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At 3:30pm the next day Buffy and Dawn entered the Magic Box smiling.

“Hey guys!” Dawn chirped, bouncing over to the table where Willow, Tara and Xander where sitting.

“Hey Dawnie, how was school?” Willow smiled, making a spot for the little girl between her and Xander.

“Good. Buffy said that I could have some friends over tomorrow.”

“Really Buffster? You sure that’s a good idea?” Xander asked, looking over to the diminutive blond who was leaning against a pillar with her arms crossed.

Buffy shrugged and smiled at the pleading look Dawn was giving her. “Of course, out of all of us, my house is the only one to never be broken into. The way I see it, home is the safest place in Sunnydale.”

Buffy laughed when Dawn stuck her tongue out at Xander.

“Hey! My house hasn’t been broken into.” Willow whined from her place beside Tara.

“No, no it hasn’t, your fish just up and decided they needed some fresh air.” Buffy smirked.

Willow blushed. “Hey! That was your stupid boyfriend, remember? And! I already took away his invite.” She huffed, sticking her nose up.

“Hullo all.” Spike’s voice interrupted the room as he sauntered in, coming in from the back room.

“Spike.” Xander said with a kert nod.

No one had told him about Buffy’s feelings for the bleached wonder. No one had to. As much as he pretended to be ignorant, Xander was incredibly observant, and the looks Buffy gave captain peroxide whenever he was in the room were both obvious and frequent. He had also noticed how the looks had changed recently. Instead of the eyes lighting up, and the blushing that where classic “Buffy Love” signs, her eyes now seemed to dim with what he interpreted as either pain or disappointment, or both, before she had to look away. He may be ignorant to a lot of things; but his family wasn’t one of them. He had no idea what Deadboy junior had done, and to some extent he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“Hello Spike. Have you come to spend money? Because I already told you, you cannot steal. Stealing is wrong. And against the law.” Anya chirped. Spike smirked.

“Easy demon girl, I’m not here to pinch the merchandise. Here for the Scooby meetin’ at the Slayers request.” He said nonchalantly, hopping up to sit on the counter.

“Oh. Well that’s ok then.” She said, going back to counting her money.

“Ekhem, um, if we could, uh, get down to business, shall we?” Giles said, grabbing everyone’s attention, and gesturing for Buffy to take center stage.

Buffy sighed. “Right, to business.” Facing everyone, she started. “As some of you may or may not know, I’ve been feeling a little…different towards some people lately and – “

“You’re talking about how you’re in love with Spike right?” Anya interrupted, and everyone turned to look at her.

“What?” she asked, completely oblivious.

“Thanks Ahn.” Buffy said sarcastically, but with a slight smile.

“You’re welcome Buffy.” Anya chirped happily again.

“But to answer your question, no, I’m not. A few days ago, I used the Gem of Sight and found that…well, I discovered that something that I had secretly wished for was true.” Buffy stopped here to look at Dawn and smile.

Without thinking, Dawn jumped from her seat and thru herself at Buffy, squeezing her around the waist. Willow and Giles smiled indulgently at the two, while Spike couldn’t stand to watch their mutual show of affection, and had to turn away.

‘Just think mate, if you weren’t such a fucking wanker that could be you right now. If you hadn’t been such a bloody prick she could have been yours.’

“What did you wish for Buff?” Xander asked, not braking the moment, but still asking the question.

Buffy held Dawn tighter to her as she answered his question. “I wished for Dawn to be mine.”

“Huh?” Xander was confused.

Gently, Buffy led Dawn over to the table and took a seat beside her. “The Gem. It showed Dawn’s aura and how it was half mine, and half Spikes.” Silence greeted her. Truthfully, she wasn’t expecting much of a reaction; Willow, Giles, and Spike already knew. Tara probably did too, seeing as she didn’t need the Gem to see these things. And Anya…well, Anya probably didn’t care. That left Xander to have the only reaction, and right now he looked lost somewhere between putting the pieces together, and realization.

“But there’s more.” Again everyone stared. This time it was only Giles that had a look of understanding, as anything else was even news to those previously in the know. “There’s a new Baddy in town. She’s tuff” here Buffy paused to rub her shoulder which was still aching from the night before.

“You ok Buffy?” Xander asked, worried. It wasn’t normal for Buffy to still be in pain after a night of patrolling.

Spike was surprised as well. Not that the Slayer was hurt, thou that in its self was unusual. No, he was surprised that once again that gripping compulsion to go to her, to try to comfort her, urged him forward like nothing else, and he again had to physically restrain himself to stay seated.

“Ya Xand, I’m fine. Just still a little sore. No permanent damage.” Buffy said, smiling kindly, thankful for his concern.

“What was she Buffy?” Willow asked.

“Not sure. She’s defiantly not a vamp. I’ve never met anything like her. She just tossed me around like a rag doll, and the few hits that I did manage to land were lucky and didn’t even faze her. So, don’t really know what she is. But she’s dangerous. I think…I think she’s going to be this year’s apocalypse.”

“What does she want? I mean, all bad guys want something, what’s her fetish?” Xander piped up again.

“The Key.” Buffy answered simply.

“Huh?” was his simple reply.

“Last night, as I was escaping, and yes I did just say escaping, I rescued a monk she was using as a favored pin cushion. As soon as we were far enough away he told me everything, well, as much as he could. And he gave me this,” Turning, she picked up the bag she had brought with her and pulled out the dragon sphere. “He told me that this would help me fight her. Not sure what it does, but, then, that’s what you guys are for. I just kill stuff.” Buffy smiled perkily. Making everyone sitting at the table chuckle.

“But, what is the Key Buffy?” Willow asked.

“He didn’t say much, just that his brethren had protected it for centuries and that it was energy that had the power to open dimensions.”

“Evil demon, mystical object, portals to unknown dimensions: ah, taste the apocalypse in the air.” Xander quipped, rubbing his hands together in fake glee.

“Told ya.” Buffy smiled.

“Yes, well, thank you for that, Buffy. Now then, I believe that we should get started on this as soon as possible.” Giles said, turning to grab some books off of the shelf, and spurring everyone else into action.

Willow pulled out her trusty laptop, Tara gathered some books with Giles, Xander hoped up and out the door to gather the ever required sugary goodness, and Anya continued to work on the store’s log books.

It was just as Spike hopped off of the counter and headed towards the back training room, that Buffy caught Giles’s eye and nodded.

“Spike wait.” Buffy called out to him, causing him to turn and look at her with questioning eyes.

“What is it Slayer?”

Ignoring his question, Buffy took Dawn’s hand and led her into the training room where Spike followed, shutting the door behind him, sensing the Slayers need for privacy.

“There is something I need to tell you both. I think you should sit down for this.” Buffy said, gesturing towards the couch that lined the wall.

“What now Slayer?” Spike asked with false vexation.

“It’s about the Key.” Buffy said, doing her best to ignore him.

“What about it?” Asked Dawn.

“Ya, and why aren’t you telling all your little sodden’ Scoobies?” Spike asked, leaning back in his seat, and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Because I don’t want to put them in danger.” Buffy said, not batting an eye at his childish attitude.

“So, you won’t tell them because it would put them in danger, but you’re gonna tell us? What the hell has gotten into you Slayer?” Spike asked with confused curiosity.

“Shut up Spike. I’m telling you because you deserve to know, and it will keep you safe.” Buffy rolled her eyes.

“What is it mom?” Dawn asked, making Spike cringe, which Buffy and Dawn studiously ignored.

“The Key…it’s a person.”

Dawn very nearly stopped breathing, and Buffy rushed to kneel at her feel in front of her.

“Breath Dawnie, just breath…” Buffy whispered comfortingly, holding Dawn’s hand in one of her own and rubbing her arm with the other.

“Me? I’m the Key? What does that mean? What am I?” The little girl asked, her chin quivering, as tears came to her eyes. Buffy scooted up on to the couch to sit beside Dawn, and hold her close.

“Hey, nothing’s changed; you’re still our Dawnie, just, you know, now you’re just as supernatural as your parents.” Buffy smiled, rubbing Dawn’s arm as she held her close.

“But…does that mean…I’m not…am I real?”

“Oh Dawnie, you’re incredibly real.” Buffy looked over at Spike for support but found him staring at the ground. Buffy turned hurt eyes back to Dawn, while still trying to hide her expression. “Dawn listen, you are real. You were born like any other human being. The only thing that’s different is how you got your genes. I mean, having your essence stolen and used to create a life isn’t exactly what people say about the night their child was conserved.”

This made Dawn giggle slightly and a relieved smile touched Buffy’s lips.

“Why you tellen’ us this Slayer? Why not inform the Scoobies?” Spike asked, finally lifting his head.

“Because I didn’t want them to treat Dawn any differently, and, if this new demon or whatever, were to get a hold of one of them, and they accidentally let it slip that Dawn was the one she was looking for, that would put her in even more danger. It’s just too risky. Best to keep it between us and Giles.”

Spike nodded.

“So…” Dawn’s tentative voice brought their attention back to her. “What do I do now? How do I act?”

Buffy smiled down at her, and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “You act like you, just be Dawn. Nothing’s changed, Dawnie. As to what you do? You call your friends, and invite them over for a last minute movie blowout tomorrow night.”

“Really?!” Dawn jumped up excitedly, and ran out the door to use the shop’s phone. “Thanks mom!” her voice drifted back through the room, along with Giles’s disgruntled murmurings.





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