Title: The Query Series
Author: NyxMne Chaosis
Email: magmyr@umailme.com
Distribution: SFA
Rating: PG-13 (NC-17 in parts for character death)
Setting: Post-Lover's Walk (Season 3)/Pre-Harsh Light of Day (Season 4)
Summary: After his drunken fiasco in "Lover's Walk", Spike returns to Brazil to woo back Dru.
Disclaimer: Joss owns all.
Buffy's Query
Buffy stared at her best friends bed. It was still the same neat and tidy bed. Willow hadn't slept in it for nearly two months. In fact, no one had slept in it. Given the sudden disappearance of her first roommate, and now her second, the university saw to it that Buffy not have any more undue stress. She was not to have any more roommates for the rest of the term. Unfortunately, Buffy soon found herself attached to nasty rumors about her "disposing" of unwanted roommates, which caused her even more stress.
When Willow's mother came to collect her child's possessions, Buffy insisted they not be touched, that Willow would return one day. Buffy hadn't given up hope. Sheila's saddened eyes revealed that she had given up, and she went on about the psychological benefits of finding closure in situations like this. After an hour of listening to Buffy's begging, Sheila reluctantly let her keep Willow's stuff.
It had only been two months. If Willow was stranded in some distant exotic place without money, it would take her a while to return to Sunnydale. In the meantime, Buffy continued to raid the haunts of vampires and other forms of riff raff to find out the identity of who sent Willow the amulet.
After Oz came up empty at the shop, she turned her efforts to the seedy side of Sunnydale.
The shop insisted they sent no such necklace to Willow but were able to recognize the description of the amulet, confirming that it did indeed invoke only spatial displacement. This information, however, indicated that someone intentionally sent the necklace to her.
Soon after Willow's disappearance, Buffy made several appearances at Willie's bar. She inquired about Ethan Rayne, and after an hour of smacking Willie around, venting her fears and anger, she realized that he was telling the truth about Giles's old acquaintance: He wasn't in town. The same occurred when she bumped into an old goon of Spike's, the only difference being that she had more anger to vent along with her own personal hostilities toward vampires.
The vampire lasted longer than Willie before he broke down in a fit of sobbing. She had amputated the demon's hand with holy water when he finally told her what she needed to know. Unfortunately, it only proved the vampire wasn't lying after all. Spike wasn't in town either. The vampire insisted he would know if Spike was in town. They always hooked up for a night of feeding and other party games.
Buffy racked her brain trying to come up with other suspects. Slowly, one by one, they were crossed off her suspect list until there was no one left. She was at a loss. She didn't know what to do next except wait.
Buffy hastily wiped a stray tear that glided down her cheek. She stared unendingly at the dark of night through her dorm window, trying to still her rising rage and frustration.
"I won't cry," she willed herself. "I won't cry. She's not gone, just lost. Eventually, I'll find her."
Buffy went back to the night Willow disappeared. The Dingoes were playing and Willow insisted Buffy go out and have some fun. Fun. The word was like nails scraping a blackboard. Now, she regretted not going. She would have been there. She would have known about the necklace, would have been suspicious about it. But, she wasn't there when Willow received the package. She wasn't there when Willow donned the amulet.
Slipping into the cool sheets of her bed, Buffy sunk beneath the blankets. Turning off the light, she silently let the tears roll over her cheeks into her pillow. She should've been there. If she had have agreed to a little fun at the Bronze, things would be different.
Buffy sobbed softly, the voice in her head asking over and over the same question: "Why didn't I listen to my best friend?"