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*Remember, this was written before the season 7 actually started using spoilers from various sites.*

Disclaimer: Joss is the evil mastermind of Buffy and its characters so they don't belong to me.

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Spike had decided to head over to see Dawn after Buffy had dismissed him all the while the anger rising up in him and he tried his best to push it back down. Seeing Dawn would calm him down slightly and he really wanted to catch up with her as well. He had missed their time together over the past year. Anya called to him and he stopped and turned.

"Where are you going?" she breathlessly asked.

"Heading over to see the bit and Will," he turned and continued on.

She stepped in next to him. 'Boy he's walking fast', she thought. "Mind if I come with you? I mean anything better than going home to an empty house."

"I don't care," he mumbled. She could tell he was upset so she decided to keep quiet the rest of the way there which was a task all in itself.

Spike had a peculiar sensation creep over him once they stepped onto Revello Drive. His suspicions were confirmed when he spied the front door of the Summers' home standing wide open. He suddenly bolted towards the house and bound up the porch steps, but halted at the door, hands spread out expecting a barrier there to keep him out. At that moment he spotted Dawn floating a few inches off the floor and he ran through the doorway and over to her, relieved that he was still trusted by Buffy not to de-invite him. He called her name, thinking the worse. Her eyes fluttered open, fright evident in them and he pulled her to him, seeing she was unharmed, but not able to move.

"Can you speak? Are you alright?" He glanced over to check for any wounds and didn't see or smell any blood.

"Yes," she barely whispered.

He laid her across the couch and propped up her head. Kneeling beside her, he asked calmly, "Did you see who did this?"

"Yes…demon…short…ugly…red eyes…took…Willow…help her." Tears were sliding down her face.

Spike brushed her tears away. "I will, no worry, luv…Anya, stay here with her, keep all the doors locked. Tell Buffy, when she returns, what happened. I'll check the woods by the cemetery." He looked over at Dawn. "I'll find her, bit, and bring her home." He grabbed a large sword out of Buffy's chest and headed out, slamming the door behind him.

**********

Willow was indeed frightened beyond imagination. Why her of all people? She wasn't a demon and Spike had specifically told her only demons were being found skinned. She had only been back for a day and now this demon was going to skin her alive? Perfect payback. Give and take. Her thoughts ran rampant. This thing had left her, wrists bound between two trees in the middle of the woods. She couldn't think straight, couldn’t come up with a spell to get her out. She wondered if it was because of the fear, or being paralyzed, and how long she actually had before the demon made a return appearance. At that last thought, he reappeared right in front of her. She could hear him in her head; he was talking to her telepathically.

~Witch, you're still here. Not as strong as I suspected…or are you? When I watched you in your dreams, I could feel the power. You know you can't save them, not all of them. There is one greater who will prevail. You've failed them all before, you will do it again. This? This was all just a test. I'm not going to kill you…tonight.~

"Yeah, but I’m going to kill you." Spike, with his predatory skills, had managed to sneak up on the demon, catching him off guard. The demon tried to stop him, but his magic didn't work as Spike lifted the sword up and with an agile stroke, brought the blade across its throat severing its head from its body. He stood there a while basking in his kill. He had saved the girl; at least that's what he kept telling himself. He ran over to Willow and untied her wrists. She slumped forward into his arms.

"Thanks." she said hoarsely.

"No problem, pet. A man, um, a vampire, could get used to this. Saving damsels in distress," he grinned.

"Yeah, damsel, right. How did you hear him talking to me?" She had quickly changed the subject so she wouldn't tarnish his pride right then.

"Don't know. I could hear everything he said in my head clear as a bell. Can you walk, now?" he asked.

"I think, just give me a sec, it's still wearing off…How's Dawnie?"

He stood there holding her up. "I left her with Anya; she was scared but not hurt. What did the chap want with you?"

"Not sure…yet. I think he's the one that’s either been sending me my dreams or he's the shadow floating around me. Parts of my dreams, I believe, have already happened. I don't know if I will still have them now that he's gone." They had made it out to the edge of the graveyard grounds when Buffy and Xander showed up, both sporting swords.

"Willow, are you ok? What happened?" Buffy was still in slayer mode, eyes darting around looking for something to give her reason to kill it.

"The bloke is back there," Spike motioned to behind them. "His head should be close by. That thing followed them home and took them by surprise. Zapped them with some kind of mojo, paralyzed them both. I think he may have been our demon skinner…not sure."

"Can we go home, please?" Willow asked groggily. "I need some sleep."

The four trudged back to Revello Drive to find two very relieved faces peering through the window. Spike had helped Willow all the way there, and neither Buffy nor Xander tried to take over for him.

**********

Willow slept peacefully that night with no dreams to interfere her slumber. Buffy, on the other hand, was plagued once again with the same visions she had received a few nights earlier. Who were these hooded people? The girl running from them was yelling again, "Be ready, they're coming."

Tonight, Buffy was treated to a bit extra. One of the hooded figures turned as if it were looking at her with two beady red eyes staring out from under the hood. "You do not walk in your world." A man stepped in front of this figure, his back to her, and effortlessly decapitated it. His head turned to show his profile, but the voice was not exactly right. It was more upper class British, educated, almost like her stuffy Watcher.

"Once you know who you really are, then you will know what you need to do." Buffy sat up in bed with a jolt.

'Why would Spike be in my visions and why was he talking like that? What does he have to do with this?' She needed some answers and needed them soon. "Hurry home, Giles."

**********

Two days later, Buffy finished up her work at the school, closed and locked her office door, and walked downstairs to the vampire's makeshift crypt in the basement. She wondered if she should barge into it like she normally would any other time, but visions of a naked Spike briefly flashed in her head and she didn't think she could keep herself from getting flustered if she even saw half a naked Spike. So, all debating aside, she softly rapped on the door. When no answer came, she opened it slightly and called his name. He didn't respond, and she wandered in thinking she would sit and wait a bit for his return. Sitting down on a few stacked crates, she heard a slight moan from the dark corner.

"Spike?" No answer. She found a lamp and switched it on, turning it to face the dark mass. It was him, hunched over, legs pulled up, arms wrapped around them and forehead resting on his knees. By the look of him, she thought he was sick or hung over. Buffy silently walked over to him and knelt directly in front. She didn't want to touch him for fear of startling him.

Quietly she called his name. His head shot up, eyes wild, face streaked with dirt and traces of old tears. He looked lost at first, momentarily crazed and wild-eyed like he didn't know where he was or who she was.

"Are you alright?" Buffy was very concerned at this point.

In that instant he saw her and recognition came back to him. "Buffy…I…"

"What happened? You didn't show up last night, and Dawn was expecting you. She was very concerned."

"I'm not well, Buffy. I keep seeing things. Why are they tormenting me? Could this soul be doing all this? I never really did anything to them. Glory, Adam, Warren, the Master. Why are they haunting me?" He was rambling on now.

"Do they attack you?" She felt a need to help him.

"No, I think they’re just figments of my really messed up imagination," he honestly replied.

"You look like you haven't slept. Have you been eating? And may I just ask, why is there a cross sitting here next to you?"

He looked down at it for a couple of seconds. "You mean this?" and he picked it up, hissing between his teeth as smoke rose up from his hand.

"Spike," Buffy yelled. She took it quickly from him while he continued to stare at his smoldering hand for a moment, completely entranced. She looked at him sadly. "I don't know what…how do I help?"

"You will know what you need to do," he murmured. Buffy gasped, jumped up suddenly and shrieked, "What?" making Spike jump and look up at her in shock.

"What, what?"

"You said something, something I just…you said…how?"

"I don't remember what it was. It just came out. See, I told you I'm losing it."

Buffy looked at his burned hand. She was worried, too worried to leave him all alone, but what could she do? Maybe they could help each other in some way.

"Hey, I think that maybe you should come home with me." Was she really saying this? Inviting him to her home? Was this a good idea? All these thoughts flitted about her head.

He shook his head. "No, no, I couldn't Buffy. I don't belong there. I'm worthless, not even worthy to be around you, let alone your sister and in your home. You shouldn't…"

“Enough.” she said forcefully, then a bit quieter, "that's enough. You are not worthless. Besides, I have a full basement. You can stay there, you can help patrol and research, and we can work on this problem of yours together. Sound good?"

"I don't think…"

"Sounds good," she interrupted him. "Do you need to grab anything?"

"Buffy," he whispered.

"Ok, then let's get out of here." She held out her hand to him as he stared at it, and then diligently accepted it with his good hand.

TBC





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