The F in Pike Chapter 26

Memory Gaps

I can't let this end badly.

My head turns as I think I see something out of the corner of my eye but it just ends up being Faith not far from where I'm standing.

Things always seem to end badly. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, they just never seem to end well. But it doesn't have to be that way this time. We still have time to change things. She doesn't have to go down this path. I can get her to see that things don't have to be this way.

I look towards Faith who is a few feet away, her focus trained on any sign that Dawn might be nearby.

Or at least, one of us will. I'm honestly not sure which one of us will get it done. We aren't exactly in Dawn's good graces at the moment with the way things went when she disappeared. She's hurt, emotionally speaking, and I can't say I blame her. We betrayed her, or at least she thinks we did. We made one of her worst fears a reality and she found out about it in probably the worst way.

I go back to looking out for Dawn.

Not that either of us had any intention of it happening that way. We didn't plan on betraying her at all. If not for whatever spell we're under, it wouldn't have happened. Now all we have to do is get her to see that and maybe everything will work out. There's still a chance that it can work out. She wouldn't feel hurt if she didn't still care on some level. It might be buried under all the anger and resentment she's feeling right now but even that is proof that there's still a chance.

People who don't care, don't get angry or resentful or feel betrayed. If there's one thing that I learned from all the insanity and destruction that we went through after Tara died, it's that. Even someone like Willow with all that she'd been through could be pulled back from the brink and learn to feel again. Dawn's still got a chance. I know she does.

Again my focus turns back to Faith.

And if anyone knows how to come back from the brink, it's Faith. She knows what it's like to walk right up to the edge of the cliff and not jump. She knows what it's like to dance on that line and enjoy it. I know she can pull Dawn back from this. There's no way she's stopping until Dawn realizes just what a mistake she's making.

My focus shifts to Connor who is a few feet away himself.

And I'm guessing that Connor isn't going to give up either. He's got a lot of his father in him. He really seems to want to do good in the world. Angel never gave up on Faith, even when I wanted to, and I don't get the impression that Connor's going to give up on Dawn. He's had multiple opportunities to walk away if he wanted to and he didn't. That shows real character. The kind of character that his father has in spades.

We come up on a building and suddenly Connor stops. That makes me freeze in my tracks and raise a hand towards Faith, who also stops and looks our way.

"What is it?"

"We're in the right place."

"You're sure?"

Faith makes her way over to us as Connor closes the distance between me and him.

"Her scent just suddenly picks up here. I'm guessing that whatever she did, it brought her here."

"Guess we were right to start here eh B? She did come back to her dorm room."

I kinda just tilt my head at her.

"Guess so. Any idea if she's still here?"

He looks around in a couple directions before settling on the second floor of the dorm.

"The scent is strongest up there."

I look at Faith, then Connor before cocking my head in the direction Connor suggested.

"Let's go."

We move pretty quickly into the building, Connor first because of his nose with Faith and I coming in behind.

Let me see if I remember...

"If I remember correctly from before she left, she's supposed to be in room 215."

"You're right, and my nose is telling me that's where the smell is coming from. The scents are starting to run together, this being a dorm and all."

Connor is the first to the stairs but we work our way up pretty quickly. He stops a few feet from the top.

"What?"

"I thought I saw something."

Faith asks the obvious.

"Was it Dawn?"

There's a long pause.

"Can't be sure. I just know that someone was at the other end of the hall on their way down."

"But you don't know if it was Dawn?"

We can't go making assumptions.

"Let's not assume anything. There are a lot of people living here. It could've been any one of them."

Connor takes another moment.

"You're right, her room is right up here."

We make our way to Dawn's room and Connor knocks.

"Why are we knocking? Shouldn't we just go in?"

Connor looks at Faith as we wait.

"She has a roommate. We can't just go barging in."

Well that's something.

"Great, maybe she can tell us whether Dawn's been here."

"She might, she also might not want to."

What?

"Why?"

The door opens and a woman is standing there.

"Hello?"

"Hi Sandy. I'm..."

"Sorry, do I know you?"

"It's me, Connor. I'm sorry that I haven't..."

The girl who is apparently named Sandy gives Connor a weird look.

"I'm sorry, I don't know anyone named Connor. We've never met before."

What the heck is going on?

"Look, I know I haven't called since everything happened but..."

"Since what happened? I told you, I have no idea who you are."

Faith seems to clue into what's going on.

"Wait, is this the girl? The one you both slept with?"

Wait, what?

"This is her?"

This Sandy girl gets even more confused.

"Umm, what are you talking about?"

Connor confirms things.

"Yes."

"Whoa, hey, I... you and I never slept together."

Why does she keep saying that if it's true?

Connor tries again.

"You're obviously angry at me because I didn't call, but things have been kinda crazy."

Sandy looks between Connor, me and Faith.

"Um, I'm thinking you guys are the crazy ones. Showing up at my dorm thinking we slept together when we didn't."

Maybe we should be asking the obvious.

"You really don't remember him?"

She looks at Connor.

"I definitely would've remembered a cute guy like him."

Is it possible?

"What are you thinking B?"

"What about my sister? Your roommate? Dawn?"

"Who's Dawn?"

I can't believe this is really happening. I... I have to know.

I get into Sandy's personal space and push her inside her own dorm room. Connor and Faith are quick to follow. The place has all kinds of stuff around. One dresser has most of the drawers open and a bunch of clothes around it.

"Hey, what the hell are you...?"

"This is a lot of stuff for just one person. Who do you have living with you?"

"My... roommate."

She gets this really confused look on her face.

"What?"

"It's nothing."

Connor grabs one of the shirts on the floor and sniffs it.

Yeah that's never going to not feel weird.

"It's hers. I can smell her."

Sandy can't help but ask.

"Smell who? My roommate?"

"Dawn."

"I told you, I have no idea who this Dawn person is. And you guys just barged in here, you can't do that. I want you to leave."

Well that confirms it.

"What B?"

"Dawn is using her abilities, whatever they are, to remove herself from people's memories.

"Are you sure?"

Only one way to really be sure.

"Sandy... it is Sandy right?"

"Yes, now really, I... I want you all to leave."

"You have a roommate with you right?"

She looks at all three of us, confused before answering.

"Yes."

I pick up one of Dawn's shirts.

"These are her clothes right?"

"Yes."

I pick up another to emphasize what I'm going for.

"The ones that are all scattered around here? Like someone was in a hurry to leave?"

"Yes."

"Where is she?

Her confusion turns to upset, but it's not directed at us anymore.

"I... I don't know."

"Did she say when she would be back?"

"She... I... she must have I just... I don't know. I can't remember."

Faith jumps in at this point, getting the picture.

"Did she say where she was going?"

"I... I don't know."

And now Connor joins in with the thing that hurts Sandy the most.

"What's her name?"

There's a long silence from Sandy as the insanity of what's going on seems to come over her.

"I... I have no idea. Oh my god, how could I have no idea what my roommate's name is?"

I wish I had time to help her through this. We're dumping all of this on her and it's going to hurt her so badly. But if Dawn can do this to her or anyone else she wants, there's no telling what might happen. What she might change or affect without really thinking about the consequences. We can't let her stay out there with that kind of power.

I drop Dawn's clothes on the floor and reach out, touching her shoulder, doing what I can to comfort Dawn's victim.

"I'm sorry."

After a few moments, Connor speaks up.

"She was here very recently, if we hurry, I might be able to pick up her scent."

I look at Connor, then Faith, then come back to Sandy.

"I'm really sorry Sandy but... we... we really have to go."

"Go, please I... I need to be alone."

Again I look to Faith, then Connor before stepping back from Sandy and turning towards the door, leaving. Connor takes the lead again, Faith and I following close behind.

"She headed this way, probably out the door."

"Damn, she could've been leaving just as we came in."

At least we're probably not far behind.

Suddenly, I hear something and all of us stop.

"Who the hell are you?"

We look at each other.

"You hear that?"

Faith and Connor both nod, listening for more as confirmation.

"What do you want?"

I'm the first to say it.

"It's her."

All of us break into what we can manage as a run based on where we were. We rush down the stairs.

"Get the hell away from me."

We're coming Dawn.

Connor basically crashes through the exit, followed closely by Faith and myself. I look to see Dawn standing not far from us with someone next to her and they're both facing...

Oh, crap...

End of Chapter 26