Another happy sequal to a horrible story I read once. Obviously deals with appalling subject matter but don't worry, worth it in the end.

The Greatest Power

Dawn tiptoed terrified past the bathroom, struck by the weirdness of being afraid in her own house.

But she was afraid.

Because Buffy was in there.

For all the terrors of the streets of Sunnydale, home was now the scariest place of all.

The sobs reached her ears. She stopped and peeked timidly around the doorframe. Buffy was naked, looking at herself in the mirror. There was

something in her hand, something shiny...

"GOD, BUFFY NO!" She screamed racing forwards.

She didn't know how she was able to do it, Buffy was the Slayer after all but she wrenched the razor blade free. Buffy collapsed in the corner and simply wept.

"Oh Dawnie, let me die, please let me die, I raped you, I forced myself on you, I don't know why, I can't live with myself, I'm evil, let me die, Faith can be the Slayer, I deserve to go to hell"

Dawn bent down and wrapped the shallow cuts on her arms with a towel. She washed the blood away and cleaned and bandaged Buffy's wounds. She half walked, half carried her to her bed.

She laid Buffy down and covered her with the blankets before stripping to her underwear and slipping in beside her. Buffy tried to shy away as Dawn wrapped her arms around her sister's waist.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Dawn kissed her on the lips. "I know, it's all ok, I love you"

"I love you too" she sobbed.

Dawn laid her head on Buffy's chest and listened to her cry herself to sleep. Then she joined her in a deep, dreamless slumber.

Home was no longer a place of fear.

It would never, ever, be again.

"You said the guilt from this spell would make her kill herself!" Harmony accused the Shamam.

He shrugged, putting his crystal ball away.

"I guess some things are more powerful than a lust spell" he observed.

"Like what?" Harmony demanded.

"Forgiveness?" he suggested.

She snapped his neck then stalked off into the night in a furious huff.