”We agreed that we should have some lunch and then look for Willow and Kennedy until just before sunset. We split up then, Anya went around the demon hang outs, anywhere where that low-life Warren might have been drawn to. Xander went back and checked around the construction sites and I went back to college to see if maybe Willow had gone back to Wicca group, y’know, for some help. She hadn’t, we even tried her cell but she’d left it at the house, we were starting to think that maybe she’d just vanished off the face of the planet or that somehow she had cast some sort of  ‘no see me’ spell again.
We met back up at the house just before sunset and agreed that it was far too dangerous for Kennedy especially, to be out on her own. Even Spike made a quick search for them after the sun went down but we knew that we had little choice……”

“Any luck?” Buffy asked hopefully as Spike slammed the back door loudly. “And don’t smoke in my house!” she told him, grabbing him by the collar of his leather duster and throwing him back out onto the porch.

“Hey!!” Spike complained loudly as he and Buffy crashed onto the porch. “Watch the coat!”

Buffy raised an eyebrow and Spike smiled smugly. “Did you find them?” she asked hopefully. Flicking his cigarette onto the grass, Spike shook his head slowly.

 “No sign of Red or her bird anywhere!” he told her.

“Damn it!!” Buffy snapped as she turned and followed Spike back into the house.

“Willow?” Xander called expectantly as the back door closed loudly.

“No Xander, it’s me and Spike!” Buffy called back.

“Still no word?” he asked solemnly as he joined the slayer and vampire in the kitchen. Buffy shook her head gently.

“Then it could be time, it’s not safe for them out there and if Willow is having some sort of breakdown, she needs to be here with her friends!” he said a little too loudly for the silent room.

Buffy nodded in agreement,

“So, I guess I should go and do this then!” Buffy said slowly as she made her way to the foot of the stairs, casting long, lingering stares at both the front and back doors before beginning her ascent. “I’ll be back soon.” she called back to the others.