Unlocked (Book 4) (girlxgirl)

Examining Reality

I don't know if this is a good idea.

I watch my old friend on the exam table. Fred and her staff work on him as best they can to get him ready.

There's still a lot we don't know about what's happening to him. What's he been up to all these years? Is he still the guy I know or has he changed? Why does he have Willow's name magically imprinted on his arm? Have they met somehow and I didn't know? Why wouldn't Willow tell me about him if they did? What does the imprint mean?

Fred can't seem to figure out what it's about or what kind of magic was used to put it on there. Which means we won't know what might happen if he wakes up. He could use it on me or Angel or anything else. It could be good or it could be bad. There's just no way to know. Not without waking him up and asking. And that's exactly what we're going to do.

Angel's making arrangements in case something seriously bad goes down. Making sure the security forces are in place, although from the way the others talk, it may not do much. Still, it's better safe than sorry. We have to take every precaution we can. I just hope that whatever's going on, Pike is more of a victim then the bad guy. He's a good guy at heart and it would be sad to find out that his life somehow went downhill after we split.

I'm probably a little responsible if he did go down the wrong path. Because of me, he was introduced to the whole supernatural underbelly of the world and I know how hard it is to look away once you see it. You have to do something when you see bad things happening and no one around to stop it from going wrong. I've even been tempted to go down that road myself.

My relationship with Spike went down a very dark path and I almost didn't make it out. Not to mention the way Faith and Willow and Riley and Angel and Ford all went down that way. If Pike went that way too, it would be a pattern that I just can't deny. I have a habit of introducing people to a life and it usually ends badly for them.

Pike was just the first of many victims.

Fred comes up on the other side of Pike. We notice each other.

"We're ready."

Okay... I guess the only thing is...

"We'll just wait for Angel and then..."

Angel comes up beside me. He speaks up.

"Begin."

I look over at him and he smiles. Fred looks at both of us.

"You're sure?"

I give her a nod.

"Go ahead."

Fred nods to one of her employees and they hold up the machine from before to highlight the imprint on Pike's arm, in case of any reaction. Then Fred picks up a needle, putting it to his arm, finding a vein and slowly inserting it, injecting him. She pulls it back and we wait.

"You're not sure how long it will take?"

Fred reassures me as best she can.

"It should be pretty fast acting, but with his unique physiology there's no way to be sure."

Almost as if on cue, he starts to stir on the exam table. He mumbles before being more coherent.

"Buffy..."

Angel, Fred and I look at each other for a moment then I lean over him.

"I'm here Pike. What is it?"

He starts to move even more.

"Buffy... I... Buffy help..."

"Help with what Pike? What do you need help with?"

His eyes eventually open and we see each other.

"Buffy... are you all right?"

Am I all right?

"I'm all right Pike, are you all right?"

It takes him a while to answer, clearly unsure of himself.

"I think so..."

After a second, he seems to realize something and gets worried.

"Is Dawn with you?"

He knows about Dawn? How can he know about Dawn? He never met her.

"What are you talking about Pike? How do you know about Dawn?"

"Is she here?"

I look at Angel and Fred, who seem as confused as I am.

"No, Dawn's not here."

For some reason, that calms him down.

"Good... that's good..."

It is?

"Why is that good?"

It takes him a moment to answer.

"I... it's hard to explain."

That's not a good enough answer.

"Try..."

Again it takes him a minute.

"Has... something felt wrong lately? Anything at all?"

How does he know that?

"There's a reason for that, and it has to do with Dawn and something she did. I came to find you so that we could fix it."

Fix it?

"Fix what? What do you have to fix?"

"It's... complicated, and I don't know how much you know."

How much I know? What does that mean?

"Dawn's my sister, what wouldn't I know?"

"Probably whatever she doesn't want you to."

I don't understand.

"What are you talking about?"

"Like I said, it's complicated. But I'm here because you, Connor, Willow and Faith have a plan."

Fred asks the obvious.

"Who's Connor?"

I haven't heard that name. Who could he be talking about?

Pike looks at Fred, then me, then Angel.

"You don't know?"

I look at Fred and Angel, it seems like neither of them know the name. Pike takes a deep breath.

"Okay, this is where it gets complicated. He's kinda important to the plan. We have to find him if this is going to work."

This doesn't make any sense.

"You want us to find someone we're supposed to know but don't? How do we do that?"

"We were hoping that Dawn hadn't changed that much. But if he's not Angel's son then he could be anyone."

Wait what?

I look at Angel who is looking back at me.

"You have a son?"

"That's news to me."

Fred points out the obvious.

"I think if Angel had a son, he would remember it. Plus, vampires can't have children."

"I don't know all the details. I just know what I know. But we have to find him."

"My son who I don't remember having."

"Yes."

Well this definitely feels complicated.

"All we have to do is figure out how to get to him without Dawn finding out."

Wait, we kinda glossed over that.

"That's the biggest part which I don't understand. What does any of this have to do with my sister?"

Pike just looks at me, concerned.

I don't like that look at all.