"Angel, please don't leave me…" Buffy's words were lost among desperate, racking sobs. Angel didn't know what to say. He wanted more than anything to stay with her, to be with her, but what kind of future could he offer her?

"Shhh… rest. Stay here as long as you want." Angel could feel her tears on his chest, they were warm at first, but they had now turned cold, Buffy must've stopped crying.

Buffy looked up at Angel, "I'm sorry I -"

"You don't need to apologise Buffy."

"I-I have to go." She stated suddenly, turning her head away from him, not able to cope with his penetrating gaze.

"Where?" Angel possessively held onto her, not wanting to lose body contact.

Looking out a window, he saw the sun was setting. One thought was comforting to him; he could at least try and come with her, no sun to stop him this time.

"Uh – home, they'll be worried about me."

"Just like I am."

At that moment, they heard a loud thud. Something was trying to get in. Angel got up with lightning reflexes, but not before gently putting Buffy down first. He found a shirt, and as he began to put it on, Buffy composed herself, walking towards Angel and the rattling door.

"No Buffy, rest, let me handle this."

The noises became louder and faster, clearly whoever it was wanted very badly to get in.

"Angel, this is my job."

Angel turned so that he was inches from her, his hands on either side of her small shoulders.

"Buffy, just let me take this one. You're exhausted."

Buffy knew he was right. By now, the noises behind the door had become almost feral. Buffy's slayer senses were tingling, Angel could smell it too. Buffy made for the door, but felt strong arms spin her around.

"Buffy, you're in no state to fight. You're distracted, you'll get yourself killed."

"Well at least that way you couldn't leave me…" Buffy stated harshly.

"Buffy, we can talk about this when I get back. Just stay – "

Buffy lunged at Angel, heading again for the door, but Angel held her back.

"Buffy, listen to me! I can't let you get hurt, okay?"

"Oh so now you care about me?"

Angel remained silent. He knew he cared about her more than she would ever know.

The door was now banging in its frame, and Angel wanted badly to kill whatever was behind it, and return to Buffy and sort things out. Suddenly, the noise stopped.

"Damn." Angel had missed his chance to kill it.

Making a split second decision, Angel grabbed the key to the apartment, wrenched open the door (with his good, unburned arm) and shot through it, slamming it behind him, leaving a stunned Buffy standing on the other side. He quickly locked the door, so that if whatever it was that was just trying to kill Buffy, couldn't get to her. He paused only for a second, his head in his hands.

He spoke softly: "I'm sorry Buffy; I just can't let it hurt you."

With that, he pocketed his key, and went off to track the demon.

Angel had only just gotten away from his apartment when the demon approached him from the shadows. It wasn't particularly fierce or dangerous looking, other than a nasty looking claw that extended from its left hand.

"What do you want?"

The creature merely looked at him.

"You won't hurt her -" Angel vampsout, his teeth growing and his eyes yellowing. "-but I'll hurt you."

"I can hurt you more than you think."

Angel severely doubted this, and as he moved to strike the demon, he felt intense pain in his head. The creatures eyes were rolling in his head, and it was chanting. Angel's vision blurred and was replaced with a scene…

Buffy sat on the hearth, reading the book Angel had given her for her 18th birthday by the light of the fire. Her hands were gently smoothing the first page, where Angel had simply written: Always. He moved towards her, and sat down next to her. She then ripped the page out, tearing it up and scattering the pieces into the flames. She then got up and turned to speak to him, her voice cold and distant, echoing slightly.

"Angel, I want a normal life. I want children. I want a normal boyfriend. It's over."

Angel sat there in shock, before the scene dissolved before his eyes, to be replaced with a new one.

Buffy was fighting a vampire, and struggling. Angel wanted to help her stake it, but for some reason he couldn't move an inch. He called out to her, but she didn't hear. Worried and confused, Angel saw, to his horror, his nightmare unfold before his eyes. The vampire was choking Buffy, and she was powerless to stop it. With a change of pace, the vampire loosened her, picking up Buffy's fallen stake. He spun her around, and Buffy yelled desperately into the night air, tears streaming down her face. "Angel!" It was over so quickly, but Angel felt himself slowly shatter inside. He watched as the vampire plunged the stake deep into Buffy's chest, leaving it there, holding the Slayer, watching her die. Angel fought with everything he had to get to her, he yelled hoarsely into the night, tears streaming down his face. He watched as she fell, lifeless, to the ground, watching as the vampire jerked the stake roughly out of Buffy's chest. But the nightmare didn't end there; the moon came out from behind a cloud to reveal the vampire's identity… Angel found himself staring into Angelus' cold, murderous eyes before the scene vanished before him.

Angel came to, and was awake enough to feel a sharp object pierce his side. The demon retracted its sharp claw, and walked away into the shadows of the night, leaving Angel gasping for air, having seen the nightmare of his life…

Buffy, meanwhile, was furious. How dare he lock her in his home when a demon was out there! She had banged furiously on the door for several minutes after he left, but realized too late that he had gone. She lay on his bed for what seemed like an eternity. Where was he? Was he hurt? Oh god, was he hurt? Panic stricken, Buffy began to pace the room, until finally a key slipped noisily into the lock, and Angel pushed the door open and stumbled, bumping into the doorframe, and collapsed…