Rating: PG
Feedback: That would be very nice, thank you. Melpomenethalia@aol.com
Spoilers: Up to "The Gift"
Distribution: Here. If you're interested, please let me know.
Summary: My take on what happened to Buffy after diving into the portal.
Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Mutant Enemy (Joss Whedon), a wonderfully creative company whose characters I have borrowed for a completely profit-free flight of fancy. Kindly do not sue me, please, as I am terrified of you. Thank you.
Part 3
"Uh, I'll take the tuna," Buffy replied as she took in her new surroundings. She also suddenly noticed that their clothing had changed as well. She, Dru, and William were all wearing shorts and t-shirts, while Darla was decked out in a red bikini. "You do realize that normally I'd be roasting weenies over all of you by now."
"And probably me, too," chirped a voice from behind her shoulder. "Hi! Oh my God, I love that color of nail polish, Dru! It's soooo pretty!"
"Harmony?" the Slayer enunciated slowly in disbelief. She turned around to see the blonde sitting on the sand a few feet from her, a silver reflector around her face to catch the sun's rays, garbed in a pink sundress and an enormous white straw hat that looked like it belonged in Gone with the Wind. "You're here too?"
"Sure," she said, taking a swig out of a can of Diet Coke. "I like the beach."
"Harm, why do you drink that stuff?" Darla asked in disgust as she stared at the can. "It's not like you need to worry about calories anymore."
"Habit," she explained happily, wiggling her toes in the sand.
"Whatever," Darla said with a raised eyebrow as she sipped delicately from a long-stemmed glass that held a tropical-looking concoction, complete with exotic floral garnish.
"Sorry I didn't stop by to say hi sooner, but I couldn't decide what to wear," Harmony gushed apologetically.
"That's… okay." Buffy barely managed to keep a straight face. At least some things hadn't changed.
"Here you are," Drusilla cooed almost maternally as she handed the Slayer an enormous tuna sandwich. "If you'd care for some lemonade, you'll… find… it…"
Her voice trailed away as her eyes seemed to be focusing on something far away. Her face blanched until even her lips appeared colorless. In a flash, William was at her side, his hands cupping the back of her shoulders supportively just as the brunette began to scream in agony.
"It's alright, luv," he said in a consoling voice that could barely be heard amidst the woman's shrieks. "We're here. You're not alone."
Buffy stared in horror at the scene before her. Darla, with a surprisingly compassionate look on her face, was gently stroking Drusilla's dark curls back from her forehead.
"What's happening?" Buffy cried in alarm. Turning towards Harmony, she saw that the girl had her hands thrown over her own face in a futile attempt to block out the frightening events.
"It'll be over soon. It'll be over soon. It'll be over soon," the former Cordette chanted to herself as she rocked backwards and forwards.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Drusilla's eyes began to regain a sense of focus and her screams abated. Exhausted, she slumped backwards, her head coming to rest on William's shoulder, her hand firmly clasped in Darla's. After a few more minutes, she recovered enough to smile feebly at the slack-jawed Slayer.
"I'll be all right in a bit, dearie," she said in a labored voice as a single tear trickled down her cheek. "This happens from time to time. I was hoping I'd have enough time to warn you about it beforehand."
"Am I… is that going to happen to me, too?" the Slayer asked tremulously.
"No," William reassured her. "You can put your mind at rest about that. She, and Darla and Harm, for that matter, get like this whenever they…"
"Feed?" Buffy finished for him.
He nodded silently. "We're still linked to our bodies back on the mortal plane. It's all rather complex. Knowledge of what the other part of us is doing travels back to us here."