Act 4: Waxing Gibbous
"So, Monkey's an interesting name..." Anya started.
Giles cleared his throat, interrupting her. "Well, let's get to it." he said. "Dawn, could you and, uh, the girl go into the back and find the series called 'Creatures of the Mythic Age'? I believe I recall something in there about the nature of acquiring Glamour. Anya, we need to look up whether one can open up a portal to the Faery Kingdom and how."
While Giles and Anya began piling old books on the table, Dawn went into the back of the store and the girl in the sweashirt followed.
"So...uh...I don't mean to be rude, but is your name really Monkey?" Dawn asked cautiously.
The girl shook her head.
"So what is it?" Dawn pulled a book from a lower shelf and opened it. While looking, she felt the girl poke her on the shoulder. She turned around, and saw the Monkey frowning back at her. "What's the matter?" she asked.
The squire put her hand over her mouth, shook her head, and gave out a soft sigh.
"You can't talk?"
Head shook again.
"You...you're not allowed to talk?"
Monkey nodded.
"Oh. So you're not allowed to talk, you have to put up with that horrible nickname, and sitting in the pouring rain? That's sick! How can you let her do that to you?" Dawn angrily put down the book and stood up. "Do all Fae Knights act like that to their squires, because I wouldn't want to..."
The squire grabbed Dawn's hand and shook her head again plaintively. She then looked as if she was going to say something. Then, the girl made a motion with her hand as if she were writing.
"Oh! You want a pen? Okay, hang on a minute." Dawn went up to the table, picked up a pen and a notebook and brought it back to the expectant Monkey.
After a few seconds of scribbling, Monkey handed Dawn back the pad. She read it over quickly. "Oh." she said "...but, that still isn't right. And I'm not gonna call you that name either. I'll call you...Mandy. You look like a Mandy. There, its' settled then. C'mon, Mandy. Let's find that stuff for Giles."
***
"So, he's all loud and doing his carpentery type things and I can't even focus on the exchange of goods and services for money! Its' a travesty." Anya complained as she looked over a chart that took up the entire counter. "Don't you think?"
"Oh, yes. Definitely, definitely." Giles mumbled as he leafed through a very substantial tome.
"And he's all 'I can't lower the volume on my hammer'," she said in a mock-Xander fashion, "acting like I don't know that. I may be a vengeance demon again but I don't have amnesia. I remember...tools, but I don't remember him being such a jerk."
"Yes, well then, of course." Giles mumbled again.
"Are you even listening to me?"
Giles looked up. "Oh, you've caught on then? Good for you."
"Oh, you human men are all alike! No wonder I get so many clients!" Anya was fuming.
"Settle down, Anya. I meant no harm in it. I was just reading this particular passage that might be useful to us." He laid the book down and read aloud "It is said that when the most powerful of the Fae left the mortal realm, that they actually created their own dimension and then entered it."
"Why? There's some really nice planes out there, with meadows and trees and willing, handsome slaves at your every whim..." Anya left the chart and walked over.
"Uh, right. Apparently, they wanted a self-sustaining ecosystem, and thus had to magically create it themselves. A paradise where they never needed to feed off other organisms to live. Quite brilliant, actually." he said.
"Anything about how to get them back?" asked Dawn, who was leafing through a pile of books next to Monkey.
"No, but this is only the third volume of the series. I still have seven to go through."
"We're gonna be here all night." Dawn groaned, handing her new friend a tome. "You might as well join in the fun, Mandy."
The squire looked at her puzzledly and then gave another one of her brilliant smiles, and Dawn burst into laughter. "You're so weird." she said, suppressing giggles.
***
"Oh, great. What do you want now, you great lummox?" Spike rolled his eyes and let Clem inside the crypt.
"Now," said the demon, putting out his deformed hands in an offering of peace, "you don't ever have to do anything I ask, but just hear me out, okay?"
"Fine, and then get out." he answered, lighting a cigarette.
"Okay. That's better." Clem took a seat on the couch, and picked up a bag of chips next to it. "I know what you're up to, Spike. And I don't think its' a good idea."
"Oh, you don't now?" Spike sat down in his armchair and pulled a flask out from between the cushions. "And what the hell is it that you think I'm up to?"
"I don't have to say it do I? Spike....I went looking for the Slayer today, and..."
"And what? Did they have a little laugh about it?" the vampire asked, taking a swig. "Thanks, Clem. Made my day, you have."
"No, I didn't get to talk to her yet, but I will if you keep this up. I know what you're planning to do, and at this point I don't think I care anymore." the demon snorted, getting up with his chip bag in hand. "But let me tell you this, mister. If you off yourself without telling any of your friends why...." he trailed off.
"They're not my friends." Spike mumbled.
"What about Dawn?" Clem asked.
"Don't..." the blond shouted, then toned it down "don't talk about her."
"Why? 'Cause I'm right?"
"Well, Clem. Its' been a merry little bit of fun, but I think its' time for you to leave." Spike went and whipped open the door.
"Fine, then. Have fun killing yourself, you big...jerk!" Clem said, hurt, as he walked out. In the doorway, the demon turned around and looked Spike in the eye.
"What?" the vampire growled.
"Bye, Spike." Clem replied sadly, clutching the chip bag.
Spike looked at his former housemate a moment, then shut the door.
***
"Well, here we are!" Xander exclaimed as he put Willow's bags down in the living room. As he straightened himself out, the man winced and put a hand on his lower back.
"You really didn't have to carry all, you know." she said as she came in behind him. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"Nope. I'm fine. Just...let me sit down a second." Xander slowly sat himself down on the couch. "There. See? Muuuuch better." He smiled up at her.
Willow took a seat on the other end of the sofa. "Wow." she said. "I'm back."
"Yeah." her friend answered.
An awkward silence followed.
"Listen..." they suddenly both erupted, then laughed.
"Okay. Guess I'll start." He took a breath. "I am really, really sorry for how we left things when you decided to go to England. I don't know what I was thinking."
"I know you just wanted to help. Kind of disturbing hearing that you're not allowed to, I would think. Especially after all that." she replied.
"Did they treat you good there? I mean, did they take good care of you?"
"I think so. It was a lot different from what I thought was gonna happen." she began to fidget with her skirt. "I mean, I wasn't the only one there with a problem. A lot of people go through this. I had no idea how many. And hearing what everybody else had to go through? I realized something."
"What's that?" Xander asked.
"A lot of the people I met? They didn't have anybody. Until they came to England they were basically alone in this. And they made it. So I have to wonder how much easier its' going to be for me, since I have you, and Buffy?" A tear trickled down her cheek. "I'm sorry." she said, looking down, and wiping her face with her sleeve. "I didn't want to cry. I really didn't."
"Me neither." the man answered.
Willow looked over, and saw that Xander was crying too. "Gee Isn't this cheezy?" he laughed.
"Yeah." she giggled, handing him a tissue.
"So, Monkey's an interesting name..." Anya started.
Giles cleared his throat, interrupting her. "Well, let's get to it." he said. "Dawn, could you and, uh, the girl go into the back and find the series called 'Creatures of the Mythic Age'? I believe I recall something in there about the nature of acquiring Glamour. Anya, we need to look up whether one can open up a portal to the Faery Kingdom and how."
While Giles and Anya began piling old books on the table, Dawn went into the back of the store and the girl in the sweashirt followed.
"So...uh...I don't mean to be rude, but is your name really Monkey?" Dawn asked cautiously.
The girl shook her head.
"So what is it?" Dawn pulled a book from a lower shelf and opened it. While looking, she felt the girl poke her on the shoulder. She turned around, and saw the Monkey frowning back at her. "What's the matter?" she asked.
The squire put her hand over her mouth, shook her head, and gave out a soft sigh.
"You can't talk?"
Head shook again.
"You...you're not allowed to talk?"
Monkey nodded.
"Oh. So you're not allowed to talk, you have to put up with that horrible nickname, and sitting in the pouring rain? That's sick! How can you let her do that to you?" Dawn angrily put down the book and stood up. "Do all Fae Knights act like that to their squires, because I wouldn't want to..."
The squire grabbed Dawn's hand and shook her head again plaintively. She then looked as if she was going to say something. Then, the girl made a motion with her hand as if she were writing.
"Oh! You want a pen? Okay, hang on a minute." Dawn went up to the table, picked up a pen and a notebook and brought it back to the expectant Monkey.
After a few seconds of scribbling, Monkey handed Dawn back the pad. She read it over quickly. "Oh." she said "...but, that still isn't right. And I'm not gonna call you that name either. I'll call you...Mandy. You look like a Mandy. There, its' settled then. C'mon, Mandy. Let's find that stuff for Giles."
***
"So, he's all loud and doing his carpentery type things and I can't even focus on the exchange of goods and services for money! Its' a travesty." Anya complained as she looked over a chart that took up the entire counter. "Don't you think?"
"Oh, yes. Definitely, definitely." Giles mumbled as he leafed through a very substantial tome.
"And he's all 'I can't lower the volume on my hammer'," she said in a mock-Xander fashion, "acting like I don't know that. I may be a vengeance demon again but I don't have amnesia. I remember...tools, but I don't remember him being such a jerk."
"Yes, well then, of course." Giles mumbled again.
"Are you even listening to me?"
Giles looked up. "Oh, you've caught on then? Good for you."
"Oh, you human men are all alike! No wonder I get so many clients!" Anya was fuming.
"Settle down, Anya. I meant no harm in it. I was just reading this particular passage that might be useful to us." He laid the book down and read aloud "It is said that when the most powerful of the Fae left the mortal realm, that they actually created their own dimension and then entered it."
"Why? There's some really nice planes out there, with meadows and trees and willing, handsome slaves at your every whim..." Anya left the chart and walked over.
"Uh, right. Apparently, they wanted a self-sustaining ecosystem, and thus had to magically create it themselves. A paradise where they never needed to feed off other organisms to live. Quite brilliant, actually." he said.
"Anything about how to get them back?" asked Dawn, who was leafing through a pile of books next to Monkey.
"No, but this is only the third volume of the series. I still have seven to go through."
"We're gonna be here all night." Dawn groaned, handing her new friend a tome. "You might as well join in the fun, Mandy."
The squire looked at her puzzledly and then gave another one of her brilliant smiles, and Dawn burst into laughter. "You're so weird." she said, suppressing giggles.
***
"Oh, great. What do you want now, you great lummox?" Spike rolled his eyes and let Clem inside the crypt.
"Now," said the demon, putting out his deformed hands in an offering of peace, "you don't ever have to do anything I ask, but just hear me out, okay?"
"Fine, and then get out." he answered, lighting a cigarette.
"Okay. That's better." Clem took a seat on the couch, and picked up a bag of chips next to it. "I know what you're up to, Spike. And I don't think its' a good idea."
"Oh, you don't now?" Spike sat down in his armchair and pulled a flask out from between the cushions. "And what the hell is it that you think I'm up to?"
"I don't have to say it do I? Spike....I went looking for the Slayer today, and..."
"And what? Did they have a little laugh about it?" the vampire asked, taking a swig. "Thanks, Clem. Made my day, you have."
"No, I didn't get to talk to her yet, but I will if you keep this up. I know what you're planning to do, and at this point I don't think I care anymore." the demon snorted, getting up with his chip bag in hand. "But let me tell you this, mister. If you off yourself without telling any of your friends why...." he trailed off.
"They're not my friends." Spike mumbled.
"What about Dawn?" Clem asked.
"Don't..." the blond shouted, then toned it down "don't talk about her."
"Why? 'Cause I'm right?"
"Well, Clem. Its' been a merry little bit of fun, but I think its' time for you to leave." Spike went and whipped open the door.
"Fine, then. Have fun killing yourself, you big...jerk!" Clem said, hurt, as he walked out. In the doorway, the demon turned around and looked Spike in the eye.
"What?" the vampire growled.
"Bye, Spike." Clem replied sadly, clutching the chip bag.
Spike looked at his former housemate a moment, then shut the door.
***
"Well, here we are!" Xander exclaimed as he put Willow's bags down in the living room. As he straightened himself out, the man winced and put a hand on his lower back.
"You really didn't have to carry all, you know." she said as she came in behind him. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"Nope. I'm fine. Just...let me sit down a second." Xander slowly sat himself down on the couch. "There. See? Muuuuch better." He smiled up at her.
Willow took a seat on the other end of the sofa. "Wow." she said. "I'm back."
"Yeah." her friend answered.
An awkward silence followed.
"Listen..." they suddenly both erupted, then laughed.
"Okay. Guess I'll start." He took a breath. "I am really, really sorry for how we left things when you decided to go to England. I don't know what I was thinking."
"I know you just wanted to help. Kind of disturbing hearing that you're not allowed to, I would think. Especially after all that." she replied.
"Did they treat you good there? I mean, did they take good care of you?"
"I think so. It was a lot different from what I thought was gonna happen." she began to fidget with her skirt. "I mean, I wasn't the only one there with a problem. A lot of people go through this. I had no idea how many. And hearing what everybody else had to go through? I realized something."
"What's that?" Xander asked.
"A lot of the people I met? They didn't have anybody. Until they came to England they were basically alone in this. And they made it. So I have to wonder how much easier its' going to be for me, since I have you, and Buffy?" A tear trickled down her cheek. "I'm sorry." she said, looking down, and wiping her face with her sleeve. "I didn't want to cry. I really didn't."
"Me neither." the man answered.
Willow looked over, and saw that Xander was crying too. "Gee Isn't this cheezy?" he laughed.
"Yeah." she giggled, handing him a tissue.