Chapter 1
Buffy was preoccupied all the next day, and the day after that, and the day
after that, till a week had passed by. Willow, being Buffy's best friend,
had been slightly concerned at first, but when Buffy repeatedly said that
she was fine, but then didn't seem to get any better, Willow became
exceedingly upset. Giles kept telling Willow that Buffy was probably just
thinking about something and not to worry, but she couldn't help it. By the
time a week and a day had passed by Willow was ready to scream. So she
decided to confront Buffy, and determined the best way to do that was
intercept Buffy on her way home from patrol.
It was extremely dark that June night, but warm, after all they did live in
Southern California. Willow was wearing a loose green skirt that trailed
down around her ankles and a cream colored blouse. Her shoulder length red
hair blew slightly in the wind and Willow brushed a stray strand back from
her face impatiently. She had been waiting there under the tree in front of
Buffy's yard for the good part of an hour. Just as Willow was about to give
up and head home to try again tomorrow she heard an all too familiar voice
arguing with a voice laden with a rough British accent.
Soon enough Buffy and Spike came strolling around the street corner to
Buffy's house. Willow shook her head and smiled at the sight. Earlier that
year Spike had come back to Sunnydale looking for revenge on the Slayer.
Unfortunately for him, at that time the Initiative, an undercover
government operation that apprehended demons, had been in the works in
Sunnydale as well. He had been captured and " neutered", or as Spike would
say, "Spike took a little trip to the vet and now he doesn't chase the
other puppies any more." The Initiative had planted a chip in his head
that kept him from being able to hurt any human being. However he could
hurt demons, and so Spike had joined Buffy and the Slayerettes in the
battle against evil.
"Spike, I'm tired and cranky, you really don't want to provoke me at the
moment." Buffy half said-half moaned as she ran a hand through her long
golden hair.
"Oh, what are you gonna? Stake me? Like bloody hell you will! " Spike
replied.
"Don't give me an invitation," Buffy said taking her eyes off the road to
look at the blond vamp. "I just might do it this time."
Spike laughed and began to walk away. "Night luv," he said, "Evening Red."
he added acknowledging that she was waiting beneath the trees. Then he
vanished into the dark without a trace. It had always bothered Willow, but
for now her attention was focused on Buffy.
"Hey Will," Buffy said. "What's up?"
Following Buffy up the stairs to the front door of her house Willow
replied, "I came to talk to you about what's been up with you actually."
"Oh, me. Yeah. Not much really. Slaying, eating, sleeping. Nothing
spectacular." "
"But you' ve been all no-talk Buffy. You barely said three words to me all
week, and a day."
Buffy laughed. "You been counting?" Willow nodded, a look of concern on her
face.
"Fine," Buffy replied to the look. "Come in, and we' ll talk."
Ten minutes later Buffy and Willow were safely tucked upstairs in Buffy's
room with some Chips Ahoy cookies and glasses pf Dr. Pepper.
"So," Willow prompted.
"Well, a week ago, and a day, I had this really weird dream." Buffy said.
"Oh, dreams are good. What was it about?" Willow replied.
"Well at first I couldn't remembered what happened, but I have it again
each night and it gets a little more clearer every time."
Willow nodded for Buffy to continue.
"I'm in a semi-dark room and on the ground a few feet away is a woman
and she's crying, weeping. On the ground next to her is a girl, very
beautiful, but she's dead."
"What did the girl look like, maybe it's a prophecy? Willow asked.
"The girl has long red hair, well it's more a blonde red; but anyway, her
eyes are open and they're a deep swirl of blue and green, almost as if they
can't decide which color to be. She's wearing a leather duster, like the
one Spike wears, and under it she has on a white t-shirt and dark jeans. I
don't recognize her at all. How about you Will?"
"No I've never met or seen for that matter anyone who looks likes
that. Is there anything more to the dream?"
"Yeah the woman who was crying begins to talk she says 'You have to
change it, you must'. Then she turns to look at me and her face is filled
with all these emotions, she says 'It cannot end like this', then her face
drains and all that's left are her eyes, but the thing is they're my eyes
looking back at me, then she says 'You hold the power to change what will
be. You must make a choice and do what I could not. Be strong and do not
loose hope. Your time will come.' Then I wake up." "Wow, that's some
dream."
"Oh, and sometimes I walk around the room I'm in and it's a crypt, a
vampire's crypt. There is a small TV and an old rerun of "Passions" is
playing. Oh, and there are ashes about fifteen feet away from where the
girl is laying."
"Ashes, like vampire ashes?"
"Yeah,"
"So do you think a vampire killed the girl?"
"No," Buffy said thinking. "There are absolutely no marks on her body, not
even any blood. She died, but not from natural means."
"Well this is the hell-mouth," Willow said and smiled at Buffy's usual eye
roll. "So has the dream been bothering you?"
"I guess so, I just can't get it figured out. The woman's words are always
echoing in my mind, 'Your time will come'. Its unnerving."
"Hmm, you should tell Giles about it. Maybe he could make some sense of
what it means."
"If it means anything." Buffy said.
Willow shook her head and smiled again. "Of course it does. The Slayer
would never have a dream that involved and have it not mean something."
"Well" Buffy replied with a mischievous smile, "There was that dream I had
when Angel was still hear about how we got married and had kids. That was a
pretty involved dream."
It was Willow's turn to roll her eyes. "I remember that dream," she
replied, "But I'm serious about telling Giles."
"I know," Buffy said. "We'll go see him at the Magic Box tomorrow."
"Alright, goodnight then," Willow said pushing one last cookie into her
mouth as she headed out the door and down the stairs.
"See you tomorrow," Buffy called softly as Willow went out the door.
