The Dream is Over
Prologue
BZZZZZZZZZ!
Something was definitely annoying her. On the fringe of consciousness the girl swatted at the offending insect. The buzzing only got louder and louder. Finally the feeling of hands on her shoulder as they began to shake her awake, brought her to. A sing song voice from her past beckoned for her to shake away the remaining lethargy.
"Wake up, Buffy! You are going to be late for your first day of collage. I told you to sleep in your dorm room last night but do you listen? Of course you didn't, when have you ever listened to a word I say?" the woman grumbled.
Buffy looked up into the dearest face…"Mom?"
Pt1
"Hurry up, Buffy! I have to get to my civics class. I hear Professor Ross is a real tyrant when you are tardy. That is so not the impression I wanna make on the first day of school."
Willow grabbed Buffys' hand and pulled her along behind her. She couldn't figure out what the deal was. Buffy was not acting like herself at all. Of course, she hadn't quite been the same since Angel left three months ago. Willow hoped that she would snap out of it soon, this was beginning to be a pain.
The kids were all chattering excitedly around her but Buffy was oblivious. The dream she had the night before was so clear in her mind that she no matter how hard she tried it stayed with her. Her thoughts were jumping from one memory to another. The initiative, Riley, her mothers death and then her own. It couldn't have all been a dream, could it? She grimaced when she recalled the look of bafflement on her mother's face when she asked where her sister Dawn was. Joyce had merely shaken it off as sleep deprivation and rushed her out the door but the answer still rang in her head.
"Don't be silly Buffy. One daughter is already more than I can handle."
How she made it to her classes and the rest of the day was a total blur. Her one thought was that she really needed to talk to Giles. If anyone could explain this, it was him.
Unfortunately, Giles was unable to offer any answers at all. Like her mother, he passed it off as a vivid dream and ordered her to get some sleep. Sleep was the last thing she needed. She wanted answers. Grabbing her duffel bag, she headed for the cemetery for the nightly rounds. Slaying a few vamps had always managed to take her mind off of her problems before.
A thin sliver of moonlight landed on the tombstone where she perched, waiting. It was apparently a slow night in Vampville tonight since she had yet to see anything even resembling the undead. What she didn't know was one of them was steadily watching her. His eyes were glowing bright yellow as he tried to get a focused image of her face. Their feral gleam hidden behind an ivy-covered hedge, he felt safe for the moment. The slayer was back but how could that be. The underworld was still celebrating the news of her death. Afraid to move closer, he squatted down and waited.
The vampire did not have long to wait. A figure appeared behind the Slayer. Someone braver then he was going to attempt to take her on. Smiling an evil smile he waited for the action to begin.
Buffy knew someone was coming up from behind. Her senses tingled with anticipation of the fight to come. Slowly reaching down into her bag, her fingers wrapped around the smooth surface of the stake. Now primed to attack, she was staggered when a voice whispered. "Slayer, is that really you?"
Buffy turned and found herself face to face with Spike. For a second she let her emotions take over and allowed a smile to pass her lips. That smile found its twin and she quickly felt herself being swept up into his cold arms.
"How in the bloody hell…I mean when did you…. ok I'm stuttering. Stop me please. You know where I'm going with this luv. "
"Uh Spike, can you put me down now…please."
"Yeah sure, luv. Now spill. How are you here and not six feet under eh?"
Buffy slumped to the ground.
"So it was real. I knew it. But how? How is everything like it was before…not that I'm complaining? I mean, moms not dead and I'm alive and why do you remember when no one else does?"
"Hold on a minute. Joyce is alive too? I bet little Dawny is just jumping for joy about now. Oh wait…you said you and I are the only ones who remember. What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. I woke up this morning and mom was there. It was as if nothing had happened and when I asked her where Dawn was she looked at me like I was crazy. They almost had me convinced that it was and this whole nightmare of the past year was a dream. But, if you remember, then it must have happened. How is it that you remember?"
Taking up the spot beside her they sat in silence for a moment.
"The only thing I can think of, is that I'm immortal. Time has no real meaning for me. So, if some force turned back the clock it wouldn't really effect me or the other vamps for that matter. Anyway, that's the only thing I can think of."
Buffy thought a minute and her eyes lit up. "Were not the only ones then. Angel will know."
Angered that her thoughts would fly to Angel so quickly Spike snapped.
"Yeah, he would know but, then he wasn't here was he? I was! Hell girl, he didn't even show up for your funeral. Some friend, huh?"
The light died as quickly as it came. "He didn't come to my funeral?"
Feeling a little bad about causing her so much pain, Spike tried to comfort her.
"Well, he may not have heard, you know? No one Giles talked to has seen him or his pals in a few days. They must be off on one of their secret missions or something. Don't fret it, luv. I'm sure he would have come if he had known."
"Thank you, Spike! This is all still so very strange. Dawn is gone and mom is alive. The whole fiasco with the initiative hasn't happened yet. Wait, if the initiative is not active yet, then what about that chip in your head?"
Spike jumped up.
"That does shine a whole new light on it doesn't it. Hmm… do me a favor. Throw a punch at me."
"What?"
"You heard me. Smack me down baby. Let's give it ago."
Laughing at his antics Buffy swung a mean right at his head. When Spike began to return the favor he realized there was no pain. He swung again. Once again no pain.
"Holy shit Slayer! The big bad is back!"
Buffy cocked her eyebrow and grinned. "I'm happy for you Spike. Now you can go back to making a buffet out my friends." She added sarcastically.
Spike stopped his little dance of joy and looked hard at Buffys' face.
"I mourned you, Buffy. You can't know how happy I am that you are alive."
Buffy let a tear slide down her cheek and embraced the startled vampire.
"I'm glad to be back too, Spike. Now about this big bad thing….."
Prologue
BZZZZZZZZZ!
Something was definitely annoying her. On the fringe of consciousness the girl swatted at the offending insect. The buzzing only got louder and louder. Finally the feeling of hands on her shoulder as they began to shake her awake, brought her to. A sing song voice from her past beckoned for her to shake away the remaining lethargy.
"Wake up, Buffy! You are going to be late for your first day of collage. I told you to sleep in your dorm room last night but do you listen? Of course you didn't, when have you ever listened to a word I say?" the woman grumbled.
Buffy looked up into the dearest face…"Mom?"
Pt1
"Hurry up, Buffy! I have to get to my civics class. I hear Professor Ross is a real tyrant when you are tardy. That is so not the impression I wanna make on the first day of school."
Willow grabbed Buffys' hand and pulled her along behind her. She couldn't figure out what the deal was. Buffy was not acting like herself at all. Of course, she hadn't quite been the same since Angel left three months ago. Willow hoped that she would snap out of it soon, this was beginning to be a pain.
The kids were all chattering excitedly around her but Buffy was oblivious. The dream she had the night before was so clear in her mind that she no matter how hard she tried it stayed with her. Her thoughts were jumping from one memory to another. The initiative, Riley, her mothers death and then her own. It couldn't have all been a dream, could it? She grimaced when she recalled the look of bafflement on her mother's face when she asked where her sister Dawn was. Joyce had merely shaken it off as sleep deprivation and rushed her out the door but the answer still rang in her head.
"Don't be silly Buffy. One daughter is already more than I can handle."
How she made it to her classes and the rest of the day was a total blur. Her one thought was that she really needed to talk to Giles. If anyone could explain this, it was him.
Unfortunately, Giles was unable to offer any answers at all. Like her mother, he passed it off as a vivid dream and ordered her to get some sleep. Sleep was the last thing she needed. She wanted answers. Grabbing her duffel bag, she headed for the cemetery for the nightly rounds. Slaying a few vamps had always managed to take her mind off of her problems before.
A thin sliver of moonlight landed on the tombstone where she perched, waiting. It was apparently a slow night in Vampville tonight since she had yet to see anything even resembling the undead. What she didn't know was one of them was steadily watching her. His eyes were glowing bright yellow as he tried to get a focused image of her face. Their feral gleam hidden behind an ivy-covered hedge, he felt safe for the moment. The slayer was back but how could that be. The underworld was still celebrating the news of her death. Afraid to move closer, he squatted down and waited.
The vampire did not have long to wait. A figure appeared behind the Slayer. Someone braver then he was going to attempt to take her on. Smiling an evil smile he waited for the action to begin.
Buffy knew someone was coming up from behind. Her senses tingled with anticipation of the fight to come. Slowly reaching down into her bag, her fingers wrapped around the smooth surface of the stake. Now primed to attack, she was staggered when a voice whispered. "Slayer, is that really you?"
Buffy turned and found herself face to face with Spike. For a second she let her emotions take over and allowed a smile to pass her lips. That smile found its twin and she quickly felt herself being swept up into his cold arms.
"How in the bloody hell…I mean when did you…. ok I'm stuttering. Stop me please. You know where I'm going with this luv. "
"Uh Spike, can you put me down now…please."
"Yeah sure, luv. Now spill. How are you here and not six feet under eh?"
Buffy slumped to the ground.
"So it was real. I knew it. But how? How is everything like it was before…not that I'm complaining? I mean, moms not dead and I'm alive and why do you remember when no one else does?"
"Hold on a minute. Joyce is alive too? I bet little Dawny is just jumping for joy about now. Oh wait…you said you and I are the only ones who remember. What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. I woke up this morning and mom was there. It was as if nothing had happened and when I asked her where Dawn was she looked at me like I was crazy. They almost had me convinced that it was and this whole nightmare of the past year was a dream. But, if you remember, then it must have happened. How is it that you remember?"
Taking up the spot beside her they sat in silence for a moment.
"The only thing I can think of, is that I'm immortal. Time has no real meaning for me. So, if some force turned back the clock it wouldn't really effect me or the other vamps for that matter. Anyway, that's the only thing I can think of."
Buffy thought a minute and her eyes lit up. "Were not the only ones then. Angel will know."
Angered that her thoughts would fly to Angel so quickly Spike snapped.
"Yeah, he would know but, then he wasn't here was he? I was! Hell girl, he didn't even show up for your funeral. Some friend, huh?"
The light died as quickly as it came. "He didn't come to my funeral?"
Feeling a little bad about causing her so much pain, Spike tried to comfort her.
"Well, he may not have heard, you know? No one Giles talked to has seen him or his pals in a few days. They must be off on one of their secret missions or something. Don't fret it, luv. I'm sure he would have come if he had known."
"Thank you, Spike! This is all still so very strange. Dawn is gone and mom is alive. The whole fiasco with the initiative hasn't happened yet. Wait, if the initiative is not active yet, then what about that chip in your head?"
Spike jumped up.
"That does shine a whole new light on it doesn't it. Hmm… do me a favor. Throw a punch at me."
"What?"
"You heard me. Smack me down baby. Let's give it ago."
Laughing at his antics Buffy swung a mean right at his head. When Spike began to return the favor he realized there was no pain. He swung again. Once again no pain.
"Holy shit Slayer! The big bad is back!"
Buffy cocked her eyebrow and grinned. "I'm happy for you Spike. Now you can go back to making a buffet out my friends." She added sarcastically.
Spike stopped his little dance of joy and looked hard at Buffys' face.
"I mourned you, Buffy. You can't know how happy I am that you are alive."
Buffy let a tear slide down her cheek and embraced the startled vampire.
"I'm glad to be back too, Spike. Now about this big bad thing….."