Doesn't Anyone Stay Dead Around Here?
Chapter 9
Buffy looked up from the book she was reading as Willow stood up to leave.
"Have a good time in class, Wills."
"Are you sure I shouldn't stay here and help research?" Willow asked worriedly.
"We haven't found anything yet, and there's probably not much else for us to find," Buffy replied. "Besides, you need to go to class. It's who you are. You'll just worry about missing it if you stay here."
"She's right," Tara said.
"Yes," Anya agreed enthusiastically. "I read that too much time on one task makes it harder to concentrate. Class will be a nice break and it's perfect for you because you think studying is fun."
Willow smiled at Anya's correct, if somewhat skewed logic.
"I'm taking a break, too," Buffy said. "I'm going to take Dawn to eat during her lunch period and bring her up to date."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Willow asked.
"Yup," Buffy nodded. "Since our escape from my latest and greatest birthday escapade, I've been trying to spend more time with her and make an effort to make sure she feels included."
"And make sure she works off her debt to the store," Anya reminded her.
"That too," Buffy agreed. "And after lunch, I'll stop by Spike's crypt and recruit him for research duty. Tara, Anya, feel free to break, too. Get something to eat. Maybe take a nap."
Buffy stifled a yawn and headed for the door.
"A nap wouldn't be a bad idea for any of us," Tara said pointedly.
Buffy just smiled. "Naw, I'm good. I can sleep after I kill that bastard again."
***
Forty minutes later, Buffy burst through the front door of the Magic Box and looked wildly around.
"Have you guys seen Dawn or Spike?" she demanded.
"No, no one's been in since you left," Anya said. "Not even any customers."
"Buffy, what's wrong?" Tara asked, seeing the almost desperate look in Buffy's eyes.
"I went to the school, but she's not there. They said Dad signed her out earlier today for a family emergency. Then I went to Spike's to get his help to look for Dawn, but he's not there either."
"Well, he is quite resourceful at traveling during the day," Anya pointed out.
"I think something's wrong. There was this jar of blood spilled on the floor."
"Was anything else disturbed?" Tara asked. "Did it look like he fought something, maybe?"
"No, everything else looked normal." Buffy began to pace nervously. "But guys, it's not like him to waste blood, except in a drunken fit. But that would mean shattered glass and lots of slpattered blood, not just spilled. I mean, it's blood! You remember the 'Blood Is Life' speech? Well, let's just say I've heard the cliff notes version more than once. Combine that with Dawn's disappearing act and I'm worried. Spike can take care of himself, but they're both missing. And the Master is supposed to rise today. Anyone want to tell me how this can be of the good?"
"I don't think it is." Willow's voice caused Buffy to turn around.
"I was thinking during class," Willow continued. "About how the Master could rise again. I mean, no bones equals no rising, right? At least not the way they tried to do it before. But then I thought, 'What if it's like Angel's soul?'"
"What?" Buffy asked. "How?"
"Well, I think the Master rising again is more a question of metaphysics than physics," Willow explained.
"Huh?"
"Okay, um, take for example, Angel. When you sent him to Hell, you sent his whole body, soul and demon, right?"
Buffy nodded.
"So, when he came back, he was the same Angel with the same parts. Just some psychological damage, right?"
Buffy nodded again.
"So, let's say there are three parts that make up Angel: the body that was the human him, his soul, and his demon. When he lost the soul, he still had the body and the demon. But he didn't change physically because the soul isn't tangible. You can't see or feel or taste or touch it. It isn't physical. You with me so far?"
By this time all three women were listening attentively to Willow's explanation.
"Good. So, it's fair to say that a human, before turning, is the other two: body and soul, right? And since the body only changes a little appearance wise, I think it's safe to say the lumpies and fangs are an effect of the change, only a representation of the demon. And we know that when you dust a vamp, the demon returns to Hell. That means that the demon isn't tangible either."
"So, just like you called Angel's soul and rejoined it to his body and demon, someone could call the Master's demon and put it in a new body?" Buffy asked, desperately hoping that she wasn't correct in picking up on Willow's train of thought.
"Exactly!"
"But, the process to put a demon in a human body if fairly simple. It's what keeps me in business." Buffy said. "So, how are we going to stop this? It could be any vampire sired in the last day or so!"
"No." Anya said. "When someone is turned they get a demon, yes. But it's a random demon. The sire doesn't get to choose. And they generally don't remember previous lives, if they've had any."
"Deamons c-can be re-incarnated?" Tara asked. "I wonder how demon karama works?"
"Oh, you know, probably if you're a big bad-ass demon, you get to be a whimpy demon next time. Or would you be an even bigger bad-ass?" Buffy asked, confused.
"Angle's curse called for a specific soul, not just any soul." Willow continued her explination, refocusing the conversation. "There's probably a similar spell that can call a specific demon."
"Okay, so we'll look for spells that can do that," Buffy said. "But that still doesn't explain why Dawn and Spike are missing."
"W-well," Willow said, "spells that powerful are going to need something powerful to power them. There's a good chance a spell that dark would call for a human sacrifice to provide that power."
Buffy's eyes widened. "And Spike?"
Willow looked at the floor and continued, "S-sometimes, too, they call for a demon sacrifice."
Tara stood and moved to Buffy's side, not liking the conclusions she was drawing. "I-if I were g-g-going to raise the Master, I th-think one of the first things I'd want to-to do is take the most effective slayer to date, not to mention the girl who killed him before, out of the picture. A- a-and I mi-might think the best way to do that is to g-g-go after her loved ones."
Buffy looked up at Tara, stricken by the implications of what she had just said. "No!" The blond Slayer shook her head. As Tara watched, the horror in her eyes turned to a mixture of anger and resolve. "I'm not losing anyone else!"
tbc
Chapter 9
Buffy looked up from the book she was reading as Willow stood up to leave.
"Have a good time in class, Wills."
"Are you sure I shouldn't stay here and help research?" Willow asked worriedly.
"We haven't found anything yet, and there's probably not much else for us to find," Buffy replied. "Besides, you need to go to class. It's who you are. You'll just worry about missing it if you stay here."
"She's right," Tara said.
"Yes," Anya agreed enthusiastically. "I read that too much time on one task makes it harder to concentrate. Class will be a nice break and it's perfect for you because you think studying is fun."
Willow smiled at Anya's correct, if somewhat skewed logic.
"I'm taking a break, too," Buffy said. "I'm going to take Dawn to eat during her lunch period and bring her up to date."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Willow asked.
"Yup," Buffy nodded. "Since our escape from my latest and greatest birthday escapade, I've been trying to spend more time with her and make an effort to make sure she feels included."
"And make sure she works off her debt to the store," Anya reminded her.
"That too," Buffy agreed. "And after lunch, I'll stop by Spike's crypt and recruit him for research duty. Tara, Anya, feel free to break, too. Get something to eat. Maybe take a nap."
Buffy stifled a yawn and headed for the door.
"A nap wouldn't be a bad idea for any of us," Tara said pointedly.
Buffy just smiled. "Naw, I'm good. I can sleep after I kill that bastard again."
***
Forty minutes later, Buffy burst through the front door of the Magic Box and looked wildly around.
"Have you guys seen Dawn or Spike?" she demanded.
"No, no one's been in since you left," Anya said. "Not even any customers."
"Buffy, what's wrong?" Tara asked, seeing the almost desperate look in Buffy's eyes.
"I went to the school, but she's not there. They said Dad signed her out earlier today for a family emergency. Then I went to Spike's to get his help to look for Dawn, but he's not there either."
"Well, he is quite resourceful at traveling during the day," Anya pointed out.
"I think something's wrong. There was this jar of blood spilled on the floor."
"Was anything else disturbed?" Tara asked. "Did it look like he fought something, maybe?"
"No, everything else looked normal." Buffy began to pace nervously. "But guys, it's not like him to waste blood, except in a drunken fit. But that would mean shattered glass and lots of slpattered blood, not just spilled. I mean, it's blood! You remember the 'Blood Is Life' speech? Well, let's just say I've heard the cliff notes version more than once. Combine that with Dawn's disappearing act and I'm worried. Spike can take care of himself, but they're both missing. And the Master is supposed to rise today. Anyone want to tell me how this can be of the good?"
"I don't think it is." Willow's voice caused Buffy to turn around.
"I was thinking during class," Willow continued. "About how the Master could rise again. I mean, no bones equals no rising, right? At least not the way they tried to do it before. But then I thought, 'What if it's like Angel's soul?'"
"What?" Buffy asked. "How?"
"Well, I think the Master rising again is more a question of metaphysics than physics," Willow explained.
"Huh?"
"Okay, um, take for example, Angel. When you sent him to Hell, you sent his whole body, soul and demon, right?"
Buffy nodded.
"So, when he came back, he was the same Angel with the same parts. Just some psychological damage, right?"
Buffy nodded again.
"So, let's say there are three parts that make up Angel: the body that was the human him, his soul, and his demon. When he lost the soul, he still had the body and the demon. But he didn't change physically because the soul isn't tangible. You can't see or feel or taste or touch it. It isn't physical. You with me so far?"
By this time all three women were listening attentively to Willow's explanation.
"Good. So, it's fair to say that a human, before turning, is the other two: body and soul, right? And since the body only changes a little appearance wise, I think it's safe to say the lumpies and fangs are an effect of the change, only a representation of the demon. And we know that when you dust a vamp, the demon returns to Hell. That means that the demon isn't tangible either."
"So, just like you called Angel's soul and rejoined it to his body and demon, someone could call the Master's demon and put it in a new body?" Buffy asked, desperately hoping that she wasn't correct in picking up on Willow's train of thought.
"Exactly!"
"But, the process to put a demon in a human body if fairly simple. It's what keeps me in business." Buffy said. "So, how are we going to stop this? It could be any vampire sired in the last day or so!"
"No." Anya said. "When someone is turned they get a demon, yes. But it's a random demon. The sire doesn't get to choose. And they generally don't remember previous lives, if they've had any."
"Deamons c-can be re-incarnated?" Tara asked. "I wonder how demon karama works?"
"Oh, you know, probably if you're a big bad-ass demon, you get to be a whimpy demon next time. Or would you be an even bigger bad-ass?" Buffy asked, confused.
"Angle's curse called for a specific soul, not just any soul." Willow continued her explination, refocusing the conversation. "There's probably a similar spell that can call a specific demon."
"Okay, so we'll look for spells that can do that," Buffy said. "But that still doesn't explain why Dawn and Spike are missing."
"W-well," Willow said, "spells that powerful are going to need something powerful to power them. There's a good chance a spell that dark would call for a human sacrifice to provide that power."
Buffy's eyes widened. "And Spike?"
Willow looked at the floor and continued, "S-sometimes, too, they call for a demon sacrifice."
Tara stood and moved to Buffy's side, not liking the conclusions she was drawing. "I-if I were g-g-going to raise the Master, I th-think one of the first things I'd want to-to do is take the most effective slayer to date, not to mention the girl who killed him before, out of the picture. A- a-and I mi-might think the best way to do that is to g-g-go after her loved ones."
Buffy looked up at Tara, stricken by the implications of what she had just said. "No!" The blond Slayer shook her head. As Tara watched, the horror in her eyes turned to a mixture of anger and resolve. "I'm not losing anyone else!"
tbc