I own nothing.
AU and B/A.
Still from the same book.
"Where am I?"
"You must still be stunned from the fall. Well, I'm not going to take it anymore. I should have done something long ago although you told me not to. I can't stand to see you get hurt like this anymore. We can run away tonight. Your father is on a trip and will never know we're gone."
"But, Father will kill us both if he catches us."
"No worries. I know the countryside like the back of my hand and once we cross the river it won't matter what he does."
"Then we must leave now."
He took out a black box then removed a ring from it. Gently, he placed the Claddaugh ring on her ring finger.
"Oh, Angel," the words slipping effortlessly from Buffy.
Then they ran until they reached the barn 5 miles from the house.
"We can rest here."
"No, we should go further. It would be too easy for Father to find us here."
"It's all right. He should be out of town till morning. How is your leg?"
"I'll be fine as long as I have you. Promise me you'll never leave me."
"I promise."
Just then the barn doors swung open to reveal a drunk Josiah Huntington in other words Buffy's father. Before she could get away he got a firm hold on her arm.
"No, you're hurting me!"
"Let her go."
"And if I don't what are you going to do boy? Haven't you children ever heard of honor thy father?"
During his rant Buffy struggled free and ran to Angel and he hoisted her up on to a horse then turned to get on his own.
"Run, Buffy. Run and don't look back."
She turned to the front door ready to go but saw her father fall forward while lunging something. By the time Buffy turned around a pitchfork was deeply imbedded in Angel's chest.
"Angel, no!!!"
Her horse bucked at the noise throwing her off and stimulating the other horse. She tried to cover her head from the hooves and crawl to Angel at the same time. But now a horse knocked over a lantern causing an instant burst of flame from the dry hay. Both horses bolted for the door almost knocking Josiah down. Buffy heard his maniacal laughter as he shut the door behind. Now she was at Angel's side the pitchfork gone somehow twisted out. She soon realized that she was losing consciousness.
"Angel, my love, don't leave me now."
His gaze unfocused but then he locked eyes with her and Buffy could've sworn he smiled. Buffy heard a loud crash and pressed her face to Angel's neck but still deeply breathing in the fire and smoke. Her last hope to die before the flames reached her.
"God, no!" Then she was awake in a dark place her flashlight not a few feet from her. The events of a dream, or past life, or hallucination coming back to her. She looked to the corner where the stairs would be and waited for the footsteps to come but there were none. Now she felt the indescribable pain all through her body and felt dirt and cobwebs all over her and in her hair. Xander better marry Cordelia for all I've been through. She got up suddenly desperate to get out of the house. But this time when she reached the front door it wouldn't budge. That's when Buffy realized a second door hidden by the shadows. Carefully she opened it and began to explore the kitchen. Utensils hung from the ceiling. Like a museum or better yet a mausoleum. Again, suddenly, she took off running looking for any possible way out. An outside door became visible and Buffy almost tore it off the hinges trying to get it open. But when it did open she wasn't alone. A tall figure drew nearer and she screamed but it died in her throat.
"Jeez, Buffy, you almost scared me to death."
"I scared you! What the hell? You should be grateful I'm even alive after this. I hate you! I'll never forgive you!"
"I know Buff. I'm sorry."
She stopped at the unexpected apology realizing that Xander was out here in his pajamas with no shoes.
"Wait…what are you doing here?"
"I had a dream that you were in well…not you but someone who looked like you. And all these other people too. And then there was a fire and they knew they were going die. It was horrible. Then I woke up well…kinda woke up. I couldn't tell my dream from reality. And thought there was a fire here I could smell the smoke and hear the screams. And I thought that you couldn't get out so I ran straight over here. And now no fire no anything."
Buffy was getting ready to tell him about what she had gone through but Xander interrupted her.
"You're bleeding."
"Yeah, I scraped my knee."
"No, not your knee. Your hand, you must have scraped it or something."
Buffy looked down at her ring finger and a strangled cry escaped her. She was wearing a ring. To be more exact a Claddaugh ring. The ring Angel had placed on her finger before they left the house.