Chapter 7

The Slayer's Dream

Buffy went out that night to patrol. She was walking through the cemetery when she thought she heard something behind her. She turned around and kicked her stalker, making him fall to the ground. She raised her stake and then got a good look at him and put her stake down.

"Hello, Spike," she said, looking down at him.

"Yeah, a nice greeting you give a person," he said, getting up.

"Well, if a person had a brain he'd probably know that sneaking up on the slayer isn't the smartest idea in the world."

"Oh, right." Buffy rolled her eyes. She turned around and kept walking and Spike walked with her.

"Spike, I'm quite capable to patrol by myself, you know," Buffy said.

"I know. I just thought you might need some help," he responded.

"I guess I do feel a little safer with you around. I haven't exactly been winning my battles lately." Buffy looked at the ground, embarrassed.

"You've just been weak." Spike looked over at her.

"Exactly. That's what's weird. I mean, I'm the slayer. I'm supposed to be strong and not get sick and heal quickly. I don't know what's up with me lately."

"Buffy, most slayer's die by one vampire. You were lucky to live at all," Spike told her.

"I guess you would know since you killed two slayers by yourself."

"Exactly. I mean, no. That's not my point. Buffy..." he said as they stopped walking and he turned toward her. "Look at me." He raised her head up. "You are the strongest slayer I've ever fought, Buffy. I know this because every slayer I've fought has died, but not you. When I fought you for the first time I knew you were different. Most slayers are all about the rules and handbooks and the lot. Not you. You were smart and resourceful. You even had friends and family to back you up, which I was not used to. That's why I could never beat you, Buffy. Because you were special. You are special. Don't you ever forget that."

After an awkward moment, they walked on in silence.

"Lovely night. Big stars in the sky shining all bright and stuff," Spike said, trying to break the silence but not sure what to say.

"Thank you," Buffy said suddenly.

"What?" Spike asked, crossing his eyebrows and looking down at her.

"Thank you. You're the only person who's ever made me feel special, like I actually have a gift and not a curse. No one else seems to understand. I feel like you're the only one I can talk to."

"I only say what everyone else is thinking, Buffy."

"I know, but you're the only one who actually tells me," Buffy responded.

"I...you're welcome."

They kept walking and after awhile a vampire came out of nowhere and attacked Spike. Buffy pulled the vamp off of Spike and staked it.

"Thanks for that," Spike said, getting up.

"No big. Just an everyday vamp," Buffy responded, walking over to him.

Buffy looked up into his eyes as he looked in hers. She wanted to kiss him so bad. He was the last thing in her life that still made sense to her, but she wasn't even sure he cared about her anymore after his reaction that morning when she kissed him. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she didn't know how.

Spike put a piece of loose hair behind her ear with his hand and smiled. Buffy smiled back.

"We'd better get home," Buffy said, looking away from him. "Everyone will be wondering where I am."

"Yeah, they'll be wanting to know that their slayer's alright."

Spike and Buffy headed home.

Meanwhile, Dawn was freaking out over Buffy's absence.

"You do think that Buffy's alright, don't you?" Dawn asked for the 20th time.

"Yes, Dawn. I saw Spike slip out the back door when I went into the kitchen earlier," Willow responded, a little annoyed.

"Spike will keep her safe, I'm sure," Xander added.

Just then, Spike and Buffy came through the front door.

"Buffy! You're OK!" Dawn hopped up and hugged her sister.

"Buffster! We were just talking about you and Peroxide Boy over there," Spike gave Xander an annoyed look," and rickety-dickety-do, here you are! Safe and sound, just like I said." Xander shot a I-told-you-so look at Dawn.

"How was I supposed to know?" Dawn asked, a little embarrassed. "And since when do you trust Spike?"

"Since he saved her. Duh!" Xander said, and then added, "Doesn't mean I like him, though."

"Great to see you, Buffy," Willow got to finally say.

"Everyone's glad to see me. How great." Buffy sat down on the couch beside Willow, and Dawn sat down beside her.

"Yup, we all care. Your safety is our number one priority. Isn't it, honey?" Xander asked, looking at Anya, who was watching the werewolf movie on TV.

"Is that all she ever does now? Sit and watch old horror movies?" Buffy whispered to Willow.

"As far as I know," Willow responded.

"Anya?" Xander asked again.

"Huh?" Anya asked, looking at Xander, who motioned back at Buffy. "Oh, hi!" Anya said, looking over at Buffy, and then back at the TV.

"Where'd Spike go?" Dawn asked, looking over at where Spike had been standing a minute ago.

"Probably down in his dark, brooding hole," Xander answered and everyone stared at him. "The basement," he translated.

"How'd the slayage go?" Willow asked.

"Oh, same old, same old. We walked around. Spike got attacked, I slayed," Buffy answered.

"You had to stake him...why?" Xander asked sarcastically and Buffy gave him a take-that-back look. "Just a joke!" Xander raised his hands.

"Well, I guess the vamps pretty much stayed in tonight," Dawn continued.

"Yeah, they really don't have one constant pattern," Buffy replied.

"Those tricky vampires. They love to keep ya guessin'!" Xander grinned and Buffy smiled back.

"Well, I'm beat. I'm gonna go catch some sleep." Buffy got up and headed towards the stairs.

"'Night, Buffy!" Dawn and Xander said in unison.

"Sleep well, Buffy," Willow added after them.

"You too, Wil. Dawn, don't stay up too late," Buffy warned.

"OK," Dawn agreed, rolling her eyes.

"Sleep. Who needs it?" Xander asked.

"Xander has a point!" Dawn said.

"Xander, you're a really bad influence on her," Buffy told him.

"Just one of the wonderful services I offer," Xander responded.

"Goodnight, Xander," Buffy made her way up the stairs.

"'Night!" Anya said briefly, making Buffy stop on the stairs and smile before going up to her room.

Buffy woke up suddenly at about four o'clock in the morning. She'd had a strange dream, but she couldn't remember it exactly. She remembered seeing a bunch of demon-looking things in a chamber underground, and she thought she saw them carrying off Dawn and Spike running to save her...or was it Xander?

Buffy made her way downstairs to the kitchen for a glass of water. Maybe then she'd remember her dream.

When she got to the kitchen she went over to the fridge and pulled out a jug of water and noticed the back door was open. She put the water down on the counter and walked over to investigate. She walked out the door and onto the porch and looked around. Then, she noticed a black figure sprawled face-down on the ground.

It was Spike.

Buffy quickly went over to him and got down on her knees. "Spike, are you OK?" she asked in a concerned tone, but there was no response. She rolled him over onto his back, and his eyes fluttered.

"Buffy?" he asked and lifted his head up.

"Spike, what happened?" Spike used his elbows to prop himself up.

"I was down in the basement when I heard something upstairs, like a bunch of feet stomping around. Then I heard someone scream. I ran upstairs and found these purple guys taking Dawn off. I ran and knocked them down and told Dawn to run back inside, lock the door, and to go get you. She didn't reach the door before a couple demons got passed me grabbed her and started to drag her off again. I went to go help her and one of the purple guys knocked me in the head with something. They must've taken her off after that, the stupid over-grown oompa loompas." Spike was back on his feet now.

"What would they want with her, though?" Buffy asked him, upset.

"I don't know. All I know is that she's the slayer's little sister. Maybe they're using her as bait to lure you to them?" Spike suggested.

"Maybe, but why didn't I hear her scream," Buffy asked herself. Then, she remembered. "I did hear her scream. In my dream I saw those same purple demons coming for her and I heard Dawn screaming and I saw you trying to save her."

"So, you basically saw everything that was happening the same time it was actually happening," Spike said.

"I guess so. If I'd only woken up..." Buffy started.

"What going on?" Willow interrupted, standing in the doorway.

Buffy and Spike turned toward her, surprised.

"Wil, what are you doing up?" Buffy asked.

"I heard you two talking," she responded, walking toward them. "What's going on?"

Buffy and Spike filled her in on the latest, including Buffy's dream.

"Oh, poor Dawnie!" Willow said, upset. "What do we do?"

"We'll wait until the sun starts coming up and then we'll call Xander and Giles. We'll need Anya, too, but Xander can bring her. We need to know what these things are before we go off fighting them. If we do that it'll just make things worse for Dawn and ourselves. I'd go after her now, otherwise, but that won't work this time," Buffy said in her business tone. "Let's go inside for right now."

Willow and Spike followed Buffy back into the house and sat in the living room until the sun started rising.

"Well, that's my cue to go." Spike got up to go downstairs to escape the sunlight starting to creep in through the windows.

"We'll just close the curtains." Willow got up and closed all the curtains. "We'll need your help, Spike."

"Willow's right. You're the one who saw the demons that took dawn and we need all the help we can get," Buffy added.

"OK, great. So...where do we start?" Spike looked at Willow and Buffy, who were standing side-by-side.

"We need to call Giles and Xander. Wil, can you take care of that?" Buffy asked her.

"Yeah, sure." Willow started to head for the phone.

"Don't forget to tell Xander to bring Anya, as well." Willow nodded and went on her way.

"Spike, there's really nothing for you to do right now, unless you want to help me look for clues to why they took her or what direction they went in," Buffy told him.

"Sure, I'll look in the backyard. There's enough trees back there to shade me from that diabolical sun."

"OK. I'll take the rest of the house," Buffy said and they went their separate ways.

END OF CHAPTER 7

Here's the rest of chapter 7. Hope you enjoy! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed. You really keep me motivated. Keep reading and I'll keep posting.