They woke in a heap on the ground, still holding hands.
"What the hell happened?" muttered Spike, trying to wake up enough to open his eyes.
"Lights. Music. Then…" 'Dreams, such wonderful dreams…' "You're still holding my hand."
"Mm? Oh, sorry." He let go of her hand.
"And where are we, anyway?" She asked, having opened her eyes.
Spike squinted at the landscape. "Can't tell exactly. But another dimension."
"Another… how do you know that?" she asked, aghast.
"Look, no smoke!" he said, showing her his hand. She looked at him blankly. "Hello, Slayer, me vampire. Me in sunlight. Me not burning up!!"
"Oh. Yes." She hadn't registered that it was day. Hadn't noticed they were now sitting in a meadow full of flowers, either. "This is one weird place!"
"Maybe. Pretty, though," he replied, considering the landscape. "Love to know where we are…"
"And you shall!" The soft, silvery voice came from behind them, where a slender young woman, dressed in a shimmering green dress, stood listening to them and watching. "Welcome, Lady and Bard. I am Estrellita."
"Lady and… well, Slayer and Vampire would be more accurate, but our names are…" began Spike.
"I know your names. I know who and what you are. But while you are here, you are Lady and Bard. They are your titles."
"Our – titles?" Buffy stammered.
Estrellita smiled at her. "You will understand in time. For now, all you need to know is that you are, indeed, in another dimension. However long you spend here, it will take no time in your own dimension. Nothing here can harm you."
"But – why are we here? How did we get here?" asked Buffy, bewildered.
"First, you shall be given fresh clothing, and break your fast. As you eat, I will explain to you. Come, follow me!"
They followed the dark-haired form in silence, unable to disobey the command in the star-coloured eyes. She led them to a large building, which surrounded a huge tree, and showed them into a room.
"Here you will find clothes to fit you," she said, motioning towards a large clothes chest. "And this is where you will sleep for as long as you stay here," she added, before leaving them alone in the room.
They stared at each other. And the room. 'And the four-poster double bed…' they both thought, one groaning inwardly, the other beginning to think he might just like this dimension…
"Oh, God." She stared at the bed. "You have to be kidding me, we…"
"We don't have much choice," he said, trying to keep the gleefulness out of his voice.
She sighed. "Well, let's see about some clothes…" She opened up the chest. Two sets of clothes, neatly laid out. Midnight blue shot through with silver. She handed Spike his clothes. "Turn your back," she instructed, before turning her back and changing.
The dress fitted her perfectly, clinging to each and every curve, flattering her. She couldn't help noticing that Spike's clothes were – she gulped – 'equally – uh – flattering…'
He didn't seem to be too impressed by the lacy cuffs, muttering something about "Like something Angel would wear…" until he caught her gaze. 'Oh, she likes it…' a surprised voice in his head whispered. 'Now if I'd known that…' "Looks good on you, love," he said, looking her up and down appreciatively, making her feel horribly uncomfortable. She tried to hit him, but simply found that her hand stopped a few inches from him, as though there was a barrier.
"What…"
Estrellita had entered silently. "As I said, nothing here can harm you. Including each other. Anything you try to touch with the intention to harm you will be unable to touch."
"So – she can't hurt me?"
"No." Spike was relieved. "And you cannot hurt her. Or anything else."
"But – we were holding hands earlier…" wondered Buffy aloud.
Estrellita smiled. "You touched with no intention to harm. You may touch in friendship, in kindness. But it is impossible to harm and be harmed here."
"Oh." She almost wished she hadn't asked. 'Touching Spike in friendship… Spike touching her! Suppose he… no, that would be harming me… so basically,' she mused, 'they could only really touch each other if they wanted to. If both of them wanted to…'
"Precisely." Buffy jumped as Estrellita read her mind. "But now, come and eat. And I will explain."
She led them to a table, which positively groaned with food. New, fresh, soft white bread and thick honey, large slabs of yellow butter, slices of cold meat, cheese, chicken legs, baskets of fruit, and all sorts of delicacies. Buffy realised that she was starving, and sat down willingly at the table. Spike sat beside her looking slightly dazed. "Why – don't I want blood?" he asked aloud.
Estrellita smiled. "This is a different dimension. Here, you are not a vampire. Here, you are Bard, a singer and poet." She poured some crystal- clear liquid into cups and handed it to them. "Drink of the dew of my land!" she said. "It is sweeter and more delicious than anything you will ever taste…" 'Except each other,' reminded an inner voice. 'That's why they're here…'
They sipped it gingerly as if afraid of a trap, but finding what she said was true, began to eat and drink with delight. 'Everything seemed to taste better, here, somehow,' thought Buffy, as she licked the thick, golden honey from her fingers. She caught Spike looking at her as she did, and blushed, dropping her eyes.
Estrellita remained standing, and started speaking to them. "There is no time here. You cannot age or die. There is no evil here, no harm can befall you. There is no deceit here, you cannot lie…" She saw the looks of horror on their faces. "Though you may choose whether or not to speak or be silent." She smiled at their relief. "Here, there is only pleasure and happiness, of which you can never tire."
"So why are we here?" asked Buffy, trying to avoid looking at Spike after the last comment. No way were pleasure and happiness involving HIM as far as she was concerned!
"A spell was laid on you, that you might understand your own true selves, your true feelings, your true desires. Admittedly, I don't think the Wiccan had this in mind, but…"
"Willow did this?!" exclaimed Buffy, knowing that Tara would never have done it. "Red-headed witch?"
Estrellita nodded her assent. "As I said, she probably did not intend this. I doubt she is even aware of the existence of this dimension. But wishes can have such power … beware what you wish for!" She paused. "I said there is no time. Time here seems to pass, in that there are days and nights, dusks and dawns. But you will never be older, however long you stay here. And you will return to your own dimension in exactly the same time and place as you left, when it is time to return there…"
"Which will be when?" Buffy wasn't happy about roaming around with Spike for eternity. 'Even here.'
"That depends on how fast a learner you are!" she laughed, her laughter like the music of tinkling bells or a running stream. "Now, explore my land, go wherever you will. When you are hungry or tired, your feet and minds will guide you back here. At the end of the day, place your clothes back in the chest, and fresh ones will be there in the morning. There will always be fresh food here for you, and plenty of it. From now on, though, you will see me but rarely … until I come to send you back to your own dimension…" And with that she was gone.
Spike couldn't believe his luck. Here he was with the Slayer, neither of them able to get out of this dimension where no harm could come to them, where she couldn't lie, where there was food and drink of the finest quality, a soft bed to sleep in, laundry done for you… and the Slayer couldn't beat him up. He thought she looked rather dejected at the idea, and smirked. 'Really going to enjoy this dimension…'
Buffy was not so happy. 'Why Spike? Why not some good-looking… Angel? Unable to harm her, but… and not a vampire, so…' she shook her head. 'Not going to happen.' She sat gnawing on a chicken-bone sulkily. 'Okay, nice place, good food. But with SPIKE!!'
His hand brushed her arm as he reached for the honey-pot. 'It felt warmer than usual. Still cool. But – not cold.' Then it hit her. 'He's not a vampire here, as Estrellita said. Doesn't drink blood. Doesn't kill. Doesn't want to kill me. Doesn't have such cold skin…' She wondered if that meant he had a soul. 'If he did…' she realised with horror, 'most of the things I hate about him are irrelevant here!' She didn't want them to be irrelevant. She wanted to hate him. 'Because anything else is too dangerous, too scary!' whispered a voice within. She pushed the thought away, denying it.
"Plenty more chicken, love, you don't have to eat the bone," Spike's amused voice broke in on her thoughts.
"Don't want to waste any," she snapped back, suddenly remembering another reason for hating him. 'Damned taunts and quips and sarky comments and looking at me as though he knows what's going on in my mind. And body!' she thought, snatching up another chicken leg.
"Course not, wouldn't mummy be upset if her little slayer wasted that tasty gristle!" he taunted. "C'mon, Slayer, there's no more eat left on it, and hasn't been for quite some time… I think you were thinking naughty thoughts, like…"
"You're a pig, Spike!" she said, getting up and walking out of the door. 'God, need to get away from him!'
Spike helped himself to another slice of bread and honey. 'No point in hurrying after her. She can't get very far…' he grinned, licking his fingers. Then he sauntered out into the mid-morning sun.
He decided to explore, knowing that sooner or later his path would cross hers – 'if only in the evening…' He liked the thought. Buffy drawn back to the house to sleep – in bed with him. He grinned wickedly. 'Life was good – especially in this hedonist's paradise!'
Buffy wandered around disconsolately, discovering that, beautiful though the place was, she was feeling rather lonely. She sat on the beach, watching the sea roll in gently, tossing the occasional pebble into the waves. The insidious voice inside her head nagged that there was always Spike, but she didn't want to listen.
Spike was enjoying the sunshine as he explored the woody glades round the house. A clear stream chuckled nearby, and he idly dipped his hand in it, feeling the cool, clean water running through his fingers as he gazed up at the blue sky. It was a long time since he'd been able to enjoy the sunlight like this…
It was dusk when Buffy returned to the house, hungry, tired and dejected. Spike was already there eating. She frowned.
"Decided not to wait for you," he smiled. "Didn't know when you'd be home…" The mock domesticity irritated her.
"Fine." The food was different, though still delicious, varied and plentiful. She ate in silence, not wanting to admit she'd wanted company. Any company. Even his.
"Found anything interesting?"
"Beach."
"Sandy or pebbly? Safe to swim?" 'God, this was going to be hard if she decided on monosyllabic answers!'
"Sand. Safe." She didn't even look up.
"Right. Well, I'm going to bed." She made no comment. He left her eating and went to bed, falling asleep immediately.
Buffy dropped her head into her hands and cried.
An hour later, she crept into the room. Spike was in bed, already asleep. And – naked. She gulped. 'Of course, Estrellita had said…' She stripped off and dived under the covers, turning her back on him. It was a long time before she slept.
"What the hell happened?" muttered Spike, trying to wake up enough to open his eyes.
"Lights. Music. Then…" 'Dreams, such wonderful dreams…' "You're still holding my hand."
"Mm? Oh, sorry." He let go of her hand.
"And where are we, anyway?" She asked, having opened her eyes.
Spike squinted at the landscape. "Can't tell exactly. But another dimension."
"Another… how do you know that?" she asked, aghast.
"Look, no smoke!" he said, showing her his hand. She looked at him blankly. "Hello, Slayer, me vampire. Me in sunlight. Me not burning up!!"
"Oh. Yes." She hadn't registered that it was day. Hadn't noticed they were now sitting in a meadow full of flowers, either. "This is one weird place!"
"Maybe. Pretty, though," he replied, considering the landscape. "Love to know where we are…"
"And you shall!" The soft, silvery voice came from behind them, where a slender young woman, dressed in a shimmering green dress, stood listening to them and watching. "Welcome, Lady and Bard. I am Estrellita."
"Lady and… well, Slayer and Vampire would be more accurate, but our names are…" began Spike.
"I know your names. I know who and what you are. But while you are here, you are Lady and Bard. They are your titles."
"Our – titles?" Buffy stammered.
Estrellita smiled at her. "You will understand in time. For now, all you need to know is that you are, indeed, in another dimension. However long you spend here, it will take no time in your own dimension. Nothing here can harm you."
"But – why are we here? How did we get here?" asked Buffy, bewildered.
"First, you shall be given fresh clothing, and break your fast. As you eat, I will explain to you. Come, follow me!"
They followed the dark-haired form in silence, unable to disobey the command in the star-coloured eyes. She led them to a large building, which surrounded a huge tree, and showed them into a room.
"Here you will find clothes to fit you," she said, motioning towards a large clothes chest. "And this is where you will sleep for as long as you stay here," she added, before leaving them alone in the room.
They stared at each other. And the room. 'And the four-poster double bed…' they both thought, one groaning inwardly, the other beginning to think he might just like this dimension…
"Oh, God." She stared at the bed. "You have to be kidding me, we…"
"We don't have much choice," he said, trying to keep the gleefulness out of his voice.
She sighed. "Well, let's see about some clothes…" She opened up the chest. Two sets of clothes, neatly laid out. Midnight blue shot through with silver. She handed Spike his clothes. "Turn your back," she instructed, before turning her back and changing.
The dress fitted her perfectly, clinging to each and every curve, flattering her. She couldn't help noticing that Spike's clothes were – she gulped – 'equally – uh – flattering…'
He didn't seem to be too impressed by the lacy cuffs, muttering something about "Like something Angel would wear…" until he caught her gaze. 'Oh, she likes it…' a surprised voice in his head whispered. 'Now if I'd known that…' "Looks good on you, love," he said, looking her up and down appreciatively, making her feel horribly uncomfortable. She tried to hit him, but simply found that her hand stopped a few inches from him, as though there was a barrier.
"What…"
Estrellita had entered silently. "As I said, nothing here can harm you. Including each other. Anything you try to touch with the intention to harm you will be unable to touch."
"So – she can't hurt me?"
"No." Spike was relieved. "And you cannot hurt her. Or anything else."
"But – we were holding hands earlier…" wondered Buffy aloud.
Estrellita smiled. "You touched with no intention to harm. You may touch in friendship, in kindness. But it is impossible to harm and be harmed here."
"Oh." She almost wished she hadn't asked. 'Touching Spike in friendship… Spike touching her! Suppose he… no, that would be harming me… so basically,' she mused, 'they could only really touch each other if they wanted to. If both of them wanted to…'
"Precisely." Buffy jumped as Estrellita read her mind. "But now, come and eat. And I will explain."
She led them to a table, which positively groaned with food. New, fresh, soft white bread and thick honey, large slabs of yellow butter, slices of cold meat, cheese, chicken legs, baskets of fruit, and all sorts of delicacies. Buffy realised that she was starving, and sat down willingly at the table. Spike sat beside her looking slightly dazed. "Why – don't I want blood?" he asked aloud.
Estrellita smiled. "This is a different dimension. Here, you are not a vampire. Here, you are Bard, a singer and poet." She poured some crystal- clear liquid into cups and handed it to them. "Drink of the dew of my land!" she said. "It is sweeter and more delicious than anything you will ever taste…" 'Except each other,' reminded an inner voice. 'That's why they're here…'
They sipped it gingerly as if afraid of a trap, but finding what she said was true, began to eat and drink with delight. 'Everything seemed to taste better, here, somehow,' thought Buffy, as she licked the thick, golden honey from her fingers. She caught Spike looking at her as she did, and blushed, dropping her eyes.
Estrellita remained standing, and started speaking to them. "There is no time here. You cannot age or die. There is no evil here, no harm can befall you. There is no deceit here, you cannot lie…" She saw the looks of horror on their faces. "Though you may choose whether or not to speak or be silent." She smiled at their relief. "Here, there is only pleasure and happiness, of which you can never tire."
"So why are we here?" asked Buffy, trying to avoid looking at Spike after the last comment. No way were pleasure and happiness involving HIM as far as she was concerned!
"A spell was laid on you, that you might understand your own true selves, your true feelings, your true desires. Admittedly, I don't think the Wiccan had this in mind, but…"
"Willow did this?!" exclaimed Buffy, knowing that Tara would never have done it. "Red-headed witch?"
Estrellita nodded her assent. "As I said, she probably did not intend this. I doubt she is even aware of the existence of this dimension. But wishes can have such power … beware what you wish for!" She paused. "I said there is no time. Time here seems to pass, in that there are days and nights, dusks and dawns. But you will never be older, however long you stay here. And you will return to your own dimension in exactly the same time and place as you left, when it is time to return there…"
"Which will be when?" Buffy wasn't happy about roaming around with Spike for eternity. 'Even here.'
"That depends on how fast a learner you are!" she laughed, her laughter like the music of tinkling bells or a running stream. "Now, explore my land, go wherever you will. When you are hungry or tired, your feet and minds will guide you back here. At the end of the day, place your clothes back in the chest, and fresh ones will be there in the morning. There will always be fresh food here for you, and plenty of it. From now on, though, you will see me but rarely … until I come to send you back to your own dimension…" And with that she was gone.
Spike couldn't believe his luck. Here he was with the Slayer, neither of them able to get out of this dimension where no harm could come to them, where she couldn't lie, where there was food and drink of the finest quality, a soft bed to sleep in, laundry done for you… and the Slayer couldn't beat him up. He thought she looked rather dejected at the idea, and smirked. 'Really going to enjoy this dimension…'
Buffy was not so happy. 'Why Spike? Why not some good-looking… Angel? Unable to harm her, but… and not a vampire, so…' she shook her head. 'Not going to happen.' She sat gnawing on a chicken-bone sulkily. 'Okay, nice place, good food. But with SPIKE!!'
His hand brushed her arm as he reached for the honey-pot. 'It felt warmer than usual. Still cool. But – not cold.' Then it hit her. 'He's not a vampire here, as Estrellita said. Doesn't drink blood. Doesn't kill. Doesn't want to kill me. Doesn't have such cold skin…' She wondered if that meant he had a soul. 'If he did…' she realised with horror, 'most of the things I hate about him are irrelevant here!' She didn't want them to be irrelevant. She wanted to hate him. 'Because anything else is too dangerous, too scary!' whispered a voice within. She pushed the thought away, denying it.
"Plenty more chicken, love, you don't have to eat the bone," Spike's amused voice broke in on her thoughts.
"Don't want to waste any," she snapped back, suddenly remembering another reason for hating him. 'Damned taunts and quips and sarky comments and looking at me as though he knows what's going on in my mind. And body!' she thought, snatching up another chicken leg.
"Course not, wouldn't mummy be upset if her little slayer wasted that tasty gristle!" he taunted. "C'mon, Slayer, there's no more eat left on it, and hasn't been for quite some time… I think you were thinking naughty thoughts, like…"
"You're a pig, Spike!" she said, getting up and walking out of the door. 'God, need to get away from him!'
Spike helped himself to another slice of bread and honey. 'No point in hurrying after her. She can't get very far…' he grinned, licking his fingers. Then he sauntered out into the mid-morning sun.
He decided to explore, knowing that sooner or later his path would cross hers – 'if only in the evening…' He liked the thought. Buffy drawn back to the house to sleep – in bed with him. He grinned wickedly. 'Life was good – especially in this hedonist's paradise!'
Buffy wandered around disconsolately, discovering that, beautiful though the place was, she was feeling rather lonely. She sat on the beach, watching the sea roll in gently, tossing the occasional pebble into the waves. The insidious voice inside her head nagged that there was always Spike, but she didn't want to listen.
Spike was enjoying the sunshine as he explored the woody glades round the house. A clear stream chuckled nearby, and he idly dipped his hand in it, feeling the cool, clean water running through his fingers as he gazed up at the blue sky. It was a long time since he'd been able to enjoy the sunlight like this…
It was dusk when Buffy returned to the house, hungry, tired and dejected. Spike was already there eating. She frowned.
"Decided not to wait for you," he smiled. "Didn't know when you'd be home…" The mock domesticity irritated her.
"Fine." The food was different, though still delicious, varied and plentiful. She ate in silence, not wanting to admit she'd wanted company. Any company. Even his.
"Found anything interesting?"
"Beach."
"Sandy or pebbly? Safe to swim?" 'God, this was going to be hard if she decided on monosyllabic answers!'
"Sand. Safe." She didn't even look up.
"Right. Well, I'm going to bed." She made no comment. He left her eating and went to bed, falling asleep immediately.
Buffy dropped her head into her hands and cried.
An hour later, she crept into the room. Spike was in bed, already asleep. And – naked. She gulped. 'Of course, Estrellita had said…' She stripped off and dived under the covers, turning her back on him. It was a long time before she slept.