banner by Dawnofme

Chapter 10: An Unexpected Announcement

The girls hurried down the stairs towards the warmth, unraveling their scarves and ditching their hats and gloves.

Spike followed them, doing the same. They congregated at the bar and Mickey stared at them in disbelief. “What are you guys doing out there? Are you crazy?” There was a hint of concern in his voice that was endearing.

Chantal tried to smile, her teeth chattering, her lips blue. “Patrolling, Mickey. Evil stops for no weather!”

He gestured around the bar. “Honey, anyone in this town who is evil is here, so you came to the right place.”

The trio turned around and faced the room. Each table was full of an assortment of demons. Some benign, some not so benign. Seems the weather had created a sense of community even among the soulless and undead. A handful of vamps shied away but the Ryken demons simply grinned and waved. Spike waved back.

Sam grimaced. “What weapons did we bring?”

Chantal smiled. “Very few. Too hard to fight in these clothes. Recon. Wasn’t expecting to fight.”

“And we aren’t going to,” Spike said. “No one’s fighting during a time like this.” He waved one last time to the bar’s patrons and then turned his back on them. He eyed Mickey. “We need information on the bad magic that’s going down out there. Who do you recommend we talk to?”

“Kohlka, she’s a vengeance demon and she’s currently on the outs with the Fyarl contingent for a vengeance spell gone wrong. If there’s something to know, she’ll know it.”

“What does she drink?” Spike asked.

Mickey raised his eyebrows. “Chardonnay. I know – strange but true.”

Spike shook his head and muttered something about taste. “Give us a glass then.”

Glass in hand, Spike headed over to the table where the vengeance demon sat. Chantal and Sam followed.

“Do you mind if we join you?”

She looked up and eyed the glass in his hand. “Chardonnay?”

He nodded.

She gestured to the chair. “Sit.”

They all sat and Spike pushed the glass towards her.

“I reckon that you might have some information about what’s going on out there.”

She looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Any idiot with eyes can see that it’s a snow storm.”

He smiled, charming her with his flashing blue eyes. “Now, pet, you know this is no ordinary storm.”

She shrugged. “And? If it wasn’t? Why would I talk to you about it? A vampire with a soul and his harem of slayers. I’ve heard about you.”

He leaned forward, shifting into game face. “You’re going to tell me, my sweet little bint, because whatever bad ass has brewed up this kettle of madness isn’t going to care that you’re a vengeance demon when he clears these streets. And he especially won’t care if the Fyarls are on his side.” She paled and pushed the glass of wine away from her. “Now tell me what you know.”

She looked down at her hands.

“A shipment came in three days ago.”

“What kind of shipment?”

“The illegal kind,” she snapped.

“And you know this how exactly?” Sam asked.

Spike glared at her for interrupting.

“Because my cousin works at the airport,” Kohlka replied, then turned away from the slayers and focused on Spike. “He’s responsible for making sure the illegal shipments get through security and customs with no issues. He then hands them off to an empath demon who sees they get delivered.”

“What was the shipment?”

“A lamp.”

Spike looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Get bent!” he snapped. “Why the bleeding hell would some lamp be illegal? Where the hell did it come from?”

“India,” she replied. “And it isn’t just an ordinary lamp! It’s an oil lamp.”

He shook his head. “Still not sure why it’s illegal.”

“It was stolen from a maharaja’s palace in southern India and is said to be worth a fortune. Priceless.”

He sat back, still not seeing the connection, but he knew Red would. All he had to get was information. “And where was it delivered to?”

She shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Well then, guess we’ll have to pay a visit to this git the empath demon and ask him a few questions. Where can we find him?”

“You can’t,” she said, pulling the glass back towards her. “He’s dead.”

He heard Sam curse under her breath and he shrugged. One less demon he’d have to fight one day in the future. He stood up. “Thanks,” he said.

Kolhka looked up at him in surprise. “You’re welcome.”

He turned to the girls. “Let’s get back.”

Chantal held back for a second and looked at Kolhka. “What did the lamp look like?”

The vengeance demon glared up at her. “How would I know?”

“Because you saw it,” Chantal said softly.

A glimmer of fear shown in the demon’s gaze. “Did not.”

Chantal grimaced and leaned forward. “I’m not a fan of vengeance demons. Watch your back.”

She turned to go but Kolka’s words stopped her. “It’s glass, blue glass with designs etched in. Magic. Ancient symbols. And it was warm. It vibrated as if it breathed and held life.” The vengeance demon was definitely spooked. “Whatever was inside it, I don’t ever want to see it.”

Chantal nodded, then turned and left.

When they stepped outside, the snow had stopped and there was an unnatural stillness to the afternoon that caused them to hurry more than the cold and wind ever could have. Spike worried that whatever demon had stopped the snowstorm would decide to end the unnatural night and that would not be good. Would burying himself in a snow bank be enough to protect himself from the sun, he wondered? And would it be as uncomfortable and unpleasant as it sounded?

Each minute they trudged through the drifts of snow felt like an hour. It took several to reach the house and when they finally did fall through the front door, both Sam and Chantal had reached their limits.

“Warm them up slowly,” Willow barked out orders as Sam collapsed at her feet. She glared at Spike. “What happened?”

Chantal slumped against the wall. “Not his fault,” she slurred, her lips refusing to cooperate by forming the words.

Willow grabbed her before she fell. Her face was stark as she looked up at Spike. “Go help the girls fill two bathtubs with water. Luke-warm. Dawn - get blankets and warm clothes for them. Maia – go heat up some broth, there are a couple of cans in the pantry.”

Spike hurried up the stairs behind Dawn, shedding his bulky clothes as fast as he could. “Where’s the bathroom?” he called out. She pointed down the hall and he hurried, flipping on the light and starting the tub. He stuck his head out the door – “Where is the other-“

Buffy stood there, staring at him, her face pale.

“Buffy?” he said.

She looked past him, to the bathroom, the tub, the towels on the floor. Reaching out, she kissed him softly. “I’ll go start the other one, you wait here for Willow.” Then she turned and left, and Spike felt one of the last hard, ragged pieces of his heart heal.

***

Willow, Dawn, Spike and the slayers worked together to save Chantal and Sam from the effects of their trek through the storm. Finally, both slayers were warmed up and sleeping, with Erica, Zoe, Asia and Maia watching over them.

Willow listened carefully as Spike explained what he’d discovered.

“A lamp?” Buffy asked. “You’re serious.”

He nodded. “Yeah, and Chantal mentioned something about it being blue and covered in symbols.”

Willow shook her head and turned to the computer. “That can’t be good,” she murmured. “Ancient artifacts covered in symbols are never good. Usually harbingers of badness.”

“Anything covered in symbols isn’t good,” added Dawn.

“Usually doesn’t bode well, pet,” Spike agreed.

“Call Giles on his cell and find out how far out of town him and Xander are,” Willow told Dawn.

Dawn grabbed the phone and Spike snatched it from her with a smirk. “Let me do the honors.” He dialed the number she called out to him and held the phone up to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello Rupe! How’s the drive coming along?”

“Spike,” Giles replied, his voice cold.

“You got it! Red wants to know where you gits are at and how much longer it’s going to take you to get your useless arses here!” Spike asked happily.

There was a scuffling and then Xander’s voice came on the line. “We’ll be there by morning.”

“Can’t wait to see you, Harris!” Spike said.

Xander growled something that sounded suspiciously like Dawn’s name.

“What’s that?”

“I said, put Dawn on the phone!” Xander bit out.

Spike glanced at the phone and then shrugged. “Wants to talk to you, Bit.”

Dawn smiled and Spike stiffened. There was something in the gleam of her eyes. She took the phone and then turned her back on him. As he heard the last bit of their conversation, Spike felt his blood boil.

She hung up the phone and turned to him.

“Now, Spike,”

He held up his hand. “No! No, no, no....Just tell me one thing. Tell me I didn’t just hear you say, ‘drive carefully, I love you’ to Harris.”

Dawn grimaced. “No, I –“

A look of horror crossed his face. “Then you said it to Rupert?”

Dawn froze and Buffy’s peal of laughter broke the tension. She took Spike’s hand. “No, Spike, she said it to Xander. Dawn and Xander, well, they’re sort of married. Have been for two years now.”

Spike felt his throat tighten. No. Not my little Niblet, he thought. Not – not with – not with the whelp! He glanced down at her left hand and there it was. Proof. A tiny gold band. How in the bleeding hell had he NOT noticed that?

He cursed and shook his head in denial. Then, he glared at Dawn, his eyes dark, a frown creasing his brow. Without another word, he turned on his heels and stormed away.