I'm running as fast as I can, but it feels like I'm underwater. I'm barely moving, and I can't breathe. I'm gasping for breath, but it's not doing any good. But that doesn't matter, because it's got Willow, it's got my Willow, and I have to save her.

She's got her hands up against its face now, trying to keep it away, but it's still laughing at her, still bringing its fangs closer to her neck, and I still can't move fast enough to save her. I'm trying, I'm trying so hard, but it's not enough.

She screams as its fangs enter her throat, wordless at first, pure fear and agony. But as her voice weakens, she cries out, pleading desperately.

"Xander!" she screams with all the strength left in her. It's a pitiful sound, weak as a kitten. It rips at my heart. Rips at my soul.

"Willow!" I sob, trying to get to her, trying to save her.

The vampire twists its head savagely, and her blood sprays from her ravaged throat. Even before I see her eyes start to glaze over, I know it's too late. But I have to try. I can't let it be too late.

The vampire turns and sees me, and it smiles, its fangs coated with Willow's life. It starts to laugh but then my stake slams home into its chest, and it screams in agony and death. I revel in the scream for a second, let it wash over me and make everything all right again as the vampire explodes and covers me in ash. For one endless second, everything is all right because I made it in time and saved my Willow.

Then I hear her whimpering on the ground, and I drop down beside her and gently, so gently, lift her head to lie in my lap. She's dying, already beyond saving, but I can't believe that. I won't believe that.

"Hold on, Will, just hold on," I beg her, tears streaming down my face. "Just hold on. You're going to be okay," I tell her, but neither of us believes that.

Her eyes look into mine, but they're unfocused and looking right through me, and because she's my Willow I know what she's seeing.

We're five years old and she's falling off the monkey bars, and she's bleeding and crying and screaming, screaming in pain and screaming my name, screaming for me to help her, to make it go away. And I'm holding her and telling her it'll be all right, telling her that I'll make the hurt go away, promising her that I'll take care of her, that I'll always take care of her, promising that I'll never let anything bad happen to her.

And now we're here again, and she's dying in my arms and there's nothing I can do to stop it, there's nothing I can do to make it go away.

"I'm sorry, Will, I'm so sorry," I whisper, as my tears fall from my face to mix with her blood, with the blood that's covering both of us.

Her eyes are growing dark, but then they clear and she sees me, she looks right into my eyes and she sees me.

"You promised," she whimpers, and then she's gone.