Title: Dreaming While Awake
Author: Melissa
Email: princessbuffy79@hotmail.com
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned any of these characters, would I be
begging anyone to please read my stories? Sadly, Buffy and co. are
owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The WB, and whoever
else holds rights. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted
pleasure for the moment. K.O.??? Also, the song "Everything" is by Lifehouse, written by lead singer, Jason Wade. Marti Noxon wrote "Into the Woods".
Summary: Buffy finds things are a little off in her world. But is she awake, or is it a dream?
Spoilers: All events leading up to the current Season 5 episodes are fair game.
Distribution: If you want it, go ahead. Just let me know where it's going.
Feedback: Feedback is good, very good.
Author's notes: This story was inspired by the movie Passion of the Mind in which Demi Moore plays a woman who lives two separate lives. When she falls asleep in one, she wakes up in the other. Both are so real to her, she doesn't know which one is real and which one is the dream. I figured this could be kinda cool, so I altered it a little to suit my purposes. Oh yeah, Riley never left either.
Buffy flopped onto her bed, bones weary and head aching. The day had been long and hard and the night didn't look too promising, either.
Her days were beginning to run together. School was secondary to her family, so she rarely went anymore. And it sucked. She had been doing well for the first time in her life and now, she was struggling just to keep up.
Buffy glanced at the pile of books lying on her floor and groaned. There was so much homework to do, but she just couldn't motivate to start. Willow was being great by bringing it to her and helping her with the material, but real life was simply too much to deal with right now.
Buffy closed her eyes and sunk deeper into her pillow. Sometimes, she just wished she could close her eyes and shut out the world. Maybe she should just quit school. Not for good, just for now. Buffy sighed. She knew she had to at least finish this semester. Her mother would be so disappointed in her if she just gave up. Buffy felt like she had disappointed her mother too much already in her short life. She didn't want to add more fuel to that fire.
The tired Slayer looked over at the angry red numbers on her alarm clock. "Evil clock," she mumbled, briefly wondering how to put it out of its misery. "Sledge hammer would work," she mused. "Just one quick swing and * poof * no more clock."
"Oh great! I'm starting to sound like Willow," Buffy muttered. A moment later she groaned, "And now I'm talking to myself. Geez, I'm a real winner."
Buffy closed her eyes. "Just for a moment," she thought. What seemed like only a few minutes later, the exhausted girl was startled awake by the screaming alarm.
"That's odd," Buffy thought, reaching over to turn the annoyance off. "I don't remember turning that on."
Shrugging off her confusion, Buffy dragged herself into a sitting position.
"Ugh!" she groaned, looking at the time once more. Time to patrol. Buffy felt sluggish, but she knew she had to go out. It might do her some good, slaying demons, both figuratively and physically. Slaying was something she could control. She could push her thoughts and feelings to the back of her mind and just go through the motions. Her one-time curse had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Standing up, Buffy became dizzy. "Not now," she groaned, sitting back down. Buffy knew she shouldn't go out alone, but who would go with her? Riley just brought too much emotional baggage with him and Willow was out for the evening with Tara. Xander was the logical solution. She could use a little cheering up.
Buffy reached for the phone beside her. Picking up the receiver, she heard her sister's excited voice as she talked to someone on the other end.
"Dawn, I need the phone," Buffy sighed, expecting an argument that never came.
"Okay, just give me a minute," Dawn quickly replied.
Stunned, Buffy placed the receiver back in its cradle. "What's going on here?" she wondered. Dawn was never that easygoing when it came to using the phone.
"I'm off!" Dawn's yelled, her voice muffled by the wall between the two girls' rooms. Buffy leaned over and picked up the phone. She quickly dialed Xander's number, stored in her memory.
"Hey Dawn, Buffy done already?" Xander's amused voice rang out, clear as a bell over the phone.
"Dawn was talking to you?" Buffy was surprised. She reminded herself that she shouldn't be. Dawn had a huge crush on Xander. She was just glad Xander took it all in stride and played along.
"Buff?" now it was Xander's turn to be surprised. Oops! He had almost ruined the surprise. He would have to be more careful next time. "So, what's up?"
"Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to go patrolling with me," Buffy replied. "It's just that I'm tired and could use back-up."
"You ok?" Xander quickly became serious. He worried so much about her.
"I'm fine," Buffy assured him. He relaxed a bit, if only for the moment. "It's just been a long day."
"I hear you," Xander commented. "I'll be there in a few."
Xander hung up and Buffy did the same. She stood up, no longer feeling dizzy. "Good," she thought. "A dizzy Slayer is a dead Slayer."
Buffy moved about the room, gathering supplies for patrol. She did a quick inventory, making sure she had everything. Stakes and Holy water were all she decided to bring with her. The Slayer reached up to touch the necklace she always wore, close to her heart. Instead of feeling the familiar cross she was used to, her fingers touched a smaller cross with a circular ring around it. She pulled it out from under her shirt and looked it over. It was a cross necklace similar to the one Angel gave her, but this one was smaller. Attached to the chain, circling the cross, was a ring. It was a beautiful silver ring with a delicate jeweled design around the band. "Looks like a promise ring," Buffy commented. But where did it come from?
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Buffy rushed down the stairs to the front door. She glanced in the living room and noticed her mother sitting with Giles. "When did he get here?" Buffy wondered. She also noticed her mother looked like she was doing much better, a healthy glow radiating from her. Joyce noticed Buffy and waved a hand at her. Giles turned and smiled at his Slayer.
Buffy turned back and opened the door. Xander stood there, wearing jeans and a pale blue dress shirt. Buffy was surprised. He looked good. Xander smiled at Buffy and pulled a small fistful of daisies from behind his back.
"Flowers for milady," he offered with a bow. Buffy smiled and accepted them, curtseying.
"Thank you, kind sir," she replied, giggling.
Xander looked at Buffy, gazing deep into her eyes. "Sweetheart, an entire day without you is one day too many." And with that, Xander leaned in and kissed her, stealing her breath away. Startled, Buffy leaned into him. "Just what is going on here?" she wondered briefly before losing herself in the passion of the moment.
Author: Melissa
Email: princessbuffy79@hotmail.com
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Come on, if I owned any of these characters, would I be
begging anyone to please read my stories? Sadly, Buffy and co. are
owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The WB, and whoever
else holds rights. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted
pleasure for the moment. K.O.??? Also, the song "Everything" is by Lifehouse, written by lead singer, Jason Wade. Marti Noxon wrote "Into the Woods".
Summary: Buffy finds things are a little off in her world. But is she awake, or is it a dream?
Spoilers: All events leading up to the current Season 5 episodes are fair game.
Distribution: If you want it, go ahead. Just let me know where it's going.
Feedback: Feedback is good, very good.
Author's notes: This story was inspired by the movie Passion of the Mind in which Demi Moore plays a woman who lives two separate lives. When she falls asleep in one, she wakes up in the other. Both are so real to her, she doesn't know which one is real and which one is the dream. I figured this could be kinda cool, so I altered it a little to suit my purposes. Oh yeah, Riley never left either.
Buffy flopped onto her bed, bones weary and head aching. The day had been long and hard and the night didn't look too promising, either.
Her days were beginning to run together. School was secondary to her family, so she rarely went anymore. And it sucked. She had been doing well for the first time in her life and now, she was struggling just to keep up.
Buffy glanced at the pile of books lying on her floor and groaned. There was so much homework to do, but she just couldn't motivate to start. Willow was being great by bringing it to her and helping her with the material, but real life was simply too much to deal with right now.
Buffy closed her eyes and sunk deeper into her pillow. Sometimes, she just wished she could close her eyes and shut out the world. Maybe she should just quit school. Not for good, just for now. Buffy sighed. She knew she had to at least finish this semester. Her mother would be so disappointed in her if she just gave up. Buffy felt like she had disappointed her mother too much already in her short life. She didn't want to add more fuel to that fire.
The tired Slayer looked over at the angry red numbers on her alarm clock. "Evil clock," she mumbled, briefly wondering how to put it out of its misery. "Sledge hammer would work," she mused. "Just one quick swing and * poof * no more clock."
"Oh great! I'm starting to sound like Willow," Buffy muttered. A moment later she groaned, "And now I'm talking to myself. Geez, I'm a real winner."
Buffy closed her eyes. "Just for a moment," she thought. What seemed like only a few minutes later, the exhausted girl was startled awake by the screaming alarm.
"That's odd," Buffy thought, reaching over to turn the annoyance off. "I don't remember turning that on."
Shrugging off her confusion, Buffy dragged herself into a sitting position.
"Ugh!" she groaned, looking at the time once more. Time to patrol. Buffy felt sluggish, but she knew she had to go out. It might do her some good, slaying demons, both figuratively and physically. Slaying was something she could control. She could push her thoughts and feelings to the back of her mind and just go through the motions. Her one-time curse had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Standing up, Buffy became dizzy. "Not now," she groaned, sitting back down. Buffy knew she shouldn't go out alone, but who would go with her? Riley just brought too much emotional baggage with him and Willow was out for the evening with Tara. Xander was the logical solution. She could use a little cheering up.
Buffy reached for the phone beside her. Picking up the receiver, she heard her sister's excited voice as she talked to someone on the other end.
"Dawn, I need the phone," Buffy sighed, expecting an argument that never came.
"Okay, just give me a minute," Dawn quickly replied.
Stunned, Buffy placed the receiver back in its cradle. "What's going on here?" she wondered. Dawn was never that easygoing when it came to using the phone.
"I'm off!" Dawn's yelled, her voice muffled by the wall between the two girls' rooms. Buffy leaned over and picked up the phone. She quickly dialed Xander's number, stored in her memory.
"Hey Dawn, Buffy done already?" Xander's amused voice rang out, clear as a bell over the phone.
"Dawn was talking to you?" Buffy was surprised. She reminded herself that she shouldn't be. Dawn had a huge crush on Xander. She was just glad Xander took it all in stride and played along.
"Buff?" now it was Xander's turn to be surprised. Oops! He had almost ruined the surprise. He would have to be more careful next time. "So, what's up?"
"Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to go patrolling with me," Buffy replied. "It's just that I'm tired and could use back-up."
"You ok?" Xander quickly became serious. He worried so much about her.
"I'm fine," Buffy assured him. He relaxed a bit, if only for the moment. "It's just been a long day."
"I hear you," Xander commented. "I'll be there in a few."
Xander hung up and Buffy did the same. She stood up, no longer feeling dizzy. "Good," she thought. "A dizzy Slayer is a dead Slayer."
Buffy moved about the room, gathering supplies for patrol. She did a quick inventory, making sure she had everything. Stakes and Holy water were all she decided to bring with her. The Slayer reached up to touch the necklace she always wore, close to her heart. Instead of feeling the familiar cross she was used to, her fingers touched a smaller cross with a circular ring around it. She pulled it out from under her shirt and looked it over. It was a cross necklace similar to the one Angel gave her, but this one was smaller. Attached to the chain, circling the cross, was a ring. It was a beautiful silver ring with a delicate jeweled design around the band. "Looks like a promise ring," Buffy commented. But where did it come from?
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Buffy rushed down the stairs to the front door. She glanced in the living room and noticed her mother sitting with Giles. "When did he get here?" Buffy wondered. She also noticed her mother looked like she was doing much better, a healthy glow radiating from her. Joyce noticed Buffy and waved a hand at her. Giles turned and smiled at his Slayer.
Buffy turned back and opened the door. Xander stood there, wearing jeans and a pale blue dress shirt. Buffy was surprised. He looked good. Xander smiled at Buffy and pulled a small fistful of daisies from behind his back.
"Flowers for milady," he offered with a bow. Buffy smiled and accepted them, curtseying.
"Thank you, kind sir," she replied, giggling.
Xander looked at Buffy, gazing deep into her eyes. "Sweetheart, an entire day without you is one day too many." And with that, Xander leaned in and kissed her, stealing her breath away. Startled, Buffy leaned into him. "Just what is going on here?" she wondered briefly before losing herself in the passion of the moment.