When Spike woke up the next morning he noticed that Buffy had wandered off into the kitchen, and was having a cup of tea and some toast. She noticed that he was awake. "Good morning Blondie." She said. "Have a good sleep?" Rubbing his eyes as he sat up he nodded. "I did love, and yourself? No more Glory dreams?" he sat on a chair beside her and fumbled through some papers that lay there.
"I had a great sleep I'll have you know. Now I just hope we can find a way home today. That dream has me worried a lot." He gave her a lazy smile "No worries pet, you know there?s something here in theses mountains of books. I'm sure we will find it quickly enough." She nodded and glanced out the window. Suddenly, she gave a little jump. "Seen a ghost Buffy? What?s out there that?s not frightening enough in here?"
She looked at him. "I'm out there.... and you..." "What do you mean we are out there? We are in here." Buffy pointed, "No, there?s an old you and me, holding hands and walking down the street."
"What? Tell me more. I can't look... what with the sun..."
"You just kissed me... and I didn't hit you." Spike grinned. "I kissed you eh? Did you enjoy it?" Buffy smacked his arm. "Very funny Spike." Buffy peered out the window a little longer as the couple walked out of her sight. She sank into her seat and looked blankly at Spike. "Remember what that rider said? He said not to tempt the fates and haven?t we learned our lessons yet. Spike, what if we were...." Her expression was one of disbelief. "No, we could never have" She gulped on the word. ?Dated?"
"Wait wait wait. We lived in the past? Like. Past lives?" She nodded. "That?s what it looks like. The door to the little house bursts open and then shut again. Giles stood there, a book clutched to his chest. He stares through to the kitchen and gasps. "I thought so, you?re still here, and in those silly clothes."
Buffy looked at Spike. "Ok, now I'm freaking out." Giles hurried over to them with a serious look on his face. "You must stay here. Apparently there are well, two of you and we must not alter what already exists in the now." Spike slapped Buffy's arm like he just had a brilliant idea. "Its like that movie with the funny car!" Buffy and Giles both stared at him waiting for an explanation. "You know, Back to the Future!" He started laughing at the similarity of their predicament. "The old coot was always babbling to the kid not to change what already existed where they were."
Buffy caught on and her eyes went wide. "Your right! Or we'd ruin the future somehow!"
"so... what do we do now?"
"I'd love to see what goes on..." "NO!" Giles hurried up and said. "We must keep things the way they are." Giles glared at Spike, "Which means you can feed on no one or you'll mess things up"
"Keep your pants on I can't hurt humans anyhow." Spike tapped his head in indication. "Bloody chip remember? So no worries bout me mate." "Oh yes well good then." Spikes presence was making his skin crawl. What kind of Slayer must she be to need a vampire on patrols with her? Quickly making his way to the living room, he started shuffling through the piles of books. Buffy and Spike followed, curious looks on their faces. "Start looking for books on time spells, reversals and transportation spells. We have got to get you home fast." Spike made a face. "I hate reading these dusty dirty books, where?s the Scooby?s when you need them?" He thought he was being charming, but Buffy looked annoyed with him. "Just look will you? I have to get back and make sure Dawn is safe." Giles picked up on the tension in her voice. "Don't worry, we will get you home."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Giles looked at them. "In the closet. Now." He shoved them in and shut the door. Buffy had fallen onto Spike's lap. She struggled to get up for a moment, then realized she'd make too much noise, so she sat still. A wide smile came across his face. "Fancy meeting you here Slayer." Buffy elbowed him in the gut. "Shhh, listen"
He smiled. The pain in his gut was worth it to have her warm body on his lap. She smelled like vanilla... Voices were hushed, almost sounded like it was on purpose. Spike encircled his arm around her waist. "Don't want you to fall love, make too much noise." He whispered into her ear. It sent shivers down her spine and she tried her hardest to ignore them.
She honed her listening skills as best she could, grasping for even a scrap of what the conversation was about. She wriggled a bit, trying to press her ear to the door.
An irritated voice could be heard, familiar and cocky. ?But I just don't see why I can't stay here. You?re my watcher and you are supposed to watch out for me." The girl shot Giles a nasty look. He shook his head and led her to the door gently. "I can't explain now just go and see if there?s room at the inn tonight. Here is enough money to pay for the night and some food. Please, I'll explain later." The girl gave him a wary look "Alright but I want a full explanation in the morning. There has to be something in the rule books about this." She left grumbling as Giles closed the door behind her. Inside the closet Spikes leg had fallen asleep as Buffy wriggled and leaned against the door with her ear. They came tumbling out as Giles opened the closet door. "Ahhhhhh" Buffy yelled, falling too fast to catch herself or move before Spike fell on top of her
"Bloody hell!" Spike exclaimed as he landed hard on top of Buffy. Their eyes met briefly before she pushed him off of her. She knew what she saw in his eyes, she was only scared what he saw in hers. A tiny smile appeared on his face and left just as fast. He knew what he saw. And it made him tingle inside.
Buffy quickly turned her attention to Giles. "Who were those people?" Spike got to his feet and wore a cocky smile. "They were well you see that was my uh, Slayer. I'm a watcher also. But I just thought it best if no one met." His gaze went to Spike. "Especially you since Buffy seems to be so fond of you and all." Buffy?s head snapped offer to Giles. "I am Not fond of Spike." The men just watched her as she tried to explain. "Well I'm not so just wipe that creepy grin off your face or I'll leave you here!" Spike chuckled "Already been here pet, I'd be just fine."
Giles stepped closer. "I wanted to tell you, I believe that I may know where to get the information to bring you home. There's a book called Gerai that may contain the needed spell." Buffy refocused her attention to Giles. "Great! Where is it? When can we start, what do we need?" Spike groaned, "If its in that stack of books we'll never get home." An quick jab to his stomach by the slayer caught him off guard. "Hey, take it easy there pet" Giles shook his head at the two and their antics. "Never in my day did I think I'd see a Slayer and a vampire get along so well." He grabbed a book off the nearby stack and showed it to Spike. "Its right here. We just need the twigs from a Yeragin bird. That?s the only thing I've not got here" Spike rubbed his hands together. "Great, so we get the twigs you work your mojo then Buffy and I can head home! Sounds like a plan"
Buffy had noticed the unoptimistic look on Giles's face. "What is it? Is there something we need to know? Cause we could really be happy if we were in the know at this point." With his forefinger he pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Well I'll need you and Spike to get me the twigs. I can lend you some weapons to fight the bird. Its a rather large....smelly.....mean bird. It is not going to be easy." Spike rolled his eyes" Nothing with this chit ever is" He motioned to Buffy with his thumb. She eyed him "Yea like patrolling with you is a day at the park."
"Children" interrupted Giles. "Can we please try to focus?"
"Right, sure thing mate. So, where do we find the bird?"
"I'm not your mate, but you can find it on the far side of the river in the caves. I can show you tonight if you like"
"Aww, I'm cut to the quick. You mean you don't like me?" Spike grinned. Giles grinned playfully. "Not the way she does no" He closed his book and went off to the kitchen leaving them there stunned. Spike sighed. "Guess the old bugger is still as perceptive as he?s always been. He took a seat in on the couch and grinned up at her. Buffy glared at him. No, not Spike. Hes well he?s a vampire and he?s evil and this Giles is just off his rocker. "He is not. Stop smiling at me like that. Your not funny you know." Buffy stormed over to the door and grinned. "Its still daylight out, you can't follow me" She teased. Spike shook his head. "You can't go out there looking all 20th century. Anyhow didn?t the old guy say to stay here in case you alter history?
Buffy sighed in frustration. It was true. She was stuck with the pompous, arrogant jerk. She turned to glare at him. "I hate you." With an angry sound she flopped down on an armchair.
Just then, Giles came back in carrying a tray with a kettle and 3 mugs. Buffy turned to him. "So how long exactly until we get to leave to find the twigs? I can't wait to get away from Bleach-boy over there."
"Oh yeah, that hurt luv."
"Do you ever shut up?"
"Not as long as you're wanting me to."
Giles cleared his throat and interrupted. "Children please. If we can stop bickering for just one moment and get down to business I would truly appreciate it."
"He started it."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Not."
"Too."
"Not!!!"
"Too!!!"
"That?s bloody well enough you too! Is this how you people are in the 20th century? You must drive your watcher insane." He finished pouring them their cups of tea. Buffy and Spike just stared at him shocked. They had bickered and forgot he was even there.
"Sorry." Said Buffy. "We are used to bickering a lot. For some very strange reason I hate his annoying ass." Spike took a cup of tea and handed it to Buffy. "Sorry love, I guess I'm all bothered we may never see Passions again is all" More bloody worried that the world will end and we have to watch it happen! Buffy nodded at him and took a sip of tea. "I guess we can behave till we go home."
The night came to them slower than Spike had ever remembered in his entire undead life. He paced the tiny living room endlessly while Buffy and Giles worked hard to get all the books back on the shelves after the reinstalled them. A few times Buffy had groaned at him, but he still paced. "Its nearly time Buffy." Giles and Buffy looked up from their project. The sun had almost set. Giles let out a heavy sigh. "He's right. You should get ready." Determination set in her eyes. "I've been ready. Lets roll."
Crossing the river was essentially easy. Giles had borrowed a rowboat from a friend. He and Spike rowed while Buffy kept a look for rocks. The ride was surprisingly quiet. When they reached the side with the caves the three crept through the woods, quiet as they could. Spike pointed up ahead. "Is that the one we want?" Giles nodded. "Yes it is. But now they are most likely sleeping and we have to be careful not to..." Giles glanced at Spikes fresh-lit cigarette. "Wake them. Must you do that?" Spike gave him a quizzical look. "Oh this right, probably a bad thing huh?" Dropping the cigarette to the ground, he stomps it out. Buffy rolled her eyes. That?s my Spike she thought. "Alright Spike, you go in first and distract them while I grab the twigs." Normally at home Spike would have argued just for the fun of it. But they were not home yet. And he had promised to be good. "What?s he going to do?" Spike asks using his thumb to gesture at Giles. "He?s going to stay here and watch out for passerby?s. Or whoever may come along." Buffy used her take-charge voice. Just like at home.
The inside of the cave was dank and cold. Buffy shivered a little. Spike led the way walking slow and cautious. Further in they stumbled upon a nest. Not an ordinary nest. This nest was vast. Containing about 20 birds or so. "Well then, now I see the need for these." Spike said in reference to the weapons that Giles had lent them. Buffy stared in awe. "I've never seen anything like this before." Spike moved towards the nest. "Now s not the time for a Kodak moment love." Buffy put out her arm to catch him. "You can't just go in there. We need a plan." A cocky grin appeared on his face. "Yea, what are we going to do? Distract and run? Let me just run in and grab a few twigs." They had been arguing in a hushed whisper. Apparently not quiet enough because the birds had started to stir. The little ones had emerged and were coming towards Spike and Buffy. Buffy shook Spikes arm and pointed. "We have company" "Bloody hell, so much for a plan now."
The pair started backing away from the babies knowing full well that if the parents thought they posed a threat, there would be trouble. "Buffy, you walk that way, I'll go this way. Split them up. Then one of us can make a dash for some twigs and were out of here." Spike suggested. She nodded. The babies were now chirping and had awoken the parents. With the two separated and babies following their every move, it made it difficult for them to dash as Spike put it, for the twigs.
One of the larger female birds noticed them and let her roar, similar to that of a panther here in our world. "Such a strange noise for a bird." Buffy commented while backing towards the nest. "Yea I wish I had brought a bloody tape recorder." Spike said sarcastically. She was close enough now to the nest to grab the twigs. Giles had given her a bag to store them in. As Buffy reached down to grab a handful one of the larger birds pecked at her arm and she let out a stifled scream. "Buffy!" Spike made a lunge for her. As he did so a cloud of smoke appeared in the corner. There stood the rider they had seen in Sunnydale. The birds suddenly stopped roaring and pecking. As if the man had cast a spell on them. Buffy and Spike stood there still and silent, baffled as ever. Pointing one long finger at them, he spoke "Fools, still have learned nothing have you? Maybe this will teach you a thing or two!" He vanished before they could even attempt to ask any questions. The birds once again resumed their roaring and pecking violently and mostly at Spike. Hard as Buffy battled them with the borrowed axe she could not get them away from him. Spike struggled to get out of the way but to no avail and was scooped up in the bird?s powerful jaws. Blood started oozing from Spike's abdomen. Buffy whacked the bird that was inflicting the most damage, knocking it out cold.
Spike struggled to keep his eyes open long enough to grab some twigs. He just happened to land close enough to the nest to grab a handful. "Buffy" He coughed. "We can go now love." Buffy's eyes filled with fear for Spike as she grabbed him up and helped him walk out of the cave. The birds tried to follow, roaring and pecking as they went. One succeeded taking a piece of Buffy's shirt. "Spike keep going." The pain in his side kept him from arguing. He kept moving. Buffy however turned around and with that axe she was given, she took one clean swipe at the bird?s neck. It landed on the cave floor with a thud and a splatter. "That'll teach you not to go ripping up designer clothing"
The two of them struggled to the exit of the cave and the birds did not follow past its boundaries. Spike leaned hard on Buffy for support to walk. "I'm not to heavy for you am I slayer?" She shook her head no and got him to the boat then with Giles?s help. "So you didn?t fare to well with the birds I gather?"
Spike stumbled a bit getting into the boat. "Yea, you gathered right mate." Buffy interacted. "We got the twigs but Spike needs a doctor." Giles put the oars in the water, heading towards shore. ?Well get him home at least. I know a fellow that would not be frightened by Spike's mortal status." Buffy held her hand on his stomach. "You'll be fine. Don't worry" She tried to comfort him. He coughed and a little blood pooled up in the corner of his mouth. He reached up and touched her face. "I know love, I know. I've been through worse than this before." His eyes closed then, his world went dark. Not for the first time. With an anxious Buffy holding his hand like a good friend.