As Buffy entered the Magic Box on Monday morning, Anya was already waiting for her, heaps of illustrated catalogs splattered willy-nilly across the table. Enthusiastically, the ex-demon waved her over.

“Look, Buffy, what do you think about this dress?”

In horror, Buffy stared at the page. “Isn’t this color a bit – daring?”

“I thought that would let me stand out in my white dress. Also, it’s a good fit with what the men will be wearing.” Anya frowned at the picture.

“But - black?” Buffy picked up the catalog and flipped through the pages.

All the dresses were black or in shades of grey. Most of them were clearly not meant to be worn by human girls, at least not without causing some serious commotion. Who would need three sleeves and a big opening in the backside?

She turned the catalog around and looked at the title: ‘Norealean Empire - Dresses for all Occasions’. “Where did you get this from?”

“Well, they have decent prices and they offer human sized dresses. As I said, trading across dimensions can be very rewarding. Of course, Norealeans can’t see colors.”

Anya threw the catalog onto the floor and picked up another one. “You’re right, black is boring. What do you think about these? I put sticky notes on the ones I liked.”

Buffy looked at the front page; it was the catalog of a Californian online shop. She opened it expectantly to the first marked page. It showed a silken mini dress in psychedelic colors, lovely for a flower child, but inappropriate for a wedding, at least a proper one. She clearly had to approach this topic from a different angle.

“Anya, where will you be holding the wedding? I think the dresses should fit in with the coloring of the whole scene.” Buffy crossed her fingers behind her back.

Anya nodded and pulled out the advertising brochure of a respectable, if not posh, restaurant in town. “They offer a package deal for weddings: to hold the ceremony in the garden or in one of the conference rooms and the catering for the reception in the ballroom. They can also arrange for a band and the flowers and all decorations.”

Buffy flipped thoughtfully through the pictures. “See, isn’t that a good place to start from? It looks like the rooms are mostly styled in cream and soft red and pink. You’re the center in white, so let’s look for some dresses in red, not so bright, but lively enough so you can stand out in the pictures.”

Anya beamed at Buffy. “Oh, I was so right. You are perfect for this planning. What would I have done without you?”

Buffy shuddered as her imagination kicked into gear. Probably Anya would have chosen some ugly, screaming color in which Buffy would have looked dead or radioactive. At least the red and pink colors would suit her, Dawn, and Tara.

“We could have flowers, streamers, and balloons in the same color scheme, with some accents, like dark burgundy table runners,” Buffy suggested hopefully, trying to steer Anya clear of disaster.

“The groomsmen could wear cummerbunds and bow ties in the same shade of red as the bridesmaid’s dresses.” Anya was warming up to the idea. “Let’s look for some red dresses!”

“Anya, what will your gown look like? The bridesmaids should complement you in style.” Buffy hoped to navigate Anya towards dresses without ruffles. She had passed her ruffle-phase when she was about ten and didn’t want to revive it.

“It’s beautiful, Buffy. It’s white, of course, sleeveless with a lace corsage and a lace skirt spreading out like a frozen waterfall. I think I’ll curl my hair and pile it up on my head, with ribbons and flowers in it.” Anya stared dreamily into the distance.

“Then we should look for something simple for the bridesmaids, with a form fitting body, not too low cut and a more slender, slim skirt. Maybe in some silken fabric?”

Soon the girls were immersed in the catalogs, heads bent over the pictures, discussing cut, color, and texture for the dresses.

~*~

As the first customer of the day arrived, they had a small but thankfully decent selection of acceptable dresses and lots of notes about possible decorations.

Anya hurried to tend to her customer and Buffy watched in amazement as the woman, who had only asked for scented candles, left with her arms full of neatly wrapped parcels. Considering her usual bluntness, Anya had a way with customers.

Now Buffy wondered what the ex-demon had to offer her. “So, Anya, you said you had a proposal for me?”

“Oh you’ll love it! I found such a perfect way for both of us to earn big piles of beautiful green money.”

She wants to rob a bank with me, Buffy thought, trying hard not to roll her eyes.

Anya opened a drawer behind the counter, pulled out a folder and rummaged through the pages. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she pulled out one sheet and held it out to Buffy.

“Look, isn’t that obscene?”

Raising her eyebrows, Buffy scanned the paper. It was an invoice for one pound of powdered Fyral horn and the price was sky high. “Who wants to buy Fyral horns?”

“It’s an aphrodisiac, like rhinoceros horn. Since the wildlife conservation is strict and the penalties so severe, many customers buy Fyral horn as a substitute. In my opinion, Fyral horn is much more potent. We have lots of regular customers, mostly Chinese.”

Buffy looked at the total and swallowed. “The price is incredible.”

“Just what I said! It’s scandalous! Why is Giles buying this at a horrific price when he has a Slayer at his disposal? We make a decent enough profit, but still.” Anya shook her head in exasperation.

“You say you buy for this price? Regularly?” Buffy still couldn’t wrap her mind around that concept.

“Well, the powdered horn is much cheaper than the whole horn. For an undamaged horn you get $1,000 per pound, which means a horn from a Fyral male in his prime will fetch between $3,000 and $5,000.”

Buffy sank down on her chair. “And I dragged the last Fyral corpse into the underbrush to hide it. That took me fifteen minutes and I broke my fingernail. No wonder it was gone the next night.”

“I know! You slay the Fyral, someone cuts off the horns and we buy them for this price, which cuts into our profits horribly. And there are several more body parts of demons in demand; that’s just one example.” Anya was deeply disturbed by the whole procedure.

 “So, your proposal is that I sell the valuable parts of the demons directly to the shop?” Buffy warmed up to the idea.

“Exactly! We have to talk about your commission, of course. We do the processing and the distribution and you provide the raw material.”

Buffy thought about it. Depending on her commission, that would provide her with income, not a steady one, but substantial. Fyral demons weren’t everyday opponents, but ten or twelve a year would add up at those prices.

“What about the other demons? I won’t kill any harmless and peaceful demon for profit. I’m still the Slayer and not a bounty hunter.” She thought about Clem and his family, and Kareem, and frowned.

Anya smiled at her. “Don’t worry. This shop has a strict policy. We don’t sell products which are harvested by harming or killing any innocents or which are primarily used in harmful potions or spells.

“But there are other products which are regenerative. Our unique position on a Hellmouth with a large demon population is a real benefit. I have a supplier for powdered Gnarak claws, he regularly sends in his nail clippings. Snak’r is a Lii’zar demon, they live in the sewers; he collects rat’s eyes for us. Could you believe that Ragnak urine gets a decent price too? They are very shy, but there’s a family in town that could roll in a barrel each month, more than we ever can sell.”

Buffy listened with rapt attention. The ex-vengeance demon was clearly well informed and well connected. She suddenly saw Anya, working in the shop, in a different light. Maybe Giles had not offered Anya a job out of pity, just to support Xander and his girlfriend.

She remembered that Giles had encouraged Xander to apply for the job at the construction site. Now they had a skilled carpenter and builder at their disposal. Her respect for Anya and Giles had grown ten-fold in the last hour.

~*~

The basement door creaked open and Spike entered the Magic Box, waving a handful of red, hair-like weed. “Can I borrow some Burba Weed, demon-girl?”

Anya scowled at him. “Borrow? Why should I take it back after you soaked it in your blood?”

Spike winked at her and placed the Burba Weed on the counter. Laughter in his eyes, he turned and swept Buffy into a deep dip, placing a smacking kiss on her mouth. “Hello, cutie!”

Merry laughter bubbled up in Buffy. She wrapped her hand around Spike’s neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss, present company completely forgotten.

Minutes later, she came up for air as the doorbell announced another customer. A blush rose in her cheeks as she noticed Anya’s amused grin. “Ummm, I think we better go into the training room,” Buffy stammered.

As she saw Spike’s sexy smirk, her face grew even hotter. “For training!”

Anya and Spike exchanged a look and Buffy huffed, turned, and resolutely marched to the back of the shop. “I’ll get the mats laid out.”

She felt steam rising from her blushed face. Open mouth, insert foot. It was all Spike’s fault anyway, why must he kiss her brain away? Stupid vampire and his stupid, soft, enticing, teasing lips…

She shut the door with a bang, cutting off  the laughter trailing after her. Right, prepare for training. Just normal, everyday training with her new training partner. Determined, she opened her duffle bag and changed into her training apparel.

To cool off her embarrassment, she pulled on her grips and went over to the parallel bars. With an upstart she launched into a series of exercises.

“Pet?” Spike’s voice was muffled through the door.

“Go away!”

The door opened anyway and Spike strolled casually into the room, watching her routine quietly. Finally, Buffy dismounted with a backflip.

He handed her the towel. “Look, I’m sorry, luv. I’m just a dumb git with a dirty mind.”

“That was - arrg! You kiss me and all my wits go on vacation. I’m the queen of quippyness! At least I used to be. Thank God it was just Anya listening. You’re a bad influence.”

Buffy had to grin at Spike’s ineffective attempt to look sorry. “Ok, training now. Real one! Do you want to warm up first?”

“Think I’ll work on the bars too. Haven’t done that in a while.” Absentmindedly, Spike removed his shoes and pulled his t-shirt over his head. “Learned to like it in the ‘30s when I was in Berlin for the Olympics.”  He powdered his hands and started with simple swings until he stopped in a handstand.

Buffy stared at the display. Muscles like steel cables slid effortlessly under Spike’s white, smooth skin. Strength combined with elegance, he was a splendid sight; his body a well-oiled, perfectly toned machine. Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips.

Longer swings followed, changing bars until Spike stopped, arms stretched, feet parallel to the ground in a static hold. The pectorals were clearly defined, as if carved out of marble with dusty pink nipples. The sight of his six pack abs left Buffy breathless, her fingers longing to explore each dip and rise on the expanse of his stomach.

After some more swings Spike descended with a straight flip and landed at the foot of the bars, face immobile in concentration. Then he shook himself and turned with a grin. “Enjoyed the show?”

He slipped his t-shirt back on and walked slowly over to Buffy, his bare feet sliding noiselessly over the floor. Like a predator, he circled her, keeping his distance. Suddenly, with a roar, he attacked.

And landed on the mat with a loud ‘thump’.

~*~

Dawn shifted nearer and whispered into Tara’s ear. “What will she look like? Have you met her?”

Dawn was sitting on the couch in Giles’ living room, squeezed between Buffy and Tara. Everybody was there to meet the Coven healer. Tuesday morning Giles had called, telling them that the healer would arrive today and wanted to meet the members of their group in the late afternoon.

Impatiently, Dawn wriggled on her seat. “What’s she doing in there?” She stared at the closed door of the guest room. She’d been waiting for half an hour already and nothing was happening. It was so boring!

Tara laid her hand calmingly on Dawn’s arm. “It won’t be long, but Giles said she wanted to examine Will immediately.” She looked down and sighed. “I hope she has good news for us.”

Dawn looked around the room. Anya sat in the armchair; Xander perched on the armrest, intent in a murmured conversation. Judging by the blush on Xander’s cheeks, Anya was obviously on her favorite topic. No need for her tender ears to listen in to that conversation.

“Buffy?” She poked her elbow into Buffy’s side. “Can I go over to Janice’s afterwards to finish my homework? I’ll come back before you go out to patrol, I promise.”

She could see Buffy visibly jar out of her daydream. Or, more accurately, vampire dream?

Buffy blinked and her smile faded as she turned to her. “Only if it’s not too late. Tomorrow is school and …”

The door to the guest room opened and a tall, slender woman stepped out in front of Giles. She was dressed in brown slacks and a short sleeved sky-blue t-shirt, showing slim but muscular arms. She had pulled her mass of curly, strawberry blonde hair back into a loose braid, hanging down below her shoulder blades. A strong jaw and a slightly curved, long nose dominated her stern, angular face.

“I’m Healer Elin Harper from the Bath Coven. Please feel free to call me Elin,” she stated businesslike. Giles quickly gave her the names of the assembled Scooby Group.

Intelligent, clear grey eyes scanned the room. “I’m sure that everybody wants to hear first how your friend is doing before we get better acquainted.”

Instinctively, Dawn knew that this woman couldn’t be fooled by much. She’d had teachers like that before, who seemed to be able to see right inside her head. She made a mental note not to get on her wrong side.

“I’ve not finished my examination, but I can already tell you that Willow is in no imminent danger. As you’ve already suspected, the attack has deprived her of energy and her body has shut down to repair the damage. That damage seems not to be permanent and with time and therapy I will be able to reverse the effect completely. But that is not something which can be achieved in a few sessions, so I will probably stay in Sunnydale for some months.”

Giles pushed his glasses up his nose with his finger. “Fortunately, an apartment in this building complex is for rent, so I’ve arranged the lease for the Coven. We will move Willow in with Elin, so she can work with her without interruptions.”

The healer nodded briskly. “I have specialized in trauma therapy because of my special background as a trained Watcher. That is why I was chosen for this assignment.” She paused, looked around at the blank faces, and explained, voice hesitantly. “Most active Watchers need intensive trauma therapy once their Slayers have died.”

The room fell into an eerie silence.

A sensation of extreme pain flashed over Elin’s face and she pressed her lips together and closed her eyes for a short moment. Finally, she took a deep breath and added in a quiet voice. “During my training, the Potential who was assigned to my mentor was Called. After only six months, the girl was brutally killed by a group of vampires.” She turned her head slightly and looked at Giles. “You remember Vincent Pridger?”

Dawn saw a dark shadow flicker over Giles’ features as he nodded.

The healer wrapped her arms closely around her chest. Grey eyes glittering with suppressed tears, Elin let her gaze run over the group. “My mentor came back to the Council headquarters, looking old and worn. He blamed himself for her death. Four weeks later, he committed suicide. That was why I decided to quit training to be a Watcher. Before I could leave, the Coven recruited me because of my empathy and magical talents for healing.”

Dawn felt fear cramping around her stomach. If Buffy died… She never dared to think about that clearly, she tried to push all reminders of the constant danger her sister was in to the back of her mind. She just couldn’t cope with it. For the first time she thought about what Buffy’s death would also mean to Giles, who was so close to her. She shuddered.

Buffy put her arm around Dawn’s shoulder and squeezed her. “Don’t think about that, Dawnie. And I also have Spike now to protect my back. Have faith in us,” she murmured comfortingly.

Dawn leaned into the embrace and nodded slightly.

Eyes suddenly full of compassion, Elin turned to Buffy. “I apologize for the outburst. I hadn’t wanted to stir up bad memories. I know that you lost your mother recently, Miss Summers. My sincere condolences to you both. Please, feel free to contact me, if you want my professional help.”

Dawn felt Buffy shift beside her. She knew how her sister hated to be reminded that there were situations where all her Slayer power was useless.

Elin’s sharp eyes focused on Dawn. “Your sister too, of course. Under those circumstances, counseling would be advised.”

Giles cleared his throat. “Since everyone is here tonight, perhaps we should proceed with the introductions in more detail before we make further plans.”

Dawn piped up. “Just Spike’s missing, but he’ll come by later. Right, Buffy?” She hated it, when Spike was excluded from the group, even involuntarily. He had earned his right, hadn’t he?

Buffy looked out the window into the grey twilight. She tilted her head, listening, and smiled slightly. “Actually, he’ll be here soon.”  She rose from her seat just as the door opened.

The healer’s head turned towards the leather clad newcomer standing in the doorframe. Her eyes went wide as Spike stepped over the threshold.

“Devincire!” she cried, her hand stretched out, palm facing the door. Glittering strands of green energy shot out of her hand chakra and wrapped around Spike, encasing him in a transparent, emerald sheath.

“Spike!” Dawn squeaked and jumped off the couch.

Buffy quickly stepped between Elin and Spike. “Stop it. Now!” she commanded in a calm, cold voice.

“Stand down. He’s an ally,” Giles added.

Elin frowned and lowered her hand. “He’s a vampire!”

Giles’ tone was dry. “Don’t you think we know that? He’s invited into my home and he’s part of our group. This is Spike.”

With a flicker of her hand, Elin removed the bonds around Spike. “Spike? Oh, that is what William the Bloody is called nowadays. I read the Council’s records about their visit last year. I hadn’t realized that he is so trusted.”

She frowned at the group standing by the door. Buffy had grabbed Spike’s hand after closing the door behind him. Dawn hovered protectively in front of them. She could feel Spike’s tension like an electric field, crackling behind her back.

Elin’s eyes took on a golden-green glow, her pupils reflecting the light like mirrors.

“The warriors of Light and Darkness. They give life to the Gatekeeper.” She murmured, trance like. Elin’s eyes bored into Dawn for several long moments, until she finally broke the connection and turned towards Giles.

“You seemingly left out a lot in your report about the defeat of the hell god Glorificus, Rupert. The Council believes that the Key was destroyed in the process.”

Dawn moved closer to Spike and Buffy. She didn’t like the sudden attention. She didn’t like it at all. Wasn’t she through with this? Every time she thought that her life finally turned normal there was another setback.

Giles was unfazed by the accusation. “Everything I told the Council was true. I don’t owe them any further allegiance. I am the Watcher for the current Slayer, not their intelligence.”

The healer shrugged. “I’m not bound to the Council either. But I need to know what is going on here if I am to work with you all.”

She stalked nearer to the group at the door, eyes still gleaming, focused intently on Dawn as she addressed the Slayer. “Miss Summers, you three are very close, aren’t you?”

Dawn stared with wide eyes at the healer. She felt small, like an insect placed under a microscope. She was glad when Buffy squeezed her right hand and Spike’s palm fell heavy and assuring on her left shoulder.

“Dawn’s my sister and Spike’s my friend.” Buffy’s voice was firm and held a hint of annoyance.

“Try to harm any one of them and you’ll find a new meaning for ‘when hell breaks loose’.” Spike growled protectively. Dawn straightened, reassured, and raised her chin defiantly.

“I can see your auras and you don’t look like sisters at all,” the healer went on bluntly. “Even your outward appearance isn’t very much alike.”

Elin frowned and turned towards Giles. “What do you know about her origin?”

Dawn got angry. Why did adults always talk over her head as if she wasn’t there? She opened her mouth to protest but then stopped. Nobody discussed with her where she came from. Not after she’d cut herself. Maybe she shouldn’t spoil the opportunity to learn more.

After exchanging a glance with Buffy, Giles took a deep breath. “We don’t know what exactly happened, but Buffy rescued a monk from Glory. He told her that the secret society, that was formed to protect the Key, sent it to the Slayer in the form of her sister. He indicated that they created Dawn out of Buffy. They altered our memories, so no one at first knew that Dawn hadn’t been part of our lives before.”

“So, because of these memories you feel that Dawn’s your sister.” Elin surmised, turning back to Buffy.

“I don’t know why you insist on this interrogation, but yes, I feel that Dawn’s my sister. I don’t need any memories for that. She’s the most important person to me; she’s like a part of me.”

“Even magic can’t bend the fundamental laws of nature and the DNA is one of them. If the monks made Dawn completely out of your DNA, she would look more like you. Perhaps not exactly the same, but, for example, she wouldn’t be as tall nor would she have blue eyes.”

Elin paused and looked intently at Spike. “Clearly they used some other DNA donor in the mix. If we disregard the memories they gave you, Dawn would be more Buffy’s daughter than her sister.”

She held her hand out to Tara who, with the rest of the group, had stepped nearer during the strange interrogation. “Tara, I assume you can sense auras too. Can you tell me what you see?”

Tara looked at Buffy for her permission before she closed her eyes in concentration. When she opened them again and looked at Dawn, Buffy, and Spike, her gaze was glassy and unfocused. She held her hand up, palm facing the group, and spoke in a dreamlike voice.

“Their colors complement each other. It’s like a rainbow split in three parts. Buffy’s dominated by blue and purple, Spike by red and yellow, and Dawn is all shades of green. Where their auras meet, they bleed into each other, intermixing, flowing from Buffy and Spike towards Dawn.” She sighed happily. “It’s beautiful. Whenever I’ve seen your auras before, the effect hadn’t been so intense. It’s like you three need to be close together and in physical contact.”

Tara shook her head and lowered her hand. “But I’ve never studied the aura of relatives, so I can’t tell if that’s significant.”

“The intermixing and feeding of the auras suggests some close relation and is normally found between parents and child. If you want confirmation, you could simply make a standard paternity test. That Spike’s a vampire would prove no problem, his saliva still carries his DNA.”

Wow! Dawn tried to wrap her brain around that concept. That was totally cool! She had for a while now considered Spike a part of her life. She had only some vague memories about her father which were all fake anyway. She’d been only nine when her parents separated. Hank hadn’t even written her a birthday card last winter, which would have been her only real memory. But Spike? He was always there for her.

She looked questioningly up at Spike. His clear blue eyes where thoughtful.

“Niblet, it doesn’t matter - one way or the other. You were my Bit from the beginning; don’t need any bloody science to tell me more.”

Buffy smiled at that. “It irritated the hell out of me how much Spike cared for you… how much time you two spent together.” Then her face fell serious again. “But now I think it’s time for Healer Harper to spill all the beans.”

Before the healer could start, Giles spoke up. “There seems to be more on your mind than just the question of how Dawn was brought to us and who her biological parents are. Elin, you mentioned a ‘Gatekeeper’. I did intense research about the Key, but I never encountered this term. As you pointed out, secrets are not productive if we have to work together. Hiding information might put us all in danger. Willow’s already in a coma because she fought a demon who tried to capture Dawn.”

Dawn felt Spike’s hand clamp harder onto her shoulder and flinched. Everybody’s attention was on the healer. Xander and Anya had moved closer in and the Scoobies now formed a circle around the Coven witch.

Elin shook her head and the gleaming shine of her mirrored eyes vanished behind the natural cool grey, like rain clouds closing over a short glimpse of sunshine.

She was quiet for a moment, and then she said, “When I studied for my Watcher’s exam, I came across a prophecy, hidden in the ‘Book of Satori’. I don’t know if it’s a real prophecy, but it spoke of two warriors who represented two opposites - white and black, yin and yang – who came together in a crisis. Instead of annihilating each other, their energy clashed and created the ‘Gatekeeper’, a being who is blessed - or doomed depending on the translation - to guard or open the doors between the universes.

“It was a long time ago, so I can’t be quite sure about the complete text. The translation of the Chinese scripture was very difficult; also the scroll was damaged and partly unreadable. It originated from the 6th century and the translation had to be based on the context of the social structures of the southern Chinese monasteries.”

Elin looked at Giles and shrugged apologetically. “We need to retrieve the scroll if we want to verify the prophecy’s meaning. Seeing them together sparked my memory and I trust my intuition, which tells me that it is important. I’ll be staying here a good while, so we have some time to work on it together. Maybe together we can figure out what it means.”

Giles nodded. “I agree that we need to look into the prophecy.”

Elin held out her hand towards Spike. “I’m sorry that I overreacted. You startled me. I hope you can forgive me.”

Spike shrugged. “I’d have minded if you’d thrown fire at me. I’ll live - sort of.”

Elin laughed and the smile transformed her stern face to translucent beauty.