The drill goes... Spike's video falls into the right hands, and into a few wrong ones... Reactions vary.

Thank you for the reviews! For just a plot bunny, this has turned into a fun project! The next update should be next week sometime, before my big vacation over the 4th of July weekend.

Reviews are, as always, welcome...

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Epitaph Part IV

- Three Months Later -

Buffy was awoken by random arguing outside the door to the Best Western in Cleveland. She rolled over, careful not to wake her sister, and rose, wrapping herself in the customary hotel bathrobe and padding to the door to open it, to tell off the morons on the other side who thought that arguing at 4 AM was something laughable.


She opened the door and her jaw dropped. A slew of new slayers stood outside her door, apparently discussing whether to knock, and it the pitch had risen to an argument. They all turned pink as she noticed them. "What?" Buffy demanded, crossing her arms.


It was Vi who spoke, raising her gaze to meet Buffy's. "There was a break-in at the new mansion."


Buffy's eyebrows rose so fast in confusion, the other slayers jumped over each other to explain. Finally, she just turned back to Vi and asked her again. "What?"


"A few of our new rooms were looted," Vi explained apologetically. "Apparently, whoever was there knew what they were looking for."


Buffy shrugged. "It's a hellmouth, sometimes vampires just love to party."


"Not in this case," said Kennedy, speaking up for the first time. "We were trying to decide whether or not to tell you, because, well, it might be personal."


"Take me."

* * * * *

Dawn was just approaching the horizon as the group of nearly a dozen girls walked up the steeply sloped hill into a large mansion, left abandoned as a vampire master's house, who had quickly been taken down once Buffy and the others had arrived in town. Nearly everyone by now had moved into it, except for Buffy and Dawn, who's room was being renovated, and Faith, who was going to leave as soon as their house was considered "liveable" again. Planning to return to Boston to mingle with her old friends, Faith would return sooner or later to assist Buffy in defeating the new threat Cleveland was facing.


The mansion reminded her eerily of Angel's back in Sunnydale, with the large, cathedral rooftop and the large fireplace in the main room. Unlike Angel's, the entire area was covered in homey looking sofas and end tables, and bright lamps lit the room. Statues and paintings and murals dotted the rocky walls, giving it more of a touch like home.


They walked silently through the living area to a large staircase, curved toward a balcony far above, where a twin staircase on the other side joined the balcony. Buffy reached the second floor and glanced about, her eyes narrowing. The girls lead her down a long hallway to another staircase, and they approached the third floor.


It was cold up here, so cold. They passed Dawn's new bedroom and finally reached Buffy's, where Kennedy swung open the heavy oak door.


They all stepped inside, Buffy's eyes taking in the damage. It looked like someone had dumped out her new belongings, as though searching for something. Buffy moved toward the large, walk-in closet and pulled open the white door and glanced inside, where all of her new supplies had been stocked.


It was there.


Kennedy sighed in confusion as Buffy pulled back out. "What were they looking for?"


"Buffy?" a terrified whisper sounded behind her.


Buffy turned and glanced at her new bed, her own face melting to a look of shock as she noticed a videotape, a black rose and a large black bundle. A note was attached to the rose, bearing the message "Watch. Learn."


Buffy lifted the videotape and left the room, the other girls hurrying to keep out. Reaching Andrew's new video-technology room, Buffy slid the tape into the VCR and clicked the play button. Automatically, five television screens began playing the messages.


Kennedy was on the screen, saying goodbye to her new friends and to Willow. There was a brief pause, until a slightly familiar voice picked up.


"Spike?" the girls chorused in unison.


And they watched it.

* * * * *

As Spike's lament went on, Buffy could feel her eyes moisten. She heard footsteps behind her and knew they had woken the others still living in the house. "Buffy?" she heard a voice call softly, but she ignored it, her eyes glued to the multiple screens, where Spike was confessing the very depths of his soul.


Finally, his face left the screen.


Next to her, she felt a soft hand touch hers. "Buffy?"


"Xander," she said nervously, turning to look at him. Andrew stood next to him, dressed in striped pajamas and a pointed nightcap. "Andrew?"


"He knew," Andrew said simply. "He knew he wouldn't make it to the end, or he wouldn't have said a word."


Buffy nodded and wiped the last trace of a single tear away with her fingernail.


"I'm sorry the tape was in such bad condition," Andrew replied. "I was making enough copies of the tape for everyone, and then the original disappeared when our house was broken into this morning."


Buffy jerked herself out of her reverie. "Who was it?"


"Whoever it was left a few things. The rose. The letter. Your copy of the videotape, and this," said Andrew, removing Spike's leather duster.


Just seeing it again brought back an overwhelming sense of sadness. "Where did you find this?" she asked, her voice a hushed whisper. She took the leather jack nonchalantly, but feeling the touch of his leather on her skin brought a flush of red to her cheeks.


"Maybe we should go back to bed," a sleepy voice said behind the group. Robin Wood stood there, shaking his head and blinking in the bright light. "Or did some of you forget my closet is across the hall?"


"I'm sorry," said Buffy, ushering everyone out of Andrew's studio. "They were just showing me the damage from the breakin."


Robin nodded, gave her a faint smile, and disappeared behind his door again.


Buffy returned to her new bedroom after dismissing the slayers to sleep. Walking inside, she reached her bed and sat down, holding the duster tightly to her. Pressing her face into the leather, she breathed in the scent. Lifting her head, her eyes were watering, tears trickling down her face. She knew no one would hear her crying, so she felt safe in bottling up her feelings, here, within four cold stone walls, lost, confused and alone in a city where she knew they would overcome the newest threat on Earth, but with a terrible price.


She rested her head on the headrest, closing her eyes. Leaving Sunnydale behind meant leaving Spike there, but every so often, she had the prickled sensation that he was moving with her, helping her to fight the endless stream of demons, to assist her in constructing their new home... he was there. No matter how hard she tried to convince he was gone, he still existed.


She could almost feel his arms around her at that very moment, comforting her. His soft words promised to find the one who had stolen all of the tapes, all but hers. His cool hands caressed her back as she choked out another sob. His soft lips pressed themselves to her temple, letting her know it was okay to cry.


It had been so long.


But she had to find out who had done this, bringing back his memory.


And she would.