Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy and Co. (that's Joss's & his friends), nor do I own Maleficent and Co.(that's Disney's).
Summary: Season Five, after Crush. This is what happens when you plot Spuffiness while watching Sleeping Beauty
Pairings: Spike/Buffy primarily, some Anya/Xander and Willow/Tara
Feedback: Please!
"What is in this box, Giles, rocks?" Buffy asked, as she lugged a big cardboard box into the Magic Box. It was big. And heavy. She hoped Giles appreciated this.
Giles had gotten a shipment of various magical texts earlier that day. Since Buffy was there for training, he'd nominated her for the position of Chief Box Mover. Buffy didn't mind that much - at least it was better than brooding over her freaky stalker vampire, Spike. Just the idea that he believed he was in love with her gave her the heeby-jeebies.
"Don't set it down there. Put it next to the bookcase."
Buffy grumbled as she dragged herself and the box across the shop.
"Here?"
"No, you're too close to the glass figurines and crystals. A little to the left, please."
Buffy shifted in the desired direction, her grip slipping as time passed.
"This good?" She grunted. It had better be!
Giles sighed. "That will do."
Buffy set the box down with a thump. Giles winced. Some of those were priceless volumes of lore! Would his Slayer ever learn the value of a good book?
Task done, Buffy started attacking the packing tape. "Let's see what we've got here." With all the finesse of a child on Christmas Day, Buffy ripped through the tape, and part of the box top as well.
Inside were - BOOKS! Whoop-di-do. Not that she'd expected anything else, but there had been just the tiniest bit of hope for something cooler. Maybe even brightly colored books with big pictures, instead of moldy old brown ones.
"Thank you for opening it, Buffy. Now will you help me unload them?"
Ugh. A Slayer's work is never done.
An hour later, they were almost done unloading the box. Buffy was convinced it had been enchanted to hold more than physically possible. Giles had recruited Xander and Willow to help him categorize and pile them. Anya stood over his shoulder, hounding him whenever he tried to take a particularly interesting volume and remove it from the inventory. "You bought that with the store money! If you want it, you must offer reimbursement!"
"That the last of them?" Giles asked.
Buffy peered into the depths of the box. Little bits of packing foam, some dust, and ooh! bubble wrap. Lots of bubble popping fun! As she reached in to get the bubble wrap, she noticed a book lying in a corner. Buffy wondered why she hadn't seen it before. It was big and shiny, with sparkles from jewels set in the cover.
She pulled the book out.
"Just this one."
Giles nodded, holding out his hand to receive it. Buffy ignored him and set it in her lap. After carefully studying the cover, she realized the title was "Fairy Tales of Life". What was a fairy tale book doing with all these demony ones?
"It's a book of fairy tales, Giles."
"Hmm. That's interesting. I didn't include that in my order." He shrugged. "Probably slipped in by mistake. I'll have to call the suppliers, see if they have the shipping list."
Buffy stroked the gilt edged cover. "Can I keep it?"
"Certainly."
"If you give us money."
"Anya!"
Buffy paid no mind to the resulting argument. Almost in a daze, she opened the book and started to flip through.
Table of Contents. She scanned the list of stories, all of them done in a pretty, ornate type. Let's see, which one to choose. Cinderella, no. Hansel and Gretel - been there, done that. Blue Crest? Never heard of it. Hey. Sleeping Beauty. That was always her favorite, as a kid anyway. Page 73.
The pages seemed to fly through her fingers as she sought the right one. The book started to glow.
The rest of the room noticed the seriously supernatural occurrence taking place.
"Buffy, put that book down!" Giles ordered. Whatever was going on could not be good.
Buffy acted as if he had said nothing. Instead, her hand reached out to touch the title picture.
Of a sharp spindle.