Dare to Dream: A Buffy Fanfic

Set during Season Seven, somewhere between "Sleeper" and "Chosen"

"I'm ho-ome!" Buffy Summers shouted, slamming the front door behind her. She was carrying a briefcase, which she flung onto the floor.

"We're in the kitchen, love!" A voice answered from within the house.

Buffy shrugged out of her raincoat (It was one of those rare rainy days in Southern California) and hung it up, breathing in the familiar smells of her home.

"Is that food I smell?" She called out, making her way to the kitchen.

"Yes!" Two voices replied.

Buffy leaned against the kitchen doorframe, smiling at the sight of her boyfriend, the sleeves of his worn black shirt rolled up, tending to pots on the stove, and her sister, her hair falling in front of her face like a curtain as she concentrated on her homework.

The two looked up in acknowledgement of her presence. Spike walked across the kitchen, abandoning dinner, and wrapped Buffy in a hug.

"How was work?" He asked, taking in the smell of her strawberry-scented hair.

Buffy sighed. "Oh, it was there. I went. Now I'm home."

Spike winced knowingly. "Boss being a poncy bugger?"

"As always."

Spike studied his girlfriend carefully and noticed a familiar powder coating her clothing.

"Hey, you're all dusty."

"Oh yeah. Ran into some vamps on the way home."

"You gonna go patrolling tonight?"

"I dunno. Maybe. Will you come with?"

"Well, we don't wanna leave the Little Bit home by herself.."

"Hey!" This word of protest was the first thing Dawn had to contribute to the conversation.

This word got Buffy and Spike's attention and they looked over at her.

"I'm 16, guys. I'll be able to take care of myself for a couple of hours!"

Buffy sighed. She knew that Dawn could handle it, that she wasn't a little kid anymore, but she was violently protective of her little sister, and Spike too, because they knew all too well the kinds of things that could happen to her.

"You're right. I should stop worrying about you." Buffy conceded.

"Thank you!" Dawn said, happy that her protests were considered.

Buffy walked over to her sister and looked over her shoulder. "Whatcha workin' on" She gestured to the piles of papers littering the kitchen table.

"Biology." Dawn grimaced.

"She was trying to explain it to me. Sounds bloody boring." Spike added.

"It is." Dawn agreed.

"At least your teacher wasn't a praying mantis." Buffy said, trying to make the grass seem greener.

"What?" Dawn and Spike exclaimed at the same time, in disbelief.

"I've never told you that story before?"

Prompted by their silence, Buffy concluded that she hadn't. "Well I guess I'll tell it now."

But before she could begin the tale, the smoke alarm.

Spike's dinner was going up on flames.

Buffy rolled her eyes and smiled. "This always happens. Should I order a pizza?"

The dream was cut off there. Buffy's eyes shot open in surprise.

"Hey love, did I wake you up?"

Buffy rolled over and saw Spike entering the room.

Buffy shook her head.

"Um, there's no soap in the upstairs bathroom."

Sleepily, and a little dazed from her dream, Buffy answered, " There should be some in the closet in the hallway."

"Ok. Thanks, love." Spike shut the door behind him.

Buffy lay in the dark thinking.

What happened in her dream-could it happen?

Did she want it to happen?

Or would this impending doom, this huge fight, the fight to end to end all fights, end up killing her, or Spike, or both of them, even?

Would there be a world still? Or would there be nothing? Would there be a world where humans or even regular vampires couldn't live in because it was overun by those creepy Ubervamps?

Buffy honestly didn't know.

"I guess I'll find out." She thought glumly.