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Buffy, Willow, Giles, Spike, and Tara sat alone in the basement of the house, the only place that was empty at the moment.

True to her word, Willow had gotten the supplies ready for the spell to make all the potentials slayers.

“I have to say Buffy…this idea…it’s…”

“Brilliant?” She asked with a toothy grin, remembering what Giles’ remark had been the first time she’d lived through this.

“That it is. How did you come up with this?”

“Well…the scythe is connected to the slayer line. So, if we use its power, we should be able to make it so that each potential ever born…is a slayer. No waiting.”

“Why didn’t someone think of this before?” Spike asked with a smile, which Buffy and the two witches returned.

“Okay, so we’re ready then?” Buffy asked Willow, who looked unsure.

“As long as Tara can help,” she said shyly.

“Willow, you can do this on your own. You need to prove this to yourself, okay? Tara can help you with the other spell.”

“What other spell?” Spike and Giles asked at the same time. The three women in the room cringed inwardly. No one else was supposed to know.

“Nothing important,” Tara spoke up, trying to keep her voice strong. Buffy wanted this spell kept secret, so there was no way she was going to give it away.

Spike and Giles looked unconvinced, but let it go.

“I can do this,” Willow said strongly and went to where they had set the things up.

---

Sunlight streamed through the small openings of the curtains, sending a few slivers of the light throughout the room. Such a beam of light danced across the face of a potential, Celeste.

As she opened her eyes, she stretched out. Slowly, as if on the same mental clock, the other girls in the room opened their eyes. Each girl was met with nine figures standing around the room: Buffy, Giles, Spike, Willow, Tara, Jonathon, Andrew, Anya, and Xander. Dawn, who had decided to bunk with the potentials the night before, slowly sat up and looked concerned.

The eight adults standing around the room looked like they had just been standing there for a while. Waiting.

“Um…what’s wrong?” Celeste asked.

“Nothing,” Buffy said truthfully. She picked up a knife that she had laying on the banister and looked at it for a moment.

Without warning, she threw the knife with all her force toward Celeste, who caught it just before it hit her between the eyes.

“What the hell!?” Dawn yelled, eyes wide at her sister’s behavior.

“I…I caught it?” Celeste asked, still shaky.

“You’re a slayer. You have those reflexes now.”

“Wait…if I’m a slayer…”

“Does that mean Faith died?” Dawn asked suddenly.

“No. Faith didn’t die.” When she saw their confused faces, Buffy explained the spell Willow had done. “So, you’re all slayers. You each have the power to live today. It’s your choice whether or not you embrace it.”

“We-”

The question was interrupted by a knock at the door. Being cautious, the blond slayer went to open it.

“Hey, B. Heard you were havin’ some fun out here. Didn’t think I’d let you do it alone, did ya?”

“Faith?” Buffy looked confused, but cautiously let the brunette slayer in.

“Wow…big sleepover?”

“These are the potentials. Actually, now they’re slayers,” Xander informed her.

“Wha…” Faith asked, looked utterly confused.

“Spike, fill her in on everything. The rest of you.” She scanned her eyes around the room “Get ready. It’s almost time.”

---

Night had finally fallen once again, and Buffy’s stomach was in knots. It was decided that they’d go down there close to sunset so that Spike could run out of the caves without being burnt to bits. The First would never see them coming like that.

“So, you’re sure you know what to do today?” Buffy asked Willow and Tara when they were alone outside, waiting for the rest.

“Positive. It’s actually not that hard of a spell. We just need to crank open that hell portal, and then you do the rest.”

“Great,” Buffy said and turned to the others as they walked out of her house.

“Troops are ready,” Spike said as he walked up to her. “Buffy?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I talk to you for a sec?” He asked, indicating he needed just a moment of privacy. Nodding, Buffy followed him away from the loud group of people.

“What’s up?”

“Giles, Faith, and your friends and I…we were talking.”

Buffy was immediately on the defensive. “Yeah…”

“After this is over. The fight…they…we want you to have a better life. Better than this. There are other slayers now.”

“What are you saying?”

Closing his eye for a brief second, he gave her a sad look. “There’s another hellmouth in Cleveland. When we’re finished here…Giles said he’ll give you and Dawn some money to start a life someplace safe, away from all this.”

“J-just Dawn and me?” Buffy cursed herself inwardly for her faltering voice.

“Well…yeah. Xander and Anya still have their wedding ahead, so they’re gonna want to settle somewhere. The witches still want to help out in Cleveland. Giles is going back to England, try to straighten the council out. Faith and I will hold down things at the other hellmouth just like you have here. You and Dawn though…you could have normal lives.”

Buffy couldn’t believe what he was saying. Anger ignited somewhere inside her and she couldn’t stop it. “I love you!” She yelled out in an accusing tone, causing the group a few yards away to quiet down and look over at the couple. “Is this your way of saying ‘I love you’ now?! By leaving!”

“Hey! You know I love you, Buffy,” he yelled out, just as angry now. “But this isn’t about us. This is about what’s best for you and your sister!”

At that, every feeling that was inside Buffy disappeared. Love, hope, anger, frustration, hate…all of it was gone, leaving her empty.

‘This is about what’s best for you…’

She was so tired of everyone thinking they knew what was best for her, that she couldn’t stand it.

And now, when things were so close to being perfect…Spike had to pull an Angel on her.

“You’re right,” she said, her voice void of all emotion. Spike noticed, for his expression softened a great deal. “Dawn deserves to be happy.”

“So do you,” he replied in a whisper.

Buffy just shook her head sadly, turning around to walk to the group. “Obviously not,” she called over her shoulder, loud enough for only a vampire to hear.

“Are we ready?” She asked the group, her voice flat, but with some of the slayer edge to it. The girls nodded cautiously and everyone was silent as they followed Buffy’s lead.

A/N: Ohhhh….some angst. Hehe. Couldn’t resist putting that there. Anyway, the final battle is in the next chapter. I’ll probably post tomorrow. I’m trying to get back into daily updates. Sorry that I haven’t been. Life’s been in the way. :P

Some of you won’t like how the final battle ends. KEEP IN MIND that there are plenty of chapters after the big battle, so obviously, I’m not going to leave it like it is.

You’ll know what I mean in the next chapter. Review please. If I get lots of pretty ones I’ll update faster. : )





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