Two hours later all is said and done with. Buffy is dead to save her sister, and the world with her.

Tara and Willow are griping each other, wiping silentely. Giles seems to be in shock. Xander cries with Anya unconscious in his arms. Dawn is sitting on the tower's steps in a daze.

Spike is lying on the floor, his body shaking with violent sobs. He is covered with his own blood, but he doesn't care. His mind can only process three words, replaying endlessly, Buffy-is-dead, Buffy-is-dead, Buffy-is-dead.

After a while, Giles emerges from his daze's state and takes Buffy's body off the ground. Without a word he begins walking, craddling Buffy in his arms. Everybody follow him, except Spike who is still crying on the floor, and Dawn who approaches him slowly.

« Spike ! Get up, please ! » He doesn't seem to hear her at all.

« Spike ! Dawn is coming soon, get up ! » Nothing she says makes him move.

She takes his arm and tries to drag him, but he is too heavy. Now she is angry with him.

« William The Bloody ! You will move your sorry ass, immediately ! » she shouts at him.

Her ton of voice is so nearfrom Buffy's that it enters his brain, this time. He gazes at her, startled, and fixes her with lost puppy's eyes. « Nibblet... » he whispers, astonished.

« Spike ! Dawn is near you must go find a shelter ! » she looks at him, really affraid that he won't do it.

Her pleading eyes registers, and he can't resist it. He gets up with difficulties as his left leg is broken. She helps him to stand and with her aid he walks to the nearest sewers' enter. She helps him go through it and follow him in the tunnel.

« Nibblet ! You need to go home, its not a place for you ! The others will be worried not to see you ! »

« Yeah ! That's right ! They don't even know I wasn't following them ! » she says resentfully.

« That's only because of Buffy's... »

« If you want to think that... » shrugging her shoulders.

« Do you know how to go to your crypt ? »

« Yeah I know the way, but I can't think I can walk that long for now. I will wait here to let my bones mend themselves, I will be fine. » he says tiredely.

« No, no,no ! None of that Mister ! What if some nasty guy sniffs your blood and comes to get you, no way I let you here, I will help you ! »

« Nibblet ! You are bare foot, it's disgusting in there... »

« Wait me here, I'll comeback in one minute ! »

He is too tired too protest, and let her go.

She returns in the room below the tower to take her clothes and shoes. It's strange, when she had let them here, she was so sure it was forever, and now she is wearing them as if nothing has happened.

But now her sister is dead, and she is alone. No it's not true she is not alone, she has Spike. Her sister said that he will be always here for her, and that she must help him go through his grief. She had said that he was the only one she was sure of, and that he can be trusted.

She must be strong and live, and she intends to do just that.

She returns in the sewers to find him here waiting for her, his face covers in blood, dirt and tracks of tears.

« Lets go Spike ! » she says, taking him by one arm.

Their walk seem to take an eternity, but finally they reach his crypt. He can't climb to the lower level, because of his broken leg, but he is better here than in the sewers. She climbs upstairs and takes a bag of blood from the fridge. At that moment she sees the microwave and frown. It's the microwave her neighbour's had given them, what it's doing here ? Buffy had said she had sold it to an other neighbour. She smiles a little, good old Buffy, so secretiv. She has always known, that Buffy has a soft spot for Spike. If not, why would she dismiss killing him every time she has had the opportunity. She warm the bag, and poor it in a mug, and return downstairs.

« Drink that Spike, it will help you heal ! »

He takes the mug but doesn't drink it.He puts it on the floor, alongside him.

« Is it too hot ? » she says with a frown.

« No, it's fine, I'm just not very thirsty » he answers her tiredly.

« But you...you need it to heal ! You have broken bones and you have lost a lot of blood ! » she protests vehementely.

« I'm fine, nibblet, don't worry » his voice is broken, devoid of emotions.

« Do you think I'm stupid ? Do you think I don't see that you don't want to live anymore ! So what ! You promised to take care of me to Buffy ! You promised ! » she says hitting his chest with her fists, crying « don't leave me, Spike ! You promised ! ».

He takes her in his arms, crying with her.

« Sorry Nibblet, I'm sorry ! I'm here, you can count on me, I will never let you alone, hush... » he says caressing her long hairs. She calms down and takes the mug to give it to him.

He smiles at her subborness and drinks it quickly.

« How did you know I promised that to your sis ? »

« Before she...she said it to me, and she said that you are the only one she was sure of to take care of me. » she whispers against his chest.

Her words are soothing his pain a little, but at the same time he resents his failure deeper.

« Did she say anything else ? » he asks hesitantely.

« She said me to say to you that you are a good man. »

Another pang of pain stabs him in the heart. How could have he failed her so much ?

« Your sis was too good with me, I'm a monster and I didn't deserve her trust. »

« Why do you think that ? »

« Because I didn't save her... » he whispers.

« But you try ! I was here I saw you ! It's not your fault ! It's mine ! » she cries looking him in the eyes.

« It's not your fault Dawn ! I promised to take care of you and I didn't... » his voice rough with pain.

« The only one who is to blame it's Glory ! »

« Whatever...Dawn you should going home ! The others... »

« I don't want to go, I don't want to see... » them, her. « can I stay here with you ? »

« Okay... »

Both exhausted, they fell asleep a few minutes later, in each other arms.