Chapter Five

“So do you think they killed each other?” Buffy asked Angel playfully as they walked hand-in-hand through one of Sunnydale’s fourteen cemeteries.

“Well, I dunno. I mean, Spike has that chip, and Faith’s been pretty good about killing people lately,” Angel said, a small smile on his face.

Buffy paused for a minute. “So do you think they killed each other?”

“It’s a distinct possibility,” Angel admonished.

“So do you think we have taken a broom with us?”

“Oh, probably.”

********

“Bloody hell!” Shouted Spike as he leapt from the bed and pulled his jeans on. Faith grabbed her pants and shirt and joined him standing with lightning speed. “Who the hell do you think you are? You can’t just go barging into a bloke’s crypt like you own the place!”

The attacker raised a hand in a gesture to silence Spike. “You must listen, Vampire and Slayer,” said the woman. She had long flowing black hair, and a serious expression on her face.

“Like hell,” Faith growled. “How about you must leave?”

“Do you wish to live through the next weeks?” The woman said sharply.

“That a threat, luv?” Spike purred menacingly.

“I couldn’t hurt you if I wanted to,” the woman assured them. “But it isn’t I you must worry about. There is another.”

“Who? This bastard that wants to blow up Willow?” Faith said, taking a step forward.

“No. Willow.” Then the woman was gone in a burst of smoke. Spike and Faith looked at each other in shock.

“Quite an exit,” Spike said after a moment.

“What do you think she meant?” Faith replied.

“Dunno. But I figure we’d better tell the Slayer and her cronies. The other Slayer,” he added at her withering glare. She said nothing, only grabbed her denim jacket from the floor and stalked out the door. After a moment, Spike grabbed his shirt and duster, and ran out after her, muttering to himself, “Bugger.”

********

Buffy and Angel continued their search for Faith and Spike. It was starting to get quite late, but they wanted to make sure the two wild canons were alive and not at each other’s throats.

“So why do you think they broke up?” Buffy asked Angel, her hand still tightly encased in his.

“Well, they fought a lot,” Angel said. “But you probably think there’s something more?”

“I know there is. I mean, sure, they fought, but that’s just because the two of them will fight over anything with anyone.”

“It really isn’t any of our business,” Angel told her, squeezing her hand.

“Well, I just think about them a lot. After everything that’s happened, I consider them friends.”

“Well, maybe you should try to think about something else?” Angel stopped and turned Buffy to face him.

“Oh yeah?” She replied, stepping closer to him. “What shall I think about then?”

“How about me?”

“I think that could be arranged,” Buffy said, pressing her lips to his. They kissed languidly and lovingly for long minutes

“Ah, ah, ah…Best be cooling your jets, kiddies, before dear Angel decides to suck the world into Hell AGAIN,” Spike said, stepping out of the shadows. Angel and Buffy pulled apart with a sigh, then turned to face Spike and Faith. The animosity was dripping from the newcomers like honey. Buffy shot a knowing glance at Angel.

“So, you two haven’t killed one another yet?” Angel asked them

“We only partook in a “little death”, but I suppose…” Spike said cheekily. Faith smacked him.

“Maybe YOU did, pig,” she said quietly. Buffy’s eyes shot open in shock, and Angel struggled to hold back a smirk. He knew fully well that Faith was lying, because he could smell the truth of their actions. Vampire senses were great for that sort of thing.

“Best watch your tongue, Bitch, unless you want me to cut it out,” Spike snarled.

“Hey!” Buffy said sharply. “That’s enough. Where were you guys?”

Spike rolled his eyes. “We were in my crypt.”

“Well, thanks so much for doing the RESPONSIBLE thing and making sure no innocent victims were eaten by vampires,” Buffy scolded.

“Well, I wouldn’t say no one was eaten by a vampire tonight, but it sure wasn’t anyone innocent,” Spike smirked again.

“God, you’re disgusting!” Buffy cried in frustration, while Faith hit Spike even harder. He rubbed absently at his arm, while Faith turned back to Buffy and Angel.

“We had a visitor,” she told them.

“Who?” Angel asked her.

“Don’t know. She just busted into the crypt and told us we had to be careful, and that we had to listen or we’d die.”

“She threatened you?” Buffy asked.

“No, she said we had to watch out for Willow,” Faith replied.

“Red getting PMS any time soon?” Spike asked. The other three sent him a withering glare. “What?”

“Shut up, Spike,” Buffy told him. She looked at Angel. “I wonder what she meant?”

“I don’t know. But we’d better get back to the shop. Sun’s gonna come up soon.”

“Right,” Buffy said. She turned to go back to the shop, with Angel, Faith, and Spike following after.

“Hey, B,” Faith said to her.

“What?”

“Next time I start making mooney eyes at the peroxide wonder over there, kick my ass, okay?” Angel held back a laugh.

“No problem.”

********

“So can you translate it?” Wesley asked Spike, as the blonde vampire, who read and re-read over the text.

“Might take a little work. Haven’t seen Ish’marhek in a while. Think I can do it, though.”

“So that’s what language this is? Ish’marhek?” Giles asked him.

“Just said that, Watcher. Now, all of you lot, I want you to bugger off so I can concentrate on this. ‘Cept you, Watcher. Might need your help.”

Everyone grudgingly left the room, leaving Spike and Giles alone in the exercise portion of the store. Giles looked up expectantly. “So what do you need my help with? Can you translate the text or not?”

“Bloody right, I can. Just didn’t want to say what I read in front of the witch and the rest of your brood. I know exactly what this says.”

“What does it say, Spike?” The Watcher was beginning to lose patience with the vampire.

“Says we’re all gonna die, and it’s gonna be Red’s fault, is what it says.”