Buffy laced her fingers through Spike's and their hands caught fire.
Upstairs, Willow drawn to the light by some unknown need put her hand into it, catching her palm on fire.
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Buffy shot awake with a scream. Her hand burned, and she felt it crack and blister.
Joyce rushed in. "Buffy! What's wrong?" When she saw Buffy's hand, she went into emergency mode and pulled Buffy by her other hand into the bathroom, running Buffy's hand under cool water. "How did this happen?"
"I don't know," Buffy whispered with tears in her eyes. That dream had been so vivid. Years had passed. She'd grown up and lost so much. But it was just a dream, wasn't it? The burn on her hand made her seriously question the just a dream theory.
The burn looked terrible when Joyce removed Buffy's hand from the water. "Get your shoes. We're going to the hospital."
"It's OK, Mom, I'll be fine." Buffy smiled weakly. "I'll put on some burn cream and wrap it."
"Buffy." Joyce's nerves were shot.
"Mom. I'm fine. Trust me."
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With a promise to her mom to not get kicked out, Buffy looked up at the school, taking a deep breath. "Holy déjà vu batman."
A voice that sounded familiar sliced through the crowd. "Scuse me, comin' through, pardon me, 'scuse me, whoa! 'Scuse me, not sure how to stop! Please move, whoa, 'scuse me... " When he met Buffy's eyes, he said, "Whoa." Before clotheslining himself on the railing.
"Buffy?"
Buffy turned to see Willow staring at her. And how she thought the girl's name was Willow drew question marks, unless her name really was Willow, and it wasn't a dream. "Willow?" Willow nodded and pushed her hair behind her ear with a bandaged hand. "What happened to your hand?"
"What I want to know is how you two know each other." Xander said picking up his skateboard while he stood.
"We met when we were young," Buffy said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"When I was in LA with my parents," Willow looked down and to the left. "I never thought I'd see you again, Buff."
"Me either. I, ah, can we talk?"
"I think that's a good idea. I can help you get books and catch up with your classes, which we'll know after we stop by the office."
The girls stared at each other as they walked to the office.
"But I need help with my math," Xander said as he watched them leave.
Jesse bounced up to Xander. "New girl!"
"I met her. Pretty much a hottie, and Willow knows her already. So we've got an in." The two boys walked off together.
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Students filled the halls, pushing and shoving each other, and Buffy and Willow hadn't talked to each other yet. But they were in front of the Principal's office. "You shouldn't be late on your first day. We'll meet in the library for sixth?"
"Sure," Buffy said. "Maybe we can figure out what's going on here."
"So, later." Willow's voice trailed off as she backed up and knocked into another student. "Sorry, Jonathan."
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Half the day flew by, Buffy answering questions the teachers asked and generally making a good first impression. But all the while it was unreal to her. She had the forethought to put off meeting Giles and getting another student to pick up her books. Might as well meet Giles when she met up with Willow.
The library, would this one get blown up too? She'd forgotten how elegant the library was at Sunnydale High. Everything was exactly how she'd dreamed. Except Willow. "Don't think too far ahead, you don't know for sure the dream was real."
Giles walked out of his office, "Miss Summers?"
She waved. "Hi, Giles."
He looked at her funny. "Did another student tell you my name?"
"Have you seen Willow?" Buffy studied Giles' face. He looked just as she remembered. "And don't pull out the vampyr book. I don't need a primer."
"How?"
"Dream. Or maybe not a dream."
Willow pushed through the swinging doors. "Hi, Buffy." After an awkward pause, Willow hugged Buffy and Buffy hugged back. "I knew it was real."
"Me too." Tears rushed down Buffy's face and the heaving chest and sniffles told her that Willow was crying too. "How are we going to go through all that again?"
"We change it," Willow said, pulling back hands on Buffy's waist. "It had to be real. I mean I've got my powers and I know you, and that Giles here's a Watcher. And if we're going to change it, we have to start with the Master. I know that prophecies are tricky, but I'm sure if we study them, we can work them to our advantage."
"Right, but we should also try to figure out why this happened," Buffy said, brushing Willow's hair over her shoulder and letting her friend go.
"Naturally."
"Would someone mind telling me what's going on?" Giles asked.
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"Hello, mid nineties fashion. I'm sure there's some kind of non offensive hunting slash clubbing clothes in this closet somewhere." Buffy swished through hanger after hanger. "Black pants, gray shirt."
Willow bounced into Buffy's room. "Your mom probably thinks I'm insane, but I had to hug her."
"Right there with you. I've hugged her ten times today and had a full blown conversation at dinner. She threatened to take my temperature." Buffy turned to look at Willow. "Wow! New wardrobe?"
"Went shopping right after school. Got my hair dyed too. I like it brighter."
"Me too. I'm thinking at first opportunity I should lighten mine." Buffy stripped down to her underwear and put on her pants. She knew that Willow was gay and watching her. Buffy's stomach flopped in that sexy way, like when she made out with Pike, or what probably happened with Angel. In the real dream she remembered having that feeling for Willow, but this was the first time she recognized what it was.
The girls gazed at each other, and Buffy stepped closer to Willow eyes glued to her mouth. Willow whispered, "Are we doing this?"
Buffy nodded and leaned into Willow's kiss. They wrapped their arms around each other, breasts squished against each other, heat building. Willow's fingers dipped just past Buffy's waistband. Buffy's fingers tangled in Willow's hair. Their tongues licked each other. Buffy's hand trailed down Willow's back then up her shirt.
The door opened and Joyce's gasped before they could step away from each other. Faces flushed, Willow looked at Buffy's nightstand, while Buffy tried to find the right words to calm her mother down.
"Excuse me," Joyce said and left the room.
"I should probably get dressed." Buffy picked her shirt off the bed, slipped her arms through and buttoned it. Willow was biting her bottom lip and playing with the doily on her nightstand. "I want do that more though."
Willow's head snapped up with a smile. "Really?"
"Yeah, but right now we're going to the Bronze. Stop Darla, and that other vamp, hopefully Luke too. Angel will follow us there, leading to my question: what do we do about him?"
"See if we can't get him to help rather than just relay the cryptic messages we already know. It'll be weird for you, seeing him again and him not knowing you like he did or will." Willow glanced down again.
Buffy sat and shoved her feet into her boots. "You're right. It'll be weird. And I'm sure I'll feel something. I just don't know what. He gave me that amulet Spike wore in the Hellmouth, and the more I think it over, the more certain I am that the amulet caused our… time travel?"
"Did that amulet shoot a beam of fiery light through the ceiling?" Willow asked.
"It did."
"Then I agree."
They left the house with no sight of Mrs. Summers. When Buffy took Willow's hand, they smiled coyly at each other. They kept quiet so Buffy could listen for Angel's footsteps. When she heard them, Buffy let go of Willow's hand and turned on him. "Angel?"
"Don't spook him," Willow whispered.
"Is there a problem, ma'am?" He slunk from the shadows.
"Only that I've had enough of being stalked for a lifetime. Look, Angel, we need to talk."
"How do you know my name?" His eyes narrowed.
"Not important. But you need to decide now whether you're going to fight evil or just lurk. Pick one."
His eyes shifted to Willow and the girls could tell he felt her power. "You know she's a witch, right?"
"A damn good one," Buffy said. "So are you going to join us? Or are you going to be a sleaze that only comes out of the shadows to give me cryptic messages like the Harvest is coming."
"You know about the Harvest?"
"I know a lot of things. Like you were cursed, have a soul, are a vampire still though. And here's something you probably didn't know: The curse can be broken, so do everyone a favor and don't get happy."
His eyes widened and then narrowed again. "Fine. I'll join you."
Willow could hear the edge in Buffy's voice and see the strain in her shoulders, so she took Buffy's hand again and gave it a squeeze. Buffy squeezed back and shot a grateful look at her girlfriend. Willow turned her gaze to Angel. "Then come with us tonight. An old friend of yours will be at the Bronze, and I'm sure you'd be helpful killing her. Darla."
"I see." Angel shook his head. "It would have to be Darla. Always the Master's pet. So who are you?"
"I'm Willow."
"What happened to your hands?" He asked as they fell into step.
"Longest story." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Got that cross necklace?"
He reached into his pocket then gave her the velvet box. "Here."
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At the edge of town, Spike popped out of thin air and landed on his feet. He tossed a jet stone in the air, caught it, and kissed it. "Home sweet home."
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Outside the Bronze, Buffy asked Willow, "Do you remember what that vampire that lured you to the mausoleum looks like?"
"I remember Thomas well."
"You give him a dusty end while Angel and I deal with Darla."
"Hey, Angel?"
"What Willow?"
"Would you mind waiting out here while I did a sun spell in the Bronze. If I time it right, it'll kill any vamps, including Darla and Thomas, without many people noticing."
He sighed and leaned against the outside the Bronze. "I'll be here for part two of the evening."
The young women paid the cover and got in and made their way to the balcony. The strobing light was easily timed and Willow clapped her hands and said, "Accendo sol solis." And at least ten vampires dusted.
Willow and Buffy high fived and left the club. "I'd tell Angel to go home and we'll take care of the vampires underground the same way, but I don't remember how to get there."
"I could do it one more time, but I'd have to lay off the magic for a while. There's always a rebound. Doesn't matter how powerful you are, there's a backlash to every spell."
"If we prevent the Harvest then we're sitting pretty for at least two weeks I think. But I'll leave it up to you." Buffy saw Jesse run from the club. "We should see to it Jesse gets home safe."
"You follow Jesse and Angel and I will take care of the pit o' vampires." They left the club and Buffy kissed Willow quickly before rushing off after Jesse.
"Angel. Looks like it's just the two of us. I don't know how to get to the Master's underground lair, and you do. We need to get there sooner rather than later." Willow pursed her lips. "Mind getting me there?"
"Don't roast me, but I think that's a bad idea."
"Why? I did the math. I have enough power left tonight to take care of them, and if Buffy's not there she'll avoid dying at the end of the school year."
"You've read the Codex and found a way around it?" He started walking.
Willow walked with him. "The short answer is yes. The long answer is that if the Master is faced by someone other than Buffy, the prophecy is nullified. And he's still a vampire, so he's still susceptible to the sun. I'll throw a protection around you and shed some light on the Master and all his followers. But I'll need your help crushing the bones and getting home because at that point I'll be magicked out."
"Bones?"
"You'll see."
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Willow and Angel made it through the tunnels and with no trouble. The lair was illuminated by candles, Luke and the Master talking near a lake of blood. Angel could hear them.
"I am weak."
Luke quoted scripture. "'In the Harvest, he will be restored.'"
"The Harvest," the Master sighed. "I feel a witch nearby. A powerful one. Luke go, take care of the problem."
"Yes, Master."
With a touch to Angel's forehead, Willow protected him from her next spell. "Accendo sol solis!" And she promptly passed out with a nose bleed.
The light blinded Angel momentarily, but when darkness returned the cave was empty, except now he knew what Willow meant by bones. Where the Master had been standing was a pile of bones. He remembered she said they needed crushed, so he picked up a candelabra and began smashing.
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Buffy was on her way home, having seen Jesse to his house, when she caught sight of a Bringer. "Shit."