It took Spike close to three hours to make his way to the Magic Box. The woman who Joyce had hired as her assistant had been helpful in providing information about the Gallery employees’ health insurance provider, but she had also been extraordinarily chatty, asking questions about Joyce, Buffy, Dawn and himself while gathering the information Buffy needed for the hospital. By the time he finally extracted himself from the woman, it was late afternoon.

He entered the store from the basement and came into the shop just as Riley was leaving. The ex-soldier gave him a hateful glance before storming out.

"Afternoon all," he greeted.

"Spike, what are you doing here?" Giles demanded.

"Told the Slayer I’d meet ‘er here after doin’ a bit of research for her at Mum’s gallery. Docs needed some insurance info that I promised to get for her," he looked around, not seeing Buffy. "Where is she? In the back room pummeling something into the wall?"

"I’m afraid not," Giles admitted, then paused for a moment as if thinking. "Spike, have you heard of any new demons coming into Sunnydale recently? Any very powerful or old ones?"

One of the hardest things he ever had to do in his unlife was lie at that moment. "Can’t say that I have. Why?" he replied nonchalantly, sitting down at the reading table.

The Watcher gave Xander a look, then sighed. "It would seem that a new threat has entered Sunnydale and we’re not sure what we’re dealing with."

"Yeah, Buffy ran into her a few nights back and got the crap beat out of her," Xander added.

Spike struggled to keep his features from giving anything away. "Sounds tough. Have we got a name?"

"Unfortunately, no. Whatever she is, she’s very powerful and about to conjure a cobra demon," Giles admitted.

"Cobra demon?" Spike repeated.

Giles cleaned his glasses. "Yes. I’m afraid I… inadvertently sold her the necessary spell components for a Sobekian transmogrification spell."

Spike gave him a sarcastic salute. "Way to go Rupert, and did you give her a map of the zoo so she’d know right where to go?"

"Sarcasm is not appreciated. In any case, that is where Buffy has gone. She is going to try to stop her from completing the spell."

Spike appeared about to retort something when the phone rang. Giles answered it, speaking sparsely, his face growing more and more concerned until he hung up. Spike knew the call it was from Buffy, but he refrained from revealing that fact.

Giles put the phone back on its receiver and cleaned his glasses.

"That was Buffy."

"I gather she was unsuccessful in stopping her from conjuring that snake demon," Spike said.

"Unfortunately, no she wasn’t."

Spike let his concern show. "Is she alright?"

"She sounded tired and… in pain, but not seriously harmed. She is back at the hospital waiting for Joyce to wake. We’re to keep an eye out for a large animorphed cobra and wait here for Dawn."

"Nibblet should be here soon. School’s out. Maybe one of you ought to go get her."

"She is undoubtedly already on her way here. We are to keep her here, and safe, until Buffy comes for her. We are not to tell her about her mother," Giles informed.

Both Spike and Xander nodded in understanding.

"Snake demon, eh? Any chance it’ll come here?" Spike asked.

"I honestly don’t know."

Spike stood and moved purposefully to the training room. He came back out carrying a large sword and a whetting stone. The others looked at him as he sat down again and began sharpening the blade.

"Spike, what are you doing?" Giles asked, confused.

"I’m getting’ ready to kill me a big snake. What’s it look like?"

The Watcher was non-plussed. "Yes, well…"

"Never met a snake that could live through gettin’ its head chopped off," Spike said, twirling the blade. "An’ this beauty ought to do the job quite nicely."

Neither man had any answer to that so they both went about their business as Spike resumed his sharpening. A short while later, Dawn came in with Willow and Tara.

"Look who we found on the way back from the Expresso Stop?" Willow commented cheerfully.

"Any word on Mom?" Dawn asked Giles hopefully.

Giles looked apologetic. "I’m afraid not. Buffy called a few minutes ago. They expect your mother to wake soon."

Dawn looked excited. "Am I supposed to go to the hospital?"

"No. You’re to stay here and wait for Buffy."

The teen deflated and turned away. "Oh."

"Oi, Nibblet," Spike called, motioning her over and distracting her while Giles updated Willow and Tara on the latest events. "Why don’t you come over here and do your homework? Bis Sis’ll be here soon."

Dawn obeyed, pulling her bookbag off her shoulder and setting it down on the table.

"That’s a big sword."

Spike kept sharpening. "Yeah. Two-handed bastard sword. Not as big as a Scottish Claymore, but pretty hefty. Good for chopping up nasties into bits."

"Ewww."

Spike shrugged and looked down to his work. Dawn sat down at the table and began doing her homework.

Time passed. Spike sharpened the sword. Willow and Tara left to look for the snake demon and returned empty-handed. Giles and Xander did more research, and Dawn tried to do her homework. All of them were nervous and on edge. Finally, sometime after sunset, Buffy made her way slowly into the shop.

"Buffy?" Spike said softly.

Dawn, seeing her sister, got up and ran to her, hugging her tight.

"Is she awake yet?"

Buffy nodded, "Yeah, she's waiting for us."

"Can we take her home now?"

Buffy paused. "We’ll see." She looked at the others. "Any monster reptile sightings?"

"None," Gile replied.

"Tara and I did a mini-patrol earlier, but the big snakie was nowhere in–" Willow added.

Just then, there was a large smash and the cobra demon came crashing through the Magic Shop front window. Buffy moved to face it but it knocked her into some shelves, collapsing them on top of her.

"Buffy!" Spike cried and rushed to her aid as the snake moved in on Dawn.

Dawn screamed.

"Dawn!" Xander cried, trying to go to Dawn’s aid, but the snake demon hissed at him and he froze in place.

‘Bloody thing’s got the snake hypno. ‘S worse than Dru’s thrall,’ Spike thought to himself, moving into action.

He was reaching for the sword when both Dawn and the snake let out ear-piercing shrieks. The sound blasted Spike’s sensitive hearing and he howled in pain, covering his ears.

Buffy was about to charge when the snake suddenly stopped screeching. It then whipped around and streaked out of the shop through the broken front window. Spike, shaking off the pain from the twin shrieks, lunged for the sword.

"Why was the big snake afraid of Dawn?" Willow asked, confused.

"Giles!" Buffy cried, and they met eyes. "It knows."

They mobilized, but Spike was faster. Grabbing the sword, he raced out after the cobra. Using all of his vampiric speed, he ran, duster flying behind him. He saw the cobra make a turn and headed down an adjacent alley to head it off. Buffy and Giles’ pursuit spooked it and it turned in Spike’s direction. He was there, waiting for it, sword held high. The cobra saw him and hissed.

"Sorry, mate. The mojo don’t work on me," he said and struck, lopping the demon’s head neatly off.

Buffy and Giles caught up in time to see it writhe out its final death throes with Spike standing over it. They stopped and stared in shock.

"Told ya, Rupert. Never met a snake that could live through beheading."

"Yes, well, good job, Spike," Giles said, catching his breath.

"Thanks. Now all we need to find out is why the bint conjured it in the first place."

"Glory," Buffy said, still coming down from her panic.

"Glory?" Giles repeated.

"That’s what she called herself. Glory."

"Well, at least we have a name now."

"It’s something I can mention when I’m knocking demons’ heads in looking for information," Spike said.

Giles nodded.

"I have to get back to the hospital. Mom’s waiting for Dawn and me," Buffy noted suddenly.

Spike didn’t want to face Joyce or spend any more time in the hospital. "How about I take care of ol’ scaly here. Bound to be a few bits and pieces that are worth a pretty penny. ‘S not everyday you come across a Sobekian cobra demon. Venom alone would fetch a decent price. I’ll split the take with you, 70-30."

Both Giles and Buffy were too tired and traumatized to argue. "That sounds like a very generous offer, Spike. You do what needs to be done, and I’ll take Dawn and Buffy to the hospital."

"Sounds like a plan, Rupert."

"Thank you."

Giles moved to guide a nearly catatonic Buffy away from the decapitated body of the demon.

"G’night, Slayer. Tell Mum I’ll be in to see her soon."

Buffy looked back, a small smile on her lips. "I will," she whispered. "Thanks, Spike."

He gave her a genuine smile and nodded his head. Giles then came up alongside Buffy and led her gently away. After she was gone, Spike set to processing the Sobek demon. He decided to broker most of it through Anya, and then set up separate accounts for himself, Buffy and Dawn. Even if Joyce survived, his stint over the summer of Buffy’s death taught him that Joyce had been too busy paying for Buffy’s medical bills and damage to the house, to set up investment accounts for her daughters.

‘It’s never too late to start thinkin’ about your future…’


Continue

Back

Back to Fanfiction