I hope you enjoy this story and that this is an original idea. It just popped into my head. Enjoy :)

Chapter One

Death of a Slayer

Buffy let her house, fighting the tears with each step. It wasn't fair. How dare they kick her out! Of her own home too! She wandered down the streets, as if in a daze. She still couldn't quite believe it.

All around her, families were bundling into cars with all their possessions and making a bid for freedom. Buffy watched them, wishing that somehow she could join then, that she could be free of the burden of knowing what was to come.

But it wasn't so. She was needed here, even if she wasn't appreciated. That was the story of her life. She was the one always saving the world, but no one ever truly thanked her. Not even her friends.

Buffy sighed. She'd given a lot up for them, for this world. Heck, she practically single handed destroyed her parents marriage, she had died TWICE and had had to kill the man so loved most in the world. What did she get in return? To get kicked out because they didn't trust her not to save them.

Picking a house at random, Buffy kicked down the door and entered the house. A man came running into the hall with a shot gun aimed right at her.

"Don't move!" He shouted. He looked so tired and slightly insane. This town was making them all mad. "Get out of my house."
"Hey." Buffy grabbed the gun out of his hands as if he had been moving in slow motion. "I thought the place would be empty. I was looking for a place to crash. You know, you really should leave."

The man eyed her with shock and mistrust. "You can't just kick me out of my own house."

Buffy sighed as she thought of the way the others had just done exactly that to her. "Why not? It's what all the cool kids are doing nowadays. It's not your house. It's not your town. Not anymore."

The man ran off without anything, not wanting to risk being shot by the shot gun Buffy was still carrying listlessly in her hand.

She went into the fridge, not really registering the man's exit. "Got any Tab?" She called out.

"Hello?" Buffy walked back into the hall and sighed when she noticed the man was gone.

The door was still open to the elements. Walking over Buffy shut it and leaned against it for a minute. Her mother would be so disappointed in how easily she and Dawn had fallen apart.

Breaking out of her thoughts she pushed off the door as her stomach gurgled. "More for me." She muttered with a shrug before heading back into the kitchen.

The potentials stared on in shock as the one Vampire they considered cool fought their new leader. Over Buffy too.

"I don't understand." Amanda said as she watched the Vampire storm out of the house. "Why does he care so much? He knows what Buffy is like, he knows how bossy she is."

Kennedy shook her head. "He loves her. His judgement is clouded by it. But ours is not."

Behind them, Dawn slumped into the stool she was sat on. She felt a pang. Spike was more loyal to Buffy than she was; a Vampire was more loyal to Buffy than her own sister.

"I'm a horrible sister." She muttered before placing her head in her arms and sighing.

"Dawnie, no you're not." Willow soothed, hugging the teenage girl tenderly.

"I turned my back on Buffy, but she's never done us wrong before." Dawn protested.

"She has. We just have more to lose now." Willow said sadly, stroking Dawn's hair.

"When?" Dawn snapped, standing and brushing Willow's hands away. "I have to think."

She pushed past Willow and ran up to her bedroom. Willow just watched her go sadly. "Oh, Dawn."

Buffy moved from the kitchen in the man's house and went to sit by the window. She stared out into the gloom, vaguely wondering if Spike was alright. She had left before he had come back.

Buffy's eyes panned along the street before coming to the entrance to one of Sunnydale's many graveyards. Those thoughts brought her to memories of the happier days with her mother and Dawn, before Slaying had taken over her life.

Hank Summers was on a business trip, leaving his wife, Joyce, and their two daughters, Buffy, aged 13, and Dawn, aged 8, at their home in Los Angeles.

"What shall we do today girls?" Joyce asked as she stood in the kitchen looking at her daughters.

Buffy was looking bored and was drawing idly in her notebook while Dawn looked interested.

"How about a Picnic?" Dawn suggested.

"Yawn." Buffy remarked.

"Buffy! That's a lovely idea Dawn. Picnic it is." Joyce smiled at her brunette child.

Joyce, Buffy and Dawn sat under an oak tree in the park near their house, the picnic basket that was once laden with food lay forgotten at the edge of the blanket.

Buffy had to admit, even though she first thought a picnic was a lame idea, she was having fun. Her mother was telling her and her sister stories of her childhood, making them laugh.

Suddenly Dawn leapt up. "Tag!" She cried before running off in another direction.

Buffy narrowed her eyes and followed her sister, catching up with her easy enough. She was a quick runner.

The two spent the day playing tag while Joyce alternated between watching them and reading. It was the perfect day.

Buffy moved from the window. Of course, she hadn't known then that the extra speed had been due to her being a potential. None of them could have known how drastically their lives would change.

She sighed heavily and walked towards the bedroom, pulling a blanket over her as she snuggled down. She needed her rest if she was to fight Caleb alone.

After a while of not being able to sleep and blank staring, there was a knock on the door. The door banged open and footsteps approached the room. But Buffy didn't care, she was now lost in her thoughts of how her friends had turned her away.

"There you are." Spike sighed as walked into the room. "Do you realize I could just walk in here, no invite needed? This town really is theirs now, isn't it?"

Buffy didn't respond and just stared at him, the pain of being rejected reflecting in her eyes.

Spike gave her a small half smile. "I heard. I was over there. That bitch. She's all about smiles and reformation when you're on your feet. And the moment you're down? She's all about the kicking, isn't that right? Makes me want to—."

Buffy just stared at the wall, betrayal still ringing deep. "It wasn't just Faith. It was all of them and it's not like they were wrong. Please leave." She said, sounding small.

Spike shook his head. "No, this'll change your tune. I came here 'cause I got something to tell you. You were right. Caleb is trying to protect something from you and I think you were spot on all the way. I think it's at the vineyard."

"Very good." A voice said behind Spike.

He turned to see Caleb standing there with Bringers either side of him and the First standing at his right side, currently looking like Buffy who was looking horrified.

Before either Buffy or Spike could move, the Bringers sprang onto Spike and held him down.

He tried to fight as best he could, but the sheer number and brunt force of the Bringers forced him to the floor. He could only watch on in horror as the scene unfolded before him.

The First stepped forward and changed to look like Merrick, cutting Buffy deeply.

"You were such an embarrassment. You should have protected me, but you just let me die!" Merrick spat.

Buffy shook her head. "No, you're the first. I know what you are trying to do." She insisted.

"Failure!" Merrick hissed before taking on Angel's form.

"Seriously, what was I thinking? Having you as my girlfriend was excruciating! You're so whiney and annoying." Angel said a vicious smirk on his lips.

"No, no, no!" Buffy chanted, covering her ears, determined not to let the First get inside her head.

"Yes, yes, yes." Angel snarled, stepping ever closer.

With each step the First shifted into each of the girls that had died so far. "Failure!" They chanted, the voices blurring into one.

Then the First took on the form which struck Buffy the hardest. Joyce Summers stood before her.

"Mom?" She said in a small voice.

"Buffy." Joyce smiled at Buffy.

"Mom, I wish you were here." Buffy wept.

Joyce shook her head. "I don't. You have truly mucked up. Look at all those who have died because of you. You should have quit while you were ahead."

"NO." Buffy wailed.

"You just left Dawn. All on her own. You are a rubbish sister and a pathetic guardian." The First continued.

Spike's voice broke the First's hold on her. "Buffy, look out!"

Buffy turned to see Caleb standing behind her. Before she could react, Caleb grabbed her head and twisted it to the side. There was a crack and Buffy fell to the floor, lifeless. Dead.

Spike slumped as he stared at the body that lay before him. "No, Buffy." He whispered.

"Let's go." The First ordered, leading the Bringers and Caleb out of the small house.

Spike crawled over to Buffy's body and picked her up into his arms, rocking and back and forth as he cried over her. "Buffy, you can't go. We need you. I need you." He wept.

The First let out an evil chuckle as it watched the Vampire grieve.

Please Read and Review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the next should be right up. Next Chapter: The New Slayer is summoned, but who is she?