Useless

Useless

It was the night of the full moon, and finally time for Sam to meet Buffy and find out just what exactly she and the yellow eyed demon had in store for him.

"So, everybody knows the plan, right?" John asked to the group gathered just outside of the forest.

"I go in alone," Sam spoke up. "just like she said."

John nodded. "We'll all be waiting for your signal out here."

"The sound of a gunshot."

"Right."

"I'll try to keep tabs on you, too," Willow added. "But I don't know how well that'll work. Who knows what kind of magic they've got going on."

John pressed the colt into Sam's hands, and kept his hands clasped around Sam's for a moment. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do."

"It'll be dangerous."

Sam nodded. "I know that. But if I don't go in, they'll start killing people. I can't let that happen."

"I'm proud of you, son." He looked over at Dean. "Of both of you."

Taking a deep breath, Sam turned around and entered the forest.

As he neared the centre of the forest, all noises from the outside world faded and disappeared. It was eerily quiet, and Sam could only concentrate on the sound of his beating heart and the crunching of leaves and twigs underneath his feet.

Finally, he spotted Buffy through the trees. She sat on a wooden log in a long, white dress. Her hair was golden, and her skin glowed. She looked the picture of innocence.

As Sam drew nearer, he heard her singing softly.

"Day is done, gone the sun. From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky. All is well, safely rest; God is nigh."

He recognized it as a lullaby. It sounded oddly scary coming from her lips.

She stopped singing, and looked over her shoulder at him with a smile. Her eyes were black. "Hello, brother."

Sam lifted the colt and pointed it straight at her head.

Just outside the line of the forest, Dean was eyeing the rest of the group closely. Along with the usual gang, there were over a dozen slayers. All with heightened senses – but none were paying any attention to him.

Slowly, so as not to draw any unnecessary attention his way, he edged away from the group. And when he was sure that nobody was looking, he darted through the trees and into the forest.

He had a part to play in this, and he'd be damned if he was going to miss out.

"Where is he?" Sam demanded, edging towards Buffy and still pointing the gun at her. "The demon that killed my mom, where is he?"

She seemed unconcerned about the gun and just watched him tiptoe towards her, an amused glint shining in her eyes. "You mean Azazel?"

"What?"

"It's only polite to call him by his real name."

"I think we moved way past polite when he killed my mom and girlfriend. Where is he?"

She sighed and and flicked a lock of hair behind her shoulder, as if Sam was boring her. "Obviously he's not here right now. He's saving himself all up for the grand finale."

"Well then you can answer my questions. What does he want with me? And with you? What does he want us for?"

"Come along now, Sammy, you already know the answer to that. It is written that a man of pure evil," she recited. "will chose a daughter and a son, a girl and a boy. The girl will be the warrior and creator, and the boy will be the youngest son. And with his two children ruling by his side, he will bring about a new age for demons." She smiled serenely. "When you join us, Sam, you'll have more power than you could ever dream of."

Sam shook his head. "This isn't you, Buffy."

"Well, duh! I'm more powerful than Buffy ever was. I'm unbeatable."

"No, you're nothing compared to Buffy. You're just a puppet being controlled by the demon. If he didn't have you under his spell, you'd understand how wrong this is."

She pretended to yawn. "I'm sorry, you were droning?"

Faith hissed out a curse. She'd been searching the group for the past couple of minutes and it had become quite apparent that Dean had vanished, and there was no guessing as to where he had run off to.

The stupid ass was going to get himself killed!

With another very colourful curse, she slowly backed away from the group and darted into the forest after Dean.

If she died because of him, she was going to kill him.

Buffy cocked her head to one side. After a moment, she smirked wickedly. "Looks like Dean and Faith are coming to play." From nowhere, she pulled out a dangerously vicious looking dagger and ran it gently over her lips. "Buffy used this very knife to stab Faith one time, you know," she informed Sam. "What do you say we get the bitch to stay good and dead this time, huh?"

With determination, Sam clicked the safety off of the gun. "You won't hurt her."

Rolling her eyes impatiently at his bravado, she waved her hand as if she was swatting at a fly. An invisible force slammed into Sam. He flew backwards and into a tree, and the colt dropped from his hand.

"Don't be so stupid, Sam," she expressed, finally standing up. "You and I both know that you could never pull the trigger." She trailed her fingers from her breast to her bellybutton. "Not when you love this body so."

"You're crazy."

"What now?"

"I said you're crazy. You'd have to be if you think I would ever be one of you." He struggled against the invisible binds that held him to the tree, but it was to no avail.

"Maybe I am crazy," she conceded. "But you will be one of us. And once the ritual is complete, you'll realize that it's what you really wanted all along."

"What do you mean? What ritual?"

"The one that started when you were just six months old."

"The night my mom was killed..."

"Azazel fed you his blood. Of course, back then he had a whole other plan in mind, but then he came across the prophecy. Those pesky visions of yours...a sweet li'l gift from him."

"My God, he...he fed me his blood?" Sam felt like he was about to hurl.

"Yup, and now I'm going to feed you some of mine. See, like I said before, there's this whole ritual, and it's a whole blood thing. You need to ingest demon blood, and really, what could be stronger than mine? It's perfect. That's why he had to get me first."

"You're not...Buffy, come on! You're not making me drink your blood!"

She strode over and stopped right in front of him. "Hey, don't knock it 'till you've tried it." She put the tip of Faith's dagger to her arm and was just about to cut when a voice from behind her interrupted.

"Buffy...no!"

Sighing, she lowered the dagger and turned around. "Dean."

"Dean!" John called out. "Where are you? I wanna talk to you about something." He frowned when there was no immediate answer. "Dean? Is everything all right?"

Giles pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "He isn't here," he muttered to John.

John swore loudly. "He must have gone in. I should've known he'd pull a stunt like this."

"As if you wouldn't have done the same," Bobby grumbled. "He's just like his old man, that one."

"Um, guys," Andrew interrupted. "I can't find Faith anywhere."

Giles looked at John. "You don't think..."

"I don't know her as well as you do. Does going in there sound like the kind of thing she'd do?"

Giles looked grim. "It sounds exactly like the kind of thing she'd do."

"Right. This has gotten way too outta control for my liking."

"I agree. I think it's time we called the whole thing off and regrouped."

John turned to the group of slayers and whistled to get their attention. "We're aborting the plan," he informed them loudly. "We need to go in now and get Sam and Dean and Faith out." Without waiting for an answer, he turned and charged towards the forest. "Whoa!" he yelled, jumping backwards when a line of fire flared up, right outside the trees.

"What on earth..." Giles murmured, as he and everyone else was forced back. As he watched, the fire quickly began to spread, catching onto the trees.

"Willow!" John shouted desperately. "You need to do something! My boys are trapped in there! They'll be burnt alive!"

Willow nodded and held up her hand in front of the flames. "Unda*," she muttered. But instead of killing the fire like she had intended, it only grew worse. The heat became hotter, the flames, faster, bigger. She stepped back and shook her head. "Powerful magic is blocking mine."

"Whose magic?" Andrew asked.

"Buffy's."

Giles frowned. "Buffy doesn't have that kind of magic."

"It's likely a loan from the demon."

"He can do that?"

"He has her under his complete control. He can do anything he wants."

"Please," John begged – something he was obviously not used to doing. "You have to do something."

Willow wrung her hands nervously for a moment. "I can try to concentrate my energy around them and keep the fire off them. But I don't know how long it'll last. Like I said before, this is really powerful magic..."

John looked resolved. "Do it."

It had only been moments, but Dean could already feel the heat of the fire. "What did you do?" he demanded of Buffy, horrified.

She glanced at him like he was stupid. "I couldn't let ol' Daddy Winchester and the troops come marching in, silly. They'd have ruined the party, and this was really meant to be a small gathering." She clapped her hands in a businesslike fashion. "Now, you," She nodded towards Dean. "be patient and wait your turn. "And you," She looked back at Sam. "Let's get with the initiation."

Dean's feet were frozen to the floor. What was he supposed to do? It was his brother...It was the woman he loved...What was he supposed to do?

"Can't let you do that, B," came a new voice.

Buffy span around, momentarily surprised by how close Faith was standing. For one short second, she let her guard down. That one short second was all Faith needed. Like lightning, her fist shot out and connected with Buffy's cheek. As Buffy lost her concentration, the invisible binds holding Sam to the tree vanished, and he slid down to the ground.

Buffy quickly recovered from the attack, and glared at Faith. "That was annoying," she said. "I'd hoped the flames had killed you by now."

"You know me," Faith replied nonchalantly, moving into a fighting stance. "I'm always ready to piss you off."

"Are you gonna tell me how much you don't want to fight me again? 'Cause that was awfully boring last time."

"Actually I was going to apologize."

"Why?"

"Because I'm gonna save you. And it ain't gonna feel too good."

Buffy snorted, and leapt at Faith.

Sam watched them for a moment, slightly in shock. They fought so fast that their movements were blurred. It seemed like Faith was doing a little better than the last time – although that was likely because she was more prepared this time around – but she still wasn't even close to gaining the upper hand. Buffy was deadly.

Shaking himself, Sam scrambled up. As good as she was, Faith wouldn't be able to keep Buffy occupied forever. He threw a quick glance at Dean, who was still frozen too the spot. "Dean, we ave to find the colt!"

It took a moment for Sam's word to register in Dean's brain. They had to find the colt...they had to find the colt so that they could use it on Buffy...so that they could kill Buffy. He shook his head uselessly and backed up.

Sam got down on all floors, crawling around until his hand hit something hard and cold.

The colt!

He hissed in triumph and grabbed it up.

Buffy noticed his movements immediately and kicked Faith hard in the chest, sending her flying. Quicker than Sam even had a chance to ready the gun, she was by his side. Lifting him up by his throat, she walked him back and slammed him against a tree. "Don't worry," she whispered cruelly. "You're body doesn't have to be in perfect shape for the ritual to work. And once you're one of us, you'll be stronger and healthier than ever."

Black spots began to dance in front of Sam's eyes as he started to lose conciseness. His grip on the colt loosened, until he dropped it once again onto the floor.

Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw Faith pick herself up off the floor. She sighed heavily. "You people are very annoying." She let Sam drop to the floor and then kicked him hard in the face. His head shot back and slammed into the tree, and his body dropped to the floor. He was lifeless and still, except for the blood that dripped down from somewhere is his hair and over his face.

Faith charged towards Buffy, and they took up with a flurry of fists. But it seemed that Buffy had lost all of her patience with the fight, and Faith was soon on the ground, bloody and bruised and fighting to stay conscious.

Buffy lowered herself over Faith, a knee on either side of her body. She pulled out the dagger and raised it in the air, but was tackled by Dean before she could bring it down.

He had finally found his legs.

She kicked him off of her easily and he rolled and landed by Sam.

Faith twisted over and up onto her knees. She tried to crawl towards Dean and Sam, but her injuries were severe. She fell to the ground and was still.

Buffy picked herself up and looked over at Dean. "Why would you ever think that you could hurt me?" She sounded honestly baffled, and like she genuinely wanted to know. "When Sam and Faith couldn't?"

He climbed to his feet and held up a knife, coated in blood. "Well, this blood ain't mine."

She looked down, and sure enough, a line of blood was blossoming across her chest. It was only a shallow cut, but she looked pissed. "You ruined my dress! I had this made specially for tonight, you know."

"Besides," Dean continued, like she hadn't even spoken. "I know a little trick that they don't know." He held up his other hand. Dangling from his fingers was the necklace he had gotten her for her birthday.

She put a hand up to her neck. She hadn't even realized he'd taken it. "That's called stealing."

"You see, I know there's still a little bit of my Buffy in there somewhere. Otherwise, why would you be wearing this?"

She pursed her lips together and folded her arms. "You're all talk, Dean Winchester. You can't do anything to me."

"Yes I can." He looked determined. "I can remind you where home is."

"It's a quartz. It's supposed to remind you where home is."

Before Buffy had a chance to react, Dean slid he knife across his palm. His blood spilt out, mixing with hers. He had no idea why he was doing what he was doing. All he knew was that he was doing it, and it felt right. He gripped the necklace with his bloodied hand, and then threw it to the ground at Buffy's feet.

A wave of power shot out from the necklace, knocking them both off of their feet. Dean quickly recovered, and took the opportunity to snatch up the colt, which was lying right next to Sam. He pulled himself to his feet, and watched as Buffy did the same thing.

She stared over at him, and her black eyes flashed once, before turning back to their original colour.

"Buffy," he breathed. It was his Buffy, he knew it. He stepped towards her, but she held up her hand to halt him.

"Don't!" she choked out. "Don't come any closer."

"But it's you! I know it's you!"

Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over. "Dean, I...I've seen terrible things. I've done terrible things."

"No, baby, that wasn't you!"

She let out a loud sob. "He...he made me..."

"I know, sweetheart. But I've got you now. I saved you, and none of us had to die. You're free!"

"I'm not, I'm not free. I can't...In a minute I'll be gone again. Please, Dean, you have to save me."

"What do you mean? I don't know how to save you!"

"Yes you do!"

"But how will me dying help save you?" He slowly looked down at the gun in his hand.

And then he got it.

Death was his gift. But not his death...hers. He had to kill her to save her, to set her free. His father had been telling him this all along. He should have listened.

With an aching heart, he lifted the gun and pointed it at Buffy with a trembling hand. "But...I can't..."

The forest was burning.

Flames soared above them, consuming the thick trees and eating up the ground, destroying everything in its path quicker than it took to take a breath. The dark, midnight sky could no longer be seen through the orange blaze and black smoke, and the burning heat was long past being unbearable.

No one could get in.

No one could get out.

Dean couldn't help but notice how despite flames, the four of them seemed to be immune. He wasn't sure whether this was because the demon's mojo was trying to protect Buffy, or if Willow was somehow helping them from the outside, but he knew that the circle of ground unaffected by flames wouldn't last for long. Even now, the heat was beginning to seep through. Sweat trickled down his forehead, his t-shirt stuck to his shaking body, and the hand in which he held his gun was slippery. He needed to think. Fast. But how could he think when his world was crashing down around him? When his heart was shattering into tiny pieces? When everything he had worked so hard to protect, everything he loved, was quickly slipping away?

Without lowering his gun or moving his head, he looked to his his left. Sam, barely conscious, had woken up and was trying and failing to crawl to his knees. But he was too weak. The many injuries he had sustained were holding him down, the blood he had lost making his body frail.

And to his right, the second strongest girl he knew was laying on her front, her face pressed into the dirt and leaves, her dark hair surrounding her head on the ground around her. He wasn't even sure if Faith was alive.

"Do it!"

He looked up sharply, eyes locking with Buffy's, stood ten feet away. Too far. Always too far.

"Do it!" she pleaded, tears falling from her eyes. "Please! You have to do it!"

"I can't!" he yelled back, his voice hoarse.

"You have to! I can't...I can't hold back for much longer!"

"No! I'll fix you! I will, I promise. We just need to-"

"I'm not strong enough!"

"You are! You're stronger than anyone I've ever met!"

The roaring flames had become so loud that he had to scream. It teared up his throat but he didn't care. Didn't even notice.

"Please!" she begged. "I don't wanna hurt them anymore." Her eyes, filled with so much pain, mirrored his own perfectly as she glanced to her left and right before looking back at him. "You have to do it. Now!"

"How can I?" he pleaded, tears falling freely from his eyes. "I can't! I...I love you, damn it! God, I love you!"

"They'll die if you don't!" she cried. "All of them. Oh God, please! I can't...don't let me kill them. Please! You have to. Please!"

Never, not in all the time he'd know her, had he heard her beg. Not for anything. And now, to hear her pleading, begging...for this? It ripped him apart inside. But not nearly as much as the sound of the gun in his hand clicking as he cocked the trigger.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm so sorry."

And with an anguished sob, Dean pulled the trigger and, aiming straight at Buffy's heart, he shot.