Title: Standing On Your Own

Author: Hope

Rating: PG-13

Summary: When a demon kills everyone the slayer loves, she falls deep into depression: No will to live, no will to fight. Because her heart is no longer in slaying, the PTB send back a certain blonde vampire to help get her back on track.....

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"Shit!" Buffy pulled her hand back from a doorknob as another wave of purple magic encased the door, preventing them from leaving. The pair glanced down the hall to find the barriers slowly forming over every door in the hallway. Her eyes grew wide. They were trapped.

"Let's go!!" Spike shouted as he shoved her, forcing her to move further down the hallway, hoping the barriers hadn't made it that far yet. The two broke into a run.

"Spike, this way!" Buffy grabbed the vampire's arm and dragged him through the only unblocked door remaining in the extensive hallway. She slammed it behind her just as the purplish tint surrounded it.

"Slayer…" Spike muttered, glancing down the stairwell they were now in. The barriers were forming on the doors leading to the different floors. "Up, now!!" He commanded as he began to take to the stairs by two or three at a time. Buffy followed, praying that they could get ahead of the magic. She allowed herself a small smile as they passed a door marked 10 that hadn't been closed off yet, but Spike kept going. They bounded up the three remaining stories and threw themselves through the final door just before it was closed off as well. They both glanced around quickly, illuminated under the moonlight. The roof.

"Oh, God, Dawnie." Buffy finally took the time to go up to her sister, who was still wrapped protectively in Spike's arms. She ran her fingers gently over her sister's forehead, wincing when she came to a rather large gash. She felt tears spring to her eyes as she watched the thin trail of blood falling down her sister's features. She must have hit her head when the men had dropped her. Dawn stirred slightly at Buffy's touch.

"She'll be fine." Spike reassured her, adjusting his hold on the waking girl. "Come on, we have to find a way down from here." Buffy nodded and followed him to the edge of the roof, hoping to find a ladder or some other way down.

It was no use.

"Spike….what now? What do we do?" Buffy asked, beginning to panic. She always knew what to do, where to go. But this time she was lost. Scared. She had to save Dawn, but she was beginning to feel she couldn't, that she had lost.

"Calm down, luv, now get over here." Spike instructed, pulling her down into the shadows between two large air conditioner bases.

"What, why?" She asked. He pointed out into the sky ahead of them.

Shit. The choppers. Four of the large metal flyers were approaching the building and Spike slinked back further into the shadows, pulling Buffy with him. He scanned the roof, desperate to find a way out, down, wherever. Anywhere but here. His eyes caught sight of the door they had come through. The purple barrier was gone and the door rocked back and forth slightly, open. He clasped his hand over Buffy's mouth, quieting her heavy breathing.

"Shhh…" He uttered gently, his eyes scanning the shadows around them. Over the sound of the approaching helicopters, he could make out a slight heartbeat, other than Buffy and Dawn. Blood. He could smell blood, quite a bit of it too. "There's someone up here…." He told her quietly, releasing his hold. His eyes shot back to the door as the sound of heavy footsteps filled the air. A group of the operatives emerged through the door, the first instructing the others to begin looking for them. They both watched with alert eyes as the men began shining flashlights into the dark crevasses of the roof, coming dangerously close to their hiding place. Spike tapped her arm, nodding up to the helicopter now hovering above the building. Katherine stood in the door, barking some type of commands to the pilot.

The bitch had set them up.

Spike clenched his jaw and tightened his hold on Dawn. He didn't know how, but they would get out of this. They had to. His ears picked up a sharp click from behind them and he turned quickly, coming face to face with Lily. She was grinning, he gun aimed at the back of Buffy's head. Panicking, Spike tackled Buffy, sending them both rolling back out into the view of the operatives. Lily's gun fired.

"Bloody hell!!" Spike growled, glaring at the woman as he stood, still clenching Dawn to his chest.

"There!!" Katherine pointed down at the escaping trio and the choppers searchlights were directed down at them. The group of men on the roof started to rush towards them. Buffy grabbed Spike by the shoulders and pushed him towards one end of the building. Something sticky covered her hand. Looking down, she saw that her hand was covered in blood. Her eyes fell to Spike's back, where he had evidently been hit by the bullet. She swallowed back her tears as they operatives began to surround them. Another shot rang out.

Buffy fell to the ground.

"Buffy!!" Spike watched in horror as the girl fell, a bullet piercing into her stomach. Despite the wound, the girl stammered to her feet, trying her best to go on. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her along with him. He could hear her trying to hold back sobs as the men grew closer. His eyes fell to Lily, who stood nearby, her shirt still bloody from where he had shot her earlier. She had an evil grin on her face as she lowered her gun. Bitch. She was supposed to be dead. But she wasn't…and she may have well just killed Buffy.

"Spike…" Buffy's voice was soft as she clutched onto his coat, trying to stay on her feet. They stood on the very edge of the building. Another step backwards and they would fall to the street below. He looked down at her and his heart broke. A steady stream of blood was flowing from the corner of her mouth and she was clutching her stomach. It was no use, the wound continued to bleed profusely. He could feel the tears slip from his eyes. He couldn't lose her again, it would kill him….

"Buffy, Buffy. Come on pet, it'll all be okay. I promise." He choked, more so trying to keep himself from breaking down. But it wouldn't be alright. Here Buffy was, bleeding to death in front of him and they were surrounded by at least twenty men, not to mention the four choppers hovering above them. He could see the life slipping from her eyes under the beams of light from the choppers. Her lip trembled and she ran her hand down the side of his face. "Buffy…"

"Shhh…" She said gently, placing her finger against his lips. Placing her hand behind his head, she pulled him down to her lips, kissing him gently. He could taste her blood in his mouth and a silent sob wracked his body. She pulled away, sniffling. "I love you." She said softly. She looked down at Dawn, who was still cradled in his arms. Running her fingers over her hair, she looked up at the vampire. "Don't let her go…" With that she grabbed him by his coat and flung him from the roof. She broke into sobs as they fell, landing with a large crash in an open dumpster below. They were still a few seconds, but Spike began to stir.

"Oh God…" He muttered, trying to stand. He had landed on his back and Dawn was sprawled on top of him, seeming unhurt by the fall. He stood frantically, not letting her out of his grasp. "Buffy!!" He shouted up at the figure on the edge of the roof. Her blonde hair flew every which way in the wind and she still clutched her stomach. "Buffy!!" She finally brought herself to look down at him. This was it, it was all over. He cold run, get Dawn out of here. Her breath became shallow as she turned back to the approaching men. Summoning the last of her strength, she swung at them as they came, refusing to go down with out a fight.  Pushing her way through them, she glared at Lily. The slayer brought the gun she had pulled form Spike's pocket up to the watcher's face. Lily's eyes grew wide as she pulled the trigger of her own gun.

 A sharp click, nothing more.

She was out of ammunition. Buffy smiled coldly and Lily's face flooded with fear. "Fuck. You." Her words came out harsh as she pulled the trigger, sending Lily's body flying back through the air. Someone's arms looped around her, taking her to the ground. She tried her best to kick the operatives off of her, but it was no use. Despite her efforts, she stood no chance. Everything went black….

Spike bolted down a dark alley, tears streaming down his face. She was gone, his slayer was gone…. He turned the corner, giving the chopper behind him a quick glance. He had to loose it, he had to get Dawn out of there…  He turned the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Katherine stood there, one of the choppers resting in the street behind her.

"Bitch…" Spike growled as he backed away, tightening his hold on the girl. This was her fault. She killed Buffy.

"Don't run." Katherine instructed, motioning for him to look behind him. He turned, finding forty or so men standing at ready. He snarled, returning his venomous glare to the woman. He lunged, but the men tackled him to the ground. He managed to knock a few away, but between trying to keep Dawn from them and the raging wound in his back he didn't have a chance. His blue eyes grew wide as one of the men brought the blunt end of a gun down on his head, knocking him out cold.

He had failed her……

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