She looks up at him, Her beaten face on his chest.

"Spike" she says

A long sign, you can see that Spike was on the verge of tears.

He continued to carry her, up the stairs, to the house, through the door and upstairs to the bathroom.

Dawn standing by the doorway of the bathroom franticly looked at Buffy.

"she's ok, she be just fine.." Spike pauses, and takes an unneeded breath

"go downstairs, I'll clean her up"

"But."

"Go Dawn"

He stood for a minute staring at the broken body which normally looked like Buffy.

Once again, on the verge of tears

"Lets get you cleaned up shall we"

"No, Spike no I can ..."

"What! Do it yourself, Buffy you can barely lift your head"

He reaches and turns the Hot water on, then the cold. Steam starts to rise as he walks towards Buffy.

"Come on now, let me help"

Buffy pathetically fights back, but soon gives up

She peers up at him

"Thanks"

Spike pulls back Buffy's hair, undoes her shirt button after button and gently removes it from her shoulders caressing her back.

Kneeling down, Spike starts to remove her blood stained jeans. Pulling past the thighs, down the calves and around the toes.

He reaches over to shut off the water, turning back to Buffy. He picks her lifeless body up and genteelly places her in the soothing hot water.

As she sinks into the warm inviting water, a deep breath escapes her body. Buffy lies back

Spike looks deep into her eyes as he starts to wash the blood from her forehead.

The tinted pink water surrounded Buffy, her hair wet, and her body cleansed of all evil.

She knew she had to tell Spike what happened this evening, she knew she had to explain what she was doing on the docks, she thought about the bite marks on her arms and the slashes on her face. She looked at him, and all at once the past came to her as if she was dreaming and she realized then that she loved him, she loved him with all of her soul.

Spike scooped her out of the bloody water and into his arms where he then carried her to the soft white bed. She was so frail, so beaten,

The pain..

The pain was surrounding him, the rage...

The useless feeling, unable to help her, unable to make it better

It was starting to drive him mad

What got a taste of the Slayer he wondered?

"Spike, will you stay tonight.."

He smiled cocked his head to the side

"I wouldn't have left, even if you asked me to"

Buffy was squirming around on the bed trying to find a place that didn't make her body scream, and Spike was watching her again, in the chair parallel to the bed.

The Pain...

"I'll keep you safe love" He said with a convincing amount of confidence

She then laid back and started to drift away.. away from this world, away to her mind



The desert, the sun hot and warming Buffy's face, a cool breeze just strong enough to slightly move her hair. Buffy's bare feet stood there for a eternity it seemed until in the distance she saw beauty, a girl walking towards her, strolling through the sand.

Closer and Closer this mysterious girl came to Buffy. The wind now whisking and twirling around the white cotton dress, and through the long soft golden hair.

She stared at Buffy, with eye's so blue the sea would be jealous, her full pink lips formed a inviting smile, she raised her hand and placed it on Buffy's cheek, no creases or lines in this face. Then this girl, this beauty giggled like a child, but warm and loving and with the opening of her mouth Buffy noticed the two teeth as sharp as daggers, and stepped back.

"You know who I am"

"No"

"You met me last night"

"But.."

"I have come for him"

"Why"

"He belongs with us, not with you"

"That's not for you to decide"

" I wont have to"

"He will come to me"

"Are you sure of that?"



The wind started to pick up with a crispness that could cut through bone. The sun started to set and the girl was gone. Vanished,

The desert, the sun was gone and the wind was cold, Buffy was alone

"The child of light, cloaked in red

With hands for death and eyes unread" (sung like a nursery rhyme)

Flash to

"Close your eyes..."

Flash to

" Give us a Kiss "

Spike watched as Buffy tossed and turned in the bed now with tears running down her face mumbling

Flash to

Senior class offers it's thanks and gives you, uh... this.' It's from all of us. And it has written here, Buffy Summers- Class Protector.

Buffy knows now that she is dreaming. Why would she be dreaming this

Flash to

The Slayer does not walk in this world.

Flash to

Mom.

Mom.

Mommy...

Flash to

Death is your art. You make it with your hands day after day. That final gasp, that look of peace. And part of you is desperate to know: What's it like? Where does it lead you? And now you see, that's the secret. Not the punch you didn't throw or the kicks you didn't land. She really wanted it. Every Slayer has a death wish. Even you

"Shall take the gift and buy it back,

And give her soul for one who lacks (sung like a nursery rhyme)

Shs's trying to beat me through my memories

She will not win again

Death is your Gift......

When the water turns and the new blood burns (sung like a nursery rhyme)

The wall from night to day will raze,"



The desert, Buffy alone. Nothingness Darkness

Then Fire, light, and The first slayer

"Remember"

"what are you doing here" Buffy asked

" You are strong, Slayer, you can beat her"

"how"

"there is still light in darkness..

See her, And the bridge that rises in its place

Shall be consecrated in blue and black and crimson

And the first soul-mates will be born

At the price of the world"

Buffy awakens gasping for air she sits up to quickly and her body screams at her in pain.

"awwwoooohh" Buffy whimpers

"price of the world." She says still concentrating

Another prophecy?

Spike now confused is staring at Buffy, he has never been through this part before. He has a desperate need to understand though; he gets out of the chair and rushes out of the room. Buffy still puzzling over the dream barely notices that Spike has left until he comes back with Willow.

"She's been mumbling since she woke up"

"What has she been saying?"

"Price of the world, some thing like that"

"Prophecy??"

Buffy wakes out of her trance. Looks over the room once or twice and says

"Clarika"