TITLE: "The Tell-Tale Hearts"
AUTHOR: Elise D. (aka LilHairyEyeball)
FEEDBACK: Gimme gimme. Just be gentle.
SUMMARY: AU version of the Season 5 climax
SPOILERS: Up through Weight of the World
RATING: R for naughty words and bad touching.
DISCLAIMER: Nobody buys me good presents, so I steal other peoples

NOTE: Yep, the prologues is short, but trust me, everything else will go on forever!

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"I'll take you as far as I can, ditch you before she comes back." With that, the two most important things in Glory's existence (not including her shoe collection, of course) ran, as fast as they could.

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Dawn wasn't sure how long they'd been running, but by the time she saw Xander's apartment building in the distance, she thought she might collapse from the sheer relief of seeing safety so close. Without warning, Ben began to slow down, until Dawn quickly realized she was running to the sanctuary alone. She stopped and turned to face the young man in his very unflattering dress, with a look of confusion and fear on her face. Not now, not now. It's too soon.

"Is she . . . Is she coming" She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Ben shaking his head. "So what is it? I need to get back to my sister, before she turns this town upside down looking for me. People are worried, yanno? I've been told I'm kind of important." She smiled a little at that, the first time she'd felt like smiling since the desert. If she couldn't quip under pressure, she wasn't a real Summers.

Ben's shoulders slumped, and he looked at her with weary eyes. He looked like a man who'd been fighting a lifetime battle, and in a way, he was. But he had finally done the right thing, and he hoped he could keep the girl safe, as well as his own hide. When Glory did finally make an appearance, they'd be lucky if anyone survived. Delaying her big ritual and stealing her key? He'd signed his own death warrant, so why wasn't he as scared of the Hell God, as he was the tiny blonde inside the apartment before him.

"Dawn. I should probably not go in there, okay? I've got a Slayer who will kick my ass when she finds out what I've been hiding, a very powerful witch who loves you like a sister, and an older man who could probably cause me serious pain. Even with his wound. He has a pretty intimidating glare, I've noticed. I just think it would be best if . . ."

"NO!" The screech came out of nowhere, followed up by a sharp stomp of a foot. Dawn wasn't a fool. She knew that she wasn't taken seriously when she was like this, but she also knew it was the only weapon she had. Gaining instant silence from the other person. Works every time.

"No more. Don't you dare feel all sorry for yourself! The world could end! No more Sunnydale, no more Dawn. No more Ben. No more anything, it'll all be gone! Don't you get that? You need to tell them what you know, let them help you. They could find a way to help you; I know they could. They just need to have all the information first. They would have helped you months ago! Maybe if you'd actually said something, instead of just hitting on my sister! Maybe if you weren't so damn pig-headed about not needing help!"

Dawn stood before him, all righteous indignation, wrapped in the gangly frame of a teenager. Oh, definitely made from the Slayer, the girl had guts, and probably a mean right hook.

Suddenly feeling sheepish for her outburst, Dawn hung her head.

"I mean you shouldn't have to worry about this alone. We're all in this now. We could at least try to help, okay?" The former key mumbled, looking up at Ben through a curtain of long dark hair.

"Dawn, you don't understand. Glory is very powerful. No one remembers this happening. No one. Something happens, and every person that witness my change or is told about it, they forget. Like magic, causing every human to instantly forget."

He waited patiently, for the screaming, the crying. Anything to indicate that she understood how futile it was. But when the histrionics never began, he looked up at the girl and was surprised when he saw the grin creeping across her flushed face.

"Dawn? Do you understand what I've just told you?"

Dawn giggled, in that know-it-all kind of way that makes all men worry. It meant she was up to something, and he had the distinct feeling it wasn't good.

"Don't worry Ben, being human isn't going to be a problem. Trust me. I know just the guy to help us out!" Dawn beamed. With that, she took his hand, and led him to his unknown fate, with a skip in her step.