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Chapter 17- Blood Ties

Magic Box

"Look, I know Mom wants to gather and make with the merry tomorrow night, but with everything that's going on..."

Peter and Willow walked up behind Buffy.

"This is exactly what you need. (Sits next to Buffy", Willow said.

"Yeah, birthdays are a good thing", Peter said.

"A 20th birthday party with, with, with presents, and funny hats, and, and those candles that don't blow out..." Willow whispered to Tara. "Those used to scare me."

"Me too", Tara said.

"Really? I think those are fun", Peter shrugged.

"I just don't think this is the best time to break out the party pinata. We need to stay focused if we're gonna find a way to stop Glory", Buffy said.

"We're going up against a god. An actual mightier-than-thou god", Xander reminded.

"Yeah, and it's been a while since Thor was seen around on Earth", Peter said lamely. "So no god to fight back either."

Willow started. "Well, you know what they say, the bigger they are-"

"The faster they stomp you into nothing", Anya finished. Everyone looked at her.

"She's right. I've thrown everything I've got at her and she just shrugs it off", Buffy said.

"Yeah, I met her once and couldn't do much either", Peter said.

"Then we have to find something heavier to throw", Willow said.

"Like Thor's hammer", Peter said.

"That might pose some difficulty. From what the Council's been able to discover from the book of Tarnis and, and, and other sources, Glory and two of her fellow Hellgods ruled over ... one of the more seriously unpleasant demon dimensions", Giles explained.

"There's more than one?" Tara asked.

"Oh, there are thousands of demon dimensions. All different", Anya said.

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

"Well, since the Universe is always in a state of flux, it makes sense the other Dimensions would be pushing in", Peter theorized.

"I guess Glory found one. The question is, why?" Buffy wondered.

"There's nothing to indicate that here. Just ... vague references to ... chaos and destruction", the teakettle whistled. Giles got up to get it.

Buffy said. "Okay, so, we know where Glory's from. What do we know about her? You know, she's tough, yeah, but, but no bolts of lightning, no blasts of fire, shouldn't a god be able to do that kind of stuff?"

"Of course we're glad she can't", Peter added.

Giles poured tea. "Uh, usually, yes, but um, being in human form must be severely limiting her powers. All we have to worry about right now is she's immortal, invulnerable, and insane."

"A crazy hellgod? And the fun just keeps on leaving", Xander commented.

"From what I've been able to gather, her living in this world is ... seriously affecting her mental state as well", Giles said. "She's only being able to keep her mind intact by, uh, extracting energy from us. Well, from, from the human brain."

"She, she, she's a brain-sucker?" Tara asked as she and Willow exchanged a look.

"She, um …. Giles leaned over to read from book, ""absorbs the energies that bind the human mind into a cohesive whole." Once drained, all that's left behind is, uh-"

"Crazy people", Buffy finished.

Giles poured more tea. "Which is, I'm afraid, why there's been a marked increase in the ranks of the mentally unstable here in Sunnydale."

"At least vampires just kill you", Tara said.

"Or turn you", Peter added.

Buffy got up. "We have to find a way to stop her."

"Oh, well, Tara and I can work on some tactical spells", Willow said.

Giles handed Buffy a cup of tea.

"I can do some research. I know way more about demon dimensions than Giles does", Anya said as Giles frowned. "Well, I do."

"This is great long-term plan-y stuff, but what about this ... key thingy Glory's looking for?" Xander asked.

Buffy and Giles both standing, sipping tea, exchanged a look with each other and Peter.

Tara agreed. "Yeah, I mean, shouldn't we be trying to find it before she does?"

"I don't think that's what we should be worrying about right now", Buffy said.

"They've got a point. Whatever Glory's planning on opening with the key, I'm guessing it won't be filled with candy and flowers", Willow added.

"So where should we start looking? Do we know where it used to be kept? Who saw it last?" Xander asked.

"We did", Buffy said, finally making a decision as all looked at her. "Peter, Giles and me. We, we know where it is."

"You what?" Xander asked.

"You know, and you didn't tell us?" Willow asked.

"We didn't believe it ourselves", Peter raised his hands. "It took me a week to come to terms with it."

"There were ... reasons", Giles said.

"Look, i-if Glory knew that you guys knew where it was, I ..." Buffy sat. "I-I just didn't wanna put you in that kind of danger."

Xander was annoyed. "As opposed to the other kind we're always in?"

"You should have said something", Willow said.

"Will, there- " Buffy paused. "You're right." She turned to Giles. "It's time."

"Are you sure?" Giles asked.

"If they're gonna be risking their lives, they deserve to know", Buffy said.

"Yeah, if we ask them to fight for us without telling them why, we are no different from Tony", Peter said, as Tony had brought him in to fight Team Cap without telling him exactly what they had been fighting for, and he had fought for him like the naïve kid he was then. Not anymore.

"What is it?" Xander asked.

Buffy looked at her friends. They looked at her. She then spoke.

"There's something that you need to know ... about Dawn."

Later, Magic Box

Willow and Tara were drawing symbols on the ground with colored sand when Peter and Dawn arrived.

"You guys doin' a spell?" Dawn asked.

"Dawn, Peter, hey. Y-yeah, we're doing an early warning incantation", Willow said awkwardly. "If anything hellgodishly powerful comes within a hundred feet of the shop, then screechy siren things will, you know, screech."

Tara explained. "This should give us a heads-up so we can hide ... the, um, key."

"Key to the shop, right?" Peter asked awkwardly and the nodded.

Willow informed. "We already put one up around your house."

"Cool, can I help?" Dawn asked.

Willow and Tara exchanged a look.

Well, I don't think Buffy would like the, uh, black arts bumpin' auras with the littlest Summers", Willow said.

"Just saying, a spell went wrong last week and unleashed a Troll. Plus, Willow has experience", Peter reminded, trying to act casual.

Dawn nodded resignedly. "Yeah, whatever."

She went into the shop as Peter called out. "Dawn!"

Tara quietly said. "How can she not be real?"

"She's real, she's just ... kinda ... new", Willow threw a last handful of dust down; the symbols all flashed brightly and disappeared.

"She's real to me", Peter told them. "That's final."

"Well, as long as she is real to us, it's all that matters", Tara told him as Peter nodded and went inside, where Dawn had already entered. Anya was dusting something while Xander sat at the table reading.

"What are you reading?" Peter asked.

"Nothing scientific if that's what you're thinking", Xander told him.

"Hey. We on the case?" Dawn asked everyone.

"Yeah. Right on top, perched, ready for action", Xander said and Anya looked uncomfortable. "How's my sweet fancy Dawn doing?"

Xander reached over to tickle Dawn's stomach. She giggled and tried to fight him off.

Dawn laughed. "Fine. What's up with you?"

Xander stopped tickling. "Did you get into the sugar again?"

"And I thought I was not subtle", Peter muttered to himself.

Anya said in a loud, fake cheerful tone. "You make a very pretty little girl!"

Xander jumped up and said in the same fake tone. "Anya, you wanna help me with that thing?"

Anya now had the fake tone, fake smile and fake laugh. "Xander needs help with his thing!"

They walked off. Dawn looked annoyed, and Peter too.

"I'm not sure our regular workout is ... challenging you or Peter any more. Perhaps we should make it harder", Giles and Buffy walked in from the back room. Buffy held a bottle of water. Giles was writing in a small book.

"You always think harder is better", Buffy said. "Maybe next time I patrol I should carry a load of bricks, use a stake made of butter."

"Or you can try to swing!" Peter popped up.

"What will I be? The Spectacular Slayer-Woman?" Buffy asked.

"Very amusing", Giles said. They walked over to the counter, where Dawn was standing, with a notebook lying open on the counter. Giles put his book down on the counter also.

He said. "I'm sure Peter and Dawn feel that way about their schoolwork sometimes."

"Meh, it's like reading a fairy tale", Peter shook his head.

"Or not", Giles said.

"How was school today?" Buffy asked the two.

"Um, the usual. Big square building filled with boredom and despair", Dawn said.

"Just how I remember it", Buffy told her.

"It's not that boring", Peter started, but the two Summers woman shut him up with looks.

Giles closed his book, sliding it off the counter and out of sight.

"So, what's the homework sitch?" Buffy asked.

"We have to imagine what we'll be like ten years from now and write a letter to our future self", Dawn said. "The teacher's clearly so out of ideas." Giles closed a drawer behind the counter. "Wanna help?"

"Maybe later. I have some stuff I have to do first", Buffy said.

Giles moved his hands away from the drawer. Dawn looked over at him, then back at Buffy.

"Is it about that weird girl that came to the house?" She asked.

"Glory", Buffy reminded. "And no it's not."

"Like you'd tell me anyway. Dawn's too young and Dawn's too delicate", Dawn groaned.

"Right. A young delicate pain in my butt", Buffy said.

"I just think you're freakin' out 'cause you have to fight someone prettier than you. That is the case, right?" Dawn asked.

Buffy walked closer to her and said softly. "Glory is evil. And powerful." She resumed her normal tone. "And in no way prettier than me."

"I just think you're getting soft in your advanced age. She didn't look that tough to me", Dawn smirked.

"Really? Because she brought down a building first time I met her", Peter said as Dawn's eyes widened. "And my age isn't advanced."

"Yeah, but you act advanced", Dawn said to him and walked off as Peter's jaw dropped.

"Leave it, kid, you can't win", Buffy said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Later, night

"Prezzies!"

Joyce and Dawn were on one couch, Buffy on the other, on either side of the coffee-table laden with presents. Peter, Xander, Giles, Tara, Anya, and Willow stood around. Peter, Tara and Xander held gifts. Willow wore a party hat and held a bottle of bubble-blowing liquid.

"See, just what you needed", she blew a bubble. "You are very, very wise. Now gimme, gimme, gimme!"

Peter handed Buffy first and she opened it to reveal a very nice hair-dryer.

"Wow!" Buffy said.

"Umm, I like your hair, so I was thinking of them when I bought this", Peter said lamely.

"Awww, you like my hair, and I love this, thank you Peter", Buffy said with a smile as Peter nodded.

Tara handed Buffy a gift. Buffy began ripping off the paper.

"This is extremely suspenseful! I want the presents", Anya said as Buffy pulled out a dress.

"Ohh ... it's beautiful. Thank you, guys", Buffy said.

"Well, we thought you'd get lots of crossbows, other killy stuff", Tara said.

"Yeah, so we figured, less killy, more frilly", Willow finished.

"Gotta look", Anya grabbed the dress from Buffy. "Oh, it's just so lovely! Oh, I wish it was mine!"

Everyone gave her a look.

Anya quietly said. "Oh, like you weren't all thinking the same thing." She put the dress down.

"I'm fairly certain I wasn't", he whispered to Peter and Xander. "I've got one just like it."

"For yourself?" Peter asked as Giles gave him a look so he shut up.

Dawn got up. "Here. Open mine." She gave her gift to Buffy.

"It's not gonna explode, is it?" Buffy asked.

"If you were Flash and it was me instead of Dawn, then it would explode", Peter piped up as all chuckled.

Buffy opened it and removed a photo of herself and Dawn, in a frame covered with seashells.

"It's when we visited Dad that summer in San Diego." Buffy stared at it. "Um, I put the shells on it myself. We picked them off the beach."

"I remember", Buffy said softly. Joyce smiled. Everyone else looked thoughtful. Dawn looked uncomfortable.

"Well, geez, don't get all movie-of-the-week. I was just too cheap to buy a real present."

"Thank you."

Buffy got up and hugged Dawn. Buffy and Joyce exchanged a look over Dawn's shoulder.

Later

Joyce, Buffy, and Giles were in the kitchen. Giles poured a glass of wine. Buffy poured a glass of water from a pitcher.

"It still seems to me like there's a lot you don't know about this. I mean, is she dangerous?" Joyce asked.

"No", Buffy said.

"Well, now, wait just a second", Giles said. "I assume you're talking about her existence rather than her intentions."

Buffy looked down the hall, seeing Dawn.

"Exactly", Joyce said.

"Dawn?" Buffy called. "What are you doing in there? Party gettin' slow?"

"Uh", Dawn picked up a stack of plates from dining-room table. "We need plates. Cake time."

She walked off. Buffy smiled nervously.

Peter, Tara and Willow were preparing the cake. Xander and Anya stood in the doorway kissing. As Dawn walked in, Anya pushed Xander away; Peter, Willow and Tara stopped what they were doing. Dawn put plates on the table next to the cake, smiling. She stopped smiling when she saw Tara's face, then turned around to look at Xander and Anya.

Peter resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Why does everybody start acting all weird when I'm around?" Dawn asked.

"Me? Me not weird", Xander said.

Peter and Tara looked worried. Willow licked frosting off a birthday-cake candle.

"I'm not an idiot. I know you're talking about me", Dawn said.

"We weren't talking at all", Peter said.

"We were talking about sex", Anya said.

Buffy, Joyce, and Giles entered.

Dawn said to Joyce. "They were talking about me, just like everybody is."

"Again, not so much. In fact, none", Xander said.

"We were talking about sex. I mean, you know us, sometimes we like to pretend stuff-"

"Um..." Joyce trailed off.

"Anya!" Xander said.

"You know, like, say there's a fireman, or a shepherd-"

"You know what? Let's not have this exchange of images right now", Buffy said.

"Yeah, it's weird", Peter agreed.

"Oh. Right. Of course", Dawn said. "Can't let Dawn hear anything." She was angry now. "Fine. I'm just gonna go to bed. That way I won't accidentally get exposed to, like, words."

She stormed out. Everyone looked unhappy. Willow held up a piece of cake on a plate. "Cake?"

Dawn stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door. She leaned against the wall and looked sullen.

Few minutes later

Dawn climbed out her window and down the trellis, climbing from the trellis onto the back porch. The curtains were drawn. Dawn went down the back stairs, watching the windows, and turned around to find Spike standing right behind her. He had something under his arm and a cigarette in his mouth. Dawn gave a little yelp of surprise.

"Geez! Lurk much?" She asked.

"I wasn't lurking. I was standing about. It's a whole different vibe", Spike said.

"What is-" She looked at the thing under his arm, folding her arms and smirking. "Are you giving Buffy a birthday present?"

Spike looked at the box. "Oh my god. Weird. And chocolates? Lame. And the box is all bent, and, well, you know she'd never touch anything from you anyway."

He leaned closer to her, speaking menacingly. "Shouldn't you be tucked away in your beddy-bye? All warm and safe where nothing can eat you?"

Dawn giggled. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

Spike sighed and leaned back. "Little tremble wouldn't hurt.

"Sorry, it's just ... come on. I'm badder than you", Dawn said.

Spike felt insulted. "Are not!"

"Am too. You're standing in the bushes hugging a bent box of chocolates, and I'm-"

"What? Sneaking out to braid hair and watch Teletubbies with your mates?" Spike asked.

"No", she said softly, looking back at the house. "I'm breaking into the magic shop ..." she boasted. "To steal things."

"Magic shop, eh?" He looked over his shoulder. "All number of beasties between here and there."

Dawn looked a little nervous.

"Bet they'd really go for a little red riding hood like you. Bet that wouldn't sit too well with big sister."

Dawn was uncertain. "I can take care of myself."

Spike just looked at her. She looked around, anxious.

"You wanna come steal some stuff?"

"Yeah, all right."

"Stealing is illegal, you know."

They turned to see Peter standing on the doorway, his arms folded.

"What will you do, arrest us?" Dawn asked.

"No", Peter said, looking between them both. "But I can't let you go there."

"Why? Afraid I'll do some magic?" Dawn asked him, clearly annoyed.

"Dawn, you have no idea-"

"Well, I want to have one!" Dawn snapped at him, still keeping her voice down. "I am the only one out of the loop! Even you are in the loop, Tara as well, I am the only outsider now."

Peter carefully started. "They are trying to keep you saf-"

"I can take care of myself", Dawn said and just walked off, clearly not in the mood to talk to Peter now, who sighed.

"Don't worry kid", Spike put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll keep her safe."

"You will?" Peter asked incredulously.

"Just because I'm the big bad doesn't mean there aren't any worse than me", Spike said. "Wouldn't want them to get to the nibblet, would we?"

Peter knew Spike was an evil Vampire and all that, but for some reason, he sounded genuine, like totally genuine. It wasn't like Tony when they had first met. Spike really did want to keep Dawn safe.

"All right, keep her safe. And don't let her actually steal anything", Peter said as Spike smirked and walked off after Dawn.

"They'll be fine", Peter muttered. "I mean, there isn't anything about the Key in the shop, is there?"

Later, Magic Box

Dawn stood by the door holding the chocolates while Spike knelt, trying to pick the lock.

"Do you know how to do that or not?"

"Give us a sec. I usually just", he gestured, "burst through doors."

The door finally opened.

"That's right!" Spike stood up, giving Dawn his best smug smirk. "Who's bad now?"

They entered.

"Girl with a mission, eh?" Dawn turned on a flashlight. "What's the caper? Jewels? Ancient artifacts? Or just plain hard cash liberated from the till?"

"A book."

"All this for a book?"

Dawn walked confidently to the counter, put down the chocolates and went behind the counter.

"I don't want the book. Just what's inside. I think it was Giles' notes." She shone the flashlight around as Spike examined the stuff on the counter. "He was standing here, and when I turned around it was gone."

She began feeling under the counter. Spike took something off the counter and put it in his pocket. Dawn found the hidden drawer and pulled it open, revealing the book. She smiled in triumph.

"Where did he learn to write so bloody small, from a fruit fly?" Spike asked as he and Dawn and Spike sat on the floor, three candles lit in front of them. Dawn read the book. Spike's cigarette was mostly ash.

"Wait, here's something. Uh, "Tarnis, 12th century. One of the founders of the monks of the order of Dagon." Spike stood up. "Their sole purpose appears to have been as protectors of the Key."

Spike scoffed. "Brown-robe types are always protecting something. It's the only way they can justify giving up girls."

He looked around, spotting Olaf's hammer in a display case. "Hey! Troll hammer."

Spike tried to pick it up but it was too heavy. It fell to the floor with a clang. He glanced over to see if Dawn noticed. She had her back to him.

"Didn't go with my stuff anyway."

He continued looking around at the shelves, looking bored, as Dawn read.

""The Key is not directly described in any known literature, but all research indicates an energy matrix vibrating at a dimensional frequency beyond normal human perception. Only those outside reality can see the key's true nature."" She shook her head. "Outside reality. What's that mean?"

"Mm. Second-sight blokes, mostly", he put out his cigarette in an item on the shelf. "Or even just your run-of-the-mill lunatics."

He resumed his seat beside Dawn as she began to get an expression of revelation.

"There!" The crazy guard pointed at a scared Dawn. "There's no one in there."

"I know what you are", the crazy guy said to Dawn outside the Magic Box.

Dawn looked thoughtful.

"What else does it say about this Key?" Spike asked. "Is it made out of gold? Maybe we can hock it, split the take."

"Um", Dawn read. "The key is also susceptible to necromanced animal detection, particularly those of canine or serpent construct."

The snake slithered above Dawn, its eyes flashing red as Peter stood protectively in front of her.

Dawn held the book, pondering. Spike reached over and took the book from her.

Spike frowned at the book. ""The monks possessed the ability to transform energy, bend reality." Blah, blah, blah", he looked at Dawn. "Good lord, Giles writes as dull as he talks, doesn't he?" He turned back to the book. ""They started work. But the Council ... has suggested ... to us that they were interrupted. Presumably by ... Glory."" Dawn continued staring into the distance as she listened. ""They obviously did manage to accomplish the taste..."" he looked closer, ""accomplish the task. They had to be certain the Slayer would protect it with her life. So they sent the Key to her ... in human form. In the form of a sister.""

Dawn now had a shocked expression. Spike frowned, looking over at her. "Huh! I guess that's you, nibblet."

Dawn's entire world had been shattered into pieces.

Later, Summers House

Willow and Tara sat on a sofa, Peter next to them, deep in thought, with Buffy facing them in an armchair.

"What's matter, Peter?" Buffy asked, noticing him. "You look like someone has found out your identity or something."

"Yeah, everything okay?" Willow asked in concern.

"No, it's not- Oh my God!"

Buffy turned to look behind her, getting up.

Dawn was standing in the doorway. A large knife in one hand, blood running down her other arm from a wound across the inner forearm.

"Is this blood?" She asked, dazed. Joyce and Giles turned to look.

"Dawn!" Buffy cried out.

"Oh, baby", Joyce said too.

Buffy and Joyce rushed over to Dawn, Peter standing behind them.

"What did you do?!" Buffy asked.

"This is blood, isn't it? It can't be me. I'm not a key", Buffy looked shocked. "I'm not a thing."

"Oh, sweetie, no. Wha-what is this all about?" Joyce asked softly.

"What am I?" Dawn asked grimly and got teary. "Am I real? Am I anything?"

She began to cry. Joyce hugged her. Buffy and Peter watched grimly, the former also a little teary-eyed.

Later

Buffy saw the others out.

Willow started. "If you need anything-"

"Thanks."

Willow hugged Buffy and left.

Peter started. "If there's a problem-"

"I'll take care of it", Buffy said as Peter nodded and left too.

Giles walked up to the door. "Perhaps I should stay, you know, just in case."

"This is a family thing. We should deal with this", Buffy said.

"Okay."

Giles left. Buffy closed the door behind him.

Dawn was sitting on her bed. Joyce sat at the foot of the bed. Buffy entered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dawn asked softly, not looking up.

Joyce looked at Buffy.

"We were going to. It just... " Buffy trailed off. Dawn gave her an angry look.

"We thought it would be better if we waited until you were older", Joyce said.

"How old am I now?" Dawn asked.

"You're fourteen, sweetheart, you know that", Joyce said.

"No. The monks. When did ... when did they ..." she trailed off.

"Six months ago", Buffy revealed.

Dawn was trying to hold back tears. "I've only been alive for six months, huh?"

"Honey, you've been alive a lot longer than that to us", Joyce said gently.

"You don't know that! You don't know anything. I'm, I'm just a key, right?" Dawn asked. "Everything about me is made up."

"Dawn ..." Buffy sat on the bed next to Dawn. "Mom and I know what we feel. I know I care about you. I know that I worry about you-"

"You worry about me because you have to. I'm your job. Protect the key, right?" Dawn asked.

"I worry because my sister is cutting herself!" Buffy said.

"Yeah? How do you know? Maybe this is just another fake memory from my fake family", Dawn snapped.

Joyce started. "Sweetheart-"

"Get out."

Buffy started. "Dawn..."

Get out, get out, GET OUT!"

Her voice rose to a shriek on the last two words. Joyce and Buffy got up to leave. Dawn lay down on the bed, curled up hugging a stuffed animal.

Next day, Magic Box

"We need answers, Giles", Buffy said.

Peter, Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles moved across the room toward the counter. Giles went behind the counter, where Anya was already moving around looking at stuff.

"We need to find out everything we can about the Key. What's it for, who created it", Buffy said.

"More specifically, where is the keyhole", Peter pointed out.

"And why Glory has a big girl-god jones for it", Xander said.

"This isn't about her. It's about Dawn. She deserves to know where she came from. She needs to know. Or it's just gonna eat away at her", Buffy said to him.

Giles looked at his notebooks and papers. "How did she find these? How did she get in here?"

"You seriously wrote all of that down where she could find it?" Peter asked.

"I had no idea she would break in for this", Giles said.

"I think you should have written it on a computer and encrypted it", Peter said.

"Oh God no!" Giles shook his head.

"He's got a point, you know", Willow agreed.

Anya turned away from the back shelves, holding an item. "Ew! Who's been using the urn of Ishtar as an ashtray?" She took out a cigarette butt.

Buffy's eyes widened in realization as she started moving out but Peter ran in her way. "Hey, stop!"

"Get out of my way", Buffy said.

"Hitting Spike is not gonna do anything", Peter told her.

"He was with her", Buffy said.

"I know he was", Peter finally revealed.

"You knew?" Buffy asked in shock. "You knew Dawn and Spike were coming here and you didn't tell us?"

"I didn't think she was going after any notes Giles had, because I had no idea he did", Peter said honestly.

"But you let her go with Spike!" Buffy said.

"Spike wasn't going to hurt her", Peter said. "I know he's not a good guy, but he wasn't going to hurt her, even if he could that is. He went with her to keep her safe."

"You really think that?" Buffy asked.

"No I don't. I know that", Peter said. "Spike went with Dawn to protect her. Even if he hadn't gone with her, she would have gone anyway and found out. And really, if I told you, you'd try to stop her again, and that's gonna make it obvious you're hiding something."

Buffy wanted to argue but she really couldn't. Peter was right. She hadn't told Dawn the truth, so Dawn was going to try to find out anyway, and blaming Spike was stupid.

"I guess you're right, I should have told her", Buffy said.

"We all should have. This is on us", Peter agreed guiltily.

Same time, Summers House

Joyce knocked on Dawn's door, entering. Dawn was still lying on her side on the bed, with her back to the door.

"Honey? You're gonna be late for school", Joyce said.

"I'm not going. Blobs of energy don't need an education", Dawn told her.

"You want me to make you some soup?" Joyce asked, sitting on the bed. "I think there's some chicken and stars..."

"I'm not sick!" Dawn said, getting quieter. "I'm not anything."

"Honey, calm down, okay..." Joyce put her hand on Dawn's back.

Dawn faced her. "Don't tell me what to do." She paused. "You're not my mother."

Joyce looked hurt. Dawn lay back down for a moment, then got up. "I changed my mind. I'd rather be at school."

She grabbed her backpack and left.

Later, Sunnydale Junior High

Dawn was simply walking, not paying heed to anything around.

"Dawn? Dawn?"

Peter ran next to her. "Hey Daw-"

"Stay away from me!" Dawn snarled at him.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry I didn-"

"Tell me I am not real?" Dawn asked him in a slightly high voice, making some stop and look at them.

Peter started. "No that's not what I-"

"You pretend to be my friend, but you're just like the others who think I'm delicate and fragile and can't handle the truth!" Dawn snapped at him.

"What is going on?" A teacher asked as he arrived.

Peter started. "Not-"

"Why do you care?" Dawn asked.

"Excuse me?!" The teacher said, clearly not liking her attitude.

"Why does everyone think they can tell me to do shit and then think I'll follow?" Dawn muttered.

"Language, lady!" The teacher warned her.

"Don't fucking tell me what to do!" Dawn snarled at her.

"That's it, you're coming with me to the Principal's office", the teacher said as Dawn sighed and followed the teacher, while Peter rubbed his forehead.

"Why is this happening?" He thought to himself.

Later, Magic Box, night

The Scooby Gang met after Dawn had run off from home and burnt her stuff.

"She tore up her room ... she burned all of her diaries", Buffy said then moved across the screen to sit in a chair by the table, Spike behind her.

"The Dawnmeister Chronicles?" Xander asked, sitting behind the counter with Willow and Tara, with Peter, Giles and Anya behind it. Giles handed Willow a cup of tea.

"So those had a name too?" Peter muttered.

"She's been keeping those since ..." she paused, looking confused. "I mean..."

"Since she was seven. I remember too, Will", Buffy said. "We have to find her. Fast. Before Glory or the knights of hack-n-slash figure out what - who she really is. Mom's gonna stay at home in case she shows up. I figure we split up and sweep the city."

She stood. "Anya. Will you stay here in case she shows up? Xander, Giles, you guys take the center of town. Willow, Tara, west side. Spike, you and I'll get the east side. Peter, swing."

Everyone got up to leave. Spike moved forward to stand beside Buffy.

Buffy softly said. "Just find her ... please."

Later

Dawn entered the mental ward of the hospital as the patients muttered nervously.

"It's here. It's here. It's here."

"Can't stop."

"It's here. It's here."

"Make it stop. The skin's too tight."

The first one lifted his head to look at Dawn. "Can't hear it. What's the frequency? Empty. All spilled out."

Dawn went over to him. "Please. Y-you see me, right? Look at me."

He stared at her, very fearful.

"Can't stop it!"

"You know what I am, don't you? You all know!" Dawn said.

The first one stared at the ceiling. "Can't hear it, can't hear it, can't hear it."

"Tell me!"

"Can't hear it, can't hear it ..."

"What am I?"

"The Key."

Dawn whipped her head around to look at a patient. What she did not know was he was one of the Knights of Byzantium, and Glory had brainsucked him. His name was Orlando.

"I found it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Dawn rushed over to him. "You know what the key is?"

He stared at the ceiling still repeating "Thank you".

"Where did I come from? Who made me, wha-what am I?" Dawn asked.

"Thank you, thank you..."

"Please!"

Orlando suddenly jerked his head up and yelled. "Destroyer!"

Dawn jumped back.

"Cracked ... bones ... the sun bleeding into the sky! The Key is the link."

Dawn shook her head, backing away. "No, no."

"The link must be severed. Such is the will of God. Such is the will of God. Such is the will of God."

He continued repeating this phrase as Dawn backed away, then turned and ran away.

"Such is the will of God."

"Can't hear it."

Orlando continued repeating his phrase as the rest muttered, getting louder and louder. Dawn ran to the door, pulled it open and found Ben on the other side. He looked at her in surprise.

Later, locker room

Dawn sat at a small table. Ben walked over carrying two cups, which he put on the table.

"Two steaming cups of chocolate goodness courtesy of ... whoever I swiped it from out of the cupboard", he sat. "Couldn't find any marshmallows. I'll try to steal some for next time."

"Don't like 'em anyway", Dawn said.

"What? Is that even possible?" Ben asked.

"Too squishy. When I was five, Buffy told me they were monkey brains, and I-" she stopped.

"Dawn, was your mom brought back in? Is that why you're here?" Ben asked.

"No", she said bitterly. "My mom's just fine."

Ben was puzzled. "Is there anybody I can call? Your sister?"

"I don't have a sister", Dawn said.

"Oh ... you two have a fight? It's okay, I know how that goes. I got a sister too. They can be a real pain sometimes", Dawn nodded. "I tell you, there've been a lot of nights I wish she didn't exist either."

Dawn sighed. "It's not Buffy. It's me. I'm the one that doesn't exist."

Ben said. "Look, I know it can feel that way sometimes, but when you're older-"

"No, you don't understand. It's not real. None of this", she indicated her body. "They made it."

"Dawn-"

"I'm nothing! I'm just a thing the monks made so Glory couldn't find me. I'm not real."

Ben looked extremely shocked and fearful. He got to his feet.

"You're the Key?" He asked.

"How do you know about the Key?" Dawn asked.

"Go! Before she finds you. Don't ask me how she knows, 'cause she always knows. Just go", Ben said, confusing her more

"Wait! Calm down, just tell me-"

Ben was agitated. "You don't understand, you're a kid." Dawn got up. "You stay, she'll find you. She finds you, she'll hurt you."

"What's wrong with you?" Dawn asked.

"You're what she's been searching for. I am telling you, run. You don't know, you –" he looked around nervously. "Oh god. Oh god no, she's coming." Dawn looked frightened. "I can feel it, you've gotta get out. No ... oh no, she's here!"

He grabbed Dawn by the arms. She screamed. "She's here!" In the middle of "She's here," Ben morphed into Glory. Dawn gasped and stares at her in shock. Glory looked confused.

"Hey, don't I know you?"

Later

Dawn was sitting in the chair again.

"Ugh, cotton!"

Glory took off Ben's hospital scrubs. "Could a fabric be more annoyingly pedestrian?"

She reached into a locker. "Now this is what I'm talkin' about." She pulled out a red silk blouse and slid it over her head, smiling. "Makes your skin sing."

"You're-you're Ben... "

Glory fastened the blouse. "Uh, it's an eensy more complicated than that. Family always is, isn't it?"

Dawn looked anxiously toward the door.

"You'd never make it", Glory said, her back still to Dawn. "I'd rip out your spine before you got half a step. And those little legs?" She smiled over her shoulder at Dawn. "They wouldn't be much good without one of those."

Suddenly Glory was right next to Dawn, bending over with her hands on her knees so that her face was at Dawn's level. "Would they, Dawnie?"

Dawn looked alarmed.

"Now. What I'm trying to noodle, is what in the world was the Slayer's little sis doing here with gentle Ben?" Glory asked.

"Y-you don't remember?" Dawn gulped.

"Remember what?" Glory brushed the hair off Dawn's shoulders. "You were talking to him, not me." She gasped, then grabbed Dawn's chin. "Oh, he wasn't being naughty, was he?"

A hospital guard entered. "Excuse me, ma'am. This area's for hospital personnel-"

Glory turned around, grabbed his head and twisted it, breaking his neck. He fell to the floor. Dawn gasped. Glory turned back to Dawn and leaned down again. "Rude! I was talking!" She sighed. "What do you say ..." she pulled Dawn to her feet. "We find a nice place off the beaten", she grabs Dawn by the front of her blouse, spinning her around. "Where you and I can have a long uninterrupted chat."

Glory pushed a very scared Dawn around in front of her.

Later

Dawn and Glory were in some sort of lab, with X-ray display cases along one wall, racks full of beakers and test tubes. Glory shoved Dawn against a metal counter. "Okay. Small talk over. I'm in a bit of a crunch here, so let's cut right to the ooey gooey center. Your sister, the Slayer, has my Key. It's mine, I want it." She got softer. "Do you know where she squirreled it away? There's ice cream and puppydogs in it for you if you start singin'."

"I'm not sure. What does it look like?" Dawn asked nervously.

Glory smiled fondly, put hands over her heart. "Well..." she walked a few steps away, getting nostalgic. "The last time I caught a peep ... it was a bright green swirly shimmer. Really brought out the blue in my eyes." She got annoyed. "But then those sneaky little monks pulled an abracadabra, so now it could look like anything. You see the predicament I'm in."

"Maybe..."

"Yes?"

"Well, maybe if you ... told me more about it, I'd know if I've seen it."

Glory sighed, leaned forward, put her hands on the table on either side of Dawn. Dawn gasped nervously. Glory gazed at her for a moment.

"Okay."

Few minutes later

Dawn was now leaning against a wall while Glory sat on the exam table.

"So this ... key thing ... it's been around for a long time?" Dawn asked.

"Well, not as long as me, but ... yeah. Just this side of forever", Glory said.

Dawn had a long pause, then very quietly asked. "Is it evil?"

"Totally!"

Dawn gave a little gasp of dismay.

Glory laughed. "Well, no, not really. I guess it depends on your point of view."

"What's it for? I mean ... if it's a key, there's gotta be a lock, right?"

"Yes. We have a winner."

"-so what does it open?"

Glory sighed. "I smell a fox in my hen house." She was annoyed. "Is that why you've been playing sugar and spice with old Uncle Ben?" She got down from the table. "Trying to get a peek at Glory's unmentionables?"

"No, I-"

"Shh! I kinda wanna hear me talking right now. Me talking." She got right up close to Dawn. "You know what I'm starting to think? I'm thinking ... that maybe you ..." Dawn looked very apprehensive, "don't have any idea where my key is."

Glory spun away, speaking faster. "Very irritating. Irrational. Know what I mean, tiny snapdragon? Like..."

She banged her elbows down on the table, leaned over and rubbed her forehead, scowling as if she ha a headache. "...bugs under my skin. And say", she sighed, closing her eyes. "I'm feelin' a little..."

"What's wrong with you?"

"Hey", Glory sighed, then smiled. "Hey!" She straightened up. "This doesn't have to be a complete waste of my precious time." She turned and walked back toward Dawn. "I've been meaning to send the Slayer a message. And I could use a little pick-me-up. Two birds, one stone, and", she clapped her hands in front of Dawn's nose. "Boom." Dawn looked very scared. "You have yummy dead birds."

The door burst open and Buffy entered with Peter in his suit, followed by the others.

"Get away from my sister."

"Hey, we were just talking about you", Glory laughed.

Dawn ran over behind Buffy.

"So she's gonna live long then", Peter quipped.

"Conversation's over, hell-bitch", Buffy punched Glory with a right, then a left, then ducked a punch, kicking Glory. Spike entered the room.

Buffy and Glory grappled; Buffy spun her around and slammed her into a display case. Glory kicked Buffy away.

Glory punched Buffy when Peter hung on the ceiling and kicked her back into the display case, shattering it.

Glory tried to punch as Peter ducked to avoid and flipped to avoid another before flip kicking Glory's face, and then hanging on the ceiling leapt behind her, spinning a web and trapping her neck as he tried to hold her.

"I feel like Hitman now", Peter quipped as he lifted his feet, using them to pin Glory's arms.

"You bug!" Glory snarled and struggled as Spike punched Glory on the face and then Buffy punched Glory on the face while Peter restrained her.

"I thought you said this skank was tough", Spike quipped.

Glory broke free, grabbed Peter's arm and flipped him over, throwing him into Spike as both slammed into a wall. She picked Peter up and head-butted him. Glory then threw Spike and he slid across the exam table, crushing a bunch of medical equipment. He fell off the other side, landing against the wall unconscious.

She grabbed Peter again but he webbed her entire face, making her back off, annoyed. "Get this sticky substance off of my glo-"

She was cut off when Peter kicked her back with both feet, flipping up.

Glory ripped off the web, then turned to Buffy. "He wakes up, tell your boyfriend to watch his mouth."

Buffy got in Glory's face, glaring. "He is NOT my boyfriend."

Giles tried to aim the crossbow, but Buffy was between him and Glory. Buffy began punching Glory as Peter swung and kicked her face.

Buffy tried to kick but Glory grabbed her foot and looks at it. "Hey, those are really nice shoes."

Glory pushed Buffy's foot away. Buffy went into a back-flip and kicked Glory in the face on the way down."

"Giles, now!"

Buffy and Peter dived out of the way and Giles fired the crossbow. The arrow bounced off Glory's stomach. She looked annoyed.

"Oh, please. Like that's-"

Xander came up behind her and hit her over the head with the tire iron."

"Hey!" She grabbed the tire iron and Xander. "Watch the hair."

She flung Xander away; he flew back into Giles and they both crashed into the x-ray display screens, which exploded, showering sparks over them and Dawn in her hiding place. Dawn shrieked and covered her head.

Glory points the tire iron at each of them. "Time to start the dyin'. Start with the whelp!"

Peter leapt behind her and webbed the tire iron, pulling it as it hit Glory on the face, making her grunt as she twirled the tire iron, spinning Peter and crashing him into a corner.

Glory then threw the tire iron like a javelin at Dawn.

"Dawn!"

Buffy threw herself into the tire iron's path, letting it stab her in the upper chest as she fell to the ground. Dawn began to crawl out toward her.

"Buffy!"

"Get back!"

"Nice catch. Is that the best you little crap-gnats can muster?"

Buffy pulled the tire iron out of herself with a grimace of pain as Peter staggered up.

"'Cause I gotta tell ya, so not impressed."

Glory walked in between Tara and Willow. They each threw a handful of glittery powder over her. It fluttered down on her, covering her hair and body.

Glory was angry. "Look what you did to my dress, you little-"

Willow clapped her hands once. "Discede!"

Glory exploded into a cloud of dust and disappeared. Willow fell to the floor.

"Willow!" Tara rushed over to her.

Buffy stared, turning to Dawn as Peter took off his mask.

"Dawn", Buffy pulled Dawn over and hugged her, looking back at Willow and Tara. "What did you do to her?"

Willow panted, her nose bleeding. "Teleportation spell. Still working out the kinks."

"So you disassembled her here and reassembled her somewhere else? Cool", Peter said.

"Where'd you send her?" Peter asked.

"Don't know. That's one of the kinks."

Several hundred feet above Sunnydale, a cloud of dust appeared and materialized into Glory. She looked around, then down.

"Oh, sh-"

Glory as a ball of light streaked toward the ground.

Hospital

Tara crouched by Willow as Giles came over. Xander getting up also.

"That was an incredibly ... dangerous spell for an adept at your level", Giles said as he and Tara helped Willow sit up.

"Yep. Won't be trying that one again soon", Willow said, dazed.

Spike's eyes opened as Peter gave him a hand.

"Whoa!" Spike said, surprised as he actually took it and got up.

"You're welcome", Peter said.

Buffy and Dawn sat on the ground together.

"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" Buffy asked.

"Why do you care?" Dawn asked.

"Because I love you. You're my sister", Buffy assured.

"No I'm not", Dawn shook her head, teary-eyed.

"Yes you are", Buffy lifted Dawn's arm, which was still bloody with her hand. "Look, it's blood. It's Summers blood."

Buffy pressed her hand against the tire-iron wound on her shoulder, wincing a little. She clasped her bloody hand in Dawn's bloody hand. "It's just like mine. It doesn't matter where you came from, or, or how you got here. You are my sister." She paused. "There's no way you could annoy me so much if you weren't."

Dawn looked at her for a moment, then hugged her tightly. They both got teary-eyed.

"I was so scared", Dawn said.

"Me too", Buffy said.

The others watched them.

"Come on."

Buffy and Dawn stood up.

"Wait. Ben. He was here, he was trying to help me. He..." Dawn stopped, looking confused. Where had Ben gone? Maybe he left before Glory came. "I ... I think he might have left before Glory came ..." she frowned. "I can't, I can't remember.

Buffy took her hands again. "It's okay. Don't worry about it. Next time we see him, we'll thank him."

"Yes, I definitely will", Peter piped up, since his name was Ben.

Dawn still looked puzzled.

"I have to get you back home though. Mom's freaking out", Buffy said.

Dawn's eyes widened. "Oh. Is she mad about the whole fire thing?"

"I think you sorta have a get-out-of-jail-free card on account of big love and trauma", Buffy said.

"Really? Okay. Good."

They started to walk out, holding hands.

"You think she'd raise my allowance?"

"Don't push it."

In case anyone's thinking why Peter didn't tell the others Dawn and Spike were going, he didn't know about Giles' diary and thought Dawn wouldn't actually do anything.

This episode was amazing, and I felt so bad for Dawn. I know the 'Get out, get out, get out' is a meme and all that, but in this episode, it was perfectly understandable. Dawn just found out she wasn't real, she hadn't existed up until 6 months ago, and all her memories are fake, as well as those of everyone around her about her. It will elicit that kind of reaction in a teenager.

The second time Dawn did the 'Get out, get out, get out' though, nope, not a fan of that. That one was out of line. I love Dawn, but she has her bad moments, almost all of them are in Season 6 though.

So, is there is a connection between Ben and Glory?

Hope everyone enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!