Please send me feedback. This is my first fanfic so it is much = appreciated! "Dreams?" part 1 by Neva=20 My Version of BtVS: This is an alternate universe. Willow is the one who = got Angel out of Hell; however, he is the only one who knows this is = Angel. Amy knows too but she is still a member of the rodent family in = my story. He and Buffy never had a relationship after this -- mostly = due to lack of interest on his part after being sent to Hell for a = couple of centuries. Oz and Willow never reconciled after the "Lover's = Walk" incident, and he left on tour with the Dingoes after the mayor was = defeated. Buffy is dating regularly but Willow hasn't been seeing = anyone. Xander is dating Anya.=20 This story is heavy on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer aspects. My Version of Highlander: This takes place after the show finale and at = approximately a couple months after the last episode of H: the Raven. I = missed many Highlander episodes so I am kind of winging it on all = details from the show. =20 Disclaimer: None of these characters (except one minor character) belong = to me. They belong to other people; I'm just borrowing them for a = little while (maybe a long while -- I am a slow writer). All rights and = properties of Highlander are owned by Rysher entertainment, and all = rights and properties of Buffy the Vampire Slayer owned by Joss Whedon, = Warner Bros. and Mutant Enemy, etc. (Okay the legal stuff is out of the = way.) =20 ** Note to Readers: Thoughts are indicated with < and > markings. ** -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------------------------------- =20 January 2000_ =20 <It's a good thing the LAPD computer system is ridiculously easy to hack = into. > The redheaded witch was finding it increasingly difficult to = keep her eyes open. Which, given that it was three in the afternoon and = she normally could function on a few hours sleep, was not good. = Cordelia was beginning to look worried. Her houseguest, who had had the = tact to say nothing about Cordelia's new living accommodations, looked = like she was about ready to pass out. =20 Not that the poor lighting in the detective agency was helping, but the = witch looked unhealthily pale. She also had purple circles under her = usually bright eyes. Cordelia wished that Angel would return early from = the case he working on. She hadn't seen him in five days. Willow had = just said she was having bad dreams and refused to say more, brushing = them off as unimportant. The young women's friendship was too new and = tentative for her to press the issue comfortably. But Cordy had learned = not long after coming to work for Angel that the witch and the vampire = were close friends. They were constantly e-mailing each other. He = could get her to confess whatever was bothering her. =20 <Maybe I should just call it quits for now. > The couch was looking far = too good. <Sleeping won't help though; I just wake up more tired. > = For the two weeks, beginning around finals, Willow had been having very = strange dreams that jumped from time period to time period at random. = Last night had been the Bronze Age. All of them were about a strange = woman she had never seen before. The woman was tall and regal; she = seemed to radiate power. The dreams were vivid, like she had stepped = inside a color TV. Every thing was three-dimensional. Willow was just = an audience; she could only observe, even when she wanted to help the = woman in the dreams. It didn't seem to matter what happened in the = dream; even if she was just watching the woman sit there it exhausted = Willow. Suddenly she realized she had drifted off right in front of the = computer. <Oops! > Cordelia had gone from looking worried to outright = alarmed. =20 "Are you sure you're ok?" Cordy's voice sounded genuinely worried. =20 "I'm fine; I just need to get something to eat," she smiled weakly and = shut down the computer," I got everything you needed anyway." =20 =20 Cordy had called two days ago to nervously ask Willow if she could came = bail her out since Angel had abruptly left town to pursue a nasty child = porn case. This left Cordy to deal with a regular client who needed = someone discreetly checked out. Her computer skills didn't cut it so = she had bitten her lip, pretended to be nonchalant, and called = "net-girl". =20 They turned off the lights and left; Cordelia looked decidedly = unconvinced. =20 Night and the next morning_ =20 She was in a forest this time. It was daylight but heavy tree growth = and drizzling rain cut the light down to a soft glow. The air was fresh = and sweet smelling. Willow saw and moved towards the cottage she saw = off to one side, drifting through obstacles like a ghost. <Maybe I'm a = ghost here. Wherever here is. > The woman was not in the cottage = although there was food on the table and a small fire on the grate. = There were also books, in many languages, which struck Willow as odd, = given the setting. Everything looked kind of medieval. There were pieces = of parchment, partially covered in strange and foreign writing, = scattered beside the food on the table. =20 =20 < I have to find her. > =20 She felt the woman come closer and left the cottage to find her. The = woman wasn't far. Looking at her confirmed the young witch's thoughts = of the medieval. She was wearing a long shirt and a lace-up vest; her = hair was permitted to fall loosely down to her shoulders. It was longer = than in the last dream. The woman was watching a dark-haired young boy = play in the woods, pretending to be a warrior. Willow felt herself begin to fade away. The dream was ending. As the = forest blurred out of sight she felt the woman think a single word, a = name <Duncan>. =20 Willow opened her eyes to sunlight. <Morning already? These dreams seem = so short. > Cordelia was still asleep so Willow wriggled out her = sleeping bag as quietly as she could. In the bathroom she splashed cold = water on her face, but it failed to help. She looked at her face and = cringed. Her eyes looked bruised and she was vampire pale. Willow = wished she could taken a shower and ease muscles stiff from not moving = through the entire night, but she didn't want to wake Cordy. <I kept = her up most of the night talking. > Cordy had been missing talking to = another girl and Willow had been trying to avoid closing her eyes. She grabbed a pen and scribbled a quick note: =20 Cordy, Went to the agency to use the computer. Promised to e-mail Giles = today. Willow =20 <Getting Giles to learn how to use the email on my computer was an = interesting experience. > Willow thought with an amused grin. = Fortunately she had done it before finals. The last couple of weeks she = had lacked the energy she needed to badger the former librarian into it. =20 An hour later_ =20 Willow didn't realize that her eyes had closed until her arm had brushed = the desk as she began to fall out her chair. That jerked her eyes back = open, but the tired feeling was overwhelming. She gave in <I haven't = even written the e-mail yet. I guess I'll just have to do it later. > = She turned off the computer and stumbled to the couch. As she curled up = she thought plaintively <Goddess, please don't let me dream. > She = closed her eyes and gave into sleep. =20 If anything this dream was more vivid than the others were. The woman's = hair had been cut and she was wearing jeans. She looked to be as tired = as Willow. They were in an alley this time and the woman was drawing a = sword. <Wait a minute! A sword! A sword, jeans and very modern looking = alley --- it just doesn't make sense! Oh, Goddess, where did that guy = come from?!> Her study of the changes in the woman had kept her from = noticing the other person in the alley. It was a young man with an = arrogant face, cocky, and he too was holding a drawn sword. He seemed = to be challenging the woman. =20 They began to fight. Watching so many of Buffy's practice sessions in = the library helped Willow follow the fight. At first the man seemed to = be winning; the woman was tired and it showed in her slow reactions. = <Please don't get hurt --- I don't want you to get hurt. > Then suddenly = the outcome turned as the woman wove her sword in a complex pattern that = revealed years of practice and experience with the weapon. The man = couldn't follow the move. And then she cut off his head. Willow didn't = have much time to feel shock at what she was seeing. Faster than she = could think she felt herself being pulled inside the woman's mind. Then = all hell broke loose inside Willow's mind.=20 =20 Angel stood watching the sleeping hacker. He had come in from his = apartment to find the lights on inside the office. Angel could think = of no reason for her to be there, but he was glad to see her, although = she looked pale and ill. <What have you been doing to yourself little = one? > =20 Suddenly Willow began to toss violently, eyes shooting open to stare = blankly at the ceiling. She fell from the couch to the floor and = flailed around hitting her arms and legs against both Angel and the = couch. He fell to his knees and grabbed a hold of her and tried to hold = her still. She didn't wake when he shook her. =20 The vampire felt more fear than he'd felt when he had remembered that he = nearly killed Willow when he was Angelus. Suddenly Willow stiffened in = his arms and began to scream, and Angel felt himself being thrown across = the room to crash into the wall. Blue lightening flashed around her = body on the floor; lightening lashed out exploding the light bulbs and = cracking windows. =20 Then as fast as it started it ended. Angel stayed shocked and frozen = for a few moments. A soft moan from Willow, curled in a ball in the = middle of the room, made him scramble over to her. He gently turned her = over and picked her up. She opened her eyes and looked at him, "Angel?" = Then she moaned again, her eyes rolling up into her head. Willow passed = out.=20 =20 The door opened behind Angel and Cordelia and Doyle walked in, bickering = as usual. They took one look at the darkened room, covered in bits of = broken glass and scorch marks and fell silent. Then they moved into the = room quickly with the glass crunching under their feet. =20 "What happened!" Cordelia exclaimed. =20 "Did someone break in?" =20 "What's wrong with Willow? Oh god, I should have made her tell me what = was bothering her."=20 =20 "When I came in she was sleeping. . ." =20 "She must have had another dream!" Cordelia realized. =20 "Then everything went crazy . . . Willow has been having unusual = dreams?!" Angel said with some alarm. Unusual dreams were not good = things for a witch who lived on the Hellmouth. =20 "Yeah, but all I could get her to tell me was that she was having bad = dreams. She wouldn't tell me what they were about. They make her = really tired though, all wobbly and pale." =20 "Do you think she's spoken to Giles about them?" =20 "No I don't think so. He's been out of town for a couple of weeks. = >From what she did say this hasn't been happening long."=20 =20 "Um, not to butt in, but shouldn't we be laying her down or calling an = ambulance?" interjected Doyle as he reached out to check her pulse, = "Though her pulse seems strong enough." =20 "My apartment is best," said Angel, turning to the elevator. "The = lightening storm makes me think that some sort of magic was involved. = Giles will be more help." =20 Cordelia followed Doyle and Angel to the elevator then stopped with a = confused look on her face, "Lighting storm?" =20 Angel's Apartment_ =20 It took only a few minutes to get Willow settled; she had already shed = her shoes and earrings. Angel picked up the phone and dialed from = memory. After a few rings it was picked up. =20 "Giles . . ." =20 "No it's Buffy. Is that you Angel? How are y. . ." =20 Angel cut her off, "I need to talk to Giles. Now." "Fine. Whatever." The slayer voice went from friendly to cool in a = split second. She still didn't accept that Angel didn't want to be = close anymore. Even if she did have lots of guys wanting to date her. = Which is why he and Willow had kept their ever-stronger friendship a = secret. Willow hadn't wanted to upset Buffy or Xander. He didn't = blame her. Those two could be very vocal in their disapproval, and = Willow was still highly sensitive to what others wanted of her.=20 =20 "Angel?" The watcher sounded confused. =20 "Giles, has Willow asked you anything about dreams lately?" =20 "Dreams? No, what's wrong? Is Willow there; I got her note saying she = was going to LA overnight, but she didn't email me this morning like she = said she would. Is she all right?" =20 "She's unconscious . . ." =20 "What!" Angel could hear Buffy in the background asking what was wrong. =20 "I walked into the agency and found her asleep. Then she started = thrashing and there was a short but powerful indoor lightening storm = centered on her. She was conscious for a moment then she blacked out." =20 "It's just noon now. Buffy and I will begin researching dreams, and you = drive her back to Sunnydale as soon as it gets dark. Call if she wakes = up or says anything" =20 "I will," Angel hung up the phone. He turned to Cordelia, " You = and Doyle need to go get Willow's things and get the car ready. I'll = stay here and keep an eye on her." They left to get ready. =20 She didn't wake once during the long afternoon. =20 Sunnydale, Midnight_ =20 Angel brushed by Buffy to place the now awake, but groggy, young witch = on the sofa. She had insisted that she was perfectly capable of = walking but the vampire had completely ignored her protests. He sat = next to her and pulled her back until she was leaning against him. = Buffy began to look very confused, and rather upset. Willow and Angel = looked very comfortable with each other. =20 "Willow, you must tell us about these dreams; they are endangering you, = " Giles stated firmly. =20 Willow sighed and said, "All right. It began about the middle of = finals. They, the dreams, are very vivid and three dimensional." She = described the dreams and the woman in the dreams as thoroughly as she = could. Willow could remember all the dreams very clearly. "The last = one, this morning, was the same as all the others until the end." =20 "What changed?" Angel asked. =20 "After she decapitated the man, I - I felt myself being pulled inside = her=20 mind. For a moment I was completely linked with her. I felt everything = she felt. She was aware of me!" Willow was pale, and she turned wide, = frightened eyes to her friends. Angel placed a comforting hand on hers. = "She's a real person, Giles! This is so not good" Willow seemed to wilt = with exhaustion, her eyes drooping. =20 =20 "What was the lightening?" =20 "I saw blue light, but it was like I was seeing several peoples' lives = all pressed together on fast-forward. I think it was what she was = seeing," Willow's voice was very soft and by the end of her sentence she = was asleep. =20 "Giles, is there somewhere she could sleep?" =20 "Yes, just put her in the guest room," Giles pointed. =20 Angel scooped up Willow again and quickly tucked her into bed. He = watched her for a moment, and he reached out to touch her face. <She = looks so worn out. > Angel turned and returned to the living room. He = returned to find Buffy and Xander glaring at him. =20 "When did you two get so chummy?" Xander barked. =20 "We've been friends since I got back from Hell." He realized now that = sitting with Willow had been a mistake. The fact that they were close = friends had been pretty evident. Her friends wanted some answers --- = Now. "We talk computers, history, and magic a lot" =20 =20 "So you can spend time with my best friend but not with me," Buffy = sounded decidedly irate. =20 Angel figured that telling that he had nothing to talk to her about, = that the thrill of forbidden love was over, would be a decidedly bad = idea. Suicidal even. He wanted to laugh at the amount that Buffy = didn't know about Willow, especially Willow's magic. He knew from his = observations of the last year and Willow's e-mails that their = relationship mostly consisted of Willow doing things for Buffy. This = was especially true lately. Angel was saved from making an angry reply = by Giles, who was standing to one side getting annoyed at his charge's = apparent lack of regard for their friend's health. =20 "We have other things to think about right now. Willow needs our help," = Giles snapped. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Angel, I need = you and Xander to go get some magical supplies. Some of them will be at = Willow and Buffy's room at the dorms. The rest you should be able to = find at the Wiccan store Willow frequents," he quickly wrote a list as = he spoke, referring to a text he had grabbed and opened while Willow = spoke. "I don't think these are actual dreams. I think she is actually = linked to someone; I don't know how. Willow needs rest so we will do a = spell to block the link. That will give us time to find out what's = going on. While I prepare the spell Buffy will go do a quick patrol." =20 Everyone moved to obey. Giles firm voice followed them out the door, = "Try to be back in no more than two hours." ----------------------------------------------------- to be continued . . .