The F in Pike (Book 3.5) (girlxgirl)

Family Strategies

What the hell are we going to do?

I run my hands through my hair as I lean forward, sitting on the chair.

It's all just so screwed up. I can't believe my little sister has come so far and gotten so bad. She sees so much pain and suffering everywhere she looks. Nothing but people who are trying to hurt her and make her do things she doesn't want to do. I don't even know where to start to make that better.

Looking up, I scan the room full of people with me, Willow, Xander, Faith, Connor, Kennedy and Pike all either sitting or standing with each other. Faith and Pike are sitting together, holding each other's hand and I can't help but feel a little uncomfortable, shifting in my seat and looking away from them.

I have to get myself together if I'm going to be any help at all. Whatever's going on with me when it comes to Faith has to stop otherwise Dawn isn't going to want to hear anything I have to say. When she found out we slept together? It's like it sent her over the edge.

My attention turns to Willow and Kennedy who are talking about something a few feet away but I'm too distracted to really listen.

I definitely have to talk to Will as soon as I can. Maybe she can fix whatever's going on with me and Faith and get us back on track. Dawn's gotta move forward and it starts with us being able to show her that it's possible. Assuming it even is...

"So what are we doing?"

The rest of my friends look at Connor with me at his question.

"What?"

"Do we have a plan? Some kind of strategy to deal with this?"

Faith can't help but respond.

"This? What do you mean this?"

Connor goes a bit on the defensive.

"I, I didn't mean..."

"She's a person Connor. She's not a thing to be overcome and destroyed."

"I know."

"Then why did you say this?"

Okay, this isn't going to help us get anywhere.

"Guys..."

"I was talking about the situation, not her."

I stand up to get their attention.

"Okay, guys... let's not do this."

They all turn to me.

"I know we all care about Dawn, the only difference is how much. But it's making us all on edge because none of us know what to do. That's why Giles is in there right now, waiting for her to wake up and we can get a handle on how much this is going to take. Whatever's going on, we're going to figure it out. All we need is time."

"That's assuming she even gives us any."

What Kennedy says makes us focus on her as Willow asks for clarification.

"What do you mean honey?"

"Dawn knows us all pretty well. Enough that she's probably going to figure out where she is and what we're up to really quickly. That puts her at a strategic advantage when it comes to whatever plan she has for these new powers of hers."

Faith takes a deep breath before agreeing with her.

"Kennedy's right. She knows enough to misdirect us and keep us off balance so we can't figure out what she's really up to until it's too late. We have to be ready for anything."