A/N: So here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it – sorry it's taken so long and is so short, but the next chapter is almost ready so will be up very soon. And to quote a broken record – please take a moment to review. Thanks :oD

The sky was starting to darken as Riley pulled into a parking space down the block from the Magic Box. Buffy waited impatiently while he locked the car, testing the door handles, and they began the short walk to the store.

'I gotta say, Buffy, I'm still having trouble taking all this in,' Riley said.

'Join the club,' Buffy sighed.

'And you still don't know who Glory is?'

'Not yet,' Buffy said. 'I'm hoping the gang might have found something by now.'

They entered the magic shop and Willow looked up, jumping from her seat when she saw them. 'Buffy!' she exclaimed, hurrying across. 'Giles has been trying to call you, we've found some stuff about Glory and the Gateway!'

'Great work, guys,' Buffy said, relieved, walking towards the table. She felt better now that she could start putting some labels on things, but it somehow made it seem more real too.

Giles appeared from the back room, a book in his hand. 'Ah, Buffy, at last,' he said. 'We've found some of the information you need - '

'I know, Will was just saying,' Buffy cut in. 'But first, I have something I have to tell you guys.' She paused, waiting until she had their full attention. 'My mom has a brain tumour.'

'Oh, Buffy, I am sorry,' Giles said, face drawing into a sympathetic frown.

'Tumour?' Willow repeated blankly. 'But…that can't be right…'

'It is,' Buffy said gently. 'And I think I know why. The doctor said that any strong power source, even something like a cell phone, can cause tumours. So I'm thinking that a whacking great big Gateway into another dimension might just be able to do the same.'

'But you've been living at home lately,' Xander said, panicking. 'God, Buff, what if you've got a tumour too?'

Buffy's eyes went wide. 'I hadn't even thought of that.'

Riley put an arm around her shoulders. 'Let's all calm down,' he said. 'Buffy, you haven't had any of the same symptoms as your mom, so chances are you're fine. Besides, I bet the Slayer strength-and-healing package is giving you a level of protection that your mom just doesn't have.'

'It's worth bearing in mind, though,' Giles said. 'Have you had any, uh, dizzy spells lately? Nausea, vomiting, sudden headaches, anything of that nature?'

'No,' Buffy said, shaking her head. 'I mean, a coupla headaches, but I figured that was just because of the whole worrying-about-sick-mom-and-crazy-demon-hell-bitch situation.'

'I still think you and your mother should move out,' Giles frowned, 'just to be on the safe side.'

'You can stay with me if you like,' Riley said. 'I mean, I don't have much space, but you're welcome to it.'

'Thanks,' Buffy smiled.

'And my door is always open, should you need it,' Giles added.

Buffy straightened, letting Riley's arm slip from her shoulders. 'I think my mom might be in hospital for a while yet, but if…when she comes out I want her to be where someone can keep an eye on her while I'm not around.' She turned to her Watcher. 'Giles, I know it's a lot to ask, but could Mom stay with you for a few days?'

'Of course,' he smiled. 'Anything I can do, you know that.'

Buffy smiled back, caught in a little bubble of reassurance and hope. With friends like these, surely she could handle whatever was coming?

'Okay,' Buffy said determinedly, shrugging off her jacket and taking a seat at the table with the others. 'I have to get back to the hospital in a few hours when Mom wakes up, but for now I'm all yours. So tell me – who's the Lady in Red?'

For a moment her friends just looked at each other - mouths opened then closed, eyes flickered to hers then away just as quickly.

Finally Giles said, 'Oh, for pity's sake, I'll do it. Buffy,' his tone turned gentle, 'there's no easy way to say this…I'm afraid you're fighting a god.'

Glory smiled in satisfaction as a shadowy figure appeared in the centre of the summoning circle. It was less than five feet tall but made of solid muscle, thick sinewy limbs covered in glistening black fur. The demon turned, snarling, but as its glittering obsidian eyes fell on Glory the sneer fell from its lips.

'Hey there little fella,' Glory said enthusiastically. 'Aren't you just the cutest l'il teddy bear?'

The snarl rose again, the demon's throat quivering as it held back a growl.

'Oh, calm down, wouldya?' Glory said with a sigh. 'All's I need you to do is go find something for me, then come back and lead me to it. 'kay?'

The demon nodded once. It growled something guttural and harsh, and Glory frowned. 'Please,' she said, 'it's so crass to talk about money at a time like this. Don't worry, I know the payment you demand, and you'll get it – as soon as you lead me to my Gateway. Do we got a deal?'

The demon nodded again.

'See, now was that so hard?' Glory asked. She snapped her fingers and the forcefield around the circle dropped, allowing the demon to prowl out into the swish apartment. Glory's minions backed away as it lifted its head, scenting the air, tongue flickering between teeth like finger-thick needles. Suddenly it took off with a howl, smashing the door on its way through.

'Dreg!' Glory whined, stamping a kitten-heeled foot. 'Teen Wolf broke my door!'

'Worry not, oh sparkling and vivacious one!' Dreg grovelled. 'We shall fix it immediately!'

'So get to it,' Glory said, dropping onto a plush sofa and raising her feet to rest on the velvet cushions. 'And would a frickin' mojito be too much to ask?'

'Rummy!' declared Joyce, laying down her cards.

'Again?' Buffy grumbled. 'I'm sure you must be cheating – has Spike been teaching you to cheat?'

'I wish,' Joyce said, raising one eyebrow.

'I'm sorry, what was that?' Buffy asked, stunned. 'Mom, are you…do you have a thing for Spike?'

Joyce paused, mulled it over, then smiled. 'No - but it sure is fun watching you squirm.'

'Mom!' Buffy exclaimed, relieved. 'Don't do that to me! I mean, I know a hospital is a good place to be if I have a heart attack, but let's not test the theory, 'kay?'

Joyce laughed, and Buffy smiled. It was good to see her mom happy, even if she did look small and pale against the sterile hospital pillows.

There was a knock at the door and Willow entered with a large brightly-coloured gift bag. Xander followed, smiling at Buffy across the room.

'Care package!' Willow announced. 'Special delivery for the Summers girls.' She put the bag on the bed next to Joyce. 'Now, let's see what I have in this sack of mine. Oh, I feel just like Santa Claus, except thinner and younger and female and, well, Jewish...'

'Hey Buffster,' Xander said quietly, watching Willow pull a bright red beer helmet out of the bag. 'Got a sec?'

'Sure,' Buffy said. 'Mom, I'll just be a minute.'

'Okay honey,' Joyce said, looking in bemusement at Willow's present.

Buffy followed Xander out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. 'What is it, is everyone alright?'

'Yup, no casualties to report,' Xander said, wincing a little as he realised where he was. 'I, uh, just wanted to talk to you about Riley.'

Buffy frowned. 'Is he okay?'

'Yeah…and no,' Xander said. He took a seat and Buffy sat with him. 'It's just…the guy seems sorta like he's on the verge of imploding.' He leaned forward, talking with his hands. 'I'm sure you've noticed that he's acting kinda crazed lately. Like taking on that vamp nest single-handed the other day, as a for instance.'

'Xand, you know Riley – you can take the boy out of the army…'

'Yeah, I get it, he's Joe Combat…but it's more than that. He didn't even show for patrol tonight, and that's not like him. Which isn't to say I didn't manfully take out all those big bad vamps without him,' he grinned a little, 'but…he said he'd be there, and he wasn't.'

'Well…something probably just came up,' Buffy said, pushing away her unease at his words. 'Look, I appreciate your concern, but Riley can take care of himself. If something's up he'd tell me, and right now I have to be there for Mom. I don't have the energy to start worrying about Riley as well.'

'See, I think that's sorta the problem,' Xander said awkwardly. 'I think he's feeling a little left out of your life, and he's not really dealing.'

'Well, he'll just have to,' Buffy said, frustrated. 'I can't hold his hand through every little problem…'

'Why not?' Xander asked, something hardening in his look. 'Whenever Angel showed the teensiest sign of a frown, you couldn't get over there fast enough.'

'That was totally different,' Buffy said, exasperated. 'When I was with Angel, my mom wasn't sick...'

'Yeah, I remember,' Xander cut her off, 'and life was all peaches 'n' cream with not a wrinkle in the picnic blanket of life, right? Buff, you had stuff on your mind then like you do now – different, but still of the big.'

'So what, you're the dating expert now?' Buffy said, stung. 'One insect lady, one mummy, one bitch queen and one ex-demon and you think you're qualified to start dishing out advice?'

'You're one of my best friends, Buffy,' Xander said quietly, refusing to take the bait. 'I can't sit back and let you ruin what could be the best thing that ever happened to you. I know your mom needs you, but Riley does too. All he wants is for you to let him in.'

'I have let him in,' Buffy said coldly.

'Is that really true? I hate to challenge you on anything, especially since I know you could snap me like a twig, but… I see it all the time, you keep turning him away like he's an annoying little puppy dog yapping at your heels.'

'Did you not see what happened when I opened up to Angel?'

'That's not Riley's fault,' Xander snapped. 'You're treating him like the rebound guy, when actually he's the once-in-a-lifetime guy.'

Buffy's skin prickled. He's right, I am shutting Riley out…but he's not the once-in-a-lifetime guy, is he? I mean, he should be…but somehow, he's not…

'Riley's never held back with you,' Xander pressed on, thinking he was getting through. 'He's risked everything. If he's not the guy, if what he needs from you just isn't there, then break his heart and make it clean. But if you really think you can love this guy…Buffy, you've gotta tell him that.'

'I can't…' Buffy realised that tears had spilled onto her cheeks. 'I can't deal with this now…'

'Right,' Xander nodded, leaning back; Buffy thought he seemed disappointed in her. 'Well, I've said my piece. Just check in on him, will ya? Make sure he's okay.' Xander stood, looking down at her for a moment.

'I will,' Buffy said quietly. She hugged her arms around herself, watching Xander walk back into her mom's room and wondering why she suddenly felt so cold.