Good news on waking up, no breakfast by order of Rupert. We all have to fast all day, and have a shower and a hair-wash before heading off to Giza tonight. Gotta be cleansed. Good job I had a bag of blood as well as the beer last night, otherwise it would have cut things a bit tight. They're stressful enough.

Buffy and Anyanka weren't to keen on the no-brekky rule either. Anya immediately started negotiating a discount with the hotel manager, since we wouldn't be having it. Got it too. Woman could eat any merchant banker for metaphorical breakfast and a car salesman as a chaser. Gotta admire that.

Giles and Anyanka finalised the shopping list they insisted we take with us. Honestly a master vampire and they think I can't remember a shopping list! How the mighty hath fallen. Anyanka headed off to a local tailor after noting down all our measurements. Not exactly sure she needed to measure Giles five times, but neither seemed to object too much.

Giles headed over to the Museum and was going to see his friend with the new heart condition later.

That left us with another cab ride to the bazzar.



We hit the candle shop first. Big, long, thick, pure wax as per the list. Heavy things. Good job she won't be throwing these at me…hopefully, Let Buffy do the bargaining. She had fun doing it yesterday, and anything that'll take her mind off the ritual tonight cannot be bad. She's got quicker at the bargaining game, and they were cheaper than the souvies yesterday so it only took an hour.



Off past some lovely scented food stalls. Can tell Buffy is starving but she barely seems to notice. Must have got used to it. Wish I'd called Giles in, might have saved a lot of pain. To all of us.



Walked past stalls selling more leather poufs than anyone in their right mind could possibly imagine. And I've seen plenty of the other sort. Seriously tempted to buy one as a belated hotel warming present. I suggest it. "Pink with gold embossing or powder blue and gold?" She smacks my arm, but not hard and she does giggle. So worth it.

Bought the pink one. Had to be done. Not Good here. Temptation as Oscar put it…I can resist anything but. Besides, cheerleader and the poof's faces should be a picture.



Managed, with great difficulty to get her to avoid the leather shops. Mostly luggage, purses and handbags anyway, but some jackets and I know my girl and leather. No way would we be out by the next millennium, let alone tonight.



Made it to the cloth part of the souk. Enough embroidered, sequin covered, brightly clashing coloured cloth to have kept poor Tara in clothes for decades. Manage to convince Buffy she really doesn't want a kaftan even if they are coming back into fashion. Particularly a blue one with sequins. Lived through the seventies once. Never again…punk apart.

We sat down in the cloth shop and have to refuse the mint tea. That's gonna cost us in the bargaining front. It does …one nil down after 60 seconds. Buying 30 yards of white linen took about an hour even with a shopping slayer on top form, and we still paid more than we should have as a penalty for being rude gits in refusing the tea. But I made the bugger cut it down to the right size.



That left the perfume shop.



We headed down past the jewellery shops. Good job we already got Nibblet's prezzie as the agony of choice would have been just too much. Jewellery sold by the weight too, so much cheaper than in the States. Things were different I'd love to take her in there and get a pair of rings. Not yet though. But someday, maybe.



We went into the dark little shop. The large bottles of perfume filled the walls. Reminded me of the old chemists shops you got when I was Buffy's age. Could buy anything in 'em. Opium, cocaine, arsenic all sorts. All legal. Things change.

We take a seat and I tell the shopkeeper we've been ill so can't drink anything and please not to be offended. And that me and my lady would like some perfumed oil for her.

He Salam's and so do I. When in Rome and all that. Explain we don't know what we want but we'll know it when we smell it. He brings over a selection of oils scented to resemble the expensive stuff they spray at you in department stores. You try going to Willie's after that…not fun.



The perfumes are in big bottles with long glass dippers. I start with the first. Buffy holds out her forearm. In the Giles approved wardrobe choice du jour it's a peasant blouse covering her shoulders and upper arms, but with some cute embroidery.

I touch her only with the glass droppers. One drop of perfume at a time. Two inches of skin with different western perfume copies and we aren't getting anywhere. But she smells bloody fantastic. But then she usually does, Doublemeat Dogburgers not withstanding,

So we hit the classics. Vanilla drops on the crease of her elbow. Not right. Rose on the delicate veins of her tiny right wrist…still nope. Lavender on a faint scar…not even close. Cold glass and gardenias on that sensitive point on her right arm…almost.

Her breathing is speeding up and so's her heart rate. Mine would if it could.

Musks on the right outer arm. I was right that time. Musk is aggravating, more ways than one too, for both of us. But not right. Not for this anyway.

Hot, hot little shop, cold glass and the scent. Rupert Giles you bastard. This is hard. I take another flower oil, trace it on her sunny skin. Mine's getting a bit closer to her shade, but I still look ashen next to her born tan.

The scents of all the different oils is blending together in the heat and her sweat. Not much skin free for more on either arm by now. I try the lily. I drip one drop of oil on the pulse point of her left hand.



Bingo. The nose has it. She looks at me. We both know. We both know so much.



I buy a full bottle. As she walks outside I get another smaller bottle. For me, and her…if she'll take it. For later.



Laden down with the shopping as I am, we head towards the wider streets and the possibility of a cab. I love cabs. I mean I love walking and exploring places I've never, ever been, or places I haven't been for ages. But cabs are truly wonderful. Especially when shopping with your girl.



We got back to the hotel and I drop the shopping back in Giles and my room. Anyanka had already been there. I could see some white garment things. I could hear her next door in the shower. Nope couldn't hear Rupert. Can't be back yet. We looked at each other. There was a softness in her eyes and a lot of worries about tonight. Must have been too much for her and she bolted into her room. Then I could her yelling to Anya. Wish those two could get on.

Headed into the shower before Rupert could arrive and followed Dad's instructions. Not keen about the no hair products directive though. Like to keep the curls under control. Got teased enough about 'em at boarding school.



Rupert arrives with a very large, and judging by the sweat and heart rate, very heavy bag. So I do the right thing and help him with it. Going get the hang of this stuff. Can't kill me can it?

He showers and the girls come in to the room all shiny and fresh. He takes out our purchases. We get the look when he comes to the leather pouf. Then I explain who's prezzie it is and both him and Anyanka start giggling again. Like this new Giles. She's definitely good for him. Anyanka's shopping comes out next.

"I'm wearing a skirt?"

"A replica ancient Egyptian kilt Spike. And so am I."

"It's a skirt!"

"Don't be so insecure. Good enough for Mel Gibson."

"Yeah and we both know how bleeding factually correct his films are."

"Quite."

"You read my family history. Grandad's family spent centuries fighting the Scots! Long and magnificent history of border battles!"

"I did. Your mums family were Scots!"

"They escaped! Lost the family estate after 1745! Ended up in the British Army overseas. Besides only a bit!"

"Think of it as a sarong then. Good enough for David Beckam."

"Still think that was one of his dafter looks."

"I prefer the one in the new GQ covered in baby oil." Had to be Anya.

"Allright. I'll do it. But no photos!"

"Thank you Spike. Anya does yours fit?"

"Oh yes Rupie, and so does Buffy's. We checked earlier."

"And I'm still not happy about my outfit Rupie!" From Buffy. Must be what caused the yelling earlier.

"It's that, or go naked Buffy."

"I'm happy, I'm very happy, happy that's this Buffy."



We pack up and head downstairs and cab it to the pyramids.



Hadn't really realised how close they were. One minute city next minute really, really big pyramids. Then desert. Miles and miles of dessert. On minute 21st Century the other any time in the last few thousand.



Buffy's eyes are huge. "They're real. You see shows and films. They're huge! We're really here? Are we really here?

"Yes pet. We're really here. And we're gonna get you well."

Three giants. Two almost the same size. The slightly smaller one keeping some of its' smooth casing stones. The larger having been long ago stripped and now looking like a giant stone staircase to the heavens. The smallest with a gaping gash where a long ago ruler must have tried to destroy what he couldn't live up to. Small pyramids, more ruinous in front of the giants. And the Sphinx. Guarding the pyramids and their secrets.



We all spent a couple of hours looking around. Though couldn't go in any of the pyramids, don't want anything to go wrong tonight. Still having problems believing I'm here. Doing this, and doing it in the sun. But wouldn't change it.



It was almost dark by now and since we can't drink anything or go into the pyramid until much later, Giles paid and we headed off to the Sun et Lumiere show. Cheesy but Buffy was blown away and when the voice came from the Sphinx even I was impressed. When it finished we avoided the tourists in the dark and waited near the Great Pyramid.