It was two days before Dawn woke up. She stayed asleep and kept her father by her side the entire time. Willie brought him his blood, knowing he was not going to force her to release his arm. He stayed by her until she woke up and when he did, she looked better.

"Hi, daddy," Dawn whispered as she hugged him. "I'm glad to be home."

"I'm glad to have you home, baby. I was getting ready to come and get you when your cry hit me."

"Sorry," Dawn whispered.

"Nothing to be sorry about, baby," he said. "You needed me so I came." Barnabas then helped her sit up and led her into the bathroom so she could get cleaned up.

Her clothes were laid out on the bed when she came out and she smiled. Her dad always took the best care of her. She got dressed and came downstairs to where her dad, Spike, Giles, Willie and Ethan were sitting and talking. She saw the way Giles was holding on to Ethan, which told her he did not plan to let him go gain and she smiled. Good, Giles needed someone to bring him love and laughter. Especially now.

"So, uhm, what's up?" Dawn asked as she sat by her father.

"Well, we have dinner at the New house tonight," Barnabas said.

"The rest of the Family wants to see for themselves that you are at least physically okay."

"Okay," Dawn said. "Anything else?"

"Giles asked me why I had you until the beginning of this year," he told her. "It's up to you how much I tell them as it really is not their business."

"We can tell them because Buffy didn't like me and Mom wanted me safe from Hank but for the whole story we really need to wait until Xander and Willow catch up with us because I only want to tell it once."

"Yes," Giles said with a tired sigh. "It's too much to hope those two will butt out but I suppose we should be grateful for the few days respite we've had. It will be soon though. You slept for two days and even driving they will be here soon. It's too much to hope they will ever learn the meaning of the words "Leave us Alone."

"Yeah, way too much to hope," Dawn said. "So, once they get here we can tell the whole story but until then? I want to keep it to ourselves."

"That's fine then," Giles said as he sat, leaning into Ethan's embrace. Dawn saw the tension and years just seeming to fall off of him and she smiled, happy for him. Giles and Ethan, Ethan and Giles. They just fit together perfectly.

"So, what does Dinner at the New House entail?" Giles asked.

"Nothing so formal unless it's a holiday," Barnabas said.

"Whatever you are most comfortable in. They know of William's dress style as they know of Dawn's so there is nothing for you to worry about in whatever you might choose to wear."

Giles nodded and they dressed and walked over to the new house for dinner where Dawn was greeted with sympathy form everyone including the ghost of her Aunt Sarah. She thanked everyone and they sat down to the meal spread out before them. Once they finished eating, Giles was given a brief history of the area and sighed thank whatever gods existed that he had some weapons with him because he had a feeling he was going to need them.

After dinner, their group retired back to the Old house as Dawn was still not up for long visits and as they walked into the house they received a surprise. Xander and Willow were sitting waiting.

"May I help you?" Barnabas asked after a moment of tense silence.

"Give us back Giles and Dawn," Xander said.

"I would if I had them," he answered. "However, they chose to come here and they chose to stay. I had nothing to do with it."

"We want them back," the girl, Willow, said. "We want them back now. Just because Joyce was a whore and gave Dawn to you don't mean we will!"

"I'm sorry" Barnabas said as his eyes began to glow red. "What did you just say about Joyce?"

"You heard me," Willow said. "She was a whore and she cheated on her husband with you."

"To stay warm," he growled. "What happened was an accident. I had a damn concussion or I would have stopped it…actually, no, I wouldn't have. Dawn is the most important thing in the world to me and if you think I'm going to give her to some stupid little bitch I think you're going to learn you are sadly mistaken."

"Like a vampire can stop me?"

"As Dawn said, I am Not your average vampire. I have power you can't even dream of little girl and I think it's about time I used it."

And then Dawn grinned as her father did something he had not done since some idiot had attacked a child in town: he rolled Willow and Xander with his power and what he did left them lying on the ground moaning in pain and shock.

"I will tell you this one, final time. Dawn is my daughter. She has chosen to stay with me. Interfere with that or do anything to harm her or any of the others and I swear by all in heaven and in hell you will have eternity to regret it."

He grabbed Willow by the hair in a gesture that was entirely ungentlemanly, and threw her out of the house. Then he came back in and found the boy Xander standing and looking lost.

"Get over yourself and you can stay. Insult Joyce and you get tossed out next. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Xander whispered. He turned, as did Barnabas and everyone else, as three new people were led into the room.

"Oz. With Faith and some guy I don't know," Xander said.

"Doyle," oz introduced. Doyle, everyone, everyone, Doyle. Giles, we have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Giles asked.

"A kind of problem where Angel, with a soul is being crueler than Angelus at his worst to Wesley," Doyle said. "I been watching for months and I just can't take it anymore. I see Wes and he's starving and he's hurting and he's cold and all they do is laugh at him. I didn't' know what to do but Oz here told me you would."

"I do but it will require something else. It will require the one being in the entire world who loves Wesley more than life or unlife getting to him and helping him. I wish it were possible because I know which being it is and it ill be hard to have happen.

Giles did not hear the quietly whispered words of "Wish granted" so he did not know it was going to be dealt with. He just knew he was now praying from the one thing he used to pray would never occur: He was silently praying for Angel to lose his soul.

"Better than that, Giles," the voice whispered as she went about her duties. "Much better and a vengeance on Angel too."

**************

In LA, a man wakes with a start and realizes he is no longer bound to The Other. He gets dressed as quickly as he can only knowing he has to get to The One. He gets cleaned up and dressed in leather and velvet and then he leaves, after placing his own unique calling cards on the desks with knives.

Then, he goes to The One's place.

When the One opens the door, He sees pain in his movement of the wrist. The One looks at him wondering what work he has to do now and asks him that very question in his soft British accent and then asks timidly if he might be paid in food this time. He stared at The One and slowly gathered him into his arms and gently stroked his hair.

"We're getting food on the way out of this godforsaken hell hole me lovely," he whispered. "Just you an me and we're goin' t' Doyle an' Oz and Giles and the others. Okay Me lovely?"

"Angelus?" The One whispered.

"Aye me Lovely," Angelus said softly. He only spoke with his brogue for those that mattered to him. Wesley, Liam, Dawn, William and Ripper.

He'd taken to liking and caring for all those Angel had hurt when he had lost Liam and so had gone after him.

"Sweet Wesley," he said softly. 'I'm taking ye away from Angel. We're going to pack ye some clothes and a few weapons, we're going to get you some food on the way out of town and then, we are going to Maine. We are going to where they are. Alright Me lovely?"

"Y-yes," Wesley whispered against his shoulder and Angelus realized he was crying.

"It's all right, me lovely," he said. "I am stronger than Angel. I'll keep ye safe. I promise."

So saying he got Wes packed and everything and they were soon on their way after stopping at a McDonalds and he drove watching over Wesley s the man slept. His words coming back to him as he smiled at the one who was his One.

"I promise."

And he always kept his promises.

Part 3

It was just after sunset three days later when there was yet another arrival at the Old House. Dawn had been looking through the books in the library after dinner, Willie still being the Bestest Chef she'd ever had the food of, and she was looking for her favorite book of fairy tales when there was a knock on the door. It was a powerful knock and she was curious so she followed Spike when he went to open the door.

Standing on the other side was someone she knew was not welcome here. Or at least, it looked like someone who was not welcome here but the man in his arms was contradictory to everything Oz and Doyle had told them.

"Angel," Doyle growled. However, Spike's hand on his shoulder stopped Doyle's forward momentum.

"Mate," Spike said. "I hate to be the one to have to tell you this but this is by no stretch of the imagination Angel. This is my Sire, Angelus."

"What?" Doyle asked.

Spike nodded and invited Angelus in, noticing the burden in his arms and taking him immediately to the dinning room where everyone still was. "Giles, you got your wish. Angelus is here. He brought Wes an it looks like it's worse than we thought."

"Oh, dear lord," Giles whispered, as he saw Wesley. "Oh, my dear Lord in heaven."

"He'll recover," Angelus whispered. And by now everyone could see that his eyes were a shining, angry gold. "He'll recover but he is not going back to those monsters. I don't know where we'll go if I'm not allowed to stay here but no one is eve going to hurt him again."

"You my stay," Barnabas said softly. "Come with me. I'll show you to a room you can use."

Angelus followed Barnabas up the steps to a richly appointed room where there was a huge bed. He carried Wesley over to it and gently laid him down.

"Thank you," Angelus said quietly. "I don't know what to do beyond giving him some place to rest."

"Willie has gone to get his aunt. Mrs. Johnson knows a lot about helping people. She'll be able to help your friend. Also, Dr. Hoffman is coming. I do not like her personally but I don't see any alternative."

"She hurt you?" Angelus asked.

Barnabas nodded but knew Wesley needed a Medical Doctor's help in this.

Angelus sighed but knew he had to allow it. He stayed by Wesley throughout the examination and he listened to the treatment regimen so he knew what he had to do. Wesley's stomach had shrunk badly but not so badly that he could not eat. Therefore they would gently stretch his stomach out again and get him eating healthy soon. Angelus nodded, vowing to stay by his side come hell or high water, until he was well.

Giles smiled knowing Barnabas had put them in the room they were in for that very reason: he had known Angelus was not going to want to leave Wes until he was well. Smart vampire. Very smart vampire.

******************

Three months later, Wesley was doing better. He could eat full meals again, he could get up and move further than the bathroom without help and he was learning to laugh again.

Right now, he and Dawn were going through her father's papers because he had given them to Dawn after she asked to see what he had been like in the 1700's. She'd enlisted Wesley's help in going through them because he was bored with sitting and doing nothing. Angelus had said he could get up tomorrow but he was bored today. He and Dawn were going through the papers and Dawn found her father's journals.

She started when he had begun writing and she didn't get more than five pages before she realized what she was reading. She skimmed all of them hoping they would change but they didn't. She looked at Wesley and saw the same look of anger in his eyes that she knew was in hers.

Her father was the kindest, gentlest, most wonderful man in the world. Vampire or not. How could anyone, especially his own father, think he was worthless and a failure because he was introverted and preferred books and drawing to parties and girls? It was enough to really torque Dawn.

She got up from Wes' bed and he followed, getting dressed and following her down the steps where she had gone to talk to her father.

"Is this true?" Dawn asked him as she paced in front of the group in the parlor.

Barnabas had taken to waking up earlier with so many people here. "Did grandfather really treat you like this?"

Wesley saw Barnabas' eyes close briefly in remembered pain before he nodded. It was obvious to Wesley he had never intended Dawn to find out but it was too late now.

"Oooohhhh!" Dawn growled. "That jerk. That arrogant, Dickhole, bastard, cheap fuck Sonuvabitch! I wish he were here, right now, so I could tell him what I think of him. I wish he was here, right from his fat happy life, the little dumpy asshole, so I could tell him what a lying, no good, cheapskate, boorish, brainless, dickless, heartless, lying sack of monkey shit he is! Merry Christmas! Holy Shit! Where's the Tylenol?"

For a moment there was dead silence before laughter filled the room. Everyone turned to look at Faith who was laughing insanely.

"Way to go, D," she said. "Damn girl, I had no idea you had such good memory recall. And that bit about wishing he was here. Great I tell, absolutely..."

"Uh-oh," Spike said as he felt the air get thick and heavy.

It hit Dawn a moment before the bright flash of light filled the room behind them what she said and once it faded and she heard the new voices, her eyes closed in a silent grimace that was pure Giles.

"Without even looking around, I KNOW I should have rephrased that," she said.

Giles had the guts to turn around first. He was staring at the group and he ran Dawn's rant through his head and coming to "I Wish..." he sighed, shaking his head.

"Oh, Dear lord," he exclaimed. "ANYA!!!"

Part 4

No one moved until Dawn suddenly walked over to the man she knew was her grandfather and looked at him.

"Joshua Collins?" she asked. He looked at her for a moment before he nodded uncertainly.

"Good," Dawn said. Then she proceeded to bring her foot back and kick him square in the groin. His face contorted in pain and he sank to the floor where Dawn started kicking and hitting him, yelling incoherently about what kind of a heartless monster he was and other things as those watching realized what she was screaming about before she felt her father's arms wrap around her and lift her away from him.

"Enough," his gentle baritone soothed. "Enough, Dawn. Enough. You've made your point. Yes, he was a bastard but if he hadn't been, I may not have struggled so hard to be the opposite of who and what he was. Enough. Let it go now. Let it go."

"But it's not fair!" Dawn cried. "It's not! You've been the best father in the world and the best, kindest person I really knew before Sunnydale and that's what you had for a father and I think someone needs to tell him how wrong he was about you! You're better than he is. You're a thousand times better."

"Shhh," he soothed as she hit against his chest. "It's all right, baby. It's all right. I'm fine. I turned out fine in spite of everything. It's okay."

"Barnabas?" he heard his mother say.

He slowly turned to face her and saw his father had gotten to his feet but was not saying anything yet. Good, he could use a few moments of silence to figure out what to say.

Finally he found something.

"Giles," he said, "Could you ask Julia if she will please come and treat Sarah? I lost her once to that fever. If it all possible, I'd like to prevent a recurrence."

Giles nodded and went to get her leaving Barnabas still holding Dawn so she did not go crazy again.

"All right, secondly: Mother, Father, this is your granddaughter, Dawn. She is my miracle child."

"She's beautiful," Naomi said.

"She is in the room," Dawn replied. "This is not your time where Women are ignored. This is my time, where girls and women can do anything men can except pitch a tent in my pants with a dick I don't have. I don't like being talked down to and no one, and here I repeat and emphasize No. One. Insults, belittles or hurts my father. I tend to react violently." She said that with the sweetest damn smile that Faith again snorted, drawing the attention of an older, stern looking woman.

"You allow a whore to live here, Barnabas? Disgracing the family name again?"

"Hey, did you not hear me you stupid tight ass?" Dawn asked. "I just said what happens if you insult my father. By the way, dad, I'm not in trouble for that rant am I?"

"No," he said after a moment. "But in future, please try to use nicer sounding words eh? It would be damn hypocritical of me to punish you for using words I have used."

"Okay, cool."

"Lady," Dawn heard Faith say, "You are about as intimidating as a chicken with a personality to match. You stand around squawkin' all day because you couldn't find a man of your own. Honey, go out and get laid. Do something to get the red wood sized stick out of your ass because I gotta say, that stick must really hurt."

"Faith," Wesley admonished while trying no to laugh. "That was really rude."

"I'm a rude girl, Watcher mine," Faith said. 'Everyone knows Faith is a rude little beast when she wants to be. I can even out bitch Cordy.... sorry, Wes. That's a bad analogy. Anyway, D, this stupid old cow doesn't bug me. I've had worse said by better."

"Regardless," Joshua himself said. "Abigail, you will keep your comments to yourself. This is not our place and we have no right to judge." His voice was higher than normal but the steel was still there.

One thing Dawn knew her father had learned from his father was how to put a bar of steel in his voice at times. Joshua glared at his sister until she sat down on one of the new couches and looked around. She had a truly offended look on her face when she saw how things had been changed but shut her mouth before she said a damn thing. She could see if she did it would result in probably Barnabas as well as the others in the room reacting.

"Joshua," she said. "How can you stand there and take this? I feel we should protest."

"Protest what?" he asked her. "A child wanting to tell me something I already knew and making sure I heard it? Abigail, there was nothing said I have not thought of myself at least ten times in the past year. I hurt my son. If his daughter wanted to tell to my face what she thought of me, that was her right."

"Actually," Dawn began. "I didn't know she'd really bring you here. I was angry and screaming after I read my dad's journals and it was just way too much on top of everything else that's occurred in the last 6 months. First my mom died, then, my sister died and this was after dad got really sick because of some ego laden bitch with an attitude screwing with his medicine, and then we came here which I was glad to come home, and then we found out Wes was being hurt and then everything else just kind of dog piled and I'm sorry I ....actually, no I'm not. It needed to be said and Dad is always telling me not to apologize unless I mean it. And I'm really not sorry I said it or kicked you but I am sorry Anya dragged you here and I guess Giles is also looking for her. That's Julia, she is the bitch that hurt dad but she wont hurt human patients. Or, at least she'd better not because Angelus there tends to react seriously violently to Doctors abusing their power."

"You do not need to apologize to me, young lady," Joshua said.

"I deserved it. Everything you did and said I deserved. I hurt my son and I know it. I know it was wrong and I hope one day he can forgive me."

"Joshua!" Abigail denied. "You were trying to make him into a man."

"And I see here he is far more a Man then I was. Abigail, I was wrong. We were wrong. My son is a good man. He' a better man for defying me and I am proud of him and everything he's done here. Vampire or not."

"Perhaps we should all sit down?" Ethan said taking up the role of host while Julia Hoffman treated Sarah and Barnabas saw to dinner. He was certain Angelus and Giles were discussing other things so it was left up to him because Faith and Spike were neither of them gentlepersons.

"Thank you," Joshua said. He took his seat as his wife did and they looked up as Julia came in.

"Her fever is getting lower. This is a good sign. If I were you all, I'd be more careful about how things go from now on. Also, the next time someone tells you to treat someone with cold, do it. Now, excuse me. Mr. Giles can finish treating her. I am not welcome here so I will be going."

"Good riddance," Dawn muttered. When Julia turned to look at her, Dawn whistled innocently. "Gee, sorry, did I say that out loud? Honestly, what was I thinking?"

The sarcasm was acidic as her father's when he was angry thus causing others to laugh about it. Dawn angry was never a good thing. Not at all.

"So," Doyle said looking around. "Pizza?"

Part 5

In LA, Cordelia Chase was slipping into Wesley's apartment. She looked down at the drawing that had been left for her and it's caption as well as Wesley's address: "Learn to see or lose your eyes," the caption read.

And now, she was here. She opened the door and stepped into the apartment and the first thing she felt was emptiness. Her new empathic gifts suddenly opened and she cried out as she was bombarded by Wesley's feelings. All that was here to feel was pain, miserly, despair and loneliness. This was Wesley's life. This was all her friend had. It was terrible. It burned so badly and she felt like crying. And she was seeing things thanks to the visions she shared with Doyle. She was seeing what Angel and Gunn did to Wesley. Seeing how they hurt him and made him starve and it just made her sick as she thought about all the things Angel got for her.

She left the apartment a few minutes later, carrying a few pictures Wesley had left and his leather jacket. She knew his bike was still down stairs so she went down and got on it. She drove it back to her apartment and went in.

"Dennis," she said quietly. "Can you keep every, specially Angel and Gunn out? I need to be alone."

The light flickered on briefly saying yes so Cordelia went into her room and closed the door. Then, she lay down across the bed and sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Wes," she said. "I'm sorry. Please, forgive me."

****

In Maine, Dawn was watching her grandparents sort of get acclimated to this time. It had been a hell of a shock to her grandfather to learn girls wore pants too. And since Sarah was better and Dawn had the only clothes close to her size, Joshua was going to trust Dawn to get her outfitted. Also, Dawn knew this time. She knew how to make someone fit in.

"Uh, hi," Dawn said quietly to them. "Look, I'm not sorry I kicked you but I am sorry for where it landed. I was aiming for your shin and uhm.... well, forgot the height difference so I'm sorry. At least about where I kicked you. Not that I kicked you."

"I already said I understand why you did," Joshua told her. Now, is there something else?"

"Dad said I need to take you guys to the mall too. You can take Giles if you'd rather. He's more adult than I am. And I really don't think you want to go with Faith. You really don't want that."

"It's all right," Joshua said. "I'll go with Mr. Giles. Naomi and I both understand why Sarah has to dress so she fits in and she really likes those clothes better."

"Yeah,' Dawn said. "Too bad your sister doesn't. Man, I've never seen Wesley as close to snapping as he is with her. And Giles? Man it takes a lot to piss Giles off that much. Any further pushing by her and Ethan is liable to dress in clothes and turn her into whatever she's wearing. He's that powerful."

"I'll warn her again," Joshua said. "Although I fear it will take something drastic to make her stop."

"Just wait," Dawn said with a grin. "She keeps pushing and it'll happen. I'll go tell Giles you'll go with him. Wes is likely going to because Angelus didn't pack much before he brought Wes here. Later grandpa."

Dawn ran out and Joshua looked at Naomi.

"She is energetic, isn't she?" he asked.

"Just like her father was when he was a boy," Naomi replied. "I see so much of him in her."

"And I wonder what happened to that little boy," Joshua answered.

"And then I remember and I know. I am sorry, Naomi. I am so sorry for what I did to him."

"He's forgiven you," she told him. "You should work on forgiving yourself. Now, lets go out with Mr. Giles and get clothes that fit this century."

Joshua nodded and followed Naomi out. Abigail was waiting as well, still with the most unpleasant look on her face but she had to get clothes that were a little more modern. He suddenly dreaded this shopping expedition when he saw Faith. This was not going to be as peaceful a she liked but he had a feeling it would be a entertaining as some of the other things he'd seen.

Faith grabbed Wesley's arm as they were leaving telling him she was under strict orders from Angelus to get him clothes that suited who he really was.

Wesley looked a tad nervous but he trusted his Slayer.

"This is going to get interesting," Joshua said.

Giles looked at what he was looking at and saw it was Abigail and Faith glaring at each other. "If it doesn't get bloody first," he muttered. "Lets get this show on the road, children."

"Yes Giles," Faith said. "Right behind you Oh, King of Books."

"Get in the car," Giles said shaking his head and smiling.

"You let her talk to you with that disrespect?" Abigail asked.

"Of course," Giles said. "It's just the way Faith is. Now, kindly get your stick filled ass in the car and get seated so we can go."

Giles was muttering in ancient tongues as he got in the drivers seat and swore the next time they were going at night so Angelus could help him ride herd on the children. And by children he meant all of the people under thirty in the car. He was going to feel the need to strangle at least one or maybe more by the end of this day, he just new it.