On the Other Side

Rating- Probably NC17 later on, I haven’t decided

Summary- The Buffy we saw in The Girl in Question wasn’t the Buffy we know. She’s a visitor from another dimension. Spike must play hero once again to rescue his lady love and maybe even help her counterpart as well as his.

Disclaimer- I once thought I owned Buffy but I’ve had countless sessions with my doctor to help me realize Joss Whedon has copyrights


Chapter Three

Three Months Ago

There were signs but Buffy didn’t see them. The lack of her menstrual cycle was reasoned to be a response to stress. Her breasts became sore and tingled, but she ignored it. She never really noticed that she had to use the bathroom more frequently, but Dawn sure did. Her sister complained that it was never free anymore. She went to sleep sooner than usual and slept in later. Then the sickness started.

Slayers never got sick. Okay, not true. She remembered back when she was still in high school and passed out on patrol. Slayers did get sick but not unless it was so serious that their bodies couldn’t fight it all off. She did not want another hospital visit.

She decided to wait a bit. It’ll eventually pass, she thought. But it didn’t. The stomach nausea only grew worse, and it was becoming harder and harder to hide it from Dawn. Dawn would panic.

Eventually Buffy couldn’t push it aside anymore. Something was wrong with her and it wasn’t going away. She picked up the phone book and skimmed through in search of the hospital number. She didn’t have an assigned doctor because they had just moved to Rome a month before. She took the phone off the cradle and punched in half the number before slamming it back down. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. She couldn’t do it. What if what she had was mystical? She grabbed the phone again and pushed in another number.

“May I please speak to Willow Rosenberg?” Buffy’s voice came out shaky.

It took about two minutes before Willow came over the line. “Hey, this is Willow Rosenberg.”

“Willow.” Buffy let out a breath. She could have cried from the sound of her best friend. “How long would it take you to get here?”

“The conventional or nonconventional way?”

“Right now I don’t care if you fly on a broomstick to my window. Willow, I need you.”

“How serious is it?”

Buffy gripped the phone tighter. Her stomach was twisting in knots again. “I’m not sure. But come as soon as you can.”

“How about now?”

Buffy spun around in shock, dropping the cordless phone. Willow stood right behind her.

“Whoa, don’t do that! A little warning would be nice,” Buffy exclaimed.

Willow looked sheepish. “Sorry. Isn’t it cool, though. The coven taught me how to poof. Kinda like Barbra Eden, but without the pink smoke. I can’t send other people with me yet.”

Buffy smiled and ran to hug the witch. The tears that she’d been holding in crept out.

“Buffy?” Willow questioned. She held the slayer back. “What is the matter?”

“Something is wrong with me,” Buffy said. She pulled back and wiped the wetness from her cheeks. “I’m sick.”

A frown appeared on Willow’s lips.

“Could you, I don’t know, do a body scan or something? Find out if it is magic in origin. I can’t go to the doctor until I know it is normal.”

“I-I think I can do that,” Willow said. She took Buffy’s hand and led her to the white loveseat. “Lay down.”

Buffy settled down upon the cushions. She tried to relax but her body wouldn’t stop shaking.

“I’m going to have to touch you,” Willow said. “As hot as you are my heart belongs to Kennedy. Don’t get any ideas.”

She might have laughed under other circumstances. But all Buffy could think about was what Willow would find. Am I dying? she thought. Not now, not when I finally have a life away from monsters. Spike gave that to me and I don’t want to waste it.

Willow lightly touched Buffy’s toes. She ran her hands up her legs and to her middle. Despite Willow’s joke the feeling wasn’t erotic at all. Warmth spread through her and she stopped trembling. Her body sank into the couch. Willow made her way up to Buffy’s shoulders, neck, and then head. After that she retreated back to Buffy’s stomach and remained there.

“Oh my Goddess,” Willow whispered.

The words were distant to Buffy in her peaceful trance. She felt as if she were linked to the magnificent force she had once felt after jumping through Glory’s portal. The love and light wasn’t as powerful, but Buffy could sense it all around her, in her. It never left, Buffy thought. I always had it, but I never looked.

“Buffy, I think I know what is causing you to be sick. There’s nothing wrong with you at all. It’s beautiful. I can see it, so tiny. You’re going to be a mommy.”
Buffy’s eyes flew open. In a slam, the peace left her. “What!? Nothing wrong? How can there be nothing wrong?”

Willow tried to get Buffy to relax again, but the slayer would have nothing of it. She sat fully up and cupped her middle.

“You don’t want it?” Willow asked. “I thought you’d be happy.”

Buffy once again trembled. “I’d love to be a mommy, Willow, but . . .” Her eyes stung. “It has to be a demon baby. I haven’t been with anyone. They must have snuck into my house and planted their seed into my womb. I’ve heard stories of that happening.”

“When was the last time you were with anyone?” Willow asked.

“Not since . . .” Buffy froze. Her tears turned to those of another nature then. She understood. “Oh.”

Willow put an arm around Buffy. “Spike?”

“Oh, Will,” Buffy cried.

“Shhh,” Willow said.

Buffy wondered when Willow had become so soothing and intuitive. After the fall of Sunnydale she’d ventured to Brazil to do some training with some shamans there. Were they the ones to teach Willow this goodness? Or maybe Willow had gained it sometime during her astral journeys. Buffy could only guess.

“I saw her,” Willow said.

“Her?”

Willow nodded. “I think I could share it with you. Would you like?”

What mother would turn down this gift? Of course Buffy wanted to see the miracle growing inside her. All her fears had disappeared to be replaced with awe and gratefulness. She’d been given a gift. Finally after being shrouded in shadows she could hold onto a piece of light.
Willow carefully placed her palms upon Buffy’s skull. She instructed Buffy to close her eyes and once again get caught up in deep meditation.

Buffy was transported into another world. Red filled her vision. In the middle of this red was a small blob. She drew closer and the blob turned into a small person. Oh, God, I’m seeing her inside myself, Buffy realized. The baby was developed with long, tapering fingers, feet and toes. Her skin was almost transparent with a highway of arteries and veins. The embryo didn’t resemble anything like the cute, fully functional infants on earth. But Buffy knew that her baby was going to turn out beautiful.

Love shone from the baby, enveloping her mother. She already loves me, Buffy thought with wonder. She understood that she loved her as well. She tried to convey it back, but wasn’t sure if she achieved it. The baby’s legs kicked out and Buffy hoped it was a sign that she had.

Just before she was brought out of the mediation Buffy felt a pang of recognition. A tiny bit of Spike was there. It soaked into her heart for a split second, but jarred away when the connection broke. She came back to herself feeling bereft.

Willow smiled with accomplishment. “Pretty nifty trick, huh?”

“Yeah,” Buffy said.

Send me back, Buffy thought. I want to feel him again. He wasn’t there. It was just his contribution to the baby. It isn’t enough. I want him here. The baby should have him too. I should be satisfied. I shouldn’t ask for more. But why not? It isn’t like I haven’t given enough. I want my whole family.

“Buffy?” Willow gently shook her. “Are you okay?”

Buffy couldn’t say anything. She sunk into Willow’s embrace.

I deserve him, Buffy thought. She glared up at the ceiling.

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Thanks everybody for reading. I hope this part wasn’t over the top with the baby astral travel.