Resurrected

by RAC

The story takes place after The Gift, but before season six started. Buffy is brought back with the help of a new character, but, typical of Sunnydale, there are complications...

2. Part 2: the conclusion

Resurrected, Part 2

Back at the Magic Box, Beyoncé stood in the middle of the room, waiting for a response. There was nothing but silence. The witch looked around, trying to decide what her next step should be. Should she explain herself, or just get away as quickly as possible? As the silence continued, she became more and more frightened. Finally, Dawn spoke.

"I… I don't understand."

"What are you?" asked Anya. Everyone else was relieved that the question was finally out there, waiting to be answered. They all continued to stare at Beyoncé. With tears rolling down her cheeks, the young witch spoke.

"I don't know what I am," she sobbed. "I was created from the DNA of both humans and kangaroos. I was genetically designed for a specific purpose: to be a weapon. I was created in a secret laboratory in the mountains of Asia, by a group of people from several different countries. My DNA was chosen specifically to give me enhanced abilities. As soon as I was able to fend for myself, I was put into a rigorous program that consisted of a series of field exercises that were to determine my worth to the entire project. To see is I was as good as the others."

"The others?" asked Giles.

"Yes, there were twenty of us, total. Each with different DNA, and different abilities. There was a boy made from human and gorilla DNA, a boy with tiger DNA, and another girl, but she had been given the DNA of a wolf. We were known as group A. That's it. Just group A. We were never given individual names, and never left alone. The four of us were together at all times. For ten years, I was a part of that group. Never knowing that anyone else existed, except the one we referred to as mother. Perhaps you have heard of her? Her name is Maggie Walsh."

"Oh, yeah. We knew her!" exclaimed Xander.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we knew her. Like, we interacted with her," explained Xander.

"I know that much. But you use the past tense. Am I to assume that she is dead?"

"Yes, Beyoncé," said Buffy. "Maggie Walsh is dead. Killed by another of her creations. She was here in Sunnydale a couple of years ago, working to create a creature that was part demon, part human, and part computer. The creature killed her, and we had to destroy the creature."

"Oh," came the response.

"Oh? Just oh?" asked Anya.

"Well, I suppose I should probably feel something, but the truth is, I don't. It just doesn't matter to me one way or the other. Maggie Walsh, and the direction her life took, is not really my concern. She was just another person. She didn't care about us. She left us when we were ten, so she could continue her studies elsewhere. Am I really supposed to mourn the death of someone like that?" No one had an answer for that.

"Anyway, after she left, the project continued. When we were eleven, we were introduced to the other four groups, each consisting of two males, and two females. We were then set to train against the other groups, with the winner of each exercise getting some sort of special reward. The training continued this way for another three years. During one of the training exercises, an entire team was killed. The rest of us refused to participate in further training. That lasted only a few days, as we were threatened and punished. Finally, we agreed to continue our training."

"So, how did you get away, then?" asked Dawn.

"I am getting to that. As I said, we agreed to continue the training. It was made clear to us that the training was going to get harder each day, and that we would not be given any further help. It was either pass the training exercise, or get left behind. Those left behind were either cast out on their own, or killed. On one exercise, we were supposed to go into the mountains and retrieve a small computer. On the way up the mountain, I slipped and fell into a ravine. When my teammates tried to help, they were told to leave me and continue."

"That is awful," interrupted Dawn.

"Yes, it was. I lay at the bottom of the ravine, broken and bent. I was near death. I decided that I didn't want to live. I closed my eyes and prayed for death to take me. As you can see, it didn't. Instead, the real Beyoncé found me, and took me back to her cave. She asked me if I would like to learn the ways of the Wiccas. I told her I had no idea who they were, and I didn't care. I just wanted to die. She told me it wasn't my time. I told her to make it my time. She said that wasn't an option. I would have to live."

"So, that's how you got your powers?" questioned Dawn.

"Not exactly. At first, I was a lousy student. I was able to learn much of anything, because the ways of Wicca were so different from what I had known my entire life. Finally, Beyoncé told me that she was dying, and that she had just one chance to pass on her knowledge. I asked her how. She said she would have to have a willing volunteer, and I agreed. That was when she cast a spell that was so powerful that it drained her completely. She died then."

"Oh! How horrible!" exclaimed Dawn.

"Yes, it was. I was only fourteen. I didn't know what was going to happen. I cried myself to sleep that night. I dreamt about her that night. In my dream, she told me that she had passed her knowledge and power to me, and that she would always be with me, because of that spell. The next morning, I discovered that I had knowledge and abilities that were not there the night before. I was a Wicca. I had all of this knowledge, and all of this power, and I even knew how to use it. I finally realized that it was the result of that final spell Beyoncé had cast."

"That is an amazing story, but, how can we be certain that it is true?" asked Giles. Anya raised her hand.

"I am not sure how much of her story is true, but I did know a witch named Beyoncé. She summoned me once. The only time I had been summoned, actually. If this Beyoncé can describe the one she met, I could tell you if they are the same person."

"The Beyoncé who gave her powers to me…Anyanka? Is that who you are? I can't believe it! If you are really a demon that Beyoncé summoned, then that must be who you are."

"Uh, that's ex-demon," corrected Anya.

"Yes, I remember that. It was the only time that I successfully managed to summon a demon in its true form. All of the others were in human form. I had no idea that a vengeance demon would appear when I summoned you. That was such a disappointment."

"Hey!" screamed Anya.

"Oh, sorry, no disrespect meant. I was just hoping for something a little more…exotic. You know, something less common."

"So, has she proven anything, Anya?" demanded Buffy.

"Yes. She is the real thing. Only Beyoncé would talk like that. I've seen the spell done before, too. But never like she described. Usually, the witch places her hands on the temples of the willing subject, and passes her knowledge and power on to the subject. The subject then retains both sets of memories. That is the closest a mortal can get to immortality. But there are consequences."

"Yeah," agreed Beyoncé. "Like not being able to control who is in charge at all times. Usually, Beyoncé stays in the back of my mind, like a conscience, or something. Sometimes, though, she takes control, and I am the one in the back of my own mind. And, it never happens when I want it to, either."

"Cool," said Dawn.

"Well, that certainly explains a lot," said Xander. "So, where do we go from here?"

"What do you mean?" asked Beyoncé.

"He means, we still don't know for certain why I am remembering things that I have no right remembering, and there is a new Slayer in town that will need to be incorporated into our little group, and… And I don't know what all else." She looked around and sighed. "I need to do something. I am going patrolling. Anyone coming?"

"No, thanks. I am too tired. I think I'm just going to go home and go to bed," said Willow. Tara nodded her agreement.

"I am too tired, too. Whoa, did I just say that?" asked Dawn.

"I will see Dawn and Beyoncé home," said Giles. Then, he added, "Will that be your house, or mine?"

"I don't care," said Buffy. "Whichever they decide will be fine. When I get done patrolling, I will be going to our house, though."

"We'll go home, too," said Dawn, with a bit of excitement in her voice.

"Fine," declared Buffy. She turned to Xander. "What about you and Anya? Are you up for a little patrolling?"

"Actually, we have plans," Anya said hurriedly, before Xander could reply. "But thank you for asking."

"Whatever," said Buffy. Then she noticed Spike standing in the corner. "What about you? You want to patrol with me?"

"Who? Me?" asked Spike.

"Well, yeah. You're the only one left."

"Well, sure. I mean. It's just… Uh, yeah. I can handle that."

"Well, the night won't last forever. Let's go." With that, the Scoobies exited the magic shop, and headed off in their own directions.

***

Auroura had lost the one she was trailing, but had encountered a few other vampires on her way back to her place. After disposing of them, she felt invigorated, so she decided that she would check around to see if maybe there were other vampires in the area. She had been walking for a while, when she spotted Harmony. She decided that a young girl like that would be a prime target for vamps, so she followed her. After a few minutes, Harmony entered a building, and Auroura lost interest. On her way back home, she entered a cemetery. She picked up Spike's scent, and went to investigate.

Before she could locate the source of the scent, four vampires attacked her. They threw her to the ground, and started beating on her. She grabbed the leg of one, and swung it into the air. The owner of that leg fell into the other three, giving her an opportunity to get up. Once on her feet, she quickly looked around for a weapon. The only thing she could find was a tree branch, and it was several yards away. She lunged for it.

One of the vampires caught her by the hair, and she twisted around to face him. Her leg went up into the air, so that her foot connected with his jaw. His head flew backward, and he let go of her hair. She fell to the ground, and quickly turned over on her stomach. She got her hand beneath her and pushed herself up. When she was horizontal, she jumped towards the branch. She was stopped again, but this time by another vampire. He grabbed her around the waist and took her to the ground. He was sitting on top of her before she had a chance to move.

"You certainly are a feisty one, aren't you?" hissed the vampire. Auroura kicked the back of his head and pushed him to the side.

"You could say that," she replied as she stood up again. In one smooth motion, she swooped down, picked up the branch, spun around, and impaled the vampire that had been on top of her a moment earlier. She smiled with delight as she twisted the branch in her hand like a baton. She turned to face the other three vampires. One jumped at her, and she knocked him to the side. She wasn't ready to kill another one just yet. She wanted to get a good workout first. Jumping into the air, she flew at one of the other vampires, knocking him to the ground as well. She, however, landed on her feet, spinning around to face the only vampire left standing.

"So, what are you gonna do?" Auroura asked the vampire in front of her. He just stared at her for a moment, and then shifted his eyes to the vampire on the ground. Auroura moved her arm in an arc, and the vampire on the ground turned to dust. She never took her eyes off of the vampire who was standing in front of her. His companion stepped up behind him. Auroura took a step forward. Both vampires retreated. Auroura laughed.

"What, you're afraid of a little girl with a stick?" she teased. The vampire in back jumped at her, and she turned the branch sideways, causing it to hit him in the chest, but not stake him. He fell to the ground again, and Auroura finally staked him, while staring into the eyes of the one who remained. When the vampire on the ground was nothing but a pile of dust, she spoke again.

"So, that makes three that I have gotten. What do you think are the chances that you will survive?"

"I am not afraid of the Slayer," hissed the vampire. Auroura tilted her head back and let out a loud, powerful laugh. The vampire took a step back, suddenly certain that this was not where he wanted to be. When Auroura lowered her head, the smile was still there. She ran at the vampire, and pushed him against the wall of a crypt. She changed to vampire mode, and hissed in his ear.

"I am not a Slayer. I am worse. Much, much worse. I am a vampire that walks in the daytime. I am a vampire that no longer needs blood to survive. I am a vampire with a score to settle." When she finished speaking, she took a step back, and let him see her. She shook her head, and looked human again. Then she staked him. As he turned to dust and fell to the ground, Auroura dropped the tree branch and looked around. She caught Spike's scent again, and realized that it was coming from the crypt. She stepped inside and decided to wait for Spike to show up.

***

Buffy and Spike walked silently along the street. The others had all gone their separate ways, heading in for the night. Buffy felt that something was wrong, that she had to be out patrolling tonight. She looked around, certain that she was missing something. She glanced over at Spike, who quickly turned away. Spike was still in love with her. She could tell just by looking at him.

"Spike," said Buffy.

"Yes?"

"I…"

"Yes?" He turned to face her. It was her turn to face the other direction. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to say, but knew that she had to say something.

"I know you have been watching out for Dawn. Thank you."

"Uh, sure, no problem. I actually like the kid. And, I did make a promise."

"Yes, and I am thanking you for that."

"But?"

"But, what?"

"Oh, come on, Buffy! You know that I can tell when you want to say something more."

"That's just it."

"What is just what? Make some sense."

"Spike, I died. I was gone! And yet…" She stopped. He took another step before stopping and turning back to her. He saw that she was struggling with something, and nodded his head.

"It's okay. I died once. Makes you think about a lot of things…"

"No. I mean, yes." Buffy shook her head, as if trying to clear it. "I am not saying this right." She grabbed Spike by his shoulders and stared into his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"Oh, everything. I am sorry that your life was such a mess. Sorry that you were sired." She reached up and gently caressed the side of his head. She jerked her hand back. "Sorry that you got that chip in your head. Sorry that I wasn't able to kill you, and forced you to continue your existence, even though it has been so rough on you."

"Buffy, none of that is really your fault. You weren't around when I was alive."

"My heart expands/'tis grown a bulge in it/inspired by your beauty, effulgent." Spike steps away from her, looking as though he has just been struck. He stares at her.

"Who told you that?"

"You did, or rather, that guy who took the paper from you. In 1880."

"That's impossible! You weren't around then! What is going on?"

"It's kind of hard to explain, William."

"Why did you call me that?"

"It's what I always call you." Buffy shook her head. "I mean, that is what Cecily called you. You wrote that poem for her."

"Uh, about her, actually. But, how do you know?"

"I don't know how. I just know." She looks into his eyes again. "Buffy has been given a second chance," she whispers to him, in an English accent. Spike's eyes widen with surprise. Buffy shakes her head again. "I mean, I have a chance to set things right. After all of this time, I can set things right." Spike backs away.

"So, you're gonna stake me now?" Buffy starts giggling, and puts her hand to her mouth, stifling the sound.

"No, Spike. I have to start with another apology."

"What for this time?"

"For being too much like Cecily." Spike looks at her with renewed interest. "You are not beneath me." Buffy hangs her head. "I am so sorry." Buffy then turns and runs off. She hears Spike calling to her, but she doesn't stop. Not until she makes her way to the cemetery.

As she enters the cemetery, she sees a vampire ducking behind a tree. She pulls out her stake and carefully approaches the tree. She steps around it, but finds nothing. She looks around, and sees the vampire leaving the cemetery. She rushes to stop him, but is too late. The vampire drops out of sight, into the sewer. Buffy reluctantly follows.

***

Spike, at a loss to explain what just happened between himself and Buffy, decides to call it a night. He walks through the town, alone. He finally makes his way back to the cemetery, and notices that there is a strange silence permeating the area around his crypt. He cautiously approaches, and realizes that someone is inside. Thinking it must be Buffy; he rushes in to see her. He stops when he realizes that the woman in front of him is not the Slayer. She spins around, and, as he recognizes her, she speaks to him.

"Spike! I am so glad to finally see you again!" exclaims Auroura as she rushes forward to embrace him. After a quick hug, she steps back and looks at him. "What? What's wrong?"

"Uh… Nothing. I just wasn't expecting to see you, is all. It's been what? About fifty years now?"

"Spike! It's only been forty-three! Fifty? What were you thinking?"

"I don't know. There has just been too much going on lately. So, Big Sister, what brings you to Sunnydale?"

"Don't call me that," said Auroura as she turned away. She walked over to the sarcophagus and sat down. "You brought me here. Well, not literally, but still. I have been searching for you. Darla told me where to find you."

"Darla? She actually helped you? I can't believe that! What did you do to her?"

"Spike, I didn't do anything to her. She was with Drusilla, in Los Angeles."

"Why were you in Los Angeles? It is certainly a long way from Europe."

"I told you. I was looking for you. I wanted to see you, since you are the closest thing I have to family."

"Whatever scheme you have cooking, count me out. I am not interested in taking over the world."

"Spike, I'm hurt. I can't believe you would think something like that," Auroura pouted. When Spike just looked at her, she continued. "Okay, I can believe it. I know that I used to be a little obsessed with the idea, but things have changed. I have changed. I'm not the same vampire that I used to be."

"Yeah, sure. So, are you gonna tell me what you want, or not?"

"I heard you were in love with a Slayer," hissed Auroura. She smiled slightly as Spike winced. She had hit a nerve. "See? I can be hateful, too. I had a good teacher."

"Yeah, Drusilla is a real piece of work."

"Yeah, sure. I wasn't talking about her. I was talking about you. I watched you and learned from you. I never did like Drusilla. Or Darla, for that matter. But you, you were my hero. I even had a bit of a crush on… Oh! I said too much!"

"So, you had a crush? Big deal. I assume that you have grown up and moved on?"

"Why are you being so hateful? I was never so cruel to you! Of all the people I have ever met, you were the only one I ever looked up to! You have no idea what I have been through, searching for you!" Spike was shocked by the outburst. It was totally uncharacteristic for Auroura. He knew now that something was definitely different about her.

"What's going on, Auroura?"

"I don't know what you mean. I am just interested in finding a friend. Or, someone I thought was a friend."

"Déjà vu."

"What?"

"I just had a similar conversation with someone. I said something like: You know I can tell when you want to say more. She was telling me about… Uh, never mind. So, tell me what you have been doing?"

"Spike, I'm scared."

"Scared? Of me?" Auroura nodded. "Why?"

"Because, I don't know how you are going to react. I don't know how much I should tell you. What I should leave out of the story, and what you will think of me when it's all said and done."

"You've been killing other vampires, haven't you?"

"How did you know?"

"Auroura, when you come to a Hellmouth and start killing vampires, so soon after a Slayer dies, people talk. Well, demons and vampires do, anyway. They think you are the new Slayer." Auroura jerked her head up to look at him. He could see the surprise in her eyes.

"They think what? Why?"

"Let's see… The Slayer dies, and suddenly, a couple weeks later, there is a new girl in town, killing vampires and demons. Now, why would anyone make a connection?"

"That explains Willow's reaction. She thought I was a Slayer. When she said your kind, she was talking about Slayers, not vampires! Oh, I am so glad I didn't go with her after all!"

"What? You lost me, babe."

"What? Oh. There was a girl, Willow, who saw me kill a few vamps at my mansion, and she said she knew all about my kind. I thought she was talking about vampires! She wanted to introduce me to her friends, but I chickened out."

"Good thing, too. I was there, and that would have been really awkward. We'll tell Buffy first, and then she can help us tell the others."

"I don't want them to know."

"It is going to be a little difficult keeping it hidden from them."

"Um… Well, I will try. I have done a good job so far. Buffy didn't know I am a vampire."

"What? You met Buffy? When? How?"

"Oh, she appeared in my mansion. Seems she and Angel were, uh, intimate in my sitting room. Seems that was enough of an emotional attachment for the resurrection spell." She looked up at Spike, who was shocked to be hearing a recap of a conversation that Auroura wasn't a part of. "What? Don't look so surprised. Willow likes to talk."

"Oh. That explains it. Good old Willow." Spike rolled his eyes. "But, we still have to tell her."

"Why? She doesn't know. There is no reason for her to find out. They think I am a Slayer, so I will just play the part. It shouldn't be too difficult."

"Because, if she finds out on her own, then she will kill you. If we go to her, then she will listen and be more willing to accept it."

"I just don't know, Spike. What if she tries to kill me anyway?"

"She won't."

"How do you know?"

"I just know. Trust me. She won't kill you. You just have to believe me."

"To the end of time and forever, I'll believe you. Okay. I will tell her. Please Spike; let me tell her on my own. That's all I ask."

"Sure. But, don't waste time. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. Harder for you to tell her; harder for her to accept it."

"Alright. I will tell her. I promise."

"Good. So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Can it wait? I have a lot to think about right now, and I don't want to complicate things. I will tell you, just not tonight, okay?"

"Sure. Take as long as you need. I am not going anywhere. I'll be here when you decide the time is right."

"Thanks." She leaned up and kissed him on his cheek. "I am sorry, but I need to go now. Maybe I can find Buffy before the morning light."

"Yeah. Good idea. Would you like me to come with you?"

"That's okay," Auroura told him as she shook her head. "I can manage. Thanks again. It is nice to see you again." She gave him a hug, and then left.

***

Buffy crept through the tunnels below Sunnydale, trying to find the vampire she had seen descending into the sewers. He couldn't have just vanished, and yet she could not find any evidence of his passing. She strained her ears, trying to pick up even the slightest hint as to his location. The trickle of water was coming from all directions, but other than that, there was nothing. Buffy was about to give up when she saw a movement in front of her. She carefully made her way along the tunnel.

"May I help you?" came a voice from in front of her.

"Who are you?"

"You answer my question, and I will think about answering yours."

"That's not quite the way I was seeing things happen," said Buffy as she moved behind the figure. She was ready to pounce when the figure spoke again.

"Buffy, Slayer, The Chosen One."

"Who... Who are you?" whispered Buffy.

"That is not important. The important thing is that you listen to me. Things are never all they seem. There is no new Slayer. The rumors are wrong. There is a new girl in town who is battling the forces of evil, but she is not a Slayer. You would do well to watch your back. You never know who might want to bury a knife in it."

"Why do you cryptic people always have to talk in riddles? Can't you just say what it is you mean, and just leave it at that?"

"Fine," said the hooded figure. She spun around and approached Buffy. She stepped up to the light and threw her hood back.

"Darla!" exclaimed Buffy. "But… You're dead!"

"Funny, I heard the same thing about you." Darla stepped back into the shadows. "The new girl is a vampire, not a Slayer."

"You are lying," said Buffy.

"What reason would I have to lie?"

"Uh, you're evil! Why would you tell the truth?"

"Oh, yeah. Good point. Just listen a minute, though. Auroura is a vampire. Drusilla sired her in France a hundred twenty-five years ago."

"Yeah, Darla. Sure. Wanna try again, or should I just stake you now?"

"Foolish girl! I have no reason to lie! I have nothing to gain!"

"And, yet, here you are, telling me that someone I saw standing in sunlight earlier today was sired over a century ago. Well, I guess I should be thankful for the information."

"What? You saw here in the sun? It has to be some sort of trick!" screamed Darla. She looked around quickly and then continued, in a quieter voice. "Look, I know that Auroura is a vampire. We have always been at odds with each other, since she was sired. When we encountered her in LA, I just wanted her to leave. When I found out she was coming to Sunnydale, I thought it would be my chance to get rid of her for good."

"And, why exactly would you do that?"

"Because she doesn't want the family to be reunited," answered Drusilla as she stepped out of the shadows. Buffy looked from Drusilla to Darla. Darla almost looked guilty. She turned away when Drusilla looked at her. Buffy found this to be very strange.

"What is going on here? I die, and when I come back, everything has gone…wacky."

"Oooh! Slayer is different! Changed forever," said Dru.

"Dru! Shut up!" hissed Darla. Drusilla turned to Buffy.

"It is true. She is different."

"Dru, you can't just talk that way about the Slayer! She is gonna kill us! We have to get out of here!" She turned to look at Buffy, but the Slayer was no longer there. Darla quickly scanned the area, thinking that Buffy was getting ready to strike. There was no one around other than Dru.

***

Buffy slept fitfully that night, having dreams that caused her to question her abilities, and her reality. Finally, she gave up on sleep and decided to find some other way to keep herself occupied. She went downstairs and sat on the couch. Turning on the television, she began searching for something that would hold her interest. Instead, she fell asleep.

The next morning, when Dawn came downstairs, she found Buffy sleeping soundly on the couch. Dawn sat on a chair next to her and just watched her. She couldn't believe that she had her sister back. Dawn grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. She stood up and went into the kitchen to prepare some breakfast. After fixing herself a bowl of cereal, she returned to the living room and sat down again. She wasn't certain when Buffy had gotten in the night before, so didn't want to wake her.

Buffy sat up groggily and looked around. Dawn was sitting in a chair, staring at her. Dawn smiled at her, and Buffy smiled back. She wasn't sure what had happened. She couldn't remember what was real, and what had been a dream. Shaking her head, she stretched out and tried to stand up. Her legs were still asleep, and she fell back onto the couch.

"Rough night?" asked Dawn.

"Yeah. I don't know what happened. It was so weird."

"Hm… Well, is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah. You could tell me what happened yesterday. So much is fuzzy, and then, with the dreams I was having last night… I am not sure what's real anymore."

"Well, um… What do you remember?"

"I remember Glory, and fighting with her, and jumping into the portal in order to save you. I remember that I died. Weeks ago, in fact. And that someone called Beyoncé resurrected me. I know that I remember things I am not supposed to be able to remember. I just don't know how much of the patrolling last night was real. That's why I don't know if you can help."

"Well, you could always ask Spike."

"No, leave William out of this. I don't want hi to know."

"William? What do you mean?"

"Uh, nothing. I am not sure who I am anymore."

"You're Buffy. The Slayer. I mean, aren't you?"

"That's just is, Dawn. I don't know anymore." She looked at Dawn, who returned her gaze. After a few moments, Buffy asked: "Do we know anyone named Cecily?"

"I don't think so, why?"

"Because I have memories of her, and I don't think I am supposed to." Buffy jumped to her feet. "I have to go talk to Giles. Maybe he can help."

"Okay. Do you want Beyoncé and I to come with you?"

"I… Beyoncé? Is she here?"

"Yeah. She's still sleeping though. Should I wake her up?"

"No. That's okay. I'll just call and ask him if he can come over here. That way, I can still get some breakfast, we don't have to wake Beyoncé, and yet you can still be around when I talk to Giles." She picked up the phone and started dialing.

***

Auroura was nervous. She knew that she had to talk to Buffy, but she wasn't sure how she should bring it up. She wasn't a Slayer, but they all thought she was. Auroura wasn't sure she was going to be able to explain that in such a way that wouldn't upset them. Spike had told her that they would all understand, and she did trust him, but she also knew that he didn't know everything. Finally, she made up her mind that she had to do it, and knocked on the Slayer's front door.

Dawn answered the door, and Auroura asked for Buffy. Dawn showed her in, and let her know that Buffy was upstairs getting dressed, and should be down in a few minutes. Dawn ran upstairs, and disappeared from sight. Auroura sat nervously on the couch to wait. While she was sitting there, she scanned the room. There was nothing extraordinary about it. For some reason, she had been expecting to see weapons all over the place.

"Oh. Auroura, isn't it?" asked Buffy as she came down the stairs. Auroura looked up at her.

"Uh, yeah. I came to uh…"

"Oh! Your sheet! I forgot! I'll go get it for you," said Buffy as she turned and headed up the stairs.

"No! I mean, that is not why I am here. I came to…tell you something."

"Oh? What? Is it about vampires?"

"No! Well, just one vampire, I suppose. It's just that… I mean…"

"Okay. Well, I really don't have time for twenty questions, so…"

"I'm sorry. Spike said…"

"You know William? Uh, Spike?"

"Yeah…"

"You didn't stake him did you?"

"Of course not! He's like a brother to me!" shouted Auroura. The look on Buffy's face told Auroura that her secret was out.

"You… You really are a vampire, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"But, how? I mean, I saw you in the sunlight?"

"It's a long story. Shortened, it goes like this: I was sired by Drusilla, and then left the fold. I spent a little over a century drifting in and out of Spike's life. I was captured by the government of my country and forced to undergo horrible experiments."

"And that is supposed to explain everything?"

"No, it is supposed to start the explanation. You see, some of the experiments… They… I am…"

"Yes? What is it?"

"I'm turning human. I think. I mean I don't need to feed on blood anymore. I eat and drink like humans. I have a conscience again. Temperatures are starting to become a bigger concern for me. I have to have oxygen to survive again. But…" She changed into her vampire guise. "I still have this to deal with." She shook her head, and returned to normal.

Buffy's mouth opened in shock as she fell into the chair against which she had been leaning. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. A vampire that could not only walk in the sun, but was going around killing vampires and other demons like a Slayer. And, she had seemed so nice. Buffy wondered if there had been any clue that she had just overlooked. Thinking back to their first encounter, there was nothing that Buffy felt indicated the presence of a vampire.

"I'm not sure what to say," said Buffy.

"It's weird. I know that. I just… Spike said that I should tell you, because the sooner you found out, the better you would handle it. I was so scared to tell anyone, but since I found out that Willow told you all that I was a Slayer, I had to tell you the truth. So, do you hate me now?"

"I don't hate you. I am confused, and concerned. And not just about you. Your confession is just one more thing on a list that has grown ever longer since I returned. Even when I get some answers, I end up getting more questions. So, what's the deal with you and Spike?"

"He's like my older brother. I used to have a crush on him, but that has long since changed to respect."

"Good. I mean, it is nice that you and he are still friends."

"Yeah. That's about the same reaction I got from him. What's going on between the two of you?"

"I wish I knew! I mean…"

"Well, it is quite obvious to me that the two of you need to get together and talk about your relationship. I think you both may have similar ideas about it."

"Thanks. I think. I am just so confused. Too much has happened lately."

"Tell me about it. I have lived a very long time, and the last few weeks have been the most hectic of all my life. Or afterlife. Or unlife. Whatever. I have just had to rethink about every theory I ever came up with, and have been forced to face down some nightmares, too."

"I think we still have a lot in common, even though you aren't a Slayer."

"Oh, definitely! I am so glad you aren't upset. I could really use a friend."

"Me, too. Especially one who knows Spike. I mean, I could talk to my other friends about him, but they wouldn't understand."

"I never had any friends before. There are a few vampires and demons that I keep in touch with, but usually it is more of a business-type relationship. I couldn't talk to them about my current situation."

"Well, I am here if you wanna talk. And, I am sure that the others will listen, too. Unless you don't want them to know?"

"Um… I am not sure. Willow seems really nice, but she thought I was a Slayer. Do you think they will be okay with it?"

"Oh, yeah!" said Buffy as she tried to stifle her laughter. "Willow is a witch. She used to date a werewolf, and is now dating a fellow witch, Tara. Tara, up until her last birthday, was convinced that she was part demon herself. She wanted to conceal that fact from us, and was relieved to discover that it wouldn't have mattered to us either way. Xander is dating an ex-demon, Anya. We all know that our lives are different from everyone else's. I don't think they'll care that you are a vampire and not a Slayer. As long as you aren't trying to attack them!"

"I see. Sounds like just the group of people to be with. They all accept Spike, from what I was told last night. He was at your little meeting."

"Yeah. He is harmless now that he has that chip in his head."

"Chip? What do you mean?"

"He was captured a while ago by a group of military people studying the supernatural. They put a chip in his head that causes him pain if he hurts a human. Since then, he has changed quite a bit, and has sort of been accepted into our little enclave."

"That's just weird."

"Tell me about it! He has tried numerous times to kill us all!"

"Well, I guess that is a bit weird, too. But, I was referring to the part about the chip in his head. It's weird because the same thing happened to me. It was part of those experiments the government made me endure. Fortunately, their experiments also made me what I am today, a vampire that no longer needs blood of any kind in order to survive."

"What?" asked Dawn as she and Beyoncé stepped into the room. Buffy and Auroura gasped and stared at each other.

***

Spike was pacing back and forth, and had just stepped beside the door, when it flew open, and the sunshine made a yellow rectangle on the floor. Spike jumped and threw himself against the wall, even though he was already out of the sun. He somehow knew that it wasn't Buffy, and wondered for a moment who it might be. A shadow finally came into view, and Spike just stared. He had never seen such a creature. The thing in the doorway was obviously over seven feet tall, and wider than any demon that Spike had ever encountered. It had to turn sideways, and duck, just to get into the crypt. And, even with all of this, it was a tight fit.

When his visitor was totally inside the crypt, Spike could see it better. It had four arms, two heads, and an undetermined number of legs, hidden beneath a very large cloak. There were quills all over the creature, and Spike had a suspicion that they might be poisonous. One head had glowing, red eyes that seemed to pierce everything in their sight. The mouth on this head seemed as though it had too many fangs, for the lips bulged out around them. No ears were visible on this head, though. The other head also had glowing eyes, but these were an icy blue. The mouth on this head was filled with what looked like needles, set row upon row.

After it closed the door, it turned to look around. When it spotted Spike, he was filled with a tremendous feeling of dread. It spoke to him. Actually, it made some noises that Spike assumed was speech. When Spike didn't respond, the creature grabbed him and tossed him across the crypt. As he slid down the wall, the creature crossed the crypt, and grabbed him again, before he had even reached the floor.

The creature lifted him above its head and, instead of throwing him again, slammed him head first into the floor. For just a second, Spike wondered if he was going to survive this creature's visit. Then, everything went black, and he knew nothing more.

***

Buffy looked around her living room at the group of people who had been assembled for this meeting. Giles was standing in the doorway, cleaning his glasses. Xander was sitting in an armchair with Anya in his lap. Willow and Tara were on the couch. Dawn and Beyoncé were sitting on the floor beside the couch, giggling and whispering. Auroura was standing next to Buffy, looking about as nervous as anyone could possibly get. The only one missing was Spike.

"Well, I guess we are ready to start," announced Buffy. "We have a lot to talk about, and I want to make sure that we aren't going to have to tell the same things over and over. Hopefully, by the time we are done, everyone will have the same information, and the questions that we all have will finally be answered. Now, this is Auroura, and she is going to start."

As Auroura began talking, Buffy wondered how everyone was going to handle knowing everything that would be revealed here today. Granted, they all knew a few details that no one else did, and she was certain that she was not the only one who wouldn't be telling the others everything. There were some things that the others just didn't need to know. She was not certain why some of these things had happened, but knew that she was not ready to have all of them know that she was now in love with Spike.

"Wow," said Xander when Auroura had finished speaking. Everyone else just nodded.

"Okay," said Buffy. "Beyoncé, I think you should go next. Tell us everything you think might be useful or needed to deal with the current situation."

"Well, I am not certain what might fall into that category," began Dawn's friend. "I just cast a spell. I don't really know what else is even going on. I know that the spell was successful, but something seems to have gone wrong. It could be just because you are a Slayer. As far as I know, this spell has never been performed on a Slayer before, so we have no basis for comparison."

"That sounds fair, I guess," said Buffy.

"Buffy? What's wrong?" asked Giles. The concern in his voice caused everyone to look first at him, and then to Buffy. At first, she couldn't speak. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell them that she thought her soul had been combined with the soul of someone else. She stared into space for a moment.

"I…" she said. "I am not certain. Things are…weird. I can't really explain it. I know that I have knowledge that I am not supposed to have, and I have no explanation for it. No one else seems to have an explanation for it, either. That just makes everything harder."

"But…" began Dawn. Everyone turned to look at her. "Um… What could have gone wrong? I mean, specifically. The spell obviously worked."

"It just didn't come out exactly the way we thought," declared Tara. "It's not really that uncommon. And, there are so many different things that could explain what happened. The ingredients used, the amount of time that Buffy was…gone, the direction of the wind…"

"So, in other words, we may never know what caused the spell to turn out the way it did? I can't accept that! There has to be a reason for this, and I have to figure out what it is!" Buffy was yelling, close to hysterics. Everyone stared at her. She closed her eyes and tried to calm down. "I don't just want to know. I need to know. There are things that you guys don't know. Things I haven't been able to tell you." She was starting to cry, but couldn't stop the tears from streaking down her face.

"Buffy?" squeaked Dawn. There was concern and fear in her voice. Buffy took a deep breath and held it, trying in vain to regain control of herself. She felt an arm around her waist, and let herself be led to a chair. When she was seated, she opened her eyes, and was not surprised to see Xander staring down at her, his face a mask of concern and fear. She looked around and saw that everyone else was wearing a similar expression. Dawn was standing beside her, obviously close to tears.

"I didn't want to do this in front of all of you," explained Buffy. "But, I guess I should. I don't know why, but besides knowing that I was dead, there are other things in my head that just aren't right. I am trying to deal with things, but… I can't."

"Buffy, we're your friends," said Willow. "You can tell us anything."

"But that's just it. I can't. There are things that you guys shouldn't know."

"Like what?"

"Like the fact that she is in love with Spike, probably," answered Auroura. Everyone glanced quickly at her. Then they all returned their gazes to Buffy. Buffy nodded.

"It's true. But, that's only part of it."

"More? Like what?" demanded Xander.

"Like… Like the fact that I can recite the last poem he wrote, even though I never saw it."

"Spike writes poetry?" asked Dawn.

"No, William does…er, did. Before he was sired, I mean. And, I know the life story of a girl named Cecily, whom I had never heard of before, but whom Spike knew."

"Weird," said Anya. Everyone turned to look at her. She shrugged her shoulders and looked back to Buffy. "You were saying?"

"I was saying that I need answers, and that this is not getting me any. I am going to go for a walk now, and hopefully I can get something worked out along the way. She stood up and left, while everyone just stared after her.

***

As she stepped off of the porch, Buffy knew that there was only one place for her to go. She didn't know if she would actually get the answers that she sought, but she had to try. Walking along the streets of Sunnydale, she felt more and more certain that she really would find the answers. When she arrived at the cemetery, she did not hesitate. She rushed straight to her mother's grave and knelt beside it.

"Mom? I don't know if you can hear me, but I really need some help. No one here seems to be able to do anything for me, so I thought… Maybe you could?"

Silence filled the air. Buffy remained where she was, her senses trained to make out even the slightest anomaly around her. The wind picked up, and clouds covered the sun. Buffy wrapped her arms around herself and stood up. She looked around one last time, and then turned to leave.

"Buffy?" asked Joyce from behind her. When Buffy turned, she saw her mother sitting on top of the tombstone, looking at her. Startled, Buffy took a hesitant step away from the apparition. After a moment, she looked into her mother's eyes, and tears fell from her own.

"Mom?" she whispered. The woman on the tombstone smiled and nodded. Buffy was certain that it was her mother, and she rushed forward to hug her. Joyce accepted the hug, and held Buffy close for a couple of minutes. Buffy couldn't believe that her mother was really there. Finally, Joyce tenderly pushed her away, and looked down at her.

"I only have a short amount of time. I shouldn't be here at all, so please, we have to hurry."

"What? But… I thought you were back."

"No, dear. I am dead, and there is no spell that can resurrect me. However, I am able to visit for a few moments. I know that there is a lot that you wish to ask, so please hurry, before I have to go." The sadness in her mother's eyes told Buffy that she should ask her most pressing questions first.

"Well," said Buffy as she wiped the tears from her face. "I was wondering about my relationship with Spike. I… I think I love him."

"You do. It isn't a bad thing, Buffy."

"But… I love Angel!"

"You can love more than one person, Buffy. You do love Angel. And you always will, but you also love Spike, and you can actually have a lasting, meaningful relationship with him, as well. I know it is hard to accept, but this is part of what Angel meant when he said that you had to move on."

"Then, why can I remember him being mortal?" She was starting to cry again. Her mother hugged her.

"I think it is to show you that you must move on, even though it hurts. You went on with your life after I was gone. You must do the same now that you know that, for all intents and purposes, Angel is, too. He is not dead, like I am, but he is inaccessible. Spike however, is not only accessible, but he loves you just as much as Angel ever did."

"Really?" asked Buffy as she pushed herself back from her mother.

"Of course, Buffy. Why do you think he has watched over Dawn? Why do you think he sticks close to you, and helps you whenever you ask?"

"But… What about Cecily? I had never heard of her before, but the other night, I was her!"

"Yes… You see, you are the re-incarnation of Cecily, and when Xander and Anya interrupted the spell to bring you back, her consciousness mixed more readily with yours. It was all meant to happen, Buffy. You and Spike were meant to be together, and now that Auroura is here, you can finally be together, the way you were meant to be."

"Auroura? What do you mean? What has she got to do with this?"

"Buffy… I have to go soon. Get Auroura and find Spike! It is important that you do this."

"Mom? What's happening?"

"I have to go. Spike is in trouble, Buffy! You must get Auroura and Beyoncé and find Spike! Hurry, or all will be lost!"

The last word hung in the air, as Joyce slowly faded into nothing. Buffy stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. The wind died to nothing. The clouds moved out from in front of the sun, and the heat warmed her. She was finally ready for action. She turned on her heels and sprinted out of the graveyard.

***

The rest of the gang had moved to the magic shop after Buffy's abrupt departure from the Summers house. Anya was helping customers, as usual. Giles was doing the books. Tara and Willow were working on some sort of spell, and being very secretive about it. Dawn and Beyoncé were sitting at the table, whispering and giggling, like girls their age were known to do. Xander was looking at Auroura.

"So, how old are you? I mean… Not your actual age… How old were you when you were sired?" Xander asked Auroura.

"I was sixteen," explained the vampire. She sat down, and looked up at Xander with a great sorrow reflected in her eyes. "It's my own fault. I was stupid. My parents had arranged a marriage for me, and I was…resistant to the idea. I ran away." Tears poured down her face.

"You don't have to talk about this," offered Xander. He rested his hand on her shoulder, and she smiled at him. It was a smile filled with remorse, and Xander's heart broke upon seeing.

"It's okay. I have never told anyone about it. I guess it is past time for me to discuss it. I was a stupid little girl, and I have spent over a century wondering what might have been. I never even had the chance to grow up." She was looking down at her lap, but Xander could see the tears dripping off of her face. He hugged her.

"It's okay. You're among friends, now," he assured her.

"What are you doing?" demanded Anya.

"Shh!" hissed Xander. Anya looked more closely and discovered why Xander was holding the vampire. She looked at him and smiled. Then she turned around and headed back to the counter. That is when Buffy burst into the shop.

"Buffy?" said Willow as she looked up.

"What's wrong?" asked Giles. At that, everyone turned to look at the Slayer. She fell to her knees.

"Mom…"

Dawn jumped to her feet and rushed to Buffy. She knelt beside her sister as everyone gathered around them. Giles placed his hand upon Buffy's shoulder, and she looked up at the crowd of people surrounding her. She saw that Auroura had been crying, but looked just as concerned for her as the others. She stood up and walked unsteadily over to the table. She sat in a chair and waited for the others to get settled.

"When I left the house… I went to the graveyard. Mom… She was there, and she said… Spike… Trouble."

"Spike is causing trouble?" asked Anya.

"No!" yelled Buffy as she slammed her fists down on the table. "Spike is in trouble! And I need help to find him. That's what she said!"

"But—" began Xander. Buffy's glare cut him off.

"You don't know everything. None of you do. I love him."

"What?" asked all of the people gathered around her, with the exception of Auroura, who was smiling now.

"I said I love him. Please don't ask me to explain. I can't. At least not yet." She stood up and shoved her chair back. It fell over as she turned to face Beyoncé and Auroura. She pointed to the two of them.

"You are going with me. We are going back to the graveyard. We will start at his crypt and see if we can find out where to go from there."

"Okay," said Auroura.

"Um… Alright," added Beyoncé.

"We're coming, too!" exclaimed Willow as she grabbed Tara's arm. Tara nodded.

"Me, too," said Giles.

"And so are we," said Xander as he wrapped his arm around Anya's waist.

"Fine. I don't have time to argue. I've wasted too much time already. Let's go!" exclaimed Buffy as she turned and left the shop. The others followed her to the crypt. They all stopped short when they saw that the door of the crypt had been torn off of the hinges. Buffy cautiously stepped up to the doorway, motioning to the others, warning them to stay behind. She looked in each direction before she entered the crypt, and disappeared from the sight of the others.

***

"No!" they heard her scream. They all rushed inside the crypt, in time to see Buffy being thrown across it. They all stared in horror as the creature turned to look at them. Auroura noticed Spike's body and rushed to it. She threw herself across his body and started looking around frantically for a weapon. Beyoncé waved her arm as she said something that none of the others understood. The demon froze. Buffy stood up and rushed over to Spike. She picked Auroura up and moved her to the side. She dropped to his side, turned him over, and held him to her chest. She was crying.

"No! Spike!" she screamed. He didn't respond.

Giles was the first to react. He stepped closer to Buffy, but froze when she looked up at him. There was hatred in her eyes, and Giles could see the cloud of insanity behind that hatred.

"Buffy," he said. "We should get out of here. I don't know how long the spell will last."

"I don't care!" screamed Buffy. "Nothing matters anymore!"

"Okay," said Anya. "I can see why Beyoncé had to be here, but what I don't understand is why Auroura was supposed to be here."

"What?" asked Buffy. There was a spark of hope in both her voice and eyes. Giles noticed that the cloud of insanity seemed to drift farther away.

"That's right," said Tara.

"Auroura, what do you think?" asked Willow.

"I… I don't know," said Auroura.

"Her blood!" shouted Xander. Everyone turned to look at him. He shrank back. "Never mind. Just for—"

"No! You're right! My blood could help him…"

"But?" asked Buffy.

"But… I don't know if he will have to drain me…"

"But you're a vampire!" said Anya.

"Anya!" hissed Xander.

"No, he's right," explained Buffy. "She can't be killed, because she is not alive."

"No! She is!" exclaimed Xander. Everyone stared at him again. "She is. I could feel her heart beat when I hugged her! She is alive!"

"What? How?" asked Auroura. Buffy sat where she was, unable to think of what to do next. Giles stepped over to Auroura, lifted her from the floor of the crypt, and grabbed her wrist, checking for a pulse. The look on his face explained before he did.

"She has a pulse! It's… It's not possible, but yet it is there!"

"That's it!" exclaimed Buffy. "You have to let him drink, but we will make sure that he doesn't drain you completely. Then we will get you to a hospital, so you can get your blood back."

"I… I don't… I'm scared," confessed the vampire.

"Believe me, I understand," said Buffy as she reached out and took Auroura's hand. When their eyes met, Auroura nodded.

"I'm ready." Buffy moved away from Spike, while Auroura stepped closer. She knelt beside him, but then looked up at Buffy. "He's…asleep."

"Don't worry about that," said Beyoncé. She waved her wand as she spoke another phrase that no one understood. Spike opened his eyes and looked at the vampire holding him.

"Spike," said Auroura. "You have to drink from me."

Spike got a shocked look on his face and turned his head away from her. He looked at Buffy, who smiled shyly at him. He stared at her for a moment, and then looked back at Auroura. He shook his head, and then laid his head back on the floor. Auroura shook him gently and raised his head to her neck.

"You have to!"

"I can't…" he whispered.

"You can. You have to," said Auroura.

"No! I am not a monster. Let me die in peace!" he hissed. Buffy knelt beside him again.

"Spike," she began. "You have to. Auroura is alive. Her blood can save you. Please, drink from her."

"No! I won't! I want to die."

"Spike, you can't just give up!"

"And why not?"

"Because I love you!" He looked at her, and the surprise on his face was easy to recognize. She nodded, and leaned over him. They kissed. "Now, drink!"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because it's Auroura!" Auroura almost dropped him in her surprise. She stared down at him, and a tear slid down her cheek and dropped onto his face. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Just let me go…" He dropped his head to the side again, closing his eyes. Buffy looked at Giles for help. Giles shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he had no idea what to do. Buffy glanced around, and then laid her head on Spike's chest.

"Then kill us both," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"What? Buffy, no!" exclaimed Dawn.

"If that's the only way that we can be together, then that is what must be done."

"Buf—" began Dawn. Beyoncé grabbed Dawn's arm, and shook her head, indicating that Dawn should be quiet.

"Spike, you can't hurt her. I won't let you. I have powers that you have never even dreamed of. I won't let you harm Auroura. You will both survive. Now, you must drink, so we can get out of here. That demon isn't going to be frozen forever, you know!" Beyoncé told him.

He looked up, and then nodded. He grabbed Auroura by the shoulders and pulled her down to him. She went willingly. He sank his fangs into her flesh and drank. He could tell that the blood was different from any he had ever had before, and he like it. He pushed Buffy away and pulled Auroura even closer to him. Auroura whimpered, and Spike bit into her even harder. Then, he pulled his fangs out of her and pushed her away.

"Take her, quickly, before I drain her!" he hissed. Buffy grabbed Auroura and turned to the door. Beyoncé was waiting by the door, and she touched the girl in Buffy's arms with her wand. The wound on the girl's neck disappeared, and she looked up at Buffy, smiling. Buffy set her down and turned back to Spike. He was getting to his feet. She went over to help him, and they all went to leave. Unfortunately, the sun was still shining, and when Spike stepped into it, he started to burn.

"What? I thought that her blood would make him alive again," said Anya.

"It will, but it is going to take time. Buffy, you Spike, Xander and Anya go through the tunnels underneath the crypt. The rest of us will meet you at the shop," explained Auroura. No one argued. They just followed her instructions and headed off in separate directions. Once Buffy and the others were safely in the tunnels, Auroura grabbed the lid of the sarcophagus and tried to move it.

"My strength… It's gone," she said in wonderment. Giles and the others helped her, and they moved the lid of the sarcophagus over the entrance to the tunnel. Then, after they left the crypt, Beyoncé cast a spell that caused the crypt to collapse.

"That won't hold that demon forever. And, when he gets out, he won't be happy," explained the young witch.

"What is it?" asked Xander.

"It is a Kraagnokkyl demon."

"Say what?" asked Dawn.

"Look, it is going to be free from that spell in just a few minutes. We need to get back to the magic shop and gather the required ingredients for a spell. We only have one chance to get rid of it."

"So, you know how to kill it?" asked Giles.

"Of course not. They're invincible. I said we could get rid of it, not kill it."

"But… How can we get rid of it if we don't kill it?" asked Dawn.

"By sending it back to the dimension from which it came. But, like I said, we only have one chance. The spell only works once for each demon. If anything goes wrong…"

"It's stuck here forever," finished Tara.

"Exactly. That's why I must do this alone. I have experience with the spell, and can't afford to be distracted."

***

Buffy, Spike, Xander and Anya were making their way through the tunnel. Spike seemed to be getting stronger with every step, and was soon walking without help. When they reached the entrance to the shop, he turned to face Buffy. Buffy stared at him for a moment. Xander and Anya stepped past them and went through the entrance, into the basement of the magic shop. Spike and Buffy remained in the tunnel for a moment.

"You love me?" asked Spike.

"Yes, I do. I really do. I am glad that you are still around." The two of them kissed. After the kiss had ended, they made their way into the magic shop, to wait for the others to get there also.

When they came up into the basement, they heard a crash in the shop above them. Anya and Xander looked to Buffy and Spike. No one spoke. They heard a similar crash, and Buffy made her way cautiously up the stairs. She opened the door to the basement and peeked into the shop. A vampire was going through bottles on the shelf behind the counter. Buffy glanced around, to see if the vampire was alone. It was. The thing Buffy couldn't figure out, though, was how the vampire got there. The sun was still shining outside.

She stepped away from the basement door and headed toward the front door. It was still closed and locked. She looked around, and couldn't find any evidence that the vampire had been wearing a blanket, or anything similar. Finally, she cleared her throat. The vampire turned to face her.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"What? How? Why are you here?" asked the vampire. Buffy shook her head, unsure she heard what the vampire had said.

"Excuse me?"

"You… You are the Slayer, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, you are supposed to be dead."

"Oh. That. Well, I am not dead, as you can see. Now, what are you doing here?"

"Me? Oh. Well, I… I am looking for some ingredients for a spell." The vampire cast his eyes downward, and as he did so, Spike stepped out of the basement and moved to the counter, ducking out of sight.

"A spell? What kind of spell?"

"We are going to resurrect Glory!" screeched the vampire as he leapt across the counter and landed between Spike and Buffy. Buffy just stood where she was, smiling at the vampire. His scowl turned into a look of surprise, and then he exploded into dust, as Spike staked him from behind. Buffy's smile faded. She stared at Spike, who smiled back at her.

"What did you do that for?" exclaimed Buffy.

"What? I helped you! I staked the vampire."

"The vampire that could have given us a bit of information! If there is a group out there trying to resurrect Glory, then it would have been nice to find out more about them!"

"Oh," replied Spike as he hung his head.

"It's okay. We'll figure something out. We always do. Just… Try not to be so quick to kill. Sometimes we need to get information from them," comforted Buffy as she wrapped her arms around him. She leaned in to kiss him.

"Is it safe?" asked Xander.

"Yes," sighed Buffy as she stepped back from Spike and turned to look at Xander and Anya. Xander was carrying a stick, and Anya was standing behind him.

"What happened?" asked Anya.

"There was a vampire. Spike staked it. No biggy," explained Buffy. Spike looked up at her. She could see the question in his eyes. She shook her head slightly, just enough so that he could see. The look in her eyes told him that she would bring up the issue of Glory later. Xander tossed the stick back down into the basement and closed the door. He and Anya walked over and sat down at the table. Buffy motioned to Spike, and then she went over to sit down as well.

As Spike was sitting down, the others came in. Giles went immediately to the shelves, followed by Willow and Tara. Auroura sat next to Spike, and gave an awkward smile. Dawn and Beyoncé were giggling again, as they did so often. Dawn leaned against the counter, and Beyoncé stood next to her. A few moments later, Giles, Willow and Tara returned with loads of books. Beyoncé turned to face the others.

"What's all this?" she asked as she gestured to the table.

"Research," groaned Xander.

"For what?" asked the young witch.

"About the demon. We need to know how to deal with it," said Giles.

"Actually, we don't," said Beyoncé. I already know the spell. I have used it before. Remember, I am not as young and innocent as I appear. All we need to do is gather a couple of ingredients. I'll get them." She stepped behind the counter and began sifting through the jars on the shelves. Giles, uncertain what to do, glanced at Willow and Tara. The girls shrugged and turned to take the books back.

"Wait," said Buffy. They all turned to face her, including Beyoncé. "We may still need the books."

"Oh? What for?" Giles wanted to know.

"Um… What happened to Glory? I mean, I've been gone for a while, and I just wondered if she could be behind all of this."

"Not bloody likely!" exclaimed Giles. Everyone turned to look at him. "Um, I mean, I don't think so."

"Why?" began Buffy. "Because she's dead?" Now everyone turned to face Buffy. "There was a vampire here when we got back. Before he was staked, he mentioned something about resurrecting Glory. What happened to her?"

"Ben died the same day you did, Buffy," explained Giles. "And with him, Glory. I never thought about her being resurrected." He turned to face Beyoncé. "Is such a thing even possible?"

"I… am not certain. I need more information about the situation."

"Glory was created in a hell dimension. She then became too powerful, and her creators began to fear her. They decided to banish her, to Earth. Somehow, she was forced to share the body of a human male. She wanted to use the Key to open the portal to her dimension, so she could return to her home. Unfortunately, the opening of such a portal would create a complete breakdown of the walls between all dimensions. Buffy jumped into the portal as it was opening, saving the world, but killing herself in the process. Ben, the human male who was host to Glory, died the same day as Buffy," Giles told her.

"Hmmm… Ben died, you say? So, Ben was in control of the body when it expired?"

"Yes."

"Uh-oh. That could be a problem. If Glory had been in control when it expired, she would be gone forever. However, if Ben was in control, then there is a possibility that Glory's… Uh, essence is still out there somewhere. If it is, then, in a way she could be resurrected. If her essence were to be combined with that of another human, then she could return. This could be very serious."

"How serious?" squeaked Dawn.

"Well, Glory might decide that she still needs to open that portal, and, since she will have the memories of her earlier incarnation, she may be interested in getting revenge. Which means that all of you are in serious danger."

"But only if they can combine her essence with another human, though, right?" asked Dawn. She was shaking. Buffy walked over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Dawn, listen to me. We will not let this happen. We know that they still need at least one thing to finish their spell, or whatever. We'll just make sure that they don't get what they are after. Now, we have two things we need to get done. Beyoncé, I want you to get whatever you need to send that demon back to whatever dimension it came from. Take Giles, Xander, and Anya to a place to perform the ritual. Willow, I need you and Tara to stay here and make sure that no one gets in to steal anything. Auroura, I am afraid that you will need to stay here, too. Dawn, you will be safest here, with the others. Spike and I will go out and try to find out more about this group trying to resurrect Glory."

"Actually," said Beyoncé, "the back room here will work to perform the ritual. It will be safer that way, too. We will all be here together while you and Spike are out. And, it will give the shop a lot more protection."

"Good plan. So, everyone know what they are going to be doing?" asked Buffy. Everyone nodded. "Good. Come on, Spike, we have a lot to get done."

"Um, Buffy," whispered Dawn.

"Yes, Dawn?"

"Well, it's about Spike. If he is turning back to a human, maybe he shouldn't be out there," she suggested.

"Oh. I hadn't thought about that. Auroura, how long did it take for you to become human?"

"I don't know for certain. I don't know how long it's been since the last things were injected. I know that I have been out of that place for three months though. However…"

"What?"

"Well, it may work differently for him, because I am now completely human."

"Oh." Buffy turned to look at Spike. He smiled weakly and nodded slightly.

"I'm going with you," he told her. She smiled, and then nodded.

"Okay, that settles it. Let's get started, okay?" She and Spike went to the basement, to exit through the tunnel. Xander and Giles followed, so as to be able to block the entrance as soon as Buffy and Spike were on their way. As Giles and Xander made their way back upstairs, they exchanged a glance that said more than any words could. They were both worried, and with good reason.

***

Buffy and Spike made their way through the tunnels to an abandoned warehouse. Once they were inside the warehouse, Buffy grabbed Spike's arm and made him stop. He turned to face her. She looked up into his face, tears streaming down her own. Spike jumped with surprise when he saw her. Then, he carefully reached out and wrapped his arms around her. She gently pushed him away.

"No, Spike. Not now. We have to find out who or what is responsible for all of this, and eliminate them."

"Buffy? What if it is a human?"

"It doesn't matter! I don't care! I will find, and stop, whoever or whatever is responsible. If it means killing a human, then that is what I will do. I am not letting them bring Glory back! I can't! If she comes back…"

"Buffy, we will stop it from happening."

"How? The last time, it took me killing myself to stop her! I don't want to die! Not even to save the world. Again." She almost fell, but Spike caught her. He carefully sat down and let her lean against him.

"It's okay. Whatever happens, we can face it together." She stopped sobbing and looked up at him.

"We were working together last time, too. And they still got Dawn. That man cut her, and I wasn't able to stop it! I had to die to save everyone else! It isn't fair! All I have ever wanted was to be a normal girl! Now, I am not only the Slayer, but also the resurrected Slayer. They all expect me to know what to do, and I haven't got the slightest idea! Now, I am out here in a warehouse trying to find a mysterious group… Or, for all we know it could be a single person… Or thing, even. I don't even know where to start! My backup is a vampire that is going to become human again, without us ever knowing when. And, since the sun is still shining, we can't even go out to start the search! If I fail this time…"

"You won't fail. I promise." Spike stared down at her, and his heart ached to see the pain in her eyes. And, behind the pain was a look he had seen more times than he cared to remember. There was fear behind that pain, and that fear was close to hysteria.

"You don't know that! No one knows!" She stood up and went to a window. Spike stood up, walked to her, and stopped short. He was afraid to step into the sunlight from the window. He could see Buffy shaking, trying to hold herself in an effort to steady her nerves. He knew she was crying, and knew that he wanted to do anything to help her. He reached out to her, and as soon as the sunlight touched his hand, it caught fire. He immediately pulled it back and patted it out.

"Buffy…" He wasn't sure what he should say to her. Finally, he turned away and stepped deeper into the shadows to wait for nightfall. Buffy just stood at the window, crying.

***

When Giles and Xander stepped out of the basement, they discovered that Willow, Tara and Beyoncé had begun preparations for a spell. It was strange to see a girl of fourteen instructing college girls. Xander and Giles headed to the back room so that they could block the entrances and exits. They weren't in there for very long when there was a blinding flash of light from the front of the store. They rushed back into the room they had just left.

"What's going on?" cried Giles.

"We are setting things up for the spell. What's your problem?" demanded Anya.

"But, what's with all of this junk? It shouldn't be necessary for the spell."

It isn't, but there isn't enough room in the back for it is the spell is going to be done there. Beyoncé said she needs some space to perform the ritual. Right now, she is setting up wards around the shop, to give us warning if something should attempt to come after us."

"Okay. What else needs to be done?"

"Um… I don't know. Go ask Beyoncé. She is the one who is responsible for all of this," said Anya as she gestured at the piles of things in the store. She set the items she had been carrying on the counter and started sorting through them. Giles looked at her for a moment, uncertain what to do, and then he headed to the back room to speak to Beyoncé.

"Okay," Beyoncé was saying. "Tara, could you set those candles on the points of the pentagram. Willow, I need you to stay by that door and make sure that I am not disturbed. This ritual is very particular, and if anything should go wrong…" She let the sentence hang.

"Um, Beyoncé?" asked Giles.

"Yes, Giles?"

"What can I do to help?"

"Stay out of the way. I am ready to start. Please do not go near the pentagram, no matter what happens. I would hate to send one of you to the other dimension." She turned to Tara, who had just lit the last of the candles. "Thank you Tara."

Tara and Giles stood by the door to the store, while Willow kept guard over the back door. They all watched Beyoncé with intense interest as she stepped into the pentagram and began chanting. She slowly began to levitate, as the flames of the candles grew to three feet tall. The flames turned green, casting eerie shadows about the room. Beyoncé screamed in pain, and Giles stepped forward. Tara grabbed his arm and pulled him back. When he turned to look at her, she shook her head and pointed.

As Giles watched, the demon from the crypt materialized in the center of the pentagram, below the floating witch. Flames shot out from the candles and enveloped the creature. Beyoncé screamed again, and a horrible sound escaped from the demon. Giles tore himself from Tara's grip and moved forward once again, only to be knocked backwards by some unseen force. He sat up and shook his head. He turned to face Willow, and she frowned at him as she lowered her arm. He turned his attention back to the center of the room.

Beyoncé cried out again, and was thrown out of the pentagram. She hit the wall with a sickening thud and slid down tot eh floor. The flames around the demon shot up into the air, and the creature disappeared. The flames went out, and the room seemed oddly dark, despite the fact that the overhead lights were still on. Willow, Tara and Giles rushed to Beyoncé's side, hoping that she was still alive.

***

The sun caused the window to appear to glow with red light as it slipped below the horizon. Buffy watched it go, and then turned to Spike, who had stepped closer to her. She wasn't certain what she should say to him, or if she should even say anything at all. They both had a lot to deal with, and neither was certain what the next step should be. Finally, Buffy spoke.

"Spike, we have to figure out what is going on, and take care of it. I hope I can depend on you. We can't let our feelings for each other get in the way. If you have any problems with that, then you will just have to leave. I can't afford to be distracted right now."

"Buffy, I am here to help. If I didn't want to help, I wouldn't have come with you in the first place. So, what do we do first?"

"First? Well, first we have to get out of this warehouse and… I don't know. Look for clues or something. I really wish you hadn't killed that vampire so quickly."

"Yeah… Well, sorry about that. Maybe we could check out some local demon haunts and see what we can come up with?"

"Yeah! That sounds like a good idea! I am so glad you are here. I am having trouble thinking straight. So, where should we start?"

"Hmmm…. I know of a nest of vamps not far from here. Perhaps we could start there and just work our way through town?"

"Okay. That's our plan. Lead the way."

"Um. Okay," said Spike as he stepped around Buffy and walked out of the warehouse. He led her to an abandoned house, which she recognized as the same place where she had discovered the truth about Riley. She somehow wasn't surprised to discover that there were vampires staying there again.

As they entered, Spike motioned for Buffy to stay behind him. She shrugged and obeyed, not wanting to fight. As they made their way through the building, the noticed that there were a few demons mixed in with the vampires. Buffy grabbed Spike's sleeve and pointed at a vampire, which she thought she recognized. He looked in the direction she pointed and nodded. They made their way over to it.

"Harmony? What are you doing here?" asked Spike.

"Spike? Is it really you?" she responded. Then, she caught sight of Buffy, and shrank back. "Why is she here," she hissed.

"Harm, it's okay," said Spike as he reached out and grabbed Harmony's arms. "She's here as a friend right now. We need your help."

"What do you mean? She's supposed to be dead, and why would I believe that she is here as a friend? Why would she ever need my help?"

"You can believe that she won't kill you, even if you don't believe anything else!" hissed Spike.

"Oh? Why? Because you said so?"

"Because you saved the life of her sister!"

"What?" demanded Buffy. She looked at Harmony with a look of shock on her face. Harmony dropped her gaze, still ashamed that she had done something heroic.

"It's true. I did save her. But it was an accident!"

"Whatever. Look Harmony, we heard a rumor that there is a group somewhere that wants to resurrect Glory. We need to get as much information about them as we can, so that we can stop them," explained Spike.

"But, I don't have any information. I don't know anything about that."

"However, you did know that one of Glory's minions was going to kill Dawn. Perhaps you can find out some information? That's all we're asking."

"Well, I suppose I could. But I can't make any promises."

"All we ask is that you try, and if you find out anything, make sure we are made aware of it also."

"Okay, I can do that. As long as you both promise that you won't tell anyone I saved Dawn."

"Deal," said Buffy. She grabbed Spike by the arm and pulled him away. Harmony pulled herself away from Spike so that she would not be forced to go along.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" demanded Buffy as they stepped back outside. Spike turned to face her.

"And, just exactly when would something like that have come up?"

"Oh, right. But still… That is something I should have been told!"

"Why? Does it really matter?"

"I… I suppose not. It's just weird. Harmony saved Dawn. She is the one who kidnapped her before!"

"Well, things have changed. You of all people should know that." He turned down an alley. "Come on, there's a place I would like to check out."

Buffy followed him into the alley, thankful that someone else was in the lead, that all she had to do was follow. As they walked down the alley, they heard a commotion. They stepped into the shadows and waited to see what would happen. A man ran frantically into the alley, and they could tell that he was being chased. He ducked into the shadows near them, and disappeared. A few seconds later, two vampires entered the alley.

"Where'd he go?" asked the first one.

"He has to be down here somewhere. Let's start looking," hissed the other.

They began moving things about, trying to locate their prey. Suddenly, Spike stepped out of the shadows. Buffy gasped, but didn't make a move to join him. She was very surprised by his actions, but she was also curious to see what Spike was going to do. As the two vampires focused their attention on Spike, Buffy noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye.

"What's going on?" asked Spike.

"We are searching for something. It doesn't concern you," hissed the second vampire. The other vampire just stood around, searching the shadows. Suddenly, he leapt through the air and landed on the other side of Spike. He reached into the shadows and jerked someone out of them. It was Buffy, who immediately began fighting.

The other vampire jumped on Spike, and the two of them wrestled. Spike forced the other vamp to the ground and then staked him. He turned to look at Buffy, who was just standing in the alley, waiting for him. He walked over to her, and she held out her hand, motioning for him to stop. Then, she pointed up to the top of one of the buildings. Spike looked up and discovered that the buildings were lined with vampires. He took a step back and prepared for the fight as the vampires jumped down into the alley.

***

Dawn, Anya and Xander all rushed into the back room, and immediately headed to the fallen Beyoncé. Dawn pushed everyone else out of the way and knelt beside her friend. She grabbed the other girl's arms and pulled her to a sitting position. Once the young witch was sitting, Dawn shook her slightly, trying to wake her. Nothing happened. Dawn shook her harder.

"Beyoncé?" she cried. There was still no response. Dawn looked up at the others, tears welling up in her eyes. Tara put her hand on Dawn's shoulder, but Dawn shrugged it off. She turned back to her friend and started shaking her some more, calling her name over and over.

"Dawn," began Giles. "You have to let us help. Please, back away so we can try."

"Wh-what happened?" asked Dawn.

"It was the spell," explained Willow. "She was floating above the demon, and was thrown against the wall before the demon disappeared. I assume that the spell was successful, but I don't know."

"She was thrown? And none of you tried to stop it?"

"I tried," muttered Giles.

"You tried to interfere with the spell," Willow chastised. "Even after she specifically said not to."

"What?" demanded Dawn as she turned to glare at Giles. "You interfered? Then this was probably your fault!"

"No, it is not my fault! I did try to interfere, but was thrown against the wall myself. By Willow!"

"It's true, Dawn. He wasn't able to interfere," offered Tara. Dawn's gaze shifted from Giles to Tara, and then settled on Beyoncé. Dawn let her fall carefully back to the floor and then scooted backwards on the floor, making room for the others to get to Beyoncé. Giles took her place, and checked the girl over.

"She still has a pulse, and her heart beat seems normal." He felt the back of her head. "She doesn't seem to have a bump on her head where she hit the wall, either. I don't understand why she is not awake."

"It's the burn-out," said Tara. Everyone turned to face her, and she swallowed hard. "When you use magic, you get a degree of burn-out. The more magic you use, the worse the burn-out. It's like any other type of activity… The more you do, the longer it takes for you to recover from it. She has used a lot of powerful magic today, and this must be the consequence. She should be okay, but it will take time."

"How much time?" asked Dawn.

"I… I don't know. I have only encountered this a couple of times myself. I don't know what it is like for her," explained Tara as she gestured towards Beyoncé.

"Well, we better get her into the other room, and then maybe we can all relax a little," suggested Giles. He carefully picked the girl up and carried her into the main part of the store, setting her gently on the table. The others followed him, uncertain what to do now.

"So, now what?" asked Anya.

"Now, I guess we just wait and see what happens," answered Xander. The others looked at him. Then they slowly started to nod their agreement.

***

"Are you alright?" Buffy asked as she helped Spike get to his feet. The vampires had fought, but, after Spike and Buffy had taken out about thirty of them, the others turned and fled, after knocking Spike over.

"I am fine," explained the vampire as he brushed himself off. "I wonder what that was all about."

"It probably has something to do with him," said Buffy as she pointed to a man crouching next to a dumpster. The man noticed that she was pointing at him, and looked around for a means of escape. "It's okay. We aren't going to hurt you," she told him.

"I…" was all he could say. He just looked up at them, and Buffy got the impression that he was fighting the urge to break down and cry. She walked up to him and offered her hand. He reached out tentatively and gripped it. As she pulled him to his feet, Spike looked the man up and down.

"What makes you so important?" asked Spike.

"I… I don't know. I was just out looking for my employer when two vampires started chasing me. Before I knew it, there were a few others in on the chase, and so I ducked into this alley. I was hiding when the two of you got involved. I guess I owe you my life. Th-thanks."

"No thanks necessary," said Buffy. She smiled at him, hoping to calm him. "I was just doing my job. Now, you say you were out looking for your employer?"

"Yes. She is… Well, I don't know how else to say it but to just tell it like it is. My employer is a vampire. I help her by acting as a liaison to the world of the living. Only, she is getting to where she needs that less and less. I was concerned for her, and decided that I should track her down, but instead of finding her, I was found by those vampires."

"I am still a little confused," said Buffy. "You work for a vampire? What kind of things would a vampire need employees for?"

"To manage their affairs. We, that is, the group of people who work for Auroura, manage things for her."

"Auroura? You mean you work for her?" demanded Spike.

"Y-yes," said the man as he looked up at Spike. Buffy could see him starting to shake. "Is that a problem?"

"No," explained Buffy as she stepped between Spike and the young man. "We just know Auroura. That's all. She never mentioned that she had people working for her. It was just a bit of a shock. So, what kind of things do you do for her?"

"Well, if you know her, then you must realize that she can't act as an adult in a lot f ways, because people see her as a naïve teenager. Also, she tends to move around a bit, being a vampire and needing… Well, vampirish things. We take care of that sort of thing for her. We provide her with a new identity when she needs one. I act as the man in charge of her trust fund until she becomes of age. I purchased the mansion for her, so that everything would appear to be legal, and people wouldn't be likely to ask questions. We provided her will all the fake documents she needs to get by until she moves on."

"Oh," said Buffy. She turned to Spike. "Why don't you have people like that?"

"I… I was evil, Buffy. I would sooner kill a human than hire him."

"You have a point there," agreed Buffy. She turned back to the man she had saved. "So, what should we call you?"

"Oh. I am Travis. Do you know where Auroura is?"

"Yes, we do. And…" began Buffy. "There is really something that you should know."

"Oh? What?"

"We're being followed," stated Spike. He turned and faced their pursuers.

"Just give us the human, Spike," hissed one of the vampires as he stepped forward.

"Now, why would I do that? Finders, keepers, and all that," said Spike. The vampire stared at Spike for a moment, as if trying to decide whether or not he was serious. After a moment, the vampire nodded.

"Okay. Have things your way. We'll just find another vessel."

"Vessel? He's a human, not a boat, you bloody moron!"

"Yes… Exactly what we need."

"They're the ones trying to resurrect Glory!" whispered Buffy as she stepped behind him and poked him in the ribs. Spike looked at her, blinked in recognition, and turned back to the other vampire.

"I'll give him to you, but only on one condition," said Spike.

"You mean, like a deal? What sort of deal are you offering?"

"I'll give you the human, but only if you let me go with you."

"No! Spike, you can't!" yelled Buffy.

"Stay out of this, Slayer," said Spike as he shoved her backwards. He grabbed Travis and stepped closer to the other vampire. "Do we have a deal?"

"I don't see why not. But, what about her?"

"Her? She's the Slayer. She'll be running off to get her reinforcements. By the time she returns, we'll be long gone." He kicked a bit of dirt at Buffy, and she stood up and pounced on him. He shoved her backwards again, put on his vampire guise, and jumped on top of her. He bit her as she fought, and began to drain her. Slowly, she stopped fighting and stopped moving. Blood dripped down her neck and onto the ground. Spike stood up, gripped Travis by the arm, and pulled him towards the group of vampires.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked as he made his way into the mob. The others gathered around and led Spike and Travis away.

***

Xander sat at the table, staring into the book, not really seeing the print on the pages. He was thinking about Buffy, and the way she had been acting. She said she was in love with Spike, and Xander wondered about that. He thought about when he and Anya had arrived at the cemetery when the others were in the process of bringing Buffy back. He remembered Anya talking about the spell Willow had cast, and how Buffy and Spike were once engaged.

"Xander!" screamed Giles. Xander looked up at him, and noticed that everyone else was staring at him, also.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't know. You were mumbling. We tried several times to get your attention. What were you thinking about?"

"I… Nothing. I was just thinking. That's all. Nothing important."

"Didn't seem so unimportant a few moments ago," said Anya. Xander could tell by the tone in her voice that she wasn't going to let the subject be dropped.

"Alright, I will tell you. I was thinking that it might be our fault that Buffy is now in love with Spike." That last comment was directed at Anya, and by the way she flushed and turned away, Xander was certain that she knew it. Giles, however, was confused.

"How? What could you possibly have done?"

"Remember what Beyoncé said about the spell? That any type of distraction or hesitation might have adverse effects?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, when Anya and I got to the cemetery, we were talking about the time that Willow's spell made Buffy and Spike get engaged. That was when Dawn was attacked, and Beyoncé paused in her spell casting… I think that may have done it."

"And you would be wrong," said Buffy as she walked into the Magic Box. They all turned to face her. She was pale, and had blood dripping from her neck. Giles rushed to her side.

"Buffy? Are you okay? What happened?" he asked.

"Huh? I'm fine. Spike and I have a plan to stop Glory from being resurrected. I just had to come here and get some reinforcements. So, are you guys up to it?" She looked around, and everyone was staring at her with shock evident on their faces. "What?"

"You… You were bitten," whispered Dawn. She pointed up at Buffy's neck. Buffy reached up and touched her neck. When she moved her hand, there was no blood on it.

"Oh!" exclaimed Buffy as she realized what they were seeing. "Witches aren't the only ones who can throw a Glamour, you know. Spike did this so that it would be more believable to the vampires." She turned and looked at Auroura. "Your employee, Travis, is here. Did you know that?"

"Travis? What? Why?" asked Auroura. She was certain that the man had wanted to get as far away from her as possible.

"He was worried about you. He said he was trying to find you when he came across some vampires who chased him into the alley where Spike and I were. Spike and I fended off the vamps, and we introduced ourselves to Travis. I think he has a crush on you. Anyway, while we were walking, I noticed that we were being followed, so I told Spike. We figured it must have something to do with those wanting to resurrect Glory, so we thought up a plan, and put it into action." Everyone was staring at her in disbelief. "Come on! I need to get going, otherwise I won't be able to track him."

"Um, what about Beyoncé?" asked Dawn. Buffy looked at her. "She sent the demon back to its own dimension, but in the process hurt herself."

"What? How?" asked Buffy. She was concerned, and not just because she wanted Beyoncé to help.

"She's unconscious," said Giles as he gestured towards the table. Buffy went over to the table and looked at the girl lying on it. Buffy reached out and gently slapped the girl's face. Beyoncé stirred. In a couple of moments, she was sitting up.

"Are you okay?" asked Buffy.

"I… I think so. Wh-what happened?" asked Beyoncé.

"You were thrown against the wall while performing your spell. We weren't sure what to do," explained Willow.

"The spell?" The girl turned and faced the door to the back room. "The demon?"

"It's gone! You sent it away," said Tara.

"Oh. Good. So, what do we do now?" Beyoncé asked.

"We go put an end to the plans to resurrect Glory! That is, if you think you can?" questioned Buffy.

"Yeah. I think so. Let me see if I can stand up." The young witch stood up and grabbed a chair. After a second, she let go of the chair and smiled. "I'm ready."

"Good! Let's go!" cried Buffy. She led the way out of the shop, and the others followed.

***

Spike looked around the clearing, searching the woods for Buffy and the others. He was getting impatient. He could only stall them for so long, and then he would be forced to either let them sacrifice Travis or try to rescue him. He didn't think he could actually manage either. As he was about to give up, he noticed a group of people approaching from the right. He sighed with relief as he turned back to the group of vampires assemble before him.

"Okay. Enough talk," he told them. "Let's begin."

He then stepped off to the side, as the other vampires took their places and prepared to begin the spell. Spike watched from the shadows, and suddenly realized what was really going on. The vampires had no intention of killing Travis! They wanted him to be the host for Glory! He couldn't let them finish the spell.

"Slayer!" he screamed as the vampires started chanting. There was a moment of hesitation, and then one of the vampires took charge.

"Those of you around the edges keep the Slayer and her friends busy. Those of us closest to the Vessel will continue chanting! Hurry, we must not fail! Glory must reign!" shouted the vampire. As he finished, he stepped closer to Travis and began chanting. Those along the outside perimeter turned and prepared to fight. Others joined in the chanting, and Spike decided that his duty was to save Travis. He began making his way through the mob.

Buffy and the others came rushing up to the scene, going immediately into battle. Dawn, Auroura and Beyoncé kept to the shadows, watching. Beyoncé sat in the shadows of a tree and closed her eyes. She concentrated on giving the others extra strength. Dawn and Auroura stood guard, making sure that no one came near Beyoncé.

Willow noticed Spike heading for the center of the mob, and turned to Tara. Tara nodded and reached out to Willow. As they clasped hands, the chanting vampires were all thrown backwards. As they were knocked backwards, they toppled the candles, and knocked Spike to the ground. There were screams of pain and terror as vampires caught fire, igniting those close to them, as well. Spike fought to get back to his feet. Once he was back up, he headed to Travis again.

Meanwhile, Buffy was enjoying herself, as she battled the vampires. She was staking each one that came near her, and as the battle raged on, the adrenaline flowing through her veins invigorated her, giving her the extra energy and strength that she needed to continue. Xander and Anya were also battling the vampires. There seemed to be an endless number of them. No matter how many they staked, there seemed to always be more coming after them.

Giles was fighting as well; invigorated by the power boost that Beyoncé was giving him. He knew that it wasn't permanent, but planned to use it to its full advantage while he had the chance. The power that he now had make him wonder what is must be like for Buffy, having had something similar to what was happening with him come so naturally to her. He gained new understanding of what it must be like to be a Slayer, and he didn't want it to stop. He wanted the battle to last for hours, just so he could have the experience continue.

"Spike, head for cover! Hurry!" yelled Willow. Spike hesitated. He didn't know if he should go ahead and save Travis, or abandon him and follow Willow's directions. His moment of hesitation caused Willow to make his decision for him. He was thrown through the air and into the woods. As he landed, he scrambled behind a tree, uncertain of what to expect. He was about to peek around the tree when he heard Willow's voice in his head.

"Spike, stay hidden. I don't want to kill you." Spike sank to the ground and covered himself as best he could. A blinding light filled the area, and an eerie silence followed. After a few seconds, Spike stood up and peered around the tree. The sight before him stunned him. There was ash and dust floating in the air. All of the vampires were gone. Buffy and Auroura were untying Travis. The others were standing around, staring in wonder at the scene before them.

"What happened?" asked Spike as he approached the group. Willow and Tara were smiling.

"We made simulated sunlight!" exclaimed Willow. "Thanks to Beyoncé, we had enough power to pull it off! I don't know if we will be able to do it again, but at least it worked today."

"It was really amazing!" added Tara. "I can't believe how well it worked!"

Buffy, Auroura and Travis came over to the rest of the group, who had gathered near the tree, where Beyoncé and Dawn had stayed. As they approached, Beyoncé stood up and smiled weakly. Everyone turned to face Travis, as Auroura began introductions.

"Everyone, this it Travis. Travis, these are my friends, Buffy, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, Giles, Dawn, Spike, and Beyoncé," she said as she pointed to each of them.

"Um… Hello. Nice to meet you," said Travis.

"So, what do you do," asked Giles.

"I…" began Travis, nervously.

"He manages my finances," explained Auroura, not wishing to go into detail about exactly what Travis did.

"Oh!" said Anya. She stepped forward and offered her hand. Travis shook it, and the others laughed. Travis gave Auroura a questioning look, but she just smiled at him.

"So, now that the day has been saved, what do we do?" asked Spike.

"I don't know," said Buffy. "I don't want to go home, yet. I am still feeling a bit wired. Think I'll patrol for a little while. Care to join me?"

"Okay. Sounds good," answered Spike. With that, Buffy and Spike headed off into the woods. As they reached the edge of the clearing, Buffy reached out and grabbed Spike's hand.

Willow watched them go, and then turned to the remaining members of the group. Auroura was tending to Travis, and Giles was just standing there, looking lost. Tara was also just standing there, but she seemed to be trying to reach some sort of decision. Willow had an idea what she was thinking.

"Shall we go, then?" Willow asked. Tara didn't respond. Willow stepped closer and put her hand on Tara's arm. Tara jumped, and looked up at Willow. Willow could tell that Tara was trying to figure something out.

"What is it?"

"I d-don't know. Something just doesn't seem right."

"Like what?" asked Giles.

"I am not certain. It just seems that we missed something. Like it was too easy."

"I know what you mean," agreed Giles. "There's more to this than we are seeing."

"But, what else could there be? We stopped them from performing the spell, and we killed all of the vampires," said Willow.

"That's it!" yelled Tara. "The vampires! Why were there only vampires?"

"What do you mean?" asked Giles.

"Why was the group comprised only of vampires? When we were in the cemetery, to resurrect Buffy, one of Glory's minions attacked Dawn. He got away. I am assuming that others are still out there, too. Yet… Not one of them was involved in the ritual to bring her back?"

"My God," said Giles. "You're right! But that means…"

"You didn't stop the ritual."

The statement made them turn to the woods. One of Glory's minions stood at the edge of the clearing. He looked as though he had been attacked recently. His robes were torn and smeared with dirt, and he had scrapes and bruises on his face and arms. He almost fell as he took another step into the clearing. Giles and Xander rushed over to him, offering support. He smiled weakly as he accepted their help.

"You did exactly as you were meant to do. While you were here, stopping this fake ritual, the real ritual was taking place underground. I tried to stop them… Not everyone worships Glory… They turned on me, and I was cast out. I rushed here to try to warn you in time, but… I fear it is too late."

"What?" asked Dawn. She was visibly upset. She began shaking and looking around.

"I fear that Glory has found a new Vessel, and may already be back," explained the minion.

"Do you know who the Vessel is?" demanded Giles.

"No… I was thrown out before the Vessel was prepared." The minion fell to the ground, despite the support being offered by Xander and Giles. Xander knelt beside him as Giles turned to Travis.

"Do you have any idea who the Vessel is?" Giles asked Travis.

"I… No. I was looking for Auroura when I started being chased. For all I know, I was just a convenient target. Sorry."

"It isn't your fault," Giles assured him. He turned away, thinking out loud, "That means it could be any living male…"

"No…" said the minion. "You are wrong… The Vessel…" He coughed up some blood, but kept talking. "The Vessel has to be neither male…" There was a sharp intake of breath, and everyone gathered closer, hoping to hear what the minion said next. "Neither male, nor living… Just animated…" That was it. The minion coughed once more, and then was silent.

"Animated?" asked Anya.

"Yes… I see now," said Giles.

"So, don't keep it to yourself! This concerns all of us!" screamed Dawn. She was close to hysterics, constantly looking over her shoulders, making sure there was nothing coming after her. Willow and Tara stepped closer to her, trying to reassure her.

"The Vessel could be anyone; male or female, living or dead. O-or, undead, actually. A vampire, perhaps."

"Great!" said Xander. "That means it could be anyone in Sunnydale! How are we supposed to find out who this Vessel was?"

"We need to find Buffy," said Dawn. "Buffy will know what to do. She always knows what to do…"

"Of course… We'll go after her now," said Beyoncé. No one questioned this. They all just headed off in the direction that Spike and Buffy had gone. Once they were all in the woods, the minion sat up, smiled, and then rose to his feet. He started whistling as he headed off in the opposite direction.

***

Spike and Buffy were wandering, almost aimlessly, searching for any signs of trouble. They had been walking for only a few minutes when they came out of an alley and discovered a group of Glory's minions. The sight of those minions caused Buffy to stop in her tracks. She was suddenly aware that there was more to the story than she knew.

"Spike! We messed up! And, possibly a fatal one! We have to find Dawn, and make sure she is still safe!"

"Buffy, calm down. I think it would be in our best interest, and Dawn's, to check this out more before we go scaring anybody."

"You're right," said Buffy as she settled down a little. She turned back towards the minions, and just observed them for a moment. "They seem happy… Like they have done something major."

"As if they fooled the Slayer and her friends into stopping a fake ritual while they performed the real one without anyone even knowing?"

"Exactly. We have to find out what they have done, and quickly. If Glory is back, she will be going after Dawn."

"No, Buffy, I don't think she will. At least, not Dawn specifically. She knows that Dawn's blood can no longer open the portal. She also knows that you were directly responsible for stopping her. She will be after you."

"But, she also knows that Dawn means more to me than anyone else. She will go after Dawn to make me suffer. That's the way she works! She'll kill everyone who means anything to me, and then she will come after me! She already said that!"

"Buffy… Calm down. We need to go in there and find out what has happened. Then, once we are certain, we will find the others, okay?"

"Okay… You're right. We need to know." She walked around the gathering, and grabbed one of the minions. She pulled him back into the alley. She threw him onto the ground and straddled him. She then broke his nose. He cried out, but his cry was cut short by Buffy, who placed her hand over his mouth. Spike stared in wonder. He had no idea that Buffy could be so cruel.

"Alright. I think we have an understanding," Buffy told the minion. "You tell me what I want to know, and I won't cause you any more pain. Understand?" The minion nodded.

"Buffy," said Spike.

"Not now, Spike! I'm busy. Deal with whatever it is, okay?" She turned back to the minion. "Now, I need to know what you guys did over there. Start talking!"

"What we did?" asked the minion as soon as Buffy took her hand away from his mouth. "We raised our master. Glorificus has returned! Don't hurt me anymore!"

"Where is she? Who is her host?" demanded Buffy as she got to her feet. The minion took advantage of the moment and knocked Buffy over. He scrambled to his feet and headed out of the alley. Spike caught him, and in the struggle that ensued, the minion's neck was broken. Spike stared down at the body at his feet. He turned to Buffy.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to kill him. I was just trying to stop him."

"I know," said Buffy as she reached out and touched his arm. She turned towards the gathering place, and discovered that they were all disbanding. "We have a problem, and I don't just mean that Glory is back."

"What? Another problem? What else could go wrong?"

"I am finding it harder and harder to focus on fighting. I'd rather be… Doing other things… With you."

"Buffy, you have to focus! They're all leaving! We have to stop them!"

"No, we don't," she said as she shook her head, clearing her mind. "We have to find the others, and make sure they are all aware of what has happened. We need to get somewhere safe, and prepare for Glory. She'll come to us. Let's go."

They headed back the way they had come, and were shocked to discover that the others were heading toward them. Buffy stopped, unable to imagine why the others would be searching for them so soon. Dawn noticed her and rushed forward. There were tears streaming down her face. Buffy was released from her paralysis and started running towards Dawn. They both froze in their tracks as Glory stepped out of shadows. She was between them, and staring at Dawn.

"Hello," said Glory as she smiled. "You are supposed to be dead. I can fix that." She reached out to grab Dawn as Buffy crashed into her from behind. Glory and Buffy fell to the ground as Giles grabbed Dawn and pulled her back. The others crowded around Dawn and together, they made their way into a building. Buffy and Spike were attacking Glory, but it was obvious that Glory was going to defeat them. She picked Spike up and threw him. He hit a brick wall and fell to the ground. He wasn't moving.

"Oh, no!" screamed Auroura. "He's human again! The blood worked too quickly!" She reached for the door, but Xander stopped her.

Beyoncé grabbed Willow's hand, and Willow grasped Tara's. Beyoncé then began speaking in a strange language. There was a flash of blue light, and, their vision cleared, they discovered that Glory was gone. Buffy was kneeling beside Spike. She reached out to him, her hand trembling. He opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"I thought…" moaned Buffy. Spike sat up carefully and embraced her.

"I am okay… Hitting a brick wall with that much force hurts vampires, too, you know. We are immortal, but we still feel pain." Buffy looked up at him. There were tears in her eyes. Spike didn't have time to come up with anything else to say, because the others came up behind them.

"Buffy? Are you okay?" asked Dawn. Buffy nodded. Auroura was checking Spike over. Giles helped Buffy get to her feet, as Xander did the same for Spike. The two exchanged a glance. Xander smiled slightly. Spike nodded and patted him on the shoulder. Dawn stayed beside Buffy, and Spike stepped up beside her as well. Giles walked directly behind Buffy, with Beyoncé behind Dawn. Auroura and Travis were behind Spike. Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya brought up the rear. They all headed to the magic shop.

***

Glory appeared in the cemetery, on top of the ruins of Spike's crypt. She looked around, stunned that she had been teleported. She bent down and picked up a stone from the rubble. She crushed it in her hand to help release some of her anger. As her anger subsided, she started walking back towards town. She had a pretty good idea where to find the Slayer. As she walked, however, her control over her new body slipped, and her host regained control. Glory morphed.

"What am I doing here?" asked Harmony as she looked around.

***

"We need a plan. I can't fight her. She's too strong," admitted Buffy when everyone had settled in at the magic shop. She turned to Giles, who shook his head, indicating that he had no ideas.

"I have an idea," said Beyoncé. "But… It's tricky. And, there will be some major consequences."

"Go on," said Buffy.

"There's a spell… Very powerful, and older than most known forms of magic. I believe we could use it to…"

"To what? Kill Glory?" asked Dawn.

"Not exactly. The spell will rid us of Glory, but… Magic is a tricky thing. Arcane magic is even more complex, and more powerful, than the magic that is practiced today. I am older than all of you put together, even the vampires and ex-demon. In my lifetime I have seen and done spells that would make all of the things you consider to be great magic seem like mere parlor tricks. The spell can be used to send Glory back to her home dimension, and seal the gateway between the two dimensions."

"That's wonderful! We'll be rid of her for good, then!" exclaimed Dawn.

"But, as I said, there are some serious consequences, which have to be considered carefully. The spell cannot be reversed, so we have to be absolutely certain that this is what we want to do. The spell is so powerful that it will alter the entire universe."

"What exactly does that mean?" asked Giles.

"It means that things will be different. There will be some minor changes, and there will be major changes. I have witnessed the spell performed twice. Each time, the changes were different. They appear to be random, too. Minor changes that I have witnessed have included elemental changes in the Earth. There could be more of some elements, while others are lessened. Some of the major consequences, though, have been disastrous: the shifting of the orbits of planets, the destruction of civilizations, and the extinction of entire species."

"And, there is no way to determine ahead of time what the consequences might be?" queried Giles.

"I… I never actually thought about it. I don't know."

"Okay," said Buffy. "Giles, can you work with Beyoncé, Willow and Tara to see if we can use this spell. If not, perhaps we can find another one to use. Xander, I need you and Spike to help me turn this place into a fortress. Can you do it?"

"I think so. But, it won't be easy," answered Xander.

"I know. Especially since we have no idea when Glory might get here."

"What about me? What can I do?" asked Anya.

"Well, we seem to have two projects going on right now. Choose one, and do whatever you can to help," said Buffy. Then she turned to Auroura, Travis, and Dawn. "That goes for you guys as well. The sooner we are prepared for Glory's next attack, the better."

***

Harmony knew that something was wrong, but wasn't able to figure out what it was. She also knew that there were people who could help her figure out what was wrong. Unfortunately, those people were also her enemies. Well, all of them except for Spike. He might be willing to help her. She decided to track him down and ask for his help. She went back to the cemetery, and was surprised to find that Spike's crypt was now a pile of rubble. She had a few ideas of where he might be, but didn't know where to start.

She started to feel strange, like someone was trying to hurt her. She looked around, but saw no one. The feeling of impending trouble grew stronger, and she searched for a place to hide. There weren't many options in the cemetery, so she ran, trying to get out of the graveyard. No matter where she went, or how fast she ran, the feeling of dread got stronger. She finally decided that there was only one place she could turn for help, and headed to The Magic Box.

***

"We've been doing research for over an hour," said Giles, "and we are no closer to figuring out anything than we were when we started."

"What if…" began Tara. The others turned to her, and she froze. She hated being the center f attention, but felt the need to express her idea. It could work, if they did everything correctly.

"What? What if what?" asked Dawn. Tara looked at her and smiled. Dawn realized that Tara was nervous. "Go ahead and tell us."

"Well… We have three very powerful witches here, and you, Giles… You've used magic in the past, and you have a great deal of knowledge about all sorts of things, including magic and its effects…"

"Yes, w-well I…" stammered Giles.

"What I am suggesting is… What if we made a new spell?"

"I don't know," said Giles. The concern in his voice was obvious.

"Hmm… it would be tricky," explained Beyoncé. "This is a lot more difficult than anything I have ever done before. We're talking about messing with arcane power. Things that we were never meant to deal with. We'll have to come up with a spell that will not only open a controlled portal, but that will also force Glory into that portal. And, just Glory. We don't want the rest of us getting sucked in. We will also have to do a lot of research, making certain that the dimension to which we send her is the one that came from. Otherwise, we risk her attempting to get home from that dimension, causing us more problems, which we will never be able to foresee…"

"And…" began Dawn. They all turned to look at her. "Well… It's just that… We have to do something about the person that she is in, don't we? I mean, she has a new host, and that person is innocent. We can't let them be harmed, can we?"

"Of course not," said Tara. "But if we were to translate the original spell, so that we know exactly what it says, and what all it includes, then we can work on duplicating the actual results, while eliminating the side effects."

"Can it be done?" asked Willow.

"Yes!" said Tara, more forcefully than she had intended. "I mean…"

"She's right," confirmed Beyoncé. "If we know exactly what we want the spell to do, and take the precautions to eliminate the side effects, we should be able to make it work. Unfortunately, it will take time. A lot of time, in fact, and that is what we are lacking in."

"Not necessarily," said Willow. "I mean, we don't have a lot of time, but we can get more time…"

"What do you mean?" asked Giles. But Tara was the one who answered.

"We can work in teams," she said with a smile. "You and Beyoncé work on translating the spell, while Willow and I cast a few spells to slow Glory down. We may not be strong enough to stop her completely, but we can certainly buy a little more time. When we are done, we will come back and help with the rest of the spell."

"I don't know," said Giles.

"Let them do it," said Buffy as she stepped into the room. "I was listening to what they were saying. It might work. I was coming to get them to help us with the fortification of the building. That can be part of the spells that they cast. But, we still have to hurry. We don't know how Glory came back. We don't know if she is at full strength or not. If she isn't, then she will have to do something to regain her power. While she is doing that, we have time. If she did come back at full strength, then we have a lot less time to get things ready."

***

Harmony wandered through the streets of Sunnydale. She had a headache, and wasn't sure what was causing it. She needed to find Spike. He would help her. At this point in time, she would even settle for finding Buffy. Being staked was starting to sound nice compared to the pain that was filling her head, blinding her, confusing her… She decided that she didn't want to fight anymore. She was ready to give up. She gave in to the pain, and felt a sensation of falling. She never hit anything, but was oddly comforted in the darkness. There was no pain, and for that she was truly grateful.

Glory took over the body and looked around. She recognized the buildings. She'd had an apartment in one of them, until the Slayer interfered with her plans. But, now that she was back, she was going to make sure that the Slayer, and all of her friends, suffered for what they had done to her. She could think of nothing else. There were only the urgent, all-consuming thoughts about her revenge. She thought about where she should go first. Perhaps she would start with Dawn. Since Glory could no longer use her blood to open the portal to her own dimension, perhaps it would be best to spill it all over the Slayer's house, just to show her how futile her efforts truly were.

Walking quickly, she made her way to Buffy's house. She stood across the street from it and watched it in silence for several moments. She knew that there was no one home. She thought about where they would be. How long had she been forced out of her host? Did they know who her host was? She decided that she would go check the magic shop. She knew that was one of their favorite places to gather. She walked back the way she had come.

She was in the heart of the town in just a few moments, and she headed towards the Magic Box. Suddenly, a loud noise, much like a siren, began. It filled the town, seeming to come from everywhere at once. Glory ignored it and continued walking towards the magic shop.

***

Willow and Tara had just finished their spells when the alarm sounded. Everyone jumped, and then froze. Willow and Tara exchanged a glance. They knew immediately what it was. Buffy appeared beside them.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked.

"The wards for Glory," said Tara as she nodded her head.

"She's here," added Willow.

Dawn burst into the room, a frightened look on her face. She looked at the door, and then at Buffy. Buffy could see that she was panicking. Buffy sympathized. She wished that she could just panic, but knew that if she did, everyone would suffer. She grabbed Dawn and gently pushed her behind the counter. She turned to Willow and Tara.

"You two! Go see if Giles and Beyoncé have made any progress on the spell! We don't know how long it will take her to break through our defenses!" The girls hesitated. "Go!" screamed Buffy. The two of them exchanged a frightened look, and then headed to the other room.

Dawn pushed past Buffy and followed them. Buffy made no effort to stop her. Instead, she went to the window and looked outside. Glory was standing on the street, directly in front of the shop. She had her arm raised, as if ready to hit someone. She thrust it forward, and it stopped at the curb, sending red sparks flying off to the sides. There was an invisible barrier, and Glory was trying to knock it down.

Xander appeared beside Buffy, looking outside with her. Buffy was afraid that the barrier wouldn't last long enough to let them finish their plans. Xander placed his hand on her shoulder. She jumped, as if startled, and turned to face him.

"I think we're ready," he explained. Buffy nodded and headed to the back room, with a determined look on her face. Xander stared out the window for a moment, watching as Glory begins pounding on the barrier with both hands. She is screaming something, but there is no sound. He turned and followed Buffy into the other room.

"So, we can control the side effects to a limited degree," Giles was saying. "But, we have no way of knowing for certain what they will be. Just where they will occur."

"That's fine… So, what's the next step?" asked Buffy.

"The next step is to get everyone out of here, except the three of us," said Beyoncé, as she indicated herself, Willow and Tara.

"What?" demanded Dawn.

"We have to perform the spell from inside the barrier. Once everyone else is securely out of the barrier, we will let Glory in, and we will perform the spell. We should be perfectly safe, as long as Glory doesn't get to us."

Dawn just stared at her new friend, unable to believe what was happening. She was about to protest, but she knew it would do no good. She hung her head and waited to find out what was going to happen. Willow, Tara and Beyoncé stepped into the other room, where they could still be seen. Willow nodded at Buffy. Buffy walked over and pulled open the back door. There was a flash of blue light in front of the door. Buffy stepped outside. The others walked out behind her, one at a time. They stood in the alley and waited. Buffy shut the door, and the blue light flashed again. The group moved cautiously away from the building.

***

Once the others had left the shop, Beyoncé turned to the front door. The front of the shop collapsed, and they could see Glory. She froze for an instant, and then continued banging on the barrier. Tara raised her hand to point at Glory. She fell forward in a flash of blue light. She stood up, and realized that she was inside the barrier. She stormed forward, intending to kill the first person she came into contact with.

The three witches began chanting. Glory froze in place. She tried in vain to move, but was unable.

"That's a holding spell," explained Beyoncé. "You cannot move until we release you. We are sending you home, Glorificus."

At the sound of her name, Glory stopped trying to break free of the spell. She glared at the witch, trying to determine if what she said was the truth. She looked from Beyoncé to Willow to Tara. They all seemed too confident.

"We have modified an ancient spell, and are ready and willing to sacrifice ourselves in the effort to permanently expel you from this dimension," explained Beyoncé. The other two nodded their agreement.

"But, why?" asked Glory. She couldn't understand why they would be willing to help her, after all she had done.

"Because, this is the only way that we can all get what we want. You want to go home, and we want you out of here. We could fight you, but, even if we managed to defeat you again, we would suffer in the fight." Glory nodded, as if she was finally beginning to understand. She said nothing more, but didn't try to move, either. The three witches formed a triangle around her and began chanting once again.

There was a wind inside the barrier, and the items around the shop began flying around. Tara noticed that the others had made their way to the front of the shop. They were standing in the street, staring intently at what was happening. A red light appeared above Glory. It started out the size of a dime, but quickly grew. There was a flash of white light, and everything went black.

***

"What is happening?" screamed Dawn. She was standing at the edge of the barrier, her hands cupped to the sides of her face. Inside the barrier, they could see nothing but white mist.

"I don't know," said Giles as he shook his head. He feared that there would be nothing left inside the barrier. He stepped up beside Dawn and placed his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged him off and continued her search. Buffy was beside her, also searching. They were all gathered in the same spot where Glory had stood just moments before.

"I don't understand," said Anya. "They are obviously still alive in there." Everyone turned to face her, waiting for an explanation. "Well, if they had died, then the barrier would have collapsed immediately. The fact that it is still up means that they are still alive."

"Alive, yes," said Giles. There was something in his voice that caused everyone to turn and face him. "Alive, but at what cost? They are probably different. We all knew that there were great risks involved with this spell. The side effects, especially since they were so unpredictable, could have done just about anything to them."

"What are you saying?" demanded Dawn.

"I am saying that they may not be the same now as they were when we left them. They all used arcane powers that should have been lost to humans long ago. Magic that powerful is dangerous, and it always comes at a price. They may not even be human anymore…"

"No!" screamed Dawn. "No! They did all of this to save us! To save me!! They have to be okay!" She turned her attention back tot eh barrier, pounding on it the same way that Glory had pounded on it less than fifteen minutes before. She started crying. Buffy reached out to comfort her, but Dawn collapsed to the ground. The barrier was gone, and the mist was starting to dissipate. Dawn looked up.

There was a figure staggering out of the mist, coming straight at them. They all drew deep breaths and waited. Three other figures formed behind the first one. Slowly, the first figure came into view. It was Harmony! They all stared in amazement. That was one thing that none of them had expected. In fact, they had all forgotten that Glory's host was supposed to be freed during the spell. Spike grabbed Harmony's arm and led her over to the curb. She sat down.

Slowly, Tara, Willow, and Beyoncé made their way out of the mist. They all seemed a little disoriented, but other than that, they seemed fine. Dawn rushed forward, and helped Beyoncé as Buffy and Giles met Tara and Willow. The group sat in the street, watching as the last of the mist cleared away. There was nothing left. The Magic shop was gone. In its place was an empty lot.

"Are you okay?" Dawn asked Beyoncé.

"I… I think so. Only… I am different. I feel part of myself is missing." The young witch shook her head, as if trying to clear her thoughts. "There is something different, but I am not yet certain of what it is."

"I know what you mean," said Willow.

"I feel it, too," added Tara. "It's like… Like I am not whole anymore. Something, some part of who I am, is just… Gone."

"Are you going to be okay?" asked Buffy.

"I don't know…" said Tara. Willow and Beyoncé nodded their agreement.

"But, we'll find out," said Beyoncé.

"Together," finished Willow, as she smiled and wrapped her arm around Tara. Tara smiled back.

The sun rose, casting shadows over the street, and making the few remaining strands of mist seem to glow. Everyone turned to the sun, squinting. Then, almost as an afterthought, they all turned to face Harmony and Spike. They were standing in the sunlight, staring at each other. They weren't burning.

"I… I'm human again," said Spike.

"I'm not a vampire anymore? But, how?" asked Harmony.

"The spell," said Willow. Everyone nodded like this simple statement had explained everything. To them, it did. Spike walked over to Buffy and put his arm around her. Willow and Tara were snuggling. Anya and Xander were kissing. Auroura and Travis were smiling at each other. Dawn was helping Beyoncé explain everything to Harmony.

"Well, the world is safe once again," said Giles. "Thanks for the lovely evening. I am going home." He turned and walked away. The others nodded their agreement, and then headed off to their own directions, all of them smiling at the dawn of a new day.