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Chapter 5
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BACK IN ASGARD

"Well, I do want my summer home back! Perhaps your errand boys should have simply taken the entire enchanted object and brought IT rather than remove the chest and leave my home behind." Skadi was less then pleased at the method of retrieval her fellow goddess had devised for the missing property. This would
not do at all. "Send them back for my home, and do stop that smirking, Hlin," she ordered.

~~~~

Joyce jumped when the phone next to her rang. She hadn't really slept the last few nights and had only fallen into an exhausted nap minutes before.

"Is this the home of Buffy Summers?" The young sounding voice asking was not familiar to Joyce. "Yes, I'm her mother, do you know where she is? Is she there with you," Joyce asked breathlessly.


"I work at the music box store at the mall and I found your daughters purse last night when I closed up. I expected it to be gone by today. Picked up, you know. I'd appreciate it if you'd tell your daughter we have her purse here for her to pick up anytime we're open," she said.

"My daughter is missing. Please, what did you see? Did you see her? Did she speak to you? Where is she?" Joyce asked the girl her questions in rapid fire, her voice desprate.

"I'm sorry, all I saw is this purse in the back section of the store under a table. I really am sorry and wish I could help, Mrs. Summers," she said sadly.

"Wait," cried Joyce, "What's your name? What is the store name again and do you have a security camera there," she asked.

~~~

A short two hours later the Scoobies gathered to see what, if anything, the videotapes Joyce had begged from the store might reveal.

Willow had enhanced the images as much as possible and still it made no sense. There was Buffy and then Spike; a woman knocked into Buffy, then she and Spike seemed to bend down and disappear.

The picture had a lot of static at that point, but you could still see well enough to know that they just disappeared. It wasn't much, but it was their first clue.

"I'm glad Spike was there, at least I know Buffy will be alright till we find her," Dawn said in relief. Joyce nodded in agreement.

"I just don't get how anyone can get a warm fuzzy at the idea of Buffy and Spike even in the same sentence," said Xander. "I mean, evil vampire, remember?" He looked around the table for the expected validation of his attitude.

"Oh he hasn't been truly evil in a long while and he is trying so hard to change," said Joyce. "I am with Dawn on this one. It is better for Buffy to be with someone who cares about her than to think of her alone out there somewhere."

"I swear, I just don't get it," Xander mumbled to himself.

"Later, Xander, we have Scooby business right now. But you will get plenty, later, I promise," said a passing Anya. She had obviously missed the entire line of conversation.

Xander suddenly sat straight up looking at the screen and asked, "Hey, who is the WWF blond giant with the pointy stick?" Xander pointed at the screen in a different place from the images of Buffy and Spike. No one had noticed the other individuals in the area because they had concentrated on the missing pair.

The group looked at the oddly dressed man that Xander had pointed out moments ago. He appeared to be pointing something in the direction of the missing slayer just before the scene went wonky.

"I'll try to clean up the picture and get in closer," promised Willow.

"Maybe we are on the trail, finally," Giles sighed in relief.

Joyce felt her last nerve fray and decided she needed to break the tension before it broke her. "Rupert, would you care for a drink?" "I could sure use one and figure you might too."

Giles nodded gratefully as she got down two glasses and a bottle of brandy, not his normal choice but it would do. God willing the drink would take the edge off and foreshadow a celebration soon to come.

Joyce started at the sound of breaking glass and looked down at the remains of a Martini glass shattered on her floor. Maybe not such a good time to be seeking omens after all.

It was another long night but at least the intrepid group now had something to go on. In fact it was promising enough that they had all drifted to different areas to seek whatever rest they might find.

Willow continued to try to coax more clues from the security video, the rest began to fall into exhausted slumber.




"Wow, it's a wonder it's not broken," the clerk said as she picked up the Snow globe from under the rack. "It's a pretty one too. Looks kinda' like the Matterhorn ride at Disney, only with Cinderella's castle on top. Think I'll put it in the back and buy it myself," she decided. Tina still regretted not getting the job at the Disney Store.

~~~

"Gah," screamed Buffy. "Was that an earthquake?" She clutched at Spike as the world began to spin and roll crazily. It was all the vampire could do to keep hold of her and the delicate grip he had on the rocky mountain wall. Another jolt like that and they'd be ass over teakettle down the way they had come!