2. The bad news
The taste of her blood was like ash in his mouth but he still drank. It was what she wanted, even if she was condemned him by asking. He'd do anything for her.
Her breathing was shallow now, and her heart was racing, struggling. She had to be feeling light-headed now, blood loss and all. She never struggled though. She just held him.
Finally, after what felt like forever, he stopped drinking. She was still alive, but she wouldn't be for long. He laid her back gently. He held Buffy's hand, comforting her, even as crushing sorrow descended on him.
Spike was distantly aware of the front door opening, of four new scents. The witch, the whelp, Little Bit, and the ex-demon.
"Get away from her!" Xander snarled angrily.
The whelp grabbed him, tried to separate them. He tried to punch Spike, but this Spike wasn't the same vampire neutered by a chip in his head, and he wasn't about to let the whelp get the better of him. He caught Xander's fist and backhanded him hard. Xander bounced off the wall, and landed on his ass.
"Buffy!" Dawn gasped, shocked. Little Bit rushed to Buffy's side, clutching Buffy's hand.
"Spike... What did you do?" Willow asked, shocked.
Xander got up. "What's it look like? He bagged himself another slayer."
Spike was on him in an instant, slamming him up against the wall. "Watch your mouth, whelp!" He snarled angrily. "You think I wanted to do this?"
"S... Spike..." Buffy managed, her voice weak.
Spike's attention was instantly back where it should've been, her hand instantly in his.
Willow rushed to Buffy's side. "She's still alive!"
"Hang on, Buffy," Dawn pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. "Please!"
Buffy's eyes were glassy, distant, but fixed on Spike. She didn't even seem to see the others. "T-thank... y...ou..."
Buffy gasped one last time, drawing her last breath, then she stopped breathing, went still. Dawn broke down in tears and rushed from the house. Willow followed her out a moment later.
Xander glared at Spike. "Don't think this is over, Spike." Spike didn't bother to respond. Xander was nothing, just a sidekick.
Xander turned and followed Willow and Dawn out. Anya stayed there a moment more, standing in the doorway, transfixed by the sight of Buffy's dead body.
Spike slumped down next to the bed, Buffy's hand still clasped in his. He gently closed her eyes.
The silence was deafening.
And then? Spike heard Anya gasp. He was stunned himself.
A brilliant white light engulfed her body, almost blinding them. He couldn't feel her hand in his anymore. The body had disappeared, the only evidence it had ever been there the wrinkled sheets, her clothes, and the taste in Spike's mouth.
That shapeless light, the warmth of it -- that was Buffy. Or, it felt like her. It floated there for a moment, gossamer tendrils spreading out, as if floating in some otherworldly ocean.
Then, it was gone, floated up through the ceiling, leaving Anya and Spike alone in the room. After a long moment, Anya broke the stunned silence.
"I should -- I should go. The others..."
She turned to leave. Spike just stared at where the light had been. He was crying, he realised.
The mood was grim as they made their way back inside. There were potential slayers crowding Andrew in the kitchen; it seemed he'd gone grocery shopping.
"It was pretty amazing," Andrew reported. "A whole grocery store, just abandoned. Food lying around everywhere -- well, the produce was on its way to funky town but -- the apples still look pretty good so everyone should check those out."
Everyone ignored him, too busy looking through his haul, even Giles, who went straight to a box of cookies.
"Oh, Jaffa Cakes!" He ate several of them, ecstatically. Giles looked up as they came in. "Did you find Buffy?"
Anya left the room. For a moment, nobody answered. Xander was the first one to speak. "Yeah."
"She's dead, Giles," Willow reported quietly.
The silence that fell on the kitchen was almost absolute, punctuated only by Dawn's sobbing. Every potential slayer had stopped, fallen silent. Even Andrew had shut up.
"Buffy's..." Giles couldn't bring himself to finish. "H-how?"
"It was Spike," Xander said hatefully.
"Spike killed..." Giles trailed off, trying to make sense of it. "But that's... She'd never..."
"We saw him, Giles," Willow said. "He drained her. She... She thanked him for it."
"Why would..." Giles started. "Buffy's always been able to..."
"Isn't it obvious?" Dawn demanded angrily, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. Nobody answered. "It's because of us. We did this to her. We made her do this."
Willow moved to comfort Dawn, but Dawn shrugged her off, disgusted.
"Dawnie, no," Willow protested quietly. "This... this wasn't us."
"That's right. It was Spike," Xander said. He looked around. "I think it's pretty clear what we have to do."
"We told her to leave! We're the ones that kicked her out!" Dawn yelled angrily. Her anger gave way to guilt. "If we hadn't... if I hadn't... then maybe... maybe she'd..."
Dawn broke down and ran upstairs to her room. The door slammed shut behind her.
Giles sighed, defeated. "Spike is not our only concern right now." He shook his head. "Faith hasn't returned with the other girls. Something's gone wrong."
