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 Three years later Maggie and Alisa hold each other’s hands and then with their free hands hold onto either Connor or Dawn’s hand as the four walk through the park. Dawn glances to her right taking in the three people there, both girls are telling Connor excitedly about their school play that Dawn had offered to direct. The girls absolutely loved Connor, as much as anyone back at the hotel, and everyone at the hotel, with the exception of Angel, adored Connor as well, he just seemed to fit easily into their little family. Even Spike, despite their first meeting, got along really well with Connor and no one could understand or get to the bottom of why Angel kept his distance but it was just a fact that Dawn had learned to live with. “How about I buy you three ice cream?” Connor offers. “Yay! Can we Dawn?” The girls ask looking at Dawn. Dawn nods, “sounds fine to me.” “Why don’t you guys run ahead to the car,” Connor points to the ice cream stand a couple of feet ahead of them, “and pick out the flavor you want?” Once the girls hurry ahead Connor takes Dawn’s hand and asks, “so are plans are still on for tonight?” Dawn nods, “unless you need to change them.” “I’m not the one who has senior year finals coming out.” Connor responds. Dawn shakes her head, “they aren’t for a couple of weeks. When do you want to pick me up?” “8:30 all right, right after bedtime?” Connor asks. Dawn nods, “that’s fine.” “We’re home!” Maggie calls when she and Alisa lead the way into the hotel. Fred is the only one to appear, “girls why don’t you go do your homework?” Fred suggests, looking slightly preoccupied. “All right,” the girls hurry off to their rooms to complete their homework like Dawn had made them promise they would do if they came to the park with her and Connor. “What’s going on Fred?” Dawn asks trying to read Fred’s nervous expression. “Come into the office and we’ll explain.” Fred states and once Fred and Dawn are in there with everyone else Fred explains, “a woman called today, she says that she is the girls’ birth mother.” “I still don’t really think it’s her.” Gunn states. “She wants to see the girls.” Fred continues as if she’s all ready heard what Gunn has to say. “She’s probably making it up,” Spike adds. “I’m afraid she may want the kids back.” Fred sighs. “It’ll be all right,” Dawn reassures, “Fred you can run a test to see if she is telling the truth about being their mother and she never said anything about taking the kids. So don’t jump to the conclusion that that is what she wants and don’t freak out because freaking out will only freak the girls out.” The room seems calmed by Dawn’s words and they set to work coming up with a plan of action; Angel, Dawn and Fred would meet the woman and Fred would run the test as Wes, Spike and Gunn stood guard. “All right, now that we have a plan the girls need dinner and to get to bed. I have a date with Connor, we need to keep everything normal for the girls so they can get some sleep and don’t worry themselves sick. “I don’t wanna go to bed!” The yelling rings down the stairs as Dawn hurries out the door before the girls realize that Dawn is leaving. They had been cranky for most of the evening and now were resisting Lorne’s attempts to get them to go to bed, they want Dawn to tell them a story and to give them their bath and to stay with them until they fell asleep. “You look fantastic.” Connor comments. “All right cup cake,” Lorne looks down at Maggie whom he has a firm hold on, “where’s is your sister?” Maggie giggles and shrugs, “I don’t know, somewhere.” “I think you know exactly where she is.” Spike responds, “Alisa Cordelia you better get out here right now, it’s past your bedtime!” “Gotcha,” Spike’s knees nearly give out when Alisa comes crashing on top of him obviously from the ceiling. “You young lady are in a lot of trouble.” “Are you all right?” Dawn asks once the waiter has taken their orders and Connor is still almost silent. “Yes,” Connor nods firmly, “yes.” “What’s going on?” “We’ve been together for over four years and you’re about to graduate from college and you’re going to be starting a new life, I’ve got a new job.” Dawn’s breath catches in her throat, she knows what’s coming as she nods and whispers, “yes.” “Dawn I want to spend the rest of my life with you, will you marry me?” Dawn’s grin is bright, “I will.” Connor kisses Dawn, but when they pull apart Dawn states, “but there are some things I need to explain to you before we get married, I think we need to talk about it now.” Dawn takes a deep breath, “there are some things you don’t know about me that...” “I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner, but you have a phone call Miss Summers.” Dawn sighs, “all right,” and she accepts the cordless phone. “Hello.” “Dawn, I’m so sorry to call during your date but there’s an emergency here. Maggie...she...uh...could you just come home? Please?” “Do you want me to come in?” Connor asks when he pulls in front of the hotel. Dawn shakes her head, unsure of what exactly is going on inside the hotel, “it’s all right.” Dawn leans over and kisses him, “I’ll call you tomorrow, all right?” Connor nods, “all right, I love you.” “I love you too.” Dawn returns before she gets out of the car. “Dawn! Dawn! Dawn!” Both girls come flying at Dawn, crying. “My head hurts,” Maggie is crying as she clings to Dawn, “my head really, really hurts.” “Maggie falled down and then made up a story.” Alisa announces as she too clings to Dawn. “All right,” Dawn disentangles herself from Alisa and stands up, easily lifting Maggie with her as Wesley comes into the room, “what’s going on?” Maggie hiccups and sniffles as she buries her face into Dawn’s neck. “We think that Maggie is our new connection to The Powers That Be.” Wesley responds, “Spike, Angel and Gunn went to check it out.” An hour later the girls are both asleep on Dawn’s lap, Dawn is gently smoothing Maggie’s hair when Fred comes in from the office where she had been camped pouring over some books. “Hi Dawn, I’m sorry about ruining your date.” Maggie hiccups in her sleep and Dawn rubs her back gently, “it’s all right, this was important.” “Did you have fun?” Dawn takes a deep breath, “yeah, Connor proposed.” Dawn holds out her left hand to show off the delicate diamond ring Connor had slipped onto her finger. “Oh Dawn,” Fred breathes, “it’s beautiful. I’m so sorry.” Dawn makes a face, “I was about to tell Connor about the part of my life that he doesn’t know. About how I wasn’t one of the people who fled Sunnydale before it fell into that freak sinkhole but that I was the one who stayed behind fighting the freak characters who belong in a lame sci-fi movie. So it was kind of a relief really, I need time to figure out how I am going to tell him everything.” Fred pats Dawn’s hand, “I’m sure you will figure out what to tell him” Just then the guys walk into the hotel and Fred rushes to Spike, “well?” Spike wraps an arm around Fred as he declares, “Maggie’s vision was true, a gang of vampires attacked a homeless shelter. This is bullocks, the PTB are forcing painful visions onto a small child.” “We should get some sleep,” Fred suggests, “it’s been a long day for everyone. And tomorrow will be just as long.” |
