Summary: An old friend from Buffy's past comes back to haunt her.
Spoilers: Some references to past shows. Nothing major.
Rating: TV-14
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em so don't sue 'cause ya won't get much.
Authors Note: This takes place in an alternate universe. Angel never lost his soul and Jenny found a spell to make him human. Buffy and gang are in collage. Kendra is still alive.

~Prologue~

Buffy kicked the vampire in the stomach and pushed him towards Kendra, who was waiting near by with a stake.

"Woo Hoo!! Another big check in the slayage column," Buffy cheered as the vampire turned to dust.

Kendra shot her a strange look from the corner of her eyes. "You have very weird English."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah, well, *I'm* weird, so I guess it fits. Let's do a quick sweep of the park and then call it a night."

"Okay."

The two slayers walked out of the cemetery, completely unaware of the robed figured watching them from the shadows.

****

*Buffy Summers,* the robed figure thought as she watched the girls exit the cemetery. *You will pay for what happened to me.* She pulled off the hood of her robe to reveal a very scarred face."You will pay."

~Part 1~

"Honey, I'm home," Buffy called as she walked through the door of her and Angel's apartment. It had been about three months since she had moved in there.

Angel got up from the couch, where he had been reading a book, and walked over to her. "How was patrol?"

"Good," Buffy answered, as she reached up and kissed him. "Except I feel like I was being watched the whole time I was in the cemetery. It was probably just a animal." She walked over to the couch and sat down. Angel followed.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Did anyone call while I was gone?"

"Willow. She wants to know if your still on for shopping tomorrow."

"Oh, shopping! Big fun." Buffy walked over to the phone and dialed Willow's number. "Tomorrow's Saturday, right?" she asked as she waited for Willow to pick up.

Angel nodded, picking up his book, and beginning to read again.

"Hello? Rosenburg Residence. Willow speaking."

"Well, if I ever need a secretary I'll know who to call," Buffy joked.

"Buffy. Hi! I was just about to call you. I wasn't sure if Angel would remember to tell I called."

"He's even better than a answering machine."

Angel, hearing the comment, grabbed a pillow off the couch and threw it at her. "Hey!" Buffy giggled.

"What?" Willow asked.

"Oh, Angel's throwing pillows at me." Buffy explained to Willow.

"Yeah, okay. Are we still on for shopping tomorrow?"

"You know me. I can't resist a shopping opportunity."

"Oh, good." Willow breathed a sigh of relief over the phone.

"Why?" Buffy laughed.

I told Cordy she could come too. And I don't think I could survive a day at mall the by myself, with her."

"I probably wouldn't either." Buffy yawned. "Will, I gotta go now. I'm really tired. I'll see ya tomorrow."

Buffy hung up the phone and walked back over to the couch. She was just about to sit down beside Angel when the phone rang. She groaned and looked at Angel. "I'll bet it's Cordy, now."

She walked back over to the phone and picked it up. "Hello?"

"You will pay for what happened to me," A deep voice said. It was hard to tell if it was male or female.

"Huh!?! Who is this?" Buffy asked confused.

Angel got up off the couch and walked over to Buffy.

"You will pay," the voice repeated.

"Who is it?" Angel whispered to her.

Buffy shrugged. "Who is this?" She asked the voice on the other end of the phone again. "What will I pay for? I don't know what your talking about."

****

"And then they hung up. It was so creepy!" Buffy was telling Willow and Cordelia about the phone she had receive the night before, as they walked out of the shoe store.

"Do you have any idea who it was?" Willow asked frowning.

"Nope. Not a clue. It was probably just a prank caller."

"Oh, boo, hoo. Poor you," Cordelia said sarcastically. "Now, what do you think of this dress?" She pointed to a silver tube dress in the window of 'La Chateau'.

Buffy glared at the snobby rich girl. "I think it will make you look fat," she snapped.

Cordelia's mouth dropped open in surprise and she looked a little hurt.

"Buffy!" Willow cried in shock at her best friends mean outburst. "That was rude!"

"Oh my god, Cordy! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that." Buffy apologized. "I didn't sleep well last night and I'm really cranky today. I shouldn't have said that."

"Well I guess I can forgive you," Cordy gave the Slayer a small smile.

"Um, guys, not to break up a Kodak moment or anything but have any of you noticed that girl in the hooded rode following us?" Willow asked looking over her shoulder.

"What girl?" Buffy turned around to look.

Buffy's eyes met the girls and they stared at each other for a few seconds, before the girl raised her arm and pointed a figure at Buffy.

"Come on, Buffy," Cordelia pulled on Buffy's arm. "Stalker girl is starting to wig me out."

"You're definitely not the only one," Buffy agreed as she turned and followed Willow and Cordelia. "Defiantly not the only one."

~Part 2~

"You say she pointed at you?" Giles asked as he paced around the table were Buffy, Willow and Cordy were sitting.

"For fiftieth freakin' time, yes she pointed at me," Buffy snapped.

Everybody looked at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I-It's alright, Buffy. So you have know idea who this girl is? Couldn't you see what she looked like?" Giles started questioning her again.

"I told you, she had a hooded robe on. All I could see were her eyes."

"What did they look like?" Willow asked.

"They were a bluish green. And there was so much anger and pain in them. I've never seen that anger before. Giles, it was almost terrifying. But..." Buffy trailed off.

"But what, Buffy?" Giles pressured her to go on.

"Something about her eyes were so familiar. I don't why but I have a feeling I know her from some where, but I can't picture a face."

"Has anything odd happened to you before this?" Giles asked puzzled.

"Duh!!! This is the Hellmouth. Odd things happen everyday." Cordelia interrupted.

Giles glared at the girl, then returned his gaze to Buffy, who was staring blankly at the table.

"Actually, yes, there have been a couple things. I just figured it was part of my imagination."

"Well what happened?"

"Last night, when Kendra and I were patrolling I felt like I was being watched. And when I got home, someone called saying 'You will pay'."

"And you never told me? I am your watcher. You are obligated to tell me something like this happens." Giles scolded.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just figured it was a prank call or something."

"You should all go home now. It's late. I'll try and find something in my books. Let's met back here at noon tomorrow."

****

// Buffy ran through the abandoned warehouse, looking desperately for away out. Every door was locked tight and every window unbreakable.

Suddenly the place erupted in flames. Buffy opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out.

The girl in the robe appeared in front of her. "Who are you?' Buffy screamed at her.

Instead of answering, the girl reached p and pulled down her hood. Her face was severely scarred but Buffy knew almost immediately who it was. "Oh my god!" she gasped.

As quickly as she had appeared, she was gone, replaced by a image of Angel, who kept repeating her name over and over again. "Buffy..., Buffy..., Buffy!!"//

****

"Buffy, wake up. Buffy!" Angel gently shook his sleeping girlfriend, who appeared to be having an nightmare.

Buffy's eyes flew open and she bolted upright in bed, whispering, "Ohmigod", over and over again.

Angel wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, comforting her. "It's okay. It was just a nightmare."

Buffy buried her face in his neck. "It felt so real. I was trapped and there was fire, an-and the girl from the mall was there." Buffy said incoherently.

"It's okay." Angel said again. "I won't let anything hurt you."

"Promise?"

Angel smiled at her. "Promise. Let's go back to sleep and we'll call Giles in the morning."

"Okay." Buffy laid back down on the bed and closed her eyes. "Hold me?" she whispered.

"Always." Angel whispered back, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I love you."

"Love you, too." Buffy whispered before she drifted off to sleep again.

****

"Can you tell me exactly what happened in your dream?" Giles asked coming out of his office, sipping a cup of tea. Buffy and Angel were sitting at the table.

"Um, okay." Buffy said looking up at from her seat at the table. "I was in a abandoned warehouse, and I couldn't get out. Then the place exploded with flames and the robed girl, the one from the mall, she was there. I, um, I asked her who she was and she pulled down the hood on her robe. Then Angel woke me up."

"Could you tell who she was?" Angel asked her.

"Uh, yeah," she answered sadly, staring at the wall.

Giles and Angel looked at her expectantly. "And when are you planing on telling us?" Giles asked.

"Oh, sorry." Buffy smiled sadly. "It was a, um, friend of mine from Hemry. Nicole."

"What? That sounds odd. Why would she want to hurt?"

"I don't know. I thought she was dead."

"Oh, Buffy, I'm sorry." Angel reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Buffy, I'm very sorry your friend died, but you must tell me how she died," Giles said.

"Well, the night I burned down the gym, she was pulled out of the window by a bunch of vamps. I always figured they just killed her, 'cause I never saw her after that."

"Do you think it was possible that she was changed?" Angel asked her gently.

"No."

"But, Buffy, she *was* dragged out a window by vampires." Giles protested.

"No," Buffy said again. "She was at the mall, Giles. It was the middle of the day. She would have been dust if she was a vamp."

"Oh, yes, you are quite right. I must admit I had forgotten about that. I also must admit that I'm quite stumped by this. Um, you two go look around town. See if you can find her. I'll get Willow and the others to come her and see if we can find out where she is staying."

Buffy nodded and walked out the door, with Angel behind her.

~Part 3~

"I don't understand this. If Nicole is alive, why hasn't she shown herself before this? Why hide?" Buffy asked as she and Angel walked down the street.

"I don't know. Maybe something happened to her and she doesn't want to be seen." Angel reached for Buffy's hand.

"Nicole not want to be seen? I thought I would never live to hear that," Buffy replied with a sad smile. "She was always the center of attention. Me and her." Buffy smiled again remembering some of the good times she and Nicole had back in L.A.

"Do you miss that?"

"Sometimes. But if I had to chose between slaying and a normal life, I would chose slaying."

"Why? Why not choose a normal life?"

"Because I wouldn't have you. I love being with you and I wouldn't give it up for anything. Ever."

Angel stopped walking and pulled her close for a tight hug. "I love you." he whispered in her ear. "And I love being with you, too."

"I know. I love you too." Buffy pulled back a little so she could kiss him.

Angel returned the kiss. After a few minutes he started to kiss down the side of her face. When he got to her ear, he whispered, "We're being watched."

"I know," she whispered, kissing him lightly on the lips. "Come on." She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards a deserted ally. The same one she had knocked Angel on his ass in, four years ago, when she first moved to Sunnydale.

****

Nicole watched as Buffy and Angel disappeared into the alley. Once they where out of sight, she followed.

She turned into the alley and looked around, confused. It was empty. She walked a few feet further and stopped again. *Where the hell did the go? she thought.

Suddenly Buffy swung her self down from a bar extending from the wall of one of the buildings, and kicked Nicole in the back of the neck.

"Ohhhh!" she groaned as she fell to the ground.

Buffy let go of the bar and dropped down beside her. Angel stepped out from behind a garbage bin and walked over to Buffy's side. "Nice kick," he commented.

"Yeah, it was," Buffy agreed.

Nicole lifted herself up off the ground and turned to face them. "That hurt."

"Duh, it was supposed to. Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Nicole cocked her to the side and pretended to think about that. "Well, yeah, I guess I am."

"At first I thought maybe you were a vamp, but then I remembered you were at the mall during the day. So if you're not a vampire, what are you?"

Nicole shrugged and looked at Buffy. "I'm just a angry girl seeking my revenge."

"Revenge for what exactly?" Angel asked stepping in.

Nicole looked up at Angel, then back at Buffy. "He's a lot cuter then the last guy you were running around with. What his name again?"

"Answer the question," Buffy said through clenched teeth.

"Revenge for this," Nicole reached up and pulled down the hood of her robe, which had been hiding her scarred face.

"Oh my god." Buffy took a step toward her. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

"You did this to me!" she yelled.

"Me? I-I... H-How?" Buffy stammered, shocked at Nicole's accusatory tone..

"You left me to burn, is how." Nicole's voice was dripping with hate.

"Huh? I don't follow. How did I leave you to burn?"

"When they dragged me out the window that night, I fainted. They would have killed me if I hadn't been wearing this." She pulled a beautiful silver cross out from under her robe. There was a large white pearl in the middle with smaller ones circling it. "My grandmothers cross. Instead they left me there, laying next to the gym, while you burned it down. I came to about 10 minutes later to find my face like this." She pointed to her face.

"I-I didn't know. I thought everybody was away from the building. They told it was safe."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't, was it? You're the goddamn slayer!! You should have tried harder. It's your fault!"

"M-Mine?" Buffy's voice cracked and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

"It's not Buffy fault. She didn't know." Angel defended his lover.

Nicole glared at him, then looked back at Buffy. It *is* her fault. It's her job to save people."

Tears were streaming down her Buffy's cheeks now. "She can't save everybody." Angel wrapped his arm around Buffy's waist and pulled her to him. "How do you know about the Slayer anyway?"

"I did my homework." With that she backed slowly out of the alley and disappeared around the corner.

Buffy wrapped her arms around Angel's neck and cried into his shoulder. He held her close and whispered words of comfort in her ear. After a few minutes Buffy let go of him and backed away, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"I can't believe I just broke down crying in front of my enemy. I'll never hear the end of this one. Pretty soon every vampire and demon in town will be calling me a cry baby."

Angel smiled. "You ready to head to the library now?"

"Yep. Let's go."

****

Nicole walked into the abandoned warehouse she had been hiding out in the past couple weeks. It was pitch black. "Haven't you guys heard of lights?" she called out flipping the light switch.

The place flood with light revealing a group a vampires sitting around a table in the middle of the building.

"How did it go with the slayer?" asked the leader, Clyde. "Is it almost time for your plan?"

"Don't worry, Clyde. I promised you and your friends the slayer and I intend to keep to keep it."

"When?" cried out another vampire in outrage. "For the past week all we've done is sit around and wait, while follow her around day and night!!"

"You dare question me!" The pearl in the middle of the cross around Nicole's neck began to glow.

The vampire doubled over and screamed in pain. A few seconds later he exploded into dust.

"Anyone have anything else to say?" No one answered. "Good. I made a promise and I *will* keep it."

~Part 4~

Buffy and Angel walked into the library to find Giles on the phone and Willow on the computer. Both trying to find out where Nicole was staying.

Willow looked up from the computer when she heard them enter the room. "How did it go? Did you find her? I really hope you did 'cause we certainly haven't."

"We never found her, she found us," Buffy replied.

"Oh, good. What happened?"

"We'll tell you after Giles gets off the phone. Who's he talking to, anyway?"

He's been calling all the motel's and hotel's in town to she if she's been there."

Oh, well. Thanks for trying," Giles said as he hung up the phone. "Ah, Buffy, Angel, your back. I hope you have had more luck then us. Did you find her?"

Yeah, we did," Angel replied.

What happened? Did she tell you anything?" Willow bounced excitedly in her chair.

Quite a bit actually." Buffy and Angel walked over and sat at the table. "She said the vamps never killed her because she was wearing a cross her grandmother gave her. Then she pulled down her hood and showed us scars on her face from the fire, blamed me for it, told me she'd get me, and left."

A cross, you say?" Giles eyes lit up with interest. "I have to go find one of my books. Then I want you to tell me what it looks like."

"Don't tell me it's another evil cross," Buffy frowned, remembering when Spike had used one to try to restore Drusilla's strength, almost killing Angel. "I thought crosses were supposed to be good."

"It all depends on the user and how they use it," Giles replied.

Buffy rolled her eyes as he disappeared into the stalks.

"Hey, Buffy, I'm sorry she blames you." Willow turned off the computer and went to sit across from Buffy at the table. "You must feel horrible, but you can't let her get to you."

"I know, but I still feel responsible. Like I should have been able to do something." Buffy looked down at the table, sadly.

"Buffy, you can't save everyone." Angel titled her head up so he could look heron the eye. "It's impossible."

"He's right, Buffy," Willow agreed. "Think of all the people you've save since you became the slayer. You should be proud."

"You guys are. I can't let her get to me. That's what she wants." Buffy smiled sadly. "The Nicole I knew is dead. Whoever.. Whatever she is now. is evil."

"Okay, Buffy, I've found the book." Giles came out of the stacks with the book and walked over to the others.

"What is that?" Buffy grabbed the book out of his hands and started flipping the pages. Every page had a different cross on it, with information about it. She looked at the cover of the book. "'The Cross Dictionary'? Look up a cross, find out what it does." Buffy joked.

"Give me that." Giles grabbed the book away form her. "Could you please describe the cross."

"Well, it was shaped like a cross," Buffy said, seriously.

Giles glared at her, annoyed that she was trying to act smart.

"Sorry. It was silver and had a big pearl in the middle. The big one was surrounded by smaller pearls."

Giles flipped through the page in the book until he found a cross fitting Buffy's description. "Is this it?" He held the book up so Buffy and Angel could see it.

"Yeah, looks like it to me." Angel took the book from Giles and handed it to Buffy. "What do you think?"

"Yep, that's it..." Buffy trailed off as she noticed the name of the cross. "'The Burning Cross'!? Figures it would have a lameass name like that, considering it's in 'The Cross Dictionary'."

"Would you stop making fun of my books." Giles took the book from her. "Oh, I suppose you are right. It is quite a, uh, lame name."

"Lemme see." Angel took the book from Giles again. "It says here that it can burn a person from the inside out, leaving nothing but ashes."

"Really?" Buffy grabbed the book from Angel. "Cool! It says the only way to destroy the cross is to break it."

"Let me see that again." Giles took the book back from Buffy.

"What are you guys doing?" Willow asked. She had been sitting quietly, watching them pass the book around in circles for the past 5 minutes. "Playing 'Pass the Book'?" She paused for a second, then jumped up and grabbed the book from Giles. "My turn." She sat the book in front of her and started reading.

"Okay, it's really nice she has this magical burning cross thingy and all but what does it have to do with her new found hate for me?" Buffy asked confused.

"Do know when she got the cross or how she got it?" Giles asked taking the book from Willow, who pouted and crossed her arms.

"Um, I think she got it for her birthday. From her grandmother. It was something that had been passed down from grandmother to granddaughter for, like, ever."

"Mmmhmm. Did she start acting differently afterwards?" Giles asked not looking up from the book.

"Well, actually, she did." Buffy frowned remembering the way her friend had acted before she supposedly died. "She got mean towards me. It was just after I had been called so I figured it was because I hadn't been around much."

"Mmmmhmmm." Giles mumbled, still not looking up from the book.

"Are you even listening to me?" Buffy asked annoyed.

"Mmmmhmmm."

"So, are you going to fill us in anytime soon?" Willow asked.

"Oh, right." Giles looked up from the book. "It's very interesting, actually. It says here that about 500 years ago, a priest cursed a demon into the pearl. The cross is so it doesn't escape."

"What kind of demon?" Buffy interrupted.

"I don't know. It just says demon." Giles admitted sheepishly.

"Well, gee, that books a lot of help," Buffy said sarcastically.

"Would you just let me finish?" he snapped.

"Sorry."

"As I was saying, the priest cursed the demon into the pearl in the middle of the cross. It is said that the demon can somehow control the wearer of the cross. There still there but they can't control their body."

"So, what your saying is that Nicole is acting this way because of a demon cursed into her necklace," Willow said making a long story short.

"Yes. Also the scars on her face might just be from the demon."

"So, to get Nicole back to her normal self we have to destroy the necklace?" Angel asked.

"Precisely."

"One problem how do we find her?"

"I haven't the foggiest. I've called every hotel, motel and apartment building in the county..."

"And I've spent the whole day looking on the 'Net,' Willow added.

"And we can't find a single thing," Giles concluded.

"Then we'll just have to let her find us." Buffy stated.

~Part 5~

Nicole entered the warehouse the night after her confrontation with Buffy. She walked to the center of the room where to group of vampires sat at the table.

"It's time," she announced.

Clyde looked up at her. "What do you want us to do?"

"Bring me the Slayer."

"What about that traitor, Angelus?"

"Bring him too."

The group got up and headed for the door.

"Oh, boys," Nicole called.

They stopped and turned back to face her.

"I want them alive. No snacking. Got it?"

They nodded and walked out the door.

****

"I can't believe that after 5 hours of walking around town we never found her." Buffy laying on the couch with her head in Angel's lap, watching TV

"I know. That was total not something I'm planning to do again. I'm going to have major blisters."

"You? What about me? I had 4 inch heels on! How do you think my feet feel?"

"Oh, poor baby." Angel leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Suddenly she broke the kiss, by sitting up and muting the TV

"What's wrong?"

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

// scratch//

"That."

"Yeah, I heard it that time," Angel got up and walked over to the desk in the corner of the living room. He opened a drawer and pulled out to stakes. He tossed one to Buffy. "Here."

Buffy walked slowly to the door. She raised her stake and slowly opened the door. She took a step outside and looked around. Turning to Angel, she said, "There's nothing out..."

Before she could finish a baseball bat flew out of no where and hit her in the back of the neck, knocking her unconscious.

"Buffy!" Angel cried, catching her before she hit the ground.

He was grabbed from behind by two vampires. He tried to fight them off but gave up when he saw there numbers increasing.

Clyde stepped out of the shadows carrying the bat he had used to knock Buffy out with. "Traitor," he hissed as he swung the bat.

****

When Angel came to he found himself tied to a large pole, with Buffy tied behind him.

"Buffy," he hissed. "Buffy, wake up!"

"Angel?" Buffy groaned. "What happened? Where are we?"

"I think we're in a old warehouse. The vamps brought us here. Are you okay?"

"I guess so, but my head feels like hell."

"Good, you're awake." Nicole walked into the room, carrying a can of gas.

"What do you want?" Buffy asked calmly. "What are you going to do to us?"

"Well, let's see. You're tied to a stake, and I'm holding a can of gas..."

Buffy felt Angel's hands moving behind her. "This really *isn't* the time," she whispered softly so Nicole wouldn't hear her.

"I'm *trying* to untie your ropes," he whispered back.

"Oh, sorry."

"I've got matches in my pocket," Nicole continued on, oblivious to their whispering. "So, I think I'm probably going to burn you at the stake," She drawled slowly and cocked her head to the side pretending to think. "Yep, that's defiantly what I'm going to do."

"B-But I thought they only burn witches at the stake," Buffy said trying to stall her.

"Back then someone like you would have been considered a witch." Nicole started to walk toward them, while unscrewing the cap on the gas can."

Buffy felt the ropes around her wrist go slack. She started to work quickly at Angel's.

When Nicole got closer she had to stop, so she wouldn't be caught, even though the ropes hadn't been fully untied.

As Nicole started to poor the gas around the pole, Clyde and his gang of vampires walked into the room. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

Nicole turned to face him. She stared at him blankly as if she had know idea what he was talking about.

"You never had any intention of letting us kill them, did you? You wanted them all to your self." Clyde yelled, his face changing into game face.

Buffy took advantage of the distraction to finish untying Angel's ropes.

"What can I say? I lied," Nicole confessed not caring that 8 majorly pissed off vampires where about to attack her.

Buffy looked toward the back exit, then back at Angel. He nodded and they started to sneak toward the door.

Clyde saw them and yelled, "Stop them!!"

"Uh, oh, looks like we're busted," Buffy quipped.

"Looks that way." Angel smashed a crate that was sitting against the wall. He picked up two sharp pieces and handed one to Buffy. "I'll hold them off. You get Nicole out of here."

*Never though I would live to see the day were we where saving the enemy,* Buffy thought to herself. Aloud she said, "Be careful. Don't try anything to heroic. You may still have your vampire strength but you're not a vamp anymore."

Buffy ran up to Nicole and pulled her towards the exit. Angel ran front of them and attached Clyde. He side kicked him in the head and pinched him in the stomach.

****

Buffy managed to somehow drag Nicole outside. Once out there Nicole pushed her away.

"Don't think that because you saved me I'll leave you alone because I won't. It doesn't change anything."

"No," Buffy agreed. "But this might." She reached out and ripped the cross from Nicole's neck.

"Hey! W-What..."

Buffy dropped the necklace on the ground and lifted her foot. "Time to get my friend back." She stomped down hard. The cross and pearls shattered into tiny pieces.

Nicole's eyes glowed a bright red. "Bitch!"

As the light flew out of her eyes and disappeared into the air, the scars on her face started to fade away.

Nicole closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened them a few moments later, they focused on Buffy. "Buffy?"

"Ar-Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so. Wh-What happened?"

"It's a long story. I'll take you to someone who can explain it clearer then me."

Just then Angel ran out the door, breathing hard.

"Are you alright? Did you get them?" Buffy asked.

He shook his head. "I think I would be best if we ran."

"Oh, okay."

As they started running in the direction the library, 7 of the 8 vampires burst through the door and chased after them.

****

Buffy, Angel, and Nicole ran panting into the library.

"I think we lost them," Buffy said after catching her breath.

"Yeah, like three blocks ago, Buff," Nicole replied. "How come you made us keep running?"

"Well, I didn't want 'em to catch up." Buffy walked over to the counter and hoisted herself up to sit on the edge.

Giles walked out of his office and stopped short, startled to find them there. "What you two lurking around for?" he asked not noticing Nicole sitting next to Buffy on the counter.

"Hey, Giles. Wht'cha doin'?" Buffy asked.

"I was trying to find your friend Nicole. Not having much luck I'm afraid." He noticed Nicole sitting next to Buffy . "Oh, hello. Buffy, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Buffy smiled and rolled her eyes. "Giles this is Nicole. Ya know, the girl you where lookin' for."

Giles gasped and grabbed a cross of the library table. "Stay back, demon," he commanded holding it out in front of him.

They all stared at him, surprised by his outburst, then they burst out laughing.

"Over reacting, much Giles?" Buffy said still laughing.

"W-What?" he stammered. "I thought she was evil."

"Buffy broke her necklace," Angel explained.

"He's your watcher, right?" Nicole whispered to Buffy, looking at Giles.

Buffy turned to her, confused. "I thought you couldn't remember stuff."

"I remember it, I just don't get it."

"I've been doing this Slayer thing for almost 4 years and I still don't get it half the time. Don't feel bad."

"We'll let Giles explain everything. He likes that job," Angel told her.

~Epilogue~

The next day Buffy and Nicole sat on a bench outside the bus station waiting for her bus to LA to be announced.

"What are you going to tell your parents?" Buffy asked. "I mean, it's been 4 years."

"I really don't know. I just hope they won't be mad," Nicole said, sadly. "I'd tell them the truth, but I'm not sure I believe it."

"It'll be okay. You'll see," Buffy assured her. "Your parents will be so happy to see you. they'll forget to be mad."

"I hope you're right."

"Are you kidding? I'm always right," Buffy joked.

"Yeah, right. You wish."

"Bus 410 to Los Angeles is now boarding," a woman's voice announced over the loud speaker.

Nicole stood up and took a deep breath. Letting it out she said, "Wish me luck."

"Good luck." Buffy gave her friend a big hug. "Now don't forget to write, call, and/or visit."

"I won't. Good-bye." Nicole turned and walked toward the bus.

"Bye," Buffy echoed, watching her friend disappear on to the bus.

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