Buffy, Angel, Willow, and the rest of the Scooby Gang all sat around the
table in the Magic Box discussing her birthday. Buffy was opposed to it
while everyone else, including Angel, was for it.
"Look, I know mom wants to gather and make with the merry tomorrow night, but with
everything going on.." Buffy said.
Willow cut her off. "This is exactly what you need! A twentieth birthday party with presents and funny hats and candles you can't blow out!" She looked at Tara. "Those used to scare me."
"Me too!" Tara said.
"I just don't know if this is a good time to break out the party piƱata, Will. We need to stay focused if we're going to find a way to stop Glory." Buffy said.
"We're going up against a god. An actual, mightier-than-thou god." Xander said.
"You know what they say. The bigger they are.." Willow said.
"The faster they stomp you into nothin'." Anya finished.
"She's right. Angel and I've thrown everything we got at her, and she just shrugs it off." Buffy said.
"Then we have to find something heavier to throw." Willow said.
"That might pose some difficulty. From what the Council has been able to discover from the Book of Tarnis and other sources, Glory and two of her fellow Hellgods ruled one of the particularly nastier demon dimensions." Giles said.
"There's more than one?" Buffy asked.
"There are thousands of demon dimensions. All different." Angel said. "And all pushing at the edges of this reality, trying to find a way in."
"I guess Glory found one. The question is why?"
"There's nothing here to indicate. Just vague references to chaos and destruction." Giles said, looking through a book.
"Just once I'd like to hear a reference to balloon animals." Willow said.
"Okay, so we know where Glory's from, but what do we know about her? She's tough, yeah, but no bolts of lightening or blasts of fire. Shouldn't a god be able to do that kind of stuff?" Buffy asked.
"Usually, yes. Being in human form must be severely limiting her powers. All we have to worry about now is her being immortal, invulnerable, and on the constant brink of
insanity." Giles said.
"A crazy Hellgod? And the fun just keeps on leaving." Xander said.
"The way I see it, living in our world is affecting her mentally. She's only able to keep her mind intact by extracting energy from us from the human, well, from the human brain."
"She's a brain sucker?" Tara asked.
"She absorbs the energies that bind the human mind into a cohesive whole. But once drained, all that's left behind.."
"Are crazy people." Buffy finished.
"I'm afraid that's why there's been a marked increase in the ranks of the mentally disturbed here in Sunnydale."
"At least vampires just kill you." Tara said.
"We have to come up with something to stop her." Buffy said.
"Tara and I could work on some tactical spells. If she's not too punchable, maybe she's not totally invulnerable to magic." Willow suggested.
"That's a start."
"I can help with the research. I know way more about demon dimensions than Giles." Anya said. Giles stared at her. "Well I do."
"This is all great long term plan-y stuff, but what about this Key thingy Glory's looking for?" Xander asked.
"Yeah. Shouldn't we be trying to find it before she does?" Tara asked.
"I don't think we have to worry about that." Buffy said.
"They got a point. Whatever Glory's planning on opening with the Key I'm guessing it won't be filled with flowers and candy." Willow said.
"So where should we start looking? Do we know where it used to be kept? Who saw it last?" Xander asked.
"We did. Giles, Angel, and me. We know where it is, so.." Buffy said.
"You what?!"
"You know and you didn't tell us?" Willow asked.
"There were reasons." Angel said.
"If Glory found out you knew where it was.. We didn't want to put you in that kind of danger." Buffy said.
"As opposed to the other kind we're always in? Glory's going nuts trying to get her hands on the Key, and you've known where it is all along?" Xander asked.
"You should have told us." Willow said.
"Willow.." Buffy paused. "You're right." She looked at Angel.
"You sure?" he asked.
"They're going to be risking their lives. They deserve to know."
"Know what?" Xander asked.
"There's something I have to tell you. About Dawn.."
"What about Da.." Willow started. Then she got it. "Oh."
"Dawn's the Key? Out little Dawnster?" Xander asked.
"About six months ago, these monks made her and sent her to me. They redid all of our memories so we would never know what it was like without Dawn there. I've tried to remember, but I can't." Buffy said.
"It's weird trying to. After Buffy and I found out that first time we fought Glory, we spent hours trying to figure it all out." Angel said.
"But, how could Dawn not be real? I've known her as long as I've known you Buffy." Willow said.
"She was.. Actually, I don't know what she was before she was Dawn. But, I need you guys to act normal around her. I don't want you to let her know. She's got enough piled on her being a teenager. I don't think finding out she's not real would help much." Buffy said.
"We'll do our best Buffy."
"Yeah. We promise." Xander said.
Buffy, Giles, and Angel came out of the training area the next afternoon. They had been talking about Buffy's training and planning things out. Buffy was proud of her friends. They were doing ok at acting normal.
"I'm not sure our basic work-out is challenging you anymore. Perhaps we should make it harder." Giles said.
"You always think harder is better. Maybe next time I patrol, I should carry bricks and use a stake made out of butter." Buffy said. Dawn put her backpack on the counter next to Giles' notebook and pulled out her note pad diary.
"Very amusing." Giles said.
"I bet Dawn feels like that with her school work sometimes." Angel said.
"Hey, Dawn. That true? How was school today?" Buffy asked.
"The usual. A big square building filled with boredom and despair." Dawn said.
"Just how I remember it. So what's the homework sitch?"
"We're supposed to imagine what we'll be like in ten years and write a letter to our future
self. The teacher's clearly so out of ideas. Wanna help?"
"Maybe later. I got a few things to take care of."
"Is it about that weird girl that came to the house?"
"Glory. And no, it's not."
"Like you'd tell me anyway. 'Dawn's too young.' 'Dawn's too delicate.'"
"Right. A young delicate pain in the butt."
"I think you're just freaking out 'cuz you have to fight someone prettier than you. That's the big crisis, isn't it?"
"Dawn, Glory is powerful, evil and is no way prettier than me."
"I'm gonna have to vouch for that last one." Angel said.
"You're supposed to say that." Dawn said.
"Am not."
"You know you are. Buffy would kick your butt."
"Your sister can't touch me." Angel walked behind the counter to talk to Giles.
"Maybe you're just getting soft in your advanced age. She didn't look that tough to me." Dawn said to Buffy.
"Right. And did you see the bruises all over my body both times I fought her?" Buffy asked.
"You probably inflicted those to make her look tougher." Dawn walked away and sat at the table to do her homework.
Buffy walked over to Angel and he took her back into the training room. "Ooh! Secret rendez vous in the training room."
"Maybe." Angel said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply.
"You know what today is?"
"Hmm?"
"Exactly three years ago, you seduced me and took my virginity."
"I seduced you? If I remember correctly, you told me not to stop and just kiss you."
"Which you did."
"I have an idea."
"Does it involve chocolate and peanut butter?"
"Maybe."
"Does it involve a big comfy bed with satiny sheets?"
"Maybe."
"Does it involve both of us being naked and humping like bunnies?"
"No."
Buffy pulled away slightly and looked at him. "No?"
"No. I'm going to make it slow and full of love. Just like the first time."
"Ooh. Happiness." Buffy curled back into Angel's arms and lifted her lips to his.
Later that night, everyone was at Buffy's house celebrating. A bright banner ran across the wall behind Buffy that said "Happy Birthday" on it. Buffy sat in the big comfy chair on Angel's lap. The rest of the gang stood around in various places while Joyce and Dawn were curled up on the couch.
"Presents!" Buffy said.
"See? Just what you needed." Willow said.
"You are very, very wise. Now gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!" Buffy took a present from Willow and started to open it.
"This is extremely suspenseful. I want the presents!" Anya said.
Buffy pulled out a dress that was pink and feminine. "Pretty! Thank you!"
"We thought you'd get a lot of crossbows and other killy stuff." Tara said.
"So we figured, less killy, more frilly." Willow assed.
"It's lovely! I wish it was mine!" Anya said. Everyone looked at her strangely. "Oh like you weren't all thinking the same thing."
"I'm fairly certain I wasn't." Giles said.
"I'd like to second to that statement." Angel said.
"Open mine." Dawn said, giving Buffy a hand wrapped gift.
"It's not going to explode, is it?" Buffy asked as she opened it. It was a picture of her and Dawn laughing and hugging each other on the beach, in a frame adorned with seashells. It hit Buffy hard.
"It's when we visited Dad that summer in San Diego. I put the shells on myself. They're the ones we picked off the beach."
"Yeah. I remember." The room was deathly quiet. Dawn shifted uncomfortably, mistaking the atmosphere as everyone being overly touched.
"Jeez, don't get all Movie of the Week. I was just too cheap to buy you a real present."
"Thank you." Buffy hugged Dawn tight.
"Well, I feel bad now. Everyone gets you a pretty thing and I got you this." Xander handed Buffy a long box wrapped in bright wrapping paper.
Buffy tore into it and pulled out a large broadsword. "Oh! Shiny! I love it Xander. Thank you."
"Anything for the Buffster."
"I wanted to get you something pretty, but Xander insisted on the sword thing." Anya said.
"Well, thank you. I like this just as much as the pretty stuff." Buffy said. "Besides, I think Giles got me something from the weapons department at JCPenny."
"I didn't shop at JCPenny. That's a woman's store." Giles said.
"Well, A: it has men's clothes too and B: it was a joke. JCPenny doesn't sell weapons. I think."
"Very well. I got you this." Giles handed Buffy a large package. Buffy opened it and brought out an antique crossbow. "It can have about five bolts strapped into it that load after one is shot."
"Oh! I like this one a lot!"
"Hey, we've all given you a present except Angel." Xander said.
"Her mother hasn't." Anya argued.
"Mom gave me her present earlier today." Buffy said.
"Ok. That just leaves Angel." Xander said. "So, Dead Boy, did ya get her anything?"
"Don't call me that." Angel said. "And of course I got her something."
Joyce handed Angel a small package. Buffy started to open it and Angel helped her. When she opened the small velvet box, a beautiful and dainty gold necklace laid on the velvet. There was a heart shaped locket that said "Forever" on it. Buffy opened the locket and a picture of her and Angel was on the right side while an old picture of a couple was on the left side. The woman looked a lot like Angel and the man had Angel's eyes. Buffy assumed it was his parents.
"This was my mother's. Her mother gave it to her and my mother gave it to me. It was in my family for a long time. When the oldest child turned eighteen, the locket was given to them. I was the first male to ever get it so my mother told me to give it to the woman I love. I called a friend at a bank in London about a year ago and asked him to find the locket in the safe box I'd left there over a hundred years ago. He found it a couple of months ago and sent it to me. I wanted to give it to you when you turned 18, but at the time I didn't think it was appropriate because we weren't exactly together. He didn't find it in time for your nineteenth birthday, so I figured: 20 is as good a time as any."
"It's beautiful Angel." Buffy said. She barely got it out because of the lump in her throat and the tears that threatened to fall.
"Put it on."
Buffy handed the locket to Angel and lifter her hair. He slipped it around her neck and fastened the clasp. She turned to him and Angel fingered the word "Forever" on the locket. He looked up at her and she smiled, leaning down to kiss him passionately.
"I love it and I love you. Forever." Buffy said.
"Forever." Angel said into her ear.
"Look, I know mom wants to gather and make with the merry tomorrow night, but with
everything going on.." Buffy said.
Willow cut her off. "This is exactly what you need! A twentieth birthday party with presents and funny hats and candles you can't blow out!" She looked at Tara. "Those used to scare me."
"Me too!" Tara said.
"I just don't know if this is a good time to break out the party piƱata, Will. We need to stay focused if we're going to find a way to stop Glory." Buffy said.
"We're going up against a god. An actual, mightier-than-thou god." Xander said.
"You know what they say. The bigger they are.." Willow said.
"The faster they stomp you into nothin'." Anya finished.
"She's right. Angel and I've thrown everything we got at her, and she just shrugs it off." Buffy said.
"Then we have to find something heavier to throw." Willow said.
"That might pose some difficulty. From what the Council has been able to discover from the Book of Tarnis and other sources, Glory and two of her fellow Hellgods ruled one of the particularly nastier demon dimensions." Giles said.
"There's more than one?" Buffy asked.
"There are thousands of demon dimensions. All different." Angel said. "And all pushing at the edges of this reality, trying to find a way in."
"I guess Glory found one. The question is why?"
"There's nothing here to indicate. Just vague references to chaos and destruction." Giles said, looking through a book.
"Just once I'd like to hear a reference to balloon animals." Willow said.
"Okay, so we know where Glory's from, but what do we know about her? She's tough, yeah, but no bolts of lightening or blasts of fire. Shouldn't a god be able to do that kind of stuff?" Buffy asked.
"Usually, yes. Being in human form must be severely limiting her powers. All we have to worry about now is her being immortal, invulnerable, and on the constant brink of
insanity." Giles said.
"A crazy Hellgod? And the fun just keeps on leaving." Xander said.
"The way I see it, living in our world is affecting her mentally. She's only able to keep her mind intact by extracting energy from us from the human, well, from the human brain."
"She's a brain sucker?" Tara asked.
"She absorbs the energies that bind the human mind into a cohesive whole. But once drained, all that's left behind.."
"Are crazy people." Buffy finished.
"I'm afraid that's why there's been a marked increase in the ranks of the mentally disturbed here in Sunnydale."
"At least vampires just kill you." Tara said.
"We have to come up with something to stop her." Buffy said.
"Tara and I could work on some tactical spells. If she's not too punchable, maybe she's not totally invulnerable to magic." Willow suggested.
"That's a start."
"I can help with the research. I know way more about demon dimensions than Giles." Anya said. Giles stared at her. "Well I do."
"This is all great long term plan-y stuff, but what about this Key thingy Glory's looking for?" Xander asked.
"Yeah. Shouldn't we be trying to find it before she does?" Tara asked.
"I don't think we have to worry about that." Buffy said.
"They got a point. Whatever Glory's planning on opening with the Key I'm guessing it won't be filled with flowers and candy." Willow said.
"So where should we start looking? Do we know where it used to be kept? Who saw it last?" Xander asked.
"We did. Giles, Angel, and me. We know where it is, so.." Buffy said.
"You what?!"
"You know and you didn't tell us?" Willow asked.
"There were reasons." Angel said.
"If Glory found out you knew where it was.. We didn't want to put you in that kind of danger." Buffy said.
"As opposed to the other kind we're always in? Glory's going nuts trying to get her hands on the Key, and you've known where it is all along?" Xander asked.
"You should have told us." Willow said.
"Willow.." Buffy paused. "You're right." She looked at Angel.
"You sure?" he asked.
"They're going to be risking their lives. They deserve to know."
"Know what?" Xander asked.
"There's something I have to tell you. About Dawn.."
"What about Da.." Willow started. Then she got it. "Oh."
"Dawn's the Key? Out little Dawnster?" Xander asked.
"About six months ago, these monks made her and sent her to me. They redid all of our memories so we would never know what it was like without Dawn there. I've tried to remember, but I can't." Buffy said.
"It's weird trying to. After Buffy and I found out that first time we fought Glory, we spent hours trying to figure it all out." Angel said.
"But, how could Dawn not be real? I've known her as long as I've known you Buffy." Willow said.
"She was.. Actually, I don't know what she was before she was Dawn. But, I need you guys to act normal around her. I don't want you to let her know. She's got enough piled on her being a teenager. I don't think finding out she's not real would help much." Buffy said.
"We'll do our best Buffy."
"Yeah. We promise." Xander said.
Buffy, Giles, and Angel came out of the training area the next afternoon. They had been talking about Buffy's training and planning things out. Buffy was proud of her friends. They were doing ok at acting normal.
"I'm not sure our basic work-out is challenging you anymore. Perhaps we should make it harder." Giles said.
"You always think harder is better. Maybe next time I patrol, I should carry bricks and use a stake made out of butter." Buffy said. Dawn put her backpack on the counter next to Giles' notebook and pulled out her note pad diary.
"Very amusing." Giles said.
"I bet Dawn feels like that with her school work sometimes." Angel said.
"Hey, Dawn. That true? How was school today?" Buffy asked.
"The usual. A big square building filled with boredom and despair." Dawn said.
"Just how I remember it. So what's the homework sitch?"
"We're supposed to imagine what we'll be like in ten years and write a letter to our future
self. The teacher's clearly so out of ideas. Wanna help?"
"Maybe later. I got a few things to take care of."
"Is it about that weird girl that came to the house?"
"Glory. And no, it's not."
"Like you'd tell me anyway. 'Dawn's too young.' 'Dawn's too delicate.'"
"Right. A young delicate pain in the butt."
"I think you're just freaking out 'cuz you have to fight someone prettier than you. That's the big crisis, isn't it?"
"Dawn, Glory is powerful, evil and is no way prettier than me."
"I'm gonna have to vouch for that last one." Angel said.
"You're supposed to say that." Dawn said.
"Am not."
"You know you are. Buffy would kick your butt."
"Your sister can't touch me." Angel walked behind the counter to talk to Giles.
"Maybe you're just getting soft in your advanced age. She didn't look that tough to me." Dawn said to Buffy.
"Right. And did you see the bruises all over my body both times I fought her?" Buffy asked.
"You probably inflicted those to make her look tougher." Dawn walked away and sat at the table to do her homework.
Buffy walked over to Angel and he took her back into the training room. "Ooh! Secret rendez vous in the training room."
"Maybe." Angel said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply.
"You know what today is?"
"Hmm?"
"Exactly three years ago, you seduced me and took my virginity."
"I seduced you? If I remember correctly, you told me not to stop and just kiss you."
"Which you did."
"I have an idea."
"Does it involve chocolate and peanut butter?"
"Maybe."
"Does it involve a big comfy bed with satiny sheets?"
"Maybe."
"Does it involve both of us being naked and humping like bunnies?"
"No."
Buffy pulled away slightly and looked at him. "No?"
"No. I'm going to make it slow and full of love. Just like the first time."
"Ooh. Happiness." Buffy curled back into Angel's arms and lifted her lips to his.
Later that night, everyone was at Buffy's house celebrating. A bright banner ran across the wall behind Buffy that said "Happy Birthday" on it. Buffy sat in the big comfy chair on Angel's lap. The rest of the gang stood around in various places while Joyce and Dawn were curled up on the couch.
"Presents!" Buffy said.
"See? Just what you needed." Willow said.
"You are very, very wise. Now gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!" Buffy took a present from Willow and started to open it.
"This is extremely suspenseful. I want the presents!" Anya said.
Buffy pulled out a dress that was pink and feminine. "Pretty! Thank you!"
"We thought you'd get a lot of crossbows and other killy stuff." Tara said.
"So we figured, less killy, more frilly." Willow assed.
"It's lovely! I wish it was mine!" Anya said. Everyone looked at her strangely. "Oh like you weren't all thinking the same thing."
"I'm fairly certain I wasn't." Giles said.
"I'd like to second to that statement." Angel said.
"Open mine." Dawn said, giving Buffy a hand wrapped gift.
"It's not going to explode, is it?" Buffy asked as she opened it. It was a picture of her and Dawn laughing and hugging each other on the beach, in a frame adorned with seashells. It hit Buffy hard.
"It's when we visited Dad that summer in San Diego. I put the shells on myself. They're the ones we picked off the beach."
"Yeah. I remember." The room was deathly quiet. Dawn shifted uncomfortably, mistaking the atmosphere as everyone being overly touched.
"Jeez, don't get all Movie of the Week. I was just too cheap to buy you a real present."
"Thank you." Buffy hugged Dawn tight.
"Well, I feel bad now. Everyone gets you a pretty thing and I got you this." Xander handed Buffy a long box wrapped in bright wrapping paper.
Buffy tore into it and pulled out a large broadsword. "Oh! Shiny! I love it Xander. Thank you."
"Anything for the Buffster."
"I wanted to get you something pretty, but Xander insisted on the sword thing." Anya said.
"Well, thank you. I like this just as much as the pretty stuff." Buffy said. "Besides, I think Giles got me something from the weapons department at JCPenny."
"I didn't shop at JCPenny. That's a woman's store." Giles said.
"Well, A: it has men's clothes too and B: it was a joke. JCPenny doesn't sell weapons. I think."
"Very well. I got you this." Giles handed Buffy a large package. Buffy opened it and brought out an antique crossbow. "It can have about five bolts strapped into it that load after one is shot."
"Oh! I like this one a lot!"
"Hey, we've all given you a present except Angel." Xander said.
"Her mother hasn't." Anya argued.
"Mom gave me her present earlier today." Buffy said.
"Ok. That just leaves Angel." Xander said. "So, Dead Boy, did ya get her anything?"
"Don't call me that." Angel said. "And of course I got her something."
Joyce handed Angel a small package. Buffy started to open it and Angel helped her. When she opened the small velvet box, a beautiful and dainty gold necklace laid on the velvet. There was a heart shaped locket that said "Forever" on it. Buffy opened the locket and a picture of her and Angel was on the right side while an old picture of a couple was on the left side. The woman looked a lot like Angel and the man had Angel's eyes. Buffy assumed it was his parents.
"This was my mother's. Her mother gave it to her and my mother gave it to me. It was in my family for a long time. When the oldest child turned eighteen, the locket was given to them. I was the first male to ever get it so my mother told me to give it to the woman I love. I called a friend at a bank in London about a year ago and asked him to find the locket in the safe box I'd left there over a hundred years ago. He found it a couple of months ago and sent it to me. I wanted to give it to you when you turned 18, but at the time I didn't think it was appropriate because we weren't exactly together. He didn't find it in time for your nineteenth birthday, so I figured: 20 is as good a time as any."
"It's beautiful Angel." Buffy said. She barely got it out because of the lump in her throat and the tears that threatened to fall.
"Put it on."
Buffy handed the locket to Angel and lifter her hair. He slipped it around her neck and fastened the clasp. She turned to him and Angel fingered the word "Forever" on the locket. He looked up at her and she smiled, leaning down to kiss him passionately.
"I love it and I love you. Forever." Buffy said.
"Forever." Angel said into her ear.
