Soulless Dawn by tempestt +24
Responses: 1
Categories: None
Characters: None
Summary:

Dawn doesn't have a soul.  The spell that shows Buffy that Dawn is the key, also reveals that although the Monks made her human, souls are at a premium.  You can't just whip one up because you're making a new human.

Dawn still behaves exactly the same on the show, she's not evil, doesn't want to do evil, she's just a regular girl, but peoples' reactions varies.  Joyce still loves her daughter, and puts no stock in this soul business.  After all, what is a soul?

Willow is shocked, but Tara's acceptance of Dawn, makes her realize that a soul doesn't make a difference.

Giles openly accepts the situation, but secretly questions it, and is obviously standoffish which hurts Dawn's feelings.

Xander sticks his foot in it, and has a hard time accepting it.  He tries to put up a good face in front of Dawn, but behind her back he badmouths her to the scoobies and asks a lot of 'what if' scenarios.  Like, what if she goes bad?

Unlike on the show, Riley is clued in early to Dawn's key status.  Maybe he overhears the discussion and he treats Dawn with disdain, being the only one of the Scoobies to openly bring up the subject they are all secretly worried about.  Angel and his off again on again soul.  He very snidely asks that if Angel was evil without a soul, why is Dawn different.  This question is a catalyst for some very deep thinking for everyone.

Spike doesn't treat Dawn any differently.  In fact, Dawn seeks him out, needing the counsel of another soulless person.  Would like a deep conversation between the two about the nature of evil and what it means to have a soul.  They grow close, because Dawn believes that he's the only one to understand her.

Buffy is wigged in the beginning, hurting Dawn terribly.  Remember Buffy didn't initially react well to finding out that Dawn was a key.  Add her being soulless will cause Buffy to have serious thinky thoughts about her beliefs.

However, the more the scoobies question Dawn and her rights (such as the right to live, and why should they fight for her) Buffy becomes more and more defensive of her baby sister, finally realizing that a soul isn't as necessary as Angel would have her believe.

As things heat up, Anya confesses that she too is soulless.  After all, just because you get whammied into human form doesn't mean you get a soul.  Souls are aren't just wondering around in the ether waiting to get snatched up.  They're custom made when you're born, and you don't get another one just because.  Let this lead to the question of what or whose soul is Angel cursed with.

This could cause Xander and Anya to break up or nearly break up causing Xander to see the light.

I think you can see how this paves the way for Spuffy.  Especially when Spike is the most vocal in defense of his new soulless friend.



Summary: A shock revelation threatens to tear the Scooby Gang apart, but will it bring Spike and Buffy together in the long run? (Alternative Season Seven, without the First Evil and Potential Slayers plot line.) 
Beta and Sensitivity Readers: None
Artists: None
Categories: Season 7, Alternate Reality, Challenge Response
Characters: Anya, Buffy, Dawn, Giles, Spike, Tara, Willow, Xander
Genres: Angst
Warnings: Adult Language
Challenges: Soulless Buffy , Soulless Dawn
Event: 2015 Challenge Month
Completed: Yes Chapters: 22 Table of Contents
Word count: 27,377 Hit Count: 42,863 ePub Downloads: 343
Published: October 04, 2015 Updated: June 21, 2019