Title: Always and Forever

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, it all belongs to Joss (he is evil but he is a god nonetheless), the WB, Fox, and Mutant Enemy (Grrr Arrrg). Please don't sue, I have no money, so all you'd get is a creepy cat...

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Chapter 2

"Well, that was hopeless," Xander said cheerfully as he jumped on top of the library table and sat down, resting his feet in the nearest chair. Little Billy Palmer was deep in a coma, unable to be awakened. The nurse hadn't let them stay very long, as visiting hours finished.

Willow followed suit and sat at the table, while Giles disappeared into the cage to get some more books for research. Buffy walked slowly through the door, the floor her main focus of attention. She listlessly sat atop the library counter, her eyes downcast. Dawn was fast approaching, so it looked as if she'd be spending the day in the library, avoiding the sun. What fun.

Giles reemerged and dumped a pile of books on the table. "Well, here we are, I want you to try and find out everything you can about making nightmares come true. Buffy-" he turned to his Slayer to see her curled up in a ball on the counter, a sad, blank look in her eyes. She was staring at the cross Angel had given her the first day they met, however it was clearly causing her enormous pain. It was as if she were staring at it to convince herself that this was what she was now. She reminisced the day Angel had given it to her. After she'd knocked him flat on his back in an alleyway, he'd tossed it to her in a box, unable to touch it himself. It later saved her from Luke, and from a number of other vampires. But now, instead of protection, it was against her.

"Buffy," Giles tried again. She finally glanced up at him. "You know this is not your fault," he said. "You can't help what is happening."

Buffy merely shook her head. "But it is my fault, Giles. If I hadn't dreamed it, it never would have happened, and I would have been able to go out in daylight and stop this thing. But I can't."

Giles sighed. "Buffy, you can't control what you dream. No one can."

"So what?" Buffy asked. "Whoever you blame, it doesn't change anything. I am still a vampire, Giles. Now nothing can change that, remember? I'm gonna live forever, and shy away from sunlight for the rest of my life, while you guys grow up and fulfill your dreams..." Buffy was in tears now.

"Oh, Buffy..." Willow hurried over to her friend and tried to wrap her in a hug, but Buffy jumped away.

"Don't touch me!" Buffy screamed, hysterical. "How can you even stand to be near me, knowing what I've become?"

With that she turned and rushed up the stairs to the stacks, collapsing next to a bookshelf. Her sobs carried down to the others.

Xander sighed. "This is hopeless," he murmured. "There's no way we can get through to her like this. There's only one person who can help her, and I think we all know who it is."

Willow and Giles raised their gazes to him. "Angel?" Willow asked.

Xander nodded. "He would know what she's going through. Besides..." Xander struggled over the words. "Buffy loves him. He may be her only hope."

"But how do we find him?" Willow asked. "I don't know where he lives. And the sun will be up soon."

"Not that soon," Xander said. "I'd say we still have a half hour. Long enough."

"And where does he live?" Giles stated.

Xander smirked, and flipped open the cover of Buffy's notebook, which had been abandoned on the library table a few days ago. Penciled in to the front page was Angel's address.

"I'll go," Xander said. "I'll try and be back before sunrise. Don't let Buffy leave."

"We won't," Willow promised, watching as Xander strode out of the library.

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TBC…