Corrupting The Key
I like Dawn. If I had a made up mystical key for a sister, I'd want her to be just like Dawn.
Title: Corrupting the Key
Setting : Set between Intervention and Tough Love. Then picks up again during The Gift
Rating: M for Sex and Drugs and Mind Control
Summary: Spike has a plan. That'll end well then.
Corrupting the Key
“He can't be the key, because, see, the key has to be pure.”
It’s that last word that resonates with him. He's well aware that there is nothing pure about him. But Dawn? Can't have anything happen to her.
Then he doesn't have much time to think about anything. Not with the knives, and the nails, and the incredibly painful torture session courtesy of the Hell Bitch. It’s only later, when Buffy kisses him that it occurs to him. It’s his first thought.
“Pure.”
Then she's walking out the door, her words about what's real, and what's obscene still ringing in his ears. Really, it’s a stupid idea. More likely than not to get him staked. But he's seen what Glory can do up close and personal now. So he takes the chance.
“Pure. She said the key had to be pure.”
***
He offers up a fevered prayer that Joyce Summers, wherever she's at rest, can't see him now.
She's wearing a bloody snoopy shirt. This is preposterous, ridiculous and also incredibly illegal. It defies every- He stops himself. Buffy’s words echo in his head.
“It might work. We can't just sit around waiting for Glory to find her.”
He exhales sharply.
“Is this right Giles?” she asks, holding up her effort, eyes scrunched in concentration.
“Yes. In fact it's wonderful.”
Dawn beams happily at him. “Cool! Can I set it on fire? Please!”
“Dear God, I'm going to hell.” He hands her the lighter. She strikes the flint unsuccessfully, and after five attempts, he takes it back. “Straight to hell”
“Here.” He holds the flame up to her. “Now inhale deeply. Hold it...hold it... and exhale.”
She's coughing and spluttering. “Eww... that's just gross.”
She's holding it between her thumb and pointer finger, the other fingers curled around the glowing tip. Like a common hooligan. She notices his stare.
“Saw it in a movie. Kinda looked cool.”
He nods and gestures back to the joint.
“Ugh...do I have to?”
“All of it Dawn.”
He can practically feel the flames burning his feet. Bugger.
An hour and two more joints later, she's rolling around the floor laughing. He laughs along with her, blaming the second hand smoke. It definitely has nothing to do with the quick sample he took before she arrived, nor the three shots of whiskey.
He finds an old Pink Floyd album and puts it on.
She's staring into the stereo speaker, suddenly stock still. “Giles. There's a gnome. In. Your. Speaker.”
Really? Is it laughing?” he giggles. “You do realise that truly was the worst song ever recorded.”
She nods, completely understanding EVERYTHING. He checks the speaker anyway.
Armed with an axe.
Well, one must never be complacent on a Hellmouth.
***
“So how's your head this morning,” Xander asks brightly.
She's looking pretty green around the edges. Which is sort of funny. Only not. In fact, there's nothing funny about this at all. If he'd had a vote, he'd have shot the plan down. But Anya had jumped up with a gleam in her eye. “I'm good at this stuff! I can help!” and that was it.
“I ate a whole can of Easy Cheese last night.”
"Wait, Giles has Easy-Cheese?”
Dawn just nods.
"Hey look!! We're here,” shouts Anya, pointing up at the staircase between two shops.
Dawn perks up. Her eyes are as wide as saucers now. All young, and innocent and… oh god.
"I can't do this.” he says, taking a huge step back.
“What?”
"I can't do this.” He looks at her, backing away with his arms up. “Sorry Dawnie. You're like my little sister. I just... can't.”
Anya huffs. “Fine. You stay here. Dawn?”
She grabs her hand and drags her up the narrow staircase.
Xander paces nervously. Every now and then he hears a high pitched “Eek!” from Dawn, and closes his eyes. Twenty minutes later, and he's sick of the strange looks he's getting from passers-by. An old man stops him mid pace. “Hey kid-Just go up there. Nothings gunna bite you.” and walks off laughing.
He's just about to run up when he hears them coming back down. Well, he hears Anya anyway.
“Of course, you never ever want to go with the novelty handcuffs, cause they just fall apart. One good tug and they're done.”
Well, at least Dawns not green any more. Just a really pale white.
“Are we done? Can we make with the being somewhere else?” he asks.
“Sure. All done. I think she's seen enough.” Anya's beaming proudly. She thumps Dawn on the back. “Happy to help!”
“Any trouble” He asks Anya. Dawn still hasn't said a word.
“Well, Randy did make a fuss about Dawn being under-age and all, but then I told him I'd take my frequent shopper card to that new place on Hill Street.”
“Oh. That's good. I guess.”
Dawn was staring at the sign above the doorway.
“RUDE RANDYS ADULT NOVELTIES”
“That Randy,” she gulps, “really is kinda rude.”
***
“So this is like black magic?”
Willow and Tara shared a quick look and both spoke at once.
“Well... it’s not truly dark.”
“Maybe a little grey?”
Dawn nodded happily. “Hey, you think you can teach me a forgetting spell? Cause I seriously do not want to remember what Anya said when we saw the naughty nurse costume.”
They both shuddered. Willow thought about it briefly. “I don't think that's a good idea Dawnie. It'd kinda defeat the purpose.”
“Guess so.”
Tara sat beside her. “But maybe when this is all over?”
“Okay, now focus on the crystal. It'll help ground your energy.”
She focused. Then felt it, curling around in her mind. She saw the doorway-and knocked.
“Oh!” Willow said excitedly. “I hear you knocking!”
“Um... Should I open the door?”
Willow nodded, and Dawn opened the door. In her mind! This was so, so cool!
She could hear Willows thoughts. Willows thoughts were boring. Some kind of algebraic equation and a couple of verses of The Star Spangled Banner.
“Oh.” She shut the door (in her mind!) mildly disappointed.
“What's wrong?”
“I just thought maybe I'd see something a little more… interesting?”
Willow smiled. “I pre-prepared. Wouldn't want you seeing anything you shouldn't.”
“Oh.”
She hated seeing Dawn so disappointed. “But, you know, on anyone else, you could hear all sorts of things. I mean, you don't even have to knock, just visualise kicking that door down, and you're in....” She trailed off at Tara's look. “Or, you know. Maybe not. Because that would be bad. Lots of bad. Maybe you can just forget I even said that.”
Willow heard Tara's voice in her head. “When this is done? We're definitely doing a forgetting spell.”
“Okay, Okay...forgetting already,” said Dawn grumpily, wondering why Willow was nodding so furiously.
***
“God this place is rank!”
“Demon bar. What were you expecting?” He grabbed her upper arms, pushing her against the wall. “You stay here right? You hear the signal” He nodded towards Dawn “You come in. Till then, wait here.”
“I can't see why I can't come with you,” Buffy pouted.
"Told you. I'll look after the Niblet. You're a breath away. If there's trouble - and there won’t be, you'll know,”
He took her aside, whispering softly, out of Dawns earshot. “Think I proved myself the other day with the Hell Bitch yeah? While she's with me, no one'll hurt her.”
Buffy nodded. Spike handed Dawn the basket he was carrying, grabbed her arm and led her into the bar.
“Hey, Spike! Good of you to join us!” said the first Demon.
“Look, he brought a snack,” said the second, licking his lips.
“Hands off. She's with me,” he said in his best menacing voice. “And she's playing.”
“She can't play. No humans!” said the first.
“Hey! I so can! Anyway, I'm not even really…” Spike kicked her calf.
“OW” they both shouted.
“Sit down, and shut up,” he growled, still rubbing his head.
“Okay, Ante up.”
Spike reached down into the basket. Dawn watched him pull out... a kitten.
“Aww....Kitties...I love kitties!”
The fourth demon, a strange looking thing with red eyes, big ears and lots and lots of skin smiled at her. “Oh, you like kittens too? They're great aren't they?”
“They're just so cute!”
“Yeah, and tasty.”
Wait. Tasty? Spike leaned over towards her, interrupting her thoughts. “You remember what I showed you yeah?”
She nodded. Okay. She could do this. She could totally do this.
***
Buffy gave them an hour. She was just about to bust inside and bust heads when they came out the back door. Smiling and laughing.
“How'd it go?”
Dawn was pink with excitement. “I totally kicked demon butt!”
“She wiped the table with their sorry arses! Seems little sis' has a knack for poker.”
“Beginners luck,” Dawn said, studiously avoiding eye contact. “Oh, and Buffy,” she gestured to the baskets Spike was carrying. “We kind of have to make a stop at the animal shelter.”
***
Xander burst through the door, his blindfolded prisoner squealing loudly.
“Please, please don't hurt me.”
“Told you we should've gagged him.”
“Spi…”
“Hey! No names!”
“Sure, fine. Whatever. Are you sure he's okay?”
“Found him at the comic book store, Buf-ah-Bunny. Up the back playing with dice. Say he's about as harmless as they come.”
“Right. Okay, take it off.”
“Hey, don't touch my cape!”
The boy blinked in the sudden light. Whatever vicious fiends had grabbed him, they knew their stuff. He was held from behind in strong, strong arms, a spotlight trained on his face.
“Oww...that hurts.”
“Shut up and listen up! You get two minutes. That's it. No touching, no talking, no anything.”
He felt his arms being pulled behind him, then the rope wrapping around his wrists. “Hey, what's going on?”
The owner of the strong arms whispered in his ear. “You hurt her, I'll hunt you down. Leave bits and pieces of you all over Sunnydale.” Then he growled. Actually growled. He shuddered. That voice, it was so frightening, so sexily frightening. Wait. Sexy?”
Then he was alone. In the dark.
“I would've liked to get this part done on my own," said the soft voice in front of him. "But there's kind of a time frame here.”
He felt hands grab his ears. Then wow...This was way better than watching that Xena/Gabrielle kiss, and that was a kiss dammit! No matter what anyone else said. Then before he knew it, it was over. He was pulled out of the room, and dumped back in front of the store.
Jonathan was not going to believe any of this
***
“You think we've done enough?”
“Gave it our best shot.”
”Still looks pretty pure."
“Guess we won’t know until...”
And they didn't. Because a new week came and the shit hit the fan. Dawn skipped school. Which was great for the plan. Just not so much with social services. Tara got taken, and Willow got mad. Spike got an RV, and Giles got impaled.
Then Glory got Dawn.
***
They followed Tara slowly. She was stumbling towards the strange tower that had popped up overnight. The boy jumped out at them.
“Aha! I've found you.”
“What?” Buffy said angrily. “We don’t have time for this!” She tried to move, but her feet were somehow stuck fast.
Willow grabbed Tara, holding her back.
The boy pointed the gun-like thing he was holding at them, gesturing at his two friends. “Tell them.”
Buffy ignored him, gazing anxiously at the tower.“Dawnie!”
“Tell them how you kidnapped me, tied me up, and made me kiss…“ his voice was dreamy. “That angel.”
“Xander go! Get in place.” He darted behind Buffy and sped away.
“Hey! Not so fast. We've got the stopper gun, and we're not afraid to use it.”
"Stopper gun? Okay, whatever. We did it. All of it. Now just unstop me and GO.”
Tara interrupted. “Too late for the big day. Can't help now. All dirty…dirty.”
Buffy closed her eyes, defeated and slumped to the ground.
“Bugger that,” said Spike, grabbing her hand, pulling her up, and running off towards the tower.
***
Dawn was sitting on a stack of concrete blocks, surrounded by Glory’s scabby minions. Playing poker. She waved cheerily when she saw Spike rush around the corner.
“Hey Spike! You want me to deal you in?”
Spike stopped. Utterly speechless. The Slayer crashed into his back, followed by Giles, then Anya. Willow followed behind with Tara.
“Dawn?” said Buffy, slightly awed “You're okay?”
Dawn stood up, brushing the dust off her dress, and pointing to a small cut on her stomach.
"Kinda stings.” She gestured to the top of the tower. “They had me up there right, then Glory comes up and starts going on and on about going home. Then she cuts me, and then - nothing!”
“No spectacular opening of the dimensional gates?” Giles asked in a puzzled tone.
“Nope,” Dawn smiled. “Then she kinda flipped out big time. Way worse than Buffy. Next thing I know these guys here,” she gestured at the minions, “are setting me free.”
One of the minions came forward. “We thought perhaps her splendiferous greatness would enjoy suckling the brains from the keys head.”
Buffy thrust her sword through its stomach.
“Hey! That one owed me like a hundred dollars.”
She withdrew the sword, angrily facing the remaining minions “Where is she?”
They pointed off to the side. Glory sat by the wall, rocking slowly. “They befouled my key! They befouled my key.” She was switching rapidly between Glory and Ben. “My key's impure. Can't go home. Stuck here. With him.”
Willow shrugged. She grabbed Tara by the arm, dragging her over to the hell god. Glory. Ben. Glory. Ben. Glory. “Okay, kinda seeing a pattern here.”
Just at the right moment she grabbed both their heads, and then there was Tara ever so faintly, “Willow- I got so lost.”
The touching reunion was cut short by the arrival off the Buffybot
“It’s strange,” she said, gazing down at Glory. “You're not as blurry with speed as usual.” The bot shrugged, and then lobbed the Dagon Sphere at her. “You hurt my sister. Now I have to kill you.”
The bot snatched the troll hammer from Buffy, and brought it down over Glory's head with a resounding thunk - just as she morphed into Ben.
Giles moved forward cautiously. He knelt down, and felt for a pulse. “It would appear Ben is dead.”
The bot looked around. “Did I do that? Because I'm fairly sure I hit Glory. Glory is Ben. Ben is Glory. Glory is… thought processors in critical meltdown.” Smoke was pouring from her head. “Must...”
Giles jumped back just as her head exploded. The headless bot stood for a second, before falling forward to the ground.
“Oh Bollocks,” thought Spike.
“Well this is all very anti-climactic,” Anya said looking around. “Hey! Now that the worlds not ending, I can tell you that Xander and I are getting married!”
***
Xander was sitting at the controls of the wrecking ball miserably. His one shot to do something spectacular, and there was nothing to aim at. Crap. But hang on. Some strange little guy was sneaking up behind Dawn, armed with a knife-and hey, hadn't they already killed him?
He took aim, the ball catching Doc right in the ribcage, and driving him straight into the wall. He watched the body slide slowly down the wall, and onto the former hell god.
“The glorified bricklayer picks up a spare!”
Dammit! No one was ever around to hear the really funny ones.
***
Spike stood over the burning pyre. The bodies of Ben and Doc burning away to nothing. He took a cigarette from his pack and lit it. Dawn looked at the pack. “Don't even think about it Niblet”
Buffy walked up behind them “Can't believe it worked. Spikes plan. The plan of Spike. It worked.”
Dawn smiled.
“Dawnie, can you come here for a minute?” Willow called.
She gave the pyre one last look. “Hey Spike, you’ll come back to the house won’t you? Big post non-apocalypse Pizza party?”
Spike nodded noncommittally. “What's going on Slayer” he said, gesturing over to Dawn and Willow.
“There's some stuff we kind of need her to forget.”
“You reckon she'll still remember how to play Poker? She's got a real gift for it.”
“Not so much of a gift,” Buffy laughed. “She's been cheating.”
“Guess maybe we didn't need to corrupt her after all.”
“Thank you for tonight. I know you meant it. That you would have protected her. It means a lot.” She looked up at him, “I can't believe we're all okay. That no one… that we made it out alive.”
“Hey!” he said “Dead here remember.”
“Figure of speech! Bite me!”
“Now Buffy? Really love to, but what with Rupert watching, and Xander- you know the boys insanely jealous.”
She laughed. “God Spike, you're so aggravating! Why do you do that? Annoy me so much?”
“What can I say. Guess it’s a gift.”
Wait a minute. Gift...gift…
“Death is your gift”
“Dead here remember”
“Death is your gift”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Huh. Oh nothing. Not thinking at all. Nope. Totally un-thinky.”
“Right. Guess I'll see you round then?” He looked so hopeful. She was silent for a moment, and he turned around, walking away slowly.
“Hey Spike?”
“Yeah.”
“Pepperoni okay with you?”
“That’s....fine Buffy. Just fine.”
“Death is your gift”
Well, you know. Maybe?