Chapter Fifty-Seven: How Will We Ever Get By Without Her?
"So what do we do now?" Willow asked.
"We get Buffy back," Dawn said. She was tending to Spike. His head was still hurting from when the chip activated, along with the shocks he'd received. He was also oddly quiet. He hadn't said a word since he'd realized that the Initiative had kidnapped Buffy.
"I know that, Dawnie," Willow said. "But how? We don't even know where they took her."
"Yes, we do," Spike said, startling everyone. "They took her to Los Angeles."
"And you know this how?" Xander asked.
"Think about it, monkey boy," Spike snapped. "Nibblet found their newest base is in L.A. and who's in L.A. that the government wants?"
"Connor," Tara said, realizing what the Initiative was going to do.
"Right," Spike said. "And Glinda gets a prize."
"I'll call Angel and warn him," Willow said, picking up the phone.
"Don't bother," Spike snapped, standing up.
"What?" Willow said, horrified. "You want the Initiative to get Connor too?"
"No," Spike said, irritated. "Soldier boys aren't going to get Little Peaches. I'm going to L.A. myself. I'll warn them in person."
"I'm going with you," Dawn said.
"So am I," Willow said. She looked around and everyone nodded. They were going too.
"No," Spike said. "No one goes."
"Spike, Buffy's our friend and we're not going to just forget about what they're probably doing to her right now. We're going with." Xander said.
"No," Spike said, speaking in a tone reserved for small children. "You're staying here. I'll look up Angel and his crew once I get to L.A. and if I need anything I can ask them."
"Spike, we're not just going to sit around and wait for you to bring Buffy back," Willow insisted.
"You're not going to sit around on your bloody hands," Spike said. "You're staying here because Dru's still building her army and if you don't stop her then Captain Cardboard and his lackeys will be the least of our worries."
"So you want us to stay here and stop Drusilla while you rescue Buffy?" Anya said.
"Another prize goes to the lady there," Spike said. "You people stay here and stop Dru. I get Buffy back and we all live happily ever after."
"If you want us to stop Drusilla than you should stay. You're the one who knows how she thinks," Willow pointed out.
"I don't know how she thinks. No one knows how she thinks. She's insane, remember?" Spike snapped. He looked out the window. If he left now he'd be in L.A. by sundown. Buffy's car had been rigged so that he could drive it in daylight so he'd leave now.
"Can't I come with?" Dawn asked.
"No," Spike said. "Sorry Bit but I need you here to take care of the cats." Dawn nodded. She wasn't happy about being left, though. "If the kittens are born before I get back take them to Clem. He'll make sure they get to the right demons and that you don't get cheated."
"We'll stay with Dawn," Tara said. She didn't like the idea of staying behind but Spike was right. They needed to stop Dru. Tara looked at Willow and shrugged. They'd have to postpone moving into their apartment but this was an emergency situation.
"Call the Watcher too," Spike said. "Get him back here. He might be able to keep you people from killing yourselves while I'm gone."
"I'll call him," Willow promised.
Spike walked over and pulled Dawn into his arms, "It'll be okay, Bit." He stepped back and looked into her eyes. "I won't come back without her."
"Be careful," Dawn ordered him.
"You know me Bit," Spike said.
"Yeah I do," Dawn said. "Be careful."
"Keep in touch," Xander ordered.
Spike rolled his eyes. He ignored Xander and said to Dawn, "If you need anything call Angel. He'll know how to get in touch with me." He hated having to have to work with Angel but he'd need someone with resources and Angel had those. Besides Angel's son was in danger too.
Spike looked at Dawn, "Be good Nibblet," He said and then he hurried out the door to Buffy's car, using his duster for protection against the sun.
"We should have gone with him," Willow said. "We could have helped him get Buffy back."
"What about Drusilla's army?" Dawn pointed out. "If we don't stop them, than they're going to open the Hellmouth and then what kind of world will Buffy come back to?"
"How are we going to stop this army?" Anya asked.
No one answered her. They were all thinking the same thing. Buffy, Spike and Giles were all gone and they were left on their own until they returned.
"I'll call Giles," Tara said, breaking the silence. "He might know what to do." She went over to the phone and dialed Giles's number, hoping that he would be there.
Willow looked at one of the Magic Box books. It was opened to a picture of Drusilla. "Maybe we should concentrate on her. If we kill Drusilla than her plans will fall apart. The trio aren't smart enough to pull this off on their own."
"So we go after Drusilla?" Xander said.
"But how are you going to defeat her on your own?" Anya asked.
"We've gone up against her before," Willow defended.
"Yeah," Anya said. "With Buffy's help, she was the one who fought Drusilla, and even Buffy needed Spike's help to beat her."
"Well that was a long time ago," Willow said. "And we're a lot stronger now. We can beat her."
"Sure," Anya said, rolling her eyes. She opened the cash register and began counting her money in an effort to relax.
"We'll beat her," Xander said. "All we need is a stake and she's dust, along with her plans for world domination."
"We just have to find her," Willow said.
"I know," Dawn said. "We can just have someone ask around in the demon bars, act like he's interested in her army or something."
"Who'd do that?" Xander asked. "She knows all of us already."
"But she doesn't know Clem," Dawn pointed out. "We could have him try and find out what he can. I know he'd help."
Willow and Xander exchanged looks, "It might work," Willow said slowly. "He's probably the only one who could blend in enough to find out anything."
"I'll ask him," Dawn said, heading for the door.
"You're not going alone," Tara said. She'd finished talking on the phone with Giles and he was catching the next flight to Sunnydale. "If anything happens to you, Buffy and Spike will never forgive us."
"I'll go with you," Anya offered, surprising everyone by her willingness to leave the store in the middle of the day. "What?" She said, noticing the surprised looks. "I want to talk to Halfrek and she's probably at the crypt too."
"Why would a vengeance demons be at Spike's crypt?" Xander asked.
"Because she's dating Clem," Anya said. "Wait up Dawn," She called after Dawn who was already out the door.
"So," Xander said after Anya left, trying to get the image of Clem and Halfrek together out of his head. "Let's start researching." He opened a book, "Let's make sure that Spike brings Buffy home to a closed Hellmouth." He didn't look at the book, though. Instead he just stared out the door, wondering, like everyone else, when and maybe even if Spike would bring Buffy back home.
"So what do we do now?" Willow asked.
"We get Buffy back," Dawn said. She was tending to Spike. His head was still hurting from when the chip activated, along with the shocks he'd received. He was also oddly quiet. He hadn't said a word since he'd realized that the Initiative had kidnapped Buffy.
"I know that, Dawnie," Willow said. "But how? We don't even know where they took her."
"Yes, we do," Spike said, startling everyone. "They took her to Los Angeles."
"And you know this how?" Xander asked.
"Think about it, monkey boy," Spike snapped. "Nibblet found their newest base is in L.A. and who's in L.A. that the government wants?"
"Connor," Tara said, realizing what the Initiative was going to do.
"Right," Spike said. "And Glinda gets a prize."
"I'll call Angel and warn him," Willow said, picking up the phone.
"Don't bother," Spike snapped, standing up.
"What?" Willow said, horrified. "You want the Initiative to get Connor too?"
"No," Spike said, irritated. "Soldier boys aren't going to get Little Peaches. I'm going to L.A. myself. I'll warn them in person."
"I'm going with you," Dawn said.
"So am I," Willow said. She looked around and everyone nodded. They were going too.
"No," Spike said. "No one goes."
"Spike, Buffy's our friend and we're not going to just forget about what they're probably doing to her right now. We're going with." Xander said.
"No," Spike said, speaking in a tone reserved for small children. "You're staying here. I'll look up Angel and his crew once I get to L.A. and if I need anything I can ask them."
"Spike, we're not just going to sit around and wait for you to bring Buffy back," Willow insisted.
"You're not going to sit around on your bloody hands," Spike said. "You're staying here because Dru's still building her army and if you don't stop her then Captain Cardboard and his lackeys will be the least of our worries."
"So you want us to stay here and stop Drusilla while you rescue Buffy?" Anya said.
"Another prize goes to the lady there," Spike said. "You people stay here and stop Dru. I get Buffy back and we all live happily ever after."
"If you want us to stop Drusilla than you should stay. You're the one who knows how she thinks," Willow pointed out.
"I don't know how she thinks. No one knows how she thinks. She's insane, remember?" Spike snapped. He looked out the window. If he left now he'd be in L.A. by sundown. Buffy's car had been rigged so that he could drive it in daylight so he'd leave now.
"Can't I come with?" Dawn asked.
"No," Spike said. "Sorry Bit but I need you here to take care of the cats." Dawn nodded. She wasn't happy about being left, though. "If the kittens are born before I get back take them to Clem. He'll make sure they get to the right demons and that you don't get cheated."
"We'll stay with Dawn," Tara said. She didn't like the idea of staying behind but Spike was right. They needed to stop Dru. Tara looked at Willow and shrugged. They'd have to postpone moving into their apartment but this was an emergency situation.
"Call the Watcher too," Spike said. "Get him back here. He might be able to keep you people from killing yourselves while I'm gone."
"I'll call him," Willow promised.
Spike walked over and pulled Dawn into his arms, "It'll be okay, Bit." He stepped back and looked into her eyes. "I won't come back without her."
"Be careful," Dawn ordered him.
"You know me Bit," Spike said.
"Yeah I do," Dawn said. "Be careful."
"Keep in touch," Xander ordered.
Spike rolled his eyes. He ignored Xander and said to Dawn, "If you need anything call Angel. He'll know how to get in touch with me." He hated having to have to work with Angel but he'd need someone with resources and Angel had those. Besides Angel's son was in danger too.
Spike looked at Dawn, "Be good Nibblet," He said and then he hurried out the door to Buffy's car, using his duster for protection against the sun.
"We should have gone with him," Willow said. "We could have helped him get Buffy back."
"What about Drusilla's army?" Dawn pointed out. "If we don't stop them, than they're going to open the Hellmouth and then what kind of world will Buffy come back to?"
"How are we going to stop this army?" Anya asked.
No one answered her. They were all thinking the same thing. Buffy, Spike and Giles were all gone and they were left on their own until they returned.
"I'll call Giles," Tara said, breaking the silence. "He might know what to do." She went over to the phone and dialed Giles's number, hoping that he would be there.
Willow looked at one of the Magic Box books. It was opened to a picture of Drusilla. "Maybe we should concentrate on her. If we kill Drusilla than her plans will fall apart. The trio aren't smart enough to pull this off on their own."
"So we go after Drusilla?" Xander said.
"But how are you going to defeat her on your own?" Anya asked.
"We've gone up against her before," Willow defended.
"Yeah," Anya said. "With Buffy's help, she was the one who fought Drusilla, and even Buffy needed Spike's help to beat her."
"Well that was a long time ago," Willow said. "And we're a lot stronger now. We can beat her."
"Sure," Anya said, rolling her eyes. She opened the cash register and began counting her money in an effort to relax.
"We'll beat her," Xander said. "All we need is a stake and she's dust, along with her plans for world domination."
"We just have to find her," Willow said.
"I know," Dawn said. "We can just have someone ask around in the demon bars, act like he's interested in her army or something."
"Who'd do that?" Xander asked. "She knows all of us already."
"But she doesn't know Clem," Dawn pointed out. "We could have him try and find out what he can. I know he'd help."
Willow and Xander exchanged looks, "It might work," Willow said slowly. "He's probably the only one who could blend in enough to find out anything."
"I'll ask him," Dawn said, heading for the door.
"You're not going alone," Tara said. She'd finished talking on the phone with Giles and he was catching the next flight to Sunnydale. "If anything happens to you, Buffy and Spike will never forgive us."
"I'll go with you," Anya offered, surprising everyone by her willingness to leave the store in the middle of the day. "What?" She said, noticing the surprised looks. "I want to talk to Halfrek and she's probably at the crypt too."
"Why would a vengeance demons be at Spike's crypt?" Xander asked.
"Because she's dating Clem," Anya said. "Wait up Dawn," She called after Dawn who was already out the door.
"So," Xander said after Anya left, trying to get the image of Clem and Halfrek together out of his head. "Let's start researching." He opened a book, "Let's make sure that Spike brings Buffy home to a closed Hellmouth." He didn't look at the book, though. Instead he just stared out the door, wondering, like everyone else, when and maybe even if Spike would bring Buffy back home.