Chapter Two

When I awoke the only thing I knew of was that my head was pounding a steady beat inside my skull. Groaning I sat up to take in my surroundings and search for some aspirin. The room was the same as last night. Pitch black with only a single candle lit to give off the simulated sunlight. The space was pretty bare from what I could see. Besides the cot and cabinet on the other side of the room, there was a small bookshelf with a ratty old chair right next to it.

That's where he sat. He had his head bent forward reading something that was in his lap by the dim candlelight. He hadn't even noticed that I was awake yet. I cleared my throat to get his attention.

Snapping his head up he smiled. "'Bout time you got up." Shyly I returned the grin. "I um, made you some toast. You must be hungry." Handing me a plate with the offered food he made sure to stay far back so as not to scare me. I felt like I was being treated like some wounded animal. Yet again, I hadn't really proven otherwise yet.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

"She speaks." He said sounding impressed.

"Sorry about that. It was just a... rough day." What else was I supposed to say? If I told him that I have no memory of ever even being in this place or why everything was like it was he would think I'm crazy. No, I wouldn't tell him anything. I'd thank him for his hospitality and then get home to Dawn. Groaning I realized how worried she must be right about now. "Do you have a phone I could use? My sister, I need to let her know that I'm safe." I explained through a mouth full of toast.

The boy looked at me strangely. "A phone?" I nodded. "Miss, phones haven't been in use since the early twenty first century."

"Your point is what exactly?" Fear was starting to overtake me. The early twenty first century? Oh shit.

"Miss the year is 2305. The phones were extracted over two hundred years ago."

My mouth hung open as I processed what he had said. Three hundred years? How could I not remember the last three hundred years? Why was I still alive? Questions raced through my brain ricocheting off of one another, causing my stomach to flip flopat the information I had just received.

Sensing my panic the boy ran over to me. "Put your head between your knees. That's it. Now take deep slow breaths." He tried to soothe. Short ragged breaths were escaping my mouth as I bent over to control them. This couldn't be right. It had to be some sort of dream. There was no way a little over three hundred years had past without me knowing it. Where was Dawn? Or Willow, Xander, Giles? God, any of them. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I tried to control my thoughts. None of this was making any sense.

Flashes of images started to fill my mind. A blinding light, Dawn crying, lightning streaking the night sky. Over and over these pictures filled my head with its own private slide show. Something was trying to get to me, trying to help me to answer my many questions. But I didn't want to see this. Part of me didn't want to know what was going on, it just wanted to curl into a little ball, fall asleep and never wake up.

Snapping my head up as the last thought filled my head I looked around wildly. "Never wake up."

I must have said it out loud because the boy scrunched his brow in confusion. "Huh?"

"I don't... never wake up." I repeated again. "I think I never woke up." Across the room the flickering candle entranced me. It's mere presence seemed to soothe away any fear that had been present.

"What does that mean?" Bending down in front of me he placed his hands on my knees to try and get me to look at him.

"I don't know." Still staring at the flame I shook my head slowly before my eyes traced down to look at the kneeling man ahead of me.

"What's your name?" He asked as I looked at him.

"Buffy."

"Do you know where you are Buffy?"

"Your place," I answered dumbly.

"No, what city are we in?"

"Sun-Sunnydale."

He raised an eyebrow towards me. "Try LA." Moving his body he sat beside me making me turn towards him. I looked him straight in the eye. "What is the last thing you remember?"

It took me a minute. I wanted to say pain, but I knew that wasn't right. There was pain, but something came after the hurt. Something better. My reward. He sat patiently as I thought, never taking his eyes from me. "Peace." I muttered softly. Almost the moment I said it, a wave of warmth spread through my body, starting at my toes and running all the way through.

"You have amnesia."

The warmth immediately left. "You don't know that!"

"There hasn't been peace here for as long as I can remember." He shook his head sadly.

"No, there has to be! I remember it. Yes there was pain too, but it went away."

Motioning to the door his voice started to rise. "There's no peace in this world. There hasn't been for a long time. That little display that happened last night should be proof enough."

"Not everything in this world is bad. It can't be," I stood too glaring up at him. "And you can't tell me otherwise."

"Five minutes ago you were asking for a phone, which no longer exists, and now you're trying to convince me that peace can be found in this hell hole. Hate to break it to you, but you're advice isn't something I can really go on after all that."

Poking him in the chest I pushed him towards the wall. "Then why the hell do I remember stuff that doesn't involve pain? And if you say I'm crazy I swear to God I'll..."

"I didn't say you're insane! You're just not all there right now." Grabbing me by the shoulders he stilled my advances. "Listen, something is going on here. You're remembering things that can't possibly be so I don't think you're from around here."

"I live just a couple hours outside of LA!" I protested.

"No you don't. You may have at one time, but there's no way you could now. No one can even get outside the perimeters of LA. It's guarded by... it's just guarded." Running his hands through his hair, pacing back and fourth, it struck me how much he reminded me of somebody I once knew. "I don't know, are you sure you didn't hit your head or someone.

Biting my lip I swallowed. "I did wake up in the alley right outside here and I can't remember how I got there. I guess it's possible that I fell and hit something." That wasn't it and I knew it, but what was I going to tell him, that I was once a Vampire Slayer and that his worst nightmares exist?

"Give it a few days. I'm sure everything will come back to you sooner or later."

"And until then what am I supposed to do?" I had never felt more lost in my whole entire life. Demons and everything else that goes bump in the night are things that I've faced head on with no fear. But you stick me in where ever the hell I am now and I've never been more afraid.

"Until then, I'll protect you." Matter of factly saying it didn't seem to boost my confidence, but I gave him a smile anyways.

"How's a kid like yourself supposed to protect me?" Truth be told, I would probably have to protect him.

"You'd be amazed at my abilities." He said giving me a slight smirk.

I blanched. Before I had felt as if I knew this kid, he reminded me of someone I knew once upon a time, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. The way he spoke, presented himself, even the way he walked gave me a case of déjà vu, and now I knew why.

"What's your name?"

"I'm sorry," he said looking slightly abashed. "Connor." Sticking out his hand for me to shake I couldn't help but let my heart drop in disappointment. A tiny part of me still felt the familiarity of the boy, but not as much now. Appearances are said to be deceiving and up until five seconds ago, his appearance was screaming Angel to me. Three hundred plus years in the future though meant that Angel was probably dead. Subconsciously I knew I was just reaching out for something familiar and Connor had been the first nice thing that I had encountered in this world. To hear him say his name, a name that hadn't even registered on my radar, killed me just a little bit more.

"Thanks for everything Connor." Bypassing his hand I stood on tippy toes and kissed his cheek. "I mean it."

Authors Note: Please review and tell me what you think. If I don't get more then five reviews I don't think I'll continue because I have a lot of other things that's going on at school right now. I hate school so much, if it wasn't for that place I'd update everyday.