Chapter 6

Buffy and Spike drove home, with Dawn in the backseat. The girl sat nervously looking out the windows, into the dark, residential streets of Sunnydale.

"I don't see any spiders." she told them.

Buffy told her, "They were supernatural spiders, conjured up by Anyanka just for that one spell. Now that the spell is ended, I'm sure they've just vanished."

Her little sister said, "Or maybe they're crawling all over Amanda and Cassie, as we speak."

Spike said, "Well they are both potential slayers little Bint."

Dawn made a distressed sob.

She repeated, "So am I."

When they arrived home, no spiders were waiting for them on the lawn. The horde was not crawling all over the Summers' house, nor anyone inside or outside. Nothing looked different. The lights were on inside, and so was the porch light. Willow was seated on the porch swing, and Giles sat beside her.

Buffy, Spike and Dawn drove up and parked in the driveway, got out of the car and headed for the porch, peering cautiously for spiders on the lawn. They stepped up onto the porch, where Willow and Giles greeted them.

Now Buffy spoke, "Nice to see you again Giles."

"And I am relieved to see you again Buffy." He added, "I wasn't sure that I would."

"What's going on Giles?" Buffy asked, "You found out that I'm now a vampire, and you brought Faith to kill me?"

"No. The Council sent me only to watch her. I was sure you'd be able to handle her, without my aid. I can see that I was correct."

"I'm not the one who handled her."

"You're not?"

Spike explained, "The other Slayer was done in by a massive plague of spiders."

Giles and Willow were both startled.

Willow asked, "Spiders?"

Dawn told them, "You'll have to ask Anya about that. She can explain it all to you."

At that moment a car drove up, stopped and parked along the curb at the end of the front walk. Anya's and Xander's voices were heard arguing inside the vehicle.

The two got out of the car and approached the porch, coming up the front walk.

Xander said, "You know Anya, you don't have to go through with it."

"Yes I do Xander. Now that someone who you've had casual sex with is dead, you have to present her head to me at our wedding; and I'll have to present you with the head of someone who I've had casual sex with."

Now the couple had reached the foot of the porch steps. Spike stood at the top of the steps, with his arms folded in front of him.

"Exactly," he asked, "whose head is that Anyanka?"

The Vengeance Demon looked away from him.

Buffy also challenged, "I'd like to hear that myself."

"Well..." Anya stammered for a few moments. Then she said, "It doesn't have to be Spike's. I mean... Well...It could be anyone else who I've had casual sex with."

Xander asked, "And exactly who would that be?"

His fiancee looked puzzled for a few long moments.

"Well, when I started with you, I expected it just to be casual, but then our feelings got in the way. Before that...well they're all dead and dust by now, so I'm not sure. On the other hand...

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"Ah-hah!" Anya perked up. "It doesn't have to be someone who I've already done it with. It could be someone who I will be doing it with."

Her fiance asked, "Will be?"

"Right. I'll go out dressed real skanky. Pick up some stranger, and have casual sex with him. Then, since I'm now a vampire, I'll kill him when we're having an orgasm; just like you did with me. You know; 'Bang him, bite him, and behead him'. Then his head'll be the one that I'll present to you when we exchange wedding vows. Is that okay with you?"

"I'm not sure Anya." Xander said, "I'll have to think it over."

Giles sounded troubled. "'Think it over'?"

"Well you see Giles." Willow told him, "There've been some major changes, since you've been away."

He sighed. Then he said, "That's fairly obvious."

Buffy said, "There's something else Giles. Anya said that Faith told you to go out and round up some potential slayers. You have to tell us who they are, and if they're here in Sunnydale."

He said, "You no longer have to worry about every potential out there Buffy. There is only one. Now that Faith is dead, and you are no longer alive, but undead, the next Slayer is about to become empowered. You should forget about all the others, and concentrate on finding her, before she shows up armed and ready to fight."

"Finding her?" Buffy asked, "Don't you know who she is, or where she is?"

"Not exactly. She's most likely to be one of those, who were identified in 'Undead Life' magazine."

Dawn asked sharply, "Is it Amanda, or Cassie? Tell me Giles. Is it me?"

"I wish I knew." Buffy's former Watcher told them all, "If I did, I'd have told all of you."

Spike asked, "Is there some way to find out?"

Now Willow perked up. "No problem everybody. Locator Spell."

Giles repeated "'Locator spell'? A spell? Before I left, Willow, I was growing concerned by your growing involvement in the occult."

"It's not just growing Rupert." She told him, "It's fully matured. I am now among the most powerful witches west of the Pecos, that is if I am west of wherever the Pecos is."

"And just how powerful is that?"

"I believe I'm powerful enough, to hold my own against the Charmed Ones."

"The Halliwell Sisters?"

Anya told him, "If they do decide to bring their Power of Three here to Sunnydale, the bridesmaids at mine and Xander's wedding, will be carrying their heads, along with wearing their flayed skins."

Dawn shouted, "Will you stop talking about that Anya? I told you to forget it! It's just too gross!"

"Willow." Buffy said, "How about preventing trouble before it starts?"

The freckled red head smiled. "That's exactly what I am about to do.

She got up off the porch swing and said, "I have to be alone to perform the spell. Just give me fifteen minutes."

Dawn asked, "Then what?"

"Then what happened to Faith, will also happen to the next Slayer within twenty-four hours after she becomes empowered."

"Willow!" Dawn told her, "You might be doing that to me!"

Anya spoke. "Don't worry Dawny. Just make sure you don't go anywhere, until after you've sprayed yourself from head to toe with Raid."