Hello my loves! Merry Christmas! (Well tomorrow anyways). I'd like to let you know that I had originally planned on having a Christmas one-shot done up for you guys...but then I got really sick and really really into Dragon Age and now I'm out of time. That and this year...I dunno. I've never been a huge fan of Christmas, but this year seems to be even worse. It doesn't feel like Christmas in the slightest. If I find the inspiration tomorrow maybe I'll throw something together.

This chapter, as you'll notice, kinda removes a Buffy/Angel scene that was beloved by the Bangel fans out there. Sorry 'bout that. Seemed only fair that it became a Dean scene since I took out the adorable Spuffy scene too. Forgive me if Angel showing up at the last minute was a favorite moment. I think I utilized it well though. You'll notice again I stole some dialogue from the show, and it kinda peppers the whole chapter. The lines from the show were just so well written and I didn't want to lose the meaning behind them. I did twist 'em and make 'em my own, but you'll definitely recognize the lines that are not mine. I hope it works well. =)

Chapter Fifteen – Save The World

"Okay, the point. Me, by myself, all the time. I'm looking at you, everything you have and I don't know - I'm jealous. Then there I am, everybody's looking to me, trusting me to lead them and I've never felt so alone in my entire life."

Buffy nodded, "yeah…"

Faith looked at Buffy, and it was in an entirely new light. There was a tenderness in her voice when she spoke again, "and that's you, every day. Isn't it?"

"I love my friends. I'm very grateful for them. But that's the price of being a Slayer," Buffy admitted.

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The chilly night air nipped at Buffy's skin as she walked, and considering everything that was happening at the moment, it really was the least of her troubles. Despite that she couldn't help but muse at the fact that it was uncommonly cold for California. Must have something to do with the whole world trying to come to an end, but she always figured that it would get hotter and not colder. Guess it's just another way for the hellmouth to keep them on their toes.

It had taken quite a lot of convincing on her side to have her friends let her go this mission alone. Maybe some back up would have been smart, but if Buffy was being honest, she'd rather go it solo. For back up to be effective there needed to be some manner of trust – on both sides. It had been made more than clear that she had lost their trust along the way, and it left her questioning her own feelings on them too. Then again, maybe they were right not to trust her. She did get several girls killed, Xander would never be the same, she had let a crazy vampire stay with them – hell she had let The First stay with them for a while even. Buffy knew that she had made a lot of wrong calls over the last couple of months, and now that there was time to look over all of them she found herself less sure of her actions.

That was another reason Buffy had wanted to go this mission alone. This walk gave her time to think – to reflect. It was the first time she'd had that chance since Giles showed up at her door with those girls, and she wasn't going to waste it. Even when she had been kicked out of the house she hadn't had time to just think. Her mind had gone into overdrive worrying about Faith as a leader and what would happen to her family. There was no sign given of what kind of leader Faith would be; they had never had a chance to see those qualities in her. As a Slayer she must have the instincts, but did she know how to listen to them?

The fact that she had led them directly into a bomb trap was evidence that no, she did not know to listen to her instincts. Or she did, but didn't trust it. Either way Buffy was feeling something now that she never would have expected to feel ever again. Buffy felt bad for Faith. She wished that this had never happened. Saying her relationship with Faith had been complicated over the years would be an incredible understatement. There had been countless acts of malice between the two of them, but after the body swap mess any sympathy Buffy had for Faith had been killed. Now though? Her heart actually ached for what had happened. It could have easily have happened to her, but it didn't. Faith got her first taste of leadership, of what it felt like to have people believe in you, and it left a sour taste behind.

There was a new understanding between the two Slayers now. After all the years of struggling to see from the other's point of view and it was Faith that finally got that glimpse. Faith finally knew how it felt to be the "Golden Slayer." She saw how important it was to make the hard decisions, and understood how important it was to make them. Maybe now Faith understood why Buffy had been so unforgiving with her. Maybe after all this was over Buffy could take the time to look past everything and give Faith the same understanding. Or at least try to. Stranger things had happened.

At least the rift that had happened in her house hadn't been a total waste. A new bond might be able to be developed between the two Slayers. That, and of course she had this nifty new axe thing. Scythe thing? Whatever it was called it was sharp, pointy, and made short work of those nasty antique vampires. It was going to make all the difference, she knew it. It hummed and sang every time Buffy placed her hands on it. It felt right in her hands. What that meant, she didn't know, but that's what this mission was all about.

ӁӁӁ

"Forged there, it was put to use right here to kill the last pure demon that walked upon the earth. The rest were already driven under. And then there were men here, and then there were monks. And then there was a town and now there is you. And the scythe remained hidden."

Buffy furrowed her brow, "I don't understand. How is it possible that we didn't know any of this?"

The Guardian smiled, "we hid, too. We had to until now. We're the last surprise."

"Does this mean I can win?" Buffy held her breath waiting for the reply.

"That is really up to you."

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Buffy was trapped. Caleb had her scythe and she was on the ground with nowhere to run from him now. It was supposed to be a simple recon mission, she was just meant to get some information. She should have known it would never be that simple, especially considering everything that had happened in the last month or so. Maybe she had hoped that getting the scythe would be enough to get the preacher off of her back for a little while. She was wrong, and the strong pain in her ribs was making sure that she was aware of that.

Caleb could have killed her already, but he was revelling in the moment. It was torture for her, and he knew it. He wanted to drag it out, make her suffer. There was nothing worse than feeling like it was all over. She had already accepted that she was about to lose the scythe, and probably her life. All she could hope was that Faith would be able to hold the line. That they would not fail as she had now.

Caleb taunted her, "I was kinda hopin' it'd go this way."

Caleb raised the scythe, ready to bring it down on the blonde Slayer. She had nowhere to go, no way to protect herself. She braced herself for the impact, refusing to let any tears spill down her cheeks. Buffy was not going to give that satisfaction. She never expected the back of a shotgun to catch Caleb in the back of the skull. Caleb dropped to the ground, the scythe clattering near her feet.

"Always have had issues with fathers," Dean grinned, offering his hand to Buffy. "Are all religious nuts just massive assholes?"

"Dean what are you doing here?"

"Are you ever just gonna say 'hi, nice to see you' or am I always gonna get this greeting?" His eyes gleamed as he spoke. "You look good."

The few phone calls they had exchanged of late had him expecting to find a tired, battered, and bruised Buffy. He had thought she'd look like the Buffy he had met in Purgatory, the one that stole his knife. The one that was ready to leave him for dead. The one that had expected him to turn on her at any second. He thought she would look as defeated as she had sounded. There was a tiredness behind her eyes that was unmistakable, but she looked just as stunning as she always did. She looked like the Buffy he had grown so fond of.

"You look timely. And also good."

"Timely is right," he nodded his head towards the preacher before smiling widely at her.

Unfortunately his human strength was not enough to keep Caleb down for long. The preacher rose up between the two of them before Buffy could muster a response.

"You ready to finish this, bitch?" Caleb fumed, his eyes blackened with rage.

Dean flipped his shotgun around and took aim at Caleb's head, but Buffy grabbed the barrel and lowered it.

Dean then remembered everything she had told him about Caleb. He had killed a countless number of the girls Buffy was trying to protect. He had gouged out one of Xander's eyes. He had beaten her down more than once. "Of course, ladies first."

"Why thank you, kind sir," Buffy said with a wink.

Dean stepped back in a faux-bow. "Good luck, Preacher Man. You're gonna need it," Dean said in a sing-song voice.

Caleb hadn't seen what Buffy could really fight like yet. Not when she was pissed anyways, and not when she'd had more than enough. Dean had seen her take down formidable foes in Purgatory, and Caleb was nothing new as far as he was concerned. Cas had warned him about Caleb, but he could see the look in Buffy's eyes. It was the same look she had taken on when she came up against Eve just outside of the portal. This preacher was going down. He watched as Buffy fought Caleb, and couldn't help but miss this. Battling with her, seeing her fight. He'd give anything for her to remember their battles.

It didn't take long for Buffy to take him down, even shorter than Dean would have expected. The short break and the vote of confidence from Dean had bolstered her resolve, and she felt ready to take on anything right now. They'd had a lot of encounters the last while, but Buffy was beyond done with this. There was no way she was going to let him win again. This fight was for all the girls they lost to his hands, this was for Xander, this was to show her friends that she was still capable. This was for all the times he beat her down. Caleb could have never expected the rush of strength she had received, and fell easily at her hands this time. She buried the scythe deep into the preacher's torso and ripped straight up, effectively separating him into two halves. A river of blood poured from the scene as Buffy gasped for breath.

"Thank god," she said as she wiped blood off of her cheek. The preacher was officially out of the game.

"Now are you gonna tell me you're glad to see me?" Dean beamed.

Buffy smiled widely before closing her lips down onto Dean's. His hand came up to the back of her neck and pulled her in tighter. The scythe clattered to the ground as her arms came up to wrap around his neck. Dean growled as he felt Buffy moan into his lips. When they finally parted Dean took a second to regain his voice.

Dean gasped for air slightly, "yup okay, that'll do it."

"Seriously though, Dean. What are you doing here?"

"What, I can't just come and visit?" Dean said, a look of mock-offence on his face.

"Not in the middle of a war. C'mon, give it up Winchester."

"Remember when we called about that mission in Gilroy?" Buffy nodded so he continued to speak, "well we found some information about something that could help you. Some ancient, mystical doo-dad. We didn't wanna say anything until we found it."

"Tell me you found it, 'cause otherwise this is just a cruel game," She arched her brow in interest.

Dean nodded, "well our Dad did." Dean dug the chain out of his pocket and lowered it, hanging it on his fingers.

The torchlight in the room glinted off the crystal that sat in the middle. The medallion itself swung back and forth and Buffy could feel the power emanating off of it. It hummed just like the scythe had when she grabbed onto it. It was old, that much she could tell, but the source of its power was less apparent. She didn't know what it was, what it would do, but it was something big. It was something game changing. Killing Caleb had put The First into check, but whatever this was felt like enough to pull off the checkmate.

"I can already tell you, I have nothing that goes with that," Buffy joked.

Dean shook his head, "it's not for you."

Her brow furrowed, "splainy?"

He grinned at the word that Buffy had used. It was so fundamentally Buffy. The smile was short lived though. Sam and Dean had both read what their Dad had said about the amulet. It wasn't very clear in what it would do, but it didn't sound safe. He couldn't risk Buffy wearing it, not if it ended up being dangerous. John had written about where he had found the amulet, how he came across it. It was a demon invention, and there was no way that a Slayer could risk it. She had her weapon, but this was going to be worn by someone else. He didn't know who, but he hoped that she would know.

"We don't know everything yet. It's very powerful, that much is obvious. The translation my Dad did was shaky at best. Something about a purifying power? Cleansing? Possibly scrubbing bubbles," Dean's expression showed both his confusion and his frustration. "Anyways, it gives strength to the right person who wears it."

"And the right person is?"

"Gotta be strong, but gotta have a soul. The word 'champion' showed up a couple of times," Dean explained.

"Sure sounds like me, dontcha think?"

"You can't risk wearing this thing. It's darkness, Buffy. It was created in darkness, from darkness."

"The Slayer was created from darkness, 'member?" She crossed her arms.

"Don't care. You're not wearing this," Dean gave her his best stern expression. It was something he had shot Sam a countless number of times. "C'mon, let someone else have a cool toy for once."

"So you're probably gonna veto the idea of another Slayer wearing it, huh?"

Buffy didn't like the idea of Faith wearing it any more than Dean liked the idea of Buffy wearing it, but Faith was an equal candidate.

Dean shot her an incredulous look, "you mean Faith? The one that you were afraid of even letting into your house?"

Buffy sighed, she figured that would be his response. She thought a moment, "maybe Willow?"

Dean shook his head, "let's not attach something from darkness to someone who about a year ago tried to end the world, kay?"

Buffy sighed again. Her little ragtag crew was making this much too difficult. Who else did they have that could be a champion? That was strong enough?

"I'll figure it out. Gimme."

Dean dropped it in her outstretched hand, still wary about giving her the chance to wear it anyways. He was finally able to help, and he just hoped that she'd listen to him. He had learned a few times that she wasn't one to listen anyways, especially to a hunter. He just hoped that she trusted him enough to trust what he was saying. She slipped it into her pocket, her mind already running through the list of people that may be able to wear it. No names seem to make sense yet.

The two of them paused for a minute, standing in the temple, not sure what to do or say.

"Wanna get outta this temple…thing?" Dean asked, looking towards both of the corpses near them.

Buffy nodded, "very much so."

Dean took her hand in his and led her out of the torch lit room. He felt like a sap, but he couldn't help but appreciate how nicely her hand fit in his. The squeeze that she gave his hand told him that she was just as pleased by the arrangement as he was. So the two of them strolled through the cemetery this way, hand in hand, finally enjoying some time together that didn't include demon slaughter. Buffy didn't know how much longer Dean had been waiting for this moment than she had, and that ate at Dean as they walked. Regardless, tt was everything they had both wanted.

"So, what ever happened with Wood?" Dean asked as they walked.

"Well, after he tried to, ya know…I told him that there was no time for personal vendettas, but I still needed good fighters. I told him if he tried something again that Spike would kill him, and more importantly I would let him," Buffy looked up at Dean. "He's been valuable in the fight ever since."

"Look at you, collaborating with hunters. Maybe you judged us too harshly before, hmm?" Dean winked.

Buffy laughed, "nothing like the end of the world to change the grudges ya hold, huh? I think that's enough shop talk though. Please? Let's just be…people for now."

Dean chuckled, "gotcha." Dean paused a second, "uh, what do 'just people' talk about?"

Buffy thought a minute, "I think usually about work, family, friends, that kinda stuff."

"Well. We both have the same line of work…"

"My only family is my sister, and she's right in the thick of it all."

"Sam is too."

"My friends are stuck in the same boat," Buffy continued.

Dean shrugged, "don't really have 'friends.' Mostly just connections…"

Buffy sighed, "we suck."

"Maybe you suck, but I'm awesome," Dean winked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Buffy rolled her eyes.

A silence came over them, but it was the best feeling they could have. It was comfortable, and it left them at ease. The world was getting ready to crumble around them, but right now there was time to just…be. For the time being they were just enjoying walking together. Sure, a cemetery isn't exactly the most romantic place to have a pseudo date, but considering the lives they led, it seemed rather appropriate. Every so often Buffy would steal a glance up to the hunter she was walking with, and most of the time she would find him already looking at her. There was just something about the way that he looked at her that made her feel...perfect.

"You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen," Dean said, interrupting the silence.

Buffy smiled, "I bet you say that to all the Slayers you meet."

"Well, I havent' met Faith yet – " Dean started to joke, stopping when he took an elbow to the ribs. "Oof, I was kidding."

Buffy was smiling, "jerk."

"Seriously though. I wanted you to know that. You are…stunning."

Buffy could feel herself blushing and tried to turn her face away from Dean to conceal it. It was useless, however, as he had already seen the blush spreading across her cheeks. She opened her mouth to say something but Dean stopped her.

"Don't say anything. Let's just…leave it there. It was just something I've been wanting to say for a really long time."

Buffy smiled and nodded, leaning up to kiss him. Dean happily returned the kiss, letting go of her hand to pull her closer to him by the waist. Contented, the pair continued their walk, doing their best at small talk. Dean shared some stories about growing up with Sam and what it was like growing up in the Impala. Buffy talked about taking care of Dawn, and some of her friends quirks. It was nice to finally talk about something other than the life.

A voice came from behind them suddenly, "Well isn't this cute?"

Buffy and Dean spun around to find themselves face to face with Caleb.

The panic that struck Buffy was short lived as she realized what was happening, "you're not him."

Caleb smiled, "no, you killed him, right and proper. Terrible loss. This man was my good right arm. Course it don't pain me too much. Don't need an arm. I've got an army."

"An army of vampires, however will she fight?" Dean said, bored of this banter.

"Have you ever considered a cool name? I mean, since you're incorporeal and basically powerless?" Buffy asked, also bored of the whole situation.

"How about the Taunter?" Dean suggested, "strikes fear in the hearts of – "

"I will overrun this earth. And when my army outnumbers the humans on this earth, the scales will tip and I will be made flesh!"

"Talk on. I'm not afraid of you," Buffy said simply.

"Then why are you here, seeking comfort with the only other soul as broken as yours, hm? Are you hoping that he can fix that fracture? Make you whole?"

Buffy's blood ran cold, "what are you talking about?"

"Oh you know," The First shifted into Tara, "it was wh-what you wanted me to look into. D-Don't you remember?"

Dean didn't know exactly what was going on, but as soon as he saw Buffy's lower lip tremble it didn't really matter. Whoever it was masquerading as cut deep. Whatever angle it was working now was enough to stir the need to shut it down.

Buffy remained silent, her chest heaving as she breathed. The mix of anger and agony was too much to bear.

"You feel wr-wrong still, don't you? Like s-something is mi-missing? You're right."

"No, you're wrong," Buffy said, her voice shaking.

Tara's sweet voice took on a sharp edge now, "I'm not. I can see what that pathetic mousy witch couldn't. I know what's broken in you. So does he."

It clicked now. Dean knew exactly what The First was talking about, and he finally regarded this entity with the fear that everyone else seemed to. It was threatening to break everything.

"Shut your mouth," Dean seethed.

The First ignored Dean, "Maybe I should show you. Let you see the lies he's made you believe."

"I said shut your mouth!" Dean practically screamed this time.

The First turned to face Dean, a sly smile playing at the corner of the brunette's mouth. A twisted laugh escaped her lips as she shifted into a petite blonde. Buffy didn't recognize the girl, but obviously Dean had caught The First's attention and this one was for him. It was his turn now.

"Or what, you'll shut it for me? Did you ever win when we bickered?" Jo smiled widely, a laugh in her voice.

Dean had heard from Sam how it burned to see The First wear someone's face. Buffy had shared the same sentiments with him. Seeing Caleb come up behind them had shown him what it was like to fear what form it might take, but this was different. This time The First went for the hurt, and it was a direct hit; he could feel his heart splitting again.

"Leave Jo out of this," his voice shook as he spoke.

"I needed to be sure you were listening. This child is the only one that could ever call you out. So maybe you'll listen when it's her voice reminding you of how broken you are," The First jeered.

"Say whatever you want – it won't make a difference," Dean recovered from the initial shock.

"Well I mean, you don't have the same fractures as Blondie over there, but something still isn't quite right. It hasn't been for a long time, has it? Not since you got back anyways," The First's gaze bore deep into Dean, and he could feel a burning sensation within him. "Maybe Purgatory left a harder mark on you than it did on her? Which is strange considering you got out before –"

"I've heard enough from you. Isn't there someone else's ear you can go and talk off?"

Dean hoped that if he slung barbs towards The First it would get distracted. He had not spent the last year and a bit keeping information from Buffy to have some incorporeal thing undo it all. He hoped that it hadn't already said too much.

"I could be anywhere, but this is much more fun, don't you think? I didn't really have to come though, did I?" The First turned it's attention back to Buffy, "you already know that you're fighting a losing battle, don't you?"

Buffy averted The First's gaze while Dean felt the anger boil in his blood.

The First answered for her, "cause Dean can't help you. He couldn't even help me. Faith, your friends, they're just as useless. Who else could ever hope to stand up to me? Certainly not your wanna-slay brigade. None of those girlies will ever know real power unless you're dead. You know the drill, dontcha?"

The First changed from wearing Jo's face to wearing Buffy's. She hated when it did that. Dean learned then that he also didn't care for it. It ranked up there with wearing his mother's face, and he wished that it would go back to looking like Jo. He balled his fists, but he knew that it would do no good. He couldn't touch The First, as much as he wanted to rip it to shreds right now. He refused to show his anger again though, and did the only thing he could do in this moment.

"Hm, two Buffy's. Now that's something I could get used to," he said, trying to stop gritting his teeth.

The First ignored Dean's comment, "into every generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world. She alone will have the strength and skill to – there's that word again. What you are. How you'll die. Alone."

The First let it's words sink in. It could see the anger on Dean's face, but was not phased by it. It could see the misery that it had caused in Buffy's eyes, and that was exactly what it had been aiming to do. When neither of them had anything to say, The First grinned wildly.

"Where's your snappy comeback?" It goaded.

"You're right," Buffy said, her voice sullen.

"Hm, not your best," The First said.

Dean turned Buffy towards him with his hands on her shoulders, "you're not listening to this crap, are you?"

They looked back to where The First had been standing and saw that they were alone in the cemetery once more. Dean turned back to Buffy and tried to read the expression on her face. It was one that he hadn't seen before, and he was suddenly terribly worried that The First had succeeded in it's attempt to shake her confidence.

"C'mon, you know better than to listen to that thing," Dean tried to pull her back to him.

"Dean, I just realized something. Something that never really occurred to me before," she paused with a smile breaking out across her face. "We're gonna win."

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Leaning against a tree, Dean had his arms wrapped around her waist with her back to him. Her head laid back onto his chest, and she placed her hands on top of his. He may not get to spend the night curled up with Buffy, not yet anyways, but at least he could feel what it was like to have her in his arms. Buffy couldn't express how at ease she felt being tight in his arms. It was the safest she had felt since she had come back from the dead. There was an immense comfort she found in listening to his heartbeat, and being there was entirely more calming than she could have ever imagined. Dean had been waiting for this moment for longer than he could ever convey.

"You were right" Buffy said, breaking the silence that they had been enjoying for nearly an hour now.

"Hm?"

"When you told me that I was forgetting what I was fighting for. You were right."

Dean tightened his arms around her and placed his chin on top of her head.

Buffy continued, "I was so caught up in what being the Slayer meant for me, all the things I had to give up, all the things I lost, that I forgot what it meant for everyone else. I had forgotten what all those sacrifices were really for, and it wore me down."

"This life will do that…" Dean sighed.

"You helped me find that spark again, to help me keep fighting," Buffy admitted.

"I didn't do anything special," Dean said, "just reminded you of who you are."

She turned her head to cast a glance upwards at Dean. "I can't let those girls die in fear…"

"They're not going to. You got this."

Dean placed a kiss on Buffy's forehead, and she crinkled her nose as she felt the tingles spread over her body. She leaned her head back on his chest once more, her smile remaining resolute on her face.

"So, you're going to be in this with me?" She asked.

Dean nodded, "shoulder to shoulder. Sam and I are yours. Any other hunters we can pull in, too. That bitch doesn't stand a chance."

"Good. I need all the hands I can get. All the strength."

"We may not have your strength, but we do have an arsenal," Dean smirked.

"It's going to be dangerous, you know."

"I know what I'm signing up for Buffy. So does Sam. We're not gonna sit idly by while the weight of the world falls on your shoulders," Dean assured her. "Plus, if the world's gonna end, where else should I be but with you."

Buffy's eyes grew wide as she shook her head and pulled out of his arms, "wait, no!"

"No what?" Dean was confused as she moved away from him. His arms felt instantly colder from her absence.

The realization sunk in for Buffy as Dean mentioned the idea of the world ending with him here. If her team failed, who else was going to be able to stand against the first? She couldn't have both of the useful teams in one place; there needed to be a contingency plan. She didn't want Dean anywhere but here either, but it never really mattered what a Slayer wanted. Buffy had to focus on what was best for the world.

"No, you're not gonna be in the thick of it. You can't."

"What the hell do you even mean? You need all the hands and fire power you can get."

"Not here. You need to leave. Like now," Buffy was adamant.

"I'm not going anywhere, Buffy. Sam and I? We can handle ourselves."

"That's not what I'm afraid of. If I lose…if this thing gets past Sunnydale? Then it's days, maybe hours before the rest of the world goes," Buffy took a deep breath. "I need a second front and I need you to run it. I need the hunters of the world to take over if the Slayer line falls. Someone has to be here after the dust settles."

Dean sighed, he wanted to argue with Buffy, but he couldn't. She was right. It had nothing to do with his pride or his skill, or her wanting to coddle him. There needed to be more than one line of protection. He had heard from her and from Cas how big this was, and it couldn't be allowed to take the world down. There had to be someone to run as back up, and he knew the Winchester's were up to the task. It was actually an amazing compliment to hear the Slayer admit that.

He didn't want to even think about what could happen if she fell. The idea that she could fail was overwhelming, but she was right. If there were no Slayers anymore, there had to be someone to take up the good fight. Hunters didn't know it yet, but they had been playing second fiddle all these years. He would have argued to the death against that sentiment before he had met Buffy. Now, he wanted nothing more than to continue playing second if it meant that she lived. He would be ready, though, if it did come down to that.

He wouldn't fail her. Not again.

"You got it, Buffy. We're outta here. We'll rally whatever troops we can muster and pull out our arsenals."

"Thank you, Dean. I know it's a lot to ask, and I know it's not fair, but…"

"Say no more. I get ya. We'll be ready. We'll get started on that second front, make sure we don't have to use it."

He gave her a deep kiss before smiling and walking away. He knew he had to walk away now or he'd grab her and never let go. There were words that he wanted to say, but he didn't want that moment to be right before the apocalypse. He wanted her to know that he meant what he said, that his feelings were real, and not just because the world could end. All he could hope was that there would be another time. His sanity hinged on that hope.

The tears that welled up in her eyes had killed him, but it was time to go. There was a lot at stake right now, and a lot of work to be done. There wasn't much of an army he could rally, but there was no way that the battle would get past California if he could help it.

"Let's go be heroes," she called after him, her voice cracking as she spoke.

ӁӁӁ

"It's true, none of you have the power that Faith and I do. So here's the part where you make a choice."

Buffy shot a glance around the room, pausing on each face that she passed. She was surrounded by a bunch of scared girls. Half of them hated her and the other half were afraid of her. When they first came here, she cared very much how they felt. Now it was different. She realized that it didn't matter what they thought, or even what her friends thought anymore. She wasn't here to coddle them, to be friends with them, she was meant to protect them. That's what Dean had meant when he told her not to forget why she fights. She fights to protect. She alone was made for this.

"What if you could have that power now? In every generation one Slayer is born because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men," Buffy stopped speaking and pointed towards Willow.

She could see the fear and nerves that were playing across Willow's face, but that didn't matter right now. Even if Willow didn't think she could do this, Buffy knew she could. Buffy had faith in her friend, because if she didn't, there was no way to win this war.

"This woman is more powerful than all of them combined," she said it and she meant it. "So I say we change the rule. I say my power should be our power."

Buffy paused again, letting what she said sink in for all those in the room. Some looked at her like she was crazy, but some looked at her in awe. It was a crazy plan, but it was their best shot. She stole a look at Giles who she found beaming with pride. They may have had their differences the last while, but all she ever wanted was to make him proud. To see his smile was the motivation she needed.

"Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny. From now on, every girl in the world who might be a Slayer? Will be a Slayer. Every girl who could have the power? Will have the power. Can stand up, will stand up. Slayers. Every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?"

JMHUW: Ya know, I never thought of it that way - but you're totally right. This is exactly what the Council should have been doing all along. I will cut them some slack at the end since ya know, they were kinda all blown up (am I the only one that took some joy knowing that Quentin died?)...but still.

RetickLover: Awe thank you so much! That's so lovely to hear. I'm glad the little tweaks I've been making are being well received. It's always a gamble when you mess with the canon stuff like that. I did love the Spike/Andrew scenes from the show, but yaaaa...Sam and Dean are much lovelier haha. I can't wait to introduce the Winchesters to the Scoobies. I'm looking forward to it sooo much.

HolyCowsAndFlyingPigs: Yay! I'm so glad you felt that was in character. I literally rewrote that little exchange like twelve times trying to get it to sound right. I know, season 7 hurts my heart almost as much as watching her lose her mom. Don't worry. Season seven was totally condensed here and is over! Haha. This story is practically over toooo (one last chapter I do believe) but then there's going to be a lot of wonderful stuff coming! =)

MewLover: It is so overwhelming to have such wonderful readers, so thank you! Dean is most definitely her rock, but she is his too. That's gonna come in to play in the next story I post, when that day comes. =)