Always Remember I Love You

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Author : Ultrawoman

Rating : PG-13

Summary : Starts with an AU ending to the Gift. When the portal is opened only Summers blood can close it, but there’s a man who can’t bear to lose either of the important woman in his life...

Disclaimer : I do not own anything to do with Buffy The Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon. Some very talented people wrote some of the action and dialogue in here so credit to the writers of ‘The Gift’.

Chapter 1 - Sacrifice For Love

Dawn looked down from her place, high on the tower, and watched, panic-stricken, as her sister fought against Glory. Buffy hefted the hammer over her head again, bringing it down squarely on the head of the hell-goddess.

Suddenly Dawns attention was taken from the fight by a presence in front of her. She gasped as she realised it was Doc.

"You can help me" the young girl choked out "Untie me, please. Help me, she's coming" she referred of course to Glory. It was unclear how long Buffy would be able to hold her off.
"Well, it seems she's running a bit late, is the thing" Doc smiled evilly as he walks towards Dawn. She suddenly realised he was not on her side, "And if our Goddess can't be here in time to bleed you..." he leered.

Dawn’s face contorted in panic as Doc stood right in front of her.

"Hey kid. Wanna see a trick?" he asked rhetorically, pulling out a large shining knife and showing it to her. He held it right up in her face and the girl winced, knowing what was coming.

Down below, amongst the debris, Xander rejoined the rest of the Scoobies crouched down in shelter. They all glanced up at the tower in fear.

"How are we doing?" the young man asked, panting for breath.
"So far it's a tie" his girlfriend told him.
"We haven't got up to Dawn, but then neither has anyone else" Giles elaborated, still staring up at the girl.
"Someone's up there" said Spike suddenly, extra panic in his usually calm tone.

"Okay, so we gotta charge or something" Xander suggested, fearing for his life as everyone else did but knowing they had to save Dawn and the world.

‘Spike. Can you hear me?’

A voice rang through Spike’s mind, a voice no-one else could hear.
"Yeah, loud and clear" he answered, knowing who’s voice he was recieving into his mind.

Willow crouched at the other side of the warehouse, with a now fully-functional Tara behind her. Her lips didn't move as she communicated with her vampire friend on the other side of the building.

‘Is there someone up there with Dawn?’ she asked him.
"Yeah" he spoke aloud and nodded, although it was pointless "can't tell who though"
"Are you talking to us?" Xander asked, confused, but Anya answered him in a whisper.
"Telepathy - it must be Willow"

‘Get up there. Go now’ the red-headed witch told the vampire as he continued to stare up at the tower.

"Yeah, but-" he began to protest but she interrupted him.
‘Go!’ was the only word she used before the communication was over.

Spike knew she was right. He’d promised to keep Dawn safe. Willow had reminded him of that promise and he would not break it, for the love of Buffy he would not.

As he stormed the crowd of Glory’s minions, the rest of the Scoobies looked on, shocked by his actions and unaware that the two witches across the warehouse had a plan.

Willow grabbed Tara’s hand and with careful concentration a spell was cast. An invisible force caused the entire crowd to suddenly part like the Red Sea. They shouted, displeased, angry and confused, as the unseen hands pulled then off to the sides, allowing Spike to run through between them.

The vampire wasted no time, diving up the stairs of the tower as soon as he reached them. He was soon at the last level where he ran up the ramp and climbed the ladder, praying to anyone that would listen that he would make it in time.

Doc wasted time as he pulled out a watch and told Dawn ‘It is time’

She panicked and tried to break her bonds but relief flooded her features when she saw Spike appear.

"Spike!" she yelled his name but it caused the vamp a disadvantage as it drew Doc’s attention to him. He whirled around as Spike came toward him.

"Doesn't a bloke stay dead when you kill him?" the vampire asked, striding purposefully at the man.
"Look who's talking" Doc sneered, ready for a fight.
"Come on, Doc. Let's you and me have a go" Spike said coolly and Doc glanced back at the girl tied to the tower.
"I do have a prior appointment" he fingers the knife in his hands.
"This won't take long" Spike told him, knowing it was true and hoping he could in fact finish the job he went up there to do.
"No, I don't imagine it will" Doc smiled evilly as Spike lunged forward. Doc side-stepped the attack and grabbed Spike thrusting the knife he held into the brave vampires back. There was a sickening sound and Spike gasped in pain.

Down below them, Buffy continued laying into Glory with the Troll’s hammer in her hands. The god began to look more and more defeated with every blow and blood ran out of her nose. She glared up at Buffy, a look of anguish plain on her features.

"You're just a mortal" she choked out "You couldn't understand my pain"
"Then I'll just have to settle for causing it" Buffy seethed, raising the hammer again. She hit her, sending her reeling to the side but the hell-god was soon on her feet again.

"You can't kill me" she growled but Buffy knew she didn’t need too.
"No" she grinned, somewhat madly, "but my arm's not even tired yet"

On that note, she struck her again.

Back up on the platform, the knife from Spike’s back, dripping with blood, fell to the floor. The black-clad figure pulled himself up between his enemy and his almost adopted sister.

"You don't come near the girl, Doc" he threatened but the man was unafraid and confused.
"I don't smell a soul anywhere on you" he told him "Why do you even care?"
"I made a promise to a lady" Spike held his head high, proud that he was doing this for Buffy. He would die for her, for the sake of his promise to her, for the sake of his love for her.
"Oh, then I'll send the lady your regrets" Doc yelled, diving at Spike again and grappling with him. The two continued to fight and Dawn winced every time a strike was made. With one final punch Doc knocked Spike to the ground, his head hitting the platform and knocking him out cold.

Meanwhile, Buffy gasped as she swung again and again with the hammer, putting all her strength into defeating Glory. She knelt beside the broken god still hitting her over and over and over. Suddenly, the bloodied figured started to morph and Glory turned into Ben. Buffy lifted her hammer again but she could not strike the blow.

"I'm sorry" the man beside her coughed as he tried to speak.
"Tell her it's over" Buffy cried "She missed her shot. She goes. She ever comes near me and mine again..."
"We won't. I swear"

Buffy dropped the hammer, knowing the fight was over, at least for now. Besides, there was no way she could take the life of a human being and that is what was in front of her now. She turned and hurried toward the tower.

As Ben lie battered on the ground, he gave a pained cough and he tried to speak.

"I guess we're stuck with each other, huh baby?"

His breaths came painfully as Giles moved to kneel beside him.

"Can you move?" he asked simply.
"I need a minute" Ben managed to say "She could've killed me"
"No she couldn't" Giles shook his head "and sooner or later Glory will re-emerge, and make her pay for that, and the world with her. Buffy even knows that and still she couldn't take a human life. She's a hero, you see. She's not like us"
"Us?" Ben gasped and choked as Giles suddenly reached down, clasping his hand over Ben's nose and mouth, holding them shut. The battered man struggled weakly but he has no power left. Giles kept him still and his calm expression remained throughout.

At the top of the tower, Dawn screamed, as Doc approached her. Spike lie still unconscious behind the man, now of no use to anyone. The knife moved toward the young girls stomach and she had no way of fighting back or running.

Dawn cried and sobbed as the pain hit her, the knife making thin slits through the material of the ceremonial gown and then her skin.

"Shallow cuts...shallow cuts let the blood flow free" Doc said quietly as more cuts were made and more blood was released. The red liquid trickled down onto Dawn’s feet, to the edges of her toes just as Buffy appeared.

"Dawn!" she cried to the girl she knew as her younger sister.
"Buffy!" came her pained reply and Doc whirled around to confront the Slayer.

"This should be interesting" he grinned, evilly, but Buffy didn't even pause. She just walked right past him, giving a forceful shove as she went. Doc stumbled backwards and fell over the edge of the platform. Neither Dawn nor Buffy noticed his fingers catch on the edge.

Buffy moved quickly to Dawn, who continued sobbing with fear and pain.

"Buffy, it hurts" she cried and the Slayers attention was completely with her ‘sister’. She didn’t notice Doc hauling himself up behind her.

Spike’s eyes flickered open his first thought being the pain in his head, the second was immediately to warn Buffy of approaching danger.

"Buffy! Behind you!" hr yelled and Buffy turned just in time, hitting Doc again, with all her strength, making sure he really did go over the edge for good this time. His screaming continued, getting softer as he fell further away, and then it stopped with a sudden crash.

As Spike struggled to his feet, Buffy released Dawn from her bonds but it was all too late. A few drops of the girl's blood dripped over the edge of the platform and hung in mid-air. A small circle of light appeared, growing, getting bigger all the time. Buffy and Spike did not notice as they took one side each of Dawn and helped her limp across the platform. Suddenly, the younger girl stopped.

"Buffy, it's started" her voice was shaky as she realised it’s was all too late.

Buffy and Spike turned now and both saw the bright light of the portal as it grew ever larger. Huge bolts of lightning flew from the hole, destroying the town around them. Buildings shattered and burned, and demons screams could be heard all around. The Scoobies watched from the ground as Buffy turned back to Dawn who continued to stare at the portal, horrified.

"I'm sorry" the younger girl sobbed.
"It doesn't matter" Buffy answered calmly, shaking her head.

Dawn suddenly decided what she must do and broke from the grasp of her sister and her friend. She tried to run past Buffy but Spike grabbed at her arm.

"What are you doing, pet?" he asked her and she looked at him with desperation in her eyes.
"I have to jump. The energy" she explained.
"It'll kill you" Buffy tried to reason with her, even though she knew what she said made sense.
"I know. Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it" Dawn tried to pull away and do what she planned to do, but niether of them would let her make such a sacrifice.
"No" Buffy cried as the tower shook beneath them, making them all stumble.

"I have to" Dawn begged "Look at what's happening"

More lightning crackled from the portal, even larger than before, and Buffy and Spike watched as a huge dragon flew out and away.

"Buffy, you have to let me go" Dawn begged "Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop"

Buffy stared at Dawn in anguish, knowing what she said was right but not wanting to let the girl she saw as her baby sister go.

"You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood" Dawn cried as the two girls held onto each other, eyes locked together.

"Cause it's always got to be blood" Spike murmured his words spoken earlier. A thought had developed in his mind and now it all made sense.

He grabbed Dawn from Buffy’s grasp, making both girls jump. He hated himself for what he was about to do and with the chip it was going to be painful, but he had to do it. Vamping out, he sunk his teeth into Dawn’s neck, draining her life’s blood from her. Buffy watched, panic-stricken and shocked, but she didn’t stop him. She knew what this brave vampire, this brave man, was trying to do.

Spike screwed his eyes up, tightly shut, as every gulp of blood sent a shocking pain through his head. Eventually, as Dawn became paler and paler, he felt her go limp in his arms. Not dead, merely unconscious, he handed the girls body to Buffy who laid her careful down on the platform.

In the distance, holes seemed to be opening in the sky and it grew lighter as the sun tried to rise. Buffy cried and sobbed at the sight of her sister and the thought of what Spike was about to do.

"You can’t" she choked out as he looked toward the portal.

"Spike, no" she begged him but he had to do it, he knew he had to. He turned to her, gripping her upper arms, his human face now firmly back in place.

"Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen"

Lightning continued to crackle behind them as Spike spoke his final words and the Scoobies watched from beneath the tower.

Finally Spike stroked the side of Buffy's face, then, leaning in, pressed a kiss to her forehead. Buffy’s tears fell like rain as Spike took a run and a dive into the centre of the portal. He seemed to move in slow motion as Buffy sank to her knees beside Dawn’s motionless body, barely breathing.

Spike fell and then hung, motionless, in the centre of the portal, making expressions of severe pain. The portal writhed and spat and a huge lighting strike shot out, passing through Buffy and Dawn, jolting their bodies wildly. The shock awakened the younger girl but seems not to harm either of them as it curved back into the opening half way down the tower.

Buffy watched as Spike hung in the portal and Dawn gasped as she sat up and saw him there, realising what had happened and what he had done, and wondering how her strength had returned so fast.

Buffy could almost hear Spike’s final words to her as the portal continued to writhe with him inside of it.

"Buffy, listen to me. Listen. "I love you. I will *always* love you, but this is something I have to do"

The portal slowly shrunk to nothing and disappeared as if it had never been there at all. In the distance the sun began to rise, and Willow and Tara, Xander and Anya, and Giles walked forwards, sadness etched on all their features.

"Tell Dawn I’m sorry for what I did" Buffy continued to hear the words "but it was for her own good. It’ll all be okay. She’s a survivor like her sister"

Down amongst the debris, Spike's lifeless body lay motionless as the Scoobies moved towards it.

"And tell the gang I care for them all, even if it wasn’t obvious" he’d said, "You have to take care of each other, especially my nibblet. You’ll all carry on without me, I’m just a worthless vampire" Buffy knew he was so much more than that, as she came down the stairs with Dawn beside her, both of them in a state of shock, but with their physical pain subsiding.

"Buffy, just please don’t ever forget me" Buffy cried again as she remembered those words, as if she ever could forget him after what he’d done, "Be brave. Live. And always remember - I love you"

Two days later, in a graveyard, beneath the sun and amongst the pretty trees and grass, a headstone was placed. A small bunch of flowers laid on the grass in front of it.

The stone read simply:

WILLIAM

~~~~~~~

A FIGHTER, A PROTECTOR, A FRIEND

HE SAVED THE WORLD

WITH HIS LOVE