Dizzy
Part IV 15 Nov, 2003
Spike turned the envelope over and noticed it had an ink stamping over the seal, to indicate when it was broken that the envelope had been opened. Spike had opened it and was now noticing that the stamp was some sort of family looking Crest. It consisted of a Dragon with it's tail coiled around it's neck, and the Cross of St. George, (they later found out, after some research), from it's tail up to the base of it's neck, on a field of silver. It seemed somehow familiar, though he couldn't quite place it at the moment. He turned it back over. There was no writing as to whom it was adressed, but there was a return address that took up the left side of the cover. It was written in old style script and read:
Poenari,
Aref, Romania,
Voivode Tepes
(and another Crest under it, depicting apparently the same Dragon and Cross)
Spike shook his head as if to clear it. Something was disturbingly familiar about the whole thing, but he still could not put his finger on it. He felt a vague sense of ...what was the word he sought...yes...uneasiness.
Buffy, watching him, asked, "Spike...what's wrong?"
"Nothin' Luv...". At least not that he could put into words. But she knew better. The very fact that he was speaking in a very quiet voice, and seemed rather distracted, tipped her to the idea that there was something serious about what he was holding, at least to him.
"Um, Buff...I think we should go find Giles, ok?"
Now she began to be worried. "Sure. If you think it's important.."
"Well...yes, Luv, I do."
They headed for the Bookstore to return Xander's car, but mostly to consult Giles, as Spike became more and more convinced they should. When they arrived, everyone was in their usual varied states of activity. Zander was trying to pronounce something in a spell for Willow, and Dawn was standing at the counter with her hands behind her back. As they walked past her, Buffy gave her a stern look, and the amulet that was hidden in her hand was promptly set back down on the counter, with no one the wiser. Spike took Giles aside and said: "Ah, Giles...We have something of some importance to discuss with you, if you have a moment?" "Certainly." And he laid down the book that was in his hands. "Actually, in private would be best, I think." Giles looked surprised at the serious tone of Spike's voice and, looking around the room once to ascertain everything was alright, he turned and led the way to the storage room.
"Now, what is this about, you two?" They showed him the tickets.
"I notice that one of the tickets is for William, so whatever it is connects with you." "Yeah, I did sort of notice that. But I can't place it. Only that I got an absolute feeling of...well..." he looked away in embarassment : "dread. Not too used to that, y'know?..." "Well there is good reason for the feeling. You say you don't quite recognize it?" "Yeah. Well sort of but no clear picture. Why? Is there something I should know? A reason I should recognize it? Giles turned the folder-like envelope over in his hand, then back to the back, again. The look on his face was one of concern, which prompted Buffy to ask, once more: "What's wrong, you guys. I think it's about time you let me in on this. Hey...remember...Slayer here...?" Giles began to speak, but no words came out. He just looked at Spike, then Buffy. "C'mon, what gives?", were their next words.
When Giles looked up to respond, the look on his face was... well...frightening, to put it mildly. "Buffy, I'd like to speak with Spike alone, if you don't mind." All she could do was agree, although with some confusion. He took Spike aside, out of earshot.
"Um, Spike...how much do you know about your youth? I...I mean, when you were very young? Or, about your Mother's past?"
"I don't remember very much except that she used to sing a particular lullaby to me. Then, as I got older, well... something happened, and she changed. It was my fault. I thought at the time it would be what she wanted, but...", his voice trailed off in pain. Giles was silent a moment to allow Spike to compose himself.
"Yes...yes...Well, then. How much do you know about Romania?"
"Other than it's on the front and back of the ticket folder? Not much. But it does seem like it should mean something to me. I just don't know what."
Buffy was talking with Dawn, who had her head down. Leaning forward, she looked into Dawn's face and smiled, and tousseled her hair, looking up as Spike and Giles walked over to where she was. At once she was puzzled, on the fringe of alarm, in fact, at the looks on their faces. Spike motioned her to walk with him. They went out the door. Spike sat on the top step, arms resting on his knees. He looked out over the lawn, taking in the neighborhood, thinking about the fate of the town. Then he hung his head down, finally placing his forehead on his arms. Buffy sat quietly. Waiting was not her strongest attribute. Finally, she could contain it no longer.
"Spike!!" "Huh? Yes, Luv? What?" "Did you want to be alone, or not?" "Not particularly. Just don't know quite how to go about explaining what I've been told by Giles. Finding it a bit hard to take, myself. But, I don't figure Mr. Giles as being one too much for flights of fancy. Well... no more so than any other of us in this business." He gave a short chuckle, turning his head to the right to look at Buffy. She smiled, then frowned. "Spike. Something's got you upset in a way I've never seen before. What did Giles say to you?" Spike hesitated.
"Let me ask you something...?" "Ok." "Buff... how would you like to go to Romania?"
Buffy had turned to face him so they could talk, but this caught her completely off guard. She realized she hadn't even looked to see where the destination was, on the tickets. She put out her hand, palm up, and Spike placed the papers in it. The airline was Lufthansa, the tickets were open ended, flying via Frankfurt, to Bucharest, Romania. There was a short letter in old script that read: 'There are further transportation arrangements awaiting your arrival.' Very cryptic, she thought. However, when she looked back at Spike, he had his head in his hands, very slightly shaking his head back and forth, as if to say no to some unbelievable thought.
Spike turned the envelope over and noticed it had an ink stamping over the seal, to indicate when it was broken that the envelope had been opened. Spike had opened it and was now noticing that the stamp was some sort of family looking Crest. It consisted of a Dragon with it's tail coiled around it's neck, and the Cross of St. George, (they later found out, after some research), from it's tail up to the base of it's neck, on a field of silver. It seemed somehow familiar, though he couldn't quite place it at the moment. He turned it back over. There was no writing as to whom it was adressed, but there was a return address that took up the left side of the cover. It was written in old style script and read:
Poenari,
Aref, Romania,
Voivode Tepes
(and another Crest under it, depicting apparently the same Dragon and Cross)
Spike shook his head as if to clear it. Something was disturbingly familiar about the whole thing, but he still could not put his finger on it. He felt a vague sense of ...what was the word he sought...yes...uneasiness.
Buffy, watching him, asked, "Spike...what's wrong?"
"Nothin' Luv...". At least not that he could put into words. But she knew better. The very fact that he was speaking in a very quiet voice, and seemed rather distracted, tipped her to the idea that there was something serious about what he was holding, at least to him.
"Um, Buff...I think we should go find Giles, ok?"
Now she began to be worried. "Sure. If you think it's important.."
"Well...yes, Luv, I do."
They headed for the Bookstore to return Xander's car, but mostly to consult Giles, as Spike became more and more convinced they should. When they arrived, everyone was in their usual varied states of activity. Zander was trying to pronounce something in a spell for Willow, and Dawn was standing at the counter with her hands behind her back. As they walked past her, Buffy gave her a stern look, and the amulet that was hidden in her hand was promptly set back down on the counter, with no one the wiser. Spike took Giles aside and said: "Ah, Giles...We have something of some importance to discuss with you, if you have a moment?" "Certainly." And he laid down the book that was in his hands. "Actually, in private would be best, I think." Giles looked surprised at the serious tone of Spike's voice and, looking around the room once to ascertain everything was alright, he turned and led the way to the storage room.
"Now, what is this about, you two?" They showed him the tickets.
"I notice that one of the tickets is for William, so whatever it is connects with you." "Yeah, I did sort of notice that. But I can't place it. Only that I got an absolute feeling of...well..." he looked away in embarassment : "dread. Not too used to that, y'know?..." "Well there is good reason for the feeling. You say you don't quite recognize it?" "Yeah. Well sort of but no clear picture. Why? Is there something I should know? A reason I should recognize it? Giles turned the folder-like envelope over in his hand, then back to the back, again. The look on his face was one of concern, which prompted Buffy to ask, once more: "What's wrong, you guys. I think it's about time you let me in on this. Hey...remember...Slayer here...?" Giles began to speak, but no words came out. He just looked at Spike, then Buffy. "C'mon, what gives?", were their next words.
When Giles looked up to respond, the look on his face was... well...frightening, to put it mildly. "Buffy, I'd like to speak with Spike alone, if you don't mind." All she could do was agree, although with some confusion. He took Spike aside, out of earshot.
"Um, Spike...how much do you know about your youth? I...I mean, when you were very young? Or, about your Mother's past?"
"I don't remember very much except that she used to sing a particular lullaby to me. Then, as I got older, well... something happened, and she changed. It was my fault. I thought at the time it would be what she wanted, but...", his voice trailed off in pain. Giles was silent a moment to allow Spike to compose himself.
"Yes...yes...Well, then. How much do you know about Romania?"
"Other than it's on the front and back of the ticket folder? Not much. But it does seem like it should mean something to me. I just don't know what."
Buffy was talking with Dawn, who had her head down. Leaning forward, she looked into Dawn's face and smiled, and tousseled her hair, looking up as Spike and Giles walked over to where she was. At once she was puzzled, on the fringe of alarm, in fact, at the looks on their faces. Spike motioned her to walk with him. They went out the door. Spike sat on the top step, arms resting on his knees. He looked out over the lawn, taking in the neighborhood, thinking about the fate of the town. Then he hung his head down, finally placing his forehead on his arms. Buffy sat quietly. Waiting was not her strongest attribute. Finally, she could contain it no longer.
"Spike!!" "Huh? Yes, Luv? What?" "Did you want to be alone, or not?" "Not particularly. Just don't know quite how to go about explaining what I've been told by Giles. Finding it a bit hard to take, myself. But, I don't figure Mr. Giles as being one too much for flights of fancy. Well... no more so than any other of us in this business." He gave a short chuckle, turning his head to the right to look at Buffy. She smiled, then frowned. "Spike. Something's got you upset in a way I've never seen before. What did Giles say to you?" Spike hesitated.
"Let me ask you something...?" "Ok." "Buff... how would you like to go to Romania?"
Buffy had turned to face him so they could talk, but this caught her completely off guard. She realized she hadn't even looked to see where the destination was, on the tickets. She put out her hand, palm up, and Spike placed the papers in it. The airline was Lufthansa, the tickets were open ended, flying via Frankfurt, to Bucharest, Romania. There was a short letter in old script that read: 'There are further transportation arrangements awaiting your arrival.' Very cryptic, she thought. However, when she looked back at Spike, he had his head in his hands, very slightly shaking his head back and forth, as if to say no to some unbelievable thought.