XXII.

Another call.

"Wills."

"Xander?" Willow sounded upset and angry. "What the heck is going on? I just got a call from Buffy wanting to know if we knew Dawn had been out to see you."

"So then, when I said yes she blew up and started going all 'how can I be expected to run this family if no one tells me what's going on' and she was really mean. Then she started crying and told me she loved me and if Dawn calls please let her know at once. Then Giles calls and asks if you had called me about the Zombie problem… Zombie problem? What kind of Disneyland trips are you running?"

"I'm sorry, Willow. Let me explain… No, there is no time. Let me sum up… I need a favor, and then I need you to not ask me any more questions till I get something resolved here. I know it's not fair, but it's not like I ask for a whole lot of favors."

He was proud of the way she did not hesitate. "What can we do?"

"I need a locator spell on Dawn, she's not here and I need to find her right away."

"Oh jeez, no can do!"

"What? Why not?" He was pacing. The apartment felt too small for him.

Willow's voice showed her anxiety. "When Buffy called I tried to get a fix, and she shimmered away. I taught her that, never thought she's use it on me."

"Um, once more, with English?"

"She cast a velius spell, makes her un-locatable. Magically I mean. You'll still be able to see her like physically and stuff. At least I think so. I hope so. Yes, I think so. Anyway, the spell is good for at least two days, maybe more if she can find another rose quartz pendant and recast it."

"Oh, great. Any idea where she was when she cast the spell at least?"

"Why didn't I think of that? Hold on…" She was gone just a few moments. "Chicago. A park, by the lake. You want me to tell Buffy?"

"It's okay, Willow. No point in getting her even more upset, and if she goes in all cavalry charge, things will just be worse."

"Well, okay, mister, but I expect a full report, okay?"

"Absolutely. I find her, you're the fourth or fifth to know, I promise."

""You're so weird. Sometimes I regret letting you break my Barbie so you would be forced by guilt into being my friend for twenty years… Who am I kidding? No, I don't. Go do whatever you need to do, then we need to have some quality time, buster."

"It's a date. Promise." He knew he could count on Willow.

"Love you too. Bye."

He called Robin and Faith.

"It's me. Can you guys take a few days away?"

"I can get one of the part timers to cover classes. Faith's between clients… sure. Where we going?"

"Chicago. I'll meet you at LAX in say two hours? I need to make some arrangements."

"Um, Chicago, like Wrigley Field Chicago? Might take us a little bit to shake some transport out of Giles and his crew. We're not exactly on payroll there but family's family." Robin was obviously worried about the expenses but didn't want to say so.

"No worries. I got it taken care of. Just be there." Xander had his command voice going. Wood couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd heard it. He was smiling when he hung up his phone.

As he drove to the bank to pick up his new card, Xander thought about what Wood had said. "Family's family." It seemed important but Xander couldn't pin down why.

XXIII.

October 12, earlier that day.

Before her plane had landed in Illinois, Dawn was cold. Her sweater had been mostly a fashion accessory and a guard against occasional drafts and was totally unsatisfactory in keeping her warm. The goose bumps on her arms had goose bumps, and her legs, long and lean, were unfortunately well exposed by her shorts.

"Memo- when running, have clothes." The girl in the seat next to her looked at her strangely. Dawn had been muttering a lot on the flight, talking over something that had her upset, and the girl in the next seat was a little uncomfortable sitting next to the scary girl.

And isn't that what I am? Dawn had asked herself. The scary girl? The girl who cut herself. The girl everyone has memories of but who never really existed till she was molded out of some sort of universal energy? No wonder she had become junior Research Girl: everyone asks where did I come from and why am I here. They just don't usually get apocalyptic answers.

When she reached Chicago, Dawn had bought a pair of U of I sweat pants and an oversize Windy City t-shirt at the terminal. She'd wanted a jacket but there was nothing she could afford at the gift shop prices.

She'd taken a cab to an address that she had memorized almost three years before, using most of her remaining cash, and approached the door of an older but very charming townhouse.

With a nervous knot flattening her stomach against her spine, she rang the bell. A young man with short sandy hair and a neatly trimmed beard answered. He was about twenty-six or twenty-eight and had on navy scrubs and a jacket with worn canvas tennis shoes. He looked as if he had just been heading out.

"Hello?" he looked at her with curiosity, noting the new-looking clothes and the red-rimmed eyes of the young lady knocking at the door.

"Hullo… I'm… is this Darlene Sutherland's house?"

"You mean Darlene Pond?"

"I, um, I'm not sure. Is she in? I kind of need to speak to her."

"I'm sorry, she's in Puerto Rico till next Thursday."

"Puerto Rico?" Dawn felt about twelve years old and her shoulders slumped. "What's she… I mean, thank you very much for your time. Would you let her know her niece Dawn said hello? I was just in the neighborhood."

"Oh, I'm sorry Dawn. I'm just house-sitting for her and Doctor Pond till they get back from the honeymoon. Nate and I work together at the medical school. I have to run now or I'm going to be late, but I'm sure Mrs. Pond will want to know you stopped by. Is there a number she can reach you...?" He had a piece of paper in his hand and was feeling around in his pockets for a pen.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I won't be in town that long. Thanks for your time."

"Sure thing. Could I give you a lift somewhere?" He'd seen the taxi pulling away as he came to the door. "I'm just going over to County General."

She was torn between wanting to be alone and wanting to be warm and safe and have someone take care of her. She went with warm.

"Sure, I'm heading that way myself actually."

He stuck out a hand. "Doug, Doug Parker."

"Dawn Summers."

He took her to his rusted reliable, an old Civic that was parked a little way down the block. As they drove towards the hospital along the shore of the lake, he tried to make conversation, but she was a million miles away. They were coming up to a park where kids were flying kites when she suddenly bolted upright.

"You okay, miss? Dawn?"

She looked at him as if she had no idea where she was and why she was riding with him. "Please, can you drop me here?"

"Sure." He pulled over. "Are you okay, really?"

She was already getting out. "Yes, thanks for the ride Doug."

"Yeah no problem." He was a little worried, but he was also running late and couldn't afford another chewing out at work. "Take care of yourself, you hear?" He merged his Honda back into traffic and soon was out of sight.

Dawn looked at the rose quartz pendant around her neck, that had been tugging and tingling at her. Someone was trying to find her. She quickly sat on a park bench, her pendant in her palm, her eyes closed. She began reciting:

"Abdere, celare, abscondere."

"Latito, velius occultus."

"Absit, absit, absit!"

Her necklace was hot on her hand. When she opened her eyes the pendant was charred an ugly black and there was soot on her palm. She grinned without humor.

"I said don't try to find me, Xander."

She dropped the necklace in a trashcan and began walking along the lake, wondering what to do next. For the first time in her life, she was really free to do whatever she wanted. How does a person figure out what it is that she wants to do?

XXIV.

October 12. That night.

Faith looked at Robin, eyes closed and breathing softly, reclined in his seat on the airplane as they began to make their descent towards Chicago. As always, her tough game face, all business, was softened a bit at the edges when she looked at him. Especially when he could not see her looking.

She turned and looked across the aisle at Xander. His hands were folded across his lap and he was sitting straight. It looked like he hadn't relaxed at all since they had taken off, and that he was planning on springing up as soon as the wheels stopped rolling. She was more than a little worried about him. She leaned a bit across the aisle towards him.

"X-Man, are you going to be okay here?" He turned and looked at her. His jaw muscles worked a bit before he spoke.

"Sure," he lied.

"Xander, what in all our long and shameless history together makes you think you can lie to me? You never could lie worth dick." She reached out and put a hand on his arm. The old Faith would have had the quip, but not the touch. Xander guessed she was finally growing up.

"What do you want me to say?" He regarded her briefly, and then turned back to face forward and spoke softly. "You of all people should know how it feels, to know that you've made a mistake, that it's worth whatever it takes to set things right."

"Yeah, I do. And I also know you can't do that without finding at least one person you can trust. We all get caught up in the fight, in the Big Bad. We forget that there's a lot more than fighting out there. Sounds way corny, but I thought you would have figured that out."

Xander glanced at her again, and nodded towards Robin. "And what about you? All that love in the world, you two been married what, eight months and you still give him a hard time about everything."

"Oh hell yes. Absolutely." She looked back at her husband. "He looks so peaceful. Even when he was bleeding out in the back of that school bus and giving me the Mickey, there's something about the man that's peaceful. He decided a long time ago who he was and what he stood for, then worked his whole life to be that person."

She turned back to Xander. "And even when he's gone four days on nothing but those teas of his 'cause his guts are patched together wrong and they can't quite make it right no matter what magics or surgeries they do, he still has that peace. Now he's sharing it with me. That's why we do the bodyguard work, personal protection services I should say. There are people bringing peace and order to the world for ordinary folks, folks who need it. We help take care of those people."

Xander looked at her. "Wow, that was the most I've ever heard you talk at once without swearing. The man is indeed a powerful influence."

"The man is also resting," came Robin's voice suddenly, "and would like to keep doing so while he enjoys the cushy first class seat." His eyes were still closed, his face almost serene. "The man has never flown first class and may never do so again, and would like his wife and his friend to go join the colicky baby in coach if they are going to keep talking."

Faith grinned at Xander, and then leaned over to brush her lips against Robin's cheek. He smiled like Buddha. "Honey," she told him, "don't make me stuff you in the overhead bin. You might shift during flight."

"Yes, dear." He opened one eye to peek at her, and then closed it again slowly. Faith grinned at him, which years ago would have been just spooky but now was nearly sweet. Xander would have smiled if he could.