Spike couldn't believe their luck. He didn't think things had ever gone this badly for him in all his slaying career. Sure he'd had some down right disasters. When Merrick had shot himself to save him. When Jenny had gotten killed. Pushing a sword through the re-ensouled love of his life. But this was different and he knew it.

No one was dead yet. Yet. At least on there side. But Giles was in bad shape and they were trapped.

General Forehead had yet to say anything useful or realise how unreasonable him and his men were being. They weren't strong enough the step up to 'The Beast' so the sought to destroy the Key. They didn't care she was a little girl now. That she had no power herself. That she didn't even remember being this mystical Key everyone was after.

And ten men were dead. Human men. They were fanatics hell bent on killing his sister and anyone in their way, but they were still human. And he had killed them. Was this it? The moment he slid from being a Slayer to just another killer. Had he been fooling himself that there was a difference all along?

Now they were waiting for Ben to arrive. He'd given him his number when Spike's mother had been in hospital. It had to be some small miracle that the number was still in his duster pocket.

When a shout came from outside, Spike asked Buffy to join him and Willow. Ben was standing on the other side of the barrier, surrounded by knights and looking none too happy about it. Spike couldn't blame him. It was brave of him to not turn his car around the moment he saw the encampment.

Willow made a door on Spike's nod and the knights let Ben through unhindered. Spike was inwardly surprised. He been sure they would renege on the deal and try to storm through the second the door was made. He didn't let it show though. He kept his eyes on the forehead that had taken command until they were back behind cover.

Inside, a look shared with Buffy confirmed she'd been thinking the same thing. Her hands were slightly burnt and all cut up. In the moment Spike hadn't really registered the save. But Buffy had grabbed the blade aimed for his head and held it there while it cut into her. Spike would have died on that bus if not for her. How many times was he going to owe her his life?

He let the others deal with Giles. Ben was here and there was nothing else Spike could do for him. They needed a way out.

There were too many of them. Even if him and Buffy were at their peak strength and the chip was absent, they were too many. And as much as they didn't want to see their General dead, they still wouldn't let them walk out of here. They'd let their General die. Eventually the warlocks (or mages or wizards for all he cared) outside would break the barrier spell and they would get in. And they would kill Dawn. They would kill them all.

Ben interrupted his thoughts to tell him that Giles was stable but needed to get out of here. Well duh. They all needed to get out of here. Spike left him to it and wandered back to where the General was being held. He heard the end of whatever Buffy was saying to Xander.

"...run for it. Use General Amour-all here as a shield, get to the Doc's car and-"

But Xander cut her off. "And while all this hacking and slashing is going on, what are you going to be doing? Throwing migraines at them?"

Spike heard Buffy sigh. Probably at the Scoobies constant underestimation of her skills and use.

"Look, we stay we die. At least this way some of us might have-"

Spike could see it all so clearly in his head. He would lead, of course. A weapon in each hand. Try to make a path for the rest of them. Xander trying desperately to drag Giles along with Ben's help, while fighting with his other arm. Buffy putting herself between Dawn and the knights. He had no doubt that's what she'd do. Willow trying to hang on to an unyielding Tara.

It would never work. If they didn't have any archers maybe some of them would make it. But the Knights weren't stupid. Buffy would probably be dust within seconds. Tara and Giles couldn't fight at all. Ben probably had no experience and would die along side them here. And it would be Spike's fault. More blood on his hands.

"No." The word was forceful and it put an end to any stupid discussions.

Buffy looked down at her feet and stubbed out her cigarette. Xander joined her in looking guilty.

"We're all going to make it. I'm not losing anyone." Spike thought he made it sound like he knew what he was doing. "Check the supplies. See if anyone's hungry."

Orders. That's what they needed. It was all the sitting around that led to crazy-arsed suicide plans. Eating would give everyone something to do and they'd feel slightly better without the gnaw of hunger on top of everything else. Spike wasn't going to eat though. He couldn't. If he did he'd probably throw it all back up again.

The General was pleased. Dissension in the ranks, he called it. He started talking then. Filling him in on all the information Giles had spent months trying to find. Kill the man and the God dies. The words echoed around his head. So caught up in them, Spike didn't notice Dawn come in behind him until she spoke.

"What about me?"

Spike turned, taking in her frightened yet curious face.

"What about the Key?"

"Dawn..." Silently begging for her to leave it alone even though he understood she had to know.

"I want to know." Dawn said, giving Spike her own version of resolve face.

"The Key is almost as old as the Beast itself. Where it came from, how it was created... The deepest of mysteries." Spike felt like rolling his eyes, they knew nothing. "All that is certain is that its power is absolute. Countless generations of my people have sacrificed their lives in search of it, to destroy it before its wrath could be unleashed."

Religious twaddle. It was worse than Life of Brian when his followers find his shoe. All I think pretending to be I know.

"But the monks found it first." Dawn said hesitantly.

"Yes." He let out a bitter hiss. "And hid it with their magicks."

"Why didn't they destroy it? If the Key is as dangerous as you-" But the knight interrupted him.

"Because they were fools! They thought they could harness its power for the forces of light. They failed and paid with their blood." He practically spat.

"What do I do? What was I created for?"

And that was the question, wasn't it? What would Glory do to her if she got her hands on Dawn? What was her plan? Use Dawn some how to get herself out of this host guy, whoever he was? Was that what Dawn was the Key to?

"You were created to open the gates that separate dimensions. The Beast will use your power to return home and seize control of the Hell she was banished from."

Go home? For a second it was funny. Then it really wasn't. It wasn't just Dawn and the gang he had to worry about. Surprise, surprise it was the whole world. Everyone one in every dimension everywhere. They would all suffer and die if he failed.

When Spike turned round Dawn was gone. He went after her, leaving the zealot tried up as he was. He found her in one of the side rooms, it's windows boarded up.

"You think it's true? What he said?" She asked still looking though the boarded up window at the knights that surrounded them.

Spike struggled for a second. He wanted to tell her of course not. But he didn't know that. And Dawn knew it too.

"I don't know."

"Destroyer of the universe." She pursed her lips trying not to cry. "Guess cutting school doesn't seem so bad now, huh?"

"It's not you. You know that." He said, hoping she could understand.

"But it's in me, isn't it? It's inside me." Dawn turned away and looked at him. "What are we going to do?"

Spike stepped closer then and pulled her into his arms.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Dawn." Spike grabbed her hand. "I promise."

8888888888888888888

Buffy had been listening in on the conversation with the General and the one with the Bit afterwards. It wasn't like she had to eat like the others and Xander could hand out whatever sandwiches or processed food they'd packed in their flight. So when Dawn had gone to check on Giles, Buffy joined Spike in what looked to be the back office.

"Platelet okay?" She asked his back as he peered through a window at the knights.

"Suppose you heard all that?" He turned to her.

"Yep." She tilted her head trying the get a read off him.

"She's as okay as anyone could be after learning they might have the power to end all life in the universe." Spike sighed.

His shoulders drooped and for a second Buffy saw how tired he really was. She took a step towards him but as she did so his shields went back up and he straightened.

"Spike." That got him, she never said his name allowed. "You know I've got your back right? Whatever the play."

She took another step.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean it. Knew it was a stupid plan. Just being penned in like this. It's getting to everyone." She was close now.

Buffy couldn't help how her body reacted to his. It always had. And for a brief moment she thought she saw the Slayer's eyes flicker to her lips. Then there was shouting.

The Slayer reacted first but Buffy was soon at his heels. Ben was shouting, practically screaming for an exit. Spike called for Willow but before he could finish his sentence, Ben screamed out.

Then he was Glory.

Buffy couldn't move. Ben was Glory! How did she not sense it? Sense anything? And they'd invited him in. Invited Glory on their retreat.

"Well, what do you know! Little Ben finally did something right." The God beamed at them.

"The Beast." The General gasped.

"Hey! It's Gregor." Clearly they'd met.

Within seconds a hubcap was embedded in the knights chest. It galvanized everyone into action. Buffy leapt at her but was struck down, flying into Xander and Anya, cracking two of her only just healed ribs. Looking up she caught a blur of leather go flying into Willow. Glory had hold of Dawn and was already out the door.

There was a boom and a faint trace of magic in there air. Buffy tried to pick herself up but she stood on Xander's finger and set the chip off. Growling she pushed through the pain and dizziness to follow Dawn. The Slayer re-entered the rundown garage and screamed at Willow to bring the barrier down. She didn't know when he left.

The Slayer was out the door again and Buffy left the witch chanting to follow. The barrier fell as she pushed open the door. And was hit with the heady scent of blood. Her demon tried to rise but Buffy pushed it down. Glory was gone and so was Dawn but the knights were still there. They were mostly dead and the rest were soon to follow.

"We... We have to..." Red's voice wavered behind her.

She focused on the car. They had to follow Glory. Get Dawn back. It was that simple.

"The car! Check for keys!" She pointed and was surprised when it was Xander who followed and not the Slayer.

It was unlocked and Buffy nearly ripped the door off in her haste to get inside. Xander opened the other door and joined her frantic search. She could make out Tara crying but put it out of her mind. Dawn. Dawn. Dawn.

"Spike?" Willow's voice wavered again.

"There not here!" Xander shouted over at the rest of them.

"We'll have to boost it! Find something to cut the wires!" She said and Xander ran back towards the garage.

That was when she looked up. The Slayer had sunk to his knees in middle of the carnage. Even from a distance with the occasional fire to light the night, Buffy could see the empty look in his eyes. A look she'd never seen on him. One she'd never thought to see.

Willow was pleading with him to get up. They had to go. But there was no response. Buffy moved closer. It didn't matter how many times the witch said his name. Spike had checked out.

Red called for Xander and between the two of them they picked the Slayer up and half dragged him back inside. Buffy wanted to follow but Xander had put a dagger in her hand. She had a car to steal. The Slayer's friends could handle him. So she went back to the car and got to work.

It didn't take that long. Soon she was stepping through the door ready to get moving.

"Better part of a century spent in delinquency just paid off." She paused to look at them all.

Giles was almost sitting with Anya's aid. Tara sat in the corner rocking silently. Xander and Willow were just stood there. She didn't need to really look at him to see something was wrong with the Slayer. He was motionless. Seeing but not seeing. Buffy almost didn't want to look at him this way but she couldn't keep her eyes off him.

"Hot-wired Ben's auto. Who's for getting the hell out of here?" She continued when she got no response.

"All in favour, lets do it." Xander pointed at Giles. "You good to go?"

Buffy crept closer to the Slayer.

"I'm fine. How is Spike?" Giles winced.

"Same. Still." Xander replied.

Buffy frowned. She would have thought the Scoobies would have done something by now. They had no time to lose. But without their leader and chief, they faltered. She almost wished she could take charge. If only to get her Slayer back. But they wouldn't listen to her.

"The Slayer's going to be alright though, isn't he?" The worried looks on their faces did not reassure her.

"Try again, Will." Xander implored.

"Okay but I'm not sure if he's, you know, really in there." Even as Red said it, Buffy flatly denied it in her mind.

He was in there somewhere. Red tried calling him. Just saying his name again and again. The longer she watched his inert form, the harder it was to convince herself he could come back from this. If he didn't, what would they do? Without him they had literally zero chance to get Dawn back.

"Well, he's not brain dead. He's still Spike. He's still in there... Right?" She asked the others, getting slowly desperate.

"Buffy, come on. We're not getting Dawn back sitting here." Xander gripped.

"Your not getting Dawn back anyway you slice it. That's for Spike to handle." She snapped.

"Good. Panic. That ought to help."

She wanted to scream at him that she wasn't panicking. She wanted the give the Scoobies a good collective punch and shake the Slayer till he snapped out of it. Okay, maybe she was panicking a little bit. But only a tiny bit. Then they were arguing whether she was in a fugue state or catatonic. Buffy sighed. This was useless. She took a step closer, searching deep into his eyes for any change.

"Spike." She called.

Taking a few more steps, she reached for him and grabbed his shoulders. Shaking him, she watched as his head shook slightly with him.

"Oi! Rise and shine. Got stuff to do." Her shaking got more insistent.

"Buffy!?" Anya shouted.

"Oh come on. He's the Slayer. No time to get dainty. Spike!" She shouted into his face.

"We tried that."

Well then there was one thing for it. Put the Slayer in danger and his instincts would take over. Self-preservation and all that. She slapped him. Enough to probably knock a human's head off, but Spike's cheek barely moved. The chip went off and Buffy flinched but ignored it, pulling her arm back again.

"We didn't try that." Anya said shocked.

Xander pushed Buffy away.

"What are you doing! We could be dealing with neurological damage. You want to kill him?" Xander raged red in the face.

Buffy frowned. "Neurological damage? He didn't get bopped on the head! We need to do something. I can't just sit here waiting. You can waste time with the kid gloves. But I'm willing to bet, at the end of the day- the Slayer likes it rough."

She tried to get past Xander and back to Spike but Xander pushed her away again. Buffy growled at him. If he laid hands on her one more time, damn the chip, she'd lay hands on him.

"I said stop!" Xander puffed up his chest.

"Do that again and I'll have a piece of you." Buffy threatened in a low voice.

Inhaling, Buffy scented a whiff of fear flout off the boy. Her demon riled. She saw the punch coming but just braced to take it. She didn't flinch. Then she lunged at him with a snarl. Finally, he'd learn his lesson.

"Separate!" Willow shouted.

But just as Buffy was about to lay into Xander, a force threw her away, hitting the opposite wall. The air was knocked from her lungs. Those ribs were definitely cracked now and one or two others may have joined them.

Red looked at them all calmly.

"Spike's out. Glory's got Dawn. Real soon she's going to use Dawn to tear down the barrier between every dimension there is. If you two want to fight then you can do it after the world ends." She bossed, hands on her hips.

Xander looked shame faced. Buffy just picked herself up and gave the boy a stare. She was trying to help. He was the one throwing his testosterone around.

Red went on to lay out the plan. Which was fine with her. It was a good plan and at least someone was taking charge. As everyone started to make moves to head to the car Buffy opened her mouth.

"Uh Will? Now don't turn me into a toad for asking... But what if we come across Ben?"

The others stopped what they were doing to stare at her.

"Nothing." Willow frowned. "I don't think a doctor is what Spike really needs, right now."

What?

"Well yeah." Buffy got out slowly. "Especially one who also happens to be Glory."

At the witch's empty stare, Buffy turned and looked at the other's matching faces.

"What do you mean?" Asked Giles.

"You know... Ben is Glory."

They had all been there, right? Doctor boy screaming to get out. Him turning into the Beast. Kicking their arses. Taking Dawn. She definitely didn't hallucinate that.

"You mean Ben's with Glory?" Willow asked slowly.

"With in what sense?" Xander frowned.

"They're working together?" Anya piped up.

"No. No. Ben is Glory. Glory's Ben. They're one and the same."

They all looked at her blankly.

"When did this happen?" Anya frowned.

"Not one hour ago! Right here, before your very eyes! Ben came, turned into Glory, snatched the kid and phht, vanished. Remember?"

She looked around again, imploring them to remember.

"You do remember?" Growing increasingly desperate, Buffy asked. "Is everyone here very stoned? Ben. Glory. He's a doctor. She's the Beast..."

But no matter what she said none of them could get it. Clearly there was a spell afoot. Which was probably the only smart thing Glory had done since she got here. Couldn't have every Tom, Dick and Danzibar finding your weak spot. So she dropped it.

Buffy drove with Xander and Anya in the front with her. They put Spike and Giles in the back wedged with Tara and Willow. It was a tight squeeze but they all made it. The drive back was almost silent, only broken by Tara's quiet ramblings.

She pulled up to the hospital and Xander and Giles got out. Then she dropped Anya, Tara, Willow and Spike off at Xander's. She didn't like watching Willow guide Spike away from her, as though he were a ghost. But she had a job to do. And she'd do it. To get Dawn back.

She drove over to Glory's apartment. She ditched the car a few blocks away and approached the building by foot. The whole place had been crawling with scabby demons when she'd been captured. Now the area seemed devoid of any demon life.

The apartment was empty. There was junk strewn about. Obviously stuff that wasn't going home with them. Opening the box room, she wasn't surprised to find Ben's stuff. Nothing seemed to be missing from in there. Maybe the Doc wasn't going to hell with them. How would he survive a place like that anyway? No, the boy was probably going to die. Or cease to have ever existed.

There was no sign of where they were going and when she got back to the street the demon's scents set off in every direction. Running all over town to lose her? It was possible. Or there were things Glory still needed for the ritual.

She headed back to the hospital. There was only one place she knew of that might get them a lead but it was probably better if she asked the gang first. And she could snag a bag of blood. After being up pretty much all day and it looked like all night as well, she'd need it.

She saw Xander and Giles ambling towards her as she lifted the blood packet and slipped it in her pocket. She filled them in, telling them about Doc. Giles seemed to think it was appropriate. Buffy was sure the demon could help. He was the closest thing Sunnydale had to a demon version of a Watcher. Xander volunteered to go with her. Giles hobbled off to the Magic Box.

Buffy tried to explain again to Xander about Ben and Glory. Which resulted in two headaches; Xander's from a smack in the head, Buffy's from the smack she'd given Xander, and one frustrated vampire. It just wouldn't- couldn't stick in the boy's head.

They walked to Doc's in silence after that, Buffy puffing away on her cigarette and wishing she'd had time to drink the blood she'd stolen. She broke the lock and swung the door open when they got there. She wanted to make an entrance. Prove she meant business even though her back up was a sweaty carpenter.

She strode in but the demon didn't even look up from his work.

"What can I do for you? Cup of cocoa? I was just heating some up by the fire."

"Umm... No." Buffy frowned. "We've come for some information. We need-"

But Xander interrupted her, exclaiming, "Ben is Glory!"

"What's that?" The demon asked a little too curiously.

But Buffy didn't notice, she was too busy praising Satan and all that. "Well look-y here. Special Ed remembers."

"Yeah I do. Ben's Glory. Glory is Ben. It's like a fogs been lifted." Xander shook his head.

"Wonderful." She said to the ceiling. "But not why we're here. Hell God. Name of Glory..."

"Aka Ben." Xander added.

"...has gone missing. Brewing up some major league bad. Took the Slayer's kid sister."

"That girl you brought here." Buffy tried not to flinch; she hoped against hope Xander missed that bit. "Sweet little thing- how'd it work out with her mother? She changed her mind, didn't she?"

"Yeah, yeah." Buffy tried to shut him up. "Got any idea where Glory would take her?"

"Glory? Glory..." The demon turned away mumbling to himself. "Ohh you don't mean Glorificus? Gosh, what do you want to get messed up with her for? That's a sure way to get your selves killed. I hear she's awfully unpleasant."

The demon wandered the room a little.

"When it comes to Hell Gods, my advice is get out of the way and stay there."

"No can do." Buffy frowned.

Doc settled himself in front of an ancient looking box. Then he started going on about some bloke in China who might help them. Buffy listened to his elevated heartrate and the general stink about the demon and realised she was being had.

God, she'd brought Dawn here. Had the smelly little demon known since then? He'd taken one of Dawn's hairs, held it to the light. Could he tell then?

"Your lying." She said with certainty. "What's more I believe your standing in front of what we're looking for."

Suddenly the demon was jumping over her head, grabbing a sword and hissing at her. He was pretty spritely for an old guy.

"Idiot!" Doc thrust the sword at her.

Buffy jumped back and deflected the blade with her arm away from her throat. She hit her head on the wall behind her and was temporarily dazed. As Buffy blinked she saw Doc's tongue flick out and throw Xander across the room.

"You think only underworld bottom feeders worship the Beast?" He taunted.

He lunged for the ornate box and threw it in the fire. Buffy scrambled to get to her feet but the smelly demon was on her. Grabbing her round the throat, he lifted her off the floor.

"Her day is coming, Half-breed. And when she returns... You're really going to see something."

Then he released her throat and crumpled to the floor. Xander was standing before her, fire poker in hand. Buffy leapt over the demon as he began to rise. She pulled the Box out of the fireplace, burning her hands again in the process.

As Buffy turned back around she watched Xander run the demon through with his own sword. Xander, covered in blue demon blood, jumped off the body and turned to her.

"What we got?" He asked, slightly breathless.

"Something worth dying for." She replied, looking at the body one last time before motioning Xander to follow her.

She shoved the box into his hands once they were outside. She pulled the bag of O Positive out of her pocket and ripped it open with her teeth. She drained it and within seconds felt her palms begin to tingle and heal. Then she started looking for her cigarettes.

"Is that human!?" Xander asked, seeing the label on the side.

"Look, pig's just not going to cut it. Not if I gotta keep awake and fighting." Buffy stared, daring him to make a big deal out of it.

Xander took a breath to begin ranting, but he paused. His eyes shifted across her face and down to her burnt but healing hands. He pulled box higher on his chest and looked uncomfortable. Buffy raised her eyebrows when the lecture never came. She carried on heading for the Magic Box but she kept the corner of her eye on him. He sighed.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't see it." The boy finally said.

"Oh...kay?" Buffy frowned.

Did the boy get swapped with a pod person when she wasn't looking? This being old Sunnyhell, she lent towards him and took a sniff.

"Hey! What are doing?" Xander yelped, leaning away from her.

"You smell like Donut Boy but your not sounding like him." She raised an eyebrow.

He gave a nervous laugh. He clutched the ornate wooden box to his chest as if to protect himself. As the fear wafted off him, she smirked. Oh, it was definitely Xander.

"I just... You stole it at the hospital, right?" Buffy nodded. "Well, we need you to fight."

"Realised that, have you?" She snorted.

It had only taken a hundred knights with swords and one pissed off Hell god taking Dawn. Spike had know it all along. He was the Slayer. He got final say. Why they couldn't trust him to do his job, she didn't know?

"I still don't trust you." The boy insisted.

"Wouldn't expect you to."