Ch 3

Nightmares can come true

In the shadows of a nearby street, Luke is there feeding off of a young girl. As he finishes he notices Willow standing there. "Didn't expect to see you so soon."

"I would have come sooner, but I had some unfinished business to take care of," she coos.

"You are going to help me in my objective. The slayer and her friends must die. You are my key to doing so."

"Do what you want with the slayer and the others, on one condition, you leave Xander to me, I want him for myself."

Luke looks at her, a bit surprised. "You have much to learn." He then leads Willow to the underground passageways, where he once hid with Darla, the master before Buffy had killed him.

As they continue on the two come upon the sunken church, once the prison for the oldest vampire known as the Master. It is obvious Luke has worked to build himself a bit of an army as other vampires are seen, acknowledging their leader's return.

Willow sighs. "I guess this place will do for now."

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At the Library Giles, Jenny and Angel are busy exchanging what they know on the vampire Luke. It is when Buffy Xander and Cordelia walk enter with sorrow filling their faces that something is amiss.

Giles looks at the teenagers with concern. "What has happened?"

Buffy finally manages to speak up, " Willow's dead," she says as the tears begin to pour. Buffy sits down at the near by table, Xander and Cordelia following.

Xander shakes his head in disbelief. "I can't believe this is actually happening." Xander sets his elbows on the table and hides his face in his hands as he breaks down.

"This all just seems like a bad dream, I keep waiting to wake up." Buffy's words become near impossible to translate due to her intense crying.

Angel wraps his arm around Buffy as she leans her head on his chest, soaking his shirt with her tears. With his right hand he begins stroking her hair gently attempting to soothe her.

Giles stands there in shock, still trying to absorb the awful truth. A soft hand toutches Giles arm. "Could you drive me home?" Jenny asks softly. Giles looks at her, and sees the same pain reflected in her eyes. With a nod to Jenny, Giles mumbles to the group, "I'll be back in a minute," as he then, escorts Jenny to his car.

"What is going to happen to Willow?" Cordelia asks with concern as she looks over at Angel "Isn't there any way she can become good, like you?"

Angel, a bit surprised at the question looks back at Cordelia. "I don't think so," he says sadly, still holding Buffy in his arms.

"I just can't listen to this right now!" Xander says as he jerks up from his chair and runs out of the room. Concern, Cordelia quickly chases after him.

Buffy wipes her face and is about ready to follow after Xander as well but Angel stops her. "No, let him go, he needs some time to himself right now."

Buffy leans into him again as he puts his arms around her. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let her walk home alone at night," Buffy says with a whimper.

Angel turns Buffy's face towards him gently, looking her straight in the eye. "No, don't you say that, you couldn't have known. If you want to blame someone, blame the one hat did this to her," he says in a serious, stern voice.

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Still wanting to spend time together after the horrific event, Angel escorts Buffy to her house. The two walk side by side, mostly in silence.

Upon reaching the house Buffy looks over at Angel. "Well, this is my stop," she says with a forced half-smile.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you a little longer," Angel asks with concern.

Thinking about it briefly, Buffy finally nods yes. Knowing that her mom was still at work, she leads Angel up to her room. There they sit together on the end of the bed, Angel comforts her, and holds her until she finally manages to fall a sleep. Being careful not to wake her, he softly lays her down on her bed, kissing her on the forehead before leaving through her bedroom window.

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The following morning the doorbell is heard giving off a quick chime. Joyce answers the door to see Rupert Giles the librarian standing before her.

"Oh, hello Rupert. Please, come in," she says with a smile, unaware of what has taken place. "What brings you here?"

"I just need to talk to Buffy for a moment," Giles says as he adjusts his eyeglasses.

"I believe she is still in her room, I'll let her know that you are here."

Giles enters the house as Joyce calls out Buffy's name.

"She'll be down in just a moment."

Joyce exits towards the kitchen. A few minutes later Buffy is seen slowly making her way down the stairs, avoiding eye contact with her watcher. The two then sit down in the living room

"I know that we have all been through a lot, and that's why I think it would be best to take a few days off from patrolling," Giles says.

Buffy looks up at Giles, surprised at what he is saying. "But Luke… I have to stop him before he hurts anyone else!"

"A few days is going to mean the end of the world, just give it some thought."

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At Xander's house later that night, Cordelia and Xander are seen slouching on the couch in the family den. Cordelia has her head resting on gracefully on Xander's shoulder.

Xander's mom walks in on the two. "Can I get you kids anything to drink?" she says with a smile.

The two softly shake their heads no. Xander's mother makes her way back to the kitchen. Just as she is about to finish washing the dishes a soft knock is heard from the door. As she opens the backdoor she sees Willow standing there.

"Hello Mrs. Harris, Is Xander home?" Willow asks innocently with a smile.

"Oh hi Willow, come on in. Xander will be so happy to see you. He has been so depressed lately," she says as she heads back to the sink to finish washing the dishes.

"That's a shame. I bet I know how to cheer him up," Willow says with an evil grin.

Before Xander's mother has a chance to know what is going on, Willow walks up behind her and twists her head, breaking her neck with a quick snap. Her body falls limply to the floor. Willow then carries the body to the broom closet.

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"I'd better call my parents and let them know where I am," Cordelia says as she stands up from the couch.

"The phone is in the kitchen," Xander replies, nonchalantly.

Cordelia enters the kitchen, seeing the phone on a nearby counter. As she is about to pick the receiver she is grabbed from behind. Willow holds on to Cordelia with one hand covering her mouth. "Hello Miss Cheerleader, fancy seeing you here." Willow then pushes her to the floor. Cordelia begins to sob with panic.

"Aww, whats wrong? Daddy's little girl get a boo boo?" Willow says with a pout.

Cordelia gets up and tries to run but is quickly backhanded by Willow. Cordelia falls, hitting her head on the edge of the table before landing on the floor, causing her to black out instantaneously.

Willow rolls her eyes. "Too easy."

Xander, still sitting on the couch, unaware of what has taken place yells out to Cordelia. "Haven't you finished making your call yet?"

Just then, out of the corner of his eye he sees Willow enter the room. Xander quickly jumps to his feet, surprised by the redhead's presence. "How did you get in here, I didn't invite you in?" Xander stamers.

"I have my ways," Willow says with a smile, dragging her fingers gradually across the wall as she walks closer to him.

"Cordelia, what did you do to her?!"

"Oh, don't worry about her, she'll be fine, but I can't say the same for you." Willow morphs to her vampire face and strikes Xander. As he stumbles back Willow moves in closer. "Why must you resist, this would be so much easier if you'd stop struggling," she says innocently.

Xander attempts to escape, running out of the living room and through the kitchen. As he is about to run through the back door, he notices Cordelia, lying unconscious on the tiled floor. Xander quickly kneels to her side, shaking her shoulders a bit as he tries to wake her.

"Come on Cordelia wake up, we got to get out of here!" Xander pleads.

Just then Xander is kicked in the jaw by Willow. The violent strike causes Xander to hit his head on the kitchen floor. Willow jumps on top Xander, straddling the boy once more, before Xander even has a chance to yell out from the pain.

"Now, this will only hurt for a second," Willow says as she moves in closer to his neck.

Just then the door flies open to reveal Luke standing there angrily.

"Hi, Lukey, come in, your just in time for the fun," Willow says excitedly, still on the floor straddling Xander, pinning his arms to the floor.

"You are supposed to be helping me bring down the slayer, yet you insist on messing with this boy?!"

"What, I can't have a toy?" Willow pouts, pushing out her lower lip.

"Finish up here. Then we have worked to do," Luke says with a growl as he exits the back porch.

"He's no fun. Now, where were we… Oh yes." Without wasting anymore time Willow quickly begins draining Xander of his blood. Xander yells out in pain, squirming, trying to escape her grip as he can feel himself become weaker.

Willow sits up and makes a cut on her left arm with her fingernail, as she feels Xander's heart begin to slow down.

Xander spits the blood out of his mouth in disgust.

"Go to hell," he says in a raspy weak voice.

Willow shoves her cut arm to Xander's mouth, forcing him to drink. After the deed is done, Willow picks up the now flimsy, lifeless body. She carries him out of the house and through the graveyard until reaching the hide out. Upon reaching the sunken church, Willow places Xander on an old couch.

"Be seeing you soon my love." Willow smiles at him as she turns to leave.

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Cordelia slowly opens her eyes as she begins to come to, grabbing onto the counter for support she tries to pull herself up.

"My head, ow," she whimpers, placing her hand on her head, rubbing the large bump. Slowly still in a bit of a daze, she stumbles out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"Xander? Where are you?" Cordelia says in a whiney voice.

She then goes back into the kitchen to use the phone and call Giles. As she walks back she sees the vast blood stained kitchen tiles. Realizing what has happened, she cries out, "Xander? Xander! No!"

Cordelia cries as she falls to her knees near the blood stained area. "Not you too Xander."

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The graveyard for most is not the most romantic setting, but for Buffy and Angel it's a lot like any other place as the two stroll through the grass walking hand in hand.

"Thanks for coming with me," Buffy says with a smile.

"It's the least I could do," Angel responds, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Angel stops abruptly as his ears perk up.

"What is it Angel?"

"I hear something." Angel walks slowly up ahead. As the two inch forward behind some trees, they are able to make out Willow and Luke with a few other vampires.

" Willow," Buffy whispers as she sees her dead friend walking with her sworn enemy.

Angel motions to Buffy, signaling that they should leave, since they are vastly out numbered. But before the two are able to escape a vampire appears, hitting Angel from behind. Buffy quickly goes into slayer mode, and does a jump kick into the vampire's face, causing him to fly backwards into a tombstone.

More vampires begin to show and join in. Angel vamps out as he starts attacking the vampires with all his strength. Buffy snaps off a tree branch and jabs it into the chest of one of the vampires, causing him to burst into a cloud of dust. Buffy, seeing Angel was out numbered quickly runs over and tackles one of the vampires that was on Angel's back. She then jabs the make-shift stake into his chest.

By this time the vampires begin to back off Luke walks up with Willow by his side.

"Impressive, but not impressive enough," Luke says.

"We'll see about that," Buffy says, looking at him angrily.

"It's been a long time slayer, I have been waiting for this."

Luke lunges at Buffy. She dodges his attack, following it with a round house, kicking him in the face. Luke stumbles back a bit but fires back by grabbing the back of her neck and forcing her down as he knees her in the stomach. Buffy's emotions get to her as she then angrily charges Luke with the stake. "You killed my best friend!" Luke easily grabs Buffy by the wrist and twists it. A yelp escapes her throat, dropping the stake to the ground.

Luke jabs Buffy in the stomach, causing her to fall to the ground. Before the slayer is able to stand again Luke quickly pins her with his weight.

Angel, seeing what is unfolding, attempts to jump in and help her but is then attacked by Willow.

"Now now, theirs no need for that. Boss wants Buffy dead, and whatever Lukey wants, he gets," She says with a smile."

Angrily, Angel responds, "Step aside Willow. Or I'll…"

"Or you'll what? You wouldn't hurt poor defenseless Willow would you?" Willow makes a pouting face.

"I don't want to hurt you," Angel admits.

"Oh, but I want to hurt you." Willow snarls as she swipes her hand across Angel's face, leaving behind bloody claw marks on his cheek. She smiles with satisfaction. "Come on Angel, I want to play."

Luke leans in toward Buffy, "I've always wanted to taste a slayer. You cheated me of that last time."

Buffy, still pinned to the ground by Luke, squirms wildly as she tries to escape his grip. Luke then presses his mouth on Buffy's neck.

"NO!!" Angel yells out as he pushes Willow out of the way, Willow quickly grabs Angel's arm, trying to keep him from stopping Luke. But angel quickly flings his arm sharply with all his might, causing Willow to fly backwards. Angel quickly runs to Buffy's aid throwing Luke off of her.

"Don't you touch her!" Angel snarls barring his fangs.

Luke chuckles. "The slayer's protector." Luke then looks deeply at Buffy, "I'll be back when your bodyguard isn't here." Luke looks at Angel and growls before walking away.

Willow struggles to her feet and quickly catches up with Luke. What's left of Luke's vampire minions follow foot.

Buffy watches them walk away, till they disappear, still holding her bleeding neck.

"Are you okay? Angel asks looking at her neck.

"I'll live," Buffy says, forcing a smile.

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In the library, Giles watches Jenny as she sips at her coffee, admiring her intensely. Finally mustering up the courage, he walks over to ask her something he has wanted to for a long time.

"Jenny, I know we have known each other for some time now but there is something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it Rupert?" Jenny sets down her coffee and devotes her attention to Giles.

"I know that it has been pretty upsetting these last couple of days with everything that has transpired but I thought it wouldn't hurt for some enjoyment. Jenny, would you… Would you care to join me for dinner some time at my place?" he asks shyly.

A smile spreads across her face. "I'd like that"

"Great," he smiles with delight.

The two exchange loving glances into each other's eyes. Just then, Cordelia runs frantically into the library, mascara running down her face, tears filling her eyes, crying hysterically.

"They got Xander!!! They got Xander!!"