Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

Chp.47

Disappearing Act

Everything else is in the first chapter
After speaking with Fred for a few more moments, and trying to get the specifics of what she planned to do, with Willows help, Buffy and her entourage of two headed back up to research central a.k.a Wes's office. She explained the whole plan, and how it would play out with the help of the ghostly one and the witch. Afterwards Giles had pulled her into a corner of the office. She knew that he'd had his misgivings in the endeavor, but he seemed to be coping with it, until she seen the expression on his face. Seems the equation and the contraption that will be built because of it has him antsy-er than before.

"Giles, I know exactly what you're going to say", she blurts out as he starts to open his mouth to say something to her.

"Now, Buffy", He whispers in exasperation. "How on earth could you possibly know what I'm about to say?"

"And it's our only hope. His only hope."

The two sentences come out at the same time, and they end up speaking over one another.

Giles absently rubs his forehead, and looks at the tiny blonde in front of him. "I do realize that this may very well be his only chance. However, something like this has never been attempted. What if it ends up that he completely disappears?"

She had been expecting a protest to bringing the ensouled vampire back; she hadn't been expecting concern on said vamps welfare. Her expression softens at the hint in the mans voice, and she lets the tension in her shoulders relax, somewhat.

"I truthfully do not understand what the rush for this is anyway." His glasses find their way into his hand and the inevitable cleansing starts on the tail of his borrowed t-shirt. "He can surely wait a few more days or weeks, or at least until we can be sure that this won't totally annihilate him." The cleansing of the spotless glasses stops, and he places them back onto his nose. "I'm quite positive that he isn't going anywhere, at least not when you're here."

Buffy stands in silence for a few moments, contemplating the best way to tell her mentor the danger that Spike is actually in. He'd been disappearing for hours on end the last few days, and she is worried. He won't tell her where he goes, but when he shows back up the look in his eyes scares her. Hell the look is terror. Her shoulders slump down in defeat. She'd promised Spike she wouldn't tell anyone, but how else could she get her point across. They had told Fred, but only because they thought that the science wiz would be able to come up with something, and woo hoo if she hadn't gotten one hell'uva brainstorm.

She'd been the only one to care enough to try and help. She and Spike had become fast friends once he'd figured out he was all ghosty. They'd sit and talk for hours, and Buffy was glad to see that he'd made at least one friend outside of her family. Buffy also thought that he'd fell in with her because he thought that she'd be able to help him. Come to find out he actually liked the sweet, little Texan.

Giles stands waiting for a reply, looking on in a fatherly manner at his slayer. "Buffy?"

Her sad eyes slowly make their way up to the dark blue of the watchers, and she moves a lock of hair behind her ear. "He's fading, Giles." She finally admits.

The sadness in her eyes nearly breaks the mans heart, and the whispered words tear it into. "What was that?" He wants to make sure that he heard her right.

She takes a deep breath, holding in unshed tears. "The last few days he's been kinda fading in and out of reality." Her eyes become even glassier as she speaks. "I-I think he might be being dragged into some kind of hell dimension or something." Her whole body straightens into steal. "I can't let that happen to him, Giles. Even if I weren't in love with him, I still wouldn't let it happen. He's been a friend, ally, and the truest of Champions. He doesn't deserve to go to hell."

Giles sighs, and then smiles, proudly at his surrogate daughter. Rubbing a gentle hand over her head, he pulls her into his arms for a tight hug.

Buffy leans into him taking the comfort that he so freely gives.

As he smoothes the hair on her head, his mind wonders. If what she's been saying is true. Moreover, he believes the words of his slayer. There really isn't time to suss out what this contraption of the scientists could possibly do. "We'll do what we can, Buffy", he whispers into her hair. He knows if the incorporeal state that the vampire is in should completely disappear, that the girl he holds in his arms this minute would never forgive any of them.

Xander looks around the office with confusion. "Hey, Buff?" He finally yells from his position across the room from the two huggers.

Buffy pushes away from the comforting arms around her, to see what the other man wants. She swipes the tears from her eyes with the back of a hand. "Yeah", she shouts back, after regaining her composure.

The dark haired man slowly jogs over to her, with the air of confusion still on his face. "Spike!" His hands fly up in a gesture that could only mean the vamp were gone in a flash. "He was standing there." He points over to the spot where Spike had been standing. "We were talking, and then POOF!" Xander' hands flutter animatedly; he doesn't know what to do. "He was gone, just disappeared, right in the middle of a word. No warning what-so-ever." His hands come to rest at his side, as he looks at Buffy.

Buffy looks completely stricken, and she starts to shake involuntarily. "Oh god, not again", she says quietly.

"Not again? What", Xander says out of complete confusion, and looks to Giles for an answer.

"Not right now, Xander." Is the only forthcoming answer from the mentor.

Buffy's head moves to look at the watcher with gratitude. "Okay guys." Everyone assembled looks over to the original slayer. "We're splitting into groups for a search, and we're going to search this building over, until we find his undead, incorporeal ass."

"Fred's up in the lab, as we speak. She's getting this thing together, and Spike has to be in that room for it to work." She mentally counts the people in the room as she speaks. "There will be groups of three." She commands. "Dawn, Xander?"

The two look over to her, with the question 'What?' written in their expressions.

"You're with me. As for everyone else, find a group. I don't care who's with who." Her gaze turns to an imploring almost begging one. "Just find him." With that final expression, she turns on her heel, pulls the door open and leaves the room with her sister and best friend on her tail.
(I just want to say thank you to everyone that reviewed last chapter, there were so many that I can't remember all of the names. So I'm thanking all of you with one thank you.)