A/N: Sorry for the long wait but December and January were kind of busy months, and also I was just plain lazy on the days that I had free time. This chap wasn't easy, seeing as it's so close to the end now. I hope I didn't totally ruin it. Enjoy!

Previous Chapter:

She froze at the sight of it and suddenly felt the twinge in her chest explode into slight trembles along her body. She opened her mouth but nothing came out and she closed it again to clear her throat and try again. This time a sound came out, hardly worthy of being her voice. It wavered and sounded only slightly over a whisper.

"Dawn?"

Chapter 10: Why?

"Hi Buffy," said the figure that looked like a sister she'd left in the far future. The same small smile that always twitched slightly as if the action itself was awkward graced the girl's lips. A slightly less than graceful wave of the hand in greeting accompanied it. These were two traits that Buffy distinctly remembered from her younger sibling, and the one's that made her most wary. It certainly did look like Dawn, though older she noticed on closer inspection. The movements were the same, the tiny quirks that made Dawn who she was were all very similar and yet Buffy felt a battering of protest in her mind. Memories of the First sprung to her mind and other horrible scenarios as far as the Powers daring to disguise themselves as her very own sister just to manipulate her. Buffy's lip curled unconsciously into a snarl, surprising the figure still waiting patiently before her.

"Buffy?" The worried tone brought Buffy's vision back into focus with a jolt. She stared at the person in front of her for a moment before gathering her words.

"Who are you?" The severity of her voice surprised even her and the pained look on her sister's face made Buffy almost apologize on the spot. She refrained though, images of the First still flickering across her vision. Instead, she watched carefully as the familiar lips of her sister pursed in frustration.

"I know it's hard to believe, Buffy, but it is me. Well, in a way anyways. I can't say I'm entirely who I used to be. Imagine if I'd been a teenager for eternity… but that's not important now," Dawn caught herself in mid-babble. It was something she'd picked up from Willow, but no one could be compared to that redhead and her one breath rants. Buffy found herself resisting the tugging at the edges of her mouth, forcing herself instead to stare relentlessly into her sister's eyes. Protests still shouted in her brain, but no longer dominated as she found herself wanting to believe what was being said.

"I think you better start explaining before we go any further."

"Right," Dawn said, giving Buffy what she read to be a guilty smile. "I'm afraid that "higher-being" you've been cursing all this time would be me."

"You?"

"It's a strange situation. I was and forever am the Key, but with the sudden meddling of a few monks I'm also Dawn Summers. Once it came for Dawn Summers to die, it seemed my green glowy half didn't want to depart with it so easily." The explanation was much like Buffy would have said it, though with a little bit more maturity underlining it she grudgingly admitted.

"So you're some sort of independent deity now?" Buffy couldn't help the disbelief that filled her voice as she held her gaze on Dawn. Now that she really looked at her, rather than watching for any threatening movements, she didn't look like the Dawn she'd left behind. She was older, for one, a noticeable age in her eyes that her Dawn had never had and crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. Silver streaked through her long brown hair, hardly noticeable under the strange glow that Dawn still emitted. Buffy wondered if this was in fact how Dawn had looked when she had died and, if it were so, what had happened. She pulled herself from that thought as soon as it arose, choosing instead to watch carefully as Dawn smile warmly at her.

"Not quite independent as I'd like. I'm still bound by rules, but given the fact that I'm the Key some of my rules are different," She turned, what looked like an open window appearing beside her midair. Buffy moved up to it to see where it led to only to find herself staring at a scene she'd almost forgotten. It was the Summer's residence, her home and it's dining room to be more specific. There sat Willow, an old tome set in front of her as she hunched over it with a stern look on her face. Beside her sat Tanya, doing the same while occasionally coming up to jot down a note. In the background she saw Xander pacing as Anya followed him with her eyes. A figure suddenly entered the room, bringing Buffy's attention away from Xander's movements. It was Dawn herself, though more like the one Buffy remembered leaving behind. Her sister paused for a second in mid-step as she passed where the window Buffy gazed through would be, but then continued on to the table as if nothing happened. Buffy glanced over at the Dawn standing next to her questioningly.

"My old self is linked to me enough that she feels me for a split second, but quickly forgets that she ever felt anything."

"This isn't one of your memories then?"

"No, the Key has and will always exist and so is less subject to time than others. I both live in this time frame and the one we view now." Dawn nodded towards the scene before her to emphasize her words. Her other self, at that moment, leaned over the two women at the table and snatched up a free book. She then quickly moved to a free seat and opened it to the first page.

"What are they doing?"

"Looking for you." Buffy looked up in surprise, and then back at the group with a furrowed brow. She hadn't thought that they'd think she was still alive.

"How long after I jumped did this happen," she watched as Dawn flipped carefully to another page and began reading just as cautiously. Her sister looked so focused and Buffy suddenly felt a pang of guilt that they were going through all this trouble for her. She then looked up at the Dawn that was with her to find her smiling sadly.

"It's been about a week since you jumped. There wasn't a body after the portal shut and we were afraid that you'd been sent to a hell dimension."

"But I wasn't," Buffy stated with a bite to her words as she thought of the worry her family had been put through. "I'm here, because of you. Can't we tell them that?"

"No, that would defeat the purpose of my actions," Dawn stated matter-of-factly.

"What is that purpose, exactly? I'm kind of wiggin' here with all the unanswered questions." Buffy's hands tightened into fists as her frustration bubbled up further. Dawn turned to her, locking Buffy with a stern gaze in order to get her message across.

"First off, if I hadn't sent you here you would have died. Also, the repercussions of that would be greater than you living but elsewhere. Second, the purpose I spoke of wasn't really a purpose until you just showed up in Port Royal."

"Showed up," Buffy trailed off as she suddenly grasped the implications of those words. "You didn't mean to drop me off smack dab in the middle of Brits-R-Us?" It wasn't a guess, and Buffy found it to be correct as she saw Dawn nod. The small smile that played on her sister's lips, however, told her that there was more. Buffy looked at her expectantly and after a moment, Dawn let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I had meant to drop you off moments after Glory's portal was closed, safe and sound. There were complications though…You're really going to hate me for saying this, but it has something to do with Fate."

Fate. There was that word that made Buffy's blood rush every time she heard it. Buffy and Fate had never gotten along too well, and their relationship didn't seem to improve now that she learned that it had thrown her this curve ball.

"So I was supposed to wind up somewhere where they've yet to invent proper plumbing, in a town that would be pillaged by a crew of pirates that won't die, and follow them across the ocean to only fall unconscious once I touch a stupid chest?"

"Yes," Dawn stately bluntly. When Buffy only responded with a blank stare, she continued. "The falling unconscious part is really my fault, but everything else I believe is right. It's really hard to believe, but I you have a purpose here."

"And that is?" Dawn pursed her lips for a moment in thought before replying.

"You're not going to like this no matter what I say, so I'll just say it," Buffy raised an eyebrow to signal that she was listening. "Fate's got a job for you."

Buffy swore enough to make Jack grin with pride. Her sister winced but stood patiently for Buffy to calm down again. Once she did, she fixed Dawn with a heated gaze which made the sister/deity shuffle from one foot to the other in nervousness. After a moment though, the slayer's eyes seemed to soften as they took on a confused light.

"Do you work for Fate now? Is she making you do things you don't want to do, Dawn?" The concern was evident in Buffy's voice now. Her sister only gave her a reassuring smile.

"We don't have much time left here, so I need to tell you this quickly. No interruptions, ok?" Buffy nodded obediently, though reluctantly. Dawn's serious gaze kept her silenced though and she waited patiently for an explanation.

"Something bad is going to happen, something the current slayer won't be able to handle herself. Humans are dabbling into things they shouldn't, and we both know what that can lead to." Buffy nodded, understanding. She'd seen many disasters occur because people thought the supernatural could be manipulated to be their tool. If there was one thing she'd learned, it was that messing with the paranormal could lead to dark ends.

"So what do I do?" Her sister smiled sadly at her.

"You say goodbye to your old life… and me," Dawn added the last part hesitantly, as if she didn't want to hear it herself. "You'll receive some slayer dreams soon as clues to follow, but other than that I'm afraid you'll be on your own."

Buffy looked back at the still open window to her old friends. They all were in the same state as they were before, completely oblivious to being watched.

"How will things be without me there," she asked.

"It will be hard, but we'll get through it. I wanted to make things different by saving you, but we now know that isn't an option." Buffy brought her eyes back to her sister standing beside her and then moved to hug her. She noticed as they hugged that Dawn now towered over her slightly more than she did when she was a teen. The thought of the years she'd miss while Dawn grew up made Buffy's eyes sting as she pulled back from her sister's embrace and gave her a long look.

"I'm going to miss you guys," she said, referring to the Dawn in front of her and the group. Dawn gave her one last smile and then Buffy felt the ground lurch from underneath her. Everything went completely dark as something pressed at her side and she felt a distinct rocking. She also felt a hand stroking her hair but she couldn't open her eyes, as she realized the darkness was due to them being closed, to see who it was. Her limbs also refused to obey her and so she let herself relax, straining what senses she had to figure out what was going on around her.

She was on a ship, as far as she could tell, but had no idea where said ship was going. The gentle strokes along her temple and through her hair told her that at least she was in safe hands for the moment. Buffy focused on that comforting feeling and tried to forget about her temporary paralysis. Her ears caught onto a soft rumbling which she soon realized was the deep-chest humming of a man as he droned out a nameless tune. It was soothing, she thought, and familiar. The slight haze in her mind kept her from recognizing it though and so she just listened, smiling even though she doubted it actually reached her lips.

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"We come to make a bargain with you," said Will Turner, now standing on the deck of the Black Pearl, its crew surrounding him. He had his pistol out and ready to shoot at any moment. A chuckle ran through the pirates like a wave at his words, ending with the captain's own rough laugh.

"Bargain? Boy, what's in yer head?"

"I've come for the woman that you hold captive." Captain Barbossa grinned showing his rotting teeth. Will resisted the urge to twist his face in disgust at the sight.

"Aye, we have a woman on board. But what makes you think you're in any position to bargain for her, eh?" In a split second Will was up on the edge of the ship, gun now pointed at his own neck. The crew stirred with confusion and a gasp arose from the other ship as they watched what was happening.

"Will, don't," came the shout of Elizabeth from behind him. "This isn't what we planned!" He ignored her though, remaining stiffly in place. As much as it pained him to hear that tone from Elizabeth, he knew this was the only solution. The pirates now all looked at him curiously, waiting for an explanation. Will took a deep breath and then shouted strongly over the crew.

"My name is Will Turner," his name raised a stir in the group. "My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins."

"He's the spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill come back to haunt us," yelled one of the pirates, a skinny one with a wooden eye, as he pointed at Will. At these words the entire crew tensed up, watching Will warily and his finger at the trigger of his pistol.

"On my word, do as I say or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones Locker." Barbossa stepped forward carefully, nodding his head.

"Name your terms, Mr. Turner."

"The girl goes free."

"Yes, we know that one. Anything else?" Will thought for a moment and then glanced back at his miscellaneous crew and Elizabeth.

"And the rest on that ship," he gestured toward the Interceptor with his pistol. "They are not to be harmed." The pirate captain seemed to consider the bargain for a moment before smiling.

"Agreed."

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"This isn't what we agreed," came the yell of a voice Jack immediately recognized. The sound of it made him groan as he was shoved up on deck. Apparantly Will had done what was expected of him and done something very, very stupid. Jack stomped up the stairs, feeling his mood blacken once again. In front of him one of the crew members was carrying Buffy, her body still slack since she remained unconscious. His mood only got worse as he watched the man jostle her. It was no use telling him to stop though, seeing as speaking up would only make it worse on Buffy's part. She'd most likely wake up sore all over, but at least none of the bumps and bruises would be his fault.

"Don't dare impugn me honor, boy. They will go free, it is you who failed to specify when or where," Laughter rose from the crowd of pirates as Jack was shoved through them along with Buffy. When Barbossa caught sight of him, he stopped laughing and grinned evilly.

"It looks as if the little poppet is still resting. Let's allow Jack to be a gentleman fer once and accompany the lady overboard, shall we?" Jack's gaze shifted from Buffy's limp figure, to Will and then to Barbossa. He put on a smile which felt more nervous than he wanted it.

"I'd really rather hoped we were past all this."

"Jack, Jack. Did ya not notice? That be the same little island that we made you governor of on our last little trip." Jack glanced over at the island and grimaced. It was the same island. He looked back at Barbossa, his eyes unreadable.

"I did notice."

"Perhaps you'll conjure up another miraculous escape, but I doubt it," Barbossa unsheathed his sword and prodded Jack with it. "Now, off ye go along with the woman. I'm sure you two will get along quite well 'til the starvation sets in." Buffy was dropped in front of Jack and would have fallen on the deck if he hadn't reached out his bound hands to catch her. She was surprisingly light, but the awkwardness of his clad hands supporting her midsection where she hung like a piece of meat made it difficult. He glanced down at her worriedly. The small woman was still unconscious, which would make swimming very difficult. Jack stood his ground, making no moves toward the water. He had one last thing to do before being thrown overboard his ship and perhaps his attempt at stalling would allow Buffy time to wake. Jack jostled her slightly in his arms, both to adjust her to an easier position and in hopes of waking her as he stared at Barbossa.

"Last time you left me a pistol with one shot."

"By the powers, you're right," Jack noticed a twitch go through the blonde beauty in his arms. "Where be Jack's pistol? Bring it forth."

Jack's pistol was thrust at him and he barely caught it under his chin to keep it from falling. He knew that he must look ridiculous by now, but didn't care. His mind briefly fancied the idea of asking for another pistol since there were two of them, but realized that even if Barbossa agreed Jack already had his hands full. Sparrow smiled weakly at all the pirates as they watched and waited for him to jump into the water. He found himself with another dilemma at that moment. How was he going to get overboard? Barbossa seemed to see the problem as well since he rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Would someone please help Jack escort the young lady overboard?" One of the larger pirates separated himself from the group and made his way towards Jack. Jack stared up at him warily, barely noticing as Buffy shifted again. A small grunt came from the slayer as she was lifted roughly by the pirate. Jack could only stared blankly for a moment as the girls eyes blinked open just as she was being thrown into the water. A yelp escaped her mouth just before it went underwater and Jack's brain finally kicked in as he quickly jumped in after her.

A/N: Blah, sorry again for the long wait. Distraction is my middle name.