A/N : Hello readers! I have been busy and I've managed to get the next chapter of this story and my other story 'The Guy Next Door' written and ready for uploading. Thanx for all the reviews, they are all very much appreciated. Here's the next chapter. If you like it, please let me know!
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 12 - Energy
"Okay, if this is stupid just say it" Xander suddenly broke the silent researching and all Scooby attention turned to him, "but isn't there some kind of identify type spell that can tell us what's up with Spike?"
"If it were that simple Xander then we would have already tried it" Giles snapped, perhaps a little too harshly, but they had spent a couple of hours now pouring over all kinds of books and to no avail, everyone was irritable and tired.
"No, wait" Willow interrupted, "We can't tell what illness or whatever he might have but we could locate any spells used on him since he came back"
"Oh yes" Anya nodded, "Tirer la couture - pull back the curtain"
"A spell to identify spells" Tara completed the explanation "At least then we'd know if the illness was magic-related, surely that would narrow down the research?"
"An excellent idea" Giles agreed, "It seems perhaps Xander you may have slightly more intelligence than we thought"
Xander grinned, glad to have helped but his smile soon fell as he remembered the seriousness of what they were dealing with.
"So, how does this 'curtain pulling' work?" he asked.
"Well, it is a spell that Buffy performed once before when her mother was ill" Giles remembered, "It involves someone going into a kind of trance and they are then able to see images that would show if a spell was being used"
"I can do it" Willow stood up "the trance, I mean, I've done stuff like this before"
"Are you sure, Will?" Xander looked worried, "I mean you used a lot of power lately what with bringing Spike back and all, you sure it's safe for you?"
"Maybe I should do it" Tara offered.
"Or I could" Anya piped up.
"Guys, what's going on?" Dawn asked a she came down the stairs. The gang had told her to go to bed and get some sleep since it was so late. The sun had now risen however and it was morning and the young teen really hadn't been able to sleep much anyway.
"Hey Dawnie, how'd you sleep?" Willow smiled to the girl, Dawn shook her head.
"Not so well, but I'm fine" she told them, coming to sit at the table, "Any luck with the research?"
"Just had a break through" Xander smiled, "We're gonna do a spell see if we can identify if another spell was used to make Spike sick"
Over the next couple of hours, the Scoobies ate breakfast, tided some of the books away and fetched incense, mystic sands and other items needed for the spell from the Magic Box. It was eventually decided that Tara would go into the trance as she had done similar spells before and she didn't want Willow over exerting herself.
Dawn had checked on Buffy and Spike twice during the morning. The first time they had both been asleep and the second when Buffy had been awake she hadn't said much. It seemed while Spike was getting no better he was getting no worse and that had to be taken as a positive sign.
Xander, Anya, Willow and Giles took Dawn with them to continue their research at the Magic Box while Tara stayed at the house to do the spell. Buffy was still at Spike's side refusing to leave the mostly unconscious man and Tara thought it was for the best since they didn't really want to have to tell the distraught girl too much about what they were doing until they were sure about what they were dealing with.
The incense was lit and the sand was poured in the counter-clockwise circle as required. Tara took her position in the centre, in a lotus position and concentrated. It took some time, but the spell was soon cast and as the Wicca woman opened her eyes she saw the world differently, through a strange sort of haze, and yet it felt clearer than normal.
She carefully stood up and began to walk up the stairs towards Buffy's room. She would need to look at Spike and around him to see if any magic was affecting him. He had of course been resurrected by a spell but now he was back and alive the spell was over and should leave no signs behind that it was ever used. The only spells that would show were one's currently working.
Without knocking, Tara slowly opened the bedroom door and found as she knew she would, Spike lying on the bed, asleep and shivering slightly despite his fever. Buffy knelt beside the bed, also asleep and clutching the mans right hand in both of hers.
Tara blinked carefully as she walked around the room, looking at the two people within from all angles. A mist, she suddenly noticed, not over Spike but around Buffy. A strange and very pale green swirl of energy, emanating from around the girls head and chest. From this cloud of energy there appeared to be a thread weaving through the air and back out the door. It was very fine and Tara reasoned that this is why she had not seen it before.
The pale cloud and thread of energy from Buffy took her tranced attention away from Spike as she followed the strange cord from the room, down the stairs, out of the front door. She walked in an automated fashion, her focus on nothing but this ever stretching twine of glowing green energy. She walked, following the paths as the energy twisted and turned along, she opened a door that she came too, kept walking almost completely unaware of where she was or what she was doing and then she saw where the energy had led her, where this thread of green that cam from Buffy was going too.
"Dawn" she breathed as a she saw that same mist around the other Summers girl, but this time much darker, stronger and more powerful. The cloud seemed to pulse as if more and more energy were being slowly pumped in. No sooner had Tara said the girls name as she'd fainted.
* * * * *
"Tara, baby, wake up" Willow begged as her girlfriend came to in her arms.
"What happened?" the blonde tried to stand and put a hand to her head as she did so.
"You came in the door, looking all spaced out" Xander told her, "then you stopped looked at us and you were out"
"You said my name" Dawn added "you were looking at me funny and then you said my name just before you passed out"
"I did?" Tara frowned as Willow helped her into a seat, "I don't remember" she tried to concentrate and everything gradually came back to her - the spell, the mist, the thread, the mystical connection between the Summer sisters - but what did it all mean?
"I did the spell" she said, slowly, "and I couldn't see anything wrong with Spike" she wasn't sure she should mention what else she saw, at least not in front of Dawn. After all that had happened with Glory and now Spike, she didn't want to cause anymore pain and anguish for the child.
"So, it is clear that no kind of magic has caused his illness" Giles said more to himself than anyone else, "Which would suggest it is either a side effect of the resurrection or simply an ordinary human ailment"
"And that's good, right?" Anya guessed, "If it's just something human and not magic he'll just get better like humans do?"
"Well, hopefully, yes" Giles nodded, "Of course, not all human illnesses are curable but if I was right in my assumption of a pneumonia type virus, I think we stand a good chance of helping Spike to a successful recovery"
There were smiles all around at the news Spike might live to enjoy the humanity he'd recently been granted.
Suddenly the phone rang and Anya moved to answer it.
"Hello, this is the Magic Box, Anya speaking, how may I be of service to you?"
"Anya, it's Buffy" a panicked voice came through the receiver, "I need you guys here fast, I think Spike's getting worse..."
To Be Continued...
A/N2 : I am also updating 'The Guy Next Door' now, for those who are interested!
