Note: Again, don't read this without reading the Penanace episodes, at www.crosswinds.net/~penancefic this fic continues after "Deception" (Episode 4) of Penance.

Buffy stood before the gang in the Bronze, her hands touching her face slowly. "I can't... I can't be a vampire..."

Angel stood from the table, slowly approaching Buffy. He put his hands on her shoulder and slowly turned her around to face the mirror, "Welcome to my world."

Buffy turned around to face him, "But I don't want..."

"No one ever wants this to happen to them, Buffy." He touched her cheek, "We have to find out what to..."

"Don't touch me!" Buffy backed away from him slowly, "Leave me alone. All of you! Just leave me alone." Buffy grabbed her coat off of the stool around the table and ran out of the Bronze.

Angel turned back to the group, with no attempts to run after Buffy, "We need to find out what happened to her. She's a vampire... but it's still Buffy... the demon didn't take her soul."

"At least not yet." Faith stood behind the group, smiling. "Oh believe me, your Buffy will be gone within days... if not hours."

"Faith." Angel turned around and growled, "What did you do to her?"

"Ohh... Nothing." She grinned at the group, and then takes a deep breath, showing off the human side of her. "Ah, I just love the fresh air..."

"You're..."

"Human, babe." Faith smiled, "100% Human... and slayer."

"You switched... But... how?"

"Now why would I do that? Tell you how? You should know not to ask the magician her secrets... Tsk, tsk."

"So it was a spell?"

"Angel, give it up. I'm not telling you anything. So why don't you and the rest of the gang get on your way and research. That is, after all, what you guys do best."

Angel approached Faith slowly, glaring directly into her eyes, "Once she's cured, I'm going to kill you."

"I can't wait."

*

"So she ran off, and you didn't run after her?!" Giles stood before the group in the library, angry. "You should have followed her, Angel."

"She'll be fine. Buffy can take care of herself."

"Besides," Xander spoke up, "She's Buffy. The Slayer. Any slayer that has turned has to be very strong, right?"

"Not if Faith did switch." Giles looked to Xander, "She's not a slayer any more."

"So what do we do?" Willow looked around at the group, "I mean... there has to be a way to get her back. Faith did the switch with a spell... there has to be a..."

"Why not just use the same spell and just switch them back?" Cordelia sighed, from the table away from the group.

The whole group turned around and looked at Cordelia, a look of proudness and interest on their face.

Cordelia notices their looks, "What? OKay fine, it's a stup--"

"No, Cordelia. It's brilliant." Giles ran into his office, rumaging through books.

"And for once she's the smart one." Xander grinned at Cordelia.

"Oh shut up, Xander."

"Okay."

*

Buffy sat crouched in a corner of her room, shaking. She looked at her hands as her whole body seemed to change before her. She had no idea what was going on, and she was scared. She had never been so scared in her life.

Angel entered the room slowly, Joyce behind him.

"She's over there..." Joyce whispered, scared. "She hasn't talked, she won't talk to me. She just sits there... Shaking."

"Joyce," Angel said calmly, "Call Giles, please?"

She nodded, running out of the room.

"Buffy?" Angel approached her slowly, kneeling down before her. "Buffy? Are you okay?"

Buffy looked up at him, head cocked to the side slightly. Her eyes stared at him, without a blink. She was glaring at him.

"Buffy? What's wrong? Tell me Buffy, Com'on..."

Buffy stood up slowly, still looking at Angel in that same way. "I'm not Buffy, anymore." She said, plainly. "Your girlfriend is dead, Angel."

Angel backed away from her, not sure how she would act. "She is?"

"I killed her, slowly, but I did. She's gone, Angel. Accept it."

"I'm gunna get a cure for you, Buffy. We'll get you out of this."

"No!" Buffy screamed, "No cure. I like this... I'm more powerful... stronger than ever."

"Buffy..." Angel approached her slowly, "You're in there somewhere... I know you are... Bufy... Come on.. Buffy..."

Buffy looked at him a minute, the glare slowly fading away into a look of innocence, "Angel..." She reached out to him, "I don't know how much longer I can hold on..." She began to cry, and looked down at the ground, "It's... taking over me..."

"Shhh.. Buffy... it's okay... just hold on... hold on. We can't lose you yet." He wrapped his arms around her.

Buffy cried out in pain, as she sunk to the floor, "I can't... I can't... I can't... I.." She went silent, curled up on the floor, and then with one terrifying scream...

She awoke from her dream.

*

The Bronze was quiet, except for the sound of music playing fromt he stage. There they were. Dingoes Ate My Baby, on stage. It was the first time they had played at the Bronze, which was really cool for Oz and the Band. Willow sat at a table in the front, watching him closely. She smiled up at him and waved, "Ah, my boyfriends in the band..." She giggled to herself. Buffy and Angel stood, center of the floor in front of the stage, their arms wrapped around each other. Buffy had her head rested on Angel's chest, they swayed slowly to the soft music playing. Angel leaned down and ran his fingers through Buffy's hair, giving her a sort of comfort. She looked up at him and smiled, then continued to dance with her in his arms.

"You think Giles would mind..."

Buffy looked up at Angel, quickly, not saying a word. "Oh my god..."

"He would mind, wouldn't he?" Angel sighed, "I know, we should be out there..."

"No.. it's not that... It's just I..."

"Hey Buffy!" Xander ran up to Buffy, a small smile on his face.

"Great..." Buffy turned to Xander and sighed,

"Gimme the note... Com'on..."

"But..." He held the note out to her, "How did you know?"

Buffy set the note down on the table, "I'll explain later... I've got to get to that church." She ran out the door, as quickly as she could.

"But Buffy..." Xander yelled, "You didn't even look at the note!"

*

Buffy ran to the library, as quickly as she could. She ran inside, pulled out a machete from inside Giles' weapon cabinet, and left as quickly as she had come in. She stuck a few stakes in her pocket, and ran off to the church, as quickly as she could.

She was atleast three hours earlier than she had been in her dream. She decided to wait, until the timing was exactly as it had been in the dream. The timing could make a difference, she knew what was going to happen.

She stood outside for a few hours, passing the time, and by the time it was midnight, she slowly entered the church, looking around, not saying a word. She stood at the entrance for a minute, the walked forward, trying to remember her dream as much as possible, "Faith?" She called out, like she had done in the dream.

And there was Faith, sitting at the front pew. She turned around and smiled at Buffy, "B... I was beginning to think you wouldnt't going to show up."

She smiled, "Pretty place, isn't it?"

Buffy tried to remember what she had said in the dream, then spoke, "I thought vampires were supposted to be scared of churches?"

"Scared? Why would they be scared? I've got nothing to fear here."

"You do now."

"Oh, right, you. Yeah, I'm real scared of you, B. Real scared."

"You should be." Buffy raised her arm, machete in her hands. She held it up toward Faith, a smile on her face.

Faith stood, staring directly at Buffy. She opened her arms wide, "Kill me. Com'on, B. Kill me."

Buffy raised the machete higher, then jumped up, twirled the machete around in the air, beheading Kakistos, who was behind her. She landed, both feet on the ground. She lowered the machete, and stared at Faith, head cocked to the side. She smiled, "Nice try..."

"But how did you... No!"

"I guess I'm just too good for you, Faith." Buffy smiled. "You're alone now, your plan... to switch our beings? Isn't gunna work..."

"But how did you know?" Faith thought for a minute, then grumbled, "Spike..."

Buffy smiled, deciding to play along, "Yeah... well... We made a deal... He tell me what you were planning... and I get rid of you."

"You're not gunna touch me, B." She walked out the back of the church, "I won't let you."

Buffy smiled to herself, and walked out the other way, toward the front entrance.

*

"Spike..." Faith called, in the mansion, "Spike, where are you?"

Spike appeared in the doorway, "What is it, love? I thought you were supposted to bring someone back with you... and where is cloven-guy?"

Faith sighed, glaring at him, "I would have... if you hadn't ruined it."

"Ruined it?" Spike laughed slightly, "I've been here this whole time, don't blame your mistakes and mishaps on me, pet."

"Don't talk to me... you traitor."

"Traitor?" Spike scoffed, "Lets talk about being a traitor. "You went to Seris... behind my back. Now that's being a traitor."

"Seris? What the hell does he have to do with anything? I was human when I went to him..."

"I don't care. You still did it, Faith. You disapointed me..."

"Oh what are you gunna do, Spike? Punish me..."

"No... I won't..." Spike sighed.

"I didn't think so... You can't kill me. You won't."

"He won't kill you," A voice said, behind Faith. "But I will."

Before Faith could turn around, she was dust. As the dust fell to the ground, Drusilla stood, holding a stake in her hand. She looked over at Spike, "Nobody betrays my Spike..."

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