"Okay, explain this to me again. Why are we opening a portal to an alternate dimension?" Buffy sat on the table in the library swinging her legs and twirling a stake.
"To. Stop. The. Demon." Giles grunted as he rose stretching legs grown stiff from kneeling on the floor drawing the necessary pentagram.
"Yeah Buffy, remember? According to Giles' books we need a specific ingredient for the spell that will send him back to hell. But the ingredient doesn't exist in this world so we have to look in another one for it." Willow glanced up from the book she was reading to give Buffy the "save the world" speech.
"Right." Buffy tucked the stake into her coat pocket and jumped down from the table. She walked around the library examining the pentagram inscribed on the library floor directly over the Hellmouth's opening. She stooped to point at a small break in the continuous chalk line. "Is this supposed to be here?"
"Hmm. Oh yes. That is where one of us shall enter the portal to grab what we need from the other dimension." Giles reassured her that everything was going as planned.
"Who's going to do the grabbing?" Xander spoke up from where he was seated on the far side of the table.
"Me." Angel strode out from behind the bookstacks and dropped a kiss on Buffy's cheek.
"And me." Spike followed his sire from the stacks crossing the room to stroke a hand over Willow's hair. "You ready?" He dropped into a chair next to Willow.
"I just want to go over this translation one more time. I'm not comfortable in Latin." Willow smiled briefly at her bleach blond shadow. Angel and Buffy exchanged smiles at the interaction. They still couldn't believe that neither Spike nor Willow realized that the friendship between them was actually something much deeper.
After the town had rebuilt the High School they school board had asked Giles to return as librarian and he had agreed citing the fact that the library was still the best place to be when fighting the forces of evil. Angel had been in L.A. when Spike found him. He had made the journey to find his sire after Drusilla had seen the sunrise one morning. Spike knew how his sire and Dru felt about each other and so had decided to let Angel know how Dru had finally heard the stars speak one too many times. She had been caught listening to the stars and never realized that dawn was breaking. While in L.A. Spike had helped to destroy a demon that was preying on club goers after Angel was badly wounded by it. Since Spike no longer had any direction to his life with Dru gone, Angel had convinced him to stay for a short time. The relationship between childe and sire had finally been healed during the long months Spike stayed. When Angel sent him to Sunnydale with a book for Giles, Spike ended up staying saying that Willow needed protection during the upcoming fight. Angel hadn't argued and had joined his childe not long after.
Willow anchored Angel's soul during Christmas that year and since then he and Buffy had managed to rebuild their love. They had an ongoing wager about when Spike and Willow would recognize their feelings for each other.
"Ahem!" Giles cleared his throat startling Angel and Buffy out of their memories. "We are ready to begin."
Angel and Spike took their places on either side of the pentagram as Willow and Giles took their places at the north and south and began to chant. Brilliant white light raced around the chalk lines and rose slowly into a wall blocking Willow's view of the others.
"Grimorium!" She shouted the final word and brought her arms down sharply. On either side of the pentagram Spike and Angel sprang forward and reached into the gaps on either side of the pentagram. Each grunted as they encountered something solid. They curled their fingers around the prize and pulled. There was a huge cracking sound and the light vanished.
"Oh my." Giles took off his glasses and scrubbed them vigorously before replacing them on his face. The view in front of him remained the same.
Spike lay sprawled on the floor his hand clutching a box. On top of him was a large brown dog, a Great Dane from the looks and holding onto the dog's tail was a tall skinny fellow wearing a green shirt and rust colored pants. On the other side of the room Angel was under a pile that consisted of a short girl with glasses and dark hair, a tall redhead in a VERY short skirt and a blond fellow wearing a..a..cravate? Giles cleaned his glasses again.
"Um. Was this supposed to happen?" Buffy stared at the sight before her and leaned down to drag Angel to his feet as the two girls and guy began to straighten themselves out.
"Would someone mind giving me a hand?" Spike sputtered as the dog began to lick his hand. "Grr" He vamped out and the dog leaped into the skinny guy's arms.
"Jinkies! A vampire!" shrieked the girl with glasses.
"Oh dear." Giles rubbed his forehead as their visitors cowered in the corner of the library as far away from Spike as possible. Spike slowly stood keeping his game face on as he stared at the four strange humans and one strange dog still cowering in the corner of the library. Suddenly the tall blond guy stopped shaking and laughed. He crossed the room and reached up to Spike's face.
"Come on guys, it's just a mask. Remember vampires aren't real." He tugged on Spike's cheek. Spike growled at him. "Hmm...seems to be stuck." He pulled even harder causing Spike to yelp and grab him by the throat.
"That's my face mate and I'm rather 'attached' to it." Spike threw the guy back towards his friends who had started forward to protect him. They fell like bowling pins.
"I think that here, wherever here is, vampires DO exist Freddy." The redhead said pulling her miniskirt down trying to cover her exposed legs which Xander and Spike were ogling.
"You might have a point there Daphne. Where are we anyway Thelma?" Freddy nodded at the redhead and then turned to the brunette with glasses and knee socks.
"Beats me. Maybe we should ask him." Thelma pointed at Giles who was cleaning his glasses for the fifth time in as many minutes.
"Ah? Me?" Giles stuttered as everyone turned to look at him. "Yes, well. You are in Sunnydale California..um in this dimension. The spell wasn't supposed to do this." He muttered. The skinny fellow turned pale at the mention of magic.
"Sp..sp..spell? Yoiks." He hid under the table that Xander was sitting at. The dog joined him a moment later. Xander shrugged and unwrapped a twinkie. A large tongue snaked out from beneath the table and swiped the treat right out of his hand.
"Hey!" He complained loudly as the rest of them giggled.
"I think maybe we should all take a seat and try to figure this out." Buffy smiled as she put away her stake and plopped into a chair. The rest of them followed suit. "All right. Um. Okay first, yes vampires are real here. This is Spike and that's Angel. They are 'good' vampires, you know help us fight evil and stuff. I'm Buffy and I'm the vampire slayer. I sort of protect this town from bad things with the help of my watcher Giles and my friends Xander and Willow. Anyway there's this demon trying to do bad things here and we want to send him back to hell. We needed an ingredient for the spell that only exists in your world so we opened a portal to try and grab it but we got you instead." Buffy summarized pointing at her friends. They waved slightly. "Now what about you?"
"Um. Well my name's Freddy and this is Thelma, Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby Doo. We kinda do the same thing that you do except that we solve mysteries and in our world there aren't any real monsters. We were driving through this town when our van broke down. While I was trying to change the tire this white light came out of nowhere and then there was this hand that reached out and grabbed Shaggy's box of Scooby Snacks. Scooby and Shaggy grabbed onto the box and got pulled into the portal. Then another hand grabbed Thelma and started pulling on her. Daphne and I grabbed her and well, here we are." Freddy explained.
"Scooby Snacks you say? May I see those?" Giles held out his hand for the box that Daphne handed him. "hmm. Yes this is what we needed. I do apologize for getting you mixed up in this."
"That's all right. Things like this just seem to happen to us." Daphne shrugged. "We've gotten used to it."
"Hey you gonna eat that?" Shaggy nudged Xander who was staring at Daphne and had forgotten all about his sandwich. Xander shook his head and handed the Dagwood to Shaggy. "Thanks." Xander watched in shock as Shaggy ate the sandwich in two huge bites.
"Well as long as we are here is there something we can do to help you?" Thelma offered. "If you need some help researching I can give you a hand."
"Well yes I believe that Willow would be glad for the help." Giles nodded at the girl.
"Yeah. I'm still trying to translate the incantation for the spell. Do you know Latin?" Willow stood and motioned Thelma to follow her as she walked into the back part of the library where Giles kept his computer. No one really noticed when Spike followed them and flopped into a chair next to Willow's. He sighed and lit a cigarette. Willow absently handed him the ashtray.
"Well all of this is making me hungry. Donut run time." Xander bounced to his feet. Shaggy and Scooby exchanged a look.
"Rait! We'll come too." Scooby trotted over to Xander who simply shrugged and accepted the idea of a talking dog as one more Hellmouthy idiosyncrasy. Shaggy grinned at Xander as they went out the door.
"Tell me they have Dunkin' Donuts here."
"Since you've got Thelma helping you I guess I should head out to patrol." Buffy stood and Angel followed her lead. Freddy held up a hand as they headed for the door.
"Mind if we tag along? I'd like to see this place." Freddy grabbed Daphne's hand and pulled her along behind the others. Giles waited until everyone had left and then glanced at the trio near the computer.
"I'll be in my office." Willow nodded at his statement. "Making tea." He muttered to himself.
Spike took a drag off his cigarette and blew a few smoke rings as he watched Willow and Thelma with something akin to bemusement.
"Maybe if we check the"
"No, I don't think they would have"
"But I found one there once and"
"Let's try"
"No they never have anything in stock."
Neither of the two hackers seemed to realize that they were communicating without complete sentences. Spike crushed his cigarette and stood crossing the room to dump the full ashtray. On his way back he glanced into Giles' office where the watcher was drinking his third cup of tea and pinching the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to stop a headache from forming. Spike leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms.
"Watcher." Giles shoved his glasses back on his nose and looked up at the intruder.
"Have they found something?" Giles half rose from his chair before he saw Spike shake his head.
"They're trying to find a supplier for that amulet thing we need. Apparently there has been quite a rush on them lately and most suppliers are out. How about you?"
"No, nothing. This appears to be a rather unique situation." Giles turned back to the book in front of him. "According to this living matter shouldn't be able to pass the portal's barrier which was why you and Angel were used for our purposes. The others shouldn't have been able to come through."
"Maybe because they were holding onto us they were granted passage?" Spike crossed the room to read over the watcher's shoulder. Giles grinned mentally as he thought that less than six months ago having a master vampire read over his shoulder would have been nothing more than a bad dream.
Perhaps the most shocking revelation when Spike joined their little band was that he was extremely well read and knowledgeable about occult matters. Willow had questioned him on it one day but he had only grunted and muttered something about needing something to do while Angelus tortured Drusilla. Angel had told them all the real reason one night recently when Spike was off hunting.
Apparently William hadn't known how to read when Angel turned him. Angelus taught him and Spike realized that books offered an escape from the world Angelus had thrown him into. Books became his refuge. Giles wondered if that was why he was so drawn to Willow. He brought himself back to the present when he saw Spike staring at him.
"Sorry?"
"I said perhaps we should ask the chit at the computer with Willow. Maybe she knows something."
"Yes, yes of course. We'll have to do that later." Giles stood and closed the book. Followed by Spike he returned to the main room of the library and cleared his throat loudly. The two girls in front of the computer looked up at the sound. "Any luck?"
"Yep. We found a supplier but he won't have the amulet until Friday. And I think we also found a spell reversal for the portal so we can send the Scooby gang back." Frown lines creased Giles' forehead when he head the words 'scooby gang'.
"Yeah I know Giles. But in their world they are the Scooby gang...cause the big dog that's with them is named Scooby Doo." Willow bounced slightly in her chair.
"Ah." Giles pushed his glasses up on his nose and covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile as Spike crossed behind Willow and began to massage her tense shoulders.
"Mmm. Thanks Spike." Willow almost purred and leaned back into Spike's fingers. Spike felt his groin tighten. Damn if he didn't want the little witch. He sighed knowing that there was no way she felt anything more than friendship for him. Willow arched back farther wishing that Spike's hands would trail down her collarbone and rest on her aching breasts. She sighed as she acknowledged that Spike just didn't see her that way.
Thelma watched her new friend and the vampire try to smother the longing in their eyes. She grinned, she knew exactly how to help the two, after all she did it all the time with Fred and Daphne who were still oblivious to their feelings for each other. At that moment the library doors crashed open and Xander, Shaggy and Scooby ran in. Or rather Xander ran in carrying Shaggy and Scooby in his arms.
"Rhost!" Scooby yelped pointing back the way they had come.
"Huh?" Spike said trying to control his laughter at the picture the three of them presented.
"He means ghost!" Thelma cried jumping up from her chair. "There are no such things as ghosts." Spike, Giles and Willow all said at once.
"Well except for that time at Halloween." Willow amended.
"Trust me guys. It's a ghost!" Xander confirmed carrying Shaggy and Scooby into the bookstacks to hide. Thelma moved closer to Willow.
"We've seen some pretty strange things you know. But usually it's just some guy in a bad mask trying to scare people away from something." Thelma was about to say more when the doors crashed open again and a very flustered Buffy, Daphne, Fred and Angel burst in.
"Peaches what have you done with your hair?" Spike snickered taking in the strands of hay that littered his sire's normally immaculate brown locks.
"Bugger off Spike." Angel stalked across the room and tore the door of the weapons cage open. He started rifling through the contents.
"There's this big greenish blob that was chasing us and..." Buffy trailed off and headed for the weapon's locker herself.
"It really is a green blob..a glowing green glob even. And Buffy's stake didn't do anything to it." Fred explained breathlessly. A cry of triumph came from across the room as Buffy and Angel found the swords.
"There. Now we'll see if a green blob can survive being sliced in half." Buffy headed for the door with Angel on her heels.
"Buffy don't you think it would be prudent if we attempted to ascertain what manner of demon we are dealing with before you go off to slice it?" Giles grabbed Buffy's arm before she could get all the way out of the library. She reluctantly nodded and flopped in a chair. Angel stood behind her and began to massage her shoulders after placing his sword on the table. Giles hid another smile as he watched Spike take in his sire's actions and compare them with his own interaction with the witch earlier.
"I need to feed." Spike turned and grabbed his duster off a chair and was gone before anyone could stop him. Willow watched as Buffy arched herself back into Angel's fingers. As his hands slid down her neck Willow whirled away.
"I need some air." She gasped and rushed out the door. Buffy and Angel immediately stopped what they were doing and grinned at Giles.
"Do you think it's working?" Buffy asked.
"If I know my childe he's probably halfway through a pack of cigarettes by now. It's working." Angel smiled at his lover.
"I have to agree. However we do have two new threats to research while they are gone." Giles nodded shortly and headed back to his office.
"Two?" Daphne looked at Thelma. "And what is this about a plan?" She turned to look at Buffy.
"Well you see...." Themla shook her head as she went to retrieve Xander, Shaggy and Scooby from the stacks while Buffy outlined the plan the gang had come up with to drive Spike and Willow into each other's arms. It looked like she wasn't going to have to take direct action after all. She grinned suddenly. Maybe she could get Buffy and Angel to help her with Fred and Daphne while they were here.
Spike paced along the sidewalk outside of the school. He took a drag off his cigarette and scowled when he realized that it had burnt down to the filter. He shook out his pack and lit another one off of it. He shifted his shoulders irritably. It felt like there was something under his skin, an itch he couldn't' scratch. Confused he wondered why seeing his sire and the Slayer together had driven him from the room. They weren't being any different than they had been lately. He sighed as he acknowledged that it was the fact that they were able to do the things that he wished he could do with Red that was really bothering him. He whirled around as a finger tapped his shoulder. Willow smiled at him but kept her eyes on his booted feet.
"Can I have one of those." she pointed to the pack of cigarette's he was crushing in his hand.
"You don't smoke pet." he absently shook one out and handed it to her. He flicked open his Zippo and held it out to her.
"I know. But now seems like a good time to start." She leaned forward and lit the cigarette. "Thanks." He nodded and snapped the lighter closed. Stuffing the Zippo back in his pocket he sat on the low stone wall that ran along the edge of the school grounds.
"So what's driven you out here late at night? Something nasty might get you." He puffed at his smoke and stared into the moonlit sky.
"PDA. Never could stand it." Willow joined Spike on the wall sitting just close enough that she was inside his personal space but not close enough to actually touch him.
"PDA?"
"Public Displays of Affection." Willow explained stealing glances at his chiseled cheekbones. "I could stand it if it was me that was getting them." She muttered under her breath.
"And just who would be giving them to you pet? The puppy?" Spike asked casually referring to the crush he knew she had once had on Xander.
"Damn vampire hearing. No not Xander. Someone more...mature." Willow blushed and dropped her gaze to her lap. She drew some smoke into her lungs and let it out slowly. She looked up to find Spike watching her.
"Like that college boy Graham?" Spike's eyes hardened and flashed yellow for a moment as he pictured the boy and his Willow kissing.
"No, Graham's nice and all but I like someone a bit more dangerous." Willow toyed with the cigarette before taking her final drag and crushing it under the heel of her boot. She drew in a deep breath and looked Spike straight in the eye. "In fact I'd like it to be someone like you." Spike stared at the witch hoping that he hadn't misheard her.
"Someone like me luv? What about the actual me?" If he had needed to breathe he would have been holding his breath now.
"I don't know. Maybe we should try some and see how it feels." Willow cheered inside as she saw the yellow glint in Spike's eyes again. That was the same way that Angel looked whenever he thought about Buffy.
"PDA huh? Does that include...holding hands?" Spike reached out and took Willow's hand in his. He was surprised to find that it was as cold as his.
"Yes." Willow breathed trying to control the shaking that was invading her limbs.
"How about touching?" Spike traced the line of her face from forehead to chin with his free hand.
"That too." This time Willow couldn't surpress a shudder of bliss.
"Cor, you're cold. Here." Spike released her hand and stood up. He quickly shrugged off his duster and wrapped her in it. He stood in front of her and leaned over slowly. "How about this?" He dipped his head and claimed her lips with his. Willow gasped as little jolts of electricity ran through her body.
"Yes." She moaned pushing the duster aside to free her hands. She grabbed his shoulders when he would have moved away and pulled him towards her. She pulled harder than she intended to and Spike was already off balance. They tumbled over the wall and landed on the grass. Willow groaned as Spike's body pressed down on hers.
"You all right Red?" Spike lifted himself off her bracing against the earth with his hands. At her nod he lowered his head and once again claimed her lips. Willow's hands came up and tangled in his platinum hair. Spike felt as if he had drunk Holy Water as fire spread throughout his body and he too began to shake. There was a loud moan. He tore his mouth from Willow's.
"Sorry pet, forgot you needed to breathe."
"Spike, that wasn't me." Willow tensed beneath him as she peered over his shoulder. Her eyes widened and she began to pant in terror. She frantically pushed at Spike. He rolled off her and looked across the wall to see what was disturbing them. He immediately flashed into game face and began to growl deep in his throat.
"Willow, get up." He tugged at her hand pulling her to her feet as he rose still facing the apparition in front of them. "Now RUN!" He shoved her in the direction of the school and dove at the figure over the wall
"Spike!" Willow screamed as the figure stepsided the vampire's lunge and made a grab for her. It bared its mouth of sharp teeth and growled at her. She tore off for the school. Spike tucked his shoulder and rolled when he missed his target. Getting up he saw the figure advancing on the fleeing Willow while shaking out some sort of whip that seemed to crackle with energy. He ran for the two of them shoving the figure into the bushes as he rushed past. He scooped Willow up in his arms and kicked open the school doors. Once they were safely inside he set her down and shut the doors locking them.
"Library." Willow gasped and grabbed his hand. She dragged him towards the library as they heard a body hit the other side of the doors. They gave slightly. Just as the pair shoved open the library doors they heard a crash from behind them and a loud growl echoed through the corridor.
Buffy and Angel had been sharpening stakes while Thelma and Giles were pouring over an obscure prophecy when Spike and Willow rocketed into the library.
"Demon!" Willow managed to get out second before they all heard the roar from the creature that was following them. Spike flung himself at the weapon's cage and grabbed a sword; he threw a crossbow to Willow and then moved to take up a flanking position next to his sire. Willow crossed the library floor at a dead run and headed up the stairs to the second level, which would give her a better chance for a shot.
Giles grabbed Thelma by the arm and motioned to the rest of the real Scooby gang to follow him as he headed for his office.
"You'll be safe in here." Shaggy and Scooby immediately took refuge under the desk.
"Safe is good." Shaggy confirmed as he clung to Scooby. Fred, Daphne and Thelma however weren't about to sit around while something threatened the safety of wherever they were. Glancing around the office Thelma grabbed an ornamental dagger Giles had been using as a letter opener. Fred snatched the dragon headed cane kept next to the door and Daphne grabbed the latest orb of thessala to reside on Giles' desk. They took up positions just inside the door deciding to wait and see if they were needed before announcing their presence.
Out in the library proper the demon had crashed through the door and was instantly met with a crossbow bolt flying towards its face. The creature ducked a rolled coming up inside of Spike's guard. It grabbed the sword and threw it against the door snapping the blade and leaving Spike weaponless.
Angel came to his childe's rescue but the creature simply sidestepped the attack and let the two vampires go down in a tangle of legs and arms. It shook out its force whip as it turned to Buffy.
"Slayer." It hissed as it advanced. Buffy readied herself for the attack but was thrown when the creature struck out with the whip, which caused her legs to go numb and angry red welts to break out immediately. Angel flung himself off of Spike and scooped Buffy up in his arms before the creature could harm her again. The creature laughed evilly as it twirled the whip catching Spike on the shoulder. He roared in pain and stumbled to his knees. Willow vaulted over the railing to the upper level and threw the crossbow into the creature's face. While it was distracted she managed to get Spike to his feet and moving after Buffy and Angel.
"The sewers." Angel stood near the bookcases motioning to them. "Hurry." Giles and Xander had already gone past him with Buffy. Spike tried to push Willow towards safety but she balked remembering that their visitors were still in the office.
"Thelma!" Willow called to her seeing her standing near the door. Thelma nodded and pushed Fred and Daphne out the door. She then leaned down and with a grace that spoke of years of practice grabbed Shaggy by the back of the shirt and Scooby by the tail and dragged them towards the sewer entrance.
Once they had all gotten past Angel he turned in order to try and knock over one of the bookcases to block the entrance.
"Angel!" Buffy cried out as she saw the creature flicking its whip towards his face. Daphne spun around and flung the Orb full force at the creature's arm managing to knock the whip away for just a moment. Angel pulled the bookcase down and sped through the sewer entrance and into the tunnels stopping only to pick up Buffy.
There was a loud crash from behind them as they turned the first corner. With their vampire hearing Spike and Angel could clearly hear the crackle of the force whip as the creature sped after them.
"We need time to capture it." Giles panted from where he ran behind Thelma.
"Split up!" Fred shouted as he turned into one of the numerous tunnels that opened near the library. Daphne followed him. Shaggy and Scooby followed Xander through the tunnel directly in front of them. Buffy, Angel and Giles headed for the one on the left while Willow dragged Spike towards the maintenance entrance that would bring them out near his crypt.
"Try and trap it if you can!" Giles called to the others as he turned and headed into the dark tunnel.
Xander risked a look behind them as he Shaggy and Scooby paused beneath a manhole.
"He's coming." Xander began to shove Shaggy up the ladder bolted to the sewer wall. "Come on, let's get to the streets." Shaggy scrambled up the ladder closely followed by his dog. The thin man pressed his shoulder to the manhole and managed to shove it open. The three of them tumbled out the hole and landed in a dark storeroom. Xander slid the heavy iron lid back into place as he heard the creature splashing around below.
The three crept carefully out of the storeroom and into the deserted interior of Ethan's former costume shop. There was a loud clang as the demon pushed through the manhole. Shaggy and Xander dove behind the counter while Scooby hid behind a row of costumes.
Xander watched from behind the counter as the demon came into the shop. He got his first good look at the creature in the glare form the streetlights outside. He wasn't very tall, had a mouthful of sharp teeth and brow ridges over his eyes. He was bald and had huge ears. He was also hissing under his breath and fingering the force whip, which had harmed Buffy. The demon stopped in the center of the store and Xander could hear it sniffing the air. He frantically searched behind the counter for some sort of weapon.
The demon started towards the counter. Xander did the only thing he could think of.
"I'm sorry sir but we're closed." Xander announced popping up from behind the counter wearing the fake mustache and goatee he had found lying on the floor. Shaggy joined him a moment later wearing a wig and fake glasses.
"Yep, we're closed. Just doing some inventory. If you're looking for two kids and a dog they ran through here a few minutes ago. I think they went east." Shaggy confirmed pointing towards the door. The creature cocked its head but then headed for the door.
They might have gotten away with it if Scooby hadn't chosen that moment to look closely at the costumes he was hiding behind. Turning to look behind him he was confronted with the huge head of a ferocious lion.
"Yikes!!" Scooby yelped bursting out from behind the costumes and making a beeline for the storeroom. Xander and Shaggy knocked over a barrel of marbles as they followed him. Once back in the storeroom they flung themselves down into the sewers while back in the store the creature flailed wildly before falling into a sea of marbles.
Angel and Giles had conferred quickly over Buffy's head and decided that they needed to get her to the hospital immediately. Even with her Slayer healing powers the burns on her legs were starting to blister and she was in obvious pain. They had taken the sewer route that was the most direct to the hospital. Unfortunately it happened to pass right by Ethan's old costume shop just when the creature managed to pick himself up off the floor and return to the sewers. Catching the Slayer's scent he headed quickly in their direction.
Angel stopped, catching the demon's scent.
"He's coming." He handed Buffy to Giles. "Get her to the hospital, I'll try to slow him down." Not listening to Buffy's pleas for him to stay Angel turned and raced back down the tunnel hoping to get to the passage that lead to the docks before the demon did.
"Right then." Giles started to head towards the hospital when Buffy suddenly writhed violently managing to fall from his arms. She landed heavily on the floor of the tunnel.
"Giles, that thing burned me…what would it do to Angel? Is it like the sun?" Giles stared at his Slayer for a moment before cursing and grabbing her arm. He dragged her off the ground and, with her stumbling behind him, headed after Angel.
The creature paused at the junction of tunnels. He could smell the Slayer in the north tunnel but the scent also lead into the east tunnel. The east was fresher and so he headed in that direction.
Moments after he disappeared down the tunnel Thelma reached the same junction. She had gotten separated from the others when they split up so she had hidden in one of the water pipes until the demon passed by her. Then she started to follow him. Along the way she had found several interesting clues. She knew that she had all the answers to who the demon was and what he wanted but she didn't know this world well enough to put it all together. Sighing she listened carefully to the echoes in the tunnels and determined that Spike and Willow were close to the junction. She wanted to wait for them but was worried that she might lose the creature if she did. Thinking quickly she tore a piece of her sweater and placed it just inside the east tunnel knowing that Spike would see it. Then she continued to follow the creature.
Fred and Daphne stumbled through the slime on the bottom of the tunnel. Daphne shrieked as she slipped and would have fallen if Fred hadn't caught her hand in time. As they continued through the tunnels he continued to hold it and she didn't pull away.
"Spike…stop…have…to…breathe." Willow panted pulling on the blonde vampire's arm. Spike immediately slowed his pace but continued to sniff the air searching for a stray scent that would set them back on the trail of the creature or his sire. Spike didn't know the tunnels nearly as well as the older vampire and in the initial separation had gotten confused in the tangle of tunnels Willow had scampered down. He looked back at the tiny witch clinging to his duster. His amber eyes gleamed in the dark as he realized that she couldn't keep up his pace much longer.
"Sorry pet. I can't seem to find them anyway." Spike slowed to a walk near a ladder bolted on the wall.
"Maybe if we went up to the street, got our bearings?" Willow suggested pointing at the manhole overhead. Spike nodded and climbed up the ladder and levered the manhole open. He poked his head up to street level and noted that they weren't very far from Angel's old apartment. He dropped back down next to Willow and reported what he had determined.
"If we go that way," Willow pointed west "we should be going towards the hospital. Angel and Giles are probably dragging Buffy there now." Having caught her breath she stared in the direction she had indicated with Spike following close behind.
A few minutes later they reached a junction of tunnels. Willow paused for a moment to try to remember which way to turn when Spike's head suddenly jerked up. He stared down the northern passage.
"Sire." He grabbed Willow's arm and pulled her down the tunnel until they reached the junction of tunnels that Thelma had marked. His demon eyes spotted the bright piece of fabric lying inside the tunnel entrance.
"They're headed for the docks. The creature too."
"It's the best place to try and trap him. No bystanders and lots of places to hide." Willow nodded as she turned to follow Spike towards the water.
Two tunnels later they came upon Thelma crouched at the bottom of yet another ladder.
"The demon, Angel, Giles and Buffy are up there." Thelma pointed. "I don't know where the others are." Just as she finished speaking there was a loud clank from further down the tunnel.
Spike shoved both girls behind him and turned to face the threat in full game face. Out of the darkness stumbled Xander, Shaggy and Scooby. Shaggy screamed when he saw Spike and leaped into Scooby's arms who in turn leaped into Xander's arms. Xander peeked around them and grinned at Spike. He dropped his arms letting Shaggy and Scooby fall to the ground.
"Hi Spike."
"Chubs." Spike allowed his face to relax as Thelma ran out to hug Shaggy and Scooby.
"Any sign of Fred and Daphne?" Thelma asked the others. All of them shook their heads. She sighed. "We can't wait for them. Here I found these when I was following the demon." She handed Willow an attendance record from the old Sunnydale High School, a swastika and a cell phone. Willow read the attendance record and punched redial on the cell phone. As she looked at the number that was dialed her face turned stony.
"I know what's going on. Come on, we have a demon to trap!"
"Okay everybody know what they need to do?" Willow glanced at each of her friends in turn. They had managed to catch up with Buffy, Giles and Angel behind a huge stack of sealed crates where they were watching the creature searching the docks. Willow had explained her plan to capture the demon using one of the cranes with the fishing nets attached to it. Xander, Shaggy and Scooby would lure the demon under the net and Buffy would be in the crane ready to drop the net on him. Angel, Spike and Giles would be nearby to provide assistance in case the demon was getting too close to the boys and dog. Willow and Thelma would stay out of the way. The only sticking point had been Scooby's refusal to play bait. Fortunately Giles still had the box of Scooby snacks and managed to persuade Scooby with the promise of a reward once the demon was caught.
Angel, Spike and Giles waited until the creature's back was turned and then slid into the shadows to get into position. Willow and Thelma helped Buffy into the crane's cabin and Xander, Shaggy and Scooby counted to ten before knocking over a crate to get the creature's attention.
"Hey ugly, we're over here!" Xander shouted before taking off in the direction of the crane. The creature growled and vaulted the crate to chase them. A car blaring bad sixties music passed by just as the chase began.
Shaggy paused for a moment to share a glance with Scooby before closing his eyes and running full tilt into Xander. Xander wasn't expecting the tackle and tripped. He fell hard and began to tumble head over heels down the plank to the dock. Shaggy got tangled up with him and on their way down they managed to collect Scooby as well. The three of them rolled down the plank and stopped directly under the large net suspended from the crane.
"Yeouch!" Xander yelped as Scooby came to land on top of him. Up in the crane's cabin Buffy heard the cry and, seeing the creature sprinting towards the front of the crane, pressed the "net release" button. The net fell trapping Xander, Shaggy and Scooby. The creature skidded to a stop in front of the trapped trio.
"Slayer?" It questioned bending to sniff the boys and dog. It hissed and drew back when it didn't find her scent. The demon turned its ugly face upwards and cocked its head as if trying to catch any noise with its abnormally large ears. "Slayer!" It hissed as it stared at the crane's cabin where Buffy was trying to muffle her hysterical giggles upon seeing Xander trapped under the large net with a dog still on top of him.
Buffy stopped laughing and started to struggle out of the cabin when she saw the creature begin to head in her direction. Her wounded legs still weren't holding her weight and she was unable to drag herself out of the cabin. The creature was getting closer and closer while Buffy held her breathe and hoped that Angel and Spike could get to her before the demon.
Just as the creature reached the cabin and was stretching out a clawed hand to grab the Slayer two large hands fell onto his shoulders and pulled him away from the side of the crane. Angel and Spike watched from where they were clinging to the sides of the crane as the creature arched away from the crane and splashed into the Sunnydale bay.
"Help! I can't swim!" The creature splashed frantically as he began to sink. Giles jumped slightly as he recognized the voice that cried out for aide. Willow and Thelma raced to his side and between the three of them they managed to extend a metal pipe to the flailing creature.
"So who is it?" Xander asked as he was finally freed from the net. Angel and Spike had been laughing so hard as they were cutting the strands that they had to stop several times before Xander, Shaggy and Scooby were released.
"Demon from another dimension?" Giles suggested keeping a close eye on the dripping wet monster that was imprisoned by several large tires wrapped around its middle and legs.
"New kind of vampire?" Buffy called out from where she was lying on the edge of the dock bathing her legs in the cool water.
"Nope." Willow shook her head and walked up to the creature. Taking a firm hold on one of the monster's ears she pulled off the rubber mask. Everyone gasped.
"PRINCIPAL SYNDER?!" Buffy, Xander, Giles and Angel chorused in disbelief.
Spike looked slightly confused as he had never really known the former principal of Sunnydale High. Thelma just arched an eyebrow and kept her peace.
"I thought you were dead! The mayor…when he was a big snake…ate you." Buffy glared at the small man that had tormented her several years ago.
"That's what you were supposed to think, stupid blonde." Synder grumbled.
"How'd you know it was him, Willow?" Xander couldn't stop staring at the evil little man he'd last seen going down the gullet of a giant worm.
"Thelma found some things in the sewers that, when put together, made his identity obvious. She held up the attendance record. "This is an attendance record from the old Sunnydale High. It's the page for the "S's". Summers is highlighted, she had 47 tardies and 30 unexplained absences. We all know how much Synder hated absent students." Synder was nodding frantically as Willow explained his passion for punctuality.
"Never took school seriously did you Summers? But then when you get expelled you want nothing more than to get back in." Synder grumbled glaring at the Slayer.
"Then there was this." Willow held up the swastika. "I know that Giles used to joke about Synder being a Nazi but…"
"He was actually. I checked his past when he was hired." Giles shrugged.
"And finally the thing that really let me know was this." Willow held up the cell phone. "When I hit redial the number that came up was the mayor's office. We found out that Synder was sent here by the mayor to keep an eye on the Slayer. And it wasn't just the City Hall number, it was his private line. I only knew the number because I saw Faith dial it the night she kidnapped me."
"But why did he come after me?" Buffy asked as she joined the group. She stepped back when Synder hissed at her.
"You cost me my job and you destroyed my school you blonde irritant." Synder struggled against his bonds trying to get at the Slayer yet again.
"And I would have gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for you kids and that…that…dog!"
"Tell me again what you were doing when we found you in the sewers?" Thelma smirked as she watched Daphne flush. After the police arrived and took Synder into custody she had realized that they were still missing two of their members. It had been Angel and Spike who found them while Willow and Giles had dragged a reluctant Buffy to the hospital. From the bleach blond's description of the recue Daphne and Fred had other things on their minds than demons. Apparently the Hellmouth had succeeded where years of careful plans had not.
"Thelma stop it. You've been after us to get together for years…" Fred began placing a protective arm around Daphne's shoulders.
"Exactly! And I deserve at least a few 'I told you sos'." Thelma smirked again and raised a hand to wave at the Slayer and her vampire as the blue circle of light that signaled the opening of the portal began to glow. Willow and Giles each waved slightly as they continued to chant the words that would send the Scooby Gang back to their home dimension.
There was a brilliant flash of light and the four people and one dog vanished. Willow and Giles dropped their arms and began to brush out the chalk lines of their pentegram.
"Still can't figure out how they managed to come through the portal…" Giles muttered glancing towards his office where another stack of books lay piled on his desk. He was truly anxious to discover why this anamoly had occurred.
"Go ahead mate, I'll clean up here." Spike reached forward to take the damp cloth from Giles' grasp. The watcher grunted a reply and vanished into his office. Buffy and Angel looked around the library and noting that everything had been cleaned up from the ritual quietly slipped out of the library to begin patrol.
Xander looked up as he heard the door slam and then went back to fiddling with an old portable television set he had rescued from a dumpster behind Radio Shack.
"I think it's a lost cause mate." Spike remarked peering over Xander's shoulder at the static filled screen.
"Nah, if I just twist this a little further…AHA!" Xander snapped his fingers and gestured to the screen. "Presto! Instant late night cartoons."
"Is X-men on?" Willow asked as she finished cleaning the floor and joined her boyfriend and best friend at the main table.
"Nope. I don't think I recognize this one." The three of them watched as a funky colored van drove into view on the screen. The tire suddenly blew and the van came to a stop next to a creepy looking swamp. A young blond man wearing a white shirt and orange cravate stepped from the van. Willow gasped.
"Bleedin' Christ!" Spike swore as he dropped his cigarette in shock.
"It can't be…" Xander whispered as the theme music began to play.
"Scooby Scooby Doo, where are you? We've got some work to do now…" The three of them began to shake as the title of the cartoon flashed onto the screen.
"It is." Willow confirmed in a whisper.
"You mean they were…were…are…" Xander stuttered.
"Well it explains why they were able to cross the portal…they aren't living matter!" Spike managed to say before he too was overcome with shock.
The End