CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Willow and Tara stiffened slightly at Buffy’s question. The look on the Slayer’s face was innocent- free of suspicion or accusation. She just looked confused. Neither of them had had a chance to ask Anya themselves, and their conversation earlier that day had left them questioning whether he’d turn up at all.

Anya shifted in her chair. “Working.”

“It’s almost seven.” Buffy pointed out, her eyes flickering to the clock on Giles’ wall. “They do construction at night now?”

Anya shrugged half-heartedly, opening the tome on her lap. Her eyes remained fixed on the pages as she replied. “He said it was important paperwork.”

Buffy’s brow furrowed; Anya seemed way too avoid-y for her liking, but she shrugged it off after a moment. Tucking hair behind her ear, she made herself comfortable, folding her legs up onto the couch. Her book was in her lap, and she fingered the old pages carefully. Willow had handed out books according to their ability to understand the old texts and languages, and this was undoubtedly one of the easiest (Buffy prided herself on the fact that while she wasn’t brilliant when it came to languages and the old books, she still got more difficult books than Xander did).

After determining that the book didn’t carry a chapter entitled “Goo-Spitting Cat-Man Demons”, she turned back to Anya. Spike was sitting quietly, his endlessly fidgeting hands the only sign of his discomfort.

“So... the others filled you in, right” The Slayer asked Anya. “Do you have any idea what this demon could be?”

“A fuller description would be helpful,” Anya pointed out, glancing at the vampire. “I have met may acid-spitting demons. Some even ejected it from their—“

“This one only spat from the mouth,” Buffy cut her off. She paused for a moment before launching into a description of the assailant, with Spike adding a few adjectives throughout. Anya listened to them both with a furrowed brow, before shaking her head.

“It could be several demons I know of, not including any that are able to change their shape.” Anya surmised. “And that’s only in this dimension alone.”

Buffy sighed, falling back against the couch in defeat.

Tara perked up, trying to console the tired Slayer. “But that still narrows down the list by hundreds, maybe thousands.” She pointed out, and Buffy nodded. “Anya, do you know any breeds we can start with?”

Anya nodded, and taking a piece of paper and a pen from Tara, she began writing down names.
 

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Buffy rubbed her eyes, pouring over her second book of the night. With Anya’s list of species she could barely pronounce, it made the search quicker, but she still had to pour over every single page looking for a reference to any of them. Willow had tried to quicken the search with her laptop, but she’d come up empty. Buffy was starting to feel the same way Spike obviously did; he was sitting next to her, his hands dancing uncomfortably in his lap. Despite his physical injuries, he was antsy.

She knew the feeling.

She ran her fingers through her hair trying to keep her focus on the book. It was almost ten, and two nights of nothing was really starting to annoy her.

“Well, if there was ever a moment for sugary refreshments... I’d say it was about an hour ago.”

Five heads whipped towards the door, and Spike stiffened instinctively in his seat as the voice of Xander Harris announced his arrival. He was standing in the doorway with a vaguely guilty smile on his face, three pizzas in one hand and a six pack of coke in the other. He awkwardly accepted the welcoming kiss and hug that Anya gave him- having moved rather quickly out of her chair- and set the food down on the table next to the books.

“Hey, Buff. How’re you feeling?” he asked, giving her a smile that she read as his way of an apology for their argument earlier. She saw his eyes flicker towards Willow and Tara, who were watching him carefully, but she ignored it. Instead she gave him a warm, but weary, smile.

“Better, thanks Xand.”

He grinned at her, offering each of them a can of pop. Giles and Tara both turned it down in favour of tea, and Willow was the first to help herself to the mushroom and pepperoni pizza Xander had provided. He fumbled with the books for a moment before Willow handed him one she had picked out for Buffy and explained the list to him.

He turned to take a seat on the couch, and hesitated. The only space was between Buffy and Spike. Buffy wasn’t sure if his falter was due to his uncomfortableness with Spike’s condition or Spike himself, but decided to make it easy and slid over to the middle of the couch, patting the spot she’d just vacated.

Xander cast the space between vampire and Slayer a suspicious look, but sat down all the same, missing the eye roll Buffy sent his way in response.

“So how was... the work-y stuff?” Buffy asked, sipping at her coke and shivering pleasantly at the cool sensation and sugar rush.

“What? Oh!” Xander coughed, his eyes fixed on his book. “Um... busy. But I got through it.” He and Willow shared a pointed look, which Buffy missed.

Buffy helped herself to a slice of pizza- a supreme heavy on the olives- and turned to offer a slice to Spike. He was sitting there, his nerves seeming to be growing more and more agitated by the moment. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists and she could see him worrying his lip, his head turning slightly at every noise. While she took the fact that worrying his lip didn’t hurt him as a positive sign, her brow furrowed at his discomfort.

Nudging him lightly, she leaned towards him, voice low. “You okay?”

He jumped slightly at her touch, but turned to face her all the same. “’m fine, pet.”

“You’re about to jitterbug right out of your seat.” She pointed out with a cocked eyebrow.

He made a show of relaxing, leaning back against the couch. “Restless is all, Slayer. I’m good.”

“Gotta say, bleach boy,” Xander interrupted pointedly, without taking his eyes off his book. “Not used to seeing you in anything but jeans.”

“That’s true, Spike,” Anya interjected. “You’re always wearing those really tight jeans that show off your—“

“Anya!”

“What?” She looked at her boyfriend innocently as Spike chuckled and Willow and Tara suppressed giggles. “They do!” She turned back to Spike seriously. “Or was the damage more extensive than just your eyes? Did the acid get on your—”

“Right, I think it’d be best Buffy if you took Spike uh, home.” Giles interrupted, standing and reaching for the scotch. “I am sure you both need your rest and that he needs blood. You are stocked up?”

Buffy nodded, “Sunnydale’s finest pig’s blood.”

Xander’s face had darkened at the mention of ‘rest’, but he turned to his friend all the same. “Do you need a ride?”

“No, Mom lent me her car.” Buffy smiled, wrapping a few pieces of pizza in some napkins. Draining the rest of her coke, she stood, marking her place in her book. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? It’s only eleven.”

“It’s fine.”

“Go home, Buffy.” Willow told her kindly, “You look exhausted.”

Buffy blushed a little at the assessment, but picked up a few of the Buffy-friendly books all the same. “Okay, but I’m taking these with me and you’re gonna call me as soon as you find anything.”

They all answered the affirmative, and Buffy glanced at the two witches. “Can you two swing by tomorrow?”

“Sure, we’ll come ‘round after classes.”

“Right, classes.” Buffy groaned. “Those would be something I’m meant to go to.” She sighed. “Alright, we’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks, Giles... you guys.”

And with that, she helped the waiting Spike find his way to the door and into the car.