HAHA! Freaked a bunch of ya'll out when I suggested Xander/Faith didn't I? No worries, I was joking. I don't ship Fander. No offense to those of ya'll who do. Well, I thought about it, but I can't seem to think of I can put more Fae/Dawn in here. Suggestions would be great.

I should also tell ya'll that I was mistaken about something. In chapter eight I used the term 'round house' in referral to a punch. It's not a punch, it's a kick. I wanted a punch so I've gone back and changed the chapter to fit what I wanted. I felt I should tell you that so you don't continue your lives thinking that a round house is a kick. Many thanks to the lovely reviewer informed me of this.

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Doomed

Torches. Screaming. Blood everywhere. It was terrible. And she couldn't get away from it. No matter how fast she ran, no matter how far she went she would never escape. Death was her gift. Death. She would never escape from it. And what was worse, she had condemned thousands of other girls to her fate.

Buffy woke up with a gasp. That voice, whispering in her head, she knew it. It was a familiar voice. She getting up, she hurried into the kitchen. Picking up the phone, she dialed Giles' number.

After three rings and sleepy voice answered. "Hullo?"

"Giles?"

"Buffy? Is that you?" He sounded more awake now. "What on earth-it's four o'clock in the morning Buffy."

"Giles, I keep hearing him. I keep hearing him Giles, make it stop."

"Buffy, what's the matter? Hearing who? What's going on?"

"It's him Giles, in my head. Talking, talking, talking. He's blaming me Giles."

"Buffy, calm down. Who is it? Who's talking to you?"

"Spike. I can hear him, in my head and he won't stop." She started sobbing.

Oz walked into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. "Buffy, what's going on? Why-" Seeing her tears he stopped. "Buffy? What's wrong?" Getting no answer from her, he grabbed the phone.

"Who is this?" he demanded.

"Oz? Why are you- where's Buffy?"

"Sitting on the floor bawling. Giles, what did you say to her?"

"I didn't-but, I didn't say anything. She called me." Giles protested.

Oz looked with concern at Buffy. "Well I think you'd better get over here. I'll get Willow up, she can help." He then hung up.

Giles stared in disbelief at the dead phone in his hands. "What in the world is going on?"

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The red head gently rubbed her best friend's back and watched Giles pace in front of the couch. "What's wrong with her Giles? Why is she hearing Spike?"

The Englishman polished his glasses and set them back on his nose. "I'm not sure it's Spike she's hearing Willow."

Willow frowned, "What do you mean?"

"This Balthazar is a powerful magician, according to Fae. It's quite possible he is causing this…this oddity."

"So you don't think Spike's talking to her." Dawn spoke for the first time.

Giles smiled sadly. "No. I'm afraid the dead cannot communicate directly with the living unless there is a medium present. And even then they speak through the medium."

Dawn crossed her arms. "Spike was a vampire with a soul. Doesn't that make him special?"

With a sigh Giles tried to explain. "Of course it makes him special Dawn. But being special is not the issue here. The dead cannot speak to the living without some kind of powerful magical aid."

Oz spoke up, "What about ghosts?" Dawn beamed at him.

The older man sat down next to Willow. "It's hopeless to explain this to you all, isn't it?"

Willow decided to take pity on him. "Dawnie, I don't think it's Spike." Holding up a hand she steamed Dawn's protest. "Spike wouldn't hurt Buffy. This, whatever it is, is hurting Buffy. It has to be Balthazar or somebody who works for him."

It was Dawn's turn to sigh and sit down. "I guess you're right. So now what do we do?"

"We take down Balthazar."

Everyone stared at Oz and Giles started to sputter.

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Willow had volunteered to walk with Oz to the Werewolves' lair. There had been silence between the two of them since leaving the apartment and Willow was starting to get nervous.

"So, what do you think of this new development?"

He looked at her in amusement and she blushed. "That was a stupid question. You already said what you thought. I don't know why I asked that."

"I do." He said calmly.

Willow looked at him in surprise. "You do?"

He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "Of course I do."

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Okay, my apologizes, dear reviewers. I am having a brain cramp and can't think of anything else to write at the moment. See you next chap!