Part 23

Sam stopped in front of a small knoll, her eyes scanned the area as she made sure there were unobserved. Not seeing anyone besides the small group surrounding her, she motioned for one of her team to lift the seal that covered the underground facility.

The agent approached the seal warily, he'd heard what the Initiative and Maggie Walsh had done down there and he wasn't real anxious to open the tomb. His muscles strained as he pulled to open the air lock.

Spike rolled his eyes as he watched the agent struggle to open the door that would have taken him less than a second to unlock. "Need a hand, mate?" he smirked as the agent's face turned red.

The satisfying hiss of stale air accompanied the door's opening. "Got it, thanks anyway." The agent growled as he stepped aside.

Buffy wrinkled her nose as the smell reached her. "Eww, what's that smell?"

"Rotting flesh." Spike answered as he watched Sam lower a rope down into the hole.

Buffy's eyes widened as she turned to the nearest person on Sam's team. "What? You just left them there? Sealed them in?"

The agent rolled his eyes at her naiveté. "What did you expect them to do? Have a mass demon burial in Sunnydale? Or maybe they could have blown up the facility so there was a lovely crater in the middle of town? The less obtrusive method was to seal them up where no one would likely find them."

Sam interrupted an argument that was waiting to happen between Buffy and one of the team as she gave Buffy her rope and repelling hook. "Let's go."

Spike shook his head at Sam's offer of equipment and jumped down into the hole without a backward glance.

Buffy reluctantly put her gear on and slipped the rope through the hook on her waist. As she began her descent, memories of the battle with Adam played across her mind's eye. Buffy had been estranged from Willow then as well. She glanced down to see Spike waiting for her at the bottom. If anyone had told her back then that Spike would be her ally and Willow would be the 'demon of the week' they had to destroy she would have laughed.

"You alright there, Slayer?"

Buffy gave Spike a sad smile. "Yeah. Just remembering the last time I was here. You okay?"

Spike looked around the facility and felt a cold rage fill him. "Been better."

Sam waited until the last of her team unhooked their ropes before speaking into her head piece. "Let there be light." She grinned over at Buffy, "I've always wanted to say that."

They all blinked rapidly as their eyes became adjusted to the bright light that now filled the facility. Spike tensed and Buffy went into battle stance beside him when they heard footsteps echoing in the hall.

"And here I thought you'd be happy to see me."  Riley said as he crossed the threshold into the main room. "I even brought company."

Buffy relaxed when she realized who had spoken. "Riley?!"

Riley barely acknowledged Spike as he passed him and mumbled, "Assface."  He drew Buffy into a warm hug before going to stand next to his wife. "Are you sure about this, Buffy?"

Buffy glance over at Spike and their eyes met briefly before she looked back at Riley. "I'm sure."

Riley motioned for the doctors to come forward. "Right then, let's get started."

A noise from between the bookshelves caught Giles attention as he placed a box onto the table. His brow wrinkled in confusion as the shop was closed and he thought himself to be alone. "Hello? Anyone there?"

"Did you forget me so soon, English?"

Giles stood rooted to the spot as Jenny came strolling out of the shadows. "J-Jenny?"

The entity wearing Jenny's face raised its hand to caress Giles' cheek. Before it could touch him, he jerked his head back. "You're not real."

"And after I made such an effort to come to you", the entity said with a wry smile. "Do you have any idea, Rupert what I had to go through so you can see me?"

Tears glistened in Giles' eyes as he looked at Jenny. "J-Jenny!" He took a halting step closer, but before he could reach her Jenny began to pace.

The entity turned to face Giles, "you have to stop her, English."

"Stop who?"

"You know who. How could you let Buffy do what she's doing? Did you forget what Angelus did to me… to you?"

"Of course not!"

"Then how could you have agreed with Buffy to get rid of Spike's chip? Don't you think he'll seek vengeance? How many more innocents will join me in death before you stop your Slayer?"

Giles' head reeled back as if he'd been slapped. Why was Jenny attacking him this way? His mind worked furiously, there was something wrong here. There was a grain of truth in Jenny's words, but it wasn't like Jenny to attack verbally like that. Even after the whole Eyghon incident, when she had every right to attack, she never did.

"You're not Jenny."

The entity slowly clapped as it morphed into Buffy. "Very good, Watcher. I was told by someone very close to you that you were quite clever."

"Ethan." Giles said through clinched teeth.

"Good guess, but alas no. The only hint I'll give you is the prodigal will soon be coming home."

Giles closed his eyes in despair. Who else would be the prodigal, except Willow? How had she gone so far as to work with this being? "Willow."

"Give the Watcher a cigar. Though she prefers to be called 'Red Death' now. Oh, and she's not the only one returning to dear old Sunnydale. The aptly named 'Hunter' will be joining her."

"Who are you?" A muscle ticked in Giles' jaw as he struggled to reign in his emotions. He needed a calm head and he needed to know why the entity wanted Spike's chip intact.

"Ah, ah, ah. That would be cheating if I told you all the answers. I know how much you enjoy researching."

The entity morphed into Angel as Giles watched. "You should ask your Slayer abut the last time I was in Sunnydale. I paid her a last vampire lover a visit." Angel leaned over to whisper in Giles' ear, "what is it about vampires that gets your Slayer so hot, huh Rupes? First it was Angel and not it's Spike. Disgusting really."

Before Giles could comment, the entity disappeared leaving the store empty once again. He sighed in frustration, Giles was no closer to the answer than he was when 'Jenny' appeared.

All he knew now was that Willow and Graham were fighting on the side of evil and they were coming to Sunnydale. Giles knew that he could do whatever was needed to defeat Willow, but he wasn't sure the others could.  He would do it with a heavy heart, but he would stop Willow by any means necessary.