Disclaimer and general info. in first chapter.
Buffy stared out of the passenger window as Riley drove towards the hospital. She watched the trees sway in the breeze. Rolling the window down, Buffy shivered as the wind rushed against her body. Riley glanced over at her, noticing the shiver.
"Are you sure you want the window down?" he asked. "It's kind of cool out tonight."
Buffy looked at him and sighed. He always treated her like a child. "No," she said. "I'm fine." She went back to staring out the window, mentally taking notes about her dream.
"Ok, I was dating Xander. Mom and Giles were together. Mom was healthy. Dawn was there, but she was really nice. Willow...I don't know about Willow," the Slayer thought, racking her brain for references to her best friend.
"Hey," Riley gently shook Buffy from her thoughts. "We're here."
Buffy looked up at the large white building in front of them. This place held so many memories for her, none of them good. She had seen too many of her friends here, close to death. She, herself, had spent many unpleasant evenings here as a patient. But the nights she spent waiting, those were the ones she wanted to forget.
Riley, sensing Buffy's unease, lightly grasped her elbow and led her through the front door. "Your mom's fine, Buffy. The surgery was a success and we are here to pick her up."
"I know," Buffy replied. "It's just that...I can't help but wonder if we are going to get up there and they are going to tell me that..."
"She's fine, Buffy," Riley said and pushed the elevator's call button.
Buffy sighed, "I know." She knew deep down that Riley was right. Her mom was going to be ok. But there was something missing. Something that just seemed off, but she could not, for the life of her, put her finger on what that was. The elevator doors opened with a swoosh and Buffy moved forward. Numbly, she stared into space as Riley reached for the button.
"Hold the elevator!" a voice cried. Buffy looked up and saw Xander rushing toward her. Riley held the doors open and Xander rushed inside.
Buffy smiled, "What are you doing here?"
Xander looked at her and grinned, "What? You think I spent all of that time waiting only to miss out on the fun part?" At Buffy's confused look, he rushed to explain, "I'm here to pick up mom."
"Your mom is..." Riley started. Buffy and Xander both raised their eyebrows and stared at him. "Oh, I get it," Soldier-boy turned red. "Never mind."
Buffy shook her head and looked over at her friend. They shared a private smile, but the moment was over before she knew it. The elevator began its slow ascent and Buffy took a deep breath. Xander reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze, lending her strength. He knew how much she hated hospitals, even when she was there for a good reason.
Buffy was amazed at how much Xander's little gesture meant to her. She breathed a little easier, knowing he was there. Nothing really bad could happen to her when Xander was around. 'I wonder if that has anything to do with my dream' she wondered, silently. 'Or vice versa.'
The elevator came to a halt and the trio entered the fourth floor lobby. "I'll go find out what's up," Riley said and walked off to the front desk. Buffy and Xander followed behind.
Xander could feel Buffy's continual looks in his direction. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, "What?"
Buffy looked startled, "Huh?"
"Do I have something on my face?"
"No," she replied. "Why?"
"Because you keep staring at me," Xander told her.
"Oh, that," Buffy said, wondering how much she should tell him. She knew she could always tell him anything, but still... "It's just that I had this dream last night and you..."
"Oooh! I was in your dream!" Xander interrupted. "Was it a naked dream?" Buffy smacked his arm. "Ouch!"
"You deserved that, you pervert," Buffy glowered.
Xander looked at her and realized she was serious. "No, really, what happened in your dream."
Buffy glared at him for a moment before starting again. "Well, I had this dream and..."
"Your mom is waiting in her room for us," Riley said as he broke into their conversation. The three began to walk down the hall.
"Well," Xander prodded Buffy. She just shook her head in response. After a few moments of silence, she told him, "I'll tell you later."
"Tell him what later?" Riley asked, suddenly suspicious of Xander's appearance at the hospital.
"Nothing," Buffy tried to assure her boyfriend. "Really," she added when Riley didn't seem convinced.
They arrived at Joyce's room. "Wait here." Buffy instructed the two guys, entering the room alone. She tiptoed into the room, unsure if her mother was awake or not.
Joyce smiled as her daughter crept into view. "It's all right Buffy. I'm ready to go home now."
"You sure?" Buffy smiled. "I mean, I'm sure we could arrange for you to stay a few more days."
"Don't you dare," Joyce glared at Buffy. "I might just have to disown you."
"You wouldn't," Buffy feigned innocence. "I'm your only daughter." Buffy stopped for a moment before adding, "Well, sort of."
"Speaking of non-daughters, where is Dawn?" Joyce asked Buffy.
"She's at school and Riley and Xander are waiting in the hall," the Slayer replied. "Ready to go?"
"Yes, please. Get me out of here."
Buffy released a content sigh and began to push her mother's wheelchair toward the door. Things were going to be all right. Her mother was going home and other than Glory, things were quiet on the slaying portion of her life. Things weren't too bad. But that dream...
Buffy stared out of the passenger window as Riley drove towards the hospital. She watched the trees sway in the breeze. Rolling the window down, Buffy shivered as the wind rushed against her body. Riley glanced over at her, noticing the shiver.
"Are you sure you want the window down?" he asked. "It's kind of cool out tonight."
Buffy looked at him and sighed. He always treated her like a child. "No," she said. "I'm fine." She went back to staring out the window, mentally taking notes about her dream.
"Ok, I was dating Xander. Mom and Giles were together. Mom was healthy. Dawn was there, but she was really nice. Willow...I don't know about Willow," the Slayer thought, racking her brain for references to her best friend.
"Hey," Riley gently shook Buffy from her thoughts. "We're here."
Buffy looked up at the large white building in front of them. This place held so many memories for her, none of them good. She had seen too many of her friends here, close to death. She, herself, had spent many unpleasant evenings here as a patient. But the nights she spent waiting, those were the ones she wanted to forget.
Riley, sensing Buffy's unease, lightly grasped her elbow and led her through the front door. "Your mom's fine, Buffy. The surgery was a success and we are here to pick her up."
"I know," Buffy replied. "It's just that...I can't help but wonder if we are going to get up there and they are going to tell me that..."
"She's fine, Buffy," Riley said and pushed the elevator's call button.
Buffy sighed, "I know." She knew deep down that Riley was right. Her mom was going to be ok. But there was something missing. Something that just seemed off, but she could not, for the life of her, put her finger on what that was. The elevator doors opened with a swoosh and Buffy moved forward. Numbly, she stared into space as Riley reached for the button.
"Hold the elevator!" a voice cried. Buffy looked up and saw Xander rushing toward her. Riley held the doors open and Xander rushed inside.
Buffy smiled, "What are you doing here?"
Xander looked at her and grinned, "What? You think I spent all of that time waiting only to miss out on the fun part?" At Buffy's confused look, he rushed to explain, "I'm here to pick up mom."
"Your mom is..." Riley started. Buffy and Xander both raised their eyebrows and stared at him. "Oh, I get it," Soldier-boy turned red. "Never mind."
Buffy shook her head and looked over at her friend. They shared a private smile, but the moment was over before she knew it. The elevator began its slow ascent and Buffy took a deep breath. Xander reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze, lending her strength. He knew how much she hated hospitals, even when she was there for a good reason.
Buffy was amazed at how much Xander's little gesture meant to her. She breathed a little easier, knowing he was there. Nothing really bad could happen to her when Xander was around. 'I wonder if that has anything to do with my dream' she wondered, silently. 'Or vice versa.'
The elevator came to a halt and the trio entered the fourth floor lobby. "I'll go find out what's up," Riley said and walked off to the front desk. Buffy and Xander followed behind.
Xander could feel Buffy's continual looks in his direction. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, "What?"
Buffy looked startled, "Huh?"
"Do I have something on my face?"
"No," she replied. "Why?"
"Because you keep staring at me," Xander told her.
"Oh, that," Buffy said, wondering how much she should tell him. She knew she could always tell him anything, but still... "It's just that I had this dream last night and you..."
"Oooh! I was in your dream!" Xander interrupted. "Was it a naked dream?" Buffy smacked his arm. "Ouch!"
"You deserved that, you pervert," Buffy glowered.
Xander looked at her and realized she was serious. "No, really, what happened in your dream."
Buffy glared at him for a moment before starting again. "Well, I had this dream and..."
"Your mom is waiting in her room for us," Riley said as he broke into their conversation. The three began to walk down the hall.
"Well," Xander prodded Buffy. She just shook her head in response. After a few moments of silence, she told him, "I'll tell you later."
"Tell him what later?" Riley asked, suddenly suspicious of Xander's appearance at the hospital.
"Nothing," Buffy tried to assure her boyfriend. "Really," she added when Riley didn't seem convinced.
They arrived at Joyce's room. "Wait here." Buffy instructed the two guys, entering the room alone. She tiptoed into the room, unsure if her mother was awake or not.
Joyce smiled as her daughter crept into view. "It's all right Buffy. I'm ready to go home now."
"You sure?" Buffy smiled. "I mean, I'm sure we could arrange for you to stay a few more days."
"Don't you dare," Joyce glared at Buffy. "I might just have to disown you."
"You wouldn't," Buffy feigned innocence. "I'm your only daughter." Buffy stopped for a moment before adding, "Well, sort of."
"Speaking of non-daughters, where is Dawn?" Joyce asked Buffy.
"She's at school and Riley and Xander are waiting in the hall," the Slayer replied. "Ready to go?"
"Yes, please. Get me out of here."
Buffy released a content sigh and began to push her mother's wheelchair toward the door. Things were going to be all right. Her mother was going home and other than Glory, things were quiet on the slaying portion of her life. Things weren't too bad. But that dream...