Spike was walking alone in the cemetery, thinking about his encounter with Buffy earlier in the evening. He started walking in the direction of his crypt. After a few seconds he whirled around and said “What?”
An extremely short, orange skinned demon with red boils all over his face and a horn on the left side of his head was following Spike. The demon was taken aback at Spike’s sudden moves, he bent forward and grasped the horn on his left side of the head shaking.
“Get up, you moron” Spike said. “You shouldn’t do that mister Spike, it can be very scary for a person who has suffered a loss of various body parts in the past” the demon said in a hoarse voice, indicating at the right side of his head where a horn used to be before he lost it in an unfortunate tragedy.
“Yeah, mind if I knock off your other horn. It’ll do wonders for your image” Spike grinned. “That is not funny mister Spike” the demon looked at Spike apprehensively.
“Yeah well, sod off! I’ve got places to be and stuff to do” Spike said, he turned a round and resumed walking towards his crypt.
“Master is getting very impatient Mister Spike, you owe him” the demon said walking closely behind Spike.
“You don’t think I know that” said Spike. “Master needs them now” the demon persisted.
“Your master will get what he needs, now go away” Spike said through gritted teeth. “You see mister Spike, my master is very impatient, and says unpleasant things will occur .... to me, if I fail.” said the demon.
“Well, thats your problem now, isn't it” said Spike. “I can't leave without them mister Spike” said the demon.
“Look” Spike said softly, he turned around and walked straight over to the demon overbearing the four foot figure and continued “I have a plan” “Oh yes, plan’s good” said the demon.
“There’s a high security building four blocks from here....” Spike paused, looked around the cemetery suspiciously then resumed talking in an undertone. “I’ll break in, get the stuff, bring the loot back to my crypt”
“Yes, yes, very good. And where is ‘that’ place?” the demon asked eagerly. “The pet shop” Spike stated. “Ahh...Yes. Lots of kittens there” said the demon.
“Your master will get his kittens tomorrow. Now get lost!” Spike said moving closer to his crypt.
“Is this place, your crypt, safe enough?” the demon asked walking a few feet behind Spike. “Safe?” Spike snorted reaching the entrance of his crypt. “This place is as tight as a soul in a body. Nobody gets in without my say-so.....DAWN!” Spike cried out taken aback at seeing Dawn in his crypt.
“I see, and who is this young maiden?” the demon asked looking at Dawn admiringly. “None of your business. Now get lost!” Spike yelled at the demon. “Fine, mister Spike. We’ll meet again soon. I hope” the demon bowed to Dawn and left.
Spike rolled his eyes and entered the crypt slamming the door behind him. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Hanging out” Dawn replied walking around th crypt. Spike sighed in annoyance. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that hanging out in a vampire’s crypt isn’t cool” “Un huh!” Dawn said absentmindedly picking up the necklace Spike was wearing earlier and examining it.
“Put that down!” Spike shouted at Dawn. Dawn dropped the necklace on the floor in alarm and looked up at Spike frowning.
“Does Buffy know your here?” Spike asked in a voice of forced calm. “What do you think?” Dawn asked crossing her arms together. “Yeah, stupid question” Spike said.
Dawn continued walking around the crypt, occasionally picking up one or two of Spike’s possessions, much to his rising temper.
“You need to go home” Spike said. “Why?” Dawn asked casually. “Because it’s late, and if Buffy finds out your here she’ll kill me” Spike replied.
“But your already dead” Dawn stated. “You’re missing the point” said Spike. “You need to go home now, before Buffy finds out you're missing and if does, I repeat she’ll....” Spike was cut short by the door of his crypt being slammed open, and the sight of Buffy rushing in.
“Spike! I need your help Dawn is....” Buffy stopped short looked at Dawn and finished “Here”
“What the hell! What is she doing here at this hour?” Buffy fumed at Spike. “Just hanging out” Dawn said coolly. “Here?” Buffy raised her eyebrows at Dawn.
“I was just about to send her home” Spike said nervously. “Dawn come on, were getting out of here” Buffy said.
Spike looked at them leave frowning. He shut the door, flopped down on his chair and said “That went well”
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“How many times do I have to tell you hanging out with Spike is not cool” Buffy said annoyed. “Like I haven’t heard that speech before” Dawn snorted. “Then why do you keep doing it?” Buffy asked enraged.
Dawn didn't reply instead she gave Buffy an angry stare. Buffy sighed in frustration “I can’t do this right now. Go to your room and stay there this time” “You can’t tell me what to do. You're not my mother” Dawn said scornfully.
“Do as I tell you” Buffy said more strongly then she intended. Dawn made a face of extreme contempt, ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door behind her.
“Did I ever give this much trouble to mom?” Buffy asked Xander, who standing idly at a corner while Buffy was scolding Dawn.
“You don’t want me to talk about the Houdini incident again now do you” Xander made a goofy face. Buffy rolled her eyes in disgust, opened the front door and walked out of the house in a sprint.
“Hey, where are you going?” Xander cried out after her.
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Spike was in his crypt watching a soap opera on his TV. “Oh come on Erica!” Spike shouted at the TV. “How thick can you be? It’s clearly evident that Bill is cheating on Marsha” Spike looked away from the TV when the door banged open and Buffy strode in.
Spike got up, walked over to Buffy and asked “Don’t you ever knock?” Buffy punched him in the nose. “OW! Bloody hell! What was that for?” Spike asked taken aback.
“For being such a bad influence on my little sister” Buffy said and punched him harder on the nose.
Spike winced in pain, blood oozing from his nose. “Hey! I didn’t bring her here, if thats what your implying” Spike said backing away from Buffy. Buffy grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and flipped him across the room. Spike banged against the wall groaning. “I’m telling the truth. Damn it!” Spike cursed. “I know” Buffy said, she turned around and stormed out of the crypt.
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“Buffy! Where were you?” Giles asked concerned as Buffy came back to her home. “Beating up vampires. Takes the stress out of my life” Buffy said casually.
“Well, yes of course. Good your back though” said Giles. It was eleven in the night. The rest of Scooby-Gang had returned to the Summer’s home.
Giles who looked tired from a day of extensive research was holding an old paper. Anya was standing beside Giles with a contented smile on her face. Despite the fact that Xander was standing on the other side of the room, looking uncomfortable being in the same room with Anya, after their fight this afternoon. Willow and Tara were sitting on the couch each of them looking as if they were going to doze off any moment.
“Why? Have we got any new leads?” Buffy asked sitting down beside Willow.
“Well, it’s really small information. But it might help us in some way” Willow replied. “What is it?” Buffy asked curious. “An ancient picture of the Carlestius dated back to....” “I found it!” Anya cut off Giles.
“Err... What?” Buffy asked bewildered. “I found the picture, tell her Giles” Anya said her smile broadening. “Ah yes. Anya found the picture from an old book laying around the basement in the shop. As I was saying this picture is dated back....”
“Thats right! I found it. Took a lot time searching, but I was determined to help out. And look I did” Anya said proudly.
“Never mind Buffy, just take a look at it” Giles said handing Buffy the paper he was holding. Buffy took one look at the paper and gasped.
“Whats the matter?” Willow asked looking at Buffy concerned. Buffy didn’t say anything, she stared at the paper for a few seconds with her mouth hung open. “Buffy?” Giles looked at her intently. Buffy didn’t reply once again. She got up and sprinted out of the house leaving the door open behind her.
Giles, Willow, Tara and Xander were looking at each other confused. Anya on the other hand was still thinking proudly about finding the paper.
“What was that about?” Tara asked looking at Xander. “No idea!” Xander replied and continued “But it’s not the first time today Buffy ran out without telling where she was heading.”
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“Spike!” Buffy said barging into his crypt for the third time. “You again” Spike snarled holding a cloth to his bleeding nose. “Come to apologize?” said Spike.
“Nope” Buffy said continued “Where is the necklace you were wearing?” “Necklace? I haven’t a clue of what you're saying” Spike replied.
Buffy came up to him, grabbed him by his shirt and said “I don’t have time for banter, Spike. Where’s the necklace you had on earlier today?”
“I told you, I have no idea where it.... OW!” Spike yelled in pain as Buffy punched him on the nose. “Where is it?” She asked again. “At least lay off the nose” Spike said as his nose started to bleed again. Buffy pulled back her fist for another blow when Spike said “Okay! Okay! Had it on this evening, must be laying around here somewhere.”
“Well, find it!”Buffy stated crossing her arms. Spike cursed under his breath and began scanning his crypt for the necklace.
“Why do you need it anyway? I don’t think it will go with anything you own” Spike said looking around the crypt.
Buffy didn't reply, after a few minutes, Spike found the necklace on the floor where Dawn had dropped it earlier.
“Here it is” said Spike. “Where did you get it?” Buffy asked and grabbed the necklace from Spike. “Why do you need to know?” Spike asked with more emphasis on ‘you’. “Where did you get it” Buffy asked once again looking at the necklace closely.
“Took it off of the Slayer I killed” Spike said proudly and continued “Sort of a souvenir.” Buffy made a face of extreme disgust.
“What?” Spike made an innocent face. “Can’t I have something to remember that fine day”
“You got it off a Slayer. Where?” Buffy asked. “In China, about a century ago” Spike replied. “A century ago, in China” Buffy repeated. “Yeah, took it out today from my box of sweet memories. Wait! I didn’t say that” Spike cringed.
Buffy ignored him. She seemed to be deeply interested in the artifact, which was oval shaped and made of wood. It had some writings in a foreign language which Buffy couldn’t understand.
“Hello there?” Spike said jerking Buffy out of her thoughts. She looked up at him turned around and stormed out of the crypt again. Spike sighed in annoyance and exclaimed “Your welcome!”
____________________________________________________________________________________
“Hey Buff! What is with the disappearing acts tonight?” Xander asked. “Sorry guys!” Buffy said catching her breath, she had sprinted home from Spike’s crypt as fast as she could.
“So where did you run off to in such a hurry?” Willow asked. “Spike’s place. I went to get this” Buffy replied holding up the necklace.
“Oh dear Lord!” Giles stated. “Oh my gosh! Spike had this?” Willow asked taking the artifact from Buffy.
Buffy explained how she saw Spike wearing the necklace before, and how Spike came in hold of it, when he killed the Slayer in China a century ago.
“Spike snatched it off the Slayers neck” Willow said thoughtfully and continued “That means she must have been the one who killed the demon last time”
“Thats great. But what about the incantation?” Tara asked. “What about it” Buffy said. “We need the incantation, otherwise we can’t kill the demon” said Tara.
“Good point. We’ll have to do more research on this artifact before we can use it” Willow said and continued. “I’ll go hit the books” “I’ll come with you” Tara said and followed Willow out of the living room.
“Where’s Dawn? She is not sleeping is she?” Buffy asked Giles. “No Buffy, she is doing her homework. I made certain nobody dozed off.” Giles replied.
“Thanks Giles” Buffy said and continued. “I’ll go help Willow and Tara research.”
The next forty five minutes went by quietly. The whole gang started scanning the books which Giles brought back from the Magic Box for further information.
“Hey guys! Look at this” Willow said grabbing everyones attention. “There is a chapter here that explains all about the Carlestius” Willow said. “Does it say how to use it?” Tara asked. “Not only that, it also says the incantation which we’ve been looking for is hidden inside the Carlestius itself” Willow said.
“Hidden inside? How do we get it out?” Buffy asked skeptically. “I’m getting there” Willow said and continued. “It says here, that the artifact has to be worn by a really powerful person and the following words have to be chanted thrice, in order for the incantation to be released.”
“So Buffy will have to do the ritual then” Anya said. “Me! No! Probably Willow” Buffy said. “Yes indeed. I don’t think were talking about physical strength here” Giles said taking off his glasses. “Yeah, I’m game with the mojo” Willow said enthusiastically.
“Are you sure Will?” Tara asked nervously. “Yeah, baby! This’ll be easy” Willow replied.
“Okay, fine. When do we start?” Xander asked. “How about right now” Buffy suggested. “Fine” Giles said putting his glasses back on. “Are we doing it here?” Anya asked. “Where else?” Buffy replied. “Okay, but what about Dawn?” Tara asked.
“Maybe we could drop her off at her friend Janice’s place” Anya suggested. “We can’t do that it’s almost mid-night.” said Willow. “Don’t worry you guys, I know a place where I can drop off Dawn for sometime” Buffy said objectively.
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“And she’s back!” Spike stated as Buffy entered his crypt followed by a sulking Dawn. “I need you to take care of Dawn for awhile” Buffy said bluntly. “I’ve really got to start charging for babysitting” Spike grinned. “So?” Buffy asked crossing her arms and staring at Spike. “Fine. Niblet can stay here. But what about my necklace? Hey wait up!” Spike yelled after her, as Buffy left abruptly. “Is she always so bossy?” Spike exclaimed. “Tell me about it” Dawn said annoyed.
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A/N: This chapter is co-written by Colin Xavier.
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