Missing
The rest of the week went by with an increase in Sunnydale’s missing persons reports, and the arrival of the key to decipher the book. Strangely enough the box it came in proved to be their most difficult challenge. Just exactly how much tape was required in shipping again?
After Dawn’s amazing idea of stabbing the offending object till it was in shreds, Willow and Anya were put to work. Willow tapped away at her computer trying to write a program that could do most of the work deciphering the words in the ancient book, while Anya went symbol by symbol, using the knowledge she had gained in a thousand years of different languages’ dialect.
Xander continued to come by after working on site all day, and helped the ladies. He was calmer each day, the tension from having Spike around never really leaving. But all hands were needed for this project. It was a slow and arduous process.
In the meantime, The Slayers, and Dawn patrolled the cemeteries. Spike was immediately impressed with Dawn’s skills, and even asked Buffy about training the girl regularly.
Dawn loved the idea, until she found out exactly how much time would be put into it. After some arguing, the three agreed on a four times a week schedule. At this rate Dawn thought she might as well just move into the Magic Box between working and training there.
Friday came, and everyone was in attendance for Buffy’s commencement. Anya had even shut down the store three hours early. Xander arranged to be off work by four.
The Scoobies and Spike sat in a row of seats in the basement of the Police Department. A podium sat at the front of the plain room, with the Chief behind it. The large white haired man called the names in alphabetical order, and Buffy sat with her fellow trainees waiting for her turn.
Her new uniform was pressed, her hair was pinned up neatly and off the collar while the cap covered the secure bun. All in all, she looked very authoritative. The only thing she needed now was her badge, the item handed out during the commencement.
"Officer Buffy Summers." The chiefs strong voice called out.
She stood up and walked the few steps to the man, and shook his hand. He clipped the badge to her chest carefully. "Thank you, sir."
She smiled widely as she took her place in the line of officers standing to the left, and looked at her friends, and family.
Shed done it.
~~`~~
Saturday evening was much like the last few nights had been. Busy.
Dawn was currently fighting off the smallest of the four Vampires that had snuck up on the three guardians of the night. Buffy and Spike were taking turns with the other three.
Spike flurried at the Vampire in front of him, stake in hand. They had yet to turn a corner without getting attacked lately, and it was getting on his nerves. A good fight was one thing, but this was getting a bit ridiculous.
He punched the demon sending him flying backwards. Spike leapt onto him, and pierced his chest with the stake easily. Then the newly chosen leapt up to join the ladies in their fight.
Buffy was holding one off with random kicks, as another came at her with full force. A kick to her stomach knocked her down. With practiced ease, she flipped back to her feet, kicking the Vampire in the face on her way up. He fell back wards giving her a spare minute to stake the other, halfheartedly attacking, Vamp.
Spike went to Dawn’s position. "You going to stake ‘im, Bit?"
Dawn kicked the Vampire’s gut. The Vampire barely wavered.
"Awe co'mon! Put some force behind it." Spike yelled.
Dawn gave Spike a dirty look before spinning and kicking the Vampire again. This time he flew back crashing into a nearby crypt.
"That’s what I’m talkin’ about." Spike motioned to the fallen Vampire sprawled out on the lawn and started clapping his pride at the brunette‘s final play.
Buffy overheard part of the one-sided conversation, and quickly dusted the Vampire she was fighting.
The dazed Vampire tried to get up, but Dawn ran to him, and staked him before he could even sit. "That’s four for me tonight." She said proudly.
"Why’d you take so long with him, Dawn?" Buffy asked.
Dawn shrugged, "Practice."
Buffy shook her head. "One cemetery more to go."
"I can do it!" Dawn volunteered excitedly.
"I don’t know. Alone?"
"Common’ Buffy.." Dawn pleaded. "It’s the deadest cemetery in town."
Both Buffy and Spike cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Well, you know what I mean… " Dawn waited for an answer.
Buffy looked at her anxious sister. It really was the slowest graveyard. "Fine. But you see anything, you come back here. Don’t try to take anyone alone. Got it?!"
Dawn began running off. She yelled over her shoulder. "I got it!"
Spike waited for Dawn to get out of earshot before he pulled Buffy to him. "I still don’t know why you let her patrol alone."
Buffy laced her fingers behind his neck. "One: No ones been buried there in 15 years. Two: I haven’t seen a Vamp there since I moved here, and Three…" She pulled his face down closer to his and began to kiss him.
~~`~~
Dawn walked through the quiet graveyard. The grass was uncut, and the weeds nearly covered the headstones. The pure ‘scary movie-ness’ of it was why she liked it. She hadn’t been afraid of graveyards for sometime, but this one made her adrenaline rush.
She knew she wouldn’t find a Vampire here, and she knew that Buffy would never let her come alone if she thought there would be any, but at least she could pretend.
“Ah Ha!” She called out to the non-existent enemy as she held her stake high. “I know you aren’t trying to kill in MY town.” Her stern face bore down on the vine growing and taking over a monument placed in the name of one Henry K Jackson.
She stepped carefully towards the extremely threatening wildly growing greenery. “I’m afraid I must warn you, I’m trained to kill.” She confessed while attempting to spin her homemade stake in her hand. Unfortunately her spinning skills did not match her bravado and the stake fell with a soft thud within the weeds.
“Crapsticks.” The girl whispered to herself in a harsh voice. “How does Buffy do that?”
She plucked the wood from the ground and this time concentrated on her finger placement as she tried again to spin the one weapon she was being trained to use.
She started slowly and after a few more fumbles she finally got 3 full rotations before she stopped the movement mid twirl and grasped it firmly in her fist, only to see she was holding it pointy end towards her own heart. “Oh that’ll be helpful, for the bad guys at least.” She huffed and heard the leaves start to shake on the trees surrounding the cemetery.
A mild breeze brought goose bumps to her flesh just before a cold hand came from behind her and covered her mouth.
"They let you come alone. You are to precious to be alone." The Master held her tight as Dawn tried to squeal past his fingers, the stake falling from her hand out of surprise. "Do not worry. I am not going to kill you. Not yet." He began to walk her through the cemetery, his arms embracing the bug eyed fearful teen.
~~`~~
Buffy’s lips were sore, but it didn’t bother her at all. They had yet to do anything more that veracious making out since his return. Mostly because they had been working around the clock either on the secrets of the new Master, or living their real lives. These few moments before they had to go home and prepare for the coming day were what made each day worth getting through.
Spike pushed her back gently, and smiled down at her.
Buffy brought her hand up and ran her fingers through his hair. "We better cut it out. Dawn will be here soon."
Spike nodded at her. "Yeah, don’t want the nibblet walking in at an inopportune moment." He waggled his eyebrows at her teasingly.
Buffy held back a giggle at his antics and looked around for her sister. "Actually. I think she should be here."
Spike watched her for a moment as she walked away, then jogged up to her. "I’m sure she just lost track of time, Buffy."
"Maybe. I don’t know. I have a bad feeling."
The two walked to the old graveyard, but didn’t find Dawn.
"She’s gone." Buffy turned still hoping to see her sister. "Where would she go? She knows she’s supposed to meet us."
"Buffy." Spike stood still, but turned his head slowly looking around. "You feel that?"
She looked up at him. "What?"
"Look for Vamps."
"What?"
"Just do it. Tell me if you feel something."
Buffy calmed herself down, and reached out into the air searching for something. It was there, but it was weak. Familiar, but unfamiliar. "Vampire. Old one." She looked at Spike fearfully. "The Master. He’s got Dawn."
~~`~~
Buffy took off in the direction that Willow had told her Carter’s cabin was. Spike gave chase, trying to stop her before she got herself killed.
"Buffy!! Stop!! You can’t go in there alone!!"
She paid no attention. Only one thought was in her mind. "Save Dawn."
The two ran through town ignoring traffic, people, everything. When Buffy saw the cabin, she stopped.
"Ok, you take the front, I’ll take the back." She ordered Spike.
"We can’t do this." He tried to explain. "All of these attacks. It’s because he’s been building an army. It’s probably full of minions with one order. Kill the Slayers." Spike looked at her, knowing none of this was registering. "Buffy?"
"She’s my sister Spike. I have to get her."
He nodded. "Right then."
Buffy ran around the back of the cabin, and counted to 3 before kicking in the door. When she did so, she saw Spike at the front entry, also having kicked in the door.
They looked around the empty upstairs, and found the door that lead to the dark caves below. The cabin was falling apart, and the roof had holes while the floor was littered with everything from old newspapers and beer bottles to rat droppings and other crawly critter’s nests.
Carefully Buffy pulled the door’s handle to reveal the passages below. Their eyes adjusted slowly, something that still bothered the former Vampire, and they began to travel the worn path of the cavern. It was a mass of hidden caves and wrong turns that lead to dead ends. The stench was sickening, filled with decomposition and rot mingling with must and musk. Buffy held back the need to retch on several occasions. Spike on the other hand had been exposed to this and worse, so he was able to cope with little effort. It took some time, but they soon found the center.
Unfortunately, it was empty.
"Did that Vampire lie?" Buffy could feel the same lingering tingle from the cemetery along with several more less powerful energy signals left from lesser vampires..
Spike shook his head. "No. He was here. " He walked around the cave slowly. "You can feel it."
Buffy ran her fingers through her hair. "So where are they?"
"Donno, luv." Spike took her hands. "Don’t worry. We’ll find ‘er."
The two blondes ran out through the cabin’s front door a few minutes later and headed towards Giles old home. Giles had offered it to Willow indefinitely so that she wouldn’t have to sleep in the room her lover had been shot.
Buffy pounded through the door, and waited for her best friend to open the door. Much like Giles always had, the red head rubbed at her eyes after unlatching the door. She saw the couple on her front stoop.
"Buffy? Spike? What’s going on?"
Spike walked determinedly inside past the groggy woman . "It’s Dawn. The Master has her."
Willow quickly woke up. “What? How?” The redhead switched her gaze from one slayer to the other. Buffy looked unfazed, but it was a familiar look to Willow. It meant she was all business and when it came to the younger Summers Buffy was more than ‘all business’, she was a force to be reckoned with.
As far as Spike, well he was singlemindedly following Buffy’s lead. “She was grabbed on patrol.”
Willow drew in a sharp breath. “Oh no.” She immediately reached for the phone. "I‘ll call Xander and Anya and we’ll go get her. Do you have weapons?"
Buffy shook her head. "Not the problem Wills. We thought they’d be at the cabin, but it’s empty now."
"So where are they?" She asked now cradling the receiver on her shoulder.
"We don’t know, Red. Hence the problem."
"Oh." Willow began dialing. "I’m calling them. We’ll figure something out."
Buffy smiled despite the situation. This was the Willow she had missed, always dependable, always willing to give, always a friend. "Thanks Willow." Then she turned to Spike. "What are some other good Vamp hideouts. Ever have a favorite?"
Spike shrugged. "The bloke likes the caves. He might try Adams old place, maybe even the church the other Master used."
"Right. Caves. Ok." Buffy searched the familiar apartment for a map, and soon found one. After Willow called the two missing Scoobies, she signed onto the net, and did a search for any other deep dark hiding places in Sunnydale.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry I took so long on the update. I've been enjoying my vacation and finishing up the second part to Akoshta among the fun holiday insanity. So her ya go, hope yall enjoy :)
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks for all the reviews guys. I get such a grin when there's feedback and questions.