Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters.

Many thanks to my beta Leon Stryfe who stepped up when I was stuck and helped write more than a few chapters with me. For all your help you have earned the title of Co-Author for this story and my sincere gratitude. Thanks to my wonderful friend Sweetprincipale who listens to me and encourages me. And the wonderful ending was all her idea!

I have played with the time-line a bit in this story. The Angel episode “The Trial” actually aired a week after the Buffy episode “Shadow”. For the purposes of this story “The Trial” happened first. I have taken quite a bit of dialog from a few episodes of season 5. Shadow written by David Fury, The Trial written by David Greenwalt, No Place Like Home by Doug Petrie, Checkpoint by Jane Espenson and Doug Petrie, Blood Ties by Steven DeKnight, Spiral by Steven DeKnight and Intervention by Jane Espenson.

I hope you enjoy the story. This is the longest piece I have ever done and hopefully I did it justice.

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Dawn moved so fast that no one was able to stop her, jumping up and running right out the front door. The mad scramble that followed as everyone tried to go after the distraught girl resulted in fallen chairs and tangled limbs, giving Dawn a head start on her escape. As they all tried to get through the door at the same time, Buffy calmed down enough to take charge.

“Okay, everybody stop! We need to split up and look for her. Xander, you and Giles go look at the Magic Box. Tara and Willow, you two go to Janice's house; she might be on her way there. Anya, can you stay here with my mom in case she comes back? Spike and I will check the park. We'll all meet up near there in an hour to regroup.” With marching orders given, the slayer and vampire left the house in search of a former mystical key.

As Buffy and Spike walked, Buffy began calling out for Dawn. Spike quickly silenced her by placing his hand on her arm. While she tensed up and seemed about to strike, Spike raised one hand placatingly before pulling his other away from her.

“The nibblet scampered off to get away from us,” Spike explained. “She hears you bellowing, she's gonna pack it in the opposite direction.” As a look of sadness crossed her face, Spike continued. “Look, she probably would have skipped off anyway, even if she never found out. She's not just a former blob of energy, she's also a fourteen year old hormone bomb. Which one's screwing her up more right now, spin the bloody wheel. You'll find her, just in the nick of time. That's what you hero types do.”

As the group searched for Dawn, she hid in the park. She sat down on a swing, lost in thought. Dawn was so caught up in her emotions that she didn't notice someone join her.

“Dawn, right?” The male voice shocked her out of her thoughts. “Ben, from the hospital,” he said, pointing at himself. “Remember me?” At her nod, he sat on the swing beside her and started talking again. “I thought it was you. What are you doing out so late? Worried about you mom? I know she is supposed to come in for surgery soon.”

“No,mom's fine,” was her sullen response.

“Do you want me to call someone, your sister maybe?”

“I don't have a sister.”

“You two have a fight? I have a sister too;they can be a real pain sometimes,” he chuckled warmly.

“It's not Buffy. It's me. I'm the one that doesn't belong,” she replied tearfully. “You don't understand. It's not real. None of this. They made it. I'm nothing! I'm just a thing the monks made so Glory couldn't find me. I'm not real.” Ben was so shocked by Dawn's words he jumped off the swing.

“You're the Key?”

“How do you know about the key?” Dawn began to realize that running away might not have been the smartest thing to do and slowly got to her feet.

“Go! Before she finds you! Don't ask me how she knows, 'cause she always knows. Just go!” Sweat broke out on Ben's face as he backed away from the girl. “You're what she's been searching for. I am telling you, run. You don't know, you -” He suddenly stopped, looking around nervously. “Oh god. Oh god no, she's coming. I can feel it, you've gotta get out. No ... oh no, she's here!”

Dawn screamed as Ben grabbed her arms, only when she looked it wasn't Ben anymore. Glory was the one holding her arms. Dawn started to struggle, trying desperately to get away.

“What I'm trying to noodle,” the hell goddess said, more to herself than Dawn, “is what in the world was the Slayer's little sis doing here with gentle Ben? So, Snapdragon, do you know where your sister squirreled away my key?” In the distance, Buffy and Spike were just entering the park when Ben grabbed Dawn. Spike vamped-out when he heard the missing teen's cry and ran as fast as he could towards the source. Buffy was startled but quickly followed the newly minted Champion.

Dawn saw Spike and her sister running towards her over Glory's shoulder. She tensed, hoping she could get free. Spike yelled out to her.

“Get Down!” Dawn threw all of her weight to the ground. Despite the lithe teen weighing next to nothing, Glory was so surprised by the move that she let Dawn slip free. With Dawn safely out the line of attack, Buffy and Spike launched themselves at Glory. Dawn rolled away as the three powerhouses began fighting, fists and feet flying.

Xander and Giles arrived suddenly. Xander spotted a long-forgotten baseball bat laying in the grass. He left Giles to tend to Dawn and picked up the bat. He moved in behind Glory, braving the battle that was already being waged, and swung with all his might, connecting with the hell goddess's distracted head. Despite causing a satisfying 'thwack', the blow did not yield the young man's desired results.


Glory turned and ripped the weapon from Xander's stunned hands, flinging it away from the group.

“Watch the hair!” A backhand sent him flying into Giles, causing the pair to go down in a heap near the slide.

Willow and Tara's arrival went unnoticed by Glory but not by Buffy; they stood next to the seesaw, chanting under their breath. A nod from Willow had Buffy and Spike trying to force Glory towards the Wiccans. Tara grabbed some glittery sand from a bag that was slung over her shoulder and tossed it on the hell god. The pair then clapped their hands and shouted in unison.

“Discede!” Glory exploded in a shower of dust and disappeared from view.

Willow fell to the ground, a trickle of blood coming out of her nose. She looked up and saw the questioning faces around her.

“Teleportation Spell,” she gasped out. “Still working out the kinks.”

“Kinks?” Buffy's question was drowned out by Dawn's louder one.

“Where'd you send her?”

“That's one of the kinks. I don't know.” Willow got up on unsteady feet. “We should get back, Joyce is probably going crazy right now.”

“Wait!” Dawn grabbed her sister's hand to stop her from walking back to the house. “Ben was here and then he changed and became Glory.”

“Yeah I saw that too, nibblet. The good doc and hell bitch seem to be sharing a body.” Spike spoke as he came over to Dawn, checking her over for injuries. When he was satisfied that Dawn was unharmed, Spike turned to see everyone was looking at them as if they are crazy.

“Um, what are you talking about?” Willow voiced the question that the rest of the Scoobies had on their mind, all the while leaning on her lover for support. “Ben wasn't here.”

“Ben and Glory,” Spike began, speaking slowly. “He's a doctor, she's the beast. Two entirely separate entities sharing one body. Like a bloody sitcom. Surely you remember.” When he saw the skeptical looks from the group, he suddenly knew what was affecting them. “Oh, I get it. That's very crafty. Glory's worked the kind of mojo where anyone who sees her little presto-change-o instantly forgets. And yours truly, being somewhat other than human ... stands immune.” Then another thought hit him and he nodded curiously at Dawn. “Except for the nibblet here.”

As the group tried to understand what Spike had said, Spike snorted his displeasure and started walking Dawn home.

“I saw it Spike,” Dawn said, trying to placate and reassure the vampire. “I know Ben and Glory are sharing a body. I wonder why I could see it?”
Spike took a good look at the girl beside him. His eyes stopped on the necklace around the young teen's neck.

“Could be the doodad Jeeves gave you. Didn't the watcher say something about that symbol meaning truth? Could be it lets you see the truth about Glory. Humans can't seem to remember.”

~*~

A groan sounded in the night as Ben awakened. Sitting up, he looked around and realized that he was on the road just outside of Sunnydale. He was grateful that he still wore his own clothes. The last time the transformation happened, he wound up running down the street, barefoot, in a dress.

After walking back to the apartment, Ben saw Jinx, Glory's head minion, approaching him rapidly.

“Tell my sister that I'm sick of running into her Jawa rejects.”

“Time... is running short, sir. Every moment you fight Glory, you're only fighting yourself, you see?”

“Fine. Let the best me win. Let Glory understand this: I won't help her find the key. I would never do that to an innocent-”

“An innocent?” Jinx interrupted the man who shared a body with a Hell Goddess, giddy with what information Ben had let slip. “The key? Her most glorious one will be so pleased!” Jinx ran off to inform the other minions before Ben could stop him.

~*~

After saying goodnight and thank you to her friends, Buffy found herself alone with her sister and mother in their own home for what felt like the first time in ages. Buffy decided to use the time to make amends with her sister.

“Dawn, I only found out about your secret just before mom got sick,” Buffy explained softly. “Then Spike took those trials and they removed that keyness stuff from you and then your beginnings didn't matter anymore. I wasn't hiding anything, I just didn't know what to tell you or when, or even if I should.” Running her hand down her sister's hair Buffy kept talking. “We love you, we don't care how you got here. You belong with us and nothing is going to change that, okay?” Dawn nodded her acceptance before gripping her sister tightly in a hug. Buffy smiled and embraced her sister. The pair then went to check on their mother, who was resting upstairs in her room.

~*~

In a penthouse apartment in the nicer section of town, Jinx awaited his master.

“Your Holiness I have news of the key! Master Ben let slip that the key is an innocent!”

“Really,” Glory asked, fingers deep a victim that Murk had brought her, “Benny has been holding out on us, hasn't he. Okay, I want you watching the slayer 24/7. I want to know who she spends time with, who is in her house, who her friends are, everything. Understand me?” Glory finished with her meal walked over and started poking Jinx with every word, pushing him towards the door. “Now go find my key!”

~*~

The next morning found Giles at the Summers house. All three women were in the kitchen having breakfast when he arrived.
“We need to come up with a plan to keep Dawn and Joyce safe.” Instead of his customary greeting, Giles dove straight to the heart of the matter.

“Mom, I'm sorry but I need you and Dawn to stay in the house, at least until we figure out a way to beat her. That means no work or school for a little while.” Buffy smiled at Dawn's squeal of joy. “I figure that Spike and I are the strongest, so we're the only ones who stand a chance against her. So, god I never thought I would ever say this, but he is going to have to stay here. He can protect you during the day while I go look for Glory. At night he can patrol why I stay here.”

“The rest of us will of course come over to help when our schedules permit.” Giles added.

“Buffy, don't you think this is a little much? Certainly we can go to school and work without worry.” Joyce looked at her daughter.
“Mom, Glory said she wasn't going to stop. I can't lose either one of you so please do this my way?” A nod from Joyce was the only answer. “Giles, can you go get Spike and bring him over. Tell him to pack enough stuff for a few days.”

“Dawn, why don't you help me set up the cot in the basement. Oh! I suppose someone should stop and get him some blood to eat while he is here. Giles, could you do that on your way? Buffy, please go upstairs and get sheets and a blanket and pillow.” Joyce gave her orders and marched down to the basement to get ready for Spike's arrival.

Hiding in the bushes across the street from the slayers house, Murk and Jinx watched as a middle aged man got in his car and drove off.

“Has anyone else come by?” Jinx asked Murk.

“No, he showed up a few minutes ago. It was just the females in the house all night,” Murk reported.

“Go and tell Glorificus what you saw and come back tonight,” Jinx ordered as he got comfortable in the bushes for his turn at watching the slayers house. All of Glorificus' followers had orders. Dreg and Slook watched the Magic Box. Gronx was to follow the slayer whenever she left the house. Jinx could see him hiding just down the street. That left him and Murk to watch the slayers house day and night. It was a good thing they needed so little rest. Veck was waiting for his assignment in the yard next to him.

As Jinx watched on, Veck's assignment pulled up. The older man who had been there earlier pulled into the driveway. A sudden burst of black from the car announced a new arrival to the house. Jinx failed to notice the fact that he was smoking as he made his dash into the house. The driver followed at a sedate pace, a military type bag slung over his shoulder and a large paper bag in the other hand. Jinx watched as the man handed the bag to someone just inside the door and got in his car and left. He couldn't wait to tell her Holiness that the slayer seemed to have a house guest. Could this new person be the Key? It would make sense for the slayer to move the Key in with her.
Just as things seemed to have settled down in the house the slayer came out and walked away. Gronx immediately began following the slayer as she left the street. Jinx waved over Veck.

“Did you see the new person?”

“Do we know who it is?” Veck inquired.

“No, not yet. He is your assignment; if he leaves, follow him.”

Veck nodded and got back into position. Hours later, just before sundown, the slayer and her Gronx-shadow arrived back at the house. Gronx quickly made his way over to Jinx.

“She spent the day wandering around town with one of the blondes. I think she was a witch, she had a scrying stone with her.”

“Shh!” Elbowing Gronx in the side, Jinx pointed to the house. “There. He's the one who came over this morning. He hasn't come out all day. I wonder what they are talking about?”

“Could he be the slayers boyfriend?” Gronx asked.

“No, it's not. Her boyfriend left town or died or something like that. All the demons at Willy's were talking about it. They were just glad he was gone.” Jinx tilted his head, a questioning look in his gaze. “So who could that be that is so important she would have him move into her house so quickly after her boyfriend is gone?”

“The Key? It would make sense, the slayer would bring the Key close to protect it. We will have to watch the house to be sure.” Gronx watched as his assignment and the newcomer went in the house. A few minutes later a light came on in an upstairs window. He could see Buffy moving around in the room, before getting into bed. Satisfied that she was in for the night, he made his way back to Glory.