Title: The Visit

Author: Domino

Email: zahfat@yahoo.com

Summary: The Scoobies visit LA, and discoveries are made.

A/N: This is set before Cordy becomes a demon. Connor is still a baby. F/G are dating, and Groo hasn't returned. I've messed with the timelines a bit.

Chapter 11

Dawn was the first to wake up. It had been three hours, and very little had happened since. Xander and Gunn brought in chairs and the result was a bed surrounded by people sprawled out all over the room. The stress of the last few days had caught up with most of them, and some were lightly sleeping.

"Did it work?" she sleepily demanded, as her eyes opened, and all around her movement began as everyone sprang back into action. The teenage girl was tired, and looked it. Giles and Wesley had already warned the Scoobies that this was to be expected, under the circumstances.

"We think so," Fred answered the girl, her optimism shining through.

And that was that. Dawn went down to eat something, to replenish the energy lost, while Buffy and Spike followed worriedly and Giles started the check up to confirm that they were no side effects from the transfer .

Seeing Angel looking happier now that Dawn seemed fine, despite the lines of exhaustion that lined his face since the discovery, Fred decided to get everyone out the room and give him some time alone with Cordy.

Pushing them all out the room, despite protests from Xander, Wesley and Gunn, she determinedly led the pliant vampire to the bed, and ordered him to get some sleep. Within seconds his arms wrapped tightly around her, covering hers around a sleeping Connor, he was asleep. Fred stared for a minute taking in the peaceful expressions, and then silently walked out shutting the door behind her.

The rest gathered in the kitchen waiting for the food Gunn had ordered over the phone to arrive.

"Doesn't the Slayer have fast healing?" Fred asked suddenly.

"Yes, she does," Wesley answered, almost absent-mindedly.

"What are you thinking, girl?" Gunn asked, watching Fred curiously.

"The energy transfer healed her, right?" Fred said, half-statement, half-question, "Giving her more time," she continued.

Willow nodded, "Until the next vision, and then the degrading begins again." ``

"So what we have like two years only then," Gunn asked, looking a bit upset at the news.

"Yes, but its time she didn't have before," Wesley said.

"How close was it?" Gunn asked, needing to know despite himself.

"Close," Willow said with feeling, "Day, maybe hours even. She kept it secret a long time."

"Hours!" Xander said, swallowing hard as he took it in.

"Yeah," Wesley sent Xander a sympathetic look, "Every vision she had took away more time. The last one was pretty bad."

"So…we need something permanent?" Anya said, "Something that will make the damage go away. Like Buffy's blood."

"Exactly," Fred said, "Slayer blood has healing properties, right?" she looked at Wesley for a confirmation again.

Wesley looked excited again, his eureka face was on.

"So what if give Cordy an infusion of Slayer blood," Fred asked, "We could try that, right?"

Wesley and Giles looked at each other for a second, "It couldn't hurt," Giles answered, and they both jumped up and started pacing as they worked it out in their heads.

"With Dawn's energy mixing, and the link to the PTB's, who knows what the effect may be? It could even give her body the ability to heal itself, constantly." Wesley stated, running to Fred's side, interest building as he studied her plan. "We can try this after she wakes up," he told the ex-Pylean slave.

"Why wait?" Gunn asked.

"You're right," Giles said, "Let's ask Buffy now."

"Ask me what?" Buffy stood at the doorway with Dawn and Spike. They had been talking in the lobby, cornering Dawn to see if she was fine.

"They want your blood, luv," Spike answered, his vampire hearing allowing him to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Oh, alright then," Buffy replied nonchantly. She was the slayer, some things just didn't seem strange to her.

Willow burst into an explanation complete with hand gestures, Fred cutting in occasionally to add a comment.

"Okay, then," Buffy said, after hearing them out. She held out her arm, and rolled up her sleeves, "Who's going to do the honours. I imagine we can't do it like last time

"Last time?" Gunn asked.

"Yeah, long story. Short version, Faith poisoned Angel. Only cure – Buffy's blood. So he sucked her dry," Xander said plainly.

"Hey!" Fred said, "I'm sure he didn't suck her dry."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure some sucking was involved," Willow commented. Everyone turned to Buffy.

She threw her hands in the air, "Yeah. Definite suckage. Big teeth marks in the neck," she answered the unasked question.

"See!" Xander said, giving Fred and Gunn the I-told-you-so look.

"Get that look off your face," Buffy hit Spike on the arm, not so lightly, as he leered at her neck, in the midst of some vampire day-dream.

"Okay, definitely not doing it that way," Wesley said, "We'll do it the normal way. With a needle."

"Oh. No needles. I hate needles," Xander protested.

"We're not taking your blood, Xander," Giles said in exasperation.

"Me not liking needles either," Buffy said, a little fearfully.

"But blood-sucking vampires biting you are okay," Gunn said, sarcastically.

"That's different," Buffy replied.

"Yeah, those kill you," Gunn said.

"It will be alright, Buffy," Dawn told her sister, comfortingly, "It won't hurt much."

"Want me to hold your hand, luv," Spike asked.

"Oh, please. You probably just want to be there to see the blood, you sick vampire," Buffy answered, looking slightly ill, at the thought of the needles. Xander looked pretty pale as well.

"I am not a sick vampire," Spike defended, "I'm a perfectly healthy vampire. Well…except for the chip in the brain thing. And the whole being in love with a slayer thing. Okay…okay, you got me. I am a sick vampire. But not as sick as the poof," Spike finished his monologue, looking rather disgruntled, despite his last statement.

Everyone ignored him. Except Dawn, who patted his arm comfortingly.

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