Sunnydalopolis Part IX

Sunnydalopolis Part IX.

Spike couldn't help enjoying the idea of getting into Buffy II's biotank...sort of like...sharing her coffin, you could say... He gets in as Warren and Buffy II finish emptying out the crypt.

He finds himself in a sea of green goo...Cold green goo.

"Arrgh...what is this muck?... Hey..."

Buffy II slams down the lid on him.

"It's just the biogel for Buffy's skin." Warren calls to him. "It won't do you any harm...I think."

"You...think?!" Spike yells from inside the tank. "You bloody well think...How about you riding in this muck?!"

"Well, I'm not experienced in vampire physiology but..."

They haul him outside. And head out to the new crypt at Greenwood.
***
The gang arrives at the old crypt nearly two hours too late...Most of them are secretly relieved not to find the robot, all are disappointed not to find Spike.

The crypt is bare.

They search around. Buffy regards the empty space and folds her arms, grimly...Dawn looks at her...She has seen this look...And knows enough not to speak up for Buffy II right now.

"We should have come right out. I never should have waited...I won't make that mistake next time..." Buffy is set and determined.

"What can we do? They could be anywhere..." Willow looks around. Not in the corner crack, not on the ceiling...

Buffy frowns.

"Well, there's only one person who could have made a robot like that that I know of..."

"Warren..." Tara, Willow, Xander.

"He's really getting good at this...isn't he?" Anya notes. "I mean...she's much better than his first one..."

"Wil, find out everything you can about our Dr. Warrenstein. Where he lives, where he works, everything...This is going to end as soon as possible."

"Warren-stein...great one, Buf" Xander laughs until a glare from her cuts him short.

Dawn goes over to Wil and hugs her, "But, she did help us with Mom's forms..." She breathes to Willow, too soft for Buffy to hear. "Can't we try to..."

"Buffy!" Giles calls from below where he has been poking around. They move to the ladder and he climbs up, carrying a box. A box of audio tapes.

They examine the tapes...Property of Dr. Milton Remington, tapes of patient Joyce Summers 1-10... A note on top. "For Buffy and Dawn."

"Remington...that sleaze-ball therapist your mom went to a few years back?" Xander asks. "The one who was caught forging patients' names on checks and diddling..." He looks at Dawn and Buffy looks at him. "And...other things."

Dawn grabs at the box. Mom's tapes...A gift.

"How did she get them? That guy disappeared when the cops caught up with him... Do you think Spike had them?" Xander wonders.

"She got them...for us." Dawn looks at Buffy. Buffy looks at the tapes, but the expression on her face is still grim...

"We can't just go after her..." Dawn looks at her sister hopefully...

"Dawn...I think you should go home with Giles. Willow and I will get some information on Warren."

"Buffy...you won't...hurt her? Please..."

"I won't if she doesn't try to hurt us. Now, go on Dawn...Giles? Please take her."

But Dawn is a Summers and she knows her sister...sisters? She stares evenly back at Buffy. "You're lying. You're going to kill her." She says flatly.

Buffy looks back at her but says nothing.

***

The move would not have been so bad if they hadn't had to lug the biotank downstairs, Spike reflects. But Ms. Buffy "Virginia Woolf"Summers II wants "a room of her own". And as she points out, the biotank is a dead giveaway as to which crypt is occupied.

All in all, the new place is an improvement, really.

Warren comes in with one last load, books. He drops them on the left bench of the crypt and looks around... Buffy II has determined that this one has no surviving family members...at least so far as they can tell it should be safe enough...

Spike looks at the books. "Weighty tomes, lad...Cybernetics, Robotics...For me?"

Warren has told him of Dr. Severn's wish to get acquainted...Not necessarily a bad thing if he can continue to play a convincing role as "Dr. Walthrop" the British cybergenius... So the boss wants me "on the team", eh?

Well, money is likely to become rather important to him in the near future... especially if Buffy is serious about the "get a real place" and that reference to "my classes"...

"For Ms. Summers...she's interested in the field. This one is for you..." He hands Spike a thin folder containing a few brief descriptions of basic cybernetic terms. "Try and understand some of these by Tuesday night. Ms. Summers...Buffy...can help you."

"Did I mention I was at Cambridge for two years?..." Spike is offended.

"Spike, I'm a little worried about...Ms. Summers..."

"Warren, lad, there are three Ms. Summers, you know. A little more clarity..."

"Umm...our Ms. Summers...umm...she's very interested in her...origins...I don't know that it's all that good so soon for her to get wrapped up in that..."

"Then why the books?"

"Well, she asked and I thought it would be better not to prevent her from getting information...But maybe you should think about...distractions?"

"Manic goddess on the loose, Slayer-led lynch mob in pursuit of us...That distraction enough for you?"

"Well, maybe you should try...taking her out somewhere."

***