One Good Lay | Acting The Part by Pattyanne

Acting The Part
Parts 24-28

Written by: Pattyanne
Author's Website

Summary: AU. William St. James is an actor in a hit television show. While appearing at a fan convention, he meets Buffy and her six year old daughter, Melanie.
Disclaimer: The show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (The Series) and all of it's characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, & Fox Prod.
AN: The song William sang is indeed called 'Black Velvet Band', but I have no idea who wrote it. I searched the Internet for credits, but all it told me at every site was that it was either an Irish or Australian folk song. I learned it from hearing my father sing it, although he was perfectly sober at the time. Now, some people may say, "Boy. That was really corny having him sing her that old song."
Feedback: Feedback is always appreciated. snapkik@yahoo.com

Part twenty-four...

"Mommy?"

Buffy opened her eyes. No amount of counting or wishing was going to get her out of this one.

Both William and Angel had arrived.

At the same time.

"Mommy?"

Melanie's voice was taking on the fretful note Buffy recognized all too well. It was the tone she most often heard when the little girl was distressed about something and was close to tears.

She couldn't fall apart about this. Not now, with Melanie sitting here.

And the more she thought about it, the more she was certain that there was no earthly reason for her to fall apart. She was a grown woman, and she had absolutely no obligations to Angel anymore. She was perfectly free to go out with whomever she chose, whenever she chose to do so.

Pasting a smile on her face, she took Melanie's hand and walked her over to the door. "Nothing's wrong, baby," she said, kneeling beside her daughter and smoothing her hair. "Daddy's here to get you. Do you need to use the bathroom before you go?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Uh-huh."

Taking a deep breath, Buffy stood up and turned the doorknob. "All right, then," she said brightly, opening the door.

Her heartbeat picked up its pace considerably when she saw William. He looked wonderful; dressed mostly in black and it suited him.

Black silk trousers, with a perfectly cut button down shirt tucked into them that must have been tailored for him, it fit him so perfectly. He had a pair of expensive looking sunglasses on that hid his eyes from her scrutiny, but he was definitely looking at Angel and probably sizing him up.

Angel was returning the favor. Dressed in one of his ridiculously expensive suits that he'd never allowed Buffy to have cleaned by anyone other than an exclusive and obscure laundry service clear on the other side of town. As she watched, he began walking a bit faster, obviously trying to beat William to the front door.

But William hung back a little, not allowing Angel to make a contest out of their arrival.

Holding Melanie's hand, Buffy stepped out onto the porch. "Hi, Angel," she said, pulling the child around in front of her.

"Hey, babe," he said casually, climbing the porch steps and leaning down to brush a kiss across her cheek before she could pull away. His eyes traveled up and down her body. "You look sensational."

She ignored the compliment and heard him laugh softly before he turned his attention to Melanie.

"Hi there, kiddo," he said, his voice a touch too jovial in the manner used by a person who wasn't all that good with small children.

"Hi," she answered him, so quietly that it was almost inaudible, pushing back against Buffy's legs.

By now, William was standing on the bottom step of the porch, leaning against the railing. Buffy could tell that he was preparing to give an Emmy award winning performance that would completely disguise the truth of his opinion regarding her ex-husband.

Angel stepped back and gave William an appraising once over. "Angel Conner," he said, extending his right hand.

Buffy's cheeks turned pink. Introducing them had been her job. She was allowing herself to get flustered.

After a hesitation that anyone with eyes could see was quite deliberate, William stepped up onto the porch and shook Angel's hand. "William St. James."

Angel's head tilted slightly. "St. James," he mused. "Now, where have I heard that name before?"

"On television," Melanie supplied helpfully.

Thinking it over for an insultingly long time, making it clear that he felt William to be of such little importance that he had to search his mind high and low for recog- nition, Angel finally nodded. "Ohhhh...yeah. Now I've got it. You're on that Star Trek wanna-be show, right?"

William just smiled. "Something like that," he said, visibly dismissing Angel from his mind. He knelt down beside Melanie and smiled. "Hello, pixie. How's my best girl?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even if he'd known nothing about Angel Connor before this moment, William would have wholeheartedly disliked him.

He oozed smarmy, arrogant superiority, the kind that blared, "Hey, notice me! I only wear and drive the very best! You WISH you were half as important as I am!"

When he'd observed the way Angel had picked up speed to beat him to the porch, he'd hung back, refusing to play 'King Of The Hill' with Melanie's father.

His deliberate calm had only wavered for a moment when Angel had leaned down to kiss Buffy's cheek, whispering some kind of comment in her ear in an intimate way that William detested.

It was restored after seeing her reaction to it...the turning of her head and the way she'd pulled back from him.

William had no trouble seeing just what kind of show Angel was going to be putting on. He'd dealt with too many of the same types of phonies not to recognize one when he saw it. Lawyer or not, the man was no actor. His surface charm, which was being laid on a little too heavily to be real, was pretty much all he had.

Even though he had no intention of playing whatever game Buffy's ex was starting up, some small and childish part of him was more than a little pleased to note Melanie's reaction to her father. She was clearly going along with all this just because she felt she should.

The child's wide blue gaze lingered on her mother's face, then glanced around the yard, then stared down at her shoes. She never really made eye contact with her father at all, even when he spoke directly to her.

Hating himself just a bit for it, he decided to make a point of his own. "Hello, pixie," he said, turning his back on Angel and kneeling next to Melanie. "How's my best girl?"

Her little face bloomed as she returned his smile.

Tousling her soft curls, he stood up and met Buffy's eyes. "And," he added softly, "how's my other girl?"

To his intense delight, Buffy smiled and lifted her face. He took immediate advantage of the opportunity and dropped a kiss on her lips.

Melanie giggled.

William pulled away and looked down at her. "And just what's so funny, giggle box?" he asked, tweaking the tip of her small nose.

"You kissed Mommy," the little girl said, then tilted her head up and looked at her mother.

William looked from Melanie to Buffy, and promptly forgot all about Angel. "I did, didn't I?" he said quietly, caught up in the intense emotions rising in him, emotions he could see reflected in her eyes.

The moment was far too brief. Before he could analyze what he was seeing and sensing, Angel Connor once again made his presence known.

"So," he said, a little too loudly, "how long have you two been...seeing each other?"

Buffy answered first. "Not long."

"Ten days or so," William added.

Angel shoved his hands in the front pockets of his trousers. "Is that a fact? Where did you meet? I mean, Buffy's not exactly the type to run with the Hollywood elite. She's kind of a small town girl....aren't you, babe?"

Surprisingly, Melanie jumped into the conversation.

"We went to the convention," she announced. "And then we had dinner...and then we had ice cream....and we went to see his house...are the doggies still there?" she asked William.

"Yes, pixie, they're still there. And speaking of the conven- tion...I have something for you in my car." William held out one hand and Melanie finally pried herself away from her mother and walked back down the sidewalk with him.

Buffy didn't give Angel a chance to say anything. "I'll get my keys and you can get Melanie's booster seat out of my car. And make sure she's buckled in right."

"I will." Angel yanked his hands out of his pockets and checked his watch, a new one that Buffy had never seen him wear before. "Christ, Buffy....she's my kid, too!"

They stood there, staring at each other for a long moment, and Buffy was on the verge of pointing out the numerous occasions when he'd forgotten the very point he'd just made.

"Mommy! Lookit, Mommy!" Melanie's voice was bright with excitement as she ran back up the sidewalk, holding a large manila envelope in her hands. "Lookit! It's our pictures."

Buffy accepted the envelope from her daughter and removed the contents. "Already?" she asked, remembering the fine print at the bottom of the form she'd signed, the one warning her that the pictures probably wouldn't arrive for at least four to six weeks. "How?"

William shrugged, rejoining them on the porch. "Pulled a couple of strings."

The three glossy 8X10s taken at the convention had come out beautifully. Melanie's smile in the one she'd had taken with William was incandescent. Buffy wasn't thrilled with the one of her and William alone. She definitely looked nervous in that one.

The best was the picture of all three of them. Seeing it now reminded Buffy of the moment it was snapped, when she had looked at William instead of the camera, and had found him looking back at her.

Melanie, in between them, was glancing upwards, and it gave her the look of a small angel petitioning the Lord for a big favor.

**Which....in a way....was pretty much what she was doing** Buffy thought.

"I think," she said, smiling down at her daughter, "we should have these framed. How about you?"

"Okay...I do, too."

Angel, who was apparently getting tired of being ignored, craned his neck to see the photos. "Cute," was his only comment.

Buffy glanced at him, then looked at William for a possible reaction. He simply smiled, pretending to take Angel's terse statement at face value for Melanie's sake.

"Let me just put these inside, baby." She slipped the pictures back into the envelope and placed it on the coffee table, then grabbed her purse. "Here," she said, handing Angel her keys.

Buffy watched as he moved Melanie's booster from her car to his own. Taking a deep breath, she knelt beside her daughter. "You have fun with Daddy, okay? I have my cell phone if you need anything and he has the number."

Melanie nodded, then looked up at William. "Will you be here when I get home?"

The longing in the little girl's voice was plain to hear, and he had no intention of disappointing her. Without caring one iota as to how Angel might feel about it, he picked Melanie up and gave her a hug and kiss. "Of course I will, pixie. Cross my heart."

Melanie, who had little faith in the promises made by her biological father, believed him utterly and without question.

"Okay," she said as he set her on her feet.

By this time, Angel had returned to the porch. "All ready to go?" Melanie nodded, and he looked at Buffy. "I'll have her home in a couple hours" he said, returning her keys.

She nodded. "It's a school night," she reminded him.

"Yeah, I know. I take it you're going out, too? You should probably tell me where you're going to be, just in case."

"I have my cell with...."

"Veronique's," William interjected smoothly.

For the first time since his arrival, Angel looked slightly dumbfounded and a little envious...and Buffy knew why.

Veronique's was a highly exclusive restaurant, with a re- servation list at least six months in advance.

William had obviously pulled more than one string.

"Really?" she asked, honestly surprised.

"Of course, really." He slipped one arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Only the best for you, love."

For herself, Buffy couldn't care less about impressing Angel, but she understood William's need to show him up a bit.

She leaned down and exchanged a kiss goodbye with her daughter. "See you in a little while, okay?"

"Okay." Melanie accepted her father's outstretched hand and walked with him to his car.

After buckling her in, he closed the door and gave Buffy a brief wave.

William copied the gesture with a wide smile. "I really don't like him one bit," he said softly. "In fact, I may even hate him."

"I can see that," she replied, her own smile painted on a little too brightly.

Angel glanced at the street. "Nice car."

"Your's too," William replied in a friendly way, then under his breath again,still smiling, "Driving around in a new sixty-five thousand dollar car while the mother of your child has one that's falling apart, you selfish prick."

Buffy bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"I really...fucking...hate him."

Part twenty-five:

The waiters at Veronique's were dressed as though they were about to perform in a symphony orchestra.

After turning over his car keys to the valet, William took Buffy's hand and walked her up a purple and black carpeted path. He pulled open a large frosted glass door with a 'V' etched into it, and was greeted instantly by a hostess dressed every bit as elegantly as the waiters were.

The whole restaurant staff functioned liked a team, smoothly and effortlessly, addressing William as "Mr. St. James". They were shown to a secluded booth on the far side of the dining area, set back into the wall and surrounded on either side by large potted plants.

He ordered wine from one waiter and their food from another. A third one placed expensive crystal glasses before them. The wine arrived, and the waiter hovered anxiously waiting for William to sample it.

Buffy took a sip from her glass as the waiter disappeared. "What do you suppose they do with it if the wine doesn't get a thumbs up?"

William chuckled. "Maybe they take it back into the kitchen and polish it off themselves."

It was clear that the wait staff was accustomed to serving well recognized clientele. They made obvious and, for the most part, successful efforts to keep anyone from approaching their table in search of an autograph.

One or two fans did manage to get past the barrier, but William was unfailingly polite and pleasant, signing whatever they asked him to sign and even posing for a woman to take a photograph with her cell phone.

"Does that ever bother you?" Buffy asked, taking another sip of wine.

He grinned at her. "Actually....it doesn't. I suppose it might, somewhere down the road, but it's still fairly new for me." He shrugged. "I kind of like it, and they're the reason the show is successful in the first place. Doesn't matter how good the acting or writing is if no one's watching it."

"That's true. I never thought of it like that." She sat back in her chair as the waiter set a plate in front of her, cautioning her that it was a bit hot to the touch.

They talked while they ate, making nothing more than causal conversation. She told him what was happening at 'Melanie's Garden' and he told her more about the season finale of the show, informing her that there was going to be a hell of a cliffhanger, but refusing to divulge any further information about what it might be.

"I made reservations at the hotel," he said, wiping his mouth with a linen napkin. "I thought we could drive down on Friday evening, and that would give Melanie all day Saturday and Sunday. My secretary told me that it's impossible to "do" Disneyland in only two days. I guess they've added a lot on since the last time I was there, but I thought we'd just stick to the main park."

"Two days will be fine," Buffy said. "She's going to be in heaven."

He looked pleased, she noticed, and she couldn't help wondering if he was subconsciously trying to compete with Angel in a 'let's see who can score more points with Melanie' contest.

"I reserved a suite," he went on. "There are two bedrooms, but if you'd rather have a separate one for you and Melanie, I can arrange it."

It was a sticky situation. On one hand, she'd like nothing better than to put Melanie to bed in one room, then join William in the other, but she knew she'd be opening a Pandora's box of questions from her daughter if she did, questions there were no answers for just yet.

"I think....as long as there are two bedrooms, the one suite will be fine," she told him.

"You sure about that, love?"

No. No, she wasn't. But it was the right thing to do at this point, so she nodded and smiled. "Very sure."

He reached across the table and took her hand, raising it and placing a kiss on her palm. "It's going to be very hard sleeping in one room while you're right behind the door of another one, so close to me." Looking up at her, he winked devilishly. "Very...very...hard," he added, making his double meaning clear as to what would be the 'hardest' thing about it.

Buffy caught her breath at the feel of his lips caressing her hand. "I know," she said softly. "For me, too."

"But we have to set a good example for Melanie."

"Uh-huh," she nodded again, staring into his eyes, nearly gasping out loud when he teasingly bit the tip of her fingers. Her skin prickled with awareness, and a warm flush suffused her entire body. She picked up a glass of ice water to cool herself down, trying to decide whether it would be more effective to drink it down fast or dump it in her lap. "We definitely do."

"It wouldn't look right."

"No, it wouldn't."

"She might not understand."

"Might not."

"So...do you think we can get a little time alone together before we go?"

"You can count on it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This is a nice car."

William turned to look at her, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. "Thanks. I like it, too. It's the first thing I bought when I landed the job on 'Outpost Space."

"Really? I would have thought the house."

"Um...no. I didn't buy the house until I was sure the show would be picked up."

"You're very sensible," she said.

"Not really." He made a face. "I was so overwhelmed by having that kind of money for the first time that I wasted a ridiculous amount of it. The house and the cars were the ONLY sensible things I bought."

Buffy shifted a little in her seat, settling herself into it. "What else?" she asked.

The light turned green. "A lot of things I didn't need, although I managed to convince myself that I did," he said, neatly merging into freeway traffic.

"Well, tell me," she insisted.

"Oh....that huge home theater system that I hardly ever use. Clothes I've never worn. Hundreds of DVDs I've never watched. Two other cars that I never drove. Then, after I was done indulging MYSELF, I moved on to indulging my family and friends. I bought them expensive gifts for no reason, sent them on vacations all over the world, picked up every tab. It went on like that for a long time."

"And then you stopped yourself?"

"No, my mother stopped me. I was at my parent's house for Christmas, passing out more loot than Santa ever dreamed of, and she made me go into the kitchen with her and asked me exactly who I was trying to impress."

Buffy smiled widely. "You're kidding!"

"Oh, NO, I'm not," he insisted. My mother is a very practical, 'both feet planted firmly on the ground' type. She teaches school part time and doesn't put up with much. So, then she told me to stop being such a show off, that I had no use for four cars or a watch that cost more than her annual salary, and had I ever heard of open- ing a savings account."

"What did you do?"

"I sold two of the cars, returned the watch, and..."

"....opened a savings account," they said at the same time. "That's a great story," Buffy added.

Turning onto Revello Drive, there was no sign of Angel's car. William parked in the driveway, leaving no room for her ex to pull in behind him, proving to Buffy that even a modern and civilized man could be prone to bouts of territoriality.

He shut off the engine and released his seat belt, then did the same for her. "You know," he said, kissing the senses right out of her, "I wish I'd driven the Lexus tonight instead."

"Why's that?" she asked, kissing him back.

"The seats recline." He nuzzled her ear, biting playfully. "I could lay you down faster than you could say 'I didn't sign up for this'."

"Very funny," she said, giving his shoulder a push.

"Oh, come on," he coaxed her. "They'll be back any minute, and we haven't had any quality time all evening."

"Going out to dinner wasn't quality time?"

"That was a different kind of quality."

Between the tone of his voice, the look in his eyes, and the nearness of his body, Buffy was finding his words seriously tempting.

His lips captured hers and they kissed hungrily, moving their mouths together with demanding eagerness.

But it soon became clear that the Carrera just wasn't designed for that type of activity. Too small for any real abandon, the gear shift kept digging into Buffy's thigh.

"Why don't we just go in the house?" she suggested. "We'd be a lot more comfortable."

"Race you!"

"Hey!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He beat her to the front porch, then stood behind her while she searched for her house key. His arms wrapped around her waist, he rubbed himself against her, kissing the back of her neck and mussing her hair.

"You're distracting me," she told him.

"Good. I'm glad I have that effect on you." He pushed her hair aside and continued his attentions to her neck.

By the time she found her key, her hand was almost shaking too hard to use it.

William saw her predicament and placed his hand over hers, guiding the key straight in and then turning the doorknob.

They almost fell into the house, then William closed the door, pulling her close.

Much to her surprise, he suddenly stiffened all over, staring over her shoulder into the living room, the smile fading from his face.

"What's..." Buffy turned and followed his gaze, her eyes widening with shock. "....going on?"

Sitting on the couch was a middle aged woman Buffy had never seen before. She had a hard, not particularly friendly face, and she looked highly put out about being there.

On the opposite side of the room, as far away as it was physically possible for her to go, Melanie sat curled up in an armchair, shrinking back into it as if she were trying to sink into the very fabric of the cushions. Her face was soaked with tears, her eyes red and swollen. "Daddy....had to go," she whispered, her voice nearly inaudible and hoarse from crying.

"What? I don't under....who are YOU?" Buffy demanded, frowning, barely hearing it when the woman told her that she was a legal secretary at Wolfram and Hart, that Mr. Connor had called her at home, had asked her to.......

William said nothing. He crossed the room in three long strides and scooped Melanie up in his arms, rubbing her back as she buried her face against the side of his neck and clung to him.

He had already deduced what Buffy was just beginning to realize.

Angel had brought Melanie home, then left her here with one of the secretaries working at his firm.

A complete and utter stranger.

Part twenty-six:

Still without speaking, William carried Melanie upstairs.

Buffy heard the 'snick' of the bedroom door being closed, then heard him walk across the floor. A moment later, the sound of the rocking chair began creaking on the other side of the ceiling.

Trying with everything she had not to give in to the anger that was rising in her vitals, she concentrated on that soothing sound for a moment, rubbing her damp palms on the skirt of her dress, watching the strange woman stand and gather her things.

"Thank you for staying with Melanie," she forced out as civilly as she could. After all, it wasn't this woman's fault she'd been dragged out here to babysit a child she didn't know.

But the woman's face looked as though it rarely smiled, and this occasion was going to be no exception to that rule.

"I want you to know one thing," she said briskly, pulling on her cardigan. "I realize from the way she looked when you came in that it must appear as though I've been...unfriendly to Melanie."

"Well," Buffy began, "it's not that, Miss....?"

"Walsh. Maggie Walsh."

"Miss Walsh. Melanie is just very....well, she's not used to....."

"I'm sorry to have to tell you that all she did was cry from the moment Mr. Conner left."

That comment stabbed at Buffy's heart with a dull knife. She could picture the whole horrible scene as though it was being played out in front of her; Melanie sobbing, probably clinging to her father's sleeve and begging him not to leave, telling him she would be a good girl if he would only just stay until Mommy came home.....

She nodded, not caring a bit for Miss Walsh's abrasive demeanor but still trying to remain as polite as she could given the circumstances. "Melanie has always been a little reserved with...."

Maggie Walsh cut her off again. "If I were you, I'd look into some psychological counseling."

She was so surprised by this comment, that Buffy failed to notice the cessation of the rocking on the ceiling. "Now wait a minute. That's not really any of your business."

The woman shrugged. "Perhaps. But it might do her some good."

Had this advice been delivered by someone who knew and cared for Melanie...and handed out in a less curt manner....Buffy might have listened. Since that wasn't the case, however, it totally rubbed her the wrong way and she was developing an insane desire to backhand this sour looking woman right across the face.

"She might," Miss Walsh went on, "be a little less cowardly, or at least learn how to overcome it."

Buffy's head jerked up. "Melanie is NOT cowardly!" she bit out. "She's very shy with people she doesn't know, and having her father dump her on a total stranger like pile of dirty laundry doesn't help matters any."

The other woman just shook her head. "I don't think..."

"And since when does being a secretary qualify you to hand out advice to people on how they raise their children?" Buffy's fists clenched as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Is a degree in child psychology now required to bring coffee and answer phones?"

She knew this was hitting below the belt, but she didn't care.

The anger that was simmering inside was approach- ing a full boil, and since Angel wasn't here to take the brunt of it, this woman would have to do.

Apparently oblivious to Buffy's mounting rage, Miss Walsh shrugged. "Fine. If it makes you feel better to insult me, then do so. But you aren't doing your daughter any favors by indulging her neurosis. Children need a firm hand...and discipline."

Buffy's mind began ticking a countdown. "Is that how you raise YOUR children? With a firm hand and plenty of discipline?"

"I don't have children of my own, but I....."

"No fucking wonder!"

Buffy turned around to see William coming down the stairs. If it was possible, he looked even angrier than she did herself.

"I wouldn't get MY wedding tackle within a thousand feet of you," he added. "God help any child YOU might have, you sanctimonious, cold hearted bitch!"

Looking back at Miss Walsh, Buffy saw the woman's opinionated self assurance crack as her cheeks turned a bright shade of red, her _expression one of disbelief that she was being spoken to in such a way. "Excuse me?"

"What, you need me to repeat it?" William passed in front of her and yanked the door open. "You're a self righteous, frigid, acid tongued old hag who obviously doesn't possess ANY sort of heart, let alone a maternal one," he said. "Melanie is six bloody years old. She's shy and nervous of strangers. I hardly think that makes her a candidate for the analyst's couch, so why don't you take your half baked psycho-babble bullshit and stick it as far as it'll go!"

He was getting right up in the woman's face in a pugnacious, 'do NOT fuck with me' manner. "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out!"

Maggie Walsh backed out onto the porch, staring at him, her expression changing to one of sudden recognition. "Aren't you....?"

"Yes. Yes, I am!" William nodded, then slammed the door shut hard enough to make the living room window rattle in its frame. He turned to look at Buffy. "I want to kill him," he said quietly. "Don't bother trying to talk me out of it."

Buffy just smiled. "Can I watch?"

His irritation was beginning to subside a bit, and he returned her smile. "I don't know, love. It's bound to be a fairly gruesome death. Lots of blood...broken bones...facial features all rearranged.."

"Good," she replied. "He thinks way too much of his face anyway."

That coaxed a small chuckle from him. "Bloodthirsty little thing, aren't you? I like that in a woman." Leaning back against the door, he took a deep breath, his face turning serious. "Why did he do that to her? What could have possibly been so important?"

Nothing. "I don't know." She sighed. "It's Angel. That's usually reason enough right there. Or...maybe an emergency came up."

"No, I don't buy that," he said. "If there'd been an emergency, wouldn't Miss Iron pants have mentioned it to you?"

That was a good point. "Well....he IS a lawyer. Maybe one of his clients..."

"He's a CORPORATE lawyer, Buffy. I don't think he was called out to negotiate a merger at this time of night."

She stared at him, surprised "How did you...?" A slow smile began to curve her lips. "You've been checking up on him!"

He had the grace to flush a bit at being caught, but he didn't deny anything. "In a small way," he admitted. "I just thought it might be a good idea to size up my competition." He gave her a sidelong glance that nearly melted her heart. "You mad at me?"

Buffy was so far from being mad that it wasn't even on the map for her. Her emotional radar was on high alert, all the right whistles and bells clanging madly, all for him.

"No. And, William...?" She stepped closer and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him into a quick, hard kiss. "You HAVE no competition," she murmured. "Now lets go up and see Melanie."

His grin widened. "Me, too?"

"You, too."

Halfway up the stairs, Buffy stopped and turned to look at him. "I just remembered....Angel said he had some news to tell us. I wonder what it was?"

"Maybe he's leaving the country!" William offered cheerily.

"William," she laughed softly, pushing his shoulder.

"Going to prison for embezzling company funds?"

"I don't think so."

"Running away from home to join the circus? Oh, come on, Buffy....don't step on ALL my dreams."

Part twenty-seven:

"Angel....this is Buffy! Call me back NOW!"

She slammed the receiver down onto the phone's cradle, then threw herself onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. Fifteen minutes later, she reached for the phone again and hit redial.

"I want to talk to you about what happened with Melanie tonight. Call...me...now!"

Once again, she set the phone down noisily, but instead of laying stretched out on the bed and stewing in an angry haze, she undressed and took a quick shower. After drying off and donning her nightgown, she waited another five minutes for good measure and picked up the phone.

"I'm warning you, Angel....you call me back now or I will personally engrave your initials all the way down to the primer on that shiny new toy of yours!"

She put the phone down. Predictably, it rang twenty seconds later.

"Very funny, Buffy. Look...before you come all unglued and start bitching a blue streak, I'm sorry that I had to leave, but there WAS a reason for it."

"There's always a reason with you, Angel," she snapped. "It's always something. Melanie could never count on you for anything, but tonight?...tonight was a personal low, even for you."

"Goddamn it, Buffy....I didn't have a choice. It wasn't something I planned." He stopped and sighed. "Look, it's about what I was going to tell you tonight. My news? Remember?"

"Go on." Her voice dripped ice.

"I'm in the running for a job as head of in-house counsel for Chase International."

She was legitimately surprised. "Chase International? The finance company?"

It was difficult to exude smugness over the phone, but Angel managed it. "Damn right. But that's just ONE of the pies they have their fingers in," he said. "Banking, insurance, property management, software, even the pharmaceutical industry. They're the parent corporation of four different Fortune 500 companies."

Buffy listened to all this with mixed emotions. Although it mattered nothing to her where her ex-husband parked his briefcase every morning, this job he was angling for sounded like the kind of thing that could eat up every scrap of free time a person had. He barely ever saw Melanie as it was. If he accepted this new position, the next time his daughter might see him would most likely be at her high school graduation.

But following right on the heels of THAT troubling thought came another one....a tantalizing one.

**Who cares? Let him drift out of our lives. Melanie doesn't need him. Not anymore. Not now that she has...**

When her heart began pounding in her chest at a highly accelerated pace, she shook her head, slightly afraid to let the idea take root and flourish.

William had said nothing of permanence, nothing that hinted at the possibility of a lifetime commitment. There were too many 'what ifs' at this point, the biggest one being 'what if it just doesn't work out' ?

But he loved Melanie. There was not a bit of doubt in her mind about that, and should they go their separate ways for any reason, Buffy knew he would never push her little girl out of his life.

It was the only certainty she could cling to at the moment.

"You still there?"

Angel's voice brought her out of her contemplation of the future and back to the here and now.

"Yeah, of course." Her eyes fell upon the silver picture frame on her bedside table. It was an 8x10 of Melanie's kindergarten picture, and the only reason she was smiling so brightly was due to the fact that Buffy had been standing there when it was taken. "Since when do Fortune 500 companies conduct job interviews at this time of night?"

"It was more of a social thing," he told her. "Sort of thing you can't really get out of, you know?"

She'd heard THAT excuse before. Frequently, in fact. "It's good to know your priorities stay consistent, Angel. I swear, I would die of shock if you EVER once put Melanie's welfare before yours, so save my life and don't ever change!"

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Buffy. Why do you always have to be so..."

"You know what?" She cut him off before he could finish the sentence. "I don't care. I really don't. Work where you want...go where you please. It doesn't matter to me. But don't you ever pull a stunt like that again or I will make sure everyone knows just exactly what kind of man you REALLY are. Chase International will drop you like a hot rock before I'm through with you."

"Buffy..."

She'd had enough. "Angel, if you can't start behaving like some kind of father to your child then just get the hell out of our lives....and I'll find someone who will."

He said something in reply, but Buffy was already hanging up the phone and didn't catch it.

*********************************

"So, tell me, babe....any fall out after the evil-bitch- monster-from-hell incident?"

Buffy glanced into the back seat to see if Melanie was still asleep before she answered. The Lexus ate up the miles between Sunnydale and Anaheim as smoothly as glass, and her daughter had dropped off ten minutes into the ride.

"A little," she said quietly. "I talked to Angel and basically threatened him with damage of something VERY important to him."

"His balls?" William asked, smiling at her.

"His car."

That made him laugh a little. "That's my girl," he murmured approvingly. "Christ, that woman was annoying. I really hate people like that."

"Me, too." She looked at him. "Like what?"

"The know it all type. The ones who have an opinion about everything under the sun...even things they've never even heard of...and think THEIR opinion is the right opinion, simply BECAUSE it's their opinion." He grinned. "Got all that?"

"Got it all," she nodded. They rode in a companionable silence for a few minutes, then she asked, "Where are your dogs spending the weekend?"

He flicked the turn indicator and moved on to the exit ramp. "I took them to my parent's house last night. They love them. Their cat?" He shook his head. "Not so much."

"What kind of cat?"

"Siamese. Big blue eyes and a nasty disposition. Every time the dogs are there, she heads for the top shelf of a bookcase and spends all her time glaring at them as if she wished they'd drop dead."

It had already been dark when he'd picked them up. Now, as he drove into the bright lights of a city street teeming with neon signs, making idle conversation, Buffy discovered something she hadn't seen before.

"What's this?" she asked, playfully ruffling his short, unruly curls.

He knew what she meant. "Filming's over for a while. Time to go 'natural' and give it a rest."

His hair was a tousled mop of light brown with blond tips. She absolutely loved it. "Looks good."

"Glad you like it, sweetheart."

God, that sounded good. Another huge check in her mental 'plus' column was his fondness for using such terms of endearment...sweetheart, love, baby...they all gave her a pleasant little shiver every time he used one of them.

"Well, I like it the other way, too," she said.

He sighed. "You and everyone else. I really didn't want to have it like that, but I was just coming off a theater group production when I auditioned for the show and the 'powers that be' decided they liked it bleached."

"But surely they can't force you."

"Oh, YES they can. It's in my contract...no major changes of appearance without the consent of the producers...it applies to facial hair, visible tattoos, body piercings and..." He pointed at his head. "this."

"I like it, too," a little voice came from the back seat.

William looked into the rear view and saw Melanie rubbing her eyes, staring out the window in fascination at all the people wandering up and down the streets, going into and out of motel rooms and coffee shops, most of them loaded down with brightly colored shopping bags bearing a distinctive 'D' on the front.

"Look who's awake," he said, turning the car into the circular drive of the Disneyland Hotel. "And just in time."

"Are we here?" Melanie asked, her eyes becoming even wider.

"We're here, Pixie." William tossed his keys to a valet and took Melanie out of the car, then carried her over on to the sidewalk where all three watched a bellman pile their bags onto a brass cart.

Once inside the doors of the hotel, Melanie squirmed to be set on her feet. She took Buffy's hand and dragged her over every inch of the lobby, examining the decor and correctly naming every one of the different Disney cartoon characters on display in the wall hangings.

The heels of her red patent leather shoes clacked on the marble floors, and in one far corner of the vast lobby there was a brass band playing some vaguely recognizable ragtime tune.

Melanie bounced around, more excited than Buffy had seen her since the fateful visit to the Outpost Space convention that had changed their lives so radically. She gazed briefly in the windows of several gift shops, announcing the fact that her personal favorite was the one named after Cinderella.

As they prowled the lobby, William got them checked in with smooth efficiency, then led them to an elevator that carried them up nearly to the very top floor.

Once inside the suite he had reserved, Melanie flew across the room to stare out the window. "The castle, Mommy! I see the castle!"

Buffy gazed around the room, noting everything; the beautiful blond oak furnishings, the immense balcony and stunning view, the entertainment center with it's 32 inch screen television, cable hook up, and what looked to her like a video game set up.

The suite consisted of a large living room, with sofas and armchairs, small tables, and a bar/kitchenette off to one far side. There were two open doors that led into the bedrooms, and she could see that both of them included two double beds.

A light knock sounded at the door, and William admitted the bellman. After setting out their luggage, he took them on a quick tour of the suite... pointing out the various amen- ities...then instructed them to please call if there was anything at all they required that was not already at their fingertips.

"All right, then," William said, closing the door on the exiting bellhop, "do we unpack....or go have some dinner first?"

Melanie was back at the balcony window, her little nose pressed against the glass. "There's a pool!" she informed them, "a really very big one."

William picked up a small brochure and flipped through it. "That's the...Neverland Pool. Neverland....where've I heard that before?"

"Peter Pan lives there," Melanie said.

He snapped his fingers in a show of sudden memory. "That's it." He grinned at Buffy. "Smart little thing, isn't she?"

Buffy returned his smile, leaning against the wall next to her daughter. "She knows her Disney backwards and forwards."

"I can see that." He picked Melanie up. "So, do we unpack," he asked her, "or do we eat?"

"We eat!"

********************************

After another quick debate between ordering room service or going to one of the restaurants, Buffy took Melanie into the bathroom to supervise hand washing and hair combing, then rejoined William, who was waiting for them at the door.

He'd looked over the map of the hotel and it's grounds, he explained, and had located a restaurant on the first floor that catered to young children.

It turned out to be a lively and pleasantly noisy little place, decorated in splashy neon colors and boasting two buffets...one specializing in the sorts of foods that appealed to the younger crowd, such as chicken nuggets pressed into the shape of the 'Mickey Mouse' logo, hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, small individual pizzas, macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob, and jello.

The other buffet was designed with the adults in mind and consisted of the more standard fare that most preferred. At one end was a chef slicing huge portions of roast beef and ham upon request. There were several different kinds of pasta, elegantly prepared salads, herb roasted chicken and poached salmon, among other offerings.

But what made the restaurant truly special wasn't the food or the atmosphere. Much to Melanie's wide eyed amazement, there were several Disney charac- ters circulating the room, stopping at tables to speak to the children or pantomime...whichever their particular costume allowed for.

Her habitual shyness was practically non-existent. She had grown up with these characters from the time she was a toddler, and knew them as well as she knew her own family.

'Pluto' had her giggling when he gave her a good sniffing and then knelt at her feet, begging for a nice long scratch behind his ears and thumping one foot rapidly as she relieved his pretend itching.

A stunningly pretty girl decked out in 'Snow White' regalia stopped at their table. In a sweetly musical voice, she asked Melanie if she was enjoying her dinner and chatted with her a bit. Before she moved on to another table, she added that she hoped Melanie and her mommy and daddy would have a wonderful time in the park.

Not one of them sitting there corrected the girl's assumption that they were the most nuclear of families, each with their own reasons....

William, because he enjoyed being thought of as Melanie's father.

Buffy, because it seemed so wonderfully normal and natural.

And Melanie....because she wanted it so badly.

*************************

After dinner, they explored the grounds of the hotel for a while.

When Melanie began showing signs of a need to rest and recharge, William once again picked her up and carried her. With her arms wrapped around his neck, and her head on his shoulder, she promptly fell asleep and stayed that way until they reached their room.

Buffy helped her sleepy daughter into her pajamas, then took her into the bathroom for face washing and teeth brushing. She was tucked into bed and kissed goodnight, and when Buffy switched off the lamp, her eyes grew as round as silver dollars.

Golden sparkles and stars twinkled all along the tops of the walls, spread there by 'Tinkerbell', hovering in one corner and waving her wand.

"Wow," Buffy said, sounding suitably awe-struck. "That must be pixie dust, I guess. What do you think?"

"I think so, too."

It was a lovely effect in the darkened room, giving off just the right amount of a golden glow.

"Pixie dust for the pixie." William leaned over and stole another kiss goodnight. "For the queen of the fairies."

"That's me!" Melanie giggled.

"That's you!"

***************************

"Is she asleep?"

Buffy sighed and nodded, sitting down on the end of the couch William was stretched out on. "Like a hibernating bear. Not surprising, since she barely slept at all last night and it's an hour past her bed- time."

"What about you?"

She looked at him, shaking her head slowly. "It's nowhere near MY bedtime."

"So you're not tired, then?"

"Not really, no."

"Well...," He beckoned to her with one crooked finger. "Why don't you come here and prove it to me."

Buffy hesitated, glancing at the closed door behind which her daughter was sleeping. "I don't know."

"Please?"

"It's....no, we shouldn't."

"Yes, we should."

It was shocking how quickly this man could dismantle her defenses. "It's not a good idea," she persisted...or tried to.

"It's a VERY good idea."

"Melanie's right there....just a few yards...away."

He sat up and began to crawl slowly towards her. "Melanie...the one who sleeps like a hiber- nating bear?"

This little game they were playing was more fun than actual sex with Angel had EVER been.

She squeezed herself into the corner of the couch, pointing a scolding finger. "Back!"

He smiled. "Don't want to."

"Well, do it anyway."

"Make me."

Buffy was having a difficult time maintaining control of herself. She was just as eager for inti- macy as he seemed to be.

Contrary to their original plan, they hadn't been able to enjoy any 'alone time' together all week. Anya had been out with the flu,doubling the amount of time Buffy stayed in the shop, while William had been stuck on the set for 12 to 15 hours a day, leaving them both too exhausted to do anything other than collapse when they returned to their respective homes.

"Come on, Buffy," he murmured teasingly. "We don't have to DO anything big. Let's just...fool around a little bit."

He was practically on top of her, and she had to straight arm him to keep him off. "If we do THAT then you won't want to stop."

"Neither will you," he said softly. "I'll make sure of it."

That was precisely what she was afraid of.

She was close to caving in. He could see it, and he took advantage.

"Baby, come on," he coaxed her. "Just part your legs and let me lay between them. We don't even have to take anything off....I'll still make you come."

"You...wha...really?" She was folding faster than a house of cards....and it was all his fault. Her arms trembled and gave out, allowing him to fall forward on top of her.

"Gotcha!" he whispered, wedging her thighs apart and sinking down between them.

Yes. Yes, he did. He had her, and there was no going back at this point.

He reached up and switched the lamp off, casting the room into pitch darkness, helped by the heavily lined drapes that kept out the effect of approximately eight million lights.

His hand moved down, gliding along her right thigh, lifting it until it was bent at the knee and pressing against the back of the couch. Her left foot, she placed on the floor.

"Ahhh, that's it," he groaned, leaning down to nuzzle and bite her ear lobe. "That's my good girl."

She could feel the heat coming off of him, right through the layers of his jeans and her skirt. Her hands, who seemed to be acting on their own behalf, cupped them- selves over his rear and squeezed.

His entire body jerked, and he pushed down hard, expertly finding the right spot to apply pressure. His hips moved rhythmically down and up, grinding in a little harder.

Propping himself on one hand, he used the other one to push her blouse and bra out of his way. She ground the back of her head into the sofa cushion as he covered her breasts with hard, sucking kisses.

They were both too aroused for it to last very long, and only the fact that his mouth covered hers at the last minute kept them quiet when they climaxed together.

Panting in Buffy's tender embrace, William turned his head and nuzzled the side of her neck.

"Definitely going to need a change of pants, now," he sighed.

She could relate!

Part twenty-eight:

"Now...who's that one?"

"Eeyore!"

William smiled as Melanie squeezed his hand and bounced up and down on the balls of her feet.

"Why does he look so sad?"

"He's very gloomy," she announced knowledgeably.

Buffy stood a few feet away, rummaging in her shoulder bag for the tube of sunscreen she'd stashed there earlier, listening to Melanie patiently identifying the various Disney characters meandering around the town square, and their relationships to each other.

After slathering a goodly amount of the lotion into Melanie's delicate skin, she plopped a child sized visor cap on her daughter's head and pronounced her ready for the sunshine.

Their status as hotel guests entitled them to the special consideration of being admitted to the park a full two hours before the gates opened to the general public. They ambled slowly down Main Street, stopping whenever Melanie lingered in front of the shop windows to examine the treasures behind the glass.

Buffy was having a difficult time giving her full attention to the map of the park she carried in her hand while at the same time trying to keep an eye on William. Every time Melanie paused in front of an item in a window that caught her eye, he reached for his wallet with the full intention of buying it for her.

Anything...and everything...she might desire, from a package of colored pencils bearing the likeness of different characters, all the way up to a blown glass replica of Sleeping Beauty's Castle that was bigger than the little girl's doll house and carried a four digit price tag, was all her's for the asking as far as he was concerned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You can't buy her everything in the park."

"I won't."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was difficult stopping him. He got as much pleasure as Melanie did out of everything he gave her, but if he was indeed going to become a permanent fixture in their lives, he had to learn how to control his impulsive spending habits.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"But it's her birthday present."

"The trip to Disneyland is her birthday present. You don't need to....no, William...no....I said no and I mean it! Put it back!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They started off their day in Fantasyland.

Melanie happily rode the merry-go-round five times in a row, waving to her mother every time the horse she'd chosen made it's circular progress.

Dumbo's Flying Circus made her squeal with giddiness as the elephant shaped car swooped up and down. They sat three across through Snow White's Adventures, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Peter Pan's Flight To Neverland, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Although Buffy was leery of it, they took a stomach churning ride on the spinning teacups. Melanie shrieked with giggles, in a way her mother had never heard before, as the cup and saucer spun in increasingly rapid circles, propelled by William's strong hands.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you sure you're feeling better?"

"Yes."

"I knew those teacups were a mistake, especially so soon after breakfast. You still look awfully pale."

"I'm okay, I promise."

Buffy shook her head. "Well, I still think we should just sit down and....what? Is it coming again?...okay, there's a bathroom right over there..."

"Mommy?" Melanie looked up at her mother as William headed for the men's room. "Is he okay?"

"He will be, baby."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Storybook Land enchanted Buffy almost as much as it did Melanie The tiny houses and buildings, taken straight from the pages of fairytale books and Disney movies, were so well detailed and realistic that they almost expected to see the Three Little Pigs or Snow White come out of their cottages.

As the boat wound it's path through the twists and turns of the waterways, Melanie leaned further and further over the rail, trying to peer into tiny windows and doors, listening to the sound of familiar voices singing snippets of songs from each movie represented.

William, sitting on the opposite seat, watched her carefully, edging forward nervously every time she seemed destined to tumble into the water. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he made Buffy trade places with him and wrapped his fingers in the back straps of the child's overalls, keeping a firm grip on them.

Behind his dark glasses, he met Buffy's amused gaze and shrugged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy scowled. "I'm NOT wearing that."

"Oh, come on....it'll look cute."

"Then YOU wear it."

"Buffy..."

"No! You may have bought it, but you can't force me to wear it. It's ridiculous for a grown woman to wear mouse ears."

"Look..I had them stitch your name on it and everything. "

"Don't care. Not listening." She turned around and found herself facing a determined looking child peeking up at her from beneath her own 'mouse ears'. They exchanged looks for a moment, then Buffy sighed and turned back to William, snatching the hat out of his hands. "I'll get you for this," she muttered, slapping the ears on.

"Promises, promises," he said softly, handing his credit card to the sales clerk.

On their way out of the shop, he leaned down to whisper, "Maybe you could wear those the next time we...."

Buffy looked at him as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "If there IS a next time."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Surprisingly to Buffy, William's presence in the park hadn't drawn much attention.

His sunglasses, and the two toned and tousled curls he was now sporting seemed enough to throw all but the most observant eyes off any track....until they stepped into Tomorrowland.

The futuristically themed section of the park was filled with people who knew all there was to know about anything sci-fi oriented, and they had no trouble spotting one of the genre's newest rising stars.

William, good natured as always, spent some time signing autographs and posed for several pictures while Buffy and Melanie browsed around the gift shops and the arcade. They played two games of air hockey and fed a small fortune in quarters into the different video games and pinball machines.

When William rejoined them, they sat at a small table with an umbrella awning over it and had lunch. After they finished, William bought Melanie a box of popcorn and he and Buffy watched her as she walked around tossing kernels to the tiny sparrows that hopped around the ground practically at her feet.

"You having fun, love?"

Buffy smiled as he pulled her chair closer to his. "I'm having more fun than I can ever remember having here before. I mean...I've been here plenty of times, but..."

"Yeah," William nodded. "I know...me, too. And it's dif- ferent, seeing it all over again through a child's eyes. Like it's all brand new."

"Exactly." She leaned over and returned the light kiss he placed on her lips.

When she began to pull away, he slipped one hand around the back of her neck and prevented it. Nuzzling her ear, he spoke quietly. "Can I ask you something kind of personal?"

"Of course you can. What?" she added when he hesitated.

"Well...it's this...have you ever thought...that you wanted to have more children?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The question, spoken so quietly, made Buffy's skin prickle with goosebumps.

Truth was, she had always wanted to have at least three children. Having grown up as an only child, she knew better than most that it could be a lonely life. She hadn't lacked for friends, but at the end of the day, when families withdrew into the private cocoons of their own homes, she'd always felt a bit left out.

After meeting and marrying Angel, in their first flush of love and happiness, they had talked many times about raising a big family full of kids. It wasn't until she was locked into her commitment that she began to see the other side of THAT coin, the side that wanted no part of it until HE felt they were ready.

Even though she was only twenty-eight, Buffy knew that women had just so much window of opportunity when it came to reproduction. She didn't have a limitless supply of eggs in her ovaries.

Her biological clock wasn't exactly ringing its alarm, but it WAS ticking.

Sitting here now next to William, hearing him ask her that question, it suddenly began sounding off like a police siren, matching the loud boom-boom-boom of her rapidly beating heart.

"You're really thinking that question over, aren't you?" he asked, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Well...no. I mean, yes."

"No, you mean yes?" he chuckled. "Once more with clarity?"

Buffy's cheeks turned pink. "I meant that I wasn't...that I just..." She sighed at her own tripping tongue, deciding to just cut to the chase. "Yes...I want to have more children someday." She took a deep breath. "I've always wanted to have a big family."

"A house full of kids?"

"Yes."

"Me, too."

She felt that same delectable chill creep up and down her spine. Turning to face him, she opened her mouth to speak....

"Mommy! Can we go see Small World now?" Melanie skipped back to them and grabbed her mother's hand, pulling on it. "Can we?"

"Um...yes. Sure we can, baby." Flustered, Buffy turned her attention back to her daughter. Rising to her feet, she firmly controlled the urge to let her knees quiver and began gathering up the remnants of their meal.

"And the boats, Mommy?" Melanie asked. "And can we ride on the train?"

Stuffing the trash in the can, Buffy nodded. "Yes, we can ride on the train."

CONTINUED...

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