Disclaimer: Still. Not. Mine.

Author's Note: I don't think I made it completely clear in Part 1, but this is an AU piece...not saying when it's done it might not fit into the regular show, but in my mind it's AU. Hope that clears up any confusion that might have been out there.

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Willow's gaze immediately dropped back to the table. Buffy and Xander eyed the doctor solemnly, Buffy trying nonchalantly to push Willow's picture out of view. Unfortunately the doctor's sharp eyes caught the movement and she put her hand down on the paper.

"Can I see that, Buffy?" she asked with artificial gentleness. Buffy nodded helplessly, and Dr. Ephor took the drawing. She looked at it for a few minutes, frowning. "Which one of you drew this?" she asked sharply.

"I did," Buffy said quickly. "Saw the monsters...in a movie...my mommy said I shouldn't watch it cause it was scary, but I did it anyway."

"And it gave you nightmares?" Dr. Ephor asked in disbelief, and Buffy nodded.

"They wanted to hurt me."

"But you know they're not real, Buffy," the doctor said. The woman's eyes were firmly fixed on Willow, and Buffy knew she wasn't really buying her story. "You said yourself they're from a movie. And movies are make-believe."

"Not always," Xander chimed in. "My mommy said sometimes movies are real, and they call them dog-or-men-trees. Why do they call them that? They hafta be about dogs or men?"

"Or trees. Who'd wanna watch a movie 'bout trees?" Buffy added. Willow put her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her smile as she continued to stare at the tabletop. Dr. Ephor scowled, and when she spoke again her voice was gravelly and harsh.

"Documentaries," she snapped, emphasizing the word, "do not include monsters. Monsters are not real." The three children sat with their heads bowed. Dr. Ephor sighed, and her compassionate facade slipped back into place. "Buffy, I know you mean well, but the sooner you let go of the fantasy, the sooner you can get better. The sooner all of you," she said, pointedly looking at Willow, "will get better."

There was a beat, then the doctor spoke again, and the nasty voice was back.

"And none of you will leave here until you do."

Tears sparkled on Willow's cheeks, and Xander and Buffy each clutched one of her hands, squeezing tight. They were as surprised as the doctor when Willow looked up at Dr. Ephor defiantly, her scornful expression saying what she thought of the doctor and her threats as clearly as words. To punctuate her nonverbal harangue, she stuck her tongue out. Dr. Ephor smiled coldly.

"It really won't do for you to defy me, dear. I'm afraid I must now call your parents and tell them you'll all be spending the night here with us. And visiting you at this point in your 'treatment' would certainly be detrimental, I'm afraid."

"You can't do that," Buffy said, ashamed of how her voice quivered. Her parents couldn't have thought she'd have to spend the night, they would have brought her-

"It's done, Buffy. I'll have them bring around your overnight things. I'll tell the orderlies to get the beds ready. You'll see, this really is the best for all of you." Satisfied with their horrified expressions, Dr. Ephor turned smartly and walked away.

"Now what?" Xander asked, as Buffy's eyes filled with tears.

"I don't want to stay here," the blonde whispered. "This is a bad place." Willow nodded, grabbing her hand. She swallowed hard, several times, clearing her throat and the others waited anxiously.

"I'm sorry," Willow whispered, covering her mouth with her hand the second the words were out like she could trap them back inside. Xander gave a soft crow of joy. He gave his friend a one-armed hug.

"You talked, Will. But don't be sorry. Not your fault that doctor's mean. You gonna talk from now on? I like it when you talk." His eyes shone hopefully, and she gave him a small smile.

"Yeah," Willow said after catching herself starting to nod instead. She smiled ruefully at the habit, before fixing Buffy with a grave look. "You really believe me? No foolin?" Buffy held out her hand.

"Pinky swear." The two girls executed the oath solemnly, then Buffy continued, "But you gotta tell me everything you know about this place. And about the monsters."

"Then what?" Willow asked, her lips barely moving.

"We make them go away," Buffy said with more confidence than she felt. She knew she was right, but she had no idea how.

"What can we do? We're just kids," Xander said hopelessly.

"But we're the only ones who know. So we just hafta." At Willow and Xander's doubtful looks, Buffy said hotly, "Okay, fine. Tell Dr. Ephor you know that they're make-believe and maybe you can go home."

"No," Willow whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't do that. They're bad monsters. And...and...they're out there."

"I don't want Will to get hurt," Xander said softly. "Or you. Or me!"

"No one's going to get hurt...I'll find a way. I promise." Her new friends nodded, instinctively believing in the diminutive blonde girl that they had only met that morning. There was just something about her that inspired confidence. Taking a deep breath and a firm grip on Xander's hand, Willow began to tell Buffy about the monsters.

"They come out at night," she said softly. "And they look like normal people, when they want to...to fool people. To make them trust them...so they can eat them..." Willow's eyes grew more haunted as she told her story...

[Forgotten. Again.

She refused to think the thought, but it was there nonetheless; truth unthought. Willow sat on the swings, idly twisting around and then releasing to let the swing's momentum whirl her around back to straight. She shivered as the last bits of the sun fell over the horizon, wishing she had her sweater. Wishing Xander didn't have the chickenpox - she knew he would have waited with her all night if need be, or taken her back to his house.

But instead she was alone. Willow knew could walk home; it really wasn't far. But her mother had insisted she wait for a ride, and if she left and then her mother came, she might get into trouble. She bit her lip in vexation, then made a decision, slowly standing up from the swing and giving one more long look up the street. Finally she stood and almost ran into someone's legs. She looked up into the eyes of stranger.

"Hey, are you lost?" the man asked with concern. Willow had been instructed not to talk to strangers, but her mother had also told her not to be rude. She settled for a quick headshake. "You're not lost. You here all by yourself? Where's your mommy?"

"She's behind you. Hi, Mommy!" Willow lied. She wasn't sure what made her lie; she was fairly certain she'd never lied to an adult before, and it made part of her feel bad, but the greater part of her was glad to see the man look over his shoulder. Willow turned and ran for home, as fast as her legs would carry her. It wasn't fast enough, however, as she heard the stranger gaining on her. He grabbed her by both arms and lifted her up, and it was then that she saw his face change. Willow screamed with all her might...

"Willow?" The voice came from an approaching car, and Willow opened her mouth to scream for her mother. The man immediately let her go, turning to squint into the headlights. Willow ran blindly for the car.

"That your little girl, ma'am?" the stranger said as Willow ran into the passenger door, opening it with fumbling fingers and finally wrenching it open. She waited for her mother to scream or react to the monster, but she seemed perfectly calm and a little distracted, as always.

"Willow, honey, calm down. Yes, she's my daughter. What were you doing with her?" Sheila Rosenberg asked with suspicion. The man smiled, and Willow realized that his face was back to normal. Her mother didn't know...

"I'm sorry," he said. "I thought she was lost, and I was just trying to help. I'm afraid I just frightened her." The last was said with a disarming laugh, and Willow could feel her mother start to relax. She locked her door and made herself as small on the seat as possible.

"I want to go home," Willow whispered, as the man moved closer to the car. From her low angle she could see his eyes still glittering with golden light; didn't her mother see that?

"I appreciate your intentions. I'm afraid I'm quite late - I got hung up in a faculty meeting - and we've inculcated in her the need to avoid talking to strangers, as most parents do. It's no wonder she reacted in an emotional-"

Willow saw the man's face change again, his fangs extending...

"I WANNA GO HOME!" she screamed, bursting into fresh tears.

"Willow!" her mother gasped in shock at the unexpected outburst.

"Please mommy, please mommy, please mommy, please mommy," Willow hiccuped through her sobs. Her mother looked apologetically at the stranger.

"I'm sorry, I have to go...I'm afraid someone's about to get a long lecture about anger management and social norms."

To Willow's overwhelming relief, she put the car in gear and drove away. When Willow stole a glance into the rearview mirror, she was shocked to see no one there. It surprised her enough to make her sit up in the seat and turn around, and then the monster was standing there, watching, his eyes glittering golden in the street lights. A couple came up, walking hand in hand past where the monster was standing. Just before Willow's mom turned the car around the corner, Willow saw him reach out and shove the man to the ground, grabbing the woman by the neck and biting down...

Willow screamed, and her mother slammed on the brakes.

"My God, Willow, what has gotten into you?"

The young girl couldn't answer, she only cried harder. She never stopped crying all the way home, even though she could tell by the set of her mother's jaw it was making her angry. Her mother hadn't known. Why couldn't she see the monsters?...]

"...and then I started bein' scared all the time. And then..."

"You stopped talkin'," Buffy finished. Willow shrugged.

"No one was hearing, 'cept Xander."

"And I couldn't help," the boy said softly, looking down guiltily. "I didn't know what to do."

"Lotsa kids here...you think they all saw the monsters?" Buffy wondered.

"Maybe. They all have bad dreams," Xander shrugged. "But I don't think they're gonna help us. No one talks; everybody's too scared. And even if they did...I think we need grownup help. A grownup that believes us."

"What about your mommy and daddy?" Will asked Buffy softly. The blonde girl's chin trembled as she shook her head.

"They sent me here," she explained shortly, then her jaw tightened at their empathetic looks. "They would help if they knew it was real."

"What if no one can help?" Willow asked in a small voice.

"You kids need help with something?" The voice made them all jump. None of them had noticed the orderly approaching; he was just suddenly there. Willow shrunk down in her seat as he towered over her, imposing despite the mildness of his tone and the somewhat ill fitting white uniform. He stood there staring expectantly, unsmiling but not really unfriendly. Silently they all shook their heads.

"We're okay," Buffy added for emphasis. "We just want to go home."

"Dr. Ephor said you're here for the night," the orderly said with a sigh. He ran his hand through closely cropped dark hair, his eyes troubled. "Listen, you need anything, and I mean anything, you call for me, okay?"

"Who are you?" Xander asked suspiciously. The man cracked an awkward smile, as if unfamiliar with the expression.

"I'm Angel."

************

"Everything is progressing according to plan?" the Master asked languidly, already knowing the answer but enjoying the sight of one of his new favorites prostrate before him. That this one had found a way to shave a decade off of his imprisonment made her that much more precious to him, though he had noted the glint of jealousy in Darla's eyes and hoped that his Nellie had marked it as well. He was fairly certain she had; not much got past the dark-eyed former doctor.

"Yes," Nellie Ephor replied, and he motioned for her to rise. "The parents suspect nothing, and the children are too frightened to speak. Your minions have served you well, Master, making certain that the children have seen them but not the parents."

"A simple glamour, yet effective. How long before we can begin the ritual?"

"All influence are in the correct confluence tomorrow night."

The Master smiled as if this announcement had not been expected, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Tomorrow night...so soon. You have served me well, Nellie. I am very pleased."

"Thank you, Master," Dr. Ephor said enthusiastically, then hesitated. The Master picked up on it immediately, and his manner changed.

"You have a concern," he said coldly.

"A new patient. Seven year-old girl from Los Angeles. She's been having dreams, dreams which seem to be about vampires...her parents heard about our program and brought her here."

"And the problem?" the Master prodded. Nellie shifted nervously, her hands moving in a vague gesture as she tried to explain her nebulous dread.

"There's...something about her. Something different...it's probably nothing. Just a feeling I have."

"Still, we're far too close to risk unnecessarily. Your feelings have served you well, I believe we can trust them."

"I've convinced the parents she has to stay the night."

"Excellent. Take care of her."

"There will be questions-"

"Questions?" The Master interrupted reprovingly. "Questions are not a problem when you have answers, my dear." Nellie Ephor's mouth twisted in a cruel smile.

"The girl's instability, finally getting the better of her...tragic really," she said in mock regret. The Master shook his head, tutting in pretend commiseration.

"Sad, to lose one so young."

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