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AN: Sorry about the long wait, been working my ass off to bring my geometry grade up to a 70. Which I did, yay me!

{{{{Story between brackets is a thing from mental institution Buffy's life.}}}}

Normal typing is The Slayer Buffy's life.

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Chapter Three: So It Begins

"You're not invited in," Spike growled as he answered the door and saw his grandsire standing out it.

Angel shrugged and walked in with ease. Spike was not his concern right now. Dawn had said that Buffy was in trouble and that was all that mattered. Still, he couldn't resist sticking it to Spike.

"Sorry Spikey," Angel said, patting his cheek mockingly. "Already been invited."

"Sod off mate," Spike snarled.

"Play nice boys," Willow said, entering the room followed closely by Tara and Dawn. "Angel, thanks so much for coming. You might be the only person that can help her."

"Sure," Angel nodded. "No problem. What's going on?"

Willow looked down at her feet and Dawn turned away, looking like she was about to cry. Spike noticed it and went over to her, leading her outside. Xander refused to even look at Angel. So that only left-

"Tara Maclay," Tara said nervously, extending her hand. Angel shook it once and then let it fall. "I think you might want to sit down."

The group went over to the couch. Angel sat down, then Willow and Tara sat in a chair. Xander stood by the doorframe.

"Are you two?" Angel asked, pointing to Willow and Tara in the chair.

"Yeah," Willow nodded.

"Oh," Angel nodded back.

"An- Angel," Tara stuttered. "Buffy had an accident with a demon about a month ago. The demon injected her with- with a poison and she began having- flashbacks, of a sort. She began to believe that she was in a mental institution. That everything she knew as the Slayer was false and she had been in the hospital for all that time."

"That makes sense," Angel agreed. "The demon took from her memories and made an alternate universe."

"You knew she was in a hospital?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, I did," Angel replied. "It was her business, though."

"Anyway," Tara continued. "Her world there, right now, it's better than her life. Her mother is there, alive. Her parents are still together, happily."

"And no one's trying to kill her," Willow put in helpfully.

"That's a plus," Xander spoke for the first time.

"It's just," Tara tried to find the right words. "Just more pleasing for her to be there. But, here, she's completely shut down. She doesn't eat, she doesn't sleep, and she doesn't do anything. She's like a statue."

"And what do you want me to do about it?" Angel asked.

"See!" Xander said triumphantly. "I told you he couldn't do anything for her!"

"Shut up Xander," Willow insisted. "We want you to try to bring her out of it. Bring her back."

Angel sighed. "I can try."

"That's all we ask," Tara said sweetly.

"That's not all I ask," Xander said bitterly. "You bring her back, or I'll stake you."

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{{{{Buffy whirled around in her best friends arm. Pike had been waiting at her house when she and her parents had pulled into the drive. She remembered everything about him. She hardly even remembered that world she had been trapped in at all anymore. She didn't want to. That's all she had to do, not want it.

"Buffy!" Pike smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too Pike," Buffy agreed. "So such. I can't believe I forgot you like that."

"No worries," Pike insisted. "It's good to have you back. You're cold."

Buffy suddenly had frantic thoughts, each one running all over the other. She thought, "NO! Don't say that, Don't- don't make me think of that. Don't make me think- of Angel. He's not real."

Against her better judgment, a quote from her "life" passed through her lips. "You can take it."

Pike smiled and took his jacket off. "I mean, you look cold."

Buffy jerked back as he moved to put his jacket around her shoulders. It was too much like that "life". Too much, every movement, every word. Too much like it.

"No, I'm just tired," Buffy insisted. "I'm going to go upstairs, get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely," Pike agreed and walked off.

Buffy walked upstairs, her mind reeling. And somewhere amidst the current of raging thoughts, she clearly heard a velvety voice calling her name. The only voice she had ever known to be like that was swimming in her head, once again.

He was probably the only reason she would go back to that place. The only reason.}}}}

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"Buffy?" Angel said softly as he entered the darkened room. Buffy made no movement towards his words. He lifted her face up and stared into her eyes. They were vacant and haunting. He wanted the life back in her eyes. He promised himself he would do it.

"Buffy, honey, don't worry. I'm going to get you out of there," Angel said resolutely. "I promise."

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