Chapter 1
Buffy Summers executed a perfect roundhouse kick, punched the vampire's stomach, pulled a stake from her jacket pocket and neatly dusted the white- blond haired female vamp. Beside her, Angel shoved his own stake into another vampire's heart. The cropped ginger hair fell to the ground, then shattered along with the rest of the skinny body. Pulling up short, Angel asked;
"So, I got staked by Dru, then Spike threatened you?"
"Uh-huh. He said he had to finalise a plan or something. Angel, I'm scared. What if this dream comes true? It's happened before!"
"Buffy, not all your dreams come true. What else did you dream last night? Can you remember?"
"Well, I - I dreamed that me an' Will killed each other, 'cause Giles had gone mad an' Spike'd managed to convince us that it was each others' faults."
"See what I mean? That would never happen. You and Willow are too close for that, and as for Giles going mad? I still find it hard to believe he's ever been drunk!"
Buffy smiled wanly.
"That dream didn't feel ireal/i, though. The one about-" Angel drew her to him and pressed his lips against hers to silence her. Gentle at first, the kiss swelled in passion and intensity. Buffy's arms around his neck pulled her closer to him.
A bolt out of the blue, she pulled away roughly, collapsing and clutching her abdomen, groaning with pain. Her face was contorted into a grimace.
"Buffy, what is it? What's wrong?" But Buffy was in too much pain to be able to answer. Spots of grey light danced in front of her eyes, an eerie blackness threatened to overpower her vision. She could just make out Angel as he knelt beside her, incessantly asking what was wrong. The last thing she was aware of was being held in his strong arms and lifted off the ground.
Wearing a worried expression, Angel ran just slowly enough that Buffy's delicate figure would not be jolted from his arms. He swept out of the darkened cemetery and through the little town that was Sunnydale, known by its original Spanish settlers as "Boca del Infierno", or "Mouth of Hell".
Upon reaching Buffy's Watcher's abode, Angel realised that to knock would mean risking dropping Buffy, so he shouted the librarian's name instead.
"Giles? It's Angel.Giles? Buffy's-"
The door opened. Seeing Buffy in Angel's arms, Rupert Giles, a normally calm man, panicked, instantly assuming the worst.
"Is she.? You'd better come in." Giles heard Buffy moan as he stepped aside.
Invited, Angel walked in freely. He laid Buffy on Giles's green sofa, brushing a strand of hair from her emerald eyes. Giles followed.
"What happened?"
"I'm not sure. One minute we were, well.kissing, the next. She just collapsed." Angel looked at the Watcher; asked what was wrong with the Slayer he loved.
"I'm afraid we can't be sure. If memory serves correctly, I fear it may be a spell that is cast by many witches to. get inside their victims, as it were. Not physically, of course, but psychologically. It enables the witch to search out strengths and weaknesses before she tries to, well, destroy her.prey, if you will.
"Angel, I must warn you to prepare yourself for the worst."
"Nothing could ever prepare me for. Is she gonna die?"
"There is every possibility of that happening, yes."
Buffy Summers executed a perfect roundhouse kick, punched the vampire's stomach, pulled a stake from her jacket pocket and neatly dusted the white- blond haired female vamp. Beside her, Angel shoved his own stake into another vampire's heart. The cropped ginger hair fell to the ground, then shattered along with the rest of the skinny body. Pulling up short, Angel asked;
"So, I got staked by Dru, then Spike threatened you?"
"Uh-huh. He said he had to finalise a plan or something. Angel, I'm scared. What if this dream comes true? It's happened before!"
"Buffy, not all your dreams come true. What else did you dream last night? Can you remember?"
"Well, I - I dreamed that me an' Will killed each other, 'cause Giles had gone mad an' Spike'd managed to convince us that it was each others' faults."
"See what I mean? That would never happen. You and Willow are too close for that, and as for Giles going mad? I still find it hard to believe he's ever been drunk!"
Buffy smiled wanly.
"That dream didn't feel ireal/i, though. The one about-" Angel drew her to him and pressed his lips against hers to silence her. Gentle at first, the kiss swelled in passion and intensity. Buffy's arms around his neck pulled her closer to him.
A bolt out of the blue, she pulled away roughly, collapsing and clutching her abdomen, groaning with pain. Her face was contorted into a grimace.
"Buffy, what is it? What's wrong?" But Buffy was in too much pain to be able to answer. Spots of grey light danced in front of her eyes, an eerie blackness threatened to overpower her vision. She could just make out Angel as he knelt beside her, incessantly asking what was wrong. The last thing she was aware of was being held in his strong arms and lifted off the ground.
Wearing a worried expression, Angel ran just slowly enough that Buffy's delicate figure would not be jolted from his arms. He swept out of the darkened cemetery and through the little town that was Sunnydale, known by its original Spanish settlers as "Boca del Infierno", or "Mouth of Hell".
Upon reaching Buffy's Watcher's abode, Angel realised that to knock would mean risking dropping Buffy, so he shouted the librarian's name instead.
"Giles? It's Angel.Giles? Buffy's-"
The door opened. Seeing Buffy in Angel's arms, Rupert Giles, a normally calm man, panicked, instantly assuming the worst.
"Is she.? You'd better come in." Giles heard Buffy moan as he stepped aside.
Invited, Angel walked in freely. He laid Buffy on Giles's green sofa, brushing a strand of hair from her emerald eyes. Giles followed.
"What happened?"
"I'm not sure. One minute we were, well.kissing, the next. She just collapsed." Angel looked at the Watcher; asked what was wrong with the Slayer he loved.
"I'm afraid we can't be sure. If memory serves correctly, I fear it may be a spell that is cast by many witches to. get inside their victims, as it were. Not physically, of course, but psychologically. It enables the witch to search out strengths and weaknesses before she tries to, well, destroy her.prey, if you will.
"Angel, I must warn you to prepare yourself for the worst."
"Nothing could ever prepare me for. Is she gonna die?"
"There is every possibility of that happening, yes."