Sideways Shanshu Part 2

Buffy sat in bed for several seconds, trying to absorb what Glory had

just said. Then she was running, or rather limping, down the stairs and

heading for the kitchen.

Willow and Tara looked at her in surprise as she entered. "Buffy, what's

wrong?" Tara asked quietly, leaving the eggs in the skillet alone for a

moment.

"Glory was just in my room, she said she had one of the guys," she

replied, heading for the phone. "I need to call them and make sure she's

not lying."

"Oh God--Xander?" Willow said, her panic rising. "Or, or Giles?"

"Don't know yet," Buffy replied, dialing Xander's number. After a couple

of rings, his voice came over the line.

"Hello?"

"Oh, thank God. Xander, you're home."

"Where else would I be? I have Friday off this week." Buffy quickly

explained to him about Glory's visit, and after he promised to get over

to her house as fast as possible, she called Giles' place.

It took a couple more rings than for Xander, but eventually the former

librarian's voice answered back. With an increase of relief and

trepidation, Buffy told Giles everything and soon he too was heading

over to the Summers house.

Buffy paced the length of the kitchen, thinking furiously. "It must be

Riley, then. She said it was a guy I loved...that has to be Riley,

right?"

"But would Glory know about Riley? He left before the big stuff started

coming down," Willow answered. "Maybe she's lying."

"No, she said to do a head count. And if she knows where Riley is, then

she'd have to know that I don't know where he is. It took her a while

just to find me, and she only knows about you guys because we took her

on at the hospital...oh God."

"What, Buffy?"

Buffy looked at Will, disbelief written in her face. "I know who she

took. It's Spike."

They all shared a round of disbelieving looks. Tara spoke up quietly.

"How do you know?"

"Glory called Spike my boyfriend, when we last met up. I denied it, but

maybe she thinks I was lying."

"If she did take him, it would have to be after he left the house last

night...which was after he carried you from the cemetery and took care

of you after you were attacked," Willow finished, seeing the pattern,

herself.

"And he knows Dawn is the Key...but she said he wouldn't tell where the

Key was, even after...." Buffy's eyes widened in shock.

"Even after what? Buffy?" Willow prodded her friend on.

"She said she beat him up, tortured him, and he still wouldn't tell her.

She's going to kill him if I don't hand over the Key." She closed her

eyes, swallowed down a sudden anxiety, then added in a weak voice, "He

doesn't deserve this. I can't let this happen."

"What are you talking about? You can't go out there and risk getting

killed--and he can't die unless she beheads or stakes him. She probably

doesn't know he's a vampire, yet," Willow tried to persuade her softly.

"I can't assume that. She'll figure it out soon enough, anyway." Buffy

glanced around the kitchen, and now realized one person in particular

was missing. "Where's Dawn?"

****

Walking to the bus stop was a bit more daunting than Dawn expected. She

had to sneak through neighboring yards in order to avoid the streets, in

case Buffy went looking for her. With any luck, her absence wouldn't be

noticed until it was too late for Buffy to stop her.

The bus didn't go exactly where she needed to go, but it was close

enough. After about ten minutes, eventually she found the place--an old

warehouse that had once been used as storage for a department store

chain. She walked around until she discovered an opening that had been

broken into. Cautiously, she opened the heavy metal door and went

inside.

****

They spent several minutes checking the house inside and out for some

sign of Dawn, but it soon became obvious that she wasn't there. Buffy

was on the verge of panicking, not sure if Dawn had left on her own, or

had been taken by someone. She prayed that Glory hadn't found her and

decided to up the ante on the deal.

Giles and Xander came in the door at the same time, both having driven

as fast as they could in getting there. It took another few precious

minutes to get them up to speed, glossing over the Spike parts and

trying to make sense out of the past handful of hours.

"Where was Dawn supposed to be, Willow? Did she say anything about

leaving, or needing to be somewhere?" Buffy asked.

"The last time I talked to her, she said she was going upstairs. That

was before Glory paid you a visit."

"Dawn's window wasn't open, but it *was* unlocked. And if she was

upstairs...she might have overheard you talking. Which means she might

have decided to run off, so Glory couldn't find her," Tara tried

helpfully.

Xander's expression darkened. "Or maybe, she thought she could handle

this on her own. You said Glory told you she had someone held hostage,

and that they would die if you didn't hand over the Key."

"But Dawn wouldn't--she couldn't have thought that--!" Doubt and fear

seeped in, and Buffy tried to staunch it before it overwhelmed her. "Oh

God...we have to get there, *now*. She might have gotten to the

warehouse by this point."

Giles looked at her in concern. "What if we run into Glory? We're still

not prepared to face her, if it comes to that."

"You're not facing her--I am. I'm expecting all of you to make sure Dawn

gets clear of Glory. Let's talk about this on the way there, you guys.

We're losing time."

****

Spike flitted in-between consciousness and unconsciousness, the pain so

extreme that it would jar him awake, then cause him to drift into

insensibility once again. The first time he'd woken up, he'd found

himself chained to the wall by his wrists, his feet dangling just above

the floor. His shirt and shoes had been taken off, though he still had

his jeans. The glass shards had dug in deeper as he'd stirred, the pain

causing him to focus on his surroundings.

Glory had stood to one side, as if appraising his condition. Or figuring

out where to start.

He'd experienced plenty of torture in his life, and seen even more. But

Glory was a god that had several millennia on him...and she made Angelus

look unenthusiastic in comparison.

This time upon waking, he found he was still chained to the wall, and if

the light outside was any indication, he'd been that way for a number of

hours. Shallow stab wounds in his sides, arms and legs ached, burns on

his chest and back still seemed like they were on fire, and he could

taste his own blood in his mouth, partly from a cut on his cheek and

also from coughing it up. If given enough time, bruises from the bout in

the crypt and her initial attempts at persuasion would appear where the

stab wounds were now.

If he had that much time. Glory didn't seem to recognize that he was a

vampire, or else she would have been using holy water and crosses by

now. Then again, she hadn't really taken much interest in him, aside

from demanding the location of the Key and causing him physical pain

when he refused.

Glory was some distance away, talking to one of her minions. He nodded

incessantly, calling her "Glorificus" and bestowing on her all sorts of

indulgent praises. Her voice raised up enough for him to hear.

"I *know* the timetable's moved up. But now it's today? How did that

happen?"

They mumbled something about outside forces, the rivers of fate and

unforeseen changes in the weather. She didn't take this well. "So, if

the Slayer girl doesn't give me my Key, I'll have to wait even longer on

this horrid dustball of a realm?"

That seemed to be the jist of it, to the minion's great regret. "Great.

This is *so* wrecking my day." She clutched her head as if she wasn't

feeling well, but instead of coming to her aid, the minion actually

moved backwards.

"No, I'm fine for now. But you should probably get me someone, just in

case. Well, don't just stand there!"

The minion headed out to obey, taking the others with him as he left.

Glory turned her attention back to her captive, and noticed he was now

awake.

"Ah, there you are. Still alive, huh? Boy, you human types can be pretty

resilient. Well, you feel like talking?"

"Go to hell...bitch," Spike managed to reply, his chest heaving with the

effort.

"You kiss your Slayer with that mouth?" She grinned mischievously. "But

then, she'll be here soon enough to try and save you, and then I can

kill her. Of course, if you tell me where the Key is, I won't have to do

that. You give it to me, and I'll let you both live out your petty lives

in this hole."

He didn't fear for himself, but the threat against Buffy chilled him

even colder than he already was. Glory was strong enough to follow

through with it, and Buffy didn't have a way to defeat her. But he knew

that she wouldn't show up to save his life. That much, he was sure of.

He summoned up the strength to speak. "She won't come...you stupid bint.

She won't ever play...by your rules."

Cold anger rose in her eyes, and her smile faded. "What did I tell you

about your mouth?" she said coldly, and grabbed a short sword from a

table filled with several sharp and nasty things, most of which had been

used on him already. The tip was buried in his abdomen before he could

blink, the pain so excruciating that he forgot to scream. She drove it a

little deeper then twisted it slightly, causing the darkness to creep

in, ever so gradually, but he fought for consciousness. He wouldn't pass

out again and give her the satisfaction.

She drew the blade out without much care, and he bit back a cry of pain.

Blood seeped out and joined with the older, drying blood on his skin and

jeans. Spike tried to focus on anything that would keep him from passing

out, and found his gaze drifting beyond Glory, behind her. A door to the

outside beckoned cruelly, and the harsh knowledge that he probably

wouldn't last to see the sunset settled heavily on his shoulder.

Then he saw another door opening, one that the minions hadn't used and

actually looked like it went into a different part of the warehouse. He

hadn't thought much of it since it was the door that lead outside which

was his main concern.

The face that came into focus caused him to change that opinion.

****

It only took Dawn a moment to recognize the blonde vampire. Part of his

body was hidden by Glory, but what she could see horrified her. She

blanched, the truth of Glory's claim hitting her hard. Spike was the one

she had been talking about. He'd endured this so she wouldn't be harmed.

She'd thought the time they had spent together was all because he wanted

to get to Buffy through her...that's what everyone had said. But now,

she didn't believe it. And she couldn't allow this to continue, not if

she had the power to stop it.

Dawn pushed the door open further, and Spike's eyes widened in alarm. He

tried to signal to her to go back, but it was to no avail. This was

going to end, and it was going to end, now.

Glory turned, having already known the girl was at the door. Her smile

was filled with deceptive cheer. "Hey, what're you doing here, Dawnie? I

thought I told your sister to bring the Key, not you."

Dawn took a deep breath. "I want you to promise me something. If you get

the Key, will you let Spike go and leave my sister and the rest of her

friends alone? Just...go back wherever you came from?"

Glory narrowed her eyes. "Well, sure. I don't really care about them. I

just want what's mine. You have it?"

"No! Don't tell--" Spike yelled out, but Glory stopped him by punching

right where she'd just stabbed him. He cried out, the wave of pain

nearly causing him to pass out, once again.

"Please! Stop hurting him! I'll tell you what you want to know, just

stop it!"

"Okay, fine. I'll keep my end of the bargain, as long as you do. So,

where's my Key?"

Dawn ignored Spike's gaze, knowing what she'd see. "Right here. I'm this

Key you're looking for."

****

Spike watched with dread as Glory approached Dawn...and then the goddess

laughed in disbelief

"You're kidding, right? You, the Key?" She glanced back over to Spike,

and he tried to cover up his fear with amusement. "Is this her idea of a

joke?"

"Don't ask me. I thought she was really gonna tell you there, for a

second," Spike answered.

"I *am* telling the truth," Dawn replied, earning a glare from Spike and

another shrewd look from Glory. "I'm trying to save my sister and her

friends from what Glory did to you--and I'm trying to get you set free."

"Go home, niblet. The only thing you're gonna end up doing is getting

your sister all worried about you."

Glory had fallen silent, not a good state of affairs as far as Spike was

concerned. She walked over until she stood next to Dawn and placed her

hand on the girl's head. "Well, there's a quick way to find out who's

telling the truth."

Before Spike could offer some sort of plea or distraction, a white glow

began to emanate from Glory's hand. She grinned rapturously, and looked

at the girl differently now, as one would regard a prized possession.

"You *are* my Key! No wonder the Slayer wouldn't hand you over--of

course, big sis protecting the little one of the herd. Getting those

mommy instincts," Glory said, then winced slightly. "*Where* are my

minions? They should've been able to find somebody by now!"

"Okay, so you believe me. A deal's a deal--let Spike go and you can go

home and never bother my family and friends again."

Glory grabbed Dawn by the throat. "Don't dictate to me. *I* am the god

in this room. Your sister will eventually find him, and he can tell her

what happened. For now, my time is approaching. I can't wait for the

minions to show up--too bad for them."

Dawn's eyes widened in fear, but she didn't struggle. Glory lifted her

off the ground by the throat, and carried her into the center of the

room, chanting in some ancient language as she did so. Spike tried to

break free of the chains, but he was too weak to do more than strain

against them.

She finished the chant with a flourish, and a green glow manifested

itself around Dawn. Her form started to glow from within, and then she

changed into a brilliant green energy, still shaped as the human girl

she once was. Then, the glow expanded and flattened into a portal, with

Dawn's human body visible on the inside, and Glory and the rest of the

world on the other. The realm itself was pearl grey, not unlike the sky

outside. Dawn's body looked like it was behind smoked glass, the colors

lacking their vitality.

Glory dropped the girl's body on the inside, discarded as little more

than luggage. She hit whatever passed for a floor in that netherrealm

bonelessly, and Spike realized with a creeping horror that the girl was

likely dead.

"What--what did you do to her?"

Glory shrugged, then cackled unevenly. "I used her. What you humans do

to each other. It's no different--she's just a key, a tool I need to get

what I want. Whatever the monks made her, she's gone now. Anything

living that goes through the portal dies." She stretched languorously.

"I can't wait to get rid of this disgusting body!"

Suddenly, she grabbed her head in pain, crying out. Wondering what all

this was about, he watched for a sign of weakness, or what might be

causing it. She mumbled something that he would typically expect out of

Drusilla's mouth, not a god's, but then she refocused with some effort

and turned to face him.

"But I could use a little snack before I go."

****

The drive to the warehouse went faster than expected, thanks to Giles

driving faster than the posted speed limit, and accelerating through

yellow lights. They parked next to the warehouse and filed out with as

much stealth as they could muster. Buffy went in first, trailed by

Willow and Giles. Xander and Tara followed up, checking behind them to

make sure no one followed them in.

They had unknowingly taken the same way in as Dawn, so when Buffy opened

the next door, it revealed Spike hanging from the wall, bloody and

nearly cut open, with Glory walking over to him. She heard something

from Glory about having a snack, then registered Spike's confused fear.

Buffy pushed the door the rest of the way, slamming it against the wall

with sufficient force to make everyone behind her jump. "Okay, enough's

enough, Glory. Where's Dawn?"

"Oh, she's been and gone." She continued approaching Spike, and he

didn't even have enough energy to try and twist away from her.

"Walk away from him and I might not rip your lungs out, bitch."

This made Glory stop, finally. "You can try, little girl. But you can't,

and you know it--and you can't stop me from doing this, either!" Her

hands reached for Spike's head, and to Buffy's horror, her fingers

started to glow and sink into his head. He strained futilely against

her, and Buffy began to run over, hoping to stop whatever Glory was

doing, when the goddess herself paused, her movement showing her

confusion.

"What the hell--?!" Then she screamed, a pain that Buffy had never seen

inflicted on her. Her fingers pulled out quickly, bringing with it a

small square piece. The plastic and metal flew out of Glory's hand and

skittered across the poured concrete floor, landing just short of

Buffy's feet.

The chip. Had it done something to Glory? The blonde Slayer didn't

consider it long, since Spike was now taking full advantage of the

chip's absence. With an effort that must have caused him intense agony,

he lifted his feet up and, using the wall as a brace, shoved Glory hard

enough that she flew across the room and into the far wall, not far from

where Buffy and the gang now stood.

The supernatural being was slow in getting up, muttering something

angrily under her breath. Then, she clutched her head in a wave of pain,

staggered and fell to her knees.

"No! It's not your time, it's my time, mine mine mine! I'm in control,

you can't do this, not nooooow!" She started to sweat in exertion,

trying to fight off whatever it was. Then she began to change shape, the

strain causing her excessive torment and gradually, another form--

person--took over her body. To everyone's surprise, it wasn't just a

person change, but a gender change, as well.

He blinked and looked around, then caught sight of Buffy and the group,

and replied shakily, "This isn't exactly how I planned on coming out."

****

*******

Spike held on to consciousness, but it was a struggle. His body screamed

for an escape from the pain, but he wouldn't allow it--especially not

with the chip removed and the gang watching him with wary glances.

He recognized the man-boy...the guy that Buffy had been talking to at

the party. Was it really only two days ago? And he was Glory, or vice

versa? An interesting development, and it confirmed to him that the

Slayer had horrible taste in men.

She was pretty shocked, herself. Seeing him in one of Glory's outfits

didn't help, either. "Ben...I, I don't believe this."

"I can explain--"

"That you lied to me? You let me believe you were normal, and now I find

out that you're way on the opposite side of it." Her jaw set in a

defiant way that Spike knew all too well. "Now, are you going to tell me

where my sister is, or do I--"

"Buffy," Xander called out, now staring at the portal. "Dawn's in

there."

She turned to see what Xander meant, and saw for herself; her baby

sister lying inside the translucent wall of the portal, her skin ashen

and lifeless. "Is she...is she okay?" She looked to Ben for an answer.

Ben grimaced, "No, she's not. Dawn is the Key to the portal, and when

Glory activated it, the energy inside her was used to open the portal.

Her body is just a shell--her lifeforce sustains the portal opening."

"Well, I'm going to go in and get her," Buffy started for the gateway,

but Ben held her back.

"You can't. Anything living will die the second they cross the

threshold. You'd fall lifeless on the other side. And despite what I am,

the same goes for me."

Buffy wriggled of his grip, stymied for the moment. Spike turned it over

in his mind, and came up with the logical solution. "Why don't you just

let me go in and get her?"

The group faced him, en masse. Everyone but Ben and Buffy hesitated at

the idea, not willing to let him out of his restraints, even in his

present condition. He sighed with restrained exasperation.

"Look, I'm already dead--the field can't hurt me. If you're worried I'll

try something, well, look at me. I'm not in any shape to fight anyone,

now am I? Besides, the chip was only an inhibitor--it never made me do

or feel anything. What you've seen from me, last night and before then,

that was me, chip or no chip."

Buffy walked over silently, the others watching her in anxiety. She

stood in front of him, taking in the massive amounts of blood he'd lost

and the gashes, cuts, burns and stabs on his body. "You know I can't

just let you walk out of here. But you're right...you're the only one

that can bring her out. I'll have to take your word on it that the chip

was just a deterrent." And with that, she reached over, grabbed an

unused axe from the table of weapons, and hacked off the chain just

short of the wrist.

The relief of being let down quickly changed into sheer torment for

Spike, as muscles cramped from being in one position complained and the

cuts pulled in new and painful ways. He heard Buffy gasp, and realized

that she was looking at his back.

"Yeah, Glory didn't miss an inch. The glass is from my telly screen, and

I'm not too happy 'bout that," he breathed out, using the wall to help

support legs that had gone numb. "So, let's get this on, shall we?"

"Hold on," Ben spoke up. Now that he came closer, he could see the

wounds inflicted on Spike more clearly. "There's something you should

know, before you do this. The portal works both ways--if a living person

dies going in, a dead person leaving will be brought back to life. If

you go through both ways, you won't be an undead creature anymore. And I

can tell you right now, the wounds and trauma you've suffered will

probably kill you seconds after coming back out."

Spike froze, the man-god's words echoing in his ears. Alive? However,

his death would be on the heels of it, permanent this time. But if he

didn't, the niblet would never be brought back. Unless...

"Angel...maybe he should do it, then. He'd become human and all. That's

what everyone wants, isn't it?"

Buffy looked hopeful for a second, but Ben shook his head doubtfully, "I

can feel Glory fighting me already. If he can't get here in the next few

minutes, then I can't say for sure what will happen. You have to

understand--this portal leads to the place where souls reside, and it's

why Glory wants to get there so badly; she drains part of the soul away

in order to maintain her strength and sanity. For her, it's the source

of unlimited power."

Spike closed his eyes for only a moment; the decision was made. "I'll do

it."

"Spike, no--we can find a vampire, somewhere, make them do it--"

"In the daytime, with only a few minutes to spare?" His resolute

demeanor changed into amazement; was he really seeing concern in her

eyes? His voice softened at the possibility of it being true. "Sorry,

pet. It's been a good run, though. And you'd probably just have to stake

me, anyway."

The last was spoken half-heartedly, but pain flashed across her face.

"If you don't do this, you'll heal on your own. You realize what you're

sacrificing here, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do, love. I do." He reached out and touched her cheek, brushing

away a loose strand of hair. His hand settled along the side of her

face, and her hand reached up and covered his, holding it in place.

Their eyes met, and he couldn't tear his gaze from her, drinking in

every feature, knowing it might be the last time he'd ever see her. He

pulled away before the moment was spoiled, thinking he could now die

happily because of her kindness.

Ben and Buffy helped him stagger over to the portal, Ben explaining on

the way what the plan was. "You'll go in first, then I'll follow. When I

cross over, the body I'm in will die and Glory and I will be released. I

don't know how fast she'll be able to recover, so we'll both have to

work fast. Have Dawn in your arms before I jump in, but don't leave

before I come in...carrying Dawn out will close the portal as well as

bring her back alive."

Spike nodded in understanding, then they were standing in front of the

gateway, Dawn's body on the other side. The bottom of the portal hung

three feet off the ground, so with a little help from Ben and Buffy,

Spike got through the portal and found himself on the other side.

He expected to feel something as he came through, and the lack of

sensation disturbed him. The realm didn't have a smell, or taste, or

sound...every footfall and rustle was silent. The floor underneath his

feet felt like solid air, which didn't look any different from the misty

grey surroundings.

A breeze seemed to blow past his neck, but there was no wind. Another

brushed past his arm, and he wondered if it might be the touch of a

soul. His reverie faded as he focused on Dawn, pale in the ever present

light. He gently took her into his arms, ignoring the protest from his

limbs and back, then noticed how cold she was. Soon she would be okay,

and he tried to not dwell on what lay in store for him, on the other

side of the gateway.

He saw Ben on the other side, waiting. Spike moved with enormous effort,

not just carrying his own weight, but the girl's as well. Once he

reached the edge, he nodded to the man-god that he was ready.

Ben jumped in and instantly fell dead to one side of Spike--wasting not

a moment, the vampire leapt out and landed on solid ground, the tremor

of the landing sending painful shocks up his legs. He gulped in air as

if surfacing from the bottom of a deep pool, and heard Dawn do the same.

His legs buckled from the pain and he fell to his knees, still holding

on to her.

Someone took her from him, and he managed to keep himself from falling

on his face with unsteady arms. He noticed a strange sensation in his

chest and realized it was his heart beating, for the first time in 120

years.

Quickly losing his fight to stay conscious, his arms trembled with a

lack of strength, collapsing underneath him. He toppled to the floor,

the terrible pain and the feeling of being alive almost too much for him

to bear. He managed to see Buffy's face one more time before the

darkness came, pulling him into the refuge of senselessness.

****

"Spike? Spike!" Buffy shook him, but his eyes had closed and his

breathing was becoming more and more shallow. His skin was no longer

quite so cold, but the pumping of his heart was causing the blood to

come out only that much faster.

Having made sure that Dawn was fine, Giles came over to her side,

appraising Spike's condition both by touch and look. When he stopped,

the expression on his face wasn't good. "He's gone into shock."

"Does anyone have a cell phone?" Buffy called out frantically, her hands

pressing down on the deep wound in his abdomen, trying to staunch the

flow of blood.

Tara dug through her personal bag, and brought out her portable phone.

"I have mine--do, do you want me to call 911?"

"Yes, please," Buffy replied, glancing around for some kind of cloth to

help soak up the blood. "Quick, somebody--help me here. We can't just

let him die!"

"Why not?" Xander replied, his voice much too calm. "He's a murderer.

Why not let him die? He knew the risk."

Her hard gaze fell on him, and he flinched. The tone of voice that came

from her was cold fury. "No one is dying on my watch, understand? Not

now." Not so soon after not being able to save her mother. The truth

hung in the air, obvious but unmentionable.

Buffy closed her eyes, pushing back the despair. She wasn't going to

have him die on her, not like this. Tara's voice broke through the

trance-like she'd drifted into, pulling her back to the present.

"They said they'll be here in a couple minutes. They were already in the

area."

Buffy offered a silent thanks to whomever had been responsible for that

benevolence. Maybe it was Ben, she thought idly, then shook herself out

of that line of thought. It was hard just trying to deal with the sudden

revelation of who he really was. Cripes, was she doomed to only attract

the supernatural?

It felt like more than a couple minutes before the paramedics arrived,

but her gratitude and trepidation couldn't have been greater when they

finally came. Spike was still breathing, but his skin was growing colder

in a way that was no longer normal for him.

The two paramedics took over, and Buffy pulled away in a haze of memory,

reliving the horror of her mother's death all over again. But this time,

what she heard from the paramedics was more encouraging.

"He's still alive, and breathing--but he's crashing hard. BP is falling

and he's in deep shock. Prep him for transport." The older one, a man in

his late thirties, turned to Buffy and asked, "How long has he been like

this?"

"I don't know, m-maybe a couple hours?" She answered, and the medic

shook his head.

"It's amazing that he's alive." The man turned back to Spike, and the

two men lifted him onto a gurney and hauled him off the ground. Buffy

followed them out the door, holding it open as they left. The gang

trailed behind, mostly surprised at Buffy's attitude but not willing to

question it.

Buffy demanded on going with them to the hospital, and they let her hop

into the back. She took a place by Spike's side and watched the

paramedic work to keep him alive long enough to make it to the hospital-

-where they could hopefully work a miracle.

****

Willow wrapped an arm around Dawn as they watched the ambulance leave,

tearing down the street at a breakneck pace. "You all right, Dawn?"

"I'm fine," she answered for the fifth time. She didn't remember

anything beyond the chanting Glory had done, then the next thing she

knew, a wounded Spike was holding her in his arms, and she sucked in a

lungful of air in reflex. Willow and Xander had taken her away from

Spike, who had quickly sagged to the ground and fell unconscious.

They explained to her what happened, but it was still overwhelming--and

now Spike might die so she could live. All she'd managed to do was

accelerate the process, rather than get rid of it.

The one bright spot was that Glory was gone. Dawn clung to that truth

with a relief that was palpable. She wasn't in danger any longer, and

the people in her life were safe--or as safe as you could get, when you

lived on the Hellmouth.

The gang started to head over to Giles' car, when the sound of steel

clanging against steel drew their attention. To their amazement, a

cluster of men dressed in armor approached them, out of place in any

situation outside of a medieval battle re-enactment.

The leader spoke up, holding a bloodied sword out in front of him. "We

know you have the Key--where is it?"

Xander stepped up to the challenge. "It's gone, and so is Glory...so you

can pack up your swords and Renaissance festival gear and give out a

mighty 'good journey and fare thee well!' on your way out."

"Don't mock us, boy; We're the Knights of Byzantium, and we're not to be

trifled with. We've taken down the Beast's minions and now we're here to

deal with the Beast, herself."

Willow sighed in disgust. "Didn't you just hear us? Hello? She's gone

for good. You're late for the party, shiny guy."

"She's right...you might as well go home. The Key is gone and Glory with

it. If you don't believe us you can go in there, yourselves," Giles

added. The knights shuffled around a bit, muttering amongst themselves.

Finally, the leader declared, somewhat petulantly, "We're going to have

to investigate this."

Giles rolled his eyes. "Fine. Do whatever you like. We'll be going

then," he replied, and everyone walked away from the confused knights,

not caring about anything but getting to the hospital to check on Buffy

and Spike, then going home and allowing themselves to relax, for the

first time in months.

****