[ um, i would let glory spit in my mouth. i'd also sell dawn out in exchange for one kiss. they had no right making her so hot and then expect for me not to root for her. anyway, thank you for coming to my ted talk. really looking forward to all the comments this chapter ]

♡︎

IF YOU COULD NOT CALL ME YOUR GOOD GIRL, THAT'D BE GREAT. BECAUSE IT'S EVIDENTLY MADE ME REALIZE SOMETHING ABOUT MYSELF, WHICH MAKES THIS WHOLE KIDNAPPING THING VERY CONFUSING.

[ 5.18 ]

The kitchen of the Summers' house was full as Buffy, Dawn, Kitty, Teddy, and Giles all cleaned up and dried the dishes from dinner. To make sure Dawn and Buffy were eating properly and not just fast food, Giles was making a habit of coming over and cooking for them every few days.

Dawn had been drying the dishes as Buffy washed them but she got distracted, and now she and Kitty were swatting each other with dish towels. Teddy was drying the dishes in their place. Giles came back in with a wet rag, having finished wiping the table off.

"Giles, you don't have to help," Buffy told him. "You cooked."

"Oh, come on, I quite like to cook for the twins," he said. Dawn snickered as Giles referred to them as such, something that'd started as a joke but they didn't even think about anymore. "And helping you two out makes me feel useful."

"I remember when I used to make him feel useful," Kitty said, wiping away an imaginary tear.

"Yes, such a shame you can function on your own. Where, oh, where did I go wrong?" Giles asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

"Wanna clean out the garage on Saturday?" Dawn then asked him. "You can feel indispensable."

"Hmm, how tempting," he said sarcastically, not loving the idea of physical labor.

"Dawn, if there are any plates in your room, let's have them before they get furry and we have to name them," Buffy told her sister.

Dawn looked at Buffy, unamused. "Hey, I was like five then," she stated. Then she sheepishly smiled at Kitty. "Will you help me? There may be two trips worth." Kitty snorted and shoved Dawn toward the stairs.

"How's she doing?" Giles asked, referring to Dawn. Buffy simply gave him a look. "And you?"

"I'm okay," she said, shrugging. "Well, some minutes are harder than others."

"I'm so sorry. All I can say is i-it will get better."

"It has to," Buffy said. She finished with the dishes and tried her hands on the towel Teddy was holding. "We're holding up though, you know, getting into a routine."

"Good, routine's good. In fact, I was thinking that we might return to our training schedule," Giles said, carefully watching her for a reaction. "Teddy's been lonely."

"Not lonely," Teddy mumbled under his breath.

"I don't know. I was, um, thinking about maybe... taking a break or something," Buffy said slowly while walking to the living room. "Just ease off for a while. Not get into full slay mode."

"But you were doing so well," Giles told her, frowning. He took a seat on the sofa next to her. Teddy slid on the edge of the coffee table.

"A-and you were great, helping me with everything," she said. "I'm just... starting to feel uneasy about stuff."

"Stuff?" Teddy asked for clarification.

"Training. Slaying. All of it. It's just, I mean I can beat up the demons until the cows come home. And then I can beat up the cows, but I'm not sure I like what it's doing to me," she explained.

"But you've mastered so much," Giles said proudly. "I mean, your strength and resilience alone—"

"Yeah. Strength, resilience," Buffy muttered, "those are all words for hardness. I'm starting to feel like being the Slayer is turning me into stone."

"Turning you into stone? Buffy—"

Yet again, she cut Giles off. "Just think about it," she said, getting up to pace. "I was never there for Riley, not like I was for Angel. I was terrible to Dawn."

"Buff, with everything going on, you can't—"

"No," Buffy said, cutting Teddy off.

"At a time like this, you're bound to feel emotionally numb," Giles told her.

"Before that," Buffy said. "Riley left because I was shut down. He's gone. And now my mom is gone, and I loved her more than anything and... I don't know if she knew."

"Oh, she knew," Giles said softly, standing to put a hand on her shoulder. "Always."

"I don't know. To slay, to kill, i-it means being hard on the inside. Maybe being the perfect Slayer means being too hard to love at all. I already feel like I can hardly say the words."

"Buffy, you know that's not—"

Another cut-off yet again, Buffy keeping Teddy from comforting her. "Giles, Theo, I love you guys. Love... love, love, love, love, Giles, it feels strange."

"Anything feels strange when you say it six times fast," Teddy told her gently. Nothing stirred inside him as she said she loved him — he knew, and he knew it wasn't in the same way he loved her. That was okay though.

"How serious are you about this?" Giles asked Buffy.

"Ten. I'm serious to the amount of ten," she said, taking a seat once again.

"There is something," Giles then said, thinking it over. Both Teddy and Buffy looked at him with interest. "In the Watchers' diaries — a quest."

Buffy raised a suspicious eyebrow. "A quest?"

"Like Indiana Jones?" Teddy asked. He wasn't all the way through the copious amounts of Watchers' diaries.

"Not like Indiana Jones. But maybe answers. It would take a day, perhaps two," he told them.

"I'm not leaving Dawn," Buffy said, shaking her head. "Not with Glory looking for her."

"Sure you can," Dawn said, having entered with Kitty just in time to hear. "What's the deal?"

"Some Slayers before Buffy found it helpful in regaining their focus, learning more about their role. There's a sacred place in the desert. It's, it's not far," Giles explained.

"But I can't go," she said, looking at Dawn. "I'm not leaving you, Dawn."

"If you have to go learn, I mean if it'll help you out... I think you should do it," Dawn told her. "I can hang with the gang. I'll be okay."

Buffy thought for a moment before looking at Giles. Then she put an arm around Dawn. "I love you, Dawn. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I love you too," Dawn told her softly.

"I love you," Buffy then said intensely. "Really love you."

Dawn grinned nervously. "Gettin' weird."

"Sorry. But it's important that I tell you. Weird love's better than no love," she said, hugging Dawn.

"Kitty," Teddy said, looking at her. "I love you."

"Yeah, no shit."

"You couldn't let us have a nice moment like they did?"

♡︎

Kitty was woken up very early by the phone in the room ringing. Teddy would've gotten it but he was downstairs getting everything to leave with Giles and Buffy on the quest to find herself or whatever. Kitty groaned tiredly and reached for the Garfield phone on the nightstand.

"Hello?" she greeted, yawning thickly as she did.

"How come you guys didn't tell me about Harmony? You call us once a week to check in but forget to mention Harmony?"

Kitty stretched the phone cord as she rolled on her back and stared up at the bottom of Teddy's bed. "Cordy?"

"Yes, Cordy!" she said impatiently.

"Harmony? Wh-what about Harm?" Kitty asked.

"She's here — in LA," Cordelia revealed.

"Jealous!" she said, sighing. "Can you imagine what it's gonna be like when the three of us are finally together again? Iconic, that's what—"

"Focus up, Kitty," Cordelia said, clearly impatient. "How could you not tell me?"

"What happened? Did she come after you?" she asked. Kitty couldn't understand why Cordelia sounded so freaked unless Harmony tried to kill her.

"Yeah! She practically attacked me in my bedroom last night," Cordelia said, keeping her voice low.

"Oh, is she staying over?" Kitty asked, assuming Cordelia accidentally invited her in.

"Came in while I was sleeping. Good thing I woke up, too," she muttered. "She was ready to jump me right there! But I think she got the message that I don't go for that sort of stuff when I shot her down."

"Did you... wound her?" Kitty asked, now confused.

"She'll get over it. I never should have invited her to stay with me."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, I know. Awkward much?"

"Cordy!" Kitty said quickly. Then she bit her lip. "Okay, are we all clear on the fact that Harm is a vampire?"

Cordelia gasped softly, clearly not aware of that. "Oh. Harmony is a vampire? That's why she — oh, my god, I'm so embarrassed!" She giggled over the line. "All this time I thought she was a great big lesbian!"

Kitty snorted and rolled her eyes. "No, she's not gay. If she was, my bi ass would've called dibs on that years ago."

"Of course, you would have," Cordelia said, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Oh, Willow's a lesbian, though. Not sure if I've told you about Tara yet," Kitty added.

"Well, that's great! Good for her."

"Okay, so like, rundown on Harm," she then said. "She's not dangerous as long as you're not around when she's hungry."

"Right, well, I'll tell everyone that she's—"

"Who're you on the phone with?"

"Harm?" Kitty asked loudly, hoping her vampire ears could pick up on her. "Put me on speaker, Cordy."

"Kitty!" Harmony squealed. "I miss you!"

"If you're gonna hang around, I so totally have to book it to LA soon," she told the girls. "The men of Angel Investigations need to be outnumbered."

♡︎

With Buffy gone, Dawn was going to stay at Xander's apartment. And with Giles and Teddy gone, Kitty was also going to stay at Xander's apartment, not wanting to be home alone. Dawn and Kitty made the argument for Dawn to just stay at the apartment, but, well, Kitty wasn't exactly the fiercest warrior. They needed as much muscle and firepower as possible in case Glory reared her pretty head.

Some of that firepower included a protection spell that Tara was in the middle of casting. Willow would've done it but she was busy in class.

"Okay. Warning spell's all set," Tara said, finishing up by the door. She came back and set a vial filled with some kind of potion on the kitchen counter.

"So that's it? We're all protected up for the night?" Xander asked, wanting to double-check. Kitty and Anya were sitting on the sofa while Dawn was on the floor, reading.

"Well, i-it's probably not as good as Willow could do," Tara admitted shyly. "She's a natural with magic. In just the time I've known her, she's already blown right past me."

"So, when the whiz kid gets back from chem lab, can you have her... you know, bulk up the spell a little?" he asked. "If you want, maybe, while Anya and I go do a quick patrol?"

"I don't see why we have to patrol just 'cause Buffy's away," Anya muttered. But she got up anyway. "I'd rather stay home and watch television."

"Oh yeah, Willow wants to watch this thing on the history channel tonight," Tara told them. "Salem Witch Trial stuff, which is only gonna get her all upset."

"Oh, I was there, it really wasn't that bad," Anya informed them. "See, if you were really a witch, you could do a spell to escape. So really it was only bad for the falsely accused, and, well, they never have a good time."

Xander shook his head. "No, they don't."

"I think I'd rather patrol than watch boring history witch stuff," Kitty grumbled. "Can I come, Xand?"

"Uh, I guess, but please be careful. If you get hurt while Giles and Teddy are gone, they'll kick my ass," Xander said, frowning. It was the first time Kitty had asked to go patrolling since Valentine's Day. They were all quite worried about her running into Spike, who she still hadn't spoken to.

"You can protect me, oh Super Xander," Kitty said, grinning. For once, she wasn't thinking about the possibility of seeing Spike somewhere. That was probably a good sign, right? Well, it would've been if she still wasn't gut-wrenchingly in love with him. "Nothing will hurt precious me."

"So, guys," Dawn said, coming over to them. "If this is a real slumber party, where's the pizza?"

As the five of them crowded around each other to discuss what toppings to get for dinner, they were clueless to the fact that one of Glory's little minions was watching through the door. Watching and searching for whoever could be the key.

♡︎

"Ha, look what I can do," Kitty said. Xander and Anya watched as she clumsily twirled a stake in between her fingers. But she only managed it for a second before fumbling and dropping it. "Oops."

Xander swooped down and picked up the fallen stake. "Patrol tip — keep stake in hand at all time."

"I've been patrolling since tenth grade," Kitty said, rolling her eyes. "Oh, Anya, how'd the shop do today since I wasn't in. How's your money?"

"My money is great," Anya said, grinning. "I'm glad you appreciate my money."

"Money is good. Money is gonna buy those cool new sneakers with wheels I've been seeing," she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, Heelys? I saw that commercial the other day," Xander said excitedly. "You'd rock those."

"I can already see myself wheeling into Angel's fancy hotel office to annoy the shit out of him as revenge for his little evil stint last month," Kitty said, grinning.

Xander's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry, did you just say Angelus was back?"

Kitty waved him off. "Not Angelus. Just Angel being a dick and cutting Wesley, Cordelia, and Gunn out of his life. He's back now — Cordy told me this morning. He bought her some real cute clothes to apologize," she explained. "I think I'm gonna take a trip soon..."

When they came across her white-haired vampire in the middle of the cemetery they were patrolling, Kitty trailed off. Clearly, Spike hadn't been planning on running into them either, as he stared at Kitty with wide eyes.

"Spike," Kitty whispered, her heart beginning to hammer without her permission. Just seeing him so close did so much.

"Hi, Kitten," he said softly, a gentle look in his eyes as he looked at her. God, she missed hearing him call her that. Spike looked hopeful as he stepped closer. "Haven't seen you in a—"

"That's by design," Xander interrupted. He moved to block Kitty from Spike's sight.

"Right," Spike said bitterly, taking a step back. "So, out for patrol without the head of the house? How dangerous."

"Not really," Anya said, shrugging. "The place isn't exactly crawling with vamps tonight—"

They all heard a noise and looked to the side to see three vampires appear, coming around the corner of a large mausoleum. And the vampires instantly smelled the humans, rushing at them.

"Jinx!" Kitty said accusingly at Anya.

Spike instantly engaged one of the vampires, fighting it off pretty easily. Anya and Xander took one as well. And that left Kitty with one, who didn't like that one bit.

"Oh, no," she whispered, backing up. She should've stayed to watch the witch documentary.

"Kitty, be careful!" Xander shouted, trying to get out of the hold his vampire had him in.

The vampire hissed and lunged for her. Kitty quickly jumped to the side, hiding a headstone. As the vampire rounded on her, she scrambled on top of it to get the higher ground.

"WWE, bitch!" she shouted. Then Kitty threw herself at the vampire's head, wrapping around him. He stumbled, not expecting it, and they fell to the ground. The vampire clawed at her, trying to pry her off. When it did, it pinned her to the grass.

"Get away from her!" Spike shouted, quickly killing his own vampire. He rushed at them and tackled the vampire off her, wrestling it to the ground. Spike punched the vampire repeatedly. "Don't touch her!"

"Spike!" Kitty called, grabbing his attention. As soon as he looked up, she threw him her stake. He caught it and staked the last vampire, moments after Xander and Anya defeated their own.

"Are you hurt?" Xander asked, rushing to Kitty before Spike could.

"Few scratches," she mumbled, looking at her arms that had shallow, bleeding marks from the vampire's nails. "Maybe I should learn to fight. Eh, nah. You guys always protect me."

Xander sighed in exasperation before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Let's get you back and bandaged."

"Wait," Spike said, coming over. "Kitty, wait."

Despite Xander clearly wanting her to move on, she turned to look at him. "What, Spike?" she asked flatly.

"I—" Whatever he wanted to say, he changed his mind and shook his head. "Just, um, glad you're okay. Not too hurt."

Kitty looked at him for a moment longer, taking in the caring expression on his face. It made her stomach twist, knowing he didn't care about her the same way she cared about him. She nodded hesitantly before giving in and letting Xander and Anya lead her out of the cemetery, Anya complaining the whole time about breathing in vampire dust.

But even with Spike out of sight, he wasn't out of mind. How could he say he didn't want anything to do with them — with Kitty — and then save her from that vampire? How could he look at her so tenderly, genuinely happy to see her and hear her voice?

Kitty hardly said a word as they arrived back at the apartment. And she stayed quiet as Tara helped clean the blood off her arms — none of them needed bandaids or stitches, which was good. And as she moved back to the living room, she looked at the carpet with a frown.

"I think I'm gonna go on a walk before bed," she said, biting her lip.

"A walk? You're not a walk person," Xander said, eying her. Then he pointed an accusing finger. "You look guilty! You wanna walk to see Spike!"

"Well, maybe I do," Kitty told him, crossing her arms. "M-maybe I want some closure."

"Or maybe you wanna kiss his stupid face," Dawn said doubtfully.

"It's probably both," Anya chimed in.

"Kitty—"

"I'm in love with him, Xander. And I know you don't want to hear that," Kitty declared loudly. "Maybe... maybe like Buffy said, he is with Drusilla again. And I can't be around him and see him be in love with someone else. I can't. But I at least deserve to talk to him. To tell him that - that he's wrong. That he's an idiot for going back to her. And that he's selfish for making me fall in love with him."

Xander stared down at Kitty before sighing — he saw her watery eyes and gave in. And this time, Buffy wasn't around to keep him from caving and giving a crying Kitty what she wanted. "Fine. You can go, but I'm chaperoning."

"It's not a middle school field trip, Xand—"

"I'm chaperoning!" he said loudly, cutting Kitty off, who rolled her eyes. "Tell him the wrong and pathetic and idiot part. But leave out the love. He doesn't even deserve to know after what he put you through. Can you live with those terms?"

Kitty nodded, thinking it over. "Yeah, I can. I just want to see him."

♡︎

Xander complained the entire walk to Spike's crypt. Kitty tuned most of it out — after so long as Spike's friend, she had to learn to tune it out. When they got to the entrance, Kitty almost barged right in. Then she remembered that it'd been weeks since she'd been by the crypt. She didn't really have a right to barge in like she was always welcome. So, she timidly knocked before letting them in.

Spike had been sitting on the coffin and smoking, but he immediately stood when he saw Kitty. "Oh," he managed to say, hardly believing his eyes. Of course, he'd rather Xander not be there at all, but it was a start. "Kitty, you're back."

"Yeah," she said, looking at the ground instead of at him. Looking at him kind of hurt. "I just, well, seeing you earlier. Wanted to talk."

"And Bob the Builder needs to talk too?" Spike questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Bob the Builder is here because he's Kitty's friend," Xander said, glaring at Spike. "And he's keeping you from taking advantage of her kind and forgiving nature."

Spike rolled his eyes at Xander's dramatics. "Don't act like I'm a bloody monster."

"Yes. You are a monster," he said flatly. "Vampires are monsters. They make monster movies about them."

"He's got you there," Kitty whispered, the corner of her lip turning up. "Look, Spike, we won't bother you long. We definitely want to clear out before Dru gets back. But I've got some things to say."

"Dru?" Spike questioned in confusion, tilting his head. "Drusilla—"

"I get it, alright. No need to rub it in," Kitty said quickly. "But I just think, as someone that you once wanted as a friend still—"

"Now, hold on," he interrupted, frowning. "What're you on about me not—"

"If you'd just stop interrupting me—"

This time, when Kitty was interrupted, it wasn't by Spike. The door to the crypt flew open, and some kind of demon stepped in. Several others were right behind him.

"Gentlemen," the demon said, coming inside. "I'm so sorry to intrude, but I wondered if I might steal a moment of the lady's time."

Spike glanced at Kitty and Xander. "Friends of yours?" Then the demon punched Xander in the stomach. "Guess not."

As Spike kicked the demon in the stomach, two others attacked Xander until he fell in a heap on the floor, falling unconscious. One came at Kitty, who grabbed a candelabra and started swinging. But the demon had good reflexes and caught it, ripping it from her grasp. Kitty screamed as two more surrounded her, joining the first.

"Tie her hands!" the original demon ordered. "Glory will want her restrained."

"Hey!" Spike shouted, struggling to fight off his own pesky demons. "Don't touch her. Stop it!"

"Let me go!" Kitty screamed, trying to pull free. But countless grubby hands grabbed her, binding her wrists behind her back. "Ow, hey! Spike!"

Spike tried to get to her, but one of the demons smashed a large rock against his head, knocking him out just like Xander.

"Careful with her," the demon said. "She will want the key intact."

"Key?" Kitty asked, her eyes wide. "Who's a key? I'm not the—"

The demon stuffed a wad of fabric into her mouth, gagging her. Kitty continued to struggle and scream as the horde of demons dragged her out of the crypt. She watched Xander and Spike desperately until the last minute, hoping they'd wake soon and come find her.

♡︎

The lights to Xander's apartment turned on as Xander ran inside, a good forty minutes after the fight. Both he and Spike woke up with killer headaches and no Kitty.

"Guys!" Xander shouted, seeing all the girls asleep in the living room except Dawn, who was in the spare bedroom. "Guys, wake up."

Willow, Tara, and Anya all sat up. "Oh, Xander, you've been gone so long. I got scared. What happened?" Anya asked.

"Why is Spike in the doorway?" Willow then asked. She eyed the vampire warily. Without an invite, he could do nothing but wait in the hallway.

"Guys — demony kinds of guys," Xander said breathlessly. "Buffy said the guys that work for Glory, she said they're kind of like hobbits with leprosy? Well, this was a whole flock of hobbits, and they just grabbed Kitty. I think they're taking her to Glory."

"Wh-what could they want with Kitty?" Tara asked, frowning. "What if they hurt her?"

"She also knows about Dawn," Willow said, frowning. "We have to get her back. Code pink! We have a code pink!"

"Exactly," Spike said impatiently. "So, get a sodden move on, people."

"But how do we find her?" Xander asked. "Cause, I got nothing, and Buffy and Teddy are in the desert."

"Slayers in the desert? That's perfect," Spike muttered.

"Let's hit Buffy's place, we'll stock up on weapons," Xander said, knowing they had to start somewhere.

Willow nodded then looked at Tara. "Uh, Tara, can you stay here a-and watch Dawn?"

"Of course."

As they rushed out of the apartment, Willow glanced at Spike, who looked quite determined. "Xander, why'd you bring him?"

"Wouldn't stay behind," Xander grumbled.

Spike glared at them both. "I'm not leaving Kitty to suffer at the hands of that horrid being. There's no telling what's been done to her already."

♡︎

Glory was lounging on her overstuffed couch, admiring the reflection of herself in the mirror next to it. Then she rolled on her stomach to read the issue of Vogue that Jinx brought her the day before. However, her reading was interrupted by the doors to her apartment flying open.

Jinx and Murk came in, dragging Kitty in, whose hands were still tied behind her back though the gag had been removed. She tossed the magazine to the side and got up.

"And who is this little cutie — wait!" Glory said, grinning as she walked up to Kitty. "We've met, haven't we?"

Kitty swallowed thickly, knowing she needed to make sure she didn't say anything to anger the god. "Yeah. At a magic shop. You gave me a really pretty dress."

"Yes!" she said, remembering. Then she glanced at her minions. "Why'd you bring her to me? Not that I'm complaining with a face like hers."

"Oh, well, thanks—"

"Stunning one," Jinx said, cutting Kitty off, "we believe she is—"

"The key!" he and Murk spoke in unison. Kitty just shook her head. She'd said it so many times since they removed the gag.

"Really?" Glory asked, perking up. Her eyes scanned Kitty's form carefully. She even leaned in and sniffed Kitty. "A Cupid is certainly pure enough to be the key."

"B - but I'm not!" Kitty told her frantically. "I'm not the key. I totally promise. I'm completely useless — ask any of my friends. I - I don't even know why your little guys thought I was."

Glory raised an eyebrow as she looked at Jinx. "But, your holiness, we observed the Slayer's fellow warriors. Though she was absent, they protected this one above all others — even a soulless vampire. They treat her as precious — even call her as much."

Kitty was internally cursing her overprotective friends. But how were they supposed to know this Jinx guy was following them around all day.

"Really?" Glory asked, moving closer to Kitty. "Precious. Let's take a peek at you, precious." Kitty gulped as Glory grabbed her chin and moved her head to the side, inspecting her from all angles. Glory cooed, seeing the look on her face. "Oh, don't be scared of me, precious. I just want to be sure you aren't lying to me."

"I'm not, I promise. I actually can't lie well to pretty people, even when they're evil," Kitty claimed. "It's been a big problem throughout the years — sometimes it's small things like, 'I definitely didn't steal your shoes' but other times it's, 'no, I totally didn't want you to suck my blood, Drac.'"

"You're cute when you ramble nervously," Glory informed her. "Hmm, I don't think you're the key." Kitty sighed in relief. "That makes me glad though. Means I get to keep you."

"You get to what me?"

"So, was I right? Weren't you super hot in that dress?" she asked, moving from key to fashion. "I mean, you'd be hot in anything. Or nothing."

"Are you... flirting with me?" Kitty asked slowly.

"Why?" Glory asked, biting her lip and tilting her head as she eyed Kitty again. "Do you not like it? I thought you said I was pretty — which, duh, I am. It just does things to me when other people tell me."

"Oh, no, uh, no, you're really, really — god, you're gorgeous. I'm getting distracted," Kitty said, trailing off. Because Glory was very close and trailing a finger along Kitty's neck and wearing a very short dress. "You — bad. Me — not bad."

"Well, you must not be useless if the Slayer's friends protect you. Why do they?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you know, cutie?"

"Very little about most things," Kitty told her, not even letting her thoughts drift to Dawn. Which was easy with a hot girl in front of her.

"Hmm." Glory pouted, not thrilled with her answer. Then she smiled teasingly. "Will you tell me if I give you a kiss?"

On instinct, Kitty's eyes fell on Glory's lips. The god smirked before leaning in and kissing Kitty gently. It was shameful, really — and Kitty could never make fun of Xander for all the monsters he'd kissed and dated anymore — but Kitty did kiss back a little. So sue her. It'd been a long time since she'd been kissed — that wasn't erased with a memory spell, at least.

And maybe, if Buffy found out about this, Spike wouldn't seem like the worst option in the world.

"You taste like cherries," Glory said, breaking the kiss with a big smile. Then she tucked a strand of hair behind Kitty's ear. "What about now, cutie? That jog your memory?"

"I - I really don't know anything," Kitty lied, licking her lips. "Thanks, though. Like, really, thank you for that."

"Why are you lying, cutie?" she asked, pouting. Glory placed a hand on Kitty's chest and made her walk backward blindly. Then Kitty's knees hit the side of a bed, and she fell back on it. Glory climbed on top of Kitty, straddling her. "Won't you be my good girl and tell me?"

Kitty's cheeks burned as she looked up at Glory. "If you could not call me your good girl, that'd be great. Because, it's evidently made me realize something about myself, which makes this whole kidnapping thing very confusing," she said breathlessly. "And, um, I'm kind of touch starved and going through a bit of a broken heart phase, so maybe it'd be better if you resort to regular torture before I do or say something that causes me to lose my dignity and pride."

"Does doing or saying include you telling me about my key?" Glory asked, tracing shapes on Kitty's shoulder innocently.

"Oh, I'm not gonna tell you anything about the key — fuck me or stab me either way, you're getting shit from me," Kitty said, nodding.

"That really makes me mad, cutie," Glory said, narrowing her eyes. "Just remember that I wanted to do this the fun way. But I'm going to find out what you know. Even if I have to dig it out."

Glory suddenly dug her finger into Kitty's chest, the area around it glowing as she did. Kitty let out an eardrum-rupturing scream, the pain rivaling that of losing her wings.

She should've kept up the flirting.

♡︎

Spike was not pleased about having to wait outside the Summers' house while the others were inside grabbing weapons. Though, instead of waiting on the porch, Anya opened a window in the living room so he could stand there and try to help come up with a plan.

"If we're gonna rescue Kitty and hope she didn't blab about Dawn, we're gonna need these," Xander said, walking over to the weapon's chest.

"Ooh, the big guns," Anya noted. Xander grabbed many large weapons and began handing them out. "Saddling up. Shouldn't we have guns?"

"Yeah, I vote guns," Spike chimed in. Xander rolled his eyes and passed a large ax through the window to him.

"Um, weapons. Great," Willow said, frowning. "But where do we go? Where should we look for Glory?"

"And what do we do with Glory?" Anya asked.

"Whatever we do, we're gonna need Buffy's help," Willow said, sighing. "Maybe we should wait for Buffy to get home."

"I'm home!"

All of them turned in sync to see Buffy walk through the front door, followed by Teddy.

"Maybe we should wait for Kitty to drop from the sky," Willow then said, quickly looking up. When Kitty didn't fall from the sky, she pouted.

"Woah," Buffy said, seeing them all gathered. "Group hang time? Wait, weapons? Is Dawn okay?"

"Dawn's fine," Willow quickly assured her.

"Yeah, but Kitty's not," Spike said, crossing his arms. "So, again, get a fucking move on. The gang's all here."

Buffy glared at Spike in confusion through the window. "What's going on? Why's he here?"

"Where's Kitty?" Teddy asked, looking around, noticing her absence. "What do you mean she's not fine?"

"Code pink — Glory has Kitty," Xander regretfully informed them.

"What? Glory had Kitty?" Teddy asked, his eyes wide.

"Oh my god," Buffy whispered. "We have to save her. And if-if Glory is torturing her, she'd have no choice but to give up Dawn."

"We were getting weapons," Anya said, holding up her own.

"Grab 'em. We're going now," she instructed.

"We don't even know where to look," Willow reminded her.

Buffy and Teddy shared a thoughtful look. "We know where to start."

They ended up leading the gang to the park where Teddy and Buffy fought off the giant snake monster that found out Dawn was the key. Before they stopped it, it had been heading to find Glory, so the park was a jumping-off point.

"Glory's key-sniffing snake was about here when Theo and I killed it," Buffy told them. "It was headed back to her."

"Do you think she lives around here?" Willow asked, looking up a large hill where a few apartment buildings sat.

"It's not a lot to go on," Xander noted.

"It's all we got, and the sun will be up soon, so we need to start looking," Spike said, pacing anxiously across the grass.

"It pains me to say, but Spike's right," Buffy told them. "Okay, guys, split up and spread out. Check the priciest-looking places first. Xander, you and Spike come with me and Theo. Willow, Anya, stick together with Giles. Move out. And bring her home."

♡︎

The scene in Glory's apartment had changed drastically. Instead of receiving soft kisses and compliments, Kitty's hands were tied above her head and she was held up with bulky chains, her feet barely grazing the ground. There were bruises and cuts all over her, and her lip was busted.

"I have a riddle for you, precious," Glory said. "How is a Cupid that won't talk like an apple?"

Then Glory walked up to Kitty and grabbed her hair, pulling her hair back. Kitty let out a whimper as Glory ripped her shirt even more, exposing her collarbone. Then she dragged a dagger against her skin, causing her to scream. The sound made Glory grin.

"Think I can do you in one long strip?"

"P-please," Kitty said weakly, shaking her head. "I'll tell you. I'll tell you. Please, no more."

"Really?" Glory asked, smiling hopefully. Kitty nodded and broke into a fit of coughs. "Jinxy, get the cutie some water. I wanna hear all about my key."

Jinx quickly scurried off to fill a glass with water and brought it to Glory. She held it up to Kitty's lips, who drank it quickly, not knowing if she'd get a chance again.

"Is that better? Do you think you can try to talk again now?" she asked, tilting her head. But Kitty set her jaw, refusing to speak. She just didn't want Glory to skin her like an apple. After a second, Glory got the silent message and smashed the class against Kitty's face, breaking it into pieces. "I'm tired of these games! Start talkin' or things will become very uncomfortable for you."

"This isn't already that?" Kitty asked, feeling lightheaded from the blood loss. She readjusted her hands and then paused. The lower halves of her palms were slipping through the tiniest bit. With enough force, she might even be able to get out. "Fine. Fine. Yeah. Okay. The key, uh, it's..."

"Who?" Glory asked sitting on her couch in anticipation.

"Here's the thing," Kitty said, trying to think of something good. Something annoying. She kept twisting her wrists. "It's that guy... on TV — what's his name?"

"On the television?" Glory questioned with a frown.

Kitty nodded weakly. "That show... the prize show... where they guess what stuff cost?"

"The Price Is Right?" Murk questioned.

"Oh, Bob Barker!" Jinx said excitedly.

"We will bring you Bob Barker!" Murk offered. "We will bring you the limp and beaten body of Bob Bark—"

Glory jumped up and cut them off in anger. "It is not Bob Barker, scabby morons! The key is new to this world, and Bob Barker is as old as grit. The Cupid is lying to me."

"Yeah," Kitty admitted, managing to giggle. "But it was fun. And guess what, bitch? I'm still not telling you shit. You're never gonna get your key because while you might be strong, in our world, you're something I'm very familiar with — an idiot."

"I am a god!" Glory shouted.

"God of what? Bad home perms? Hello? All that money and good taste, but you walk around with those ramen noodles on your head?"

"Shut up!" she snapped, patting her hair while taking a few steps closer. "I command you, shut up!"

"Fine, I'll shut up," Kitty said, rolling her eyes. "But fair warning. The Slayer is gonna wreck your shit. I mean totally kick your skanky, lopsided ass—" Glory checked her ass in dismay. "—back to whatever place would take a whorish, so last-season fashion victim, ex-god, only okay kisser like you!"

Glory gasped before spinning and delivering a horribly painful kick to Kitty's chest. The force caused her hands to break free and she went flying backward, crashing through the apartment's door and into the hallway. After catching her breath, Kitty scrambled onto her knees.

"Great plan, Kitty," she groaned to herself.

"Bring her back," Glory ordered to her minions.

Kitty managed to jump to her feet without her hands — thank you cheerleading — and half limed, half dragged herself down the hall until she made it to the elevator, which was still open. She could hear the demons coming after her, but she didn't look back.

The doors of the elevator began closing, so Kitty jumped forward desperately. She wedged her shoulder in between them, keeping them parted. But the elevator had already started going down, meaning she missed it.

"Oh, god," she muttered, clenching her eyes shut. The doors had definitely popped her shoulder out of place — she couldn't even begin to list all the other problems with her.

Several demons came running around the corner, spotting her. Kitty knew she couldn't make it to and down the stairs, so she did the only thing she could. She let herself fall down the elevator shaft, slamming onto the top of the elevator. With bloody hands, she opened the hatch on the ceiling and fell through that as well.

As the elevator reached the first floor, Kitty managed to stand, holding onto the railing. She took shaky steps out of it, only to see a group of demons coming down the stairs. She slowly moved back inside.

"You do not insult Glory by escaping!" Murk shouted. But then the front door of the apartment complex opened, and Buffy, Teddy, Xander, and Spike ran in, all armed. "Slayer!"

Kitty could do nothing but sigh in relief while falling against the elevator wall, closing her eyes.

The four of them fought off the demons as best they could — Kitty wouldn't know, as she'd passed out almost immediately. The doors of the elevator shut soon after. But soon, Giles, Anya, and Willow arrived to help.

"Kitty!" Teddy shouted after sending Jinx flying across the room. He hit the control buttons on the elevator, smashing it. The demon then jumped up and continued to attack Teddy. "Spike, she's in there!"

Spike shot a demon in the face with his crossbow before running to the elevator. When the button didn't work, he pried the door open with his hands. He froze in surprise when he saw Kitty. It wasn't the fact that she was bloody and bruised that made him hesitate. No, it was because when she was unconscious, she couldn't control whether her wings were hidden or not.

He hardly noticed as all the demons fled back upstairs, overwhelmed by how many showed up to save Kitty.

"Kitty!" Teddy shouted again, now free of fighting the demon. He ran over and didn't take a second to look at Kitty. He passed Spike and swooped down to pick her up, making sure to be careful with her wounds. "Guys, it's bad!"

♡︎

It was a day before Kitty fully woke up. Though for a moment, she was roused enough for Buffy to get the answer she was so desperate for.

No, Kitty hadn't breathed a word of Dawn to Glory.

Because Kitty didn't heal fast like Buffy or vampires, the others let Willow perform a small healing spell. Nothing major, and Kitty was definitely still in bad shape, with many healing cuts and bruises. But she wasn't on the brink of death, and that's what mattered.

When Kitty did wake up, she was in her bedroom and not alone. Though it wasn't Giles or Teddy waiting on her as she thought.

It was Buffy.

"Hey," Kitty greeted, sitting up a bit. Then she coughed, her throat feeling dry. Buffy was ready for it and handed her a cup of water. "Thanks."

"You didn't tell her about Dawn," Buffy said quietly.

"I know," she said, tilting her head. "You know nothing could ever make me give Dawn up. Not even a pre-torture makeout session."

Buffy eyed her strangely but decided that she didn't want to know. "The things that Glory put you through... the pain you're in. Most people would've given in just to make it stop, but you didn't. You did that for me and Dawn."

Kitty managed a smile, wincing as it pulled at her split lip. "I'd do anything for you and Dawnie. You know that."

"I do," she said, looking away. "Kitty, I've been a bad friend."

"You're a great friend, Buff," she said, rolling her eyes. "'S not your fault I got kidnapped. Also not the first time it's happened."

"This isn't about that," she said softly. "I lied to you — made everyone else lie to you. But after this, after what you went through, you deserve the truth. I shouldn't have kept it from you, especially when you've only ever been accepting and understanding and forgiving of everything we've done over the years."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, frowning. "Buffy, what do you mean you lied? Like, about Glory or something?"

Buffy shook her head and shut her eyes. "I lied about Spike."

"S-Spike?"

"On Valentine's Day, Spike didn't go back to Drusilla — not really. He found out that she asked Angelus to take your wings. So, he made her think she could trust him and then lured her into a trap. I went to the crypt to confront him about the things Dawn had said about him being in... And I found him there, close to staking her," Buffy revealed. Kitty listened silently, trying to make sense of the story.

"And we almost did stake her, but Harmony showed up and then Drusilla escaped. I told you that he went back to her and wanted nothing to do with us — those were lies. I also had him uninvited from all the houses and apartments. And I threatened everyone that didn't want to lie — Tara, Anya, and Teddy included. And I lied to Spike about some things too."

Kitty's mind was racing as she processed it all. As she realized that every single, horrible, self-deprecating thought she'd had the last few weeks were because of a lie. "Wh-why would you do all that? Cover up Spike trying to kill Dru for me?"

"Because you were in love with him, and I couldn't handle that," Buffy admitted. "I still can't. I hate it and him. The thought of you loving him makes me want to stake him on sight to keep him away from you. Your wings came back, and I knew it wouldn't be long before he found out how you felt — I saw the opportunity and took it."

"And if you hate it so much, why are you telling me now?" Kitty asked, her throat tightening as she fought off angry tears — not angry, just frustrated. "Why not keep it up?"

"Because look at you — look what you've been through," Buffy whispered, tears welling in her own eyes. "And it's not just this. It's that hardness I talked about, the vision quest, my m-mom, Dawn. I can't keep... living like this. Treating my friends' lives like pawns just because I'm the Slayer."

"So... Spike doesn't hate me?" she asked in a small voice. Buffy shook her head. "He doesn't... love Drusilla?" She shrugged, having no idea what Spike truly felt. "Is anyone gonna stop me if I try to go see him?"

"For the next day or two while you're healing and meant to be in bed, yes," she replied. Then Buffy sighed and shook her head. "But after, no. Not even Xander or Giles. Or me, even if I can't stand him."

"I know you can't."

"I hate him."

"I know you do."

"And his hair is stupid."

♡︎

Spike hadn't moved much since saving Kitty from Glory and her minions. He was consumed with worry, though no one would update him on her condition. It drove him crazy, and he'd find himself at her window at night, just listening to make sure she was still breathing — which got stronger each day as she healed.

It was daylight now, and four days had passed. He'd given up hope on Teddy taking pity on him and bringing him news of Kitty's condition. Was anything broken? Was she up and walking?

The sound of feet awkwardly shuffling outside the crypt grabbed Spike's attention. He'd been lying on the coffin, staring at the ceiling, but he sat up when he heard the visitor. There was a quiet knock on the door before someone came in.

Kitty was holding her breath as she stepped inside, keeping her eyes glued to the ground as she did. "Hi," she greeted softly, knowing that Spike could hear her.

"How are you feeling?" he immediately asked. Spike's eyes scanned her form. She was wearing a loose shirt — one of Giles' that she stole and turned into a crop top. Because of it, he could see dark bruises on her sides, going up her ribs and continuing under the shirt. She also wore soft gray sweatpants and the ends were tucked into a very familiar pair of several sizes too big boots. Kitty's hair was braided back, giving him a clear view of the cuts on her face and lip, as well as the dark circles under her eyes.

Kitty looked like shit, and she felt it too.

"I'm alright," Kitty told him, not really lying. "Dawn's safe. No one got seriously hurt."

"You did," he pointed out. "God, Kitten, when we found you, I thought you were d — you-you shouldn't even be walking around. You should be in bed, resting."

"I know, but I think I would've lost my mind if I went another day without seeing you," she admitted, finally looking up at him. Though he was still across the room, she could make out his soft expression easily. "I didn't tell Buffy to uninvite you from the apartment."

Spike raised a hopeful eyebrow. "You didn't?" Kitty shook her head. "I thought maybe... you'd moved on from m — from our friendship. Especially after seeing..."

"Seeing what?" she questioned, frowning now. Kitty hadn't witnessed any of the fight at Glory's apartment.

"Tell me, how long have you had that set of wings?" he then dared to ask. "I remember, you know. You weren't sure if it was true, but if it is, I guess you've found someone. Figured that was why you weren't coming around."

Spike was looking at the ground now. He didn't want to see Kitty's eyes when she told him about the great new person in her life that she'd fallen in love with. After everything, he couldn't handle that.

"I've had them for a few weeks," KItty answered softly. "Since Valentine's Day. I realized I was in love with him when I saw Drusilla kissing him — realized I was too late."

His head snapped up as his surprised eyes bore into her. "What?" he breathed out.

Kitty took in a shaky breath, and it was her turn to look away. "Are you still in love with Drusilla?" she dared to ask.

"No," Spike said. And then with six large steps, he crossed the crypt and stood right in front of her. Careful to avoid any bruises, he guided her chin so that she'd look at him. "Look at me because I'm in love with you. You're all I bloody think about, dream about. You're in my chest, my throat. You're in everything I do, Kitten, and I'm drowning in you. I'm content to drown."

There were tears in Kitty's eyes — for the first time in a long time, it was because she was happy. "I'm in love with you too," she whispered. "And I think I have been for a lot longer than Valentine's Day. Just didn't want to admit it to myself because I didn't think you'd feel the same."

"Don't be a stupid Cupid," Spike said, the sides of his lips curling into a smile. "How could I not love you? You like to paint my nails and put Weetabix in my blood."

"Well, you like the texture."

"And I like you — love you."

"Spike?" Kitty then asked, causing him to softly raise an eyebrow questioningly. "Why aren't you kissing me?"

Spike lightly brushed his thumb over her busted bottom lip. "Don't want to hurt you, Kitten."

"Well, if it bleeds, wouldn't exactly be the first time," she said, moving closer.

Then Kitty stood on her toes and kissed him, putting her hands on his shoulders to help reach. Spike kissed her back instantly, fiercely while wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer. It was passionate, and a kiss full of tongue and teeth as they poured out months and months of hidden emotions.

And when her lip did start bleeding again, he selfishly sucked on it, earning a sinful moan from her.

Kitty wound her fingers in his hair, breaking up the gel and tugging hard enough to make Spike groan. Spike broke the kiss, giving Kitty a moment to breathe as he moved to her neck, kissing it softly, careful to avoid all cuts and bruises.

"Spike," she called out breathlessly. For a moment, Kitty's eyes fluttered shut.

"I'm yours," Spike murmured, the words muffled as he spoke against her skin. "I'm yours, Kitten."

And Kitty was his — she always had been.