Spike considered Buffy's birthday present to be a significant improvement over the battered box of chocolates he'd thought to give her the last time. No, this time he was going for something more… appropriate. This time he was giving her a genuine Gruth'lak battle axe, newly cleaned and sharpened, and carefully selected from his own personal arsenal. Considering that he had lopped off the head of the Gruth'lak himself with the axe, he doubted the demon would miss it.
He hefted the axe and gave it an appraising once-over, smiling and hoping it would be well received.
'Nothin' says 'I love you' to a Slayer more than a well made and razor sharp weapon,' he mused to himself. He only hoped the red bow he'd tied around the handle wasn't too chintzy.
He stopped outside the Summers' house, hearing the party merriment from inside and smiling when he heard Buffy laugh. He wasn't going in right away, however. He had a wayward little sister to herd back into the house before she scampered off to the Magic Box.
'And there's my little escapee as we speak,' he thought as Dawn's figure appeared. Suppressing a chuckle, he placed himself in her path so that she'd bump right into him.
"Boo."
She yiped and whirled around.
"'lo Nibblet," he said with a smirk.
"Geeze! Lurk much?" she demanded, trying to salvage her wounded pride.
He lit a cigarette to keep from laughing. "Wasn't lurkin'. I was standin' about. It's a whole different vibe."
Dawn spotted the axe and gave him an incredulous look. "What is…? Are you giving Buffy a *birthday present*? Oh my god, weird! Plus, an axe? With a bow? Lame! And you know she'd never touch anything from you anyway."
Spike snorted, amused by her crossed arms and haughty teenage snarkiness, but he played along, pretending to be irritated. "Shouldn't you be tucked away in your beddy-bye, all warm and safe where nothing can eat you?" he growled, looming close and spinning the axe.
She scoffed at him. "Is that supposed to scare me?"
He sniffed, and shrugged, "Little tremble wouldn't hurt."
"Sorry, it's just - come on. *I'm* badder than you," she replied.
He stepped back and scowled. "Are not."
"Am too. You're standing in the bushes holding an axe with a bow on it. I'm…" she announced.
"What? Sneaking off to braid hair and watch the Teletubbies with your mates?" he retorted.
"No. I'm breaking into the magic shop. To steal things," she replied, a serious look on her face.
"Magic shop, eh? All number of beasties between here and there. Bet they'd really go for a little Red Riding Hood like you." He looked out at the night, then back to the house. "I bet that wouldn't set too well with big sister."
She gave him a look full of false bravado. "I can take care of myself."
He pursed his lips and shook his head. "I don't think so, Sweet Bit. I let you go, you get hurt, and Big Sis hands me my dust in my own personalized urn."
Dawn crossed her arms and set her jaw stubbornly. "You can't stop me. You've got a chip."
He shook his head and tutted. "Ah, ah, Bit. If I don't intend to hurt you, I can to stop you."
"What are you gonna do? Drag me back by my hair?" she snarked.
"Nah, I save the hair draggin' for special occasions. I'd just sling you over one shoulder and carry you back in like a sack of potatoes," he responded with a smirk.
"Oh, I don't think so," she said. "Besides, you'd have to catch me first."
Dawn dashed off, running down the street. Spike took a moment to count to ten and ask for forbearance, then took off after her, leaving the axe behind. She'd barely made it to the end of the neighbor's yard before he overtook her. She slammed right into him as he grabbed her and picked her up.
"Vampire speed, Bit."
She struggled and kicked out with her feet, trying to twist out of his grasp. "Put me down!"
"Not until you're back in your living room, Bit," he said, walking back to the house.
"Ow! Ow! You're hurting me!"
Not sure if she was telling the truth, he set her down. Since he wasn't intending to hurt her, the chip wasn't going off, but sometimes he didn't know his own strength and he could be holding her too hard. Spinning her around, he kept a grip on her upper arms and made her look at him. She was sullen and angry, refusing to meet his gaze.
"Let go of me," she demanded, trying to shrug off his hold.
"Not until you're safe in the house."
"I'm not safe in there!" she yelled, tears brimming in her eyes. "They talk about me in whispers and get quiet when they think I can hear. Everyone's acting all weird around me…" She gave him a furious glare. "Even you. You know, don't you? You know what's going on."
Caught, he squirmed uncomfortably. "Now, Bit. I know for a fact that they're only trying to protect you."
How was he to know that it was the very worst thing he could say?
Dawn flew into a rage, her anger giving her strength. "I'm not a baby! I can take care of myself!"
She ducked and he twisted, then she brought up her foot and kicked him in the groin. He gasped and doubled over, then fell to the ground as something smashed into the back of his head with brutal force. He had enough time to realize that she'd hit him with Buffy's birthday present before he blacked out.
"Spike," a voice came, slightly irritated, and followed by a jostling of his prone body.
He groaned.
"Spike," the voice said again, this time punctuated by a light kick.
He groaned again and opened his eyes to see Buffy and Willow looking down at him.
"Hi. Nice to see you could join us. Now tell me what you're doing passed out outside my back door?" Buffy asked.
Memory came flooding back to him, along with a splitting headache, and he sat up too quickly.
"Dawn," he managed to get out before the wave of dizziness hit him.
"What about her?"
"She was sneaking off. I tried to stop her," he said, feeling the lump on the back of his head. "Bloody Hell that hurts."
Buffy gave Willow a look and the witch hurried into the house.
"You're telling me, my little sister knocked you out?"
"Well, it's not like I can do anything to her. Still have the chip, y'know, and the bloody bint kicked me in the balls."
Buffy laughed until Willow came running back.
"Buffy, she's gone."
The others joined them.
"Buffy, what's wrong?" Joyce asked, worried.
"Dawn's gone."
"Gone? Where?" Giles demanded.
"Magic Box," Spike replied, rising slowly to his feet.
"Magic Box? Why on earth would she go there?" Giles asked.
Spike cracked his neck and worked his jaw. "Said she was goin' there to steal things."
"Steal things?" Anya cried. "The money! She's after the money! We have to stop her! Xander! Quick, get the car!"
Spike put up a hand. "Don't think she's after money, mates. She said somethin' about you lot talkin' about her. I think she's goin' there to see if she can figure out what's goin' on."
Buffy turned to Giles. "What of she finds out she's the Key?"
"Wait a minute? *Dawn* is Glory's Key?" he blurted, using the opportunity to 'find out' about the Key.
Buffy gave him a frightened look. "How did you know about the Key?"
"Dawn told me that Glory bint was lookin' for her key. Are you tellin' me that Dawn is what she's lookin' for?"
He locked eyes with Giles, looking for backup. The Watcher looked away and cleaned his glasses.
"I'm afraid that is the case," Giles confirmed, giving Spike a knowing glance.
"Bloody Hell."
"We have to find her. Mom, you stay here. I'm going to the Magic Box. Hopefully she'll still be there," Buffy ordered.
"We'll go with you. We have to check on the money," Anya said.
It was tacitly agreed that Willow and Tara would stay with Joyce while Xander, Anya, and Buffy went to the Magic Box in Xander's car. Spike bullied his way into going along with Giles, and the older man agreed without too much protest. He was grateful for the Watcher's show of confidence. He hadn't seen Giles since the incident at the Bronze, and was glad that the man appeared to have decided to keep his secrets and help him.
Getting into Xander's car, they arrived at the Magic Box to find the door smashed open. The axe that had severed it was still stuck in the door, a crumpled red bow hanging forlornly from the handle.
"What is this? Where did this come from?" Buffy demanded, yanking the axe from the door and looking at it.
"Um, she took it from me," Spike admitted.
She gave him an incredulous look. "You were bringing an axe to my house?"
He looked guilty. "Actually… I…"
Buffy looked at the bow, the axe and then at Spike, putting two and two together.
"You were giving me an axe? For my birthday?"
He looked offended. "What? You don't like it?"
Buffy gave the axe a look. "It's… it's…"
"It's a Gruth'lak battle axe," Giles said, coming forward to examine the weapon. "Spike, where did you get this?"
He smirked and puffed up with pride. "From a Gruth'lak? Where else?"
"You killed a Gruth'lak demon?"
His smile widened. "With his own axe." He shrugged. "Blighter was butter-fingers and dropped it. Suppose it could have had somethin' ta do with my cuttin' off his hand, but…"
"Guys! Enough with the Weapons 101," Xander interrupted. "Dawn? Remember?"
"And the money!" Anya added, lest they forget.
Birthday present forgotten, they headed into the store to find that Dawn was not there. Spreading out, they searched to find any clues as to her whereabouts. Spike made a circuitous route around the sales floor until he came to the place where he and Dawn had read the Watcher's diary before.
"Oi! Over here," he said, calling them over to the place where Dawn had lit candles in order to allow her to read Giles' writing.
Giles swore softly upon seeing the open diary. "Damn. She knows."
Buffy looked stricken. "Giles…"
"Okay, where would Dawn go if she was upset?" Xander asked.
Buffy shook her head. "I don't know."
"We should organize a search…" Giles said.
The phone rang and Buffy leaped to get it.
"Hello?" she said into the receiver. "Hi, Wills. Dawn? She's there."
They gave a collective sigh of relief.
"Oh thank god. She what? How is she? Okay. We'll be there soon. Yeah, the Magic Box is okay, except for the one door. She smashed it in with an axe she took from Spike. Don't ask. Okay. Keep her there. Bye."
She turned to face the rest of the group, her eyes concerned and relieved. "That was Willow. Dawn came home. She's safe, but she cut herself with a kitchen knife. She's okay. Willow, Tara and Mom are with her."
"Oh dear, is she okay?" Anya asked.
"She's fine. Willow says that it wasn't bad, but Dawn's pretty traumatized. I need to get back there as soon as I can. Xander, can you give me a ride?"
"Sure Buff, let's go," Xander agreed, finishing his car keys out of his pocket.
"I'll stay here and shore up the door she… smashed with the axe," Giles said.
They all looked at the axe, lying forgotten on the reading table. The bow was still clinging valiantly to the handle, although squashed and unraveling. Spike gave it a dejected glance and pursed his lips, but said nothing. Buffy looked from the weapon to the vampire, back to the weapon, and then to Giles. The Watcher cleared his throat and gave Buffy a small nod.
"It is a fine weapon, and you're not likely to find one like it very soon. Gruth'lak demons are excellent metalsmiths, and they prize their weapons. This battleaxe appears very well made, and it is given in good faith," Giles told her haltingly, casting Spike nervous glances.
Buffy pursed her lips and reached for the axe. She picked it up, feeling its weight, and examined the blade. She even made an attempt to fix the poor, battered bow. Spike watched her do this with an expression of mild surprise and pleasure. Giving the axe a test swing, she twirled it in her fingers and turned to him.
"Thanks Spike."
"You're welcome, Slayer," he answered with a nod. "Happy birthday."
She gave him a small smile. Xander and Anya gave him confused and wary looks, but neither said anything as Buffy hurried out the door. Xander and Anya followed her out, leaving Spike alone with Giles. The two eyed each other with grudging respect.
"Thanks for backin' me up, Watcher."
"Yes, well, I have done a lot of thinking these past few days since our encounter in the bar, and I have come to the conclusion that I must trust in fate and put my faith in believing that there is a higher purpose to all of this, and that everything will turn out for the best," Giles responded nervously.
Spike snorted. "Yeah? Well, you'll have to have enough faith for both of us, Watcher. 'Cause I still think this all a bloody joke, and the sodden Powers That Be have a rotten, twisted sense of humur."
Turning away, he moved to the broken door. Giles followed and they secured the battered door as best they could in silence.