The Simple Black Dress
by cathy nort
chapter 6
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The remainder of the day was spent lounging in the sun by the pond. Both Buffy and Willow, being readers, enjoyed their books and enjoyed the nearness of the other. How do you describe the peacefulness of those kind of moments? Buffy couldn't. Nor could Willow. They just found the mellow, warmth of their love for each other to be so uplifting that nothing more needed to be added to make the day any better. They basked in their love without the need to express it with words.
They felt almost sad when the sun disappeared and they had to trug back to the house but even that did not diminish from the day. They showered and by the time they dressed Morgan had returned from her business trip.
Her day wasn't as rewarding as Buffy's and Willow's had been it appeared. She was quiet and tense. At moments she seemed to be deep in thought. Why, she didn't share with the girls and they didn't press the issue. After a light super the girls cleaned up while Morgan retired to her room.
Later as Buffy and Willow were preparing for bed when they heard a light knock on their door. Morgan came in carrying a tray with two glasses on it. "I made us all some warm milk and butter. I almost always have one before bed and I thought you two might like one too."
Morgan handed a glass to Buffy then one to Willow. "Be careful. It may be a tad hot. Good night girls."
The warm milk tasted good and relaxed them as it was meant to. Buffy and Willow clicked the lock on the door, stripped down to their underpants and climbed into bed. They kissed briefly before cuddling into each others arms and falling asleep.
It was a warm, clear and a night with a full moon. The ideal summer night for sleeping since the temperature dropped to a comfortable level. Buffy would have slept the whole night through except she felt Willow stir next to her and get up.Buffy figured Willow was heading to the bathroom which was at the foot of the bed to the right. Instead she heard the rustle of cloths. Buffy lifted her groggy head slightly off her pillow. Willow was standing in front of the patio doors just now dropping the black dress over her head. She smoothed it around her hips before quietly opening the doors that led to the outside.
As Willow went out Buffy sat up dizzily. Whoa, she thought, as she placed her feet onto the floor. A little unsteady there huh girl? Why so wobbly? Buffy made her way over to the patio door and looked out. She could see Willow off in the distance walking briskly in her bare feet across the lawn. Buffy stepped out onto the stone patio. "Willow," she called.
Willow kept walking out toward the barn. Either she didn't hear Buffy call to her or............maybe she was sleep walking. Do people really walk in their sleep? Buffy stepped out onto the lawn and felt the dampness of it between her toes. At first, as she started after Willow her unsteadiness made her stumble but her athleticism took over and she started running after Willow who was just turning the corner of the barn. Buffy closed the distance in a hurry though several times she had to pause to regain her balance.
Turning the corner of the barn she was shocked not to see Willow. Instead all she saw was vacant lawn. No. There by a clump of neatly trimmed lilac bushes lay Willow.
Buffy was by the fallen Wiccan in a half second and knelt down beside her. "Willow. Babe." Buffy took Willow, who was completely limp, into her arms. Willow's head drooped back onto Buffy's shoulder and she appeared to be completely unconscious.
"What's wrong honey?" Buffy asked aware that Willow wasn't in any condition to respond. Buffy rose to her feet still holding the Wiccan. She'd have to carry Willow back to the house. Whatever was wrong with her it could better be treated there.
As Buffy started to lift the inert form of Willow she was hit hard across the side of the neck just under the left ear.
"Oooofff," Buffy moaned as she tumbled onto the lawn beside Willow and there was no stopping the blackness that swallowed her.
* *
Running water. That was the first thing Buffy became aware of. Consciousness returned to her slowing, seeping into her clouded brain so slowly she was unaware of the rise from one level to the other. Even fully awake she found it difficult to even accomplish the task of opening her eyes. When she did she found herself lying under the covers of the bed she and Willow shared in the guest room of Morgan's home. She was on the side against the wall. On Willow's side the covers were thrown back and the bed was empty.
Buffy lifted her head off the pillow that was under it. The sound of water was gone. It had been, Buffy realized, running water from the bathroom shower. Buffy looked down in the direction of her feet and she saw Willow step from the bathroom. A bath towel was wrapped around Willow's body like a toga and the red head was drying her hair vigorously with a second, smaller bath towel.
Buffy saw sun light streaming in from outside. Daylight. On the nightstand there was a digital clock. It read 8:57.
Willow saw Buffy was awake so she strolled over to the bed and sat down with a bright smile on her face. "Hi honey." She bent over and found Buffy's mouth with her own. Buffy could taste the peppermint flavor of Willow's tooth paste.
Breaking the kiss off Willow sat up. "Boy, you've been zonked. All that fresh air from yesterday knocked you out."
Buffy didn't reply. She propted herself up on her elbows. The room spun before her and she had to lie back down for a second to steady her vision. Willow's choice of words sent an alarm bell off in Buffy's mind. Knocked out. She had been knocked out alright but it wasn't because of an abundance of fresh, country air.
Buffy remembered following Willow out into the yard and behind the barn. There she had been ambushed. Knocked out with a, Buffy reached and felt the tender spot below her ear. She had been knocked out with a karate chop. And Willow had been unconscious too at the time. Seemed that Willow had been knocked out also.
Buffy looked at Willow carefully. She seemed cheerful and bubbly as she hummed and dried her hair.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked.
Willow stopped. "Whatever do you mean? I feel so wonderful." She bounced off the bed and went over to the bedroom door. Buffy heard the lock snap shut. Willow turned and seductively slinked back to the bed dropping the towel that had covered her to the floor.
Once she reached the bed she sat down. "Let's get kinky."
"No Will. Not now. Please." Buffy said a bit more snappish then she intended.
Willow pretended to pout. "Not this morning you have a head ache?"
"Exactly," Buffy said again rubbing the tender spot under her ear. As she did she glanced past Willow and saw the black dress draped over the back of the chair beside the far bed.
"Willow. We..........I was attacked last night. And so were you." Buffy tried to put conviction into her voice yet this scene was so unreal. If she'd been knocked out why was she waking up in this bed? And if Willow had been knocked out why was she in such a delightful mood?
"Don't you remember? You went out in the middle of the night. I followed you. I found you unconscious behind the barn then..........wham!! I got slugged."
Willow lifted Buffy into her arms. "No more hot, buttermilk for you, my love."
Buffy yanked herself free. "I am not playing Willow. And I'm not hallucinating from over indulging in.............BUTTERMILK!!"
"Okay, okay, okay," Willow said quickly. She didn't try to press the issue although she was certainly, and visibly, confused. She got up from the bed and went back into the bathroom picking up the towel and wrapping around her naked body once again.
Buffy sat up. rose to her feet and went over to the chair the black dress was on. Good gosh Buffy, she told herself. Maybe it never happened. Could it have all been a dream?
Buffy picked up the dress. As she did she felt the dampness on it's backside. Buffy was still wearing just her underpants. She reached back with one hand to her rump. They too were damp. Not wet but the cotton material was definitely damp. As if she had been laying, at some time, on the dampness of a dewed lawn.