Title: Gift of a Future
Author: Gileswench

(notes & disclaimer with part one)

Deanna poked her head into the room where Riker and Worf were choosing weapons. Across the room, Willow and Tara talked in hushed tones as they divided up magic supplies.

"Will," she began.

Two heads popped up.

"Yes?" Riker said.

"Huh?" Willow added.

Deanna gave a small laugh.

"Will Riker," she specified.

"Oh, sorry," Willow said with a blush. "I keep forgetting there's another Will around here."

"That's perfectly understandable," Deanna assured her.

Riker stood and moved to the counsellor's side.

"What is it, Deanna?"

"I'm concerned," Deanna said quietly, in hopes that the others in the room wouldn't hear. "This retreat doesn't strike me as Buffy's usual method of handling things. Will, I'm afraid this could get us all killed."

"What do you suggest, then?" Riker asked. "Even Captain Picard knows if the enemy is a lot stronger it's best to pull back until the odds are more in your favor."

"This isn't a tactical retreat. This is blind panic, and we're still in the dark about what's really going on."

"And the only two people who can give us all the answers aren't talking. So what do we do? Tie Buffy and Giles up in a corner and torture them until they crack and tell us what Glory is and why she's trying to get Dawn?"

"That's just it, Will," Deanna said. "I'm not so sure they know as much as we thought they did. They aren't telling us everything they know, but I think there are some things where they're just as confused as we are."

Riker's lips twisted into a humorless smile.

"Any more good news?" he asked.

"I think something happened between Buffy and Giles. I saw them in the hall just now and they were arguing. And we still don't know where Geordie went with the robot."

"I knew I could count on my Imzadi," Riker grumbled good-naturedly.

"Will?"

"Yes, Deanna."

"For the first time since we got here, I'm really frightened."

Riker pulled her close.

"Hey, Deanna," he cajoled her. "Things could always be worse. Your mother could be here."

She didn't even try to suppress her laughter, but there was still worry in her expressive eyes.

An hour later, most of the crew stood on the porch of the Summers house waiting for Buffy's return. Cars cruised by, but none stopped. The little band all displayed varying amounts of apprehension. At last Anya spoke.

"Anybody else feel that?"

"What?" Willow wondered.

"A cold draft of paralyzing fear," The ex demon returned grimly.

"We just need to stay calm," Picard said.

Deanna couldn't help a small smirk at just how calm her captain didn't feel.

"Calm, right," the counsellor agreed, lying through her teeth.

"Like Sergeant Rock," Willow piped up. "Cool and collected in the face of overwhelming odds."

"Overwhelming?" Anya demanded. "Just how much more than whelming would that be, exactly?"

"Remain calm, and we shall prevail," Worf intoned."We will crush the enemy."

Everyone stared at the Klingon. Willow turned large eyes to Giles.

"Giles...?" she began.

"Look, everything will be all right," he assured his troops. "We just need to stay here calmly. As soon as Buffy arrives -"

At that moment a Winnebego came to a sudden and violent halt before the house. Its windows appeared to be lined in aluminum foil with only a small opening in the front windshield for the driver to see through. The door opened.

"We'll feel oddly worse," Giles finished.

Still, there was nothing for it. Everyone took up their bundles of necessities and trooped to the vehicle. Willow let out a high-pitched 'eep' as she stepped aboard. Giles looked up to see what had startled the girl so.

There in the drivers' seat sat Spike with a pair of dark goggles and a Cheshire Cat grin on his face.

"What's he doing here?" Giles demanded angrily.

Buffy barely looked up from the map she was reading at the table. Spike continued to grin.

"Just out for a jaunt," he said. "Thought I'd swing by and say 'howdy'."

Giles felt his bile rising.

"Out," he told the vampire.

"He's here because we need him," Buffy said brusquely.

"The hell we do!" Willow exclaimed.

"Look, we've got Glory and her Hobbits and the Knights of- of Benzedrine after us," Buffy snapped. "And God only knows what else is waiting in the wings. We need all the muscle we can get. He stays."

"But Buffy..." Giles tried again.

"This is not a discussion," Buffy fumed. "Spike stays. Get over it."

With that, Buffy grabbed up one of her maps and stormed to the back of the RV. She opened the bedroom door and went through, shutting it with a bang. Giles looked after her for a long minute. Only Deanna noticed the hurt in his eyes. As soon as Giles got fully into the vehicle, Spike shut the door.

"Buckle up kids," he crowed. "Daddy's puttin' the hammer down."

The Winnebego took off with a lurch that nearly sent those not seated careening into the opposite walls.

"This is not an auspicious start to our journey," Worf mumbled to himself. Still, he sent what he thought might be a comforting smile to Anya. She saw it. He looked like he wanted to eat her up. She shivered, and turned her full attention Willow and the book she was reading.

She wished Xander was there.

Dante and his assistant brought their charge to the clearing where the Knights of Byzantium had made camp since arriving in the area. He was almost nervous at how easy it had been to get his comrade in arms released from the psych ward at Sunnydale's hospital. There had been no need for violence, or even much subterfuge. All he had to do was sign some papers and listen to the nurse as she explained what medication Orlando would need to take from now on. As if mere drugs could undo what the Unholy One had done!

At his arrival, General Gregor approached. Dante and his compatriot removed the baseball caps they had been forced to wear to conceal their foreheads and the marks they bore thereon.

Orlando looked up at the skies with a blissful expression on his blank-eyed face.

"The trees are singing water," he said happily.

"You have him?" General Gregor asked brusquely.

"Yes, General. Our brother has returned to the fold."

The General advanced and placed a hand on Orlando's shoulder. Orlando barely seemed to notice. He was too busy staring at Gregor's amulet.

"Welcome home, Orlando," the General intoned. "I swear by my sword, your sacrifice shall not go unavenged."

"Shiny," Orlando murmured as he reached out to the jewel that dangled from his General's throat.

"Yes, I suppose it is," Gregor returned almost indulgently.

"Pretty little girl," Orlando went on. "She's shiny, too."

Pain lanced through Gregor's eyes. Orlando had once been his bravest and most trusted knight. To see him like this was a greater distress than the General had been able to prepare himself for. He turned to Dante.

"Watch him," Gregor ordered. "See that he's comfortable."

Before Dante could act on the command, Orlando began to speak again.

"So shiny. Pretty little shiny key."

His comrades shared a startled look.

"The key?" Gregor demanded. "You've seen it?"

Orlando looked up at him, still a bit blankly.

"Pretty little shiny girl," he agreed.

"The monks," Gregor surmised, "they've made it human."

"We know the Slayer's protecting the key," Dante said. "If what Orlando says is true..."

Gregor turned and marched back through the brush. Behind the row of bushes a sizeable army awaited orders. The General approached one of the footsoldiers.

"Prepare to advance," he ordered. As the soldier moved off to spread the word, Gregor smiled grimly. "We end this now."

Behind him the army seethed with activity long awaited. The task the Knights of Byzantium had sworn to accomplish centuries ago would soon be done.

Xander knocked on the bathroom door.

"You guys almost ready in there?" he asked.

"Almost," Beverly replied. "Give us two more minutes."

Xander turned to Geordie.

"And you did everything I asked?"

"Just like you said. You won't be able to tell her from the real thing."

"Good. Then as soon as the ladies get out of ye olde powder room, we're ready to rock and roll."

Data joined the two men outside the bathroom door.

"Xander," the android said, "The vehicle is prepared. Everything you asked for has been loaded on."

"Great job, guys," Xander said proudly. "We're gonna kick us some Hellgod ass!"

"Excuse me," Data puzzled, "but did you not say our intention was to 'draw Glory's fire'?"

"Yeah, that's what I said."

"And the plan was that we would distract her as long as possible. Is that not correct?"

"Again, yeah."

"Then I do not understand. If we, like Buffy, are making a tactical retreat, in what way are we to 'kick ass'?"

Xander turned to Geordie.

"Is he always this literal?"

"'Fraid so."

At that moment, Beverly and Tara emerged from the bathroom leading Wesley between them. He was now dressed in some of Dawn's clothing and he sported a long, brown wig.

"I did the best I could," Tara told Xander. "With the glammer in place, this just might work."

"I'm still not happy about this," Beverly reminded them all.

"Wind the coffee mug down," Wesley babbled. "Out of phase, it's all out of phase in Romulans."

"I know you're not happy, Beverly," Xander said. "And hey, if we had much of a choice, I wouldn't do this either, but you guys said you were here to help keep Buffy alive. I don't know about you, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Whatever Glory wants is bad news, and Buffy is obviously pretty important to the future. What's more, she's important to me. If I thought I had any chance of fooling anybody, I'd put on the dress myself. Now are you with me or not?"

It was a tense moment, but at last Beverly nodded a bit stiffly. Xander smiled tightly at her.

"Okay," he said. "We'd better.