The Magic Box, 0330 hours.
Giles found out that he was missing something early that morning at three, five hours after having returned home from closing the portal that opened in the sky above the factory where Buffy beat Glory. And after she left to close the open portal, Giles arrived to find the man who had been Glory's 'jailcell', Ben, bleeding and groaning on the floor of the factory. So, to stop Glory from ever resurfacing, Giles killed Ben.
And then it was over.
They saved the world again, but Giles felt something missing; it was as if he was trying to remember a memory he had forgotten. He went to sleep at twelve midnight, at least he tried to, after having a few drinks. However, he was still awake hours later and looking up at the ceiling.
He continuously felt as if he was missing something.. or someone.
"Willow, Buffy, Xander, Tara, and I can't believe I'm going to say this… and Spike were all there," he whispered while he lay on the bed, "but… but I can't help but feel something's wrong."
Giles closed his eyes and tried to force himself to sleep. But the mystery of what he was missing kept him awake. The Watcher sat up in bed and then hurried off. He could feel he was a bit dizzy from the alcohol in his body, but he told himself he was well enough to drive.
And that's what he did after putting on some clothes and then running out of his apartment and into the car. The man then drove off towards the Magic Box to go through his books and the research he had been able to do on the Key.
'If there's something I've forgotten, then I know I wrote it down there… I know I did," he told himself while trying to drive with a steady hand. He then saw a police car, and the man began to panic thinking that the officer may pull him over and think he was drunk. However, before he could do anything else foolish in addition to driving with a buzz in his head, Giles felt a moment of serenity pass through him. He started to breath easily as he drove slow and steady past the police car. He felt the calm taking him over all the way to the Magic Box.
And once he parked the car.. the feeling was gone. He swore that a hand lifted off his shoulder from behind; and he spun sharply around and glared at the empty back seat. He looked around before saying, "hello?"
"No answer, of course," said Giles shaking his head as he turned around and got out of his car in the dead of night. The man knew that it was dangerous to be out at night alone, so he rushed to the entrance of the shop and unlocked it. He then stepped in and closed the door behind him; and then locked it once again. He rushed in the dark to the counter, and then stepped behind it. He passed the cash register and then stopped at section to the left of the register. Giles pressed a button just underneath the edge of the counter and a drawer popped out. He then pulled out the drawer and took out his witting pad. The same pad he had been using to write notes on any and all information on the Key.
He then moved to the windowless back office and closed the office door behind him. Giles turned on the table lamp and then sat down opening the book. He read through the pages from the finding of the Dagon Sphere by Buffy, to the increase in mentally ill people in Sunnydale, and then went on to Buffy fighting Glory and losing before barely escaping with a monk of the Order of Dagon.
"The man claimed that his fellow monks….. the monks…" said Giles taking off his glasses before placing them on the table. He rubbed the bridge of his nose before mumbling that something wasn't right. He repeated that same thing over and over again before sighing and then putting his glasses on again and reading what he wrote on the lined pages. "The Order of Dagon, the last of the monk's brethren wanted to keep the Key away from the beast. From the one they referred to as Glorificus. So that the beast did not get her hands on the Key…."
"The monks sent it to the Slayer in the form of a crystal pendent so that she could keep it close to her," said another voice from behind as Giles jumped back. The silver haired newcomer raised his arms and stepped back, signifying he came in peace, before telling Giles the both of them were in the Magic Box for the same reason.
"How the bloody hell did you get in, Spike?" asked Giles as he panted from fright while his heart raced staring at the smirking vampire.
"Your basement. You should really lock it," he replied nonchalantly pointing at the basement door where the supplies were kept, "I just needed to check something in that nifty book of yours."
"How'd you know about the book?" asked Giles with his eyes narrowed while wondering how it was he knew about the book since he never told him. And he was sure that Buffy and the others would never tell him either.
"I just did," said Spike putting his hands into his overcoat pockets, "I just woke up and felt this…"
"Emptiness you can't explain?" asked Giles surprised while Spike scowled before looking away.
"I know I shouldn't feel like this about any of you lot," he hissed while looking away, "but…. But there's something I feel is missing. I felt as if I've seen that book before… but I.. I don't know. It's bloody bollocks."
"Go home, Spike," said Giles before he turned to the book.
"I can't, at least until I know what's going on," said Spike stomping his way to the table, "I need to know, you Git. I have this feeling that something's not right. This place, that book, me…. Something's not right."
"We saw the portal close and… and Glory's dead," said Giles, "you did what you…"
"Don't you understand you idiot," growled Spike as he rushed at Giles who reached behind him and grabbed a stake hidden in one of the book shelves behind him. He was about to stab Spike with it when Spike suddenly stopped and placed his hands on the Watcher's upper arms, "I feel like I lost someone I care about. And it's not Dru, I knew where I left her.. and I could feel her if she came back. This isn't about Dru… it's about… I don't know. All I know is that this…. This Key… I.. I care about her."
"Her?" asked Giles confused while the pointed end of the stake was hovering over Spike's heart, "the Key was a crystal on a pendant that Buffy used to wear on a necklace and…"
"I'm telling you that the Key was a girl," said Spike taking his hands-off Giles' arms and stepping back while rubbing the back of his head, "at least I have this feeling that it was a girl. And I cared about her… I… I would protect her with my life."
"You?" asked a surprised Giles at that admission, "I find that hard to believe. Even if you do have a chip in your head."
"I'm telling you… you bloody arse that it was a girl," insisted Spike, "at least that's the feeling I'm getting. Giles, there's something wrong. Very, very wrong."
Giles stared at the look of confusion on Spike's face as he lowered the stake. He then looked at the book on his table and asked Spike where was it that the book was usually kept. Giles turned to Spike when he gave the exact location with surprise on his face. He was about to say something when Spike said that he had no idea how he knew what he knew. That it was simply a feeling he had.
"There's something very wrong 'ere, Giles," said Spike, "and I need to know what's going on."
"So do I," whispered Giles, "but not a word to Buffy, Willow, or the others. At least not yet."
"That's fine with me, old man." Spike said before the both of them walked out into the shop and gathered as many books as possible.
Tara's Room, UC Sunnydale Campus.
Tara was putting on her shirt as she tried to recall something that she knew was missing from her memory. It was pulling her soul, like a blackhole, where she tried to think about something which she knew was missing in her life. She remembered the portal closing last night, and then there was nothing. They just saw a burst of green light go through the portal from the top of the tower, and that was it. She was aware that Buffy was protecting the Key, but she couldn't remember what it used to be, "was it a literal Key? A charm? A bracelet? What was it?"
The blonde witch couldn't figure it out as she picked up her bag and left the room. Closing the door behind her, she walked down the hallway and stopped. She looked over her shoulder and turned around swiftly upon seeing what she thought was a bright white ball of light darting out of the hallway towards the streams of sunlight coming in through the window at the end of the hallway.
Shaking her head, Tara told herself that she was just seeing things. Even if it really was just a ball of light, she didn't sense anything from it. There was no danger, no hate, and no malice. Tara sighed and then turned around again before running to the stairs. She was late for class.
And then she had to meet Willow and Buffy before heading to the Magic Box. They were going to celebrate saving the world again.
'But why do I feel there's something missing,' thought Tara to herself as she rushed down the stairs, 'why do I feel that I'm not complete?'
TBC.
