AN: Thanks for the reviews! Sorry if some of you *cough cough* are getting impatient, but I would rather do this right than do it speedy. However, I am planning something big for the "finale". You'll just have to keep reading to find out what it is *insert evil laugh here*.
Disclaimer: All characters (w/exceptions) belong to UPN, Mutant Enemy, and the all-powerful Joss.
Apocalypse
The sun rose slowly over the horizon. It's beams spread out, catching the fluorescent vampire snoozing on deck. He mumbled something about 'sodding peccadilloes' and then rolled over. But the sun was too high in the sky now. He opened his eyes, squinting up at the sky. I don't think I'll ever get used to this. He sat up, stretching.
The scenery had changed considerably. Instead of forests, other boats, docks, and plenty of fishermen surrounded them. How long was I asleep?
"Ah, you're awake then." A man approached him, speaking heavily accented English. "Untangle these." He dropped a knot of rope into Spike's arms.
"Where are we?" Spike clawed through the ropes, looking for the end.
"Fishing town, 'bout seventy miles past Inoucdjouac." The man took some tools out of his toolbox, fastening a fishing line to tow after the boat.
Spike frowned as he wrapped the rope around his arm. "Aren't we going to stop here?"
"Sure, for fuel." The man stood from his work, baiting the hook before throwing it into the water. "Then we're out again for Fort Rupert."
"Yeah." Spike set his pile of rope to the side. "Is there any airport around here?"
The man frowned. "No….there's a highway, and a railway that can take you down towards southern Quebec. There's an airport 'round there." He eyed Spike suspiciously. "Where are you going?"
"Ca-" He stopped. Oh, bloody hell. He'd forgotten. What if she wasn't in California? Well, he had to check. "California."
The man nodded. "Hope you have money with you." He picked up the wound ropes. "Thanks."
Spike bit his lip. He didn't have any money. Not even for food. How was he going to afford to get back to California? Sighing, he bid a fond farewell to the captain and headed out into the village.
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She looked up from the book she was reading to see the water in her glass shaking. "Odd," she mused, trying to concentrate on her story. It didn't help when the picture frame slid off the shelf above her bed and bonked her on the head. "Ow!" She rubbed her head, grumbling. She grumbled a bit louder when the whole house began to shake. She jumped off the bed and ran to the doorframe, watching her room implode upon itself.
"Buffy!" Dawn squealed from across the hallway.
"It's okay, Dawn." She shouted over the rumbling. "Just stand there in the doorway."
The sisters rode out the rest of the earthquake in silence. As the house resumed it's semi-peaceful state, Buffy went across the hall to make sure Dawn was okay. An earthquake in Nevada isn't a normal occurrence. She went to the phone to call Giles. Damn. The phone lines were down. The girls climbed into the car, speeding around the cracks and miscellaneous items in the road.
Giles met them outside the door, a serious look upon his face. He hurried them inside the apartment, where the rest of the Scoobies were already sitting. Buffy looked at each of them in turn. "What happened."
Giles sat on a chair arm, whipping his glasses with his handkerchief. "We're not sure of anything yet, Buffy."
She raised her eyebrows doubtfully. "The last two earthquakes we've been in have signified apocalypse, Giles."
"No," Willow corrected her quietly. "I mean, those two sure, but this last one was a…a good thing." Her volume continued to decrease as she watched the expression on her friend's face darken. "Well, not good per se, except for the whole saving the world dealie…"
Buffy shook it off. "It's okay. I know what you mean." She turned back to Giles. "But I doubt this was anything in the good."
He shrugged. "I suppose we could look into it…"
"Ooh! Research time!" Xander rubbed his hands together eagerly.
Dawn smiled at him. "Can I help?"
"Sure!" Xander slung an arm around her shoulders jokingly. "What else are a mystical key and a construction worker good for?"
Giles nodded at the pairing. "Good. You do that. And Buffy-"
"Let me guess." She tapped her fingers against her cheek, feigning concentration. "Go patrolling for any Big Bads?"
"Well, actually no." Giles pointed at a quiet Kennedy sitting beside Willow. "Take Kennedy and go patrolling for any Big Bads."
"Yes sir." Buffy saluted, jumping up and grabbing Kennedy by the arm.
Willow waved as the two went out the door. "Be….careful."
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He explored the town hesitantly, looking for a way to get money. Got to be some odd job around here for a bloke. Basically, there were….houses. A bait shop. Lots of boats. These people like fish, he mused. Ooh. A post office. He walked inside, looking for any Help Wanted signs that happened to be lying about. Finding none, he gave the shop a once-over. Noticing the pay phone in the corner, he approached the cashier. "'Scuse me, mam."
The woman blinked.
"Wonderin' if you could borrow me a quarter."
Her eyes narrowed. "What for?"
Spike leaned against the counter more casually. "Well, I got horribly lost on our camping trip, and these really nice fisher-people gave me a lift here, and doggone it all I don't have any quarters of my own to call my poor, sweet wife…."
The woman sighed and slid a quarter over the counter.
"….and little Billy and the puppy-" He looked down at the money, straightening up a bit. "Right. Thanks." He went over to the phone.
Canada…Quebec…U.S. He lifted a large phone book onto the counter. Come on, you better bloody be in here… Finding the number he wanted with a smug grin, he dropped his money in and dialed.
Pause
"…Yeah, it's me."
Pause
"Spike." He smirked at the voice at the other end. "Yeah, I'm in a bit of a pinch…."
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*That submit review button looks awful lonely down there…*
