Buffy dead.

Faith glanced around the hushed boardroom. She was honest enough to admit she didn’t much care Summers was dead, there’d be bad blood between them forever. Except, she winced inwardly, for the pain it caused the two most important people in her life – Angel and Xander.

Angel looked like grim death himself, eyes colder than icebergs and face tighter than a noose. X on the other hand looked to have collapsed in on himself, and hadn’t said a word since they’d got the phone call some sixteen hours ago, eyes teary and face etched with guilt.

Which was fuckin’ stupid in her opinion. To her mind B was like a ton of self-destructive junkies or drunks she’d known back in the day, if they wouldn’t help themselves, you had a choice. Hold on tight and probably go down with ‘em. Or cut them loose and save yourself. It was cold, but it was the only thing to do, especially when you had other responsibilities, like protecting the planet.

Still, although she wasn’t known for her diplomacy, she was waaaay too smart to give voice to that particular opinion. She was onto a good thing with X, and unless she wanted to completely screw it up, she had best keep her mouth shut. She sure as hell wasn’t shedding crocodile tears like Ken was though. She managed to avoid a dismissive sniff, girl was way too whupped by Red.

Finally impatience took over. "Why was Dawn snatched anyhow?" she asked. "What’s so important ‘bout her?"

G started at her voice. After a second the head Watcher looked up, his face grey and looked to have aged ten years in the past day. "I…it appears," Faith winced at the never before heard tremble in the Englishman’s usually firm voice, "t…that Dawn," the Englishman took a breath before starting again, "that Dawn could be returned to her previous state as the Key."

"Uh?" Faith figured she better ask the question ‘cause no one else was gonna do. "I thought after Gertrude -."

"Her name was Glory, Slayer."

"Whatever," Faith eyeballed Spike. No way she was putting up with any of his shit. Way she saw it any vamp except Angel was just a walking dust-bag, before turning back to G. "After that hell goddess was creamed, I thought Dawn became human?"

"She did," Giles looked down for a second before raising his gaze. "However it appears the forces arrayed against us discovered that she could be returned to her former state, although the process is extremely dangerous-."

"Huh," this time it was Connor who interrupted the conversation, his expression confused. "I wasn’t even born last time," man she felt old at that, she could practically feel the wrinkles forming, "but wasn’t it really dangerous then?"

"Not like now," a red-eyed Willow interrupted. "Before it would cause cracks between our dimension and Glory’s, but this time, if it goes wrong, dimensional cracks between this dimension and every other in the existence would be created, allowing all manner of beasts access to earth."

"Huh, huh," Faith nodded. Most of this was going way over her pretty lil head, but she understood enough to be worried. "So what we gonna do about this?"

"Do?"

Faith forced herself not to snap at Giles’ glazed expression. He had after all just lost a daughter. ‘Course an uncharitable part of her muttered inwardly that maybe he’d have more than one daughter if he’d given her, the kid who really needed someone, a tenth of the attention B had gotten. Shoving aside the unimportant past, she nodded. "Yeah, to stop the world from ending?"

"I..I’ve made a plan." Everyone turned to Willow as she spoke. "We need to get Dawn out of W&H in the next 48 hours -."

"How come we’ve got time?" Faith asked.

"If Dawn isn’t bled," Willow flinched and would have fell but for a supporting hand from Kennedy, "slowly, a litre each day for five days, she’ll explode causing the multi-dimensional leakage I mentioned before. But after that point, three days after Dawn’s abduction, I’ll be able to prevent her exploding, but not dying." Willow paused for a second before continuing. "There’s four entrance points to W&H’s offices-."

Faith listened intently as the witch outlined her plan but didn’t speak, now that she’d got the ball rolling she was content to let others iron out any problems they saw in it. When a still worn-out Giles finished, Faith rose and headed out of the room, a slightly coming out of his coma Xander beside her. "Faith!" she looked behind her to see Willow hurrying behind her. "Can I have a word?"

Faith shrugged. "Sure."

"In private?"

Faith looked towards X. "See you back at ours, I’ll pick you up before we go see Dan."

* * *

"But you said-."

Willow interrupted the brunette beauty with a shake of her head. "No, I just made that up to spur Giles into action." The curvy Bostonian stared blank-eyed at her. "You know if I said I couldn’t find a solution, Giles would hold off until it was too late."

"No fucking way!" Faith snapped, head shaking violently. "You can get fucked!"

"Faith," despite being far more powerful than the brunette beauty, Willow couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by the bestial rage burning in the Slayer’s ebony eyes, "this is the only way."

"Oh right!" the Slayer’s scoff wasn’t even slightly amused. "That big brain of yours, all that power and this is the best you can come up with?" The curvy Bostonian shook her head. "Bullshit, you just want me to do this so you get Xan back."

"Faith," Willow tried again, ignoring the hurt the Slayer’s words caused her, knowing full well the raven-tressed beauty was upset. Still, she thought they’d moved past their Sunnydale experiences, but apparently they hadn’t. And now it seemed they -, Willow shook her head. "Faith," she was pleased when her tone held steadier than before, "this is the only way, if I had more time I could maybe find another solution. But we don’t." She offered the solution to the Slayer, the object seeming far heavier than its weight. "Please," she pleaded. "You’re the only one I can ask to do this."

"Why?" She was alarmed to see tears misting in the east coast’s native’s eyes. "Because I’m a murderer, a street kid, because I don’t have any morals? Because I’m nothing but a skank?"

"Noooo," Willow shook her head. "Because you’re strong, Xander, the others wouldn’t be able to face doing it, but you can. You’re the only one."

"Fine," Faith snatched the object from her. "I’ll do it!"

"Thank-."

"Don’t bother!" the Slayer shoved past her and out of the room. "I hope you rot in hell!" she screamed before slamming the door shut behind.

Willow stared at the shut door for a long second before falling to the ground, rolling into a foetal ball, and crying, huge tears rolling down her cheeks as she shuddered helplessly. What had she done? If god was any judge, Faith would probably get her wish.

* * *

Faith’s breath caught as she entered the Deeper Well, awed by the vastness and age of the place. And she’d been to Ceasers’ Palace so she wasn’t easily impressed. "FAITH!"

She barely turned in time to be grabbed in a rib-cracking embrace by a brunette whirlwind. "Hey Dan," despite the day’s tumultuous events, Faith found herself smiling at the young Slayer’s enthused greeting, "good to see ya too, only ease up on the ribs will ya? I kinda need them intact."

"Sorry," her fellow brunette pulled away as if scalded. "I’ve missed you."

"Right back at ya," Faith’s smile became rather more forced at her friend’s evident hurt. Roger had probably done the right thing, saving Dana by binding her to this place, but she doubted the emotionally-damaged Slayer would ever understand that.

"C…can I come home now?" the younger girl asked. "Have I been good for long enough now?"

"You being here ain’t a punishment, you never think that," she took Dana’s face in her hands. "You’ve got a real important job now, kiddo. Guardian of the Deeper Well, that’s real big potatoes. But I ain’t worried, you know why?" Eyes wide, Dana silently shook her head. "’Cause I know you’re up to it."

"Honest?" Faith nodded. Dana smiled tremulously. "But you’ll come visit?"

Faith’s heart caught at the woman\child’s plaintive plea. "Hey," she stroked Dana’s hair. "Plenty of people will come and see ya, try and keep them away. Rog, Rupes, X, plenty of them." Faith looked around. "How about you give me the guided tour?" Dana nodded. "Wicked," she struggled for a topic of conversation, "living with the smurf, huh? That’s gotta be a bummer."

* * *

"Faith," she ignored her boyfriend as she hurried into her quarters, heart still breaking from Dan’s loneliness and her inability to change it, "why did you just run off after your meeting with Will? I thought you’d want some support when you went to see Dan, and," her boyfriend paused, "I wanted to see her too."

Faith spun to face Xander, heart filling with a desperate yearning for the last day not to have happened. ""Xander," emotion made her voice even huskier than normal, "make love to me like it’s the last time ever." Eyes filling with alarm, Xander opened his mouth. "Hard day," she shook her head. "Dana, ya know. No questions," she placed a finger against her lover’s lips, "just do it, k?"

"NOW!"

Vi and Rona raced forward at his yell, his two finest Slayers working in their usual, perfect harmony, to attack the demons guarding the roof entrance. Wood by contrast held back, his pistol crossbow waiting for the right shot.

* * *

"Hello Angelus," the Immortal smiled as he walked into the reception area to greet his rival.

"Immortal." The vampire nodded. "You know that I killed Hamilton, I suppose?"

"Hamilton?" The Immortal laughed. "Oh that’s sweet, it really is. You think that impresses me? Hamilton was a prototype; I am the finished article, the true instrument of the Senior Partners."

"I brought help," Angel smiled.

"Him?" The Immortal laughed when Spike strutted into the hushed reception area. "I beat you both once before."

"I know," Angel’s smile remained unruffled. "That’s why I didn’t just bring him."

The Immortal felt a hand on his shoulder. Then he was spun around and into a crashing left to the jaw. "Hi! I’m Connor!"

* * *

Caridad, Colleen, and Shannon burst past them as they made their way into the dimly lit car park, attacking the vampires with a sort of gleeful joy that only other Slayers could match. One of the eight vampires wriggled through the brawl and charged them.

Kate joined Justine in leaping to tackle the demon. "Ahhha!" she grunted as the demon caught her with a foot to the gut, her legs buckling under her as the oxygen exploded from her body, the pain forcing her to her knees. She watched as the demon launched itself at Justine, blocking her roundhouse kick on its shoulder before grabbing her beneath the chin and slamming her headfirst into a steel-grey Corvette. Her ears reverberated to the deathly sound of Justine’s stake clattering to the ground.

"Just!!" Kate’s eyes widened as Justine fell, her best friend’s neck shredded by the vampire’s teeth. Heart racing, Kate forced her legs to work and lunged forward, her stake sinking into the demon’s back, but even as he burst into dust, she could see from Justine’s lightless eyes and unmoving chest it was too late, her partner was dead.

* * *

The Immortal stumbled towards him. And then launched into a leaping dropkick that would have taken Angel’s head off if he hadn’t flung himself over a couch and out of the way. In an instance he was up to see the Immortal grab Connor around the neck and fling him into Spike.

Angel leapt over the couch and straight into a back-handed right that launched him into one of the reception area’s pillars, stone cracking with the impact. Pain lanced through Angel’s back as he slid to the ground.

He saw Connor leap at the Immortal, his son ducking under a straight right but walking straight into a high knee to the face that sent blood showering everywhere. Even as Angel raced towards his stunned son, the Italian playboy caught Connor with an elbow to the head that had his knees buckling.

Spike leapt from nowhere to cannon a dropkick into the Immortal’s chest. The Immortal grunted before swatting the soulled vampire away like a normal man would swat a fly. Angel tackled the Italian around the waist, attempting to dump him to the ground. Instead he caught an ax-handle to the back, driving him to his knees, quickly followed up by a back-hander to the face that threw him into the far wall.

Angel growled as he climbed back upright to see the Immortal pounding punch after punch into Spike. Not that he was bothered about his grand-childe, but if Spike got dusted, there was only him between the Immortal and Connor.

That thought was enough to launch him into the air. He landed on the demonic creation’s back. Immediately the Italian playboy reached up, grabbed his wrists and effortlessly flung him into the air. "I have to give you credit," Angel groaned as he crashed through a window, hit a desk, and bounced to the floor, "you’re putting up more a fight than your stupid bitch did." The Immortal chuckled. "Either to get into bed or kill."

* * *

Groo fought back to back with Kennedy, marvelling at the tiny brunette’s power and ferocity. Of all the Slayers he’d either helped train or fought alongside, her skills were the most formidable.

But then they would have to be given the hordes they faced.

Suddenly he smiled. Live or die, he would do his duty and defend those his princess had once defended. Should he die, he would at least finally re-join her.

* * *

A white-hot rage scorched through Angel at the Immortal’s taunt, temporarily burning his soul away. Before he knew it he was leaping through the shattered window in time to see the Immortal lift Spike above his head and slam him onto the reception desk with enough force to snap the table in two. Then, the hybrid turned his attention to Connor, snapping his son’s head back with a right. The Immortal laughed as he pulled his arm back for a second blow.

"Daddy’s home." Grabbing the Italian play-boy’s arm, he spun him around and butted the W&H enforcer full in the face. When that didn’t have any effect, he crashed a double right into the man’s gut. Connor connected with a kick to the Immortal’s hamstrings, knocking him forward. Angel grabbed him in a chokehold, lifted him off his feet and flung him into a pillar.

The Immortal grunted with the impact before leaping back at them. Spike leapt up and over the reception counter, grabbing the Immortal around the neck and driving him face-first to the ground.

At least that looked to be the plan. Instead the monster snapped an elbow into Angel’s hapless grand-childe’s chest and sent the demon crashing into the stairs just behind them. The Immortal continued on his advance.

Connor leapt to meet him, catching the Immortal with a right to the jaw, and following it up with a kick to the chest. The Immortal grunted but caught Connor’s foot before he had chance to pull it away. Angel howled in rage as his son was lifted and flung through a first floor window. The fall wouldn’t kill him, but it was hardly the point.

Then the Immortal caught him with a clothesline across the chest, spinning him in a three-sixty to land on his feet. A right to the face followed, instantly closing an eye. Angel attempted a groggy block but was unable to prevent a left to the mouth.

Shoving aside his inclination to back up, Angel leapt into a somersault over his opponent’s head, reaching down to grab the man’s head beneath the chin and pull down as he landed, dragging the man back towards him. The Italian’s neck collided with his shoulder, his head snapping clean off, viscera spurting up as the air echoed to his neck snapping. "That wasn’t Queensberry."

"Worked didn’t it?" Angel threw the bloody head away. "I just hope the others are-." Angel looked down as his cell began ringing.

* * *

"We’re here," Xander whispered as they climbed out of the stairwell and started towards the room where Dawn was being held, "all we need-."

"Sorry hon." Faith’s elbow crashed into Xander’ jaw. She had the briefest glimpse of her lover’s shocked, betrayed expression, and then she was leaping forward to catch him. "I know you’d do this to shelter me, that’s why it’s gotta be me." Faith kissed the Sunnydaler on the forehead before lowering him to the plush carpet, slumping him up against the creamy-white wall. After wiping away the mist in her eyes, she pulled out her cell. "Fang," she swallowed at the demon’s concerned tone, "just don’t speak. I need ya to haul ass up to Dawn’s holding place. Thanks for everything ya ever did for me. And tell Xand, I always loved him. Even before I knew him."

"FAITH!"

She closed the phone on Angel’s horrified bellow before steeling herself and opening the door. "Thank god," she whispered when she walked in to find Dawn hooked up to half a dozen machines, a tube in her arm withdrawing blood from her thankfully unconscious body. Faith wiped the tears away before leaning over the ghostly white teen and kissing her on the forehead. "I’m sorry kiddo," she muttered before drawing the dagger Willow had given her. "Way it has to be," she pressed the knife to the younger neck, took a breath, and dragged the knife towards her in a brutally efficient slash.

Faith screamed as the power flew up the dagger and her arm, ripping through her, tearing her body, mind, and soul into a thousand pieces and scattering them across the cosmos.

* * *

Sweat glistened on Giles’ forehead, dripping into his eyes to obscure his vision as he stared at his watch. The attack would have started twenty minutes ago. They would get news soon, they had to. Dawn had to be alright.

"Nooooooooooo!"

Giles spun from pacing the room at the scream. His heart hollowed at the tears rolling down Willow’s ashen face. In an instance, he was knelt by the witch’s side, his hands clasping hers as she shook and wailed. "Willow," he forced his tone to remain calm, "Willow what’s wrong?"

"It’s done," the witch whispered. "The fissure is closed."

"Well that’s-."

"Noooooo!"

Giles stared into the witch’s reddening eyes. "Willow, please I can’t help you unless you talk to me, please."

"No-one can help me, I made her do it." The witch sniffed.

Giles swallowed, his fear growing like a hollowing tunnel in his stomach. "Willow, what have-," remembering blame probably wasn’t the best way to go, he started again. "Willow, please tell me what’s happened?"

"There never was any way to close the fissure, not like I said. Please," Willow shook her head at Giles’ opening mouth, "if you ask me anything I’ll never be able to finish." Giles forced his mouth to close. "Once the Immortal’s spell started, there was no way back, any attempt would have torn the planet apart. Unless…" Willow gulped and sniffled. "Unless Dawn also died."

"No," Giles whispered.

Willow didn’t seem to have heard his mumble. "I gave Faith a knife, a dagger I’d made myself. When Faith killed Dawnie," Willow whimpered, "no when I had Faith kill Dawnie, the power of the Key whip-lashed up the dagger and ripped Faith apart, splitting her essence to a hundred different dimensions."

"Faith too," Giles mumbled.

"She’s dead," Willow whispered. "I killed them both."

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