Damned
By Iago

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to Joss and his associates. I write for the enjoyment and satisfaction. Author's Note: Who was the better friend? Let me know in the end.

Buffy watched the sun rise. It was another sleepless night for the eighteen year old, not an unnatural occurrence for her since she had become the Slayer. She had not been able to sleep; how could she be expected to when she had a price on her head?

It was the ultimate plan conceived by her advesaries: call forth the Tarakan Assassins to exterminate the Slayer. Spike had put a price on her head and it had been a year and still they came. She was never able to forsee their advances. She could turn a corner, and they would be there. She would be
leaving school, and there they would be. It became so a danger that she had ceased all contact with her friends, her Watcher, even her mom. Whatever came about, she would not allow her friends to be hurt. But even the best thought of plans had faults, and this she had realized too late. She looked down at the note again with distaste:

"Come to the warehouse or the witch goes slowly."

How could it have come to this? She thought of Willow, so fragile, so unappreciated by those who walked by her everyday. And yet, she would give anything for her friends, perhaps even more than Buffy herself could give, or would give. Now she was used as bait to capture the Slayer. One could ask, what was the cost of one small, insignificant red head in the grand scheme of war? But this was not just an innocent civilian, this was Willow, her greatest friend and most loyal confidant. Buffy could easily have discarded the note, opted to ignore the threat and continuing living, but that wasn't Buffy's way. And where would it end? Xander killed? Giles tortured to death? Her mom dismembered and placed about to drive the Slayer insane. No. There was only one option left. Had she not tried fighting? That was a useless cause, for one dead assassin brought two more and so on. Had she not tried running? Yes, but running could never get one far enough from the problems and duties that came with life. Only one option existed now: surrender.

Giles had told her, so had Angel, but the idea that she would be hunted until the bounty was won was trivial to her. It wasn't now. Her existance as the Slayer had been tough, but the life she lived now, always on the run, was a life not worth living. Angel would surely argue that, but he was gone now, having taken a stake defending Buffy until the end. She had continued, not wanting her Angel to have died in vain, but it was fruitless now.

The sun rise had been beautiful she acknowledged with a sad smile. It was strange how she had never paid attention to so much beauty before in her life. But now seeing her last sun rise, she felt a longing to have time to appreciate the small things she had taken for granted before. *Time was fleeting,* she thought sadly, *but that's life.*

She proceeded down the hill toward the factory. They would be waiting, this she knew. Willow would be hoping her friend would not not show, Buffy thought, Willow would rather die than have Buffy sacrifice herself for her release. *Sorry to disappoint you, Will.*

Buffy got closer to the building and already she could see eyes watching her. She smiled. Soon it would be over. No more fear for her loved ones, just eternal peace, she had earned it. It would be comforting to die knowing she had saved Willow. Buffy stopped.

"I'm here. Let Willow go!"

"Give yourself up completely, Slayer. Then she will have her peace."

Buffy felt her body getting weak. Self-sacrifice would not be as easy as she had thought before. Her mind was intent, but her body was already weakening. She continued forward.

The factory door opened and an eerie darkness spilt out, like a sun's rays entering the dark room. Buffy entered the building and there they were amassed before her. In the middle, a sad Willow stood. Her eyes said what she could not. *Why Buffy? Why sacrifice yourself?* But there was something else in her eyes. Something she couldn't quite read . . .regret?

"I'm here, let her go." Buffy's voice was strong despite her fear. Death loomed so close.

"She goes when we have you dead, Slayer." The Assassin closest to her luaghed sinisterly.

It was at that second that the fear left Buffy's body and she became the Slayer. Before she knew what she was doing she had killed more than half of the Assassins in the room. She was trained for combat, but never had she been so intent on killing than at that moment. Those who were lucky enough to not be killed by one of Buffy's blows, cowered on the floor in pain. She grabbed Willow and made way for the door. Then she felt something. It was aharp pain followed by a mind numbing sensation. She felt her back and looked at her hand: it was covered in blood. She began feeling lightheaded. Buffy turned to see that Willow had stopped, a knife held precariously in her little hands.

"Willow? No." Buffy slumped to the floor near death. Her eyes were wide with horror and tears. "Why Willow?"

"They have Xander, Giles, and Oz in the other room, Buffy. This was the only way." She was crying hard now, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't want it like this, Buffy. But you deserted us, you left us alone to fight, to watch our families die, our friends. They came for us. I did what you should have long ago. I sacrificed myself for my friends."

"Sacrificed yourself?" The words were barely audible, Buffy being so close to death. Already the world had become darker than the factory she was in.

"Yes. The others will never have to worry about this again and neither will you, Buffy. It's over, and now you can rest. I've damned myself for this betrayal, but at least the others will live." Willow put the blade to her own neck. "I'm damned, but at least the others will live."

And as soon as it had begun, it was over.

The End

Note:
Whose friendship was more dear, the one who tried to sacrfice her life or the one who sacrficed her eternity? Who can say?