The Dream Master: Part Four
by BuffyTVSfan
A little later, Willow and Giles sat on the couch opposite Joyce. It had taken them all of their persuasive capabilities to get her to leave Buffy alone for a few moments. They were drinking coffee--well, Willow and Joyce were. Giles, British as ever, was having tea--and finally Giles gathered enough courage to start the conversation.

"Do ah... do you believe in demons?" he asked.

Joyce looked up, surprised at the question. "Demons?"

"Demons, yes. Ah... vampires, werewolves, poltergeist, that sort of thing." Giles tried to sound casual. He couldn't give too much away. Joyce didn't know her daughter was the Slayer, and he had every intention of keeping it that way.

"No," Joyce said just a whiff too fast. "I don't believe in fairy-tales."

"Well," Giles started, trying to find the right words. It was the answer he had expected, though he had hoped she would have said something else. "Far be it from me to tell you what to believe, but ah..." He paused for a second. He took a deep breath, and continued. "...I believe Buffy is being plagued by a demon."

"What?"

"A demon. This one comes like a thief in the night and preys on dreams and nightmares. It ah... it invades one's mind and takes control of one's dreams, and forces them out. Forces them to reveal their evil. It brings out the worst of the subconscious... the nightmares being more intense and terrifying than anything the brain can come up with by itself. It then feeds off the fear thus released. It wears its prey out until they can take no more. Until they die."

"Die? You've got to be kidding me. Willow?" She turned to Willow, but the girl said nothing. Joyce realized she was alone in her disbelief and sunk back in the cushions of her couch. Giles took Willow's hand as he got up and guided her into the hallway.

"I want you to stay with Buffy. What I didn't say is that this demons differs slightly from Moloch or the Master. They were out for world domination... this one just wants to destroy it." Willow stared into Giles' eyes. She could see he was serious. "Now, normally, he would have to feed off hundreds of victims, but Buffy's no ordinary victim. He must know that by now. I think he's letting her live so he can continue to come back and feed. If he keeps this up, he will soon be strong enough."

"So now what?" There was no fear in the girl's voice, despite the seriousness of the situation. It pleased him. She might make a fine Watcher someday.

"I'm, going back to the library to see if I can find that second prophecy. You stay with Buffy. Don't let her slip too deep into her nightmares. And try to get Joyce to leave. The farther she's away when we act, the better."

Willow nodded and went up the stairs to Buffy's room. Giles looked into the living room where Joyce still sat. Silently, he left the house and went back to the library.


* * *
It was deep in the night when Giles woke up. His head was lying on one of the books, one of the many that were lying on the table. He raised his head, trying to remember where he was. His watch told him it was four in the morning. How long he'd slept he didn't know, but a feeling of guilt came over him. Here he was, taking a nap, while Buffy hadn't slept well in days. And then there were the precious hours he had lost.

He took a moment to gather and organize his thoughts, and then read the piece of paper in front of him. He had found what he was looking for. Had he ever.

In his mind, he thought it over again. The demon now had a name--Bahreil. In a small booklet, Giles had found the confirmation he was looking for, the second prophecy. It foretold the rise of the demon and the end of the world. Again. According to this prophecy, the Slayer would play some role in the demon's rise. If he'd translated and interpreted the ancient scriptures correctly.

He wondered. What role? Buffy's role had been crucial in the Master's escape from his confinement as well. Then, he had misinterpreted a small detail. Was this the same? If he hadn't said anything about Aurelius' prophecy back then, Buffy would have never faced the Master, and he would have never been freed. Was he making the wrong assumptions again?

Firmly, Giles forced himself to stop doubting himself. As long as he was doubting himself, he was putting Buffy in unnecessary dangers. Besides, it's always easy second-guessing yourself in the end. He told himself he'd made the right decisions back then, and there was nothing else he could have done.

Instead of easing his mind, these thoughts started more doubts. Sure, Buffy may have defeated the prophecies before, but that was when she had been at the height of her strength. And now... now she wouldn't be strong enough to tear a piece of paper.

Giles forced the thoughts from his mind. There were more important things to be done. He still hadn't translated the last part of the scriptures, which he believed held a clue as to how to defeat the demon. He collected his dictionaries and started working on translating the final part.


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