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Buffy looked at them expectantly. “Okay, so it’s a god; impressive but still needing a little more info guys.”
Assuming that she had misunderstood, Giles shook his head at her. “Glory isn’t a normal demon with delusions of godliness, she is in fact Glorificus, a once worshiped hell god. Much like the judge it took an entire army to keep her busy so that a coven of witches could bind her but she escaped from her imprisonment. According to the Council they believe she has spent the last twenty years searching for what she needs to open a portal to her home-world.”
“And let me guess, for some reason we can’t just let her leave because it isn’t that simple.” Buffy said absently, waving her hand to clean up the blood she had vomited over her nice clean floor. Damnit, she had just polished it this morning, by hand, and it was a big ass room.
Sensing her distress, Spike walked over to the counter and reached down to gather up her cleaning supplies. He could see that Giles and the others weren’t appreciating her lack of attention but he knew why she was more worried about the floor than this threat. Threats always happen, big things are always going to come but this place, their home was their sanctuary. Every gleaming window, the fresh paint on the walls and the tastefully decorated rooms were proof that all the pain and strife were worth it because they had something worth fighting for. They had a home, their place in this world and while their lives would never be normal, it was their version of the white picket fence.
Carrying the bucket full of supplies over to her, he motioned for Giles to go on. “Go ahead mate, we’re listening.”
Incredulously Giles watched as Buffy took the offered supplies and sank down to her knees to mix the polish. Spike, looking very much like a lord of the manner from centuries ago; sat down in one of the chairs behind her and pulled out a cigarette. Despite his agitation over Buffy’s blasé reaction to what was a very real threat, the idea that his Slayer was reduced to nothing but a servant in what was supposed to be her home, brought Ripper dangerously close to the surface. “If that can’t possibly wait, don’t you suppose you should assist her?”
Everyone from her crew laughed and Buffy looked up at Giles like he’d sprouted a second head. “Waxing the floor the old fashioned way isn’t as easy as squirting so some caustic fake lemony stuff around. It’s a skill that requires patience and a delicate almost reverent touch, which sadly none of the men in my life possess when it comes to cleaning. Sure they’re great at spilling demon guts everywhere and they can whip a mop around like nobodies business but this they’d screw up and I’d just have to clean up, their clean up.” Buffy explained, beginning to move the rag around in slow concentric circles. “I know you’re impatient but this is our home and magick may whisk away the mess but it’s just not the same as taking care of it myself. Besides, this is actually very relaxing and I do some of my best thinking when I’m down here on my knees.”
For a spilt second everything went quiet and then like a sonic boom, laughter filled the entire lobby.
Playing back her words in her mind, she looked back over her shoulder and winked at Spike before once again turning around to focus on her polishing. After living with so many men,
double entendre’s and bawdy comments had lost the ability to make her blush. Pretty much everyone had walked in on one another accidentally or seen something they shouldn’t have, so Buffy wasn’t exactly sure what would make her blush anymore.
No sooner than she thought that, a vividly erotic picture of her on her knees with Spike pushing into her from behind floated through her mind and she felt her cheeks grown almost uncomfortably hot. Not in embarrassment but desire. Knowing he’d deliberately sent her that image just to torment her, she decided two could play that game and wiggled her ass enticingly, knowing full well that was why he’d taken a seat behind her.
When she heard him growling softly and shifted in his chair, she placed an innocent almost angelic expression on her face and looked back up at the others who will still laughing. “Alright children, I believe Giles and I were discussing something relatively important and if you can‘t control yourselves, go somewhere else so us grownups can talk.”
Marveling at how much she’d grown, Giles gave her a pleased smile before once again the serious of the situation, deepened the lines of his face. “Glory hopes to use a mystical key to open the portal between worlds and should that happen, the fabric of this dimension and her home-world will meld together and even after the gateway is closed, everything that slipped through while it was open will remain. The other possibility is that the door could remain open, more or less unleashing hell on earth.”
“So the plan is to find the key, hide it and then kill the hell bitch.” Buffy guessed, wondering why Spike was one of the only demons she’d met who realized that earth was way better without it being all hell like.
“We already have the key in our possession but the problem is that Glory can’t be killed. Faith and Angel, barely survived their first encounter with her and even after Riley shot her, it didn’t slow her down much. It caused her pain but the shot itself should have killed her. Not even Willow’s magicks had any discernable affect on her. We’ve injured her time and time again but according to the Council, she is immortal and un-killable by any means.” Giles said unable to keep his own fear from coloring his words.
She head it but it was the defeated sound in his tone that sent her to her feet looking very much like a general prepared to lead the troops. “Listen to me, everything and I mean everything that lives can be killed. If something can live it can die, it’s that simple but figuring out how to pull it off is the tricky part. So while were doing that, I suggest we focus on making sure the key is safe or possibly finding some way to destroy it. Glory may be the big bad, but the portal opening is the biggest threat.”
“We can’t destroy the key Buffy, because it’s been given human form.” Giles said lightly. “Not long after you left, Willow fell in love with a sweet young witch she met at the college. We have accepted her into our midst, only to find out recently that she is the key Glory need to open the portal. Tara had no idea she was a key, she grew up with a family that loved her but when Faith rescued the monk sent here to warn her, he reveled the truth to her. They gave the key human form in hopes of thwarting Glory and it somehow led to her escape. She simply disappeared and now they have both been drawn to the hellmouth. Glory doesn’t know that the key is now in human form but she does know that the energy is now contained within a vessel of some sort. A vessel she knows we have and are trying to keep from her.”
“Which explains why Will’s so freaked. Glory nearly killed Tara when she attacked us at the Magick Box and even though she’s now healed, she isn’t safe.” Xander said, hoping to explain Willow’s earlier anger.
Nodding but not commenting one way or another Buffy walked over to the phone and dialed a familiar number. “Gabe, I need a favor.” Buffy said in her sweetest voice.
She listened for a few moments, then let out a light trilling laugh. “No I don’t want you to buy me another hotel, I need info.”
Smirking, Spike watched Angel out of the corner of his eye. “Tell the bloody Immortal to quit propositioning you luv, it’s getting really pathetic. Better yet, put him on the speaker phone and I‘ll tell him myself.”
Doing as he asked she pushed down the speaker button and hopped up on the counter.
“Ciao, my most honored rival.” Gabe called out joyfully, after hearing Spike’s demand. “Your lovely mate is in need of my assistance si?”
“Only because you’re older than dirt.” Spike said without any real heat, amused beyond belief at how Angel’s mouth was flopping up and down as he realized who they were talking to.
“To true il mio amico but my body is still warm and full of life like the sweetest of grapes warmed in the sun, while you are but dust waiting to be scattered into some dark night.”
“Only cause my girl saved your sorry hide, mate and I’m too busy with her at night to get scattered to the winds.”
“Ah, it still amazes me that you prefer him to me il bell'angelo di risparmio. Toss him aside and I shall lay this world at your feet.”
“Gabe, we’ve been through this, I like my men without a pulse and you’re kinda a little arrogant.” Buffy teased with a fond smile.
“And William is not arrogant?” He challenged.
“Yeah he really is but in his case, it’s part of his charm. But my old friend, can you help a girl out?”
“After all your refusals, I should return the favor but alas, I can not. I am your faithful servant, ask what you need of me and it shall be done.”
“Now see Gabe that right there is what makes you so charming.” Buffy said swinging her feet back and forth. “But what can you tell me about a hell god that goes by the name Glorificus? I got the basic story but I need to figure out how to kill her.”
“I do not know this for certain but I believe that she is in some way bound to the key she so desperately seeks to return home. It appeared in this realm the same time she was cast out of her home-world by her brothers. I believe the secret of her destruction will be closely mirrored by the key. I do not know what vessel the monks chose but I think that it is safe to assume that Glory can be destroyed the same way.”
“The key’s a human, a witch that’s mortal and Glory is clearly not.” Buffy said, causing the Sunnydale crew to sputter in shock.
“That means nothing my sweet. You and I know better how the face we see is not always the only one they possess. Glory was always a woman, so if the key was given human form with magical abilities, you must assume that Glory’s old form was changed as well. Perhaps her insanity wasn‘t caused from her imprisonment but that change in her being and I believe that she would use her magicks to conceal the face that could mean her death.”
“Angel went a little insane when he got his soul so if Glory was anything like Angelus before the change, it would make sense that if she was given a human half, it would drive her a little crazy. Add magicks and one big ego into the mix and you’ve got one pissed off and insane hell bitch.” Buffy worked through several plans in her head, quickly rejecting the first couple before getting a decent idea. “Can you call the elders for me, have them look up a reveling or summoning spell that might be able to draw out her weaker half…if we’re right about her even having one.”
“Si but rest at ease little one, I think our combined knowledge has pieced together this mystery. Like myself, you lacked some details that could lead you to this conclusion.”
“Yeah but you’re like thousands of years old and even if I had all the details I doubt I could have worked this out so quickly on my own.”
“I have spent years trying to uncover some way of destroying that abomination and in this moment I have made more progress than in the last two centuries. The monastery she decimated in the Czech Republic was under my protection and anything you need to help defeat her, do not hesitate to ask. Not that I wouldn’t help you if it wasn’t about her, but this is a matter of honor.”
“Other than the magicks angle I think we can handle it but I need another favor. A girl I know has lost control of her powers and I had to bind her. She’s incredibly powerful and I would appreciate it if you’d ask the elders if they know of someone they can send to train her in the craft.”
“You saved their beloved children and showed them the error of the judgment against Angel yet never asked for anything in return. While you did accept their offer of training, I think it is safe to say that they will feel indebted to you for many millennia. But nevertheless I will pass on your requests.”
“Thanks Gabe, I owe you big time.”
“You forget my sweet, you saved my life as well, so I too am indebted to you.” Gabe reminded her, knowing she hated to be thanked for her good works. That was one of the things he loved about her, she was downright humble for a Champion.
“You bought me a villa as a thank you and bought us a fricking hotel as a wedding gift; I think we’re more than even Gabriel. Now we’re just friends, I don’t need anything more than that.” Buffy said sternly, glowering at the phone.
“Ah, friendship both a blessing and a curse in your case, my sweet. Other than this pressing matter are things well for you and William?”
“We’re peachy with a side of keen. My friends kinda found us today; they’re actually the ones who brought me in on this Glory thing.”
“How did that go for you? I know you were concerned about their reactions should you meet again.”
“Xander hugged me, Willow killed me and Angel was attacked by one of the pigs but so far it’s been pretty good.” Buffy admitted, smiling at the others.
“What of your Watcher is he well?”
“Giles is still very Gilesy and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Buffy said, missing the flash of shock that covered Giles face.
Up until that moment, Giles believed he had been replaced by Wesley yet it was clear that Buffy had told this Immortal fellow that he was her Watcher.
“She has never been my Slayer Rupert.” Wes said softly, catching the older man’s surprise from her words. “I am her friend but you have always had her respect and love as her Watcher and father.”
Buffy finished her conversation and looked over to where Giles was standing with Wes. “Gabriel’s totally trust worthy, I wouldn’t have told him about the key if I thought it would put her in any danger. He’s probably the oldest living being any of us will ever met and he couldn’t have helped if he didn’t know everything. He’s more or less neutral on the whole good vs. evil thing but every once in awhile he gets involved for the side of good and both Spike and I trust him implicitly.”
“You trust the Immortal?” Angel asked Spike, his voice rich with shock.
“Thing change Angel.” Spike said knowing Angel would understand he wasn’t just talking about the Immortal. He had no doubt Angel had some inane plan to win back Buffy but even though she’d still never said the words, he knew he had nothing to fear. Every time she looked at him, her eyes and soul screamed out her love for him and he’d place his faith in them.
“Okay so now that’s settled, we might actually have something close to a plan.” Buffy said hopping off the counter. “You all make yourselves at home and go pick out your rooms. While you’re doing that I’ll work out a plan with my crew so they can handle things while we’re gone and then we can all just sorta hang out. I’m guessing you all need a break and since there isn’t anything more that can be done tonight, I say why not.”