Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Angel are not mine, I'm just playing with them.

Chapter 12: Bright Ideas

Dawn was staring enthusiastically at the floor, while the awkward silence reigned of the living room. Lindsey was giving them a look, and neither Connor nor Dawn was about to volunteer any information. There was no way that Lindsey would think they were other than crazy. Hell, sometimes Dawn thought herself crazy, and she'd experienced things that Lindsey would never have dreamed of.

"So...how exactly did you two meet again? And why do you both smell like you've been traipsing through the sewers?" Lindsey asked, trying to get some answers. "And why do you have a bandage on your head?"

"Look, Lindsey. It's a long story." Connor said, brushing his hair back from his face. "We just need a place to crash for a few hours." He paused. "Oh, and Dawn needs to make a phone call, if that's all right." He finished. Lindsey gave them another long look, before nodding.

"Sure. Dawn, you can use the phone in my office." Lindsey said, pointing down the hall. "It's the first door on the right." Dawn nodded and stole a glance at Connor before leaving the room. Lindsey waited until she'd disappeared inside before speaking. "She's pretty." He went on. Connor blushed to the roots of his hair. "So you have noticed. There something going on between you two?" Lindsey questioned his cousin.

"No. She's helping me out with something." Connor explained, trying hard to ignore the twinge in his stomach at the mere thought of 'something' going on between him and Dawn.

"Helping you out with what?" Lindsey wanted to know. He'd been a lawyer once, Connor knew, but had quit practicing a few years ago when his firm had asked him to represent someone he'd found unethical.

"It's nothing." Connor muttered, hoping Lindsey would drop it. He wouldn't, but Connor could hope.

"Connor..."Lindsey said, his tone conveying a warning. Sighing, Connor shifted in his seat and began to tell his cousin the whole story.

*

Wesley vaguely realized that Fred's limbs were tangled among his own. Quite frankly, he wasn't sure where he ended and she began. He looked down at her, and smoothed her hair back with one hand. What had just happened hadn't been planned, hell, not even entertained, cause let's face it; Wesley assumed he never stood a chance with Fred. That's what made it all the more special. Fred's eyelids fluttered, and Wesley's heart jumped into his throat. She met his gaze, and then swept her eyes over their obvious nakedness, and a full blush spread over her cheeks as her eyes locked on his a second time. She smiled, and that's when Wesley knew it would be all right.

"How are you feeling?" He whispered, his voice seeming loud in the small room.

"Better, I think." Fred replied, smiling as his hand caressed the side of her face. "How long have we been in here?" She wanted to know.

"A couple of hours." Wesley answered. He was sure that Angel and the others would find them soon.

"Do you think they know we're missing yet?" Fred asked, looking concerned.

"Maybe. It's possible they won't realize it for another hour or so." Wesley felt the need to be honest. He didn't want to scare her, but she'd know if he was lying.

"Good." Fred drawled, catching him by surprise. At his confused look, Fred let out a lady-like giggle. "I suddenly have a new appreciation for tiny, enclosed spaces." She said, before leaning closer and kissing him. They broke apart and Wesley smiled at her.

"So do I." He said, before kissing her again.

*

Buffy ran her hands through her hair, a sign that she was starting to get stressed. It had been a couple of hours since Dawn and Connor had gone missing, and while Angel said that he'd figured out their escape route, he'd lost their scent in the sewer. She only hoped that Dawn was ok. If she wasn't, Angel was going to have one dead son on his hands. Buffy tried to focus on Angel, who was speaking to them as a group. It had just come to their attention that Wesley and Fred had not returned from the search. Buffy sighed. While they looked for Wesley and Fred, Connor took Dawn further and further away. Spike seemed to be sensing her thoughts, because he chose that moment to slip his hand into hers.

Buffy never dreamed she'd see the day when she and Spike, of all men or demons, would be actively relationship-y in front of Angel. She sighed again, this time getting a look from Angel.

"We'll find them, Buffy, just as soon as I've located Wes and Fred. They couldn't have gotten far." Angel tried to reassure her. It didn't help. Buffy tried to look interested in Angel's plan to find his friends...meanwhile, Buffy was formatting one of her own. Once she thought she had something solid, she stood up.

"Why don't I take Spike, cover the sewers and see if we can't pick up Dawn's trail." Buffy said. She shared a look with Angel, ignoring the others, before dragging Spike out of the room.

*

"Thanks a bunch." Dawn spoke into the phone. She looked up as Connor entered the room, before raising her index finger at him, indicating she would be off in a minute. "Oh, and could you call Buffy at Angel's and let her know I'm fine?" She went on. "Ok, Bye." Dawn hung up the phone and turned to Connor. He noticed she was clutching a piece of paper.

"Good news?" Connor asked her, not sure if he wanted an answer.

"The best. Willow knew exactly what we needed." Dawn answered him.

"I'm not sure about this, Dawn. I appreciate the fact that you want to help, but..." Connor told her. Dawn smiled, and Connor felt his insides melt a little.

"It'll be fine. Willow assures me this spell is easy to do, and will give you back all your memories." Dawn reassured him. He smiled back at her.

"There's one more thing." Connor said. At her questioning glance, he went on. "I had to tell my cousin what was going on. The good news is..." he began, moving into the room. "That he found you a change of clothes." Connor held them out to her. She accepted the clothes, a white tee shirt and sweat pants with a grateful look.

"What's the bad news?" Dawn wanted to know.

"He thinks that we should just give up on this whole thing. Truthfully, I'm not sure he believed me." Connor explained.

"Well, we can if you want." Dawn replied. "But Willow assures me this spell will get you those memories back, and you can finally figure out what the hell happened to you." Connor thought for a minute and then nodded.

"What do we have to do?"

*

Wesley ran a towel over his wet hair, staring at his face in the bathroom mirror. A second towel was slung low across his hips. He was debating on whether or not to shave when a knock sounded on his door. He was hoping it would be Fred. Angel had found them after a couple more hours, and though they were dirty, tired and hungry, they were no worse for wear. Fred had gone off to her apartment, and the two of them hadn't really had a chance to talk about what had gone on inside the closet.

"Just a minute!" He called, scrambling into boxer shorts and then a pair of jeans. He didn't bother with a shirt. He flung the door open, and sure enough, Fred was in the doorway. He held the door open so she could enter, smiling.

"Wesley, we need to talk." She said, wringing her hands. His face fell.

"About earlier. I shouldn't have..." Wesley began. He was never more shocked when Fred crossed the room and placed her finger on his lips in a shushing motion.

"It meant the world to me." She said, looking up at him with bright eyes. Wesley wasted no time using her raised arm to pull her to him, and kiss her soundly.

*

The last sentences of the spell said, Connor felt himself drifting backwards. He grabbed a hold of Dawn's hand at the last second, wanting comfort. Startled, Dawn smiled, and then struggled against her sudden sleepiness.

Oh, crap. She thought, sinking back with Connor, caught up in the grips of the spell. They ended up on a heap of pillows on the floor, eyes moving rapidly under their eyelids.