The Creep

Buffy walked right by her mother as she entered her house. She immediately headed for the telephone.

"Buffy, wait `till you see who's ..." her mother began.

"I need to call Giles," Buffy said, ignoring her.

"...here."

Buffy opened the door to the kitchen and saw Giles there.

"Uh, what are you doing here?"

"Hello, Buffy"

Buffy, grabbed Giles by the arm and pulled him toward the door. "Let's go for a walk. We need to talk."

"Talk?"

"Yeah. There's something we need to discuss." She glanced at her mom and added "Two things now."

As they passed her mom, Giles managed to add "Can your mother come?"

"No!"

"We'll be right back." Giles managed to get in, just as they left.

They walked in silence for a moment. Giles broke the ice.

"Did you see Angel?" he asked.

"Yes. And Xander."

"What happened?"

"The woman from my dream was there. And she is a vampire."

"Vampire?" Giles was surprised. "I thought she was a Slayer."

"She was-in my dream. And Angel knew her. She threatened to make a meal out of Xander and me, but Angel stopped her." She paused for a moment, then continued. "I think he followed her. She said she was looking for the Slayer."

"She knows you're here?"

"She knows the Slayer is here. I don't think she knows that it's me."

Giles was looking serious now. "If she knows, others know."

"Oh great. Not only do I have to fight vampires that are just looking for a meal, now we have our own little `Bite Buffy' club. I'm going to have to hunt her. But I need to see Angel first."

"Xander knows where he lives," Giles offered.

"Xander wouldn't take me there. Our talk tonight went no better than the first one. Am I creep of the week or what. I reject Xander, and yell at and walk out on Angel, and they're the ones that help me...that save me."

"Save you, and the world," Giles added.

"Oh. Thanks for your perspective. I'm not creep of the week, I'm the Queen Creep of the World."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You've done as much for them as they've done for you."

"Xander maybe, although mostly I've just put him in danger. And Angel, he's done all the helping. I'd've died several deaths if it weren't for him. Remember 'the Three'?"

"You've done your best, and it has worked out."

"Not really the way I expected or wanted. I really think I'm getting tired of this."

Giles was beginning to get concerned. "The events of the past week are enough to make anyone tired."

Buffy suddenly changed the subject. "Why were you at my house tonight? You're a Watcher. You guys don't...well, you're not supposed to get married or to have a love life."

"Where did you get that idea?"

"We'll, I've never seen you act interested in anyone in that way."

"Watchers can be married, and fathers. I've told you that my father was a Watcher. Anyway, all we ever do is talk about you. And even if it was something else, it would be your fault."

"My fault?"

"Yes, insisting that I come to your house yesterday. You couldn't suggest a better meeting place."

"It's OK." Buffy said. "Mom probably needs a little spark in her life right now."

"She is a wonderful woman."

"You don't even know her."

"I know she's lived with you for 16 years. Some of them with a delinquent. Yet she's never given up on you, always trying to do what's best for you. She's a saint."

"Giles, I wasn't that bad."

"Oh? I've seen your file."

Angel

Wednesday evening Buffy found herself knocking on Angel's door. She could only stare and smile as he opened the door.

"Buffy? I didn't think you knew where I lived."

"Xander told me," she said quickly.

Angel laughed to himself. "I didn't think he would do that."

"Yeah, it caught be by surprise too. Can I come in?"

Angel hesitated, then motioned for her to follow.

"It's nice." Buffy said.

Angel didn't really respond, he just stood next to a chair. "Did you need something."

The Slayer sighed and began. "Who was the woman you followed last night? The vampire?"

"Someone I knew a long time ago."

She could tell he didn't want to talk about it, but he had to.

"Angel, I've dreamt of her, but she was a slayer in my dreams."

She thought he actually looked surprised. "You dreamt of her?"

Buffy nodded.

He nodded. "She was a slayer."

"Did you…make her a vampire?"

Angel shook his head. "No. I only knew her as a vampire. I do know what she said, what others said about her."

Buffy nodded slightly. "I've got to find her."

She could tell that upset him. "Buffy, she's dangerous. Let me help you."

Buffy stared at him. "You're all dangerous, but you can help."

Angel looked relieved as he nodded.

"Angel, we still need to talk. Xander interrupted us, but we still need to."

The vampire looked uncomfortable again. "You're a Slayer. I'm a vampire. You know it could never work between us."

"No, Angel. I know we didn't try. I walked away from you and have regretted it ever since. I don't want to ever feel like that again. I think we should at least try – see what happens."

"Buffy…"

"Please, Angel. Please. I love you, I think you love me. Please, just think about it. OK?"

Angel closed his eyes, she could tell he was uncomfortable. But he nodded.

She breathed a sigh of relief and hugged him before turning to leave. "Thank you. I need to go home now."

"Grounded again?"

She shot him a quick glare as she closed the door behind her.

Unwritten

Thursday morning, Buffy found Giles alone in the library.

"Giles, isn't it voluntary when you become a vampire?" she asked.

"What do you mean."

"They suck your blood, you suck theirs. Wouldn't that be voluntary?"

"I suppose it would," he replied after a moment's thought. "I suppose you could refuse."

"Why would a Slayer do that?"

"A Slayer?"

"The woman from my dreams. Angel said she was a Slayer. And now she's a vampire. I can't imagine a Slayer, after spending her whole life fighting them, joining them."

Giles was surprised and intrigued. "I've never seen anything about this written. You would think someone would have written that down, if they had known."

"I have to hunt her. Tonight. I've let her go free for far too long..."

"Buffy, if she was a Slayer, you must be careful. She will know you, know your training. Know your moves and countermoves. She may even have dreamt of you."

"I've thought of that. But I can't let her alone anymore. Who knows what I've done by letting it go for this long. I'm just so tired of this."

She left, Giles silently watching her.

When Slayers Meet

Thursday evening, Buffy was walking carefully in the park, near the grove of trees, silently, hunting. The woman from her dreams saw her, jumping and landing behind her, though so silently that Buffy did not notice.

"Looking for someone? Angel perhaps?" Buffy heard the woman's voice behind her.

Buffy was caught off guard, but quickly regained her composure.

"Actually it was for you—fossil-lady."

"So it's you. The Slayer. I thought she'd be older-bigger. But it's you."

"And, I hear, it's you. Why did you do it? A Slayer accepting the temptation to become a vampire? Why?"

"Eternal life, eternal beauty. It doesn't matter. We will win before it ends. You will not stop us." She turned into a vampire and attackeds Buffy. A very difficult fight ensues tiring both combatants, but Buffy was getting the worst of it. Finally the woman flung Buffy toward the grove where she hit a tree and floped on the earth, barely conscious. The vampire was tired, she took a moment to catch her breath before the final assault.

"You are strong and fight well, Slayer, but not well enough."

At this point Angel appeared. He was a vampire. He knocked the woman down violently. She briefly looked at him, and decided she could fight him since she was weakened from the fight with Buffy. Angel watched her leave and briefly considered following her, but decided Buffy needs help immediately. He picked her up and carried her to his home.

Someday He'll Collect

Giles was asleep, but the telephone woke him up.

"Rupert Giles."

"This is Angel. You've got to come here now. To my home."

"It's nearly midnight."

"She's here, and she's hurt."

Giles heard his concern. "Buffy?"

"Yes."

"I'll be right there" Giles said. "Uh, where do you live?"

When he arrived, he finds Buffy lying on Angel's couch, awake.

"Buffy? Can you talk?" Giles asked.

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"I was hunting and she was behind me. I didn't hear her at all. We spoke briefly, then she attacked. She seemed to know what I was going to do before I did it."

"I was worried about that."

Buffy's was upset. "I can't do this again. If Angel hadn't come when he did..."

"I should have followed her," Angel said. " I could have ended it. She was weak. But I couldn't leave you there."

"I've seen this before." Buffy said.

"What do you mean?" asked Giles

"In my dreams. I'd forgotten. She killed a Slayer in my dreams. I don't know if it was me, or another."

Angel was pained. "Don't go after her alone again." he demanded.

"I feel better," Buffy said. "I think she just stunned me. I probably need to go back."

"She won't be back tonight" Angel retorted. "You drained her strength."

"And she mine. I'm so tired now."

Giles was concerned. "I think I'd better take you home. Where does your mother think you are?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't exactly tell her I was leaving."

"Well" he said, helping her up "with the shape you're in, we're going to need quite a story."

Buffy got up with Giles' help. She was bruised and sore. They slowly started to leave. Buffy turned back.

"Angel...Thanks. I owe you again."

"Someday I'm going to collect" he replied.

Buffy smiled as they left.

The Dreams

Friday morning, Willow, Xander and Giles are in the library, talking.

"What did you tell her mother?" Willow asked.

"That she was helping me collect some specimens, and that she slipped and fell a few feet." Giles replied.

"And she believed you?"

"I'm not really sure."

"And this woman almost killed her," Xander commented.

"Apparently," Giles replied. "She's had the same training as Buffy-the methods haven't changed for centuries., and she has had many more years to hone her skills."

"Perhaps you should consider an update" Xander complained.

"What can we do to help her?" Willow asked. "Is she going back?"

Giles thought a moment. "I think she will. She will not allow this vampire to remain free."

Xander was starting to get upset. "But what if the same thing happens, and Angel doesn't show up?"

"You think I haven't thought of that?" Giles countered, upset himself. "I spent all night trying to think of some other way."

"Some other way to what?" Buffy asked. The others were so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't seen her come in.

"Buffy," Giles began. "I didn't think you would come to school today."

"You don't know my mom." Buffy said, then corrected herself. " Okay you do know my mom. Anyway, after my last school, I would have to be dead before she would let me stay home."

Willow did not like the direction this was going. "Buffy, don't say dead."

Buffy greeted them. "Hi Willow, ... Xander"

Xander only nodded.

"Buffy," Willow said, " Giles told us all about last night. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Giles?"

"I received no new insights last night." Giles replied.

"I need something new. Something she would not have been taught."

"Even if she hadn't been taught, she may have learned it. There's no telling how long she's been around."

"And she's killed more than one Slayer." Buffy continued. "I remembered last night, after we left Angel's place."

"You were at his place last night," Xander interrupted. "I thought Giles..."

"Angel took her to his place from the park. Then he called me." Giles explained.

"Twist that stake," Xander said, looking at Buffy.

Buffy noticed his glance, but tried to ignore it. "I've had that dream several times. Each time I was a different Slayer. Each time had the same ending."

"Do you remember anything about the fights?" Giles asked?

"No. Just that she was vicious, strong, skilled. How am I ever going to be able to fight her?"

"Buffy, I believe the key is in your dreams."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

Giles explained. "A Slayer's dreams can be a way of passing knowledge from one slayer to another. Some of Buffy's dreams are meaningless. Others are signs."

"Like my nightmares about the Harvest when I first came." Buffy said.

"Right. Other dreams contain information gathered and passed on from other Slayers. I've read of Slayers that have lived the entire life of their predecessor in their dreams. They could recognize family and friends. Are your dreams becoming more and more vivid?"

"Actually, my memories of old dreams are becoming more clear."

"I believe the key may be there, the way to fight her."

"Giles, every dream has ended the same. With the Slayer dead."

"Pay attention. Recall every detail you can. The most insignificant detail may be the key. You should give it another night before you look for her again."

"How can I do that?" Buffy protested. "She's been free too long."

"Buffy," Xander spoke softly, " have you recovered from last night?"

Buffy looked at him and replied softly. "Not really. I don't think anything was broken or sprained. But I still have some sores and bruises. "

"Angel has been following her," Giles said. "He can handle it for one more night. You should sleep tonight-dream."

The bell rang.

"You three'd better get to class," Giles instructed. "I'll keep working on our problem."

Keeping her out of Trouble

Shortly after class, Willow and Xander were in the library with Giles.

"Giles," Willow said, "we have to help her. What can we do for her."

"We have to do something," Xander added. "One of us should be with her all the time."

"I don't think that would do any good," Giles replied. "It would only put you in danger, as well as her. She won't let you be with her while she's hunting."

Xander was not satisfied. "Don't you have some crosses or holy water or something? We could stay near her and try to keep her in tonight. If something did happen, we might be able to help."

Giles thought a moment and gave in. "Very well." He went to a closet, bringing back a vial of holy water which he gave to Willow and a cross and stake which he gave to Xander. "Just in case. Stay with her tonight, but try to keep her inside, resting. Angel said he will follow the vampire. You just try to keep Buffy out of trouble for one night."

The Second Act

Shortly after sundown Buffy left her house. Just as she exited, the woman/vampire dropped onto her from above, knocking her down. Buffy managed to kick the vampire off, but was hurt from the initial assault. The woman returned and was able to punch Buffy a few more times, finally throwing her against the house, stunning her. This time she did not stop to rest before her final assault. As she started to pounce, Angel caught her in a flying leap. A brief fight began, and Angel soon found himself underneath the other vampire, being punched.

Xander and Willow arrived, Xander ran towards Buffy muttering "We're too late." Willow took a look at Buffy, then saw the vampire on Angel. She screamed and ran toward them while removing the top from the bottle of holy water. The vampire, heard the scream, and turned towards Willow, who threw water at her (whiled holding on to the bottle). Most of the water it hit the woman in the face and shoulder, though some of it hit Angel in the chest. The woman fell off him, rolled a few times, then managed to get up and run slowly away, shrieking.

Xander picked up Buffy and carried her back into her home, laying her on the couch. She looked unconscious. Willow helped Angel inside – his pain from the fight and holy water visible. He sat near Buffy, looking at her as he rested.