Buffy woke up hearing noises in the next room. She assumed it was Willow and Dawn talking as she crawled out of bed heading for the shower. She let her frog pajamas fall to the floor and pulled off her matching frog socks and stepped into the shower. She closed her eyes feeling the warmth from the shower wash away all her worries and trouble. All her troubles seemed a lifetime away and she wondered why that was but figured it was still the result of her death experience a few months ago.
Buffy used her pink puff to send the vanilla smelling soap over her body as she noticed how well she had healed. She blinked as she noticed the scar on her stomach was healed up totally and the hole on her leg from a few nights prior was gone as well. She shrugged as she continued washing. The rest of her body appeared normal so perhaps she just had healed over time and never realized it.
Buffy carefully shaved her legs ignoring the way everything seemed like a chore. She figured although she didn’t actually feel it, she must be just overtired. She massaged her scalp noticing her hair had grown longer than she remembered. It was almost as though she never cut it. Nonetheless she took a longer time washing her head as she enjoyed the feel of the strawberry soap washing all her cares down the drain.
Feeling clean, Buffy carefully stepped out of the shower pulling the fluffy towel around her body to dry herself off as she looked at herself in the mirror. She wrapped the towel around her chest and looked at her face noticing the marks on her neck were gone. Buffy was amazed and touched the skin moving it around to notice there was indeed no marks at all. She found that strange but was happy about it. Finally her body was healing as she always thought it should.
Quietly, Buffy went into the bathroom ignoring the opened door to Dawn’s room and without even looking into Willow’s room. Carefully she chose some clothes and quickly got dressed. She felt that something was off but couldn't figure out what that was. Buffy glanced at her room thinking it looked different.
Studying the room, Buffy realized her weapon trunk was gone as were the stakes in the top drawer. Instead she found hair items and pictures of her friends. She shrugged dismissing it and thinking that perhaps Willow had been cleaning them as she skipped down the stairs.
As she rounded the corner towards the kitchen, Buffy paused hearing her dead mother's voice. Joyce, yelled, “Buffy hurry up and get ready or you and Dawn both will be late.”
Buffy blinked but accepted the plate of pancakes she was handed and noticed Dawn was gulping down a glass of orange juice. Buffy ate quickly as she heard her mother talking behind her, “Hurry and eat up. You are running so late this morning. You have to take Dawn to school before your 8 am class.”
Buffy finished her pancakes just as it sunk in. Her mother was alive and well. She turned around as tears filled her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her mom hugging her tight. She hadn’t seen her since she had died last year and Buffy was shocked to see her alive and well. She heard Joyce chuckle, “Buffy what has gotten into you?”
Buffy released her and smiled, “I just missed you is all.”
Joyce laughed, “We had dinner and watched a movie together, Buffy.” Joyce brushed some hair out of Buffy’s face and Joyce turned shouting, “Hank, your daughter, Buffy is silly this morning. She acts as though she didn’t see me last night.”
Hank laughed and Dawn grabbed her schoolbooks exclaiming, “Let’s get going Buffy.”
Buffy nodded and watched as Dawn kissed Hank on the cheek before getting a huge hug. Buffy wondered if she would have to do but Hank took a sip of his coffee as he sat down at the table to read his newspaper. Buffy shrugged heading out the door to the car that sat waiting in the driveway.
Dawn got in the front passenger seat leaning over to honk the horn yelling, “Buffy come on or I’ll be late!”
Buffy raced to the driver seat closing her eyes as she started the car. She put her seat belt on as Bette Midler blared out the car stereo. Dawn popped a piece of gum in her mouth and Buffy said a silent prayer to whoever was listening that she would make it to Dawn’s school in one piece.
Slowly, Buffy backed the car out of the driveway remembering how both Joyce and Spike tried to teach her to drive. Her mom had immediately given up on her after she had ran into a trash can and the other two times she had driven, she had issues. Spike had tried to teach her twice in the past few months. He was patient but after she almost wrecked inside her own garage he had told her that he wouldn’t get in the car with her again until he turned her in order to protect her. It had made no sense so she rolled her eyes telling him that was stupid and to shut up.
By some miracle, Buffy was able to make it to the school safely and heard Dawn call out as she rushed into the high school, “See you at 2:30!”
Buffy studied the high school realizing it was the one that she had burnt down. It appeared that whatever dream world she was living in, the Mayor hadn’t existed. She shrugged heading to the college next.
Buffy sat in her morning class bored. She had no idea what the teacher was talking about and she was so lost that she hoped she wasn’t called on. She remembered the horrible time of auditing a class with Willow and Tara when time seemed to fly by but at least in this dream, the day seemed normal.
She glanced around the classroom seeing Willow by her side and Tara was next to her. She blinked realizing Tara looked much different than she was used to. Her hair was nicely braided and she looked genuinely happy but Willow didn’t. She could see them casting glances back and forth and the tension between the two was awkward.
Curious, Buffy found herself wondering if they had broken up on her dream world as they had in her real world. She watched as Tara flung her braid behind her shoulders but she didn’t say a word only straightened her knee length green baby-doll dress. She followed Tara’s longing eyes to study Willow.
Willow looked different as well. She was wearing a pink jumper with a fuzzy white shirt that made her appear younger than she really was. Her red hair was cut shorter than Buffy remembered it but she wore a white headband in her hair and her hand was up to answer questions.
Once class finished Buffy followed Willow out of the classroom watching Willow who casted a sad look in Tara’s direction. Tara went off to talk to another girl across the hall not even noticing Willow’s look. Another girl stopped to ask Willlow for help on answering their homework assignment so Buffy tuned them out as she scanned the hallway.
Buffy’s eyes paused as her mouth fell open. The only sound heard was a gasp that escaped her mouth as she saw Spike. He didn’t look like Spike though and instead looked very human and very different.
His short brown hair had formed ringlets surrounding his head and gave him a boyish look. In place of his cocky grin, there was an uneasy and pensive expression as though he was unsure of the world. On his face, there were glasses that covered his blue eyes that he appeared to be constantly pushed up further on his nose.
In Spike's long fingered hands, were his school books and a small booklet that had papers sticking out of it which Buffy supposed were class notes. He had a pencil over his right ear and appeared to be nervous being around so many people. He did not look like he belonged on this campus at all. He was muttering something but she couldn’t understand him.
Buffy looked at Willow and her friend who were staring at her as she announced, “Excuse me guys, I want to go see Spike.” They looked at her with blank faces and watched as she went over to Spike and said, “Hey, what did you do to look so different?”
The young man in front of her stuttered, “B-Buffy, right?” She nodded and he said, “I always look like this. Is there something I can help you with?”
Buffy stared at Spike thinking he was acting really strange. She glanced down at what he was wearing and realized this was not her Spike but instead someone else that just looked exactly like him. In place of his tight black jeans, he was wearing corduroy in a light brown color, which matched the plaid jacket he was wearing over his loose fitting button up white shirt.
Buffy's thoughts went back to the day he was hiding in the Magic Box from the loan shark wearing similar attire but she realized this was his normal clothing here in this dream world. He glanced up at her eyes and the bright blue eyes that were staring back at her were definitely Spike. Suddenly the situation dawned on her and she gasped whispering, “William?”
He nodded and repeated, “Do you need help with s-something? I do homework for people. Some pay me but you wouldn’t have to even do t-that.” He stuttered as he spoke and was staring at her in awe and wonder.
Buffy didn’t know what was going on but she found herself longing for Spike’s company, “Do you have class now?” He shook his head and she watched as his curls bounced around his head and she asked, “Can we go somewhere to talk?”
William looked surprised as he managed to speak even though his voice sounded higher than Buffy was used to, “Y-you sure you want to do t-that?”
Buffy shrugged really confused, “Why not? I don’t bite.” She watched William’s eyes get big but he followed behind her. She kept pausing trying to make him match her steps but instead he stayed a step or two behind her constantly. Finally she gave up and sat down on a bench in the courtyard of the campus.
Buffy looked up at Spike and he awkwardly sat down spilling pages from a book he had. She helped him pick up the pages and noticed it was poetry. She glanced at him as she handed the beautifully handwritten pages to him and realized this William had parts of Spike but it was parts Spike hid from others. His beautiful handwriting was still there even in her world and he still wrote poetry that on rare occasion he had shared with her. Usually when she was feeling tired or had a headache after she had admitted to him that his British voice was comforting.
William spoke quietly still obviously nervous, “W-what did you need Buffy? Did you need help studying or can I do your homework f-for you?”
Buffy looked very awkward feeling uncomfortable around Spike for the first time in her life only this wasn’t Spike. He was William who seemed weak, vulnerable and almost sweet. She frowned, “Do you love me?”
William looked at her strangely and didn’t answer but she could tell by the look in his eyes it was the same look Spike gave her when she asked. Buffy didn’t know what to say to that, “I have to go. I have classes in a few. I’m sorry William.”
He said nothing to her but watched as she walked away.