Chapter 1 - A Parting Gift
The first few weeks of summer went by smoothly for Buffy and her friends. They were all happy to be out of school, for good and they were spending time at their hangouts and sleeping in for as long as they could.
Buffy had decided to take it easy since her mom didn’t force her to get a job. Joyce had thought that Buffy should enjoy the summer while she could since she might want to get a job in the fall to have extra spending money. She would help Buffy out all she could, but she still had to take care of Dawn too. So, a few days after graduating Buffy had asked her mom if she could help out at the gallery a few times a week. Joyce agreed saying, “That would be lovely, sweetie” and it was settled. Buffy had a little extra income for the summer and her mom was pleased that she was taking the initiative to work.
Since she usually helped at the gallery in the afternoons she would stay in bed till about 9 or 9:30. Her morning ritual consisted of being awoken by the alarm clock, smacking the contraption to turn it off and laying in bed for another 10-15 minutes before finally getting out and going into the bathroom. There she brushed her hair back into a neat-er ponytail and brushed her teeth. Then she went downstairs to eat a light breakfast of toast, 2 pieces, and a glass of juice.
It was a Wednesday morning around 9:30 when Buffy made her way downstairs. She looked at the calendar in the kitchen and realized it was just over 3 weeks since graduation. She let out a sigh that went unnoticed by anyone else. The kitchen was empty except for the dishes that Dawn had left. “She’s probly at Janice’s already,” she said to the empty kitchen. Buffy walked to the fridge and took out the loaf of bread and carton of juice. She set the juice on the island and took out two pieces of bread and walked them over to put them in the toaster. She closed off the bread and put it back in the fridge before reaching into the cabinet for a glass. She went back to the island and poured a glass of o. j. She took a sip of her juice and then heard her toast pop. She ripped a paper towel loose from the roll and grabbed her toast. She sat down and quietly ate her toast and finished her juice.
When she was finished with her breakfast she turned to notice the morning paper off to the side. She picked it up and glanced through it for a few moments before stopping in the Lifestyle section. “Oh la la!” she said, looking at the new fashion trends for the fall. Getting a better look at the paper, she comfortably set her elbow on the countertop and her chin in her hand.
Just then she felt a turn in her stomach. “Ugh! Not again!” She quickly dropped the paper and practically flew upstairs to her bathroom. She ran to the toilet and threw her face over the bowl. Holding her stomach while she emptied its contents into the toilet she knew it was time. A few minutes later she pulled back and slowly stood up. She grabbed a washcloth and wet it before wiping her forehead and then her mouth. Then she rinsed out her mouth.
Buffy quietly walked to her room and picked up the phone as she sat down on the edge of her bed. She pressed the second speed dial and listened to it ring a few times.
“Hi,” she said, trying to sound cheerful, but not really succeeding.
“Hi, Buffy. Is something wrong?” Willow answered the phone.
“Uh, yeah… kinda. Can I come over? I need your help with something.”
“Sure Buff. Come right over. My mom’s out of town again and dad’s at work so we’ll be alone.”
“’K. I’ll be right there.”
As Buffy dressed she remembered the day she graduated.
“Bye honey,” her mom called as Buffy ran out the front door to meet her ride to the school for graduation.
“Hi, Will,” she smiled as she got into the black Desoto.
“Hey, Buffy,” he said with a smile back as he took the emergency brake off and pulled away from her house.
They were quiet for a few minutes before William asked her, “You excited?”
She crinkled up her nose. “Kinda.” She paused and looked over at him. “Kinda nervous too.”
“Nervous?” He chuckled lightly. “Me too, ‘though I ‘ave no idea why.”
“Really?” she asked hopefully.
“Yeah.” He looked back at the road and said, “Two peas in a pod we are, eh?”
“We really are,” she said a bit dreamily, staring out the passenger’s window as they came closer to the school.
As they pulled up into the parking lot and he parked the car he asked, “So… wanna hang out tonight? After the party and stuff, o’ course.” He looked at her as they sat in the car for another minute.
“Yeah, that would be nice.” She smiled demurely and opened her door, getting out of the car. She closed the door behind her and watched him get out too. Up ahead she spotted Willow and Xander.
Buffy walked out of her house in a tank top and shorts to walk over to Willow’s house. Each step she took brought back more of that day. She’d thought about graduation a lot in the last few weeks, but she tried to avoid thinking about that night. Now she remembered it fully.
“Will,” she whispered through the open window to his bedroom. They were quite the Joey and Dawson of Sunnydale, only they’d never acted on their hidden feelings. They both had them, but neither of them ever wanted to mess up the friendship. So, they had remained best friends ever since William Giles had moved to Sunnydale from England at the age of 11.
There was no answer. “He must not be back yet,” she whispered to herself, climbing through the window to wait for him. They had seen each other a few times at the graduation party at Cordy’s, but they mingled and danced with their friends too. When Buffy bumped into Will in the house he had pulled her aside and asked her how much she’d been drinking. She was definitely tipsy, but not drunk. She had giggled at him and tried to get closer. That’s when they had agreed to meet up back at his room after the party. The party was breaking up and she saw him leaving, but she got a ride with Willow and Oz. They dropped her at her house and she ran the few blocks over to Will’s house once they had driven away.
Her head jerked up, sitting on the edge of his bed, as she heard someone coming in the window. “Hi,” he whispered, climbing the rest of the way through the window. He walked over and sat beside her on the bed.
“Hi,” she whispered back, turning her head to be just a few inches from his. She looked into his deep blue eyes. Her hand seemed to move of its own accord as it came up to gently caress his cheek. “Will,” she said softly.
He was speechless for a moment, leaning into her touch with a soft smile gracing his lips. Finally he said, “Yes.”
Buffy was quiet, unsure of what to say next. She knew what she wanted here and now, but she wondered if he wanted the same thing. Her mind went over what she wanted for a minute. She wanted him. She wanted to be able to say goodbye before he left. She’d had sex before, so that wasn’t the issue. She remembered how Will had been there for her during their sophomore year of high school when she had been dating Angel. That’s who her first was and after that night Angel didn’t call her. Will was there to threaten to kick his ass, but Buffy stopped him saying that it would be no use. Will was the only one who knew the whole story behind Buffy and Angel. Now here she was with her best friend and she wanted to give him a part of herself that she had never fully given to anyone. She didn’t know how to put it into words, so she leaned forward to kiss him softly on the lips.
Her warm, moist lips covered his and worked slowly to bring him into the kiss. Only a few seconds passed before his surprise wore away and he began to kiss her back. One hand moved to her hip and the other to the small of her back. After a minute had passed Buffy could feel Will’s tongue tracing her lower lip, asking for entrance. She parted her lips willingly and reveled in the feel of his tongue against hers. Slowly he began to lie back on his bed, pulling her with him. When she was lying on top of him she moaned softly. The sound broke through his lust addled brain and he broke the kiss gently.
“Buffy,” he said her name desperately.
She heard the desperation in his voice and she suddenly wasn’t sure if this was what he wanted. His tone instantly brought a small frown to her face, but she remained quiet.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked gently. “I don’t want us to do anythin’ we’re gonna regret, yeah?” He seemed to be pleading with her as his hand came to her chin and his thumb tugged at the corner of her mouth. He didn’t like to see her frowning. Even if she did look cute, she always looked cute and beautiful to him, he was happier when she was smiling.
Her lips curled up a little from his thumb and she nodded. “I’ve never been more sure. I can’t put into words what you mean to mean, Will.”
“I know, pet. I feel the same way. I don’t know what I’m gonna do without you in LA. We’ve been friends for so long…”
Buffy put her fingertips to his lips. “So, let’s not ruin this with more words, yeah?”
She sat back on her heels and pulled her shirt over her head. He followed suit and took off his shirt too. Next she got off the bed, which suddenly made him think she had changed her mind until she started to unbutton her jeans. She kicked off her shoes as she unzipped her pants and then slid them off. He stood from the bed, quickly pulling back the covers, and took her face in his hands. “We’ve never seen each other like this,” he whispered slowly.
“Other than catching peeks when we went skinny dipping…” she joked, “no.” She ran her fingers through his hair. He smiled and ran his hands behind her back to undo her bra clasp. She let it fall to the floor before eyeing him as he stood there still in his jeans. “What about you?”
He smiled again. “You’ll see.”
She maneuvered her hands through his arms and set them on his waist. “Uh huh,” she nodded with a smirk. Slowly she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, and then pushed them down. They fell to the floor and she saw him in all his beauty. “Commando, huh?” she said with a grin.
He grinned back at her and said, “Well, yeah” with a tilt of his head. He stepped out of his jeans and swept her up in his arms with a gasp of surprise from her. He laid her down in the bed.
She scooted over in the bed and he slid in beside her and pulled the covers over them, partly. Most of their upper bodies still showed in the moonlight that came into the room. He lay on his side to look at her, his hand tracing the hem of the panties she still wore. She lay on her back and turned her face to look at him better. She smiled as she felt him playing with her panties.
He leaned over her and kissed her soundly, their tongues battling for control. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered as he moved his hand inside her panties and slid a finger inside of her. Slowly he eased a second finger inside of her and began to move them in and out, never fully removing them. “You’re so warm, pet,” he whispered into her ear.
Her hand went to hold his neck and slide into his hair as she bit her lower lip cautiously before releasing it and moaning softly. She arched her hips up to meet his hand as she felt his other hand pinching her clit. “Ahhhh” was the soft sound that escaped her lips next. He smiled at her although she couldn’t see him now since she’d closed her eyes a moment before. “Will… I- I need you…” she murmured, trying to speak clearly.
He removed his fingers from inside of her and brought them to his mouth to clean them. She smiled at the gesture and he seemed pleased with himself. Then she felt his hands move back to her hips and slowly pull her panties down. He sat back on his heels and pulled them down to her knees. She raised her legs to make it easier for him to remove them, keeping her legs together so he could slide them off. He tugged them from her foot and tossed them aside.
She moved her legs back down, one on either side of where he still sat back on his heels. Her eyes met his for a moment and saw something there, a question almost. She followed his eyes to the bedside table and then looked back at him. “Protection?” she asked, and he nodded. She reached over to the table and opened the small drawer. Her fingers fumbled around for a few seconds before she had one and she pulled it out. She tore the wrapper carefully and asked, “Do you want me to do it?”
He nodded, his eyes glazing over with a combination of lust and awe. He watched as she sat up and unrolled the condom onto his hard cock. He waited for her to lie back on the bed again before he caressed her thigh as he made his way back over top of her. He looked into her eyes, waiting for confirmation and caressing her cheek.
She nodded and waited for a moment. She felt the first pinch as he moved inside of her. Then she felt him pause and she met his eyes again. “I’m fine,” she said. “Better than fine as a matter o’ fact,” she smiled at him. Her hand moved to caress his cheek and she wrapped her other hand around his neck to pull him in for a kiss. She felt him begin to move inside of her and the kiss broke as they gazed into one another’s eyes. She wanted to say ‘I love you,’ but she didn’t want to make it harder for him to leave either. So, she decided not to say it.
He began slowly moving in and out without ever fully leaving her. After a few minutes his pace quickened and his thrusts grew harder. His breathing remained steady, and he was thankful he had good stamina. The pace remained the same for several minutes more when he felt her muscles clench around him. He felt her nails scrape over his shoulder blades and he groaned at the pleasant feeling of it. He hungrily claimed her mouth again and thrusted harder into her.
She moaned into his mouth as she felt her climax take her. It felt like a roller coaster, slowly climbing up and then rushing down. No sooner had she felt herself come down then she felt herself climbing up again. ‘How does he do it?’ she wondered. She’d never felt like this before. Her second orgasm quickly tore through her body, sending her muscles shuddering around him yet again.
At the second clenching of her muscles he lost his control and his thrust became erratic. His breathing was shallower and he felt his seed spurt into the condom. He thrusted a few more times and felt her calming. He buried his face in her neck and stilled his movements. He kissed her throat a few times and said, “Bloody hell” before pulling himself out of her. He fell to the side and laid there for a moment, still trying to catch his breath. Without any trouble, or much thought, he pulled the condom off and tossed it in the trash can beside his bed.
All she could do at the moment was stare at the ceiling. Her body felt numb, in a very good, satisfied kind of way. After her breathing returned to normal she turned on her side and looked at him with a little smile. He looked back at her and saw the smile. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her to his body. Her back was to his chest and he kissed her neck, making her smile more.
“Tired?” he asked.
“A little,” she murmured, followed by an unexpected yawn. “Guess so,” she laughed.
“’s alrigh’. Sleep now, pet.”
That was the last time she was really with him, the last time they were together. It was only a few weeks ago and she’d tried not to think of him too much. Now she had to think of him, and she might very well have to think of him every day for the rest of her life. She’d left his bed the next morning with a quick and quiet goodbye. He promised he would call when he got settled in LA and did call a few days later. After that one call she hadn’t heard from him again.
She stepped up to Willow’s door and knocked. A moment later Willow answered with a flush look on her face.
“Buffy, what’s going on? You sounded so… you had me worried but you look fine.” Willow looked her friend up and down.
“Wills… can I come in?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah, Buff… let’s sit in the living room.”
“No ones here, right?” she asked a little nervously.
“No, no ones here.” Willow looked Buffy over seriously. “What is it? Out with it Buffy… you can’t—”
“I think I’m pregnant,” she whispered, but her voice was clear.
“Wha-at? How? I didn’t know you even… when did you… oh, Buffy…” Buffy had started to cry. The tears just streamed down her cheeks as she looked at Willow.
“Will-ow… it was Will… after the graduation party at Cordy’s… we met back at his place…” Buffy sniffled and continued. She wanted to get it out.
“Oh, Buffy, don’t cry. It’s gonna be alright.” Willow went closer and hugged her friend.
“But he used protection…” she said with determination. She sat up and sniffled again. “How can this happen to me now?” She looked down and sighed, “I don’t even have a way to get in touch with him. He called a couple weeks ago but I didn’t get his number and I haven’t heard from him since…” she trailed off and there was silence.
Willow didn’t know what to say or do. The one conclusion she came to was that Buffy had to take a pregnancy test. Slowly she said, “Buffy… I think you should take a test… then we’ll know for sure and we can worry about whatever comes next.”
“Okay…” she mumbled and sniffled again. She looked down and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
“Come on,” Willow said softly. She took Buffy’s hand and helped her get up from the couch. “I’ll take you to the store. Mom left her car here, so we can drive there and drive back here to take it.”
Buffy was quiet as she followed Willow out of the house and to the car. They drove to the store in silence and went inside to pick out a test. Buffy didn’t know which one to get exactly, but finally decided on EPT saying, “These are supposed to be accurate, right?”
Willow nodded and they purchased the test and left the store, returning to Willow’s house a few minutes later.
When they got back to the house the two girls made their way to the upstairs bathroom that was Willow’s. Willow gave Buffy a reassuring smile and Buffy went into the bathroom on her own. She looked at the box and read the instructions.
She peed on the stick and set it on a piece of toilet paper by the sink to wait the 3-5 minutes for the results. While she waited she poked her head out of the bathroom and called for Willow. “Wills… you wanna wait with me?”
Willow thought she almost sounded desperate and her heart went out to her friend. “Yeah, Buff. Let’s wait in my room for a few minutes and then go back to look at the test. That way we’re not so focused on it.”
“Is that like ‘Time flies when you’re having fun’?” Buffy asked sarcastically as she went into Willow’s room.
“Come on you. It’s gonna be alright. Whatever the results are… you’ll be fine.”
“I hope so.” She glanced at Willow’s clock nervously.
“So…” Willow began.
“Let’s not… I have no idea what to say or think right now. I just want to wait. K?”
“Ye-ah…” she said quietly.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’ve just been… stressing and sick. That’s what made me think I might be. I’ve been sick the last three mornings and I didn’t know why. I’d always feel better later but… yeah.” Buffy stopped there and looked down. They were quiet again before Buffy looked at the clock and said, “I think it’s time.”
Buffy led the way back into the bathroom and Willow stood in the doorway waiting quietly for Buffy to read the results. There was an expression on Buffy’s face, but Willow couldn’t tell what the test said from it.
“Buffy… what does it say?”
She just stared at the test. “It says pregnant,” she said dazedly.
“Oh,” was all Willow said.
To be continued…