See Prologue for Disclaimer

Part 3

The gang was gathered in the library, when Buffy and Angel went in.  "Buffy!" Xander shouted, as they came in.  Everyone looked up at Xander's exclamation.

"I'll get the first aid," Willow said, as she ran towards Giles office.

"What happened?" Giles asked, as Buffy helped Angel sit down before sitting on the table.

"We were attacked out front," Buffy said.

"In the sunlight?" Oz asked.

"Yeah, there were 6 of them and a leader.  They sent four after Angel and two after me.  Angel got the worst of it," Buffy told them, as Willow returned with the first aid kit.

"Then they didn't know you're the slayer?" Willow asked as Giles started working on Angel.

"I don't think so.  They obviously weren't expecting me to put up much of a fight."

"What did they want?" Giles asked.

"They wanted to kidnap us.  The leader said they wanted us alive.  I don't know why," Buffy replied.

"They were Romani.  I saw one of their rings.  I'm pretty much on their highest enemies list," Angel replied.

"Romani?!  Well that would explain why they were after you, but why try to capture Buffy as well?" Giles asked.

"Last time they put a curse on me to torture me.  If they found out about the spell Harmony cast, they might be looking for a new way to torture me," Angel replied.

"And killing Buffy would be the best way to do it," Willow said.

"I thought you said they wanted you both alive," Cordy said.

"Well, that could have just been to make sure there were no witnesses," Oz supplied.

"Maybe, it gets weirder though Giles.  I had a dream last night that I was attacked by a man with knife, just like today except a different guy was holding the knife and that leader guy was in my dream too," Buffy told them.

"What??" Giles and Angel exclaimed.

"Wow," Oz said in awe.

"Buffy's dreams score again," Xander said.

"Could this be an after effect from the time, when everybody's nightmares came true?" Willow asked.

"I don't think so.  These aren't nightmares, they don't even feel like dreams.  Besides they're not coming true.  This guy didn't attack me and Angel in my dream," Buffy said.

"Are you sure the leader was the man from your dream?" Giles asked.

"Way positive," Buffy confirmed.

"What happened in your dream?" Angel asked.

"There was a campfire and two men were arguing over it.  The leader and this other guy.  Finally, the gypsy from today lost the fight and stepped back.  He hung his head in shame and looked at me, like he was trying to say he was sorry.  The other man came towards me ... he was definitely evil ... he looked like he was going to enjoy hurting me.  Then Angel was in the background being held by two men.  He was trying to get free, but he couldn't and he was calling my name.  Then I looked up, and the mean guy was over me about to stab me with a knife.  And then I woke up," Buffy said.

"So the gypsy was a good guy in your dream?" Xander asked.

"Yep."

"Why would he attack us, if he was on our side?" Angel asked.

"I don't know," Buffy said.

"Buffy," Giles said thoughtfully, "You said these didn't feel like dreams.  Do you mean to say you've had more than one?"

"Sure.  There was the time when they were trying to raise the master from his bones, and the dreams I had before the Judge was reassembled, and when James and Grace were in my dreams."

"Who?" Angel asked.

"The ghosts," Willow said.  Angel still had a blank expression on his face.

"The ones that were causing all that weird stuff to happen at the school," Xander supplied.  Angel was still lost.

"The snakes, the wasps, the reenactments," Cordy said.

"Grace is the one that took over Angelus, James took over me.  They took over us at the school, had a big fight, I shot you, you fell over the rail, and then you saved me in the music room," Buffy told him.

"Those were ghosts?" Angel asked.

"Yep," Buffy replied.

"Buffy, you said that your dreams didn't feel like dreams," Giles said.

"Yeah, well sort of.  They felt like dreams, but they didn't feel like normal dreams.  Plus they gave me this huge wiggin's.  They remind me of something ... I know!" Buffy exclaimed as she laid eyes on the book titled "Vampyre".  She went over and picked it up.  "It remind me of the dreams I used to have, when I first came to Sunnydale.  The dreams always gave me a major wiggin's and this book was always in the dreams.  Then I show up for text books in the library and you show me this.  The exact same book as the one in my dreams!"

"They're like those dreams?!  Why didn't I see this before?" Giles exclaimed.

"What?" Xander asked.

"All slayers have the dreams when they first become the slayer.  All slayers have special powers and the level of power varies although there are some constants," Giles said as he was looking through a bookshelf, "All slayers have the super strength, the enhanced hearing, and the faster healing rate.  Most also have a sixth sense that allows them to sense vampires.  For some this sense is with them from the start, and with some it manifests after awhile.  In some cases, where the slayer is brought to a large mystical disturbance like the Hell Mouth, this sense has extended towards any unnatural phenomenon.  The dreams happen to all slayers, but ... yes here it is," Giles said pointing to a passage in the book, "'The initial dreams can last for only a few days or up to a year or more.  They are dreams of slaying vampires, vampires feeding and of the 'Vampyre'.  They are the signal that the girl has the powers of a slayer.  The dreams will leave as soon as she accepts her duty.  The prophetic dreams are dreams that give the sleeper a clue of what is to come.  Every few hundred years, a time of great enough peril arises and a slayer will have a prophetic dream, but in all of history, only 5 slayers have ever been prophetic dreamers.  Slayers that did not always have these dreams at a time of great peril.  Two of the slayers were daughters of seers, one was born on the Hellmouth, and two were the slayers during the two worst times in history.'  Don't you see?  It simply means that you are coming into your full power.  Some slayers are late, although I've never heard of one taking quite this long, but if you started having the dreams last summer it wouldn't be unheard of.  I just never thought that your 'wiggin's' could be the extension of the sixth sense."

"But I don't have the sixth sense Giles.  I can't feel vampires.  Sometimes I know when someone's following me, but I can't tell if they're a vampire or not," Buffy said, her frustration evident in her voice.

"But you definitely get a wiggin's when their something weird going on," Xander said.

"Yeah, but I don't get a wiggin's everytime," Buffy replied.

"Well maybe it's like slayer instinct.  I mean we all have instincts, but they only act up sometimes.  And yours usually acts up when we have nothing to go, so that could just mean when we're on the right track and doing what your gut or you instinct wants, it doesn't act up," Willow said.

"So that explains the wiggin's, but why is she having the prophetic dreams?  She wasn't born here," Cordy said.

"Mom's not a seer," Buffy added.

"And it's not one of the greatest perils ever.  Is it?" Oz asked.

"No," Angel said.

"So why's she having the dreams?" Cordy asked again.

"Maybe it's cause the Hellmouth opened," Xander suggested.

"No.  If that was one of the greatest perils in history, I should have had a dream about it and I didn't," Buffy said.

"These dreams started after you died, right?" Willow asked.

"Yeah."

"Well maybe that's it.  I mean, we know that Buffy dying and coming back messed up the mystical balance.  It made Kendra the Slayer," Willow said.

"Yeah and Buffy easily kicked the Master's butt after that," Xander chimed in.

"That's right.  He tried to do the hypnosis thing again, but it didn't work.  And I felt stronger than I ever had before.  I never thought about it.  Giles, is it possible?" Buffy asked.

"I suppose so-"

"Great.  Then we know that the gypsy guy appeared in my dream means something," Buffy said.

"But if the gypsy appeared in your dream as a good guy, why would he attack you?" Cordy asked.

"He didn't attack us until the end.  He just ordered his men to capture us," Angel said.

"Maybe he had to capture you two for a ritual, he didn't like," Willow suggested.

"Or it's an army thing.  He was just following orders whether he liked them or not," Xander chimed in.

"But if all the gypsies hate Angel, why would he be sad about capturing them?" Cordy asked.

"The Romani hate me, not all gypsies," Angel said.

"Maybe he didn't want to capture Buffy.  They wouldn't hate us all, just 'cause we're Angel's friends, would they?" Oz suggested.

"They might.  Willow, you and Oz try to find something about the Romani on those dread machines.  The rest of us can try to find something in the books," Giles said.

"I'll get snacks," Xander said, jumping up and heading out the door.

"I'll help," Cordy said as she followed him out.

"I have a feeling they won't be back for awhile," Buffy said.

"They probably won't have any snacks either," Willow added.  They laughed as Giles headed off into the stacks.

"So, how are you doing?" Buffy asked Angel.

"Okay.  Being human hurts more than I remember."

"Don't worry.  The sun'll be down in a few hours and you'll be healing at your normal rate again."

"How are you doing?"

"Fine, as long as Giles doesn't remember I'm supposed to be having a training session right now."

"Buffy, when Xander and Cordelia get back to take over the researching, we can have your training session," Giles called from the back of the stacks.  Buffy groaned and Angel smiled in amusement at her.

Part 4
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