AN: I have been majorly busy all week so I'm sorry for the small chapter again but I wanted to get this chapter to you get in the Buffy spirit since I'm meeting Juliet Landau (Drusilla) and Anthony Head (Giles) tomorrow at Comic Con!

Enjoy!

If it wasn't for Willow, Buffy would've slept well past College hours. That dream had really wiped her out.

"Are you sure you're okay for the meeting at Giles'? You seem pretty pooped," Willow asked, concern creeping into her tone as they walked along the road to the watcher's house. Buffy took a few seconds to respond, having been staring at the same spot in the distance for several minutes.

"Huh? Oh… yeah. I'll be fine. I'll just get an early night tonight."

"Wouldn't it be better when you're in full Slayage mode?"

"Really I'm fine Will."

Minutes later, Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles were gathered in the front room surrounded by books.

"So do we have any idea what's going around ripping our heads off yet?" Willow, Buffy and Giles all turned towards to Xander.

"Subtly put Xander but no not yet. We've managed to narrow it down to a few species who tend to decapitate their prey using evidence from the graveyard but we can't be sure."

"Well looks like we're not gonna know for sure until we find it so I'll see you all 'round." Buffy heaved herself off of Giles' slightly uneven couch and walked over to the banister to retrieve her jacket. Giles followed her to her feet.

"Are you sure it's wise to patrol tonight? You already seem exhausted." Buffy put on her best irritated smile.

"It's my fate to protect Sunnydale from the scum of the world so who cares if I don't get a break every once in a while? Of course I'm the slayer so I'll manage. Don't worry about me." Giles went to protest but Buffy put her hand up before he could say another word.

"Enjoy the rest of your evening."

Once Buffy had slammed the front door behind her, she collapsed against it with a thud and squeezed her eyes shut.

Why did I take it out on them? It's not their fault that this nightmare has completely shaken everything up!

She was so scared of it becoming a reality. The thought of not being able to defend herself made her insides churn like when Giles had 'poisoned' her on her 18th birthday as part of the Council's stupid test. She was The Slayer. For the past 5 years, fighting and slaying was all she'd know. Losing that would definitely send her to a place she preferred not to venture. Her heart told her to not leave them without an apology but she couldn't go back in there now. She needed to kill something. She'd phone Giles in the morning.

Buffy stalked through the graveyard, stake gripped tightly in 'd been here for at least a half hour and there wasn't a rustle in the bushes to be heard. She slowly lost focus, fiddling with the wooden object in her hand. She prepared to go, pulling her jacket tightly around her torso and kept her arms crossed in front of it when she heard the loud snapping of a twig. Her arms unfolded quicker than lightning and she had her stake poised at the source of the noise in seconds.

"Chill slayer." Buffy rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, feeling foolish that Spike had scared her.

"Get lost Spike."

"Gladly. Don't get it in your head that I made the special trip just for you. I do have a life ya' know."

"A life that involves excessive amounts of alcohol and stalking people like a muzzled dog? Have fun with that!" Spike let a low but silent growl escape his throat.

"Don't have much of a choice thanks to those poncy army buggers." Buffy stared at him for a moment.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she giggled mockingly whilst cupping her ear.

"I think you're confusing me with someone who gives a damn!"

"Y'know what slayer? You bugger off. This is my part of town. Go back to your cozy little pad and get momma to read ya' a bed time story," he snapped as he skulked past her.

"I don't see your name anywhere so no. Why should I?" she retorted. Spike stopped on the spot, flexing his jaw muscles and pivoted to face her again before closing the area between them to a distance that she didn't feel entirely comfortable with.

"You're pushin' your luck Summers." Buffy shoved him away and prepared to plunge a stake into his cold, un-beating heart when something grabbed her from behind. She lost her hold on the stake as she flipped the thing over so that it was lying face up on the ground in front of her. She went for the stake again but her mind went blank when her brain processed the image in front of her.

Oh god...It can't be.

She was staring face to face with the demon from her dream. The slayer was aware of it regaining its footing but panic flooded her. She couldn't move. She glanced over the demon's shoulder quickly, frantically searching for Spike but the vampire had already like I'm on my own...

AN: Please continue to rate and review! :)