DISCLAIMER: Joss owns the pieces, I put the pieces together. Don't sue, all I own is my computer and a rottweiler. Trust me you probably don't want either of them.
DISTRIBUTION: Please ask first, thanks.
RATING: nothing over what you'd see on the show itself, maybe a little stronger language in some places, nothing to get excited over.
FEEDBACK: yes please, review away!
CHAPTER ONE
The door to the Magic Box opened with the chiming of bells. Willow walks in and to the table where Giles and Anya are sitting cataloging the new story inventory.
"How many chickens feet are there Giles?" Anya asked. "Thirty-three?"
"That's correct, is that the last item?"
"I think that's it, all finished"
"Is he still up there?" Willow asks Giles while nodding to the upper loft area of the shop.
"Yes I'm afraid so, he's been there for the last 42 hours straight this time, he's says he's getting close whatever that means"
"All of us wish there was a way to get Buffy back but there is just no safe way to bring back Buffy as we knew her and it's been over a month since you know" none of the scoobies could bring themselves to say the D word yet "Giles I think someone needs to talk to him, if not for his sake then for Dawn's, he's giving her false hopes"
"Yes, I know, I tried talking to him last night, I was told, and I'm quoting, to "Bugger off, Watcher" and then the water works started up again"
Spike yells from upstairs, " 'ello, vampire hearing you pillock"
Giles removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose and shrugs as the door chimes again as Dawn enters.
"Hi Guys, last day of summer school is finally over, now I can spend more time here researching with Spike, is he here already?"
"Yeah, nibblet come on up" Spike yelled from his spot in the far back of the loft.
"Dawn before you go up . . . Willow and I were just discussing some things, we aren't sure you spending all your summer with Spike doing research is such a great idea, maybe it's time to start getting into a normal routine"
Willow interrupts, "That's right, the pool is open, you could spend time with friends or with us doing stuff that's not researchy"
Anya quips in, "Yes, you could help with the wedding plans, I've never been to a wedding so I could use the help"
Dawn just rolls her eyes and says "I don't really have time to talk about this now, I've got to take Spike his dinner and hit the books, we'll talk later K?" as she heads towards the ladder to the loft.
"Anya, can you watch the store while Willow and I go discuss some things in the training room?"
"Sure, thing oh boss of mine, I'll keep a close eye on the money and the merchandise which we use to make money" Anya explains happily. Giles nods to Willow and they walk to the back silently.
"Hey, little bit, how was the last day of school?" Spike inquired not looking up from his large leather bound book.
"Same ol, same ol, anything new?" Dawn asked while taking a carton of blood out of her backpack and setting it on the table next to Spike.
"Not really, but I feel like I'm close to something, not sure what it is yet but something important, thanks for the din"
"Welcome, where do you want me to start?" Dawn asks and she flops down in the chair across the table from the studious vamp.
Spike finally looks up and runs a hand through his platinum hair and reaches for the carton of blood. "Well, maybe the witch and the watcher are right, maybe you should be out doing normal human teenage summer stuff instead of going through these dusty old books with me, Buffy would want you to go on leading a normal life"
"Yeah Spike, my life is really normal . . . my father no longer has any memory of me, I live in my dead mother and sister's house with my sister's ex-watcher, two witches, and a vampire who's main pastimes include being my bodyguard and trying to resurrect my dead sister the love of his unlife from the dead, I'm a regular Norman Rockwell painting"
"Point taken, carry on being not normal"
"Thanks, now back to my question where do I start?" Dawn says as he held out her hand and Spike placed a book in it wordlessly.
Meanwhile back in the training room, Willow is sitting with her eyes closed and cross-legged in the middle of a circle of candles. Giles is standing off to the side looking down at a book in his left hand and holding an ax in his right hand.
"Ok" Giles says, "Willow I want you to, concentrate on the ax, this time don't hurl the ax at the wall but try to slowly pick it up and hit the target in the kill zone" The ax then started to vibrate in Giles hand and it slowly levitated toward the other end of the room to the vamp dummy, the ax cleanly slicing the head off. Willow's eyes flew open.
"Did I do it this time?" Willow asked excitedly.
"You most certainly did, Willow, turn around and look."
"Wow, I did it! when do I get to try it on a real vamp"
"Well I can see if we can get Spike down here . . ." Giles trailed off.
"Ha, ha very funny, I know you're aggravated at Spike for this this quest he has taken upon but you have to admit he has been really good for Dawn overall"
"Yes, I know, I just wish he wouldn't fill her head with this nonsense and let her grieve properly"
"She will Giles, in her own time. So all kidding aside when do I get to try this on patrol?" Willow inquired again.
"Not yet, I'm still not sure if I should be training you to do this at all" Giles said as he crossed to the couch and sank down onto it.
"Giles, we've been over this, we have no choice, no new slayer will be called and Faith still has many, many years to serve. We have to take up the slayer duties because we are the only ones who can. Besides we done pretty good so far, I mean where not Buffy but between You, Spike, and Tara and I we've been doing pretty well with the common everyday hellmouthy stuff."
"I know, I just don't feel right putting you all in danger this way" Giles said down heartedly.
"Giles, we live in Sunnydale, danger is just a daily part of living here"
TBC
