Defying Time and Reason for Love
Defying Time and Reason for Love
By: Rachel
Disclaimer: None of these are mine - darn!
Summary: Buffy/William AU: In 1882 William Stafford purchased a new desk for himself. In 2004, Buffy Summers, fresh from an abusive relationship, buys an antique desk at a garage sale. Suddenly, the two discover a way to communicate through time, falling in love with each other in the process. Is Buffy willing to risk her heart for a relationship that can never be with another man - a man who lived more than 100 years ago?
Rating: PG-13 so far.
Distribution: My sites - Sinister and Poetic Attraction, and to anyone who already has permission to my fics, go right ahead! All others, please e-mail me beforehand just so I know where it's going.
Author’s Notes: Sections in bold signify flashbacks. Thoughts will be in italics. And a BIG thank you to my beta, Enigmaticblue - I couldn't get through this without your assistance!
Feedback: Sure! SpiffyArtGirl@comcast.net
Chapter 1:
September 18, 2004
Elizabeth Summers, better known as Buffy to her close friends and family, woke up that early Saturday morning with a strong and unexplainable feeling that she was going to return home with something good - something that was one-of-a-kind and couldn't be found anywhere else.
Ever since escaping from her so-called relationship with Warren Mears, she and her best friend of seven years, Willow Rosenberg, had begun a tradition of going shopping at the garage and yard sales in the nearby neighborhoods. Willow came up with the idea in order to keep Buffy's mind away from her abusive relationship of eleven months with Warren.
The two quickly began to enjoy the added time they spent together, however, and finding cheap, unique knick-knacks became just an added bonus. Since her mother's death a little over two years ago, money was much scarcer in the Summers’ household, especially now that Dawn, Buffy’s sister, was attending college. Although Buffy had a steady job and a decent amount of money from what was originally her mother’s saving funds, she had discovered that garage sales were a great way to find the things that she needed for much less than she could afford to pay in a store.
The two friends developed a fool-proof schedule in no time - shop from 8:00 until it was almost 11:00, go back to their apartments to shower and clean up, and then arrive at Buffy's workplace, a small gallery and art studio, by noon, which is when they opened on the weekends. Buffy was the artist and Willow was the businesswoman, helping to keep track of clients, money, Buffy’s projects, and other information. Without Willow’s help, Buffy wouldn’t have a clue what to do.
That morning at the end of September, when there was a slight chill in the air, but it was still warm enough to walk around without a heavy jacket, Buffy had high hopes of finding something exceptional. I still need a new lamp for the living room actually, she thought as she walked around a table with various odds-and-ends scattered around on top. The original lamp that was set on the coffee table had gotten knocked over when Warren was upset and shoved her back...
Nope, not gonna think about that today, Buffy told herself, shaking her head and trying to think of something happier. That's the whole point of these little expeditions. To keep my mind off of that.
"Hey Buffy, you find anything?" Willow asked as she approached Buffy.
Willow and Buffy had become immediate best friends on the first day of tenth grade. Along with Xander Harris, Willow's best friend since kindergarten, the three of them were inseparable. They were there for each other in both the good times and the bad, witnessing the hook ups and the eventual break ups. They hung out with each other for movies, award shows, study sessions, and above all else, they always supported one another.
Willow was a small red head, barely coming in at 5'4", but what she lacked for in height, she made up in personality. She was always thinking positively, tried to see the best in people, and would always take plenty of time to listen to a friend. Those were just a few of the qualities that Buffy loved about Willow so much.
"Not so much," Buffy said regrettably. "I was thinking about trying to find a new lamp for the living room..." her voice died off when her mind inevitably flashed back to the reason for said lamp.
Willow "tsk tsked" and shook her head. "Think happy thoughts, Buffy," she said. "Today is our happy, fun day!" She held up her findings, which already consisted of two books, three DVDs, and a vibrant, multi-colored blanket.
"Sorry, can't help it," Buffy said, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, I know it's almost been two months, and I should be over it and have moved on, but-"
"These things take time, Buff," Willow said, consoling her friend. She gave a supportive smile before continuing, "you just can't expect to wake up one day and be entirely over something like that so quickly. Like I've said before, Everyone moves on at different paces, just give it some time, you'll see."
"Thanks," Buffy responded, reaching out and giving Willow and quick squeeze on the arm.
"And hey, how is my favorite little sister?" Willow asked, eager to change the subject to something lighter and less angst-filled. "Didn’t you tell me she was going to call you sometime this weekend about how school is going?"
"Dawnie? She's doing great. She’s making her older sister very proud," Buffy boasted, a smile lighting up her features at the thought of her sister.
Her sister had grown into a strong, beautiful, young woman who was currently in her freshman year at UCLA. Dawn still wasn't sure what she was going to ultimately major in, but was excelling in her general education classes and well on her way to becoming a student in the top of her class. Buffy didn’t have the words to explain how proud she was of her sister for doing so well, and she was forever thankful that Dawn had this chance to attend a well-known, respected college, unlike herself.
Although Buffy missed having someone at home to keep her company and do things with, she knew that this was a great opportunity for her sister. Besides, it was only a two hour drive away to UCLA, and there were always seasonal breaks. In fact, fall break was coming up in about a month. Buffy knew this because she was already counting down the days until she would get to see her sister for a few days.
"She do okay on that English research paper?" Willow asked. "I know you told me that she was having a bit of trouble finding enough research to complete it."
Buffy nodded, "Yep, she did great. Found some research at the last minute, pulled through, and got an A minus on the paper." Buffy's smile clearly showed how proud she was of Dawn.
"That’s great, Buffy," Willow agreed. "Tell I say ‘hi’ the next time you two talk, okay?"
Buffy nodded her head before saying, "I'm not finding too much here." She wanted to change the subject before she got weepy-eyed over missing her sister. "You ready to try that place further down the road?"
Willow agreed. "Sure thing, just let me go pay for these," and with that she headed off towards the entrance of the garage, a bright smile on her face.
Buffy turned around, pushing several loose strands of blonde hair out of her eyes as she quickly gazed around the garage one more time to see if she had missed anything important. Suddenly, her eyes stopped on a dark, rectangular object in the back of the garage.
Wanting to get a better look, Buffy excused herself past a couple people standing in the aisles, approaching what she discovered was a desk. There were three drawers on the left side, each one getting a slightly bit bigger as they went down. Then, to the right of those drawers, was one longer drawer above an open area for the user’s knees. She gave it a long look, noticing how the wood had chipped off in several areas, especially on the legs of the desk, which had obviously been nicked and run into several times in the past. The handles appeared to be the original ones, however - they were clearly an elegant and expensive design, with embellished and intricate loops, swirls, and patterns. Buffy could easily tell just by looking at it that the top of the desk had been worn smooth by time.
Taking another step closer, Buffy ran her hand across the surface of the wood, gasping when she felt a warm, prickling sensation across her fingertips. "What the...?" she muttered, bending her knees to look at the desk even closer.
"Do you like this desk?" a voice behind her asked. "You’re the first person who has looked at it all day."
Buffy stood and quickly turned around. "Uh...well, it looks like it's in uh, somewhat fairly good condition," she half-lied.
The woman nodded before approaching the desk and standing next to Buffy. "Yes, it has been in my family for ages. Since the late 1800s."
"Wow," Buffy said, taking a closer look at the desk. If that's really true, then this is definitely an antique, she thought. Buffy glanced at the price tag and saw it was marked at $200. Well, if I can get her to talk the price down some, I could always try and sell it to an actual antique store and make a small profit off of it. Xander could clean it up for me and fix those nicks, which would raise the price if I sold it.
"I'll give you $170 for it," Buffy offered, turning to look at her seller.
The woman shook her head, "No, that is too low for an antique such as this, something with so much meaning."
Then why are you selling it? Buffy thought, and came close to asking that aloud. "Hmm, okay. How about $180?"
Once again, the woman shook her head. "How about this? I will sell it to you for $182, and no lower."
Buffy quickly and faintly frowned, her brows tightening together for a second. What an odd number to ask for, she thought with curiosity. "Sure, that sounds like a deal to me," she answered, beginning to pull out her checkbook. "You will take a check for this, right?"
The woman nodded her head in affirmation, and Buffy began writing out her check.
At the time, Buffy thought nothing of it - after all, it was just an ordinary, old, and beat up desk. She decided it would be best if she kept it in her bedroom until she got a chance to clean it up a bit and add a new coat of varnish with Xander’s help, then resell it to an antiques dealer.
Who would have thought that an old, $182 desk would completely change her life forever?
~~~
September 18, 1882
That morning, William Stafford stepped out of his carriage with plans to purchase a couple books and a new journal for both himself and his sister, Emily-Grace. The two Stafford siblings had an intense desire of both reading and writing. However, William's writing was usually somewhat lacking...well, everything.
It was almost two years ago to the day that he had been ridiculed in front of the woman whom he secretly admired and loved. His poetry had been taken out of his unwilling hands and read aloud at one of the many trite parties that he was forced to attend because of his rank in society. Ever since then, William wrote in bound journals, something he could keep close to him when he wanted and keep hidden when he was not inspired to write.
William approached the entrance to the bookshop, pausing a second to push his glasses further up his nose, before entering.
"Good afternoon Mr. Stafford," the bookkeeper said as William entered. "It is a pleasure to see you back so soon."
"Thank you sir, and you as well," William responded, smiling politely to the stout man. "I was wondering if you had any new books or journals in since I was here last?"
The salesman laughed and shook his head. "Not since you were in last. That was only five days ago, sir." He then took a second to think before tapping his head with his hand. "Oh, forgetful me! I was mistaken, we got in these new journals the other day."
He led William over to the other side of the store, revealing a set of black leather-bound journals with a thin red ribbon wrapped around it from front the back to keep it closed. William picked one up, taking a second to ponder why the book felt the way it did. Why...it almost feels warm, William thought to himself. He decided to keep that thought to himself, as he didn't want to bring any more unwanted attention to him and his family.
William picked up another one for his sister, noticing that he did not feel any sensations like he did just seconds before, and slowly nodded his head. "Yes, I believe these two will do just fine."
A few quick minutes later, William exited the shop, the two journals tightly held in his left hand. He began to call out for the carriage when something caught his eye. Across the street, in the window of a furniture store, was a gleaming writing desk in the display.
He crossed the street to take a closer look at the desk. It was obviously a new piece of furniture since the intricate, adorned handles and desk legs were of a design he and never seen before. The wood shone brightly in the sun, and the golden handles gleamed. The three drawers to the left were designed well, the bottom one being much larger than the top two.
Oh, it's just a desk, William told himself.
But Emily-Grace could use a desk in her room; she has been making hints towards that for quite some time now, another part of William whispered. I could give her mine and then purchase this one for myself.
The salesman inside the store noticed William standing outside and beckoned him in with a wave of his hand. Before he could stop himself and think, he entered the store, intent on finding out how much this elegant desk would cost him and if he should make the purchase.
Less than ten minutes later, the desk was his.
~~~
TBC...I would love to know what you all thought about this - subtle changes, but I feel that this chapter alone is so much better than the first time around. Please leave any and all comments!
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!