Episode 1

He didn’t dream often, and never while he was awake. It was Dru’s gig, getting images from her illustrious “stars”. But there was no denying what he’d seen…

A girl. Blonde. Strong.

The Slayer.

Spike grinned. It had been awhile since he’d matched wits with a slayer. Had himself one good day.

~*~*~*~*~

Plagued with memories of her old life and worried about starting off fresh someplace new kept Buffy from falling asleep. Though when she finally did, she dreamed.

Of dark places and a powerful-looking vampire dressed in leather.

“Buck up, love. Can’t let Bat-face out of his cage.”



Episode 2

She could feel him, standing over her shoulder. Close but not too close. His accented voice sent shivers down her spine as he spoken quietly in her ear.

“It’s like the watcher said, pet. Gotta stretch your senses. You should know who they are even with the human mask.”

Buffy turned around, knowing instinctively that someone – some thing – was there. Her eyes narrowed upon spying the creepy guy from a few nights ago.

“What—?”

“I thought you would have figured it out before now…”

“You showed up just to tell me that?”

“Uh…”

“Look. Gotta run. Friends to save.”



Episode 3

He probably shouldn’t have had that last bottle of JD. Or topped off his tanks with a whacked out junkie.

His dreams were already plagued enough with the blonde Slayer he’d yet to meet. Dreams that made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Now she was wearing a skirt that barely covered her ass – nice in the grand scheme of things since it gave him a perfect view of tanned, lean legs. But the things she was shaking in her hands were giving him a headache.

“Poor Spike,” Drusilla whispered, petting his hair soothingly. “Sunlight has her claws in you, doesn’t she?”



Episode 4

The mysterious brunette disappeared into the crowd and Buffy snuggled into the borrowed leather coat she wore. Her eyes closed briefly and the music melted away.

Then he was there, the man from her dreams. Wearing a leather coat… like her. But his was different somehow. Longer. Softer.

Pale hands slid around her waist and Buffy grasped the arms that held her tight, marveling at the differences between the two textures.

“Wanna see you wearing nothing but my duster.”

She shivered as he nuzzled her neck…

“… like that?”

Buffy’s eyes snapped open, face flaming at the bartender’s enquiring look.



Episode 5

Buffy pouted on her way to the Bronze, late for her date, Giles’ warning for secrecy ringing in her ears. ‘No Slayer reveal-o. Check.’

Cordelia already had Owen clasped tight, so Buffy went home. Maybe she could have the hot blond stranger dream again.

~*~*~*~*~

Spike shrugged himself out of Drusilla’s cold grasp and stood, naked, at the window, moon shimmering as a haze of gold peeped around it, heralding the sunrise.

Prague was getting old and his demon was feeling jittery – something that had always foretold of impending trouble in the past. Probably time to be moving on then.



Episode 6

Spike was in a murderous rage. He’d fought, fed, and fucked - all in an attempt to rid himself of the jealousy he’d felt.

On some level, he knew it was irrational. Crazy even. She was the Slayer, his enemy. Never mind his thoroughly sated and slumbering sire resting comfortably beside him – his wicked plum, his sole reason for being.

But that quiet voice, the one that had been buried deep inside his subconscious so long ago by his demon, whispered “his”. The girl belonged to him.

And no mongrel beast was going to try and take her away either.



Episode 7

“Oh my god! I kissed a vampire! An actual VAMPIRE,” Buffy muttered as she scrubbed at her lips. “Giles will freak out with the honing lecture!”

All the same, as she sat on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes, she admitted to herself that the reason she hadn’t realised was that she craved it. Cool skin. Dead breath. The demon inside.

But the vampire was wrong. The wrong build, the wrong size, the wrong hair. The wrong man.

The vampire she craved was slighter, more compact. Hair like iced diamond, cocky – and a tongue like liquid sin.



Episode 8

It was freaky. Willow with a boyfriend? Xander was all bug-eyed about it, and Buffy was about ready to join him. But Willow wasn’t the only one with a secret lover, was she? Granted, Buffy’s was totally imaginary, but wow – he seemed real. Cool skin, firm, full lips; long talented fingers that knew exactly how to make her scream...

Maybe it wasn’t so different, virtual reality and dream reality. And Buffy wasn’t about to give up her dream guy for anybody.

~*~*~*~*~

Spike sighed in his sleep and dreamed that the inert corpse at his side was warm, supple, and blonde.



Episode 9

Buffy squirmed in her sleep. She was dreaming of being chased by Sid's dummy, its little stick legs pistoning faster as it gained on her. She whimpered, looked behind her – and ran straight into an unyielding body, firm and cool.

“Hey, love, you runnin’ from a big bad? I’ve got you now...”

She smiled, recognising the gruff tone of her dream lover, inhaling his scent. Feeling safe.

Buffy raised her lips to meet his...

The skittering of tiny feet drew her back from her dream, her howl of loss becoming a yelp of fear.

Dummies totally gave her the wig.



Episode 10

Spike stood in black night looking out onto daylight and lots of happy meals on legs. Ripe and young, too. His mouth watered. He didn’t have a buggering clue how he’d gotten here, but here wasn’t too bad... and getting better...

~*~*~*~*~

Buffy stilled as she crossed the quadrangle towards the patch of darkness, Billy by her side. Somebody was watching her; somebody familiar – and yet not.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in his bed, Spike gasped, sitting up, Drusilla stirring by his side. He shuddered; he had the feeling he’d be burned by his dream girl in time, yet he longed to touch just the same.



Episode 11

Seeing Xander and Willow walk off together, finishing each other’s sentences as they went, brought home the fact that she was merely an outsider in their little group.

Once more she had trouble sleeping, but wasn’t surprised by the visit from her dream lover.

“Chosen One, luv. You’re destined to walk alone, but for the demons you share the night with,” he told her, like he could see inside her head.

“And what about you? Do I only get you in my dreams?”

In answer, he pulled her close and bent his head for a kiss.

“For now…”



Episode 12

Like a stake through the heart, the pain nearly brought Spike to his knees. He gasped – tried to draw air into lungs long dead. Barely paid notice as his dinner escaped.

His dream girl was gone. Her life snuffed out like it never was.

He wanted to cry against the fates. Rage at what would never be.

Then suddenly she was back, her presence filling his entire being, centering in an area he thought forever lost to him and radiating outward.

Consuming him.

He knew then that he had to find this girl. The golden-haired Slayer that haunted his dreams.