"Sunnydalopolis..." Part XXII...

Sunnydalopolis part XXII

***
Spike grins and gently pulls Dawn along. "The old ball and chain's back..."

"I'm ok, Spike...Go on..." She moves back...to Willow...

He looks over to Buffy Rebecca who smiles gently at him a moment, though trembling, clearly in terrible pain and glances quickly at Dawn...then at Buffy. He stares a moment, nods slightly, and follows Dawn...
***

Buffy assumes battle posture instinctively as she reaches Glory but sees that Glory is not
in shape to do damage. Wondering she takes in the room, the gang, and sees Ben who has
gone over to Tara. Willow now sees him as well and quickly moves to confront him.

"Leave her alone, whatever you are." Will pulls violently at Ben's arm.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't control Glory. She was too much, too crazed. I'm sorry."

Will relents a bit and lets him examine Tara...
***

Helping Xander pull a dazed Anya out of the rubble of the second floor balcony...Giles, looking
sheepish in Knight's helmet and breastplate...

Buffy sees him from below and turns away...She knows who must have arranged contacts with
the Knights and Buffy Rebecca...

Will grins up at him encouragingly...All's well Giles...Buffy's just being...
***

Spike and Dawn come nearer the area where Glory sits.. blankly...Dawn moves to Will and
Tara, who is dazed...but appears to be recovering...

Buffy turns to Spike... reluctantly...There's no one else to ask...

"What's happened to Glory?"

"Not sure Slayer, but from the looks of it I'd say a healthy dose of electroshock when she
tried to feed on neural energy and got straight electrical instead, courtesy of that cable on Buffy
Rebecca, supplied by one Warren. Power supplied by the State of California. Very upsetting
to a goddess' delicate tummy I understand. As for the young doctor Jekyll here, you tell me."

"I think he's right." Ben says to them, getting up from Tara. He moves to Glory who is looking
blankly at all of them.

"She and I are cut loose from our dimension. She's powerless. In fact, I don't think she's aware
of anything right now." Glory looks at him but there is no recollection in her eyes.

Ben looks at Buffy...grimly looking at Glory... I don't it would have worked out for us
anyway...he thinks...That girl just has too much anger...

***

Buffy left the decision on Glory to the Emperor...

"I am willing to trust the word of Benedictus..." he said.

"I'll leave her to you then, sir."

Buffy went over to Dawn and Willow.

The Emperor looked at the shattered Goddess of Glory and Victory, now happily playing with
a bright thingy which a badly injured Dreg in agony had obtained from one of the burned-out
stores over Ben's attempts to restraint him...

"Benedictus, if you can swear that the Goddess is no more a threat to the world, I will leave her
life in your hands...Under our protection and...observation."

"I do."

"Then let her live..."
***
Ben requested the sparing of the life of Dreg which was granted.

He goes over to get Glory...

"Dreg!" he calls , "I can't be at home twenty-four hours a day to care for her...would you
help me with her...?"

Dreg looks up from where he was engaged in a game of patty-cake with the divine Goddess of
Glory and Victory...now retired...

...Oh, the joy...

[Play Glory and Dreg theme(Moonglow)]
***

Spike moves back to Warren and Buffy Rebecca... and stands by her...taking her hands...

"The Greatest Slayer of All Time" he smiles at her...She grins back...

The Emperor comes over and kneels before her...She tries to bow to him...He takes her hand
gently and kisses her...and returns to his wounded...

The three head outside, Buffy Rebecca stumbling badly, tries to look back...

Will moves to where Buffy Rebecca can see her and smiles to her...but the robot
is looking back at Buffy who looks away...

***

Outside Spike and Warren helped the injured Buffy Rebecca enter the van. Buffy shortly
followed from the mall...

They helped the robot into the back of the van...And then stood facing Buffy...Dad and his
son-in-law protecting little BR from the mean sister...
***

Spike looks at Buffy...She turns to Warren...

"That...thing. Can you fix it?"

Warren swallows nervously. He wasn't quite expecting that...but there is a slight rising anger in
his answer...about "that thing."

I think so..."that thing" took quite a charge...saving everyone's lives.... There may be some
damage to the neural circuitry...I'll have to see but that's the only serious worry really...It's a
matter of keeping her neural net stable..."
He looks back at Buffy...

"By the way Ms. Summers "that thing's" name is Buffy Rebecca..."

Spike looks at her but she's looking away from the van...

"Warren, I want you to excuse us for a moment." Buffy says quietly. Warren sheepishly
starts to collect the last of his equipment, clearly hoping to away from Buffy
in peace and return to his injured 'daughter'...
***
Outside the ruins of the Mall, in front of the van where Buffy Rebecca lay, Spike and Buffy
stare at each other. Down at the far corner of the road they can see Xander and Dawn now
waiting by his car.

"All right, Spike, listen. The last thing in this world I ever want is to be in your debt.
So..you have one week to let Dr. Warrenstein fix your doll. Then go...take your little playmate
and go. I want you out of town as soon as she can walk. So long as I never see or hear about
either one of you I don't care what you do with your little Barbie."

She cuts Spike off with a hand as he tries to speak. "I don't want to hear anything more about
it. This and one last thing settles anything either of us owes the other. After this you are gone or
you are toast."

He glares at her, then calming. "What last thing would that be, Slayer? Promise we'll never
save you or the Niblett again?"

"I want you to speak to Dawn..." She looks down to where Dawn and Xander are waiting... "I
think she wants to thank you for helping to save her." She grabs at his arm as he starts to grin
and turn.

"So, Nibs at least has some man..."

"Enough!...Just let her say what she wants to and go...or you and your dolly go into the nearest
incinerator."
***
Dawn fidgets as she leans against the car door while Xander nervously hovers...

"What's she saying to him? Why isn't she letting him come over? What's going on there?"

"It's a slayer-vampire thing Dawny. You know how these professionals are. Far be it for us to
interfere in their professional slayer-vampire ways."

"Is she going to make him go away?"

Xander sighs. "Dawn, I know how you feel about Spike right now. I even think I can
understand it. But really, Dawny he is not a real cool guy in some dark but blond romantic
way. He's a killer. That chip is the only thing holding him back. Believe me I have seen
him in Killer mode and I have seen what he leaves of his victims."

"But he saved me from Glory. And he must love Buffy...to have that robot copy her so much..."

"Yes...well, Dawny... while we do not forget that we must take into account that Spike is the
sort of guy who is very much aware of how to manipulate people. I don't say that he doesn't like
you and maybe in some twisted way he was trying to do the right thing tonight. But Dawn,
William the Bloody killed two slayers, two people just like your sister, trying to save folks like
us. I don't know about the...about Buffy Rebecca... But I know Spike..."

Dawn is silent. Spike slowly walks over, Buffy remains by the van.

"Here, I gotta speak to the Nibs by myself. Why don't you go fetch the slayer a paper?"

Xander glares at him and moves toward him.

"Slayer's orders, pal. Me and Dawn get five alone."

"It's ok Xander. Buffy's right over there."

Xander steps back to the car.

"By ourselves, Xan? Check with the slayer if you think I'm plotting mayhem."

Xander stalks off to where Buffy is watching.

"Well, Nibs..."
.
"Will she be all right?"

"Warren thinks so...And she has the two greatest 'cybergeniuses' in history to save her..."

"Buffy's making you both go..." Dawn says flatly. "But...Buffy Rebecca is my sister
too...Maybe...more than Buffy..."

"No, Nibs...not true..."

"Does Buffy hate me...like she hates Buffy Rebecca?... I'm artificial too, you know..."

"Nibs..."

"The day we found out about Buffy Rebecca...When she told Giles...about not finding my
Mom's papers...she said 'What's going to happen to me?...then she said...and Dawn?' She is
trembling...

"...and Dawn... I think she hates me...too."

"I did something terrible to her Nibs...Lucky me... And such bad timing..."

"I want to see her before you go...Buffy Rebecca..."

"I hardly think your sister would want you to come out to our crypt... Say, why not wait
until we have a place above ground... I'm considering Harris for our builder... Do you think
he's competent?... I know he smashes things well..."

"Before you go...please...?"

"If Buffy will let you come, Buffy Rebecca would appreciate it..."

She thinks a bit... and stares at him...

"Are you still a menace and all?...Of course you've got the chip...but...if Buffy Rebecca is hurt,
Buffy shouldn't let you go. I mean who else knows you've got a chip? You could get hurt..."

He grins at her...

"Buffy Rebecca, the greatest Slayer of all time, will protect me...from all things evil.."

He smiles at her again...

"Whatever happens she will..."
***
Dawn points to where Warren is caring for Buffy Rebecca in the van...

"Is she...really Buffy?"

"I don't know, kid. But she's as real as I can tell."

He looks at her open face, seeing her concern and astonished that it's for him...These Summers
girls...

"Anything else, midget?"

"Yeah,...what was your real name, Spike?"

"I'm Spike, William the Bloody to you...But if you mean the old human moniker,
well...William Walthrop... It's even getting some use again these days..."

"Buffy Rebecca Walthrop...I like it..."

"I think she prefers Summers-Walthrop..."
***

Back at home the following night, in the Greenwood crypt, the "cybergeniuses" and the greatest Slayer
of all time...

...receive guests...

Willow,...Tara being well on the mend...

An extremely nervous Xander...explained by the unauthorized presence of Dawn...

Who blackmailed him into bringing her by threatening to set up housekeeping with her robotic
sister's family...
***

Buffy Rebecca is in the biotank for regeneration...

Which naturally fascinates Dawn...and Xander...

"No, Dawn, it doesn't hurt a bit..." Buffy Rebecca lies, calling through the tank to her worried
sister...

Warren and his need for realism...Pain perception?...I'll give him pain perception, she thinks...

"William?...Do you have enough chairs?..." She calls out...

William?...Willow wonders...Of course...she can't use 'Will' with me around...William?...

***

'Dr.' Walthrop is all attention to his guests...Is that soda coming from the same fridge where you
keep your blood? Xander wonders...

Warren is beginning to comprehend the events of the past two days...fortunately his family has
an excellent cardiac history...

"So, Spike... How's business..." Xander...Of all the things I've done since meeting Buffy
Summers...spending a pleasant evening at home with Spike...

An almost angelic smile appears on the face of Dr. Walthrop, one of the brightest stars in the
Xortox firmament...

"Well, Xan old pal, now that you ask..."

The rope sits waiting in a nearby corner...

***
Giles appears at the crypt doorway...looking...

Willow looks at him sympathetically...Things worked out for the best, Giles...

"Is Dawn here?...Buffy is outside...She'd like her to come home...Oh, Warren...Buffy would
like to speak to you for a moment..."

We are busted...Willow thinks...Definitely busted...

Warren reluctantly goes outside...

***

"Dawn, you can't stay here." Buffy Rebecca calls from the tank...One day she and Spike are
going to take that damned tank and...

Dawn wants to stay with the Walthrops for a bit...A minor family incident...

"Buffy needs you. I should know..."

Odd, Willow thinks...It's Buffy who's all alone...

***

For the first time she, Xander, and Dawn look away from the tank and take in BR's
"room of her own"...

"I don't think we should mention this to Buffy just yet"...Xander mumbles as they look in
wonder...at BR's private corner...Willow eyes Xander...His voice is just a little shaky...

Dawn finally agrees to go out to her sister...
***

"Is it repaired, Warren?..."

"The body structure is fine, her tissues are regenerating...I need to monitor her neural net for a
bit yet..."

Buffy bites her lip...I'll never get rid of her...and now they all...even Dawn...

"There is a way I could complete her recovery faster...If I had a neural recording to compare
to her current..."

"What would that take?...Oh, right...I've already done one, haven't I?..." She glares at
Warren..."How long...?"

"Not more than three hours...I could bring the recorder to you..."

"Can we do it at your office, two days from now?...When I can get away from class?..."

Warren nods...he didn't expect it to be so easy...But...why at Xortox?...

"I'll come by your office in two days..."

***

Upon reflection Warren realized it wasn't so unusual at all...That Ms. Summers would want to
see her sister's birthplace...

***