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An older gentleman was looking at a map when he pulled his little red Mazda off to the side of the road near the Welcome To Sunnydale sign. He was looking for the best way to get to the address that he had on a piece of paper. As he found the shortest route, he made a mental note of it. The car was pulled back out and followed the picture of the map he had memorized. Once at the location, he got out and looked around. A few vampires that were around looked up. They tried to decide whether or not to make him their next meal. The gentleman looked like easy prey, but the ancient robes of a wizard said otherwise. They chose to avoid attacking him. He walked over and asked one of them where he could locate Spike. The vampire told him that Spike was in the factory, but didn't want to be disturbed. The gentleman turned and walked to the door of the factory. It opened without him even touching it. He entered and looked for Spike.
Spike was upset after his fight with Dru two nights ago. She had thrown him around like a rag doll. She had even gone as far as threatening to stake him the very next time they met. The room he was in was trashed and he was throwing anything that reminded him of Dru at the walls around him. Spike just couldn't believe it, he had to wait two more days for Duncan to get there. He wanted Dru back now! He picked up one of her ceramic knick knacks that she had kept with her and threw it against the wall shattering it. Duncan heard the breaking of glass and headed in the direction of the sound. He found Spike still throwing items against the walls in anger. Duncan cleared his throat signalling that he was there. Spike spun anger in his eyes. Once he saw who it was, he smiled. "Duncan, I wasn't expecting you for a couple more days. It hasn't been a week yet, has it?" Duncan shook his head. "No, it hasn't been a week, but I do have other things that I need to get done so I came early. I hope you don't mind." He looked around, and said, "I can see that you weren't expecting me. Has there been some trouble? Is Dru dead?" Spike shook his head. "No, it's worse. She's starting to go slayer on me. She made me look like a fool in front of one of my minions. She's even threatened me with a stake, but she couldn't kill me. I try to hug her and she backs away from me. I have not idea what is going through that girl's head. I'm so angry with her that I almost want to kill her, but I love her too much for that. She's been staying with her sire, and I can't get her alone to talk to her. She seems pretty convinced that she's right and I'm wrong. I am ready to have her back in my arms, now. Can you do it? Please say that you can and soon." Spike looked at Duncan. Duncan smiled. "Of course, I can. I just need her here, alone. Now, can your boys handle that? Or do they need some help there also? She must be alone for my spell to rob her of a soul that she has willingly accepted. I will do this spell only once. If it doesn't work, I can do no more to help you. I will use the strongest one that I have on her. You won't know if it has worked till the following evening. She will either be yours, or still as she is now. What happens after that is beyond my control. Tomorrow is when I will do the spell. Tonight, I want to see what she is like. I want to see just what has upset you so much. Have a few of you men attack her where I can see the fight. I will be in the cemetery to watch. Once I have saw enough, I will return here to rest for tomorrow." Duncan turned and walked out of the room where they had just talked. Spike motioned for one of his minions to join him. When the minion was at his side, he explained what he wanted to happen and where. He sent the vampire off to tell the others so that he could plan the attack that would separate Dru from the slayer and Angel.
Duncan got into his car and drove to the cemetery to wait for the attack. He was surprised by what he had just heard and wondered if it was going to be as easy as he had originally thought it would be to remove Dru's soul. He hadn't saw her in years, and she had gone through quite a bit of changes from what he had been told by Spike. He even wondered if he would recognize her now. Spike didn't tell how she was dressing lately, but if she had started acting like a slayer, she may have started dressing like one too. He parked his car out of sight, and walked into the cemetery. He found a spot that was well hidden but gave a great view of the area that was in the open. He hoped Spike's fledglings had enough brains to force the fight in that location. He sat down to wait on Dru to arrive.
Kris had just finished her training session with Dru. She had allowed Angel to sit this one out so that she could test her slayer's skills. Dru pulled her punches so that she wouldn't hurt the watcher. Kris's speed was a shock to both Buffy and Angel. Giles didn't know what to do, so he just watched. Dru surprised him with her ability to compensate for the different fighting styles. Kris smiled, and backed away after about half an hour of sparing. "That was quite good Dru. You have learned your lessons well. It was a shock to see you keep up with me even with pulling your punches so that you wouldn't hurt me. Next stop looks like weapons for you, but first I want you to continue your practices with Angel and Buffy. Maybe start working on learning how to handle a double team effort. You do great with singles competition, but you won't always have just one vampire or one demon after you. They could come at you two or more at a time. Keep up the good work though, you are doing great. I'll be back in about a week to continue your training, and do keep in touch with either Mr. Giles or myself nightly after patrol. Also, start keeping a slayer's diary. I've been meaning to mention that to you, but keep forgetting." Kris turned to Buffy and Angel. She asked them to follow her to the hall so they could talk. They agreed and left the library closing the door behind them. "I need you to start working together against Dru showing her how to handle more than one vampire at a time. You have done a great job so far. She should be ready for that now. I'll return in one weeks time to see how it's going. I don't want to disrupt the training sessions you have been working on. I do want you to know that you have done a great job of preparing her for her future. She is gaining confidence and slayer's skills. Just do me a favor, please? Keep her safe out there. I don't want to see her fall prey to her past. She was strong enough to come back once, but I don't know if she could do it again. I have been studying up on her ex, and he doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would accept the changes in her easily. I am afraid he may try to find a way to steal her soul from her. I don't want to see that happen. I know that the spell done was a binding one, but it would still hurt her if he tries. I want to know if anything happens that would cause future problems for her, including any time that he may approach her. I'm going to go home now, please be careful out there. Good hunting." She turned and went back into the library to get her things. Giles joined her as she got ready to leave. He had talked to Dru and encouraged her to keep working on things while Kris spoke to Angel and Buffy. Dru promised that she wouldn't give up and that she would keep fighting as a slayer. When Kris entered the library, Dru felt better and ready for patrol. She gathered up the various weapons she had started carrying and removed for the practice session so that she wouldn't harm Kris. Once they were back in place, she joined Buffy and Angel in the hall. It was already dark out so everyone left at the same time. Angel locked up the mansion, and the girls made sure Giles and Kris got to the car safely. They watched as the tail lights faded as the watchers headed to their homes. Angel walked up to the girls and with an unspoken agreement headed to the cemetery.
Duncan sat patiently and waited. He saw three people walk into the cemetery. There were two girls and a guy. He thought one of them was Dru, but he couldn't believe that she had changed that much. The last time he saw her she was in long free flowing dresses. The girl that was there was in jeans and a t-shirt. As Dru turned to face him, he knew that it was her. That would mean that the other two was the slayer and her sire, Angel. He watched intently as Spike's men did as they were asked and attacked the trio trying to force Dru away from the slayer and her sire. There were 6 of them total and they paired off when they attacked. Angel and Buffy backed up till their backs met. They were surrounded by four of the fledglings. Dru had been pulled away from the pair, and was taking on two vamps alone. She was holding her own quite well. She had figured out how to use being alone to her advantage after she had been surrounded near a tree. She watched the two vamps closely looking for any signs of an attack as they faced her from opposite sides. When they lunged for her, she jumped up and grabbed the lower branch to help her get out of the way. Once they collided, she swung herself away from them as fell. Once on the ground she pulled out stake she had behind her back, and staked the one of them. The other vampire recovered as his partner was dusted and stood up. He growled at Dru and bared his fangs. She just smiled at him. When he attacked, she was ready. The fight was now even and a bit easier for her to handle. They faced off and it was just like her practice sessions with Angel.
Buffy and Angel had taken care of the four that surrounded them and went looking for Dru. They knew that there had been six in the attack and realized that two of them had more than likely went after Dru. She hadn't been trained to handle more than one yet, so they were concerned as to what her condition would be when they found her. They heard sounds of a fight off to the side, and ran towards the sound. Dru was fighting with the last of the vampires that had chased her and was gaining the upper hand when Buffy and Angel found her. She staked him as they got closer to help her. She spun expecting to find more wanting to fight her. Once she realized who it was she smiled. Buffy and Angel checked on Dru. She said she was ok, and offered to join them on another sweep of the cemetery. They realized that Dru was just fine, and continued their sweep of the area.
Duncan nodded as he climbed the tree hiding him to get out of their sight. He understood what Spike meant when he said getting her away from the slayer and her sire wasn't easy. Dru was definitely reacting the situation as if she had been training as a slayer for years. Her reflexes were fast and her methods almost flawless. But he noticed a weakness that would aid Spike. She was uncomfortable when more that one attacked her at a time. She had dealt with the team up on her, but he could see the fear and indecision in her eyes at first. Once she found a way to get it to where it was one on one that disappeared. He watched as the trio left to patrol another area of the town. He waited till they were completely out of sight and then lowered himself to the ground gently. Duncan went to the car and then returned to the factory to tell what he had seen.
The trio finished off their rounds in peace. The rest of the areas were quiet. Buffy said that she would stay at home for the night, and that she would be over early in the afternoon the following day. There was no mention of the change in training tactics for Dru she wanted it to be a surprise. She did remind Dru that she was supposed to call Kris and check in for the night once they got back to the mansion. Dru nodded. And started back to the mansion knowing that Angel would catch up to her quickly once he had said his goodbyes to Buffy. There was something about the attack in the cemetery that bothered her, but she hadn't said anything about it. She figured it was just the fact she was nervous when two of them came after her instead of one. She shrugged it off, and smiled when she heard Angel walking up behind her. She could smell a hint of Buffy on his clothes. Angel made sure that he let Dru know it was him behind her this time by calling her name softly. He remembered her reaction to the last time he snuck up behind her in the library. He knew she didn't have enough control to stop the way Buffy did yet. She was learning, but it would take time to learn how to stop in a split second. Dru nodded letting him know that she had heard him. He caught up and walked beside her the rest of the way home. They talked about the fight, but Dru never mentioned the uneasy feeling she had. She didn't want him to worry about her for no reason.
Once back at the mansion, she called Kris to check in. Kris listened to what Dru told her about the fight and how she handled it. She was proud of Dru and told her so. Dru hung up, but still didn't mention her unease about the fight. She told Angel goodnight, and headed to her room to do a bit of an entry in her diary before going to bed. The uneasy feeling had started disappearing, but it wasn't completely gone. She fell into a troubled sleep.
Angel went to the library to get in a little reading before going to bed. He wasn't tired yet, and wanted to relax. He grabbed one of the poetry books and started to read. The poems were soothing and eased the vampire. He was pleased with the way Dru had been dealing, and was happy that she hadn't ran into Spike tonight. He wasn't sure if she could handle any more run-ins with him. The last couple of nights were very quiet. He had a feeling that tonight was planned, but it was in the back of his mind so it didn't trouble him much. They had survived the attack at least, so that was good.
Buffy went to bed after she got her a yogurt cup and ate it. She had wanted a quick snack after that fight in the cemetery. She did her diary entry while she ate. She finished up placing it back in her dresser drawer. She threw her cup in the trash and washed the spoon quickly. Once completed, she got changed and crawled into bed. Buffy fell asleep quickly. She started dreaming after being asleep for about an hour.
Buffy is walking through a series of twists and turns. She doesn't know where she is going, but feels that she has to find out. There is a mist that surrounds her and makes it difficult to see around her. She can hear a man's voice chanting, and that is her guide. She hears screaming, but isn't sure as to who it is. "Why Spike? Why are you doing this to me? Make him stop! It hurts, it really hurts! Buffy, Angel where are you? I can't fight this pain! I need your help. Please help me." Buffy recognizes the voice now. She is close enough to see Dru dressed in her red and black dress. Dru is tied to an ancient throne-like chair. Spike is near by and laughing at her screams. Buffy sees an older gentleman dressed in robes of an ancient wizard. She hasn't ever saw him before, but has a feeling that he is the one causing the pain that Dru is feeling. She tries to help her, but is stopped by an invisible wall. Buffy starts yelling telling Dru to hang on and not to give up. Dru is still screaming and crying. Buffy can tell she is in a lot of pain, but can't seem to get close enough to help her. Buffy starts beating on the invisible barrier, but it does no good. She watches as the mists blur her vision. The last thing she hears is Dru screaming for her partner to save her.
Buffy wakes in a cold sweat. She glances at the red number on the clock near her bed. She has only been asleep for a few hours. That dream she had seemed way to real. It reminded her of the prophetic dreams she often had. Buffy was sure that this had been another one warning her of danger that was about to come to her partner. Buffy tried to figure out where that maze was located that she had been wandering through. It didn't seem to fit anything or anyplace that she knew of. She wondered if Dru had shared her dream as Angel once had and decided to call the mansion.
Angel woke to the sound of Dru's screams. He had fallen asleep in the library where he was reading. He could hear her calling for him and Buffy to come and save her. Angel ran to Dru's room to wake her up. Once he got there, he saw her sitting straight up in bed. He could see the fear in her eyes. It was pure terror. He grabbed her and tried to force her to focus on him. He needed to get her mind to accept the fact that she was safe at the mansion before he could even think about getting her to calm down. As Dru's eyes focused on Angel's, she started calming down. She hugged him and cried on his shoulder. It took time, but her mind finally accepted the fact that she was safe. He heard the phone ring, and told Dru he would be back. She nodded understanding and let him go to answer the phone. He picked up the cordless one in his room so that he could take it with him. "Hello? Buffy? What are you doing up? You had a dream about Dru? Yes, I think she shared it. She just woke up screaming here too. No, she hasn't said why. I did hear part of her screams. She was yelling for me and you to save her from something. She's pretty shaken up." Angel sat down on Dru's bed and held her. "Yes, she's right here. No, I have the cordless. I'll let you talk to her. Sure, I'll stay near her. I don't want you sneaking out without your mom knowing where you are. Buffy, you'll be stopping over tomorrow. Here's Dru."
Angel hands Dru the phone telling her Buffy is on the other line. "Hi, partner. Yes, I'm ok. I remember seeing you beating on some sort of wall that couldn't be seen. I don't know where the place was. I haven't seen it before. The guy in the robes? Yes, I think I've seen him before. He's a friend of Spike's. Hmmmm......I think he's called Duncan. No, he was a business associate of his years ago. Yes, this was just like the dreams I had before Miss Howe showed up to train me. What are they? A slayer's warning dreams huh? I guess that means Spike hasn't taken the hint yet. He wants me back still. I have no idea what type of chant that was, but I could feel what was causing the pain. It was like a part of me was being torn in half. Like I said, it felt pretty real. Sure, I'll try to get some rest. Should we tell Giles and Kris? Sure, I'll let you call him. No, I really don't trust her. Ok, let's talk to Giles before we tell her then. Thanks, Buffy. Night. Here's Angel." She handed him the phone back and pulled the covers up. She was going to try to get some rest.
Angel walked out of the room and towards his once Dru laid down. He was going to stick close to her. He placed the phone to his ear. "I'm back Buffy. She's laying down now. You seemed to help calm her down. How did you know to call? Oh, just felt like you should. Thanks, anyway. She needed to hear your voice I guess. What was this about Duncan? Yes, I know him. He's a wizard of some sort, I think. No, he runs a legitimate business on the side. You think he's in town? I guess that would explain the dream. Dru always did seem to know things before they happened. Spike might have him here to take Dru's soul from her. I know, she did say that it felt like she was being torn in half. Baby, that's how I felt when I lost mine. I could be wrong though. I'll wait up for a while longer, but I still think it would be best if you just came over tomorrow. Yes, go ahead and call Giles tonight. I'll be seeing you tomorrow though. Get some rest Buffy. I'll be here if it happens again. Night, honey." Angel hung up the phone and went to check on Dru. She was asleep, and didn't seem to be having any bad dreams. He went to bed and fell into a light sleep just in case she should start dreaming again.
The phone at Giles's apartment rang. He reached over and grabbed it on the
fourth ring. "Hello?" came the sleepy voice. "Giles? It's Buffy. Sorry to wake you. We may have a problem. I had a dream tonight that gave me the
wiggins." Giles sat up. "A dream? Like a prophetic type dream? Tell me about it." Buffy told him about the dream she had. She also told him about
the fact that Dru shared it with her. Giles listened to her every word.
"So, you think that this Duncan is in town to steal Dru's soul? Do you think
it will happen? I know what Willow said, but what about Dru? Do you think
she would agree to losing it? That's good. At least, she is trying to stay
strong. I will accompany you to Angel's tomorrow afternoon. I'm beginning
to wonder if we shouldn't let Kris know what is going on. After all, she is
Dru's watcher. I will talk to her in the morning. I won't let her kill Dru. It isn't Dru's fault that she is being hunted by Spike. I'm glad to hear
that she is gaining more skills though. Taking on more than one isn't the
easiest to do. That's good, I'll let Kris know everything that I feel she
should know. Night Buffy." Giles hung up. Buffy's call had been
unexpected, but he knew that if she was having a prophetic dream that it
shouldn't be ignored. He was disturbed by the fact that Dru had shared this
dream with Buffy. That made him more than positive that it would occur, but
he didn't know when. That was the upsetting part. He tried to get some rest
knowing that the following day would be starting early. He had to call Kris
in the morning. He would make her understand things the way he did when he
came to Dru. He fell into a restless sleep with that thought on his mind.