Tell Me I Was Dreaming
by Shyfox
Inside the Dream
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Chapter three: Inside the dream
I've just closed my eyes again,
Climbed aboard the dream weaver train.
Trying to chase away the worries of today.
And leave tomorrow behind.
Ooooh, Dream Weaver.
I believe you can get me through the night.
Oooooh, dream Weaver
I believe we can reach the morning light.
-- The Moody Blues
"Will."
She heard the call as from a distance...soft and whispery...a voice pulling at her heart strings like no other ever had.
"Willow."
It came again, louder and more distinct this time, and she opened her eyes slowly, at least she thought she had, but she couldn't really be seeing what she thought she was seeing...right?
"Buffy?" Her voice sounded strange inside her own head...kind of echoey and she knew that she was dreaming. The realization nearly brought tears to her eyes, but she couldn't stop looking at the apparition that shared her bed.
"Good morning, Sunshine." Her wife flashed her a vibrant smile, which dimmed when she caught the tears that were shining in her eyes. "What's the matter? Did you have a bad dream?" A frown appeared on the Slayer's brow as she pulled the trembling form to her.
'Maybe this isn't a dream?' Willow thought to herself, as she clung ferociously to the strong frame of her wife. 'I mean, she certainly feels real.'
"You want to tell me about it?" The whisper was soft against her ear, soothing...like a balm against her frazzled nerves.
Willow almost couldn't bring herself to answer...feeling her throat tighten as she swallowed her tears. "I...I thought...you were..."
Buffy wiped the tears from her face gently, while she thought seriously about her answer. "There might be things that get in our way...I might even be gone for a while, but I will never leave you completely."
Willow frowned, not liking the sound of that. "What do you mean?"
Buffy smiled then, fingering the front of Willow's night shirt, then slipped a lone finger over her heart. "Keep a candle burning for me, Will, and I promise I'll find my way back home."
'Oh great...go cryptic on me.' Willow thought sourly.
Buffy looked out the window, at the sun making it's descent across the sky. Shadows were creaping across the lawn, growing long as the sun started to lose it's hold on the day. Buffy sighed into Willow's hair, as she caressed the soft back. "I have to be going soon." She whispered mournfully, not wanting to leave this warm spot, or the woman that she loved, but knowing that the night would soon be upon her and that she'd have to renew her battle once again.
The words filled Willow with fear, and she clung to Buffy's body, refusing to let her go. "No...I don't want you to." She said stubbornly, pulling her resolve face into battle.
Buffy smiled at her sadly, brushing a soft cheek with her fingertips. "My Wills. Remember me." She said softly, then disappeared, leaving Willow feeling icy and alone.
"Buffy?" She called out to the empty room, scanning every shadow and corner of the room for her missing wife. "Buffy, come back!"
*****
"Buffy?" Willow started to sit up, but was held back by a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Buffy?" She called again, feeling her anxiousness returning.
"No, Willow. It's Dr. Wiseberg. Do you know where you are?" She looked up into the kind, caring face of her physician, and almost burst into tears as everything came rushing back to her. Buffy and Faith's fight on top of the apartment building, watching them both fall off, the fast paced ride to the hospital and everything that came after that. She laid back on the bed, covering her eyes with one arm as she tried to make it all go away. He attempted to make conversation a few times, but Willow kept shaking her head at him refusing to answer. Finally he sighed a little and walked over to the door where Joyce was watching uneasily.
"How is she?" She asked, half of her attention on the doctor, half on her daughter-in-law who had given her a few more grey hairs by passing out the way she did the night before. Dr. Greene had been remarkably surprised, yet composed as he checked on her, then had gotten her admitted to the hospital while Joyce called Willow's own physician.
Dr. Wiseberg wasn't going to candy coat it for Joyce, he figured that he'd need her help to keep Willow from over stressing any more than she already had. "Given the considerable amount of shock she's gone through in the past twenty four hours...I'd say she's a very lucky woman."
"Lucky?" Joyce asked, surprised that he would even consider that.
"Lucky that with the amount of stress she's been under, she hasn't lost the baby." He saw the shock that appeared on Joyce's face and rushed to comfort her. "The baby is fine, the heart is beating just as strong as ever, but I'd still like to keep Willow here for the next forty-eight hours to monitor her stress levels. She needs to stay calm, and not over extend herself."
Joyce shook her head, wondering just how Willow was supposed to stay calm under these circumstances. "Will she be able to see Buffy?" Joyce asked, remembering how shocked she had been when Dr. Greene had finally allowed her to see her daughter earlier that morning. She wasn't used to seeing her that frail or helpless...tied to machines and tubes that sustained her life and kept her alive.
Dr. Wiseberg sighed, aware of how bad the situation really was. "It depends on which causes her the most stress...seeing her wife the way she is, or not seeing her at all. You'll have to make that decision, I'm not sure she's able to think clearly about it at this time."
Willow could hear them, past the vague veil of disinterest she was under and wondered if she should be upset that they were talking about her as if she wasn't even in the room. She wondered how they could talk about her wife so casually. How dare they try to make that decision for her...as if they could even keep her away. Not see Buffy? Yeah, right! She would see her, even if she had to sneak her way through the hospital to do so. "I'll be back to check on her a little bit later." Dr. Wiseberg said, spending another moment looking over his patient, feeling heartsick at how wan and pale she appeared.
"Try to get her to eat something."
Joyce nodded, then watched as he left the room, before she sighed and looked back at the still form in the hospital bed. She made her way over quietly, trying to think of something to say to her. "Hey, honey...it's Joyce." When Willow didn't respond to her, she sighed again and sank down into the leather chair that was beside the bed. "I know you aren't up to talking right now. It's all right. I understand...so...I'll just sit here and keep you company."
"You know...you gave us quite a scare last night. Poor Xander was beside himself...not literally, of course. And Giles...I don't think I've ever seen him look so worried. That nice paramedic...I guess his name was Jonathan...came back to see how you were. Oh...in all the confusion, I almost forgot..." She dug into the front pocket of her jeans and pulled out a couple of small objects.
"Dr. Greene gave me these to hang onto...but I think that you really should be the one to hang onto them for safe keeping." That appeared to get Willow's attention, and green eyes appeared for the first time since she woke up with a mixture of sadness and slight curiosity mingling inside them.
Joyce handed her the articles, and saw fresh tears appear in her eyes. She could see her hands starting to tremble and almost drop the items that she was holding. Joyce covered the trembling hands with her own, until they felt sturdy again, then Willow pulled away and looked down at the cold pieces of metal. They felt like they were burning, even though they were cool in her hands. A tear slid down her face as she put her wife's wedding ring on her ring finger, remembering when she had put the ring on Buffy's. She held the other object loosely in her hand for quite a while, feeling how the silvery chain slipped through her fingers as she played with it, a far-away look on her face. "She might need this." She said finally, looking up into Joyce's concerned face.
"Honey...nobody's going to find her in a hospital room." Joyce said, knowing what Willow meant without having to say anything about the creatures of the night who wouldn't mind taking advantage of her daughter's present condition to rid themselves of a Slayer.
"We don't know that...bet they'd just love to take advantage of this." Willow said, thoughtfully. "I want to see her." She said, 'resolve face' firmly in place.
"Honey..." Joyce said, shaking her head a little...not knowing if that was a good idea or not.
"Now." Willow said, quite firmly, holding the silver cross firmly in her grip.
"I don't think they're going to let her wear that." Joyce pointed out, rationally.
"They don't have to know." Willow said, quite calmly, gathering the flimsy gown she was wearing around her. "Are you going to help me?" She questioned, a russet eyebrow rising imperiously.
Joyce had no choice but to give in to the look, and found her a wheel chair to use. She couldn't just go walking around in a hospital gown after all, the hospital staff might stop them and ask questions...something she was sure Willow wouldn't want. 'I need to remember to bring her in some clothes. A nightgown at the very least.' Joyce thought, as she helped the determined young woman into the wheelchair.
*****