Disclaimer; I don't own anything all characters belong to Joss Wheedon and Janet Evanovich. Or my mental psyche if it decides to bring in anyone new.

Beep Beep beep beep…………..

Buffy awoke to the sound of some sort of machine beeping next to her; she slowly opened her eyes but was blinded by the brightness in the room and quickly snapped them shut again.

Someone must have been watching her movements because she felt the room darken behind her eyelids. Leaving her eyes closed. Buffy felt someone sit in a chair that was on the right hand side of her bed.

Curious she decided to open her eyes once again. Slowly she lifted her eyelids and allowed herself to adjust to the light around her. She caught a blur of the person in the chair next to her. She blinked several times to clear her vision and looked at them again.

It was a woman with shoulder length light brown curly hair, blue eyes and a pale complexion. Buffy did not recognize her.

Noticing that she was awake the stranger pressed a button next to the bed and said

"Your awake, hold on, I have summoned a nurse'

Buffy just nodded and took the opportunity to have a look around the room. The words that the stranger had spoken to her started to register in her mind "Nurse" she was in a hospital. How was she in a hospital? The last thing she remembered was leaping trying to catch something and falling, falling into darkness.

The Bus….

The Scoobies

Where was everyone?

She looked back to the woman next to her and asked 'Where am I"

The woman thought for a moment and then replied 'Trenton, New Jersey'

What! Where, Buffy was confused "What Happened'

'You don't remember'

Buffy frowned "Who are you?'

The stranger looked embarrassed "sorry My name in Stephanie, I was the one who found you and called the ambulance, you had no ID or belongings on you so I decided to stay close for when you woke up'

'Where did you find me'?

Stephanie looked down at her hands and then back into Buffy's eyes 'In a dumpster outside my apartment, I was taking out the trash and found you unconscious, I called the ambulance and here we are,' taking in buffy's confused expression Stephanie asked 'you don't remember how you got there do you'

Buffy suddenly felt very tired. A dumpster, She had no idea what was going on. She shook her head to indicate no.

A nurse then came into the room and walked over to the machine on the left hand side, she checked the monitor and turned to address Buffy.

'You were very lucky miss, your head injuries where quite extensive, we thought you may not wake up for a few more days, do you remember what happened to you'

Buffy shook her head in response

"How about your name?' the nurse asked

"Buffy… Summers' Buffy replied

Well Miss summers is there anyone I can call for you, to let them know where you are?'

Buffy shook her head, until she found out what was going on she was reluctant to get anyone else involved.

Stephanie had been watching the interaction and the nurse caught her gaze and motioned for her to follow her out of the room. "You try and get some sleep now miss summers I will be by to check on you later' and she left the room with Stephanie on her heels. Buffy closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Once outside the room the nurse closed the door and spoke to Stephanie in soft voice

'We have found no ID on Miss Summers and as she is reluctant to mention any next of kin I was wondering if you would stick around until she is well enough to talk and see if we can determine where she belongs'

Stephanie agreed to stick around but asked 'What are her injuries?'

The nurse paused to consider giving out personal information but decided it was all right 'She has taken a severe blow to her head, most likely caused by falling some height. She also has a few broken ribs and she has a wound through her stomach that looks to have been caused by a sharp object, it is surprising that she is already awake the doctor did not expect it for a couple of days'

'Will she be alright' Stephanie asked

'She may have a few memory problems but with a lot of rest she should make a full recovery'

'What happens if she has no family?'

'She will be moved to a shelter when she is well enough'

Stephanie thanked the nurse and went to make a few phone calls outside while Buffy was asleep.

Once outside she dialed Ranger he picked up on the third ring

"Yo"

'Hey, I need a favor'

"Babe'

Stephanie was not quite sure how to ask so she let her mouth do the talking 'Yeah listen I found a girl in my dumpster this morning and I am with her at the hospital now. She is suffering from some head injuries and doesn't remember her family. Could you do a search on a Buffy Summers and find out who her next of kin is'

'You're dumpster ' he sounded amused

'Yes'

'What were you doing in the dumpster babe'

'Taking out the trash' there was no way she was going to tell him that she had accidentally thrown some Boston crèmes in the trash and was trying to retrieve them

'Uh huh'

'So will you do the search'?

'Sure, later babe' and he disconnected

Next she dialed Morelli but got the answering machine so she left a message letting him know what happened and that she wouldn't be home tonight.

Stephanie walked back into Buffy's room and watched her sleep. The girl looked so tired and small lying in the big hospital bed. She wasn't sure why but she felt drawn to the her, she knew she couldn't let her go into a shelter. If worst came to worst she could always take her home. If it worked for her FTA's and Bob, why not a girl form her dumpster.