Part 9:

Glory ran her hands through her hair. It was burning inside of her. She needed them to bring a human, very quickly. It was so humiliating, she was Glorificus, and she had wait for her minions to bring back her food for her survival. It was degrading and it made her angry. If they didn't hurry, she was going to eat the human and then kill them.

The door opened, two of her servants were dragging a man through the door, and he was whimpering and mewling as he tried to squirm away. One of the pointed to Glory, "Help her!"

The other, the one she thought might be called Murk moved forward, "We're here for you great one. Drink."

Glory tried to force her pathetic human eyes to focus. Her fingers moved up the man's head and pushed their way in. The man screamed in pain as Glory screamed in relief.

Glory pushed herself to her feet shooing away her minions hands, "No, I'm good. It's okay." She looked at the man disgustedly and pushed him away from her, "Try not cutting it so close next time. Understood?"

"Of course."

"We live to serve."

Their fawning washed over her head, she was used to it, "Take this mess out with the rest of the trash." Glory looked at the one called Murk, "And you, have something to tell me?"

Murk grinned and bowed, "Indeed Glorificus."

"And I'm waiting."

"We have found, that the signs of the alignment are moving faster than expected."

Glory looked into a handheld mirror, "Meaning?"

"If you are to use the Key, you must act quickly."

Glory sighed, "Fine. I have been cooling my heels in this crappy little town long enough. Sunnydale's got too many demons and not enough retail outlets."

Murk kept himself in a humble position but his tone was just short of firm, "All you need is the Key."

"And I bet mousy the vampire slayer knows where it is."

Murk bowed, "If I may remind your eminence, you don't have much time."

Glory smirked, "Baby, if that girl's the only thing between me and my Key, I don't need much time."

* *

Buffy had had one hell of a crappy day. No scratch that, she had had the worst day she had had for months. And now she was stuck fighting with this annoyingly stubborn vampire, when all she wanted to do was go home and persuade another stubborn vampire to give her a massage and possibly a little se . . .something else.

All of her professor's had been getting down on her. She had tried to offer an opinion on something and her history professor had shot her down, and then another one of them had told her that the homework deadline had been this Wednesday not next Wednesday.

The world was just crap at the moment, she wanted to go to the Magic Box, check in with Giles and then go home. Buffy almost smiled as she thought of Spike, unfortunately just as she was almost smiling, the vamp delivered a nasty kick to her stomach and sent her flying.

Buffy's anger flared and she stood up, ready to beat the crap out of the thing when Spike leapt over the tombstones and staked the newly arisen vamp.

"Spike! Why did you do that?"

"Because I just saw it kick you in the stomach, a vamp like that. A nothing. You're off your game, what's wrong?"

Buffy was about to snap back a response, more out of habit than anything else, except that instead she just wanted him to hold her. "I had a crappy day."

Spike smiled a little and walked over to her, "Want to go home?"

Buffy slipped her arms about his waist, "Oh God yes. Just gotta check in with Giles first."

Spike nodded and planted a kiss on her lips, "Come on then pet, lets go check in, then we can do . . .other things.

Buffy smiled up at him, "God I was so hoping you'd say that."

* *

Giles had not had a good day. In fact, he'd go as far to say he'd had a spectacularly bad day.

They'd had the nerve to shut down his shop. And now they were talking about a review. They wanted to put Buffy through another test. The only problem was that he didn't know how he was supposed to stop them if that's what they wanted to do. He couldn't stop them. What was she going to say when she found out? At least this time he would be on her side from the start and she would know it. He hated thinking about the fact that he had betrayed her trust. He just hadn't known what to do for the best, like now. Oh God. What was she going to say? Another thought struck Giles, oh hell, what was Spike going to say?

* * *

Buffy pushed open the door of the Magic Box with her fingers entwined with Spike's. Already, she didn't feel quite as bad. After this, they could go home and Spike could help her feel even better.

At least that was, she was feeling better until her eyes feel on a group of smartly dressed individuals in the middle of the shop. She would have been able to guess who they were even if there wasn't a very familiar man facing her.

The man looked over to her, "Miss Summers! Good to see you again."

Buffy glared while trying not to glare, "Mr Travers."

Spike did a quick check over of the people in the room. The tension was radiating off Buffy and Giles. Neither of them were happy in the current company. And the man, Quentin Travers, he thought it was, well he fit the stereotype that Spike had been dreading. Full of his own self-importance and secure in the knowledge that the world could not get along without him. Not a good person to piss off, and the type that Spike could have bitten just to do the world a favour a couple of months ago. He brought his mind back to the scene playing out in front of him.

"Giles has just been telling us of your training regimen. Perhaps you will favour us with a demonstration while we're here."

"Right now?"

Travers just smiled condescendingly, Spike found himself liking this man less and less by the second, "No need to rush you."

Giles, who Spike noticed was looking rather worse for wear spoke for the first time, "They're staying rather longer than I had anticipated."

"We've already laid out our project for Mr. Giles." Travers inclined his head to one of the other men, inviting him to take the floor, "Nigel?"

Spike sae the mark of a man, who viewed himself as superior enough to delegate even the simplest of task. What the man said however pleased him even less, "It's an exhaustive examination of your procedures and abilities. Observe your training, talk to your friends . . ."

Buffy was clearly appalled by the last part, "Talk to my friends?"

Travers now interrupted, "Yes, we understand that you're still taking civilians out on your patrols."

Buffy looked at Spike with anger and desperation in her eyes, "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

"Buffy, I can sense your resistance, I don't blame you. But I think that your Watcher hasn't reminded you lately of the relative status of the players in our little game. The Council fight evil, the Slayer is the instrument by which we fight. The Council remains, the Slayers change, it's been that way since the beginning."

Giles snorted, "That's a very comforting, bloodless way of looking at it, isn't it?"

"Giles, let me talk to Buffy, because I think she's understanding me," Spike could tell by the glare on Buffy's face the rather than understanding, Buffy was just getting, very, very angry, "Glory is stronger than you. She is a more powerful instrument, if you will. We can help you; we have information that will help. Pass the review, and we give it to you without reservation. Fail the review, either through incompetence, or resisting our recommendations . . .

Apparently, this was too much for Giles, who cut him off, "Resisting your recommendations? She fails, if we don't do whatever you say. How much under your thumb do you think we are?"

The older man was not worried by this outburst, "How much do you want our help?"

"She's not your bloody instrument and you have no right to do any of this."

Spike was quite surprised, he knew that Giles loved Buffy, but he hadn't thought that the old guy had it in him to really lose it. "I understand you think this is unfair. But there are factors that should motivate you to go along with the review. Now I don't want to do this. But obviously we could shut this place down permanently."

Buffy's eyes widened in horror, "You can't do that. You don't have that kinda power."

The older watcher openly scoffed, "Of course we do and I great deal more. In fact, if you insist on fighting us, we'll arrange to have Mr. Giles deported within the day. He'll never set foot in this country again. Now perhaps your used to idle threats and sloppy discipline Miss Summers, but you're dealing with grown ups now. Am I making myself clear?"

* * *

If Travers had known how close he had come to a snapped neck, chip, or no chip, he might have been a little more polite. As it was, Spike was only restrained by Buffy gripping his hand. The three of them now sat in the middle of the aftermath.

Buffy was feeling utterly deflated. The kind of feeling she got when she lost a battle, only this was worse, she couldn't even mount an offensive. She just didn't know what to do for the best. It really did feel like they were sitting among wreckage, the shop, usually a refuge, now felt dirty, as though it had been claimed as someone else's battle-ground.

Giles got up and started pacing, "It's about power that's what it is. It's about how has the power."

Buffy looked between the two men, "I'm guessing they do. Big power outage in the Buffy County?"

Giles was angry, he pulled off his glasses and started rubbing then with a handkerchief, "I should have set you loose on them that's what I should have done."

Buffy looked utterly beaten, "Giles, that Travers guy is like, sixty, I can't hit him. Can I?"

Spike smirked, "Oh, so you can't hit a sixty year old, but you hit someone twice his age. Lovely?"

Buffy smiled for the first time since the Council members had left, "You don't count." The smiled faded as she looked back to Giles, "Can they really do the stuff they threatened? Kick you out of the country?"

Giles carried on rubbing his glasses, "In a heartbeat. The rough stuff, they're all right at, they're a bit ham handed, though they get it down. But this stuff, the bureaucracy, the pulling of political strings, they're the best in the world. They can kill you with the stroke of a pen. Poncy sods. . ."

All eyes turned to the glasses in Giles' hand as he pushed the lens out of the frame accidentally.

Spike stood now, "What are they going to do to her for this review then?"

Giles looked at the vampire, "We don't know if she's going to do it yet."

"Of course I am Giles," Buffy interrupted them before it could turn into a fight, "I can't let them kick you out of the country. I need you. I also need for you two to not fight while we figure this out. Okay?"

Spike and Giles exchanged a looked and a silent note of agreement, the vampire moved next to Buffy and slipped an arm around her, his eyes returning to Giles, "So what are they going to make her do? Just tasks? They not going to hurt her."

Buffy shook her head, "That's not what I'm worried about. It's the rest. The mental part. The decisions I've made. Twice now, I've been within slaying distance of Glory, and twice, she's kicked my ass without even tensing a muscle. And I haven't been able to figure out what she is or anything about her, except that she wants the key which I have and I can't even figure out if it's okay for me to tell anyone that."

Giles leant across the table and touched her hand, "Buffy, no one could have done any better than you."

Spike was quick to back him up, but Buffy wasn't listening. She was too busy panicking, "But no one else is going to be asked the questions that I can't answer. They're going to expect me to be . . .to be like a slayer and know stuff. But I'm just me and I don't know anything and they're going to go away and they're not going to tell me how to fight Glory and I'm not going to be able to protect Dawn."

Spike could see that Buffy looked as though she was going to cry. Spike slid his hand up her back and rubbed her neck, "Hey, we'll figure this out pet I promise. We'll make sure that you pass. Just don't worry. It's not going to help you."

Buffy nodded trying to calm herself, "I guess I should be getting ready. Where do you think they'll start?"

"Anya Christina Emmanuella Jenkins. Twenty years old. Born on the 4th of July and don't think there weren't jokes about that my whole life Mister cause there were. 'Who's our little patriot' they'd say when I was younger and therefore smaller and shorter than I am now.

The Watcher looked bored, "So. You spell it A-N-Y-A?"

"Yes."

"Good now we can move on to the questions?"

* * *

Willow tried not to panic, "Questions, right."

Tara nodded, "We can answer questions."

The Watcher held up a clipboard, "I'll need to ask you some things about the Slayer and about the both of you. Your relationship . . .whatever you can tell me."

Tara flushed, "Our relationship?"

Willow joined her in the flushing, "We're friends."

"Good friends."

Willow swallowed and bit the bullet, "Girlfriends actually."

"Yes we're girlfriends." Tara backed up her girlfriend despite her embarrassment.

"We're in love, we're lovers. We're lesbian, gay type lovers."

The Watcher lowered his clipboard, "I meant your relationship with the slayer."

Both girls looked down, going very red as Tara almost whispered, "Just, good friends."

* * *

Xander was pleased to get an easy first question, "Best friends. Me, Willow, and Buffy. The three of us have been together since the beginning. We've always gone on patrols and done demons research with her and everything."

The Watcher nodded and made a note, "Have you mastered any fighting disciplines over the years?"

"No." That was unfair and it was something the Xander knew he was touchy about.

"So you have no special skills or power or knowledge that you bring to the group. Neither of you?"

Xander grimaced with the thought 'rub it then why dontcha?' Anya only smiled pleasantly, "Just enthusiasm for killing the demons. Go deadness for the demons."

Xander squared his shoulders and tried to redeem himself, "I don't have any powers but I do help."

The Watcher suddenly looked interested, "How? Be specific."

"Last summer Willow, Giles and me combined our essence with Buffy." Off the man's look he quickly continued, "Which isn't as weird as it sounds. We merged and I was the 'heart' part of a super Buffy."

Anya smiled and leant forwards, "I'm told it was all very professional."

The Watcher picked up his pen, "Are you saying that the Slayer needs that level of help from you often?"

* * *

Willow realised what she had just said and backtracked, "No, no she doesn't need help."

Tara nodded, "She'd be fine without us. Sometimes she goes off and does stuff without even telling us."

Tara frowned, realising how that sounded and looked at Willow who tried to cover her, "Not that she's like, a weird loner or anything."

"I'm not sure we're saying this right."

"Here's the thing. W can help because we do magic's. I'm working on this, ball of sunshine thing. See I have this theory. . ."

Tara smiled, "It's very cool."

"And if it works, easier slaying for Buffy. Not that it's hard for her now."

The Watcher raised his eyebrows, "Interesting. What level are you at?"

"Level?"

"Magical proficiency level?"

Willow looked desperate, "Oh, high with the level. Very high, one of those top levels . . ."

Tara's voice came in strong and clear, "Five."

Willow was surprised. She hadn't even known that there were levels, and she was a five? A five what? She looked at Tara hoping for inspiration but the blonde gave her a look, which clearly stated that she was making this up as she went along. The Watcher wrote down the details as he spoke, "And you're registered as practising witches under the names you gave me?"

"R . . . registered?"

Willow panicked, "Of course we're . . ."

"Registered."

* * *

Anya was gripping her knees under the table. Could this actually get any worse? She was sure that the man was suspicious. H must be guessing that she had once been a demon. Oh, God what would they do to her if they figured it out?

"Do either of you know anything about the Key?"

Anya shook her head vehemently, "Nope sounds demony to me. I don't hold with that demon nonsense. Muffin? I cooked them myself."

* * *

Buffy practically fell through her front door followed by Spike under a blanket. She'd had more than enough for one day. They had managed to prevent the Council discovering that she was in a relationship with a vampire. Buffy had been so angry that she had wanted to just tell them. Surprisingly, Spike had said not to. He said that it was more important for them to get information on Glory for the two of them to be recognised as a couple. Buffy guessed he was right, though the expression on their faces might just be worth it.

"Joyce?" The vampire called.

There was no answer and Buffy led the way to the front room. When she had only taken two steps in she saw her. Glory had her fingers steepled and a falsely sympathetic look on her face, "Long day, sweetie?"

Buffy and Spike looked at each other in horror as Glory turned and began examining the house, " . . .personally I need more space . . . but this is good for you, it's so quaint . . ."

Buffy grabbed the poker off the fire, but before she could do anything with it, Glory plucked it out of her fingers, "Buffy. If I wanted to fight you could tell with the being dead already." Spike looked ready to attack, but Buffy shook her head, "Place nice, both of you."

Spike came to stand next to Buffy, "What do you want."

Glory lost no time in getting straight to the point, "The Key. Why else do you think I'd come here? You see, I think that you know where it is, and that's a good thing."

Buffy fought to stop her voice from trembling. What if Dawn was here? "I'm glad you think so."

"Well, it's the only thing keeping you alive right now, cause you may be tiny queen in vampire world, but to me you're a bug. You should get down on your knees and worship me. But no you still think it's neat having superpowers. Woo, big deal, stronger than humans. Who isn't? I could crush the life from you as easy as you break a nail, but I need the Key . . ."

During this speech, Dawn had come through the door from the kitchen; Buffy felt panic and horror rise in her throat. She could feel the tension radiating off Spike, but neither gave any sign that anyone was there. Glory apparently, didn't need a sign, "Kid! Come here a sec."

Buffy went white, "Leave her out of this."

"Not asking twice."

"This is between you and me."

Glory looked furious, "NO! This is between me and my Key. You just happen to be the thing in the way." She clicked her fingers and Dawn walked forwards, "And you are just, the darlingest thing I've ever did see in my life." Dawn didn't look overly impressed with this impression of her, "What's your name honey?"

Dawn kept her face blank, "Dawn."

"Dawn? Did you know that your sister took my Key, Dawnie and she won't give it back? I bet you know where she put it don't you?"

Buffy was slightly relieved to see that there was nothing about Dawn that was setting off smoke signals for Glory about Dawn's person. But that didn't help them with the fact that a demon was sat in her front room looking at the thing she had been looking for. That thing that was her sister, "She doesn't know anything."

Dawn looked angry, "I know some stuff."

Glory smiled at the younger Summer's nerve, "I bet she takes your stuff all the time without asking."

Spike met Dawn's eyes with an urgent silent message, she saw the worry, "Go upstairs Dawn."

Buffy could see that the girl was hesitant. She was sick of being treated like a kid, "I'll figure it out you know."

Dawn stomped out of the room and up the stairs. Glory smiled, "I like her, she's sassy. And I'll kill her. I'll kill your mom, I'll kill your friends, and I'll kill him." Glory pointed at Spike, "And I'll make you watch when I do. Just give me the Key. You either have it or you know where to find it." Glory stood up; Spike automatically moved closer to Buffy, "Don't worry Blondie. We're not getting violent this time. But obviously, this is a one time only deal. The next time we meet something you love dies bloody."

Buffy's legs almost gave way beneath her as Glory walked out of the front door. She turned to Spike, "We need to get them away. Mom and Dawn."

Spike looked like he knew what was coming, "And you want me to take them somewhere?"

Buffy put her arms around his waist, "Not far, just somewhere she doesn't know about. Your crypt would do. Just until I find out what I'm fighting. Please. Spike I am begging you. If anything happens to me, they'll need you. Please Spike, please pleas . . ."

Spike pulled her to him as the tears started down her cheeks, "Okay, pet. Just breath. We'll manage this. I'll take them."

Joyce came into the room, "What's happening? Dawn's sulking again."

Spike smiled, "Pack a bag love. We're going to stay somewhere a little more dark and dank than this."

* * *

Buffy looked at her watch. Great, just great. She was already late and she wasn't even half way there yet. Buffy sped up her steps. Unfortunately they came to an abrupt stop as three fighters dropped around her.

Buffy quickly took the sword off one of them and used it to defend herself against their attacks. She managed to deliver a sharp kick to the waist of one of them. He went down hard and hit his head on the tarmac. He wasn't getting up any time soon. She took out number two with a punch to the temple. Leaving her with the third. She knocked him to the floor and dragged his mask off.

"Okay, let's see what you are, or who you are."

The man was clearly a shade of choking to death with the pressure she was putting on the bar that was against his throat, "One soldier in a vast army."

"What army?"

"The Knights of Byzantium. An ancient order and now your enemy."

"You work for Glory?"

The man gave a derisive sniff, "You think we ally ourselves with the beast? You must be mad."

"You're the ones who tried killing me."

"We were fools three alone, but if it takes a hundred men, we send a hundred men, and if it takes a thousand we send a thousand."

Buffy felt her stomach clench, "A thousand?"

"As long as you protect the Key the Brotherhood will never stop until we destroy it and you. So, be done with it. Kill us and let legions follow."

Buffy let him stand, he was human, "Go."

* * *

Buffy walked through the door. An odd sense of calm settled on her. She knew how to deal with them now. They were not going to make her feel like nothing, to them she wasn't nothing, she was everything. She got it now.

Quentin Travers didn't even look up properly, "You're late."

"Yeah."

Giles noticed the sword in her hand "Was there an attack?"

"Yeah."

Travers obviously didn't care, "Well, we can begin the review at last. We'll skip the more obvious question and move on to . . ."

Buffy cut him off by placing the sword on top of his book, "There isn't going to be a review."

He looked as though this was the first time in his life that anyone had ever dared to question him, "I'm sorry?"

"No review, no interrogation, no questions you know I can't answer. No hoops, no jump," One of the watchers moved as though to speak, "No interruptions.

"See, I've had a lot of people talking at me the last few days, everyone just lining up to tell me how unimportant I am. And I finally figured out why. Power, I have it; they don't; this bothers them.

"Glory came to my home today . . ."

Giles stood up, "Buffy are you . . ?"

"Just to talk, she told me I'm a bug, I'm a flea, she could squash me in a second. Only she didn't. She came into my home and we talked, we had what in her warped brain probably passes for a civilised conversation. Why? Because she needs something from me, because I have power over her.

"You guys didn't come all the ay from England to determine whether or not I was good enough to be let back in, you came, to beg me to let you back in, to give your jobs your lives some semblance of meaning . . .

"This is beyond insolence . . ." the sword just missed the Watcher's waist.

"I'm fairly certain I said no interruptions."

Xander and the other were sitting there with their mouths open, enjoying the incredible scene playing out below, "That was excellent."

"You're watcher's without a slayer you're pretty much just watching masterpiece theatre. You can't stop Glory you can't do anything with the information you have except maybe publish it in the, Everyone Thinks We're Insano's Home Journal.

So here's how it's gonna play out, you're gonna tell me everything you know and then you're gonna go away. You'll contact me if and when you have any further information about Glory. The Magic box will remain open, Mister Giles will stay here as my official Watcher re-instated at full salary . . ."

Giles not so subtly coughed, "Retroactive."

Buffy took up her cue, "To be paid retroactively from the month he was fired. I will continue my work with the help of my friends . . ."

Another Watcher raised her hand, while trying to look humble, "I . . .I don't want a sword thrown at me, but civilians, I mean we're talking about children."

Buffy looked up at her friends proudly and smiled, "We're talking about two very powerful witches and a thousand year old ex-demon."

Anya glared at Buffy as though she had gone insane, "Willow's a demon?"

The Watcher's completely ignored her, "The boy? No power there."

Buffy glared at him with eyes that would turn milk sour, "The Boy's clocked more field time than all of you combined. He's part of the unit."

Willow was grinning in brimming pride at her friend, "That's Riley speak."

Xander was smiling goofily, "I've clocked field time."

"Now, you all may be very good at your jobs the only way we're going to find out is to work with me. You can all take your time thinking about that. But I want answer right now from Quentin, cause I think he's understanding me."

Quentin Travers was looking very, very pale, but surprisingly calm, "Your proposal is acceptable."

* * *

"Oh God. A god? A real god? Oh God."

Xander was not coping well with the news. Anya held his hand, "It's okay sweetie, if it gets too bad, we can run away like I did that one time." All eyes in the room swivelled towards her including Xander's, "Apparently I have again said the wrong thing."

Buffy spoke, "We can do this guys. We have to. We don't exactly have a choice."

Buffy was sat in Spike's lap round the table at the Magic Box. It was her birthday tomorrow and they were meant to be discussing that, but instead they had somehow come around to the saving of the world again . . .again.

"Buffy's right, from what the Council ahs been able to ascertain from the boo of Tarnis and their other sources, glory and two of her fellow hell gods ruled over one of the more seriously unpleasant demon dimensions."

Tara flinched, "There's more than one?"

Spike nodded, "A hell of a lot more than one. And they're all different. Some really good, some bad."

Giles nodded, "All pushing on the edges of our reality trying to find a way in."

Buffy leant back onto Spike's chest, "I guess Glory found one. The question is why?"

"God knows pet. Why would something ruling over a dimension want to come here where she's no where near as powerful?"

"Exactly, no bolts of lightning, no blasts of fire. Shouldn't a god be able to do that sort of stuff?"

Giles nodded, "Normally yes . . ."

"But in human form?" Spike looked doubtful.

Giles nodded, "That's exactly it. From what I can gather, being here is severely limiting her power. In fact she's only able to keep her mind in tact by extracting energy from us; from the human brain."

Tara looked shocked, "She's a brain sucker?"

Giles looked forward and read out of the book, "She absorbs the energies that bind the human mind into a cohesive whole."

Buffy nodded, "So . . .crazy people. But what do we do about her?"

Spike thought for a moment, "Giles, would it be possibly to send her back? Wherever she's come from, there must have been a way out, meaning that there must be a way in?"

Giles nodded, "I did think of that. The problem being that we don't know where we would send her. We could send her somewhere where she would get more power, we could end up sending her to a higher plane, or it could back fire and suck us all there. Too much risk."

Buffy laughed slightly, "And when you think about it, the biggest thing on mom's mind is my birthday."

Xander put his hands on the table, "I get that we need to plan. But don't we think that our first priority should be the things that are her first priority? The Key? I mean if she's so desperate for it, it must either have power over her, or control something that she wants. Either way, better for us to have it than her."

Buffy looked quickly from Xander to Spike, then to Giles. Her mind flashed back to a conversation she'd had with Spike a couple of days ago.

* * *

"You can't keep it from them forever. They have to be told."

They were laid together on her bed. He was rubbing her shoulders trying to get rid of a knot that had been there since her fight with the nights of Byzantium. "I know. But what if glory gets hold of them because she knows they know? She would kill them to get the information and it would be my fault."

"Buffy, they want to help. They risk their lives because it's what they do. You can't keep them in the dark. They deserve better than that."

Buffy rolled over and slipped her arms around his neck, "When did you get to be the smart one?"

"I've always been the smart one."

Buffy pouted, "What does that make me then?"

He smiled and kissed her, "The beautiful one."

Buffy kissed him back, "Good answer."

* * *

Buffy flushed as she thought of the rest of the night's activities but dragged her mind back to the conversation at hand, she looked at Giles and nodded, "I have something g to tell you guys."

Willow instantly looked concerned, "What's wrong?"

Buffy took a breath, "I know where the Key is. Giles, Spike and I we all know."

Hurt flashed in the faces of her two best friends, Xander tried not to let it sound in his voice, okay Giles, he might be able to deal with, he was the adult, if they needed help they went to him, but Spike? "Why didn't you tell us, but you told Spike?"

Spike looked at them, "She didn't tell me. I found out by accident."

Xander nodded feeling slightly better, "But why didn't you tell us?"

Buffy flushed, "I didn't want to put you guys in that kinda danger. If Glory knew that you guys knew where it was . . ."

Willow looked hurt, "You still should have said."

"Your right. I was going to tell you tonight anyway." Buffy took a breath, "There's something that you guys need to know about Dawn."

Willow frowned, "I thought you were going to tell us how you found out about the Key?"

Buffy paused; this was difficult, "I guess, I should go further back. Do you guys remember that spell I did? To put myself in a trance so that I could see what was hurting my mom?"

Xander nodded, "Yeah, you said it didn't work."

Buffy shrugged, "In the sense that it didn't tell me what was hurting my mom it didn't. But it did tell me something else. When I was looking at mom, I saw one of our family pictures in the background. One of me, mom, and Dawn. Except that dawn wasn't there she kept fading in and out."

Willow's eyebrows knitted, "What did that mean?"

"I didn't know. I went up to her room and I watched as everything in it kept disappearing and reappearing, including, when she came in, Dawn. Anyway, I thought that she was the thing hurting mom. She wasn't, but Spike saw me throw her against the wall that's how he found out.

"Trying to get to the point. I went back to the factory where I found the Dagon Sphere, and I met Glory for the first time and a monk."

"A monk? You never said anything about a monk." Tara's tone wasn't accusing just curious.

"I know. He told me about Dawn."

Willow looked worried, "Was she possessed?" I light came on in her eyes, "Is she possessed by this Key thingy?"

Buffy smiled, "You are so smart Will. No. Dawn is the Key."

The Scoobies looked confused. And slightly disbelieving, Xander looked at her intensely, "You're saying that Dawn is the Key that Glory is looking for? How?"

"The monks. They were in possession of what was the Key. They couldn't risk Glory getting her hands on it. They needed it to be protected. They wanted to make sure that I protected it with my life. So they sent it to me in the form of Dawn."

Willow still didn't understand, "Are you saying that you're mother was made pregnant by mystical energy?"

Buffy shook her head, "The monks built our memories. She has only been here for six months, but they gave us memories of her whole life."

The gang could do nothing but sit in silence for several minutes.

Chapter 12:

I know, I know. I’m terrible, horrible, have not updated since like...dinosaurs walked the earth. But hey, forgive me coz I’m back! Yay! Anyway, have been trying to choose between two potential endings and would love to hear opinions. Sad one, (all tortured and tragic), or happy one, (difficult journey but happy ending).

She just knew that there was something going on. They were all so freaky around her. Why couldn’t they just tell her the truth? Did they think that she couldn’t handle it? It wasn’t like she’d never got in dangerous situation before and come out the other side just fine and here they were babying her like she was helpless.

Dawn lay on her bed having just stomped out of her sister’s birthday party. She was kinda sorry that she had done that in the middle of the party, she hadn’t wanted to ruin the night. It was just that she felt...alone. Cut off from everything around her, more importantly, from everyone. She just had to find a way to...belong.

She needed to know what they were keeping from her, Dawn got up from her bed and headed for her closet. “Hey little bit.”

She whirled round to face the door, “Spike! What do you want?”

He didn’t seem bothered by her harsh tone, he just came in and sat down on her bed, “Feeling okay?”

“Happy with a side order of pleased that would be not me.”

Spike nodded, “Yeah, getting that vibe from you. You wanna talk about it?”

Dawn felt her temper flare, “Why? So that you can avoid the question and pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about?”

Spike felt a smile twitch at the corners of his mouth. The little bit was so like Buffy. Which when he thought about it wasn’t really that surprising. To all intents and purposes she was Buffy, a younger smaller, and non-smaller version, but still...Buffy. “I know what you mean, and I know that it hurts you that they’re funny round you, but they don’t mean to be. They love you.”

Dawn dropped her head, slightly ashamed of her outburst, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you. But, you don’t understand what it’s like. I’m surrounded by people who are talking about me constantly behind my back. People who I spend all of my time with. I just feel...really cut off.”

Spike arched an eyebrow, “You think I don’t know what it feels like to have that particular group of people talking behind my back? Ever since me and your big sis got together I know what they’re talking about. How wrong I am for her. How much I don’t deserve her. I know that anyway, but it doesn’t make it any easier for me to know they’re talking about it.”

Dawn met his gaze unflinchingly, “I don’t.”

He didn’t answer for a second. “Thanks little bit.”

It wasn’t exactly that Spike hadn’t made her feel better, he had. However, she still had to know. She ran her hand along the underside of the counter. Her fingers ran over the lump that was a small button. She pressed it. A draw slid open. She shone her torch inside the draw and picked up a small journal, Giles’ notes. She sat down on the floor and began to read. Maybe there would be something in here...

“So he sent you a card?” Willow sat down next to Tara and twined their fingers.

“Who sent a card?” Buffy showed the card from Riley to Tara, “Awww, it’s sweet,” she paused, “It is sweet right?”

Buffy smiled, “Yeah, it means that...well, wherever he is, it means that he’s okay. I’m just glad about that.”

Tara smiled back, “So all is right with the wor...” he eyes went wide as she stared at something over Buffy’s shoulder, “Oh, oh my God!”

Buffy jumped up and looked over to the doorway. Dawn was stood there. She had a kitchen knife in one hand. Her other arm was held out in front of her. There was a cut, at least two and a half inches long running down her arm. Her face was tear-stained and her voice shook when she spoke, her eyes staring at some point in the distance, “Is this blood?”

Joyce and Buffy ran over to Dawn. Joyce put her hands on her daughter’s arms and Buffy took the knife out of her hand. Buffy felt panic course through her. Not her sister. No. Please no. “Dawn! What did you do?!”

Tears started to course down her cheeks again, “This is blood isn’t it? It can’t be me. I’m not a key. I’m not a thing.”

Joyce quickly tried to cover, “Oh sweetie no. What is this all about?”

An edge of steel crept into Dawn’s voice, “What am I? Am I real? Am I anything?”

Joyce threw her arms around her baby and held her tight. Dawn gave up fighting the tears. Btu she wouldn’t hug her mother back.

Spike felt his heart ache for the girl and her mother...and Buffy.

Spike saw the others to the door. Giles wasn’t exactly sure that he should be leaving, “Do you think that I should stay and try to help?”

Spike smiled slightly, “Sure Watcher. What would you say?”

Giles could not think of anything to say. He met Spike’s eyes. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to keep out of the way until they say they need me.”

Giles nodded and left.

He climbed the stairs and he could hear raised voices, “...I know that I care about you. I know that I worry about you.”

Dawn cut her sister off, “You worry about me because you have to. I’m your job. Protect the key right?”

Buffy tried desperately to explain, “I worry because my sister is cutting herself.”

Dawn’s voice turned shrill almost as though she was about to become screamingly hysterical, “Really? How do you know? Maybe it’s just another fake memory from my fake family.”

Joyce spoke for the first time since Spike came into hearing. She sounded utterly lost, “Sweetie.”

“Get out.” Spike heard no movement at first. Then Dawn finally lost control, of her emotions completely, “Get out, get out, GET OUT!”

From the end of the hall, Spike saw Buffy and then her mother exit the room. With some communication that was totally non-verbal, Joyce headed straight for her room and Buffy walked straight to him and into his arms. He pulled her tight to him and led her into her room. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he picked her up as though she was a small child.

Sitting on the bed, he stroked her back, telling her that he loved her and that they would fix it. Together they were going to fix it.

After a few moments she said something that he couldn’t hear even with his vampire hearing, “What luv?”

“How?”

He didn’t know what to say to that.

The three of them sat in the living room. Dawn had been suspended from school. Buffy and her mom were arguing. Most men sat in that situation would have been very embarrassed. Spike wasn’t. He was very aware that it didn’t make any difference whether or not he was in the room. They would be saying the exact things.

He was almost waiting for the right moment. When he thought that he might be able to help. He didn’t know what could possibly help.

“How can you talk about Dawn as if she’s a thing?”

“I’m not.” Buffy struggled to explain, “I’m just saying that’s probably how she feels.”

“Well then we need to show her that it isn’t true. She needs to know that she’s still a part of this family and that we love her.”

“It’s not that simple. We’re not going to be able to fix this with a hug and a kiss and a bowl of soup. Dawn needs to know where she came from. She needs real answers.”

“What she need is her sister Buffy. Not the Slayer.”

Buffy looked outraged and for a moment Spike was worried that she might get angry with her mom, “The Slayer is the only thing standing between Dawn and this god from the bitch dimension that wants to shove her in some kind of lock and give her a good twirl.” Looking at Joyce, Spike saw the absolute terror that very concept inspired in Joyce. The idea of one of her children and he knew that Joyce still thought of Dawn as that, could be so much in danger. Dawn had always been the one she didn’t really have to worry about. Buffy as the slayer, was the one who gave the most cause for concern. Now Dawn. Before Buffy could carry on though, Spike smelt something, “Buffy...”

She turned to look at him and he could tell that she had almost forgotten that he was there, “Spike?”

“There’s something...” Spike got to his feet just as a loud whirring noise began, “Dawn!”

He sprinted up the stairs with Buffy following him, “Oh my God it’s Glory, it’s Willow’s spell...”

“No luv, it’s not Glory.”

He pushed open Dawn’s bedroom door and saw the fire in the metal bin. His automatic instinct was to shy away; he and fire did not mix very well. But he helped Buffy fling a blanket over the top to stifle the flames. “God, damn it! Dawn!”

“Buffy,” Joyce’s voice made Spike look around the room. Dawn was gone.

“We have to find her. Before the Knights of hack-n-slash figure out what...who she really is.”

Spike stood and listened to the conversation. He had never seen Buffy like this. She was just one step short of manic and he knew it. Spike ached to hold her. He wanted to try to make her feel better, but he knew that there was only one way to do that. To find Dawn. His eyes flicked to her face when she said his name, “...you and I’ll get the east side. Just find her. Please.”

Dawn wondered down the side of the road. She had been everywhere. Trying to...she didn’t know what exactly she had been trying to do. Maybe, trying to convince herself that she existed, that she mattered. That she wasn’t just a key.

She remembered things. How could they not have happened? How could they not exist except in her mind? It wasn’t possible, surely, it wasn’t possible. I couldn’t be true. Maybe there’d been a mistake. It wasn’t possible...the tears started to course down her cheeks...it wasn’t true...it wasn’t fair.

It just wasn’t fair.

 

Chapter 13:
She gave it up as soon as she left her friends. Not for long, just long enough to let go a little. Spike wrapped his arms around her body as she sobbed, “Spike, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix it. I thought it was for the best. That we could tell her when she was older...but...but how old would have been right? How long was I gonna leave it hoping it would go away? I was so selfish Spike. I was so...”

“Shh, luv shh.” Her words faded as she cried and he was struck by how alone she must feel, even with her friends. As far as he knew, she had never really admitted how much of a wreck she was when her mom had been ill. Moreover, he knew why. She was the Slayer. She was meant to be strong. And she was ashamed to admit that she didn’t always know how to fix it.

How had she coped in the past? Spike knew that Riley had never been any real help. How had she not had a breakdown? Spike shook his head to clear it. It was not the time, and anyway it didn’t matter. She wasn’t alone now. She had him. “Pet listen to me. You don’t have to know how to fix it. We’ll fix it together.”

At his words, she seemed to stop shaking. After a moment, the crying stopped and she lifted her head. “Okay.”

Dawn pushed open the swing doors. It was all she could think of. She had to know. And they...they knew. The man outside the magic shop had known and the man at the hospital...and even her own mother. Her mother had known that she was a thing.

Now she wanted to know.

She wasn’t scared. At least that was what she was trying to tell herself. She walked into the room. It was filled with mumbling and even though mumbling is an almost soft sound, it sounded harsh to her. Harsh and cold. As though they all knew what kind of ‘thing’, she was. They knew and she didn’t.

She leant over one of the beds, “You see me right?”

She couldn’t make out all of what he was saying; it was confused and hard to make sense of, “...all spilled out...”

From the other side of her, another one was repeating the same phrase, “Can’t hear it, can’t hear it, can’t hear it, can’t hear it...”

She felt the tears filling her eyes, “You know what I am don’t you? You all know. What am I?”

Then she saw him; heard him. “The Key! I found it. Thank you. Thank you.”

Dawn nearly fell over in her urgency to get to the bed, “You know what the key is? Where did I come from? Who made me? What...what am I?

The man didn’t answer her. She felt her stomach clench in desperation. No. This man knew her. He had to help her, “Please...”

“DESTROYER! The sun...the sun bleeding into the sky...”

It was true, she was evil. She was...no. She couldn’t be, “No...no...”

“The key is the link, the link must be severed, such is the will of god. SUCH IS THE WILL OF GOD!”

She fought the urge to press her hands to her ears to shut out the sounds of their voices, all yelling at her. All telling her that she wasn’t real, that she didn’t exist. NO! “No...”

“Can’t hear it...such is the will of god...can’t can’t can’t hear it...”

She spun around and pushed the doors open. Almost crashing straight into Ben.

“Hey Dawn right?”

“Ben...I...I’m sorry...”

Ben frowned as he noticed the marks of tears on her face, “Dawn? Are you okay?”

Dawn nodded and bit her lip. Ben wasn’t fooled for a second, “Yeah right. Come on. Let’s get you something to drink.”

He was nice. He was kind. He shouldn’t be sat with her. She was evil. She knew that he was speaking to her and she should try to pay attention. She also knew that she shouldn’t be saying the words that were coming out other mouth. They were dangerous. But she couldn’t seem to force herself to care. She couldn’t make it matter. Ben was sitting her telling her she would be better one day. But why should she be? For all she knew this wasn’t real, “It’s not real, none of this they made it.”

“Dawn...”

“I’m nothing. I’m just a thing the monks made so that Glory couldn’t find me. I’m not real.”

She was so upset she could barely think straight. But she wasn’t so far gone that she didn’t see the dawning look of horror on Ben’s face. “You’re the key!”

How...that wasn’t possible. Why should he know? “How do you know about the key?”

“Just go now. Before she finds you. Don’t ask me how she knows cause she always knows. You don’t understand. You’re a kid. If she finds you she’ll hurt you.”

Dawn desperately wanted to ask what he knew. This guy was sane and he knew about the key. He could help her. He could tell her what she needed to know. But before she could even form a sentence Ben started flicking his eyes around the room, “Oh no. She’s here. She’s coming. You’ve gotta get out. Oh, no, no, she’s here! She’s here!”

Dawn yelped as Ben gripped her arms...and then. Then he wasn’t Ben. He was...oh god. He was Glory.

Then her mind began to mist over. She knew that Glory was speaking to her. But she couldn’t seem to make any sense of what she was saying.

Wait.

Why was Glory here?

Where had she come from? Wait. She knew that. Glory was...Ben. She was Ben, she tried to make her mind accept it, “You’re Ben.”

Glory answered her, but she didn’t really hear her. Glory was here, and she didn’t know how. Ben had been here and then suddenly Glory was here. How...? She had no idea. But she did know one thing. She had to get out of here before...

Glory’s voice cut into her thoughts, “You’d never make it. I’d rip out your spine before you got half a step. And those little legs...they would be much good without one of those...” Glory appeared right next to her face, “Would they Dawnie?”

Dawn’s mind spun. She heard the door open and tried to open her mouth to call out a warning to the man, but Glory killed him. She killed him. And she would kill Dawn too. She knew it. Glory was looking for her. Did she want her dead? Dawn shuddered in horror as Glory yanked her to her feet, “What do you say we find a nice place off the beat where you and I can have a long uninterrupted chat?”

“She wasn’t brought in.”

Xander smiled encouragingly, “That’s a good thing right?”

“I don’t know...I...”

“You should see him. His head’s almost twisted clean off.”

Buffy clenched her teeth, “Glory!”

They scoured the hospital. Spike told them that they should split up. But Buffy said no, and as soon as she said it he realised why. She didn’t want to leave her friends alone with Glory around. She might not be able to fight Glory but they sure as hell couldn’t even try. He nodded to her and they continued on.

“So, this key thing. It’s been around for a long time?”

Glory looked a little proud, “Well, not as long as me, but yeah. Just this side of forever.”

“So...what does it do? If there’s a key there must be a lock right?”

“Yes. We have a winner.”

Dawn braced herself, “What does it open?” She knew at once that she had gone too far. Glory had smelt a very large rat. No, not now. Not when she was so close. Sat in front of her was a creature that could tell her everything...or almost everything that she wanted to know. But as she watched Glory’s face harden, she knew that it would not work.

“I smell a fox in my hen house. So what? Have you been playing sneaky peek with Uncle Ben? Trying to get a peek at Glory’s unmentionables?”

“NO! I...”

“Shhh, I kinda wanna hear me talking right now. Me talking.”

Buffy was getting reckless and she knew it. She had already been forced to knock out a nurse who had tried to stop them from going up a floor as it was after visiting hours. She didn’t have a choice. She had to find her sister.

Dawn was really scared now. Not only was she in a room with a God from hell who she knew was capable of ripping grown men’s heads off, and even scarier, hadn’t lost to her sister, she was in a room with a God who was also losing her grip...or so it seemed, “What’s...what’s wrong with you?”

Glory seemed to right herself a little, “Hey...this doesn’t have to be a complete waste of my precious time. I’ve been meaning to send the Slayer a message. Two birds, one stone and” she clapped her hands in front of Dawn’s face, “We have yummy dead birds.”

Dawn forced her eyes open. She might not be as strong as her sister, hell she might not even be real, but she was not going to be a coward.

A blur of colour caught her eye as people streamed into the room, “Get away from my sister.”

Dawn sank to her knees. She could hear them talking, but now that they were here the whole thing was a blur. She watched her ‘sister’ and Spike fight Glory, she even watched as Glory took them down. But for some reason she wasn’t truly afraid anymore. Whatever Buffy was, she was here and that made her not afraid. What did that mean?

She was so confused that she felt as though her head was literally moving round, as though she was going to pass out. Did she still love Buffy? Yes...yes she did. But why did she? Buffy wasn’t...no...she was real...how could she love anything when she wasn’t part of anything... “DISCADAI!”

Dawn snapped back to reality as Glory disappeared. She saw the look of indignation on the woman’s face. It was almost comic. She felt Buffy touch her arms, sitting her upright again, “Are you okay?”

Dawn couldn’t bear it, “What do you care?”

“Because I love you. You’re my sister.”

Dawn fought the urge to cover her ears, it wasn’t true, “No, I’m not.”

Buffy met Dawn’s eyes and held them, “Yes you are.” Buffy pressed her hand to the wound on her shoulder, and linked it with Dawn’s. “It’s blood. It’s Summer’s blood. It’s just like mine.” Dawn felt her eyes fill up with tears. When they had first talked to her after she had found out she had been angry.

She felt that they were trying to convince her of something that wasn’t true, but now...She still felt that Buffy was trying to convince her but it was different. She still knew that she had been made six months ago, but the fact remained that she couldn’t love these people any more, couldn’t love her sister anymore than she did even if she had always been there and they...they loved her. She looked around her at all the faces, the people who had risked their lives tonight to come here and find her.

“It doesn’t matter where you came from, or how you got here. You are my sister. There’s no way you could annoy me so much if you weren’t.”

Dawn wrapped her arms around Buffy. Her sister, “I was so scared.”

“I know me too.”

Dawn felt a hand on her back, “We need to get you home little bit.”

Dawn smiled up at him, “Do you still get to call me that?”

He frowned, “Why shouldn’t I?”

“I’m actually older than you.”

His smirk returned, “Yeah? Well I’m taller.”