Everything was moving in slow motion. She was back in the chapel, at Xander and Anya's wedding, except it all seemed to be going right this time. She stood in the foyer, next to a happy, excited Dawn, while Anya's demon friend Halfrek helped the bride with last minute adjustments to her veil and hair. Buffy walked up to the chapel doors, and peered through the glass. Xander stood at the end of the aisle, looking slighty uncomfortable in his tuxedo. Standing next to him was Willow, smiling broadly with her hand on his arm. Buffy felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Tara. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out.

"What?"

Tara seemed to repeat herself, but Buffy only heard a hissing sound, like a radio station between channels.

"What did you say?"

Tara smiled, and took Buffy by the hand, leading her over to the group lining up behind Anya. The hissing grew louder as they moved closer to the chapel entrance. A demon with a row of spines running down the middle of his head pulled the doors open for them, revealing a curtain made of shimmery irridescent beads. Anya disappeared through the curtain, followed one by one by her bridesmaids. Buffy was the last, and as she stepped over the threshold her ears popped, and then... silence.

The chapel was gone, replaced by the courtyard from the old Sunnydale High, set up just like it had been for the ill-fated last graduation ceremony. A long, deep red carpet scattered with flower petals stretched out in front of her. She looked over her shoulder and saw that she and Anya had traded places, the latter standing behind Willow, Dawn, and Tara. Buffy looked down at herself and saw she was wearing an elaborate white lace wedding dress with a train. The benches were full of familiar faces from Sunnydale High. As the procession moved down the aisle she saw her mother, sitting next to Giles and Jenny Calendar. Joyce held a lacy handkerchief to her face, then waved at her daughter. Buffy turned her head to the left and saw Faith whispering in Cordelia Chase's ear. The two giggled, then Cordelia turned and whispered to Angel, draping her arm around his shoulders. Angel smiled, looked directly at Buffy, then crumbled into dust. Cordelia turned her face, and Buffy could see the flesh slipping off her old nemesis, eyes shrivelling back into their sockets, and jaw dropping open as the muscles and tendons holding it in place withered away. Faith stood up, revealing the knife buried in her stomach, then she pitched forward over the back of the bench in front of her.

Buffy whipped her head back around. Her mother, Giles, everyone had turned into skeletons in fancy clothes. Behind her, her bridesmaids followed, still smiling, like nothing had happened, urging her forwards. At the end of the aisle, a line of men in tuxedoes stood with their backs to her, in front of the stone demon Acathla. The first man turned and held his hand out to her. It was Riley. Next him stood Xander, the demon hybrid monster Adam, and several of Riley's comrades from the Initiative. She took Riley's hands and stood in front of him. Her bridesmaids lined up next to her, and Acathla's stone face cracked as it began reciting a traditional wedding ceremony.

Suddenly shots rang through the air. A line of bullets from an unseen sniper tore through the wedding party.. The Initiative men lay scattered around like dolls, and Xander flew backwards, red flowers blooming across his chest. . The bullets continued, cutting through the bridesmaids. Willow and Tara were crumpled together in a heap,. Anya lay on her back, arms spread out, eyes open and staring, one perfectly round hole in her forehead. Buffy looked around frantically, and tried to pull away, but Riley held her hands in an iron grasp. Dawn staggered towards her, hands outstretched, then pitched forwards leaving a bloody trail down the side of Buffy's dress. She looked at Riley. His skin seemed stretched too tightly, giving his face a skull-like appearance. He grinned, and fire danced in the pits of his eyes. Behind him, Adam lurched to his feet, and pulled a ring out of his tuxedo jacket pocket, handing it to Riley, who jammed it onto Buffy's finger, tearing the skin and drawing blood. Then, a crossbow bolt sailed through the air, embedding itself in Riley's chest. He jerked, and squeezed Buffy's hands even harder, before bursting into flame. She slowly turned her head, following the course of the bolt, and saw Spike standing on top of a concrete pillar, slowly lowering the crossbow. He opened his mouth to speak to her. She heard the hissing noise again, then there was a flash of metal as an axe swept from behind him, taking off his head with one blow. Drusilla stepped through the cloud of ash and pointed the axe at Buffy.

"Burn."

Skeletal arms reached out of the pillar of fire that had been Riley, and pulled her in.

Buffy sat bolt upright in her bed, gasping for air and throwing the bedclothes away. Sunlight streamed in through her window. It was a beautiful day, but she could still smell burning hair. Fifteen minutes and a long, hot, shower later, she walked downstairs. Willow sat at the kitchen table sipping a mug of coffee, her laptop open in front of her. Buffy made a beeline for the coffeemaker, pouring her own cup.

"Morning."

"Morning." Buffy sat down across from Willow and stared into her cup, rubbing her temples. Then she sat straight up and looked around.

"Where's Dawn? Isn't she going to be late for school?"

Willow chuckled. "Dawny left for school three hours ago. Look at the clock."

She did. It read 11:15. "Whoa." Buffy squinted and rubbed her temples again. An ache was starting to set up there, and behind her eyes. "I must have been really out of it."

Willow looked concerned. "Are you ok? I was getting ready to leave for class, but I can stay. I mean, it's only a lab...." A look of vague distress crossed her face at the thought of cutting class.

"Nah, Will. I'm ok. Probably too many grease fumes getting to me last night."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine. Couple of aspirin, and I'm right as rain." She winced. "Or close to it."

Willow packed up her computer and left, pausing at the door to give her friend yet another concerned look. Buffy lifted her mug and smiled.

"See? Caffeine and sugar. Cures everything. Now go. Off with you to get educated."

Willow smiled back and closed the door behind her. Buffy leaned forward and rested her head in her hands.

"I wish."

---------------------

"I don't understand why you're doing this. You don't just play with the Slayer."

"Oh, but you do, Garrett, my boy. It's all a game. I see that clearly now."

"Bullshit. You've still got a thing for her. Man, you should just drain her and work it out on her corpse. That's the only kind of safe sex with a Sl....."

Riley covered the distance between himself and Garrett in a split second, pinning the minion vampire against the wall.

"And what if I do? I'm in charge here. You do what I tell you."

"You're only in charge... ERK!"

Riley jammed his arm hard against Garrett's throat. "I... said.... I.... am... in.... charge. Understand? That goes for the rest of you. Any questions?"

A chorus of "no"s and "no problem"s came from the three other minions in the underground chamber.

"Good." Riley stepped back and let Garrett slump to the floor. One of the other vampires spoke up, tremulously.

"So, um, you're in charge, so what are we gonna do? We going after her tonight?"

"You will do nothing. Stay here until I get back."

"Where are you going?"

"To take care of a few loose ends."