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Chapter 11

Quentin walked quickly through the corridors confidently. His gate was long and hurried; he was a man on a mission. He nodded hello to the employees he passed. Watchers and researchers littered the hallways in the morning, drinking their morning tea, eating scones, and catching up on the past night’s activities. But Quentin didn’t have time to listen in on the latest gossip. He opened the door to the library in a strong push, leaving the door to bang against the wall. Giles sat in his normal spot on the large research table. “Mr. Giles!” His voice boomed through the room. He heard scurrying of early researchers in the upper stacks trying to get away from the inevitable confrontation. Quentin’s voice was too loud and too cocky for the conversation to go well.

“Quentin,” Giles nodded with his head cocked to one side. Perplexed at the situation, Giles took his glasses off and stuck an earpiece into his mouth, nibbling on the edge. “What brings you here this early?”

Quentin stayed quiet, slowly walking towards the research table covered in old texts and notes. ‘The Slayer’s Hypothesis’, ‘Growing up chosen’, and ‘The hunter’s latter years’ were the texts on top. “Mr. Giles, it seems to me that Miss Summers has been missing for over twenty four hours.”

“Yes, Quentin. Spike is out looking for any clues as we speak.”

Quentin walked over to the curtains and whipped them open, “Seems to me the pet vampire is missing, too.” The sun filtered through the window, illuminating dust particles in the air. “Hope nothing happened to the bloodsucker.” Quentin’s round belly giggled with mirth. He rubbed his chin and continued, “Miss Summers and you came here to- what was it again? Oh yes, push me out of power and take over. Well, Mr. Giles. Heed this warning, without Miss Summers or her pet, you have no grounds to throw me out of power.”

“You already called the council and stepped down, Quentin.” By this time Giles had stood up. His rested on hand on the table and pointed with his other. “We will find Buffy and when we do I make sure she knows how much you helped out.”

“Mr. Giles, with all due respect… well, you don’t deserve any, but as an English gentleman, I am giving you a pittance. I have rescinded my resignation and expect you and the pet vampire out by a fortnight. Do we have a understanding?”

“The Council will not take it back, I have friends.” Giles felt the Ripper boil inside him.

“As do I, Mr. Giles. Do take me serious. I will not allow you to take this duty away from me” Quentin bowed slightly and walked out the door. The glove had been thrown, now it was only a matter of time before the duel started.
~*~*~

The sun was high in the sky as Spike paced through the abandoned store. Drusilla was sleeping in the corner, leaving him to his own devices and thoughts. Spike opened the link between him and Buffy, trying to contact her. He reached out in his mind, searching for a crumb from her. He felt around the cosmic space between them, hoping to feel a glimmer of hope. Staggering back, Spike’s mind was filled with images. Blue water surrounded him, encompassing his dead body. The salty taste infiltrated his senses. He watched as a school of yellow fish darted past him. A smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. He looked up, the sun played at the surface of his blue container, sparkling through and touching bits of plankton and such. Spike looked around, his body feeling strangely buoyed. He looked down and saw a reef with an abundance of fish swimming around it. He felt at peace, the beauty that surrounded him gave him that sensation, yet he felt like he was missing something, someone.

When his body hit the floor, Spike was knocked out of his vision. He knew it originated from Buffy; only she would be able to visualize the beauty of Hawaii like that for him. Spike felt strangely calmed by his vision. If Buffy was able to send him the visualization of calm nature, then she was all right. But, Spike wondered why she would send him the images of water. Where was she?

~*~*~
The books lay spread out in front of Giles. His eyes ached, his neck had a crick, and his body protested against the long hours, but Giles continued to research the Slayers’ secrets. Bits and pieces of a Slayer’s life enfolded, leaving a puzzle for Giles. Not many Chosen girls made it to womanhood, and those that did seemed to disappear from the Watcher’s diaries. It was only when the next one was activated that they knew the older one had perished. Giles did find an account of a Chosen One that disappeared at age 28 with her Watcher. The mystery of the missing two was never solved, leaving a gap of twenty years of the Earth not being protected against the demons. It was hypothesized that the Slayer and her Watcher moved to a remote part of the world, leaving civilization. Another theory was that they went underground, her skills so honed that even the demons didn’t know who she was before they perished. This theory was substantiated by a substantial decrease of paranormal and demonic presence in South East Asia. Whole clans of dangerous demons were extinguished, leaving the human population to thrive. Even to this day, the hot, tropical jungles in Asia were considerably lacking in demon nests.

Giles put his research to the side. Spike had been missing all night and now all day. Nobody spotted him on his or her way in the predawn. Giles rubbed his eyes; it wasn’t like Spike to disappear. Well, Giles thought, he really didn’t know Spike all that well anymore. Giles had observed his devotion to Buffy over the past few weeks. Now that Buffy was gone, what would Spike do? Disappear again for parts unknown? Become the vicious monster he had once been? Giles pushed that thought out of his mind. If anything had happened in the past six years, Spike had changed. Not to impress a girl, or seek acceptance from anyone. He had changed for himself. He left his natural instincts behind and moved beyond the primitive lifestyle he had once lived. Giles looked over at the setting sun, wondering if the same people that took Buffy now had Spike in their clutches.

~*~*~
The moon rose high in the sky, kissing the sun goodnight on its journey. Spike escaped the storefront as soon as the shadows crept their way across the town. He started to run away from the prison of the shop and head for the Watcher’s Headquarters. He crashed through the door and leapt up the stairs, looking for Giles. Looks of displeasure passed him as he wound through the hallways, passing the younger Watchers still on duty. He ran into the library, knowing Giles would probably be there.

“Spike,” Giles took his glasses off when faced with the Master Vampire. “Where have you been?” He sounded almost worried.

“Looking for Buffy then got caught by the sun.” Spike walked over to the table Giles was sitting at. He felt Drusilla near. Spending the whole day with her had acclimated him to her presence once again. “Not a lot of time to talk, Watcher. Found Drusilla while trying to get back here this morning. She was sitting on her grave, singing. When I caught up with her she told me about Buffy.” Spike took an unneeded breath, “She seems to think she knows who took Buffy. She said it was a human.”

“Drusilla, you say?” Giles wiped his glasses with his handkerchief. “Do you think…?”

Spike lifted his boot and set in on a chair, he rested his arms against his knee. “No, she wouldn’t have been able to keep that secret, mate. Would have been spouting it off the moment I confronted her. She said that a human or humans took her. Was pretty adamant that Buffy was alive and unharmed.” Spike rubbed his forehead, “I think she followed me. I tried to run away fast, but she must have gotten my scent. She’s outside. She thinks that she can help us find Buffy.”

Giles stood up and put his glasses on. “Why would she do such a thing? No offense Spike, but she’s soulless, has nothing to gain from helping find Buffy. I think it’s a trap.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Spike mumbled. When Giles looked at him he continued, “She… she indicated she wants me happy and she knows Buffy is what will do that.” Suddenly, they heard a commotion downstairs. They ran down the hallway and arrived in the front of the mansion to see a dozen young Watchers load up with weapons and heading to the front door where Drusilla was standing near. “Dru, get out of here.”

“Can’t, my William. The pixies tell me tonight is important for our young heroine.” Drusilla turned her back on the house and the eager Watchers that were now armed with cross bows and stakes. “They say that herbs are taking over, leaving her head quiet.” Drusilla clutched her head and whimpered, “Why would they do that? She’s so lost Spike. Help her!”

Spike stepped out of the mansion and blocked the Watchers’ aims. “Drusilla, you are in danger here, go. I will find you later.” Spike turned to go back but Drusilla turned around and grabbed his arm.

“No!” Spike turned to face her. “The pixies, Spike, they say tonight we have to search.” She clutched her head, “Spike, please, she needs you.”

Spike looked over at Giles. The older Watcher nodded his head in approval. If Drusilla was this coherent for this long, she must know something. Spike turned back to Drusilla and nodded his head. They walked away from the Watcher’s headquarters without incident.


TBC…
a/n: my muse, Edward, is on strike, a fasting of words. He told me unless I gt lots of reviews he wont write andother word... HELP!!!!!!!!111





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