Spike buried his head under the pillow, but the clacking sound wouldn't go away. He groaned as the sound began to grow faster. "Bloody cat," he growled as he threw the pillow covering his head at the corner of the room the sound came from. A protesting mewl brought a smile to his face. The blonde vampire rolled over to return to his slumber. He was just about to relax into a comfortable snooze when the sound return.
"Don't kill Willow's cat," Angel mumbled.
Spike kicked the covers off himself and swung his feet to the ground. "Why not?"
Propping his chin on his hand, Angel admired his lover's naked body as he searched for the annoying fur ball. "I seem to recall you enjoyed sex with her. If you kill her cat, that we bought her by the way, I have a feeling you're going to be sleeping on the couch."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he mumbled. He knelt on the floor and peered under Willow's vanity. He found Chai batting a plastic object against the wall. "Give me that," he said as he grabbed the object away. Chai took a swipe at his hand as her toy was removed.
"Well, what is it?" Angel asked.
"An egg."
"An egg?"
He held up the blue plastic egg. He gave it a shake, but heard nothing. Curious he opened it and removed the piece of paper folded inside. Spike recognized Willow's familiar script. "It's from Willow. 'Good morrow, my loves. In Easter tradition I've prepared an Easter egg hunt. Find each egg and collect each treasure. At the end you will find your pleasure.'," he read.
"An Easter egg hunt?" Angel asked.
"Looks that way."
Angel pulled a pair of slacks on and took the note from Spike. He turned the paper over and saw more writing on the back. "'See me not until you finish your quest. Hurry, my loves, for I miss you so. Begin with my box of simple treasures. Find the egg and hurry on your way.' Box of simple treasures?"
Spike buttoned his jeans and looked around the room. "Her jewelry box?" he suggested.
The dark vampire lifted the carved wooden lid and poked through Willow's assortment of necklaces, earrings, and bangles. "No egg here."
"Box of simple treasures," the blonde mumbled. He opened the closet and grabbed a couple of shirts. He tossed a black silk shirt to Angel. Spike pulled his tee-shirt over his head. As he tucked in his shirt, he spotted something on the top shelf. "Wait a sec." He pulled the hat box off the shelf and pried the lid off. It was Willow's picture box. He dug through the various pictures she had collected. "Found it," he exclaimed as he removed the pink plastic egg.
Angel put the box back in the closet. "What does it say?"
Spike cracked it open and removed the note. "'I can not be seen. But my presence is felt. My mother was a bitch. In her mouth butter wouldn't melt.'," he read. "That would be Cordelia's roommate."
The dark vampire check the time. "Sunset's not for another couple of hours."
"To the bat cave," Spike chuckled. He pulled on his boots and grabbed his jacket.
"Just remember I'm Batman and you're the boy wonder," Angel said.
"As if."
****
Angel knocked on Cordelia's door. "Dennis, it's Angel and Spike," he called through the door.
The door opened and the two vampires stepped inside. "Hey, Casper," Spike greeted. "Willow left something here for us."
Angel caught the purple plastic egg as it bounced off Spike's head. "I told you not to call him that," Angel warned. He cracked open the container. "'All the stars come out to play. Sing me a song. And I'll tell you a tale. Trust me, I'm never wrong.' She's gonna have us running around the entire town," he said.
"I don't get it. Where are we supposed to go?" Spike asked.
"That karaoke bar. Dennis, is there anything else we're supposed
to pick up?" he asked. Dennis carried a bottle of bath oil and placed
it in the dark
vampire's hands. Angel sniffed the fragrant jasmine. "Thank you,
Dennis."
"See you later, Casper," Spike said as he quickly closed the door.
"Do you have to antagonize him?"
"Oh, yeah."
Angel shook his head as they headed towards the tunnels.
****
Spike and Angel wove their way through the crowd. "Got a little bit of everything here, don't they?" Spike asked over his shoulder.
"Just about."
Spike paused to watch a Pogosi demon butcher "I Want To Hold Your Hand." He shuttered as notes cracked. "Please tell me we don't have to sing."
"I certainly hope not." It was one of his rules, not to sing in public. Angel didn't even like to sing in the shower.
"Ah. The crusaders on a quest for the Holy Grail," a smooth voice said from beside them. Turning they found the green skinned karaoke host sipping on a Sea-breeze. "Sit down. I'll be done with this guy in just a minute."
The two vampires sat at the small table to wait. "So what do you think the final prize will be?" Spike asked.
"Knowing Willow, it could be anything," Angel answered.
"I'm hoping it's her."
He chuckled. "Possibly."
The host returned and sat across from them. "So you search for your fire goddess," he said.
"Actually, we're looking for an egg," Spike said.
He rolled his red eyes. "I tried to convince her to leave you losers and run away with me. For some reason she insists she loves, you louts," he sighed.
"We lucked out on that one," Angel replied. "Do you have our egg?" he asked.
The host reached into his pocket and removed the yellow plastic egg. "Here you go." He handed the egg over and pulled a CD from his other pocket. "She left this for you, too."
Spike opened the egg while Angel opened the jewel case. "'Although Delphi is no more. I know what must be done. So seek me out. Before the rising sun.'," Spike read.
Angel closed the case. "It just says 'Love'."
"Well, Delphi was the site of Apollo's oracle," the host commented.
"That would mean we need to find Doyle," Angel said.
The two vampires pushed away from the table. "Let's go," Spike said.
****
Spike knocked on the apartment door. "Hey, Irish. Open the door," he called when no one answered.
"Doyle?" Angel called as he knocked again.
The door cracked and a familiar eye peered through the crack. "Just a sec." The door closed. They could hear a chain sliding off a lock and the door re-opened. "Come on in," Doyle said waving them in. He checked the hallway before closing the door and locking it shut.
"Every thing okay, Doyle?" Angel asked.
"Huh? Oh, sure. Just owe a few people. You know how it is," he said.
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Naw. I'm fine. Got something for ya." Doyle searched through his dresser to find the item.
Spike shifted some of the dirty laundry on the couch and sat on the edge. "Ever think of hiring a housekeeper?" he teased.
"Then I'd never be able to find anything," Doyle answered. He
tossed the green egg to Angel and continued to search for the other present.
Not
finding it in the dresser, he moved to his small kitchen to look in
the cabinets.
Angel removed the note. "'Pampered and spoiled. As Princess must be. I have grown beyond. And reign as Queen.' Cordelia."
"At least, Red didn't make this too hard for us," Spike laughed.
Doyle entered the living room. "She probably realized your limited intellectual abilities and tailored her riddles to that," he joked. He handed Spike the two bottles.
Spike examined the label. It was the same label on the bottles she bought for them on Thanksgiving. That meant it contained a mixture of wine and her blood. He tilted the label for Angel to see. "If she keeps this up, she's going to become anemic."
"We'll keep an eye on her," Angel commented. "See you later, Doyle."
"Later."
****
Angel and Spike finally entered the hotel lobby. They had spent most of the evening driving all over town. "Cordy!" Angel called.
Spike checked her desk and found a florist box and another egg. This one was painted metallic gold. There was a note taped to her computer. "She left a note. Hot date and she couldn't wait for us any longer." He opened the egg. "'Four clues down. And one to go. Be it ever so humble. Get your dead butts upstairs.'"
Angel grabbed the white box and the two vampires raced up the stair case. They skidded to a halt in front of their bedroom door. Tacked to the door was a final note. "Light the candles, sprinkle the rose petals on the bed, put the CD in the player and bring the bath oil to the bathroom. P.S. Take off your clothes."
Spike and Angel quickly moved to obey.
THE END