Chapter 49: New Goals
Magic Box, Monday 4:30 pm
Buffy dozed off while reading a book on more information on the Jinkins, corpse eater. She was mostly bored but also tired from her hard work out that she had continued for 4 hours before Anya finally insisted she take a break and eat her sandwich. She barely had finished her sandwich when she picked up the book to fall promptly asleep. When Dawn and Freddie arrived a few minutes later, they didn't want to disturb her so instead worked on their homework. Buffy slept until 5:30 when she was woken up by the sound of Xander arriving.
He had hollowed, "Honey I'm home!" not knowing that Buffy was sleeping away on the table. He apologized over and over again to her but she just waved her hand in front of him not worried. She immediately stood up racing to the back of the shop as she noticed she could sense Spike moving again in what she guessed was his jeep.
Angola, Africa, Tuesday 12:30 am (African time, 3:30 pm Sunnydale)
Spike woke up holding his head that ached. He found himself covered in a warm woven blankets with the smell of freshly cooked food coming from somewhere. He glanced around noticing a tiny man curled up at the fire stoking it. The tiny man noticed Spike was awake and spoke in African, which Spike translated, "Hello. I'm Darkarai. The villagers, who determined you a vampire, were chasing you. I am one too."
Spike nodded sniffing the man to realize he was indeed a vampire as his mouth watered at the sight of the blood in a stone bowl. The man nodded and handed him the blood, "Here. You look as though you could use something. You are pale and extremely beat up."
Spike drank the mug vamping out since he was so thirsty. He knew it would do nothing to heal him but it would curb his appetite some. Feeling the nutrients hit his body he tried to sense Buffy but found she was sleeping. It made him smile knowing she was sleeping in the middle of the day. He then turned to the man who was staring at him, "I'm Spike. I need to get on my way. I can only travel at night and it's already getting closer to morning and I have made no headway."
The man smiled, "I will let you leave as long as you take me with you. I need to get away. I am an outcast. I ask that you take me south where you are heading so I can find a place I am accepted."
Spike figured what the hell, he might as well have company, "Ok mate. You must be ready to leave in a few minutes. I don't fancy being stuck another day."
The man nodded in agreement and picked up the stick holding the meat and took a big bite. He handed it to Spike who shrugged taking a few bites of it before returning it to the guy. Spike stood up on wombly legs noticing he had new cuts on his body. Darkarari watched enjoying his dinner, "I rescued you from the villagers. They were planning to burn you alive which is why your feet are burned."
Spike glanced down noticing why they felt like they were on fire. It was one of the few parts of his body that weren't burnt by the muscle man but now they were indeed burnt and sore but the man had wrapped them in some sort of cloth that helped and he figured they also had some kind of soothing salve. Spike sighed as he left the hut to sit down on the ground waiting for the man. He had made no headway so far. He grinned as he felt Buffy wake up. His body was still unhealed and the cuts were deep as well as the spear mark in his leg. He was in bad shape as he managed to contact Buffy, 'Buffy luv, can you hear me? I should be back to you in 3 days…if not sooner."
Buffy sent a smile his way, 'Really? 3 days?'
The claim faltered and Buffy sighed. She could sense how injured Spike still was and wondered why he wasn't healing. Meanwhile Spike's head was full of voices again. They were loud and alert since he had drank blood renewing himself a little bit. He longed for the emptiness he used to feel before but now he knew it would be impossible to get it back. He heard the man step up behind him carrying a heavy tent, his dinner, and a huge tarp.
The man stopped as Spike led the way to the jeep. Once they had reached the jeep, the man covered the jeep with the tarp creating a covering. He then took out some purple paint and proceeded to paint the front window and side windows with the purple paint. Spike peered at the vampire as he then proceeded to climb into the newly covered jeep.
Spike sighed in relief as he climbed into the driver's seat. Spike knew the time was just cut in half and he would be arriving in South Africa now in about 24 hours. There he decided he would give the jeep the other vampire to do what he wished. He just needed to get the airport and get back before something else happened to him. He floored the gas ignoring the way the other vampire held on tightly to the dash as he sped towards South Africa knowing he wouldn't stop until he got there.
Cemetery, Monday 11 pm
Buffy wandered through the cemetery still thinking about the Jinkins. She had no options as a way to kill it. She could either let him kill Warren, Jonathan or Andrew or attempt to find who the Jinkins was before his death and pay respects to it. She had read that it was normally an un-mourned soul that needed justice served before it could return to its afterlife.
She had briefly considered visiting the prison but knew at night they wouldn't let them have visitors. So instead she went on a lengthy patrol. She kept feeling like things were following her but when she would look, no one would be there. She fondly remembered the days Spike would follow her in the shadows. She missed his familiar tingle and the feeling of having him watch out for her. Right now though she's settle for being able to hold a decent conversation with him to see how he is.
She kicked a stone that hit a crypt as she sighed looking towards it. It seemed deserted so she continued on her way. The action had been slow lately in most cemeteries except for the one closest to the Hellmouth at the school. That one always had tons of demons and vampires in it so she had learned to start with that one, clean it out only to patrol the other cemeteries and then do a swing back to finish it off. It had been that way for over a week now and she didn't know why but figured it was just that the Hellmouth was always attracting things.
There was probably a new vampire in town with buddies and she had just yet to find him yet. She wasn't worried with Spike arriving home in 3 days he could help her patrol. She sighed as she started to fight with a young girl fledging. She hated killing children vampires but knew they were just as blood sucking friendly as the next. This little girl was no exception only she had learned to play up her cute traits. She must belong to someone and knew her trade well.
Buffy didn't hesitate kicking her knocking her backwards where she started to cry. She cried so loud Buffy's head began to hurt as blood trickled down her head. Buffy threw the stake dusting the girl but wiped the blood from her forehead that held a huge gash that opened up. That was no ordinary vampire and that was a trait she had never heard of before. She sighed realizing that meant more research but for now, patrolling with blood pouring out of her, was not a good idea. With no crypt to clean up at, she started to walk home hoping to get herself cleaned up before Dawn could see and start asking questions to things she didn't understand herself.
Buffy's house, Monday 12 pm
Buffy lay in bed trying to contact Spike with no avail. She could sense he was awake but he wasn't answering and actually didn't seem able but she couldn't understand why. He should be settling in for the night but yet he seemed to be still active. She sighed as she curled up under his duster in a ball. She whispered to herself wiping her eyes, "Less than 3 days Buffy. You are a big girl and you can handle 3 days."
She heard her door creak as it opened to show Dawn standing there in her blue pajamas. She motioned to Dawn to come in. Dawn settled in beside her whispering, "Less than 3 days until he's back right?"
Buffy nodded refusing to cry anymore. Dawn asked nervously, "He's ok right?"
Buffy shrugged as she ran a hand through Dawn's hair admitting, "I'm not sure. He's awake but the claim is just so weak which leads me to believe either he's very frail or something is interfering with it."
Buffy felt Dawn nod and then let out a yawn. Buffy snuggled further under Spike's jacket and Dawn smiled snuggling deeper onto Spike's side of the bed, "Does the jacket help?"
Buffy nodded with a slight smile, "Smells of him. Like tobacco, whiskey, blood and that tang he always smells like."
Dawn giggled, "Freddie smells of Aspen cologne and mints. He always has a tictac in his mouth that's the flavor of evergreen."
Buffy giggled as she felt Dawn yawn again. "Better get some sleep Dawnie. Tuesday morning always comes early."
Dawn nodded as she closed her eyes. Buffy listened to Dawn's quiet breathing for a few minutes whispering into the claim knowing Spike probably wouldn't hear it, 'Night Spike. See you soon' before she gave into sleep.
Sunnydale Prison, Tuesday 5 pm
Buffy was worried. Spike hadn't contacted her all day although the claim had been open until about 2 hours ago. She had tried and tried in vain but there was no response. Then she sensed him sleeping. She figured he probably drove all night and had a reason to stay up all day only to sleep at night. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't answer though unless there was something physically wrong with him.
She sighed as she entered the prison to talk to Jonathan and Andrew. Buffy figured Warren was still busy with whatever this Jinkins was which is why he hadn't returned for Buffy yet. She hoped Spike was back by the time he figured out how to handle both the Jinkins and Buffy.
She requested to see Andrew and Jonathan and with a slight nod she was taken to the back room. She walked through the buzzing door through the metal detector as she walked up to their cell. Andrew greeted her happily, "Did you find out how to kill the Jinkins? Is it still after us? Have you heard from Warren?"
Buffy let out a deep breath as she grabbed onto the bars to address them, "First off, do you know who the Jinkins was originally? It's the spirit of someone who was deceased and it will continue to eat corpses until it is either properly mourned or it devours the corpse of the person who has brought it forth. Once one of those two things happens, it will pass onto its afterlife. So the question is, what were you trying to summon when you ended up with the Jinkins?"
Andrew glanced at Jonathan who glanced back and both shrugged, "It was Warren's idea. I don't know who he was aiming to summon but Jinkins wasn't it."
Buffy nodded and muttered, "Figures."
She turned to walk away as Andrew called after her, "Will you speak at our court case? It doesn't have a court date yet. They were debating on dropping the case since we were mostly a couple of delinquents and just giving us community service hours as long as we can have character witnesses that weren't related to us. Would you mind doing that?"
Buffy scowled but at their expectant faces she responded, "I'll think about it."
She motioned to the guard who relocked the door behind her as she realized she would have to her own research to try to figure out who the Jinkins was.
