Previously: Spike and Buffy have been finding it hard to get the balance right between their relationship and all their responsibilities. Faith woke up from her coma and spied on everyone, before disappearing into the shadows again.
Mix Up (Part One)
"Buffy? Buffy, do you know what time it is? What's wrong?"
"Someone was watching us," she whispered into the phone.
She heard a yawn in response. "Sorry, what? Do speak up."
"I can't, Dawn's sleeping."
Buffy held her a little closer, then shot a look over at Spike, who was still at the window. He took the phone and went out into the hall.
"Watcher, Bit says she saw someone at the window. A bad girl."
"Could it have been a dream?"
He shook his head, despite the fact Giles couldn't see him. "There's a scent. Female. No sign of anyone, though. Buffy doesn't want me to track it. Not right now."
"Er, right…" Spike could have sworn he heard the cogs in Giles brain whirring away. "Have you came across the Dagon Sphere yet?"
"No."
"You remember what it looks like, from the diagrams I showed you?"
"Yes," Spike snapped, then looked around and immediately lowered his voice again, "I bloody remember. We haven't seen it."
"Hmm… That would suggest that the mystery person is not likely to be Glory."
Spike hadn't thought of that. "A minion, maybe?" he asked.
"Perhaps."
He released a groan. "Giles, I'm going outta my mind here. What do I do?"
That gave the watcher pause. Normally Spike would not admit that he needed help, at least, not to him.
"My family are in danger," he continued, "An' I feel soddin' useless."
Buffy sent him feelings of love through the claim, and he was grateful for them.
"I understand," said Giles, finally. "But I can see no other course of action but to keep watch and convene at the Magic Box come morning."
"Right," said Spike, through gritted teeth. It wasn't what he wanted to hear but, then, he wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to hear. He hung up and went back to Buffy.
In the morning Buffy dragged herself to class, even as she fought to stay awake. Meanwhile Spike took Dawn to the Magic Box. They had decided to forget about pre-school and just keep her with them during the day, as mad as it sounded. Homeschooling had to be easier that demon hunting, they hoped. At least it should be more convenient.
Dawn was wriggling, but Spike wouldn't let her out of his arms.
She pouted, and that did it. He relented and set her down.
"No more than twenty paces," he reminded her.
She rolled her eyes, gave a deep sigh and said, "Yes, Daddy," before walking to Giles, giving him a hug, and whispering – albeit very loudly – that she thought Spike was cold.
"He's always hugging me and mommy, to try and warm up," she explained.
Giles nodded and gave her a pat on the head.
Spike grinned at her, as she then wandered off to the corner to play with her toys.
"The mind of a four year old," he said.
"Quite," Giles agreed.
There was a brief pause, and then they got down to business.
Eyeing the books laid across the research table, Spike said, "Tell me you've got something."
Giles didn't answer, exactly. His failure to find a single relevant text to Glory, or a prophecy concerning Buffy at the current time, was written all over his face.
"Bugger!" Spike exclaimed, before looking over at Dawn to make sure she hadn't heard.
She looked particularly wrapped up in a conversation with Mr Gordo, so he reckoned he'd got away with it.
"I need to track the scent," he said. It was the only thing they had to go on, except Spike couldn't go on it due to the sun being up, and the trail would likely be gone by the time night fell. As he considered this, and stifled more swear words, Buffy walked into the store.
Immediately he stood up straight, from where he'd been leaning on the counter; on high alert. Dawn got up, too, and went to run to her mom, but he held out a hand and stopped her. Something was wrong. He'd stopped hearing Buffy's thoughts chattering around in the background of his brain a little while ago, but he'd only really just thought about it.
"What's going on?" asked the Slayer.
Spike's eyes narrowed, and he inhaled a deep breath. The unknown scent was all over Buffy. Or, Buffy's body, at least.
Picking up Dawn and handing her to Giles, Spike walked up to Buffy and punched her in the face. She reeled backwards as Dawn began to cry.
"Who the hell are you and what have you done to my Mate?" Spike demanded.
