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Chapter 5


“Oh this looks interesting………ah - sorry, no…it’s got to take place during the summer solstice…” Cordelia quietened

“This, is ridiculous!” Gunn said, slamming shut the rather large tome he was reading, causing a cloud of dust to rise into the air.

Willow, who was inclined to agree with him looked pained

“What else can we do?”

“I…I don’t know…but there’s just GOT to be something we’re missing!”

“Giles…Giles!”

“Hmm – won’t be a moment, I’m waiting for a fax from a coven in England” As soon as Giles stopped speaking, the fax machine whirred into life. Giles picked up the sheet of paper when it had finished printing…

“Anything?”

“No………they’re working on it. Best we can hope for really – what was it you were going to say?”

“Oh, when the first one was here, at the shop, the one that blew up Xander, well, it must have been here for a reason – have you found anything missing?”

“Such as?”

“ANYTHING!” Willow said, raising her arms and letting them slap back to her sides in exasperation.

“Anything like a, a book or a talisman, amulet – a potion, something that might tip the balance in our favour to find out what they’re going to do”

“Well, we haven’t opened since Xander’s encounter…the only way to find out what’s gone is if we do a complete inventory – a total stock-check against the record of sales”

“That’ll take FOREVER! – We need something more instant than that!” Willow said pained

“Unless…I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before!”

“What – think of-“

“A reveal spell!” Giles said excitedly, taking a packet of sage and some candles off the shelf.

Willow’s brows rose up thoughtfully – NOW they were getting somewhere!



***************


“Had enough pet?” Buffy nodded and Spike stood and took her breakfast tray.

“Baby…when you’ve taken that down, will you come and talk to me?”

“Sure”

**

“So pet, what do you want to talk about, hmm?”

“What’s after me?” Buffy looked him straight in the eye

Spike closed his and sat on the bed, pulling her gently towards him.

“Should’a known better than to try and keep things from you, shouldn’t we?”

“I know it’s coz you don’t want me worried and that – what with the baby n’all, but if there’s something after me, I’d rather like to know what, and I know enough from protection spells, it isn’t pixie’s were dealing with, is it?”

Spike gently shook his head and said quietly,

“No, it isn’t pixies, mores the pity”

“So – this thing got a name?”

“Thing –z, plural and there are quite a few of them – look pet, before I go any further – see this?” He pulled open the nightstand draw and took out the orb Willow gave him

“Uh huh”

“Well, if you’re threatened by anything, smash it in front of you, and you’ll be in a protective bubble for eight hours, or if I’m in there with you, four hours, okay – use it DON’T try and fight, you got that?”

Buffy nodded and handed back the orb. Spike slipped it back inside the drawer.

“Gassenbeeks – bastards they are – guardians to the seven gates to hell, minions to Hellions”

Buffy sub-consciously rubbed her bump and said in a small voice

“I suppose they want junior for something horrible”

Spike shrugged and said

“Giles’ and co are still trying to discover what – you might as well know, the poof’s here, with the cheer-leader and Gunn. Wind-bag’s on holiday”

This little alteration of Wesley’s name had her give Spike a little rueful smile.

Spike held her close and kissed her hair and whispered

“Don’t you get worrying pet, I won’t let anything hurt you or our son”

Buffy nodded and snuggled closer.

*****************

“That’s it? The Ars Daemonicus, volume 25, VE-WA?” Willow said frowning

“That’s what the spell has revealed as missing” Giles said

“But that doesn’t make sense – I mean, why that volume?” Angel asked

“Well I don’t know!” Giles’ said with exasperation.

“I mean it’s a book on demons, beginning with the letters from VE-WA…but that doesn’t involve ‘vampire’, coz that’s VA…or Slayer, or Buffy, or even William the Bloody – it doesn’t make sense!”

“I’ll look it up on the computer………it’s a thin volume thank goodness!” Willow said, opening her laptop.

**************


Back in Revello Drive, Spike answered the phone
“It’s okay Giles, you don’t have to speak I codes, Buffy isn’t stupid, she’s twigged that there was something up, it didn’t take Einstein to work it out anyway……………………you did, what? Uh huh…VE-WA? – And?…Well what use is…okay, okay, keep your knickers on! – Yup, keep me informed, bye”

“Baby, seems all this Gassenbeek took, was a volume of the Ars Daemonicus, volume 25, letters VE-WA”

Buffy looked mildly thoughtful, then puzzled

“What use is that, unless it was the demon thingy they want to call up?”

“Willow’s onto it now, reading up – Giles will keep us informed”

Buffy sighed

“I’d love to go outside for a walk in the sun – I oh, Oh - I’m sorry babe, I shouldn’t say such-“

“Hey now, no kitten, you’re right, you SHOULD be able to go out, just because I can’t doesn’t mean to say………look sweetheart, until we know what is happening…”

“I know, and I won’t put our baby in danger just for a walk”

“Good girl…now – what would you say to a mid-morning hot chocolate and a foot rub hmm?”

Buffy grinned and slipped off her flat mules and presented Spike with ten wriggly pink polished toes………


******************


“Eight in total, hmm?”

“Uh huh, Velassa – giant wormy thing that lives in the tropical rainforests, Vemalux, the Australian equivalent to a goat-sucker, Vengeance demon - well, we all know about those, don’t we? Next there’s V’gengia-waym’ fish, no, fash ia – anyway, something unpronounceable, but it only lives in sub-zero temperatures – found in Siberia and the south pole only, Voltaraine – Also know as the Hottentot Zombie, Wabbymaroo – that’s an Aboriginal name for a wicked version of the Easter Bunny, from what I can make out – it’s what adults used to threaten the kids with. Then we have Wan Zen, an ancient Chinese spirit that supposed to be invoked by ingesting opium somehow, and finally bringing up the rear, is Wattoo-Wattoo, an Egyptian bird that stands guard at the entrance to tombs, it’s the thing that curses you if you enter to pillage, apparently” Willow said smiling and she looked up at Giles who was reading over her shoulder.

“Well, I’m sorry to say, but the only one that makes any sense in that list, is the vengeance demon – everything else is either the wrong continent, temperature or needs drugs to bring it forth”

“Vengeance demon? Wasn’t thingy going to marry a vengeance demon – didn’t she try a sue Buffy for taking her wedding?” Gunn asked, and Angel clicked his fingers

“Yeah, you’re right! Anna wasn’t it, she was going to marry Xander!”

“Anya” Willow and Giles chorused together, correcting Angel

“That’s her! Have you seen her lately? – Anyone?” Angel looked from Giles to Willow, they both shook their heads no.

“But Xander might have…phone him Willow”

“Right on it”





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