Disclaimer - Do not own The O.C., Buffy, or anything else you recognize. Not making money, just having fun.

A/N: Okay - this is a collaboration between Lori and ORy that we couldn't get out of our heads. Which parts were written by who is our deep, dark secret. Enjoy! Oh and Buffy will NOT be in this.

OCOCOCOCOCOC

It was a dream, but it was one of her "special" ones. She could always tell, because there was a feeling of purpose that was lacking from her normal teenaged subconscious meanderings.

She was walking across a battlefield that closely resembled Newport; the beach littered with broken weapons and the occasional sputtering fire. There were, thankfully, no bodies. She saw enough bodies as a Slayer; she didn't need to see them when she was sleeping.

"He will help you," a voice whispered in her ear.

She turned, and saw a figure approaching from the shoreline, becoming more solid as he approached. Shadows obscured his face, but his eyes, his bright blue eyes pierced her soul, sending warmth spreading through her body. He reached out for her and she jumped at the electricity of his touch.

Taylor gasped, sitting up in her bed, hand to her chest. She could still feel the tingle in her fingers from where the dream-figure had made contact with her hand.

"Well. That was ...different."

OCOCOCOCOCOCOCOC

"You look tired," Seth observed.

"And good morning to you, Seth," Taylor said fighting a yawn.

"I'm just saying that you're usually a little more awake by the time you make an appearance. What's up?"

"Weird dream."

"Weird dream or weird dream?"

"Both."

"How can it be both?"

"It just was, okay?" She put her fingers to her forehead, "Sorry. Is your mom home? I think something big is coming."

"She's working, which you know. Wow, you're really out of it." Takes her into the kitchen and sits her down at the counter, "Sugar and caffeine, that's what you need."

She nodded and a moment later some movement out near the pool house drew her attention.

"Who's that?"

Seth turns and sees Ryan looking out at the view like he's landed on Mars.

"You won't believe this, but Dad brought him home." Guy heads their way and Seth continues to take out cereal for Taylor to choose from. "His name's Ryan."

"Where's he from?"

"Chino."

"Really?" Now Taylor was curious. She'd taken down a vampire nest in Chino about six months back. The cocky little bastards had been living in a church basement. Now really, what kind of vampire morons would choose to nest somewhere that had that much access to holy water and crosses? "What's his story?"

"He got caught stealing a car with his older brother."

"And what? Sandy decided he'd bring him somewhere that has better cars to steal?"

"He said I could crash here after my mom threw me out." Ducking his head, he eyed them warily, "Hey."

"Coffee," Seth offers and Ryan nods. "Help yourself to a wide array of breakfast cereals. I'm Seth, your lawyer's son."

"Hey." Ryan takes mug, turning to the counter to look over the boxes.

"Good morning, Ryan. I'm..." she choked, her mouth going dry and her heart starting to pound wildly.

When she'd said his name, he'd focused his gaze directly on her face for the first time.

The vibrant blue eyes were the same as the ones in her dream.

"Taylor, are you okay," Seth asked, with a concerned look.

"I'm sorry," she said recovering. "I'm Taylor."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Sorry about the car crack. I tend to get a little Newpsie when I don't get enough sleep."

"What's a Newpsie?" Seth and Taylor trade looks

"The worst parts of a valley girl, all grown up, with money to burn and nothing better to do but sharpen their talons." Ryan shuddered and Seth patted his shoulder, "Something to look forward to."

"Hey, guys," Sandy came in from surfing. "I see you three have met. Morning, Taylor."

"Good morning, Sandy."

"It's a beautiful day. You guys should be out, showing Ryan around."

"Yeah, 'cause it's so great around here," Seth rolls his eyes.

"Don't you think that would be a little cruel?" Taylor glances at Ryan. "No offense, but if you're not going to be staying-"

"Who says he's not staying," Sandy interrupted.

"Oh, you are staying?"

"For a while at least," Sandy said. "There are some things we need to take care of before we can decide on a permanent situation. But, you should still show him around," Sandy said as he left the room.

"What do you wanna do?" Seth

"I don't know," Ryan shrugs "What do you guys do around here?"

Oh, hunt vampires, kill demons, fight the forces of darkness, Taylor thought to herself. The usual teenage things.

"We could go down to the pier and get something to eat," Seth suggested. "Taylor, did you ride here?"

"Ride?"

"My bike," Taylor explained. "I killed three cars before my mother forbid me to get behind the wheel again."

"You have a motorcycle?"

"Yes. Why?"

"You don't look like the kind of girl," Ryan trailed off and looked a little embarrassed. "I mean that's cool."

"Thank you. So, is the pier cool or did you want to do something else? We could go to the beach."

"The pier is good. We can get some breakfast," Seth said. "Go change man. We'll wait for you."

"Be back in a minute," Ryan said heading out to the pool house again.

"I think you have an extra helmet in the garage," Taylor said to Seth. "I'll go find it while you clean up. Meet you outside."

"Cool," Seth nodded.

OCOCOCOCOCOCOCOC

Taylor handed her menu to their waitress after they'd all ordered and looked across the table at Ryan, "So, how'd I do as a chauffeur?"

"Not bad. I've never seen a bike with a sidecar outside of movies and old TV shows."

"Seth feels safer in it for some reason," she teased her friend.

"That's because it detaches, and I therefore stand a better chance of surviving should the odds finally catch up with you." Taylor stuck her tongue out at him.

"Coward," Taylor said, shaking her head.

"And proud to be alive to say so," Seth said.

"Has he ever driven it?"

"Are you kidding? It was hard enough to convince Sandy and Kirsten to let him ride on it. Driving it wouldn't be in the realm of possibility," Taylor rolled her eyes. "Not to mention the whole coward thing."

"Have you ever driven one," Seth asked, changing the subject, "or has all the boosting been of cars? Ow." Seth looked at Taylor, "Careful, I bruise easy."

"I know."

"Just cars," Ryan said fiddling with his coffee cup. "I wanted a motorcycle for a while, and then it was all about cars."

"Why the switch," Taylor asked.

"What do most cars have that a motorcycle doesn't," Seth smirked as Ryan glared.

"Four wheels, steering column, a back seat," Taylor trails off as Ryan turns red. "Oh."

"Can we change the subject," Ryan asked.

"So, do you think you'll be staying in Newport for a while," Taylor asked him.

"I don't know. I don't know where I'd go if I went back to Chino. My mom's gone, Trey's in jail, and even my friend Theresa's out of the question. She and her mom are taking in refugees from the shelter at St. Sebastian's."

Taylor nearly spit out her drink. Instead she choked on it and some of it leaked out of her mouth. She grabbed a napkin.

"You okay?"

"Oh, sure," Taylor kicked Seth under the table, reminding him to close his mouth. It was a shock to hear the name, but she was really hoping she wouldn't have to go down to Chino and stake Ryan's friend because one of the vamps had hidden out among the church's refugees. "Just strong coffee."

"Okay," there's a doubtful look in his eyes, but he accepted the explanation.

"So staying here? That's cool. We could show you our 'hood', introduce you around," Seth smiles at waitress. "For instance, this is ...Cheryl," he said, obviously reading her nametag. "Cheryl, Ryan." Ryan and waitress roll their eyes.

"Ignore him," Taylor smiled at their waitress. "I do it all the time."

The waitress giggled and walked off to another table.

"We could teach him who to avoid," Taylor said.

"Speaking of people to avoid," Seth said looking at the door where Luke Ward and his cronies had just walked in along with Marissa Cooper and Summer Roberts.

"Joy."

"Who are they," Ryan's eyes were appreciative of Summer and Marissa.

"Demon water polo players and their evil bimbos." Taylor glared at Seth's comment, but he's oblivious to his semi-slip.

The crowd of recent arrivals laughed loudly as the boys pushed each other around like boys do.

"Real winners," Ryan's voice was laced heavy with sarcasm and he was suddenly tense because he knows how often he ends up fighting guys like those. These were the same kind of guys who usually end up in the hospital because he can't control his temper.

"Maybe we should go? Get started on that tour we promised Ryan." Taylor tells herself that's why she wants to go, not because she doesn't like how Marissa is looking at him, or how he's looking back.

"Yeah, good idea," Seth said sliding out of the booth without looking and knocking into Marissa causing her to bump into Luke. "Sorry."

"Watch it Cohen," Luke said.

"Yeah, watch it." Chip goes to shove Seth but Ryan steps between and doesn't even blink when Chip ends up shoving him instead.

"Who're you," Luke asked.

"A friend," he said, indicating Seth with a tilt of his head.

"Well, your friend just assaulted my girl."

Marissa shook her head, but Luke wasn't paying attention.

"It was an accident," Taylor said as she stepped forward, making the boys back off.

Ryan studied the group curiously. Taylor looked like she could barely hurt a fly so why were these guys backing off so fast?

"You still letting your girlfriend fight your battles for you, Cohen," Luke mocked.

"Yeah well, at least I don't shave my chest. Besides I kind of liked it when my girl, who is about half your size and a quarter of your body weight, broke your arm last year." Taylor rolled her eyes and dragged Seth outside. Ryan follows them. While the jocks don't follow, they do glare.

"You guys are dating?"

"Yeah, man, couldn't you tell," Seth draped an arm around Taylor's shoulders. She sighed and shrugged it off. "Didn't you know any couples in Chino?"

"Couples in Chino are usually attached at the face." Ryan was disappointed. Because he'd missed the chance to thump some deserving jerk, he told himself. Not because of a girl he'd just met.

"That sounds attractive but we're not into PDA," Taylor said. "Beach anyone?"

"Sounds good to me," Seth nodded.

"Yeah me too," Ryan agreed.

OCOCOCOCOCOC

The familiar sick thrill went through him as the blow connected, his opponent staggering back and almost collapsing from the force of it. Ignoring the sting in his knuckles, he hit the creature again; uncaring of the way the brow ridges split the skin of his hand. Smiling, he rained blow after blow; only stopping when the face before him was a bloody pink mass.

Victory.

Ryan surged upright, heart pounding and stomach rolling. It looked like moving to a new place didn't mean he'd have different dreams.

He got his cigarettes out with shaking hands and made his way out of the pool house and around the main one, sure-footed in the dark. There was no predicting when he'd have one of those weird-ass dreams, but he always got the shakes after.

Each one was different; featuring different opponents, taken from different time periods. Sometimes, the 'people' he was fighting didn't seem to be human, which made them even stranger. The substance of his dreams unnerved him, especially how violent most of them were; but the worst part wasn't the knowing that a part of him thrilled at the bloody victories.

It was the sense of loss.

He'd never had one where he didn't wake up feeling like he'd misplaced something vital, something important. When he was a kid, that feeling, and the frightening images, had made him cry; something his father's fist had cured real quick. Now, he just tried to have company when he went to bed. At least he didn't have the dreams if he was with a girl; and he could ignore the subsequent increase in the sense of loss if he had to keep control of his face.

Motion caught his attention and he focused his gaze on the end of the driveway. Taylor was standing there, wearing dark clothes, and she was soon joined by Seth, who was wearing the same.

Ryan turned away, not wanting to see. New people, new town, and he still couldn't catch a break.