Foreword: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and/or David Greenwalt. Also, I think I've gone crazy, because this is not something that I normally write. Anyway. This takes place in Buffy's seventh season, and Angel's fourth, up through both's third episode, (except for where Cordelia comes back and Angel's in love with her, because I don't like her) which is as far as I've seen. Old characters will be returning. The pairing situation is complicated, so I'll leave it a surprise. Enjoy. Shouldn't be too many spoilers, if any at all. Also, events from the Buffy books do factor in.

For Kathy, who doesn't even get it, but at least she's there to put up with it.

The Darkest Hour Before Dawn

Ten

She is running down the street, her hair flying behind her like a silver flag in the moonlight. She is barefoot and she can feel the dew underneath her feet, feel the grass between her toes. Her pants are ripped, her shirt torn off of her shoulder, the edges covered in blood. Her shoes are long gone, and still she runs.

Behind her, they are screaming. She follows the first rule of slaying—don't die. She can hear footsteps behind her, and still she runs. She doesn't look back, doesn't turn, doesn't waver in her forward flight. She is crying.

"What do you think it was, Buffy?"

Buffy looked up, startled, her cheeks streaked with tears.

"Buffy!" Dawn said. She moved to her sister. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"Buffy…" Willow said softly. "Why are you crying?"

Buffy lifted up a hand and touched her cheek. Her fingertips came away wet. "I didn't know." She began.

Across the room, Faith took a shaky breath. Buffy looked at the other slayer. Faith was hugging herself tightly.

"Don't die," the dark haired slayer said. Buffy took a deep breath.

"I just… I had a vision. Kind of like the ones I have when I'm asleep, but, you know, not asleep. I was running." Buffy said.

"You were in front of me," Faith said. "We were running away from the battle."

"I was all torn up, and my shoes were gone, and I was crying." Buffy explained.

"A slayer having a waking vision. Very rare," Wesley said. He stood and moved to the bookshelf that lined the wall of the room. "I doubt that it's ever been recorded before."

"It hasn't," Angel said. "There's a prophecy that says something about a Slayer having waking visions instead of dream visions."

"Yeah," Spike said. "And it fortells the end of the world, too."

"So you're saying, since Faith and I had a vision, the world is going to end?" Buffy asked.

"Pretty much what it sounded like to me, B," Faith said.

"Well," Buffy said, "we're not going to let that happen, are we?"

"Nope," Faith said.

"What are you going to do about it?" Wesley asked. "You don't know what you're facing, don't know what you have to do to defeat it."

"You were always so negative, Wesley," someone said from the doorway. The entire room—Dawn, Wesley, Connor, Angel, Faith, Buffy, Xander, Willow, Oz, Lindsey, Spike—turned toward the doors. Giles was standing there, holding a book in his hands. "Of course, this is the end of the world we're talking about here."

"Giles!" Buffy said. She ran over and hugged him. Willow and Xander followed suit.

"Isn't it nice that he's here?" Anya said, coming up behind Giles.

"It is since he just happens to know what's going on," Buffy said. "How did you know?"

"I assumed that, with the First starting to manifest, and those demons—"

"The goo demons?" Connor asked, leaning over the back of the couch and eyeing the British man in the doorway.

"Erm, yes. Who are you?" Giles asked.

"Who are you?" Connor asked.

"I'm Rupert Giles, Buffy's Watcher," Giles said, frowning at the boy.

"Connor," Angel said, warningly. "He's my son."

"Oh my," Giles said. "Oh my, my." He reached into the carryon bag that he had over his shoulder. He pulled out a book and began flipping through the pages. "Something about… hmm."

"Giles?" Buffy asked.

"Shhh, Buff, he's in research mode." Xander said.

"Ah. A child born to two vampires. Of course, this isn't in English, so…" Giles said. "I'll need to translate this." He wandered off.

"I'll go and make sure he doesn't get lost," Anya said, practically skipping off.

"Welcome back," Buffy said, sighing.