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“We should really get you to a doctor,” Buffy said looking away from Spike. He grinned at the abrupt change of subject but didn’t comment. He didn’t understand his own behaviour towards her, how comfortable he felt around her. What had they been to each other before he left? And for that matter, why had he left? Buffy had clearly been looking for him; these people, his friends, appeared to be relieved he was here and alive, so what had happened to make him leave?
“Do you know any doctors?”
Buffy shook her head with a grimace. “The only doctor I know won’t be much use to you. Yet,” she added mischievously.
“Yet?”
“He’s a psychiatrist.”
“Oh.” Spike blinked at Buffy, wondering if she was going to continue, but she seemed to be lost in thought.
“Webs is Anya’s only doctor too,” she mused, talking more to herself than to him.
“Webs?”
“My shrink,” Buffy clarified, still not looking at him.
“You call him Webs?”
“It’s his name. We went to school together.”
Spike nodded and sat back in his chair, enjoying the chance to watch her while she figured it out. “Can’t we go to the hospital?”
He was surprised at the look of near panic that flashed across her face and was about to ask what was wrong when forestalled him.
“It might be complicated.”
“Why?”
“I can’t…” she stuttered out and then shook her head and said determinedly, “”We’ll go and see Giles. He should know someone who can help.”
Spike sighed, angry that she was deliberately keeping things from him and asked “And Giles is?”
Buffy smiled. “My dad.”
****
“I can’t believe you did that!” Dawn shouted at Connor as she frantically pulled on her clothes while he remained in bed watching her.
“The phone was ringing. I was half asleep,” he protested. “What did you expect me to do?”
“He’s going to tell Buffy,” she continued as though he hadn’t spoken, “and she’s going to freak. And then she’ll tell your dad and at least one of us will be dead.”
“Dawn, calm…”
“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down!”
“Will you relax, he exclaimed eventually, catching hold of her arm and pulling her down onto the bed next to him.
“Let go,” Dan protested, wriggling slightly.
Connor grinned at her. “Uh-uh. Not until you calm yourself down. You’re an adult. I’m sure Buffy realises that you’ve had sex.”
Dawn stopped moving and stared at her boyfriend. “You’ve met my sister, right?”
Pushing him aside, she jumped up and grabbed her cell phone from her bedside table. “Anyway, she may accept that I am old enough to do it, she told him as she dialled Andrew’s number, “but not with you. Not in a million years.
Connor’s face hardened as Dawn turned away to speak to Andrew. Leaning over the side of the bed he grabbed his jeans and hurriedly pulled them on. How dare she say those things to him? She acted as though she were ashamed that they were together. It seemed as though she never wanted Buffy to know what was going on between them. He pulled his shirt on and left it unbuttoned as he fastened his boots. He was two steps from the door when Dawn’s voice penetrated his angry haze.
“What? But… how? That’s impossible. No. You’re lying.”
Connor stopped and turned back to her, surprised to see that she was shaking. She was facing away from him, so he moved slowly to stand in front of her. She was crying. He froze in terror at the thought of what she might be hearing.
“It’s not true. Stop saying it. I won’t believe it. Don’t make me hope. Please Andrew don’t make me…”
The phone hung uselessly in her hand as she began to cry in earnest. Connor took it from her, confused and fearful of what he might hear.
“Andrew?”
“Connor. Is Dawn still there? Is she ok?”
“No she’s not ok,” the younger man growled feeling a wave of protectiveness. “What’s going on?”
“Spike’s alive. And he’s here. In Sunnydale.”
Unlike Dawn, it took Connor barely a second for the words to register and for him to accept them as fact. Without another word he hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed before pulling Dawn into his arms,
****
The kitchen door opened and Buffy preceded Spike into the house.
“Everything ok?” Willow asked as she appeared in the living room doorway, Anya close behind her.
“It’s fine,” Buffy answered with a reassuring smile that failed to comfort the anxious redhead. They stood awkwardly together for a moment before the Slayer remembered why they had ventured back inside. “Spike needs to get to a doctor. Get checked out.”
Willow nodded. “Ok. Well I know a very good obstetrician but I doubt she’ll be much use.”
Buffy smiled. “I’m hoping Giles will know someone we can…” she glanced nervously and Spike and he raised an eyebrow at her, daring her to continue. “Someone we can trust,” she finished defiantly.
“That’s a good idea. Willow can drive us,” Anya said leading them through the house to the front door.
Buffy frowned. “You guys don’t have to come. It’s not exactly far. We can walk.”
“Safety in numbers?” Willow offered as she pulled her car keys out of her pocket. “I doubt any of us would fare explaining this to Giles alone. Magic Box here we come.”
Opening the front door Buffy was greeted by the sight of Faith, stalking purposefully up the front walk towards them. The blonde Slayer rolled her eyes. “I’m going to kill Andrew.”
The brunette stopped short when she saw Buffy standing framed in the doorway with Spike next to her. “Hey B,” she greeted as casually as she could and Buffy allowed herself a small smile.
“Morning Faith. You know I don’t think I’ve seen you awake this early for years. Something bad happening?”
The younger Slayer raised her eyebrows. “That’s what I’m here to find out.”
“Everything’s fine. This is Spike. You met him once I think.”
Faith had the grace to blush under Buffy’s scrutiny, but nodded and held out her hand to Spike. “We were never formally introduced. I’m Faith.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Spike greeted quietly and went back to studying the behaviour of the two girls in front of him. It was as though they were having a conversation with no actual words being spoken, like they could send thoughts directly to each other’s mind. From the outside the conversation was relatively mundane, but the two young women continued to stare at each with a strange sort of intensity.
“So, family outing?” Faith asked, smiling at Willow and Anya.
“To the Magic Box,” Buffy informed her. “You don’t have to…”
They watched each other a moment longer and Faith nodded and stepped back.
“Your call B. Swing by later. Wesley’s going out. We can catch up.”
Buffy nodded in agreement. “I’d like that.”