Chapter 2

"Good morning Buffy, Willow." Giles called cheerfully from somewhere in the Magic Box where Buffy and Willow couldn't see him."

"We brought donuts," Willow said triumphantly. Striding down towards the long wooden table where they did research and other Scooby stuff.

"Oh," Anya said coming out from behind the store counter. "Any jelly-filled ones?"

"Yeah right on top," Willow said setting the bow down on the table.

Anya lifted up the lid to the pink box and began to reach in for the first donut but Giles' hand swept down and snatched the donut away.

"Hey!" Anya cried stomping her foot as Giles stuffed half of the donut in his mouth and spurting jelly in his face in the process.

"Age before beauty," he mumbled from around the donut and went to go file the books he held in his right hand.

"Humph," Anya grumbled sitting down on Xander's lap. With a grunt he woke from his nap and exclaimed, "When's the world ending?!?!"

Buffy laughed and plopped down in a chair opposite him. "No time soon I hope,"

"Oh right," he said sheepishly.

"Well what brings you here so early?" Giles asked returning from wherever he had gone.

"Buffy's been having a recurring dream," Willow supplied as Giles pulled up a chair for himself.

"Really, what about?" He asked pushing his glasses up on his nose in habit.

Slowly Buffy recounted her dream to the group.

"Interesting," Giles said getting up and taking of his glasses to rub his nose in another habitual action. "You've had the dream ever night for about a week now?"

"Yeah, and last night the dream was clearer. I bent down to examine the girl. I was trying to figure out what had killed her. I didn' t find any marks like I had thought, but around her neck was a necklace. It was silver and in the hollow of her throat hung a bird. I believe it was a mockingbird. Anyway the bird was filled with blue jewels, probably saphire."

Giles made no reply, but instead moved off the begin searching through his books. Xander groaned.

When Giles returned a look of triumph was on his face. In his hands was an open book. He handed it to Buffy and asked, "Is that the necklace?"

Buffy studied the picture for a second and shook her head yes.

"The necklace is the symbol of an old Scottish tribe. The uh, Erskine family."

"So, why is it important now?" Xander asked.

"The necklace is worn by all female members of the tribe. They are enchanted. When the woman is a virgin the necklace is gold, when she looses her, uh virginity, the necklace turns silver." Giles said with a thoughtful look on his face.

"And the dove would stand for innocence." Buffy supplied.

"Yes, I suppose so." Giles replied.

"So why was this dead girl wearing a necklace like this?" Xander asked still confused.

"How old do you think she looked?" Willow asked turning to Buffy.

"Younger than we are." Buffy said trying to remember the girl.

"Uh Willow I don't think her age would be relevant after all, you three at least were younger than you are now when you, uh." Giles trailed off.

"True," Buffy commented.

At that moment a smoking form burst in through the front door of the Magic Box. Hurriedly the black blanket ran towards the cool dark of the back of the shop. Spike emerged from beneath the blanket.

"Well don't look happy to see me will ya?" he said shaking his head at the look on everyone's' faces.

"What do you want now?" Giles asked scratching his head.

Spike laughed. "You think I just came because I want something?"

"Yes," Buffy said matter-o-factly.

"Oh that's harsh," Spike said seating himself down on the counter. "I just want to help, you know fight evil and all that."

"Uh-huh, ok, well anyway, as I was saying its probably just nothing. I have lots of dreams like this, most of them haven't come true." Buffy said trying to ignore Spike.

"Oh a dream! What about?" Spike asked eagerly.

Everyone again turned to glare at him.

"Well sorry, didn't mean to hit a soft spot. Sheesh." He mumbled.

"You're most likely right," Giles said. "If anything else come sup let me know, but in the meantime I have a shop to run so go on."

"Talk to you later," Buffy said as her and Willow packed out of the shop.

"That goes for you too," Giles said indicating Spike.

"Vampire trying to help never appreciated anymore," Spike mumbled as he threw the blanket back over his head and walked back out into the sunlight.