Buffy sighed as she sat on the floor watching as Fuzzball ran around the room happily. The maid had brought a litter box of sorts for Fuzzball to use and he seemed to be okay with it after she had picked him up and placed him in it. The maid had also noticed her plants and had brought her two large pots with soil for Buffy to plant them in. She spent some time carefully planting the trees the way her mother had showed her years ago.
Buffy thought of all the lessons she had put off learning from her mother assuming she would be around forever. She wiped away a few tears determined to be strong and wondered if she might ask Spike if they could see Dawn later. She wanted to see for herself that Dawn was okay.
The maid brought in a few books for Buffy to read but they were in another language so all she could do is look through them admiring the few pictures they had. She was tempted to wander through the fortress but didn’t want to get her and Spike kicked out so she instead stayed inside.
She sat in front of the window looking out over the village. She wondered when her life had become this. She didn’t feel slayer-like in this world so far. Spike was doing all the harder chores including saving her and eventually saving Dawn. She felt hopeless and confused. She was feeling things for Spike she didn’t know she could feel for him. She wondered if she even knew what love was because she really cared about Spike but it wasn’t like the love for Angel at all. She thought back to how Spike described love to Angel and her. Love isn’t brains children, it’s blood. Blood screaming inside of you to work its will.
She wondered what love was exactly. With Angel it was painful, trying and unforgiving. It was always eating her alive and never giving her rest. It was desperate and compulsive and she could see why Angelus was able to take what they felt and turn it into obsession so easily. She didn’t know who she was so she made Angel into her everything. When he left, she could breathe, live and function, after some time. She was lost without him but that was because she had no sense of self.
With Spike, she knew who she was and who she wanted to become for the most part. She had hopes and dreams that included him but weren’t his. She could function without him. Sure, she would miss him but she could live without him. She just really didn’t want to.
She sighed wishing Spike would come back. She had been in here alone for hours. She picked up Fuzzball who was trying to climb up on the bed and laid him in Spike’s spot. He crawled up on her pillow and went to sleep and she decided to do the same. Perhaps she would wake up to Spike being there.
She awoke to the sound of the maid bringing in food for her dinner. She frowned but did not know how to ask where Spike was. The maid smiled at her and left her alone to eat in peace.
She nibbled on a few items but wasn’t really hungry. She was thinking about how she was in a world where she couldn’t understand anyone and her only companion who could speak to her was Spike. Something could happen to him today and he could die and she would never know how. She probably wouldn’t even know when it happened. She drank some water and sighed nibbling on another cracker. She fed Fuzzball another leaf hoping the leaves on the plant would grow tall and strong in a hurry. It appeared Fuzzball was used to eating a few leaves a day. She had picked about 30 but leaves don’t last long off a tree.
Just then there was a knock on the door. A beautiful lady with white hair entered. She didn’t say a word but instead attached a necklace around Buffy’s neck. She flung her white hair behind her shoulder and then spoke in a gentle voice, “You can’t keep this. I’m sorry for that but you can use it for a few minutes. I wish to put a spell on your two trees if you don’t mind. The maid informed me you have chosen to have a walleyam as a pet. They aren’t that good of pets but yours seems to have taken a liking to you. They require lots of leaves. I’m going to enchant them so that they will grow as normal trees but will produce a minimum of 15 leaves a day.”
Buffy smiled, “Thank you. Will it grow any bigger?”
The lady shrugged as her dress sparkled as she moved, “Honestly, these creatures aren’t too plentiful. I have only seen a few myself and usually it’s glimpses. They are said to go to those who need them. I guess it decided you needed a friend.”
Buffy frowned, “We were hoping to get a mate for it before leaving.”
The lady giggled a smooth giggle that almost seemed to fill the room with joy as she exclaimed, “Good luck with that. As I said they are rare. It might even disappear by the time you leave. I’ve never seen one in captivity before. Perhaps you will have better luck then we have.”
She walked over to the plants, sprinkling something on them while chanting a few words in that language she couldn’t understand. She smiled and then turned to Buffy. “Now I need the necklace back. Your mate should be returning shortly. Good luck with him.”
She gently removed the necklace from Buffy’s neck and seemed to float across the room. Her blue flowing dress barely touched the ground and Buffy could have sworn her white slippers never touched the ground either. Her blue eyes still were in Buffy’s memory as she nibbled on a few more crackers and cheese and picked up another leaf feeding Fuzzball. She looked at Fuzzball and asked him expectantly, “You’re going to stay with us right? Dawn doesn’t have a pet and she’ll treat you really good and I’ll treat well as well. I think Spike likes you even though he won’t admit but he doesn’t come in the house much. That might change when we get back, though. Willow wants a cat so I’m sure she will like you. Tara already moved out so you won’t see her much and Xander and Anya don’t come around unless they have something to say. You will get to meet them all at the Magic Box though. I hope you like our world. It’s bright and loud and violent but it’s nice too sometimes. Perhaps you will help us find a companion for you before we go so you don’t get lonely. Being alone sucks; believe me I should know. I haven’t really connected with anyone since Angel and he wouldn’t stick around long enough to let it develop into anything. Don’t worry Fuzzball, you won’t have to meet Angel I’m sure. He doesn’t come around.”
She patted Fuzzball on the head not knowing that Spike had watched the whole conversation from the doorway.