Buffy strode into the library, with purpose in her stride. "Are we ready?"
"We are." Xander nodded. Inwardly he sighed, he was really worried about her. She had been really distant. She reminded him of the night she had to face Acathla. There was a name he couldn't forget, even if he wanted to. He wondered if she was really as strong as she appeared.
"Then let's go." She said evenly. Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and Giles followed her out, knowing that look and tone of voice all too well. "Giles," She said once she knew that the other wouldn't hear. "I think that vampire who escaped might be one of Nightshade's. She might know…"
"And try to take advantage." Giles finished.
"Exactly. As soon as I'm out, we scram. And if they show before I'm out…go anyway. I can't endanger Willow, Xander or Cordelia any more."
* * *
"Okay Buffy." Willow explained. "We'll all be in the next room, you have approximately 10 minutes. When the portal opens, try to focus on you're objective. Part of this ritual is a test…so-to-speak, so no one knows what to expect."
Buffy nodded. With a look from the slayer, everyone cleared the room. She knew they were worried about her, she heard them talking about it. But that didn't matter. She was here to get Angel out because she owed him that much…nothing more, nothing less. At least that's what she told herself. She looked down at the instructions Willow had left her. She lifted her eyes up ward and closed them. Please, she thought. Let everything be okay. God, I hope they leave if Nightshade shows. If anyone is hurt again…She tried to stifle the memories of Willow laying in the hospital bed, Xander with the cast on his arm, Giles being tortured by Angel…She brought herself back to reality. Yeah, She almost laughed aloud. This is reality…
All she had to do now was read the incantation, the herbs and stuff had already been done. She didn't really understand what exactly was going to happen, so she felt a little apprehensive. She sighed, gathered her concentration, and began to speak. As she finished the incantation, she felt a blast of heat that whipped her hair away from her face. The paper she held suddenly caught on fire and the ash blew away. She lifted a hand to block the hot wind from her face. She took a breath and stepped into the portal. She gasped, the heat enveloped her, and for a moment she panicked. Buffy pulled herself together, and forced herself forward. One step, one step…she couldn't breathe. She felt as though the intense wind would leap inside her throat and burn her lungs away, just like that paper. There wasn't a molecule of oxygen left in the fiery inferno, and it burned. One step…another…one more…She felt as if all her muscles had caught on fire, and they burned. With each step, the heat increased…She was crowded, and if thousands of millions of THINGS were pushing, probing, claws reaching for her, fangs that would rip her throat out…It struck her so hard that she staggered, and almost fell. Her dream, this was her dream…She shook her head, and kept pushing forward. Somewhere in the distance she saw what looked like a pool of water. She captured it in her mind; using it as a force to pull herself forward…She stepped through…and fell to her knees. Drawing in the cool oxygen, she felt her heart start to beat regularly.
"Buffy?" Came a voice. The voice from her dream. Angel! Her heart leapt and sank all at the same time.
"Angel." Was all she could gasp.
"Oh God, Buffy. What are you doing here? This isn't a place for you to be, you need to get out."
She looked up suddenly. "NO! I know what you are going to say- I had the dream. But you are coming with me. You didn't deserve to be sacrificed for the world. You will come." She reaching up, grabbed him by the arm and pulled. To her surprise he followed along quickly, even supporting her. She braced herself to step into the searing cross winds again. As she pushed herself through, she felt as if all the skin was melting from her body…after what seemed like hours, days, years, lifetimes she saw then end of the portal, a lifetime away. She felt her strength lessening. Pausing for a moment, she tried to draw some from where ever it was, from every muscle, every nerve in her body. To her surprise, the strength didn't come from with in, but from Angel's hand on her elbow. "Come on Buffy. You are GOING to make it…"
And she did…
* * *
It was cool and dark. Like nighttime deep in the ocean, there was nothing to disturb the peace. Floating where there was no pain, no worries, no death…
"Buffy!"
Something…there was something trying to pull her out of the dark lake, the blissful shelter. No, leave me alone.
"Please, Buffy. Wake up…"
No! Leave me, I want to stay here, no vampires, no death…Vampires? I can't stay here, the vampires need killed. Have to kill the vampires…No, let them be. I don't want to be needed. I just want to sleep…
"Please Buffy. We need you…I need you…"
That voice…so familiar. No! Don't try to remember, I don't want to. Just leave…Angel. What if he doesn't forgive me…Suddenly, red slashed across her vision. Willow screamed then fell. Then Xander, following Cordelia…Cold green eyes pierced the scene. Nightshade… "Angel?!"
"Thank God! Giles, she's awake!" Angel called.
"Where…where are we?" Buffy tried to sit up. Xander caught hold her gently, telling her to rest.
"As soon as you came out of the portal we left. We're near the Bronze." Willow explained.
"No!" Buffy screamed suddenly, pushing Xander away. "Get up, go! She'll kill you…" Xander and Angel both restrained her gently. "Don't you understand?!"
"Buff," Xander said. "It'll be okay, Nightshade won't know we're here…"
"No!" She kicked and struggled in their hold. "She's coming."
"Buffy," Willow laid a hand on her arm. "How do you know?"
Buffy shoved her away, hard, and kicked Xander. He stumbled backwards, and she tried to break Angels hold. Then seeing Willow's and Xander's hurt looks, "Don't you understand?" She yelled. "Get away! I dreamed about it…I'm going to get you killed…"
"I think you're a little late." Came a crystal sharp voice from behind. Green eyes, followed by a figure sauntering forward in an emerald and black dress appeared in the alley. "You can count them already dead." More than a dozen pairs of glowing eyes neared.
Nightshade.