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Mr. Wainwright sat behind Giles desk like he owned it, which in reality he did, but never the less, it made Spike dislike him even more. Spike explained everything in detail about all the events that had led up to everyone's abductions. Mr. Wainwright hardly spoke through the whole thing. A few head nods, a few grunts and a couple of I sees was all he could muster.

When Spike finished, he stood there in complete silence. He was growing impatient with the man. Finally, Mr. Wainwright looked up at him.

"You say you're a vampire with a soul, huh?"

Spike threw his arms up, rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

"Look, I don't answer to you. I need to find someway to get everyone back so we can perform this supposed ritual that we know nothing about just so we can save this god-forsaken place we all call home. Either you are going to help me or you’re going to stay out of my way. Your choice."

Mr. Wainwright seemed fascinated with Spike. "Well…let me make a few calls and see what I can do."

Spike looked disgusted and smirked at him. "Sure, you go on right ahead."

He turned and walked out of the room as he added, "So that we're clear, that means you will be staying out of the way then."

**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

Xander and Giles were led down a very dark hallway before they suddenly were pulled to a stop. An entrance in a wall opened and they were pushed inside a warmly lit room complete with beds and other furnishings. The door slammed behind them and they both had to squint until their eyes adjusted to the sudden difference in light.

Xander looked around. "Well, at least we weren't thrown into cages or chained up to a cave wall somewhere."

Giles looked at him indignantly. "Correct. At least we get to spend our last few remaining days in comfort."

Xander smiled and shook his head. "Bonus. I wonder if there's a TV in that cabinet?" He chuckled. "Our last remaining da…well, yeah, I didn't look at it like that. I guess when reality sets in, this all seems so trivial."

He stood there and looked around. "Might as well enjoy it while we can."

He jumped on one of the beds and stretched out, soaking up the petty comfort while he could. Giles looked at him sternly and shook his head. Xander sighed with mock exasperation.

"Ok, ok, what do we need to do?" he groaned as he got back up off the bed.

Giles studied the room a bit. "Let's check the room, every nook and cranny. Look for anything odd or out of the ordinary."

"Ooohh, cool, like secret spy stuff. The name's Bond, Alexander Bond," Xander said in his best British accent.

Giles rolled his eyes, and then smiled slightly at him. "You are such a child, Xander."

"It's why you love me so." He gave Giles his best goofy grin.

**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

Once the sun had set, Spike traipsed across the compound to a building that stood hidden from the rest of the house. He could have gone through the underground passages but felt safer in a more open area. He had to reassure himself constantly he wasn't being a wimp for not wanting to walk through the tunnels. He had to take every precaution he could to keep from being ambushed yet he was still feeling helpless. Was he even capable of bringing this creature of darkness down all by himself? He didn't even know the whereabouts of his friends, let alone where to even begin looking.

He stopped at the brick wall that ran the length of the land. To whomever may come across it, it would look like a boundary marker and nothing else. Giles had brought Spike out to this particular spot not too long ago. As Giles had worked his "magic", Spike knew then that Giles trusted him beyond any reason of a doubt.

Spike put on his game face to make use of his exceedingly powerful eyesight. The markings on a particular brick stood out and he felt along the top and bottom of the brick for the prominent grooves as he melted back to human face. He grasped the notches and pulled straight out, causing a chain reaction of events to take place. An entryway appeared, which he stepped through, pulling the brick back into place to close up the non-existent door.

Spike walked a short distance when he came upon a solitary, slender sapling. He grabbed it and twisted it about a quarter of a turn and a patch of ground slid back revealing a short flight of steps that led down into the earth. Once down at the bottom, he hit a switch that closed the panel above and opened the panel in front of him. He walked into a brightly lit room, filled with thousands of books, notes, diaries and such. It was their own personal library that housed a plethora of information at their fingertips.

For the past few weeks they had been coming here, searching through all the wealth of information, but always coming up empty handed. One of the witches had tried a de-cloaking spell, figuring that was what was keeping them foiled. It didn't work. He sifted through notes that were still spread out on the table, flipped through pages of a couple of books they all thought would have what they were looking for. Still nothing. Spike leaned back in the chair, throwing his head back in sheer vexation.

"Bloody hell. I don't even know where…this is enough to make my head explode and turn me into dust. And now I’m talking to myself and what is that bloody going to accomplish. Nothing good that’s for sure." He mumbled the end of his rant.

He sat in that position for a while until something caught his eye and he stared at it for a bit. It sparkled in the light. The ceiling to the library was a replica of part of Michelangelo's "Last Judgment" from the Sistine Chapel and at the juncture of the fingertips that were barely touching, an object was glistening. The ceiling just happened to be domed as well, so Spike pulled the table over and placed a chair on top of the table.

He had been afraid of heights when he was human, and had never realized until at that very moment it had carried over into his turned state as well. He gulped before standing straight up and shut his eyes tightly. He had been through many battles with demons and monsters and never wavered, but standing this high off the ground sent a shockwave of fear through his whole body.

"You bleeding ponce", he muttered to himself before rising to a vertical position. He could easily reach the shiny object resting in the ceiling. It pulled out smoothly and was about the size of a baseball, an orb that swirled with millions of colors. He carefully descended from his perch and stared into the opulent ball. What in the world was it and had it always been there? He looked back up at the area he had snatched it out of but there was no indentation or any sign it was put there by whoever painted the ceiling.

Spike made his way out onto the garden terrace knowing that the back of the building was cloaked from any snooping passers-by. Buffy and he had come out here the evening before she was taken, to sit under the full moon. They had not talked much that night, but the pleasure of her company was enough for Spike. He really missed her as well as the other members of his family.

A vampire with a family. He still was having a difficult time understanding and accepting that little fact. He prayed that they were all still alive and that he could get to them in time. He wanted to do everything right but he just couldn't figure out what to do. So instead, here he was, sitting on a bench in the middle of this beautiful, lush garden full of statues of angels and saints who were reflected in the pools they were hovering above, praying to whoever would listen to him. He didn't know who would answer a prayer from a demon, but it made him feel a bit more calm voicing his fears.

His eyes were tightly shut and he realized he had begun to cry. He was lonely again and felt so powerless. Spike had come to depend on this new family, a family of humans who had taken him in, accepted him and loved him.

He heard the wind pick up, rustling the leaves on the surrounding trees. A sweet smell, almost like jasmine and honeysuckle permeated the air as a beautiful melodious sound drifted to him over the breeze. His eyes shot open to witness a most wondrous sight floating in front of him.

"William," it called out, it's voice like water and crystal, pleasing to not only the eyes but the ears as well.

Spike stood quickly, and then fell to his knees not knowing why he couldn't stand. "Who are you?" He barely whispered.

"I am your guide, your protector. I watch over you and have since the day you were born. I've led you to where you are, to what you've become."

He looked up at the figure which looked female and she illuminated the garden with her presence. "Then why am I in the position I am right now? Is this a trial?"

"Possibly. You have always been destined to save the world. We've been through many trials, haven't we, dear William. You have proven time and again your loyalty, but you were missing one key element…love. You had locked away your un-beating heart for so long that it was slowly killing you from the inside out. I had to lead you down this path. To your family. Now, it seems your family has been taken from you. What do you plan to do, William?"

"Save them, of course. But how…and where? I don't even know the first place to start."

"You are so very intelligent; use your mind. Use your powers, sweet William. There is one member of your family you feel closer too, yes?"

Spike lowered his head and shook it up and down slowly.

"You have been intimate with her?"

He snapped his head up. "No, she has kissed me. That's all."

The apparition smiled gently. "Then you know her a little better than the rest. I'm sure it will be easy to find her now. Where she is, the others will be close by. But make haste, William, the time draws nigh. The great, dark evil will not rest. His plans are at the ready and it will not be long before the earth is swallowed into the recesses of his hell. Rest and gather your strength, prepare for the battle to come. Wait for the new eve before leaving. Be sure to carry the orb of Lathicos with you."

She pointed at the sphere he still held in his hands. "It will protect one of your precious gifts."

"Gifts? I have gifts? What kind of gifts?"

She laughed slightly, which sounded like beautiful wind chimes. "You have two, actually. But we will leave that for another day. Be very careful, William. You will encounter many obstacles that will try to undo you. I can protect you only so much. You will have to do the rest. I have faith in you, my precious boy."

He watched as she floated up and vanished into the night sky amazed and bewildered. So he did have the power to beat this creature. He just hoped he could keep on convincing himself of that.

**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

TBC





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