Title: Her Gift is My Gift

Author: Stonewar

Spoilers: The Gift obviously and previous seasons.

Keywords: Character Death

Author Note: I was originally going to post this as a

challenge but then decided it was within my limited skills.

But it is still out there as a challenge should anyone be

unsatisfied with my execution of what I think is an interesting

idea. Go ahead. Give it a whirl.

THE TOWER

"Dawn, listen to me. Listen.

I love you. I will *always* love you.

But this is the work that I have to do.

Tell Giles ... tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay.

And give my love to my friends.

You have to take care of them now.

You have to take care of each other.

You have to be strong.

Dawn, the hardest thing in this world ... is to live in it.

Be brave. Live.

For me."

"No," Dawn whimpers as Buffy hugs her tightly.

Buffy steps back and takes Dawn's hand in both of hers

grasping it firmly as the portals continue to tear the sky and reality apart.

Dawn yanks her hand away roughly, dashes to the end of the

platform and leaps into the air leaving a stunned Buffy behind.

"No," She whimpers, tears pooling in unblinking eyes as she stands frozen,

alone on the tower.

Dawn soars though the air, her sable hair and the blue velvet of her

dress rippling around her. She flinches as the energy tears through

her body and the portals begin to close.

The battle below having ended the others begin to gather and examine

each others injuries. Thankfully they only hear rather than see her

land on a pile of rubble at the foot of the tower.

Afraid of what they might see they slowly turn in the direction of the

noise as Buffy reaches the final flight of uneven stairs leading

back to earth.

They are silent as they look at her lying on the ground. Many thinking

how strange it is to see someone normally so active, so still. Others

thinking how strangely at peace she seems with that content smile on her face.

Buffy finally reaches them and pushes their unresisting bodies out of her

way to her sisters side.

"Buffy," she sniffles as she falls to her knees beside Dawn's crumpled form.

The others look to each other, confused.

Then Tara lifts her head off Willow's shoulder and she sees it. Still tangled

in Buffy's limp fingers a Draconian katra device.

END

Forget the modest crap at the beginning. I rock.