Chapter 1

Run, she had to run. Faster. Faster. Her legs burned at the power it took to keep her speed up. She had to hurry.

This couldn't be happening, it couldn't. What would she do without him?

Sobs threaten to break passed her tightly sealed lips. With strength that she hadn't known she possessed she swallowed the emotion bubbling beneath.

At last, she made it. Right up ahead was sanctuary and everything would be all right. He'd call her a 'sweet girl' and they'd laugh at her worry.

She burst through the door, not bothering to knock. "Merrick!" She shouted, he had to be there, he had to be.

"Merrick!"

"Buffy?"

"Buffy?"

Memory and reality meshed until only reality existed. "Yea, I'm here." She breathed deeply, securing the painful wound behind a wall as high as the sky and as tough as steel. That memory wasn't coming through unless she wanted it too.

"What's wrong?" He didn't even bother with pleasantries. Of course he wouldn't, he knew something wasn't right with her and wanted to know what it was immediately.

"If it's all right with you I'd rather not talk about it right now." Buffy swept her gaze over the confused audience.

She could practically hear him debating with himself on whether to let it go or not. "Fine, for now."

"I'll cut to the chase…" Dean certainly appreciate that. "Where are you and what do you need?"

"Ten minutes from your house and you riding my favorite body part." A groan from the background followed by a smack traveled through the phone. "Dude." She could hear a small struggle.

For the first time in weeks…no months she laughed. A genuine laugh. Sad she almost forgot what her laugh sounded like. "A.) That was a one time thing. And B.) What makes you think I'm going to do that to your gun?"

"Cute." He muttered. "Seem to recall it being more than a one time thing Princess. In fact I recall eleven separate occasions and that's not including how many times we did it on those separate occasions."

"You're exaggerating…it wasn't that many." Buffy mentally counted their visits together, not believing her own mind she counted down on her fingers. "Never mind." Okay, maybe it was that many. She'd never admit it to him but she was addicted to him. His scent, his body, his smug grin, everything about him she wanted—needed more of.

"See. Never argue with me because I'm always right." Dean's egotistical, arrogant 'I'm so hot' tone did things to her body that had to be unnatural. If anything that manner should turn her off, instead it was sending lava through her veins.

"No you're not." Sam snorted.

Hearing her other friend's voice Buffy smiled. "Oh is that Sam? Say 'Hi' for me." She recalled many pranks they played on Dean when they were younger. With her and Sam being the same age they tended to gang up on the older brother.

"You can say 'hi' when we arrive." He sounded sulky, was he jealous of her friendship with Sam? True she hadn't seen the younger Winchester in years…not since they were nineteen and he went off to college but Dean had never acted like that before when Sam was mentioned. A little piece of information she'd have to bring up with him when they were alone.

"So what's really up?" Immediately she realized what she said. "Don't say it just give me the straight scoop."

"We need your helping tracking down," he paused for a second, "the demon that killed Mom."

"Of course. Is there a time table." It always amazed her how she could go from teasing Dean or Sam one minute and veering off to battle plans the next.

"Not right away, we need to make sure of a couple things. I'm sure you have some nasty demon thing to take care of too, which we'll help."

"Sounds good. You're right there are a few loose ends that need tying up. Shouldn't take more than a week though. Is that too long or—" She left the sentence hanging for Dean to fill it and it didn't disappoint.

"A week isn't too long."

"See ya in a few." She whispered.

"Five minutes." Both hung up without quite saying good-bye.

When she turned around a small smirk on her face she remembered that she had an audience. Not that she ever could forget but when she talked to Dean, was around Dean, the rest of the world faded into the background.

"Buffy who was that?" Willow scrunched her face up in worry and concern. Buffy had a friend she didn't know about…since when? Did that sound jealous, because she wasn't really. Denial thy name is Willow.

Her smirk disappeared. "None of your business." She slid the phone into her pocket. "If you'll all excuse me I have to go change." Without another word she's up the stairs undressing.

TBC