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Chapter 16

‘Oh God, I’m gonna be sick!’ 

Buffy stood up abruptly and dashed from the theater.  With a hand over her mouth, she frantically searched for the nearest bathroom.  The thought of being ill in public was abhorrent, yet she wasn’t quite sure she’d be able to keep down the contents swirling in her stomach.   

Leaning against the wall inside the momentarily deserted bathroom, she inhaled deeply in an attempt to stave off the need to be sick.   

‘I’m such a fool.  There was no way William…scratch that…there was no way Spike would want someone like me.  Oh, he must have had a good laugh at my expense.  Poor, innocent Buffy.’ 

Not anymore.  Oh, he could laugh all he wanted, but she refused to feel bad about being pregnant.  Yes, it was going to be difficult, and yes, her life would undoubtedly change.  She could handle it – she’d done it before.  Placing her hands over her still-flat stomach, she vowed that this child would grow up knowing he…or she…was loved. 

With that resolve made, it seemed her sudden bout of nausea had fled and Buffy pushed away from the wall and quickly washed her face. 

“Buffy?  Buffy, are you in here?” Willow called out frantically.  She rounded the corner and saw her friend washing her face.  “Oh, there you are…I was worried.  Are you ok?” 

Buffy glanced at her friend in the mirror, seeing the worry evident on Willow’s face. 

“I’m fine, Wills.  Just…I guess that flu bug hasn’t worn off yet…” 

“Oh, so the clinic says you’ve got the flu?” 

The silence in the bathroom was deafening, and Buffy was half-tempted to lie.  But, Willow was her friend.  She was going to need her moral support in the months ahead and lying wasn’t a good way to start off.  Besides, she wasn’t ashamed.  True, she was a single mother twice over now, but she couldn’t find it within herself to feel guilty about it. 

“Uh…actually, Wills…I’m pregnant.  About two months now,” she told her friend, watching her reaction to her news in the mirror. 

No disgust, no abhorrence.  Only awe and wonder and excitement.  She’d done the right thing in telling her. 

“Really?” she practically squealed. 

“Uh huh.  Just found out today.  It’s going to make for some interesting classes, but I’ll manage.” 

“Oh, Buffy…that’s wonderful…wait…it is wonderful, right?” 

“Yes, Wills…it’s just about perfect.”   

It would have been perfect if the father was around and would share in her joy, but it wasn’t a perfect world. 

“That’s great, Buffy.  I can’t wait to tell Tara.  You are going to tell Tara…” 

“Yes, I’m going to tell Tara,” she replied ruefully.  “As if you wouldn’t tell her if I didn’t.” 

Willow blushed but refrained from answering.  Standing by her friend, she looped an arm in hers and pulled her back towards the exit. 

“Come on…we’ve got a movie to watch.” 

“Uh…yeah…right.” 

So, Buffy was pulled back into the theater and died a little each time those penetrating blue eyes rested on hers.   

~*~*~*~*~ 

William mentally kicked himself repeatedly while calling himself all kinds of fools.  She’d really cared about him…and what had he done?  He’d written her off as a fling.  Stupid git!  When he thought back over their week together, he berated himself even more.  Had she ever once showed him that theirs was a temporary thing?   

‘No,’ he told himself derisively, answering his inner-voice’s question.  ‘If anything, she’d tried to show me how much she’d cared.  How reluctant she’d been, how long it had been for her.’ 

And, he’d come along and mucked it right up. 

But why had she left? 

It didn’t matter, he had to see her.  He left his trailer with every intention of doing that when he smacked his forehead and groaned.  He still had another two weeks of shooting left.  Unfortunately, he was in most of those shots. 

That didn’t mean he couldn’t get his plans in motion… 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Veteran’s Day.  Whoever said that young kids got the day off from school but colleges still held classes?  With her backpack slung over one shoulder, she gripped her daughter’s hand in hers as they crossed the quad. 

“I’m sorry you have to come with me to school, Dawnie.  I tried to see if you could stay with Samantha today, but her mom was going out of town for the holiday.” 

“It’s ok, mommy.  I get to play doctor, right?” 

Buffy reached over with her free hand and ruffled her daughter’s hair. 

“Of course you get to play.  You’re going to be a good patient.” 

Her daughter grinned up at her and Buffy smiled back.  Together they hurried to Buffy’s clinical class – the only one she had scheduled for today. 

~*~ 

William tried to be as unobtrusive as possible as he made his way across campus to the Nursing Department.  Admissions had been a bust with regards to information about Buffy – something about a privacy act, but they’d pointed him towards the Nursing building. 

If he had to scope out the building all day in the hopes of finding her, he would.  Besides, it shouldn’t be too hard.  He’d done a little research and found out that Sunnydale University was the best – as far as nursing schools went – in the state and their program was pretty selective…and small. 

He was slowly walking along the path leading to the Nursing building when he caught something out of the corner of his eye.  A woman and her daughter.  They’d stopped for a moment, the mother apparently speaking to the girl.  The girl became animated – the words mommy and doctor drifting back towards him – and the mother smiled and reached over to ruffle the girl’s dark hair.  It was the smile that did it…he’d never forget the way she smiled.  Lit up her whole face, it did. 

Buffy. 

Buffy and her daughter? 

With his sunglasses firmly in place, he did his best to appear invisible as he followed the two.  Buffy seemed oblivious, and it allowed William the opportunity to watch her.  She was beautiful…even with the dark circles that seemed a permanent feature under her eyes.  Her smile made them hardly seem noticeable.   

God, he missed her, and he had to tamp down his body’s response at seeing her so carefree.   

He followed after them as they climbed the stairs and walked inside the building, waiting a moment to give them a chance to put some distance between them.  It was a good thing too, as he had to duck behind a pillar as when suddenly turned to look over her shoulder.  Wouldn’t do for her to see him just yet. 

~*~ 

Buffy was standing before her classroom door when she felt the hairs on her neck stand on end.  She looked over her shoulder, trying to determine what it could be, but saw nothing.  With a shrug of her shoulders, she went inside the room, the sounds of her classmates’ greeting and their exclamations of seeing her daughter washing over her. 

“Hi, Dr. Joneson.  This is my daughter, Dawn, I’ve been telling you about.  She’s out of class today, so she’s volunteering to be a patient.” 

“Hello there, Dawn.  It’s nice to meet you.” Turning, the dark-skinned woman quietly asked Buffy, “How are you doing?  Still having morning sickness?” 

“No, so far, so good.  Although, I didn’t really have it with Dawn either.  Just a little more tired this go round, but then, I wasn’t in school either,” she told her professor, ruefully. 

“Well, don’t overdo it.  Nursing school is hard enough by itself.  I don’t want your health to suffer because you’re trying to do too much.” 

“I won’t.  I promise.” 

“Ok.  Well, take a seat and we’ll get started with class.  Dawn, you want to stay up here with me and be my model?” 

Dawn looked at her mom, who nodded back at her, and nodded to the woman.  Buffy went and took her seat next to her lab partner, listening as Dr. Joneson started her brief lecture before the hands-on began. 

~*~ 

William tried to get another glimpse of Buffy, but the classroom doors had shut.  He had no idea how long she would be in class, but was determined to wait until she finished.  Now that he’d found her, he wasn’t going to let her slip through his fingers. 

He sat down in a chair outside her room and waited.  He replayed in his mind the scene of her with her daughter. 

She had a niblet… and a cute one at that.  Her straight brown hair framed her pixie-ish features.  The little girl was going to be a knockout when she got older.  Thoughts of Buffy round with her child swam before him…that led to thoughts of what she’d look like pregnant with his own child.  A blond-haired, green-eyed sister for the dark-haired sprite to play with. 

Thoughts of children led him to remember his time with Buffy. 

Making love in the cave, her cottage. 

Sinking his cock into her welcoming heat, limbs entwined as they came together. 

And not once had he used a condom… 

Visions of her belly swelled with his child flooded his mind once more before he pushed them away.  Surely she was on some type of birth control?  They’d never discussed it – poster children of “in the heat of the moment” being their theme. 

He’d just assumed… 

She’d never said… 

Snippets of conversation came back to him.

“I’m sorry,” she finally whispered. “I don’t… I just…I’m…”  

“Shhhhh…” he soothed. “‘S my fault. I got carried away. But, I’m not gonna hurt you, ok? You’re safe with me.” 

Then… 

“It’s been a long time for me,” she whispered out into the silence. “I’m not like this. I don’t just fall all over the first gorgeous guy I see.” 

“That saying ‘Once bitten, twice shy’? Well, that was coined just for me. What is it about you that makes me forget that?” 

He shook his head, clearing it.  Wishful thinking on his part…brought on by him seeing Buffy with her daughter. 

William grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and called Oz.  The two had struck up a friendship separate from their business partnership and he wanted to see how things were going.  They’d not been able to get together since their meeting, Oz was busy starting on William’s project and he’d been filming.  But, he’d called earlier and told him that he’d be near L.A. and wanted to get together for drinks. 

“’Lo?” 

“Hey, Oz, it’s William.  How goes it?” 

“Not bad.  You?” 

“I’m in Sunnydale taking care of a few things.  Still want to get together this weekend…say Saturday night?” 

“Sure.  Works for me.  Ok if Cordy tags along?  She’s wrapped up her thing in Ireland and should be flying in to L.A. tomorrow.” 

“Not a problem,” he replied. 

“If all goes well, I’ll be bringing someone,” William mumbled to himself. 

“What’s that?  Didn’t quite catch that,” Oz asked. 

“Errrr…nothing.  Just talking to myself.  I’ll call you when I get in to L.A. on Saturday.” 

“Ok.  Later, man.” 

William hung up and made a few more calls while he waited for Buffy’s class to let out. 

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