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A Friend in Need by slaymesoftly
 
Thirteen
 
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
 
With his enhanced hearing, Spike was the first to wake up when his cell phone began to ring; although it took him a few seconds to find it. By the time Buffy sat up, blinking herself awake, he had retrieved it from the muddy alcove where he’d tossed it when changing his clothes. 
 
“What?” was his short answer. He rolled his eyes and handed the phone to Buffy. “Here, Slayer. It’s for you. The Watcher.”
 
“Giles?” She frowned, and began looking for her clothes as she talked. “Yes, Giles. No, we haven’t left the crypt yet... Are you sure?  Okay, we’re on our way. Bye.”
 
She threw the phone on the bed, smiling to see that Spike had started dressing as soon as she had.  In only minutes, they were completely dressed and ready to go. Buffy hefted her hammer and looked at the waiting vampire.  “You don’t have to do this,” she said.  “This isn’t Glory – it’s some kind of freaky old-timey army looking for the Key, and they’ve hooked up with some of Riley’s buddies somehow.”
 
“If the Bit’s in danger, then I do have to do this.  An’ if you think I’m sending you off into any kind of a fight without backup.... I think you’ve confused me with some other, poncier vampire.” 
 
His anger was obvious and she sighed. “Trust me. I’m not confusing you with Angel or anybody else. But if the army guys really are Riley’s buddies....”
 
“I’ll be careful, love.” The belligerent look left his face as he realized she had been worried about his safety, not assuming he wouldn’t come with her. “Where are we going? Do we need the car?”
 
She nodded. “Yeah, I guess we do. Giles said they ran into the funny-looking guys when they stopped for gas and one of them went off about the Key when he saw Dawn. He doesn’t know when or how the Army guys joined them, but apparently they were able to track them somehow, and now they’re trapped in an abandoned gas station in the middle of nowhere.”
 
“They’re trapped how?” Spike was already racing up the ladder, keys in hand.
 
“Willow has put up some kind of spell or barricade. So they’re safe for right now, but they won’t be if they don’t send out the Key pretty soon. Apparently there’ve been threats of fire or bombs.”
 
Buffy was right behind him as he shoved the urn away from the doors and threw them open. Running with supernatural speed, they were soon pushing through the shrubbery that hid Spike’s DeSoto. The old car roared out of its hiding place and through the cemetery gates while Buffy clutched the seat and tried to remember what else Giles had said.
 
“What do the funny-looking buggers want with the Key?”
 
“I don’t know. But it can’t be good.  They sound kinda like more of those brain-sucked guys I saw at the hospital. Except maybe not so brain-sucked.”
 
It took a full half-hour, even with Spike ignoring every speed limit sign they saw, for them to get close to where Giles had told them to look for the old building they were hiding in. Spike ran the car right up in front of the visible space between the strangely-garbed men and Willow’s barrier. He made no attempt not to hit the men who threw themselves out of the way when it became obvious the car was not going to stop for them.
 
Buffy was out of the car, hammer in hand, before he’d even cut the engine. Swinging the hammer in a wide arc, she quickly cleared more space as the men flinched back from her.  She could hear murmurs of “Slayer” and “Chosen One” as she faced them down.
 
“What do you want with the Key?” she demanded, searching the group until she located someone who appeared to be charge. “Are you working for Glory?”
 
There was outraged shouting and much milling around until the leader could get them calmed down.
 
“We do not work for Glorificus. We are the Knights of Byzantium. Our mission is to prevent her from using the Key to bring hell on earth. You must give it to us.”
 
 “To do what with?” Buffy’s eyes never left the General’s, although she could feel Spike’s growl as he took his place behind her, facing the growing crowd.
 
“To destroy it, of course! It must be destroyed before Glorficus can find it.”
 
“I’m handling it.  You guys can go home. I’m making sure Glory can’t get her hands on it.”
 
The Knights mulled over Buffy’s words, muttering among themselves about how she could be handling it, when she had clearly not been anywhere near the Key when they found it.  Before they could reach a decision, or ask more questions, there was a disturbance on the outskirts of the crowd, and they parted to let the new arrivals through. Ahead of a small squad of US Army soldiers, Riley walked toward Buffy with a smiling Ben by his side. Spike’s low growl had grown into a full-fledged snarl.
 
“What the hell, Riley?”  Buffy’s voice was so high-pitched as to sound almost hysterical.  “What have you done?”
 
“I’m just trying help, Buffy.  I ran into Ben here near the hospital and we got to talking... I brought him along to make sure your mom is all right. He’s on his own time, so it was really good of him to come along to check up on her.  And I’ve brought some fire-power just in case Glory shows up.  These knight guys have the right idea about destroying the Key, but their weapons are as archaic as most of the things you use.  That hammer, for instance.” 
 
“You idiot!—” was as far as Buffy got before Ben began to quake and shiver.  Before their eyes, he began to get shorter, a wide grin appearing on his face.  A black flash flew past Buffy as Spike launched himself at the man and fastened his fangs in his throat. He hung on, snarling the whole time, until, with a scream of rage, Glory emerged and threw him across the hood of the car.  One hand on her bleeding neck, she shrieked at them all, waving her hand and flattening all the Knights even as they began to realize what was happening.
 
When the soldiers backing up a confused Riley raised their weapons, she waved her hand at them, leaving them all semi-conscious on the ground.  With another wave, Glory destroyed the barrier Willow had created and blew out the front of the old store, giving her a clear view of what was inside.  Spike had pulled himself up from where he’d been lying, stunned, for a few seconds and immediately placed himself in the opening. He was in full game face and snarling as he made it clear he was protecting the people in the building. Dawn was hiding behind Giles and Xander, while Willow, Tara and Joyce huddled together around her.
 
“Buffy!” Riley’s voice came from somewhere to her left, but she never took her eyes off Glory. 
 
“Shut up, Riley. You’ve done enough damage. Get your friends out of here while you can.”
 
“You can’t fight her with a hammer!” he yelled, bending over to pick up an assault rifle.  A flick of Glory’s wrist sent him back to the ground to join his unconscious buddies.
 
“Watch me,” Buffy growled out as Glory approached her, not quite with her usual cocky attitude, but sure enough of herself.
 
“Did you really think that vampire was going to save you?” she purred. “When I’m through with you and have my key, I’m going to rip out the rest of his organs.  No half-breed demon is going to bite me and get away with it.”
 
“You want Dawn... or Spike... you’re going to have to go through me,” Buffy said, waiting more calmly than she actually felt for Glory to get closer.
 
“I was kinda hoping you’d say that,” Glory smirked, suddenly disappearing and reappearing behind Buffy to plant one spike-heeled shoe in her back. Buffy flew forward, flipping herself in midair and landing in a crouch.  Ignoring the pain in her back, she sprinted toward the dismissive hellgod who had turned around and was moving toward Spike with swaying hips and a cruel smile. Without taking her gaze off the vampire, she reached back with one arm, striking Buffy and sending her to her knees. From the ground, Buffy swung the hammer at Glory’s legs, bring the hellgod down to her level. While the outraged god shrieked at her again, Buffy slammed the hammer into her head, wincing in spite of herself at the sound of Glory’s skull cracking. Before she could lose focus and feel sorry for the human-seeming woman in front of her, Buffy leapt to her feet and brought the hammer down again and again until Glory stopped moving and faded back into Ben’s badly damaged face and body. 
 
Stopping herself in mid-swing, Buffy shuddered and stepped away from him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to the bloody man gasping for air.
 
Spike came up behind her, and paying no attention to the strangled complaints coming from Riley, he put his arms around her to speak into her ear. 
 
“He’s not quite dead, love,” he said.  Buffy shook her head.
 
“I can’t,” she whispered, letting hammer hang at her side. “I can’t, Spike.”
 
He sighed and raised his head to meet Giles’s eyes over her head.  They exchanged stares, then Spike nodded and leaned down again. “You beat her. love. Kicked her arse good, you did. Go celebrate your victory with your family.”
 
Buffy glanced down once more at the still gasping, but incredibly injured man. “But... if he....”
 
“He’s dying, Slayer. She won’t be able to come back.”
 
He waited until she’d walked into the building, watching until Giles had subtly focused her attention so that her back was to the outside. Bending over, he snapped Ben’s neck with a quick wrench, nodding in satisfaction when the gasping stopped and he could no longer hear a heartbeat.  Just as he was stepping away, he fell to the ground, clutching his head. A shout from Dawn brought everyone’s attention around and Buffy gasped. Spike was lying on the ground, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it. Riley stood over him, still clutching the rifle that he’d used to hit Spike.
 
“I’ve got this, Buffy,” he said, pulling a stake from his waistband.  “I don’t know how he managed to do it, but he just killed the doctor I brought here. I’ll stake him for you.”
 
He brought the stake down in a powerful arc, only to find the vampire he’d thought helpless, holding his wrist in a grip that became increasingly painful. Spike sat up slowly, still maintaining his crushing grip on Riley’s arm until the stake fell harmlessly to the ground. Bearing his teeth in a smile that contained no mirth, Spike flowed to his feet.
 
“That was a cheap shot, mate,” he said, without relinquishing his grip. “Were you that afraid to stake me to my face?”
 
Riley’s face was turning gray, as much from the realization setting in as from the pain in his wrist. “The... the chip....” he gasped.
 
“Oh that? Been gone for almost a year now. Guess you weren’t on the need-to-know list.”
 
“Buffy....” Riley’s plea only made Spike grin wider.
 
“You brought that hell bitch right to her Key.  Do you really think the Slayer is going to save you?”
 
“I... what... no... I....”  Riley looked from the body on the ground to Buffy, now approaching them, the bloody hammer still in her hand. Vague memories of waking up to see Buffy battling someone in a red dress began to emerge from his still-concussed brain.  “But... he... doctor... said he was Joyce’s doctor... “
 
“He was,” Buffy said shortly. “He was also Glory’s human host. You know, the one you said I should kill if I wasn’t willing to kill the Key?”
 
“But Spike... he bit... and then he....” Riley cradled the arm that Spike had released as soon as Buffy approached.  He pulled himself up straighter. “His chip is gone, Buffy.  You need to do your duty.”
 
“The chip’s been gone for a long time, Riley.” Buffy’s voice was more gentle, now that the danger was past and she could see that Riley was beginning to realize what he’d done.  “I’ve know about it since it happened.”
 
“So that’s why he left? So you wouldn’t stake him? Did he get away before you could do it?”
 
Spike and Buffy exchanged looks, the vampire shrugging as he waited for her to answer the question.
 
“I didn’t stake him because I didn’t want to,” she said finally. “He didn’t leave so I wouldn’t stake him, he left so that I wouldn’t have any reason to feel like I should. He came back because I needed his help.”
 
“Is he leaving again?”
 
She sighed. “I’m sorry, Riley.  That’s not really your business anymore.  Your demon-hunting unit is long gone; these guys are the only ones left here, and you told me yourself they’re being reassigned and want you to come with them.” She smiled at him sadly. “I think you should go with them. You’re a good soldier, Riley, but you’re not cut out for Sunnydale and the kinds of things that can happen here.”
 
“Spare me,” he said. His face twisted as he spit out the bitter words. “I guess I’m just too warm-blooded for you.”
 
“I’m sorry,” Buffy repeated. “I never meant to hurt you, but....” She shook her head. “I’m not the girl for you, Riley. You deserve someone who can appreciate and... love... you for who you are.  It’s not me. I’m sorry,” she repeated before turning away to go back to her mother and sister.
 
Spike stood where he was, his stare hard and cold as he waited for Riley to acknowledge his friends and their insistence that he leave with them. Their eyes remained locked until Riley finally looked away.
 
“I’ll be back someday,” he said, bending down to pick up the stake he’d dropped.
 
“An’ I’ll be here,” Spike replied.
 
He remained where he was, watching as the soldiers walked away to return the their SUV.  The few Knights that remained alive after Glory’s initial strike against their ranks straggled off into the desert. Spike frowned after them, but they seemed to know where they were going, so he shrugged and walked back to join Buffy.
 
 
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