TITLE: "Ultimate Betrayal"

AUTHOR: Doctor Strangelove (strangelove317@hotmail.com)
SPOILERS: Set after "Storyteller"
FEEDBACK: I'd love it.
DISCLAIMER: Joss owns Sunnydale.

"Ultimate Betrayal"

Written by: Doctor Strangelove

"Giles is off on another retreat?" Anya sighed as she paced around the living room, "How many of those is he going on? I think he just wants to get out of the house. Away from us. That is so like him."

"Yes, Anya," Xander nodded with fake agreement, "Giles hates us so much that he chooses to leave the house for the desert with about twenty potential Slayers in tow."

"Exactly!" Anya was about to continue her little rant when there was a loud knock on the door. She exchanged a confused glance with Xander and went to look. Dawn was standing outside and she looked terrified.

"Anya! I left my keys! Let me in! There are vampires out here!" The young girl jumped up and down in fear and looked around nervously.

Anya unlocked the door and opened it, "Get in, get in. Hurry." Dawn ran inside and Anya slammed the door shut. "Now, where are the vampires?"

"Right here," Anya turned around just as Dawn's sweet, innocent face morphed into a visage of terror. The young girl leapt at Anya and tried to sink her fangs into the ex-vengeance demon's neck. The fangs connected with flesh and began draining when suddenly Dawn pulled back in shock.

She started to turn to look at Xander, but halfway there she crumbled into dust. Xander was standing, wide-eyed, holding a stake. He blinked in shock and neither he nor Anya said anything.

Willow came running down the stairs, "Guys, I heard the racket. What's going on?"

Xander fought back tears as he stared at the stake in his hand, "Get Buffy."

*****

Everyone in the room was real quiet. Xander, Anya, Willow, Andrew, and Buffy just sat there. Everyone had tears sliding down their face.

"She's really..." Andrew started but couldn't finish. "Oh God."

Anya shook a little and rested her head on Xander's shoulder.

Willow wiped away the tears from her eyes. "Who could've done this?"

"I know who," Xander spat out bitterly. "How about our recently de-chipped psycho stalker?"

Buffy looked down and didn't say anything.

Anya however did have something to say, "You think that Spike-"

"Of course I think that Spike. I knew from the beginning he was bad news. Playing all good and sweet but the second that chip gets gone he turns back into William the Bloody."

No one got a chance to reply as at that moment the door opened. Spike walked into the room. "God, what happened?"

That sentence was punctuated by a punch from Xander. Spike hit the wall and Xander pulled out a stake. He was about to shove it into the vampire's heart when Buffy grabbed Xander's wrist. "Xander, go. Everyone. I need to be alone with Spike."

Xander was about to argue but was silenced by a glare from Buffy. The others quickly filed out of the house and into Xander's car. They decided to drive around town for a little while.

Buffy walked over to Spike, "Spike, there's been an accident."

Spike wiped the blood off of his mouth, "What happened?"

"It's Dawn."

Spike's look softened, "Oh, my God. Buffy, what happened?"

Buffy fought back tears, "There was an attack, I guess. But she came home. She attacked Anya. She was..." Buffy let the sentence hang in the air.

Spike knew what she meant, "Where is she now?"

"Gone. Xander... he did what he had to do."

"Buffy, I'm... I don't know what to say. I didn't-"

"I know, I know." Buffy whispered and laid her head in Spike's lap.

Then things clicked. "But I know who did."

Buffy looked up at Spike but before she could say anything Spike had shoved Xander's stake through her heart. Buffy's face briefly changed into that of a vampire's. But it was brief. And then she was gone. Dust.

Spike stood up and headed for the door. He looked back at the pile of ashes Buffy left behind. "I knew that was a bad idea. Never should've sired you." He sighed gravely and headed out the door. He'd have a nice little smoke and stay around for a while. After all, it was almost dawn.