Subject: [SpikesSalvation] Phoenix Dreams- Chapter 24 Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 13:32:33 -0800 (PST) From: Jerusha Hancock Reply-To: SpikesSalvation@yahoogroups.com To: SpikesSalvation@yahoogroups.com Chapter 24 "Are you sure you don't mind coming with me, Buffy?" Emmie asked. It was a moot question, since they were well on their way to Ty's school, but she hated to drag the other woman along on what was, essentially, her job. Buffy shrugged. "Of course not. Ty's a great kid. And I thought I might take him to spring Spike and we could go to the park." The other Slayer smiled at her. "I think it's so great that you two are working things out. I've been telling Will for a while that he needed to tell you he was still alive. Or, at least, that he was alive to begin with, you know." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I think we finally worked that out. He was stubborn when he was a vampire too, though, so it's not all that surprising. Idiot," she said fondly. "Is he really that much like Spike?" Emmie asked out of curiosity. She had her own theories on the subject, of course, but she was wondering if she would get some validation. Buffy grinned. "Oh yeah. You know that thing he does with his head? When he's really frustrated and he looks down at the ground like he's counting to ten or something? Still there." Emmie let out a peal of laughter. "I can't tell you how many times he's looked at me like that! And when he cocks his head to the side, as if he's looking right through you. It's almost spooky the way he knows what you're thinking sometimes." Buffy's grin became a small smile. "Yeah. I remember that look too. It used to infuriate me while I was still pretending to hate him." "And then?" "And then it became one of the reasons I trusted him." Buffy followed Emmie into the school office. According to the nanny, no one was allowed to pick Ty up unless they were on a specific list, and even then they had to show some form of identification. Emmie didn't recognize the secretary at the desk, but pulled out the badge that most of the employees from Wolfram & Hart carried. "Hi, I'm here to pick up Ty Smith." The young secretary's eyes widened. "Someone came and picked Ty up hours ago." Emmie's eyes narrowed even as her heart jumped into her throat. "Who?" "I—I don't know. They had the same kind of identification you do, though," she said quickly, defending herself. Emmie's eyes met Buffy's, who was beginning to feel the edges of terror herself. "I want to speak with the principal immediately," she insisted. The principal, a dark skinned man of Latino descent, came out to greet them. "Miss Carletti. It's good to see you." Emmie didn't bother returning his greeting. "Mr. Salazar. This is Buffy Summers, an associate of mine and Mr. Smith's. Your secretary just informed us that Ty was picked up this afternoon by two men, without my knowledge or consent." Mr. Salazar turned to the girl, who was looking rather frightened. "Is this true, Amy?" "They had identification, Mr. Salazar," she protested. "Were they on the list of those approved to pick Ty up?" he asked. "List?" she replied in a very tiny voice. Alarm began to grow, a tension so thick the whole room seemed filled with it. "Did you get their names, or at least a description?" Buffy asked quickly. Tearfully, Amy admitted she hadn't gotten their names, and she could give only very general descriptions. It wasn't going to help them at all. "We'll have to call the police," Mr. Salzar said gravely. "I'm very, very sorry, Miss Carletti." Emmie nodded, her face grim. "I'll let William know. It's probably best if the resources of Wolfram & Hart are used in this case. We have strings to pull the local police don't know anything about." The man nodded and went back into his office, and Emmie turned to Buffy. "This will kill him," she whispered. "William's whole life is that kid." "I know," Buffy replied. "We're going to get him back, though." Her eyes glinted with a hardness Emmie hadn't seen before, and she realized that she was looking at the Slayer. "And then we're going to make the bastards who did this pay." "But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed." 2 Cor 4:7-9 ---------------------------------