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6: The Dream
Willow knew she was dreaming when she walked over the meadow of her childhood summer location. She hadn't been back there since she was eight and her parents had started to leave her home alone during both their business trips and vacations, but she had dreamed of it before. So, even if this wasn't real, she still enjoyed the event. When she reached the small lake at the end of the meadow, she saw a girl standing on the bridge, the skirt of her white chiffon-dress moving a little in the gentle breeze. Willow walked down there, curious. There wasn't usually anyone else there when she dreamed about this place. When she approached, the girl turned around and smiled at her. She was really beautiful with blue eyes and long hair in a reddish colour Willow had never seen before. There was something familiar about her and yet not. "Hi Willow." She said and even her voice was beautiful. "Hi. Do I know you?" Willow asked a bit uncertain. "No, we never met. I wish we had, but now is not the time for regrets. I'm here to encourage you." "Encourage me?" "To not give up hope." "Of what?" "Love." The beautiful girl smiled and faded away. "No, wait!" Willow sat up and looked into the concerned eyes of her best friend. "Bad dream?" Buffy asked. "No, not really, just confusing." Willow answered and told her about the girl in her dream and they discussed it for a while, coming to the conclusion that Willow - being a wicca and all - probably had met a real spirit and therefore the words said could be of some relevance. "Okay, I won't give up hope of love...yet" She sighed. "No, you won't." Buffy smiled and pointed at the still sleeping form of Graham behind Willow. Willow turned around and her eyes widened for a moment, before remembering last night and how the three of them had talked through most of it. They all still had their clothes on, but apparently sleep had got the better of them and somehow Graham had ended up on the bed beside Willow. She looked at him and smiled tenderly. He looked so young and innocent while sleeping, very far from the soldier she now knew he was and Willow started to wonder how old he really was; he seemed younger than Riley and the other TAs she had met, but that could be only her imagination. Suddenly something started to beep with an annoying tone and Graham sat bolt upright in the bed, looking around and wondering where on earth he was. Then he saw and recognized the two girls in the room and remembered last night's revelations. "Oh, good morning." He smiled at them. "Morning. Your Tamagochi sounds hungry." Buffy teased and he turned his attention to the beeping noise. Graham read the number and turned off his beeper. "Can I use your phone?" "Sure." After making the quick call he told the girls he had to leave right away. So they all made arrangements to meet at the 'Espresso pump' that night, before going to Giles for Graham's first 'Scooby meeting'. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
At 8.30 am Riley stood at the window in his room at Lowell House when he saw Graham hurry up the front stairs. He smiled a little and went out in the corridor catching Graham when he got up to the second floor. "Hey, been out all night, ay?" Riley teased and surveyed his friend from head to toe. "Yeah, so?" Graham raised an eyebrow, but couldn't stop a little smile from appearing on his lips when he thought of the previous night. Those two ladies were really nice and interesting to talk to, in contrast to just about every other girl he'd met in Sunnydale. Riley noticed the smile and the elated look in Graham's eyes. "Pretty?" "Very. Nice, caring and intelligent too." "Sounds like good qualities. Actually it sounds like a girl I've thought of introduce you to." "Yeah?" Graham asked, but wasn't really interested in any girls Riley or Forrest wanted him to meet. He'd done that mistake before and then struggled for months to get rid of the girls. "Yeah, she's in Professor Walsh's Psych101, she's also Buffy's best friend so I thought it might be..." Riley interrupted himself when he noticed the amused look on his friend's face. "What?!" "Oh, you see, I already know Willow." Graham said and went to his room, leaving a very surprised and dumbstruck friend behind.
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