***

In the five years I have served as Buffy Summers' Watcher, I have seen strange sights that all my training had never prepared me for. Demon hoards, Vampire Lords, most recently The Blood Count himself, Dracula. Hence, My Lack of surprise at what takes place in Sunnydale.

"Giles, Help me talk Spike out of leaving"

All right, I will admit some things have come up that still knock the wind out of me but that good old British reserve is a lifesaver in such situations. Westerners see me taking off my glasses and polishing them carefully, in fact I was dismissing the urge to rejoice at the end of our acquaintance with William the bloody-awful human being.

"Look, Blondie I am not in the bloody Red Cross." The peroxide haired vampire mutters "There are things coming that even I don't feel like messing with and I am leaving it's that simple"

"I have to admit it seems surprising that you would forgo the advantage of being able to sponge of our good graces"

I was being sarcastic, but as usual, British sarcasm flies right over the head of most Westerners. Spike fixed me with a look and I caught the flash of anger that would normally be a death sentence if I were not standing beside the most deadly Slayer in history.

"Well if Basil Exposition is finished having one on at my expanse." The Blonde Vamp hisses. Buffy Giggles. Score another one for the Johnny Rotten wannabe.

"Guys come on, Buffy soothes "Giles you know I always saw you as a John Steed type of guy."

"What a coincidence…" Spike shot in "You picture him as John Steed and I have pictured you wearing Emma Peelers"

Buffy is far too busy giving Spike a dirty look to notice me polishing my glasses again. I have had that thought far too frequently myself…especially since that wretched movie came out.

"Spike if your not going to be helpful…"

"Hello, I just got done telling you I wanted to leave town"

"Not before you tell me why every vamp in Sunnydale has been either laying low or going hog wild with the menacing humans thing"

I know Spike will not talk unless he is paid, forced, or shamed into it. I chose to go for Option #3.

"Buffy don't embarrass the man further it's obvious he is completely out of the loop. I mean, when he arrived in town he was "The Big Bad" and everyone answered to him but that was along time ago."

"I know what you're trying to do Mr. Tweed, You can't hurt my ego"

"Yes, How silly of me to forget, You have to have dignity in order to have an ego to bruise."

I think he actually thinks of reaching for me at that point, but Buffy noisily clears her throat and Spike remembers who he is in the room with. He closes his eyes, and collects himself.

Buffy then shoots me a look which I conveniently miss…darn those smudged glasses of mine. She steps closer to Spike and lays a hand gently on his arm. For some reason, this seems to disturb him, not that he moves out of her reach though, he just stares at the hand for a moment.

"Look Spike, I just want to know what we are up against" she tells him softly. "I don't care how involved you used to be with whatever is coming just as long as you're not involved now"

"Look back when Dru first came to Sunnydale, she wanted to lay her hands on a trinket called The Ashanti Blade."

The name sounded familiar but I wanted to be sure. To use the American slang this town is lousy with ancient ceremonial daggers, medals, and baubles. I sometimes wonder if the real problem this town has is the high incidence of magical rubbish that winds up here.

"What do you mean" I ask "What blade?"

"The Wicca Twins would know more about this" Spike said carefully "It's a specially crafted blade made from ruby volcanic glass. It's been ensorcelled so that the blade can be used for necromantic blood rites"

"What would you use it for" Buffy asked

"Well Drusillia wanted it for some ceremony She wanted to perform. When we got here that doll of hers told her the sky wasn't the right shade of blue or some such and that put the kibosh on that plan."

"Spike are you saying Dru avoided using a powerful magical artifact because her dolls told it was bad," I ask incredulously.

"You would be surprised how many of the more lethal plans Angel, Dru and I inflicted on you were actually hatched by Ms. Elli."

"Considering how many of them blow up in your faces…" Buffy snickered

"… And how many plans Ms. Elli vetoed including one of my favorites turning Joyce into a Vampire" Spike paused as we let that thought sink in.

"If you had touched my mother…" Said Buffy, as a touch of the killer she really was slipped into her cold voice.

"The vampire you would have been trying to kill would have been Angelus, it was his plan, I just said I would have gone along with it"

Fate stepped at that point to defuse a tense moment by giving us a knock at the door. I was praying it was Willow, Tara, or even Xander. Sometimes you don't get what you want; you get what you need. The weasel-like person was not a member of the so-called Scooby Gang.

"There you are" screamed Mr. Weasel as he came through the door "Hell is breaking loose and I find you making time with the slayer"

"TS mate" Spike shot back impassively "It's every man for themselves"

"Do you know who is tearing up the town trying to find your little friend"

"Should I care?" Shot Buffy grabbing the man who was reaching for Spike.

"You should, since she's already tore up a bar looking for him I am willing to bet that someone will tell her that you guys hang with him."

"You can't tell her if you can't talk" Buffy said dangerously

"Oh… is the this the moment that I quiver in fear at the threat from the Slayer? I only ask since you seem to be unaware that there are things more frightening then you in this town"

"That may be true but they aren't in this room, right now." She emphasized her point by twisting his am behind his back. There was an audible groan, not from the weasel but from his arm. The weasel screamed

"Buffy please, there's no need for that" My words are half hearted. I have rarely seen Buffy like this. "He isn't the enemy"

"If he is getting in the way of me saving lives then he is dog meat" I know Buffy by now, she is thinking with her heart.

"He's scared Buffy "Spike is speaking quietly "He's scared because there is some bad shit coming that is a little beyond the usual."

"What is coming? Who is in town, and looking for you? What does it have to do with this knife of yours?"

"It's the Blue Woman … she's the one looking for me and if you know anything about her you know if she is in Sunnydale the death toll will soar to massive proportions"

The Watcher Chronicles (Rupert Giles, Recording)