All characters belong to their respective creators / film companies / etc. and are used without permission. This story may only be distributed on a non-profit-making basis.
Work in Progress. If you like this story, check out my other stories on the Fanfiction Net, Twisting the Hellmouth, and Fonts of Wisdom websites. Other sites please ask before using.
by Marcus L. Rowland
XI
"Spike," said April as he and Buffy entered the house. "My ex-boyfriend. Hello."
"Hello, um, April," said Spike. "Why did you call me that?"
"Because Spike is your name."
"No, ex-boyfriend. I was never your boyfriend. That was Warren."
"She's running some of the Buffybot program," said Willow.
"Oh bloody hell... I thought I asked you to edit that."
"I did, but it all got a bit mixed with the original April program, and that still has all the sex stuff in it from Warren. April, I'm sorry, I don't think Spike understands what's happened, do you think you can explain it to him?"
"Of course I can. Spike, I've moved on."
"What?"
"Don't be upset Spike."
"Err... it's okay, April, I think I can handle it."
"You didn't desert me, so I like you more than I like Warren, but I don't love you now that I have free will."
"That's okay. Buffy and I are dating, and I don't think she'd like it if there was still something going on."
"That's right," said Buffy, "I'm not really keen on sharing my boyfriends."
"Okey-dokey," said April. "It's just as well, because I don't want him any more."
"I'm not your type?" asked Spike, for some odd reason feeling a little hurt.
"I'm not sure what my type is yet, although I'm pretty sure I'm not gay. I may have to build someone."
Spike cautiously said "best not to go that route, I don't think it worked too well for Warren. Or me, really."
"I guess you're right."
"I'm sure of it," said Spike, kissing Buffy.
"There's something odd here," said Jay.
"What now?" asked Kay.
"Remember when we first came in here and saw the dog, and it was a model we didn't know so you told me to take a full scan?"
"What about it?"
"Well, I was wondering why I hadn't spotted it as a combat model then, so I took another look at the scan records. Three guesses what I found."
"It looked like something harmless when you scanned it."
"Okay, one guess. The first scan showed no weapons, no unusual strength, nada. And there's nothing to indicate that there was anything stopping me from detecting the weapons. "
"Are you telling me that someone replaced the dog between one scan and the next?"
"I thought that, but if they did they replaced it with an absolutely identical combat model and put it into exactly the same position, to a fraction of an inch."
"So what do you think happened?" asked Kay, taking a look at the scanner records.
"I was wondering about something that demon guy said, the thing about time splitting and merging. We know we're dealing with a wish here, what if it's still making changes, fine-tuning for a particular result, and the change merged between one scan and the next."
"That particular change would have had to have been made several years ago, wouldn't it? When the Baltian ordered that dog? And what's the point anyway?"
"You've got me there. I'm just saying it's odd. If there is a particular effect these changes are after, it doesn't seem to be anything that benefits our missing alien or Willow Rosenberg or anyone else we've met so far. Take the dog, it doesn't seem to have been used in combat at all, so the only change is that what's his name, Andrew whatever, got his clothes shredded when we caught him. The car would have caught him anyway, so what's the difference?"
"Maybe the wish was made by someone who just doesn't like him... or his friends. If you think about it, they seem to be the ones that this whole thing is hurting more than anyone else. We've caught two of the three, and the other one is probably only a matter of time."
"Naah, couldn't be. That's just happening because we got involved. They're small-time punks, something would have probably happened to them eventually."
"We'll figure it out sooner or later."
"Shhh..." whispered Buffy early the following morning. "Why are you getting up now anyway? It's hours until dawn."
"Just remembered I've got something to do tonight, spot of business. I'm already a bit late."
"What sort of business goes on at four in the morning? And how much am I gonna dislike it when I find out about it?"
"Bloody hell, Slayer, cut a bloke some slack."
"Why?"
"I... we... need the money."
"Not that badly. In case it didn't sink in, April gave me seven thousand dollars and change today, and it was entirely legal. I don't know what your business is about, but if it's going on at this time of night I don't want to have anything to do with it."
"It'd be trouble for me, not you."
"That evening at the Magic Box was your trouble, remember? When we nearly got killed?"
"Yeah... You'll be after me to get a job next."
"It wouldn't kill you."
"Hah bloody ha."
"Come on, Spike, I know you. What's this about?"
"Bit of black market stuff. Suvolte demon eggs, worth a fortune to sorcerers. It's spawning in the tunnels near the dam, once it's gone I'll grab them, flog them and make a fortune. That demon Doc used to do it, I found a load of notes on how to look after them when I went through his papers. Now he's out of the picture someone else might as well take advantage. I mentioned it to some people at Willy's, I've already had offers."
"What do sorcerers use them for?"
"Oh, a bit like guard dogs only fiercer."
"How fierce?"
"Umm..."
"How fierce, Spike?"
"About like a bear."
"And this thing's laying its eggs tonight?"
"Think so."
"How many?"
"Umm.. twenty or thirty, maybe."
"And how soon do they hatch?"
"Couple of weeks."
"So twenty or thirty of these things are gonna hatch on the outskirts of town in a week or two, and they're as dangerous as bears. If you don't sell them all what exactly were you planning to do with them?"
"Err..."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but would I be right to guess that the Doc who invented this get-rich-quick scheme is the same Doc that tried to sacrifice Dawn and end the world after I beat Glory, when it was completely pointless?"
"Umm... if you put it that way..."
"Not exactly a recommendation, is it?"
"Not really..."
"Spike, I guess I sort of love you but sometimes you're a moron. Get dressed. We're gonna take care of momma then make an omelette. And if you're really good I won't make you eat it."
"That was a really gross way to start the day," Buffy said over breakfast.
"Suvolte demons are really bad news," said Dawn, "I read about them once. They breed, leave the eggs near villages, then the eggs hatch and just keep eating until they're big enough to breed. Takes just a few weeks. They're like demon tribbles, they can wipe out whole areas."
"And Spike found it for you?" asked Tara, who was cooking flapjacks.
"Pretty much," said Buffy. "One of Doc's nasty little schemes, he wanted to breed them and sell them to magicians. Spike found the details in his papers."
"The same Doc that tried to kill me?" asked Dawn.
"That's right. Spike's gone back to his tomb to rest up, he's gonna bring all the papers over tonight, see if there's anything else we need to worry about."
"Morning..." Willow came into the kitchen and kissed Tara, "..where's April?"
"Thought she was in your room."
"Nope, really didn't want an audience last night," she said, blushing slightly. Tara turned bright red.
"She's watching TV," said Dawn, "think she plugged a cable into the headphone socket so she wouldn't disturb anyone."
"I thought she was reading last night."
"Oh, she's reading too. About a page every ten seconds. She's working her way through the encyclopaedia."
"Wow," said Buffy. "Must admit I kinda thought she'd be here making pancakes again, but if she has free will I guess she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to."
"Oh, she offered," said Tara, "but I pointed out that making breakfast was probably something Warren had put into her program. Besides, I like cooking. Why should she have to do it when she doesn't even eat?"
"Yours are better than hers," said Dawn loyally, "and both of you beat Buffy."
"Okay," said Buffy, "I admit I'm not the world's greatest chef. My talents lie in other directions."
"Maybe that's why you like undead boyfriends," teased Willow, "you never have to worry about their favourite foods."
"I used to cook for Riley."
"When?" asked Dawn, "You were both living on campus, the hardest thing I ever saw you cook for him was hot dogs and microwave pizza."
"Hot dogs can be quite difficult."
"Yeah, right."
"Getting the onions cooked at just the right time isn't easy."
"I rest my case."
"Better not rest it too long, you've got school."
"Can't I come along with you again today?"
"Better not," said Willow, "I'll either be spending another day going through the Baltian records, which is kinda dull if you don't speak Baltian, or reliving my potty training if the MiB guys get the okay to restore that part of my memory. Can't see either as a popular spectator sport."
"Okay, but if the memory machine fries your brains or turns you into a fly or something and I'm not there to see it I'm gonna be really annoyed."
"Not as annoyed as I'll be. They probably won't let me use it anyway. Go to school, get educated, I'll be fine."
Warren tried another credit card in the ATM, and finally got results. It paid out five hundred dollars, telling him that he'd be charged for the transaction. He guessed another day before the card started to bounce, might as well make use of it before it was too late. His side and his head still ached, but at least he could walk now, thanks to the pins in his ankle.
There was a pawn shop across the road, and Warren knew that the owner sold guns and wasn't too bothered about registration. He wanted some heavy artillery by his side before he took on the bitch he was starting to realise was really responsible for his problems.
"We'll have to go in our car today," said Jay, "ought to be room for all three of you in back."
"How come?" asked Willow.
"Going after memories buried that deep in someone that young isn't simple. The scientists say they can do it, but it'll have to be at one of our main offices, not here."
"So?"
"So the nearest is in San Francisco, and unless you want to fly or spend a couple of days on the road we'd better use our car."
"Must be faster than it looks."
"It is. Buckle in and I'll show you. Oh, and don't press any buttons, I don't think there's anything back there that can hurt you but I'd hate to be proved wrong the hard way."
Jay took the car to the outskirts of Sunnydale, waited for a spot of clear road, then took off.
"Holy Harry Potter!" said Buffy, once she'd got her breath back, "don't people kinda notice a flying car?"
"Force field. Anyone more than a few feet away sees sky," said Kay, "and we don't show up on radar."
"How fast are we going?" asked Willow nervously, glad that she was in the middle of the seat, looking out at the landscape that was streaking past a hundred or so feet below.
"I'm keeping us subsonic until we get well out over the ocean," said Jay, "then probably Mach 3. It isn't worth going faster on a short trip."
"Don't we need oxygen or something?" asked Tara.
"Don't worry, the car takes care of that. Kay, want to put on some music?"
"Okay." He pushed a button on the CD player, and it began to play Happiness is a Warm Gun. "Hope you ladies are okay with the Beatles."
"We're fine," said Buffy, remembering Adam, "but if that's the White Album skip Helter Skelter, there are bad memories."
"Won't take us that long to get there."
"Dawn is going to be so pissed," said Tara, "she would have loved this."
"Isn't really room for four passengers," said Kay, "but if we have time once we've found our alien I'll give her a joy-ride."
"Make it at night and Spike and I'll come along," said Buffy. "I think he'd enjoy it, I know he liked Repo Man, and we both want to spend more time with Dawn, she's been feeling a little left out of things. If you two are okay with that?" she belatedly asked Tara and Willow.
"I'm cool," said Willow, "I'm more of a feet on the ground girl."
"You're right," said Tara, "you and Dawn should do this, and it'd be good if she saw that she can still have fun with the two of you."
"How about you guys," she asked the MiB agents, "any problems with taking a vampire and a Slayer for a ride?"
"I guess not," said Kay, "if you're sure he can't bite anyone."
"You're safe."
"Fine then."
As I'm So Tired ended Jay said "Okay, we're supersonic, going to head a little further out then swing back in and North towards San Francisco.
"Wow, this beats the hell out of mom's Jeep," said Buffy, "Especially the part where there are no traffic jams. Will we have time to do some sightseeing?"
"Not if you want to be home before Dawn gets out of school, but I'll show you the Golden Gate bridge on the way in. Be about fifteen minutes."
The car swung in over San Francisco Bay and under the bridge, and they spent a few moments watching the city, then the windows suddenly went opaque.
"What the hell?" asked Buffy.
"Don't worry," said Kay, "we're under ground control. Can't let you see where the base is. Sorry, but this is supposed to be a secret operation, we're bending all the rules as it is."
There was a thump, the engines stopped, then they all felt it descending rapidly. "Vehicle lift, we'll be there in a minute." The windows cleared, and they saw an enormous platform marked as a helipad, quickly descending down a shaft the size of a tennis court. Every few seconds it passed a strip of windows. It stopped, and Jay drove the car forward towards a huge entrance and out into the largest room any of the women had ever seen.
"Welcome to San Francisco Spaceport," said Jay.
To Be Continued
