“Wha-what’s…” Buffy pauses to hurl into the bowl. I crawl over to her and hold her while her body’s convulsin’. She stops for a brief moment. “Oh god, what did I eat? Oooh, look lemon chicken, I forgot about that…oh god not again…” I cringe as she’s gettin’ sick and help her with her hair but she makes me laugh with noticin’ the lemon chicken.

Dunno when I became the official ‘Spew Girl’ but I usually end up helpin’ someone while they spew. I guess it doesn’t bother me as much as other people. ‘Cept when it’s tacos or burritos, well anything with refried beans in it, or a bean theme, ‘cause that’s really gross to see and smell, dude.

Her stomach seems to have given her a bit of a reprieve. She’s groanin’ and leanin’ on the bowl. I take this opportunity to get her a cup of water. She waves it away and gets sick again. Poor baby. I hate to see her goin’ through this and when she realizes why, she’s gonna kill me.

She finishes and looks curiously at the bowl, “Oh god, is that a whole slice of apple?” I chuckle. “Oops…” She blushes a little.

“What?”

“Piece of gum, I didn’t realize I swallowed it.”

“I’m always tellin’ you not to swallow your gum, B! You see why? It just stays like that in your system, it doesn’t break down.”

“Who told you that again?” She sighs.

“Gee Gee, after I ate a whole pound of cookie dough. She was distracted, had to go into the livin’ room or somethin’ and I ate the whole bowl of cookie dough. I got sick but didn’t make it to the toilet, I could only get as far as the sink. Gee Gee came up behind me and counted all the pieces of gum that I had swallowed over the past two days. There were like six, and I got grounded.” I shrug. “Which was fine with me ‘cause I needed to lay down for a while. Ya know, whole pound of cookie dough and all.”

“I wondered why you never want to lick the spoon or try to sneak cookie dough outta the bowl while I’m making them.”

“Now you know.” I get a smirk on my face as I hand her a cup of cool water. This time she accepts it gratefully. “And you know what else?”

“Hmmm?” She gulps the water.

“Sips, B! Sips!!” I take the cup from her and sit down next to her. She pouts.

“None of the pouty lips, B. I got important things to say. Are you gonna yark again, or can you listen for a while?”

She smacks my arm. “I can listen. I’d like to have some more water though. Please, warden?”

“Only if you sip it.” I hold the cup out and she goes to take it from me. “Ah, ah, ah. I’ll hold it.” Her eyes narrow at me but she puts her lips to the cup. I don’t know why I’m doin’ this, I trust her to sip it but I think I just wanna baby her a little.

‘Cause she’s havin’ my baby. Heh.

She’s done sippin’ and she sits back. She looks less pale.

“Wow, I don’t know what came over me there. I guess it was the shock of everything.” Her face gets a stricken look. “Oh, Faith, what if…what…if Rona...and Vi are…are…”

I pull her close to me and settle us back against the bath tub.

“Buffy, don’t worry about all that, we’ll find them. You know we will.”

“But…but…that could’ve been me…us…” She sounds spooked.

“B, we’ll find out what’s goin’ on. Giles…” Oh shit, Giles doesn’t know Will and them are comin’ they’re probably already here. I gotta make this quick, but not. “Giles’ll help research, I got the Scoobs comin’, we’ll get to the bottom of it.” I give her a kiss on the top of her head.

She relaxes against me fully and sighs into me.

“Maybe I caught a bug, but I still think it was me being shocked.”

“Well, I think…”

“What?”

Damn, I hope I’m makin’ the right decision here.

“I don’t got the penis anymore.”

She pulls back from me quickly and her eyes narrow at me, then go wide.

“Are you…Oh god! We’re pregnant!”

I laugh. “Yeah we are.” I go to pull her in for a kiss and she stops me.

“No, Faith! I haven’t brushed. That would be icky.”

“You think I care, B?”

“I do!” She jumps up and goes for the mouthwash.

I get up and wrap my arms around her while she’s rinsin’ out her mouth. She gargles and then leans over the sink more. I place my cheek on her back and she giggles.

“What’re you doin’?”

I get up and turn her around givin’ her a huge kiss.

When we break, I look deeply into her eyes. “We’re gonna be moms, B.”

“I know, it’s…I can’t believe it!” She gets a curious look on her face. “Do you think it’s that though? I mean, doesn’t it take a few weeks to really know?”

“Tell you what, we’ll get back to NY to have our doctors look at ya.”

All of a sudden the door opens and Ashleigh spots me and B. “Uhhh, sorry I didn’t…Buffy?!”

“Ash!” I try to shield B from her view, but it’s no use, she’s spotted her. Fuck!

“What’s she doing here? And in Dawn’s clothes?!”

Fuck!

I push Ash outta the door and tell B to stay put and lock the door.

“Come with me Ash.”

“Why?! What did I do?!”

“Nothin’ just please, come with me.”

I bring her down the back stairs and through the kitchen to the basement steps, we go down and I can hear someone shushin’ other people. Ash looks like I’m gonna beat her.

“Don’t be scared Ash. I just wanna explain.”

I gotta do somethin’, ‘cause she looks like she’s gonna pee herself. I call Francie over to come down with us.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Francie, come down with us, I gotta tell Ashleigh somethin’.”

She shrugs. “Kay.”

We go down and there’s no one around, but I know they’re there. Francie can tell too, but Ash doesn’t look like anything’s up, other than the fact that she thinks I’m gonna beat her.

“Ok, Ash. There’s some things that are goin’ on that are very important. I can’t tell you everything, but I wanted to explain what you just saw.”

“Okay.” She’s unsure.

“We’re undercover agents, and Buffy was wearin’ a disguise.”

“That was a pretty fuckin’ good disguise! You’re shittin’ me!”

“Ash! I’m tellin’.”

“Francie, stop bein’ 5, and let me do the talkin’, huh?” I scold her.

“Sorry.”

I nod at her then look at Ashleigh, “It’s true, we’ve got some really great disguises, but Ash, no one can know. Ok? This knowledge could put you and your family in danger. But I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. I just want to make sure you don’t tell anyone,” I look into her eyes to make my point. “No one, not even your mom or dad, or other sisters. Ok?”

“Yeah, but how come Francie knows?”

“She saw B the other day, and I had to tell her too.”

“So you and Buffy aren’t broken up?”

I shake my head, “Nope.”

“You…” Ashleigh looks like she’s gonna cry.

“What’s the matter?”

“You, you let Gee Gee die thinkin’ you guys were split up.”

“No, Ash.” I look at her sincerely. “Gee Gee knew we had to do it ‘cause of our job.”

She looks skeptical. “That’s some weird job you got.”

“The weirdest.”

“Can I help?” She’s lookin’ less upset.

That makes me smile, she’s always willin’ to help with stuff. Bein’ the middle child she kinda feels left out.

“Sure Ash, but you can’t do any of the dangerous stuff, sorry. What you can do is help out around here. Make sure no one’s on to us, ya know? Keep your ears and eyes peeled. We think there’s a spy somewhere, possibly in the house.”

“You think the thing with your dad has somethin’ to do with this?”

“Maybe.”

She looks a moment or two and then jumps into my arms givin’ me a big hug.

“I’m so glad you came back, Faith.”

I hug her tightly. “Me too, Ash. Me too.”

“I’m happy you told me, rather than treatin’ me like I’m stupid. Jules does that all the time, and it pisses me off.”

“You’re not stupid, honey. And don’t ever let anyone tell you you are, got that?”

She pulls back and I can see a tear in her eye, but she’s got a smile on her face. “If they do can I ask you to kick their asses?” She puts her hand on my arm and squeezes my bicep, givin’ a short laugh that lights up her face.

“You bet, Ash.” I wink at her.

Francie puts her hand on Ashleigh’s shoulder. “I’ll help too, Ash.”

“Is this what you’re trainin’ Francie at that school for? To be an undercover agent?”

“Sorta, but she’s mainly learnin’ regular school stuff.” I punch Francie’s arm playfully. “I gotta get back upstairs, are you gonna be ok?”

“Sure, just let me know if there’s anything else I can help with.”

“I will, and you and Francie can help me together, ok?”

“Yes,” She nods at me and looks me in the eye, I know she’s gonna do anything she can to help. I just have to make sure she’s not gonna get herself killed or hurt because of it. I’m trustin’ Francie to keep her safe and this way they can confide in each other.

“Ok, you guys get back upstairs, Francie, go up and tell Buffy she should wait in Gee…no, in Ash’s room. That ok with you Ash?”

“Of course!” She runs up and Francie follows, I call Francie back before she gets up the steps.

“Yeah?”

“Keep her safe Fran, make sure she’s not askin’ too much stuff or tryin’ to work out what’s really goin’ on. But don’t treat her like she’s stupid.”

“I won’t.”

“Good, I’ll tell you more soon, ok?”

“Ok.”

“Thanks for your help, Francie. Oh, and no one else can know, got it?”

“Of course.”

“Make sure no one goes into Gee Gee’s room.”

“I will, er…won’t.” Before she goes back upstairs she turns and waves at the air behind me.

“Hi Willow, Xand, Dawnie and Andrew.”

They appear as she calls out their names.

“You’ve learned to use your powers very well, young one.” Andy says like he’s Obi Wan.

“Thanks! I’ll see you guys later.” She says as she turns and runs up the steps to get her cousin and make sure she’s cool with this.

“Ok,” I turn around. “First of all thanks for comin’ so fast, secondly, Will, do the teleport mojo and teleport Alicia down here from my Gee Gee’s room.”

Willow gets to work and Dawnie comes over for a hug.

“What’s up, Faith? You look like the shit’s hit the fan.” She laughs, the little brat.

I pull her so I can see her face. “You have no idea, D. No idea.”

“I’m gonna go up and get Giles and Buffy, you guys wait here, but if Leah and Kara come home you gotta go invisible. I’ll try to get to ‘em before they get back.”

“Are you gonna let them in on everything, too?” Dawn says as Alicia appears with a pop and some green mist.

Xander jumps, he’s still a bit of a wuss when things appear like that. It’s funny.

“Not everything, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

I run upstairs and I can see Giles talkin’ to my Aunt Kate, she must have just got here.

“Hey Aunt Katie,” I go over to her and she hugs me. “I’m really sorry about your brother.”

She gives me a sad look, “He was such a shit, but I didn’t think anyone wanted him dead.”

That’s funny, ‘cause I know my ma sure as shit wanted him to die, and I’ve thought about it a dozen times. We break apart and she goes and sits down on the couch.

“I shoulda known though, he was dealin’ with some of those asshole politicians, the one who go soft on drug clean up.”

Damn! She probably knows some stuff I can use. I’ll have to figure a way to ask her about it.

“Anyone we know?” Could start there, that sounds good.

“You remember Bobby Cochrane?”

“The pyro?”

“That’s the one.”

“He’s one of the guys who was helpin’ Tommy get groomed for his run for office. Seems like he became this wiz in Washington. Works for some senator’s aide or somethin’.”

Oh fuck, I bet that’s our senator’s aide that me and be got that shit on while we were in D.C. How much more fuckin’ convoluted is this gonna get?

“Man, you never know about some people, do ya? I thought he’d be in jail for burnin’ down Faneuil Hall by now.”

“You’re not kiddin’, that’s what everyone else thought, too. Seems like after college he wanted everything to do with politics, but I think he’s on the shady side.”

“He in town? It would be cool to catch up with him.”

“Yeah, I think he’s stayin’ with his ma for a bit, she’s been sick recently.”

“Damn, that sucks.”

“I know, it’s like one thing after another.”

“I’ve got a couple of things to do, are you gonna be ok here?”

“Sure, you do what ya gotta, thanks for thinkin’ of me comin’ here. I was gettin’ ready to board up the windows.”

“Katie, come help me in the kitchen.” Aunt Dee yells.

“Comin’!” She excuses herself and starts to go in the kitchen then stops. “Thanks again, Faith. I’m so sorry for what happened that time at the Cape. I never thought Tommy could be such an asshole.”

“Don’t worry about it, Aunt Kate, you did your best, I mean, you were only in high school at the time, right?”

“Still…” I stop her.

“Still nothin’, don’t worry, we’re cool. Ok?”

She looks at me and smiles proudly. “You’ve turned into a wonderful woman. I’m so glad you came back.”

“Me too, Aunt Katie, me too.” She pat my shoulder then goes into the kitchen, Aunt Dee’s tryin’ to make us deaf again by callin’ Katie in the kitchen.

Fuck, I gotta think. What the hell am I supposed to be doin’?

“Faith?” Giles’ gentle question snaps me out of it.

“Hmmm?”

“What next?”

“Oh, ummm, go downstairs, I gotta go get B and bring her down.”

“Do you need anything else?”

“No, grandpa, I don’t.”

He didn’t catch the double meanin’ and he thinks I’m makin’ fun of his age. We’ll tell him soon along with everyone else, but I guess that’s gonna have to wait on the backburner, until we make sure it’s true.

“Very well.” He hesitates a moment and I know what’s comin’ next.

I stop him before he gets the chance to say somethin’.

“G, please. I can’t even wrap my brain around it yet. We’ll talk about it downstairs.”

“I’m just making sure you’re ok.”

“I’m not ok, and then again I am, it’s fuckin’ weird, ya know?”

Shit, he doesn’t know about Vi and Rona.

“Oh and we lost Vi and Rona.”

“Bloody hell! What do you mean lost?!”

“Giles! Calm down,” I pull him over to the stairs, “You wanna tip off everyone and their mother?”

“I apologize, but…”

“Just go downstairs and Will and the others’ll fill you in.”

He nods and goes down quickly.

I run up the steps and go to Ash’s room. I can’t open the door, B must have the chair under the knob.

“It’s me, Dawnie.”

I hear rustlin’ and Buffy opens the door. She’s back to bein’ Dawn.

“Did, you talk to Ashleigh?” I ask when I get into the room and she shuts the door, barricadin’ it.

“Yeah, she’s pretty cool, she was making sure I was ok and if I needed anything.”

I chuckle, “She likes bein’ helpful.”

Buffy wraps me up in another hug and I can’t help but relax into it.

“Hey, how’s your stomach?”

“Better, for now, hopefully. I’m worried about eating anything, though.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get back to HQ and talk to the docs, first we can talk to Will and see if this is normal.”

“Ok,” B pulls back from the hug and sighs. “What next?”

Heh. The question of the day. “I’m not sure, but we gotta go downstairs and strategize, everyone’s down there.”

She sets her shoulders in what I’ve come to know as her ‘Let’s kick ass’ stance and she looks me in the eye.

“Let’s kick ass.”

Do I know her or what?

“So what do you suggest?” Giles is rubbin’ the bridge of his nose. We’ve been strategizin’ for about 15 minutes and everyone’s gettin’ frustrated ‘cause we got nothin’.

“Hey, what about Ken?” I just realized she’s still in lockdown back at the academy.

“What about her?”

“Who’s watchin’ her? Is she safe? Can she tell us anything? She must’ve been involved in this somehow, even if it was just gettin’ kidnapped and brainwashed.”

“We’ve tried talking to her, she’s kinda out of it, and a bit crazed.” Willow says.

“Why don’t me and B try? She and I can go to HQ and see what we can see. You guys keep researchin’ what you can here. Hook up the witchtop and find out everything you can on the pyro.” I say to Will.

“Got it.” Will gets started.

I notice Alicia looks a bit stunned.

“Somethin’ up, Alicia?” I ask.

“I…” She stops.

“Spill it, we’re talkin’ about our friend’s lives here!”

“I think I might know where you can find the senator’s aide.”

“Well, fuck! Why didn’t you say that before?!”

“It just came to me!”

Her fuckin’ backtalk makes me incensed and I jump up and push her to the wall. I got the red mist in front of my eyes and I’m holdin’ her by her throat up against the wall. I barely hear people yellin’ behind me.

Someone gets a hold of my other hand, I had taken out my close combat weapon and I’ve got the blade with the mahogany tip place right over her heart. They’re strong enough to get it off me and I can hear B yellin’ in my ear.

Shit, I lost it again. Oh shit, B’s gonna fuckin’ flip. She’s not gonna want my kid now.

I let go of Alicia and she holds her throat. She immediately says she’s sorry.

That pisses me off too, but I don’t say nothin’. I turn my back on her and look over at the stove. “I’m sorry Alicia, I don’t trust you. I know you loved my grandmother and all, but weird shit’s been happening and it seems to have hit the fan in a big way since you showed up.”

I feel a hand on my shoulder and my vamp alarm lets me know it’s Alicia.

“I know, Faith. You’re a smart girl.”

Heh. I don’t know why but that reminds me of when Mrs. Post called me an idiot. That fuckin’ bitch. She was the reason things went to shit between me and B. Besides me bein’ a mega-bitch of course.

“Don’t feel really smart right now. I feel sorry, so, please…” I turn around. “Don’t be mad, we need your help.”

I can hear the collective sigh in the room.

“Don’t worry, you’ve got it.”

“Good, let Will know where you think this dude is, we’ll be back in a bit.”

She nods, and then we get started on me and B teleportin’ back to HQ. The others’ll stay down here. I gotta get in touch with Leah and tell her not to go down in the basement and not to ask her ma why.

Shit, I’m gonna need to let more people in on this.

While everyone’s talkin’ and gettin’ busy, I go over to Will.

“Red, can I ask you somethin’?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“How long did you say it would be before the you know, happened?”

She looks confused. “The ‘you know’? I thought you already had the ‘you know’?”

I pull her in and whisper in her ear. She squeals.

Everyone else looks our way, suspicious.

“Uh, tickled.” Red saves us, she’s rubbin’ at her ear.

I give her the stink eye and she gets serious.

She whispers to me, “As far as I know it takes the normal amount of time. Are you positive?”

“Well B was yarkin’ her guts out, and I lost the ‘you know’.”

“Oh, my god, Faith. Then it’s true!” She raises her voice slightly.

“Shhhh, Will, we don’t want everyone to know yet. Ok? We’re gonna go get her checked out with the docs. Can you also just check to see if there are any cases of havin’ mornin’ sickness that fast with the spell?”

“I will.”

I thank her and she hugs me. Dawnie’s lookin’ over at us all suspicious and pissed off. She knows she’s bein’ left out of somethin’.

I give her an innocent shrug and she sticks her tongue out at me.

Damn, Summer’s women! I hope the baby’s a boy, then maybe it’ll be more like me. Heh.

Me and B get teleported back to NY. It makes us a bit woozy, but doesn’t give us the barfs like it used to. I’m worried about B though, cause of the yarkin’ she did earlier.

Will had sent word ahead so they’re ready for us. We get teleported right into the doc’s office. B pisses in a cup and then she waits in the waitin’ area while I make my way down to the holdin’ area.

B doesn’t really need to be down there questionin’ Ken, and if she’s still all in love over her, I don’t think it’ll help any.

Shit, Ken’s in some sort of mystical barrier, she’s out of it, but when I walk up to it she opens her eyes.

“Hey,” Her voice sounds raspy.

“Hey, Ken.”

“Who died?”

“Whatta ya mean?”

“Figured you wouldn’t be comin’ here unless someone died.”

“Someone died, but it wasn’t anyone close to you.”

“So, what’s up?”

“You seem pretty with it, last time I saw you you were kinda goin’ nuts.”

“Yeah, sorry about that, I really don’t know what that was about. I seem to have been goin’ kinda crazy for a while there.”

“You feel any better?

“Kinda, I think it’s been good for me being here. Ya know?”

“Ken, do you remember anyone approachin’ you when you got back to the States?”

“For what?”

“Anythin’, anything at all, protection… to help with somethin’…anything.”

She thinks a while, “Nope, nothin’ out of the ordinary. Laurie came up to me about some dude she was datin’, said if she played her cards right she was gonna be the next first lady or somethin’.”

“Did you meet this guy?”

“Once, about a year and a half ago. Me and Will went to their house, then Will was called away, I stayed for a while. They seemed cool.”

“Anything weird happen after that?”

“Besides me cheatin’ on Will with a Buffy clone?”

Heh, yeah there was that.

“Yeah, did you feel weird at all right after you left there?”

“Kinda, but uhhhh, well…”

“Well what.”

“I dunno, you gonna narc to Willow on me?”

“You smoked somethin’?”

“Yeah, they said it was somethin’ called ‘Northern Lights’ this shit was purple, Faith!”

“Ken, I thought you were a straight edged girl.”

“Well, in Brazil you get into it, they’ve got some really good stuff, and it’s like a tradition ya know?”

“I guess.”

“You think they mojo’d the weed?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Shit, I’m so stupid.”

“So, Laurie, huh?”

“Yeah, she was my friend, then I don’t know what happened.”

“You got whammied, Ken. But we’re gonna get to the bottom of this shit. I promise you that.”

“I’m guessin’ I gotta stay in here for a while longer.”

“Just until we make sure you’re not gonna hurt anyone, or yourself. ‘Sides, you’ve probably got a price on your head, they can’t get to ya while you’re in here.”

She looks kinda like she understands, but she’s conflicted. “I wish I could help.”

“You did, Ken. You totally just did.” I smile at her.

“Good,” She looks at me kinda worried. “Did you really almost die?”

I shrug.

“Don’t blow it off, Faith! I wanna know.”

“Ken, what good’ll it do ya?”

“I just want to know if I’m really as much of an asshole as I’ve been beatin’ myself up for.”

“It wasn’t you doin’ that, Ken.”

“Still…”

“Ken, don’t beat yourself up. Look, I gotta go, but I just wanted let you know that we’re on this, we’ll get you back.”

She nods and closes her eyes, it looks like this talk took somethin’ out of her.

The doc looks at me when I come outta the room.

“She’s been pretty lucid recently. Hopefully she’s making a full recovery.”

“Good.” I think about somethin’. “Anyone else allowed to come visit?”

“No one except you, Buffy, Giles, Willow and Dawn.”

“That’s good. Has anyone asked to see her recently?”

“Laurie was asking to see her, she was kind of upset she wasn’t allowed in. Being a member of her former crew, I guess she thought she had clearance.”

Fuckin’ Laurie.

“Thanks, doc. I’ll be in touch, Will might be stopping by tonight.”

“Very well.”

I touch my hand to the pad on the door, it allows me clearance to get out. I fly up to Giles’ office and open up his laptop, I send Will a quick email with what I heard from Ken and wait for a response that she got it. Will says that Laurie hasn’t been at the Academy for a few days, she took some time off. I tell them to get someone to nose around her place, and maybe get someone down to D.C. for surveillance.

She responds that they’ll get right on it and that Ashleigh helped with keepin’ Leah and Kara occupied. That bought ‘em a couple hours more. They’re goin’ to a movie in a few minutes. Dawn’s been put in charge of Joey, who’s sleepin’ right now.

I send another message tellin’ her I’m gonna go up and see B in the doctor’s office, we’ll be in touch, she should be ready to teleport us back to my Aunt’s house, and that I’ll send another email when we’re ready.

She answers that she understands and wishes me luck.

I’m so fuckin’ excited, and scared, and worried about B, the possible baby, Vi and Rona. There’s so many emotions goin’ on in me I can barely keep up with ‘em.

When I get to the office, B’s face lights up, she says the tests are in but they’ve been waitin’ on me.

The doc comes out and asks us into her office.

She waits until we sit down, “Well, I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” Our faces fall and hers brightens. “You’re gonna be changing diapers for at least a year in the very near future.”

Me and B hug and laugh, and there’s a few tears involved in there too. The doc’s kinda smilin’ and I look over and she gives me a thumbs up.

“Yeah, great bedside manner there, Doc. You do that to your cancer patients, too?”

“Only the really sick ones,” She jokes.

Me and B break apart slightly, look at each other and kiss deeply, it’s a sweet moment and the doc kinda clears her throat when it gets not so sweet.

We stop kissin’ and look over at the doctor. “Sorry,” B says all blushy. “How long have I been pregnant, a couple of days?”

I think back to when that was, it was the first night we were together with the penis, damn, I’m pretty good!

The doc picks up the file and looks at the date. “I’d say approximately six weeks.”

“Six weeks?” B says puzzled.

How can…six weeks…

“That can’t be…” Buffy says quietly.

Fuck right it can’t be, I was in a coma six weeks ago.

Her hands tighten around mine and she looks at me.

“Can’t be right, Doc. Did you do the test right?”

The doctor looks puzzled, then realizes why we’re a bit freaked. I can read it on her face.

“Well, we…we did the test three times to be sure. It’s pretty fail…” Her words trail off, or I’ve tuned her out.

I’m not gonna fuckin’ freak out, I’m not gonna fuckin’ freak out. I’m gonna hear what she has to say, and I’m gonna let people smarter than me figure this shit out.

I get the stunned look off my face and smile at the doctor.

“Thanks, Doc. We really appreciate it. Sorry, but we gotta jet. When do we have to be back?”

“I’d like to see Buffy in a month, but of course if you have anything you need to discuss, or any concerns, I’m always here.”

“Thanks.”

I let go of B’s hands and get up. She’s not movin’.

“Buffy, c’mon, we hafta get back.”

“But…six weeks.”

“B, let’s worry about that later, come with me, ok?”

I take her hand and pull her up outta the chair and we leave the room. She’s kinda walkin’ absentmindedly, and I gotta keep slowin’ down. When we’re outside Giles’ office she stops altogether.

“Buffy, what the fuck?” She visibly flinches. Shit, I’m in trouble here. I guess I am kinda bothered about it. Kinda the least of our worries right now, but she looks like she’s gonna bawl any second. I pull her into the room and shut the door, lockin’ it.

“Buffy, honey, I’m sorry, we’ve gotta jet though.” My tone is much softer.

“You think I cheated.”

“What?”

“On you, you think I cheated on you while you were in a coma.”

“Buffy, did you cheat on me while I was in a coma?”

“NO!!!!!”

“Good, now that’s that, right? I’m gonna have Will teleport us back and we’ll figure this one out, too. Ok?”

“Ok,” She seems a bit more relaxed. But she’s still lookin’ like she doesn’t believe me.

I’m not fuckin’ sure what I believe.

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