Chapter 2
Spike lifted Dawn into his arms and placed her in his armchair. His attention focused on "Buffy" standing in the doorway of his crypt. He looked at her and knew immediately what Dawn had failed to see; it was the Buffy Bot. She strode into his crypt in her bouncy mechanical way.
"Spike! What's wrong with Dawn, is she broken?" said the Buffybot.
Spike closed his eyes at the sight of her, he could hardly bear to look at her, and it was too soon.
"Maybe Willow could fix her, she fixed me, after that Glory took my head off".
Spike finally found his tongue. "She is not sodding broken, she has fainted that's all". Snapped Spike.
The Buffy Bot frowned and knelt down beside Dawn. Dawn was just starting to stir.
"Nnnnnh" murmured Dawn. She opened her eyes. "Buffy!" she exclaimed.
"Which Buffy? I am the other Buffy," said the bot.
Hope that had been shining in Dawn's eyes was soon extinguished when she realised it wasn't her sister.
"What are you doing here"? Said Dawn sadly.
"Willow sent me here to look for you, every one is searching for you; why did you run away?" Asked 'Buffy'
Dawn ignored the Bot, turning towards Spike "How could Willow do this to me she must have known how I would feel seeing it," said Dawn pointing at Buffy.
"Don't think it even occurred to her pet, no one is thinking straight at the moment," He replied.
"Well I guess I'd better go then; thanks Spike," sighed Dawn.
"All part of the service love" He smiled at her.
Left alone again, with his thoughts. He walked over to the fridge in the corner; opening it he reached in for a container of pig's blood, he lifted it to his lips to drink. He took a swallow of the cold liquid, and then smashed the remainder against the wall.
"All part of the bleedin' service" he mocked himself aloud.
If he had done what he promised then none of this would have happened. Spike could not understand how he'd let "Doc" get the better of him. All he could think of, as he'd fell from the tower was that he had failed Buffy and Dawn. The jumbled thoughts in his head were driving him slowly insane. He needed to get out of here. Picking up his coat from one of the stone coffins, he shrugged into it and left.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Spike made his way to "Willies place"; he needed to forget for a while, drinking himself into oblivion sounded like a really good idea at the moment. The place was pretty empty. Well that suited him fine, he wasn't great company at the moment. He leant against the bar and got Willie's attention.
"Your usual Spike," asked Willie.
Spike nodded in answer. He swallowed the blood and vodka in one quick gulp, slamming the empty glass on the bar. He scanned the near deserted room and spied a Vexira demon sitting alone in a dark corner. He felt a good fight would be just what the doctor ordered right now to work off some of this self-loathing. Spike walked over to his unsuspecting prey.
"Hey Vexira!" The demon looked up at Spike and snarled, then looked down at his drink, ignoring Spike.
"Hey I was talking to you, you ugly piece of Sh-"
Spike got no further as Willie came up behind him and poked him in the back. Spike turned on his heel to face the sweaty little man. Willie brandished a baseball bat.
"Spike you better leave, it took me six months to pay for all the damages in here last time you decided to cause trouble!" said Willie nervously.
Even though he knew Spike couldn't hurt him with that chip in his head, the blonde vampire still scared the life out of him. Spike held his hands up in surrender; as he left threw a couple of bills on the bar.
As he walked out into the night air, his feet took him subconsciously; up the path to the Summers home. Lights blazed in every window. He stood outside the front door trying to decide whether to knock or not, Suddenly the decision was taken away from him as the front door swung open. Xander stood there scowling
"What are you doing here Spike?" Xander demanded.
Willow came up behind Xander to see what was going on. "Xander! Spike obviously feels like the rest of us right now, let him in, after all what harm can he do?" exclaimed Willow.
"Thanks for reminding me Red" said Spike.
He crossed over the threshold. Giles was seated on the sofa, his glasses on the coffee table, his eyes were red rimmed and unfocused. Anya was sprawled out in one of the armchairs fast asleep, obviously not losing any sleep over Buffy's demise.
"Where's Dawn?" Spike asked.
"Oh she is upstairs, Tara is with her". Said Willow.
Spike relaxed at these words. He had promised Buffy he would watch out for Dawn and he was determined that nothing would happen to her now that big sis wasn't around to protect her.
Willow sat down on the sofa next to Giles. She put her hand on his shoulder. Giles jumped at the contact.
"Giles we have to start talking funeral arrangements you know" She said gently.
Giles took in a ragged breath. "Yes I know, but it just makes it so much more real and final" He said.
"Any chance of a cuppa?" asked Spike.
"Look evil dead, you want something then you will have to get it yourself". Snapped Xander
"Bloody poof!" Spike muttered under his breath.
He walked into the kitchen, and switched on the kettle. He opened the cupboard searching for tea bags, his hand paused in mid air as the phone rang. He let it ring for a couple of times and as none of the scoobies came in to answer it, he picked up the handset.
"Hello?" He said.
He had never been that comfortable with phones.
"Hello, is that Rupert Giles?" The voice said on the other end.
Spike walked over to the entrance to the lounge he quickly glanced at Giles and walked back into the kitchen. "Speaking" replied Spike.
"This is the Sunnydale funeral home, we are calling to let you know that the hospital morgue has just released Miss Summer's body into our care".
"What's taking Spike so long in the kitchen?" asked Xander
"I'd better go and see if he is okay," Said Willow.
She got up from the sofa walking into the kitchen. "Spike you alright?" She said to the empty room.
The backdoor was wide open; she jumped as the kettle clicked off, Willow walked over to the backdoor and closed it.
"Thanks for closing the door on your way out" She said to herself sarcastically.
She then noticed the phone resting on the counter; she picked it up, Willow thought she could hear a voice.
"Hello?" she said.
"What happened to Mr Giles?" asked the man on the other end.
"Sorry, I will just get him," said Willow.
The man sighed impatiently.
"Look, I just wanted to let who ever know that Miss Summers body is now in our care, please could you just pass on the message to Mr Giles or the next of kin."
Willow replaced the receiver and walked back into the lounge. The occupants looked up at her.
"Well?" asked Xander.
"I think we may have a problem" Said Willow
Spike lifted Dawn into his arms and placed her in his armchair. His attention focused on "Buffy" standing in the doorway of his crypt. He looked at her and knew immediately what Dawn had failed to see; it was the Buffy Bot. She strode into his crypt in her bouncy mechanical way.
"Spike! What's wrong with Dawn, is she broken?" said the Buffybot.
Spike closed his eyes at the sight of her, he could hardly bear to look at her, and it was too soon.
"Maybe Willow could fix her, she fixed me, after that Glory took my head off".
Spike finally found his tongue. "She is not sodding broken, she has fainted that's all". Snapped Spike.
The Buffy Bot frowned and knelt down beside Dawn. Dawn was just starting to stir.
"Nnnnnh" murmured Dawn. She opened her eyes. "Buffy!" she exclaimed.
"Which Buffy? I am the other Buffy," said the bot.
Hope that had been shining in Dawn's eyes was soon extinguished when she realised it wasn't her sister.
"What are you doing here"? Said Dawn sadly.
"Willow sent me here to look for you, every one is searching for you; why did you run away?" Asked 'Buffy'
Dawn ignored the Bot, turning towards Spike "How could Willow do this to me she must have known how I would feel seeing it," said Dawn pointing at Buffy.
"Don't think it even occurred to her pet, no one is thinking straight at the moment," He replied.
"Well I guess I'd better go then; thanks Spike," sighed Dawn.
"All part of the service love" He smiled at her.
Left alone again, with his thoughts. He walked over to the fridge in the corner; opening it he reached in for a container of pig's blood, he lifted it to his lips to drink. He took a swallow of the cold liquid, and then smashed the remainder against the wall.
"All part of the bleedin' service" he mocked himself aloud.
If he had done what he promised then none of this would have happened. Spike could not understand how he'd let "Doc" get the better of him. All he could think of, as he'd fell from the tower was that he had failed Buffy and Dawn. The jumbled thoughts in his head were driving him slowly insane. He needed to get out of here. Picking up his coat from one of the stone coffins, he shrugged into it and left.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Spike made his way to "Willies place"; he needed to forget for a while, drinking himself into oblivion sounded like a really good idea at the moment. The place was pretty empty. Well that suited him fine, he wasn't great company at the moment. He leant against the bar and got Willie's attention.
"Your usual Spike," asked Willie.
Spike nodded in answer. He swallowed the blood and vodka in one quick gulp, slamming the empty glass on the bar. He scanned the near deserted room and spied a Vexira demon sitting alone in a dark corner. He felt a good fight would be just what the doctor ordered right now to work off some of this self-loathing. Spike walked over to his unsuspecting prey.
"Hey Vexira!" The demon looked up at Spike and snarled, then looked down at his drink, ignoring Spike.
"Hey I was talking to you, you ugly piece of Sh-"
Spike got no further as Willie came up behind him and poked him in the back. Spike turned on his heel to face the sweaty little man. Willie brandished a baseball bat.
"Spike you better leave, it took me six months to pay for all the damages in here last time you decided to cause trouble!" said Willie nervously.
Even though he knew Spike couldn't hurt him with that chip in his head, the blonde vampire still scared the life out of him. Spike held his hands up in surrender; as he left threw a couple of bills on the bar.
As he walked out into the night air, his feet took him subconsciously; up the path to the Summers home. Lights blazed in every window. He stood outside the front door trying to decide whether to knock or not, Suddenly the decision was taken away from him as the front door swung open. Xander stood there scowling
"What are you doing here Spike?" Xander demanded.
Willow came up behind Xander to see what was going on. "Xander! Spike obviously feels like the rest of us right now, let him in, after all what harm can he do?" exclaimed Willow.
"Thanks for reminding me Red" said Spike.
He crossed over the threshold. Giles was seated on the sofa, his glasses on the coffee table, his eyes were red rimmed and unfocused. Anya was sprawled out in one of the armchairs fast asleep, obviously not losing any sleep over Buffy's demise.
"Where's Dawn?" Spike asked.
"Oh she is upstairs, Tara is with her". Said Willow.
Spike relaxed at these words. He had promised Buffy he would watch out for Dawn and he was determined that nothing would happen to her now that big sis wasn't around to protect her.
Willow sat down on the sofa next to Giles. She put her hand on his shoulder. Giles jumped at the contact.
"Giles we have to start talking funeral arrangements you know" She said gently.
Giles took in a ragged breath. "Yes I know, but it just makes it so much more real and final" He said.
"Any chance of a cuppa?" asked Spike.
"Look evil dead, you want something then you will have to get it yourself". Snapped Xander
"Bloody poof!" Spike muttered under his breath.
He walked into the kitchen, and switched on the kettle. He opened the cupboard searching for tea bags, his hand paused in mid air as the phone rang. He let it ring for a couple of times and as none of the scoobies came in to answer it, he picked up the handset.
"Hello?" He said.
He had never been that comfortable with phones.
"Hello, is that Rupert Giles?" The voice said on the other end.
Spike walked over to the entrance to the lounge he quickly glanced at Giles and walked back into the kitchen. "Speaking" replied Spike.
"This is the Sunnydale funeral home, we are calling to let you know that the hospital morgue has just released Miss Summer's body into our care".
"What's taking Spike so long in the kitchen?" asked Xander
"I'd better go and see if he is okay," Said Willow.
She got up from the sofa walking into the kitchen. "Spike you alright?" She said to the empty room.
The backdoor was wide open; she jumped as the kettle clicked off, Willow walked over to the backdoor and closed it.
"Thanks for closing the door on your way out" She said to herself sarcastically.
She then noticed the phone resting on the counter; she picked it up, Willow thought she could hear a voice.
"Hello?" she said.
"What happened to Mr Giles?" asked the man on the other end.
"Sorry, I will just get him," said Willow.
The man sighed impatiently.
"Look, I just wanted to let who ever know that Miss Summers body is now in our care, please could you just pass on the message to Mr Giles or the next of kin."
Willow replaced the receiver and walked back into the lounge. The occupants looked up at her.
"Well?" asked Xander.
"I think we may have a problem" Said Willow
