Title: Beyond

Author: Jeanny

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Co. own all these characters, but I like to play with them. As long as I'm not making money and nobody gets hurt, no harm done, right?

Distribution: I don't mind, just credit me and let me know where it's going.

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Through the end of Season 5.

Feedback: Please. jeannygrrl@hotmail.com

Summary: After learning more about what the future will hold, Buffy makes a decision that effects her own destiny (spoilers for The Gift).

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This time in the darkness, Buffy couldn't help but flashback to the scene she had left in Sunnydale before. The images of her sister on fire, of her friend's overpowering grief, of Spike cradling Dawn in his arms, of Anya's eyes losing focus as Tara held her, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't shake them. She was afraid what she would see when she finally got to Sunnydale, and even though the false Xander and Willow she traveled with had assured her that the events she was going to see could be changed, the dread in her stomach left a sour taste in her mouth. The taste of fear, a not unfamiliar one. When she came out of the darkness this time, it was with equal measures of relief and trepidation.

Buffy let out the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding as her eyes adjusted to the light once again. She immediately checked on her companions, and was vaguely pleased to see that for once their appearance hadn't changed. She looked around at the familiar surroundings and smiled faintly.

"I'm home. This is my home." The living room and dining room looked almost exactly how she remembered them, but there was something different. It took her a minute to figure out what exactly had changed. There were black out curtains on the windows. She looked at the Xander figure she had dubbed Thing One, a question in her eyes. Before she could ask or he could reply, the answer walked into the room trailing behind her sister with grim determination in his eyes.

"No buts, Dawn. I need you to pack pronto, you and me are gettin out of this bloody town before it starts bleedin us." Dawn turned and stared at him wide-eyed, the shock and sadness of memory there causing Spike to look down at his shoes rather than see that pain. "Again," he added under his breath, almost like a prayer. More like a curse.

"And the others? We're going to just leave them?" Dawn stared at him until he met her gaze again.

"If they're stupid enough to stay here." Dawn's horrified look caused him to soften his tone. "I think they will come, Dawn. There's nothing any of us can do. We stay, we die. Even your sis knew to run from a battle she couldn't win, and I promised her I'd keep looking out for you. Right now that means we bleedin get out of Sunnyhell. We go fast and we go far and we pray that this won't catch us."

"But it will, won't it?" Dawn said, her voice flat with resignation. Spike didn't bother to answer. It wasn't really a question.

"Pack. Only what you can carry, little bit. We're stoppin by the magic shop and then we're leaving this cursed place. Nothin left here now anyway." Tears sprung up in Dawn's eyes and she angrily blinked them away. Buffy felt her heart breaking as she heard her reply, she had no way of knowing how almost right she was.

"Buffy and my mom are here." Dawn ran from the room and up the stairs without waiting for Spike to deny her statement. He watched her go, shaking his head. He wondered, not for the first time, how he had gotten himself into this mess.

"They're not here anymore, they're in another place. A much, much better place, is what I've been told." His eyes glistened for a moment, and Buffy thought she saw a hint of tears, but it was gone so quickly she couldn't be sure. His sorrowful expression remained as he stared into space, lost in thought or memories, she couldn't be sure. Buffy turned to Thing Two, the companion in the guise of Willow, who was also wearing a sad expression.

"What is happening here?" Without responding the two beings grabbed onto her hands, and as they shimmered out again she barely caught Spike's quiet words They chilled her to her soul.

"Don't worry about your mum and Buffy, you'll be seeing them soon enough."

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The trip through the darkness this time was brief, and when they reemerged they were in another familiar spot. Buffy again smiled faintly, surprised at how glad she was to see the Magic Box again. Her pleasure was mitigated by the sight of her friends sitting around the table covered with dusty ancient tomes as always, expressions grim. Giles stood behind them, and Buffy was shocked to see how old he looked, like he had aged twenty years since she had last seen him. Weariness came off of him in waves. Xander's body was stiff and his face was completely blank. He seemed to Buffy almost like a wax figure of her friend, because the spark of life and humor that had always been behind his eyes even under the worst circumstances was gone. It was then that Buffy noticed that Anya was conspicuously absent from the gathering. Tears pooled in her eyes and she turned to the false Xander next to her, shocked to see him staring sadly back, eyes filled with the same tears.

"Where's Anya? She didn't...please tell me that he didn't lose her!" Thing One gave his head a little shake, then inclined his head towards the tableau before them. The meaning of the gesture was instantly clear to Buffy, though she was uncertain why; she was to watch and not to question, her guides would no longer speak until this scene had played out.

Unable to look at Xander again, she studied Tara and Willow. Tara slumped in her seat, one arm around Willow's shoulder and her other hand on her arm. She was rubbing her girlfriend's arm in a placating gesture, her expression troubled and slightly fearful. Willow, on the other hand, was more tense than Buffy thought she had ever seen her. Her expression was dark with anger and frustration, and she looked about ready to explode. Tara spoke, and it was clear to Buffy she was trying to diffuse a situation.

"I...don't know if it will help, but there are still some books I borrowed back at Willow's, there could be something..." Giles shook his head slowly. It seemed like they were all operating in slow-motion to Buffy.

"No, there won't be. Magic is not the answer here. I'm afraid with the Council's failure..."

"Failure. That's an interesting word, Giles." The bitterness in Willow's tone shocked Buffy. She'd never heard her friend speak that way. "You heard what Angel said. They tried to kill Faith. Not break her out of jail, kill her. As much as I have...issues...with Faith, and maybe I wouldn't have minded if she stayed being coma girl, she's a human being. Not a disposable commodity. Oh, I forgot, for you maybe it is."

"Willow..." Tara whispered, still trying to soothe her, as Giles turned away from her accusing gaze.

"I regret that what I did was necessary, Willow, but it was. Necessary. And I fought the Council on the matter of Faith."

"Not too hard, Giles. Definitely not hard enough. You knew what they were planning and you didn't tell us. You could have warned Angel, or me. We could have gotten her out of there somehow. We need a slayer here, instead she's in solitary losing her mind. I did a spell to talk to her last night, you know, she's going psycho-crazy again. She's no good to us now even if I could get her out."

"Still, what's done is done. It doesn't change that there is no Slayer, and it doesn't change what's going to happen here. We need to come up with a plan to fight..." The tinkling bell at the door announced the presence of Dawn and Spike's rapid entrance. Removing the flaming blanket from his head and stomping it bitterly, Spike glared at them all. Dawn silently took the seat by Xander, reaching for his hand. She gave him a small smile when he looked at her, and the dead look in his eyes warmed almost imperceptibly. He squeezed her hand in response as Spike ranted at Giles.

"A plan to die, you mean. You can't fight the Kasha'ra without the Slayer and you bloody well know it, better than I do. The buggers are immune to magic, they can't be burned, decapitated, drowned or in any way killed in any of those other charming ways you might be imagining.  Sword of Hikira-jinn through the heart, only thing that'll kill them. Got the sword. But the sword can only be wielded by a Slayer, and we don‘t have one of those. Case closed, kids."

"Nevertheless, they cannot be allowed to open the Hellmouth-"

"You just don't get it, do you? You. Can't. Stop. Them!"

"What are you saying, Spike? Run away?" Willow asked softly, her anger dissipating at the sight of Dawn holding Xander's hand.

"Bloody right, run away! What choice do any of us have. I'm heading to South America tonight, and I'm takin the nibblet with me. I suggest you all come along for the ride, or go someplace else, I don't really care. Get out of Sunnydale or get dead. Those are the only choices left."

“I would think that, being her legal guardian, I might have a say in whether Dawn goes on a sleepover, let alone a trip to South America.” Giles’ tone was quiet, but that deadly anger was right below the surface. Spike knew the Watcher had been looking for an excuse to stake him ever since Buffy’s death, and had to struggle to keep from flinching. He raised his chin stubbornly, his determination to save Dawn outweighing his apprehension.

“Not when that guardian is loony enough to keep her in Certain Death Town, no.”

“Spike’s right.” Everyone in the room jumped at the sound of Xander’s voice. It was obvious to Buffy that this was as much due to the fact that he had spoken at all as to what he had said. He looked at them each in turn, then addressed the rest of his comments directly to Giles. “I can’t speak for the others, but we’re leaving, Giles. I found a specialist in Illinois. He’s looked at all of Anya’s records and he thinks there may be a chance, some hope.” Buffy sighed in relief. Anya wasn’t dead, although from the sounds of it she was pretty bad off. In a coma, perhaps. “So, I’m taking her to Chicago, I‘ve already made all the arrangements, we leave tonight. I can’t...I just don’t have it in me to fight anymore, and if the world’s gonna end, I want to be with her. And I...I’d kind of like her to know that I’m with her, too, if that’s at all possible.” Giles stared at Xander for a long moment, then simply nodded. Xander gave Dawn’s hand one more squeeze, then stood up. He gave Spike a long look, finally shaking his head. “No, I still don’t like you. Take care of Dawnie. Keep your promise.” Spike nodded gravely.

“Always. Good luck, Harris. And I hope your girl wakes up.” Willow and Tara had both stood when Xander did, and now wordlessly they each wrapped their arms around Xander, holding him in a group hug. Tara let go after a minute but Willow hung on, putting her head against Xander’s shoulder then speaking to him softly.

“Anya’ll be alright, Xander, I know she will.” Xander gave a quick nod and released her. He gently grabbed her chin to force her to look him in the eyes.

“Go, Will. This is hopeless, and you know it. Don’t stay here and die, I don’t want to lose you too.” As he let her go, Willow glanced at Tara. She was trying to look brave, but her eyes begged Willow to get them out of there. Willow turned to Spike.

“Where in South America?”

“Peru. Pucallpa, I think. I used to have some friends there. Flaqop demons, very peaceful chaps, not vamps, they can help us. And I can take her into the rainforest if need be.” Willow nodded, her face showing a decision reached.

“Take Tara with you, Spike. Giles and I...we’ll catch up to you later.”

“No! Willow, I won’t leave you!” Tara cried, panicked. Willow smiled at her bravely, resolve face in place, but the solemnity in her eyes told Tara the truth of it. She would stay and fight with Giles if he wouldn’t go. Willow drew her girlfriend into her arms, holding her as if she was the most precious thing imaginable. Buffy knew that for Willow she was.

“Tara, please, you should go. Spike will take care of you, and you know I’ll find you. I’ll always find you.” Willow gave Tara a lingering kiss, salty from both of their tears. She released her just as gently as she had taken hold of her, then nodded at Spike, who took Tara’s arm. He gave Willow a half-smile and decided to try one more time.

“You should come with us, Red. This is a lost cause, even the Watcher knows it.” Willow shook her head and looked at Giles. Despite her anger with him, she wouldn’t leave him to face this new danger alone.

“I won’t leave Giles here by himself. And my parents, all these other people, I won’t just let them die. We’ll figure something out, we have to. And then we’ll catch up with you guys. Right, Giles?”

“Willow...” Xander began in a low voice, stopping when she pointed at her expression. Resolve face.  He stopped his protest, there was no point.

“Right, Giles?” Willow repeated pointedly.

“Yes, we’ll catch up with you as soon as we can,” Giles said weakly. Buffy exploded.

“No! How can he do that? They can’t fight these kosher things, they’ve got to run! Why won’t they run?”

“Because it’s who they are, Buffy. And because there’s no one else.” Thing One said matter-of-factly, no judgment in his tone.

“But can they win? Without...without a Slayer?”

“No.” Thing Two‘s eyes were sad as she spoke. “Without a Slayer, the Hellmouth will open. The Kasha’ra are ancient demons, they’ve have been around for millennia. They are few in number because we were able to restore balance by giving one of your predecessors a sword that could kill them, otherwise humanity would have fallen under their rule a long time ago. Other than the sword they cannot be killed. They have been waiting for centuries for this opportunity. Someone alerted them to your death and this has made them bold enough to try to gain their victory now.”

“And they’re heading for the Hellmouth.” Buffy watched silently as more goodbyes were said, and as Tara put her arm around Dawn and led her away behind Spike. Xander had already left for the hospital, and Willow and Giles were now alone. He cleared his throat.

“You should have gone with them, Willow. As much as it pains me to admit it, Spike was right. Without a Slayer to wield the sword, there is no hope.”

“I won’t believe that, Giles. There’s always a hope. There’s a way, there‘s got to be. We have two days to find it and we will. Buffy wouldn’t give up and I won’t either.” She gestured towards the spell book sitting in front of her. “It’s a long shot, but I’ve been looking into spells to transfer the Slayer essence into another willing vessel. I’m thinking, if we can transfer Faith’s essence into me temporarily, I can use the sword to kill them.” Giles began to look over the spell she had marked, and as they discussed it he began to look optimistic for the first time. Buffy grinned.

“Go Will, always the smart one. That’ll work, right?” Rather than respond, the two companions took her hands again. They shimmered into the darkness once more.

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