Rating: NC-17

Summary: Sequel to “Opening the Gates” and “The First Evil” (please read those first). Semi-crossover with AtS. Jonathan joins the team and Dawn and Connor are dating. Buffy is having bad dreams, but Spike’s problems are far worse.

Takes place about two weeks after the Series Interlude Story 2.5, “A Murder of a Mystery”.

Please send reviews to: joanieaitken@earthlink.net

Ashes to Ashes

Chapter 1: Visions of badness
 

            Buffy awoke with a start, her chest heaving for panicked breaths of air. This was the third time this week that she has had this dream, and she choked out a strangled sob in frustration.

            Why wouldn’t the dream go away? It couldn’t possibly be a Slayer dream… it just *couldn’t* be. She hoped that it was just some crazy nightmare. But the insistent nagging voice in the back of her head told her otherwise. Something bad was going to happen, that much she knew for a fact. She has been feeling restless lately, on the edge of her seat, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

            She glanced over her shoulder at Spike sleeping peacefully in her bed. He was so cute when he slept. He looked completely innocent and almost childlike.

            Buffy swallowed hard as the intense images from her nightmare flashed before her eyes once again. There was no wishing it away…she was going to have to talk to Giles about it.

            Later that day Dawn entered the Magic Box with a cheery grin and sat down at the round table. The shop was empty of customers and Spike was managing the shop while Anya and Xander were on their’ honey moon in Hawaii. Xander and Anya’s wedding was a small affair. The couple had decided that having Xander’s dysfunctional family and Anya’s demon palls together in one area was a recipe for *another* apocalypse, so they decided to elope. Anya had reluctantly let Spike take over the shop while she was gone, with the parting words: “I’ll be calling every minute I’m not having sex to make sure you’re not stealing anything.”

            Spike wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that he hadn’t received a call… a week after they had left. He grimaced at the thought.

            Spike closed the cash register and walked over to the table to join Dawn.

             “Heya Nibblet. How was school?” Spike ruffled her hair affectionately and she gave him a mock glare as she straightened it again.

             “It was school. You know, mindless automaton teachers.” Dawn grumbled.

             “So what’s with the big grin? Gotta hot date?” Spike gave her a sideways glance of suspicion.

             “Maybe.” Dawn replied as cryptically as an excited teenager could: with a giggle and a blush.

            Spike’s fists clenched.

             “Bloody hell, who is he? I want to meet the wanker before you go out, and if he lays a hand on you…”

             “Spike calm down!” Dawn gave him a patented teenage look of annoyance. “You almost vamped out.”

             “Sorry pigeon. Just a little protective of my baby, ya know.” Spike grinned as he sat down in the chair next to hers.

             “I am *NOT* a baby. And besides, you know him.”  Dawn gave him a sly look, “In fact, you hooked us up.”

             “WHAT?!” Spike shot out of his chair. The look of realization on his face made Dawn giggle. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Spike whined.

             “Nope. We exchanged phone numbers just before he left.”

             Spike growled protectively.

             “Oh come on. It’s not that bad.” Dawn said.

             Spike glowered at her.

             “I thought you liked him!” Dawn whined.

             “Not after the stunt you two pulled!” Spike pointed accusingly at her. "Peaches  is still bitching about his ruined leather coat!"

             “Oh come on, you know it was funny.”  Dawn gave him a measuring look, “Besides, you’re the one that insisted I get to know him.”

            “I just wanted you to be nice to him.” Spike said and then quickly amended after Dawn’s look, “Not *that* nice!”

             “Well I like him, and he likes me.” Dawn said, putting her hands on her hips. The front doorbell jingled, announcing a customer.

             “Fine!” Spike relented, knowing he wouldn’t get past Dawn’s resolve face. “Just don’t let father and son infect you with their’ hair gel!” Spike muttered as he turned to help the customer.

             Dawn rolled her eyes, dug out her schoolbooks and sighed as she settled in to do her homework. In typical teenage fashion, the cover of her notebook had Connor’s name encircled with a heart.

             “Can I help yo- what the hell are you doing here?” Spike glared at Jonathan.

             Jonathan stood as close to the door as possible if he needed to make an escape. He stood directly in a patch of sunlight from the window, believing that it would protect him from the Vampire. Little did he know Spike had on the Amulet of Bytanor.

             “I need to talk to Buffy,” Jonathan said, but when Spike gave him death look, he amended “I mean, the Slayer.”

             “You’re not welcome here. Go. Away.” Spike said, through clenched teeth as he took slow steps toward Jonathan. The boy was two seconds away from bolting.

             “Spike wait.” Dawn said, getting up from her seat and placing herself between Spike and Jonathan.

             “’Bit…” Spike warned her, but she put up a hand to silence him.

             “What do you want?” Dawn asked Jonathan with raised eyebrows.

             “I was kinda hoping to talk to Bu- uh, the Slayer.” Jonathan fidgeted.

             “Well she’s not here. Tell us what you want.” Dawn said with her hands on her hips, taking control of the situation. Spike grinned to himself. Bitty Buffy was showing up more often these days.

             “Well uh…can we sit down? Having him stand over me is making me nervous.” Jonathan told her, nodding his head toward Spike.

             “Yeah, that’s why he’s doing it. Come on, sit down.” Dawn directed him to the round table. Jonathan sat gingerly with Dawn and Spike. Spike was giving him the ultimate death glare, but Dawn was just looking at him with curiosity.

             “Okay, here’s the thing…” Jonathan took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “I want to help.”

             Dawn and Spike looked surprised.

             “Hu?” Dawn squinted at him, confused.

             “T-things got totally out of control with Warren and Andrew…a-and I never meant f-for it to get so bad. I wanted t-to-to stop… but Doc would have k-killed me. I owe Buffy…uh, the Slayer a-a lot, and I want to help out. I-I owe it to all of you.”

             “Oh.” Dawn said, dumbfounded. There was a long uncomfortable silence while Dawn tried to figure out how to deal with this turn of events, “Uh…well I’ll have to talk to Buffy about this…”

             “What is he doing here?” Buffy said as the doorbell announced her presence in the Magic Box.

             “Buffy, there you are.” Dawn stood when her sister entered. “He wants to join the team.”

            Jonathan fidgeted nervously around the Slayer.

             “Hu?” Buffy scrunched up her nose in confusion. Spike chuckled at how alike his girls were.

             “That’s about the same page we’re on, love.” Spike told her as Buffy joined them at the table.

             “I can help, I-I swear. I know a lot about magic,” Jonathan said, but after their distrusting looks he added, “Or, you know, I could learn how to f-fight.”

           “You, fight?” Spike barely managed to say before he started roaring with laughter.

             “Actually he was a pretty good fighter when he had us under that spell to make us think he was cool.” Dawn recalled then frowned. “But technically, I didn’t exist then.” She added under her breath.

             “You had to do a spell to make people think you were cool?” Spike’s laughter upgraded to howling.

             “Oh and what, you don’t use a leather coat and cigarettes to make yourself look like ‘the big bad’?” Buffy asked him with raised eyebrows. Spike’s laughter ceased immediately.

             “Hey! I’m still the Big Bad!” Spike pouted, making him look far from intimidating.

             “Whatever Mr. Poetry.” Dawn snorted. Spike opened his mouth to retort, but Buffy cut him off.

             “Alright guys, that’s enough.” Buffy said, holding up her hand. Buffy turned back to Jonathan. “You can help,” She told him. Spike started to protest, but she held up her hand to cut him off. “We need someone to help us with research and other stuff. Giles will be leaving soon….and with Xander and Anya on their’ honey moon, we’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

             “Pet, we don’t know if we can trust him.” Spike warned her.

             “Yes we do,” Buffy gave Jonathan a measuring look, “If he double-crosses us, I give you permission to eat him.” Buffy said to Spike, looking directly into Jonathan’s widening eyes.

             A muscle clenched in Spike’s jaw, but he kept up the façade that Buffy was imposing. He vamped for a moment and gave Jonathan a toothy grin.

             “Yeah, I might start feelin’ a bit peckish if you do. I am off my leash, you know.”

             Jonathan gulped, mentally kicking himself for listening to his conscious.

 Later in the training room of the Magic Box…

             “Duck and sweep numb-nuts!” Spike instructed as he demonstrated for the fifteenth time. Both were armed with long staffs, but Jonathan was looking rather ridiculous trying to use his.

             “I-I’m sorry, this is really hard.” Jonathan bent over and panted from over exhaustion. They were trying to teach Jonathan some self-defense moves…trying being the operative word.

             “It’s supposed to be hard. That’s why you need to learn it, unless you want to be some vamp’s dinner.” Spike tossed his long staff off to the side. Jonathan did the same and sat down on the couch.

             “Is it my turn yet?” Dawn asked as she entered the training room.

             “You want to show whelp jr. how it’s done, ‘Bit?” Spike grinned proudly at her.

             “I’m ready to kick your ass.” Dawn grinned back.

             “Big Sis been teaching you banter, luv?” Spike asked with raised eyebrows and a chuckle.

             “Nah, not yet. Besides, I figured you’d be a better source anyway,” Dawn grinned as she took her position on the floor across from Spike. “Or rather, worse.”

             “Touché.” He grinned and did a quick sweep kick without warning, starting the battle. With the reflexes worthy of a Slayer, Dawn jumped over his sweep kick and followed up with a roundhouse kick to his nose. He narrowly dodged the kick with a duck and a weave, getting a punch in on her exposed ribs. She took the punch and retaliated with a punch to his jaw, an elbow to the stomach and a knee to the chops when he bent over in reflex. He recovered, boxed her ears and then swept her legs out from underneath her. She fell on her ass ungracefully, but she did a backward summersault out of the way. She glanced to her side and cart wheeled over to Jonathan’s discarded long-staff, and twirled it around in her hands as she returned to the center floor.

             Spike followed in suit, grabbing his discarded staff, and the two fought with the staffs in a dizzying frenzy of loud clanks and twirl-y maneuvers that made Jonathan’s jaw drop.

             Spike was most definitely holding back his strength so that he wouldn’t hurt Dawn, but he had long ago instructed her not to hold back hers in fear of hurting him when they practiced. So she was giving him her all, and he must admit, she was leaving a good couple of bruises on him.

             In the end Spike won the match; Dawn got clumsy because she over exerted herself.

             “I warned you about that ‘Bit. You gotta know your limits; when to forfeit and run,” He told her, and then added ruefully, “Or you’ll end up dead.”

             Dawn nodded soberly. There was a moment of silence that made Jonathan uncomfortable.

             “Alright, your break is over. Get up here boy, and do it right this time.” Spike said gruffly, pointing to Jonathan. Dawn passed Jonathan the staff as he took his place in the center of the floor again in a fighting stance.

             No one seemed to notice Buffy watching from the training room door with a somber look on her face.

             “Heelloo? Anyone here?” Willow called out as she and Tara entered the Magic shop through the front door. Willow glanced over at Tara curiously when they saw that the shop was empty.

             “Buffy? Spike?” Willow called out a bit louder. A few seconds later Buffy emerged from the training room door.

             “Hey Wills, Tara.” Buffy greeted them with a half smile.

            “There you are. What’s going on?” Willow asked, referring to the loud snaps and thuds emanating from the training room.

             “Oh, God! You’ll never guess who just joined our team.” Buffy started to giggle.

             The doorbell jingled again and Giles walked in. Buffy immediately sobered upon seeing him.

             “Giles, hi.” She gave him a tense smile.

             “Good afternoon girls.” Giles smiled to the three of them, and then furrowed his brows at the loud fighting noises coming from the training room.

             “I-Is Spike training Dawn again?” He asked, adjusting his glasses.

             “Well, yes and no…I think you guys are going to want to sit down…” Buffy told them as she led them to the round table.

 A short while later….

             “Are you sure this is wise, Buffy?” Giles furrowed his brows at her.

             “No,” She replied honestly. “But we don’t have many options here Giles. I don’t trust him, but I don’t think he will double cross us. Spike will be teaching him to fight, but he’ll mainly be here for research.”

             “Well, if you think it best.” Giles relented.

             “Its all we have.” Buffy said and then leaned in closer to Giles. “Giles…I need to talk t-“ Just then Dawn, Jonathan and Spike came out of the training room loudly, cutting her off.

            “Is that all you’ve got, nibblet?” Spike was teasingly holding the water bottle above Dawn’s head as they walked into the main room, and Dawn was jumping after it, but she was too short to reach it. After three attempts she glared at Spike and quickly punched him in the stomach, causing him to double over in reflex. She plucked the water bottle out of his hand triumphantly and took a large drink.

            “Nope.” She grinned slyly at him.

             “Bloody hell.” Spike complained as he rubbed his sore stomach and took a seat next to Buffy. Dawn took a seat on Buffy’s opposite side.

             Jonathan stood back to the fringes of the group, unsure of his welcome. Giles turned in his chair and craned his neck to see the nervous young man standing, unsure of his place. Giles stood, took off his glasses and faced the young man, practically walking circles around him.

             “So…you say you wish to….help us?” Giles asked Jonathan, meeting his eyes squarely.

             “Uh…” Jonathan swallowed hard, “…Yeah?”

             “And why is that?” Giles grilled him, his demeanor very Ripper-like. Jonathan looked to Buffy and the rest, pleading with his eyes for them to call off the middle-aged ex-librarian. Buffy just crossed her arms and watched in amusement.

             “I owe you….all…” Jonathan took a deep breath to calm his nerves, “T-things got out of c-control…A-and I didn’t want that…t-t-to happen…and I’m sorry. But I want to make up f-for it.”

             There was a long silence in the room, and Jonathan swore he felt like each of them were digging into his subconscious and dissecting his every thought, weighing his worth.

             “Well alright then.” Giles said simply. “Buffy, what do you say you take him out on patrol?” Giles tapped his wristwatch at her with raised eyebrows.

             “Yeah, yeah, I can take a hint. Come on boys, patrol time.” Buffy said to Spike and Jonathan, completely forgetting about the conversation she wanted to have with Giles.

             “Can I come?” Dawn asked eagerly.

             “Not this run, ‘Bit. We’re gonna teach whelp Jr. the ropes. Next time.” Spike promised. Dawn looked crestfallen, but agreed.

             “We’ll take her home then. Have a fun patrol.” Willow told them with a wave good-bye.

             “P-patrol?” Jonathan asked, looking a bit shell-shocked.

             “This should be entertaining.” Spike smirked as he and Buffy headed out the front door with Jonathan reluctantly tailing behind.

             “Indeed.” Giles quietly agreed after the door shut behind them.

Sunnydale Memorial Cemetery…

             “Damn it, duck!” Spike shouted to Jonathan, and the boy ducked out of the way just as a vamp tried to attack him from behind. Spike sighed impatiently and got back to beating the crap out of his vamp. A quick glance in Buffy’s direction told him she was doing just fine with the three vamps she was fighting.

             “If you don’t watch your back you’re gonna get it torn off!” Spike growled at the boy as he bashed in his fledgling’s face.

             Jonathan was struggling with a fledgling vampire; his punches looked more like a frenzy of girly slaps, and he had dropped his stake somewhere during the ‘fight’.

             “I’m trying!” Jonathan shouted back in frustration and then took a right hook to the jaw from the vampire.

             “Bloody hell. It’s like tryin’ to train a toddler.” Spike gritted his teeth angrily and quickly plunged his stake into his vampire’s back. He casually strolled over to Jonathan, who was trying his best to remain conscious while fend off the fledgling, but the vampire was getting the better of him. Spike walked up behind the Vampire and tapped him on the shoulder, directing his attention to the stake-wielding vamp behind him.

             “’Allo mate.” Spike said cheerfully as the vamp turned to face him. Before the fledgling could react, Spike plunged his stake into the Vamp’s heart and it turned to dust, revealing a very bewildered looking Jonathan.

             “H-how did you do that?” Jonathan stammered.

             “S’easy.” Spike shrugged. “You just have to not be a pansy.” He intoned, turning his back to Jonathan and strolled closer to where Buffy was fighting the two remaining vampires, leaving Jonathan to follow.

            Jonathan furrowed his brows in confusion as Spike casually leaned against a tombstone, lit a cigarette and watched Buffy fight with a content look on his face.

             “Aren’t you gonna help her?” Jonathan asked.

             “She’s the Slayer whelp,” Spike looked at the boy as if he were as intelligent as a rock. “She can handle it. Watch ‘er move…. pay attention.” Spike gestured to Buffy’s direction with his cigarette and continued watching her. “Maybe you’ll learn somethin’ useful.”  He added under his breath.

             Jonathan observed the Slayer battling two vampires at the same time with such fluid grace, poise and strength Jonathan’s jaw hit the ground in amazement. When the Slayer pulled a move that looked like it damn near defied the laws of gravity, Spike chuckled wistfully.

             “Ya know, I’ve always loved watchin’ her fight…” Spike said reminiscently, and much to Jonathan’s shock and confusion, he began to describe her fighting as if it were poetry.

             Why a Vampire like Spike knew anything about poetry, Jonathan couldn’t figure out, but he wasn’t about to ask him any time soon.

             Neither human, Slayer nor Vampire noticed a darkened figure watching their every move from afar.

             “Giles, we staked eight tonight.” Buffy announced as the three of them entered the shop. Giles abruptly sat up and put his glasses back on his face.

             “Ah, yes…ah, good.” Giles stammered as he straightened his mussed up hair as discretely as possible.

             “Giles….did you fall asleep on your books?” Buffy questioned with a raised eyebrow.

             “Well…I uh…” Giles seemed awfully embarrassed, “So…how did patrol go? Well I take it, since he is still alive.” Giles gestured to an exhausted looking Jonathan.

             “It was alright, and don’t change the subject.” Buffy prodded with a grin, “Your own books put you to sleep, didn’t they?”

             “I was tired,” Giles said as he pored himself a cup of tea, “It is three in the morning, after all. I still haven’t adjusted to this bloody time zone.”

             “Three in the morning?!” Jonathan gasped and checked the clock on the wall.

             Buffy only shrugged. “That’s still early for us.”

             “My mom is going to kill me…I have to go home.” Jonathan said.

             “Before you go, Jonathan…we are going to need some information from you.” Giles said, taking out a small leather bound journal and a pencil.

             “W-what kind of information?” Jonathan stammered.

             “Telephone number, home address, that sort of thing, so that we may contact you if we need you.” Giles told the boy.

             “Oh.” Jonathan exhaled the breath he didn’t know he was holding and told Giles what he wanted to know.

             “We hold Scooby meetings here every day at 8 pm, after the store closes. Spike will be training you earlier in the day at whatever time works best for the two of you. We expect you to show at both events. Call here at the Magic box,” Giles handed him a card with the phone number, “If you are unable to make it. If no one is here the answering machine will record your message. Do you have any questions?”

             “Uh, yeah…can I get a ride home?”

Sunnydale, the Summer’s home…

             Buffy and Spike stumbled in the front door of Buffy’s house after a second patrol, hands everywhere and nowhere at once.  They stumbled impatiently up the stairs, some part of their brains remembering to keep quiet as they passed Dawns room.  As soon as the door closed and they were in the seclusion of her room, clothes flew in various directions.  When Spike pulled her against his lean form, moans filled the air at the feel of cool sliding across hot.

            He crushed his mouth against hers in a kiss full of his desire for her, a desire that seemed to only grow with each passing day.  Buffy returned his ardor, her own passion for him consuming her.  Warm hands slid over hard muscle as he backed him towards the bed.  In a tumble of limbs, they fell back, her legs spreading to accommodate him easily.

            He pulled his mouth away from hers and began kissing a fiery trail down her neck.  Her fingers laced through his hair, pressing his mouth more firmly against her flesh, and small whimpering noises fell from her lips when his tongue circled her nipple.  His fingers danced over her, sending electric currents over her skin, straight to the very center of her.  His shaft pressed intimately against her thigh, his own growls joining her whimpers.
 "Please, Spike.  I need you." she gasped, yanking on his hair to draw his mouth back up to hers.  With the grace of a panther, he skimmed back up her body, plunging deep into her heat.  Satisfied groans filled the air as he moved with in her.  Hips moved together in a frenzy of motion, as mouths came together to take possession.  Faster and faster they moved, both hovering over the edge of bliss.  Spike's amulet rested between them, the pulsating color unnoticed by the enraptured pair.  Closer and closer they flew, and darker and darker the amulet turned, until, when they both screamed in climax, the sounds lost in each others mouths, the amulet had changed from iridescent white, to a shimmering light blue.

             Buffy was walking through the Graveyard, stake in hand, out on patrol. It was oddly dark out; there was no moon in the sky and the only light was provided by the artificial streetlights off in the distance. The quickening feeling of impending doom washed over her as she caught her breath in her throat. Off in the distance she thought she heard a little girl humming. Knowing a child should not be in the graveyard in the middle of the night, she ventured forward to find the girl. As she got closer the child’s nursery rhyme became louder.

             She came upon a sandy blonde little girl about four years old, swinging on a swing set lazily.

             “What are you doing out here all alone?” Buffy asked as she approached the little girl. The little girl lifted her deep blue eyes and stopped swinging and humming.

             “I’m waiting for my mommy. She told me to wait here for her.” The little girl whispered. Buffy looked around the park in confusion.

             “Why are you whispering?”

             “Mommy said the monsters would find me if I don’t whisper.” The little girl whispered. Buffy got a chill up her spine.

             “But you were humming…”

             “Daddy taught me that song before he went away. He told me to hum it when I missed him.” The girl whispered. The little girl hummed another verse of the nursery rhyme and then suddenly stopped and looked directly into Buffy’s eyes.

             “I know what the song is really about.” The girl said in a normal tone. Buffy swallowed heavily.

             “I think we need to get you home. It’s not safe out here for you.”

             “But I have to wait for mommy. The monsters come, and she always comes to save me.”

             “What?”

             “Daddy said that’s what she does. She’s the Queen, and I’m the Princess!” The little girl jumped off of the swing set and started skipping into the graveyard.

             “Wait! Don’t go in there, it’s not safe!” Buffy yelled after the little girl as she followed after her.

             The little girl skipped through the gravestones, always keeping ahead of Buffy some how. The girl had started to hum the nursery rhyme again, so Buffy followed the sound of her voice as she struggled to find the little girl.

              Buffy was jogging after the little girl. As the mausoleums and gravestones passed by, scenes started to flash before her eyes.

             Spike looking like he was in pain. He looked fearful.

             Just ahead of her, Buffy heard the little girl start to sing the nursery rhyme.

             “Ring around the rosies…”

           Spike bound in chains in the dark.

             “Pocket full of posies...”

             Buffy started running, trying to find the little girl. She would see a flash of blonde hair disappear around a mausoleum, but the little girl was always gone when Buffy got there.

             “Ashes to ashes…”

             “BUUUFFFYYYY!!!” Spike screamed in pain and torment.

             “…They all fall down.”

             A struggle and a vampire’s dust falling to the ground.

             Buffy awoke feeling as if her heart was being torn out of her chest. She took several deep breaths to try to get her self under control.

             The same dream again. She couldn’t possibly ignore it anymore. She had to tell Spike about it, at least. It was tearing her up inside keeping this to herself. She would tell Giles later.

              Buffy turned in her bed to wake Spike, but suddenly became alarmed when she found Spike’s side empty.

             “Spike?” Buffy said aloud fearfully.

             She got out of bed, slipped on her bathrobe and headed downstairs to search for him. The kitchen, living room and dining room were all empty. Buffy felt an icy chill creep up her spine.

             “Okay, don’t panic.” Buffy told her self, and did a mental recount of last night’s events, trying to remember if Spike said anything about leaving early in the morning. She couldn’t remember anything, but she didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Maybe he just went to work…Anya sometimes asked him to go to the Magic Box early to take inventory… so maybe he was there.

             “Work…” Buffy suddenly remembered and she glanced up at the clock on the VCR. “shit!” She swore as she ran upstairs to get ready to go to her own job. She was late. She would just have to check in with Spike later.

             “Bye Chelle.” Buffy called to her co-worker as she closed her cash register and grabbed her things. Her snobby co-worker flashed her a fake smile and resumed her task. Buffy sighed and walked out of “the Boardwalk” boutique, the expensive clothing store that Buffy had been hired at.

             When she had arrived at work today, her snobby ‘friend’ Chelle had slammed her with so much work Buffy hadn’t even gotten a break. So Buffy just decided she would stop by the Magic Box after work.

             When Buffy rounded the corner of the Magic Box and saw the ‘closed’ sign in the door, the hair on the back of her neck rose up. She saw Jonathan sitting on the street corner in front of the shop, looking bored.

             “Jonathan? Why is the shop closed?” She asked him as she walked up to him. Jonathan looked up at her and stood.

             “Buffy, Hi! Um, I don’t know…I’ve been waiting for Spike for an hour.”

             “Spike’s not here?” Buffy frowned.

             “Uh…no. The shop was closed when I got here.” Jonathan said.

             “Oh god.” Buffy paled. “I have to go see Giles.” Buffy turned and practically ran down the street to Giles’ hotel.

             “Buffy, wait!” Jonathan called after her. He sighed as he watched her disappear around the corner. “Great. What am I supposed to do now?”

             He glanced down the street the direction Buffy left, and then glanced down the opposite direction. He sighed and sat back down on the sidewalk in front of the Magic Box.

             “GILES!!” Buffy practically bashed his door down, knocking on it. She paused to listen for him, but heard nothing. “GILES!!!” She yelled again, and this time heard him crashing around inside. The door flung open and Giles looked very disheveled and distressed.

             “What? What is it? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Giles asked quickly.

             “No, It’s not me, it’s Spike. He’s missing.” Buffy said as she entered his flat.

             “Oh. Is that all,” Giles sighed a huge breath of relief, but then his head shot up, realizing what Buffy had just said. “Missing? What do you mean?”

             “I mean he’s gone! He wasn’t in bed when I woke up, and the Magic Box has been closed all day!” Buffy panicked.

             Giles paced for a moment, obviously trying to think. “Right then, let’s not over react… I’m sure we’ll find him.” Giles stopped pacing when he noticed the grave look on Buffy’s face. “What? What is it?”

             “Giles…I’ve been having a nightmare…for the past week.” Buffy meekly met his eyes.

             “Oh dear lord…Buffy…” He stepped closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “You should have come to me.”

             “I tried to tell you the other day…” tears started to flood her eyes, “And I’ve been trying to write it off as just a nightmare…not…not..” Buffy was unable to complete her sentence as the tears turned to sobs.

             “A portent?” Giles finished for her. She nodded as she wiped the tears from her face. Giles handed her a box of Kleenex from a table and she took them gratefully.

             “Come, we must get to the shop immediately. We need to look for any clues as to what happened.” Giles said as he helped her stand. “You can tell me the details of the dream on the way.”

             Giles and Buffy had found Jonathan still waiting outside the shop and quickly put him to work. They directed Jonathan to call in Willow, Tara and Dawn, while Buffy and Giles searched the shop for clues…and found nothing.

             The girls entered the shop and found Giles embracing the Slayer as she sobbed on his shoulder.

             “Oh my God, Buffy!” Dawn immediately ran to her sister. “What happened?”

             Buffy was too worked up to reply.

             “Spike is missing…and Buffy has been having Slayer dreams about it for the past week.” Giles told the girls.

             “What?” Dawn’s voice came out as barely a squeak. Buffy lifted her head off of her Watcher’s shoulder.

             “I didn’t think they were…I mean… I tried to ignore them, but they just kept coming and…” Buffy’s lower lip trembled, “Now he’s gone!” She wailed as she buried her face in Giles’ shoulder again.

             Dawn took a couple steps back as if it would relieve her of the icy chill that had washed over her.

             “He-He may not be dead…I mean, dust. W-we can do a-a location spell.” Tara offered.

             “Yeah! Good idea honey!” Willow said, but then frowned, “No, bad idea. We need two witches for that… and this witch is currently out of commission.” Willow said, pointing to herself.

             “I’ll do it.” Dawn said.

             “NO.” Buffy lifted her head off of Giles’ shoulder immediately.  “Dawnie… no!”

             “Buffy, I have to.” Dawn said.

             “NO!” She shot out of her chair and stood before her sister defiantly.

             “Uh, guys?” Jonathan said from the fringes of the group.

             “I can do it.” Dawn said confidently to her sister.

             “Guys?” Jonathan tried to get their attention again.

             “I won’t let you.” Buffy said stubbornly.

             “HEY!” Jonathan shouted, finally getting their attention.

             “WHAT?” Buffy glared at him.

             “Uh, I can do it.” Jonathan volunteered.

             The group was setting up the necessary items for the spell when the bell above the front door jingled, announcing a customer. Dawn went to greet the man as the others hurried about their tasks.

             “I’m sorry, but the Magic Box is closed today.” She told him.

             “I’m not here as a customer. I’m here as a representative of the Council.” The stuffy Englishman said. At that, every head in the room raised to look at the man. Giles walked closer to the man.

             “What do you want?” Giles asked, his voice cold.

             “I came to inform you that there was an incident.” The Watcher walked to the center of the room, where all the Scoobies had gathered. “I believe you know of a Vampire called ‘William the Bloody’?” The man asked.

             Buffy’s breath caught in her throat, but she kept her emotions like steel around this man representing the Council of Watchers.

             “Yes,” Giles said through slightly clenched teeth. “What of him?”

             “I came to inform you that shortly after 5 AM we caught the former ‘William the Bloody’ attacking a live human being, and staked him immediately.” The man said formally, as if he was reading a memo.

             “I don’t believe you.” Buffy glared at the man. The man gave her a whisper of an annoyed smile, and took something out of his pocket.

             “Believe what you may, Ms. Summers. All I can say is, William the Bloody *was* hunting last night… so we dispatched him. And I believe you’ll recognize this.” The man dangled the Amulet of Bytanor in front of her.

             Buffy felt like the world was sinking beneath her feet. She suddenly felt nauseous. “Oh God.” Buffy ran out of the main room and into the bathroom.

             Giles turned his Ripper glare upon the young man. “You come to us with no more evidence than Spike’s amulet, and you expect us to believe you?”

             The man smirked deviously. “No, I don’t. That’s why I brought these as well.” He said, pulling out a manila envelope out of the inside pocket of his jacket and tossed them on the round table, as well as the amulet and a small box. “Have a pleasant day.” The man smirked at Giles and then left the shop. Giles walked over to the manila envelope and opened it, pulling the photographs out. The first was of Spike. He was looking around as if searching for something. The next was of Spike coming at a human girl. The third was of a struggle between Spike and several Watchers. The fourth and final one was of dust falling to the ground where Spike had been in the previous picture.  Giles put down the photographs, picked up the small box and opened it.

             Inside were the ashes of a vampire.

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