"I have been out all night and still nothing".  She said to herself.  She was never the patient type. 

       As if an answer to her thought, she heard a rustle in the bushes to her left.  She crept up to them very slowly so as not to lose whatever it was.  Suddenly, almost lightning fast, a snarl and a blurred figure jumped out and attacked the girl, baring its fangs and clawed hands.  In almost that same instant, the sound of raw flesh being punctured rang out in the night and the creature dissolved into a pile of charred bone and ash.

       "They always have be loud, they can never go down quietly. hmmm, I think I broke a nail." 

       She decided, as she put away her stake, that she had better head back to her dorm, she did have a big test in the morning that she didn't study for.  The campus was just outside of Sunnydale; it did have an expanding forest to walk through.  Unfortunately, the forest was commonly populated by demons and vampires, which, as a good thing and a bad thing, made slaying a bit more convenient.  When she got back to her dorm room Willow was already asleep.

       "At least she'll be getting some of that, I've got some studying to do."  Before she pulled out the books she checked what messages there were.

       She became shocked when she read the only message that Willow had left. It had written-
"Buffy, try not to be too upset when you read this, but Angel is coming into town for a while and well, I wanted you to know first. Sweet dreams." 

       Buffy knew, now, that she wouldn't even be able to study tonight, so much as sleep.  Angel.

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             Sunnydale Woods, Wednesday, 3: 46 AM.

       Rage.  Hunger.  Vengeance.

       These were the only feelings and thoughts he had at this time.  The only thoughts he believed he ever had.  I must remember, he thought to himself, I must remember what happened to me.  It hurt to dig into his own mind, searching for those memories, the ones he thought could never have happened but believed that they did.  He beat at his head to try and force them out but with no such luck.  He collapsed in his efforts, too tired to move, too tired to even think.  The earth beneath him seemed to be a completely new sensation to him, the same was with the breeze and plants near by, and it was as if he had never felt them before.

       The world had changed to him, that much was obvious, but how much?  He could hear voices coming closer and with what strength he had, he pushed himself up and ran to seek shelter.  He would try to remember who and what he was later.

       Rage.  Hunger.  Vengeance.

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            Sunnydale Cemetery, Wednesday, 7: 21 AM.

       "Keep digging!  His crypt has got to be here somewhere!" Spike yelled.

       Vampires these days just keep getting more and more lazy, He thought, I've been cooped up down here for God knows how long, and I haven't fed in about that same time.  Spike looked around the crypt, it was dank, dark, and rat infested, and completely away from the Slayer's interests.  He liked it.  His problem was, however, that his workers were too slow, but he was almost too hungry to care about that.  Spike decided that he should go topside and find a helpless meal. 

       He walked up the stairs and opened the door that led outside.  He immediately jumped out of the way as sunlight poured in, barely setting him on fire.  Unfortunately, the light hit one of the workers who instantly burst into flames.  Spike slammed the door shut, Great, he thought, Just great! I need to get a bloody clock down here.  Now I have to spend the day hungry and smelling burnt flesh, not that the smell is a bad thing, though I could use a few tortured screams with it, oh well, you take what you get.  The legends of this guy had better be right or I've been wasting good Slayer bashing time.

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          Sunnydale University, Wednesday, 7:53 AM.

       Morning.  Willow loved this time of day, come to think of it; she loved every time of the day, except the night, because that's when all the baddies come out.  That's the good thing about being friends with Buffy, I guess, Willow thought to herself.

       She sat up and saw that Buffy was at her desk staring into space with her books in front of her.

       "Good morning, Buffy.  Did you stay up studying all night?" Willow asked as she rose out of bed.

       ".What? Oh, hi Willow, is it morning already?  It seems like I just got in."

       "You must have gotten my message huh?"

       "About Angel?  Yeah, I did."

       "Is this Angel thing a touchy subject?"

       "Yeah, it is.  So if you don't mind let's drop it."

       "Oh, ok.  Uh, how was slaying last night, did ya get enough of vampires to make people think there was a bon fire?"

       "No, I only got one before I came back to study for my. oh S***!!!!"

       "What?  What is it?"

       "I have a test today and I didn't study for it!" Buffy said as she looked at her watch, "And my class starts in seven minutes!" Buffy immediately jumped out of her chair and grabbed her books.  Running past Willow and to the door, not even caring that she still had last night's clothes on.  "I just hope I can pass it with my usual 'D' average." She said as ran out the door to her class.

       Willow was still sitting in bed when all this took place.

       "Yep, she still has it for him.  Well, my class isn't for another hour, so I'll just get a little more sleep."  And with that, Willow fell back into bed.

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          Sunnydale Cemetery, Wednesday, 3:24 PM.

       "I think we found it!" Screamed Daniel.  The four others that were digging came over to their fellow vampire to help.  Upon hearing this, Spike ran down the stairs to see for himself.

       "You had better be sure about this Daniel or you're going to know what it's like to be the remains of a fireplace." Spike threatened.  He watched the vampires dig into the south sidewall.  The material gave away easily in large chunks of stone revealing a huge, dark, and open chamber.  Spike stepped inside and let his eyes adjust to the light.  As they did, he could make out figures of decayed bodies that were chained up to the walls, ancient torches that long ago burnt out, jagged rocks and crumbled pillars littered the floor, and in the center of it all was a large sarcophagus with an elaborate bat design on top of it.

       "This is it boys!" Spike yelled," This is the bastard that we've been looking for.  Now all we need is the Slayer."

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       A cave in Sunnydale Woods, Wednesday, 9:06 PM.

       Hunger.  Hunger.  Hunger.

       "Aaaaggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!", He screamed as if his chest were on fire, as if his stomach was about to burst. I must ignore this for now, I must, was the only thing he could think.
        He struggled with the pain, been struggling with it for hours but was too afraid to leave his shelter. There must be a way to cease this, there must! He thought.

       Hunger.  Hunger.  Hunger.  Hun-

       "Why can't this stop!?!" He screamed, "Why can't this... BLOOD!  I remember now, I must have blood.  That will stop the pain." With this realization, he left the confines of his cave in search of food.  Again the world was different, the moon shone high in the night sky, but with a different color.  The plants were unlike he had seen, and when he heard voices, the hunger came back again. 

       He hid behind the nearest tree so as not to be seen and waited for whomever or whatever was coming.  The voices grow closer by the minute as he tried to make out the conversation. Humans!  He thought, It has to be humans, their blood will stop this pain.

       "Come on babe, no one ever comes this deep into the woods.  We won't be seen."

       He was now beginning to hear what the humans were saying.  It was a male and a female walking together.  The male had black hair and was wearing covering he had never seen before, a pair of dark blue pants and a red torso covering.  The female had long brown hair and was wearing a tight, pink fabric over her body and black pants. 

       "Yeah, I guess you're right, no one in their right mind would be out here."

       "And we're alone, in the dark, and surrounded by nature, what could more sexy than this?"

       Two lovers apparently.  Love, a pathetic human emotion, this should be easy.  He thought.  He moved closer behind the male.

       "A big bed could be more sexy than this, but I am a little adventurous, come here you. oh my God, OH MY GOD WHAT THE F*** IS THAT!?!?!"

       And his instincts took over.  He jumped at the male who turned around just in time to have his head slashed off.  The female, still screaming, tried to turn and run but he caught her with ease.  He grabbed her head and left shoulder then sank his teeth into her neck.  And immediately vomited up the blood that made its way into his throat.  This isn't right, He thought, The blood is supposed to stop the pain.  Instead, the taste of blood disgusted him.  The female tried to run again, but she was slow from the pain of the wound, and for fear of what was after her.

       The pain was still eating away at him and he was determined to cease it.  He ran after the female, catching up to her in a matter of seconds and dug his claws into her back.  She died instantly.

       He didn't know what to do now.  He couldn't drink her blood, but something had urged him to kill the female, as if he had to do that before feeding.  As he sat to contemplate this, he saw something happen with the female.  From her body came an eerie green glow, that glow began to take the shape of a ball of energy that floated around the girl's body.  When he saw this, his hunger grew even more intense.  His body was moving on its own now, moving toward the energy.  When he reached it, he clasped it in his hands and could almost feel the girl there, not as if touching her body but as if feeling the memories and emotions of her life.  I know what this is, He thought to himself, this is that girl's very soul.  And my hunger is even more painful than ever now.  This is what I hunger for!  Without thinking he began to breathe in and the girl's soul was consumed into his own body.

       He was hit with a blow of warmth that soothed the pain that had been torturing him for hours.  At the same time, his mind was struck with painful blows of flash memories.  He could only remember feelings; he remembered claws ripping something from his back.  He remembered other claws dragging him along a rock platform.  He remembered the force that flung him into the air.  Then he remembered the pain.

       Tumbling and burning, falling and melting.  Unspeakable pain and relentless agony.  And finally awakening on the ground.  He fell back under the rush of those memories, and for the first time since he awoke this morning, he looked at himself.

       "No.  No.  NNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!  THIS CANNOT BE REAL, THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!!!"

       Unable to accept what he saw as a monster, he ran back to his cave.

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           Sunnydale Park, Wednesday, 9:16 PM.

       "Look Willow, I appreciate the company. hell, it beats patrolling alone, but I still don't understand why." Said Buffy.

       "Oh, no big reason.  I just thought that.uh.. you might be.uh.um. lonely tonight." Willow responded nervously. 

       They had been walking along the park for about an hour.  Buffy had been very quiet that evening and Willow knew why.  I'd better stay with her, Willow thought, this whole Angel thing seems to make her space out, even when it comes to slaying.

       "So how did you do on your test?" Willow asked.

       "What?  Oh, yeah the test, I think I was able to compete with Xander's average, no real offense to him though."

       "Oh, of course not, I mean, tests were never Xander's strong side anyway."

       "That's for sure.  Hmmm."

       "What is it?"

       "I don't know, it seems quiet, almost as quiet as last night."

       "Well that's good. right?  I mean, maybe the vampires and demons and monsters and."

       "I get it, Will."

       "Oh, sorry.  Maybe they decided to give the Slayer a break for once."

       Buffy turned to Willow with a very sarcastic look on her face.  The kind normally given to someone who had just said the stupidest thing in all human history.

       "Yeah, you're probably right, why would they have any reason too." Willow admitted.

       All of a sudden, Willow and Buffy were jumped by three vampires.  Willow tried to run but was immediately caught by one.  The other two were engaged in combat with Buffy.  She backhanded one, kicked its feet out from under it then rammed a stake into its heart.  Just as the vampire turned to dust, his friend knocked the stake out of Buffy's hand and grabbed her arms from behind her.

       "Well, well, well, look at that.  Daddy found some new toys for his kiddies." Said Spike.  He walked out from behind some bushes and stood in front of Buffy.

       "Oh haven't you heard that toys these days are very dangerous for kids?" Buffy replied as she tried to break the vampire's grip.

       "That's why they come with warning labels, love.  Oh, don't worry now, this won't take long.  Just know that Kain's going to enjoy what you have to give him." 

       With that, Spike knocked Buffy and Willow unconscious and pulled out a knife and jar.  He cut Buffy's arm and let some of the blood trickle into the jar.

       "That should be enough, drop 'em." Spike ordered.

       "We're not gonna have a meal?" One of the vampires asked.

       "No we are not, I want her alive to see what I have in store for her.  Now come on."

       And Spike and the vampires left Buffy and Willow in the middle of the park.