The Gift and the Choice
The cuts created a fiery web of pain across Dawn's torso, and the blood loss was making her dizzy. Still, she was clear on one thing: she had to die. She watched as the portal ripped into her reality, growing every second, ready to consume all those Dawn loved best, and knew she couldn't let it go on.
"It has to have the blood," she told the woman who stood in her way.
Buffy's face twisted with anguish as she shook her head minutely. For a moment, the pain, the terror, everything was washed out of Dawn's mind by the warm glow that came with the realization that Buffy truly did love her. After everything, Buffy was still willing to go to any length to save her. And oh, Dawn wanted to be saved.
But she wouldn't be. The portal would stay open until she died, no matter how long that took--and Dawn knew she would die soon. The only difference was in how much of the world would die with her.
"I can't," Buffy choked out.
"You have to. Buffy, you know it's right." Dawn fought to keep her voice steady in spite of her mounting terror. "You have to let me go."
Buffy looked over her shoulder at the increasing light, a disastrous sunrise blighted by world-destroying energy. When her eyes returned to Dawn, they were calm. Almost happy.
One of the Slayer's hands touched Dawn's face. The other took Dawn's hand. And Buffy spoke.
"I won't let you go."
Dawn shook her head. "Buffy, I have to die--"
"I know." Tears stood in Buffy's eyes. "But not alone."
Comprehension. "No. You can't . . . no."
"I can. And I will. The world can have a new Slayer, Dawn. I'm not leaving you. Whatever you face on the other side of life, wherever that portal leads, you won't be alone. My gift is to go with you into death." Buffy leaned forward and kissed her sister's face. "It's my choice, and I choose to never leave you. I love you, Dawn. More than this world, I love you."
And Buffy drew Dawn to the end of the tower. Dawn's body was numb, her mind filled with a peculiar clarity that banished every hint of fear. She turned and embraced her sister, and in that embrace, they fell.
***
The sudden silence was more fearful to Giles than the chaos had been. Pushing debris out of his way, he made for the tower. And stopped.
On the ground lay two girls. The elder lay on her back, with the younger's body covering her. They looked peaceful, as if they'd simply fallen asleep in that loving embrace.
A gasping sob of anguished disbelief from his left alerted Giles to Willow's presence. A howl of pain from his right meant Spike. Shuffling, difficult footsteps came from behind the Watcher.
"What--what happened?" asked Xander in a perfectly numb voice, the voice of a man who sees what's in front of him but cannot process it.
Giles knew they would make up their own stories later. That Buffy had gotten to the top of the tower and fought Dawn's attacker, that she'd gone to save Dawn, that they'd fallen together when the tower pitched. They would tell their stories, and Giles would not tell them the truth.
That Buffy had chosen her death, as she'd never chosen her life.
The cuts created a fiery web of pain across Dawn's torso, and the blood loss was making her dizzy. Still, she was clear on one thing: she had to die. She watched as the portal ripped into her reality, growing every second, ready to consume all those Dawn loved best, and knew she couldn't let it go on.
"It has to have the blood," she told the woman who stood in her way.
Buffy's face twisted with anguish as she shook her head minutely. For a moment, the pain, the terror, everything was washed out of Dawn's mind by the warm glow that came with the realization that Buffy truly did love her. After everything, Buffy was still willing to go to any length to save her. And oh, Dawn wanted to be saved.
But she wouldn't be. The portal would stay open until she died, no matter how long that took--and Dawn knew she would die soon. The only difference was in how much of the world would die with her.
"I can't," Buffy choked out.
"You have to. Buffy, you know it's right." Dawn fought to keep her voice steady in spite of her mounting terror. "You have to let me go."
Buffy looked over her shoulder at the increasing light, a disastrous sunrise blighted by world-destroying energy. When her eyes returned to Dawn, they were calm. Almost happy.
One of the Slayer's hands touched Dawn's face. The other took Dawn's hand. And Buffy spoke.
"I won't let you go."
Dawn shook her head. "Buffy, I have to die--"
"I know." Tears stood in Buffy's eyes. "But not alone."
Comprehension. "No. You can't . . . no."
"I can. And I will. The world can have a new Slayer, Dawn. I'm not leaving you. Whatever you face on the other side of life, wherever that portal leads, you won't be alone. My gift is to go with you into death." Buffy leaned forward and kissed her sister's face. "It's my choice, and I choose to never leave you. I love you, Dawn. More than this world, I love you."
And Buffy drew Dawn to the end of the tower. Dawn's body was numb, her mind filled with a peculiar clarity that banished every hint of fear. She turned and embraced her sister, and in that embrace, they fell.
***
The sudden silence was more fearful to Giles than the chaos had been. Pushing debris out of his way, he made for the tower. And stopped.
On the ground lay two girls. The elder lay on her back, with the younger's body covering her. They looked peaceful, as if they'd simply fallen asleep in that loving embrace.
A gasping sob of anguished disbelief from his left alerted Giles to Willow's presence. A howl of pain from his right meant Spike. Shuffling, difficult footsteps came from behind the Watcher.
"What--what happened?" asked Xander in a perfectly numb voice, the voice of a man who sees what's in front of him but cannot process it.
Giles knew they would make up their own stories later. That Buffy had gotten to the top of the tower and fought Dawn's attacker, that she'd gone to save Dawn, that they'd fallen together when the tower pitched. They would tell their stories, and Giles would not tell them the truth.
That Buffy had chosen her death, as she'd never chosen her life.