Chapter 14: Intervention
March 6, 2001 – Tuesday
Summers Home
Buffy, Giles and Dawn stand in the kitchen washing dishes.
"You don't have to help, Giles. You cooked." Buffy said.
"Nonsense. I quite like to cook, and helping out with the dishes makes me feel useful." Giles said.
"Want to clean out the garage with us Saturday? You could feel indispensable." Dawn said.
"How … tempting." Giles said.
"Hey, Dawn? If there are any dishes in your room, let's have 'em before they get furry and we have to name them." Buffy said.
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Hey, I was like, five then." She turned and headed for the stairs stopping on the other side of the dining room door out of sight of her sister and Giles.
"How is she doing?" Giles asked as Buffy looked at him. "And you?"
"We're both okay. Some minutes are harder than others." Buffy said.
"I'm so sorry. I can only say, it will get better." Giles said.
"It has to," Buffy smiled at him. She finished washing the last plate and started drying it herself. "But we're holding up. Starting to get into a routine…" She handed the plate to Giles.
"Good," Giles said as he put the plate away. "Routine can be very helpful…In fact, maybe we should consider you, Dawn and I returning to our training schedule."
"I don't know," Buffy admitted as she headed for the living room, Giles following. "I've been thinking about maybe taking a break or something. But Dawn if she wants, can continue."
Dawn moved from the kitchen door through the dining room to stand at the living room door in the foyer.
"You were doing so well." Giles said.
"And you were great, helping me and everything …" Buffy said. "But I've been feeling kind of uneasy about stuff."
"Like what?" Giles asked.
"Training, slaying … All of it. I mean, I can beat up demons until the cows come home, and then I can beat up the cows, but I'm not sure I like what it's doing to me," Buffy sat on the sofa as Giles sat next to her.
"But you've mastered so much. Your strength and resilience are –" Giles said.
"Yeah, strength and resilience, those are like words for hardness," Buffy interjected. "I'm starting to feel like, like being the Slayer is sort of turning me to stone."
Giles sighed. "Turning you to stone? Buffy…?"
Buffy stood and started pacing. "I'm just … look, think about it. I was never really there for Riley; not like I was for Angel. Dawn is the only one I've been nice to. And I wonder if even then it's not because she's super-powered like I am."
"Look, at a time like this you're bound to feel emotionally numb–" Giles said.
"Before that. Riley left because I was shut down. He's gone and Mom's gone and I really loved her, but I don't know if I … if I let her know …" Buffy said as Dawn walked into the room and hugged her.
"Mom knew," Dawn said as she held her older sister.
"Dawn's right," Giles agreed. "She knew, always."
Buffy looked at her sister and smiled in appreciation of the support Dawn had shown since moving home. She then turned back to Giles. "To slay, to kill, you have to be kind of hard inside. Maybe being the perfect Slayer means being too hard to love at all. I already feel like I can hardly say the words."
"Buffy—" Dawn started.
"I love you, Dawn," Buffy cut in looking at her sister again. "Love, love, love, Dawn. Yuck. It feels strange."
"I shouldn't wonder." Giles admitted. "How serious are you about this?"
"Ten," Buffy informed him. "Serious to the amount of ten."
"There is something," Giles told the sisters. "In the Watcher's Diaries. A quest."
"A quest," Buffy said with a raised eyebrow. "Like find a grail or something?"
"Not a grail," Giles corrected. "Maybe some answers. It would take a day, perhaps two. As your Watcher, I'd be part of it. There's an incantation."
"I can't leave Dawn to patrol alone. Not with Glory…" Buffy started.
"I'm a Power Ranger, remember?" Dawn interjected. "If this will help you out, I think you should do it." Buffy hesitated. "I'll be okay. And if I need backup, I can get the guys to help out."
March 7, 2001 – Wednesday
Desert
"We're here," Giles announced. He brought his car to a stop so they could exit.
Silently Buffy took in her surroundings as they climbed out of the car on to the thousand grains of compacted sand. From every view point the desert lay before them, ready to be crossed. No lights from the nearby villages, towns, cities, even the highway could be seen, leaving the land visible only as a result of the sunlight, which was soon to fade into the darkness of the night.
'No man's land,' Buffy thought to herself, unable to prevent an inward shiver from taking hold of her. She joined Giles by the rear of the convertible. "What's in the trunk?" she asked.
"Supplies," Giles replied simply.
Buffy nodded in understanding. "I was wondering about that," she confessed. "Like, food, water, maybe a compass?"
Giles straightened up holding a book, a gourd and a bundle of twigs. "What about a book, a gourd, and a bundle of twigs?" he countered.
"I don't think I'll be that hungry," Buffy quipped.
"They're for me," Giles informed her as he walked away from the car into the desert, Buffy falling behind. "You see, the location of the sacred place, is a guarded secret, I can't take you there myself," he revealed. "I can't take you there myself. I have to perform a ritual to transfer my guardianship of you, temporarily, to a guide." He came to halt as he took in their current surroundings. "This'll do," he decided, before he began to prepare for the ritual.
"A guide but no food or water," Buffy remarked. "So, it leads me to the sacred place, and then a week later it leads you to her bleached bones?"
"Buffy, really," Giles returned, mildly exasperated at her ignorance. "It takes more than a week to bleach bones."
"So, how's it start?" Buffy asked Giles as he finished laying the twigs in a circle around himself.
Giles looked faintly embarrassed. "I, uh, jump out of the circle and then jump back in it, and then, um ... I shake my gourd."
Buffy smiled. "Hey, I think I know this ritual. The ancient shamans were next called upon to do the hokey-pokey and turn themselves around."
Giles frowned at Buffy. "Go quest."
Buffy watched, amused as Giles jumped into the circle twigs, leapt back out, then shook the gourd.
"And that's what it's all about," Buffy quipped as she heard a clap of thunder, startling her. "Questing," she said as she walked off.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In the desert, Buffy wandered across the sand, waiting for a sign which would mean the quest had begun. She could hear the faint echo of Giles' voice, chanting a language she could not identify; the words akin to the ancient chants of Native Americans, invoking the holy ones. The echo was vaguely hypnotic; yet strangely calming. Somehow the sound drifted through the landscape around her, moving out to the places beyond her vision, as though it was just as much a part of this world as the nature before her.
Suddenly she heard a growling noise, deep and guttural, causing her to halt. Turning to her left, she saw a mountain lion sitting on the sand, his dark brown eyes staring back at her, as if he had been awaiting her arrival.
"Hello, kitty," Buffy uttered in greeting, keeping her tone nonthreatening as not to disturb the animal into running or attacking.
As though he understood her, the creature rose from the ground, walking away, his tail flicking back and forth, as if a silent request to follow.
Buffy obeyed. She trailed the lion through the sands, until they walked through a small rock ridged path, entering in a clearing of low land-lying bushes and flint.
"I know this place," she murmured, remembering from almost a year ago, when the first slayer haunted her dreams.
Silently, she sat down on a large rock, and waited for her guide to arrive.
Sunnydale Junior High
"Dawn," a student called out, making the Dawn turn around in the midst of exiting the school building.
"Micah," Dawn returned. "What's up?"
"Can I borrow your notes?" he asked. "I typed mine up last night, but my laptop crashed, and I threw the originals away."
"Sure," Dawn replied, retrieving her notebook from her bag. "It's got yesterday's notes too. Just get it back to me tomorrow."
"Of course," Micah promised. "See ya tomorrow."
"You too," Dawn returned. She reached the decorative pillars of the building, smiling at her girlfriend as Lynn emerged from behind one to walk her to her mom's car.
From behind another pillar, a demon emerged, trailing the couple, waiting for a sign that one of these were who he was searching for.
Restfield Cemetery
The White Zeo Ranger led Anya and Xander through the cemetery. Suddenly Buffy walked up to the three of them in a flouncy skirt.
"Hey there!" Buffy called to them.
"Buffy?" Xander said.
"Xander! Anya…" Buffy said as she looked at Anya. "How's your money?" She turned toward the White Zeo Ranger. "Hey, Dawnie!"
The White Zeo Ranger and Xander looked at each other, obviously confused on how Buffy was back already.
"Fine!" Anya informed the Slayer. "Thank you for asking."
"Isn't it a beautiful night for killing evil things?" Buffy asked.
"I guess," Xander said.
"You're back very early," the White Zeo Ranger said looking at her sister as her confusion continued to mount.
"Yeah, how was the whole vision quest experience?" Xander added.
"I don't understand that question, but thank you for asking!" Buffy said happily. "You're my friend and a carpenter."
"Buffy?" the Ranger said as a frown creased her face. "Are you all right? What happened to the quest?"
Spike ran up to them at that moment, out of breath. "Hey there! Wait up!"
"Spike!" Buffy said delighted. "It's Spike! And he's wearing the coat!"
"Yes. Um… hallo all," Spike said. "Buffy came back early, I see. Lots of patrolling all 'round tonight then, is it?"
The White Zeo Ranger frowned as she noticed that Buffy was trying to cling to Spike's shoulder. He shrugged her off. Buffy took hold of his arm, causing him to wince in pain and pull away. "Ow! Hey! Give a fella a break, Slayer," he said. "But I'm glad you're all here, 'cause…'cause the place is crawling with vamps tonight. Tons of 'em. We really ought to split up."
"We haven't seen any vamps… are you sure there's—" the Ranger started just as a twig snapped. They turned and saw a vampire stepping out from behind a tree, two other vampires moving to flank him.
"You were right," Anya said in surprise.
"Yeah, guess so," Spike agreed just as surprised.
The vampires charged at the White Zeo Ranger, Buffy, Spike, Xander and Anya. Buffy immediately stepped in front of Spike, protecting him.
One of the vamps lunged at Xander, and they exchanged blows as Anya circles around behind the vamp, trying to get into staking position.
The other two vampires come at Buffy, the White Zeo Ranger and Spike. The White Zeo Ranger took one while Buffy and Spike took the other.
"Spike, be careful!" Buffy told the vampire.
"White Zeo Power Sword!" the Ranger called out and the sword was beamed into her hands. She swung the sword in an arc decapitating her vampire. He burst into flames before exploding into ash. She then turned to see Buffy and Spike still battling the other vampire.
Anya staked the vampire who was fighting with Xander and he exploded to dust.
Spike staked the remaining vampire and he too exploded to dust.
"He fights his own kind 'cause he has no other choice," Buffy said. "It's part of his sinister attrac—"
"I think that was probably the big action for tonight," Spike cut in. "You three can toddle on home if you want."
"Um… Buffy?" the White Zeo Ranger said looking at her sister.
"Yes! Spike and I will do it alone," Buffy informed her. "You guys head home."
Confused and reluctant, Xander takes Anya's hand and they walk away. The Ranger hesitated as she watched Buffy walk off with Spike. "Mmmm," Buffy said. "I don't understand this. I did the Slaying. I should be…"
"Satisfied," Spike said as they disappeared into the trees.
The White Zeo Ranger frowned and she slowly followed her sister and the vampire.
"But I'm not. I'm all… my skin is all hot. Do I look hot to you?" Buffy said.
"Always," Spike admitted.
"You better feel me to make sure," Buffy informed him.
"I can do that," Spike said as he grabbed Buffy and pulled her closed before kissing her.
The Ranger's eyes went wide and hit the teleport button on her wrist communicator and she disappeared in a beam of white light.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Phffft," Anya said a she spat. "I breathed in like a quart of vampire dust. That can't be good."
"I wish Giles told us they were back from the desert," Xander said as the White Zeo Ranger appeared in a beam of white light. "I wish I knew what went on there."
"Power Down!" the White Zeo Ranger called out and she de-morphed. "Guys," Dawn said looking at the couple. "Something is wrong with Buffy."
"I think you're right, Dawn," Xander agreed looking at the teenager. "She seemed a little spacy."
"She fought okay," Anya countered.
"It's not about her fighting, Anya," Dawn interjected. "I just saw Buffy and Spike kissing."
"Let's check on her," Xander said as the three of them headed back the way he and Anya had came from.
When they reached the area where Dawn had last seen her sister they heard a grunt followed by Buffy's voice, "Oh, Spike!"
Dawn and Xander motioned for Anya to be quiet. Dawn led them around a tree, her expression froze in shock as she saw her sister straddling Spike.
"You're the Big Bad!" Buffy called out. "You're the Big Bad!"
Xander and Anya bumped into Dawn and they saw what she saw. "Let's get out of here," he told the Ranger.
Dawn nodded as she took Xander's hand as he grabbed Anya and they disappeared in a beam of white light.
Xander's Apartment
Willow and Tara were sitting on the couch, watching the History Channel. "Those darn Salem judges!" Willow said, clearly upset. "With their less-Satanic-than-thou attitudes…"
"Oh. Honey. Let me change it," Tara pleaded as Dawn, Xander and Anya appeared in a beam of white light. "The Discovery channel has koala bears."
"Patrol over?" Willow asked them.
"Buffy's gone insane," Xander interjected.
"What?" Willow said as she picked up the remote and turned off the tv. "What did she do?"
"Brace yourself, you're not going to believe it," Xander informed them.
"Everyone, before you jump all over her…people do strange things when someone they love dies," Tara reminded them. "When I lost my mother, I did some pretty dumb stuff, lying to my folks and staying out all night—"
"Such as having sex with Spike?" Dawn asked.
"Oh. Well, Tara's right, grief can be powerful and we shouldn't judge—" Willow interjected.
"What are you, kidding?" Tara countered. "She's nuts!"
"It's not healthy," Willow admitted. "We're all agreeing there."
"What can we do?" Tara wondered.
"In the movies, when someone goes crazy, they slap 'em," Anya informed them.
"Dawn and I are going to go find her, talk to her," Xander said, knowing the teleportation function with Dawn's wrist communicator would be faster than driving all across town. "If she's losing it, we need to help her before she gets herself hurt."
"Xander's right," Dawn agreed.
"You aren't really going to slap her, are you?" Tara questioned.
"No," Dawn answered. "But if I have to see my sister straddling Spike again, I will definitely knock myself unconscious."
"You won't be the only one, Dawnie," Xander said as he took Dawn's hand and they disappeared in a beam of white light.
"Maybe, we should call Lynn," Willow suggested.
"Might not be a bad idea," Tara agreed.
Desert
Buffy woke to find herself lying beside a large blazing fire. As she sat up she looked out, beyond the fire. She slowly became aware of a figure on the other side of the fire, barely visible through the flames. "Hello? Who's there?"
A wind blew the flames making the figure visible, distorted through the waves of heat.
Spike's Crypt
Spike leaned back, enjoying a cigarette. He heard the sound of someone approaching. "Who's that?" The Buffy doppelganger questioned.
Spike stood up and arranged his clothing as he pointed toward the tunnel. "Down there. And no matter what, don't come out 'til I get you, okay?"
"Okay!" the doppelganger said cheerily. She climbed down into the tunnel.
"Oh, it's you two," Spike said as Xander and Dawn walked through the door of the crypt.
"We saw you. In the cemetery, with my sister," Dawn informed the vampire.
"Yeah?" Spike interjected. "Can't see how it's any business of yours, nibblet."
"It's my business because Buffy is my sister," Dawn informed the vampire. "And she and I both have been through some stuff lately that's… well it's affected us both and…"
"…And you're taking advantage of her," Xander cut in.
"Well she's upset about her mum, and if she turns to me for comfort… well I'm not going to deny it to her, I'm not a monster," Spike told them.
Dawn reached her hand behind her back and pulled out her morpher. "Yeah well, you are a monster," she snarled. "And with this I can protect my sister from you."
Before Dawn could morph Xander grabbed Spike by the collar, threateningly. "Spike, Buffy not only has Dawn but has lots of friends and we all love her. We're ready to do whatever it takes to protect her and if it means killing you, then, well, that's just a bonus…"
"Gentlemen…and lady…" came a voice behind them. They turned and saw one of Glory's minions standing just inside the entrance. "I'm so sorry to intrude, but I wondered if I could beg a minute of your time?"
He and a couple other of Glory's minions file into the room just as Xander, confused, let go of Spike.
"Friends of yours?" Spike asked Dawn and Xander.
The lead minion slammed into Xander with a powerful blow knocking him to the ground and into unconsciousness.
"It's Morphin' Time!" Dawn called out as the minion spun on her and slammed into her and she too fell to the ground and into unconsciousness.
"Guess not," Spike said as she spun and kicked the lead minion, who was driven back. The others close in around him. He landed a few blows, but there were too many of them and they pin his arms to his sides.
"Tie his hands. Glory will want him restrained," the lead minion said.
"Hey! Let go!" Spike cried.
"Careful with him. She will want the Key intact," the lead minion ordered the others.
"Key? Who's a Key" Spike asked as one of the minions stuff a gag into his mouth.
Desert
"I know you," Buffy spoke two hours away, to her companion by the fire. "You're the first Slayer."
"This is a form," the primitive replied. "I am the guide."
"I…un…Okay, I have a question. This Slayer thing," Buffy began nervously. "What about…love? Not just boyfriend love—"
"You think you're losing your ability to love," the first slayer replied.
"I didn't say that," Buffy said. "Yes."
"You're afraid that being the Slayer means losing your humanity," her ancestor replied.
"Does it?" Buffy asked.
"You are full of love," the primitive replied. " You love with all of your soul. It is brighter than the fire, blinding and overwhelming. That's why you pull away from it."
"I'm full of love?" Buffy queried, confused. "I'm not losing it?"
"Only if your reject it," the primitive replied. "Love is pain, and the Slayer forges strength from pain. Love, give, forgive. Risk the pain. It is your nature. Love will bring you to your gift."
"My what? Sorry…It's just, I got a little lost when we got to the gift department…" Buffy sought to confirm what she had heard.
"Love will bring you to your gift," the primitive informed her.
"Yeah, that's what you said, alright," Buffy interjected.
March 8, 2001 – Thursday
Spike's Crypt
The doppelganger climbed up from the tunnel. She didn't see Xander or Dawn crumpled where they lay. Spike?" she called out. "I waited like you said, but then I missed you!" Concerned, she ran out of the crypt.
Xander's Apartment
Willow heard knocking coming from the door and she hurried to open it. "Dawn, did you lose your wrist commun—" she started thinking Dawn and Xander were on the other side of the door. She spotted the doppelganger on the other side of the door instead.
"Spike's gone," the doppelganger said.
"Shh. Buffy, it's late. Come in…" Willow said as she led toward the balcony. As they passed by where she had been sleeping, she picked up her blanket and wrapped it around herself. "We can talk out here," she told the doppelganger when they were on the balcony where they couldn't disturb Lynn, Tara or Anya. "Did Xander and Dawn find you? They were looking for you and they haven't come back. Anya sat up waiting."
"I don't know where Xander and Dawn are," the doppelganger said. "I didn't see them. And when I came up from the tunnel, Spike was gone! Oh…Willow, I need to find him."
"Um… Buffy?" Willow said looking at her friend in concern. "This thing with Spike. It isn't true, is it? You didn't really, you know, sleep with Spike."
"No," the doppelganger informed her. "But I had sex with Spike. I'm sorry if it bothers you. You're my best friend."
"I am," Willow agreed. "I always will be, too, no matter what you do. And I'm trying to figure out why this happened. And I think I might have an idea."
"You do?" the doppelganger asked.
Willow nodded. "I think maybe, with your mom and everything, everyone was being all sympathetic, making you feel weak. But Spike wasn't like that. So, just one time, you kind of did something crazy—"
"It wasn't one time," the doppelganger informed her cheerily. "It was lots of times. And lots of different ways. I could make sketches."
"No!" Willow cried. "Buffy. There's something seriously wrong here. I mean, yeah, you've been with a vampire before, but Angel had a soul—"
"Angel's lame," the doppelganger countered. "His hair goes straight up and he's bloody stupid."
Willow narrowed her eyes. "Okay. Look, I just want to help you. Let me help you."
"You're my best friend," the doppelganger said again.
"Yes, again, I really am," Willow agreed again. "And I think maybe you need to talk to someone about this. A professional—"
"You're recently gay!" the doppelganger said.
"Um… what?" Willow asked in confusion.
"You're also good with computers!" the doppelganger informed her. "That's very nice."
"Guys, guys! Wake up!" came Xander's voice from the living room.
The doppelganger and Willow looked into the living room and saw Xander and Dawn standing in the living room their hands to their heads.
Lynn stood up and walked over to Xander and Dawn. She held her hands over their wounds and her hands glowed with the golden rays of healing. Anya too stood up and rushed to Xander as Tara sat up, behind them the doppelganger and Willow came back inside.
"Xander!" Anya cried as Lynn finished healing Xander and Dawn. "I was scared. What happened?"
"Demons," Dawn answered for Xander. "Knocked us both out before I had a chance to morph. Buffy…"
"Yes? That's me!" the doppelganger answered.
"Weren't the guys we saw working for Glory, a kind of hobbit with leprosy?" Dawn asked.
"There were a whole flock of them and they grabbed Spike," Xander added. "Dawn and I think they're taking him to Glory."
"And of course, he knows I'm a Ranger," Dawn finished.
"We have to get him back," the doppelganger said.
"So how do we find him?" Xander wondered.
"That's a good question, Xander," Dawn sighed.
"I fight with weapons!" the doppelganger interjected.
"We'll go to the house so you guys can lock and load," Dawn said. "Then we'll split up. Teams of two."
Desert
What? I'm sorry, but I'm just not getting this. I'm full of love. Which is nice to know. And then…love will lead me to my gift?" Buffy sought to confirm.
"Yes," the primitive answered.
"I'm getting a gift?" Buffy tried. "Or, or do you mean that, that I have a gift to give to someone else?"
"Death is your gift," the first slayer uttered.
"Death ..." Buffy echoed.
"Is your gift," her ancestor repeated.
"Okay, no," Buffy objected. "Death is not a gift. My mother just died and I know about this. It's not a gift I want and it's not a gift I want to give to anyone else. If I have to kill demons because it makes the world a better place, then I kill demons, but it's not a gift to anybody."
"Your question has been answered," the first slayer replied, before fading away.
The fire disappeared before her, leaving Buffy in confusion.
Summers Home
Dawn appeared with Xander, Willow, Anya, Tara and the doppelganger in the living room amidst a beam of white light.
The doppelganger looked around "I live here!" she said.
"If we're going to stop Spike, we're going to need these," Xander said as he opened a chest and started pulling out Buffy's largest weapons.
"Wow. The big guns. Only not guns," Anya said in surprise. "Shouldn't we have guns?"
"Those are my weapons. Give me something big and sharp," the doppelganger said.
"Dawn? Buffy? Where should we go? Where Should we look for Glory?" Willow asked as everyone looked at the doppelganger and Dawn.
"The snake that was after me, was heading for her," Dawn answered. "Maybe start from the spot where Buffy and I killed it?"
"We need to rescue Spike!" the doppelganger interjected.
"Um… Buffy?" Dawn said. "I think you have more weapons upstairs. You could go get those…"
"And maybe change your clothes?" Anya added. "You know, something more…fighty!"
"I can do that! I'll be right back," the doppelganger said as she headed out of the room.
"Something is wrong with Buffy," Dawn said. "She thinks we're going to rescue Spike!"
"Well, what are we going to do?" Willow wondered.
"Find him. Stop him from talking," Xander said glancing at Dawn.
"Yeah, Glory can't know I'm a Ranger," Dawn agreed. "I can then be used to get at Buffy which could force Buffy into revealing I have the Key inside me."
"And what do we do with Glory?" Anya wondered.
"Whatever we do, we're going to need Buffy's help," Willow interjected.
"Then we're going to have to talk to her," Xander said just as Buffy walked into the living room.
"Whoa. Group play time," Buffy said noticing that everyone, with the exception of Dawn, was holding weapons.
"That was quick," Tara admitted.
"Didn't seem like it to me," Buffy countered. "Death is my gift. Pffah!"
Dawn looked at Buffy in confusion. "Buffy, where did you just come from?"
"The vision quest thing," Buffy answered obviously confused on the question.
Dawn glanced at Xander, Tara, Anya and Willow and then moved to the stairs. "Buffy?" she called out.
"Dawn?" Buffy said confused.
"Yes, Dawn?" came the doppelganger's voice from upstairs.
"Okay, only one way of settling this," Dawn said as she brought her communicator to her lips. "Buffy," she said speaking into it.
Buffy's wrist communicator beeped at her. "What's that for?"
"She's real," Lynn said in surprise. "Which means the one upstairs…"
"Isn't," Tara finished for her fellow witch.
"Buffy," Dawn said looking at her sister. "Xander, Anya and I saw you having sex with Spike."
"What?" Buffy cried in surprise just as the doppelganger came up behind her.
"Spike is mine!" the doppelganger said. "Who's having sex with Spike?"
"Oh my God," Buffy groaned upon seeing herself.
"And so say all of us," Xander said.
"Say, look at you! You look like me," the doppelganger said. "We're very pretty."
"I think I understand," Dawn groaned as they all looked at her. She pointed at the doppelganger. "She's a robot."
"Dawn's right," Buffy agreed. "She acts just like that girlfriend-bot that Warren guy made!" She looked at her sister and friends. "You guys couldn't tell me apart from a robot?!"
"Oh, I don't think I'm a robot," the doppelganger said, mildly skeptical.
"Well to be honest, Buffy," Dawn said. "No. We thought you might have been under a spell or something. Or the grief of losing mom had done something…"
"Dawn," Buffy said obviously hurt that even her own sister couldn't tell a robot from her. "I get it. Fine. Robot. Fine."
"Spike must have had her built so he could program her to…" Tara started.
"Oh God," Buffy said in genuine horror.
"Yikes," Willow agreed. "Imagine the things—"
"No!" Buffy countered. "Stop imagining! All of you!"
Xander raised his hand. "Already got the visual."
"People! Friends of mine! You're forgetting the important thing!" the doppelganger stated. "Glory has Spike and she's going to harm him!"
Buffy froze and looked toward her sister. "Did she say?"
"Yeah," Dawn answered. "We were going to find him and stop him before he could blab I'm a Ranger."
"We were getting weapons," Anya added.
"Grab 'em. Dawn, you need to morph. We're going now," Buffy informed her friends and sister. "I have to kill him."
"We figured, any way we could stop him from talking…" Xander said.
"No," Buffy countered. "I have to kill him."
Dawn reached around behind her back and pulled out her morpher. "It's Morphin' Time!" she called out. "Zeo Ranger Six, White!"
Park
"Glory's key-sniffing Cobra was about here when I killed it," Buffy revealed as Xander, Giles, Anya, Tara, Willow and the robot followed her and the White Zeo Ranger to the grassy knoll above the rich suburbs. "Me and Dawn chased it to this spot."
"We believe it was headed back to her," the White Zeo Ranger added.
"So you think she lives around here?" Willow asked the sisters.
"It's not a lot to go on," Xander added.
"It's all we have," Buffy replied.
Giles looked at the robot. "Quite extraordinary, really," he said admiringly.
"Thank you, but I think we should be listening to the other Buffy, Guyles," the robot said. "She's very smart and she's going to save Spike!"
"Guyles? Spike didn't even bother to program my name properly?!" Giles scoffed.
"Listen, skirt-girl, we're not going to save Spike," the White Zeo Ranger told the robot. "We're going to kill him. He knows I'm a Power Ranger and there's no way he's not telling Glory."
"You're right. He's evil. Killing him is the only way," the robot agreed. She looked at Buffy. "We're the Slayer and that's what we do. But you should see him naked. I mean, really. Can we save him now, please?"
Buffy turned away from the robot, clearly disgusted. "Split up, spread out. Check out the
priciest-looking places first. Dawn, you're with me. Xander and Anya, you're together. Willow and Tara, you two are together. Lynn, Guyles…dyeh…Giles, you two can with…it."
Glory's Apartment
"Is that better?" Glory asked as she held the glass of water her prisoner had asked for to his lips. "Do you think you can try to talk again now?"
Spike coughed, then nodded slightly.
"Good. Because I'm tired of these games!" Glory cried, smashing the glass against his face. "'I need time, I need a drink,'" she mocked his pleas. "You're a very needy little bloodsucker, and it's not very attractive. So, start talking."
"Yeah. Okay. The key. Here's the thing..." Spike began, pausing as he tried to untie his hands behind his back, unseen by the god or her minions' watchful eyes. "It's that guy... on TV ... what's his name?"
Glory frowned. "On the television?"
"That show ... the prize show ... where they guess what stuff costs?" Spike continued.
"The Price Is Right?" queried one demon.
"Oh, Bob Barker!" Jinx, the lead minion, cried.
The other minion jumped up in glee. "We will bring you Bob Barker! We will bring you the limp and beaten body of Bob Bark-"
"It is not Bob Barker, scabby morons!" Glory yelled. "The key is new to this world ... and Bob Barker is as old as grit. The vampire ... is lying to me."
Despite his pain, Spike grinned. "Yeah, but it was fun. And guess what, bitch. I'm not telling you jack. You're never going to get your sodding key, because you might be strong, but in our world, you're an idiot."
"I am a god," Glory corrected.
"The god of what, bad home perms?" Spike countered.
Glory was outraged. "Shut up! I command you, shut up!"
"Yeah, okay, sorry, but I just had no idea that gods were such prancing lightweights," Spike remarked, not in the least apologetic. "Mark my words, the Slayer and the White Zeo Ranger ... are going to kick your skanky, lopsided ass back to whatever place would take a cheap, whorish, fashion victim, ex-god like you."
The god spun round, delivering a kick to the vampire's chest. But it was the move that would prove her downfall, and his moment, as it broke the restraints on his wrist.
Spike flew backward from the force of the impact, colliding with the apartment door into the hallway outside. Using the journey to his advantage, he rolled on to his feet before sinking into a chair to gather what was left of his depleted energy.
"Good plan, Spike," he muttered to himself as he struggled to rise.
In the apartment Glory turned to her lackeys. "Bring him back."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Spike staggered down the hall towards the elevator, praying the doors stayed open by the time he reached them.
"Here!" cried a demon, catching sight of their escaping prisoner.
The doors began to close. Spike landed on his knees before them and set about wrenching them apart.
"Oh, god," he muttered as he heard more demons coming around the corner.
The elevator doors opened, and he leaned forward, letting himself drop on to the top of the descending lift. After he had recovered from the landing, he opened the hatch and let himself fall into the empty elevator.
The demons took to the stairs, coming to stand around him as he fell out on the landing of the ground floor. "You do not insult Glory by escaping," one declared.
Spike scowled at them as the doors burst open.
"Slayer!" cried a lackey.
The chipped vampire fell against the wall in relief as Buffy, the White Zeo Ranger, Tara and Willow entered the building, armed with crossbows and swords. They fell upon the demon lackeys.
Buffy kicked at her attacker after he caused the crossbow to fly out of her hands, before punching him in the face. She caught the tail end of the weapon with her foot and tossed it back up, catching the weapon in time to deliver an arrow to another demon before he could get to attack her.
"Buffy," Giles called as he, Xander, Anya and the robot came running through the doors. "We're here."
"Spike! Spike's in there!" the robot said excitedly. She ran toward Spike.
The White Zeo Ranger fought by Buffy's side, pounding the demons, while Willow and Tara helped Spike to the door. As in all battles the sisters fought effortlessly in combination with one another, the perfect slaying duo for the demands of the demonic infested hellmouth of the twenty-first century. The monastic dwarflike lackeys proved no match for them, just a wryly set of foes, bent on retrieving their god's prisoner. They had no care for their own survival, death was nothing in comparison to the rewards they received serving their god. In that attitude lay the key to their survival against the odds, in the face of chosen warriors.
Jinx had pinned Giles against a wall, crushing him with his own crossbow. "Buffy! Dawn!" Giles cried out.
"Go," the Ranger ordered her sister.
Buffy shoved her minion away, then she and the robot hurried over to Giles. They worked together to pull Jinx off him. Jinx struck out with the bow, using it as a club. It hit the robot, throwing her back against the wall, sparking.
Buffy wheel to return to Jinx but he was gone. "Dawn?"
"I have no idea where he went," the Ranger answered still fighting her minion. "But we got Spike, let's get out of here."
"Sorry guys," Buffy remarked turned around in time to dodge a hit from one demon and deliver a strike to another. "I hate to punch and run, but we've got what we came for." She hit the one who's punch she avoided, the last to send to the floor, then she and the White Zeo Ranger cleared the landing, following the others out of the building.
Magic Box
Willow had the damaged and non-functional robot open and was working on the damage, with Tara at her side handing her tools as she needed them.
"Is it weird?" Tara asked as looked at the robot face-to-face.
"Oh yeah. At least it's not a very good copy. I mean, look at it," Buffy said as Willow and Tara exchanged a look. It's a perfect copy.
"Uh… yeah," Willow agreed as Xander and Giles walked through the front door.
"What did you do with Spike?" Dawn asked. "And please let the story have a dusty ending," she begged.
"We dumped him back in his crypt," Xander answered.
"We tried to find out if he told her about…anything…He was too badly beaten to make any sense," Giles added.
"Did he tell her I was a Ranger?" Dawn asked.
"We don't know. He was barely conscious," Xander informed her.
"If he told her he'd just lie to us about it anyway, right?" Anya asked.
"Oh, you can count on that. But we got to know. Now. If he did tell her Dawn was a Ranger," Buffy said. "Then that means Dawn is going to become an instant target when she's not morphed. Which means …"
"That she could use me to get at you, since she knows you know where the Key is," Dawn added. "Which means…"
"I could be forced into revealing its in you," Buffy finished. "So, if he told her, you and I are going to have to get out of town, or… I mean, she could be on her way."
"Hey! I think I found something," Willow said still working on the robot.
Anya looked over Willow's shoulder. "Bleah. It's very complicated in there. Personally, I'd rather look at guts."
"I found where she's broken. There's some wiring that got fried extra crispy," Willow informed them. "That's an easy fix - I mean, not that I would."
"God, I feel kind of bad for the guy," Xander interjected. "Gets all whupped, then his best toy gets taken away…"
"Xander, please don't be suggesting what I'd have to kill you for suggesting," Buffy informed him.
"No, no! Travesty! Completely on board," Xander agreed. "It's just… guy was so thrashed… just not his day."
Spike's Crypt
Spike lies on a bier as Dawn appeared in a beam of white light. She's startled by how horrible he looks, one eye swollen shut and he's lividly bruised.
"Spike," Dawn said as he looked at her.
"Nibblet," he said as he sat up painfully, swinging his legs over the side and facing her.
"I have to know if you told Glory I was a Ranger," Dawn informed him.
"No," Spike answered. "Something happened to you, it would destroy Buffy. I couldn't live, her being in that much pain. I'd let Glory kill me first. Nearly bloody did."
Dawn thought about that and then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
"But, that's not what she was wanting to know," Spike continued. "She was wanting to know about some bloody key." Dawn's face fell at that revelation. "You know what she was talking about?"
"Yes," Dawn answered. "Buffy and I have been protecting it from her." She took a look at his bruises and nodded. For what he did for her she could be honest with him. "It's inside me."
"You're the one she wants," Spike said in understanding. "Don't worry, nibblet, I won't tell a soul."
"I know," Dawn said. "The evidence of that is as plain as the nose on my face. Thank you." She brought up her wrist communicator and was about to hit the teleport button when he spoke up.
"What about my robot?" he asked.
"The robot is gone," Dawn informed him. "The robot was gross and obscene."
Spike looked down, ashamed. "It wasn't supposed to be," he admitted.
"Don't," Dawn told him. "That thing… it's not even real. What you did for me, and for Buffy, that was real. And I'll never forget it." She hit the teleport button and disappeared in a beam of white light.