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Chapter 37

They let Dawn have the bed that night. Buffy and Spike wouldn’t have been able to sleep anyway. Dawn didn’t say anything, just went into the bedroom and shut the door. The couple sat together on the couch, Buffy huddled in his arms.

“I can’t lose her. I can’t,” Buffy muttered.

The blond vampire stroked her silky hair. “You won’t I’m not gonna let it happen. We’ll find a way to prevent it, we always do.”

“If I have to die again I will. But I am not losing my sister.”

Spike brought her face up to meet her eyes. “Don’t you dare think such a thing! I-Am-Not-Going-To-Lose-Either-Of-You.”

She sagged against him. “I am so sick of this. I need a break, Spike. I really need a break.”

“I know. You deserve one.”

“I can’t do this for eternity. Why are the powers making me do this forever?”

The arm around her tightened. “Because they’re selfish gits who take all you have and won’t give you anything in return.”

Buffy clung onto him. “I’m scared,” she confessed.

The soothing motion of his hand on her hair was conforting. She allowed herself to relax . . . for the moment.

“It’s going to be all right, angel,” Spike whispered.

A small smile crept onto her mouth. “It has been awhile since you’ve called me that. I like it.”

Spike placed a tender kiss on her head. “My sweet, beautiful angel. My touch of heaven.”

“I love you, Spike,” she told him.

“I love you too, angel.”

|} - - -> <- - - {|

“Anya, wait up!” Xander shouted. He sprinted down the abandoned street to catch up with the vengeance demon.

With a sigh, Anya spun around to face her . . . boyfriend? . . . exboyfriend?

Anya met his gaze with annoyance. “What, Xander?”

He came up in front of her, breathing hard. “Where are you headed? Do demons have some secret underground city or what?”

She rolled her eyes. “N-o. I have an apartment,” she replied.

“Oh, uh . . .” He straightened. “I wish the key of darkness would disappear,” he suddenly blurted.

Xander waited for Anya to grant his wish. Instead she shook her head sadly. He made hand gestures. “Are ya gonna do your stuff?”

“You have such a big heart, Xander.”

A frown came on his face. “I don’t understand.”

“I can’t grant your wish. It is against the rules.”

He stared at her, dumbfounded. “What!? Screw the rules!”

“Even if I could, I don’t know if I would have enough power for that. Keys are mystical entities. You can’t just wish them away.”
Xander nodded in understanding. “It was worth a try.”

|} - - -> <- - - {|

Later, around two in the morning, Dawn came in. Buffy and Spike had somehow managed to drift off. They were curled together, almost appearing as one unit. Spike’s vamp senses alerted him of the approaching presence, and his movements woke up Buffy as well.

“Dawnie?” Buffy murmured.

The key stood before them with an expression of resolve on her face. “I have something to tell you.”

Buffy sat up. “What?”

“I was sent here to guide you both. That is it. After my job was completed I was supposed to leave. I would go back to being a ball of glowing light.”

Buffy remained unresponsive to her sister’s confession. Spike, however, was oozing out malice.

“Those bloody wankers!” he shouted. “They think they can give you back to us and then take you away again.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys, but I didn’t want to upset you. You had enough to think about as it was.”

“So you were planning to wait until it was time to leave!?” Buffy spat. “You’d wave good-bye and just go on your merry way? I can’t believe you’d agree to that.”

“This is war, Buffy, and I have a duty. Sure, I love you and I want to stay, but I am willing to put my feelings aside for the greater good. You must know what that is like.”

Buffy nodded. “Yeah, I know what that is like! It is painful and unfair. And I’m sick of it. I’m sick of giving up ‘everything’!”

A deafening silence fell over the triad. Inwardly, they were cursing the world for being so unjust. It never gave them what they deserved. All it did was take and take until there was nothing left.

“I don’t want to leave you guys, but . . .” Dawn said.

Buffy knew what her sister was saying. So much was contained in those few words. Dawn loved them with all her heart, but she knew she would have to leave. She had made a deal with the powers for the fate of the world. She accepted her duty and knew that it was the most important thing. She was going to have to go no matter what, so why not by dying?

A small trickle of water accumulated in Buffy’s eyes. She was proud of her sister. And yet, it hurt so damn much.

“I know,” Buffy breathed in response.

|} - - -> <- - - {|

Willow jarred awake. It took her a moment to comprehend what brought her out of slumber. There was knocking at the door. She glanced over to see that Tara remained unaffected by the noise.

The red-headed witch carefully got out of bed and tiptoed to the motel door. She pulled it open to find Spike on the over side. She was generally surprised. They used to hang out all the time, but they hadn’t lately.

“Spike, do you know what time it is? Okay, it is probably like afternoon for vamps, but for us humans it’s beddy-bye time,” she told him.

“Red, I need to talk to you,” he said in a fluster.

Willow nodded. She stepped outside, closing the door behind her. She didn’t want to wake up Tara if it were possible. The air was slightly chilly, and Willow wrapped her arms around herself.

“What about?” she questioned.

“Magic.”
She blinked. “Huh?”

“Come on, Red, there has to be some kind of spell you can do. Anything. I know I’m not too fond of the wiccan rot, with the consequences and what not. But I’m desperate here, so I’ll go for anything.” Plead could be detected in his eyes.

Willow understood how he felt. Right after Tara died she had gone through every magic book she could find. She would have settled for anything as long as she got her girlfriend back. It was Spike himself who had got her to understand what she was doing. He told her about Dawn’s attempt at bringing back her mother. Tara wouldn’t come back as Tara.

“Give me a minute to leave a note for Tara. Then we’ll head to the Magic Box, all right?”

Spike gave her a small smile. “Thanks, luv.”

Just before she headed back into the room, she said,” Ya know, I still love those chocolate covered cherries. If you ever feel the need to wake me up like this again, it wouldn’t hurt to bring a box.”

“Will do, Red. Will do.”

|} - - -> <- - - {|

Spike told Buffy to go to sleep while he was gone, but she couldn’t do it. Every time she closed her eyes an image of Dawn lying cold before her plagued her head. When the curtains lightened from the sun outside she knew it was hopeless.

“Where’s Spike,” asked Dawn.

Buffy stood up from the couch. “He went to see Willow.”

“During the night?”

“He thought she might be able to find another way to kill the key of darkness.”
“Buffy, I already told you I . . .”

The slayer held up her right hand. “Stop! I don’t want to hear it. I don’t care what the powers say. I’m not going to let you leave without a fight. Now come on, we’re going to the magic shop.”

They walked the ways to the store in silence. Buffy tried to bring some kind of peace to her mind, while Dawn fought to deal with her sadness. They arrived to find Spike and Willow hovering over a book.

“Hi, guys,” Buffy said flatly.

Spike and Willow turned toward them. After a moment, Willow’s lips turned upward. A sparkle came to the vampire’s eyes. He inched closer to Buffy and Dawn.

“We found a solution!” he cried with excitement.

Dawn looked confused. She didn’t know how this could possibly turn out okay.

“What have you got?” Buffy asked. She kept her emotions neutral, not wanting to get her hopes up too soon.

“The boy doesn’t have to be the key!” Willow explained. “All we have to do is draw it out of him. He’ll be a normal teenager. Nobody has to get hurt.”

“That is great!” Buffy said with emotion this time.

Dawn faked a smile. She knew that this didn’t change her fate. She would still have to leave when this was all over.

__________________________________________

I think I’m almost done! About two more chapters and then an epilogue!

 


 
 
 
 





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