Buffy the Vampire Slayer Preferences + imagines/one shots

Buffy & Spike Imagine - Car pt2

[spoilers for season 5 finale, The Gift]
Character name - Esther 

William only knows he's been dead for 128 years because he's observed Spike stating it. Time doesn't really have any meaning here and Esther found it frustrating at first, not knowing how long she sipped tea with Joyce or played cards with Kendra, until she accepted it and sunk into the feeling of just being present. She's had a lot to accept and adjust to. Some things were easy: her dream home, wishing things she wanted into existence, the ability to reconnect with people who died while she was on Earth... Some things were harder, like watching over people (she could go into a state of meditation and see what her loved ones were doing). A lot of the dead opt out of it, but Esther's morbid curiosity is insatiable. It's bizarre. She feels so happy to see Dawn and Buffy bonding or Tara and Willow on a date, and she loves being kept in the loop. However, it was painful to see her friends blaming themselves for her death and she feels so guilty and icky if she accidentally views someone having a private moment, like crying or... you know...

She even got to watch her own funeral. 

Despite how addictive and intriguing it can be, she promises to spend most of her time in this heavenly dimension. Her house is next door to William's and he's been a closer friend to her than anyone on Earth, which she never saw coming. 

"Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever get bored? I mean, you've been here a hell of a long time."

He smiles thoughtfully, "No, I don't. I have endless books to get through - literally - and the fact that all dreams are lucid here never fails to disappoint." 

Esther smiles to herself, "Cool," she says quietly, "That's good."

Her doorbell rings.

After placing her teacup on her coffee table, she shoots William a polite smile while she excuses herself. 

"Buffy?"

Yes, time has no meaning, but it's been so long. Esther pulls Buffy into a hug before she can utter a word. Caught up in her own selfish glee, it takes a second for her stomach to drop because this only can mean one thing.

"Esther, it's so good to see you." Tears fill Buffy's eyes and Esther takes her warm hand in hers, guiding her into the living room. William's gone, his empty mug by the side of the sink and Esther thanks him silently.

When they sink into the couch, the tears start rolling. 

(Esther thought crying would be impossible in heaven, but she's learnt crying isn't necessarily a bad thing. She can still feel every emotion, it's just that calm is her new normal).

"You're going to be fine," Esther soothes, but Buffy only cries harder. 

"That's what I said!" Buffy splutters, raising her head from her hands. Esther gives her a quizzical look and she hiccups, "That's what I said to you! Before you... before you - you died!"

"Oh Buffy-"

"I'm so sorry," Buffy grabs Esther's hands, "I'm so sorry."

"Buffy," Esther says sternly, "It wasn't your fault. Please, don't do this to yourself."

She sniffs.

"Now, tell me why you're here, love."

"My mom greeted me." she says abruptly, like she had to say it, tell someone, to make it feel real.

There's a long pause where Buffy gets her breathing back to normal and her cheeks cool down, her tears dry up.

"She explained... this," she gestures wildly, "I knew I had to see you first."