"Buffy?"
Buffy felt like she was drifting through a heavy fog. Her arms and legs felt weighted down by some unknown force. Then came the sharp sting of a hand as it made contact with her cheek. "Wha..."
"Sorry," Giles said. "Are you ok?"
Buffy sat up slowly. Her mother and Giles helped her stand up, both of their faces deeply etched with worry. 'I must be dreaming,' she thought, noticing the wedding ring on Giles' left hand. 'That's right. He married my mom in my dream.' Buffy snuck a quick look at her mother's hand. Sure enough, there was a matching band on her finger.
"Are you OK?" Giles repeated.
"Yes, I'm fine," Buffy muttered. She struggled to find an explanation for her behavior. "Maybe I'm coming down with something," she commented, the excuse sounding lame to her own ears.
"But you don't get sick," Giles replied. Buffy glared at him.
"I can get sick," she argued. "It just doesn't last that long. In fact, I'm already feeling better."
Giles didn't look convinced, but Joyce placed a hand on his shoulder. "Rupert, dear, she says she's fine. Just let her be."
Giles looked at Joyce and smiled, "All right. But maybe we shouldn't train today. You should stay home and rest. I'll get Willow to help me patrol tonight."
"And me?" Dawn asked hopefully.
"No, Dawn, you can't go," Giles told her. Buffy tried to prevent a small smile, but failed miserably. This may be a dream, but it was a good dream. Giles looked so happy. She hadn't seen him this happy since...well, since Jenny.
Buffy remembered something. Her journal. Maybe it would hold the clues to this world. How did things come to be? "I'm going to head up to my room," Buffy stated as she rushed up the stairs.
"But what about breakfast?" Joyce's voice trailed in the wake of the Slayer. Buffy didn't bother to reply. She was on a mission for some answers. Breakfast could wait.
Buffy pushed her door open and rushed to the bed. She quickly felt under the mattress for the familiar shape of her journal. Instead, she only felt the cool smoothness of the sheets. Concerned, Buffy shoved her hand deeper into the recess between the layers. Nothing.
The Slayer moved to her bedside table and pulled open the drawer, searching for the book. Her chest and dresser drawers turned up nothing as well. Buffy marched over to the closet and threw open the door. 'I wouldn't put my journal in the closet in any reality,' she thought, scrunching up her nose. She was about to close the door when an item caught her interest. Pulling the dress out, Buffy held it up for inspection.
"Wow," Buffy exclaimed. The dress was simple, yet elegant. It was basic black with a soft rose tint when you held the fabric just so. Buffy loved it, but she didn't remember buying it. 'When did I get this?' she wondered. Then she remembered her mission. To find the journal.
Buffy sat on the floor and tried to think of where she would put it. The thought that maybe she didn't keep a journal never crossed her mind. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and thought back to the last time that she saw it. Visions of the other reality invaded her mind. She remembered writing in the journal and then a knock on the door. She shoved the journal under her pillow as her mother entered her room.
"Could it be?" Buffy mumbled, scrambling over to the bed once more. She felt under the pillow and, sure enough, felt the familiar hardness of her journal. She pulled it out and grabbed the pillow. Making herself comfortable on the floor, Buffy settled down to read. But where to begin? Probably with her arrival in Sunnydale. Most likely, that's where things go awry.
Journal entry
"I can't believe she actually did it. Mom made us move to this incredibly small town where I have no friends. Not that I had many left at Hemery, but it was easier to escape there. But now I am here in Sunnydale and I am alone. It sucks."
Buffy skimmed the pages, looking for a mention of Xander. Finding one, she continued reading.
"Who would've thought? I found a couple of friends in this 'One Starbucks town'. At least, that is what I hope Xander and Willow are. I had the chance to be really popular again when the queen of the school, Cordelia, decided to talk to me. How lucky for me! Was I really that shallow in LA? Probably. But something is different now. I don't want to be popular. Well, at least not like Cordelia, popular. But I'm getting off track here.
I met Xander first. I accidentally ran into this guy and my bag fell over, knocking everything onto the ground. Then this other guy, who was kind of cute in a goofy way, stopped to help me pick my stuff up. I was so embarrassed, I rushed off. Apparently I forgot a stake. Oops! Major bad. I had to cover when he handed it back to me later that day. Said it was for defense. I think he bought it. At first."
Buffy remembered this story. It was exactly how she remembered. She met Willow and Jesse. Later that night at the Bronze, the vamps took Willow and Jesse and eventually, they lost Jesse. She met Angel. Thought he was hot. Skimming the pages, the Slayer realized that nothing was different. That is, until she reached the night she died.
"This will be short, because I don't have the strength to write right now. Tonight, I, Buffy Summers, died. There was this prophecy that said I would, but I didn't think it would actually happen. I've beaten stupid prophecies before, but this one. It was different. I knew that the first moment I heard Angel and Giles discussing it. After that, my mind went blank. I don't remember much of what happened. I know I hit Giles so he wouldn't stop me from going after the Master. I also know the Master said it was my fault. I was the reason he got free. How stupid I was. I went down there but if I hadn't, the Master would never have escaped. He used this hypno-crap on me and I couldn't resist. I walked over to him and…and I died.
Apparently, I drowned. The next thing I remember is Xander. I remember the burning sensation in my lungs as I coughed up all of the water. And I remember Xander holding me, crying. He kept repeating that I was going to be okay. If it weren't for Xander, I wouldn't be alive right now. He saved my life, even though I totally rejected him earlier. I was so stupid.
With Xander and Angel's help, I killed the Master. I don't remember the fight. I just went through the motions; my thoughts were on Xander the whole time. After the battle, we all went to the dance. Xander held me so close the entire night. He wouldn't let anyone else near me. But I didn't complain. It just felt right. I didn't reject him this time. And the kiss goodnight? It was magical. I feel like I'm floating right now. I don't know when things changed, but I'm so glad they did. But now, I have to sleep."
Buffy smiled as she finished reading the passage. She knew Xander could be romantic, but not quite like this. The dance she remembered didn't end that way. But as she read, she could see the scene being acted out in her mind. Are they memories or just pictures created by the words I'm reading?' she wondered. Sighing in frustration, Buffy continued to read.
Two hours later, Buffy finally finished catching up on her other life. Basically, she and Xander were inseparable since that night. Buffy and Angel never existed as a couple after the Spring Fling. Instead, Angel and Cordelia became an item. He lost his soul (So I guess my being his one true love was a bunch of crap. Probably said it to get me to sleep with him) and Buffy dusted him. But not before he could kill Jenny. Cordelia was so torn up that she left for Los Angeles early, finishing high school in the city. Oz and Willow dated and their life existed as Buffy remembered. Except there was no "clothes fluke" and Xander never kissed Willow. Oz never left. Apparently, Buffy was very happy in this life. Giles and her mother were happy. And Dawn was still that energy stuff, placed into their lives. 'And that means there is still Glory,' Buffy thought. 'Damn! Just when this was starting to get good.'
A gentle tapping sounded at the door. Buffy stood up and walked over to answer it. Willow stood on the other side, grinning sheepishly.
"Hey Wills!" Buffy smiled at her dear friend. "What's up?"
"I almost forgot the shoes," Willow replied, holding up a pair of high-heeled pumps. Buffy accepted them and raised an eyebrow. "For your date tonight. To go with the dress Xander bought you," she rushed to explain.
"Oh yeah," Buffy replied, moving over to the bed. The dress was still lying on the comforter. She had a date tonight. With Xander. Hmmm...if this was a dream, she might as well have a good time. "So, you gonna help me get ready?"
"Of course," Willow replied, as if there were no other answer. She smiled, "You're gonna knock him off his feet tonight. Let's get busy!" Buffy just laughed at the girl's excitement and together, they rushed off toward the bathroom. This was definitely going to be a night to remember.