Chapter 7

Just before sunrise, Giles and Willow make it to Spike's cemetery. They slowly make their way around, not finding anything.

"Maybe we should just go home. We've been at it all night and haven't found a thing. Maybe the other's had more luck?"

"Yes, Willow. Perhaps you're right. When we're done at this cemetery, we will head back to Buffy's."

"Okay. Sounds like a…"

She stops in mid-sentence when she sees a shiny stake lying on the ground. She slowly bends down and picks it up.

"Willow, did you say something?"

"Yeah, I uh, I said we could go, but then I found this."

"What is it?"

Giles walks over to Willow and takes the stake from her hand. He turns it over in his hand and sees the initials carved into the top, BS, written in an elegant scrawl, whereupon he immediately drops it. Luckily, Willow catches it before it hits the ground.

"That…that's Buffy's…that's her lucky stake." Giles stutters out.

"She'd never leave it in the cemetery, not if she could help it. She loves this thing. Don't ask me why. It's just a piece of wood, but hey, I guess it's a Slayer thing. I mean, I know Kendra had Mr. Pointy, and Faith had that knife, so I guess all Slayers have a favorite weapon, even if it does seem weird."

"Willow, you are off task."

"Oh, right. Sorry Giles." Willow says, slightly embarrassed.

They continue searching around the area, looking for more clues as to why Buffy would leave her precious stake.

What no one knows is why the stake is important to Buffy in the first place: She found the stake on her bed the first day she started slaying after her return. She immediately knew who left it there for her and couldn't part with it. If they would have paid closer attention to the handwriting, they would have realized that it was distinctly Victorian in its origins.

After searching for a good ten minutes or more, Giles finds a knife handle sticking out of a bush at the edge of the cemetery.

"Willow. Come here. I may have found something."

Willow obeys and walks over to him. When she gets there, she kneels down beside him and looks at the handle, curious as to why a handle is so important. Then it dawns on her that it is a knife handle and not one of the ones Buffy owns. She reaches down and starts to grab it, but Giles stops her.

"Are you sure it is wise? Tampering with the scene."

"Earth to Giles. It's not like we can call the police. We have to do this ourselves."

"Oh yes. Of course. But be careful. You do not know what is on it."

"Fine. Will it make you happy if I wrap it up and not touch it?'

"Yes."

"Do you have anything to wrap it in?"

Giles pulls out a handkerchief and goes to hand it to Willow. {And why are we not surprised the stuffy English guy carries a handkerchief?}

"No. You didn't want me touching it. Just put the handkerchief down on the ground."

Giles does as asked, more like was commanded, but doesn't know why. He soon finds out as he discovers Willow is staring hard at the knife. It starts to shake at first and then slowly begins to rise out of the bush and floats effortlessly over to the cloth, where it gently begins to lower and then lay completely on the handkerchief. Willow looks up and simply smiles at her job well done. Then she notices Giles is staring at the knife. She looks back down and sees that it is covered in drying blood. She looks away again, scared at what it could mean. Giles quickly wraps it up and stands. Then he helps Willow to stand as well.

"I guess we should call Dawnie and tell her we found something."

"I don't know. This is not exactly good news, is it Willow?"

"Well, no. But all we have to say it that we found something, not what it is. Just so they know we had some success on the missing Buffy front."

"Very well. You may call them on the way back I guess."

"Okay."