He could feel them, stalking him from the shadows. Their presence made his skin crawl and shudder as if he were trapped in the horror of his own fear driven nightmares, his dark eyes flicked around his voluminous living room, and realising with a growing dread that he was too far from his weapon and they were too many enemies for him to get to it quickly.

He closed his eyes and he began to dance to a tune only he could hear, and with every graceful step the fear that threatened to overwhelm him seemed to grow ever more distant, and the he felt the calm confidence of victory fill him.

The flat of his palm drove into the face of the first attacker as she charged towards him; tears and confusion tore the adrenaline from her body as his strike destroyed her nose and upper jaw. His elbow lashed out in blur to his right with devastating accuracy into the neck of the second attacker, killing her instantly as her neck shattered, and using the dead bodies own momentum he twisted it around driving the outstretched stake into first slayer's staggering form.

He charged at the two slayers that emerged in front of him, one fumbled nervously with a crossbow, the other standing over her protectively with a cross and a stake.

He leapt over them, the nervous slayer tracking him as he twisted majestically through the air, but the two girls were standing too close together, with an involuntary jerk she pulled the trigger as they collided, the bolt burst through the skull of her protector.

The girl crumpled to the floor, her eyes watched unseeing as he landed on a piece on a piece of heavy furniture using it as springboard to leap onto one of the room's overhanging balconies. He felt the air shudder with magic, using all his supernatural strength he leapt to opposite balcony, as a large wall of flame engulfed the wood of the overhang. From the opposite side he barely paused as he leapt to far wall, his claws tore through the ancient tapestry that clung to the wall, controlling his rapid descent.

Gripping his sword, he spun away from the wall launching himself at the witch.

There was a dull metallic ring as another blade parried his, just millimetres from the now terrified witches head.

This slayer had skill and experience, he could feel as she blocked and parried his blows their blades glinting in the glowing silver of the moonlight.

The air hissed with magic once more, and he drove himself into the slim body of the slayer.

The fireball scorched the air above them, and engulfed the comatose slayer behind them; her broken mind barely registered the pain before she died.

He and the remaining slayer leapt to their feet at the same time, their blades twitching at the ready, suddenly he relaxed slightly and a broad grin spread across his face, spinning he threw he blade behind him. The force of the blow as it struck the witch through her backwards pinning her dying body to one of the balconies supporting pillars.

"Willow!" The slayer screamed as she lunged forward, but he easily blocked the wild, grief driven blow. The blade dropped from the slayer's broken hand as his grip shattered her bones, he pulled her tight against his body, and she could feel his fangs caress her neck and his hot breath rumble in her ear.

"At least you died together." He whispered almost sadly, before sinking his teeth into her neck.

XxxX

Faith charged into Hyperion's lobby as Buffy's terror filled scream echoed throughout the Hotel.

"What is it?" The dark haired slayer spun around her stake at the ready, as she searched for the danger that had terrified her blonde counterpart. Instantly, however, she realised it wasn't a scream of fright or terror, but of grief. The blonde slayer was backing away from the reception desk tears filling her eyes, the phone swinging in the air and with her slayer hearing she could hear Giles voice desperately calling for Buffy.

"It's okay, it's okay." She whispered as she gathered up the falling blonde, part of her mind shocked at how small and weak the other slayer suddenly seemed.

The rest of the gang quickly appeared in the lobby, their own weapons at the ready, Angel and Gunn lead the charge, giant axes at the ready. Wesley provided cover for them, looking like an extra from the Matrix with his guns drawn, and finally a still injured Robin brought up the rear.

"What is it?" "Where is it?" They asked in a jumbled mess.

Silently, Faith just pointed to the still swinging phone before returning to comforting the trembling blonde.

"The phone that's n…" Gunn started, his mind still caught up in the adrenaline of the charge.

"Be quiet Charles," Wesley shushed, immediately taking charge as he to realised that Buffy's scream had nothing to do with any physical danger. "There's no danger, why don't you help Robin, Angel why..." His order unnecessary as the souled vampire moved toward the two slayers, and without further comment he picked up the phone. "Hello Rupert…yes she's here…no not at the moment, what happened? Oh dear god." He stammered, before he too dropped the phone.

"Angel." Wesley called softly, his eyes closed and his breathing deep, as if he were trying to forcefully control his own emotions. "Angel." He called again.

"What?" The vampire snarled, turning away from the distraught.

"A word please."

"Not now Wesley." Angel growled at the Englishman.

"Angel, please."

"Fine."

Faith watched as the pair disappeared into the office, she watched as the vampire began to rant angrily at her former watcher, the magical soundproofing they'd installed keeping their voices to an indistinct mumble. Wesley interrupted the souled vampire with three short words, Angel's anger halted with the finality of a stake through the heart and he collapsed into the office's chair. There reactions combined, with Buffy's barely understandable sobs, confirmed what Faith feared to accept: Willow was dead.

XxxX

He stumbled from his home, the flames from the witch's magic engulfing its ancient walls. The euphoria of the slayer's blood and victory pumped through his veins, but battling against it was the grief and shame of what he had done, the demon and the man battled deep within him as he screamed into the night, as he remembered…

…The door exploded as the flame touched the gunpowder, dust and smoke enveloped his bloodied men as they burst into his grand home, but not even the smell of the explosion could overcome he stench of death that assaulted them.

"Nonononononono." He stammered as his eyes were drawn from the pools of thick, black blood that spread like evil seas across his hard floor.

His mind tried to rebel against the images that his eyes seared upon it, for hanging above them, like the devil's own chandeliers were his family. Their bloodless bodies hanging limp from a thousand tiny hooks, their bodies showed the intimate torture they had suffered prior to their deaths, even his son and baby daughter had not been spared from that shame, but from jagged tears that had been ripped into them, that was not the only vile act visited upon them before their deaths

And painted in blood on the ceiling above were the words: `this is but the start, you'll know my pain, before my vengeance is done'…

…He could feel the dawn begin to break in the distance as he fell into unconsciousness, the demon's fearful screams at the approaching sun driving him further into the beckoning darkness. His last thought before it engulfed him, was his hope that this time the dawn would indeed bring the death the demon so feared.

XxxX

Gwen snuggled back into the arms of her dream lover; the warm water and the soft, thick foam were as relaxing as the knowing fingers that caressed her skin.

"Are you feeling better now?" The soft, feminine voice tickled her ear.

"Yesss." Gwen all but purred, as her lover's fingers touched an enjoyably sensitive part of her body.

"I'm glad, b-but you were hurt." The women's voice was filled with worry and concern at same time.

"It was nothing, I was pulled up to quick and early, I just pulled a muscle." She brushed the other women's concern away.

"I was worried." The women mumbled quietly.

"Hey it was nothing, I promise you, faulty equipment, no men, dogs or security device, just a mechanical glitch." Gwen turned in the other women's arms, sometimes she was surprised that the lover in her dreams was a women, it had been faceless until recently, and she had always believed it to be a man. Her initial fears had quickly vanished though under the women's loving touch and gentle manner, and in these vivid dreams she found herself living a life she could not have in the real world.

"I wish we could too." The other women cooed soothingly as she pulled the thief into her arms, seeing the darkness cloud under her eyes and instinctively knowing what the other women was thinking.

Gwen moaned softly as lips touched her own, her thoughts suddenly filled with equal parts love and desire as kisses danced along her skin. Gwen could feel the gentle tickle of electricity linger on her skin after each kiss, and her soft moans turned to a deep throaty groan as her lover's lips reached the gentle swell of her breast.

Her body hummed in anticipation, already feeling those lips on the rest of he…

Suddenly she was cold and alone, the warm bath gone and thunder and rain raged around her. A barren wasteland surrounded her; twisted trees shuddered in howling winds. Though worse than the dark nightmare landscape that surrounded her, was the image of her lover rolling on the floor, lightening and flames covering her body like rivers of pain, and her tortured grief filled screams that echoed in the very depths of Gwen's mind…

Gwen woke screaming, the bedside lamp shattering as she touched. Her butler found her soon after, naked and curled up in the corner of her luxurious bedroom, her hands gripping her ears as if she was trying to block out a terrible sound that only she could hear.