Chapter 2
“Were you able to find anything, Giles?” Buffy asked as she let herself into the Magic Box later that night.
“Oh, good! Buffy, come look at this.”
Giles gestured her over to the table where stacks upon stacks of dusty tomes lay scattered about over every available surface. He pulled his glasses off and wiped wearily at his eyes – the strain of reading for the last few hours without a break had taken its toll.
“Where is everyone?”
“Xander and Anya left after the store closed. Willow had a Wiccan gathering and left with Tara not long afterwards.”
Buffy reached his side and looked down at the books as she stood behind his shoulder.
“Whatcha’ got?”
“Here.”
He handed her a piece of paper that he’d transcribed from a Mayan codex.
“‘There shall come a time on All Hallow’s Eve, Of a day without night, and a night without day. It is there that the daywalker will, Turn against his kind, Seek knowledge on high to preserve the Key. And defeat the Beast that brings, Hell on Earth,’” she quoted. “What’s it mean?”
“The first two stanzas are relatively easy enough. It’s referring to Halloween, and what I’m assuming is an eclipse. A solar eclipse, to be precise.”
“A solar eclipse? Those aren’t very common, are they?”
“No. And I had Willow look up when the next one would be before she left. Coincidently, it’s on October 31st, and best seen in Cozumel.”
“Cozu-what?”
“Cozumel. An island off the east coast of Mexico.”
“You’re saying I have to go to Mexico?” Buffy tried to keep the panic out of her voice. She couldn’t take off on a trip right now – not with the state of her mother’s health up in the air.
“Buffy…” Giles began.
“No, Giles. You don’t understand. My mom… she’s… she’s not well. I can’t just leave right now.”
“Buffy… I’m sorry. But, this is our best chance of defeating this thing... this ‘Beast.’ I’ve searched endlessly, and this is the only reference I’ve managed to come across. And, it’s not like I’m able to postpone a solar eclipse. If it helps, I will check on your mother every day for you while you’re away.”
Buffy’s shoulders slumped and not even the sight of her boyfriend – whom she’d not spoken with in two days – as he walked into the Magic Shop was enough to pull her from her funk. If anything, his overly-cheerful smile just grated on her nerves. Which were already stretched taut from everything else she was trying to deal with.
When Riley’s hands clamped down on her shoulders and he pressed a kiss to her cheek, she struggled to control her annoyance.
“Hey, Buffy… ready to patrol?”
“Actually… Riley, I’ve got some stuff to do first.” She shrugged free from his grip, attempting to play it off by addressing Giles once more. “So… you’ll check on that thing… see what else you can come up with?”
“I will continue to decipher it as best I can, but you should plan to make the trip. I can speak with your mother if you would like.”
“No— I’ll take care of it. I was headed over there now anyway.” She turned back to her boyfriend. “I’m sorry, Riley, I gotta go. I’ll call you later.”
“Yeah… okay.”
He sounded anything but thrilled.
Buffy was out the door a second later, leaving the two men behind, staring at each other for a minute, unsure what to say.
“Well, I’ll leave you to your books,” Riley told Giles somewhat awkwardly.
The watcher’s face was equally pained as he sensed the boy’s frustration.
“A Slayer’s life—”
“Save it. I don’t need to hear the whole ‘she stands alone’ speech. Catch ya later, Giles.”
“Erm… well, yes. Good evening then, Riley,” called out, his mind already halfway back on the deciphered codex he’d written.
Riley walked off without a backward glance, wondering not for the first time if he should have stayed behind in Sunnydale, or left when given the opportunity.
~*~*~*~*~
The knock at his crypt door took him by surprise. No one ever knocked. He got up – warily – his booted feet not making a sound as he crept slowly towards the door.
He really hoped it wasn’t Harmony. It hadn’t been a pretty sight, him giving her the boot after the dream he’d had. She’d finally given in when he threatened her precious unicorns, screaming like a banshee as she rounded up her things and stomped off.
Sensing the Slayer outside, he paused.
What was she doing, standing outside his door? And knocking of all things? The Slayer never knocked. He doubted her watcher was even afforded that courtesy.
But the Slayer, she’d be at the top of the list of people that would barge right in to his makeshift home. His name, shouted in anger, usually to the accompaniment of the door slamming against the interior wall.
That she stood outside, waiting for him to answer his summons – it warmed his insides, it did.
Calling himself all kinds of nancified gits, the sudden smile on his face showing no signs of leaving anytime in the near future, Spike opened the door.
She looked much the same – gorgeous, deadly… worn. She was the longest lived Slayer that he’d heard about. Even the one he’d offed, the one that had a kid, hadn’t been as old. She’d just managed to give birth to the boy before being called. Teenage pregnancy… who would have figured?
It had to wear being the Chosen One – as the years went on. The sacred duty could only last so long before it was time to pass the torch.
Seeing the Slayer as she was right at this moment, eyes wise beyond her years, Spike could tell it was past time for her. That the situation with both her mother and sister was making it worse. The girl needed to rest, plain and simple. Only she couldn’t.
“Bu— Slayer?”
“You got a minute?”
“Uh… sure.” He stood back and motioned her inside. “Get you something? I think I may have some bottled water around here somewhere.”
“No thanks.”
“Well, what can I do for you, Slayer? What brings you to my humble abode?”
Buffy glanced around at the sparse furnishings. Humble was definitely right.
Humble was probably a stretch.
Little did she know that below the crypt, Spike had a bed to die for – satin sheets, the works, a couch, table and chairs… all of the finest quality. All thanks to the goldmine he’d found with the Gem of Amara.
“I’ve got to go out of town for a few days. I need… could you keep an eye on Dawn for me?”
Spike was waiting for the floor to give way beneath his feet. Surely the Slayer hadn’t just asked him for his help?
“Out of town?” he asked, even as he nodded his head in assent.
“Yes. Apparently I get to go to Cozu-whatever for Halloween.”
“Cozumel?”
“That’s the place. It appears the only way to stop the thing after Dawnie is to take a little trip… where I’m supposed to miraculously find the way to defeat her.”
“And how did you find out about this little tidbit?”
“Giles. Some Mayan codex or some such. I don’t know. I leave the research-y stuff to him. What I don’t get, though, is why I have to do it? I mean, like I care one way or the other if there’s a damn solar eclipse.”
“Solar eclipse?”
“Uh huh. On Halloween apparently. Just like it was spelled out.”
“Uh… Slayer… I think maybe I should come with you.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a bloody solar eclipse, that’s why!”
“Still not seeing the point here.”
“You wouldn’t,” he muttered. He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair, upsetting the slicked-back locks. “A solar eclipse is like Christmas to a vampire — not for very long, mind. But, just enough that a vamp might catch you off guard.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“What am I trying to say?” he asked, incredulous. “Are you being deliberately daft? Daywalkers, Slayer! We turn into daywalkers… at least for a little while. Five… maybe ten minutes… depending on the length of the eclipse.”
“What did you say?” she whispered.
“Vamps can move about—”
“No… the other part.”
“Daywalkers?”
“Yes. That’s what the prophecy said. We’ve got to talk to Giles. Now. Come on…”
“But…”
Seeing her determined look, he reluctantly grabbed his duster and pulled it on, following her out of the crypt.
~*~*~*~*~
“Giles!” she bellowed, bursting into the Magic Shop, Spike hot on her heels.
“Good Lord, Buffy! I’m right here.” His startled expression gave way to anger upon spying the vampire lurking behind his slayer. He’d been informed of Spike’s attempts to have his chip removed, how it had almost cost Riley his life. “What’s he doing here?”
“Spike? I asked him to come.”
“Why?”
“Because he mentioned something that I thought might be important. Something about the eclipse.”
“What about it?”
“Only that it gives us vamps a bit of a free pass,” Spike told him.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“They turn into ‘daywalkers’, Giles,” Buffy told him.
“So… what? Spike thinks he’s the chosen daywalker?”
“Huh?” Spike’s face showed his confusion, not quite understanding the watcher’s sarcasm. “No… I just offered to go along to watch the Slayer’s back, is all.”
“He could be,” Buffy answered at the same time.
“Buffy… surely you don’t think—”
“He saved my life last night, Giles. I’d probably be dead right now if it weren’t for him.”
“What? When?” He tore off his glasses and pierced her with a look.
“Last night. I went back out to clear my head. I’d just found out that whatever was happening to my mom wasn’t mystical. And I needed to think. Spike saved me from a vampire—”
“Five,” Spike interjected.
“Right… five vampires.”
“Why?”
“Why what?” Buffy asked.
Giles turned and glared at Spike. “Why did you elect to help her?”
“Just gettin’ in a spot o’ violence,” Spike shrugged.
There was no way in hell he was telling the watcher about his recently discovered feelings for the girl, how he’d gone from hating her to loving her; he’d find himself staring at the business end of a stake before he could blink, with no means to defend himself. He may be a fool, but he wasn’t stupid.
He pulled out a fag and made to light it – perpetuating his Big Bad image – but the watcher’s words stopped him cold.
“Don’t even think of lighting up that thing in here.”
The watcher’s eyes narrowed at the vampire’s smirk and mock salute, but saw that he tucked the cigarette behind his ear. Satisfied no further words needed to be spoken, Giles turned to Buffy.
“Buffy—”
“Look. What’s it going to hurt? He goes with me, and if nothing else, he’ll see to my back.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” he sighed – clearly his slayer had made up her mind.
I hope I do too.
“Just keep an eye on my mother and Dawn. Hopefully with me being out of town, this thing, whatever it is, won’t be able to connect me to them.”
“Here.” Giles snagged the piece of paper with the transcribed prophecy and the notes he’d made from the desk and handed it to Buffy. “You’ll probably need this. I’ve contacted the Watcher’s Council. They’re going to pay for your flight there and back, as well as accommodations and a small spending allowance for meals and such. It’s already booked… two tickets.” At her incredulous look, he shrugged. “I thought you’d be taking Riley, so I had them get two.”
Buffy still didn’t move.
“What is it, Buffy?”
“It’s just… the Council? They’re the ones picking up the tab?”
“It didn’t take too much convincing, really.” He grinned conspiratorially. “The words ‘Hell on Earth’ have a way of releasing those tightly-held purse strings.”
Buffy snorted.
“Better late than never, I guess. Come on, Spike. I need to pack.”
“Buffy, do be careful.”
“Aren’t I always?”
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