Chapter 4

I Love You in a Dream.

"What?" Giles was eager to find out.

"The bathroom was different."

"Hmmm."

"You still do that."

"What?"

"You know. Your Hmmm."

"You are still very much Buffy that's for sure. What the reason that you can't remember…"

"Maybe it's a demon or witches," said Xander. "Don't tell Willow I said that."

"Maybe but she said she only fought vampires."

"Vampires put the mojo on Buff."

"Mojo?" asked Giles. Buffy laughed at Xander's remark. "Perhaps it may be temporary. I'll check books for any spells or curses."

"You should ask Willow to come by after work."

"I'll give her a call. We can all meet tonight at your house."

"Okay." Xander looked at his watch. "I gotta get to work. I'm already late." Xander kisses Buffy on the cheek and headed for the door. "Oh, I almost forgot. The kids after school."

"Don't worry about it Xander," said Giles. "We'll pick them up."

"Thanks." Xander puts on his nice jacket and headed out the door. Buffy watched in awe at everything just happening. Xander left the house and Buffy looked at Giles.

"Buffy I think we should keep this to ourselves," said Giles. "This little memory lapse will be temporary, but I don't want anyone to know about it just yet."

"It's no biggie Giles," said Buffy. "I still remember how to be the slayer just don't remember the rest of my life."

"The rest of your life has change a lot. You may not know it but it's very different."

"What could be completely different then me being married with Xander and having two kids with him."

"I'm home," a familiar voice to Buffy said. She looked up and saw her mother at the front door with a couple of luggage. Joyce turned around and saw Buffy look at her in awe. She looked different. Her hair was longer still in curls but her kind smile was still there. "Buffy. What are you doing here?"

"Honey why don't we get your stuff inside then you can tell us all about your trip," said Giles.

"Honey!" said Buffy looking at both Giles and Joyce.

"I'll go make some tea."

Joyce nods her head and goes up stairs with her things. Buffy followed her with her eyes then she quickly glared at Giles who tried to escape the living room but Buffy runs after him. They meet up in the kitchen.

"Honey," said Buffy repeating Giles pet name for Joyce. "What is this all about?"

"Buffy me and your mom…"

"Are you…"

"Married."

"I can take me Xander being married but you and mom."

"You and Dawn both made your lives. Buffy I think you owe her to actually have a life."

"Mom's don't have lives. They take care of the kids and that's it." Giles looked at her. "Okay, so I'm the not the best example of that."

"Look your mother has been through enough things as it is now to have this spring on her. Just try to be yourself."

"I can't really do that right now if I don't remember…"

Joyce entered the kitchen and looked at Giles and Buffy who suddenly became very silent when she walked into the room. She moved slowly over to Giles and kissed him on the lips then stared at Buffy.

"What were you two talking about?" asked Joyce.

"Oh, you know," said Giles. "Slayer duties."

"Oh." Joyce grabbed a cup from the cupboard and poured herself some coffee that Giles had already brew. He knew his wife love coffee in the morning and knew she'd be home even though he doesn't drink it. "Buffy I really think you should leave the Slayer duties to someone else. You have a family to support and I think Xander does get worried when you come in late and so am I."

"Mom I…" Buffy started to say but Giles interrupted.

"Joyce I know we've talked about this but you know that Buffy is the only one. She's the chosen one..."

"What about Faith? She loves to fight and she's a lot younger and…"

"She's in jail," said Buffy.

"Honey how could say that?"

"Because…"

"Um, she's been out for two years," said Giles.

"Honey are you alright?" asked Joyce with concern tone.

"I need some air," said Buffy as she pulled away from both of them and stepped outside. She took a deep breath and sighed then started walking down the street aimlessly. Before she knew it she'd arrived at one of Sunnydale's cemeteries. This was something she remembered all too well.

Evening crept upon Sunnydale and Xander was making his way to Giles'. When he arrived he saw the gang was there ready to head out. Xander quickly got out of his car and little Joy ran over to him. He picked her and turned to the gang.

"What are you guys doing?" asked Xander.

"We have a problem," said Willow. "It's very small."

"I didn't know she'd leave," said Giles.

"Buffy," said Xander. He handed Joy to Giles.

"Daddy what's the matter?" asked Joy. "Where's mommy?"

"Daddy's going to go look for her. You stay here with grandpa and grandma."

"Hey, Xander," called Faith. "Giles told us what was up with B. Is she going to be alright?"

"When I fine her I'll tell you."

"I should go with so you won't get that pretty face of your mangled by some vampire or demon."

"You have a way with words Faith."

"That's why I'm in school." The two walk off leaving Willow, Giles, Joyce and Joy to watch as they walk down the street.

Buffy was walking through the cemetery and a vampire rose up from behind her. The vampire was inching closer and closer to her when Buffy quickly turned around jabbing the vampire in the gut hard making it fall to the ground.

"Now this I remember," said Buffy. She got in a fighting stand as the vampire stood up for round two. She gave him a round house kick then kicked a branch from a tree. With a pointy side of it she staked the vampire with it without breaking a sweat. "That never gets old." She then heard the gate of the cemetery creek and got ready for some more vampires

"Out all the cemeteries in Sunnydale, why choose this one?" asked Faith.

"Cause this is the one where Buffy and I had our first kiss," replied Xander.

"Oh, but Buffy right now can't remember anything about her life except the slaying."

"I was hoping…" Xander looked further into the cemetery and saw Buffy then he caught a glimpse of a demon heading their way. "Buffy." Buffy came out from behind a tomb stone and saw the demon. It grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the tree.

Faith quickly went into action and grabbed big and scary. The demon hit the next tomb stone and broke it. It also released Buffy who was gasping for air. Xander rushed to her side.

"Are you…"

"I'm fine." Buffy got up and started to help Faith double team the demon. It felt like old times with Faith at her side kicking some demon butt. Buffy was tired of playing with the demon so she stepped on one of the tomb stones, grabbed the neck of the demon and broke it's neck. The demon fell to the ground dead.

"I still see you haven't lost your touch there B," said Faith.

Both slayers turned to Xander and saw a vampire heading right towards Xander. It was too late the vampire had Xander in its grasp. Xander struggle to get free as Buffy and Faith ran to his rescue, but the vampire was armed with a knife. Faith grabbed his hand and took away the knife. The two pulled the vampire away from Xander and slammed him into a sharp tree branch dusting it.

"We still work good together," said Faith.

"I guess we do," said Buffy. She then looked at Xander who began to lean on a tree near by. He touched his back and found blood. Buffy rushed over to his side as he collapsed. "Xander." Buffy pulled him close to her. "No, you can't…" Buffy began to feel tears roll down her cheek. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hardly think. She looked at Faith who really felt out of sorts but quickly took her cell phone out and called 911.

"Buffy," said Xander. "I…I just want to tell you…"

"Tell me what?" asked Buffy as she caressed his face. "Please don't go. I…"

"I love you." Xander's hand caressed Buffy cheek and he wiped away a couple tears that streamed down her face. "I'll always love you." Buffy grabbed hold of his hand that was caressing her cheek.

"Xander I…love you too." Buffy closed her eyes for a second feeling like if a large weight from her shoulder was lifted. When she opened her eyes Xander's eyes were closed and he wasn't moving. She released his hand and it went limp. Buffy wrapped her arms around him and continued to cry.

From afar they could hear the ambulance coming but it was too late. Faith just watched Buffy cry her eyes out in the middle of a cemetery at night. Buffy closed her eyes tight wanting to not realize that Xander was dead and that she would be alone with two kids whom she hardly remembers.

"Buffy."

"Huh?" said Buffy. She opened her eyes and noticed she wasn't in the cemetery anymore. Buffy was in her bathroom. Not the one she previously was in but the one from her old home. "It was a dream."

"Buffy," called Dawn from outside. "I need to use the bathroom. You've been in there for hours."

Buffy quickly grabbed her robe and peeked out the door. Dawn looked at her strangely.

"Where is Xander?" asked Buffy as she exited the bathroom.

"Down stairs. Why?" Buffy didn't let Dawn finish her sentence and headed down the stairs. She looked into the living room and saw him watching TV. He turned to look at her and it made her heart beat faster. Xander stood up and was about to say something when Buffy stopped him. She walked over to him and kissed him on the lips. When she released his lips he noticed she was looking at him in a different way.

"Are you okay Buff?" asked Xander. "You liked the bubble bath. A simple thank you would of sufficed." Xander grinned. "Not that this was not good cause it was good."

"I love you Xander."

"I love you too Buffy."