Banner by Noaluvjames
Banner by Noaluvjames
Chapter 14
William slipped his arm around Buffy’s shoulder as the two walked down Mill
Road. Things had rarely changed
over the last several years, but he found himself looking at his childhood haunt
through new eyes. Buffy’s
enthusiasm was contagious, and he felt a little more of the ice and cynicism
that had settled around his heart start to thaw.
She was good for him; she brought him peace and tranquility in his otherwise
chaotic life. Plus, he knew she
liked him for himself – as William, not the crazy alter ego that had arisen
in the last few years and had suddenly dominated his life.
He was pulled from his ponderings to hear Buffy ask which way to go.
He hadn’t noticed it, but they had reached the end of Middle Street and
come to a dead end.
“If we go right, it will take us down towards the waterfront,” he
replied.
“Okay.”
William got his legs in motion once more, steering them to the right, down
towards the harbor.
~*~*~*~*~
They’d wandered around the harbor until the sun had set before making their
way back to Rick’s restaurant and retrieving William’s vehicle.
The parking lot was packed, which was nothing unusual, so they didn’t
bother to go back inside. Instead,
the two drove around a bit before returning to Rick and Jill’s house.
When he used the key and let himself inside, he was surprised to see the
lights already on. Jill came around the
corner, a glass of wine held in her hand.
“Oh, you’re here, that’s wonderful,” she said as she came towards the
front foyer.
“Yes, we are. I wasn’t
expecting you to be home so soon. Did
Rick kick you out of the kitchens?”
“No, I actually persuaded him to take the night off.
It isn’t every day that you’re here and we wanted to spend some time
with you.”
“That’s wonderful,” he replied, kissing her cheek lightly.
“Where is the old man?”
“Fixing himself a drink at the bar. Why
don’t you go join him? We’ll
catch up after I give Buffy a quick tour.” Which in code meant: “Go away.
The girls want to talk.”
“Right…”
He gave Buffy a quick kiss to her cheek then headed unerringly towards the
bar.
~*~*~*~*~
Buffy had a great time that night, and much of the next afternoon, visiting
with William’s friends, Rick and Jill – so much so that she got Jill’s
address and phone number and promised to write once she got back to the states.
She’d given the older woman a big hug then waved to the two as she slid
into her seat.
The couple had their arms wrapped around each other, waving goodbye as
William slowly made his way out of their driveway and back towards Crackington
Haven.
“Have a good time, pet?”
“Oh yes, Jill and Rick…they’re both very nice people.
And, my God, can he cook!”
She was watching his profile while he drove, his relaxed manner easily
controlling the huge vehicle. He
glanced over at her, a huge grin on his face.
“I’m surprised I didn’t weigh two hundred pounds growing up with all
the food he was constantly shoveling towards me.
Although, working in his restaurant kept me awfully busy.”
“I can imagine…the keeping busy part, not the overweight you part…er,
that is…never mind. Shutting up
now.”
William had seen her eyeing his lean frame in disbelief, and he silently
muttered for his dick to behave itself. Bloody hell! Since
being in Buffy’s vicinity, all he’d done was fantasize about having
sex…when he wasn’t actually doing it.
He gave her a little wink to let her know that he saw her ogling his body and
laughed lightly when her face flushed even more.
Steering the topic towards much safer territory, William asked Buffy what
else she wanted to do while she was here.
“Ya know, I wanted to do it all…see everything…cram as much as I could
into this short week,” she answered him, her unfocused eyes staring out the
passenger-side window as the scenery whipped passed her.
“But, right now…I just…damn…let’s just go back to the cottage,
ok?”
He glanced over at her, unable to see her face since it was turned away from
him. He heard the tone in her
voice, however, and he reached his hand over to lie is reassuringly on her
thigh. Buffy pulled herself from
her depressing thoughts and glanced down at his hand. She looked up at his face momentarily, a soft smile on her
lips. It cheered her somewhat that
he also seemed to feel that their time was getting short…that they’d go
their separate ways and never see one another again.
“Ok.”
Neither said another word on the remaining drive back to their rented
cottages. There was nothing they
could say to make the situation better.
When they finally arrived, there was no pretense.
Both knew what they wanted and didn’t bother with the preliminaries.
They hurried to the first door they came to – hers – and quickly
slipped inside.
The two seemed desperate as they reached for each other, indelibly trying to
make a mark on the other, as if imprinting themselves on the other’s body.
Frantic fingers quickly divested each other of their clothes, soft moans
sounded in the quiet cottage as bare skin finally made contact against bare
skin.
Lips clung together as the two naked bodies intertwined and sunk gratefully
to the couch behind them. Hands
molded, cupped and soothed. Lips
followed, eager to taste the exposed flesh wherever possible.
Soft moans and gasps littered the air, whispered words of awe
and…something else seemed to hang between them.
Then he was moving, surging up into her body while Buffy wrapped her legs around
his lower back. Instinctively, she
lifted her pelvis, increasing the penetration of his cock deep within her womb.
Mutual sighs released just moments before he reclaimed her lips, his hips
rocking back and forth, actions proclaiming what words could not.
It was there in his touch…in hers. Together they loved one another throughout the afternoon and
into the night, stopping only to rest and eat, before one of them – it
mattered naught who – reached for the other to begin anew.
Finally, exhaustion overcame them in the early hours of dawn and they slept,
nestled in the comforting embrace of each other’s arms, the quilt dragged over
their sweat-soaked bodies to keep them warm.
~*~*~*~*~
They spent the next day together, wandering the trails around their
cottages…just generally enjoying each other’s company.
They talked, nothing serious. Just
random bits about themselves that seemed to placate the other.
The two had secrets that were buried deep, both afraid to open up and
reveal that personal side to the other. This
thing that was growing…it couldn’t last.
They were just passing through, a seemly diversion, or so they keep
telling themselves. Even as the two
secretly wished for more.
Around lunchtime, Buffy and William made their way to Jake’s pub.
She’d come to really like the older man, finding his zest for life and
his innate sense of humor refreshing and open.
She’d lacked a positive male role model in her life and she silently
wondered what would have become of her life if she had had someone like Jake in
her formative years.
After they’d eaten, William slipped from the barstool, taking Buffy’s
hand in his as they left the pub. They were trying to stay away from the cottage – otherwise
they’d end up in bed – and he pulled her off towards another path,
surprising her with the horses that were saddled and waiting for them at the
stables.
Traveling by horseback was a lot of fun, even if she wasn’t that
experienced a rider. William kept
the pace slow, the two horses sedately walking side-by-side as the two surveyed
their surroundings. Buffy had left
her camera at home; she’d taken plenty of pictures this morning and she
didn’t want to have to worry about the bulky camera getting damaged. About an
hour into their ride, he turned them around, making a circuitous path back to
the stables.
Buffy was amazed by the countryside she saw as the horses plodded along in
their slow gait. Again she told
herself that she was going to have to come back here with her daughter.
It was so peaceful and beautiful, and the townsfolk were friendly.
It was just the type of place she wanted to raise her little girl – a
nice, small, quaint village where everyone knew each other.
‘Maybe someday,’ she thought.
‘Once I’ve got my degree and my license to practice.
Maybe then I could find a place like this to raise Dawnie.’
~*~*~*~*~
They wound up at Jake’s for dinner, the two laughing over the meal as he
regaled them with numerous stories about his youth.
Buffy was laughing so hard at one point, tears were rolling down her
face. It felt good to laugh, good
to find herself actually having fun for once.
Because it was going to come to an end…and soon.
Soon she’d be back in Sunnydale. Away
from William. Away from this idyllic place that she’d come to love in
such a brief amount of time.
Alone once more.
As if sensing her mood, William leaned over and lightly squeezed her knee.
“Ready to get out of here, pet?”
She just nodded, suddenly overcome by emotion.
Right now she just wanted to be held.
They quickly said their goodbyes to Jake and stood.
With her body tucked protectively against his side, William led her from
the pub and back to her cottage.
‘Two more days. What am I
going to do when it’s over?’
For once her conscience was quiet.
~*~*~*~*~
As dawn broke on Friday morning, a feeling of dread entered Buffy’s body.
She quickly tamped down the negative feelings threatening to take over. She was a grownup; she could handle this…it was just a
thing, a holiday romance that would end as soon as one of them left.
If she told that to herself often enough, she might actually believe it.
Refusing to give in to the feelings of despair threatening to overwhelm her,
she slid out from between the protective cocoon of William’s arms and padded
silently to the bathroom. She was
determined to enjoy herself on her last day here…she had to leave early in the
morning to catch a taxi back to the airport, so she wanted to make the day
memorable.
Once she was home, well then she could cry.
Closing the door to the bathroom, she caught her reflection in the mirror as
she bent to cut on the water to the shower.
Her eyes seemed unusually bright, as if they were trying valiantly to
contain the emotions that threatened to spill over at the slightest provocation.
She smiled and watched as it held for a moment before wavering slightly.
The door slid silently on its rollers, and Buffy stepped inside, walking
forward to let the heated spray wash over her head and body.
“Ohhh…god, that feels good,” she groaned softly.
Her eyes closed and shetilted her head back, allowing the water to slide down
over her face, her breasts, her stomach…
She popped open one eye when she heard the shower door slide open.
William, his hair rumpled from sleep, slipped inside and shut the door.
Her eyes traveled over his nude body…the twinkle in his blue eyes that
promised her new delights, the chiseled cheekbones, the hard pecs and even
harder nipples, his six-pack abs outlined to perfection, the dark hair that
surrounded his jutting cock.
Licking her lips in anticipation, she started forward, stepping out of the
spray like some fairy come to life. She
sank to her knees before him, enabling his chest to be sprayed with the heated
water. One hand closed around his
cock, bringing it towards her mouth, even as the other moved to cup his balls.
William’s eyes widened as she dropped to her knees in the shower.
Then, his hands reached out frantically for support when she engulfed him
in her mouth. His breath left him
in a whoosh, biting back a groan as his head fell back.
The muscles in his neck grew taut and he attempted to keep from coming in
her mouth – his enjoyment over before it had a chance to even start.
With one hand braced against the wall for support, William
slid the other into her wet, blonde locks, gently urging her on as she sucked
him.
“God, Buffy…”
Sensing his pleasure building she increased the pace,
relaxing the muscles in her throat so that she could take him all the way in.
In and out, the steady rhythm repeated itself, until he thought he would
die from the sheer pleasure of her mouth on his cock.
“Buffy…stop…gonna cum…”
She paid him no mind, increasing her pace, until he had to
pull himself out of her hot, moist mouth. She
looked up at him, confused.
“I want to be inside you…” he practically growled
and pulled her roughly to her feet, shoving her back up against the wall.
“Wrap your legs around me, luv.”
She eagerly complied, the water cascading over their bodies
providing an erotic backdrop that drove her crazy with need.
Then, he was sliding home and she forgot to breathe.
William knew he wasn’t going to last long – her
delectable little mouth had seen to that. Just
thinking about her lips around his cock nearly made him explode right then.
He stilled inside her for a moment, attempting to cool his raging lust
for a moment.
He heard her whimper and soothed her with a kiss.
Slowly, he began to move within her once more.
She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, grounding down on his cock
as he surged deep within her core.
“God, William…feels so good…never knew…aaahhh…God…yes…more…”
she urged.
He increased the speed of his thrusts, driving them ever
closer to release. Then she was
shuddering around him, the inner walls of her pussy massaging his cock,
drenching it with her juices. William
pumped into her a few more times, unwilling for the moment to end.
But he, too, caved to his body’s demands, shouting her name as he came.
His body supported hers while they leaned against the wall,
both trying to calm their racing hearts and erratic breathing.
The shower water was starting to get cold so William reluctantly pulled
out of her, and grabbed the shower gel, quickly scrubbing
her body and urging her towards the spray.
He did the same to his own body, wincing slightly when the cooling water
rushed over his overheated frame.
When all the suds had rinsed cleaned, he turned off
the taps and opened the shower door to reach for a towel.
Both wrapped in towels, William led her back out to the
bedroom.
~*~*~*~*~
Buffy gazed at the rumpled bed and bit her lip to keep from
crying. She felt William’s arms
slip around her, pulling her back against his hard chest, his chin coming to
rest on top of her head.
“Do you want to go out?” he asked quietly.
She shook her head no; she’d rather spend her last day
inside…storing up the memories of the feel of his body against hers.
Something, anything, that would see her through once she was back home.
Turning in his arms, she laid her head against his chest,
inhaling the scent of his skin. Attempting
to memorize the smell that was uniquely William.
“Come on…let’s go downstairs and I’ll fix you some
breakfast…an omelet?”
“Mmmm hmmm…” she agreed, leaning away from him.
Stepping from his arms, she dropped the towel on the bed
and reached for her robe. She
slipped the silk kimono over her bare arms and belted it at her waist.
Glancing behind her, she noticed that William’s eyes had darkened.
Her eyes drifted lower and saw that the towel that was wrapped around his
middle did little to hide his growing erection.
He advanced on her, his intent clear.
She backed away, holding her arms out in front of her.
“Ah ah ah…food first.”
His rakish grin told her food was coming second.
Screeching, she dashed towards the stairs, racing down the
steps in an attempt to avoid his clutches.
She giggled as she heard him start after her, not thinking that she’d
run. Her impromptu run turned into
a game of hide and seek. Covering
her mouth to keep from laughing outright, she tiptoed through the cottage,
staying one step ahead of him.
She heard him milling about in the kitchen and moved from her hiding spot to race back upstairs. Her bare feet didn’t make a sound as she half-walked, half jogged through the family room. She slipped upstairs, grateful the steps didn’t creak and settled herself on the bed to wait for his return.
Food would come second after all…
~*~*~*~*~
The ringing jarred them from their afternoon nap.
Muttering in his sleep, William rolled over and ignored the sound that
intruded on his sleep. Finally, the noise went silent, and he shifted in the bed to
pull Buffy close as he started to drift back in to slumber.
The second time the phone rang, he sat upright, his eyes
scanning the room for the offending noise.
Cell phone.
In his pants pocket.
Cursing because only a few people had this particular
number, he crawled out of bed and reached for his pants.
Digging into his pocket, he pulled the sleek metal phone out and
answered.
“Hello,” he growled out, somewhat tersely.
“Spike, my boy, how goes things.”
Shit!
“Fine…you know I’m on bloody holiday, right?
What’s so important that you have to interrupt me?”
“Your project…it’s been financed,” the excited
voice practically shouted in his ear. “We’ve
got to get together to hammer out the details…figured we’d start shooting
after your next project wraps up, the backers are aware of the scheduling
conflict if they were to start it now, but they still want to meet with you to
discuss details. How soon can you
get to London?”
“Gimme a few hours and I’ll get a plane chartered
there. I’ll call you once I’m
in the air.”
And with that, he disconnected the call.
Bloody hell!
~*~*~*~*~
“Buffy,” he whispered in her ear, stroking her hair as
he sat beside her on the bed.
“Hmmmm…”
“Buffy, I’ve got to go, luv. Something’s come up that I can’t be put off.
But, I’ll be back later tonight…”
“Huh…” she managed to get out as his words finally
penetrated her sleep-induced fog.
“I’ve got to run up to London for the afternoon, but
I’ll be back later tonight. Promise.”
“Oh…ok.”
He heard the desolation in her voice and attempted to
reassure her. Stretching out beside
her, William pulled her close, raining kisses on her face.
Then, his lips settled on her mouth, brushing back and forth – his
tongue slipped out to stroke her lips, silently begging for entrance.
She couldn’t refuse him, doubted she ever
would be able to.
The two groaned when their tongues met, twining together as their need for
one another quickly flared between them. He
rolled her to her back, breaking their kiss so he could lavish her body with his
tongue. When her body lay writhing
beneath him, he finally relinquished his assault and eased the ache between her
legs and slid home.
Buffy wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him
close – loving him – as he pumped in and out of her slick passage.
Silent tears slipped from her closed eyes as he made love to her body one
final time. This was goodbye,
although he didn’t quite know it yet.
He was oblivious to the riotous thoughts swirling in her
head as he loved her for all he was worth.
Yet, some small part of him seemed to know, and unconsciously he marked
her as his…leaving his imprint upon her body.
It didn’t matter what he did, Buffy doubted she’d ever
let anyone close – like she’d managed to let William. He’d slip away from her, never knowing how much she had
come to love him over the past week. She’d
let him go, unwilling to burden him with her feelings. After all, she was just a holiday romance.
She managed to stop the tears before she exploded in
orgasm, his name torn from her lips as he brought her to the peak before sending
her hurdling over the edge. His cry
answered her own, the sound of her name leaving his lips the sweetest thing
she’d ever heard.
Then, he collapsed on top of her, nuzzling her neck as they
both sought equilibrium to their senses. She
rejoiced in his weight on her body, holding on tightly when he attempted to shift
off of her. He didn’t seem to
mind…enjoying the feel of her body beneath his.
Yet, duty called, and it was with a great deal of
reluctance that William slipped from the bed, rushing to throw his clothes on.
When he was dressed, he crossed back to where Buffy still lay against the
pillows. Sitting beside her, he
leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers.
Lifting his head, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I’ll be back later tonight. Ok?”
She just nodded, willing herself not to break down in front
of him. He gave her another kiss,
then stood and headed towards the stairs. With
a parting smile, he slipped down the stairs and out of her life.
Goodbye, William.
~*~*~*~*~
She didn’t know how long she lay there…staring at
nothing.
Then the tears came, and she was helpless to stop them.
She cried for what might have been.
The shuddering sobs wracked her tiny frame as she lay nude on the bed,
the scent of their lovemaking washing over her senses.
After a good, cleansing cry, Buffy climbed out of bed and threw on some
clothes.
Starting in the kitchen, she began cleaning.
Everything she used was washed and put away, so that the next person to
stay here would be greeted with a clean cottage.
She moved methodically from room to room to make sure that nothing of
hers was left behind.
When the downstairs was cleaned and all trace of her
presence was wiped away, she moved back upstairs to pack.
She laid out the clothes she would wear on her journey back to the
airport – everything else was folded and put back into her luggage.
All that remained for her to do was shower and pack away the clothes she
was currently wearing.
Stripping, she took a quick shower…not wanting to linger
as the memories from earlier came rushing back to her. She stepped from the shower and toweled off, pulling on her
clean clothes. Everything else was
packed into her suitcase.
She sat down beside the bed and glanced at the phone number
to the taxi company. A few minutes
later, she hung up the phone with a promise that someone would be out within the
hour to pick her up. Buffy stood
and made a last circuit of the room, checking to see if anything was left
behind.
All appeared to be in order, so she dragged her suitcases
downstairs to wait for the taxi. Back
upstairs, she stripped the bed and replaced the soiled linens with fresh sheets.
All the dirty linens went into the hamper that she had been told would be
taken care of by the housekeeper after she had left.
Buffy had just finished her last walk-thru of the cottage
when there was a knock at her door. For
one insane second she thought that it might be William returning early, but she
pushed that thought aside. She
opened the door to reveal a kindly old man – behind him, the taxi idled in the
drive.
“Would you like some help with your bags, miss?” he
asked politely.
“Yes, thank you. I’ll
be just a moment,” she replied.
With her suitcases gone, Buffy wandered the cottage one
final time. Sighing, she grabbed
her purse and headed for the door. She
quickly shut and locked the door, leaving the key where she had retrieved it
when she first arrived.
She settled herself in the backseat and instructed the
driver to take her to the airport.
“Wait!” she called out, the driver barely getting down
the drive.
“Yes, miss?”
“Uh…can you stop by the pub first? I want to say goodbye to Jake…er, the owner.
Is that ok?”
“Not a problem, miss.”
He pulled to a stop outside the door, and Buffy thanked him
again, telling him she’d be right back.
~*~
“Buffy!” Jake boomed out as she stepped inside the busy
pub.
“Hey, Jake,” she called out as she made her way to the
bar.
“What brings you in here?”
“I just popped in to say goodbye,” she told him.
“I’ve got a taxi outside waiting for me…but, I just wanted to say
thank you. This was the best
vacation I ever had, and…”
“You’re leaving us, then?”
She nodded, unable to get the words to slip past her lips.
She bit her lip, holding back tears – she was going to miss him.
“I’ve got to go…tell William…tell him goodbye for
me?”
Saying his name brought all the emotions she was holding at
bay to the fore; her shimmering tears spilled over onto her cheeks and she
turned and rushed from the crowded room.
“Buffy!” Jake called out, but she was already out the
door. He sighed, watching her
leave. Apparently his plans for
getting the two together hadn’t succeeded.
Poor Anne was going to be heartbroken – especially after all the
encouraging news he’d given her.
Reminding himself to give William a good talking to, he
focused on his customers lining the bar.
~*~*~*~*~
Buffy was exhausted, both physically and mentally
when she
stepped off the plane in Los Angeles. All
she wanted to do right now was hold her daughter tight.
Even though she’d surrounded herself by William’s presence this past
week, she’d not forgotten about her little girl.
She just hoped Dawnie wasn’t upset that she’d been gone for so long.
Retrieving her bags, she made her way towards the arrival
terminal. Her mom was probably
circling the drive. Her phone rang
as she stepped out off the doors and was blasted with hot air.
“Hello?”
“Buffy? It’s
mom. Are you here yet?”
“Yep…I just walked out the door.”
“Oh good, I’m just circling around now.
Where are you?”
“I’m standing by the taxi…wait…let me walk down a
bit to this open area. Ok…I’m
just outside entrance 3.”
“Oh…ok. I
see you.”
Buffy turned her head towards the left, looking in oncoming
traffic for her mother’s car. Spotting
her mother's Jeep, she waved and hung up her phone. Her
mom pulled over and Buffy rolled her luggage to the back and popped the hatch in
back. She hefted her bags
inside and scooted around to the passenger side door and slipped inside.
“Hi, mom!” she replied, giving her a quick hug.
Turning, she saw Dawnie sitting in the back seat in her booster seat.
“Hi, Dawnie! Were
you good for grandma?”
“Of course she was!” Joyce replied.
“Weren’t you, Dawnie?”
“Uh huh. Grandma
took me to work!”
“That’s great.”
She reached out and ran her hand down her daughter’s cheek.
“I missed you, pumpkin.”
“Missed you too, mommy.”
~*~*~*~*~
The drive back to her mom’s was accomplished rather
quickly. Jetlag was quickly
catching up with Buffy and she no sooner stepped inside her mom’s house,
lugging her suitcases behind her, than she collapsed on the couch in a heap.
A few minutes later, she was snoring softly.
Joyce looked down at her sleeping daughter and smiled.
“Come on, Dawnie. Why
don’t we go out and get us something to eat while your mommy sleeps?”
“Ok.”
Buffy was oblivious to the sounds of the two as Joyce
opened the front door, quietly locking it behind her.
~*~
Buffy slept through the night, only waking once her
daughter came in to the living room and attempted to nudge her awake.
“Just five more minutes,” she whined in her sleep.
Beside her, Dawn giggled.
Buffy lay on her stomach on the couch and opened one eye to
look at her daughter.
“Hey you,” she growled, grabbing her daughter tight and
drawing her back on the couch with her.
“Morning, mommy.”
“How’s my favorite girl?
Did you have fun with grandma this past week?”
“Uh huh. We
did all kinds of fun stuff…didn’t we grandma?”
“We sure did,” Joyce responded, coming in to the living
room. “All rested now, Buffy?”
“Yeah…jetlag so not of the good.
What time is it, anyway?”
“Seven.”
“In the morning?”
“Uh huh.”
“Da…er, wow. I
must have been tired. I didn’t
realize long distance flying could take so much out of you.”
“When are you driving back to Sunnydale?”
“I probably should head back now. That way I can get grocery shopping done, and get everything
ready for school tomorrow. I’ve
got laundry to do and all that.”
“Ok. Why
don’t you eat some breakfast first? You
kinda skipped dinner last night.”
Buffy’s stomach growled at the mention of food.
“Mmmm…breakfast. Pancakes?”
“Would you eat anything else?”
Buffy just grinned back at her mother.
~*~*~*~*~
Buffy awoke feeling tired.
The past week her back had been aching and she thought that she was
coming down with a cold…probably because of the recent weather change they had
had. Even her daughter had been
fighting off the bug that had been working its way through her class at school.
Smacking a hand over her mouth, she bolted out of bed and
just barely made it to the bathroom before emptying the contents of her stomach.
Afterwards, she wearily lifted herself to her feet and brushed her teeth.
She washed her face then looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Her normally tanned face seemed unusually pale, while dark circles seemed
to rim her eyes.
Turning away from the mirror in disgust, she flopped back
onto her bed, crawling back under the covers and pulling them over her weary
body. She soon fell back asleep,
grateful that it was still early yet and she could go back to sleep for another
hour.
Dawn came into her room about an hour later to wake her.
“Morning, mommy,” her daughter called out from the
door.
“Huh? Oh,
hey, baby…” She glanced at the clock and groaned.
It was only 6:30 a.m. “You
ready for some breakfast?”
“Uh huh.”
“Ok, go have a seat at the table and I’ll be there in a
second.”
Buffy listened as her daughter wandered off and reluctantly
pulled herself out of bed. She had
no idea how she was going to make it through classes with the way she was
feeling. Even now her stomach
seemed to rumble in protest of her rising.
She walked out to the kitchen and pulled the Eggo waffles
from the freezer. Popping two in
the toaster, she rummaged for a plate and the syrup. A few minutes later and the waffles popped up.
Buffy put them on the plate and cut them into small bites for her
daughter.
While Dawn ate, Buffy went into her
daughter’s room and pulled out some
clothes for her to wear to school. Then,
she went to her room and got dressed. Buffy was grateful that she took a shower last night, she was
so tired right now that she didn’t think she’d be able to remain standing
under the spray.
~*~*~*~*~
“Hey, Buffy, wait up!” Willow called out.
“Hey, Wills, sorry…didn’t see you.”
“Oh, Buffy! You
look horrible. Are you feeling
ok?”
“Yeah…think I’m catching a cold. You may not want to get too close to me.”
The two walked across campus towards the cafeteria.
It was lunchtime and neither of them had a class until 2 p.m.
“So, what’s up?” Buffy asked as they sat down at a
table. Having skipped breakfast,
she was suddenly ravenous.
“Oh, yeah…a few of us are getting together on Friday
night…sort of a celebration of getting through midterms.
We’re going over to the cinema cafe to watch Staying Power and grab a
bite to eat. Wanna come?”
“Sure. I
just have to make sure I can find a babysitter for Dawnie, though.”
“Ok. Hey.
Since you’re here, why don’t you see if the clinic can check you
out…maybe give you something for that cold?”
“Not a bad idea. I’ve
got time before my next class.”
~*~*~*~*~
Buffy left the clinic after giving them blood and urine
samples. The advice of the nurse
practitioner to take it easy went in one ear and out the other.
She was a nursing student, how could she take it easy?
With the woman’s words that she’d call her with the
results in a few days ringing in her ears, Buffy made her way to her last class
of the day.
The next few days passed in a haze of activity and Buffy
completely forgot about the tests she had had done in the school clinic until
Willow mentioned something during lunch.
“Ya know, I completely forgot.”
“You’re still coming tonight, right?”
“Yeah. Dawnie’s
friend Samantha is having her over for the night, so I don’t have to worry
about picking her up after the movie.”
“That’s great. We’re
going to meet at my dorm room after class then walk on over.”
“Ok. I’m
gonna go so I can stop by the clinic before class.
I’ll see you there!”
Buffy stood and left Willow at the table.
She walked through the building until she came to the clinic.
Stepping inside, she told the receptionist that she had been in a few
days ago and wanted to check on her test results.
The woman gestured to the waiting room seats, telling her that she’d
find out what was going on.
“Buffy?” the nurse practitioner called.
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you come back into my office?”
Buffy stood and followed the woman.
Stepping inside, the older woman gestured her to a seat and softly shut
the door.
“Were you able to find out the results?”
“Yes…and…I don’t know…well, that is to
say…you’re not sick, Buffy. You’re
pregnant.”
Buffy just stared at the older woman, waiting expectantly.
“I assume by your reaction that this wasn’t a planned
pregnancy.”
“I’m sorry. Did
you say pregnant?”
“Uh huh. Do
you know who the father is?”
Visions of piercing blue eyes, sharp cheekbones, and a
killer smile danced before her eyes.
William.
“I see that you do.
Do you remember your last period?”
“Ummm…sometime in August…the beginning I think.”
Pregnant. I’m
going to have a baby. William’s
baby. A part of her was overjoyed
– she’d have something of him. Another
part was scared beyond belief. She
was a single mother of a six year old and was pregnant with a second…and a
full-time student to boot. But, she
ignored all that as the elation consumed her being.
“I take it by your expression that you’re going to keep
the baby,” she gently probed.
“Oh yes! A
baby…”
“Well, I want you to schedule a checkup with your primary
care physician…if you don’t have one, the admissions desk can give you a
referral. You need to get on some
prenatal pills and start getting more rest…”
“Yes…ok.”
Her mind was still reeling.
I’m going to have William’s baby.
~*~
She didn’t know how she made it through her next class.
She was bursting at the seams and could barely concentrate.
Thinking of her mother and her reaction, Buffy hesitated.
She’d yet to really tell her mom of her time in England, about the man
she’d met…fallen in love with.
It was still too raw.
But now, now she had something of him…even if she never
saw him again. She’d have a piece
of him she could keep forever.
She glanced up and noticed the other students gathering
their things to leave. Somehow
she’d missed the last part of the professor’s lecture. It was a good thing she had the notes already.
Gathering her things, Buffy stood and made her way from the
classroom. She practically floated
to Willow’s dorm room. Nothing
could jar her from her euphoric mood.
~*~
As the four girls settled around their table and placed
their order, they discussed their classes and such. Willow had eyed her curiously when she had asked for a Sprite
instead of a beer, but didn’t say anything.
She allowed the conversation to flow around her…her mind concentrating
on those two words that had suddenly changed her life.
Their food arrived then the lights dimmed as the movie
began.
Buffy barely paid attention to the credits of the movie.
She had no idea what the story was about…only agreeing to come because
she wanted to spend time with her friends.
She’d just taken a sip of Sprite through her straw when
she saw him come alive onscreen. His
blue orbs glared down at her, causing her to spurt her drink all over Willow.
“Hey!” she cried.
“Sorry,” Buffy choked out, her eyes glued to the movie
screen.
William…her sweet William, was none other than Spike.
The famous actor, Spike.
Oh my god.
I’m pregnant with Spike’s baby.