Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.

Buffy sat down as Spike approached, seeing how worried she was. "Is everything alright, Buffy?"

"I just can't stop thinking about what Riley said." Buffy said.

"What? Captain Cardboard is trying to get into your pants again?" Spike joked as they both chuckled, while he sat down.

"It's not that, it's…" Buffy sighed. "We may have stopped Simone, but who knows how many Slayers like her are out there? Or those who might be like Dana or like how Faith once was? Back then Will and I activated all the Slayers because our options were limited, but how do we know…"

"…that every activated Slayer has all the marbles together?" Spike finished and she nodded, while he sat down. "You made a mistake. And you've seen for yourself the unintended consequences of your decision."

"And I've been trying to make up for them." Buffy said.

"I know. Red's going to depower Ms. Little Punk Slayer and her gang and soon enough we can stroll down the yellow brick road again." Spike quipped.

"And what happens, when someone like her or Faith rises up to cause more trouble?" Buffy questioned before Spike held her by her chin.

"I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you and I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are." Spike said as she looked him in the eye. "You're the one, Buffy. And remember that you're not alone. You have me, Red, Harris, Nibblet, Faith, all of us by your side."

Buffy smiled at him appreciatively as they looked at each other and kissed, with Spike reaching for Buffy's waist and taking off her shirt, while she took off his jacket as they laid down on the bed.

The guards were stationed at Simone's cell, when they saw a blonde woman in military jacket and pants march down the hallway as they aimed their guns at her.

"Halt!"

"Identify yourself—"

Amy clenched her fist as the guards suddenly choked and held themselves by their throats, struggling to breathe as they fell on their knees and collapsed to the ground before Amy picked the access card of one of the guards and opened Simone's cell.

Simone smirked as she went out from the cell. "Took you long enough."

Willow was in the woods lying on the bench, when she noticed someone approaching her and turned to see Tara. The love of her life. She knew it wasn't real but it felt like if she was able to tear down the walls around herself within Tara's presence. Even though she was willing to try something with Faith, Tara would always have a place in her heart.

"Hey, Willow." Tara said.

"Tara…" Willow said, with her voice almost breaking as a tear rolled down her cheek, while Tara wiped the tear off her face and kissed her on her forehead.

"It's alright, my sweet Willow tree." Tara assured.

"Tara, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything." Willow whispered, still guilty due to her addiction to magic and mindwiping Tara and what she had done after Tara's death.

"I don't blame you." Tara said with a kind smile on her face, holding Willow by her shoulder. "It's alright."

"I don't want you to go…" Willow whispered, hugging Tara tightly, as if she was afraid Tara would disappear if Willow let her go.

"I'm always with you." Tara assured, hugging Willow back. "But I need you to be strong for yourself, Dawn, Buffy and everyone."

"I'm trying… but sometimes it's so hard…" Willow said, barely able to hold back tears.

"I know you can do it. Even if you're weak, in your weakness the people you love are strong and will be there for you, if you're not strong enough to be there for them."

Willow gasped as she panted out, full of sweat, with Faith kneeling across her. "You OK, Red?"

It took a few moments for Willow to recover as she met Faith's eyes. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"You sure?" Faith inquired.

Willow nodded, though Faith wasn't fully convinced. Though then, Willow sensed something… familiar in the air. That kind of strong magic…

"What's wrong, Will?" Faith asked.

"Buffy?" Xander called as he knocked on the door.

Buffy and Spike got up, quickly putting on their clothes.

"You've got such a lousy timing, Harris." Spike grumbled.

Buffy quickly put on her top before opening the door. "What's going on, Xander?"

"Simone's escaped." Xander said and immediately, Buffy rushed out with Spike, following Xander.

The soldiers were firing from their weapons but Amy raised her hand and stopped the bullets midair telekinetically before redirecting the bullets back, shooting the soldiers down.

Simone smirked as she and her Slayers picked up the guns and smirked.

"Hell yeah." Simone quipped.

"You are kidding me." Xander said with a wide eye as they observed the surveillance footage in the control room, all the Scoobies shocked to see Amy. "You are kidding me!"

"They're working together?" Dawn demanded.

"I should've known." Willow sneered, still bitter from when Amy had turned her into Warren.

"They're on their way to the armory." Sam said.

"Where is that?" Buffy asked.

"Close for them from there and far for us from here and they're on the way to the garage." Riley grumbled.

"Which means she's trying to escape with more weapons." Faith realized.

"We need to stop them." Spike said.

The soldiers in the garage were shooting at Simone and her Slayers, but Amy managed to deflect and redirect the bullets, while Simone and her group was retaliating with gunfire, shooting down the soldiers before they took the military jeeps and began driving off.

A few moments later, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Faith, Riley, Sam, Spike and Dawn entered the garage.

"We need to stop them!" Buffy ordered.

"Here." Riley said as he tossed the keys to Buffy.

Buffy got with Willow and Dawn into one jeep, while Xander, Faith and Spike took another Riley and Sam took their own as they drove off.

They were chasing Simone down the desert in jeeps.

"We need to cut them off!" Buffy ordered over the radio.

"I can call in an airstrike. Shut them down." Riley said.

"We need them alive, Riley!" Buffy ordered.

"Buffy, they already have military ordnance with them! I can't let them take it!" Riley said.

"I get that but not like this! We're no better than them if we kill them!" Buffy said.

"Buffy." Dawn said as she found a radio and Buffy picked the mic.

"Don't do this, Simone." Buffy said.

"Oh, hey, Buffy. How do you like the party?" Simone quipped.

"It doesn't have to be this way. Just come back quietly." Buffy said.

"And let you take my powers? I don't think so, besides, I feel like I'm gonna have so much fun with these new toys I got thanks to you." Simone said.

"What do you plan on doing? We don't kill innocent people." Buffy snapped.

"I'm not gonna kill any innocent… only the annoying ones." Simone said and the message was clear to Buffy.

"Last chance. Give up or I'm taking you down." Buffy said but her only response was static.

A few moments later, a military chopper was in pursuit, firing missiles as they all dodged.

Buffy saw Amy get up and chant something as they heard thunder rumbling in the air before suddenly, lightning struck the chopper, sending it plummeting to the ground as it exploded. Another lightning was coming and Riley was forced to jump out of his vehicle just before it exploded.

"Riley!" Buffy exclaimed.

Willow got up, about to stop Simone and her group with a spell of her own but before she as much as uttered a word, suddenly, the ground in front of them began rising into a ramp, causing for the vehicles of the Scoobies to sail the air into the cave entrance above.

They were driving down the tunnels before the ceiling began collapsing and Buffy and Faith were forced to drive into separate tunnels, while the collapse stopped for Faith, Xander and Spike.

Buffy kept driving forward to get ahead of the cave-in before she, Willow and Dawn jumped forward, while the rubble crushed the car.

Buffy, Willow and Dawn coughed as the dust settled and they looked around.

"Where are we?" Dawn asked, seeing some old mining equipment laying around.

"Looks like a mine." Buffy said.

"Buffy? Buffy!" Xander called on the radio but got static.

"Nothing?" Spike asked and Xander shook his head.

"We gotta find her. Now." Faith ordered as they got off their vehicle and began walking down the tunnel before they saw giant metallic door in front of them.

"They used to mine minerals here. No one's been here for years." Dawn noted as she examined the mining equipment and the shining rocks in piles on desks.

"We need to find a way out of this place." Buffy said.

Willow muttered something but nothing happened.

"What?" Dawn asked.

"I can't use my magic." Willow said, puzzled.

"How's that possible?" Buffy wondered.

"Something here's blocking my magic. Like a warding. A symbol. Some protective measure." Willow said.

"So this was a trap." Dawn realized.

"But what's she playing at?" Buffy wondered before they heard metallic clanging and banging.

"Buffy!" Xander yelled as he banged on the door.

"Buffy!" Spike shouted as he tried to kick the door before he looked around and saw a giant piece of pipe as he lifted it up but it was still heavy. "I could use a hand here."

Xander and Faith turned and realized what was Spike planning as Faith picked the pipe up with Spike and Xander backed away while Spike and Faith used the pipe as a ram, slamming it against the door and denting it.

"Xander, are you there? Faith? Anyone?" Buffy called. She then tried reaching for her comms. "Xander? Do you copy? Xander, come in."

"They can't hear you." Simone said and Buffy tensed, realizing she was jamming their comms and that she had intercepted their channel. "I must admit… I'm impressed. You've always been resilient and stubborn, but you just took that to a whole new level."

"You haven't seen enough of it yet." Buffy said.

"Nor do I plan to. I admit, it's been fun, but it's time for it to end." Simone said.

"I agree. There's been enough death and violence. If you come with me—"

"Always expecting everyone to follow you because you're the Slayer. Everything happens the way you want. How many girls received power they don't deserve and waste it? How many girls were ripped away from their normal lives, families, friends, because of you?" Simone snarled. "You turned us into soldiers and dragged us into a war we never asked to fight in. But I should thank you. You've opened my eyes. If you have the power to make a difference, why not use it?"

"What are you planning to do?" Buffy asked.

"I wanted to say that I'm grateful. You've shown me what I can do. Now I'm going to. But as for you, Buffy… your time as the Slayer is over. It's time for you to die. For good." Simone said.

"Simone—"

"I'm almost sorry I have to do this, but you've made it clear you will not stop pursuing me. Goodbye, Slayer."

The channel ended as they heard beeping.

Buffy's, Willow's and Dawn's eyes widened as they turned to see a small device attached to the wall with a countdown and they immediately realized what it was and they had just 30 seconds.

"There must be a symbol on the wall or on the floor, a charm, something here! Find the wards around! Now!" Willow ordered.

Buffy and Dawn were frantically checking the walls and ceiling and the pillars but there was nothing.

"Hurry!" Willow yelled as she looked at the bomb, hoping she could disarm it but she had no time to dismantle and examine the bomb. They had 15 seconds only.

Dawn ripped the carpet from the floor that revealed a carving of an anti-magic sigil. "Found it!"

"Move." Buffy said as she picked a piece of a girder and began smashing the floor, cracking it and hoping that destroying the pattern on the floor would destroy the sigil. Buffy kept on smashing into the floor as Willow pulled away as kept trying to say the incantation to make a spell as the countdown was almost to zero, when Buffy managed to destroy the sigil.

Willow could feel the magic but the countdown had reached zero as the bomb exploded. Willow tried to create a force field to contain the explosion but she had conjured the spell too late and even though she managed to direct the explosion up into the ceiling window, the blast had sent Buffy, Willow and Dawn away as tremors shook the hall, causing for debris to fall.

Spike and Faith had managed to break through the door but then they heard tremors and an explosion as the shockwave knocked them down as the horrible realization struck them, when the rubble blocked the corridor.

"Buffy…" Spike whispered as they began moving the rubble away.

The dust and debris settled as Buffy got up on her feet first as she coughed out and brushed the dust off and turned to Willow, who was knocked out as Buffy walked to her.

"Will? Are you OK? Willow?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy…"

Buffy looked up and saw Dawn leaning onto the wall and groaning.

"Dawn, are you alright?" Buffy asked as she reached for Dawn. "Come on, let's go."

"I'm not sure I'm going anywhere." Dawn groaned.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"I think something's in my back. Something sharp. Just moving hurts." Dawn said.

Buffy was horrified as she reached behind Dawn and felt blood on her fingers, while Dawn whimpered in pain.

Dawn tried to move but let out a scream before Buffy held her. "No, no! Don't move. Don't move, OK? That rebar might be the only thing keeping you together. We pull you out, you die."

"Buffy, I'm scared…" Dawn said, tears filling her eyes, while Buffy felt her eyes get wet too.

"I know. I'm scared too." Buffy said, her voice breaking already, when she held Dawn's hand.

"But you don't look like it. I always wonder how do you do this." Dawn said on verge of tears.

Buffy sniffed as she took a breath, trying to keep her voice even. "Because I have to."

"Because you're the Slayer." Dawn nodded.

"No, Dawnie. Because of you." Buffy said. "Maybe it was because of me being the Slayer, but it's mainly because of you. You may not be real as a person, but you're as real to me as you can get."

Dawn nodded, sobbing.

"There were times, when I'd want you out of my life, since you'd drive me crazy, but that never meant I never loved you." Buffy said, sniffing. "You remember what I said to you, back on the top of that tower?"

Dawn nodded again. "I love you."

"I will always love you." Buffy said as she held Dawn's hand. "You have to be strong. Be brave. Live. For me."

"I am…" Dawn said, trying to hold back tears and look strong for Buffy, doing whatever little she could to hold onto life, even though her vision was blurring and turning into darkness, with her mind drifting away slowly. "I am strong…" She held Buffy's hand back as they leaned their foreheads against each other, doing whatever little they could for each other's support as tears rolled down their cheeks.

Buffy could feel the life leaving Dawn in her hands as Dawn's hand lost firmness and slipped away from Buffy's grip and went limp, while Dawn's head slumped to Buffy's shoulder.

"Dawn…" Buffy lifted Dawn's head but she had closed her eyes as Buffy began shaking her. "Dawnie? Wake up, please. Dawnie. Dawnie, please, wake up…"

Willow had come to as she got up and heard Buffy's pleas but that was when she saw Buffy holding Dawn's form in her hands, with Dawn unmoving. Horrified, Willow got up and ran to Dawn, shaking her.

"Dawnie. Dawnie?" Willow asked but a few seconds later, she lost it, shaking her desperately as she screamed. "No. Dawn, please, no! Please, stay with us! Don't you dare do this to us!"

"Open your eyes, Dawnie!" Buffy begged, sobbing, tears filling her eyes as her voice turned into a pained whisper. "Open your eyes… Dawnie, don't leave me, please… Dawnie, don't leave me, please…"

But their pleas never reached Dawn's ears. She would not open her eyes ever again. And it was in that moment, when both Buffy and Willow completely lost it, once more losing forever someone they had loved with their heart, remembering Joyce and Tara as both of them let out a scream of anguish and grief, Buffy cradling Dawn's unmoving form in her arms.

Spike, Faith and Xander had managed to clear the debris as they entered, but stopped, when they saw both Buffy and Willow sobbing and especially Spike and Xander were devastated to see that they were holding Dawn in their arms and Faith felt equally crushed, since while Faith and Dawn were far from close friends, Faith knew how much Dawn meant for both Buffy and Willow.

"Dawn…" Xander whispered as he approached to shake Dawn. "Dawn, wake up. Come on! Wake up!" The confusion and worry was quickly being replaced with anger and then sadness as he shook her frantically. "Dawn!"

He breathed heavily as he struggled to embrace the fact that Dawn was gone. He just couldn't believe it. First Jenny, then Joyce, Buffy, even though she came back later, Tara, Cordelia, now Dawn… it just wasn't fair. This all just felt like some sort of a sick joke. A twisted nightmare Xander was hoping he would wake up at any moment now.

Spike slowly approached, unable to believe that they had lost Dawn. Dawn, who he treated like little sister and who treated him nicely, next to Joyce and Tara. Dawn, who meant so much to Buffy and whom Spike was willing to protect from Glory even when he had no soul…

As Spike was about to comfort Buffy as he put his hand on her shoulder, in that moment the floodgates opened and she lost it, unable to hold it back anymore as she let out a loud scream of anguish into the sky and sobbed uncontrollably.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Buffy fell on her knees, with her head on the ground, while Spike knelt down and hugged her, doing whatever little he could to comfort her, while Xander hugged both Dawn and Willow tightly, both to comfort Willow and to escape the fact that they had lost Dawn now, while Faith held Buffy's shoulder, doing whatever little she could to comfort her, while Buffy was holding Dawn tightly close to her, as if to escape the fact that she had lost her forever.

Couldn't resist for Tara to have one scene with Willow, even if it was just a vision. In comics all Tara got was a brief flashback scene, which was at least something, but, well, Whedon is a douchebag, nuff said. Even though I'm open to Willow/Faith, which is the pairing here, I felt like if Tara deserved at least one scene here with Willow.

Now, don't hate me. I love Dawn and I like her even more than Buffy, anyone thinking she is annoying and less likeable than Buffy I pay no mind, since I put them into same shelf as Andrew supporters, Kennedy or Willow/Kennedy supporters etc. who need their brains examined, but this felt crucial to the story to give Buffy the push I want for her. I was considering originally for the one to die to be either Willow, Xander or Giles at first, since as much as I like Xander as he and Willow are Buffy's best friends, his bigotry and attitude towards demons and vampires, especially his treatment of Angel and Xander, annoys me and his moments to shine are less and less frequent in the show and becomes more of a comic relief and I just liked Giles in the first three seasons of BTVS, save for 'Helpless', after that, asides from killing Ben/Glory he was just there and useless and then there are his failures like neglecting helping Willow with her magic, which makes her downward spiral in Season 6 in great part his fault, him conspiring with Robin to kill Spike and don't get me started on Fred/Illyria situation and him leaving Team Angel on their own but killing Giles off felt like a recurring cliched theme in other Buffyverse fics, so I wanted to try something a little different but just as impactful for both Buffy and the Scoobies and Dawn fit the bill the most, the other candidates were either Willow, Xander or Giles, but I have other plans for them both here and it felt like Dawn's death would have the most profound devastating impact on both Buffy and the Scoobies, especially Willow and Spike.

Again, don't hate me, I love Dawn and I like her even more than Buffy, but this felt necessary for the story to advance the way I want it to.

Plus, couldn't resist a little reference to Supernatural finale with Dean's final death and his farewell to Sam.

RIP Dawn Summers.

So, what do you guys think?

Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this so far.