If you'd asked, she wouldn't be able to tell you how standing outside of the rundown apartment building that housed her sister felt. Spike checked the address over and over again wondering where the palatial grounds that served as a less-than-humble home for the Spectors lay. Faye was almost wondering that same thing herself. But the uneasiness she felt concerned itself with something entirely different.

Family.

She still couldn't believe she was here and it felt as though gnarled little hands were knotting up her stomach.

"I'm going in with you," Spike said firmly. Faye waved a hand at him, "It's okay. I'll go in alone."

She took a few unsteady steps up the walkway towards the front entrance.

"Did you bring your gun?"

Faye had to laugh at that, "I'm visiting my sister. Granted, I'm not accustomed to visiting family but I'm sure bringing a bottle of wine or a basket of cookies is more appropriate." She didn't see Spike's reaction to that comment. She was already pulling one of the doors open and approaching the security desk, cradling a small bouquet of flowers in her free arm.

"Um...Faye Valen...Spector...Faye Spector here to see Ms..." she stammered but was mercifully cut off by the white-haired, old man in a faded blue guard's uniform.

"Just go on up."

"You're doing a top-notch job, sir!" Spike saluted the security guard rather sarcastically as he caught up to Faye.

"Okay. You can visit your sister. But I'm going to stand out in the hall in case something comes up. I've got a bad feeling about this. And she's not my family so I wasn't shy bringing my gun along."

"Big man and a gun," Faye said under her breath as she pushed the button for the elevator to take them up to the fourth floor.

The ride up was quiet. Spike hadn't mentioned anything about the other day. In typical old-world,girl fashion Faye wondered silently if the whole thing that had happened between them meant they were dating now. He hadn't touched her or attempted to be alone with her since. But she was terribly flattered by his concern for her safety in this particular situation. She wasn't sure how far she would have gotten with meeting her sister if it wasn't for his company. Or for his gun's.

Same thing, right?

She looks nice.

He didn't say anything as they went up in the elevator. His eyes flicked back and forth from Faye in her little black dress to the red numbers counting up to four on the wall.

I should probably say something about how she looks, he thought to himself.

"Jesus, I'm hungry," he said instead. Where the hell did that come from? Way to go. Mentally, Spike slapped himself in the forehead. He looked up and Faye was staring at him with mean, narrowed eyes. It wasn't what she was expecting him to say either, apparently.

Ding!

Thank friggin' God, he thought with relief.

He sauntered out into the hallway, forgetting his manners and cutting Faye off. He heard her irritated sigh behind him.

"Okay...you can wait here for me."

Spike was already leaning against the wall under the no smoking sign with his lighter and a cigarette in his hand. "Holler if you need me," he waved at her retreating figure.

Lover...

"Who are these people? Your folks?"

"Yeah. It was taken a couple of anniversaries ago."

"Weird."

Julia wandered over from her little kitchen with two mugs of coffee in tow. She sat on the end of the bed next to Spike who was lying back and examining the framed picture on her nightstand.

"Coffee's ready. What's weird?"

"I don't know. Parents."

"What? That I have parents? What do you think? I rode in from the sea on a giant clam?" she smirked as Spike sat up and relieved Julia of one of the coffees.

"I don't know...I just didn't think you had any family. You never mention them."

"Well, I mean my mom and I don't exchange recipes over the phone on a daily basis or anything like that, but we talk occasionally."

Spike looked back over his shoulder at the photograph. Julia sipped at her coffee.

"I take it you don't speak to your parents."

"Nah. No reason for it. They did their thing and I did mine. I had an okay childhood. I just reached that age where I wanted to be on my own."

"Yeah, but..." Julia leaned on an elbow and drew some of her hair back from her forehead, "it's got nothing to do with independence or being on your own. I mean it's just...well, no one's really on their own. That would be kind of sad."

Spike looked at her quite seriously, "I'm on my own, Julia. I've been on my own for a long time. I'm happy. Well...as happy as I expect to..."

"C'mon, Spike. You're not on your own. Not really. I mean there's the brothers and Annie and Mao and..."

"Vicious," Spike muttered.

Julia leaned over and pressed her forehead to his. "I was going to say 'me'. But for the record, yeah. I think Vicious has been around for you, too."

Spike pulled back and stood up. He walked across the room, making sure to avoid the window in case he had been followed. He leaned against the counter in her tiny kitchen area. Julia lay back on the bed holding the steaming mug over her stomach.

"He cares for you, Spike. He does. You're his friend. You're not like the others."

He couldn't look at her. Vicious was his friend. What the fuck was he doing with this woman? A better question would be what was she doing with him? Up until a few weeks ago she was sleeping with his best friend.

Vicious hadn't done anything wrong and yet the deeper Spike got with Julia, the more he began to feel contempt for his friend brewing in the pit of his stomach. Whenever his name fell on his lover's lips, he felt ill.

"I wasn't in love with him," Julia explained wearily. Her voice wobbled, "I never meant for this to happen, Spike. You must think I'm such a whore..."

"Fuck, Julia! I don't think you're a whore but come on! What the fuck are you doing? You must have a deathwish! Christ..." Spike turned and gripped the counter with frustration. "How am I supposed to protect you when they find out?" A dry sob escaped him, "They'll kill you, Julia. They'll fucking murder you. They'll off me first and I won't be able to..."

"Spike..." Julia moaned as she flew across the room and drew her arms around him tightly.

Faye knocked gently on the door and waited. It seemed like years before the door opened as far as the thin chain allowed.

"Yes?"a tiny voice addressed Faye. Faye leaned in and tried to see behind the small figure into the apartment.

"Um...my name is Faye..."

The door slammed shut almost catching Faye's nose in it. Faye wondered if she should knock again or turn and leave before realizing that the woman was just removing the chain. The door opened wide.

"Faye..." The woman breathed as she stared at the girl standing in the middle of the hallway. She reached out a small, delicate hand and Faye flinched slightly as the fingers brushed against her cheek. "Oh, God..." the woman whispered.

Faye looked closely at the woman, trying to see a bit of herself in her weathered face.

"Are you...?" she began.

The old woman's eyes became glassy with tears, "...your little sister."