Author's Note: I am so sorry for my long absence from this story! Please enjoy!

The Storyteller watched with a bemused grin as the Slayer plummeted to her death. She wondered if her magic had finally managed to overwhelmed Angel's mind and that it was preventing him from saving her. The Slayer kept falling and she almost looked graceful. Her eyes were shut and her hair blew behind her. To an untrained observer, it looked like she was relishing the feeling of falling.

"Buffy!" A voice screamed from the back of the theatre. Annoyed, the Storyteller saw that it was the annoying red-head whom had been cast as the Nurse. The Storyteller made a note to punish her later on.

"Buffy," Angel muttered and the Storyteller's eyes widened as her hold on him was broken. "Buffy!" He rushed forward and caught the Slayer in his arms. The force of the fall; however, caused his knees to buckle and he collapsed on the stage with her securely in his arms. "Hey, Buffy!" He shook her gently, but she failed to open her eyes.

Had she died from all the pain that had been transferred to her?

"Buffy!" The red-head cried as she sprinted down the aisles and up to the stage. "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know, Willow," Angel confessed. "Buffy!" The red-head placed two fingers on the Slayer's neck and her mouth fell open in shock.

"She doesn't have a pulse!" She shouted and sheer worry entered Angel's eyes.

"No," He mumbled, his eyes suddenly locked on Buffy's lifeless form. "No, Buffy, please!"

It was all very ironic if the Storyteller thought about it. Juliet was still dying and there was nothing her lover could do to save her. It could be the perfect ending to her play . . .

"Giles!" The girl—Willow—called. Tears were now rolling down her cheeks. "Giles! Xander! Anyone!"

No one came running which brought a smug grin to the Storyteller's mouth. She would get her tragic ending after all.

"CPR!" Angel shouted suddenly. "Do you know CPR?" Willow nodded and began to shakily perform the actions needed to bring her friend back from the dead. "Buffy, please, wake up!"

It was to no avail. She wasn't coming back.

Unless . . .

"Step aside!" The Storyteller regally proclaimed as she ascended the stairs onto the stage. Angel glared at her, sheer fury in his eyes, but it didn't faze the Storyteller. "I said, move." Angel clutched the body of his beloved Slayer in his arms and said nothing.

"You killed her!" Willow sobbed. "You've killed my best friend!"

"Yes," The Storyteller replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Move aside."

"Never," Angel growled ferociously. "You will die for this!" The Storyteller sighed dramatically and watched as Angel whispered something into the ear of his lover.

"My show is not over," The Storyteller informed him. "And I never re-cast."

"What are you saying?" Angel hissed. "That you'll bring her back?"

"Yes," She replied frankly. "My magic is all powerful in this space. I can revive the Slayer, but only if you move."

"And what's the catch?" Angel questioned, suspicion darting in his eyes.

"No catch," The Storyteller assured him. "My magic brought her death, my magic can undo it." Angel reluctantly loosened the grip on the girl. "But do not mistake this for kindness! By the end of this show, you all will perish!"

"Angel," Willow muttered and Angel simply nodded his head. His grip on Buffy slackened completely and Willow bit her lower lip nervously. "Please, be okay." The Storyteller waved her hand upward and Buffy's body lifted off the floor, hovering in the air. A white light slowly engulfed the girl until both Angel and Willow had to look away.

"Live," The Storyteller commanded. "Live, Buffy Summers!"

The light faded away and Buffy landed in Angel's open arms.

For one second, everyone waited.

Then, Buffy began to cough and choke. Willow grinned as she watched her friend suck up the air around her and Angel seemed to be overwhelming with happiness. It was making the Storyteller sick and she rolled her eyes. She would only stay until she had assured herself that the Slayer was indeed, alive.

Buffy's eyes flew open and met Angel's gaze.

"You're you," Buffy mumbled in relief and Angel kissed her. Pulling back, he rested his forehead on her face. "I could get used to waking up like that." Angel chuckled dryly.

"Yeah, well, don't scare me like that again," He mumbled. He wiped her bangs out of her face and smiled. The passion between the two was palpable and it was making the Storyteller sick. "You had me worried there for a second."

"You know me," Buffy mumbled. "I always pull through."

"Silence," The Storyteller ordered and Buffy met her gaze. "We shall take a break. But this will be the only time, I shall ever help you. Die again, and you shall stay dead."

And with that the Storyteller took her leave—unsure as to why she had saved the Slayer. Had it really been to save the show? Or did she actually care for the Slayer?

No, it couldn't be because she cared. She hadn't cared for any humans since William and that had ended horribly.

It was for the play's sake that she had saved Buffy.

That and nothing more.

Author's Note: Please review! I shall do my best to update regularly again!