"Will, are you sure you can do this?" Buffy asked her best friend, shoving clothes into a suitcase. Her eyes didn't register which clothes she was grabbing; all she knew was that she had to see Angel.

"Sure, Buff, but don't you think you might be over-reacting?" There was worry in the witch's eyes; she examined her friend's frantic packing, working to keep Buffy calm. Buffy had called her an hour ago, nearly in tears, and Willow had rushed over. Luckily she had been in the neighborhood, overseeing the magical part of the new Slayers training and had been able to be with Buffy quickly.

"Look, Buffy, it was just a dream. It doesn't have to mean anything." The redheaded witch attempted once more to calm her friend down. Buffy just kept packing.

"Will, it wasn't just a dream, it was my dream. I'm the Slayer, connected to the prophetic dreams and all, remember?"

"Of course I do Buffy, but that doesn't mean all your dreams are prophetic. I mean, last week you had a dream that you were being chased by a giant piece of cheese."

"I know, Will, but . . . . ." The Slayer faltered and searchingly, gazed into her best friend's eyes. Her eyes were burning with frantic panic, the ever present fear and pride that came from being the Slayer and just a touch of hope. Buffy looked down quickly but Willow had already realized with a jolt what was spurring her on, what was fueling her flame. Buffy's hands were a blur as she kept pushing clothes into her overstuffed suitcase.

"Buffy, he's dead, Spike's dead and he's not coming back" Buffy faltered, visibly shaken. She shook her head resolutely.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Willow laid a hand on her friend's arm and Buffy was still.

"Yes, you do. You haven't been the same since . . . . since Spike destroyed Sunnydale. But you have to accept that Spike's not coming back and running off to see Angel in L.A because of some baseless dream, just in the hopes that somehow Spike survived, somehow made it out of Sunnydale and somehow made his way to Angel is insane, Buffy." Once again, Buffy looked at her friend, this time her eyes were brimming over with ill-contained tears.

"I know that he's gone Willow, I know that he's dead. I see it every night when I'm trying to sleep. But I need to know that Angel is alright, I haven't seen him since the night I killed Caleb. I just . . . . . I lost one of the men I loved; I need to make sure I haven't lost both of them." Willow searched her friend's face, before making up her mind.

"If you're going, I'm going with you"

"Me too" came a voice from the doorway. The friends turned and there was Dawn, standing in Buffy's doorway, still wearing her Minnie Mouse pajamas, arms crossed defiantly over her chest.

"Dawnie, you can't, you have school and . . . ." Buffy trailed off weakly. The Slayer's younger sister stepped into the room and walked up to Buffy, looking down at her from her slight height advantage.

"And nothing. I'm coming" Buffy sighed, giving in quickly, not wanting to fight.

"Fine, but if you fail, you're going to summer school."

"Deal" Dawn bounced up on her toes and with a flip of her hair, turned to leave. Pausing at the doorway once again, she turned and said;

"You know you're crazy, right?"

"Of course." Buffy replied.

"Good" Dawn smiled softly, painfully "I loved him too, Buffy."