Part 9
An hour before dawn, the big black convertible with it´s top up pulled up in front of the house on Revello Drive, and parked behind Giles´ red sports car. Angel didn´t recognize the car because the last thing he had seen Giles drive had been the antique Citron, that he laughing used to tell the Watcher was almost as old as he was. He also noticed that Joyce´s SRV was parked in its old spot, and wondered if Buffy had ever learned to drive yet.
He felt bad about the late/early hour, and having to wake up everyone because he had had to come see if what both Spike, and Giles had told him over the phone was true, or not. Using his vampire senses he could tell that everyone inside was asleep. He was noting four human heartbeats coming from the house, though outside was something that shouldn´t be there—a demon of some sort. The demon was near the living room window on the far side of house, and hadn´t yet noticed his arrival. Why a demon was hanging around Buffy´s house set off major alarms in Angel´s head as he grabbed an axe from the back floorboard, and carefully got out of car. Angel moved silently like a cat, and managed to get the drop on the ugly little robed minion whose eyes went large, and afraid at the appearance of the huge vamped out vampire carrying a wicked looking battle axe.
Angel clamped a heavy hand onto the scared minion´s shoulder, and gruffly asked, "what are you doing here? Who sent you?"
"Her magnificent Glorianous sent me to keep watch over the Slayer, and to see if I could see where she hid the key?" the minion offered, almost falling down from his fear, shaking at the deadly looks he was getting from the vampire who grip had tightened on his bony shoulder.
"Who?" he questioned not recognizing the name. "Is she a demon, a vampire, what?" Angel asked, not knowing any of Buffy´s current problems.
"You don´t know, truly? She is a most wondrous God, and the Slayer has her key which she needs to get back to her world. But the Slayer will not give it up, and my mistress needs it very soon because it is time," the minion explained carefully watching Angel finger the axe handle meaningfully.
"Time?" Angel questioned, leaning forward so the minion could get a real good look at his fangs,
The minion blanched, very afraid now for its worthless life, and was trying hard to pacify the vampire. "Yes, oh great one. The stars are aligning quickly, and the ritual must be performed otherwise my mistress will be stuck here for forever, and she so much wishes to get back to her own world. Can you not help me in this?" the minion begged.
"It depends. If this is a good thing or not. Since I don´t know any of this I am going to take you to Buffy, and let her decide what to do with you," Angel told the crusty minion and saw real fear in its eyes.
"No, I beg you—I can´t! She´ll kill me!" the small demon protested as Angel made him move forward towards the front door as he tried to get away from the large vampire, and make a run for it.
"Who? Buffy?" Angel asked, dragging the frightened, loudly, whimpering minion on to the porch so he could knock on the front door.
"No, me, tall dark, and fangy," said a definitely female voice from behind him.
Angel spun around to see a very attractive blonde in a tight red dress standing on the sidewalk with her hands on her shapely hips looking at him very pissed. "I take it you are this god, Glory—something or other?" Angel asked with a cocked eyebrow, hanging tightly on to the still struggling demon.
"It´s Glory. And who the hell are you? I never saw so many vampires voluntarily hang around a Vampire Slayer. The whole bunch of you are just too freaking weird for words," she said, shaking her head at how strange this whole group was.
"I´m sorry if you find us weird. I´m just visiting for now, and I would suggest that you take your minion and go. Buffy is not nice at all when she wakes up, and finds uninvited demons on her doorstep," he told her throwing the crusty one at her making them both fall down in a heap on the sidewalk.
The front door flew open, and Spike stood there in his t-shirt and Taz boxers looking sleep rumpled and pissed. "What the bloody hell is going on out here?" he roared, glaring at Angel, and then beyond him to see Glory pushing her minion off of her. "Ohh, shit!" Spike exclaimed in fear for everyone as he came fully awake, and aware of the real danger they were all in. Behind him he could hear Buffy, Giles, and Dawn coming down the stairs. He turned quickly, and yelled a warning at them, "Glory´s here."
"Ohh, Shit!" was Buffy´s response, and she turned to Giles, "you two back upstairs now!" she ordered, and then quickly opened the weapons bag by the door, and got out two loaded crossbows, and a battle axe. Giles grabbed Dawn´s arm, and herded her quickly back up the steps to the safety of her room, so that Spike and Buffy could hopefully deal with the HellGoddess.
Buffy tossed Spike one of the crossbows which he caught easily as they walked out on to the porch past Angel who was looking bewilderedly on trying to figure out what was going on here, and why Buffy hadn´t let him know she was up against a real god. In perfect sync both Buffy, and Spike aimed their weapons at the goddess who was getting to her feet. Glory looked up at them both annoyed and amused.
"Well, well, the Slayer and her 'not´ boyfriend. I think you protest too loudly, girl. Guess you had a change of heart since the last time we met," she smirked taking in Spike and Buffy´s almost matching outfits of T-shirts, and cartoon character boxers, except Buffy´s sported the Powerpuff Girls.
"None of your business what my heart is, or isn´t. What do want Glory?" Buffy demanded, feeling Spike tense beside her.
"Duh?? My friggin´ key—what do you think? Just give it to me, and I´ll leave you, and this whole stupid, boring town alone," she said putting her arms over her chest, and tapping her high heeled foot impatiently on the sidewalk.
"No. You´re not getting it ever—I thought I had made it plain the last time," Buffy told her.
"Damn, you have to make it so friggin hard, you know, 'Miss-- I got to be a hard ass about everything.' I take it you didn´t understand my last message. I thought I was very clear. Unless I get my key, your family, your friends all die. I already left you one dead bird on your doorstep--care to have more?" Glory told her her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"What dead bird?" Buffy asked almost afraid to get an explaination from the dingy goddess. "You don´t mean…you can´t mean…my mom?" she asked, going pale, and Spike looked worriedly at her, and then back to Glory who was now grinning broadly.
"The girl gets a Cupie doll," the goddess smirked as she rubbed it in. "She was so sweet, and tasted so good when I sucked her brains out, but golly, I guess her brain couldn´t handle the strain, and something went sort of pop inside like a balloon. I hadn´t really meant for her to die, but ohh well, these things happen—sorry kid," she said laughing proudly at what she had done, and the pain she had caused.
The three on the porch wanted to commit murder right then, and there as they all took on icy looks, controlling their rage and anger. Now it was all out war, and they were determined to take the goddess out no matter what it took. This time Glory had gone way too far and she was going to pay.
Spike, and Buffy both let loose their crossbow bolts at the same moment knowing that she would catch them before they reached anything vital, but hoping she´d be too shocked by the attack, so that one of them could get in close enough to do real damage to her. Not expecting them to attack the HellGoddess caught one of the bolts, but missed the other one, and it embedded itself deep into her shoulder. She screamed in rage, and tried to pull the barbed quill out, but couldn´t. Spike tackled her to the ground while Buffy rushed in with her ax, hitting her upside the head repeatedly with it while Spike tried to hold her down. Glory was screaming bloody murder as she tried to fight back under their combined assault, but neither cared how loud she was as they were both snarling and growling themselves. Glory´s minion tried to run away, but Angel threw his axe which caught the demon in the back, and it fell in a heap by the front bushes.
Then suddenly Glory morphed into Ben surprising all of them, and it almost seemed that he moved into the way of the down swinging axe blade that then decapitated the suddenly human god. Then it was over, they realized. Glory was dead, or they hoped so as Spike got up, and kicked the severed head away with his bare feet from the still male body that was wearing the goddess´ red dress. He didn´t want to take any chances of the bitch reassembling herself some way.
"Is she dead, dead?" Buffy asked in a small voice looking down at the carnage she had done as she leaned on her bloody axe trying to hold herself upright on wobbly legs.
"Yeah, she's good, and dead, luv. She won´t be bothering us again," he told her coming over, and taking the axe out of her hands before she dropped it, or fell on it. They both were blood spattered, and shaking badly with the aftereffects of the close battle.
"That was all there was to it? Just taking her head off?" she asked, beginning to giggle hysterically, and staring to sink down to the dew laden grass. Before she could, Spike swooped her up in his arms as she collasped completely in shock.
Angel had rushed to her side too, but Spike had gotten to her first, and he was not going to give her over to his grandsire. "I got her, mate," he warned him with a defensive growl. "We best be cleaning up this mess before the neighbors call the cops, and we have to answer questions we can´t answer. I´ll take her inside, you deal with this, and be sure you keep the head separate, just in bloody case," Spike told him meaningfully, looking down at the alternating giggling, and sobbing girl in his arms.
Angel sighed, and went to his car to get the large trash bags that he carried for such occasions, and started bagging the bodies of Glory, and her minion, and dragging them around back of the house until they could dispose of them properly. Then he came back out, and hosed down the sidewalk of all the blood and made sure all the weapons were accounted for. Just another day at the office he thought as he did it, casting glances at the brightening sky. Since this was Sunnydale he was not surprised no cops had showed up while he had been doing all of this. When he was finally finished, he put his axe back in the car and he went to the door and knocked. Giles opened it, looking at him surprised to see him as if he had forgotten he was there, which he had.
"Rupert, can I come in?" Angel asked looking back behind him meaningfully towards the sun beginning to rise.
"Ohh, sorry, Angel, I forgot. Come in please," the Watcher said slightly embarrassed as he stepped aside, and let the vampire come in.
"I put the bodies around back. I wasn´t sure where else to put them. Figured you´d want to dispose of them yourself. I must say it´s been an very interesting morning already," Angel commented as he took off his trench, and hung it on the coat rack next to Spike´s.
"Yes, it has. The whole thing was totally unexpected, but at least it´s one less problem that Buffy now has to worry about—thank god," Giles said, so very glad the Hell Goddess was no longer a threat to any of them and hoping that Buffy would finally get a real break from extremely dangerous foes like she had been facing almost every year.
"How is she?" Angel asked, facing the Watcher, worried about how she had seemed to be falling apart after the battle. He stood there with his hands in his pockets since Giles was seemingly wanting to talk to him and didn´t know how.
"Truthfully, ….Not good, I´m afraid. I have called Willow to let her know what is happening, and she should be here shortly to help. Buffy, basically has lost it mentally for the moment. She´s in deep shock over killing not only Glory, but it seems Ben as well whom she also knew. Then if I understood Spike correctly, Glory also confessed to have killed Joyce. Then to top this off, we found out last night that her father is coming here in two weeks to take her, and Dawn away, and sell the house. It´s not any wonder that the girl has collasped," Giles explained to him as they stood in the front hallway.
There was a knock at the door, and Giles opened it to see Willow, and Tara. "We got here as soon as we could, Giles. Hi, Angel, nice to see you," Willow told him as she scooted past, coming in, and closing the door behind them before any sunlight could come in since the house faced East, and got the morning sun. "Where Buffy?" she asked setting down her bags on the floor, and looked expectantly at Giles for a full report.
"Upstairs in her room with Spike and Dawn. Neither one will leave her side. She just sits there, and stares at nothing, and just twitches. She jumps, and starts hitting if anyone touches her, along with just babbling nonsense, and screaming horribly," he told her as shouting and screaming was heard from above with Buffy yelling like something was killing her, and Spike and Dawn trying to calm her down. Angel and Willow started to go upstairs, but Giles grabbed her arm making her stay, and listen to him. "As bad as that is, I fear it is only going to get worse. But first we need to get her out of those blood stained clothes as the blood is only making her more upset, but she won´t let them help her," he told the red headed witch.
"We can do that," Tara speaking up and volunteered. "We also brought food too, just in case, even for Angel since Spike doesn´t need it any more," she added, looking embarrassed.
"Thank you," he told the shy girl who he had only met once before very briefly.
"No problem, Giles, we´ll get her cleaned up, and try to find some way to reach her and get her back to herself," Willow told him.
"Good, I need to talk to Angel and explain what has been happening her. You go on up. If you need us we'll be in the kitchen," he added.
The two girls vanished up the steps and again Angel was left with Giles who´s attention was focused on upstairs, and not his visitor.
"Rupert, what the hell has been going on here?" Angel finally said in exasperation. "I know neither of our groups has been in contact with one another, and it looks like we should have been. Why didn´t Buffy tell me about all this? Why didn´t any of you? I get here, and find a scabby looking demon looking through Buffy´s window. I grab him to take him to Buffy, and the next thing I know there´s this Glory popping out from nowhere behind me. Then Spike opens the door, freaks, and then he and Buffy are battling this supposed goddess while I just stand there looking lost. Then it´s over, and I´m taking care of the bodies while Spike takes care of Buffy—and when did Spike start caring about her? I know Riley´s gone, but Spike? Someone tell me something—please?" the confused vampire asked running a hand through his hair in exasperation as he listened to Spike argue with Willow and Dawn over Buffy´s bath.
From what they could both hear clearly was that his ex-childe was insisting that he was going to do it because Buffy was too violent, and strong for them to handle. And them arguing that no, he wasn´t because Buffy would have a fit. Finally, a compromise was worked out to where he carried her in, got her in the tub, they would handle the washing and he could stay close in case she wigged, then he would carry her back. Then he heard people moving and Buffy protesting and then water running and it seemed they were getting her washed.
Giles looked in sympathy at the vampire who wanted to be up there badly, but whom was clearly on the outside now, and told him, "come with me, I definitely need a cup of coffee. Grab the bag Willow brought, and we´ll fix you up with a cup of blood. I´d suggest something stronger, but it´s too early in the day," Giles told him, and led him towards the kitchen. Making sure the kitchen curtains were tightly closed he motioned for Angel to sit while he fixed them both drinks.
Once he had the coffee started, he fixed Angel his blood in the microwave, using Spike´s old cup that Joyce had designated for the younger vamp´s visits. When it was done he handed the older vampire the cup, and sat down as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing. During all this he had been trying to figure out where to even begin to explain what had been happening here since there was so much that Angel did not know. "God, I´m not sure where to even begin to start on what has been happening here since you left. So much has changed. I take Buffy didn´t tell you much of anything when you were here for the funeral?"
"No, not really. She told me there was some new big nasty, but she was dealing with it okay, and she didn´t ask me for any help or explain. She never said word one about Dawn, or any of this. When I talking to you I had the strangeous experience—it was like something shifted or changed in my head when Dawn´s name was mentioned. Like one minute I had never heard of her and I was positive that Buffy never had a sister then bang, I had all these memories of the girl where I was sure none had ever been," he explained to Giles who was only nodding, and watching him.
"You weren´t imagining things. Up until September, Buffy never had a sister. She was created by an order of monks," he told him, enjoying Angel´s incredulous expression.
"Huh? How? Why?" Angel asked trying not to choke on his blood.
"Dawn is the "Key" that Glory was looking for. She was pure energy for who knows how long, and the monks didn´t want Glory to get her hands on the key in any form, so to hide it, and to give it a protector they somehow got samples of Buffy´s blood, and DNA, and made the key into a living human being, namely Dawn. Then to insure her place and to make her blend in—basically hiding the key in plain sight--they also set up false memories of her with everyone she encounters, so that it seems like she has always been here. Even she didn´t know who, or what she was until recently. Though she has learnt to deal with her uniqueness for the most part and tries to be a normal teenage girl which isn´t easy under any circumstances. Now that Glory is gone I don´t know whether she with continue to be the key, or somehow lose that energy she supposedly has, and become just a normal girl. Only Buffy, and I knew from the beginning when Dawn entered our lives, the others, and Dawn have just recently learned only because they had to know the truth," Giles explained, seeing Angel slowly accept what he was telling him.
"And Spike? I would think he would have been too great of a risk to be let in on the secret," Angel commented.
"He and Dawn found out together when they broke into the shop, and found my Watcher´s journals. We had been trying to keep the truth from Dawn because we were worried how she would react. She, and Spike despite everyone´s dismay have become very good friends. He has set himself up as her protector," Giles explained as he got his coffee that had finished perking and sat back down, knowing that Angel was having a hard time accepting Spike doing anything, but cause trouble.
"Spike? You´ve got to be kidding?" Angel laughed, not able to see his grandchilde protecting anything let alone a human teenage girl, especially the slayer´s supposed kid sister. He could see him turning her, but protecting her—no way.
Giles had to smile at Angel´s astonishment, and was sure someone had mentioned Spike´s chip by now. "Spike has changed greatly over the last year and a half. Ever since he got the chip, and could no longer harm humans he has been forced to make changes in his entire life, and attitudes towards his life."
"Chip? What chip?" Angel asked puzzled. He had heard nothing about any kind of chip, especially one that would neutralize a vampire as Giles was explaining.
"You didn´t know about the chip either? Good heavens, I thought at least someone would have let you know about that. After Spike lost the ring of Amara, he came back here, and got captured by the Initative. The same group of scientists that Riley was working for. They put a computer chip in his brain to see if they could modify a vampire´s behavior. Only they weren´t expecting him to escape, which he did. He came to me, and Buffy because he had no where else to go, and to warn us about the commandos, and what they were doing to the local demons. Namely, performing all kinds of nasty medical experiments on them. After his escape he found that if he tried to hurt any living thing he would get a terrible electronic shock in his brain resulting in searing pain he couldn´t easily override. The only thing he found he could hurt, and kill were other demons, so he began to help us out, and take his aggression out on the demon and vampire population here," Giles told him, watching the vampire just shake his head.
"Ohh, I bet that made him real popular around here."
Giles smiled on that. "Very, especially when word got out he was working with Buffy, and all of us. In exchange we would give him blood, and money for his help. But to be truthful, he did not work with us very willingly at first, and even in the past couple of months it was still somewhat strained situation. He and Buffy were constantly fighting verbally, and sort of physically whenever they ran into one another. Though I do believe it was worse after Willow´s spell, and Buffy started dating Riley. Suddenly, there was a change in Spike this fall after Dawn arrived on the scene, and after Spike tried to get his chip out and it failed."
"A change how?" Angel asked fascinated with all this despite himself since Buffy had never told him that Spike had been neutered. He had to wonder why she hadn´t, and why she hadn´t staked her former mortal enemy when she had had the chance.
Giles took another sip of coffee as he explained, "at first no one noticed, or didn´t want notice, or believe, but he did start trying to help, and he tried hanging around more. Sometimes seeming to appear out of nowhere to help Buffy, or us when we needed help. Though I do admit we all were pretty nasty to him. Despite that he still continued to try and help. The Watcher´s Council, when they came here almost two months ago, even included him in the interviews of Buffy´s friends. Though for his safety, no one on the Council was told about the chip. We may be back working with them, but we still do not trust them after what they have put everyone through," Giles told him.
"Yes, I know, and Wesley, and Faith feel the same way. But back to Spike. I sense there is more to the story," Angel asked refilling his mug.
"Yes, we had been noting changes in attitudes on his part towards Buffy, but we really didn´t want to accept what we were seeing since he was a vampire without a soul and hence…," Giles trailed off, unsure whether to go on or not, trying to find a tactful way to say things.
"Since he wouldn´t be capable of love, or real emotions? Yeah, I got that," Angel told him, seeing Giles nod. The vampire leaned back, and sighed, sadness and shame on his handsome features. "And that is partly my fault for leading everyone to believe that. Not all vampires are capable of real feelings, and emotions. There are a few like Spike that are, that somehow are able to hang on to their base humanity despite the demon. I was with Darla almost two hundred years, Spike stayed with Dru for a hundred, and he did so because he really did care about her and love her. After I was cursed, I thought my having a soul made me better than him, more capable of love, and making the right decisions. I was wrong, Giles, terribly wrong. My experiences with Buffy, and since then have shown me how wrong I really was. Spike, when he cares about someone, cares about them with every fiber of his being ,and he´s loyal, no matter how badly the other person treats them, he will stick it out to the bitter end. As to him and Buffy-- I always suspected he had a thing for her, the way he never could kill her when he first came here, and then later on. Then I´d catch him looking at her watching her while she was fighting—it was a look of wanting her, not of wanting to destroy her if you get my drift. He wanted her from the first time he saw her, but didn´t want to admit it to himself." Angel explained calmly, more than he thought he could.
"So his being in love with Buffy doesn´t surprise you?" Giles questioned.
He shrugged. "After all this time—no, not really. I think I always knew he had feelings, but didn´t think they would go anywhere, or he´d make up with Dru again, and forget Buffy since he couldn´t kill her. But does Buffy return his feelings?" was what he really wanted to know.
"On that I am not really sure. She swears she hates him, but then if he´s in trouble she´s the first to defend him. Their verbal sparring which they never seem to do without is like watching two children in grade school bicker. His recent declaration of love to her had her highly upset, more than was warranted if you get my drift. Her relations with both you, and Riley have scarred her on many levels, so that if she does feel something for Spike she is afraid to admit it. Though his now being human will make it less scary for her if it was his being a vampire that was holding her back," Giles explained, and Angel looked thoughtful as Willow came into the kitchen.
"Sorry, to interrupt you guys, but Tara and I got Buffy washed, and changed. I gave her something to make her sleep, but she´s not in there when she´s awake. She just stares, like she´s lost off in some world only she can see. Dawn, and Spike are getting dressed, and will be down in a minute. I did want to ask whether Dawn should go to school, or stay home? She´s not really doing that great, but she´s afraid of getting us all in trouble if she doesn´t show up. Spike thinks she ought to go, do normal stuff, because right now all we can do is wait until Buffy snaps out of it. Opinions?" she asked fixing herself a cup of coffee as she looked at the two men.
"I really don´t know. I had forgotten about this being a school day. If she feels up to going, then she can. Right now there is nothing I can do to make her go, if she doesn´t want to," Giles answered, and Angel just shrugged, not wanting to get into the middle of this as just a visitor.
However, that did not seem to be Spike´s opinion as they heard his voice tell Dawn, "Nibblet, you´re going, and don´t bloody argue with me. There´s not a damn thing you can do right now for your sis. Besides I know you´ve missed a lot of school as it is. If you don´t show, you´re going get your sis, and Giles in big trouble with the damn juvie authorities, which your Dad will just love so he can prove that this is not a good situation. And we don´t want that, do we?" Spike asked as he and Dawn came into the kitchen to get something to eat.
"No, I guess not," she answered, shaking her head, giving in to his logic.
"It will be okay, I promise. If anything more happens I´ll come, and get you myself from school, okay," to told her, making her look at him.
"Okay," she agreed, sighing in defeat.
"Good," he said giving her a quick peck on the forehead. "Now, show me what there is to eat. I´m bloody starved."
Dawn went over, and rooted through the kitchen cabinets while Spike turned, and faced his audience. The 'adults´ were looking at him with raised eyebrows. Willow and Giles were both suitably impressed, because they had both spent time arguing with Dawn, and knew how difficult and stubborn she could be. "What? I was only doing what needed to be done. Can´t be having the bloody authorities down on our necks on top of all of this. And her staying out of school is the quickest way for them to get a bloody in. Surprised we didn´t have the cops sniffing around as it was," he told them as he got a cup from the cabinet and fixed himself a cup of coffee with lots of sugar, and Kaluha favored creamer, then sat down near his ex sire who was trying to get over his disbelief at what he had just witnessed.
Willow went over to Spike, and put her hand on his shoulder, "thanks, at least you got her to listen to you. You want to ride with me when I take Dawnie to school? I´m going to run by the shop, and pick up some books, and stuff. I got an idea to try and see if I can get into her head, and try to get her to come back, but I don´t have all the stuff I need here," she explained.
"Sure, though I did need to talk to Peaches here about some stuff," Spike told her as Dawn handed him a bowl of some sugar something or other cereal with pink, green and yellow marshmallows in it. He took a bite, and grinned at her as he started eating. Giles, Willow, and even Angel cringed hoping that the cereal did not make him more hyper than he already was normally. Dawn sat down opposite him looking innocent as she ate her own non marshmellowy cereal, not worried in the least at how wound it might make the ex-vampire—'course she wasn´t going to be with him all day either.
"We can do it later, since it looks like I am going to be here for the day. Go ahead, and go with Willow," Angel told him.
He looked at his ex-sire gratefully as he did want to talk to Willow. Turning back to the red headed witch, Spike told her, "I guess it´s a go then. Let me finish up here, and give us a holler when you´re ready."
"I´ll go tell Tara, to let her know what we´re doing. She´ll stay with Buffy until we get back," he told him and started to leave.
"A spell to get into Buffy´s head? Do you think that´s wise, Willow? It could be dangerous for both you, and her," Giles called out to her worriedly, having listened to their conversation.
That stopped her, so she turned, and faced Giles seriously, "she can´t stay like this, Giles. Right now she´s on vegetable level. The only other option is to take her to one of the head shrinks at the hospital, and that´s a really bad idea, especially if she starts talking about gods, and demons, or vampires because they´ll really think she´s looney tunes. We know she´s in there, but I think she can´t find the way out. I just want to help her. Besides, I´ve gotten way stronger. No more nose bleeds in a while. It´ll be cool, I promise," she reassured him as she grabbed her coffee, and another cup for Tara, then headed out of the room before Giles, or anyone else could voice any further objections.
"Is she that bad, Spike?" Angel asked him after Willow left.
Spike stopped eating, and got serious, knowing anything he said was not going to sound good, but they needed to know. "Yeah, she is. I´ve seen the Slayer a lot ways, seen her handle stuff that you, and I would have had a hard time handling in old days, but this she´s almost gone Dru without the babbling, and the visions so far. It wasn´t the killing Glory that did it, it was when Glory morphed into Ben, and she killed him that did it. In her mind he was a human being. She´s never killed a human being before. But he had lied to her too. He was something other than what she thought he was. She thought he was okay, normal, you know like soldier boy. Then she had almost gone out to coffee with him on a date, and backed off before she did according to the girls. She had also trusted him with Dawn, thinking he was okay. Then to find out that Glory really was responsible for Joyce´s death it pushed her over the edge, I think. There´s been so much happening to her before, and since Joyce´s death, that it all caught up with her. She´s never really let herself have time to grieve for her mom because she had to stay in bloody control all the time—yeah, she´s entitled to a breakdown," Spike said with a sigh, getting up to go over and getting himself another cup of coffee from the pot.
"I´m gathering that from what Giles has been telling me. Why didn´t any of you let me know what was going on?" Angel asked, looking around the room at everyone, hurt because he had been kept out of the loop.
Giles wasn´t sure what to say to him, but Spike had a ready answer. "So you could do what? Come riding in here like the bloody cavalry? We all were handing things just fine, even with soldier boy gone. If Buffy wanted your help she would have asked you, and it wasn´t our place to let you know. Besides, it sounds like you have more than your own share of messes to deal with in LA. Dru paid me a visit by the way, and let me know a few things. I take it you´re back on track now?" Spike asked him meaningfully, not wanting to go into detail in front of Dawn, and Giles unless Angel pushed him. But Giles raised an inquiring eyebrow, and he made a mental not to himself to find out from one of them what Angel had been up to.
"Yeah, back on track," Angel glared at him, but he was grateful that Spike had not said anything to the group from their puzzled glances at both of them. "So this thing that Willow wants to try—is it safe?"
Spike shrugged, "I don´t know, mate, but anything is worth a shot. If we don´t do anything, she might come out of this eventually on her own, or she might never do it. If that happens I will be here for her no matter what. I´m not leaving her no matter how it comes down, or little sis for that matter," he told Angel seriously, and the vampire was surprised at the intensity of emotion he saw reflected on the now human man. Turning his attention back to Dawn who was taking her bowl to sink and running water in it, he asked her, "you, aren´t you supposed to be getting your stuff together for school?".
She shot him a nasty look, "Yeah, I´m going. You guys are always running me off," she said in a huff. "See you later, Angel," she said and went off to get her stuff for school.
"I must say, Spike, you do have a knack with Dawn. Usually her, and Buffy are almost coming to blows every morning, and she practically ignores me," Giles commented him.
"Little bit, and I reached an understanding a while back. She knows she can´t push me, not on the important stuff, and I treat her like she has a brain, not a bloody kid. I tell her the truth, and don´t dance around things like the rest of you do, or keep her in the dark like everyone did about who, and what she was. Which reminds me—if Glory is gone is she still whatever she was?"
"I don´t know—I suppose. I just wish we knew more about the key, and what it is supposed to do, and if anyone besides Glory can use it," Giles told them both.
"Maybe Wesley might know something, or get a lead on it if you let him know what info you have," Angel offered.
"Yes, I´ll give him a call later after I´ve checked on Buffy," he said, looking thoughtful at the dark haired vampire.
"One thing, Rup´, I think we need to start thinking about giving Dawn some practical marital arts training for her own defense. As it is the girl is wide open, and helpless against any of the normal nasties in this town. She wanted me to ask you about it. She´s tried of everyone having to come to her rescue, and being afraid. In fact, the whole lot of the Scoobies need to be better trained. No offense, Rupert, they are a real pathetic lot when they are out on patrol. I´m surprised they´ve survived this long as it is," Spike told the older man who was looking at him surprised.
"That´s rather a change of heart on your part," Giles shot back, both amused, and insulted.
Spike smiled as did Angel, trying to stay out of this one. "When I was a vamp, them being not too efficient was to my bloody advantage in a fight, now that I´m human, they´re a bloody liability. If you want I can help out on the training part—at least that´s one thing I can still do is fight, especially with Buffy maybe out of commission," Spike told them talking a sip of his coffee.
"Okay, I might take you up on that. I do know Xander has been complaining about not knowing what he´s doing, and so has Willow, and with them I have only given them basic defense moves, and been saving all the real training for Buffy. It seems I should have been giving them more, not less over the years," Giles replied, looking more than a little thoughtful at the ex-vampire.
Willow popped into the doorway with a not too happy looking Dawn behind her. "Spike, are you about ready? If we don´t hurry, Dawnie will be late," she told him.
"Coming, Red. Let me make a pit stop and I´ll be with you. There were some bloody advantages to being a vampire—no having to deal with friggin´ restrooms," he grumbled as he got up. "I´ll talk to you both later after I get back. See ya, Peaches, Rup´," he told them in parting, then stopped dead in his tracks then turned around. "Did you bring any cash, Peaches?" he asked, and Angel nodded, reaching into his shirt pocket and pulling out a thick envelope that he handed over to Spike which he tore open, and glanced through grinning, "Good work, mate. While I´m out I need to pick up some things, so Red and I might be gone a bit longer," he told them both.
"Understood," Giles replied, curious, but not wanting to get into Spike´s personal affairs too much.
"You finish dealing with the banks while I´m out as I´m going need to set some things in motion, and I need the money available when I need it, got it?" he asked his ex-sire.
"Got it. I´ll get it done," Angel replied touching his warm, now human hand just to verify what his senses had been telling him, that his former childe was indeed fully human and alive once again. The vampire only hoped that Spike would make better use of his gift than Darla had with hers.
"Good, I´ll be back
later, and we can go over all the bloody paperwork," he told him, and then
he left,
going past the girls to go upstairs for a moment.
A couple of minutes he was back down, after poking his head into Buffy´s room to see how she was doing. He could tell that she was deeply asleep and for the moment was calm and peaceful. Tara was sitting there in a chair next to her reading a book so he left them both alone, and went down to go with Dawn and Willow. They were waiting from him at the bottom of the steps, and not looking happy as they both stared at their watches.
"God, I am going to be so late," Dawn grumbled, as she shot him a glare she opening the door.
"You try coming back after being dead for over hundred years, and see if you remember how your body works," he told them and they shook their heads at him and walked out the door.
He winced back instinctively from the bright sunlight pouring through the front door before he remembered that it couldn´t hurt him anymore. Habits, he thought to himself as he braced himself and saw the sun play over his body without harm. It really wasn´t a dream, and he was very much alive. Grabbing his trench he followed the girls out the door, feeling like a prisoner let out of prison for the first time. Despite all the other not right things that were still going on, he was in a good mood enjoying the early morning sunlight, the colors, and just being alive.
End part 9
****************************************************************************************