They weren't certain how long it would take Crowley to return with Ben, but for the moment the siege was at a standstill. The Knights couldn't get in, and they certainly couldn't get out. With one less cleric, Willow said that the pressure she'd been feeling on her shield had lessened considerably. The General, however, made a point to hold funeral rites and the man's cremation directly in front of the shield so that everyone in the building could see. The glowers he directed at the shuttered windows left no doubt to his intentions.

Unfortunately, the two people on lookout were Giles and Spike. Their attitudes thwarted the General's intentions; the former with a pragmatic view of Crowley's homicide (as it got the Knights' attention fairly quickly), the latter amused by the spectacle.

"Old man burns pretty well, don't you think?" Spike asked sardonically.

"Would be burning better if they'd used more petrol," replied Giles, "and not stood the poor fellow up in one of those containers to burn him. No doubt half of them out there aren't enjoying the sight or the smell."

In fact, the only ones lingering nearby were the General and the remaining two clerics. The others had backed away and had set out to do supposedly needed chores like currying the already curried horses or sharpening the already sharpened blades. Luckily for the defenders, Willow had managed to add an extra shield layer to prevent the stench from wafting inside. However, she had no extra power to opaque the grotesque view of a slowly burning, uncovered corpse. Even Dean had balked a little at the display. As a result, the others had scattered to various areas for privacy or rest.

Willow and Dawn were camped in the storeroom with Tara and Sam. Judging by the younger Winchester's earlier reaction, no one wanted to risk having them see the demon's true face. The four were sitting or crouching on the floor while the mentally impaired duo started a nonsensical conversation, ostensibly to pass the time. The other two munched on chips and listened.

"The darkness," said Sam, "we should be lighting the torches."

"We could see birds," Tara replied, "they fly through the blue."

"Angels have wings."

"Pretty!"

"Lucifer has wings. Lucifer is in Hell. Why is he in Hell but he has wings?" Sam clutched his forelock and concentrated down on the floor.

"Crispy!" Tara giggled at Willow who gave her a patient smile.

Dawn sighed and opened up a granola bar in hopes of enticing Sam to eat. She wafted it under his nose. "See? Yummy!" He snatched it and tore out bites while still staring at nothing.

Tara, however, was reticent about eating and tossed her packet of gummy worms across the room. Her girlfriend merely sighed and gave her a pat on the cheek.

"Willow," Dawn said quietly, "do you think they'll ever be back to normal?"

"Of course, Dawnie," the witch answered. "You'll see. We'll get rid of Glory and they'll be perfectly fine."

Sam dropped his food. "The Cage," he muttered, "the Cage, the Cage, the Cage…"

Pain, horrendous and unfamiliar, eventually drew Anya out of unconsciousness. "Xander?" she managed to croak.

The young man, who had been sitting beside her, stood up immediately and took her hand. "Anya, oh my God. How do you feel?"

"Thirsty."

Xander knelt down and brought up a bottle of water from under his chair. "Thought you might be." He cracked open the screw top and held his girlfriend slightly upright. "Here."

Anya took a few sips before coughing. When Spike and Giles turned towards them in concern Xander shook his head and waved them away. He gently lay her back down and screwed the lid back on the water. Perplexed, the ex-demon whispered, "Am I dying?"

Her boyfriend put on a brave face and said, "Nah. You're just being dramatic so you don't have to help out around here. I mean, look at this place. It's a mess!"

Sternly, she whispered, "Don't lie to me."

Xander sighed. "We sent for help. Ben, remember him? He's going to be here any minute and he'll patch you up, good as new."

Anya pouted. "I've decided I don't like being mortal. It's stupid and scary and if I die I can't ever have sex with you again."

He gave her a shaky laugh. "I promise, Anya: we get out of this? We're having as much sex as you want, whenever you want."

"With toys and chocolate?"

Xander blinked back tears as Anya's eyes fluttered closed. "Yes. With toys and chocolate."

Buffy found Dean peering out a back window doing his best to see through the accumulated filth. "What're you doing?" she asked, keeping her volume low. "Army's up front."

"Checkin' on my Baby," he answered quietly. "I swear if those dicks put one scratch on her I'll shove their pointy weapons up where the sun don't shine."

The Slayer grimaced. "Thanks for that mental picture." She looked out at the battered, bullet ridden Impala and with great effort resisted asking Dean how he would distinguish any new blemishes from the ones that had already been inflicted.

The hunter drew away from the window and faced her. "How're you holding up?"

She sighed. "I just want us all to get out and go somewhere safe. Who knows how long it'll be before Glory starts coming after us?"

"Yeah, well…" Dean searched for a believable lie to cover his dreadful certainty that the Hellgod was already on her way and came up empty. He looked at the young woman and saw on her the same mix of determination and despair that had often greeted him in the mirror. There was no doubt that the Slayer knew their predicament was untenable; their supplies wouldn't last for more than another day, Willow couldn't possibly hold the shield forever, and no matter what Buffy's doctor friend did Anya would need a hospital. Dean decided to bite the bullet and bring up the one thing he was sure would distract her. "Hey, you cut me off yesterday when I tried to talk to you."

Confused, Buffy asked, "I did?"

"Yeah. In the hospital? After getting Tara?"

"Oh." She remembered now: the kiss, his reaction, her fury. A mix of yearning and annoyance pushed aside the anxiety that had plagued her since they'd taken shelter. "I don't get what there is to talk about. You clearly had a… moment of lusty weakness." Buffy then turned condescending. "It's okay. I'm certain it happens to all the guys. I forgive you."

Dean snorted. "Yeah? Takes two to tango, sweetheart, and if I remember correctly, you're the one who started it."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did n–okay, stop!" Buffy took a few breaths to calm herself. "Giles told me that you came into the Magic Box all hungover and gross. Sounds to me like someone was feeling guilty."

"Maybe," he responded. Then his temper flared. "What do you want from me, huh? An apology? I was trying to protect you, stop this thing now before it starts. You know I'm a hunter. I don't have a future that includes the two-point-five kids and a white picket fence."

"Who says that's what I want, huh? Who says I can even have that if I wanted it? I'm the Slayer. The Chosen One. One!" Buffy jabbed a finger upwards and nearly shoved it up Dean's nostril. "How many hunters are out there? Dozens? Hundreds? In our world, there's just me. Well, technically there's Faith, but she's in jail for like a bajillion years."

"Who?"

"Never mind, long story. The point is: my life will never be normal. So whatever other excuses you got for me, stow it. If I want to lead a weird life then it's my choice. If-If I want to love someone that's a head case then that's also my choice. Got it?"

Dean stared, nonplussed. He thought of Lisa, how difficult it had been with her and Ben; trying to lead that normal life while keeping it quiet that the monsters under the bed were real. Lisa wasn't able to handle it and his attempts to keep them away from his past almost ended tragically. But this girl, this tiny, stubborn girl, already knew about the monsters. In fact, a lot of those monsters were afraid of her.

He sighed, then gave her the ghost of a smile. What if? Just what if? Buffy had her head turned up at him and when he started to lean down her eyes began to close.

"Dean!" Dawn suddenly shrieked.

Startled, the two of them quickly drew away from one another. The younger Summers then let out a scream and they rushed towards the storeroom. There they beheld a crazed Sam advancing on Giles with clenched fists. The Watcher had dropped the shotgun and was holding his hands up defensively. Xander was already on the floor rubbing his jaw.

"I won't go back in the Cage! I don't have to say yes!" Sam ranted down at the younger man. He looked over at his brother, terrified. "It's not my turn to be flayed! I don't want to eat my fingers. Lucifer's hands are in me, ripping and tearing! Make him stop!"

"It's okay, Sammy," Dean said as calmly as he could. "You don't have to go in there. You can stay here."

"Stay?"

"Yeah, stay. Here," he said as he withdrew a prescription bottle from his jacket's inside pocket and tipped a white pill into his palm, "you eat this and you can stay."

Though he was clearly suspicious, Sam inched his way to his brother. He snatched the medication and swallowed it dry. Then he went to a corner and sat, legs folded up, arms on his knees, and head buried downwards. Dean heaved a sigh of relief, then looked worriedly at Buffy. "It hasn't been nearly enough time for his next dose."

"He's getting worse," Giles said sympathetically.

Dean wiped a hand down his face and sighed again. "Nothin' I can do from in here other than keep doping him up," the hunter stated.

"What was he talking about?" asked Buffy.

Dean started to answer when Xander called out from the doorway of the storeroom, "Guys, we've got a problem."

When the remainder of the group approached (sans Spike, who was still keeping lookout), they found Tara huddled beside the door jamb sobbing and Willow kneeling down, dazed. Dawn was trying to use some dusty paper towels to staunch a gash on the top of the witch's head. "Sam smacked her and she fell into a shelf," she explained.

"Buffy," Willow groaned, "the shield… I can't…"

"Oi!" shouted Spike. "We got incoming!"

With two startling crashes, a pair of Knights dove in through the front windows. When the vampire punched one in the face the Initiative's chip kicked in and he reeled to one side howling in pain. Buffy quickly slammed the storeroom door shut as a shotgun blast erupted. She was furious at herself for neglecting to prepare a contingency if Willow's shield failed. Despite their desire to keep the body count down, all defensive measures were now fair game and now there was no way to prevent killing their besiegers.

The Knight that Giles had shot staggered and fell onto his face, his leather and chain armor no match for the firearm. The other swung his sword at the Watcher who leaned back, cocked the shotgun, and fired again. As the crunch of axe against wood floated in from the rear, the Knight-Captain that had faced down Crowley kicked in the front door. Buffy met him with a spin kick to the face as Dean and Spike rushed to the back door.

"What the hell are you gonna do?" Dean demanded irritably as he discharged three shots at the door. "Scream like a wuss at them?"

"The door isn't human, you dimwit!" Spike shouted back. He grabbed a warped sign holder and jammed between the door handle and the side of the wall. The axe wielders, those that hadn't been shot, were momentarily confounded by the metal bar now stuck across the wood. Dean took the opportunity to empty the remainder of his clip and the surviving Knights backed away to formulate a different plan.

Those that were coming inside through the front door came slowly but inexorably and the defenders were hard pressed. For every one put down, another took his place. Buffy had scrounged a short sword, less of a hinderance in close quarters, and with the angel blade in her other hand was dispatching them two or three at a time. Xander hovered protectively around Anya's inert form conservatively firing shots only when one of the Knights thought to go for easier prey. Addled by the sedative, Sam had put his arms over his head and curled on his side while Giles stood in front of him and used his now empty shotgun as a makeshift club.

Dean reloaded and started firing again when one of the Knights smashed a mace into the same window he'd been using to survey the Impala. "My bag!" he hollered at Spike. "I need more clips!" The vampire headed back into the other room, dodged a swinging sword, evaded a war hammer, and grabbed the duffel bag that was beside Anya's table. He made a similar journey back and tossed Dean a spare shotgun while the hunter dropped the handgun for Spike to reload.

One of the Knights managed to breach the storeroom door and elicited a terrified shriek from Dawn. Willow had fortunately just then regained her equilibrium. She barked an incantation that sent the intruder flying away.

The witch stood, her eyes filmed in black, and uttered another spell that restored the shield. Four of the Knights were trapped inside. Buffy stabbed one of them with the angel blade and another with the short sword. As the back door and window were again impenetrable, Dean marched into the room and fired the shotgun while Giles smashed the butt of his firearm into the face of the remaining Knight.

Everyone stood or bent over breathing hard while grimacing at the carnage. Eight dead Knights and three incapacitated ones (including the Knight-Captain) were strewn around the floor and against the walls while who knew how many lay full of bullets outside the back door. Buffy and Giles were liberally splashed with blood.

"Well that was fun," quipped Xander. "Oh no wait, that was terrifying."

"Come on," the Slayer said once her heart had stopped racing, "let's get the dead into the office and the injured as comfortable as possible. Tie them up if they're not too bad off."

Wistfully, Spike asked, "Can I…?"

"On the dead and out of our sight."

As a whistling Spike threw one of the bodies onto his shoulder, Dean blinked at Buffy. "Dead man's blood isn't poisonous for him?"

"No, why would it be?"

He shrugged. "Never mind."

The vampire thankfully refrained from feeding until they had hauled all of the dead away. He closed the door before gratefully easing his hunger. Two of the injured were merely unconscious, but the third was awake and clutching a bleeding sword wound across his chest. When Buffy knelt down to check on him, he spat in her face. With a punch, she added him to the unconscious roster.

As Dean was reloading Xander's firearm, he was surprised to see a stream of steady, white light pass through the remains of the front windows. He cautiously peered outside and gave a weak smile to the others. "It's a car. Ben is here."

"Thank God," exhaled Xander. Dean handed him back his fully loaded handgun and slid a new clip into his own. Giles grabbed a discarded sword and the three of them followed Buffy out the door.

General Gregor was bellowing at Ben and Crowley about their late arrival, nearly purple with rage. The demon's eyes were narrowed and Dean knew that if the General didn't cease haranguing them soon Crowley would snap his fingers and shut him up permanently. "Hey! Yo!" the hunter yelled. "Head honcho! Gonna go back on your word or you letting them through?"

The General stormed over. "You can have your doctor when I get my wounded."

Giles rolled his eyes. "The more intelligent thing to do would be to allow the man inside so he can take care of everyone at once."

"Very well." Gregor gestured towards another Knight. "You will let Commander Dante accompany the boy to ensure the well-being of my men."

"Fine," Buffy snapped. "He tries anything and we'll send him back with his head literally up his ass." She turned towards the building. "Willow! Make an opening!"

Crowley and Ben approached the barrier, the latter holding his emergency med kit, and Dean and Xander raised their guns at the Knights. A rippling circle appeared in what had been empty space. The former resident went first, but as the demon stepped through the doorway shrank and became more rotund.

The demon turned around watched the gate close with his lips pressed together. "Smarmy witch."

"Come on," instructed Buffy. They trotted for the interior as the General and his army glared.

Hesitantly, Ben followed, swallowing his apprehension. As soon as he'd patched everyone up he was prepared to resume his escape. Glory had been quiet and would remain quiet until they were far enough away to disrupt her ceremony.

At least, he hoped she would.

Special thank you to Twisting the Hellmouth's draconis for pointing out that I forgot about messing up Dean's Baby a few chapters ago. Oopsies.