Summary: Has anyone else wondered these two things: besides clothes for the Bot, what else did Buffy grab while in her room? Also, what if Spike HAD been on the tower as Buffy was making her speech?

I do NOT own anything that remotely has to do with BTVS.

.:* *:. .:* .:* *:. *:. .:* .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:.
*:. .:* *:. *:. .:* .:* *:. *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:*

Buffy laid the clothes she had just been wearing down on her covers. Sighing, she turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. She twisted right and left, trying to see if anything was wrong with her.

She had invited Spike in earlier, and he had looked so…happy. So tender…she had scootched closer to him, and he had side stepped her, and stepped into the living room.

And when she had asked if he would protect ‘her’, and he had told her ‘Until the end of the world’…she had gotten the feeling that he hadn’t just been talking about Dawn.

But he was barely looking at her. She had gotten so used to the little glances he would send her way when he thought she wasn’t looking. The shy smiles he would give her, full of hope. And now…all he did was stare at his feet, avoiding direct eye contact with her.

It made her a bit upset…the fact that he didn’t want to look at her.

She sighed, looking down at the jewelry box in front of her. Biting her lip and looking around as if she were afraid that someone would walk in on her, she opened the lid. She lifted up a small container inside of it; a small velvet black box. She opened it, revealing the one thing she had come to treasure most in the past two years.

She pulled on the chain, lifting the necklace out for her to see. It glittered in the lamplight, and she smiled. She unclasped it, and put it around her neck. Looking at her reflection, she bit her lip again. She fingered the necklace, before tucking it beneath her neckline. She turned, picked up the clothes for the BuffyBot, and opened the door.

And she walked downstairs, Spike’s skull ring on the necklace around her neck.

*~::~*

Spike roared in pain as Doc plunged the knife into his back. He thrust his hands behind his back, grabbing the demon’s hands, and pulled the knife out. Gasping for unneeded breath, he turned and punched Doc in the face. “That’s for tying up Dawn.”

He punched him again, “That’s for making Buffy worried to death.”

He grabbed the knife and plunged it into his chest. Right before he threw Doc over the side, he whispered, “And that’s for stabbing me.”

Not bothering to see if the demon had hit the ground, he ran over to Dawn, untying her. “Nib, you alright?”

“Yeah,” she said, taking a step forward. Suddenly, she gasped and clutched her foot.

“Dawn!”

Spike and Dawn looked up as Buffy made her way up the tower. She rushed forward and took Dawn from Spike, giving him a grateful look. Then, she looked down at Dawn’s face. “Dawnie, we have to get out of here!”

The three began to make their way to the edge of the tower, when Spike stopped. He sniffed the air, and his eyes widened in terror. “No…” He whipped around and stared at Dawn, who was looking down at her feet. Buffy looked down also, and was horrified to see blood dripping from a cut on the bottom of Dawn’s foot.

Buffy slowly turned, and stared in horror as the portal in the air started to grow, flashing lightening everywhere. She turned back to her sister, who was staring at the portal with a look of determination and fear. “Dawn…”

Dawn started forward, but was hauled back by Spike. She struggled against his grasp and yelled, “Let me go!! I have to…”

“What are you doing?” Buffy asked, horrified.

“I have to jump. The energy…” Dawn said, looking past Buffy.

“It'll kill you, Bit!”

Dawn simply said, “I know.” Buffy stared at her, and Dawn looked her straight in the eye. “Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it.”

Buffy whimpered, “No.”

The tower shook underneath them, making them all stumble.

Dawn cried out. “I have to! Look at what's happening.”

More lightning crackled, even larger than before. Buffy looks up. A huge dragon flew out of the portal and buzzed the tower, flying away as they watched.

Dawn tore her eyes away from the dragon. “Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop.”

Buffy and Spike stared at Dawn in anguish.

Dawn whispered tearfully, “You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood.”

Buffy’s eyes widened in realization as she suddenly knew what she had to do. Buffy frowned and turned around slowly. .

In the distance, holes seemed to be opening in the sky. The sky was growing lighter as the sun tried to rise.

She turned back to Dawn and Spike, who stared wide-eyed.

Dawn gasped, “Buffy ... no!”


Buffy didn’t panic, but just said, “Dawnie, I have to.” She raised her fist, and whispered, “I’m sorry,” before punching her sister and knocking her out. Spike stared up at her in shock, and whispered, “No!” He laid Dawn down on the platform, and said, “NO!”

Buffy grasped him by the shoulders. “Spike, listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen.”

And she opened her mouth to say her final goodbye.

“Spike, listen to me. Listen. Tell Dawn I love her. I will *always* love her. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles ... tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now, Spike. You have to take care of each other.” She smoothed her hand over his face, wiping away the tears that were rapidly falling. “Spike, listen. You need to listen to me because I’ll never have another chance to tell you.” She took one of his hands and placed It over the bump where his ring was. “Spike…I love you.” He looked up at her, blue eyes tear-filled. “I will *always* love you.” She reached around her neck and unclasped the chain. Taking it off, she put it in his hand, and wrapped his fingers around it. “But I have to do this. I don’t want to…but you have to understand. You have to be strong.”

He stared at her, tears falling down both their faces and he gasped, “I don’t want to be strong. I want you with me, here! I can’t live without you…”

Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, “Spike, the hardest thing in this world ... is to live in it.” She kissed him, and he whimpered, clinging to her, trying to get her to stay with him. Buffy pulled back and whispered, “Be brave. Live. For me.”

And even though he tried to stop her, tried to hold onto her…

…she ran forward and sacrificed herself for the world.

*~::~*

BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS
1981-2001
BELOVED SISTER
DEVOTED FRIEND
SHE SAVED THE WORLD
A LOT


.:* *:. .:* .:* *:. *:. .:* .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:.
*:. .:* *:. *:. .:* .:* *:. *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:* *:. .:*





You must login (register) to review.