Note: I do not own Buffy, Harry, or anything else you may recognize...I'm only borrowing it from Joss Whedon and JK Rowling...Hope you like it...Enjoy...


While I could remember her being there from the beginning, I also knew the truth. I could sense that she wasn't exactly a Summer, the magical aura coming off of her spoke of power, but I didn't know if that power was good or dark. It wasn't until a so called God named Glory showed up that I understood why Dawn suddenly appeared.

There were little things that Glory did but she went too far when she approached me while in town with Dorian.

"Cute kid. Why is it that I smell power, magical power from you?" she asked circling us.

Dorian, almost a year old, cuddled deeper into my arms trying to get away from her. Even at his young age, he could sense that she wasn't human.

"Maybe your nose is off. There's nothing special about me or my son."

"Is that true because I highly doubt that," she replied reaching out and tapping her nails against my arm.

Everyone else on the street wasn't paying us attention. The citizens of Sunnydale didn't see what was going on around them most of the time so why would they think something was wrong as one beautiful woman talked to another as she was holding a baby? They were minding their own business but it was times like this that I wish I could control my magic better within the city limits.

"Are you my Key? Maybe this precious boy is it. I wonder if I bleed him dry, would it open the portal to my dimension?"

"You come near my son and I will kill you. I don't give a bloody fuck if you're this all powerful God. You will regret coming near him," I seethed, my magic building inside of me wishing to be released.

She stopped tapping her fingers against my arm and tilted her head. Her eyes bore into mine and she laughed.

"You think you can stop me? A weirdo like you? Look at how you dress. Only someone newly born would be caught dead wearing something like that," she chuckled.

She smiled as her hand quickly flashed by and tapped Dorian on his nose once. She was gone before I could do anything to her.

"That bitch is going down," I seethed.

After making a quick stop at home, I apparated to LA where I walked straight into Wolfram and Hart. Ignoring the guard, I took the elevator to where the inter-office portal was.

"You will send me to London right now or so help me, I will make the senior partners look like kittens," I growled to the woman at the desk.

I stepped through the portal in the London office and instantly felt calmer. Dorian was interested at his surroundings but I didn't have time to allow him to look. I stepped into an alley behind the office building and apparated to the Burrow. I felt the wards surrounding it but they knew I was welcome so I was allowed to pass.

I caught sight of Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen so I entered through the door. She smiled widely when she saw me and my son.

"Deedra, look at you. And this must be Dorian. I've seen the pictures you've sent but he's too adorable."

"Mrs. Weasley, this isn't quite a social call. I need you to take care of Dorian for me for awhile. Maybe give George and Luna a chance to see how well they'll be at parenting."

"What is going on? You would never leave your child behind."

"A Hell God threatened to bleed him dry. On good conscious I can't kill the bitch with Dorian nearby. I need to know he will be safe. I would have taken him to his godparents here but I'm not sure where they are at the moment and his godparents in Sunnydale are tangled in this mess. Please, Mrs. Weasley. I know what you did when Bellatrix threatened Ginny. This isn't some insane woman. This is a God who is trying to bring her Hell dimension to Earth and thinks my son might be the way to do it."

"Right then. I will watch Dorian but you better come back."

I looked into my son's eyes and smiled. I kissed his forehead and then his cheeks before handing him over to Mrs. Weasley.

"This is Grandma Molly. Your aunts and uncles will visit when they hear you are here. Know your mummy loves you and I will do whatever is necessary to keep you safe. Be a good boy, Dorian."

I thanked Mrs. Weasley once more before I went back to London. I strode through the Leaky Cauldron and waved at Hannah behind the counter. I tapped the bricks to get into Diagon Alley. It wasn't Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes or Gringotts or Flourish & Blotts that I headed towards. It was Knockturn Alley that was my destination.

Borgin & Burkes was still open but with the new Ministry it had been emptied of most Dark artifacts and books. It wasn't one of these that I was looking for. Rather I was looking for Borgin himself.

"What ya want?" he asked as I entered the shop.

"I want to kill a God."

That stopped him cold. He glared at me, recognizing me from being friends with Harry Potter.

"I don't sell Dark things anymore."

"But you know someone who does. I need something that will work on a Hellmouth."

He started to laugh, grabbing the counter for support as it changed into wheezing coughs. Once he was done, he slammed his hand down on the counter.

"A God on a Hellmouth? You will end up as a dead Mudblood like you should have been if the Dark Lord had his way. There's no way our magic, so called Light or Dark will work on the Hellmouth. You will be a filthy Muggle with no magic and will die going up against this God."

I had no time for this so I sent a semi-Dark spell at the old man. It slammed him up against the wall and bound him in shackles. I spelled my wand to act like a whip, which I flicked at his leg. I didn't flick hard but enough to see him tense at the sting.

"I already know magic won't work there. But I also know some Dark artifacts are so imbued with the Dark magic that they would still work on a Hellmouth. I need such an artifact. Either you tell me where I can get one or you will stay there bleeding until the rats come to feed," I threatened flicking my whip into the air.

"Lucius Malfoy. He was the only one I know who would have had such a thing but the Ministry stripped him of everything he owned."

I released the man and left Knockturn Alley. I knew the Ministry had taken all his Dark artifacts but if he was as smart as they say he was, Lucius would have hidden his most prized collection. Since I had no time to think like the Slytherin, I did the next best thing.

"No, I will not make a bloody appointment. I am not here to see Draco Malfoy. I need to speak to Severus Snape, that dark brooding painting in Draco's office."

"No one enters Mr. Malfoy's office without an appointment," the witch behind the desk said. "If you will not calm down, I will be forced to call for the Aurors."

"You do that. You specifically ask for Harry Potter or Ron Weasley. Tell them I'm here making a fuss about seeing a bloody painting and threatening to turn the CEO of Malfoy Corporation into a bouncing ferret. I'm sure they would love to witness that again."

"Winston."

I whirled on my feet and glared at the blond man. I flipped the reception witch the bird and stared down Draco.

"I need to see Professor Snape. I have a question that I believe only he can answer."

"Then by all means once you're done harassing my staff," he motioned towards his office door.

I barged through and stormed right up to the painting. Professor Snape stared down at me.

"I know his collection is hidden. I'm sure no one knows where except for a dead man but you are the only one I know who will be straight with me and who knows the Dark Arts.

"I'm living near the Hellmouth in California and there is a Hell God who threatened my son. I want her dead. While I'm sure there would have been something within Malfoy's collection that could help me, your knowledge is the only thing I have access to."

"Couldn't go to Potter with this? Allow him to know that his friend wants another dead?" he sneered.

"There is nothing Harry, the Ministry, or anyone could do to me for wanting a Hell God dead. If she manages to open the portal to her world, Hell comes to Earth and we're all dead. No one threatens my son. Either help me, Snape, or you can be Voldemort's bitch in Hell if Glory opens that portal."

Snape paced within his painting while Draco and I waited. I could see that the blond was fascinated with that I had to say but I didn't care. I just wanted a solution to this Glory problem, preferably with her dead body at my feet.

"Why is she trying to get back to her world?" he asked.

"I think Buffy said she was kicked out. I don't know why."

"If she is a true Hell God then she will need a host. She will only be able to exist for short periods of time on this plane. The Hellmouth will be an issue as it will mask the aura of her host. Do you know what she seeks?"

"Something she calls the Key."

Professor Snape stopped and would have inhaled sharply if he had the need to breathe. He faced me straight on with a sneer on his lips.

"The Order of Dagon will never allow a Hell God to possess the Key."

"She killed them all but one. Buffy rescued him but he's in a coma. Before falling unconscious he said the Key had been transformed."

"You know what the Key is," he stated.

"I'm not here about the Key. I need to know how to kill her."

"Kill the host. With the host dead, the Hell God dies with it. Your solution is that simple. I'm sure even a Gryffindor can handle that. If not, then either die fighting or destroy the Key."

"If there's no Key, then Glory is trapped and rightly pissed off," I muttered. "Thank you again, Professor Snape."

I left London for LA and then apparated home. I changed into the dragon hide pants and vest before adding some personal touches to the outfit. If anyone looked close enough, the dragon hide would look like snake skin. I tucked several daggers away and grabbed the goblin made sword. It would be nightfall soon and then I could head into town.

"Whoa, Dee. Check out your outfit," Dawn cried as she saw me enter the Summers home. "You look like you're going hunting."

"Oh, I am. Where's Buffy?"

"Patrolling. She left me here to do homework. Mom should be home soon from her date."

I tried calling Buffy on her mobile but she didn't answer. I didn't feel safe with leaving Dawn by herself so I stayed at the house until Joyce came home. I helped with her Trig homework and even sparred a bit with her. I was getting her used to the feel of a dagger when the door opened.

It was Aaron, Joyce's boyfriend, and he was carrying Joyce in his arms. I quickly hid the dagger and rushed to help him.

"I was escorting her to the front door when she collapsed. She just started complaining of a headache when we pulled up outside but it shouldn't have made her collapse."

As Dawn tried to wake Joyce up, I called an ambulance. When they arrived, I held onto Dawn as they intubated her. Aaron went with the paramedics to the hospital and we followed in his car. I had Dawn hitting redial calling Buffy until the Slayer picked up.

"Buffy, something's wrong with Mom. We're heading to the hospital. Buffy, they said she wasn't breathing," Dawn cried.

We were kept in the waiting room. When Buffy arrived she tried talking to one of the doctors but no one was listening to her. They kept leaving and entering the little area where Joyce was lying. Dawn was crying on Aaron's shoulder and Buffy was silent. I was having enough of this.

I grabbed a young man in blue scrubs and pulled him close. Buffy watched on as I spoke to him.

"You will go in there and find out what is happening with Joyce Summers. I want an answer in 5 minutes or so help me Merlin, I will go all Dark magic on your skinny arse."

The medical resident, Ben, nodded his head and tore into the room. I stayed where I was, tapping my foot waiting for him to return. He was back in under the limit. Aaron and Dawn joined Buffy and I to listen to the diagnosis.

"She has a subarachnoid hemorrhage, like bleeding in the brain. They will be taking her up to surgery in a minute to stop the hemorrhage. Since she was brought in quickly, she should recover."

"How did she get that sub..subarch…the bleeding?" Dawn whispered.

"Did she fall recently? Hit her head?" Ben asked.

"Yesterday she tripped down the front steps. They were slick from the rain but she said she wasn't hurt," Buffy answered.

"My shift is over but I'll stick around to answer any questions you may have. I'm just going to change."

I watched as Ben left and felt a bit guilty that I threatened him. I am pissed off at Glory and worried about Joyce, but it didn't excuse me from manhandling him. I followed him down the hallway and was about to enter the doctors' lounge when I heard voices.

"What are you doing here? You're not supposed to come here to my work."

"But, Oh Magnificent One, I have news. I found the monk. I took care of him before he could wake. If he could not reveal the location under your persuasion, the Slayer would not be able to either."

"You stupid demon. The Slayer is here and if she finds you…get out," Ben screamed the last bit as a slap against skin could be heard.

I left my spot outside the doctors' lounge and went back to the waiting room. Willow, Xander, and Dad had joined the group. I was hugged tightly by my father and felt him stiffen. His hand had brushed the hilt of a dagger.

"Explain yourself, Deedra."

"She came after Dorian and I will explain more but I need to tell Buffy something first."

I pulled free and guided my friend to a corner to talk privately. I told her about the confrontation with Glory, my trip back to London, and my talk with Professor Snape. She took it in quietly.

"Why are you telling me this now? My mom is being wheeled into surgery, her skull being sawed into. I don't care about Glory right now or having to find this host. Maybe you should leave. It seems like you don't care if she lives."

All the air in my body left as Buffy said those words. I stood up and looked down at my friend.

"If that's what you want but I have one more thing to say. What better place to hide something so valuable as the Key than in plain sight and under the protection of the Slayer? I think the answer will Dawn on you soon enough."

I strode out of the waiting room, past my father and friends, into the path of Ben. His eyes were timid like I was about to strike any moment.

"I know who and what you are. Nothing but a servant. Nothing but a host. Pass on a message if you can to your so called master. I have what she seeks and I will be at home if she wants to chat. She will know where."

I left the hospital with purpose and made my way home. If the bitch decided to show up, we would fight on my terms. But first I had a spell to look up, a spell to revert an object to its original form.