One Good Lay | Acting The Part by Pattyanne

Acting The Part
Parts 29-31

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-nine:

Overruled by Melanie's desire to cover every inch of the park, the subject of future offspring got lost in the pace she set.

Buffy's normally quiet and clingy daughter had shaken off her usual demeanor and was displaying behavior her mother had rarely, if ever, witnessed. Every time something new caught the child's eye, she dashed off to inspect it without much more than an excited gasp, prompting William to hurry after her to keep her from disappearing into the crowd.

Knowing that she should scold Melanie for this, Buffy just couldn't make herself do it. The little girl was having too good a time and her sunny disposition was too contagious.

It wasn't until she nearly stepped into the path of a horse that was slowly meandering down Main Street, pulling a trolley car loaded with tourists, that William intervened. Without saying a word, he simply scooped Melanie up and deposited her on his shoulders.

Thrilled with this new perspective on things, she didn't protest. She merely directed him around the park, telling him exactly where she wanted to go next.

William, who had apparently signed up as her willing slave for the day, did everything she requested of him.

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

"Can we go on Small World again, Mommy?"

"Again? Melanie...that's what?...five times now?"

The child nodded, her golden brown curls bobbing beneath her hat as she bounced up and down. "Please?"

William, holding her legs to keep her from bouncing right off his shoulders, laughed. "Settle down, Pixie. We'll get there."

Buffy sighed and stared longingly at a shade covered park bench. "Besides, it's clear on the other side of the park."

"It's okay, Mommy," Melanie piped. "I'm not tired."

Buffy folded her arms across her chest and raised her brows, eyeing her daughter. "Well, I wonder why?" she asked, softening the question by reaching up and giving the visor of the child's hat a tug, then tickling her side.

Melanie giggled, pushing her hat back up. "Small World," she reminded them.

William chuckled and reached for Buffy's hand. "Come on, love. We can take the train across the park."

"The train!" Melanie echoed, bouncing again. "We can see the dinosaurs again! I want to see the babies in their eggs."

Giving in, Buffy squeezed William's hand as they walked. "They were cute, weren't they?"

"And the ones who was fighting, too! They were all bleeding!"

"Melanie!"

"What?"

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

After two more trips through Small World, Buffy convinced Melanie that it was a good time to take a break. They located a table in the outdoor patio of an 1890s style ice cream shop, and Buffy cleaned Melanie's hands with a wet wipe while William went inside the store and returned with a massive hot fudge sundae and three spoons.

Five minutes into the dessert, Melanie climbed down from her chair and headed for the other side of the patio to listen to music provided by a Dixieland Band wearing candy striped vests, jackets, and bow ties.

"How," William asked, scooping up a spoonful of ice cream and fudge and offering it to Buffy, "can something so small have so much energy stored inside of it?"

She swallowed the ice cream, smiling, enjoying this little intimacy more than she could say. "Have you ever seen how small a battery is?"

He grinned back at her. "Or a stick of dynamite?"

"Or a hamster on a wheel?"

Laughter bubbled out of her. "That's a good one. She loves hamsters...she....no, you can't buy her one!"

"I didn't say a word about buying her a hamster," he protested, licking the spoon free of hot fudge. "Not one word."

Briefly distracted, Buffy watched his tongue work on the shiny silver. "That's...that's good."

"I'm going to buy her a kitten," he added, looking up and giving her a charming smile.

"William!"

"What? You said she could have one, remember?"

"Yes...when she's a little older," she reminded him.

"Buffy...relax," he said with a shrug, digging the spoon back into the dish. "I didn't say I was going to buy it for her tomorrow."

She gave him a skeptical look. "Yeah, but I'm beginning to recognize that gleam in your eye."

The nature of his smile changed in a heartbeat. "Are you now? What about....this one?" He extended the ice cream filled spoon to her. "Open up for me."

Buffy bit her lower lip, letting her eyes cut over to where Melanie was sitting and listening to a jazzed up version of 'When You Wish Upon A Star'. She looked back at William, leaned forward, and parted her lips.

He fed her the ice cream, his grin widening as she purposely allowed the spoon to glide slowly back out of her mouth. "Good?" His voice was a little husky.

"Mm-hmm," she nodded, "Very good."

He reached over and used his index finger to clean up a tiny smear of escaped hot fudge from the side of her mouth, then licked it off. "You're right. It's good."

Her cheeks warmed. "Told you so."

"Mm...remind to keep some of this on hand."

Emboldened by the heat in his gaze, Buffy lifted her chin and shook her hair back. "I....I think I have some in my kitchen."

Delighted, he leaned over and slipped one hand behind her neck. "Is that a fact?" he murmured, drawing her forward to kiss her.

She was more than ready to be kissed, and she opened her mouth to accept his tongue, making a soft sound in the back of her throat.....

"Mommy...I need to go potty!"

.....then jerked away, landing back hard on the seat of her chair. Disoriented, she turned her head to see Melanie standing next to the table, bouncing slightly up and down, one hand heading for the crotch of her overalls to try and squeeze back the "accident" that was obviously beginning to build.

Smoothing her hair down, Buffy got unsteadily to her feet. "Be right back," she said to William as she took Melanie's hand and headed for the nearest ladies room.

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

"Mommy?"

Buffy rummaged in her tote bag, searching for a hair brush while Melanie shook her hands beneath the air dryer. "What, baby?"

"When will you be married?"

Startled, Buffy stopped her search and stared at her daughter open-mouthed. She knew perfectly well why the child was asking such a question, but she had no easily explainable answer so she stalled. "Melanie...why would you think I'm getting married?"

"Because there was kissing," the little girl said reasonably, a child raised on bedtime stories of the 'true love's kiss= happily ever after' variety.

Buffy could hardly deny it. "Well....well, yes. I guess there was....but that doesn't mean that I'm getting married."

"How come?" Melanie asked, her smooth brow furrowing.

Taking a deep breath, Buffy turned her daughter around and began brushing her hair, grateful they were alone in the ladies room. "Honey, sometimes when two people... two grown ups.... well, when they like each other...and they... they want to.... to show each other.... how they feel..." she stammered, feeling like a moron at the moment, "....it's not.... I mean....."

"There's kissing?" Melanie ventured, meeting her mother's eyes in the mirror.

Helplessly, unable to come up with anything else, Buffy shrugged and nodded. "Uh-huh. Yes...but..."

Melanie was silent, waiting for her mother to continue.

"....but that doesn't mean that...that anyone is getting married around here."

"Oh. But maybe you will."

Maybe......

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

By the time they had dealt with Melanie's situation and returned to the their table, the remainder of the ice cream had melted and William had deposited the garbage in the receptacle. He stood up when they approached, fitting Melanie's hat back on her head.

"What can we do now?" she asked him.

"Well....I was thinking about showing you some place that I always liked when I was just about your age." He held out one hand for her, smiling down at her when she nestled her small palm within his. "What do you think?"

"I think it's okay," she replied agreeably. "What is it?"

"It's a surprise." He looked at Buffy. "Walk or ride?"

"I'm completely rested up and ready to walk," she reported.

Melanie smiled sunnily up at them and took her mother's free hand, linking the three of them together. "Me, too!"

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

"This is wonderful!" Buffy followed Melanie along a dirt path towards a climbing fort constructed of smooth 'un-splintery' wood. "I've never been on this little island before, just seen it from the other side."

William grinned, watching Melanie clamber up a ladder to the the upper tier of the fort in the middle of Tom Sawyer's Island. "You know what one of the best parts is?"

"No, what?"

He turned her around and pushed her up against the wall. "Lots of little hiding places where I can kiss you senseless."

She felt an instant jolt of pure want. "Melanie....." she whispered, glancing over her shoulder.

"I can see her," he said, an instant before his mouth captured hers in a long and intense kiss. When they finally came up for air, he leaned closer and spoke directly into her ear. "Buffy....I want you more than I've ever wanted you before...and you KNOW how much THAT is. I swear... if I can't have you soon then I'll....."

"Shhh." She placed one finger against his lips. "Tonight....after Melanie goes to sleep..."

His eyes widened and he grabbed her hand, placing a hard kiss in the middle of her palm. "Really?"

Buffy nodded. "Really."

Part Thirty:

Unaware of the plans being made between William and her mother, Melanie was, unwittingly, highly uncooperative once they'd returned to their hotel suite.

Slightly amped up on more sugar than Buffy ever normally allowed, she had no interest in being put to bed once she'd been bathed and dressed in clean pajamas. The instant her hair was dry, she ran back into the main room and climbed up on the sofa, settling in next to William with a new story book in her hand and a look on her face that he had no chance at all of resisting.

Buffy sat on William's other side, listening with her own particular interest to the rise and fall of his voice as he read. The fact that he was a trained actor made him uniquely qualified at the job, and he employed every bit of his dramatic, comedic, and vocal range to make 'Alice In Wonderland' sound brand new to an audience that had heard it many times before.

When the story came to its inevitable conclusion, Buffy looked over at her daughter. "Melanie?" she prompted, "aren't you getting tired?"

"No," the child answered instantly, shaking her head.

Buffy and William exchanged a helpless look. "You sure, Pixie?" he asked. "S'been a long day for you."

Sweetly oblivious, the little girl smiled and climbed down from the couch, heading straight for a pile of shopping bags. She dug around in one, extracting a board game, a 'Disney-ized' version of 'Monopoly' created for very young children.

Buffy groaned inwardly. If this game took as long as Monopoly usually did, it could be a long time before she and William were alone together. Clearly, something had to be done, and as Melanie's mother it fell to her to do it.

Rising to her feet, she watched Melanie settle down on the floor and tear the protective plastic off the game box. "Um...Melanie?" The child looked at her. "What are you doing?"

"Playing my game."

"Now?"

"Uh-huh." Melanie smiled charmingly at the adults. "Play with me?"

Technically, it was a good half an hour before her normal bedtime. Buffy knew she could push it and insist, but she didn't want to risk spoiling the mood of the evening with an argument. She looked at William, who shrugged very slightly as he joined Melanie on the floor.

Smiling a bit ruefully, he held out one hand to Buffy. "Come on down here."

With a sigh that started somewhere in the soles of her feet, she complied.

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

Buffy threw the game in less than twenty minutes. After wishing the two remaining players luck, she excused herself and went to take a shower.

Looking back over her shoulder, she caught a look of yearning on William's face that made her heart go soft.

That same heart nearly seized up on her when the look changed to one of promise, ripe with sensual intent. The blue of his eyes darkened and the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. Buffy's knees actually quivered when his tongue crept out and passed slowly over his upper lip as if savoring some lingering sweetness deposited there by......

Wiping away a sudden sheen of moisture on her forehead, she hurried into the bathroom and closed the door.

She stripped off all her clothes and stepped into the shower, adjusting the spray to a soothing pulse and standing under the hot water to let it soak her thoroughly.

Her skin felt unusually sensitive, seeming to come alive under the touch of her fingers as she spread a generous amount of body wash over it. It had to be the anticipation, she decided, the knowledge of what was going to be happening to her soon....who was going to be touching her.

Buffy rinsed the soap off, watching it swirl down the drain. She washed and conditioned her hair, then shaved her legs and underarms, finishing up with a smear of in-shower moisturizing lotion.

The towels provided by the hotel were large and plush, and she wrapped one all the way around her, tucking the ends in over her breasts. She used a second towel to clean a spot on the mirror, then dried her hair, leaving it loose around her shoulders.

After applying a little moisturizer to her face, she re- did her eyes. Her curling iron gave her hair volume and bounce, making it look a little wild as it framed her face.

Satisfied with the results, she went into the bedroom and slipped on her short pink, silk nightshirt, covering it with the matching robe.

She glanced at the bedside clock....plenty of time had passed for the game to be over. Thinking how nice it would be for the two of them to put Melanie to bed and have some alone time, she opened the bedroom door and smiled at William.

Her smile changed to an entirely new expression when she saw that he and Melanie were still sitting on the floor, facing off over the game board, apparently deep in negotiations for another round.

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

"Come on now, Pixie...it's getting late."

"What time is it?"

William checked his watch for her benefit. "Seven forty-two."

"Is that before eight o'clock?" Melanie asked.

He sighed. "Yes."

She shrugged, reaching for her game piece. "Then it's not bedtime."

"I know that, Princess," he replied reasonably, "but you had a busy day, remember? Up early and all that."

"I'm not tired."

"Pixie..."

"But I'm not."

He looked down at her, unable to resist her when she smiled at him the way she was doing. What could one more game hurt? He could make it a quick one and then.....

Glancing up over Melanie's shoulder, he saw Buffy standing in the bedroom doorway and his breath caught in his chest!

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

As frustrating as it all was, Buffy was nearly laughing at the scenario being played out in the living room.

Listening as William tried to reason with Melanie, she couldn't help thinking how ironic their situation was turning out to be.

Melanie, after all, wanted them to be together more than anything...more than any toy you could buy her, more than any treat you could devise, more than her next bowl of Lucky Charms....and yet she was the one who was inadvertently keeping them apart at the moment.

If she only knew, could only read between these particular lines, Buffy was certain she'd be in bed and asleep faster than greased lightning. Anything to further the cause!

But as funny as their predicament was, the amusement factor began to fade when she noticed that William was dangerously close to caving in to the child's demands for further entertainment.

She had to put a stop to this before Melanie became overly tired and was impossible to put down for the night. Untying the sash of her robe, she let the sides slip apart and opened the bedroom door all the way, waiting for him to look up.

"I'm not tired," Melanie said.

"Pixie..."

"But I'm not!"

Buffy saw William's gaze soften, then he finally looked up and saw her. Tilting her head slightly to one side, she arched an eyebrow, her meaning crystal clear. His eyes widened for a moment, then focused again on Melanie.

"Time for bed," he announced firmly, the resolve in his tone rivaling any long time parent's. "No arguments, now. You've had a long day and little girls need their rest."

He didn't give the child a chance to object. He simply stood up, took her under the arms and picked her up, then carried her into the bedroom and slipped her between the covers.

Buffy watched as they exchanged goodnight kisses and hugs. Waiting until he left the room, she re-tied her robe and sat down on the bed next to her daughter. "Ready for sweet dreams?"

"Yes." Melanie rubbed her eyes with her small fists. "I wanted to play some more, but William said no."

"And he was right," Buffy said, brushing Melanie's curls back. "It would have been way past your bedtime when you finished. Now I want you to go right to sleep, okay?"

"Okay." The little girl yawned. "Goodnight, Mommy."

"Night, baby." She leaned over and kissed a forehead, two soft cheeks, and the tip of a small nose. "Sweet dreams, love."

Sitting back, she began to count. Melanie was asleep before she got halfway to twenty.

Rising slowly to her feet, she left the room, closing the door behind her. William was standing by the desk when she returned to the living room, replacing the phone on its cradle. "I'm all yours," she said softly.

He turned to her, smiling. "Come here, then."

She walked towards him, surprised when he indicated she should stop. "What?"

"Open your robe again," he requested, his voice husky and his eyes gleaming.

She did as he'd asked. "Who were you calling?"

"Room service." He moved close to her, his eyes focused on her mouth with an intensity that made her heart beat faster. His hands moved into her hair and he tipped her head back a little. "I'm going to ply you with fine champagne and then seduce the hell out of you."

She laughed softly. "Well, I appreciate the thought, but you don't exactly need to get me drunk. I'm eminently seduceable at the moment."

"Yeah? Still...I want to do it. I want to pamper you with all the best things in life, treat you the way you deserve," he said, and lowered his lips slowly to hers.

Buffy wasn't sure whether it was the adrenaline from the day's excitement still coursing through her blood, the stimulation of the shower, or the things he was saying to her, but whatever it was caused the pent up desire to explode inside of her.

Her mouth opened with a soft sigh, and she met his hungry kiss with feverish need, moaning softly in her throat when he pushed his tongue in demandingly.

Buffy wound her arms around his neck, seeking the solid warmth of his body against hers as she returned his kisses.

He had slipped one hand under her robe, pressing it against the small of her back, when the doorbell chimed. Breaking away with an apologetic look, he went to answer it.

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

William signed the check and tipped the bellman, then deftly opened the bottle of champagne and poured two glasses. "Let's sit down," he said, nodding towards the love seat positioned in front of the windows.

Buffy joined him, accepting one of the glasses and sipping from it. "Mmmm."

He grinned. "Good?"

"Mm-hmmm.....better than good."

"Glad you like it." He drained his glass. "Oh, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Oh?" she asked, taking another large sip from her glass......

"Yeah....I think I'm falling in love with you."

.....and nearly spitting it all over him!

"W-whattt?" she coughed, wiping her chin.

He chuckled. "Oh, come on...you can't be all that surprised."

Buffy cleared her throat and said the first thing that came to mind, "What do you mean you THINK?" and then turned scarlet.

Apparently delighted at this response, he laughed again, grabbing her when she tried to leave the love seat. "Come back here," he said, taking the champagne glasses and setting them on the coffee table.

Embarrassed beyond anything she'd felt before, she still struggled against his restraining hands. "William, please... don't....I'm...that was so stupid, such an awful thing to say....."

"Buffy." He held onto her, keeping her firmly in place. "Sit still...stop trying to squirm away...I....thank you. Now, it was NOT awful and it was NOT stupid. It was an honest response. There's nothing wrong with that."

With her cheeks still redder than barn paint, Buffy tried to explain. "It was just....you sounded so....so...I mean, I wasn't expecting...that."

"Really?" he asked, his grin widening.

She gave him an exasperated look. "Yes, really! Why did you say it like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like...'oh, by the way...I think I'm falling in love with you'....so...so casually. As if you were saying 'oh, by the way, your slip is showing'."

He was having difficulty controlling his mirth. "So...should I have dropped to one knee and placed my hand over my heart, then?"

"What? No! That's not...."

"Because I will."

"Please, don't!"

"What...you don't like romantic gestures?"

He was having far too much fun with this, she decided. "Of course I do."

"Then let me....."

She grabbed his shirt before he could slide off the love seat onto his knees. "Just kiss me. That's all the gesture I need right now." She would think about the 'falling in love with you' remark later, when she could process it properly.

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

Without a word spoken about it, they went hand in hand to check on Melanie. Finding her so sound asleep that she was emitting a soft snoring sound from her tiny nose, they went into his room and closed the door behind them.

William went into the bathroom for a five minute shower, trying to keep his erection under control without resorting to ice cold water, but it seemed to have a mind of its own and stubbornly refused to subside.

He washed quickly, did a half assed job of drying off, then smoothed his face with his electric razor so as not to leave any scratches on Buffy's tender skin. Wrapping the damp towel around his hips, he returned to the bedroom.

Buffy was stretched out of her side on top of the bed, showing lots of creamy thigh and smiling at him. The robe had disappeared, and the sight of her like that made him even harder.

"Too bad," she said, "this isn't one of those vibrating beds."

He shucked his towel and crawled up on the bed, positioning himself behind her and pulling her into the curve of his body. "Don't you worry about it. I'll vibrate you all you want," he promised with a lusty growl against the side of her neck.

She laughed, a sound that turned to a sigh as he continued nuzzling her skin. Breathing in her scent, his hands slipped up and found her breasts, massaging them and pulling her in tighter.

His erection, already rock hard, strained for her as he nestled it against her bottom. She instinctively pushed back, wiggling a bit, and he almost swallowed his tongue.

"You feel so warm," she whispered in a husky tone.

"Mm-hmm," was all he could manage to say as his hands explored her breasts, molding and squeezing them, playing with her nipples.

Then, using one hand, he took the hem of her nightgown between two fingers and slowly slipped it up her thighs. She raised one leg, allowing him access to the treasure between them, the one place in the world he wanted to be at that moment.

Stroking her there, he spread her own natural moisture around, opening her carefully with his thumb and middle finger, then touching her in just the right spot with his index finger. Letting her accelerated breathing be his guide, he traced a slow circle around her clit, making her body quiver.

Buffy raised one hand and grasped the back of his neck, turning her head to kiss him. He slipped one finger inside her as their tongues played lazily with each other.

William was about to explode. He reached over her and grabbed a condom from where he'd dropped them in the bedside table drawer earlier. Slipping one on, he turned Buffy onto her back, then dragged her on top of him. "Get on me."

She didn't resist, taking him in her hand and lowering herself quickly. This angle felt wonderful, the fit of her sex was tight. She stripped her gown off over her head and tossed it away.

Admiring the view she presented, he lifted his hips up and down, helping her ride him. When she leaned back, he brought one hand down between her legs and found her clit, fingering her there until she was moaning con- tinuously.

Everything was so hot and wet and tight, the feel of her clamping down on his steel hard cock, the slickness of her skin. The soft sounds emerging from her throat were driving him mad, encouraging him to make it even better for her.

Her breasts bounced enticingly as she moved up and down on him, and his hands instantly moved to capture them and hold them, feeling their weight and warmth fill his palms.

"That's it," he whispered huskily. "That's my girl. She knows what she wants. Ride me, beautiful...do it for me....ah...CHRIST!...."

Buffy rocked her hips, grinding down against him, seeking that most delicious friction. He immediately moved his hands to her waist and clasped it firmly, jerking her down harder as he thrust up into her, groaning like a dying man.

She loved the sense of feminine power that was coursing through her, the fact that what she was doing with her body was affecting him so strongly. His chest rose and fell deeply, his eyes dark with need as he watched her move up and down on him.

His gaze moved down her torso and locked on the place where their bodies were joined. Buffy arched her spine and let her head drop back. She stared at the ceiling without really seeing it, sliding her palms up her sides and cupping her breasts, squeezing and fondling them before slipping them down her stomach and between her splayed thighs.

William's breath caught in a harsh gasp when he saw her touch herself, spreading the lush folds and finding the hot button with no effort. His erection lengthened inside of her even more, hardening almost to the point of pain, desperate for relief.

She felt the tightening sensation of approaching orgasm and she rocked down harder, increasing the friction inside her. Pressing down deeply, she clenched her internal muscles around his shaft and came explosively before collapsing forward, unable to support herself.

"God, that was beautiful," he whispered, brushing her sweaty hair away from her face. "You're so gorgeous when you come on me like that..."

She nuzzled his throat, nipping at the taut skin. Smiling when she felt his hands move down and cup her bottom, pushing her down harder.

"Make me come, Buffy," he said in her ear. "I need you."

Happy to oblige, she slipped her arms around his neck and began moving her hips from side to side, then in a circular motion, all the while tightening her sex around him like a vise. She kissed him, slipping her tongue into his mouth and finding his, coaxing it back to hers and then sucking it in a rhythm that matched her clenching grasp on his penis.

When she felt his thighs tense and his stomach muscles harden, she knew he was getting close. Tangling her fingers in his shaggy curls, she broke their kiss and buried her face against the side of his neck. "William," she whim- pered, "come inside me....do it now....now....oh, please..."

"Baby," he choked, clutching her tighter. He bucked his hips upwards once, twice, three times....and his cry of pleasure was the single sexiest sound she'd ever heard.

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

"I see why they call this the 'Happiest Place on Earth'," he said quietly, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

They were in front of the large picture window, watching colorful bursts of fireworks explode in the sky over Matter- horn Mountain.

"Why?" she asked with a smile. "Are you happy?"

"Mm-hmm....very happy," he said, kissing her neck. "How about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"I'm very happy, too."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Because of me."

He sounded a little bit smug, but who cared? It was true.

"Yes," she agreed. "Because of you..."

God......it was SO true!

Part Thirty-one:

A sudden flurry of personal appearances to promote the season finale of 'Outpost:Space' kept William from visiting as much as Buffy and Melanie would have liked. During a two week period at the end of May, apart from an almost daily phone call, they had no contact with him whatsoever.

On Wednesday, May 25th, the weather turned bad, producing a sudden rainstorm complete with a thunder and lightning extravaganza. Buffy had been working overtime preparing for the "End of School" sales event she'd been planning, having posters printed and stock marked down, rearranging displays and clearance racks.

After collecting Melanie from after school care, she stopped at the market and purchased the ingredients for Melanie's absolute favorite dinner....Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and hot dogs.

At the check out stand, Buffy picked up the TV Guide and opened it to Wednesday, showing Melanie the full page ad for that night's show. The little girl studied it carefully, sounding out the words slowly.

"Season.....finally?"

Buffy smiled. "Finale," she corrected.

"What's it mean?"

"Means the last new show until next fall. During the summer, you'll just see reruns of the shows you've already seen."

Melanie didn't miss a beat. "That's okay."

"Yes, I didn't think you'd mind." Buffy placed the TV Guide on the conveyor belt and began unloading her cart.

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

They were both fairly drenched when they finally got inside with the groceries.

Buffy stripped Melanie's clothes off and popped her into a hot bath, then changed into a dry pair of sweat pants and a old flannel shirt.

She put away her groceries, then started the water boiling for the macaroni. In the bathroom, Melanie sang quietly as she played with the half dozen 'Bathtime Barbies' that lined the edge of the tub. Buffy drained the pasta and dumped it back in the pot, added a chunk of butter and the powdered cheese, then reached into the cupboard over the stove for her measuring cups.

Hands on her hips, she scanned the shelf. "Melanie?"

"What?"

"Have you seen the measuring cups?"

"Yes." That was all.

Buffy sighed and headed down the hall. Melanie's literal turn of mind could be frustrating at times. "Where are they?" she asked, stepping into the bathroom and pushing the curtain open around the tub. "Oh, Melanie...."

Half the contents of her kitchen was currently floating in Melanie's bath water. All of her measuring cups, her large ladle, a Tupperware mixing bowl, two rubber spatulas, the small sauce pan she sometimes soft boiled an egg in, a jumbo sized plastic soda cup from McDonald's, and a wire whisk.

Melanie offered up the measuring cups in one soapy little hand. "Can I have them back when you're done?"

"No, you may not." Buffy tried for a 'no nonsense' face. "And you'd better hustle it up if you want to have your dinner and homework finished before the show starts," she said in a voice that meant business. "It's extra long tonight and I want you ready to hop right into bed the second it's over."

"I will."

While Melanie finished bathing, Buffy washed her measuring cups and added milk to the macaroni mixture. She stirred it up until the butter melted, then placed two hot dogs into their buns and wrapped them in paper towels before placing them in the microwave.

As she was setting the table, Melanie walked into the kitchen wearing her Snow White nightgown, a miniature copy of the yellow skirted, blue-bodiced number worn by the Disney princess. She had a red hairband pushing back her damp curls, and wore a pair of red slippers with Snow White's face on them. In her arms, she carried a stuffed 'Bambi', 'Thumper, the rabbit', and 'Flower, the skunk'....animals from an entirely different movie, but Melanie didn't make those distinctions. Still in her bedroom, was a stuffed version of all seven dwarfs.

The entire ensemble and it's accessories came from the Disney- land Character Shop, courtesy of William St. James. The reason Buffy had allowed the over-indulgence was because, unlike most children her age, Melanie actually played with all her stuffed toys. Being the solitary child she was, she made up elaborate games that included every single one of them at some point. None of her animals gathered any dust on shelves or languished in toy boxes after being played with one time.

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

After dinner was eaten and the dishes were washed, Buffy sent Melanie to brush her teeth. She supervised the small homework assignment she'd been given, then settled down on the couch beside her and switched on the television.

It was an exciting episode. The crew of the Phoenix were in considerable jeopardy for nearly the entire two hours, and the captain himself was in not one, but two rather lengthy fistfights. Buffy was more than a little impressed by the fighting skills he was exhibiting. He'd explained to her once that the fights were scripted and choreographed down to the smallest detail, and a stunt man handled the more elaborate and potentially risky maneuvers, but quite a bit of the work was all his own and he spent a great deal of time working with a martial arts teacher to perfect his craft.

Shortly before the final commercial break, something happened that bothered her far more than she'd thought it would. something that the writers had been flirting around the edges of and teasing the audience with for the last 5 or 6 episodes.....Captain Amara and his female second in command, some sort of tall and very beautiful alien with jet black hair that reached nearly to the backs of her knees....finally gave in to the sexual tension between them and had an encounter Buffy had to send Melanie out of the room for.

It was easy to tell herself that she was stupid for feeling jealous. That there was nothing between William and this woman except for the words the shows writers put in their mouths.

But stupid or not, the sight bothered her. She almost wished for a moment that he wasn't such a good actor, as he certainly appeared to be enjoying himself.

When the show resumed, her mind was so preoccupied that she nearly missed the big finish...the cliffhanger the audience had been told to expect in various magazines and interviews, a plot development so carefully guarded that even most of the cast had no idea it was coming.

Buffy watched in amazement as Captain Amara battled it out with an alien twice his size. As the music swelled dramatically, the action slipped into slow-motion. The alien wrenched a piece of pipe from the wall of the star- ship and smashed it into the side of the captain's head. He collapsed on the floor in an unconscious heap. The creature then knelt beside him and twisted the captain's neck until a sickening snap sounded.

The action then focused on approaching footsteps. Slowly, the camera panned up from a pair of boots, over shapely legs and a curving torso clad in tight red leather, up to the face of the woman Captain Amara had been dallying with moments ago.

But instead of reacting as expected, the woman smiled. Glossy red lips parted and she said, "He's finally dead" in a tone of long denied satisfaction. The screen went black save for three small words....'To Be Continued...'

Melanie turned to her mother with tears welling up in her eyes. "What happened?"

Buffy fumbled for the remote and punched the 'off' button, then slipped her arm around Melanie's shoulders and pulled the little girl onto her lap. Why hadn't he warned her about this?

She did her best to explain how TV shows sometimes did such things...threw out shocking plot developments, then left their viewers hanging for three or four months. Melanie, however, couldn't get past the concept that William's character was dead.

Sudden inspiration saved her.

"Listen...how about if we call him and you can talk to him yourself," she suggested. "Would that make you feel a little better?"

Rubbing her small nose with the back of her hand, Melanie nodded.

"Okay, then." Buffy retrieved her purse and searched through it for the slip of paper with his phone number on it that William had given her the day they'd first met at the convention. Punching in the numbers, she settled down on the couch next to Melanie.

The number rang nine times, and Buffy was about to hang up when someone finally answered....a soft and decidedly feminine voice practically purred, "Hello."

Certain that she must have dialed the wrong number, Buffy hesitated.

The voice on the other end of the line repeated it's greeting, following it up with a sexy sounding chuckle.

"Um... I'm sorry... I must... I think I dialed the wrong number?" Buffy stammered. It came out as a question.

"Well, maybe not," the woman replied. "Who are you trying to reach?"

"William... um... St. James...."

"No, this is his number....hang on."

Buffy's brow furrowed.

"Hey, baby," she heard the woman call out. "Phone call....how should I know who it is?.....One of your legion of women, I assume....hey!...."

More giggling. Her stomach tightened.

"Hello?" William's voice, finally....sounding highly amused.

She didn't know what to say. Everything seemed to be backed up in her throat for some reason. Dimly, she heard him say "hello" a second time, then once more. He sounded on the verge of hanging up when she glanced down at her daughter's worried face and her vocal paralysis broke.

"It's me....it's Buffy."

"Buffy?" He actually sounded delighted to hear her voice. "How are you, sweetheart? I was going to give you a call in a little while after my...."

"That's okay," she said quickly. "Um...actually, Melanie wanted to talk to you." She sketched the situation out for him briefly, then handed the phone to her daughter.

Buffy made busy work for herself around the room, trying not to listen and succeeding for the most part. She vaguely heard Melanie talking and asking questions, and could tell by her tone of voice that she was being reassured about Captain Amara's fate.

"He wants to talk to you, Mommy," Melanie said, holding out the phone.

Buffy started to take the receiver, then stopped herself. "Um...tell him I'll talk to him...some other time."

"How come?"

"Just tell him."

She sat down at the computer, listening as Melanie relayed her message.

"She said can she talk to you later... I don't know.... no... just sitting down.... okay....."

Buffy hit the on button and waited, then turned the machine off again.

"Mommy? He says can you please talk to him for just a minute?"

Hating herself for putting Melanie in the middle of this, she shook her head. "Not right now, honey," she said, keeping her tone light. "I need to... um... do something with my accounts... okay? I'll call him later."

Clearly confused, Melanie put the phone back to her ear. "She said not now... um... I don't think so... okay, I will... uh-huh.... okay, bye..."

Buffy didn't give Melanie a chance to ask any questions. "Time for bed, sweetie."

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

An hour later, she came downstairs.

After putting Melanie to bed, she had taken a hot bath and tried desperately to analyze her reasons for not wanting to talk to William.

Unfortunately, as hard as she tried, she couldn't come up with even one good one. Rationalize it all she wanted, but when push came to shove it all boiled down to one thing.....hearing that woman answer his phone, the way she had sounded so natural, so comfortable doing it... not to mention the "legions of women" comment, had jarred her badly.

Dressed in her nightgown and robe, she'd gone into the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea. Sleep wasn't likely to come along anytime soon, so the caffeine really wouldn't make a difference.

Now, mug in hand, she flipped off the kitchen light and headed back upstairs.

Her foot was on the bottom riser when there was a sudden loud pounding on the front door, startling her so badly that she nearly dropped her cup.

"Buffy! I want to talk to you... now!"

TBC...

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