Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Joss and ME
Chapter 36
The next morning
Willow had found the location of the spear the night before. It was in the possession of Angelus. Although there was still much they did not know of it, they knew enough to realize that they needed the get the other piece from Angelus.
Andrew, Giles and Willow had been working on a plan to get into McKenna Manor. The home was heavily guarded, and Angelus hardly ever left the grounds. It was imperative that they know the exact location before any sort of plan was carried out.
Spike and Xander were in the gardens. Xander had asked Spike to show him the fine art of hand-to-hand combat as well as the use of weapons handling, since he realized that it was his duty to protect Willow. When they had returned from the village, he had felt a hint of jealousy while Willow was recounting the story and how Spike had tried to protect her. They had been sparring for a couple of hours.
"You about ready to stop or you got a bit more left?" asked Spike as he threw a bucket of cool water over his head. The day was overcast a little and it allowed Elizabeth to look down at him through a small opening in the curtains. She watched as the water trailed down his shoulders, then over his beautifully sculpted chest. It trickled down over muscles on his abdomen, until they the drops reached his pants. She licked her lips and wished she was one of those drops that were making their way down into his pants and invading the soft curls only she was allowed access to. Spike looked up for a moment and smiled. He always knew when she was looking at him. He could feel a tingling sensation in the back of his neck and the short hairs would stand at attention.
"Hello, are you in there?" Xander was waving his hand in front of Spike's face. Spike blinked several times and looked at him.
"Huh? What's that?"
"I said if I don't sit down soon, I'll collapse." Xander sat down on a crate and began to wipe the sweat from his face.
"Oh, sorry mate. We'll just take up again tomorrow." He patted Xander on the back and put on his shirt, then walked into the house. Jenny was in the kitchen making lunch. As Spike passed behind her he reached onto the table and snuck a piece of roast beef she had cut. She turned and slapped him on the arm.
"Ow!" Spike rubbed his forearm.
"Get out of my kitchen Spike!" she laughed as Spike ran out. He rushed into the hallway licking his fingers, and then began to walk up the stairs. He stopped and heard voices in the library. He walked inside and saw Giles, Andrew and Willow. Giles looked up and motioned for him to come and sit.
"Spike, just in time." He said.
"Just in time for what?" asked Spike as he sat.
"Since we know the fragment to be in the possession of Angelus, we are trying to work out a plan to get it from him."
"Well, he's got his home well guarded. Andrew and I rode around that place for a while and there isn't one open spot to slip through."
"That's true. We should also think about finding out if the witch is still working for him. She may have wards surrounding the entrances." Added Andrew.
"I don't think that's a concern. While I was trying to locate the spear I also put out a feeler for power. I didn't sense any, there is no witch inhabiting that property." Said Willow. "I think what we need to do is maybe distract them. We have to get some of those people away from the entrances and maybe even get Angelus out of there."
"Red's right. If there was some way we could get some of those people away from that place, I could get in and find that other half. The only problem is I need to know exactly where it is. I can't be walking about all over that place not havin' a clue where it might be." Spike looked at Willow, "Can you do something to find the exact location, I mean, at least what room it would be in?" Willow nodded.
"I think so. How much time would you need to look for it?" she asked.
"Don't know. Depends on how big a place I'm lookin' in. If you give me a location, I'll tear that place apart as fast as I can.. Just got to get Angelus out of there is all." Said Spike.
"I know how to get him out of there." Elizabeth walked into the room and sat down next to Spike. They all looked at her. "I'll get into the manor and piss him off enough to come after me." Spike smiled and shook his head.
"No. There is no way you're doing any such thing."
"Spike this is the only way." she asked staring at with her eyebrows raised.
"Then we find another way. It's dangerous. The last time you were there you wound up in that alter." Spike threw his seat back and began to pace. Elizabeth stood and walked to him.
"Buffy, Spike has a point. It could be very dangerous for you." Said Giles.
"Giles this is different. The last time I was caught off guard. Look, I can get into any room through the tunnels. When he comes after me he'll never catch me. I'm faster than he is. All I have to do is get out, get on a horse and let him and his men chase me for a while, then I lose them in the woods." She looked at Spike and stepped close to him. "Spike, please you know this will work." Spike looked away from her and shook his head. He sighed and looked into her eyes.
"Stubborn bint." She smiled and kissed him, knowing she had just won her argument.
As evening rolled in, Faith and Wesley had joined the group already assembled in the library. Faith was able to draw a diagram of the manor, since it had been her home before Angelus purchased it. She drew the ground floor, and then the second floor beside it, and then labeled the rooms. She placed the diagram in the middle of the table. Willow then placed a candle on each corner of the paper.
"I need the spear." Said Willow as she looked at Giles. He walked into the lab and came out with a wooden box. As soon as he opened the box Wesley began to feel the burn coming from the gash on his side burn. He stepped away from the table and would have fallen were it not for Spikes quick reflexes.
"What is it?" asked Spike. Faith rushed to Wesley and pulled a chair for him to sit down.
"It must be the spear. He's been fine until now." She felt his skin and it was warm.
"Maybe we should get him out of here." Said Elizabeth as she came up behind Spike.
"No. I'll be fine as soon as it's put away." Wesley sat on the chair and waved them off, "Really, go, you need to listen." He motioned to the table and smiled as he leaned back. Faith stood next to him waving cool air in his face with a piece of paper and stroking his hair. Spike and Elizabeth walked back to the table and waited for Willows spell to begin.
"It shouldn't take long. The fragment we have will point to the exact location of its other half." As Willow finished talking, everyone felt a chill in the air. There was a slight wind blowing and making the flames on the candles flicker.
"Did someone leave the door open?" asked Xander. Giles lifted his head and walked out to the hall. The door was closed, and none of the windows in the library were open. He walked back to the table, and noticed Willow's breathing was becoming erratic and her eyes were closed.
"Willow" Xander stepped closer to her.
"Xander, wait." Giles held up his hand and motioned to Xander to stop, "Just wait one moment."
Willow began to sway from side to side. He hand came up over the spear, and she opened her eyes, which were now pure white.
"Embrace me winds, then set me free show me where my other half be."
The winds picked up and papers began to fly around the room. The spear began to move, and slowly traveled across the paper and onto the diagram of the second floor of McKenna Manor. It came to stop in the room Faith had labeled as Angelus'. The air became warmer and the wind stopped. Willow was caught by Xander just before she hit the floor.
"Willow." Xander lightly slapped her cheeks and Willow opened her eyes.
"What happened? Did.. did something happen?"
Chapter 36
The next morning
Willow had found the location of the spear the night before. It was in the possession of Angelus. Although there was still much they did not know of it, they knew enough to realize that they needed the get the other piece from Angelus.
Andrew, Giles and Willow had been working on a plan to get into McKenna Manor. The home was heavily guarded, and Angelus hardly ever left the grounds. It was imperative that they know the exact location before any sort of plan was carried out.
Spike and Xander were in the gardens. Xander had asked Spike to show him the fine art of hand-to-hand combat as well as the use of weapons handling, since he realized that it was his duty to protect Willow. When they had returned from the village, he had felt a hint of jealousy while Willow was recounting the story and how Spike had tried to protect her. They had been sparring for a couple of hours.
"You about ready to stop or you got a bit more left?" asked Spike as he threw a bucket of cool water over his head. The day was overcast a little and it allowed Elizabeth to look down at him through a small opening in the curtains. She watched as the water trailed down his shoulders, then over his beautifully sculpted chest. It trickled down over muscles on his abdomen, until they the drops reached his pants. She licked her lips and wished she was one of those drops that were making their way down into his pants and invading the soft curls only she was allowed access to. Spike looked up for a moment and smiled. He always knew when she was looking at him. He could feel a tingling sensation in the back of his neck and the short hairs would stand at attention.
"Hello, are you in there?" Xander was waving his hand in front of Spike's face. Spike blinked several times and looked at him.
"Huh? What's that?"
"I said if I don't sit down soon, I'll collapse." Xander sat down on a crate and began to wipe the sweat from his face.
"Oh, sorry mate. We'll just take up again tomorrow." He patted Xander on the back and put on his shirt, then walked into the house. Jenny was in the kitchen making lunch. As Spike passed behind her he reached onto the table and snuck a piece of roast beef she had cut. She turned and slapped him on the arm.
"Ow!" Spike rubbed his forearm.
"Get out of my kitchen Spike!" she laughed as Spike ran out. He rushed into the hallway licking his fingers, and then began to walk up the stairs. He stopped and heard voices in the library. He walked inside and saw Giles, Andrew and Willow. Giles looked up and motioned for him to come and sit.
"Spike, just in time." He said.
"Just in time for what?" asked Spike as he sat.
"Since we know the fragment to be in the possession of Angelus, we are trying to work out a plan to get it from him."
"Well, he's got his home well guarded. Andrew and I rode around that place for a while and there isn't one open spot to slip through."
"That's true. We should also think about finding out if the witch is still working for him. She may have wards surrounding the entrances." Added Andrew.
"I don't think that's a concern. While I was trying to locate the spear I also put out a feeler for power. I didn't sense any, there is no witch inhabiting that property." Said Willow. "I think what we need to do is maybe distract them. We have to get some of those people away from the entrances and maybe even get Angelus out of there."
"Red's right. If there was some way we could get some of those people away from that place, I could get in and find that other half. The only problem is I need to know exactly where it is. I can't be walking about all over that place not havin' a clue where it might be." Spike looked at Willow, "Can you do something to find the exact location, I mean, at least what room it would be in?" Willow nodded.
"I think so. How much time would you need to look for it?" she asked.
"Don't know. Depends on how big a place I'm lookin' in. If you give me a location, I'll tear that place apart as fast as I can.. Just got to get Angelus out of there is all." Said Spike.
"I know how to get him out of there." Elizabeth walked into the room and sat down next to Spike. They all looked at her. "I'll get into the manor and piss him off enough to come after me." Spike smiled and shook his head.
"No. There is no way you're doing any such thing."
"Spike this is the only way." she asked staring at with her eyebrows raised.
"Then we find another way. It's dangerous. The last time you were there you wound up in that alter." Spike threw his seat back and began to pace. Elizabeth stood and walked to him.
"Buffy, Spike has a point. It could be very dangerous for you." Said Giles.
"Giles this is different. The last time I was caught off guard. Look, I can get into any room through the tunnels. When he comes after me he'll never catch me. I'm faster than he is. All I have to do is get out, get on a horse and let him and his men chase me for a while, then I lose them in the woods." She looked at Spike and stepped close to him. "Spike, please you know this will work." Spike looked away from her and shook his head. He sighed and looked into her eyes.
"Stubborn bint." She smiled and kissed him, knowing she had just won her argument.
As evening rolled in, Faith and Wesley had joined the group already assembled in the library. Faith was able to draw a diagram of the manor, since it had been her home before Angelus purchased it. She drew the ground floor, and then the second floor beside it, and then labeled the rooms. She placed the diagram in the middle of the table. Willow then placed a candle on each corner of the paper.
"I need the spear." Said Willow as she looked at Giles. He walked into the lab and came out with a wooden box. As soon as he opened the box Wesley began to feel the burn coming from the gash on his side burn. He stepped away from the table and would have fallen were it not for Spikes quick reflexes.
"What is it?" asked Spike. Faith rushed to Wesley and pulled a chair for him to sit down.
"It must be the spear. He's been fine until now." She felt his skin and it was warm.
"Maybe we should get him out of here." Said Elizabeth as she came up behind Spike.
"No. I'll be fine as soon as it's put away." Wesley sat on the chair and waved them off, "Really, go, you need to listen." He motioned to the table and smiled as he leaned back. Faith stood next to him waving cool air in his face with a piece of paper and stroking his hair. Spike and Elizabeth walked back to the table and waited for Willows spell to begin.
"It shouldn't take long. The fragment we have will point to the exact location of its other half." As Willow finished talking, everyone felt a chill in the air. There was a slight wind blowing and making the flames on the candles flicker.
"Did someone leave the door open?" asked Xander. Giles lifted his head and walked out to the hall. The door was closed, and none of the windows in the library were open. He walked back to the table, and noticed Willow's breathing was becoming erratic and her eyes were closed.
"Willow" Xander stepped closer to her.
"Xander, wait." Giles held up his hand and motioned to Xander to stop, "Just wait one moment."
Willow began to sway from side to side. He hand came up over the spear, and she opened her eyes, which were now pure white.
"Embrace me winds, then set me free show me where my other half be."
The winds picked up and papers began to fly around the room. The spear began to move, and slowly traveled across the paper and onto the diagram of the second floor of McKenna Manor. It came to stop in the room Faith had labeled as Angelus'. The air became warmer and the wind stopped. Willow was caught by Xander just before she hit the floor.
"Willow." Xander lightly slapped her cheeks and Willow opened her eyes.
"What happened? Did.. did something happen?"