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Chapter 29

One week later, Rupert Giles stepped off the shuttle in Sunnydale. He blinked in the brightness of the mid-day sun. He looked around for the mad-dog, just to see if the old adage was true, but the only thing he saw was Xander leaning against his car waiting for him.

Unbeknownst to Giles, the man he had wanted to talk to in England and couldn’t was at that moment wining and dining the late Slayer’s mother. Reginald had more than mere tomfoolery in mind though. After a week of quiet conversations, and wonderful dinners, with both Joyce and Dawn, Reginald Bey was in love for the first time in his life. The Summers women were captivating.

“Hey, G-man.” Xander waved. “I’m here to take you to the Magic Box so you can show and tell what you learned.”

“Don’t call me that!” Giles strode over to the car, and he put his suitcase in the back seat. “I’ve got some good news and some bad news. Let’s get a move on.” He slipped into the front seat where he waited for Xander to get behind the wheel.

“What’s got your panties in a wad?” Xander asked as he got into the car.

Giles sighed. He knew it wasn’t Xander’s fault, but the young man irritated him with his flippancy sometimes. “Nothing you’ve done, Xander,” he said quietly. “What I found out at the Council about our opponent was not encouraging.”

Xander nodded in understanding. He started the car, and the drive across town to the Magic Box was quiet as each man’s thoughts about the impending meeting. Once they reached their destination, they both went inside to find all of the others waiting for them including: Clem, Jack, Dalton, and Graham.

Giles looked around at the group. He took off his glasses, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Well, I have good news. I found out that the creature we’re fighting is called the Beast or Glorificus. The bad news is she is more than a demon. She’s a Hell-God.”

“A Hell-God? How on Earth did that happen?” Anya looked concerned.

“She made the other Hell-Gods, Ptolmony and Calypun, mad enough to get her kicked her out of their dimension.” Giles sighed. “Unfortunately there’s really no way to defeat her. This Key that she wants that is a Slayer’s sister is a puzzle too. There’s just too many of them to know which one is the Key.”

“What do you mean, Giles?” Cassie asked.

“The three Slayers before you and Kendra each had at least one sister. One of them had two. We simply don’t have time to figure out which sister is the one that Glory’s looking for.”

Spike turned to look at Buffy. She was looking down at her lap, her knuckles white as she struggled not to move them. You have to tell them, the male vampire attempted to use the mating claim to relay the message. They need to know the truth.

Buffy looked up at Spike. She could hear his voice in a faint whisper in her mind, urging her to spill her last secret to the Scoobies. She knew they needed to know, but she was scared. If she said it out loud, Buffy was worried that the Hell-God would go after Dawn.

How can they help us or protect Dawn if they are clueless, Spike urged. They’re our friends. I’ve never had friends before, pet. I really like it.

“Well, should we warn them?” Cassie said. “That way they can at least go into hiding or something.”

Buffy looked up to study the faces of the people around her. The only ones she wasn’t too sure about were Angel and Riley, but she knew that Spike wouldn’t let either of them hurt her. She knew she couldn’t let them scare those other women with the thought of a Hell-God chasing them. Not a single one of them deserved that.

I love you, Buffy. Spike thought to his mate. I’ve loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you. I probably would have if you had been alive.

Buffy chuckled under her breath at that thought. She was sure that though Slayer Buffy had warmed up to the bleached blond vampire that her human side would have fought her attraction long and hard if she had just been the Slayer instead of a vampire too.

It’s time. You know who you are at last. You know what’s to come. Whistler’s voice echoed in Buffy’s ear.

Buffy rose to her feet. “There’s no need for that,” the petite vampiress announced. “The Key is quite safe.”

“Beth? How do you know this?” Giles turned to look at Buffy.

“Hello, Mr. Giles.” Buffy put her hand out. “I’m Buffy. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’m very pleased to meet you.”

In a state of shock, Giles clasped Buffy’s hand to shake it. He was totally flummoxed by the vampiress’ revelation. Was that what made her so different than other vampires?

“But you’re dead!” Angel rose to his feet. Now that he knew she was the girl he had caught a glimpse of in Los Angeles all those years before he could recognize her.

“Yeah, I kinda got that when I woke up all fangy.” Buffy nodded.

“Tell Rupes the rest, luv,” Spike urged.

Buffy swallowed with nervousness. She allowed herself to shift completely into Slayer mode. Her eyes glowed and small fangs descended. Buffy spoke in a guttural voice. “I’m the Specter.”

“You’re the one that threatened me!” Angel growled. He took a step towards Buffy.

“I can dust you with a word,” Buffy snarled in return. “The threat still stands. You touch my mate and there will be retribution. I’m as immortal as you are.”

Giles studied the faces of the others scattered around the room. Most were in a state of shock, but a few were merely curious. He wasn’t surprised that Jack and Clem knew Buffy’s identities. They were her oldest friends here in Sunnydale after all. The one that he wasn’t expecting to know the turned Slayer’s secret was Anya. Giles turned to his lover and uttered her name, “Anya?”

Anya sighed. “Yes, I’ve always known who and what Buffy is. I was sent here to help her and Spike. They are the Immortal Guardians. Other Slayers will come and go as the line now runs through Faith, but they will always guard this Hellmouth.”

“How do you know this?” Cassie asked.

Buffy shifted out of her Slayer mode. “We’re not the only ones. I’ve talked to RoseSeri Hassib about the others a few times. Not all of us are vamps from what she says. It depends on the circumstances really. There are other guardians in other universes and dimensions.”

“Well, good at least we know which sister to protect,” Faith replied. She wasn’t too fazed by the news. In fact, it seemed to make a few things make more sense, like Spike’s closeness with the Specter and Beth.

“I’ve already got that covered.” Buffy extended her senses to ensure there weren’t any eavesdroppers. “I went to Warren and had two robots made. They are currently managing the art gallery and going to school in Mom and Dawn’s places.”

Giles gave Buffy a startled look. “Did you have blond hair before?”

“Yeah, why?” Buffy nodded.

“I saw your picture during that horrible zombie incident. I didn’t even connect the dots.” Giles slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “It was right in front of me, and I never saw it.”

Buffy shrugged. “I know. I don’t understand it either. Mom said Reggie has a theory that I’m more in tune with the Slayer, and that part hid me from everybody.”

“Reginald Bey?” Giles stared at the turned Slayer in astonishment. “How ever did they meet up?”

“Guess he’s there at the same place as Mom having his own medical emergency.”

“We need to come up with a plan to fight Glory,” Cassie said, trying to get the focus back on task. “Any ideas, Giles?”

“The time of the convergence is in several weeks, but without the Key the time can pass without any consequences. However, I don’t think that Glory will allow that to happen.” Giles gestured to Anya to bring over his briefcase. “There are one or two weapons that might help us.”

“We don’t even know how to find her,” Cordelia said. “Are we just going to take out an ad in the paper?”

“Not a bad idea, provided it could work.” Spike turned to Clem and Dalton. “Go nose around Willy’s.”

“Good idea, Spike,” Clem said. He gave Jack a kiss on the cheek to assure her that he would be careful. Then Dalton and he left the shop through the back door.

“What gave you the idea you’re in charge, William?” Angel muttered.

“The fact that you and your Slayer are leavin’ this burg for greener pastures,” Spike sneered. “The Specter and I are taking over this little patch of Hell and makin’ it our own.”

“I ran into Glory down by those warehouses by the docks.” Buffy tilted her head in thought. “She had one of those monks held prisoner there. He’s the one who told me about the Key.”

“It’s a place to start,” Cassie agreed. “But her state of dress when she dropped by to see us both times didn’t scream homeless person.”

“No, it didn’t.” Cordelia looked thoughtful. “I’m pretty sure the dress she was wearing was a Versace knockoff.”

“And you know just where those are sold in town, don’t you?” Faith drawled.

“Well, of course I do.” Cordelia gave the dark Slayer a haughty sniff. “It pays to know who can afford the real thing and who can’t.”

“Well, that’s your job to check out the knockoff stores then,” Giles said, looking up from his briefcase. “You and Xander see if you can get an address on Glory.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jack said. “I’m willing to wear knockoffs. I need a few dresses for work anyway.”

“Ugh. Somebody save me,” Xander groaned. “I hate shopping.”

“Buck up, mate,” Spike chuckled. He reached over to clap his friend on the back. “Once this threat is over, we’ll let the gals have a nice little hen party for themselves.”

Cassie snapped her fingers between the two chatting males. “That’s all fine and dandy, guys. Back to the Hell-bitch?” All of a sudden she didn’t feel like the ‘head’ Slayer anymore, and she didn’t like it.

Giles took a picture of a glowing ball out of his briefcase. “If we had this, it would help knock Glory’s power down.”

Buffy gave the picture a cursory glance. “The guard at the warehouse gave me that thingie. I gave it to Anya.”

“It’s downstairs in the lead room,” Anya replied. “I didn’t know what it was. So, I didn’t want to try and sell it.”

“Really?” Giles looked back and forth between the two women. “You have the Dagon’s Sphere?”

“Is that what it’s named?” Buffy shrugged. “I was just calling it the Glow Ball of Fun.”

“You know, if one of us let it slip we know which Slayer’s sister is the Key, we could lure Glory to a meeting spot,” Cassie said in a thoughtful voice.

“What if she wants proof?” Buffy sat down by Spike. “I’m not that comfortable letting her see the Dawnbot.”

“I agree, but at least the Dawnbot isn’t as fragile as your real sister,” Cassie pointed out.

“I guess.” Buffy didn’t look too enthusiastic about the idea, but she conceded that it was a good plan. “So, anymore ideas in your briefcase, Giles?” She craned her neck to look.

“Anya told me about the incident with the troll.” Giles pulled out another paper. “I believe the hammer that you took from him can be used against Glory.”

“What about us?” Willow asked.

“Get together with Serina.” Cassie turned to her friend. “You’re my big gun, Will. I need you to be able to vanquish Glory like you did the troll.”

“In my studies, I found the mention of a dimension that has a portal in, but none out.” Giles pulled yet another paper out of his briefcase. “It sits just past the dimension of Quor-toth which is almost impossible to get out of, but it can be done. The dimension I’m speaking of would be the perfect place to send Glory.” He handed Willow the paper with the information on it.

“Sounds good. Now, who is going to do the luring?” Cassie looked around at the group.

“I’m the newest.” Graham stood up straighter. “It should be me. They’ll believe that I’m a double crosser. If Clem and Dalton can come up with the right intel, we can make sure that the right ears hear what we want and none of the wrong ears.”

Some of the group continued to make plans for the next few hours while the others went out to do their appointed tasks. Xander ended up having to carry both Cordelia and Jack’s shopping bags, but after he saw Cordelia slip into the lingerie store he shut his mouth and let the ladies shop. They were able to come up with a penthouse address for Glory and some man named Ben.

Clem and Dalton hit pay dirt, not at Willy’s but at the Rusty Beaver, a demonic strip joint outside of the Sunnydale city limits. There they found one of Glory’s minions drinking himself into a stupor.





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