Chapter 9-Sunnydale

"It's Spike," Willow said, getting her friend's attention.

"How do you know?" Xander asked, walking to stand next to his friend.

"She said that she and her friend went to the crypt where he's staying. He got upset and tried to slap her friend. When he did he grabbed his head, yelled in pain, and was thrown against the wall. She said it was almost as if someone had hit him. Then he said something about a chip," Willow explained

"That doesn't mean that it's him," Xander pointed out. "Spike wasn't the only one implanted with the behavior chip."

"Yeah, but get this. He was rambling on about Buffy, and called me Red," Willow went on. Then she began to read from the email. "I mentioned your name and he started asking about 'Red.' He said if Willow was here, then that meant Buffy was, too. When we didn't answer that's when he got really upset.'"

"What else does it say?" Buffy asked, pulling a chair out and sitting down.

"It says he has a heavy English accent. He called them 'pet,'" Willow explained. "They don't understand why he's not attacking people."

"That's Spike, alright," Dawn replied. "If it was any other vamp, Angel excluded, then they would have had a feast by now."

"Willow, can you make sure?" Buffy asked, turning to her red-headed friend. "Will you do a finding spell?"

"Sure," Willow told her. "I'll need something of his, though."

As Buffy walked into the other room Dawn spoke up. "If you could do a finding spell on Spike, why wait until Buffy asks you to?"

"You guys are so insistent that there's other ways to do things, that I didn't want to use magic until I was asked," Willow explained.

"Here," Buffy said, walking back into the room with a shirt. "This is Spike's."

The gang looked appalled for a moment that Buffy would have it, but Willow tried to break the tension. "Well, I'll go do it. Be right back," she said, taking the shirt and going up the stairs. A few minutes later she came back down. "I'd say 'Toto we aren't in Kansas anymore' but Spike is."

"So, what are we going to do?" Xander asked, looking at Buffy.

Buffy took a deep breath. "Go get him. What else can we do?"

"Leave him there?" Xander supplied. "It's not like he can hurt anyone. At least there he can't hurt you."

"Xand, I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't just leave him. He has a soul now, and with the chip he's not safe," Buffy said gently.

"Fine," Xander said in defeat, plopping down on the couch.

Buffy turned to Willow. "Wills, tell this Chloe girl that we're coming. We'll have to drive, so we can come back when it's dark. We'll be there in two days."

"It will take us at least three days, Buffy," Xander told her.

"Not if we don't stop," Buffy replied. "Do it, Willow."

"Alright," Willow said, beginning to type.