"Good Lord!" Giles cursed. "And she just walked into the room."

"Yeah," Willow replied. "She just walked in and began lecturing, just like she used to."

"Boring lecture, too," Buffy added.

"And the other students?" Giles prodded. "How'd they react?"

"They just sat there," Buffy said. "I guess they were too shocked to do anything else."

"Well the subject was people's reactions to death," Willow observed. "Maybe they thought she staged her death to make a point."

"A year ago?" Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" Willow tossed up her hands. "It could happen."

"What could happen?" a voice called from the doorway.

Buffy smiled to herself. She'd know that voice anywhere. "Hey Xan!" she said, not turning around.

"Hey Buff," Xander pulled out the chair next to the Slayer and sat down. "So, what's going on, guys?"

Buffy sighed and leaned against Xander's familiar form. "Professor Walsh taught Psychology," she stated as Xander wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"So? We knew that," Xander smiled as Buffy snuggled deeper into the crook of his arm. She closed her eyes and Xander scowled at the dark bags marring her pale complexion. 'Wasn't she getting any sleep?'

"No," Willow interrupted Xander's thoughts, seeming to answer them. "Professor Walsh taught our class today," she clarified.

Xander was confused. "Isn't she dead? I mean, she did die, right?"

"Yes," Riley confirmed as he entered the room. "She died twice. But this Professor Walsh is very much alive." The ex-commando tried to suppress his jealousy when he saw his girlfriend curled up in Xander's arms. 'They're just friends,' he tried to convince himself.

"So, I repeat. What's going on?" Xander asked the assembled group.

"Well, it could be..." Giles began.

"I think it has to do with Buffy's dream," Willow interrupted.

"Dream?" Giles looked thoughtful. "A prophetic dream?"

"Not exactly," Willow replied. "But Buffy should explain it." The redhead glanced at her friend and saw that she was asleep. "Or I could try."

"Perhaps that would be best," Giles encouraged.

"Well, Buffy has been leading a double life lately. First, she has this life. Then there is this dream life. But to her, they are both real. Giles, look at her!" Willow motioned to the sleeping blond.

The Watcher looked hard at his Slayer. "She has appeared rather tired lately. How long has this been going on?"

"Three weeks."

"Three weeks!" Giles was angry. "You didn't think to share this information with me sooner?"

Willow hung her head. "Buffy wasn't ready. We were trying to figure it out on our own."

Xander intervened on behalf of his friend. "So, what happens in these dreams?"

Willow thought carefully about her answer. "Well, most things are exactly the same as they are here." Willow explained Buffy's dream world, leaving out a few major details. She thought it would be best if no one else knew that in the dream Buffy is engaged to Xander or that Giles and Joyce are married. Some things are better left unsaid.

"So Deadboy and Cordelia, huh?" Xander mused. "Can I just say ewww?"

"Where am I in all of this?" Riley wondered out loud. Surely he has to play a pretty important role in Buffy's dream. He is the boyfriend.

"Um...you are a waiter at the Italian restaurant on Grand," Willow admitted.

Riley laughed. "That's funny. No, really..." He noticed Willow's confused look and stopped laughing. "You're not joking, are you?"

Willow shook her head.

"I'm a waiter? That's it?" Riley muttered in disbelief.

"Well, it appears that the two worlds are crossing," Giles agreed with Willow's earlier statement.

"But this is reality, right?" Xander asked.

Willow offered a nervous laugh. "Of course this is reality. I mean, of course we're real."

"They always say that," Buffy's tired voice disrupted the uneasy silence that had fallen.

"Well, what do you think is real?" Riley asked her.

Buffy noticed Riley for the first time since he had arrived and struggled to sit up. "I don't know," she told him. Glancing at each person surrounding the table, she repeated, "I honestly don't know any more." She looked at Giles, "What do we do now?"

"I'm not sure," the Watcher answered. He saw the silent pleading in Buffy's eyes. "But we'll figure something out."

"Hey!" Xander exclaimed. "I have an idea. Why don't we handle the patrol tonight so Buffy can get some sleep."

"No, Xander," Buffy argued. "It's my job."

"Nonsense," Giles disagreed. "Xander's right. Riley, would you please take Buffy home and make sure she gets some rest?"

"No problem," Riley stood up and offered his hand to Buffy. She accepted it and he pulled her into a standing position.

"Buffy, go home and get some sleep," Willow ordered.

"But," Buffy fought back a yawn.

"No buts," Willow argued.

"Now get out of here, you crazy kids," Xander smiled. "We got ourselves some work to do."

"All right," Buffy gave in. She looked at Xander and mouthed 'Thank You.' Xander nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Shall we go?" Riley glanced at his girlfriend. She stared up at him and offered him a weak smile.

"Bye guys," Willow hollered as the couple left the building. Once they were gone, she turned to the remaining two. "What do you think it is?"

"I'm stumped," Xander admitted. "Giles?"

The Watcher had stood up and was flipping through the pages in one of him musty tomes.

"Giles?" Willow prodded.

"Ah, here we go," Giles commented as he found the section he was looking for.

"What is it?" Xander was curious.

"Well, Buffy in not experiencing an alternate universe because she apparently exists exactly as she is in each world. And I don't believe we are dealing with an enhanced reality. That would cause the entire population to be affected."

"Like that thing with Jonathan. If it's not those, what is it?" Xander snapped.

Giles grew agitated at the boy's lack of patience. "It appears that we are dealing with a dual world."

"What exactly is that?" Willow asked.

Giles removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "A dual world is a combination of an alternate universe and an enhanced reality. Both worlds co-exist, but one person exists exactly as is in both worlds. For that person to live both lives, they do so while sleeping. When they are in the first world, they are sleeping in the second and vice-versa. Oftentimes, the worlds are so similar, the person simply believes he or she is dreaming."

"But they're not?" Willow was beginning to catch on.

"No. They are actually living the other life. They wake up and usually the only thing they remember is the very realistic dream they had. This is the cause of deja vu. And often, the person wakes up more tired than when they fell asleep," Giles tried to explain.

"Does this happen often?" Xander inquired.

"Actually, it is an unproved phenomenon. But in my opinion, yes," Giles answered. "It usually happens sporadically, not on a day-to-day basis."

"What happens then?" Willow asked.

"No one knows for sure," Giles said. "My guess would be that both worlds go on, similar to alternate universes."

"But what is happening with Buffy?" Xander's worry was evident in his voice.

"Apparently, the force of the Hellmouth is at work. It appears that she is living both lives and it is taking its toll. That is probably the reason that things are also crossing over from world to world," Giles commented.

"Gotta love that crazy Hellmouth magic," Xander stated with a wry smile. "So, G-man, how do we fix this?"

"I'm not sure, actually," Giles admitted.

"And what will happen to Buffy if we can't fix this?" Xander looked at the British man for answers.

"I'm afraid Buffy will die."