Chapter 16: Surprise

January 18, 1998 - Sunday

In her sleep, Dawn stirred. She opened her eyes, registering the stillness, and turned on the light, crowned with an upside-down lampshade, on her nightstand. She took a drink of water as she looked over at Faith who was still sound asleep. She slowly got out of bed.

Then she padded down the hall to the bathroom in her blue satin pajamas . . .

'Ah, there she is,' Drusilla thought, as she stepped behind the Slayer and followed her down the hall. 'The one who has come to change how everything goes.'

When she found the proper moment, she would kill Dawn. Blood pooled in the corners of Drusilla's mouth, a nice contrast to her black gown, as she silently followed Dawn through her house.

Sleepily, Dawn opened the door to the bathroom, and inexplicably stepped into the Bronze.

Though there was no band, music echoed hauntingly off the walls as smiling couples glided together.

Their smiles were dreamy; they moved slowly, passing around and beneath glows of golden light and into shadow. Making her way through what seemed a maze of languid, otherworldly images, Dawn was dazed. She felt as though she were underwater, and yet, she was part of the otherworldly scene, so it didn't quite make sense, either.

Willow was perched at one of the Bronze's high, round tables. A large cup of coffee steamed on a saucer, and an organ grinder's monkey in a little red cap and jacket chittered beside Willow on the table. Very matter-of-factly, Willow told Dawn, in French, "The hippo stole his pants." Then she smiled perkily and waved at Dawn. Dawn waved uncertainly back.

Bewildered, she walked on, to come upon Chloe, standing by a post and drinking coffee from a cup very much like Willow's. As she lifted the cup to her lips, she regarded Dawn eerily and asked her Slayer, "Dawn, are you ready?"

Dawn frowned. "What?"

As Dawn waited for Chloe to finish whatever it was, she was saying, the saucer slipped from Chloe's grasp, crashed to the floor, and shattered. As if she didn't even notice, Chloe blankly turned and walked dreamily away.

Again, Dawn moved on, finding herself on the dance floor. Couples danced, the whispery, sensuous music twining around them, as Dawn wandered, alone.

Then the crowd parted to reveal Faith.

'Faith', Dawn thought radiantly, as her girlfriend smiled back at her. Dressed all in a leather jacket, black tank top and denim jeans, Faith was the center of the room; there was light in her face—for Dawn—and light in Dawn's heart, as their eyes met and held. Though Faith stood several feet away, Dawn felt her girlfriend's touch on her skin, the brush of Faith's lips on her cheek. Faith's smoldering gaze told Dawn that Faith felt the same; no one could love this much, and want this much, and not feel it . . .

As if in a trance, they walked toward each other, hands outstretched.

'Oh, my love,' Dawn thought. 'My life . . .'

Then like an attacking beast, Drusilla appeared behind Dawn. As Dawn watched in horror, the vampire raised a large, gleaming knife and slit Faith's throat.

Dawn screamed, "Faith!"

Faith's shaking hand strained toward Dawn's, as Faith slid to the floor with a soft moan, and agony in her eyes as she died right there in front of Dawn.

Drusilla stood fully revealed in her true vampire face, her golden eyes shining with glee. "Tell Buffy, Happy Birthday," she said, relishing Dawn's despair.

Dawn bolted upright, panting and sickened with terror.

She was in her bed. And as she looked over at Faith she let out a sigh of relief, her girlfriend was alive and still sleeping beside her.

It had been a dream.

Nothing but a dream.

January 19, 1998 - Monday

Dawn sighed as she stood in front of Chloe's bedroom door as she knocked. "Chloe?" she called through the door.

"Dawn?" said Chloe, opening the door. "What is it?"

Dawn moved past Chloe into the bedroom and then motioned for Chloe to close the door. When the door was closed Dawn turned and looked at her Watcher. "I had a dream last night. We knew that Drusilla likely was still alive since she lived at least past the end of this school year. But in my dream, I saw her kill Faith, slit her throat right in front of me. I watched my girlfriend die, and I was unable to prevent it."

Chloe sighed; she knew of course that Slayers got prophetic dreams. But at the same time she had to entertain the notion that Dawn was simply worried for Faith, since Faith was only a Potential living in the home and sharing the same bed of a Slayer.

"I will look into it," said Chloe. "But you need to entertain the idea that this could simply have been a dream. After all, in this timeline Faith is not a Slayer, she's a Potential. And that it is simply your subconscious mind telling you that you worry about her."

"It felt so real." Dawn's voice was raspy and frightened.

"I know," said Chloe comfortingly. "If Drusilla is alive, we will deal with it. We will protect Faith and she will not die. I promise you that."

"Thanks, Chloe," Dawn said slightly relieved. "We both need to get ready for school."

"Agreed," said Chloe. "I will fill in Giles, so you don't have to repeat this. Have you told Faith?"

"No," said Dawn. "I'm going to though. I don't want to hide anything from her."

"Good," said Chloe.

Dawn slid out of Chloe's bedroom and returned to her own to find Faith dressed and sitting on their bed. She sighed as she began to explain her dream. She could see Faith's face clouding with worry not only for if it had been a Slayer dream that meant she might die, but also because if it wasn't a Slayer dream then she knew that Dawn worried about her because she was only a Potential not only living in a house with a Slayer but also dating said Slayer. It meant that even if Drusilla never came at her then another vampire could simply to get at Dawn.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The school bell rang. Buffy, Dawn and Faith walked with Willow toward their first classes of the day.

They noticed over at the concrete picnic tables a guy sitting on top of one of them, strumming an electric guitar. A large black amp sat beside him on the table.

"Hey," Buffy drawled coyly, "there's Oz over there. What are we thinking? Any sparkage?"

Willow glowed. "He's nice. I like his hands. But remember what Dawn said…"

"You don't meet Tara till freshman year of college," said Dawn. "But I also know you are more bi instead of outright gay. You did have a boyfriend before you met Tara."

"Him?" asked Willow, her only answer was a shrug. She didn't really expect Dawn to tell her about her relationships. Buffy was the only one Dawn actually had meddled in and that was because she knew had bad things had been for Buffy. The others Dawn had kept quiet, with the exception of Tara. But Tara was still in her future. "I don't know, though. He is a senior."

Buffy was unimpressed, although, in theory, she understood Willow's hesitation. "You think he's too old 'cause he's a senior? Please. My girlfriend was in college before becoming Dawn's Watcher."

Willow's voice rose. "That's true." Then she began to lose her nerve again. "I guess . . . I just . . ."

Buffy glanced at her sister for a moment. On the one hand they all knew Willow's one true love. But they also knew Tara wasn't coming for two years, at least that they knew of. Which begged the question should Willow wait for Tara or date someone else for now till Tara arrived. Buffy decided to help her friend out.

"You can't spend the next two years waiting for Tara," said Buffy. "You deserve someone now at least in the interim. And who knows he might be willing to share when Tara does arrive. Make a move," she prodded. "Do the talking thing."

Willow was not thoroughly convinced. "What if the talking thing becomes the awkward silence thing?"

"Well, you won't know unless you try," Buffy reminded her. Then she, Dawn and Faith moved on ahead, leaving Willow to do just that. She looked over at her sister. "Did I do the right thing?"

"I can't say, Buffy," answered Dawn. "Except for you and to a degree myself. I don't want to interfere in relationships."

"But you did that by revealing that Tara is Willow's girlfriend in the future," Buffy reminded her sister.

Dawn sighed; Buffy had a point. "Fine, Oz was Willow's boyfriend. And that is all I am mentioning on that fact. I'm not telling anyone how they break up. As much as I don't want to hurt Willow, it's better she finds and falls in love with Tara herself."

"Kind of an about-face there, Dawn," said Buffy. "You…"

"I only steered you towards Chloe," said Dawn. "It was still up to you to fall in love with her. The only person I have meddled with in the relationship department was Faith. And that was because I was selfish. Even then if Faith didn't want to fall in love with me, I would have been sad but I would have walked away."

"I'm wicked cool with you being selfish," said Faith as she kissed Dawn. "Because what you knew proved to be true. And it helped me to push past my own trauma from Lady Di's death to what my own parents did to me. I can't see myself not being in love with you, Dawn."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the library Chloe sat at the library table looking at the college application in front of her.

"Good morning," Giles said pleasantly as he entered the library. "Everything in order for the party?"

"Would have to ask Dawn," answered Chloe. "But I believe so."

"What are you looking at?" he asked as he set down his briefcase on the counter and moved beside her. "College application of University of California, Sunnydale?"

"Well I was thinking about returning to college and finish getting my medical degree. I only had a semester left of pre-med. And U.C. Sunnydale does actually have a medical program," said Chloe.

"Wouldn't that be hard to do for a non-American citizen?" asked Giles.

"I'm an American citizen," said Chloe. "I only kept an apartment in London that way I would have a place to stay when not out in the field. It's why the Council chose me for Dawn. Anyways most of my pre-med was actually done at Harvard. And sadly, I expect come this October we will both be fired for refusing to give Dawn the Cruciamentum. Working here will work for me for the time being, but we both know it won't be forever. After all, when Buffy, Faith and Dawn graduate they will be going to college themselves."

Chloe turned in her seat and looked at Giles. "Talking about being Watchers. Dawn had a dream last night. In it Drusilla killed Faith. It really freaked her out."

"So, you think it could be more of a portent," he observed.

"It's possible," said Chloe. "It's also possible it could be the fact she is simply worrying about Faith, since in this timeline Faith isn't a Slayer."

"It's best to be on the alert. If Drusilla didn't die in the church as Dawn foretold and she is targeting Faith, it could be fairly cataclysmic."

"Agreed," said Chloe.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dalton, the shy but loyal vampire scribe, arrived at the factory and stepped into the expansive, candlelit room with the iron box in his arms. He called into the shadows, "I have your package."

A familiar voice replied imperiously, if wearily, "Just put it on the table. Near the other gifts."

Looking weary, Dalton's boss, Spike, rolled his wheelchair into view. He had been burned. While trying to restore Drusilla to health. He was deathly pale, and scarred from the fire.

As Dalton moved to obey him, he caught sight of Drusilla walking up behind the wheelchair, healthy and vibrant, dressed in a tight red sleeveless dress.

"Are you dead set on this, pet?" Spike asked Drusilla in a world-weary tone. "Wouldn't you rather have your party in Vienna?"

Dalton put his box next to two similar boxes. Two other vampires were decorating for the party, one twining red flowers into the backs of tall wooden chairs.

Pouty, Drusilla said, "But the invitations are sent."

Spike looked more frustrated than anything. He would never deny Drusilla anything she really wanted. "Yeah, but, it's just, I've had it with this place. Nothing ever comes off the way it's supposed to."

Drusilla lovingly put her arms around Spike and said, "My gatherings are always perfect. Remember Spain, Spike?" With a huge, knowing smile on her face, she crouched down beside him and walked her fingers seductively up his thighs and chest. "The bulls?" The look she gave him was filled with secrets—and promises—meant only for him.

Finally, a smile flashed across Spike's face. "I remember, sweet." The smile faded. "But Sunnydale is cursed for us. The Slayers see to that."

"Ssh," she breathed into his ear. "The new Slayer is a thorn."

"Dru, have you seen something?" asked Spike as he looked at Drusilla.

"The new Slayer knows the future," answered Drusilla. Then she left him, smiling radiantly, to survey the work on the flowers. Her face fell. She began to shake. "These flowers are wrong. They're all wrong." She moaned. "I can't abide them!"

She started ripping them out, losing control, her face contorting with rage and horror. As instantly as she had started, she stopped, bringing a trembling hand to her face.

Spike looked tiredly at two vamps. "Let's try something different with the flowers, then," he said, with the voice of someone who had gone through this kind of thing many times before.

Then Drusilla's mood changed yet again. Glowing with good-nature, she advanced on the table of presents with wide, girlish eyes.

"Can I open one?" She grinned coquettishly through her lashes at her lover. "Can I? Can I?"

Spike chuckled indulgently. "Just a peek, love. They're for the party."

Bouncing on her heels with excitement, she opened the very box that Dalton had just brought. She looked inside with rapturous glee.

"Do you like it baby?" Spike asked, obviously certain that she did. There was pride in his voice. He knew very well that he had pulled something off.

"It reeks of death," she said, immeasurably delighted. She went to Spike and knelt before him, stroking his knees and things. "This will be the best party ever."

"Why is that?" he asked warmly.

"Because," she said rising and turning back to the box, "it will be the Potential's last."

"Potential?" asked Spike.

"The lover of the new Slayer."

January 20, 1998 – Tuesday - Buffy's 17th Birthday

In the kitchen of Dawn's house, Chloe and Faith were clearing the breakfast dishes while Dawn and Xander were washing the dishes.

"Have you had any more dreams?" asked Chloe.

"No," said Dawn as she glanced toward Faith.

"Dawn, are you ready," Chloe wondered, echoing the words she had said in Dawn's nightmare, "for the party tonight?"

Then a plate slipped from Chloe's hands and shattered on the floor.

"Dawn?" said Xander as he watched as Dawn stiffened in shock.

Dawn went numb from head to toe, as if she had been plunged in ice water. "The dream," she said. "It's coming true." She looked at Chloe. "One of the things leading up to what happened to Faith was you dropping a plate."

"Should we be thinking of cancelling Buffy's party?" asked Xander as he looked at Chloe.

"No," said Dawn. "Buffy's party will be going ahead. I didn't rent the Bronze and pay for a caterer to not celebrate my sister's birthday just to turn around and miss it."

"Also," added Faith. "I will be with Dawn as her date. So, I will be protected by two Slayers."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

'I wonder if I should change my clothes tonight before Buffy's party,' Jenny Calendar thought idly, as she balanced her books, her purse, and a nice hot cup of herbal tea and carried them into her computer science classroom. She put her things down on the desk and starting organizing her papers for first period. 'We'll cover Applets,' she thought. These kids are ready for the big stuff . . .

Behind her, someone said her name very slowly, in a thick Eastern European accent—"Jen-ny Calen-dar"—as if sounding it out for the first time.

Thanks to Dawn she knew he would be coming around now. "Hello, uncle," she said as turned to the tall man, wearing the clothes of the Old Country: a brown hat, a white shirt with a black lace tie, and a large silver pin on his vest.

"You look well." There was an edge in his voice.

"Yes, I'm fine." She walked briskly behind her desk. "I know I haven't written as much lately. I've been busy."

His displeasure grew. "I cannot imagine what is so important to make you ignore your responsibility to your people."

"I've been working, and—"

"The elder woman has been reading signs," he cut in. "Something is different."

"Nothing has changed," Jenny said firmly. "The curse still holds."

"The elder woman is never wrong," he countered. "She says his pain is lessening. She can feel it."

"Not anymore," she countered.

"You know something the elder woman does not?"

"Angel left Sunnydale a little over a month ago," answered Jenny. "He's in Los Angeles, now. What the elder woman said is no longer the case. Another person informed of the clause in his curse. He left Sunnydale so as to ensure he would never lose his soul."

"And how would this other person know?" he asked.

"Let's just say she is an elder woman herself," answered Jenny. "She has knowledge of things that we do not. By informing him of the clause in his curse. She insured that you and I do not die. For if Angel had not learned the nature of the clause in his curse, he and another girl would have had one minute of true happiness and then he would have lost his soul. To keep us from cursing him again he would have killed us both. I remain in Sunnydale as it is close enough to be able to keep an eye on Angel and to help the elder woman who knows what is coming."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn sat in the library with Chloe and Giles, her stomach clenched with nerves. It was so hard to believe this was the same day she'd awakened to: the early morning so nice, and now everything so out of whack.

"And then I broke the plate," Chloe explained, telling Giles about their morning. "She said it was just like in her dream. Every gesture. Every word."

"How do we keep Faith from dying?" asked Dawn. "Drusilla, she blindsided me. Faith was dead before I knew what happened."

Giles looked at Dawn dead on. "We can protect Faith. Dreams aren't prophecies, Dawn. You remember your last dream where you clawed off my face to reveal the Master, which was likely foretelling his resurrection?" Dawn nodded. "You and Buffy stopped his resurrection."

Dawn looked at Chloe, who had said the same thing that morning. "Two Slayers, twice the fun?"

"Exactly," agreed Chloe. "Faith won't be dying, Dawn."

"We will read up on Drusilla," Giles jumped into action. "See if she has any particular patterns. We can continue this after Buffy's party tonight. Till then go to classes, do your homework, have supper."

"Thanks, Giles, Chloe," said Dawn as she smiled at the pair. She then stood and left the library.

"Xander asked about potentially cancelling the party as we were cleaning up after breakfast," said Chloe. "Dawn said the same thing then that she said now, just worded a little differently. I think the fear of losing Faith again is possibly too much for her."

"Then we must make sure it doesn't happen," said Giles. "Talking about that fear. Did you in your sessions talk about Faith's death when she was called?"

"Not yet," answered Chloe. "We delved into the more traumatic things. Joyce, Buffy and Elizabeth's deaths primarily."

"Then once this is over and Faith is safe, I would suggest that Faith's death in the other timeline be the next trauma she deals with," he told her.

"Agreed."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

It had been a long day, especially for a birthday. Now Dawn walked down the corridor toward her sister. "Buffy," she said,

Buffy smiled as she ran up to Dawn. "Hey, Dawnie," she said as she hugged Dawn. "So where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise, birthday girl," answered Dawn.

Buffy could see the amusement didn't reach her sister's eyes. "Want to tell me what's going on, Dawn?"

"As we drive," said Dawn as she led Buffy out to her car and they got in. She started driving through narrow dark alleys. "I had a dream the other night. In it I saw Drusilla and she killed Faith right in front of me. Part of the dream showed me things that led up to that, that have so far come true."

"Oh, Dawn," said Buffy as she laid a comforting hand on her sister's arm. "We'll make sure that Drusilla won't be killing Faith. You are not losing anyone in this timeline ever."

"Thanks, Buffy," said Dawn as she smiled at her sister.

"Are we going to the Bronze?" Buffy queried deciding to get Dawn's mind off Drusilla by trying to distract her.

"Yes," said Dawn. "Be surprised when we get there, okay. I spared no expense."

There was a loading dock just up ahead. A large white truck was parked there, and three suspicious-looking guys were loading a rectangular box.

"This looks funky," Buffy said as Dawn slowed to a stop.

Dawn looked at the box as she slowly began to put two and two together. "No," she said. "No, no, no."

"Dawn?" said Buffy as she suddenly became worried.

"The Judge," Dawn answered as she recognized the box. She and Buffy got out.

They walked toward the truck. As they passed the driver's side door, one of the vampires on the loading dock moved beneath an overhanging light.

The truck engine roared to life. Buffy turned her head to see what was going on. Dalton took advantage to finish carrying his burden into the truckbed, just as the driver's door opened and a vampire in a plaid shirt kicked at Dawn's chest.

Dawn reached into the cab of the truck, grabbed the plaid shirt, and yanked him out. He fell to the ground; when he stood, she punched him so hard he did a backflip.

Buffy, who watched Dawn, stood with her back toward the truck. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind and hoisted up by her shoulders, pinning back her arms as he flung her into the truck. This guy was dressed in forever plaid, too. Buffy used his own momentum against him, pushing him backward against a pile of boxes against the wooden slats, then breaking his grip and headbutting him.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Inside the Bronze, Marie, Joyce, Faith and the others hid, waiting to spring out and surprise Buffy. Impatiently, Marie murmured, "Where is she?" as the others peered over the pool table, which was laden with food brought by the caterer, some purple and lavender napkins and plates, and the pool balls nicely arranged in a star.

"Ssh," Willow said anxiously. "I think I hear her coming."

Just then Buffy, Dawn and the vampires in plaid shirts crashed through the window and landed on the stage.

Glass flew everywhere. Dawn, Buffy and the vampires battled savagely as everyone rushed from their hiding places. Then Buffy grabbed a drumstick from the Bronze's house kit, broke it in two, threw one to Faith and then they staked the vampires.

Dustorama.

There was a long stunned beat as everyone stared. Then Cordelia popped up from behind the cake and yelled, "Surprise!"

Everyone turned and looked at her.

It was Oz who drawled, "That pretty much sums it up."

Dawn and Buffy jumped off the stage as Faith and Chloe moved toward them.

"Are you okay?" Faith asked Dawn.

Chloe said anxiously, "Buffy, are you okay?"

Equally concerned, Giles spoke up. "Yes, what happened?"

Buffy gestured behind herself. "There were these vamps outside . . ." She looked around. "What's going on?"

A bit lamely, Giles said, "Surprise party." He blew his noisemaker.

"Happy birthday," Cordelia chirped sweetly.

Giles tossed his noisemaker over his shoulder.

Buffy lit up. "You guys did all this for me? That is so sweet!"

As if she couldn't let go of it, Chloe said to Buffy, "You're sure you're okay?"

"Same question again to you, Dawn," said Faith.

"I'm fine, Faith," said Dawn as she kissed her girlfriend.

"Yes. I'm fine," Buffy assured Chloe.

Oz was still staring at the spot where the vampires had exploded. Willow came up to him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah." He looked around at the group. "Hey, did everybody just see that guy turn into dust?"

"Yes," said Dawn. "Vampires are real."

"Lot of 'em live in Sunnydale; Willow'll fill you in," added Xander.

Willow said gently, "I know it's hard to accept at first."

Oz cut her off. "Actually, it explains a lot." However, he still looked fairly stunned.

"I think before we start the party, I think it's time for an apocalypse," said Dawn. She walked back out of the Bronze looking for the truck and frowned. The third vampire had managed to drive away with the box. She walked back in; empty handed. "They have a piece of the Judge."

"The Judge?" said Giles and Chloe as they looked at each other.

"Uhm, Dawn," said Buffy. "Needing backstory here?"

It was Giles who answered instead. "He couldn't be killed," he said. "An army was sent against him. Most of them died, but finally they were able to dismember him. But not kill him. The pieces were scattered. Buried in every corner of the earth."

Jenny said, "So all these parts are being brought here—"

"By Drusilla," Dawn said. "I'm pretty sure the vamps outside were Spike's men."

"Could this be what kills me?" asked Faith.

"It is possible," said Chloe. "If Drusilla is putting him back together. Then in essence by doing so this could be the weapon she uses. The Judge was known to burn the humanity out of you. A true creature of evil can survive the process. No human ever has."

"What's the problem?" Xander piped up. "We send Cordy to fight this guy and we go for pizza."

"Can this guy be stopped? Without an army?" asked Buffy.

"Officially, no," answered Dawn. "Unofficially, yes. Sadly, I have no idea. You told me about facing the Judge but you never said how you defeated him."

January 21, 1998 - Wednesday

It was 2 A.M., and they were no closer to discovering how Buffy had defeated the Judge in the original timeline.

Xander was exasperated. "I think I read this already."

Playing with her hair as she looked up from the laptop, Willow said, "I can't get over how cool Oz was about all this."

Xander said snippily, "Gee, I'm over it."

"You're just jealous because you didn't have a date for the party," she taunted.

"No, I sure didn't."

"Cordelia was there," said Buffy. "Why are you two still in the closet?"

Xander sighed as he looked at Buffy. "Should it be known that we were even kissing behind closed doors, she would instantly lose her position as Queen Bee. Something she doesn't want to happen."

Giles moved from the checkout desk as Chloe came down the stairs from the landing.

"Chloe? Any luck?" Before Chloe could reply, Giles spotted Dawn, her head on the desk in their office, fast asleep. He whispered, "It seems Dawn needed some rest."

Buffy and Faith moved beside Giles and Chloe and saw that Dawn was indeed asleep.

"She hasn't been sleeping well," Faith admitted. "Tossing and turning."

"Worrying about you," said Buffy as Faith nodded. "I hope whatever she dreams tells her we succeed and your safe."

"So, do I," said Faith.

They got back to work.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In a white gown, Dawn wandered through a candlelit room. The tapers were almost completely burned, wax dripping off an ornate candelabra. She passed chairs decorated with dark leaves.

She knew this place. It was the abandoned factory, where she and Buffy had ground the Master's bones to a fine powder.

She moved on. In the distance, a shadowy female figure passed by, perhaps leading her, perhaps eluding her. Dawn followed her as best she could . . .

And found herself crouching over one of the boxes that held a piece of the Judge.

Then she saw that there were several boxes in a circle.

"Now, now," said Drusilla.

Dawn whirled around.

"Hands off my presents," the mad vampire chastised.

At the top of the stairs, on the catwalk, Drusilla looked triumphantly down on Dawn. Her thin body was draped in a white gown much like Dawn's, and in her hand, she held a sharp, sacrificial knife . . . leveled across Faith's throat. As she clasped Faith's back against her chest, the knife gleaming wicked sharp against Faith's flesh, Faith stared at Dawn with the look of someone who knew she was going to die.

"No!" Dawn shouted. "Faith!"

Then she was awake, in the library, and Faith flew into her arms.

"Dawn, it's okay. I'm here. I'm right here," Faith comforted her lover.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Drusilla stared with wide eyes in joy and anticipation. "More music!" shea commanded, clapping her hands.

Descending the staircase in a truly stupendous scarlet satin gown, she swayed to the drone of a demon ballad. She smiled at a guest and touched his shoulder, noted that Dalton was being good about serving the punch, and picked up her long scarves. She made them ripple as she undulated to the rhythm, supremely happy.

"Look what I have for you, ducks," Spike crowed, as he rolled up with another box on his lap.

Dru posed, spreading her scarves like bat wings, then went to him and lifted the treasure from his knees.

"Ah! The best is saved for last." She handed the box to two minions.

With great care, they walked it over to where the boxes had been assembled into a vaguely human

shape—two big, square legs, a torso, two arms. The last box was clearly the head.

As soon as they put it into place, the joints of the boxes flared with brilliant light. The sound of energy crackled over the music and Dru cooed in anticipation.

As the light strobed, the front panels of all the boxes opened, revealing a massive, blue-skinned demon.

His flesh was leathery and cracked, his face broad and chunky. He was enormous, and crudely put together, as if there had been no need for niceties or details. Energy sizzled all over him, from his armored feet to the four horns on his head. He was absolutely enormous.

His eyes opened. They were completely black, completely soulless. He was a like a machine. A killing machine, that would mow down anyone and everyone in his path.

"He's perfect, my darling," Dru murmured, as she and Spike looked on in awe. She went to her lover and took his hand, adding darkly, "Just what I wanted."

The Judge lumbered out of his coffinlike box. He looked at Spike and Dru, and raised his hand as he lurched toward Drusilla like he was going to burn her. "You . . ."

Spike rolled forward. "Ho. Ho. What's that, mate?"

"You two stink of humanity." The Judge was not so pleased about that. "You share affection and jealousy."

Spike raised his chin. "Yeah. What of it?" he asked defiantly. "Do I have to remind you that we're the ones who brought you here?"

Then Dru sashayed toward the Judge. "Would you like a party favor?" she asked temptingly.

The Judge looked around. Focused on Dalton. It pointed at him and said, "This one is full of feeling. He reads. Bring him to me."

A couple vampires brought Dalton forward. Dalton started to struggle.

Spike was suspicious. "What's with the bringing, mate? I thought you could just . . . zap people."

The Judge looked eagerly at Dalton. "My full strength will return in time. Until then, I need contact." He moved in on Dalton, who was pleading, "No, no!" He reached out its hand.

Dalton started to shake. And quake. And smoke. And sizzle. Then he burst into a sort of negative blur of himself, flames shooting from inside him, until the fires ate him up and he vanished.

Dru jumped up and down like a little girl. "Do it again! Do it again!" she shouted, clutching Spike's hand with glee.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 - 0

Full of purpose, Dawn crossed the library and picked up her harness, that held her stakes and axe. She put it on.

From the landing, Giles called, "Dawn? What's happening?"

Faith followed her. "She had another dream."

Buffy was up in an instant and by her sister's side. "Do you know how to defeat the demon?"

"No," answered Dawn. "But I think I know where Drusilla and Spike are."

"That's good." Chloe moved toward her Slayer. "But you need a plan, Dawn. I know you're concerned, but you can't just go off half-cocked."

"I have a plan. Buffy and I go to the factory and do recon," Dawn said. "Figure out how far they've gotten assembling the Judge. You guys check any places the boxes could be coming into town. Shipping yards, airports, anything. We need to stop them from getting all the boxes in one place."

"Dawn," started Chloe.

"I have to, Chloe," Dawn interrupted. "I have to do this. I can't keep waiting for Drusilla to come for Faith."

Faith looked at the Slayers and then grabbed her leather jacket.

"No, Faith," said Dawn.

"Do you trust me?" Faith asked.

"Of course.

"Then trust that I will not get myself killed. But I need to do this so you can finally put to rest that I am not going to die."

Dawn sighed as she looked at Buffy for help.

"She may not be a Slayer," said Buffy. "But safety in numbers. Plus, if she is with us. You won't be worrying if she is alright. You won't be worrying if Drusilla got to her here or at your house, or my house or anyplace for that matter that is not beside you."

"She has a point," agreed Faith. "So, let's motor."

Dawn, Faith and Buffy left.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn drove them toward the factory, without speaking. Buffy and Faith knew why Dawn wasn't talking, planning. Dawn was too focused on the mission and making sure that Faith would be alright.

Buffy sighed as she looked at her sister who had come from the future to change the past. Dawn had been through so much in the other timeline. She didn't want her sister to lose anyone ever again.

When they reached the factory, they entered from the skylight overhead, and Faith, Dawn and Buffy crept along the second-level catwalk. The candles around them were nearly melted down, which was good. They were able to keep pretty well to the shadows.

Below, the monster mash was in full swing. It was like some kind of strange old horror film: vamps in their true, demonic faces, drinking punch, chatting, milling around.

"I saw this," Dawn told Buffy and Faith, as images from the terrible nightmare she'd had in the library took form in the stark reality before her. "The party . . ."

She stopped speaking.

Below them, a towering, ugly blue demon walked into their range of vision, flanked by Spike, in a wheelchair, and Drusilla, who walked behind the creature.

Dawn's blood ran cold as she gazed down at the trio. Riveted, she watched in horrible fascination as they moved through the room.

"Is that?" Faith whispered.

"I believe so," answered Dawn. "The Judge."

The demon began looking around, as if searching for something.

"What?" Spike asked it. "What is it?"

It looked straight up at Dawn, Faith and Buffy and growled.

Buffy and Faith pulled at Dawn. "We've got to get out of here," said Buffy.

Dawn nodded in agreement as she opened a portal beneath them. They fell through and into the seats of her car. Dawn started the engine and they were off like a bat out of hell. Dawn dropped Buffy off at the high school so she could fill in Chloe and Giles. Dawn then turned and drove herself and Faith home.

As soon as they entered the house Dawn immediately called Joyce. She first reassured her mother that Buffy was alright and currently at the school filling in both Giles and Chloe. Then she asked her mother to keep Elizabeth the rest of the night. Joyce agreed.

"Dawn," said Faith as they sat on their bed moments later.

"If not for my being able to control the Key, we could have died right then and there," said Dawn. "The Judge would have burned us alive."

"I know," said Faith. "But Dawn we did get out. I also think I understand now. Your dream, was warning you about tonight. We just didn't listen, did we?"

"You and Buffy made good points though," admitted Dawn as she looked at her girlfriend. She felt herself trembling. "If you hadn't come, I would have been worrying, and that could have gotten me killed."

Faith nodded as she pulled Dawn to her and cradled her lover.

Dawn turned, leaned into Faith.

Faith's fingertips stroked Dawn's arm as she held her.

Dawn started to cry. "Faith, I feel like . . . if I lost you . . ." She caught her breath.

"I know," said Faith as she kissed Dawn.