CHAPTER EIGHT - LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT
"It's been three weeks!" cried Willow. "And we don't know anything."
They were all gathered in the Summers' living room - Willow, Dawn, Xander, Anya and Tara. Only Spike was absent, having gone out to patrol. Since Buffy's disappearance, they had all been virtually living there, spending every free moment trying to find some trace of where Buffy had gone. Dawn was sleeping in Buffy's bed, Spike in Dawn's. Tara was using a cot set up in Buffy's room to keep Dawn company, and Xander and Anya only left to work and to sleep for a few hours.
At first Xander had looked askance at the vampire's presence, but over the weeks he had come to accept Spike as an integral part of the team. Spike was out every night from sunset to sunrise, patrolling and looking for information. His dedication to finding Buffy, and looking after Dawn, was unmistakable.
The silence that followed Willow's statement was interrupted by the bang of the front door. Everyone turned in surprise as Spike came in.
"Spike? What's happened? You're back early." Dawn helped the vampire into a seat. He seemed dazed and confused.
"I don't know what happened," he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair so that it fell across his forehead in soft curls. "Something strange ..."
"What? Tell us." Anya demanded.
"I saw this vampire, making his way through a cemetery. He looked like he was up to something, so I followed him for a bit, then jumped. But ... it made my chip go off." He rubbed his fingers against his temples, remembering.
"Your chip went off?" Willow looked bewildered.
"Are you sure it was a vampire?" Xander asked
"I think I would recognise a vampire, mate," Spike replied. "This was definitely one of the undead. And then ... and then he tried to attack me. And it looked as though - a chip went off in his head too."
There was a pause.
"Another vampire with a chip?" Tara repeated, just to make sure.
"That's what it looked like," Spike said. He was still rubbing his temples, and a thoughtful expression had come over his face.
"Who would be putting chips into vampires?" Anya asked the room in general.
"I thought that was just the Initiative's idea of fun and games," Xander agreed.
"It was." Spike sat up straight. "You know, I've just thought of something else that's been bugging me. Captain Cardboard and the missus came to town because of those bloody eggs, right? Well, my mate, the one who asked me to look after them - I've not heard from him since. That's not like him. It makes me wonder ..."
"Wonder what?" Dawn asked. She perched on the arm of Spike's chair.
"Whether there was something else going on. Do we know where they were heading off to next?"
"Nepal, I think," Willow volunteered, raising her hand slightly before catching herself and lowering it again. "I haven't had an email from Sam in a while, but I'm pretty sure that's where they said they were."
"You've been emailing her?" Spike asked. "Look, I know next to nothing about computers, but is there any way you can find out if she's really emailing from Nepal?"
"You think that Sam and Riley are involved in the Buffy walkabout?" Xander asked sceptically.
"I don't know." Spike sighed in frustration. "I don't bloody know. But at least it's a thought. Which is more than we had before."
Willow stood up. "Maybe I could come up with a program that I could send in an email to Sam. Like a virus. There's sites all over the web that tell you how to write them. Something that would allow me to hack into her computer. Then maybe we could find out ..."
Willow was gone, bounding up the stairs to get to her laptop and try out the newest, the only, theory, as quickly as possible.
****
"Make it quick," the orderly instructed Buffy as she struggled to sit up. "You've got 30 minutes."
He left her alone as she managed to get herself upright and swing her legs over the edge of the bed. She felt as though she was wasting away. A glance at her arms and legs told her that she was.
How much longer can I go on? she wondered, then stopped herself. For as long as it takes, was the answer.
She quickly used the bedpan, grateful that they gave her some privacy to do this, although she didn't doubt that the room was under video surveillance. Then she wolfed down the thin soup that had been provided. It wasn't nearly enough for sustenance, but then she wasn't all that hungry nowadays. Lying flat on your back all day will do that to a girl, she supposed.
Finally, she began to stretch, getting the blood flowing and the muscles working, before they came to strap her up again. She closed her eyes, drawing on her visions of the First Slayer to help keep her strong, grounded.
Then she felt it.
Somehow, she had felt a trickle of her old Slayer strength, her old power, flood through her as she stretched out her hamstring. She concentrated hard. Yes, if she tried hard enough, thought about the First Slayer and her meeting with her in the desert, she could feel the power entering her. But she couldn't maintain it ...
She opened her eyes and fought not to let a smile cross her face. It would be enough. When the moment came, she would be able to draw on that strength to help her escape.
It would work.
****
"It should work," said Willow. "It's a pretty basic program, and her antivirus protection shouldn't pick it up. Once Sam opens the email, the program will activate and store a Trojan on her system, although she won't even know it. It should allow me to access her computer."
"So we just have to hope she checks her email regularly," Anya said. Willow shot her a look, then turned back to the computer.
"Come on, Sam," she muttered under her breath.
Spike was heating a mug of blood in the kitchen when Xander entered and hesitated. Although they could now tolerate each other's company, they didn't actively seek it out, and Spike expected Xander to make a quick exit. To his surprise, however, Xander chose instead to sit down and wait for Spike to get his blood, before speaking.
"I need to say something to you," he began, and Spike cocked an eyebrow before taking a stool opposite him.
"Go on."
"Okay. I will." Xander cleared his throat and studied his hands, resting on the counter between them, then raise his eyes to meet Spike's. "I'm not going to pretend to you that I like the idea of having a vampire around all the time. I didn't like it with Angel. I don't like vampires. There's no grey area for me here. But -" Xander paused for a moment before continuing. "I've been watching you since Buffy disappeared and - I do believe that you truly care. That you want to help. And for the right reasons, not just to - score points.
"So I guess I just wanted to tell you that. From now on, as far as I'm concerned - the scoresheet is wiped clean. I'm willing to try and forget about everything that's happened in the past, and just concentrate on what you're doing now. If that means anything to you."
Spike was amazed. He would never have thought the boy was capable of something like this. He was also touched. And surprised to find that it meant a lot to him, to be accepted like this by one of Buffy's dearest friends.
"Thanks, mate," he replied eventually.
"Just tell me one thing," Xander said. "If you could - would you feed from a human?"
Spike was quiet for a moment. "I don't think I could," he admitted finally. "But there's a part of me feels ashamed to confess it." He raised his head and met Xander's eyes challengingly, daring the boy to condemn him.
Xander nodded slowly. "I wouldn't have believed you if you'd said otherwise," he said.
Spike chuckled at that.
Their companionable truce was interrupted by a scream from upstairs. Both jumped to their feet immediately.
"We did it! We're in!" It was Willow's voice.
Xander and Spike exchanged a glance, then raced for the stairs.
The girls were all crammed onto Willow's large bed, elbowing each other for a look at the computer screen.
"What have you got, Will?" Xander asked, out of breath from his battle up the stairs with Spike.
"I'm in Sam's email account. And her computer is linked up to a network - I can access the whole thing," Willow said, fingers tapping on her keyboard. "Just give me a minute to find the main drive, and I'll be able to work out exactly ..."
Her voice trailed off as menus flashed up on the laptop in response to her commands.
"My God ..." she breathed.
"Um, Willow?" Xander prompted.
She looked up, her eyes huge. "It looks like you were right, Spike. Sam and Riley are involved in something. It looks like it's the Initiative Mark 2.
"And they've got Buffy."
TBC
"It's been three weeks!" cried Willow. "And we don't know anything."
They were all gathered in the Summers' living room - Willow, Dawn, Xander, Anya and Tara. Only Spike was absent, having gone out to patrol. Since Buffy's disappearance, they had all been virtually living there, spending every free moment trying to find some trace of where Buffy had gone. Dawn was sleeping in Buffy's bed, Spike in Dawn's. Tara was using a cot set up in Buffy's room to keep Dawn company, and Xander and Anya only left to work and to sleep for a few hours.
At first Xander had looked askance at the vampire's presence, but over the weeks he had come to accept Spike as an integral part of the team. Spike was out every night from sunset to sunrise, patrolling and looking for information. His dedication to finding Buffy, and looking after Dawn, was unmistakable.
The silence that followed Willow's statement was interrupted by the bang of the front door. Everyone turned in surprise as Spike came in.
"Spike? What's happened? You're back early." Dawn helped the vampire into a seat. He seemed dazed and confused.
"I don't know what happened," he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair so that it fell across his forehead in soft curls. "Something strange ..."
"What? Tell us." Anya demanded.
"I saw this vampire, making his way through a cemetery. He looked like he was up to something, so I followed him for a bit, then jumped. But ... it made my chip go off." He rubbed his fingers against his temples, remembering.
"Your chip went off?" Willow looked bewildered.
"Are you sure it was a vampire?" Xander asked
"I think I would recognise a vampire, mate," Spike replied. "This was definitely one of the undead. And then ... and then he tried to attack me. And it looked as though - a chip went off in his head too."
There was a pause.
"Another vampire with a chip?" Tara repeated, just to make sure.
"That's what it looked like," Spike said. He was still rubbing his temples, and a thoughtful expression had come over his face.
"Who would be putting chips into vampires?" Anya asked the room in general.
"I thought that was just the Initiative's idea of fun and games," Xander agreed.
"It was." Spike sat up straight. "You know, I've just thought of something else that's been bugging me. Captain Cardboard and the missus came to town because of those bloody eggs, right? Well, my mate, the one who asked me to look after them - I've not heard from him since. That's not like him. It makes me wonder ..."
"Wonder what?" Dawn asked. She perched on the arm of Spike's chair.
"Whether there was something else going on. Do we know where they were heading off to next?"
"Nepal, I think," Willow volunteered, raising her hand slightly before catching herself and lowering it again. "I haven't had an email from Sam in a while, but I'm pretty sure that's where they said they were."
"You've been emailing her?" Spike asked. "Look, I know next to nothing about computers, but is there any way you can find out if she's really emailing from Nepal?"
"You think that Sam and Riley are involved in the Buffy walkabout?" Xander asked sceptically.
"I don't know." Spike sighed in frustration. "I don't bloody know. But at least it's a thought. Which is more than we had before."
Willow stood up. "Maybe I could come up with a program that I could send in an email to Sam. Like a virus. There's sites all over the web that tell you how to write them. Something that would allow me to hack into her computer. Then maybe we could find out ..."
Willow was gone, bounding up the stairs to get to her laptop and try out the newest, the only, theory, as quickly as possible.
****
"Make it quick," the orderly instructed Buffy as she struggled to sit up. "You've got 30 minutes."
He left her alone as she managed to get herself upright and swing her legs over the edge of the bed. She felt as though she was wasting away. A glance at her arms and legs told her that she was.
How much longer can I go on? she wondered, then stopped herself. For as long as it takes, was the answer.
She quickly used the bedpan, grateful that they gave her some privacy to do this, although she didn't doubt that the room was under video surveillance. Then she wolfed down the thin soup that had been provided. It wasn't nearly enough for sustenance, but then she wasn't all that hungry nowadays. Lying flat on your back all day will do that to a girl, she supposed.
Finally, she began to stretch, getting the blood flowing and the muscles working, before they came to strap her up again. She closed her eyes, drawing on her visions of the First Slayer to help keep her strong, grounded.
Then she felt it.
Somehow, she had felt a trickle of her old Slayer strength, her old power, flood through her as she stretched out her hamstring. She concentrated hard. Yes, if she tried hard enough, thought about the First Slayer and her meeting with her in the desert, she could feel the power entering her. But she couldn't maintain it ...
She opened her eyes and fought not to let a smile cross her face. It would be enough. When the moment came, she would be able to draw on that strength to help her escape.
It would work.
****
"It should work," said Willow. "It's a pretty basic program, and her antivirus protection shouldn't pick it up. Once Sam opens the email, the program will activate and store a Trojan on her system, although she won't even know it. It should allow me to access her computer."
"So we just have to hope she checks her email regularly," Anya said. Willow shot her a look, then turned back to the computer.
"Come on, Sam," she muttered under her breath.
Spike was heating a mug of blood in the kitchen when Xander entered and hesitated. Although they could now tolerate each other's company, they didn't actively seek it out, and Spike expected Xander to make a quick exit. To his surprise, however, Xander chose instead to sit down and wait for Spike to get his blood, before speaking.
"I need to say something to you," he began, and Spike cocked an eyebrow before taking a stool opposite him.
"Go on."
"Okay. I will." Xander cleared his throat and studied his hands, resting on the counter between them, then raise his eyes to meet Spike's. "I'm not going to pretend to you that I like the idea of having a vampire around all the time. I didn't like it with Angel. I don't like vampires. There's no grey area for me here. But -" Xander paused for a moment before continuing. "I've been watching you since Buffy disappeared and - I do believe that you truly care. That you want to help. And for the right reasons, not just to - score points.
"So I guess I just wanted to tell you that. From now on, as far as I'm concerned - the scoresheet is wiped clean. I'm willing to try and forget about everything that's happened in the past, and just concentrate on what you're doing now. If that means anything to you."
Spike was amazed. He would never have thought the boy was capable of something like this. He was also touched. And surprised to find that it meant a lot to him, to be accepted like this by one of Buffy's dearest friends.
"Thanks, mate," he replied eventually.
"Just tell me one thing," Xander said. "If you could - would you feed from a human?"
Spike was quiet for a moment. "I don't think I could," he admitted finally. "But there's a part of me feels ashamed to confess it." He raised his head and met Xander's eyes challengingly, daring the boy to condemn him.
Xander nodded slowly. "I wouldn't have believed you if you'd said otherwise," he said.
Spike chuckled at that.
Their companionable truce was interrupted by a scream from upstairs. Both jumped to their feet immediately.
"We did it! We're in!" It was Willow's voice.
Xander and Spike exchanged a glance, then raced for the stairs.
The girls were all crammed onto Willow's large bed, elbowing each other for a look at the computer screen.
"What have you got, Will?" Xander asked, out of breath from his battle up the stairs with Spike.
"I'm in Sam's email account. And her computer is linked up to a network - I can access the whole thing," Willow said, fingers tapping on her keyboard. "Just give me a minute to find the main drive, and I'll be able to work out exactly ..."
Her voice trailed off as menus flashed up on the laptop in response to her commands.
"My God ..." she breathed.
"Um, Willow?" Xander prompted.
She looked up, her eyes huge. "It looks like you were right, Spike. Sam and Riley are involved in something. It looks like it's the Initiative Mark 2.
"And they've got Buffy."
TBC
