"The Knights of Byzantium" Xander said looking at his friends with worry etched on his features.
"Who what?" Buffy said pouting in confusion.
"Giles can give the details, but basically despite the fact the Glory ain't interested in the key anymore. They want to get to it first. But they want to destroy it, in what ever form. Glory told me this so we could protect Dawnie from them."
Buffy paled considerably and the others all looked a little green as well.
"Giles what do we do?"
Xander held a hand up to forestall the watcher, "I have an idea. Apparently they have spells that can track the key. As do, by the way, the Monks that protected the key to begin with. I think Willow and Tara should be able to block them. Glory can tell you the type of spell. Glory thinks that if the Monks can be convinced that Glory is no longer interested they will be able to remove the key essence from Dawn."
"Yes, indeed that would seem to be a pertinent course of action." Giles agreed smiling at his young friend. He was still perturbed about Glory's involvement in all of this but if she was true to her word then they had just had a large weight removed from their shoulders.
The bell over the shop door clanged and below it an attractive woman entered, a woman who was not just a woman she was a goddess.
Glory walked into the magic box with some trepidation. She felt nervous for possibly the first time in her existence. She didn't really understand why, only one person in the place was capable of hurting her. She was sure that Xander wouldn't do it. It was the only way she was really venerable. Emotion. She had never really had them like this. Before it had been a case of Want then Get, Destroy Massacre. Not anymore, an accident and a certain dark haired man had changed her forever. When she approached the table the Scooby gang spun round to look at her. Buffy moved into an intercept position but Xander stopped her with an upheld hand.
"Whoa, remember, no slaying of Glory, K" he said with a small smile. He stepped out from his seat and went to his new love interest.
"Hi" he said smiling.
The others, particularly the three girls were able to see the change in Glory as it happened. But Giles with years of experience on them was able to pinpoint the cause. Love, no one is above it. She softened; there was no other way to put it. Her expression became happy and her stance loosened. It was now apparent that she had been nervous and a little edgy. Now as Xander was close to her she visibly relaxed. The look in her eye and the size of her smile were the tin lid on it.
Xander's expression had changed as well; the worry had slipped off of it. In its place was affection. He couldn't say he loved Glory yet, but the stirrings were certainly there. In fact right there in his eyes. Glory saw it, as did his friends, and it made them happy despite that had put it there.
Giles stood, "Welcome. Xander has been telling us that you are no longer interested in 'The Key'" He said formally and looked at her intently. His green eyes appeared to pierce her very being.
It took a second for Glory to answer him, she was still trying to get used to thinking of humans as being worthy of consideration, apart from Xander that is. She smiled faintly at Giles, "No, No she's safe" she appeared to think, "At least from me" she amended.
As they all looked at the goddess there was none of her usual insanity leaping around in her eyes. She was steady as a rock and appeared to be thinking about everything. An intelligent shine was behind her eyes. If she had still been 'evil' they would have been in trouble. Buffy wasn't sure where Glory's loyalties actually lay. Judging by the look of total adulation she shot Xander when she spotted him, they would lay wherever Xander's did.
'Thank god, Xander's on our side' Buffy decided. She, like most of them, had long ago realized that Xander had a Knight in Shining Armour complex. Quite how he managed to stretch it to his love life the way he did, was beyond them all. He always seemed to fall for women who needed help in one way or another. Her self included, it was sad that she had never seen Xander in that way. If she had, perhaps her life would have been very different.
"What do you know about these knights" Buffy asked Glory. She had stood down from her offensive/defensive stance but was still cautious.
"Not much, they have been chasing me for years. They allied themselves against me back, oh about, 1000 years ago. Mostly I ignored them," Glory said with disarming honesty.
"So like, how old are you anyway" Buffy couldn't help but ask.
"Old?"
"Yeah, your age?"
"Oh, I'm a goddess" Glory said, as if it was obvious.
"Yeah, but how old. I wouldn't normally ask another woman, but you know I'm just curious. You don't have to tell me," Buffy said, a little self-consciously.
"Oh it's no problem, I can see you don't understand. I'm a goddess I have always existed."
Buffy sat down heavily.
"Well, I always did like older woman" Xander quipped, weakly. He was a little stunned by her announcement as well. She only looked in her late twenties.
Glory beamed at him and he was destroyed and recreated, right there on the spot. Perhaps he was falling a little faster than he had at first thought.
"Anyway" glory began, "I came to tell you I'm going out of town for a short while", she cupped Xander's face to stop his interruption, "Only for a while. The knights are on to me again. If I go away for a while it will lead them away from the key." Glory looked amazingly embarrassed, "I was hoping I could persuade you to come with me."
Xander was nodding before he even thought about it, "Of course, work owes me some vacation time anyway"
Buffy nodded slightly, "We could research some spells to cloak Dawnie from them as they pass through."
Glory nodded and smiled brightly at the slayer, she liked the blonde woman, her slayer spirit was an unusual one and she sensed that she was herself different. "I like you, you're different from the others," she said.
"Others?" Buffy enquired.
"Slayers, you're more independent. The others were like my toadies. Nice an all but not too bright" Glory clicked her fingers, "Oh, watch out for Doc. He worships me, bless him, but he is a distasteful little rodent. He may try something"
"Thank you" Buffy said honestly, she reached out to the god slowly and took her hand. She shook it gently and Glory smiled in wonder. Xander was also smiling widely; it's best when your friends like your girl.
Tara was thinking furiously, she had already thought of a possible spell to block any anything the knights threw at them. But she also had another idea; it just needed a little work.
Xander turned away and went round back to call his office, let them know he wouldn't be coming in for a week or so. The rest stood or sat in silence for a minute.
Giles slapped himself on the head, "I'm so sorry, where are my manners, Please take a seat" he said to the goddess.
"Do spells work on you?" Tara asked the goddess, so deep in thought she didn't even stutter.
Glory shifted a little in the seat she had taken. She appeared to think long and hard. She was about to let old enemies know of a possibly weakness, but Xander trusted them. Glory decided to go for broke, "Yes, some" she replied.
"Perhaps, we could cloak you also" Tara said.
Willow brightened and started nodding, "Yes then the knights wouldn't be able to find you. Something like that Tar?"
Tara nodded whilst glory graced them with a glowing smile, "Thank you, that would be excellent. I had still better go out of town for a while just to make sure. I don't mind, if Xander is there as well," she told them with a small smile. The girls in the room all shared a knowing smile. It had to be love and the goddess had it bad.
The witches and watcher huddled up talking about possible spells and potions.
'Everything is going to be alright', Buffy decided as she took a seat next to the.
Glory smiled evilly and turned to face Buffy leaning into her slightly and dropping her voice for the slayer's ears only. "So, do you often like to watch or was that a one off?"