Chapter 29 – Glasgow 7 July 2004

To my surprise, I do manage to sleep - deeply and soundly like I haven't for a long time. As I come back, I'm vaguely aware of the sound of movement and then low level conversation. When I open my eyes, there's no one in the bedroom, so I get up, pull on a wrap and go out to find Moira and Dawn in the kitchen. Dawn's at the stove, stirring something in a large pan.

"What're you doing?" I ask. "Not teaching her to cook, surely?" I add as I turn to Moira.

"Not anything useful, that's for certain. There's a summer fair for the local Kirk. They're looking for things to sell, and tablet always goes down well. I was going to make some, but Dawn decided she'd like to learn how."

"Tablet? What's that?"

Dawn shrugs. "It's got sugar and butter and milk in it, so I'm thinking it can't be bad."

"It's sort of like fudge, but with a harder, grittier texture," Moira explains. "I think it's an exclusively Scottish thing, but home made tablet will always sell at these things."

She checks her watch. "Ok, Dawn, it's probably time to do the test. Remember what I told you?"

"Drop a bit into cold water and see what the texture's like."

"That's right. Now, lift it out and let me see."

"Ooooh, it's sticky - like soft toffee."

"That's right. Ok, that's perfect. Now, the hard work part. Take it off the heat but keep stirring it. When you see it just starting to form crystals - after a minute or two - pour it into the trays."

Dawn does as she's told, stirring the thickening mixture carefully.

"Did you sleep well?" Moira asks.

"Yes … yes I did. How's Spike doing?" I address the question generally, but it's Dawn who answers.

"He was going to get some more sleep and then have a shower. I told him to wait until you or Gus were around before he did that, though, so I've been listening for running water next door. Haven't heard any though, so he's probably still asleep." Dawn's still got that slightly over-excited tone she had when I left her with Spike.

"Where's Gus?"

"Ah, well. He's gone to the airport." Moira's voice sounds hesitant.

"Airport?"

"Yeah, to meet Giles?" No hesitance from Dawn, but then she probably hasn't had the whole story about Giles' involvement in all this.

"Giles. Giles is coming here?"

"Apparently he thinks this is where he needs to be to find out what's happened to the other Slayers."

I feel a constriction in my stomach at that. I was much happier when I didn't think he'd be any closer to here than London.

"Did he stop off in London or is coming straight from Cleveland?"

"Don't know. Gus just got the message to meet him and a flight number, so I don't know."

"Where's he staying?" I ask, wondering if he's planning on kicking Spike out of his apartment.

Dawn shrugs. "Some hotel. I think he might be coming straight to the office upstairs, though."

Ok, so Giles is coming. I can deal with him. It might be easier, though, if I'm dressed and have clean hair.

"I'm going to have a shower. If you hear anything from next door, give me a shout. I'll be quick as I can."

"You got it," Dawn chirps happily, continuing to stir the mixture.

I shower as quickly as I can. Drying my hair takes a little longer, but when it's done, I scrape it back with a scrunchie, pull on some jeans and a t-shirt and bump into Dawn in the hallway.

"Water's running next door," she informs me, so I leave right away, bursting in through Spike's front door which has been left unlocked. The bathroom door's open, but I knock anyway.

"Hardly need to knock, making all that noise," he mutters before opening the door completely. He's still dressed – below the waist at least – and he's gradually removing bandages from his upper half. "Come to check up on me?"

"Come to make sure you don't fall in the shower."

"Right. So, do you think you need to come in here or can you listen out for me from there?"

"Er … here'll be fine," I mutter, knowing that he's taken a perverse pleasure in making me have to even consider the alternative.

"Fine. I'll shout if I need help."

He closes the door behind him, and faced with a closed door or an extremely uninteresting hallway, I decide to go and wait in the kitchen which I reckon should afford the clearest sounds from the bathroom.

There's nothing interesting to do in the kitchen either, but there is a small pile of washing up, so I set to with that, pleased to note that he hasn't used all the hot water. And then I remember the unit in Moira's bathroom - it heated water just for the shower, so maybe it's the same in here.

I'm just finishing when I hear a knock on the door. I go to open it, wondering who it could be since anyone Spike's likely to be expecting is more likely to just walk in.

It's Giles with Gus behind him. Gus mouths a 'Sorry' at me before saying out loud, "Ok, Mr. Giles. I'll be upstairs when you need me."

Giles barely acknowledges this, merely glancing behind him and nodding before turning back to me. "Hello, Buffy. I was looking for Spike. I understood he'd been injured, so I wasn't expecting him to be entertaining."

"He's not entertaining. He's in the shower, and I'm here just in case he falls. You know, in case he injures himself worse than he already is."

"I see. May I come in?"

"I don't know. Maybe I should just check with Spike?"

"I asked because that's the accepted form. As I'm sure you know, the building, with the exception of Moira's flat, is leased by the Council. That makes me effectively his landlord, and as such, I'm entitled to come in."

I don't know how true or otherwise that is, but I decide that it doesn't matter. Whatever he's got to say to Spike, I'll be there to make sure it doesn't get out of hand.

I stand aside and show him into the small sitting room before going back to the bathroom to let Spike know.

"I heard," he says from behind the door. "Tell him I'll be there soon as I'm decent."

"Want some help with bandages?"

"I can probably manage most of it, and what I can't, we'll sort out later."

I go back in to the living room, and we're both sitting rather awkwardly for some minutes, during which time Giles pointedly looks at his watch.

"It's going to take him a while," I state. "He's not exactly at his most mobile."

"Yes, you said he'd been injured."

"Do you have any idea how badly?"

"Given the description of how he single-handedly defeated this Hatton, I can't imagine it was that bad."

I shake my head, then decide to tell him, one by one, about the various injuries I tended yesterday. As I go through the catalogue, he looks more and more embarrassed.

"I don't understand. I thought … when you said he was injured … that it was minor. I've done some investigation of this Hatton, and I know what he is. Angel … was able to help too. He said there was someone at Wolfram and Hart at the end - name of Hamilton. He … Angel said he couldn't harm him at all until Hamilton was stupid enough to let Angel know that the power of the Senior Partners was in his blood. Spike didn't … drink from this Hatton, did he?"

"No, I bloody didn't." The voice from the doorway takes us both by surprise. "If I'd known that, I'd have saved myself a world of pain."

I get up, instinctively going towards him to help him to a chair, but he gestures impatiently to me to sit back down. I do, and I watch him walking unevenly into the room.

"When Hatton'd finished with me, getting up wasn't an option, believe me. Then something changed. It was something to do with that crystal, but why it helped me, I have no idea."

"Yes, well, I had hoped to speak to Spike on his own, but since you're here, perhaps we should invite Gus back down and I can tell you what I've been able to add to the information you gave me."

"Ok," I answer, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket. After yesterday, I made sure to get Gus' phone number, so I call him. I know it's only upstairs, but there's no way I'm leaving Spike alone with Giles just now. Giles looks mildly irritated, but doesn't say anything.

It only takes a couple of minutes before Gus has arrived, and the four of us are sitting, Gus and Giles in the two armchairs, and Spike and I on the sofa. "Right," Giles begins, taking his glasses off to rub at his eyes tiredly before replacing them. "Where were we?"

"Spike just told you that when Hatton left him, he had been badly beaten and couldn't get up. Then, something changed and he was able to not only get up, but come to the room where the crystal was, and finish Hatton off," I summarise. I want to be sure that Giles has got the picture of Spike being badly hurt clearly in his head since he seems to be inclined to forget that bit.

"The crystal," he repeats. "Yes, I've had everyone I can spare looking into that. The behaviour of the energy in the crystal certainly makes sense when you take Edmundson's Free Energy Theory of the calling of Slayers into consideration. Despite studying the event for generations, the Council has a number of theories as to how a Slayer is called, but there has never been a way to conclusively prove one theory over another. However, in the Free Energy Theory, Slayer power is released into the ether on the death of each Slayer. It is then temporarily free to roam the earth in search of a suitable host. That theory believes that it travels until it encounters a potential Slayer. Some sub theories say that it rests with the first potential it finds while others believe that it searches for the most suitable candidate. The fact that Buffy retained her Slayer powers after dying has caused no end of argument around that theory, but that aspect has no importance in this discussion. This theory is given substance by the apparent behaviour of the energy in this instance. We have to assume that the energy had somehow been locked in the crystal. If it hadn't, surely it would have emerged before you arrived. However, the energy recognised that there were Slayers close to it, and fought to get to them."

"The other girls said they weren't aware of it until I got there."

"Interesting. Perhaps, as the longest holder of the power, it recognised you personally, but again, that's a subject for discussion when the current crisis has been resolved. Once contact was made between you and the crystal or perhaps more accurately, the energy within the crystal, the structure of the crystal was no longer able to contain the energy and it flowed back into those it recognised. However, I don't see how this could have helped Spike in the slightest. The Slayer energy, by any reasonable theory, should have kept as far from Spike as it could. He's the opposite of a Slayer. Evil, dead, the antithesis of everything it should be drawn to."

"I knew Spike needed help," I offer. "I don't know how, but I'm sure that my need to help Spike was recognised … somehow."

Giles looks at me as if I'd just told him I want to dye my hair green. I ignore the look and try to get back to more important matters.

"So, do you know how many Slayers are still missing?"

"Er, yes. We believe eight are unaccounted for."

"And what's the deal with Philip Spencer Kidd?"

"Ah, now, that's more complicated."

"What do you mean, complicated?"

"Philip is one very scared young man."

"He should be. When I get my hands on him …"

"Buffy, I know he's hurt you. Indeed, he's been involved in the kidnapping of many Slayers, but right now, he's our only clue to getting the remaining girls back. And he's got better reason than you to be afraid." He turns his attention towards Spike. "Spike, the information you were given by Hatton regarding the Senior Partners has been corroborated by Philip. He has been working for them, although, to be fair, he didn't know that until very recently."

"Sounds like he's been talking," Spike pipes up. "Mind sharing?"

Giles takes a deep breath before explaining.

"Yes, well, as Hatton told you, the original scheme was Morag's. Apparently, from the time she got her power, she was convinced that she could use the power in some way other than what was intended. She found that she could siphon off part of her own power and store it in crystals. Once she'd perfected her magic, she needed two things - she needed a market for the power, and she needed information on the Slayers. According to Philip, finding buyers was easy. She already had contacts all over the world because of her legitimate business interests, and some of those had contacts in other dimensions. Once information on her product became known, she was approached by Hatton. He was apparently happy just to act for various buyers in the beginning."

Giles reaches into his pocket for a cloth, takes off his glasses and cleans them thoughtfully. "Philip's involvement with Morag is much longer-term. Some years ago, he had heard that she had some skill with magic, and he commissioned her to provide him with something rather specialised. As you described to me, he can literally turn on his charm at will. He paid her handsomely for it, I understand. As far as Philip was concerned, that was the end of their arrangement. Then, almost a year ago, she approached him, threatening to tell the Council about his ability and how he's used it in the meantime. Philip maintains that he only ever used his … ability in a social context, although he seems not to recognise the fact that that in itself would be seen as reprehensible. However, Philip's father believed him to be flighty and unworthy of the huge inheritance that would otherwise have come to him. As a result, he left his estate to the Council, on condition that Philip is paid a very generous monthly allowance for as long as he continues to be employed. The Council, for its part, cannot dismiss Philip without due cause. Philip believed, quite rightly, that the Council would not look kindly on his behaviour, and so he felt he had no option but to accede to Morag's demands. She needed information on Slayers and their locations, and she knew Philip was a Council employee. And, by dint of using the very gift she had provided for him, the information was easy for him to obtain, even from the other side of the world."

"And he just told you all this? What did you use? A truth spell?" Spike's voice is heavy with sarcasm.

"I would have had no compunction about using a truth spell if it had proved necessary. Under the circumstances, it wasn't."

"He didn't just offer this information, did he?" I'm with Spike. I can't see Philip just coming clean about all this - not with his allowance in jeopardy.

"He offered this information in return for protection. He believes that the Senior Partners will wish to punish his … ineptitude in letting you follow Buffy through the portal. When Philip returned to the UK, Hatton had already taken over the operation from Morag, and he decided to use Philip for various tasks, among them, handling the Fyarls. It seems that the charm he can turn on at a whim has the effect of rendering Fyarls much more reasonable than they would normally be. Philip knew that he was working for the Senior Partners, but didn't see any alternative. He was at the portal when you went through after Buffy. He had a choice to make at that point. He could have followed you into the portal or tried in some way to warn Hatton of what was happening, but he believed that he would be blamed regardless, and so he ran. His insurance policy was a bit of information he came across by accident. Somehow, he learned that a lawyer by name of Lindsay McDonald had been able to hide from the Senior Partners. He didn't know the details, and he hadn't investigated too closely so as not to draw attention to himself, but he knew that a method existed. The details were, in fact, provided to the Council by Wesley Wyndam Pryce before his death. Philip tried to get the information from Penelope, but that was too specialised to be within her remit. In desperation, he tried to contact me, but, not realising his significance, I ignored his calls. Once I'd spoken to you, I immediately contacted him, and, in return for this information, was able to provide him with the protection he wanted. He is currently in a room which is shielded from the Senior Partners. However, if he takes as much as one step out of that room, he will lose whatever protection the symbols provide. He is therefore, to all intents and purposes, out of circulation."

I shiver despite myself. Giles is managing to be so cold about this. It reminds me of the time, with Glory, when he tried to persuade me that I'd have to kill Dawn.

"Ok," Spike interrupts my thoughts. "So Morag started the scheme, and then Hatton decided to take over. I assume that's when she got herself killed?"

"I would assume so."

"But if it was working so well, why didn't they just carry on letting her run things?"

"Because Hatton was impatient. He felt that the harvesting of Slayer power was taking too long and wanted to speed things up. According to Philip, Morag didn't like the changes Hatton wanted to make, and tried to push him out of the equation. It's when Hatton took over that the base of operations moved from Inchmore to the place you were taken to."

"And things started to speed up then."

"That would appear to be the case."

"But if they were taking girls a dozen or more at a time, why did they come back to get me?"

"You don't want to know." Spike's voice is quiet and his head down.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Hatton told me why you were wanted. You. Specifically. From what he said, you weren't going to stay locked up with the other girls for long."

"If you know something, it would be foolish to keep it to yourself," Giles chides. "We have no way of knowing which bit of information might be vital to the rescue of the remaining Slayers."

Spike locks his gaze with Giles for a moment, as if weighing him. Interestingly, it's Giles who breaks the connection.

"Sorry, Pet. I didn't want to tell you this, but Giles might just have something there. Anyway. Hatton said you were specially requested. He had a … buyer … already lined up for you. No one else would do."

"A buyer? For me?" I shudder at the prospect. "Who? Who'd want …"

"Angelus. No, …" He stops me from interrupting and reminding him that Angel's human now.

"Not your Angelus. This one's from an alternate dimension. In that dimension, things went a bit differently. Dru … Dru killed Willow before she could return Angel's soul. So … I don't know how the rest of the history worked out for them, but Angelus survived, soulless. Somehow, he managed to get his hands on you, or the Buffy from that universe. He kept her … don't know how long, and I can only guess it wasn't pretty. But she died. Angelus wants a replacement. He wants another Buffy to torment until he manages to kill her – you - too. That's what Hatton had in mind for you."

The shudder at the prospect of being sold has multiplied. I look at Spike, my eyes on his as they have been while he's been speaking, and it's like the rest of the world has ceased to exist. His eyes, so blue and expressive, are trying to see into my soul, trying to gauge my reaction to this news.

"Sorry, Pet. Didn't want to tell you, but …"

"No, Spike. I'm … glad you told me. It … pretty much confirms that the missing Slayers have been sold. And …"

His arms are around me in an instant, just holding me, making me feel safe. I take a couple of deep breaths before breaking away and looking at Gus and Giles. Gus looks pale and shaken, but then he knew one of the missing Slayers well, so he's got a personal stake in this too. Giles is cleaning his glasses so aggressively that I'm amazed that they survive the process.

"So, we can be pretty sure that the missing Slayers have been sold," I summarise. "But we've got no idea where they might be."

"Indeed. By all accounts, they could be in any of the infinite number of alternate universes which exist."

"So, how do we find them?"

"Well, the coven has had success finding Slayers before," Giles points out. "However, that was limited to this reality. I believe it should be possible to search other realities. Willow is certainly able to astrally project herself into other dimensions, and once there, she could search."

"But, as you said," Spike butts in. "There're an infinite number of possibilities. Unless we can cut that down somehow, then searching for our Slayers that way is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack."

"Quite," Giles says softly.