Chapter Text
Moments ago the eight people who had opened their eyes in this magic shop had all been strangers to themselves and each other. Yet, with the help of their driver’s licenses, some clues they had found scattered about, and some deductive reasoning, they all had names now, and some sense of their relationship to each other. However, there were still a lot of holes to be filled.
“We have no idea what’s wrong with us,” said Buffy. “I think a hospital’s our best bet.”
Anya was straightening her fiancé’s tie, but Giles heard Buffy’s comment and agreed. “Um, yes, let’s, um, let’s head out.”
They all start to walk toward the door. Xander offered his arm to his girlfriend and tentatively she took it.
“Any suggestion on how we’re gonna get there?” asked Buffy.
“Dad can drive,” answered Spike. “He’s bound to have some classic midlife-crisis transport. Something red, shiny, shaped like a penis.”
“B..b..but we don’t even know where the hospital is,” said Tara as they walk out into the darken streets outside of the magic shop.
“Well, let’s ask someone,” suggested Willow. She saw an old man and woman walking down the street and approached them. “Excuse me, could you tell us where the hospital is?”
The old man gave Willow directions to the hospital which turns out to be only a few blocks away. The old man smiled saying, “Well, Sunnydale is not exactly a big town, almost everything is close by.” Willow thanked the man and returned to the group.
“It’s close we could probably walk there,” said Willow.
“Good,” said Anya, “because I don’t see a red penis car anywhere.”
Later that evening, a young resident was sitting in front of Spike with a stethoscope to his chest. “I don’t get it, this stethoscope worked fine when I did the exam on everyone else, but something seems to be wrong with it now. I just can’t seem to find your heart beat,” he said shaking his head.
The doctor in the room smiled indulgently at the young resident. “It doesn’t really matter. I am sure that he is as healthy as the others.” She turned to the group. “I am sorry, but I can’t find anything wrong with any of you that could explain your memory loss. We would be glad to keep you all here if you would like. We can observe you and see if there is any change, but I am not sure we can really help. I think it might actually be more productive for those of you who can find your homes to go there, you might be able to find someone or something that can jog your memory.”
“Thank you, doctor. I think that sounds like good advice,” said Giles, his arm over Anya’s shoulder. The group smiled at the doctor as she departed.
“That’s great for you guys,” said Buffy. “Those of you with driver’s licenses know your address but neither Dawn nor I have any ID on us. We don’t even know our last name to try to look it up in the phonebook. How do we find our home?”
“Maybe home will find you,” said Willow. The group turned to her confused. “I just mean, that since Dawn is a teenager and it’s getting pretty late, your mom or dad are probably looking for you. In fact, I don’t know if we are friends or strangers, but if we are friends maybe your parents would have left a voicemail at one of our apartments.”
“So Dawn and I should follow you guys to your different homes and see if anyone left you a message about us? Sounds like a plan,” said Buffy with a smile. She looked at Xander and said, “You have got a smart girlfriend there.”
Xander smiled at Willow. “Yeah, it looks like.” Willow smiled back a little embarrassed.
Buffy continued. “Why don’t you guys that do have ID get it out, and we can ask someone here at the hospital if they can give us directions. We can start by going to whoever’s place is closest.”
A little bit later the group was standing outside of Xander’s apartment. “Well, I guess it is not that key,” he said as he moved to try the next key on the keychain. “Let’s try this one.” The door unlocked. “Well, let’s hope that I clean up after myself.”
The group walked into the apartment. There were some newspapers on the kitchen table and some cups by the sink, but otherwise the living room and kitchen looked neat.
“So I guess this is where I live,” said Xander with a smile, as the group wandered in slowly. “Well, I guess I need to figure out if I have an answering machine or something,” he said glancing at Buffy and Dawn.
Spike wandered over to the bedroom. The room was a bit messier with some clothes on the bed and some shoes by the beedroom door. Spike spied a pair of high heel slippers with red poofs on the top that Anya had recently danced in when the dancing demon come to Sunnydale. “Nice shoes,” he said with a smirk.
Willow rushed over and grabbed the shoes. She glanced into the bedroom and saw that the bed was unmade and that both guy’s and girl’s clothes were lying around. She dropped the shoes inside the door as she closed the bedroom door. “You know, why don’t you guys make yourself comfortable in here,” she said as she motioned the group to the sofa. “Can I get anyone anything?”
“Good idea, honey,” said Xander absentmindly as he held the receiver of the phone to his ear.
“I would take some water,” said Tara with a smile to Willow. Willow was surprised at how much her heart melted at the sight of that smile. The feeling confused her and she tried to ignore it.
“Anyone else?” asked Willow. The members of the group shook their heads. Willow began looking through the kitchen cabinets for glasses.
Xander put down the receiver and turned to Dawn and Buffy. “Just one message from a guy from work, apparently I work construction, but sorry nothing from your parents.”
“How were you able to check your voicemail?” asked Dawn. “Didn’t you need a password?”
Xander smiled. “Apparently, today is not the only day that I have been forgetful.” He picked up a pad of paper beside the phone, on it was written clearly: New Voicemail Password 8485.
“Convenient,” said Buffy with a smile.
Willow smiled indulgently over at her boyfriend.
“Hey, look it’s me,” said Anya happily as she picked up a picture of Xander and herself off a table.
Tara glanced at the picture that Anya was holding, Anya and Xander were standing very close together and smiling at the camera. Xander had his arm around Anya’s shoulders. “You guys must be friends.”
“Close friends,” said Buffy with a raised eyebrow as she looked at how close the two fo them are in the picture.
“Wait!” said Dawn excitedly. “What if it is something different? What if it is like me and Joan?” The group turned to look at her. “Well, we don’t know what Anya’s last name is. She just got her first name from those sales slips, right?” Anya nodded. “Well, what if her last name is Harris?” Dawn said proudly. “What if Anya and Alex are brother and sister?”
“Anya and Alex Harris,” said Buffy with a smile. “I could see it. In fact you two look about the same age you might even be fraternal twins.”
Anya and Xander looked at each other and then smiled.
“Come here, sis,” said Xander with a smile and he gave her a hug. As they separated from the hug their eyes met for a moment and they both shared a look and feeling that was a little more intense than siblings should feel. Yet with no memories everything felt so confused and the feeling passed too quickly for either of them to really examine it.
“See who needs memories,” said Willow with a smile. “We are doing really well at figuring stuff out without them.”
Buffy looked at Giles. “So I guess you and Alex will be brothers-in-laws soon.”
Giles looked surprised by this announcement. “Yes, I guess so.” He and Xander shared an uncomfortable look, but the others didn’t notice.
“Bloody hell,” exclaimed Spike, “that means a guy that has to be around my age will be my uncle by marriage. I told you there was a reason I didn’t want a young trollop for a mother.”
“Now, see here, Randy!” exclaimed Giles “I won’t have you...”
Willow quickly interrupted in order to try to divert the conversation to a safer subject. “I wonder when you guys are getting married.”
“I don’t know,” Giles said a bit distracted still glaring at Spike.
“Let’s go to our place now!” said Anya insistently. “I want to learn more about me.”
“I think we have found out all that we can from this place,” said Buffy. “And it is getting late I don’t want our parents to worry. We should check and see if they called your place.”
It isn’t long before the group was on Giles’ porch.
“Hurry up!” said Anya insistently.
“I just don’t know what key it is, dear. Oh, here we go.”
The door swung open and Anya rushed in and the group followed. Anya quickly looked around the room. She scanned at the desk, rushed over to glance at the bookcase, looked around the living room, before turning on Giles. “Where are your pictures of me?”
“Well dear, I...I...” stammered Giles.
“My brother has pictures of me, and my fiancé doesn’t?!?”
“He doesn’t have any pictures of his soddening son either,” grumbled Spike with bitterness as he flopped down on the couch.
“Now hold on here. It doesn’t appear that I have many photographs at all. So perhaps...” said Giles.
“Tomorrow we are going to get our picture taken,” said Anya with authority.
Giles sighed. “Yes, dear.” Giles then turned to his desk. “Well, here is my phone but no answering machine.”
“Pick up the receiver,” said Dawn. “See if you have voicemail.”
Giles did so. “I just hear a dial tone. I don't know if I have voicemail or not.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t,” said Buffy with a smile. She picked up an artifact from the bookcase. “You really don’t look like Mr. 21st century. Actually Mr. 13th century might be more like it. Look at all of these books on magic.”
Giles came over. “Who would have guessed I would be so involved in such things?” said Giles picking up some of the books. “Although, perhaps some of these might be useful in restoring our memories...” He sat down and began leafing through one volume.
“But until then, how are Joan and I going to find home?” asked Dawn sadly. “I mean Anya doesn’t have any ID with an address and neither does Randy.”
“Nope,” said Spike as he stretched out on Giles’ coach. “I’d say dad’s coach is going to be my home for awhile.”
“Oh, brilliant,” said Giles under his breath.
“It’ll be OK Dawn,” said Willow smiling. “We haven’t checked out Tara or my room on campus, and maybe Joan is a student on campus too.”
Dawn brightened.
“Why don’t you girls go to campus and check it out,” said Giles. “And don’t worry if there are no messages from your parents there, you can come back here to sleep and we will look for them in the morning.”
“Here!” said Anya in shock.
“Well, yes, this would be the biggest place and they have to sleep somewhere.”
Anya was obviously peeved by that idea. “Go to the dorm rooms now. I very much hope your parents called,” she said with false brightness.