Authors Note: The things in italics are memories. Oh, and tell me what you think of the dream sequence in the beginning. I'm not sure if it's any good or not.

Chapter Fourteen

The Gift

"Death is your gift" the first slayer said over and over

"Death..."

"...is your gift."

The platform extended into the air. In the distance holes seemed to be opening up in the night sky, casting its surrounding's with and unearthly glow of purple light. But as the sky grew lighter by the rising sun the girl on the platform smiled, looking peaceful for the first time in ages. Turning around she faced her sister who stared back at her with wide knowing eyes.

"Buffy... no!" The dark haired girl begged.

"Dawnie, I have to."

"No!"

"Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen."

The girl held the younger sibling by her upper arms not wanting to let go, trying to hold back the tears of sadness she felt for the little girl. She continues talking to her, although for some reason the sound doesn't reach my ears. The little girl begins to cry as lightning continues to crackle behind them, desperately pleading with her eyes for her sister not to do this.

How was she supposed to live without her?

Stroking her sister's face, giving her one last kiss on the cheek as she continues to cry, the blonde turns. Almost as if in slow motion she runs down the platform away from the sobbing form of her baby sister. Her life. To her destiny.

Her gift.

Gaining speed she swan dives off the end of the platform and into the bright crackling light of the portal below. Feeling the weightlessness around her as she falls, she thinks of everyone she's ever loved and cared for as she hangs there. Motionless. Pain shooting from within, splitting her apart.

Agony.

Light.

Muscles contracting,

Bursting.

Then the voice comes back.

"Dawn, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you."

Bright lights swirl around as silent screams pierce the air.

"But this is the work that I have to do."

The portal slowly begins to fade, shrinking into nothingness.

Disappearing.

A group of people are gathered on the ground below, holding each other up, looking at something they don't want to believe just yet as the golden orb of the sun rises above them.

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

The body of the fallen warrior lies on the ground. Lifeless amid the debris. A man falls to the ground as the sunlight hits the body, shaking in grief. Girls begin to cry the salty tears that come with the loss of a soul.

"And give my love to my friends."

Two lovers hold each other, the girl lowering her head to the mans shoulder in remorse.

"You have to take care of them now."

Hands over the face, sobbing, tears of mirth chasing each other down smooth cool cheeks.

"You have to be strong"

Walking slowly down the stairs of the tower, holding her sides, spotting the others as a type of chill takes over her world when she see's the body of a sister lying on the ground. Dead.

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

Crying takes over the young form. Bursting sobs begging for air. For justice. For life.

"Be brave. Live."

Words swirling in the air, coating the ground with barren ash.

"For me."

A plea, a request a cry.

The sunny day sings as the tree's and the grass grow in the patches of the beautiful light. The light she'll no longer see. Headstone after headstone. A lone one sits under a tree adorned with flowers lying on the grass in front of it, watered by the tears of the loved ones. By their grief.

Buffy Ann Summers

1981-2001

Beloved Sister

Devoted Friend

She Saved the World

A lot

"NO!"

I shot up out of bed covered in a cool sheen of sweat. My body was shaking with the memories of past. All that pain.

"Oh god." I whispered, placing my head in my damp hands.

"Buffy." Strong arms wrapped around me, taking me in to the place I so needed to be right now. "What's wrong?"

I buried myself into his embrace. The light, the pain, everything inside me seemed to hurt at that moment in time, and it all came back to me during the dream. All the tears. Why did there always have to be so many tears at the sight of death?

"I saw it. I saw everything."

"What are you talking about baby?" He asked rocking me back and fourth.

"Glory, the lightning, my sister. God, why did I have to go like that?" I sounded pitiful to even my own ears.

Realization dawned on Angel. "I don't know."

Everything that I had was cried out in his arms and he didn't question me once. He just held me, soothing me with words of love, and at that moment I felt right.

"Angel," I sniffed. "Dawn, did she... she lived right?"

He looked at me confused. "You saved her Buffy."

"No, I know that. But did she live, afterwards when everything was said and done, she..." I didn't know how to explain to him what I was trying to say.

Somehow he got it though. "She lived. After she finished up high school she went to Rome. She became a writer for the main newspaper over there. You would have been so proud of her."

I smiled. "Did she ever get married?"

"Yeah, to a guy named Jason. He was really nice. They stayed together 'till the end. They even ended up having a little girl. They named her after you and your mom."

I leaned into him. "Was she alive when this whole thing with Leon started?'

He was silent. I could tell he was debating weather or not to tell me that. "She was. She died though before it got really bad. Europe wasn't affected all that much until about two hundred years ago."

There was something more he wasn't telling me. I could feel it in the way he held me, his arms muscles tense with something unknown. But I didn't want to know the answer. Not yet at least. Maybe some day in the future I'd ask how all my friends died. Ask him to tell me about there lives. But not tonight.

"What time is it?"

"Almost five."

"We should be going." Tonight was the night that we would attempt our rescue on Mark.

"Buffy, maybe you shouldn't go tonight."

"I'm going." I said, getting up from the bed, combing my hair. Doing anything just to get away from that awful dream. From reality.

"You sure you're up to it? I mean you just had...."

"I'm going." I said sternly. "I need to kill something right about now.

Biting his lip to keep from saying anything else he started sharpening the weapons. It took me two days to convince him to let me come. It was my idea in the first place and I wasn't about to sit back at home while they all went out and did the hero thing. Angel hated this beyond belief, but they needed the help. And what better help to get then a three hundred year old slayer?

The execution was at seven. Eight of us were going in on this mission and only a few of us were expected to come back. Butterflies controlled my stomach like they always did before a battle. It's amazing that no matter how many times I do this, I'm still nervous each and every time.

Dressed all in black I fastened two daggers to the inside of my boot and slide my stakes up my sleeve. Everyone else was caring battle axes and swords, but not me. Those things never really gave me comfort. Give me just a plane old stake any day and I'll be fine.

"You ready?" He asked from behind me. We were all meeting at the rations area before hand to settle out last minute plans, and hopefully to save whoever we could from getting caught.

"As I'll ever be." I said turning to him. Without another word we walked out the door into the forever darkness that now controlled our world.

Connor and the other men were already there by the time Angel and I arrived. They were all leaning causally against a wall, trying to look inconspicuous. It really wasn't working. Every single one of them was tense with the nerves of the upcoming battle. Except Connor. He just sat on the ground watching with ease as the crowd gathered to try and get their monthly supply of food.

"Any sign of Mark yet?" Angel asked his son.

"No. I don't really expect to see him though until the execution. If we do see him, then I'll be worried."

"Why?" A man from the right asked. He looked about the same age as Connor, but I could tell by the way he presented himself he was human.

"Because if we see him, then they know we're coming. It would all just be a trap trying to lure us into taking the bait before Leon even sets foot outside." Not once did Connor take his eyes off the crowd.

"Has anybody been taken yet?" I'm not sure why I asked, the answer would only be filled with sadness.

"A little girl about six, she ran into the crowd, not knowing it was wrong... they took her. Then another guy, he looked around his thirties, they took him a couple minutes ago. Most people have been getting through and out pretty easy today though."

"Good." I said with detachment. I didn't want to think about the two that had been caught already or what they might be going through right now.

As the hour went by fewer and fewer people were getting caught though. It was almost as if the vampires weren't even paying attention today. "Okay, not that I'm complaining or anything but, doesn't this seem a little suspicious to you guys?"

The others nodded there head in agreement. But Connor just stood up wiping the dirt off of his pants. "Not really. It's just one of those months. It happens every once in a while."

I turned to Angel to confirm this. He nodded his head in reassurance, but something was lurking behind his eyes. "We better head over to the execution."

At that everyone stood up and slowly trudged to what might be their death. I hated the fact that I had to bring other people into this. Most of them probably had a family of some sorts waiting for them. What would they think if one of them didn't come home tonight?

Shaking my head I focused on the task ahead. My job was to free Mark from whatever was keeping him there, and then pass him off to the others while all the while Angel caused the distraction.

That's what worried me. At first I thought of it as nothing, but remembering the conversation we had about it didn't exactly give me warm and fluffy feelings.

"So who's going to be the guy to distract Leon during all of this?" Connor was saying. We were all gathered around in Angel's apartment, the fire crackling in the hearth. The next day would be the day of the execution, and our planning so far hadn't been to sufficient. No one really seemed all that enthusiastic about this idea. And why would they? They were putting there life on the lines for this.

"I'll do it." I spoke up.

"No you won't." There he went again, being all protective and stuff.

"And why not?"

"Because I'm going to." Angel said matter of factly.

Everyone was silent. They were giving each other anxious looks out of the corner of their eyes.

"Do you really think that's a smart idea?" Connor asked finally.

"Think about it, what do you think he's going to be more distracted by, Buffy or me?"

They all nodded there head in reluctant agreement. And then that was the end of the conversation. No one argued or spoke of it again. It was done with and that was just the way it was going to be.

We arrived at the execution area in record time. "Alright, everybody knows their jobs, split up. We'll see you all at the safe house later tonight." Angel said. Everyone looked at each other for one last time and went their different ways leaving just Angel, Connor and I standing there at the front entrance gates.

A guard in the corner of the gate starred at Angel suspiciously as we approached. Leaning over he whispered something in his companion's ear. After a brief look at us the guy ran off into the direction of the castle.

"Good, they know I'm here." Angel stated. I don't know why he was so happy about this one, but I had to trust him. Otherwise this wouldn't work.

Once inside the gates we worked our way through to the middle of the crowd. Like before, throngs of people stood, some waiting to see the ones they loved for the very last time, others being her on protest.

"Alright then, I'll see you two in a couple hours." Connor said.

"Connor." He turned back when Angel's voice carried out to him. "Don't do anything stupid."

With that trademark smirk Connor walked off, disappearing into the crowd of people, waiting for the right moment to strike. Angel watch him go, not turning to me until he was out of sight.

"He'll be okay." I tried to comfort him. I really didn't know what was going to happen, but Angel needed to hear it right now. It was absolutely amazing to me how Angel could have a son. The one thing in his life that meant redemption in his eyes, and he finally had it. But their relationship was strained for some reason. Reason's that the skank who he was sleeping with hinted towards the other night. I was not looking forward to the day that Angel decided to tell me about his past. Already I could tell it would be filled with angst and tears, something that I seemed to see a lot of lately.

This rescue mission was almost a good thing. I was almost thankful for it. If I had nothing to distract me I don't know what I would do. It's not everyday you find out how you die. If it was my choice, I'd curl up into a ball right here and cry for the rest of my life. But I had to push all that away and become the slayer once again so I could help humanity. And I don't think I've ever been more grateful for it.

Turning to me Angel took my hand in his. "This is it."

"Yup. This is it." I smiled and squeezed his hand softly, trying to tell him that everything would be okay. That we'd all be okay. But all I could think about was how this might be the last time I would ever get to see him. I just got him back and now, now I could lose him all over again.

"Be careful okay?" He told be.

"Hey, you know me."

"I mean it Buffy. This isn't Sunnydale anymore, the monsters here are worse."

"Angel, I grew up on a hell mouth, I can handle it. Remember, your talking to the girl who faced a god."

"Yeah, and you died in the process." He said harshly.

"Not by her hands though." I reminded him. He just gave me that look, his eyes filling with sadness. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

"I can't help it."

"Try to." I gave him a wry grin that he couldn't help but smile back at.

Leaning down he hugged me. "I love you."

My heart stopped. I never thought I would want to hear those words more then I did at this moment. "I love you too."

Backing away from me with fear in his eyes, I kept contact with his hand until it was no longer possible. Soon his cool comfort left me, disappearing into the crowd, taking with him my heart.

With a deep intake of breath I closed me eyes, centering myself. "Time to get to work."