Title: Big Bad Bones
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any related materials
Warnings/Spoilers: Set post-chip, post-Tara and pre-Dawn
Summary: When a demon changes Spikes gender it's not the fact that he's sporting double D's and a ponytail that makes the Scoobies worried, something fundamentally Spike has been altered, but he doesn't seem to know.
Giles huffed in frustration causing Willow to look up from the ancient tome she'd been studying, at her quizzical expression he clarified,
"These texts are all so ridiculously cryptic, it's a wonder there's been any demons killed at all."
Willow nodded absently, "but we'll find the answer, we always do."
"Yes, but how often is it after we've sent Buffy out with no clue as what she might face?" Giles grimaced at the memories of injuries and deaths that could have been prevented, had the information required been readily at hand.
He rubbed his forehead tiredly; Xander had run in, in a panic, spouting about a new demon, green and covered in slime. When Giles had calmed him down enough to get a proper description, the outlook for finding the demon seemed bright; Xander had remember a lot of details about it and the search appeared straightforward. They'd even been conceited enough to let Xander go home, after his obligatory donut run, of course. Tara had had a late class after which Willow had insisted she get a good nights rest; Buffy was patrolling; Anya had decided if Xander was free to go, so should she; and no one had heard from Spike; leaving Giles and Willow stuck.
That had been hours ago, the search had progressed little to none. The donut box lay forgotten filled only with crumbs and loose sprinkles, as did several mugs once containing tea or coffee. Without the library of the watchers to rely on Giles often found himself at a similar loss, but rarely to this extent.
"The only reference I can find to a demon, that fits the description Xander gave us, is here, but it's vague…"
"It refers to a frog-like demon with some form of toxic slime oozing from its pores, the picture matches what Xander said he saw, but I can't find out what the exact effect of the slime, just that if that if they're not reversed within twenty-four hours they will become permanent."
Giles was jerked from his reflections by Willow's description, nodding sleepily he asked, "…and how do you reverse the effects, whatever they are?"
"Says here you have to use a fluid sac from within the creature, difficult to remove and, apparently, the ooze remains volatile after the creature's death"
"So it would just be best to avoid touching the slime and using projectiles to take it down"
"I'd say so, yes"
"We'll brief Buffy in the morning, but for now lets pack up then get some sleep"
They were putting away the last of the reference material when a rapping noise was heard, followed by someone kicking the door open with unnecessary force.