Banner by Noaluvjames

Chapter 17

After his final phone call, William sat there for a moment. He couldn’t hear anything going on inside Buffy’s classroom with the door shut, so he had no idea how much longer she would be. Now that he was finally here, he was anxious to get their “reunion” over with.  

He had half a mind to just open the door and seek her out. Vaguely, he recalled something like that happening in a movie a long while back. Wracking his brain until he recalled the movie – it would have driven him crazy until he figured it out – he realized it was one of Rick’s films… Parenthood, if he recalled. He remembered having a good chuckle over the lack of Moranis’ singing skills.

Well, he bloody well wasn’t going to pull something so clichéd. Eyeing the closed door in frustration, he stood and began pacing the deserted hallway, periodically glancing at his watch and willing the dials to turn faster. What could they be doing in there for the past two and a half hours? Surgery?

William was halfway down the hall, running his hand agitatedly through his hair, when he heard a commotion behind him. He saw the door open and some women start to filter out of the room. Half-jogging – trying not to look conspicuous – back to his chair outside her room, he attempted to listen for the sound of her voice.

Then she was there, walking out of the room, one hand on her daughter’s shoulder as she steered the little girl through the entryway, glancing behind her as she answered some question asked of her.

“I’ll be by in a little bit, Tara. Tell Willow we’re still on for our study group session.”

He watched as she smiled before turning around and walking off. It took a moment for his brain to realize that she was leaving him behind, and he hurried after her.

~*~*~*~*~

Buffy had just reached the door to the building when she felt someone coming up behind her. She paid it no mind – students were constantly rushing to the door after classes ended – and just held the door a moment, allowing the person to catch up and grab the open door.

“Thank you,” a heavily British-accented voice murmured.  

She ignored the chills that raced down her spine; pining over William wouldn’t do any good.  

“No prob,” she responded, not even bothering to turn around. “Ready, Dawnie?”

She glanced down to see her daughter’s upturned face look behind her momentarily before returning her gaze to her mother.

“Uh huh. I get McDonald’s, right? Because I was good…”

Inside, Buffy was mentally gagging at the thought of eating at the fast food restaurant, just the thought had reflexive morning sickness ideas taking hold. But, a promise was a promise, and the eatery was trying to carry more health conscious food lately. Maybe she’d have a salad.

“Sure thing, pumpkin. I appreciated all your help today. You made a very good patient,” she told her daughter as they descended the stairs. She couldn’t help the answering smile as her daughter beamed at her praise.

So involved with her daughter, she almost jumped out of her skin when she felt someone touch her shoulder. She whirled around, ready to blast the person who had managed to scare her half to death… but the words died in her throat.

She blinked, jaw dropping in astonishment momentarily, before she recovered and turned away – grabbing her daughter’s hand and trying to put as much distance between herself and the apparition behind her.

“Buffy, wait…”  

The desperation she heard in his voice caused her to stop, but she didn’t turn around. She was too busy trying to get her emotions under control, blinking rapidly to prevent herself from crying.

He’s here.

She couldn’t seem to get that one thought from reverberating in her brain – over and over again.

“Mommy?” Dawn called to her mother uncertainly, even as she tugged on her hand.

Buffy released a pent up breath and looked upon the worried face of her daughter. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, murmuring, “It’s okay, pumpkin.”

She felt him standing behind her, so close that if she were to lean back, even the slightest bit, her back would encounter his chest. And, she wanted so much to do that, to pray that she wasn’t dreaming, that he had come for her like some Prince Charming.

But, this was the real world, and Buffy had stopped believing in Knights in Shining Armor a long time ago.

“Buffy.”

Nothing more, just her name whispered from his lips. The sound of his voice did strange things to her resolve. She could feel herself melting, wanting to believe in the fairy tale, if only for a moment.

Yet years of what she fondly called the “real world” intruded, and she pushed those idyllic thoughts aside.

“William! What brings you to Sunnydale? Filming a new movie, perhaps,” she greeted him – this man she’d come to love in such a short period of time – and turned to face him.

Her steely resolve almost collapsed when she gazed upon his features. He was the same, even knowing who he was now; he was still her William. The one that sat beside her in an English pub as the two of them listened to Jake. The guy that lulled her into complacency, then soundly beat her in a race across the beach. The tender man that held back when she practically cried on his shoulder as she whispered her reticence.  

She didn’t allow any of that to show, however. She couldn’t give him the ammunition that he’d succeeded where others had failed. That he’d made her open up her heart, albeit unwillingly.

Buffy watched as he cringed, as if he were ashamed of his deception.  

‘Wasn’t exactly like you were forthcoming with the information either, missy.’

‘Shut up. We’re not talking about me.’

“I… uh… I… Bloody hell. I feel like I’ve forgotten my lines…”

Upon seeing her closed expression grow even colder, he could have kicked himself.

“Sorry. Not exactly a good analogy, is it?” he commented, running one hand through his disheveled blond locks.

The gesture – his apparent nervousness – eased some of the hurt she’d inevitably felt at his words.

“Would you…uh, like to get some lunch? I heard you tell the niblet here you were going to McDonalds…”

He watched as she just stared at him, unsure of what to make of his invitation.

“What’s a niblet?” The question came out of nowhere, startling the two.

William smiled and turned towards the little girl tucked next to her mother’s side. He crouched down in front of her so he could look at her on eye level.

“That would be you. Dawn, is it?”

She didn’t say anything, just glanced up at Buffy as if seeking some assurance.

“Yes, this is Dawn…my daughter. Dawnie, this is William. He’s a… someone I met when I was in England.”

“Is that why he talks funny?” she whispered out loud.

Funny…no. Sexy…oh, hell yeah!

“Wot’s that? Talk funny? I talk funny?” he asked the little girl. She giggled, nodding her head vigorously in answer to his question.

He blustered more for the little girl’s benefit, which resulted in another round of giggling. Even Buffy had a smile on her face. He’d waited almost three months to see it, and as it rained down on him, he finally felt at peace. The agitation he’d felt over the last several months seemed to just fade away, leaving him happy once more.

“So, what do you say, Buffy? Lunch?”

“Fine…lunch. But, not too long… I’ve got a study session I have to get to.”

He nodded, rising to his feet. He’d take what he could get for now, and push for more later.

~*~*~*~*~

What in the bloody hell ever possessed him to go to a McDonald’s, and to do so on an apparent school holiday? He’d followed behind Buffy in his car as she drove to the restaurant and now stood holding the glass door open for her. As she walked past, he just stood there and gaped at the scene before him.

The place was crowded; to the right was the counter, to the left were seats. And beyond that was an enclosed playground.

All around him, kids were yelling at the top of their lungs as they enjoyed the day off from classes. All around him, mothers and some fathers sat wearily watching their demonic offspring.

He must be insane; there was no excuse for it. He was well and truly off his rocker!

William stood there and gaped at the scene before him, wanting nothing more than to turn tail and run…

Buffy! Think about Buffy. She’ll help you get through this, this chaos.

And, as she sailed right into hell, he thought she was truly a warrior beyond compare. William, well, he was frozen in place, petrified to move for fear of upsetting the natives.

Buffy stopped and glanced over her shoulder when she didn’t feel William behind her. A knowing smile came to her lips when she spotted his dazed expression.  

‘Obviously the first time he’s been around kids.’

Taking pity on him, she walked back over to him and grabbed his hand off the open door – and ignored the bolt of electricity that shot through her extremities at the contact.

“Come on, Big Bad, I’ll protect you,” she teased him – then faltered as she remembered another time, another place, when those words had slipped out.

Their joined hands spread to arm’s length before he finally let go of the door and walked inside the madhouse that currently passed as a fast food restaurant.

“How may I help you?” the frazzled woman behind the counter asked.

“A cheeseburger Happy Meal with a lemonade, and I’ll have a California Cobb Salad with a Diet Coke… no, make that a Spite,” Buffy told the woman.

“I’ll have the same… only without the Happy Meal and lemonade part, and the other is on my tab,” William broke in.

Buffy didn’t even begin to argue. Her mind was awash with other times, other memories…

‘This so isn’t a good idea, Buffy,’ she mentally berated herself.

The waitress rattled off an amount in her monotone voice, her nerves long since stretched to the breaking point, and waited impatiently while William pulled the necessary bills from his wallet. Buffy was shocked that he had enough small change to pay for the food – before she chided herself for being catty.

‘Just hurry and eat your food, then you can be on your way.’

A sound plan, if only it would work.  

~*~*~*~*~

Buffy got Dawn settled and started on her lunch, bracing herself for the twenty questions William was sure to hit her with as soon as they started eating. Yet, of all the scenarios, the first words out of his mouth were far from what she had expected…

And, she could feel the walls encasing her feeling and emotions shift off their foundations.

“She’s beautiful,” he told her, his penetrating gaze never leaving hers.

“I… uh… thanks,” she mumbled, finally breaking contact to stare unseeing at her salad.

“Buffy… I…” his voice trailed off, his hand reached out and cupped her cheek, raising her gaze to his once more.

The emotion he saw churning in her eyes, before she quickly masked it, filled him with hope. She wasn’t as immune as she liked to think. Good!

He released her face and gestured for her to start eating.  

Buffy eyed the food warily. A part of her was starving, but that other part – the part that was about three months pregnant – rebelled at the thought of eating anything. Especially something from this grease pit. Her eyes lit on the crackers that came with the meal and she grasped the plastic packet and tore into it, desperation tingeing her actions.

‘Please, God…not now. Please don’t let me get sick now.’

The crackers seemed to work, and for once, something finally went her way. Now, if she could just get away from William and back to her normal, boring life, she’d be doing great.

William, unfortunately, seemed to have other plans.

He quickly housed his food as if he hadn’t eaten in week, and beside him, her daughter did the same. It was a rule that she couldn’t play until her dinner was all gone – it was the only way she could get her daughter to eat when they went to places like this – and she was all business as she finished off her burger and fries, slurping down her lemonade as if she’d just completed a long walk across the desert.

“Can I go play, mommy?”

“Wipe your hands and face first,” she told her.

Then, the two of them were alone, and Buffy didn’t know what to do.

“William… I…”

“Why did you leave?”

The two questions peppered the air simultaneously. Buffy blushed and looked away. She couldn’t tell him that it broke her heart to leave. That when he’d walked away she’d felt like a part of her was dying. The emotions he’d managed to elicit within her in such a short period of time– she just didn’t want to appear a fool, wearing her heart on her sleeve, once he finally told her goodbye. Better to tuck tail and run before he got back, saying her goodbyes via Jake.

“I thought it best,” she began, her head bowed, refusing to look at him. “I didn’t want you to think that I expected something. We were just strangers…”

“Do you really believe that?” he asked. Although his voice was barely above a whisper, she could still hear the forcefulness – and hurt – behind it. It was the hurt she responded to, jerking her head upright to stare at the face that seemed to haunt her these last three months.

“What do you want from me?” she practically cried, almost near tears. “I’ve got to go… Got to get Dawnie.”

She squirmed out of her seat, grabbing frantically for her purse. William stood as well, unwilling to let her get away now that he’d finally found her.

“Buffy, please… don’t go… don’t…”

He placed his hands on her shoulders, halting her in her tracks.

“I’m sorry… don’t go…”

“I’ve got to. Dawnie… study session,” she babbled as her tears threatened to spill over.

“How about dinner? Tomorrow night? You can bring the niblet if you want…”

“I… I can’t… I’ve… I’ve got plans.”

Her eyes lifted helplessly to his, saw the emotion churning within their depths, and relented.

“Next Saturday,” she told him.

The smile that lit up his face almost made her cancel her plans to see her mother in L.A. this weekend. Almost…

She jotted down her phone number, whispering a “call me” as she headed towards the playground and her daughter.

William turned and watched her walk away. He’d let her go for now. But, this was far from over. Now that he had her number.

Number.  

He glanced down at the number, when a thought occurred to him. Grabbing his cell phone, he quickly punched in the digits and waited as the phone rang.

“Hello?” her soft voice answered.

“Just me, pet,” he chuckled into the phone. He watched as she turned towards him, phone in hand and rolled her eyes. He smiled back, waved, then disconnected. Buffy shook her head ruefully and turned back towards the playground.

But, he’d seen the smile on her face.

With a swagger in his step, he left the restaurant and walked towards his rental car.

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