The next day was nerve-racking for Elizabeth. After getting up in the morning, Kyle and Adam spent an hour with her, the three of them chanting to reapply the spells that kept her walking through the day. Although the spells worked thoroughly, resetting at midnight, they had to be replenished each month. Usually she did them herself, but she couldn't waste the energy today if she was going to uphold her other spells. Magick was tied to her; while Wiccan by choice, she found that any spells she did resulted in her being fatigued and just plain worn out, and if the spells were large enough they would result in an hour or more being stolen away from her, which was an hour or more spent in her wheelchair, something she hated. When she asked the boys about it, they just said that it was a side-effect from the big fat mix-up that created her. She didn't believe them, but like so many other things, she let it slide. So here she sat, trying to focus on centering herself, while being able to feel the tension from both men on either side of her. The two of them wouldn't look at her either until she replaced the spell shielding her from them; with Kyle, it was simply the fact that he had a hangover; with Adam, it was a combination of the one-sided conversation from the night before, and the fact that he couldn't stare her full in the face without being almost blinded. She wondered if Dawn was having the same problem with Buffy.
They headed to the car, the sky dark overhead with clouds.
Before entering the Magic Box, Kyle stopped her. "Don't worry too much about Adam" he said, he eyes comforting. "He's just nervous. We all are." She nodded but gave no answer, moving to open the door. But Kyle had one more thing to add.
"They turned on that glorified paperweight; stay away from it, I have no idea what the hell it'll do, and I'd rather not find out, all right?"
Entering the Magic Box she saw her suspicions had been confirmed. Not only was Buffy not looking Dawn in the face; everyone, including Kyle and Adam, was avoiding her gaze, with the exception of Spike, who sat at the table with her and spoke to her in low tones, apparently attempting to reassure her. At the sound of the bell, he looked up and gave Liz a scowl. He had been waiting yesterday to hear what was going on, and she had never showed up; now he was angry. Ignoring his look, she sat down at the table with the two.
Stop sulking, she thought at him, which made scowl harder. Elizabeth looked at Dawn, whose eyes were puffy from crying. Elizabeth felt sorry for the girl; it wasn't Dawn's fault she was the way she was, and yet it seemed as if this was some horrible punishment.
Spike tried to send a thought to Liz, but it seemed it was a one-way deal. Damn it; he thought to himself. This morning was horrible; at first he thought it might turn out to be a decent day, since he didn't even need his blanket to travel around, the storm being so close. But then he came here and found Nibblet all worked up in the back room, hiding from the others, and found out just what he had missed when he ducked out yesterday. None of the others could even look at the poor girl without being half blinded; so he sat her down and kept her talking to distract her. Now, however, he waited to see what Liz was planning to do. She had promised to tell him what exactly was going on; and despite himself he found that he really wanted to know; especially after lying and getting talked down to yet again by the great-and-powerful-whelp.
Suddenly he had an idea. Turning towards Buffy, he asked in a very nonchalant way "How 'bout I take Nibblet over to the crypt?" The look on her face at the mere suggestion was torture, so he hastily finished "That way she can spend some time with Clem." And not be here, a little voice added to himself, something which he knew Buffy was thinking of herself. Finally, Buffy reluctantly nodded.
"There's nothing you can do to help here anyway" she said in a voice indicating that even if there was he wouldn't be much help anyway. Spike wanted to come back at her with a biting comment of some kind, but a look at Dawn's face curbed that urge enough to keep him quiet.
"I think I'll go too" Elizabeth said. Kyle and Adam looked up sharply at her; ever since the night they were attacked they were very wary about her being around the vampire. They hadn't bought the story that it was he who the demon had been after, and they looked to keep her from being with him in case it happened again.
Well screw them, she thought, getting her coat. Spike was better company than they were these days, and the only one that had any indication of what was going on. She was tired of having protectors; and lately, that was the only role Kyle and Adam seemed interested in playing. Goddess, she thought, looking at Dawn. We're only kids. No matter what has happened, we're still only kids.
The three of them left the store. Only after the door had shut did Xander open his mouth. "Are you nuts?" he asked Buffy. She gave him a very weary look.
"As much as I hate it, Spike had a good idea there" Giles said, coming up to them. "Dawn can't do much here anyhow, and it's been very hard for her to be here."
The others nodded; even Xander had to concede to this point.
Buffy sighed. "I'm going to stop back by the house" she said. Hopefully I'll find something while I'm there, she thought to herself. So far, their search had turned up nothing, and the spell only lasted for about 24 hours more. Grabbing her coat, she left and walked towards her car.
The remaining Scoobies and Kyle and Adam looked at each other, and got to work, Giles asking the two band members to check the back room thoroughly. Xander was sent to check each item for sale; Anya to check the countertop and the items behind it, and himself the books which he had accumulated over the years. Willow he sent into the basement to search there; she didn't want to touch the books if she didn't have to, and he didn't want to force her.
Soon Xander sat back down. "There's nothing on my end" he said, shaking his head. "But it's a very big nothing, so we're on the right track. Of where the Key isn't, that is." Anya sent her ex-fiancé a withering glance and then went to open one of the drawers. It was locked, as she found when she rattled it and nothing happened.
"Giles, do you have a key to this?" she said, and gave a small laugh. Xander looked at her. "You know, key, Key. . .oh well" she said. She thought it was funny. Taking the key from Giles, she opened the drawer. Inside were Giles' personal items; his current Watcher's journal, a few magick amulets and stones, and a few photographs. She picked up one; a picture of a young girl about age nine with three boys.
"Oh my god" she said. "Giles!" She yelled, causing him to run to the counter. She gave him the picture, and he, Anya, and Xander all stared at it. The picture was completely ordinary, except for one thing:
The girl was fading in and out of the picture.
"Good lord," Giles said; but before he was able to let the information sink in, he was aware of a crash and loud shouting from the back. The three of them went to see what was going on; the sight before them left him sick. Kyle and Adam were upright, but unconscious and beaten profusely, blood oozing from various cuts. The back door of the Magic Box had been smashed, and two of the demons who fit the description Elizabeth and Buffy had given stood, holding the two men savagely so that they could barely move.
Without turning, Giles spoke one word to the frightened Scoobies.
"Run" he whispered, and they turned and ran to the front of the store, where they were met by three other demons, one of them holding Willow as if she was a rag doll. The two that had Kyle and Adam came up behind them, blocking any exits.
One who wasn't carrying anyone came up to Giles, thrusting his face as close to him as he could. The watcher held his ground.
"Where is the Key?" he asked lightly. Giles shook his head, refusing to answer.
"Never mind", he said, looking the watcher over. "I already know the answer." Giving his companions a gesture, he watched as Giles was restrained by one of the demons. His other companion, setting the unconscious Wiccan down lightly, came over and grabbed Anya, knocking her out cold. Yelling in rage, Xander attacked the demon, who sent him sprawling on the floor, a gaping wound on his forehead.
"You won't find them." Giles said, his voice shaking. The demon in front of him smiled.
"Of course we will." He said.
He grinned wider.
"And then we'll kill them."
Then he stepped forward and hit Giles with an immense force, sending him into darkness.
They headed to the car, the sky dark overhead with clouds.
Before entering the Magic Box, Kyle stopped her. "Don't worry too much about Adam" he said, he eyes comforting. "He's just nervous. We all are." She nodded but gave no answer, moving to open the door. But Kyle had one more thing to add.
"They turned on that glorified paperweight; stay away from it, I have no idea what the hell it'll do, and I'd rather not find out, all right?"
Entering the Magic Box she saw her suspicions had been confirmed. Not only was Buffy not looking Dawn in the face; everyone, including Kyle and Adam, was avoiding her gaze, with the exception of Spike, who sat at the table with her and spoke to her in low tones, apparently attempting to reassure her. At the sound of the bell, he looked up and gave Liz a scowl. He had been waiting yesterday to hear what was going on, and she had never showed up; now he was angry. Ignoring his look, she sat down at the table with the two.
Stop sulking, she thought at him, which made scowl harder. Elizabeth looked at Dawn, whose eyes were puffy from crying. Elizabeth felt sorry for the girl; it wasn't Dawn's fault she was the way she was, and yet it seemed as if this was some horrible punishment.
Spike tried to send a thought to Liz, but it seemed it was a one-way deal. Damn it; he thought to himself. This morning was horrible; at first he thought it might turn out to be a decent day, since he didn't even need his blanket to travel around, the storm being so close. But then he came here and found Nibblet all worked up in the back room, hiding from the others, and found out just what he had missed when he ducked out yesterday. None of the others could even look at the poor girl without being half blinded; so he sat her down and kept her talking to distract her. Now, however, he waited to see what Liz was planning to do. She had promised to tell him what exactly was going on; and despite himself he found that he really wanted to know; especially after lying and getting talked down to yet again by the great-and-powerful-whelp.
Suddenly he had an idea. Turning towards Buffy, he asked in a very nonchalant way "How 'bout I take Nibblet over to the crypt?" The look on her face at the mere suggestion was torture, so he hastily finished "That way she can spend some time with Clem." And not be here, a little voice added to himself, something which he knew Buffy was thinking of herself. Finally, Buffy reluctantly nodded.
"There's nothing you can do to help here anyway" she said in a voice indicating that even if there was he wouldn't be much help anyway. Spike wanted to come back at her with a biting comment of some kind, but a look at Dawn's face curbed that urge enough to keep him quiet.
"I think I'll go too" Elizabeth said. Kyle and Adam looked up sharply at her; ever since the night they were attacked they were very wary about her being around the vampire. They hadn't bought the story that it was he who the demon had been after, and they looked to keep her from being with him in case it happened again.
Well screw them, she thought, getting her coat. Spike was better company than they were these days, and the only one that had any indication of what was going on. She was tired of having protectors; and lately, that was the only role Kyle and Adam seemed interested in playing. Goddess, she thought, looking at Dawn. We're only kids. No matter what has happened, we're still only kids.
The three of them left the store. Only after the door had shut did Xander open his mouth. "Are you nuts?" he asked Buffy. She gave him a very weary look.
"As much as I hate it, Spike had a good idea there" Giles said, coming up to them. "Dawn can't do much here anyhow, and it's been very hard for her to be here."
The others nodded; even Xander had to concede to this point.
Buffy sighed. "I'm going to stop back by the house" she said. Hopefully I'll find something while I'm there, she thought to herself. So far, their search had turned up nothing, and the spell only lasted for about 24 hours more. Grabbing her coat, she left and walked towards her car.
The remaining Scoobies and Kyle and Adam looked at each other, and got to work, Giles asking the two band members to check the back room thoroughly. Xander was sent to check each item for sale; Anya to check the countertop and the items behind it, and himself the books which he had accumulated over the years. Willow he sent into the basement to search there; she didn't want to touch the books if she didn't have to, and he didn't want to force her.
Soon Xander sat back down. "There's nothing on my end" he said, shaking his head. "But it's a very big nothing, so we're on the right track. Of where the Key isn't, that is." Anya sent her ex-fiancé a withering glance and then went to open one of the drawers. It was locked, as she found when she rattled it and nothing happened.
"Giles, do you have a key to this?" she said, and gave a small laugh. Xander looked at her. "You know, key, Key. . .oh well" she said. She thought it was funny. Taking the key from Giles, she opened the drawer. Inside were Giles' personal items; his current Watcher's journal, a few magick amulets and stones, and a few photographs. She picked up one; a picture of a young girl about age nine with three boys.
"Oh my god" she said. "Giles!" She yelled, causing him to run to the counter. She gave him the picture, and he, Anya, and Xander all stared at it. The picture was completely ordinary, except for one thing:
The girl was fading in and out of the picture.
"Good lord," Giles said; but before he was able to let the information sink in, he was aware of a crash and loud shouting from the back. The three of them went to see what was going on; the sight before them left him sick. Kyle and Adam were upright, but unconscious and beaten profusely, blood oozing from various cuts. The back door of the Magic Box had been smashed, and two of the demons who fit the description Elizabeth and Buffy had given stood, holding the two men savagely so that they could barely move.
Without turning, Giles spoke one word to the frightened Scoobies.
"Run" he whispered, and they turned and ran to the front of the store, where they were met by three other demons, one of them holding Willow as if she was a rag doll. The two that had Kyle and Adam came up behind them, blocking any exits.
One who wasn't carrying anyone came up to Giles, thrusting his face as close to him as he could. The watcher held his ground.
"Where is the Key?" he asked lightly. Giles shook his head, refusing to answer.
"Never mind", he said, looking the watcher over. "I already know the answer." Giving his companions a gesture, he watched as Giles was restrained by one of the demons. His other companion, setting the unconscious Wiccan down lightly, came over and grabbed Anya, knocking her out cold. Yelling in rage, Xander attacked the demon, who sent him sprawling on the floor, a gaping wound on his forehead.
"You won't find them." Giles said, his voice shaking. The demon in front of him smiled.
"Of course we will." He said.
He grinned wider.
"And then we'll kill them."
Then he stepped forward and hit Giles with an immense force, sending him into darkness.