The F in Pike Chapter 28

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."

It's my turn to take a breath.

I hate to admit it but they're not wrong.

"You're not wrong. We have to figure out a way to get to her that she won't see coming, and that's not going to be easy."

Pike speaks up at this point.

"If her knowing who's coming at her is a problem, maybe I should give it a try. I don't think I ever really met Dawn before all this. She wouldn't see me coming."

That's not a terrible idea. He might be one of our best options.

Willow comes in at this point.

"I'm not so sure how good an idea that is."

She doesn't?

"Why not?"

"We still don't know how Dawn's powers work. If she really is changing reality, there's no telling how she might have changed things to work the way she wants it. Whatever she did to make Pike and Wrath the same person? It could be that she can trigger Wrath to come out whenever she wants him to."

"So sending me in might not be the best strategy."

But then the question becomes...

"Did Dawn do that as part of some strategy or is it just a happy accident?"

The door to the cell we're keeping Dawn in opens and Giles walks out.

"I'm not certain that she has much in the way of strategy at this point."

She doesn't?

"What makes you say that?"

He lets the door close before continuing.

"After speaking with her, it appears as though she's mostly inventing things as she goes."

"How is she?"

Giles takes a deep breath.

"She's... lost for lack of a better way to describe it. She spent most of the time we were speaking finding ways to lash out at me and pointing out my many failures when it comes to our relationship. And then suddenly she offered to help me. She promised to change reality so I could be happy. I'd say she's feeling quite erratic."

That has Faith speaking up.

"I know what that's like, to not have control over the world around you. Wanting to do anything that will make the world make sense. Maybe I should go and talk to her."

There are about a million ways in which that could go wrong with the history they have.

"I'm not sure that's wise. I pointed out how what she did to Pike affected you and she seemed rather pleased with herself at the prospect of hurting you."

Pike and Faith look at each other and I turn my focus to Giles, acting like I don't notice. Unfortunately, Connor clearly notices but I try to ignore him too.

"So what do we do?"

It takes Giles a moment to answer.

"At this point, I'm not certain. She at least appears at this point to be putting up a brave front, but I'm honestly not certain how much of it is real and how much is an act."

Connor jumps in at this point.

"It's not an act."

Most of the room turns their focus to Connor with me.

"At least she doesn't think it is. I may not have known her as long as the rest of you, but I know enough to see what she's doing. She doesn't think she's acting. She actually believes what she's saying, even if it's bad for her. I know what that's like. I used to be her."

He did?

"What got you through it?"

He doesn't answer right away.

"My dad."

Faith and I look at each other before I turn to Giles.

"Should we bring him in on this?"

Giles considers it for a moment.

"It would be strategically advantageous to have an outside view of this. He wouldn't be someone Dawn would be able to manipulate. However..."

Faith interrupts.

"However what? If Angel can help, why wouldn't we bring him in?"

Giles points out the obvious.

"There are... circumstances to consider."

I know where he's coming from.

"Circumstances?"

Giles comes right out and says it.

"Telling Angel means telling Wolfram and Hart, which may not be something we can take back."

That has Faith standing up to face Giles.

"If Angel can help pull Dawn back from whatever dark road she's going down? Then I say screw Wolfram and Hart. Let them know. We need to save Dawn."

"And if Wolfram and Hart learn of Dawn and her abilities? Can you imagine what they might do with her?"

Faith closes the gap between her and Giles and I just know this isn't going to end well.

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

I move up to where Faith and Giles are standing off and I put myself between them.

"Look, Faith... Giles is right. We have to be careful about who we tell about this."

I reach out for her and it makes her pull back a few steps to keep the obvious from happening. Then I turn to Giles.

"But Faith's not wrong when she says we can't ignore the fact that Angel might be able to help. How about this?"

At my words, I turn to the rest of my friends.

"We'll tell Angel to come because we need help for Dawn, but we won't tell him about her powers."

I turn my focus to Giles.

"We'll wait until he gets here to give him any of that kind of detail. Does that work?"

After a few moments, Giles nods. So I turn to Faith. She looks at me for a while before nodding too. The others seem to agree with that.

"Great, then in the mean time, we'll do what we can to help Dawn on our own. See if we can get through to her."

No one seems to object to that.

I'll take that as they're on board.

"Okay, Connor? Would you mind calling your father?"

He watches me for a moment, then starts to pull out his cell phone.

"Thank you."

Okay, that works. At least we have something. Now all I have to do is figure out what's going on with me and Faith. I guess now is as good a time as any.

"Okay, uh, Will, can I talk to you?"

Willow looks at me, then to the rest of the people around.

"Sure."

Then I turn to Faith.

"I think it's time. Do you mind?"

Faith looks at me, then Willow, and turns to Pike.

"Hey... I need a minute, are you cool?"

Pike looks at us for a moment.

"Sure, I'm good."

Willow gives Kennedy a kiss before heading towards the next room. Faith and I follow her.

End of Chapter 28