of her voice.

Dawn cleared her throat bringing the focus back on her. "I didn't mean right this second, Willow. I just meant that I would try to do it. Later. After Tara gets here and stuff," she explained.

"Thank you, Dawn," Angel said softly, giving the girl a slight smile. "You'll never know how much this means to me."

The teenager shrugged, grinning broadly. "It's no big deal, really. I mean, I *was* made to do this stuff. Literally," she joked.

"Great! Now, not to be pushy or anything, but, when is this Tara girl supposed to get here? Because, I'd *really* like to get something to eat before we take a trip to the Twilight Zone," Lorne stated, looking between Willow and Dawn.

Dawn glanced at the clock, frowning. "She should be here any minute, actually," she answered. "In fact, she was *supposed* to be here nearly an hour ago."

Just then, a knock sounded on the door. Grinning, the teenager jumped to her feet. "And, that's probably her!" she exclaimed, heading into the foyer. She flung the front door open and froze, the smile disappearing and the color draining from her face. "W-What are *you* doing here?" she asked, staring in shock at the person on her doorstep. Instinctively she took a step backwards, glancing into the living room at Angel.

"Now, now, glowing girl, that isn't any way to speak to your soon-to-be sister," Drusilla said, a smile on her face.

******
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