It's Not Enough
By:  Morrigan


A/N:  Here we are again!  Sorry it took so long for this update. RL got in the way, what can I say?  It makes my muse cranky, and uncooperative.  Hope you all like this chapter.  Please leave a review...  I love hearing from ya!

Once again beta'd by Blacknblue2.  *Hugs* girl!"


Disclaimer:  All characters are property of Joss Whedon and Me.  So, why don't they hurry up and do something with them?  I miss my shows!!!!



What happened?  What's wrong with my sister?"

Dawn's question was the first thing that greeted Willow and Giles as they stepped through the doorway and into the main house.  With Xander's assistance, she was walking towards them from the direction of the open front door.  Behind her the rest of the household, all shared similar looks of worry and confusion.

"Well, Dawn, it seems as if Buffy is dealing with a bit more of a... um, transformation than we had anticipated."  As he was saying this, Giles had removed his glasses, wiping them furiously as he glanced nervously around the room.

"Like, what kind of changes are we talkingabout that would cause her to run out of the house like that, with Dead-Boy, Junior on her heels?"  Xander asked, his brow creasedwith concern.  Isn't that scenario supposed to be the other way around?"

Willow was wringing her hands and looking back and forth from Giles to Xander and the rest of the group as she answered him.  "Spike was...  Spike is going to bring her back.  She's just...  She needed to take a..."

Willow dropped her hands, closed her eyes, and let out a deep sigh of frustration, before meeting Xander's eyes again.  "She freaked out on us.  All of us."  Turning her eyes to Dawn, she said,  "She's really different, Dawnie.  She looks like-"

"A Vampire."  Giles had finished cleaning his glasses, and had walked past Willow to stand directly in front of Dawn.  "But, she's not, Dawn.  She's still your sister.  We'll get her back, and-"

"You mean Spike will get her back, don't you?"  Dawn interjected.  "I mean, he
is the only old British guy she can really trust, around here, right?"

Dawn had her hand on her hip, and had managed to strike a quite challenging pose, despite her shaky disposition, and tear-filled eyes.
 She turned her chin up, challengingly, to the older man, and her eyes met his with willful determination as she made her point.

A point that Giles understood, quite clearly.  He was well aware that he would be spending quite a bit of time trying to earn back the trust he had lost with Buffy.  He just hadn't realized, until this very moment, how much of it had been lost with Dawn, as well.

He was saddened by this realization, but it also brought with it an understanding of how much the two girls had begun to confide and trust in each other, which in turn, brought forth a strong desire to make her understand just where he was coming from.  Maybe, if he could make Dawn see the truth of things, he would have an easier time convincing her sister.

"Now, Dawn," Giles began, softly,  "You know that isn't exactly right."

Before Dawn could reply, Anya appeared behind her, and stated, bluntly,  "Yes it is."

While Giles blinked at her in surprise, Xander turned to his ex-fiance, in irritation.  "Now, Ahn, Honey...  I don't think you should be getting involved here.  This isn't the time for a female solidarity moment."

"Don't you *Honey* me, Xander!"  Anya turned on him, eyes flaring with indignation.  "I haven't been your Honey, or anything else for that matter, in a long, long time!  And, I think it's a perfect time for female solidarity, I'll have you know, because Dawn's right.

"Anya, I understand that what Giles did probably wasn't the best way to get things done, but his intentions were for the best!  I mean...  What?  Wait a minute, are you actually going to stand here, and argue over Spike?"  Xander shot back at her.

"Not over Spike, Xander."  She stated, matter of factly.  "Over what Giles did to Buffy.  And Spike."  Anya glanced back to the watcher, before turning back to meet Xander's stare.  "He isn't very trust-worthy, right now."

Xander's eyes burned into hers in barely restrained fury as he fought to keep his temper under control. This was not a conversation he ever intended to have with Anya, and yet it seemed, lately, as if it were one that she was just as determined to force them to have.

"Oh yeah?"  He hissed through gritted teeth.  "And you are telling me that Spike is?"

"Yes, Xander."  Anya replied, cooly.  "That is exactly what I am saying."

And Xander's control snapped.

"Well, this is just fuckin' great!  I can't believe you are standing here, defending the Evil Un-dead, while Buffy is out there dealing with God only knows what!  What's the matter, Ahn?  You didn't get enough of him the first time around?  Newsflash!  He isn't here for you to impress!  He's too busy stalking Buffy to ever notice or care about you!"

Xander laughed, a dry, sarcastic chuckle curling the corners of his mouth into a sadistic grin, as he drew his conclusion.

"He used you, Anya.  That's what Spike does.  He feeds off of people.  Weak.  Vulnerable.  Easy people.  Like you."

As if a shroud of quiet had descended upon them all, silence hung heavy in the air as Anya caught her breath and stepped back. Her eyes glistened with hurt at the cruel implication of his words. And then, slowly, the hurt was replaced by the indignant rage of an insulted, pissed off ex-demon with a need for vengeance.  She stepped back up to him, her jaw clenched tight, her arm coming out in a graceful backhanded arc..."

And meeting nothing.

Xander's face did not share the same experience, however, as he found himself staggering back several steps as a much quicker, heavier fist connected with it.

Under the guilt of his recent betrayal, and the pressure and strain of their current dire situation, combined with his charge's new terrifying condition and disappearance, Xander's careless assault on this brave woman, who's only crime had been to dare and speak her mind, had shredded the last of the watcher's already frayed nerves.  For the moment, at least, Ripper was back.

Clutching his jaw, Xander was acutely aware of a ringing in his ears, just before Giles grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed him, viciously into the wall.  It sounded kind of like the phone.

"How dare you speak to her in that manner?  The woman, you still claim to love?  You spineless, quivering scrap of filth!"  Giles spat, his face only inches away from Xander's shocked and bewildered expression.  "My personal feelings aside, it is no wonder to me why Anya turned to Spike for comfort after you abandoned her.  After all, even he is more endowed with the proper
knowledge of how to treat a lady, than yourself."

Giles' sneer became a smile, as he released Xander and stepped away.  "It's a pity for you, Xander.  But, most fortunate for Anya, I believe, that you made the decision that you did.  You don't deserve a woman like her.  In fact, I don't believe you ever did."

For once, Xander had nothing to say.  Giles' unexpected attack had knocked the fight right out of him and left him feeling very much like a scolded bully.  He struggled to regain his composure, looking past the retreating man's shoulder to meet the hurt, but strangely triumphant gaze of his former love.

"Anya," he stammered, his eyes pleading with her.  "Anya, I'm sorry...  I don't know what came over me!  I-"

But Anya was already walking away.  "Stick it, Harris!"  She called back over her shoulder, as she exited the room.

Giles had returned to where Dawn was still standing.  Suddenly, the thought of trying to win her over to his way of thinking didn't seem so important anymore.  Truth be told, he wasn't even certain that he, himself, believed in his previous actions, at this point.  Rubbing his temples, he took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself before addressing her.

"Dawn.  I'm sorry.  I realize that my actions over the last few weeks have been less than forthcoming, and you have every reason in the world not to trust me, because of this.  But, I assure you...  For whatever it is worth, that my actions were only out of concern for your sister's best interests...  For all of our best interests.  But, I am willing to admit, that I was wrong to take matters into my own hands.

"You bet your ass you were."  Came Dawn's reply.  She had dropped her defensive posturing, but her anger with him was still very clear in her tone.

"We trusted you."  Dawn said to him.  "Buffy trusted you.  And you betrayed her!  You have been like a father to us for all these years, and after Mom died, you kept telling her over and over that she needed to trust herself, that you believed in her to make the right decisions.  But the very first time she takes a stand for something, you tried to take it from her!"

Giles looked to the ground as the truth of her words found their mark.  He said nothing as Dawn continued to speak.

"My sister put her faith and her life in your hands, and you taught what it meant to be The Slayer.  You taught her to trust her instincts, Giles.  To never ignore them, just because someone else disagrees."  Fresh tears made thier way down her face as she spoke.  "Buffy believed in you, Giles.  And now, Buffy believes in Spike.  Can't you have the same faith in her that she gave to you?"

"Eghem!"

During all the commotion, no one had noticed, until now, that Willow had been absent from the scene.  She stepped back in, with her hands folded in front of her and looked to Giles,seriously.

"I don't mean to interrupt...  And I know that this is really not the best time for this sort of thing, but I just got a phone call from Fred.  Something has happened, and I need to go to L.A.

Both Dawn and Giles looked at her with incredulous eyes.  "Willow," Giles began, shaking his head,  "Can't this wait?  Buffy is still out there, and we still have no idea what is happening to her!"

"I know," she said.  She chewed her lip nervously, before continuing.  "And, I'm really worried about her.  But...  But, I know Spike will bring her back...  And, I think that I may be able to bring back something to help us.  There's too much to explain right now..."

She took Dawn's hand in her own and said,  "Buffy's going to be OK.  I'm sure she just got scared, what with the changes and all, and she'll be back in a little while." Turning back to Giles, she added,  "I'll be back tomorrow night, and we can talk with Buffy and hit the books.  There has to be something written about the changes she is going through.  Maybe now we can find out, once and for all, how to stop The First."

She looked at her watch and mentally calculated what time it would be when she got into L.A.

"I already threw some things together while you guys were, uh... talking.  I'll explain everything when I get back."

With keys in hand, she opened up the front door and came face to face with the last person she ever expected to see.

Looking as calm and cool as ever, Oz's mouth curled into a quizzical smile as he nodded at Willow's overnight bag and asked,  "Hey, Will, where ya goin?"