Connection: Chapter Fourteen
by rockangelz25
A/N: This one's a little longer.

Buffy looked up. It was bad enough that they had managed to catch her. But now Faith, the other slayer, had been captured by Angelus and his companions. In the other world--her world--she had known not to trust the vampire. It was stupid of her to go against her instinct.

And now she was chained up in the basement of the Bronze, the same place that Angelus had been kept in. When he was good. In her world. If, in fact, he ever had been.

The Vampire Willow had come for her--she'd nearly gotten staked in the process, but had succeeded in the end. Dammit, why wasn't someone coming for her?

She knew why. Because they didn't even know she was alive, didn't know how to find her. And why should they risk their lives just to save her? There were still two Slayers out there... One now...

But the original Slayer was still there to fight. Why should they risk everything for one person?

Because she was still the Slayer. And any Slayer in the hands of the enemy needed help. Where were they?

Where was her other self now that Faith was here? And.... Why was Vampire-Willow coming to her? What were they going to try and do to her now?

Oh my God, she's going to kill me. She has--oh God, not the matches again. Anything but those. Buffy--where are you? Where am I? How could this happen to me, the Slayer?

"Hey there. It's dark down here. Don't you want some light?" Smiling, the vampire struck a match. "Master doesn't need you anymore. He's got a new toy. But he'll let me play with you for a little longer. Then it's time to say goodbye."

Please don't let her kill me.... Please don't let her kill me....

"You know, it's okay. You can scream. Just because you're the Slayer doesn't mean you have to be all strong inside. I won't tell."

I'd never scream.... I won't give into you.... I am Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I am better than you. I kill your kind. I could kill you now if I weren't chained up, and had a stake. You are beneath me.

"Okay." She dropped the match, watching the blond girl burn beneath her. "Suit yourself." It burned out after a few minutes, as matches often do. The fire came to a stop, Vampire Willow smiling.

"I can end it for you. I can take you away. I could make you strong again, like me.... I like the idea of a vampire slayer." She giggled. "I made a pun."

She's trying to make me listen.... I won't let her sire me! I can't be sired! If I have to die, I'm only doing it the one time. I won't become a vampire. I won't be like her. I won't be like them.

"Don't you want to be strong again? I know you don't want to stay here and burn. Don't you want to be free?"

God, yes. I want to be free more than anything..... But not like that, no, not like that.

"Aw..... Puppy won't bark anymore. Maybe it's time for the puppy to sleep." Vamp-Willow stood up, looking down at the Slayer.

No. No, don't kill me. Don't make me like you. If you won't let me go, just leave me alone. Let me be. No more of this, please.

"It'd be a shame just to kill you.... But nobody wants you anymore. The Slayers never came for you. They've been upstairs everynight, and they never came. Everyone else left. We're the only ones who want you, and we don't even need you anymore." Her face smiled again.

No. She's lying. Even if Faith and the other me were here, they must not have known. They would've come for me. They're fighters. They would've risked it.

"I guess it's time to say goodbye."

God, I'm so weak. Being here made me weak. I'm scared to die. I know that I can die, and I'm afraid of it. Even knowing that it's what I have to do--let another Slayer out so that she can end this--I'm so scared of it.

"Goodbye, puppy."

Her hand's going to my neck--God, she's really going to do it this time. I'm so scared. After everything, it's finally going to end.

Snap.

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