Nothing But The Truth

Nothing But The Truth

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PART TWO

The two girls left with the sphere and went to meet Spike. The abandoned house he inhabited looked like it might fall down at any second. After checking carefully, Willow found an exterior entrance to the basement.

Spike answered the door after the redhead had knocked several times. He was careful to stay out of the sunlight.

"Can we come in, Spike?"

"Sure, Red. Nice to see someone in your set knows how to knock."

As they entered, the girls looked around. The basement was neat, but almost as bare as the crypt had been. But there were enough chairs for all three of them to sit down.

"What's up, Red? What's that you've got there." Spike lit up a cigarette as he spoke.

"It's called the Dagon Sphere, and is supposed to repel 'that which cannot be named'. It appeared just about the same time that Glory did. I was kinda hoping you knew what it was good for."

The blond vampire looked the sphere over carefully. "Dagon Sphere, heh? I think I _have_ heard of it. It's supposed to be very powerful. And I'm pretty sure the thing 'which cannot be named' is that hell-bitch you lot are having trouble with."

"B... but we thought her name was Glory!" Willow was startled. *Could the answer be that easy? I might never have seen it if not for Spike.*

"Yeah, well, I've been doing what I can to find out more about her, and apparently 'Glory' is just short for Your Magnificent Gloriousness, Most Beauteous One, etc. etc. Her minions have to call her something, so... Glory. Could have been worse, they could have called her Beauty, or Maggie, or some such."

Curious, Tara asked, "How is the sphere supposed to work? Do you know?"

"Well, as I recall, it keeps the 'unnamed one' from getting too close to wherever the sphere is. I'd give it to Dawn, if I were you. Might help keep Glory away from her. Oh, and I've heard it amplifies spells. You witch-girls should be able to find a way to take advantage of that."

"It's a bloody shame you can't just send her back where she came from."

A light burst over Willow's head. *Back where she came from!!* "Spike, you're brilliant." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then grabbed Tara's hand and almost ran out, she was in such a hurry.

*Curiouser and curiouser.* Spike raised his hand to the cheek that Willow had kissed. "Wha'd I do to deserve that?"

* * * * * * * * * *

After some discussion with Tara, Willow decided that they should take their newest project to Giles. "After all, he's used magic a lot longer than we have, even if he's not a witch. And, some of my spells haven't gone quite, umm, like they should have?"

"You could say that. In fact, I think you did," giggled Tara.

"Oh, but, and this is real important, Giles can't know that we got any of this from Spike, or he won't have anything to do with it. We'll have to make him think that we came up with it ourselves."

"I know! We can say we did a divination spell on the Sphere."

They couldn't go back right away. Enough time hadn't passed for them to have learned anything about the Sphere by themselves. The girls waited several hours, and got to the Magick Shop just as Giles was closing up for the evening.

"Giles, we need to talk to you, it's really important."

"Can it wait till morning? It's been a long day."

"We wanted to talk to you about that spell I used to get rid of the troll, and it's in the shop."

"Very well, Willow. You and Tara come, come on in."

Once inside, Willow told him of the idea that Spike's idle comment had sparked. "Tara and I were, were doing a divination spell to find out about the Dagon Sphere, and we found out that it amplifies spells."

Tara continued, "And then I mentioned, it was too bad we couldn't just send Glory back where she belongs."

"And I remembered the spell that I used to send that troll to the troll dimension, and I think that we can alter it enough to send Glory back to whatever dimension she came from...."

"And since the Sphere amplifies spells, we should be able to focus the spell _though_ it to boost its power..."

"But we really want your help to make sure we don't mess this up, because it's really, really important."

Giles felt like he was watching a tennis match as the two girls talked back and forth. "Alright, alright, I agree. We can start working on the spell tomorrow, though, when we've all had a good night's sleep."

He ushered the girls out of the shop again. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Well, OK, yeah. It'll be a lot faster than the bus."

* * * * * * * * * *

While the witches worked out how to defeat Glory, Spike was taking their advice on playing hard to get. He followed the Slayer while she patrolled, but made sure to stay back where she wouldn't see him, occasionally taking out the odd vampire or demon that came his way.

Several times, Buffy sensed someone nearby, but never saw anyone. The blond vampire usually managed to fade into the shadows before she could find him. Once, though, she came across the blond vampire while he was taking out two fledgelings, and snarled at him, "Spike. Didn't I tell you to get out of town?"

"Oh, and where would I go with this bleedin' chip in my head? At least here I know who the bloody monsters are." He looked pointedly at Buffy, clearing inferring that SHE was one of the them. "I suppose I could go join Darla and Dru in harassing Peaches, but Darla'd most likely stake me herself after Dru told her I'd been siding with the Slayer."

"I don't care, Spike. Just stay OUT of my way."

"What, you think I'm just hanging around here on your account, Slayer, so you can rip out my unbeating heart and stomp on it again? Been there, done that... don't bloody fancy doing it again."

"Get out of my sight, before I stake you myself."

"Glad to, Slayer." He moved away quickly, his voice trailing off as he left. "I was just minding my own business, anyway, having a little fun..."

Buffy was surprised. *He sure left fast enough. I thought he'd stay around and irritate me like he usually does.* She continued her patrol. *Come to think of it, though, I haven't seen him around much lately.* The thought made her feel oddly - lonely? *I guess I miss punching him out. My life is REALLY getting weird.*

Except for tonight, the few times she HAD seen the vampire, he seemed to be making tracks in the opposite direction. For someone who had gone so far as to chain her up to tell her he loved her, he seemed very determined to stay away from her. *Well, I told him to, I guess, but this must be the first time he's listened to me. Strange things just keep happening with him around.*
* * * * * * * * * *

Willow took the Dagon Sphere over to the Summers' house the next day. Dawn needed to have it as soon as possible, in case Glory found out the teen was the Key. The redhead made sure to volunteer herself and Tara for 'Dawn patrol' that evening so she and Tara could talk to Dawn about Spike.

When the girls arrived for their 'shift' that evening, Joyce was still at the Gallery. Buffy was about to leave on patrol.

"Hi, guys, the relief watch is here."

"You know, I don't really need babysitters, you guys. I AM 14, I can tie my own shoelaces, feed myself, and everything."

"Dawn, be nice. Willow and Tara aren't here as babysitters, they're here as bodyguards. Or early warning signals. Or something. Look, I've gotta go. Xander is going to patrol with me, and I'm going to be late meeting him." The Slayer left, an apparent dark cloud over her head.

"Wow, what's up with Buffy tonight? Dawnie? Did you two have a fight or something?"

"Not exactly, Willow. I just told her I was tired of being treated like a baby, and she went all ballistic on me. So I said that if somebody had to be here watching me, somebody should go on patrol with her. Fair is fair." The younger girl tossed her long hair back over her shoulder. "She's just mad all the time lately, I don't know why."

"How long has she been like that, Dawn?" asked Tara.

The teenager shrugged. "I don't know. A while. Since sometime after Riley left."

"Dawnie, could it be because of Spike?"

Dawn's shoulders tensed and she wrapped her arms around herself. "Spike? Could be, I guess. Can we talk about something else?"

"Dawnie, we have to tell you something. Something you may not like. Something about Spike."

"I don't want to hear anything about him! I liked him... He treated me like an adult... and then he tried to get Buffy killed!"

"No, no, he didn't. You have to hear the whole story first," Tara tried to calm the teen down.

"And that's all it is! A story! Something that Spike made up to trick us all!"

"Dawn! You are GOING to listen. But Tara and I are gonna cast a truth spell first so you can tell we're not lying to you."

The young girl perked up a bit at this. *Cool! I NEVER get to see anybody doing magic; everybody says I'm too young.* "I guess I can listen - IF I can watch you do the spell," she said a bit sullenly. She didn't want to seem TOO impressed. "How does it work?"

The redhead explained again about how the different color lights corresponded to whether you were telling the truth or lying.

"But how can you tell whether I'm deliberately not telling all the truth, or if I just don't know?"

"It's in the way the spell is worded. Thoughts are energy, and the magic 'reads' that energy. Kinda like a home-made lie detector. If you know something, but you don't want to say it, you still can't help but think about it."

"OK, but how does it WORK, Willow?"

She grinned at Buffy's sister. "It's magic."

Dawn rolled her eyes at the redhead.

* * * * * * * * * *

After making a few preparations, the two witchs recited the truth spell together.

"Our thoughts and words shall be the light
That now surrounds us, shining bright.

Red are roses, and so are lies.
Yellow as daisies, the truth now hides.

The truth shall be a shining blue,
'Twixt you and me, and me and you."

Once the light glowed around the three of them, Willow quickly filled Dawn in on Spike's side of the story.

The younger girl looked puzzled. "So, you mean Buffy lied to us?"

"Well, not exactly, Dawnie. Buffy's got a lot going on right now; the thing with Glory, Riley leaving, your mom being sick, and all. We think, Tara and me, that Buffy... misunderstood Spike's intentions."

"Yeah, the average person doesn't chain you up just to talk to you. But Spike isn't exactly your average person. OK, I get that. And you said that he really does want to help us? Me, Mom, and Buffy, I mean?"

Tara was quick to reassure her. "That's right, he gave us directions for you, so that if you and your Mom needed someplace to hide from Glory, you could find him and he'd protect you."

"But you have to PROMISE that you won't tell Buffy about any of this," Willow insisted. "Or we can't give you the directions."

"No problem. I can keep a secret," Dawn said. *Especially from Buffy. She ALWAYS keeps secrets from me.*

* * * * * * * * * *

Nothing out of the ordinary happened over the next few days. Glory wasn't visible, vampire stakings were down; the whole Hellmouth seemed to be taking a break.

Even Spike remarked on it when Willow stopped by to see him one evening. "It's too quiet for this time of year. Hardly any demons or vampires around at all."

"Maybe it's something Glory's doing?"

"Could be, red. She's been laying low for a while. Here's something you might find interesting, though. A demon I know was following her for me, trying to get some more info on what she's up to, and he told me that Glory turned into a man."

"What? Turned into? How could she...?"

"Don't know, pet. But if she looks like a woman sometimes, and like a man the rest, could be why your lot are having such a hard time finding her."

*Gotta make sure to tell Giles about that. We'll have to make sure that the spell covers that problem, too.* "Thanks, Spike. That could be real helpful."

* * * * * * * * * *

A couple of weeks later, everyone was gathered at Buffy's house for a Scooby meeting. Dawn had the Dagon Sphere in her lap; she had kept it near at hand since Willow had given it to her.

Spike, of course, hadn't been invited. The witch had told him about the meeting, and would meet him later to fill him in on the latest strategy. *I'm beyond pathetic - waiting around for them like their dog, or something.* He slammed his hand into the wall. "Well, I'll just go over there myself. If I can't go in, at least I can eavesdrop for myself instead of waitin' for whatever treats Red and her witch-friend want to toss my way." His leather duster swirling around him, he left the basement behind.

Back at Buffy's, the meeting had barely gotten started when the "Glory alarm" went off as the hell-goddess strutted down the walkway towards the house.

"Oh, Buffy! Come out, come out, wherever you are." Glory called in a sing-song voice as she came ever closer to the house. "I know one of your friends is the Key! Come out, come out, and give them to me!"

Buffy appeared on the steps so quickly, she surprised Glory.

"Well, there you are. Do you know what I found?" The psychotic blond raised her left hand, revealing a large purple crystal. "THIS... THIS is JUST what I need to find my Key! This is the Stone of the Seer, and it will SHOW ME where my Key is!"

Inside the house, Giles gasped at her words. "Bloody hell! How did she find that? It's been missing for centuries!" He turned to Xander and Anya. "Quickly, you two take Dawn and Joyce upstairs and hide. Keep the Dagon Sphere with you regardless of what else you do."

Before anyone could move, however, Buffy leaped from the steps into battle with Glory. Everyone else was temporarily frozen as they watched the Slayer start a fight that she had no hope of winning.

Glory LOOKED at Buffy through the crystal as the Slayer leapt towards her. "You're not my Key, but then I was fairly certain of that anyway." The blond in the red dress didn't actually hit Buffy, as much as just sweep her out of the way. The hell-goddess continued walking towards the house despite everything that Buffy could throw at her. "Now look! You're starting to irritate me. Just get out of my way till I find out which one of your weird little group is my Key, and then everything will be all right!"

Buffy was taking much more damage than she was able to deal out, but she HAD to stop THAT WOMAN from getting to her friends. *I don't know how much more of this I can take,* she thought as Glory casually brushed her to one side again, *but it has to be enough to protect Dawn and the others. It HAS to.*

Almost at the foot of the steps, Glory turned to face Buffy as the Slayer once more attacked. She grabbed the petite blond's left arm in both hands and twisted. As the bone #CRACK#ed, Glory petulantly said, "I TOLD you to leave me alone. Now see what you made me do!" Glory held one perfect hand in front of the Slayer's face as Buffy went to her knees, her broken arm useless at her side. "You made me break a nail! You'll have to be punished for that."

Battered and bloody, Buffy remained silent. Glory reached down and grabbed Buffy by the front of her shirt, then threw her into the trunk of a tree. Buffy's head bounced hard against the tree, temporarily stunning her. As Glory moved towards her again, she was suddenly tackled by Spike from behind.

The blond vampire been on his way to the house on Revello when he'd heard the alarm go off. He'd gotten there as fast as he could, but unfortunately not fast enough to keep Glory away from his Slayer.

With his game face on, Spike managed to get a few good blows in before Glory regained her balance. Then it was Spike who was in trouble.

Glory raised him almost carelessly into the air, holding onto the back of his duster and shirt. Inside the house, those watching in frozen horror could hear each blow land as the psychotic blond proceeded to beat the vampire bloody.

"I thought" #smack# "I told you" #thump# "to stay" #whump# "away from me." #whack# "Or maybe not." #crack# "It doesn't really matter, anyway." She surveyed her work. Spike hung limply in her grasp, unconscious or worse.

"Hey! I'm talking here!" Glory slapped him across the face several times, her long nails cutting open the skin each time she hit him. "And you're not listening to me!" Getting no response, she threw the blond vampire to one side like a rag doll.

As the hell-goddess turned towards the house again, Buffy, still dazed from the blow to her head, tried to intercept her. Glory once again swept her casually aside.

*As casually as the troll swept me aside,* Xander thought in a remote part of himself. The majority of his attention was focused on the uneven battle outside.

Giles, suddenly realizing that everyone inside the house had been staring at the fight as if hypnotized, started to push Dawn and Joyce towards the stairs. But it was too late. Glory smashed the door in as casually as she'd done everything else.

"Now, we'll see. ONE of you, one of YOU, is my Key. All I have to do, is look through the Stone at each of you to find out which one." As Glory raised the purple stone to look through it, Xander tried to grab her from behind. Without even looking, the blond pushed him away, bouncing him off the wall behind her. "Nice try, little boy. But if those two outside couldn't take me, what good do you think you're going to do?"

Starting with Giles, she examined each of them with the stone in her hand. "Do you know how LONG I've been looking for my Key? DO YOU? You don't care about the time and effort I've put in, do you? YOU just want to keep my Key from me!" As she turned to look at Dawn, Glory exclaimed with satisfaction and exasperation. "YOU?! You're the Key?! And I almost killed you by mistake." She reached for Dawn as the young girl retreated towards the staircase. "Just hold on, young lady, it's not polite to leave when I'm talking to you."

As the hell-goddess attempted to grab Dawn by the arm, she was stopped just a few feet away by an invisible wall. "What is THIS?!!! I will NOT be stopped now, I WILL! NOT! BE! STOPPED!"

Willow, Tara, and Giles took advantage of the blond woman's distraction to begin casting their spell. They had worked long and hard on this, not telling anyone else what they were trying to do in case it didn't work right. As they threw a mixture of herbs onto Glory, the three chanted the spell they had worked out -

"The one called Glory, that we see
Have her go back where she should be.

To her home so far away,
There have her go, there have her stay.

And nevermore come here again,
There she should go, and take her twin.

Never more for us to meet.
Let the transposition be complete."

As they finished speaking, all three pointed at the Dagon Sphere that Dawn held. Energy arced between the magic workers and the Sphere as if lightning suddenly filled the room, and then the energy arced outward to Glory.

Buffy staggered through the outer doorway just in time to see the hell-goddess start to glow brightly as she began screaming, "NO! NO! Not when I was so close! NOOOO!"

To everyone's surprise, as the spell took effect Glory morphed into Ben, the intern from the hospital, then back into Glory. Her screams faded as if she became further and further away, and her alter-egos flickered back and forth several times as she became more and more indistinct. Then she was gone, as if she had never been there.

"Buffy!" Joyce was the first to notice her eldest daughter, slumped in the doorway. She rushed over to her, almost colliding with Giles. "Are you all right?"

"I will be, Mom. Is everyone in here OK? What happened to Glory?"

"We'll go over it later, Buffy." Giles immediately took charge of things. "Right now, we need to make sure if anyone else is injured." He looked to where Xander lay against the wall.

"I'm OK, Giles. Me and my ego are just a bit bruised," the teen said as he stood up and brushed himself off.

"Oh, my God! Spike!!" Dawn rushed outside as she remembered what they had seen happen to the vampire. Joyce and the others followed her out, Giles and Willow stopping at the door to check on Buffy, who reassured them that she was all right.

Part 3