Closed Door Conversations
Epilogue
Buffy woke up in her bedroom on Revello Drive. It was very early morning, the clock on her night table said 6:30.
The bedroom was full of moving boxes, still unpacked. One large one said ‘stuffed toys.’
The bedspread on her bed was pink and white, with ruffles. The bedspread she had had as a child!
Buffy leaped out of bed and ran to the full length mirror.
She was little! Really skinny, wearing a lilac nightie with a unicorn print. Her face was round and her nose more snub. Her hair was too dark. Maybe she could talk Mom into some streaks? She had no boobs, just little bumps. Darn.
She must be about eleven!
So Dawn would be...six?
She ran down the hall to Dawnie’s room, and stood for a moment outside the door. What if she wasn’t there? What if she wasn’t real?
But she remembered the dream, little Dawn in the drive way. She opened the door.
Dawn was in bed, hunched under the covers. Yellow–her room was done in yellow ruffles.
She was so small, and her hair was more blond than Buffy’s!
“No fair!” Buffy said out loud.
Dawn’s eye fluttered open. She looked at Buffy, then around the room.
“It worked!” she said. “I came with you!” She frowned for a minute. “But I can’t remember where we came from. I remember green light and throwing bones.” She paused. “Yuck!”
Buffy laughed and gave her a big hug. “We made it! You and I and Spike will be together!”
Dawnie grinned. “Spike is cool.”
She jumped out of bed. “Mommy!” In a flash she was down the stairs.
Buffy followed.
Mom was in the kitchen Dad was in the dining room, drinking coffee and reading the paper.
“Hi girls! You’re up early. Excited about your first day of school?” Mom gave them kisses, and dished up bowls of hot cereal with maple syrup and bananas.
They sat with Dad, who kissed them good bye since he was commuting to work in L.A. “Have fun at school girls. And tonight I’ll take my three favorite ladies out for dinner. To celebrate.”
“Oh Boy!” Dawnie yelled. “I pick McDonald’s!"
“We’ll see about that,” Mom said. She kissed Dad good bye and they smiled at each other.
Mom and Dad get along here! Buffy thought.
“Hey Mom, can I put some of that spray in my hair that will make it blond? Please?”
“Well, I’ll think about it. Once you start coloring your hair you have to keep it up.”
“And can I shave my legs? All the junior high girls shave their legs.”
“All right, you can use my electric shaver.”
“Great!” Buffy bolted up from the table.
“Ah,ah,ah young lady. After you’ve eaten your breakfast.”
Later, at the bus stop, she met Xander and Willow, just like in her dreams. Her heart was racing. Spike would be here soon.
The meeting with him went just like in her dream, too, but as they got on the bus she made sure she was right behind him.
“Spike,” she hissed.
He turned around and looked at her. His eyes were as blue as ever.
“Buffy,” he said.. “I remember everything. The First–everything.”
Everyone was sitting down. She sat down next to Willow.
Someone shoved a note into her hand. She opened it.
Dear Buffy,
I’ll come over for a visit. After dinner, cuz Mom will make me do my homework and chores first.
I’m not the Big Bad anymore. And I’m guessing you’re not the slayer.
I think we got a second chance. Or maybe we are in heaven.
My Mom is here, and she’s not sick. She’s a florist!
Love,
Spike
Buffy turned in her seat and looked for him. He was sitting way in the back by the window, with a bunch of older boys. The cool boys, she could tell. He was the smallest, and the best looking.
She caught his eye and smiled. He looked at her across the seats, and smiled back. For a moment it seemed like there were only the two of them in all the world.
“That new boy Will is really cute, isn’t he? Do you know him?” Willow asked.
“Yeah. We met... on vacation.” She’d have to make sure Spike had the same story! “ I never thought I’d see him again.”
Buffy grabbed Willow’s hand and squeezed it. Willow looked at her in surprise.
“Oh, Willow, we are going to have so much fun this year!”
“W..we are?”
“We SO are!”
The End