Previously on Buffy: Glory discovers Dawn is the key. The gang travels across country to escape Glory before the Day of Revelation.
Chapter One: Packing Up
Buffy ascended the staircase to the room she had known as her own for six years. Those years had seemed to drag on, but now she wondered where they had gone. So much had changed since her first night sleeping here. Her life had become a whirlwind of demons, spells, death, armegeddon, and loss. Through all of it, though, she had had the sancuary of her bedroom. Her haven. Now she was about to lose even that bit of security. But now, of all times, was not the moment for reminising. Now was the time from preperation. The rest of the gang was buzzing about her getting thier things in order.
She opened her door and memories came flooding back to her in a tidal wave. Memories of her and her mother laughing on the bed and Angel sneaking through her window for the first time. She pushed those thoughts aside and hurried to her closet. The faster she could get out of there, then faster she could forget. She dug through a pile of dirty cloths to get to the old Adidas duffle bag she hadn't used since her cheerleading days. She hastily packed a couple pairs of paints, underwear, and socks along with a few shirts into it. She then packed up her weapons and headed back downstairs to the living room she would probably never see again.
"Everyone ready?" She asked as she entered the room where six glum faces awaited her. "Right, then, let's get to the van. We have a long way to go and not much time to do it in." Before she closed her front door for the final time, she looked around the room and studied it. She studied each photo above the fireplace, each magazine that littreed the coffee tables, and each piece of porcelin that hre mother had spent so many years collecting. While the others were stepping into the van, she quickly snuck back in and picked up the porcelin teddy bear, she had gotten from her mother on her thirteenth birthday.
She walked off the porch and joined the others in the vehicle Spike had mysteriously come across. No one knew how or where he got it, and no one cared enough to inquire. With everyone inside, Giles slid the door shut. Spike jumped behind the steering wheel before Giles had the chance.
"Excuse me, but I thought we agreed that I would be driving," Giles said.
"During the day you most certainly will be driving, but for the next," Spike stopped to look at his watch,"5 hours and 34 minutes, I will be heading this popsicle stand."
"What are you taking about. We," Giles began.
"Well, old boy, if you look closely enough at the sky, you'll see a big white spot that almost resembles the moon."
"I know what you're saying, but."
"Who bought us this van, Giles," Spike questioned.
"I hardly believe you bought it," Giles replied.
"Well, that's neither here nor there now is it? Who got us the van, then?"
"I really don't think that's important," Giles said.
"Who, Giles," Spike persisted.
"You did, but." This time he was interrupted by Xandier.
"Look, guys, let's settle this now. I'll drive."
"No!" Both English men exclaimed in unison.
"Fine, just trying to get things going," Xandier said deflated.
"Speaking of going, can we do some of that?" Buffy insisted.
"Oh, fine. You drive nights. I'll drive days," Giles surrendered.
"Thank you. Are you ready for Spike's Ride of Fun?" He asked to no response. "Hearing no shrieks or screams of panic, we're off." Spike slid on his sunglasses and they began thier journey.
Within the hour most of the travelers were asleep. Buffy, careful not to wake anyone since she knew they all deserved thier rest, climbed over motionless bodies to the front passenger seat.
"How you doing up here?" She asked the vampire.
"Just fine and dandy. And yourself?" He inquired.
"Given the circumstances," she hesitated. "Surprisingly well." There was a few moments of silence between them. It was funny, Buffy thought, that she hated silences, but with Spike it was okay. "I'm really glad you decided to come."
"You know me. Always willing to help a damsel in distress," he told her. He gave her the impish grin that had gotten himout of so many uncomfortable circumstances. But it never worked with Buffy. It had always seemed to him that she could see right through that smile and into his mind. And heart.
"So, whre are we going, Chief?" Buffy asked.
"Wherever the road takes us, Love," he answered. She'd always hated being called Love, but now it was comforting. She loked at the bleach blonde sitting next to her and smiled.
"What?" He asked.
"Why do you wear those sunglasses? There's no light at all."
"I think they make me look a bit like James Dean," he said as his companion laughed lightly. "Just a little bit, don't you think?"
"Sometimes, I wonder about you, Spike," Buffy said only half serious.
"Why? What did I do?"
"Oh, nothing," she answered.
So far they had past a total of four cactuses and two feeding buzzards. Needless to say, it didn't raise thier spirits. They had rode in silence for nearly three hours when the sun began to rise.
"Should I wake Giles?" Buffy asked.
"Nah," Spike answered. "I have a plan." He swerved over the side of the dirt road and leaned over Buffy to reach the glove compartment. He pulled out a role of aluminum foil and duct tape.
"What are you going to do? Wrap yourself up like a mummy. William the Bloody... Mummy," Buffy joked. It had been so long since he'd heard his Christian name. Normally it would have annoyed him, but coming from her lips, it wasn't so bad.
"Watch and learn. By the way, just between the two us, you can call me William," he offered. There was something about Buffy that made him feel almost human again.
"I'll all you William when I respect you," she replied. Her words stung him, but he carried on as if no words were spoken.
"So, Willy, what's the plan?" Xandier asked as he popped his head between the seats.
"Bloody Hell," was Spike's only response.
He unwrapped the aluminum foil and taped it to the window. Next, he covered the windshied. When he was done, he tore a small rectangle out so he could see.
"How clever of you, Will," Xandier commented.
"Look here, I said she could call me William. Not yoy," Spike said.
"Fine. Just trying to be friendly. Make you comfortable with the rest of us mere mortals with you, know, souls and such," Xnadier replied with mock innocese.
"It was a valient effort, Xandier," Buffy told him.
"I thought so," Xandier said and leaned back where he'd been.
They continued on and by thier first pit stop everyone was awake. There was very little talk. It seemed the combination of the late night start and the heat had drained thier enery.
"Okay, here we are. Make it snappy. This is going to be our only stop for another 200 miles," Spike announced. He had come to enjoy being inn charge, though no one took heed to his words.
"Buffy, could you fill up the tank?" Giles asked her. He handed her some cash and headed for the restroom. Buffy took a look around as she pumped. Most of her surroundings were dirt and tumble weeds. She was surprised there was a gas station this far out in the middle of nowhere. She walked into the store and up to the counter.
"This is the most business we've had in a long while," the cashier informed her. She wore a red smock with Tracy written in the top left corner in marker. "Where y'all headed?"
"Fairview," Buffy answered.
"That's the funniest name I ever heard for a place like that," Tracy said.
"Why?"
"The town has been abandoned for years," Tracy explained.
"That'll be 32.34 please." Buffy handed her the money and headed for the door. Once everyone wsa assembled, they started again.
"Those restrooms are not up the standard, at all. I'm feeling kind of itchy as a matter of fact. I think I've caught a diease. Oh, God, no," Xandier exclaimed.
"Let's hope it's a fatal one,'' Spike said under his breath. The rest of the ride would have been silent had it not been for Xandier crunching on his Cheetos.
Previews from our next episode: The gang fights off an attack in Fairview.