Unknown Factors (Book One)

Ch.2: I wanna show you

  "Enemy, enemy...." Pops was reading from a book while waving a bundle of dried sticks at Spike. I was coming back from the bathroom since I could finally use it in privacy. Before, I'd have to close the shower curtain on Spike- But then he'd take the curtain closing as an invitation to start chatting with me. "Be now quiet."

  "You know....I'm not too keen about this spell stuff. Tends to be unpredictable."

  "You might have thought about that sooner." Pops kept waving the small bundle. "Um...." He sighed while looking back at the book. "Let your deceitful tongue be...." He paused, and I went to the kitchen. "Uh...." Pops sighed again. "Be broken. Uh.... Let no....untruths be....spoken." I raised a brow while turning around to look at Pops. He put down the book before cleaning his glasses.

  "Hey. What's that all about?" Spike asked.

  "Hmm? Oh, nothing." Giles answered while rubbing his eyes. "Just, uh, an ash in my eye." I rolled my eyes and gave a relieved sigh before turning back to the fridge.

  "Well, I won't have you doin' mojo on me if you can't read properly. You could turn me into a stink beetle or what all."

  "That would be a generous ending for you, Spike."

  "Yeah, and then you wouldn't try to talk to someone when they're trying to pee." Grabbing a bunch of different things, I placed them all on the countertop. "Or complain about missing Passions." Hearing a click, I looked up to see Spike on his feet and pushing down Giles. "Pops!" I ran to his side while Spike ran out the front door, and I was careful with the old Watcher. "Are you okay?"

  "Yes, just-just call Buffy, tell her what's happened." He said as I helped him to his feet. I nodded and went to the phone, then Giles told me the number just before I was about to ask for it. Buffy answered fairly quickly, and I told her what was going on in as few words as I could. When she hung up, I looked back at Pops.

  "You sure you're okay?"

  "Yes, I'm fine. My eyes are a bit irritated, though...." He said while heading to the bathroom. Not long after, the door swung open.

  "Hey! Watch it!" Growled Spike as the Slayer pushed him inside.

  "One more word out of you, and I swear!"

  "Swear what? You're not gonna do anything to me. You don't have the stones." He glared down at Buffy. Clenching my jaw and fists, I left the kitchen.

  "Oh, I got the stones. I got a whole bunch of-" She was cut off by me connecting my fist to the side of Spike's face. He went down with a heavy thud before growling at me.

  "Hey!"

  "What did I tell you, Spike? Huh?!" I snarled while pointing at him. "I'm gonna fucking kill you." Cracking my knuckles, I took a step closer.

  "Whoa, hold up there, missy." Buffy grabbed my shoulder. "We all wanna kill him, but you're going to have to get in line." Turning to look at her, she had a hand on her hip. "Nice punch, though." Buffy half grinned. "Now, how about you go cool off? You can have him when I'm through."

  "Tch, fine." Growling at Spike, I walked off to go check on Giles. He was putting drops into his eyes. "What's the matter?"

  "Oh, nothing. My eyes are just acting a bit strange." In the background, I could hear Buffy and Spike arguing like children in the living room.

  "Uh-huh." I said while crossing my arms.

  "Don't give me that look."

  "What look? I'm not giving a look."