Calling an angel

[dawnie_thekey]

When Xander finished talking to Faith he turned to me with this cold, knowing, look in his eyes. All he said was "Angel?" And I nodded as I pulled a handfull of change out of my pocket and dumped it into the payphone. Of course I had Angel's number memorized, I mean...you never know when you are going to need it

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[artofbrooding]

I threw the dusty axe against the floor and hung up the phone. Lorne was convinced Cordelia and I were in love.

Were we? Did I love Cordelia. Her call and everything that had been going on convinced me I did.

I looked down at my clothing, definately not going to work if I plan on telling Cordy I love her, if that's even what I'm going to say. I turn to run upstairs and change but the phone rings again.

I sigh and walk over to it.

"Hello?"

"Angel? It's...it's Dawn."

Her voice. Instantly my brain reminded me of seeing Willow standing in the lobby of the hotel when we got back from Pylea.

Buffy.

"S-something b-bad happened. W-we need you."

I felt everything I had inside me die all over again.

"Buffy ..." I tried to wrap my mind around it, It had been enough that Willow had the gaul to bring her back the first time. I'd been happy and full of sadness and anger at the same time. I'd seen her and instantly knew where she'd been, I wanted to take her away from the people who caused her the pain she was in, but that night she just needed to be held.

"She's gone?"

I heard a noise from her end and knew that question was stupid and I regretted it.

"Dawn tell me what you need, I can be there in less than two hours."

[dawnie_thekey]

The words didn't even leave my mouth and Angel knew. Angel always seemed to know. Though he only had half of it and the rest...not going to work so well. Ok Dawn, you can do this, a few deep breaths and everything will be fine...it will never be fine, never again.

My voice quickly filled with the emotion that I tried to fight back, and I would not let myself start crying again. "It's worse than that Angel...W-Warren...this guy Buffy went to high school with..." I don't think Angel ever knew Warren, he may have heard of him, but I found it necesary to clear that up.

"...Warren sh-shot Buffy..Willow...and Tara." Come on Dawn, don't lose it now, be strong, Buffy would want you to. "Buffy and Willow are...they didn't...Angel, Buffy and Willow aren't coming back. And Tara...I don't know if she is going to be ok."

My voice got shaky and my hands got even more shaky. Taking the phone away from my face for a second and holding it to my chest, I spoke quietly to myself. "Come one Dawn, be strong for Buffy. Need to be a big girl now." Swallowing hard I replaced the reciever to my ear.

"Sunnydale needs you."

[artofbrooding]

I took in everything that she said with a sinking heart. Still unbeating heart, with all hopes of redemption and becomming human still avaliable to me, only what was the point? What would I do with humanity without Buffy?

I could tell Dawn was trying very hard to keep it together and I hated that she even had to worry, she was in the position and no girl her age should be.

"Come one Dawn, be strong for Buffy. Need to be a big girl now." I heard her voice very softly through the phone, vampire hearing.

"You are being strong for her Dawn."

"Sunnydale needs you."

"It's not Sunnydale I'm worried about. Give me a few hours and I'll be there."

[dawnie_thekey]

"You are being strong for her Dawn."

When he said that I almost lost it. Though I smiled slightly. Maybe he was right. I mean hell, I don't know many girls my age, put in my position, who would be as stable as I am now.

"Thank you Angel." Clearing my throat I had to tell him the mission we sorta promised that he would take. "Oh and Angel...we sorta need you to...uh, well...break Faith out of jail. We are d-defenseless here and we need a slayer. She's our last one and we told her that and angel was going to help her. So...think you can do that?"

Ok, I can cry when I hang up. He already said I was being strong and I wasn't going to ruin that impression.

[artofbrooding]

I didn't really like the idea of just breaking Faith out of jail. After it was my idea that her time there could be her redemption, or at least a step in that direction.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do.

"I'll go see her as soon as we get off the phone." I hoped that would be enough for Dawn. I refused to lie to her, but I'd talk to Faith. We'd figure something out. And if it came down to it, I'd take her to Sunnydale.

I looked around the dark hotel, there was little to keep me here, Cordelia would have to understand, and I knew Connor wouldn't, but one day he'd have to.

"Listen to me Dawn. You stay at the hospital with Xander." She hadn't told me where she was or who she was with, but it was safe to assume I was correct in my assumptions. "I'll be in there before the sun rises."

I could practically hear her nodding through the phone.

"And Dawn, it's ok to cry, it doesn't make you weak it makes you human, you have to know that she's there with you now, and she always will be."

[dawnie_thekey]

He spoke and I just nodded in silence battling with myself. I think this is what they call inner turmoil or something. All I know is that it sucks. Then his next words cut through me like a knife. Ok, and here come the water works.

He says it's ok to cry, so hell, I won't fight it anymore. Why bother? Tears are the only thing linking me to my humanity. But I won't cry when we get Warren...no, I'm going to have such a grin as I watch that boy die...ok freakin' myself out now. Breathe in, now out...much better.

"Thanks Angel. This means...this means a lot. Xander and I will stay here. Oh and Angel...we'll make him pay won't we? He won't get away with this. He can't. You're gonna help us get him right. He deserves to be punished." Through my crying, that last part came out calm, a cold.

[artofbrooding]

I took a deep unneeded breath as her words echoed in my head. My concern for Dawn had taken over the forfront of my mind.

I hadn't even thought about the fact that someone had sought Buffy out, to kill her. It wasn't as if it was something she hadn't faced before, nonetheless ...

Rational thought concerning the man who murdered the woman I loved with my entire being? Not likely.

"He'll pay Dawn. I promise you."

My voice sent chills down my own spine.

[dawnie_thekey]

Fingers clenched around the phone at his words, and for some reason they calmed me some, and my crying subsided, didn't stop, just subsided.

"Good. Now get what you need to done, and hurry here. We are counting on you Angel. For Buffy."

With that said I hung up the phone. Leaning my back against the wall I slid down, tears filled my eyes once more, and I lost it all over again. Only difference was I KNEW that Warren would pay for what he did.