Pale as a Ghost

Title: Pale as a Ghost

Characters: Buffy and Dawn Summers, with brief appearances by various Scoobies. All characters featured in this story are the property of Joss Whedon, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Setting: Season 5 – In particular, The Gift

Word Count: 1,092

Rating: PG for supernatural themes

Beta: haffner280 – Thanks for the assist, much appreciated! :)

Author’s Notes: The story below was written as part of a challenge called “Code Blue” in February 2007, for which I was awarded second place. In a nutshell, it was to write a Buffy the Vampire Slayer story, continuing from this sentence:

“Buffy is running through the hospital. Her face is cut and she looks like she’s been crying. Her leather jacket sways with every burst of an opening door. She stops as she sees the stretcher ahead. She breathes heavily looking at who is on it…”

So, with it, I figured I’d try something a little “different” (for me, at least). The story takes place at a very particular moment in Buffy and Dawn’s history, and is based on the finale to season five, The Gift.

“Buffy is running through the hospital. Her face is cut and she looks like she’s been crying. Her leather jacket sways with every burst of an opening door. She stops as she sees the stretcher ahead. She breathes heavily looking at who is on it…”

Pale as a ghost, Buffy stares in horror and disbelief. The world seemingly slows down around the Slayer. Her stomach knots up, and her heart misses a few beats.

“Oh my God, Dawn,” Buffy finally manages to stammer, “What have I done?”

Buffy knows that she must run to her sister. She must be there for her; she must see that she’s going to be all right.

But Buffy knows the truth, and she can’t bear to face it.

Paramedics rush around in a flurry, completely unaware of Buffy’s presence. They wheel Dawn out of Buffy’s sight. Finally, Buffy summons the courage to see her sister.

Buffy takes a step forward, and then another. Gradually, she begins to move more quickly and runs down the corridor, around the corner.

She sees the paramedics standing over her sister. But she knows she’s too late. They lift a sheet and cover Dawn’s head.

Buffy closes her eyes. Merely weeks ago, she lost her mother. And, now, she’s lost her sister. Throughout history, the Slayers have been alone. Always alone. Until Buffy – a fact that she used to take for granted.

Anguished, Buffy closes her eyes.

“Buffy, it’s started,” says a familiar voice.

“Dawn?” Buffy asks, opening her eyes. No response. Buffy looks around for her sister. She’s not there. The Slayer wipes the tears from her eyes before closing them again.

Buffy hears thunder nearby. She looks around the night sky. Despite telling herself not to look down, Buffy looks down below the platform on which she and Dawn are standing. A bolt of lightning has just struck from a swirling portal. Lightning crackles around the portal as it gradually grows larger and larger.

Giles stares upward. He’s concerned for the well-being of not just Dawn, but Buffy.

Xander holds Anya as they both stare upwards. They’re scared. Anya opens her mouth to say something before closing it, for once unable to find the words.

Willow and Tara hold each other. A tear makes its way down Willow’s cheek, as she can no longer bear to stare toward the sky any longer. She turns to her lover who holds her tightly.

“Buffy, it hurts.”

“I got it. Come here. You’re gonna be okay.”

Buffy steps toward Dawn, who is staring at the portal, stunned.

“I’m sorry”, Dawn cries.

Tears stream down Buffy’s face. “I’m sorry,” she cries.

Dawn attempts to run past her sister, but Buffy grabs her. Buffy’s hands tremble. She knows what must be done. She knows that it will cost her sister her life.

“I have to jump,” Dawn tells her.

Buffy embraces her sister. “I have to,” Dawn says quietly.

Lightning crackles around the two. Dawn’s scared, but Buffy is petrified. She can’t lose her sister.

“You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood,” Dawn tells Buffy bravely.

Tears stream down Buffy’s cheek.

“I know,” she tells her sister, before hugging her one final time and kissing her on the cheek.

Dawn runs toward the end of the platform and dives off, plummeting toward the portal.

One of the paramedics looks at his watch. “Time of death, 1:13 AM,” he says coldly.

“No!” Buffy cries out. The anguish in her voice is evident. The volume of her voice should have elicited some kind of reaction.

But it didn’t. Not even from Giles, Xander, Willow, Tara, Spike, Anya, or Dawn, who sit together shattered, trying to console each other.

Giles, Xander, Willow, Tara, Spike, Anya, and… Dawn?

Buffy’s heart almost leaps through her chest with joy. Her sister is alive! Buffy doesn’t understand how, and she doesn’t care. Dawn is alive.

She runs to her sister and friends.

“Oh my God, Dawn!”

And she receives no response. They are all sitting together, trying to console each other.

A doctor approaches the group cautiously. “I’m sorry”, he says sympathetically. “She didn’t make it”.

The group breaks down, particularly Dawn. “No, you’re lying!” she screams at the doctor.

“I truly am sorry,” he responds.

Now Buffy is angry. She yells at the doctor. “What do you mean? She’s standing right here!” The doctor turns to leave, seemingly oblivious.

Buffy turns to her sister and reaches out to hold her hand.

“Dawn, it’s all going to be okay”.

Buffy’s hand slips through Dawn’s, as if she were incorporeal. Buffy tries again to no avail. Buffy’s scared. She’s confused.

She remembers it all so vividly…

“You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood,” Dawn tells Buffy bravely.

Tears stream down Buffy’s cheek.

Dawn struggles to listen as Buffy mumbles to herself. “The monks made her out of me”.

Slowly, Dawn comes to realise what Buffy is thinking.

“Buffy, no,” Dawn cries. She struggles to breathe; she can’t let her sister go through with this.

“Dawnie, I have to. I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do.”

Buffy hugs her sister one final time and kisses her on the cheek goodbye. It is one goodbye that Dawn had never prepared herself for. She sobs uncontrollably in the knowledge that there is absolutely nothing she can do for her sister.

Buffy runs toward the end of the platform and dives off, falling toward the portal gracefully. Heroically.

Dawn sobs in disbelief. She’s blaming herself for all that has transpired over the night. “Oh my God, Buffy,” Dawn stammers, “What have I done?”

Tears roll down Buffy’s cheek. “Dawn,” she begins, “It’s not your fault. I did what had to be done. I saved your life. Never blame yourself for that.”

Buffy turns to leave her friends and Dawn. She follows the paramedics as they escort the body away. As Buffy attempts to remove the sheet from the body, her hand simply vanishes through it. She stares at the sheet draping itself over the body, and can just make out her own features underneath.

“And so it is,” she says to herself.

Buffy looks to the ceiling as light emanates through it. She hears a familiar voice – the voice of her mother calling her name. “Buffy,” she says.

“Mom…” Buffy responds.

Three days later, Buffy’s friends stand solemnly at a private funeral. Giles is giving a speech and is barely able to keep his tears away. He finally says his goodbye, before looking at her headstone. He can’t help but smile, remembering the wonderful young girl he will never forget, as he reads it:

Buffy Anne Summers
1981-2001
Beloved Sister
Devoted Friend

She saved the world.
A lot.