Willow whimpered in her sleep. Everywhere she looked were flames. She hurried through the dirt paved paths searching for something. She heard a dull roar behind her and began to run. Something was after her. The flames leapt into her path making her jump and dart around them. The heat was incredible.
She conitnued to run, noticing that the flames were growing the farther she got on the path. Still the roar was behind her. It filled her head and she almost screamed from the pain inside her head. She continued running. Ahead of her through the fire she saw Spike. She felt her heart beat speed up. He would save her. He would keep her safe.
She started to call for him, trying to attract his attention. She tripped, falling into the dirt. The roar washed over her as the flames joined around her. She screamed as she felt herself being burned.
Willow woke up. The sheets were soaked with sweat from her dream...her nightmare. She felt cold hands on her back, heard Spike's soothing words in her mind. She couldn't catch her breath. She was struggling to get a few gasps of oxygen into her burning lungs. She saw Spike looking at her, worry in his eyes.
She finally calmed down, her head hurting horribly. She laid against him, seeking comfort in his embrace. They laid together, his arms around her, for hours. She couldn't go back to sleep. Her heart was still racing all this time after the dream. It had been frightening. All the fire... her body still felt as though it were burning.
Spike knew she had had a nightmare. That much was obvious when she woke up screaming. He could still feel the sweat on the bed. She was terrified. She hung onto him tightly as though she were afraid to let go. He heard her heartbeat start to slow back to normal.
He kissed her head, mopping her brow with the sheet. They would talk in the morning. She was too tired and the memory to fresh right now. He wouldn't make her re-live it yet. He felt her drift off to sleep. He moved his position, not wanting to let her go. She slept better in his arms. Had since they had gotten together six months before. He was used to it now. Soon, he closed his eyes and joined her in slumber.
* * * * *
Willow fought a yawn as she turned the page in the large book in front of her. She was oblivious to the stares of concern that her friends were giving her. Spike's hand ran up and down her back giving her much needed comfort.
"I'm worried" Spike spoke softly. He knew Willow couldn't hear him if he didn't direct it to her, but he still hated talking behind her back.
"She's still not sleeping?" Buffy asked, making sure that Willow wasn't looking at her.
"No more than five hours all week."
Xander frowned as he took in Willow's tired face and the circles under her green eyes, "She just says that she's having nightmares?"
"No. She won't even tell me that. She says she's not tired. I know it's nightmares."
"Do you know what they're about?"
"Not a clue. She wakes up screaming, drenched in sweat. Once or twice she will say something about the burning or fire. That's it. She's been having them for the last two weeks. It's been the last week that she stopped sleeping. She's exhausted."
"She's dreaming about fire?" Anya said slowly. "Why does that sound familiar?"
"You know something?" Xander demanded of his girlfriend.
"No. Not really. I've just heard something about fire in dreams. Wish I could help."
Spike sighed as he kissed Willow's head, "She's having those headaches again too. Poor thing. Can't sleep and she gets this terrible pain while she's awake. I really am concerned that there is something very wrong."
"Maybe it's nothing. She's had a rough few months. I have nightmares all the time after something traumatic. Maybe hers just took a while to catch up to her." Buffy said reassuringly.
"I hope you're right. The headaches have faded away each time before. She needs to sleep and I think they'd go this time."
"Maybe we should give her something...to help her stay asleep." Anya said softly. When they looked at her, she shrugged, "What? Drugs are a modern marvel of today's society. Besides, you sleep like the dead. No dreams."
Spike shook his head, "I don't want to drug her....if we can get around it."
"It might be the only way to help her" Buffy said, looking worriedly at Willow.
"Give her some more time. It might fade." Spike said, his voice wavering slightly. He hated to see her in pain, but he didn't want to drug her. He would if it meant saving her though. He'd give her a few more days before bringing up the idea.
* * * * *
Willow woke up, her body on fire yet again. She stumbled from the bed and into the bathroom. Blindly turning on the faucets, she lowered herself into the cold water. She sighed slowly as the water cooled her off.
Spike woke when her felt her leave the bed. He got up and followed her into the bathroom. He flipped the light switch and looked at her. She was more pale than usual. Her body covered with sweat. Her eyes were wild and looked feverish. He knelt down beside her, taking her hand in his.
"What is it pet?" he asked softly. He had to know what was hurting her.
"Fire" she said hoarsely. She had screamed so much in her dream her throat hurt. "I keep burning. It chases me and it always catches me. You try to stop it, but it won't be stopped. No one can stop it."
"The same dream?" he asked, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.
"Yes, though it has gotten more involved. I can't stand much more of this Spike."
"I know, Willow. I know....." he leaned his head against her shoulder. He wished that he could dream it for her...that he could do something to help ease her pain.
"Do you know what it could be?"
"No. Maybe we should talk to the watcher. It could have something to do with your deafness and that demon. It could just be a nightmare. Have you ever turned and faced what is chasing you?"
She shook her head. "No. I can't. I feel scared of it. All I do is run. It always washes over me from behind. A hot sensation that feels like I'm burning up. It starts in my head and moves quickly through my body. I always wake up as it is spreading."
"I wish I could do something"
"You are" Willow said softly, kissing his cheek. "Just hold me. Make it stay away."
"We'll talk to the watcher tomorrow. This makes the tenth night you've had that dream. Something has to be wrong."
"Maybe... maybe not. This is the hellmouth, remember? Anything goes."
"Come on pet. We'll get you dried off and in bed. I'll hold you while you try to get some rest."
"I love you" she said softly, needing him to know.
"As I love you" he spoke the words to her mind and smiled.
* * * * *
Willow looked at the others and sighed. Her life was becoming worse than the horrible soap operas that Spike watched daily. It had been twelve days. Twelve days since the first dream. Each one had gotten more intense.
"These dreams....you aren't scared?" Giles asked. Spike told her what the watcher had said.
She shook her head, "Not scared in the way I'd be scared of a demon or something. The fire terrifies me but it is...Damn, I can't explain it. It's almost like being at the top of a roller coaster. The feeling in the pit of your stomach. You know something is coming and you're scared but you are scared. That makes no sense does it?"
"Do you think it's a foretelling?" Buffy asked Giles.
He shook his head. "No. She's running from something that frightens her. It would appear that there is something in her subconscious that she fears. The fire represents that image, whatever it is. She said that Spike can't save....That no one can. She feels helpless."
"What is it?" Spike demanded.
"Willow is the only one that can answer that question I'm afraid. She may not even know what it is. I don't think it is being given to her from an outside source though. It has to be internal."
"Great. So, until I figure it out, I either dream of burning up or I don't sleep?" Willow asked. Spike had told her what the watcher was saying automatically.
"I don't like that" Buffy said, hating to see her friend in pain.
"I can look into it, but I doubt I find anything" Giles said quietly.
He couldn't believe all that the girl had to suffer through in the last six months. First her deafness now this. She was looking bad. Circles under her eyes. A tired look to her face. He saw Spike rubbing a hand along her neck and was glad that she had someone to help her through it all.
"No. Don't bother. I'll have to just sit down and have a nice spanking of my inner moppet." Willow said, smiling slightly.
"Yes, uh...that might help" Giles said, wondering where they came up with such horrid phrases.
"So, Bronze tonight?" Willow asked, trying to smile brightly.
"How about a nice meal out?" Riley signed, knowing the girl was exhausted.
"Sounds even better" she smiled at him.
* * * * *
"Feeling better?" Buffy asked as she and Willow sat on the tombstones.
"Sort of. The dream didn't happen last night. That was a happy."
"You know, this could get dangerous" Buffy smiled as she signed.
"What?"
"Me sitting here talking with my hands when I'm suppose to be patrolling."
Willow laughed. "You're impossible. I could always leave."
"NO! You never come with me anymore."
"Spike doesn't like me out here without him." She said smiling softly.
"Over protective deadboy. Just what you need to make you happy" Buffy said.
Over the last few months, she had realized just how much Spike cared about her friend. He was definitely in love with the redhead. She still found it hard to believe.
"Sure is" Willow said sighing happily.
"Uh oh. Duty calls."
Willow watched as Buffy began to fight a vampire that had just risen. She watched in appreciation of the fighting technique. She saw Buffy dust the vampire only to be confronted by another. Sighing, she stood. Maybe she should help. She felt a wave of pain shoot through her head. Groaning softly, she clutched her head.
She didn't hear the vampire coming up behind her until he had his arm was around her neck. He tightened his hold as she began to struggle for breath. The pain got worse. She cried out for Spike as she felt the vampire turn to dust. She fell to the ground, her breathing ragged. Her face was soaked with sweat from the struggle. She closed her eyes in pain as her breathing slowed down....to a stop.
* * * * *
Buffy pulled the stake from the fledgling's chest and smiled. "Two for two" she said, turning toward Willow.
She froze when she saw Willow laying on the ground. She yelled out as she ran to her friend. She touched her and jerked her hand away. She was burning up. She noticed a pile of dust beside her friend and wondered what she had missed while she had been fighting.
She put her hand on her friend's heart and felt nothing. She checked her wrist and still felt nothing except heat. She blinked back tears as she stood and picked up her friend. She'd get her to Giles. Giles would fix it.
"Come on Will. Wake up. You can't leave me. I won't let you. If I have to, I'll chase you to heaven and bring you right back. I can't do this without you here. Who would keep me grounded in reality? Who would I pester all the time? Please...come back. Giles will fix you. I know he will. Oh no, Spike. He's going to kill me if you don't come back. See, you have to. I can't die yet. I still have a lot to do here. Spike needs you more than I do. God Willow. Please breathe. You're so hot. What happened? Did you kill the vampire? I saw the dust. I know you can't hear me but please, hear me. Don't leave me. Not like this. I can't be alone."
Buffy continued to beg her friend to breathe as she stumbled up the staircase to Giles' apartment. The others were there waiting for them. She kicked the door open, strength she didn't know she possessed running through her body. She looked at the surprised faces, not knowing what she must look like. Tears streaked her face as she stumbled slightly, the weight finally getting to her.
"Willow...not breathing....so hot...fix her."
"Willow!" Spike moved quickly, reaching for her. He jerked his hand back as he found himself burning. He saw the slayer look at him, her eyes wild. She put Willow on the couch, her arms red where the girl had been. He saw the skin tinged where she had been burned. He looked at Willow, wanting to touch her.
Buffy watched Spike kneel beside his lover. The look on his face had to mirror her own. She glanced down surprised to see that her flesh had burned slightly on the walk over. Shaking her head, Buffy looked at Giles, who was still standing there in surprise. She moved quickly, her hands grabbing his shirt collar.
"Fix her!"
"Fix her" Buffy demanded.
"Buffy, let him go" Xander said, moving behind the slayer. He reached for her hands, trying to get her to release Giles.
"Fix her, damn it." She said, tears of frustration in her eyes.
She let Giles go, "She's not breathing."
"There's nothing I can do" Giles said softly.
Buffy turned and moved to the couch. She knelt down beside Spike. Her arms were beginning to sting where they had been burned. She felt Willow's face. Her friend was hotter than before. She looked at Spike and saw his eyes on Willow.
She looked back at Willow. "Wake up, Willow. Time to wake up. No more playing now." She began to breathe harshly as she looked back at Giles and the others. "She's not waking up is she?"
"No" Giles said quietly.
His heart breaking as he took in the still redhead. He saw that her chest wasn't moving. He moved forward and touched her forehead. Jerking his hand away, he put his fingertips in his mouth. She was on fire.
Spike began to talk softly, "Will, come back. We need you. The slayer and I...we can't do this without you..."
Buffy looked at him, seeing the look of desperateness in his eyes. She realized then that it was real. Willow was dead. She laid her head down on the couch as she began to sob loudly. Xander put his arms around Anya, crying into her shirt. Spike continued whispering to Willow, aching to touch her. He glanced down and saw the slayer crying. He reached out and touched Willow's face, cringing at the heat. It was cooling down slowly. He ran his hands over her face, trying to memorize it.
Buffy began to talk to herself, Don't take her from me. I can't go on without her. She's the only thing that has gotten me through so much in my life. She's my best friend. I will do anything. I promise. I'll swear off chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and short skirts. Just please, don't take her. Oh God, Willow. Wake up.
"Buffy....you love me more than chocolate chip cookie dough?" the words were said softly through parched lips.
"Willow?" Spike said quietly.
Willow looked up at him and smiled. She kissed his hand before turning back to Buffy. "I love you too" she said softly.
Buffy smiled brightly as she hugged Willow. "Thank you. I am so glad you're here."
"What happened?" Giles asked. He exchanged a look with the others. Willow had been dead. They all knew it.
Willow looked at him, "Fire" she said simply.
"Wait, you can hear him?" Xander asked.
Willow shook her head. "Not really hear. I can hear him in here." She pointed to her mind. "Just like I can hear you."
"Are you ok?" Spike demanded.
She laughed, "Better than ok. Everything is fine now. It's over."
"You can read our words in our mind?" Giles asked silently.
"Yes. If I choose to" Willow replied back, also silently.
"Dear lord. Is that what the dream was?"
She nodded. "Trouble was coming. It was from the demon. Did you ever look him up? I mean, I know we were fighting him and all, but you did see what his species was?"
"He killed several students. I saw how to kill him. That was all."
"He was a rogue. He used his powers for darkness. When he touched me, he passed them to me. Because I was human, it took awhile for them to come out and play." Willow said.
"How did you learn all this?" Buffy asked.
"I died. They explained it to me."
"They?" Spike asked.
Willow shrugged, "They. Don't know who they were really. I guess the leader of the demons or something. Anyway, they only told me a little. They said that I would learn move over time. I do know that I am still deaf. That won't change. I have the ability to read people's minds but only when I want to. It isn't like Buffy was before. I can control it. I can also speak to them that way. If someone speaks to me out loud, I can also hear that. It is almost like not being deaf, but I can't hear music or noises or anything. There is more but they wouldn't tell me. They said that was all I needed to know before I was sent back."
"You can choose when to read someone's mind? They can't prevent it?" Spike asked, relief that she hadn't left him in his voice.
She smiled, "I won't read any of your minds unless you direct something to me that way. Your secrets are safe with me. I'm so hot. Can I have some water?"
"Will" Buffy said cautiously.
"Yes?" she looked at her friend.
"Why aren't you breathing?"
Willow smiled slightly, "I am breathing. Just a bit unnoticable I guess."
"You're a demon" Anya said, smiling slightly.
"Yes, I am. I became what we fought."
"You don't look tall and scaly."
Willow laughed, "I won't change form. At least, not that I know of. The changes were internal. I sort of can't die now cause I already did. One of the benefits of being demonish, I guess."
"What sort of demon, luv?" Spike asked concerned for her.
"I protect all things good. They said that my soul was one of the purest they've encountered. Quite amazed, they were. I think that fact led to a few allowances, so to speak. One being maintaining my human form. They said there should never be a change even when I use my powers. Unlike Anyanka."
Anya smiled, "That was a bitch. Trust me. Get used to one face then boom, wish said, ugly face. I'm here if you have any questions."
"I know. I'm really tired right now, guys. Dying takes a lot out of you."
"Go home and get some nightmare free sleep" Buffy commanded. She looked at Spike, "Take care of her."
"Always" he said, feeling closer to the slayer somehow. They had both been frightened to death thinking that they had lost Willow. That shared pain had brought them closer.
"Goodbye" Willow said into their minds, smiling impishly.
Seeing their surprised looks, she laughed. She enjoyed that part of her power.
* * * * *
"What?" Willow asked, catching Spike watching her.
"I thought I lost you."
"You can't get off that easy" she said smiling at the gentle look in his eyes.
"I didn't like it, luv. The thought of being here without you...." he trailed off.
"Shh...it's ok. I'm not going anywhere for a long long time."
Spike smiled slightly. He hated talking about his feelings. Always had, probably always would. Looking at her, he made a decision.
"Read my mind."
"What?" Willow moved her head up on to her elbow and looked at him.
"I can't verbalize what I felt....you know that. I want you to know though."
"Are you sure?"
He moved to lay beside her, his eyes looking into hers. "Do it, luv."
Willow nodded and closed her eyes. She sent herself into his mind. Startled, she began gasp. Tears spilled onto her cheeks. Opening her eyes, she looked at him.
"I didn't realize...."
"Shh" he said, putting his finger over her lips. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
"I won't." She smiled, sucking his finger into her mouth.
Her tongue swirled around it as her eyes darkened with desire.
Spike felt his cock harden. He laid her back, his tongue replacing his finger. He entered her wet passage, kissing the tears from her face. They moved together, thankful to have an eternity to spend loving each other.