Summary: A retelling of Spike and
Buffy's first meeting. Starts in early
season 2. For the purpose of the
story, Angel does not exist and Spike
is a little....different.
Disclaimer: I do not own the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel (The Series). All of the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, et al.
Feedback: Love some, Thanks!
Part Seven
Run to Me
~~~~~
If ever you've got rain in your heart
Someone has hurt you, and torn you apart
Am I unwise, to open up your eyes to love me?...
~~~~~
Buffy opened the door to her room, and flung
herself down on the bed, face first. Her
throat was aching from trying to hold back
her tears, and she was still horribly aware of
a lingering soreness between her thighs.
She cried and cried into her pillow,
then reached for Mr. Gordo and cuddled
him close. It didn't take her long to realize
that her poor stuffed piggy wasn't gonna be able
to help this hurt go away.
The phone rang suddenly, startling her.
The last thing she wanted to do right now was talk
on the phone, but she knew if her mother was calling
she would be expected to answer.
"Hello..?" she said softly, sniffling.
"Hi, angelface. How are you feeling?"
She shot straight up in bed. "William?"
"Course, it's me. Told you I'd call, didn't I?"
She reached for a tissue and wiped her runny
nose, glad that he couldn't see her at the
moment.
"Where are you?" she asked.
"I'm in my car. Nearly home. Just couldn't
wait any longer to talk to you is all."
Buffy smiled widely, flopping back onto her
pillows.
"You feeling all right, angel? I imagine
you're still a bit sore, huh?"
"A little, " she admitted.
"God, I'm sorry, baby."
"I'M not," she whispered.
There was a long moment of silence from the
other end of the line. For a moment she
thought he'd lost the connection going under
a bridge or something.
"I miss you already," he finally said. "When can
I see you again? Tonight?"
"Okay...yeah. I'd like that."
"All right then," he said. "You get all dressed up
pretty and I'll pick you up about 8:00. And don't
eat dinner first."
She giggled. "Then I should warn you that I
get kind of grouchy when I'm hungry."
He laughed too. "You can have a little snack
or something but that's it! I'm taking you somewhere
special and I don't want your tummy all filled up, got
it?"
"Okay," she said, knowing she'd agree to
just about anything he asked of her.
"Get some rest today, sweetness..and I'll see
you tonight."
"Bye." She waited for him to disconnect, then
decided she was being way too high schoolish. As
she started to replace the phone in the cradle, he
spoke again.
"Hey, wait a minute..."
Beaming with glee, she put the phone back to
her ear. "Yeah?"
He hesitated for only a moment. "You're still my girl,
aren't you?"
Buffy was about to melt into a sugary puddle of pure
happiness. "Yes," she said softly. "I'm definitely your girl."
"That's good to hear. See you tonight, angelface."
"Okay...bye."
This time she was the one to call out.
"William?"
"What, honey?"
A sudden attack of shyness tried to clamp her mouth
shut, but she refused to allow it. "I...I love you," she
said quietly.
"I love you, too, sweetness," he responded instantly,
without having to even think it over. "Get some sleep, now."
When the phone was securely replaced in it's cradle, she
squealed and tossed Mr. Gordo into the air. Catching him,
she jumped to her feet and danced him around the room,
changing partners twice, and spinning giddily with Pooh Bear
and Eeyore.
The phone rang, and she practically dove for it.
"Hello?" she sang out happily. "Oh, hi, Mom...I wasn't
expecting anyone else...I do?....I don't know....Just in a
good mood I guess....Yeah, I went to bed early....I guess
I didn't hear it....No....I just forgot....Yeah, the machine is
on....I haven't been downstairs yet....A hamburger and some
fries...."
Buffy rolled her eyes. Here it was, coming straight at
her...Mom's Inquisition, given whenever she had to be
away from home for more than a day and customed
tailored to fit any given situation.
"I took them yesterday....Because I haven't gone down-
stairs yet....I will....Yeah, two vitamin Cs...I won't forget...
I don't have any....Just a French test on Monday....Willow's
helping me....I know....Um...well, actually, I have a date
tonight...No...I just met him....I will....Midnight?...Mom,
it's Saturday...Come on....William Hamilton....yeah, a
lot...."
~~~~~
Let it be like they said it would be
Me loving you, girl...and you loving me
Am I unwise to open up your eyes to love me....
~~~~~
After fending off phone calls from Willow and Xander,
she was tempted to take the phone off the hook.
But she couldn't quite force herself to do it. What
if he called?
In the end, she wound up with the phone next to
her in bed. Keeping her hand close to the receiver,
she drifted into a sound sleep completely devoid of
dreams.
~~~~~
Run to me whenever you're lonely
Run to me when you need a shoulder
Now and then, you need someone older
So, darling...you run to me....
~~~~~
Her internal alarm clock sounded off at
exactly 6:15 p.m., bringing her instantly
awake.
The first thing she became aware of was a feeling
of excited anticipation. Less than two hours
from now, he would be there.
The second thing she noticed was that her
lower parts were not feeling as ravaged as they'd
felt that morning.
Oh, good.....
She rolled over in bed and punched Giles' number
into the phone's keypad.
After checking in to make sure that there were no
new disasters looming before her like a pissed
off cobra, she informed her watcher that she had
a date and would NOT be available. Tonight, the
world was on it's own.
Since he also had a date that night, he could hardly
object. Beyond a few mutterings about 'Sacred Duty'
blah-blah-blah; 'Shirking Her Responsibilities' blah-blah-
blah; and "Protection of the Tax Paying Citizens of
Sunnydale' blah-blah-blah...he hoisted his white flag
and surrendered without firing a shot.
Setting the phone back down, she stuck her tongue
out at it, then hopped out of bed and headed for the
bathroom, stripping her clothes off and letting them
lay right where she dropped them, choosing to ignore
the uneasy certainty that her 'Neat as a pin, with a
floor clean enough to operate on' mother could see
everything she was doing clear on the other side of
the country, and didn't much care for what she was
seeing.
She squashed a nervous impulse to call the hotel where
her mother was staying, making sure she was really
there and not just hanging around waiting to ambush her
when the first one of her commandments was broken.
In the shower, she washed her hair and shaved her legs,
then filled the sponge mitt with a lavender scented
body wash and scrubbed herself from head to toe.
After drying off, she plugged in her hot curlers and dried
and rolled up her hair.
Strewing the contents of her closet all over the room,
she tried on and rejected seven different outfits.
She stood in the middle of her room, hands on her
hips, frustrated beyond imagining with her teeny-
bopper wardrobe.
He had told her to get dressed up, but most, if not all
of her clothing couldn't even BEGIN to make the cut.
Feeling the unmistakeable signs of an impending tem-
per tantrum, she stamped her foot like a spoiled child
being forcibly dragged away from a playground by her
parents, who had the nerve to want her to go home and
eat her dinner.
As she stood there fuming, a sudden memory came
to her.
Ambling casually down the hallway, straightening the
pictures on the wall as she went, she accidentally/on
purpose nudged open the door to her mother's bedroom.
She felt a little silly for all the stealth, considering
that there was no one there to be suspicious of her.
Determinedly, she slid open the doors of her
mother's closet and began rifling through her
clothes, wrinkling her nose and making an "Eww"
face with each garment she rejected.
Dropping to her knees, she lifted the side of the
dust ruffle and looked under the bed.
Ah-ha!
With a softly muttered "Yes!" of victory, she
reached beneath the bed and pulled out a
box.
It was wrapped in paper with a pattern of roses,
and there was a card on top of it with her name
on it.
Smiling, she shook the box gently, delighted when
she heard the soft rustle of fabric.
It had to be the dress. The one she'd tried on
while shopping with her mother, and had been
dropping hints about that were as subtle as an
anvil landing on a foot.
She felt a moment of guilt for what she was about
to do.
Not that she was about to let it stop her...
Carefully, she unwrapped one end of the box,
then slid it out and took the lid off.
There was a sheet of pink tissue paper laying
across the contents of the box. She removed it
and set it to one side.
When she saw the dress, she squealed with
happiness.
It was black and sleeveless, with a V-shaped
neckline and a hem that ended only an inch
or two above her knees. The fabric was silky
and it clung lovingly to her curves.
She'd known exactly what her mother was up to
when she'd parked Buffy in the food court of the
Sunnydale Mall, then excused herself to go to the
bathroom.
If what her mom said had been the actual truth
then, considering the amount of time it had taken
her, Buffy had figured that the bathroom must be
clear on the other side of town.
She took the dress back to her room, laying it
out on the bed, then sat down at her vanity and
pulled the curlers out of her hair. Wielding her
hairbrush, she ran it through her hair until it
was a soft cloud framing her face.
When she was satisfied, she made up her
face, expertly applying eye shadow, highlighter,
liner, mascara, lipstick and blush.
Donning a black lace bra and matching pan-
ties, she then slipped on her black garter belt,
clipping a new pair of stockings to it.
After smoothing the dress down over her hips, she
tossed a few odds and ends into a black clutch purse,
then grabbed her black shawl from where she'd
hung it over the back of her vanity mirror.
The half hour between 7:30 and 8:00 crawled by
with a maddening slowness.
~~~~~
And when you're out in the cold
No one beside you, and no one to hold
Am I unwise to open up your eyes
to love me....
~~~~~
Part Eight
I Can't Hold Back
~~~~~
There's a story in my eyes
Turn the pages of desire
Now it's time to trade those dreams
For the rush of passions fire....
~~~~~
The doorbell rang at exactly 7:59.
Buffy's heart jumped from her chest, to her throat,
then down into her stomach, before it returned to
the place it belonged.
Forcing herself to walk, she opened the front
door with a smile that could light up the entire
town of Sunnydale.
William was standing on the front porch, holding
a single long stemmed red rose.
"Hi" she said softly, feeling ridiculously shy con-
sidering what she'd been doing with this man.
He looked her slowly up and down. "God...look
at you. And I thought you looked beautiful last
night."
As they always did when he spoke this way, her
cheeks pinked up prettily. "Thank you," she said,
her smile shining brightly.
He waited a moment, then said, "Can I come in?"
"Oh!" Buffy stepped back a little. "Yes. Come in. I'm
sorry...I just...."
He shook his head. "Not to worry, angelface. It takes a
little getting used to."
She led him into the front room, watching him as he
glanced around, taking in his surroundings.
He was wearing a white button down shirt, with a dark
gray silk tie. His suit was black, and beautifully tailored
to fit him to perfection. Buffy didn't know a lot about men's
clothing, but even she could tell that this particular en-
semble was expensive.
"You look nice," she said, gesturing at his apparel.
"Well, I'm taking a lady out on the town," he said
with a shrug. "Gotta look my best." Handing the rose
to her, he added, "For the prettiest girl I've ever seen."
"Thank you," she said, turning to go into the kitchen. "I'll
get some water for...."
She was cut off when a strong arm suddenly caught her
around the waist and pulled her close. Surprised, she
looked up at him.
"Sorry," he said, with an unrepentent grin. "Can't wait
one more second to kiss you."
Without another thought, she twined her arms around
his neck and whispered, "Kiss me."
When his mouth touched hers, all the wonderful and
dizzying feelings from the night before rocketed
through her small body. Their mouths moved together
as though they'd been born for nothing but this.
He pulled back first. "If you kiss me like that again,"
he said, nuzzling her cheek, "I'm going to carry you
up those stairs and make love to you right here and
now."
Since that was perfectly all right with her, she im-
mediately began to initiate another kiss.
He laughed a little and held her off. "Now you wait, little
one. You must be hungry, and I'm going to make sure
you eat a good dinner." He lowered his voice a little
and gave her a wickedly sexy smile. "You're gonna need
your strength, after all."
Buffy folded her arms across her chest, pouting. "Oh,
phooey. You're no fun."
Without a pause, he bent over and picked her up,
making her gasp in giddy excitement. "Oh, don't
worry, angelface. There's plenty of fun in store for
tonight. But you need to eat your dinner, like a good
girl."
He carried her to the front door and set her on her
feet. "Besides," he added, "I want to take you out and
show you off."
Buffy sighed and placed the rose on the small table
at the foot of the stairs, then picked up her handbag
and shawl. "All right, then. Take me out and feed me.
But I'm starving," she warned him,"so I hope you brought
your American Express card."
He smiled as they stepped out onto the porch. "I
never leave home without it," he said, taking her keys
and locking the deadbolt for her.
After handing the keys back to her, he reached for her
hand, helping her down the porch steps as though they
were a treacherous and slippery slope. He didn't release
her hand, but led her to his car and opened the passenger
side door for her, seating her gracefully.
Buffy watched him as he went around the front of the
car, mentally saluting whoever had taught him such
old fashioned gallantry. Vampire or not, he had excellent
manners. Not one other boy she'd ever gone out with had
opened a car door for her.
He closed the door and keyed the ignition. The powerful
motor started up instantly, and he backed out of the
driveway and out into the street.
Cruising down the highway at a steady speed, he turned
to smile at her, patting the seat beside him invitingly.
Buffy promptly scooted her rear across the cold leather
seat, and snuggled up next to him.
"Did I tell you how pretty you look tonight?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes."
"Hmm. Mind if I say it again?"
"No," she giggled. "Of course I don't. What woman in her
right mind would?"
He stopped at a red light. "You look," he said, briefly
pressing his lips to her hair, "absolutely beautiful, angel-
face."
"So do you," she replied without thinking. Realizing what
that she'd spoken out loud, she flushed and turned her head
to look out the window.
He seemed to understand, and let the subject drop.
~~~~~
I can feel you tremble when we touch
And I feel the hand of fate
Reaching out to both of us
~~~~~
Buffy stood in the ladies lounge, staring into the
mirror with a smile that refused to be controlled.
She brushed her hair, and touched up her lip-
stick, then left the restroom and walked up behind
William as he spoke with the hostess.
The woman was obviously charmed by whatever
he was saying to her. She leaned forward over the
hostess stand, her body language blatantly announc-
ing her availability.
She was tall, with raven black hair and a figure that
defied the laws of physics.
Buffy hated her on sight, and had no intention of
letting her get away with anything.
Standing behind William, she slipped her arms
around him from behind, giving the hostess the dir-
tiest look she could come up with.
"I'M back," she said, leaning hard on the first
word.
He turned and dropped a hard kiss onto her
lips. "So you are."
The hostess muttered something about making
sure their table was ready, then walked away
with a seductive sway of her hips.
In less than a minute, Little-Miss-Look-At-My-
Ass was back, indicating that they should follow
her.
The dining area of the restaurant consisted of
several tables in the middle of it, with a number
of booths recessed into the walls. Each booth
had a curtain that could be pulled to insure pri-
vacy.
The hostess seated them in one of the booths,
then placed two menus on the table in front
of them.
She informed them that their server would be
with them shortly, and asked if they would care
to order something to drink while they waited.
William glanced at the wine list, and ordered a
bottle of champagne.
At that point, the hostess looked at Buffy. "Would
you care for a soft drink?" she asked cattily. "Or
maybe a glass of milk?"
Buffy's cheeks turned bright scarlet at the woman's
obvious attempt to point out to William that he was
dining with a child.
He looked at the hostess, then at Buffy, then back
at the hostess. "A soft drink will be fine," he informed
her. "But not a diet drink." Returning his attention to
Buffy, he said. "I mean..just look at her. She doesn't
need to watch her figure. She's already perfect...aren't
you, my love?" he added, kissing her lightly.
Elated at the way he dealt with the hostess, Buffy
had to fight back a childish impulse to stick out her
tongue at the woman.
After the hostess left, he reached up and pulled the
curtains almost all the way closed. Taking Buffy's
hand, he kissed the tips of her fingers and smiled.
"Bitch." He gestured in the direction the hostess
had gone. "Sit close to me," he said.
Buffy slid along the seat until she was pressed up
against him.
Wrapping one arm around her, he opened up the
menu in front of him. "What are you hungry for,
angelface?"
~~~~~
I've been holding back the night
I've been searching for a clue from you
I'm gonna try with all my might
To make the storyline come true
~~~~~
The hostess kept her distance from them for
the remainder of their time in the restaurant.
The champagne was brought and poured
and when the waiter had taken their orders
and left, William pulled the curtain closed
a little more and held his glass up to Buffy's
lips.
"I shouldn't be doing this," he said, winking
at her. "I've already contributed enough to the
delinquency of this particular minor."
Buffy grinned at him, then promptly sneezed.
"Oh!" Her hands flew up to her face. "I'm sorry."
He looked at her with a tender smile. "Catching a
cold, are you?" he teased.
"No, it was the bubbles, they kind of went up my
nose...and you already knew that, didn't you?" she
groaned, hiding her eyes.
William laughed. "Now, none of that," he scolded,
pulling her hands down. "I have to see those beautiful
eyes all the time," he added. "Make sure you still
love me."
She moved her face close to his and stared right
at him. "What do you see?"
After taking a long moment to examine her, he
slipped one hand behind the back of her neck
and pulled her close. "I see...the woman I love,"
he whispered as his mouth came down on hers.
Thrilled that he considered her to be a woman...to
be HIS woman, Buffy kissed him with great enthu-
siasm.
When she pulled away, she asked, "Do you see the
woman who loves you? Cause she's right here, you
know."
He took hold of her shoulders. "Don't stop," he
pleaded, searching for the sweet taste of her lips
again.
She made a kitten-like sound in her throat and moved
even closer, gasping when his mouth traveled down
her neck to nuzzle the hollow between her breasts.
"I love you," he murmured as he tasted her skin. "I
do...I love you so much...waited so long to find you."
Buffy let her head fall against the padded back of the
booth. Her eyes closed, she concentrated on her
other senses; the sound of his voice as he told her
that he loved her; the feel of his hands and mouth
touching her bare skin; the clean scent of soap;
and the taste of his lips and his tongue.
Her hand slipped down his side and came to rest
of his upper thigh. He knew it must be unwittingly,
because there was no way she was ready to do such
a thing in public.
~~~~~
Can you feel me tremble when we touch
Can you feel the hand of fate
Reaching out to both of us
This love affair can't wait....
~~~~~
But when she failed to move her hand away, he
began to wonder.
He placed his hand on hers, and moved it over and
up a little.
Her eyes flew open in shock as she broke their kiss
and stared at him...
But didn't move her hand.
He slipped his own hand under her skirt, and up
between her thighs, exploring the elastic of her
garter belt, the smoothness of her stockings, and
the suddenly damp silk of her panties.
But when one finger began to work it's way into
her underpants, her thighs clamped shut like a
time lock at the bank.
"We can't" she hissed.
"Why not?" he asked, smiling. "No one can see us
in here."
"But...but we're in public...it's...we can't..."
His other hand, which had been resting on her shoulder,
slipped down and brushed against her breast.
She gasped out loud, and he chuckled at what she
had unknowingly revealed.
"You like this," he said quietly. "It's turning you on, isn't
it, pussycat?"
"What...no. Of course...not."
"Yes it is," he insisted. His fingers tweaked the hard
tip of her breast. "Your nipples are hard. Like ripe cherries."
he added, nuzzling her ear. "You wish I would push your
dress aside and suck on them, don't you?"
"Well...yes...but...but not here," she protested,
trying to sound like she meant business.
He wasn't buying it. "Yes. Right here and right now. Be-
cause that's part of the excitement...the possibility of
being caught. It makes everything hotter."
"William," she whimpered weakly, knowing she was
about to surrender. Her thighs loosened up just a fraction,
and he took advantage of the momentary lapse in her
defenses.
His finger slid into her panties and found her clit easily.
"Ohh..yikes!" she yelped, her eyes widening with surprise.
"Shhh," he cautioned her. "Wouldn't want to attract unwanted attention."
Buffy shook her head. "No..stop."
He immediately stilled his finger and looked up at her. "Do
you really want me to stop, angelface?"
She could see by his expression that the question was a
serious one, not a teasing "oh, you don't really mean that"
one.
Problem was, she wasn't sure what she really wanted. Part
of her was loving this roller coaster thrill ride she found her-
self on whenever he was with her. But the other part of her, the
sensible part that had been raised by her mother not to even
let her bra straps show in public, was telling her to smack his
hands sharply until he put them back where they belonged.
(I know...let's get interactive here for a minute. What
do you all think she should do? Oh, never mind, I know
what you think. Back to the story.)
Before she could say a word, the curtains were whisked
back and the waiter appeared with a huge serving tray.
Although he straightened up a little, William kept his hand
where it was down below, secure in the knowledge that the
tablecloth hid everything from prying eyes.
Instead of withdrawing, he moved his finger just the
tiniest bit, eliciting a squeak from Buffy as she stared
at the waiter.
The young man arranged an assortment of food in front
of them, with the obligatory small talk of warning Buffy
to be careful because the plate was quite hot, and would
she care for another drink, and was everything to their
satisfaction.
William deliberately didn't answer any of these questions
for her. All he did was move his finger in the most deliciously
tantalizing way he could, faster and then slower.
"Wha...what?" Buffy asked, looking at the waiter through
glassy eyes.
"Would you like another soft drink?" he asked again.
"Ohh! Oh...yessss. That's good...that's A good...idea!
I like that...I WOULD like that....a lot. Thank you." she
said, grabbing her napkin to dab at her hairline.
The waiter hesitated, noticing her flushed face and damp
skin. "Is it too warm in here for you, Miss?" he asked
politely.
"Uh..no. No, I'm...I'm just fine, thanks," Buffy said absently,
forcing her eyes to stay open. "How are you?"
William nearly laughed out loud at the bewildered waiter's
expression. By this time, Buffy's thighs were splayed open
a little more, and he could work his other finger in, enabling
him to gently pinch her clit between his thumb and fore-
finger.
Buffy nearly jumped off the seat, which focused the waiter's
attention on her again. "Is everything to your liking so far?"
She nodded frantically. "Yes...yes...yes," she said. "It's
good...really, really good. You can...go now."
The waiter turned to leave.
"Close the curtain!" she yelped, then swallowed hard when
people turned to look at her. "Please. Thank you."
Once the curtain was safely closed, she fell back
against the seat. Panting slightly, she looked into
his eyes.
He just smiled, gently stroking her. "Did you come?" he
whispered.
"Uh-huh," she nodded.
"Did you enjoy it?"
"Oh, gosh," she whimpered. Spying his glass
of champagne, she grabbed it and emptied it in one
swallow. "I have to go to the bathroom."
She slid around to the outer edge of the seat, but
he caught her arm.
"Buffy...you're not angry with me, are you?"
She answered him by leaning over and kissing him
on the mouth. "It's the champagne," she whispered
in his ear.
He smiled. "Hurry up, then."
~~~~~
I can't hold back, I'm on the edge
You're voice explodes inside my head
I can't hold back
I won't back down
Girl, it's too late to turn back now...
~~~~~
"Are you full, sweetheart?"
Buffy looked up from her completely cleaned
dinner plate. She was about to claim that she
couldn't possibly manage another bite of food,
then remembered that she didn't have to play
that silly game with him.
"What's for dessert?" she asked, smiling cheer-
fully.
As though he'd been standing by waiting for his
cue, the waiter appeared with a dessert cart.
Buffy looked on it as though it contained priceless
gems, instead of sweets. She counted four dif-
ferent kinds of cheesecake, chocolate mousse,
white cake with coconut frosting, key lime pie,
custard with raspberry syrup drizzled over it,
a dish of strawberries dipped in chocolate, and the
biggest slice of devil's food cake she'd ever seen.
She felt William move closer to her. "Choose as much
as you like, angel. You don't have to eat all of it," he
said quietly.
"Well," she said seriously, "I'm kind of undecided be-
tween the strawberries and the chocolate cake..."
"Bring them both," he instructed the waiter.
"But I really like cheesecake, too."
"And the cheesecake," he added.
"Of course," the waiter said. "Which kind?"
"All of them," William replied, without looking at
him.
After the waiter left, Buffy hid her face against
William's shoulder. "He must think I'm such a pig,"
she said.
"Who cares what he thinks?" William said. "He's
not being paid to think. He's being paid to bring you
anything your heart desires."
Right now, Buffy realized, her heart was desiring
something far more appetizing than mere food and
drink. The mundane necessities of daily life concerned
her not at all. The only thing she wanted, really and
truly needed, was him. With his arms around her, she
would be perfectly content to let the world pass by,
and would never notice or care who saw them...
"Buffy?"
Oh, perfect.
"Hi, Giles...hi, Miss Calender," she said, sitting up
straight as though she'd been called on in class to answer
a question.
"Hi, Buffy," Miss Calender smiled. "You look nice to-
night."
"Thank you," Buffy said weakly. "You too."
Giles cleared his throat, reminding Buffy that her manners
left a lot to be desired at the moment.
"Oh, umm...this is William Hamilton. This is...this is..."
"Rupert Giles," Giles supplied with a slight eye roll. "How
do you do?"
"Pleased to meet you," William said smoothly.
"And this is Miss Calender," Buffy added.
"Jenny...Calender," the woman said, "We're not in
school now, Buffy," she added, then smiled at William.
"Nice to meet you."
"And you," he said, with a nod.
There was a brief silence, which Giles broke.
"Well, I trust you're having a pleasant evening?"
"Very pleasant," William replied.
Their little comedy was brought to a halt by the arrival
of the waiter bearing a tray loaded with desserts.
Giles scanned the contents of the tray, then gave Buffy
a rather disapproving look, one that William intercep-
ted as Buffy squirmed uncomfortably.
"I have such a sweet tooth," he claimed gallantly, a
comment that didn't convince Giles. He'd had enough
arguments with his charge about proper nutrition to
know who was behind this little feast of gooey delights.
However, he was polite enough not to embarrass her.
"Well, we should be going," he said to Jenny, taking her
arm. "Buffy, I'll see you on Monday. We'll talk then," he
continued, making it clear that they would definitely be
talking.
After their departure, the waiter unloaded the tray and
excused himself.
Buffy looked at William, her heart in her eyes.
"What?" he asked her as he picked up a fork and
cut off a bite of the chocolate cake and offered it
to her.
She opened her mouth and accepted the morsel, letting
the fork slide slowly back out of her mouth, then licking
her upper lip to clean off a bit of the frosting.
He knew she was shooting for seductive, but as he
watched her try to deal with the cake, it quickly became
obvious that it wasn't gonna work out that way.
She mumbled something to him, and he had to ask
her to repeat herself, then nearly collapsed with laughter
when he heard what she had said in such garbled words:
"I think I could use that glass of milk now."
~~~~~
Another shooting star goes by
And in the night the silence speaks to you and I
And now the time has come at last
Don't let the moment run too fast...
~~~~~
Part Nine
Everlasting.
(Yes, I like Survivor)
~~~~~
Heart and soul I come to you
Are we meeting here on cue
Just in time for a love affair
~~~~~
"What are you thinking about?"
Buffy turned her head and looked up into his
eyes. She'd mostly been concentrating on
watching his hands as he maneuvered the
huge car through heavy Saturday night traffic.
She shrugged and snuggled closer. "That you're a really
good driver," she said.
"Ah, well," he smiled at her, "I've been at it for a while."
"Is it fun?"
There was a wistful tone in her voice that caught
his attention. "Would you like to drive?"
Buffy shook her head. "I don't have a license"
He shrugged. "Neither do I."
"Well...I wouldn't want to damage your car."
"This car's a tank, angelface. It was built to last.
Nothing short of a train hitting it is gonna cause
a lot of damage."
She squirmed in her seat, staring down at her
hands. "That's not..completely..impossible."
He chuckled. "What if I take you someplace
where there's nothing you can run into?"
"Like where?" she asked.
He considered the options. "Down at Main Beach,
there's a big parking lot."
She just looked at him.
"You hit something there?" he asked.
Buffy nodded. "Parking meter."
"Scratch the beach, then," he said. "What about
at the mall? No cars there at THIS time of
night."
"Streetlight," she mumbled.
"All right..the mall's out as well." He paused to
think. "Your school, maybe? There must be.."
"Math building...twice."
He looked perplexed. "Who on earth was teaching
you?"
"A friend of mine, Xander. But, he had to stop be-
cause he was developing an ulcer."
"Xander?" He felt a flash of jealousy. "Your little
boyfriend from the other night?"
"No," She nudged him with her elbow. "I told you..I
don't have a boyfriend."
"You've got one now," he pointed out. "Come
on, angelface...let's take our chances at the
mall."
~~~~~
Like a fool that walked through fire
Just to reach my heart's desire
Baby , would you be waiting there...
~~~~~
After adjusting the seat as far forward as it
would go, he scooted her behind the wheel.
She placed both hands on the wheel, holding
it in a death grip.
"Baby..relax," he said, rubbing her back. "This
isn't rocket science. You just need a little
practice."
"That's what I thought," she said. "But no
will let me use their car."
"Well, I'M here now." His hand slid around to
the nape of her neck. "Just turn the key."
The engine fired up with a roar.
"Put your foot on the brake..good..now pull
that lever down into 'Drive'...foot off the brake
and step down on the accelerator..."
Buffy turned to look at him like a scared bunny
rabbit.
"You...you have insurance don't you?"
He didn't...but he wasn't about to tell her that.
"Heavily insured, baby. You'll do fine."
~~~~~
Could we afford to wonder
If this could be the one?
Looking for a love that's everlasting
Wonder if the feeling's strong enough
Tell me, are we merely lovers passing
Or an everlasting love.....
~~~~~
"Buffy...honey, please stop crying."
She shook her head, sobbing into a handker-
chief he had given her. "I...I can't...I ruined your car.
I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."
"Baby...it's just a little dent. It can be fixed. " He
sighed deeply. "Now stop crying...you're getting
your pretty dress all wet."
He pulled the car into the driveway and cut the
engine, then came around and opened her door.
Without a word, he picked her up in his arms
and kicked the car door shut with his foot.
Carrying her to the front porch, he set her down
and opened her handbag to find her keys, then
unlocked the door and ushered her inside.
He relocked the door, and turned to see her staring
at herself in the wall mirror at the foot of the stair-
case.
Her face was streaked with tears, and her eye
make-up had become a melting mess, giving her
the appearance of someone who'd come out on the
wrong end of a fistfight.
She was a sad little sight to be sure, and his heart
turned over inside of him. He felt an odd amalgama-
tion of guilt for pushing her into trying to drive the
car, pity for the obvious misery written all over her
face, and the protectiveness she'd brought out in
him from the moment he'd seen her for the first
time.
He would have cheerfully killed anyone else who
made her cry, without even stopping to find out
why. Knowing that this was his fault, he was deter-
mined to find a way to dry her tears.
"So," he said, watching her dab at her watery
eyes. "Was that REALLY the same streetlight
you hit the first time?"
She blew her nose and nodded. "Yes."
"Hmm...what do you suppose the odds are of
that?"
Buffy turned around, biting her lower lip, and
shrugged.
"Gotta be pretty high, don't you think?" He
stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned
against the wall. "I guess we'd have to go back and
count how many are there, then we could average
it out," he mused, then winked at her. "Want to
drive?"
It was working. That abused lower lip of hers was
beginning to curve in the smile he loved.
"That's better," he said. Cupping her face in his
hands, he kissed both her cheeks and then
her lips, tasting her tears.
She burrowed closer to him for a moment, then
looked up as he smoothed her hair. "Shouldn't
you call your insurance company?" she asked,
sniffling.
"My...oh, yeah..." he nodded, pressing her cheek
against his chest. "I'll take care of that tomorrow."
There was a brief pause. "You don't have insurance,
do you?" she asked.
"No," he confessed. "But don't worry. I can afford it."
She stirred fretfully in his arms. "No, I should pay
for it. I'm the one who made the dent."
"Buffy..."
"I...can't pay you for all of it at once...but I get an
allowance from my mom every Saturday...and my
dad sends me..."
"Buffy, hush!" he said firmly. "I'm not taking your
money, angelface. I have plenty, and I don't need
yours."
She settled down a little. "...and I was thinking about
getting a job this summer."
"You have a job. Concentrate on that."
Pulling back from him, she lifted her tear stained
face to look in his eyes. "Are you sure you don't
want to pay for..."
"I'm sure," he cut her off. "Listen...I had a sizeable
inheritance from both my mother and my grandfather.
And you'd be surprised how interest can accumulate
over a hundred and twenty five years."
Her eyes grew round. "A hundred and twenty five
years?" she squeaked. "That's how old you are?"
He laughed. "That's when I became a vampire. I was
twenty-eight when it happened, so I suppose, tech-
nically I'm one hundred and fifty three."
"Wow," she murmured. "My mom just about had
a fit when I went out with a senior last year. What's
she gonna say about this?"
"Where is she?"
"She's in New York, visiting some friends. She owns
an art gallery in the Plaza, and she's looking for some
new pieces while she's there."
"And she left you here all by yourself?"
Buffy shrugged. "Believe me, she didn't want to. But
my dad is...well, he's ...not around much. I was
gonna stay with some friends, but someone in their
family died and..it just wouldn't work out."
She stepped back out of his arms. "I need to use
the bathroom," she said, as quietly as though there
was someone else that might overhear.
While he waited for her to return, he shed his jacket
and dropped it over the back of a chair, then removed
his tie.
He moved around the living room, looking at the
vast collection of photographs. Mostly of Buffy,
they ranged from what looked like a newborn
photo taken in the hospital, to what had to be
a school picture taken recently.
He smiled as he examined the visual display of
her infancy and childhood. "God, she's always
been adorable."
She seemed to have gone through no awkward phases
whatsoever. Even the pictures where she was clearly
missing her front teeth showed clear promise of the
beauty she'd grown up to be.
There was one picture that caught his attention in-
stantly. It looked as though it had been taken
when she wasn't aware of it, for she wasn't looking
into the camera, but off to one side of it.
In the photograph, she was wearing a white sun-
dress, with matching white sandals. She had a light
golden tan and her hair was sun streaked, held
back from her face with a gold clip.
There was a faint smile on her face, as if she
was seeing something amusing out of view of the
camera.
He had picked the framed photo up and was still
examining it when she came back into the room.
"Whatcha doing?" she asked.
"Looking at you," he replied. "How old were you when
this was taken?"
She looked over his shoulder. "That was last summer,
so I was almost sixteen." She watched him stare down
at the picture and she smiled. "Would you..like to keep
that picture?"
"Yes," he said immediately, with no "Oh, I couldn't" or
"Are you sure your mother won't mind?" type of re-
sponses. He slipped it out of the frame, and placed
it on the table.
"Thank you," he said, putting the frame down and
turning to face her.
Buffy stared at him with wide eyes. "Take your shirt off!"
she said loudly. "Take it off!"
He blinked, a little surprised at her boldness, but did
as she asked, and unbuttoned his shirt. After dropping
his cuff links into the front pocket of his trousers, he
felt her hands yanking the shirt down his arms and off.
When he turned to face her, he was even more
surprised to see her nearly running from the room.
"Buffy?" He followed her into the kitchen.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god." She was saying it over
and over again as she flung open a door and ran
down the stairs that, he assumed, led to a basement
of some kind.
By the time he caught up with her, she was standing
in front of a washing machine, spraying something onto
the front of his shirt.
"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked. Looking over her shoul-
der, he saw the black mascara staining the garment.
"Look what I've done to your shirt," she moaned. "First
your car...now your shirt," she added, opening the lid
of the washing machine.
"Um...sweetheart..." he began.
"You must think I'm a total jinx," she ranted, dropping
a capful of liquid detergent onto the shirt.
"No, honey, but you can't..."
Wrenching up the lid of the washer, she threw his
shirt in and closed it, then began spinning a dial
on the instrument panel. "I'm so sorry," she kept
repeating.
The machine began to fill, then to agitate. "I can fix
this one, though," she said. "I can even iron it for
you when it comes out of the dryer."
"The..the dryer? Well...all right, but I...."
She flung herself into his arms. "You don't hate me for
being such a klutz, do you?"
Sighing, he wrapped his arms around her and held her
tightly. "No, angelface," he assured her. "I could never
hate you..no matter what."
"Good," she murmured happily. "That makes me feel
so much better."
He pressed a kiss against the crown of her hair. No
way was he going to tell her that she'd thrown a silk
shirt made for him in France..a shirt that was supposed
to be laundered by hand in cold water and never see
the inside of a dryer..into a machine filled with hot
water that was agitating with a violence reserved for
soiled corduroy.
Nope. He wasn't gonna say a damn word about
it.
~~~~~
On this first night, we are one
Kindred spirits on the run
Taking hold of our destiny
In this world of chances missed
Does forever still exist
This side of the fantasy...
~~~~~
"Um..do you want some coffee, or some-
thing? While we're waiting for your shirt?"
He closed the basement door, and followed
her into the kitchen. "I don't think I should,"
he said, "Coffee keeps me awake at night."
"Well, we've got decaffi....very funny," she
smiled, her eyes sparkling.
He sat down at the kitchen table and waited
till she walked close by, then reached out and
grabbed her, pulling her down onto his lap.
"I'd rather have you while I'm waiting for my
shirt," he said, nuzzling the back of her neck.
She tilted her head to one side, totally exposing
the soft flesh of her throat. "Kiss me there," she
asked sweetly.
When she felt the gentle press of his lips on her
pulse, she turned in his lap. "Let me see you...you
know..."
He looked at her, eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you
sure?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "I want to know all of you."
"You won't stake me, will you?"
"Silly," she tsked. "Come on...show me."
When he'd changed, he sat quietly as she examined
his face with her fingertips, feeling the ridges and
looking into his golden eyes. Then, placing her hands
on either side of his face, she lifted the sides of his
upper lip, exposing his fangs.
She sat back, her arms loosely draped around his
neck. "Hmm."
He shook his head and changed back. "Well?"
"It's funny," she said, tilting her head to one side. "The
others all look so ugly. But you don't." She stroked his
cheek with the tip of her finger. "You look wild and
otherworldly...is that a word?"
"I think so," He squeezed her around her waist. "You're
not afraid of me, are you?"
She looked at him and smiled. "Should I be?"
"No. I promise..you'll never have a reason to be
afraid of me."
"Same here," she said, quite matter-of-factly.
~~~~~
Can we afford to wonder
If this could be the one
I'm looking for a love that's everlasting
Wonder if the feeling's strong enough
Tell me, are we merely lovers passing
Or an everlasting love....
~~~~~
The zipper of her dress slid down easily,
and he traced the line of her vertebrae
with his lips, lingering in the small of her
back, gently touching his tongue to her
skin.
He was still sitting, she was standing in front
of him, facing away.
"Can I take your dress off?" he asked.
She smiled and turned around. "Yes," she
said softly, reaching for his hand and tugging
him to his feet.
When she began to pull him across the room,
he stopped her.
"Where are we going?"
She looked at him, surprised. "Um..upstairs. To
my room."
He shook his head. "Let's stay here."
Right on cue, her eyes widened and her cheeks
turned pink. "In the kitchen?"
He had to laugh. He just couldn't help it. "In the
kitchen," he confirmed. Placing his hands under
her arms, he lifted her onto the counter, and stepped
between her legs. "There's no law that says you
have to make love in a bed every time."
Slipping her dress down, he helped pull her arms
out of it, then let it gather around her waist. She
sat there, wearing a black strapless bra, that made
her skin look like cream.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips against
the hollow between her breasts. "That's very pretty,"
he said, "What have you got on down below?"
"Stockings and a garter belt, and my underpants,
which you already knew about," she reported
seriously. "What's so funny?"
He was sincerely trying not to laugh, but her humor
was so unintentional that it caught him off guard
every time.
"Nothing, angel. It's just the way you talk some-
times. So serious and innocent."
"Innocent?" She actually looked disappointed. "Still?"
"A little," he nodded. "And there's nothing wrong with
it, baby. I think it's cute."
"But I'm not supposed to be innocent anymore," she
said. "I have experience now."
"Oh, baby," he said tenderly. "You're just getting started
with your experience. And your innocence is one of the
things I love most about you. I don't want you to lose it,
no matter how much experience you get under your
belt."
She framed his face in her hands and kissed him, then
pulled back and said, "Teach me how to talk..sexy. I
want to learn."
"Later" he promised. "Right now...we're gonna have some
kitchen fun."
Buffy sat and watched him pull open the refrigerator
door and hunt around inside.
"Ah-ha!" he announced, pulling a bowl of fruit out.
He placed the bowl on the counter and peeled off
the plactic wrap. There were strawberries and
raspberries, apple slices and orange wedges in
the bowl.
Buffy looked at it and shrugged. "You know, I'm
really still full from dinner."
With his face buried in the curve of her neck, he
laughed and kissed her and told her how much
he loved her.
Then, he helped her slip her dress all the way
off and unfastened her bra. She lifted her hips and
wriggled out of her underwear, but he instructed her
to leave her stockings and heels on.
He pulled the curtains securely closed, then dimmed
the lights.
When he had the room the way he wanted it, he
reached into the bowl and took out an wedge of
orange.
"What are you...oh!" She gasped when he squeezed
the juice from the orange, letting it trickle over her
breasts. Tossing the peel away, he leaned over and
began licking the juice off her skin.
Buffy leaned back on her hands, thrusting her breasts
forward, allowing him to clean her thoroughly with
his tongue. When he was finished, she picked up
another orange slice and squeezed it on herself, wanting
more of his meticulous clean up.
As his tongue slid wetly over her breasts and circled
her hard nipples, Buffy's head dropped back and she
began to breathe a little faster.
He licked her roughly, then took a fat red strawberry
from the bowl. Holding it by the husk, he rubbed the
other end against each of her nipples, then slid it up
to her lips, inviting her to bite into it.
She did, and the berry exploded between her teeth,
releasing it's sticky juice to stain her lips, a stain he
promptly licked away also.
He kissed her, plunging his tongue into her mouth
and finding hers.
To his absolute delight, Buffy's little fingers began
working at the button of his trousers. When she had
it undone, she carefully lowered his zipper, then
lost her nerve and placed her hands back by her
sides.
He took one of her hands and guided it back to the
opening of his pants. Tearing his mouth away from
hers, he rasped out two words, "Touch me."
Tentatively, she reached in and curved her hand
around his erection.
"Yes, baby," he whispered, sucking on her ear lobe, "Touch
me like that...rub up and down...that's it...harder...yeah."
He pulled her forward on the counter, then let his pants
drop down around his ankles.
"Wrap your legs around my waist," he said, "I want
to feel your stockings against my bare skin." He paused
to admire the sight of her in her garter belt and nylons.
"I'm going to buy you one of those in every color," he
promised.
He slipped one hand between her thighs and stroked her
with his fingers. "So wet," he murmured, kissing her
throat. "I want to be inside you, angel. Buried inside you
where you're all warm and soft."
Buffy whimpered when she felt his mouth on her
breast, sucking at her nipple. He reached into the
bowl with his free hand, and extracted a raspberry.
Squeezing the berry between his thumb and forefinger,
he popped it open and spread juice around the light
pink tip of her right breast, then repeated the process for
the left.
When he had her the way he wanted her, he cupped
his hands beneath her breasts and lifted them slightly,
pushing them together. He applied his tongue to her
sugary tasting curves, suckling hard on the very tips
until he had them nearly the same color as the raspberry
he'd painted her with.
"William," she moaned hoarsely. "Please...I..."
She honestly didn't know how to articulate her desire.
"S'all right, baby," he whispered. "I know what my girl needs.
What she wants."
He urged her to lay down on the counter, then ducked
between her legs and began to lick her there. He had to
keep a firm grip on her hips to keep her still, since she
was doing everything she could to get closer to his teasing
tongue.
Pausing to adjust her a little, his eye fell on something
he hadn't noticed before.
Buffy was laying on her back and staring at the ceiling
when she felt his mouth leave her, and she whined in
protest. Before she could say anything though, she felt
a thick substance being applied to her labia. When she
raised her head, she saw William squeezing the honey bottle
her mother kept by the toaster, letting the honey drip down
and coat her sex.
Looking up, he caught her watching him. "Not that you aren't
already adorably sweet," he grinned like a naughty child with
a serious sweet tooth, "But I just love honey."
Pushing the bottle away,. he ducked back down between
her legs and began to meticulously clean up every sticky
drop.
When neither of them could wait another second, he straight-
ened up and aligned her opening with the head of his erect
shaft.
As she felt him began to enter her, she dug her nails
into his arms. It hurt, but not nearly the way it had the
first time, so she assumed it would get a little better each
time they did it.
But when he started to thrust, she noticed that the pain
ebbed a lot more quickly than it had last night. When it
was completely gone, she began to return his thrusts
as best she could from the position she was in.
Turning her head, she saw the honey bottle. William's
eyes were closed, so she reached for it and coated her
finger with the golden syrup, then touched his lips with
it.
His eyes flew open, and when he saw what she was
doing, he smiled and opened his mouth, allowing her
to slide her finger in so he could suck the honey off of it.
She imitated the motion he was performing for her,
using her finger. He sucked it, and licked it, and bit
down gently on it, continuing to thrust harder and harder
in and out of her tight passsage.
Buffy was close to orgasm, and she tightened her
legs around him, using the strong muscles to hold
him firmly inside of her, then grinding herself against
him until she came.
He let her gyrate against him, giving her the pressure
she needed, and when she was finished and looking
up at him with sleepy, satisfied eyes, he pumped into
her hard and fast, grunting with his efforts, exploding
inside of her with a shout of pure carnal pleasure.
He fell forward, covering her mouth with his and
kissing her deeply, then buried his face between her
breasts and closed his eyes.
Buffy stroked his shoulders and back, caressing and
petting him until he raised up off of her.
He saw her looking at the fruit bowl, and asked her
what she was thinking about.
"I was just wondering...what were you gonna do with
the apples, and....why are you laughing? What did I
say?"
~~~~~
This could be an everlasting love....
~~~~~
Part Ten
Words
~~~~~
Smile an everlasting smile
A smile could bring you near to me
Don't ever let me find you gone
'Cause that would bring a tear to me....
~~~~~
"Buffy...your phone is ringing."
She rolled over in bed. "Hmmm?"
"Your phone, sweetheart...it's ringing."
"Oh." Leaning over, Buffy grabbed the jangling
instrument. "Hlo...Hi Giles...Yeah...What?...What
time is it?...Are you kidding me?...No, why?...More
of them where?...Uh-huh...Yeah, I guess I can...Uh,
yeah...I'll let you know...What?...Yes, I did...He's
very special...Okay...I won't...Giles...I'm hanging up
now...Okay...Bye."
She replaced the receiver and stretched, then
snuggled back down in William's arms.
"So...I'd better be that someone very special
you mentioned," he said teasingly.
"Oh, you are," she assured him. "You're my some-
one special...or is it my special someone?"
"Either way suits me," he replied, playing with
her hair. "Who was that?"
"Giles." She yawned. "He's my watcher."
"From the restaurant?"
"Mm-hmm. He wants me to skip cemetery duty to-
night and check out some carnival on the edge of
town. Says there's supposed to be a lot of vamp
activity there."
He nodded. "That's probably true."
She looked at him skeptically. "Vampires at a
carnival?"
"Well, they're not there to ride the Tilt-A-Whirl," he
said. "Carnivals are easy pickings for vampires."
"How come?"
"First, because there's so much screaming going
on that people don't seem to notice a little more.
Second, there are a lot of small closed off areas where
they can dump a body. Third, a lot of transients work
there and there's no concern if they turn up missing."
"Is that it?"
He smiled. "Then of course there's the sugar rush
from feeding on people who've been stuffing themselves
with cotton candy and caramel apples all day."
Buffy's eyes got round. "Oh, I LOVE cotton candy,"
she said. "This is gonna be a lot more fun than some
stale old graveyard."
"I haven't been to a carnival in years," he mused. "I
remember once that Dru and I were in New..."
He stopped when he saw the look on her face
change and realized what he'd said.
But she regained her smile and said, "Go on...you
were where?"
He knew a forced smile when he saw one, and he
was looking at one right now. The last thing she
wanted to hear about were his adventures with Drusilla
in New Orleans, or anywhere else for that matter.
This was a thing he understood completely. He knew
quite well how fortunate he'd been to discover this
girl at such an early stage of her life, before experience
stripped away her sweetness and innocent enthusiasm.
He absolutely hated the idea of any other man touching
her, or loving her.
But he couldn't give her that same gift in return. He'd
been a grown man when he'd been turned, not over-
whelmed with experience to be sure, but still he'd
had more than she.
And now...well, he was old in vampire years. Most
fledgling vamps didn't survive past the first anniver-
sary of their turning, whereas he had passed more
than a hundred of them.
"I was in New Orleans.." he began, groping for the
right words.
But Buffy surprised him. "With your...friend? The one
you brought to Sunnydale with you?"
He nodded. "That's right."
She studied her fingernails, trying to sound casual. "What's
her name?"
He sighed. There would be no putting this off any
longer. "Drusilla."
Buffy glanced at him. "That's a pretty name," she said,
with a half smile.
Returning her smile, he smoothed her hair back from her
face. "Elizabeth is a pretty name, too," he said tenderly.
"Elizabeth Anne," she informed him.
"Even prettier." Leaning over, he tried to kiss her, but
she turned her face away. "Buffy...."
"You said she was sick." She sat up in bed and ran one
hand through her hair. "That's why you brought her here?"
He nodded. "I was told that Sunnydale might be the best
place to look for a cure."
"What's wrong with her? I didn't know vampires could
get sick."
Sitting up beside her, he shoved a pillow against the
headboard of her bed and leaned back. "Vampires...they
can get sick in other ways. We can't catch colds or con-
tract diseases, but if we're injured gravely enough, we
don't always recover completely."
"Is that what happened?" she asked.
"Yes. We...you see, Drusilla is...she's a little different
than most other vampires. Even when she was mortal,
she had...abilities. She could see things that were going
to happen..."
"You mean like ESP?" Buffy asked.
"Something like that," he nodded. "Mentally, she wasn't
always right on the beam. And, um...when she was in-
jured, it got worse. We were in Prague..do you know
where that is?"
"No, I guess I don't," she admitted, feeling stupid.
"It was the capitol city of what used to be Czech-
oslovakia, in eastern Europe. It's on the Vltava River."
"Why were you there?"
"No reason. Just traveling. Anyway, Dru was never very
circumspect about her activities. She had a bad tendency
to overdo things and take unwise chances. To put it plainly,
she killed too many people in too small an area. They
figured out what was going on..and one night when I was
away...they caught her."
"And they're the ones who injured her?"
"Yes. She came close to dying that night, and it was
touch and go for a long time after that. They drugged
her and tried to drain her blood...I guess they thought
they were showing her what it felt like to feel your life
being drained out of you. As though she didn't already
know that."
Buffy frowned. "So...you came back and saved her...and
brought her here?"
"Well, not right away," he replied. He wanted desperately
to touch her, but she was making it clear with her body
language that it would not please her.
Buffy took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then
turned to look right at him. "Do...do you love her?"
He stared at her, helplessly. "Yes."
Tears filled her eyes, and she began to cry.
"Buffy," he said urgently. "I love YOU, sweetheart."
He didn't know how to explain this to her. She was
simply too young to understand the vagaries of
love in all it's many forms, the subtle differences
in scope and measure.
The love he felt for Drusilla was not the same as
it had once been. Time and circumstances had
changed it from a dark passion they'd once shared
to a gentle caring between two people with a long
history between them. It was a melange of tender-
ness, familiarity, and responsibility.
With Buffy though, everything was new and fresh. He
could look at the world through her childlike eyes,
and reaccquaint himself with all it's wonders. Her
sweetness and innocence intoxicated him, like cham-
pagne bubbles racing through his blood stream.
And her passion...oh, that set the world on fire. He
would never drink his fill of it, not if he supped for a
thousand years.
This girl brought out feelings in him that he'd considered
to be buried ages ago. She had stolen his heart so
completely..so effortlessly..that he hadn't realized it
until it was in her little hands.
He wanted to be everything to her. Her protector, her
teacher, her friend and her lover. No other man but
him would ever have this girl, would ever know her
as he did.
"Buffy, please don't cry," he begged. "I hate it when
you cry."
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to," she sniffled, wiping her
cheeks on the back of her hand. "It was just...it was
hard to hear you say that...that...what you said."
Trying to put himself in her place, he could only
imagine how hard it must have been. He knew how
HE would feel if she'd said she loved another man..but
also loved him. He'd want to track the other man down
and break his neck, he'd be so jealous.
"I'm sorry, angelface," he said, trying to pull her
hands away from her face. "Please don't be upset. I
love you...you know I do. I loved you the minute
I saw you."
She finally looked at him, searching for the truth
behind his words, and trying to form a response.
After swallowing the lump in her throat, all she
could come up with was, "Me too."
Pulling her into his arms, he cuddled and caressed
her, stroking her hair and babying her until she was
calm.
Then, she laid her head on his shoulder and allowed
him to rock her in his lap, sighed deeply and muttered,
"Boy, being the other woman is for the birds."
And his heart melted with love and laughter, as he
held her face in his hands and kissed her.
"That's my girl," he said. "A humorist in all situations."
~~~~~
This world has lost it's glory
Let's start a brand new story
Now my love
Right now, there'll be no other time
And I can show you how...my love
~~~~~
"William?"
"Hmm?"
"I...I was reading this book a couple of months
ago, and...well, I was wondering..."
Since her cheeks were deliciously warm and pink
again, he was pretty certain in which direction she
was heading.
"Wondering what, angelface?"
They were sitting in the windowseat in her bedroom,
enjoying the slight breeze that ruffled the curtains. He
had his pants on, while she wore only the shirt that she'd
rescued from the dryer, which, not surprisingly, now fit
her better than it did him.
He had been prepared for hysterics, but she'd surprised
him when she'd taken the shirt out of the dryer, by
staring at it openmouthed, then bursting into giggles
so infectious that he'd laughed until his side ached.
"I guess I wasn't meant to be a laundry lady," she
had said ruefully.
He had agreed wholeheartedly. "No, you were meant to
be a queen of seduction," he had told her, picking her up
and carrying her upstairs to a bed that had still been
touseled from previous lovemaking, and a pillow not
yet dry of her tears.
"Well...in this book...the two main characters were in
love and..."
"And what?" he prompted.
She squirmed in his lap. "Never mind," she said,
ducking her head to avoid his inquiring look.
"Now, come on...tell me," he coaxed her. "Don't be
a tease."
"I can't," she said, with a negative shake of her
head. "It's too...embarrassing."
He chuckled and squeezed her tight. "Angelface..you
can't possibly still be embarrassed after everything
we've done."
"We haven't done THIS" she said under her breath.
Now he was intrigued...
"So..the two main protagonists..." he began.
"Main...whatamists?"
"Characters...they were in love, and doing something
to bring up the color in your cheeks," he mused. "Was
this a romance novel that my innocent little slayer was
reading?"
"Sort of," she giggled when he tickled her.
His imagination was running riot. He'd glanced through
one or two of those type of books before, and they
were erotically explicit. He wanted very much to know
just what had led Buffy to open this line of discussion,
something, he wagered, that she would never have done
up until two days ago.
Something they had not done, she'd said. Since he was
fairly certain that she wasn't referring to anything ex-
travagantly kinky involving restraints or riding equipment,
he had to assume that her bashfulness was caused by
some sort of variation on traditional sexual positions.
Since they had already made love in a bed and on
the kitchen counter in the time honored face-to-face
manner, then she probably meant....
Oh. OH!
He was definitely interested in this!
Placing his lips close to her ear, he whispered, "Tell
me."
But she just shook her head again.
"Shall I tell YOU?" he asked.
He heard her inhale sharply, although she didn't speak
a word of either agreement or dissent.
"This couple you were reading about..was the woman
on her hands and knees?"
Her breathing deepened, and she nodded.
"And was the man...behind her?"
Another nod.
He slipped his hands up and squeezed her breasts. "Do
you want to try that?"
She turned her head and looked at him. "Do YOU?" she
asked.
He smiled and kissed the back of her neck. "I would love
to," he replied. "Stand up."
Without a moments hesitation, she did.
He stayed where he was, on the window seat. "Unbutton
my shirt," he directed her.
She gave him a sassy smile. "You mean MY shirt?"
Although thrilled by her flirtatious demeanor, he won-
dered how long she'd be able to maintain it before her
natural reticence kicked in.
Well, he'd best take advantage of it now...
"Yes. Unbutton YOUR shirt...now pull it open...good..let
me see your breasts." His hand moved down and un-
zipped his fly. "Put your hands on them."
Now, she looked confused. "Put...MY hands...?"
"That's right," he affirmed. "Touch your breasts...while I
watch you..come on, don't be shy. There's no one
here but us, babe.." His erection felt like a steel bar
when he removed it from it's silk prison.
Wrapping his fingers around it, he moved them slowly up
and down.
Staring at him in amazement, Buffy wet her lips and
cupped her hands over her breasts, turning red to her
hairline.
"Good girl," he said, still stroking himself. "Now wet your
fingers.."
She actually looked around the room for a source of
water. "I'll have to..." she gestured towards the bath-
room.
"Just put them in your mouth, angel...suck on your
fingers and make them wet."
Buffy looked at him as though he'd suggested that
she scrub the toilets at the bus terminal with her
hairbrush.
"My hands are.." she gestured helplessly.
Okay, maybe she wasn't quite ready for this level
of sex play.
Reminding himself again how young she was, he
smiled, "Your hands are fine, angel...but if you want
to go and wash them first..."
Even in her unschooled mind, Buffy knew that the
mood he was setting would be unpleasantly broken
if she excused herself to the washroom. So, wiping
her fingers as unobtrusively as she could manage
on the side of his shirt, she followed his earlier request
and licked them until they were quite wet.
He felt his shaft twitch in his grasp when he saw
her little pink tongue dart out and slide wetly over
her fingers, and he groaned softly.
"Good Christ, girl," he ground out. "How can you make
something so simple look so erotic?"
She had no idea and, being the literal girl that she
was, she shrugged.
He chuckled and stood up, dropping his pants and
stepping out of them. Reaching for her, he slipped
his hands under the silk shirt and around her small
waist.
Her arms came up and twined around the back of
his neck, as she raised her face for his kiss.
Giving her what she wanted, he picked her up and
carried her to the bed, then turned and sat down
with her on his lap.
He eased the shirt down one shoulder and followed
the path with his mouth, dotting her skin with brief
kisses as he stripped her.
Moving into the middle of the bed, he arranged her
so that she was straddling his waist. Lying beneath
her, he took her hands and placed them on her
breasts.
"Play with them a little," he said, not taking his eyes
off her. "That's it..they're nice and full, aren't they? So
soft and round..touch your nipples with the tips of your
fingers..squeeze them..good girl..."
It was a pleasant enough feeling, but Buffy wanted
more, so she decided to take a little initiative. Before
she could chicken out, she grabbed his hands and
cupped them over her breasts, making him squeeze
them.
He hissed between his teeth. "Thank you, baby," he
said softly. "I've been wanting you to do that."
Buffy's head dropped back as he fondled her, molding
her flesh with his hands. He played with her nipples,
gently pinching them and tugging at them, until they
were berry red and achingly sensitive.
She looked down at him with her desire showing
plainly in her eyes.
"Do you want my mouth?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Then tell me..tell me what you want."
Staring into his eyes, she licked her lips
nervously.
"You can do it, angel" he encouraged her. "Tell
me what you want. I want to please you."
Her lashes came down, hiding her eyes.
"No, look at me," he said firmly, surprised when
she obeyed. "You wanted to learn to talk this
way...remember? You asked me to teach you."
"I know," she whispered.
"Well, that's how is starts...you tell me what you
want me to do...what feels good." He slipped one
hand up her back, making her lean closer. "What
do I do to you, that you like?"
"I..I like when you touch me?"
"When I touch you where?"
"My...my breasts." Her voice was so soft that even
he had to strain to hear it.
He tightened his hand on her breast. "Like that?"
"Yes...and..."
"Tell me...."
"When you kiss me...when you kiss my breasts...I
like it."
He urged her down a little more, gently placing a kiss
on the upper curve of her right breast.
She strained towards him, but he refused to give her
what she wanted until she said the words. "Please..."
she whined.
"Please...what?"
Her voice was taut with frustration. "Please...use...use
your...tongue..."
He smiled, then leaned forward and ran his tongue
wetly over the soft mounds. "What else?" he whispered
hoarsely.
Buffy was becoming too desperate to be shy. "Suck
them," she begged.
"Suck your nipples?"
"Yes...yes..."
"Say it!"
She swallowed hard and looked right into his eyes.
"Suck my nipples...suck them now...do it!" she
demanded.
Instantly, he sat up and took her into his mouth. Run-
ning his tongue around and around the hard tip of her
right breast, he suckled it, making husky little grunting
noises as he went at her.
She wrapped her arms around his head, moaning
softly as her eyes drifted shut.
"Don't stop," she protested, when he released her from
his mouth.
"I'm not," he replied. "I want the other one, too."
He wanted it...and he took it.
After tonguing both nipples to diamond hardness, he
placed his hands on the sides of her breasts and
pushed them together, burying his face in her lush
cleavage.
"I'll teach you something new...later," he promised. "But
right now...is there anything else you want me to do?"
She nodded. "Yes," she gasped. "The...the book."
"Oh, yes," he grinned. "The book. Sit up, then."
They knelt together in the middle of the bed, kissing
passionately as their bodies strained to connect.
He moved his hands down, caressing the inward curve
of her waist and the flare of her slender hips, then
slipped them around and squeezed her pretty bottom.
Delightfully surprised when she returned the favor, he
pulled away slightly, and moved one hand between her
thighs.
"You're wet," he informed her, breathing in the scent
of her femininity.
She nodded. "I know..it's because of you." Looking
down, she lightly touched his erection. "You're hard,"
she observed, quite seriously.
"I know," he grinned. "It's because of YOU."
Buffy stared down, fascinated as his shaft began to
release drops of semen. She lifted one away on her
finger, feeling the sticky consistency of it. "It's hard
to believe that this is where a baby comes from," she
murmured, then glanced at him. "Except...they don't
for you."
He smiled at her. "Who told you that?" he asked.
She couldn't have frozen any faster if she'd suddenly
been dumped into the Arctic Ocean. "What?"
"I said who..."
She grabbed his shoulders. "What do you MEAN, who
told me that? Everyone knows that. It's like...like the
first thing you learn in slayer school."
"You have a school?"
"William! It isn't funny!" She looked at her hand in
horror, then wiped it on the sheet. "Vampires can't make
babies...cause...well, they just CAN'T! Right?"
He was sorry he'd started this now. "Calm down, angel..."
"Calm down? CALM DOWN??" she wailed. "My mother's
gonna kill me if I have a baby!"
"All right, listen to me," he said firmly, holding her face
between his hands. "Vampires can't make babies..un-
less..."
"Unless WHAT?" she demanded.
"Unless..." He couldn't help himself. "..they have sex with
a girl on a kitchen counter...no, wait...come back here. I'm
teasing you...come here. I'm sorry, babe..listen, vampires
can't make babies without some magic involved."
"Really?" She looked doubtful.
"Yeah. Really." Her agitation had flushed her
skin becomingly, and her hair tumbled wildly
around her face as her eyes flashed emerald fire.
She looked incredibly sexy, and he hoped he hadn't
pissed her off so badly that she wouldn't allow him
to touch her.
But, apparently, the little upheaval had aroused her
inner bitch. She shoved him down onto the bed and
jumped on him. Holding him down, she treated him
to his first exhibition of her in slayer mode.
"That wasn't funny," she said in measured tones. There
was nothing girlish about her now. She was all woman,
direct and forceful...hot and angry...and punishing....
He wanted her so much he couldn't stand it.
Grabbing her shoulders, he pulled her down on
top of him, then rolled her over.
"I want to fuck you," he said roughly.
Her breasts rose and fell with her harsh breathing,
and she opened her mouth and spoke before think-
ing, shocking herself as much as she did him.
"Fuck me," she said, challenging him.
His mouth crashed down on hers, kissing her so
hard that her lip was bloodied. He smelled the copper
aroma, and his demon reared up inside of him.
Plunging his hand into her hair, he tugged on it until
her neck was arched. "Are you mine?" he grated.
"Yes, I'm yours."
He stared at her, his eyes flashing blue and gold. "No,"
he said, shaking his head. "There's only...one way."
"I don't care," she said. "Whatever way..it's all right."
Struggling for control, he sat up. She had absolutely
no idea what she was inviting, and he was in no
state to explain it to her calmly. His hold on the demon
was tenuous at best, the slightest provocation would
bring it screaming to the surface.
He tried to leave the bed, but she grabbed his
arm. "Don't go."
"I have to" he said. "Let go...."
"No," she almost shouted. "You...you can't. You pro-
mised to teach me..everything."
He pulled harder. "That was before," he panted. Oh, God,
it was so close to the surface.
"No...stop!" She caught his arm and wrenched him
back. He shoved her away, and she banged her
head on the wall her bed lay against.
Buffy knew something was going on with him. He looked
different and he definitely sounded different, but she
didn't care. Whatever it was, she could deal with it. She
could deal with anything...as long as he was with her.
She had a vague idea of what he wanted to do. Giles
had explained to her about vampires claiming a mate.
That's what he had meant, when she'd declared herself
to be his. He'd said there was only one way....
Pushing the thought of Drusilla away, Buffy drew
and slapped him as hard as she could.
"You promised!" she yelled in his face. "Now, are you a
man...or a...a..." She rolled her eyes, at a loss for a
suitable word. "...a mouse?" she finished lamely.
His eyes zeroed in on her lower lip, seeing the drop
of fresh blood on it. "I'm a vampire," he stated boldly.
"And you're mine!"
Grabbing hold of her, he turned her until she was
facing away from him, then shoved her down on her
hands and knees.
Although she was afraid that he was about to force
himself into her with no thought of how she felt, he
seemed to collect himself, and he pulled her back
until she was up on her knees, pressed intimately to
his naked body.
One hand moved to her breast and the other dove
between her thighs. "Buffy..." he moaned. "Don't be
angry with me..I won't hurt you, I promise."
"I know," she whispered. "You won't hurt me...because
I'm yours.."
He massaged her between her legs, making her wet
and needy in a matter of moments. He used his finger
on her clitoris, rubbing it gently, then slipped that finger
inside of her.
Buffy gasped, grinding herself down on his hand.
"Mine," he whispered. "You're mine...you're mine...."
He fondled her breast and nudged her legs apart. Thrusting
his shaft between her thighs, he didn't try to put it inside
her yet, he just rubbed it against her moist sex, back and
forth, until they were both dizzy with the pleasure.
His hands were gentler as he once again moved her to
her hands and knees. Holding his shaft firmly, he placed
it at her wet opening and began to push it inside her.
Buffy's eyes flew open wide. For the first time, there was
absolutely no pain involved with his entry. There was
only a full, sliding sensation and the delicious pressure
he exerted on her sex.
She couldn't keep quiet. "Oh, God...oh...William...that's
just...it feels so good..."
He threw his head back, squeezing his eyes shut tight.
"Yeah," he whispered. "Oh, yeah...baby, you're so tight...
so hot and wet..but, Christ...that tight little pussy of yours
is just...fucking amazing.
Buffy braced her hands beneath her, and pushed back.
"That's it," he praised her. "Do it...fuck me back...yeah,"
he grunted. "Oh, yeah...."
They fell into an easy rhythm, as he pumped smoothly
in and out of her, muttering soft words of love and the
coarser words of sex. Her arousal was climbing to meet
his, ratcheted higher with every word he spoke.
Suddenly falling forward, he supported himself on one
hand and used the other to play with her breasts.
"Mmmm.." he moaned. "Beautiful...soft and warm..you
have luscious tits, baby...and the creamiest pussy I've
ever been in...fuck...yeah..."
Buffy was nearly undone by these words. Even the
books she had read, the ones she kept a secret even
from her closest friends, had not been so raw.
It was wildly arousing, and she searched her lust
ridden brain for a response of some kind. "Umm...har-
der," she said. Tentative at first, it got easier to say
when she repeated it. "Come on...harder. Yes...I like
that...don't stop."
Unable to use the anatomical "dirty words" he uttered
so casually, she had to settle for moaning loudly and
begging him not to stop.
"Oh, William," she crooned. "Please...more....fu...make
love to me...forever..."
He yanked her up until she was pressed full
length against him. Her hand found the back of his
neck, and her nails sank in deeply.
The stinging pain matched the intense pleasure,
and he buckled under the onslaught. His demon
finally burst free, golden eyes shifting from side
to side.
"Forever?" he asked, his voice deeper and his
tone more seductive. "Are you sure?"
Buffy nodded convulsively. "I'm sure."
Licking his lips, he located the delicate pulse
point on her throat. "Don't be afraid," he whispered.
Setting his fangs against her fragile skin, he bit
down.
Buffy's eyes opened wide and she sucked in a
harsh breath, releasing it back out on a scream
of mixed pain and pleasure.
He held firm, biting deeper to intensify the
erotic sensation, and thrusting himself into her
as deeply as he could.
The contractions of orgasm began to jerk
and twist in her vitals, and she consciously clamp-
ed down on his shaft, squeezing it until he released
his hold on her throat and bellowed with his satis-
faction, flooding her womb with bursts of creamy
fluid.
His hand on her breast tightened almost to the
point of pain, and he collapsed, taking her down
with him.
They lay there as they'd fallen, still joined, their
bodies aching and sated.
~~~~~
Talk in everlasting words
And dedicate them all to me
And I will give you all my life
I'm here if you should call to me...
~~~~~
"Buffy? Buffy, did I hurt you? Are you all right,
angel?"
He was trying to move away from her, and she
couldn't let that happen.
Slipping one hand behind her, she grabbed his
arm. "I'm okay," she panted. "Don't leave me."
He smiled, brushing her hair back from the side of
her face. "I'm not leaving you, angelface. I'm right
here."
He pressed a kiss between her shoulder blades and
then moved to one side, raising his weight off of her.
As he watched her sit up, he saw the bite marks he'd
left on her throat. Feeling a combination of shame and
self disgust at his lack of control, he couldn't suppress
the possessive pride that was overshadowing every
other emotion.
He had made her "his" officially. From now on, whatever
happened between them, she would be his mate..his
bride.
As pleased as he was about it, he had to make sure that
she understood what had happened, and understood all
the implications of it as well.
"Buffy..you know what this means...don't you?" he asked,
gesturing at the bite marks.
Her fingers flew up to her neck, examining them care-
fully. "Well, it means I need a band-aid," she replied,
wiping the blood away.
"No," he shook his head, charmed as always with her
naive sweetness. "It means more than just that, love. It
means that you're my mate now. I've claimed you, and
I did it while we were making love. It's final after that.
There's no going back."
Buffy was thrilled by this information. No going back?
For HIM as well as her? That could only mean one
thing.
Drusilla what's-her-name was on her own now.
She rolled over and presented him with a huge smile,
then wrapped her arms around his neck. "You mean that
you're my...what?...my husband?"
"Something like that," he replied, kissing her forehead.
"But I'm too young to get married," she said, with a
sassy look. "Especially to a guy over a hundred years
old."
He laughed. "Well, it's too late now, little girl. You gave
me permission and I took you. You belong to me."
She smiled sweetly. "That's okay. I want to belong to
you."
As they rearranged themselves on the bed, Buffy gave
him a curious look. "I don't get one thing," she said. "How
come you never did that with Drusilla...I mean you guys
were together a lot longer than....." Her voice trailed off
when she saw the look on his face.
"You...you didn't marry her, too...did you?" she asked, very
afraid of what his answer was going to be.
"Buffy...it was a long time ago...and we haven't really
been together...not the way you and I are...."
"Oh, God," she gasped, wringing her hands. "You are...
you're already...already married...to her..."
"Buffy," he reached out one hand. "Please, baby...let me
explain this to...."
"How could you?" she asked, then burst into tears. "How
could you do that...to me...when you knew...you knew...
that...that I..."
She whirled around and ran for the door, but he caught
her before she could escape.
"Baby, please..." he begged her. "Don't cry..it's not
what you think...I swear."
"Let go of me," she sobbed, shoving him away.
"No, I won't," he said. "Not until I make you understand."
"Understand WHAT?" she nearly screamed. "That
you're a...a...pygmiest?"
He clapped one hand over his mouth, quickly.
She glared at him. "Are you laughing at me?"
He shook his head, without moving his hand. If she
saw him laughing, it was all over.
"You are so!" she said, stamping her little foot.
Biting down on his inner cheek, hard enough to
draw blood, he moved his hand away from his
mouth. "I'm not...I swear it."
He had forgotten how emotional teenage girls
could be.
"Listen to me," he said calmly, reaching for her
hand. "I'm not a bigamist. When I claimed you,
it cancelled out my claim on Drusilla. Not that we've
exactly been close for some time now, but still..."
Her lovely green eyes were shimmering with un-
shed tears. He could actually see her trying to act
mature about her situation.
He reached for her again, and this time she allowed
him to hold her. When he felt she was ready for it,
he moved her back over to the bed and made her
get in, then followed her and held her until she was
almost asleep.
He had never, in any part of his existence since he'd
become a vampire, been so unsettled and uncertain
of what he was going to do next.
Drusilla was waiting for him and, mated or not, he
still had a responsibility to look after her.
But here and now, holding the slayer in his arms
and listening to the comforting sound of her heart
beating, he couldn't see any future without her.
So, what the hell was he going to do now?
~~~~~
You think that I don't even mean
A single word I say
It's only words, and words are all I have
To take your heart away.....
~~~~~
An hour later, he glanced at the clock and frowned.
Buffy had fallen asleep in his arms, and he'd been
enjoying the pure contentment of holding her as
she dreamed.
He had hurt her once tonight already, and now he
was going to have to wake her up and do it again.
Because he had to leave. Dawn wasn't far away,
and if he didn't go soon, he would be trapped here
all day. It would be difficult enough to explain to
Dru where he'd been, but staying away all night
AND all day would raise questions he wasn't
prepared to deal with.
But, God...she was sleeping so sweetly. And
he wanted so much to hold her a while more, then
wake her and make love to her sleepy, warm body
and winsome mind.
Carefully, he disengaged himself from her em-
brace, and she sighed softly as she turned over
on her stomach.
"William," she whispered softly in her sleep, smiling
tenderly.
Regretfully, he pulled his pants, socks, and
shoes on. His jacket was still downstairs. His shirt
of course, was a write off, but he had some things
in the trunk of the car that had never been unpacked
and he'd no doubt find something.
Sitting on the side of the bed, he leaned over and
kissed Buffy's cheek. "Wake up, angel," he said,
giving her a gentle shake.
After a moment, he saw her eyelashes lift, revealing
slightly confused green eyes. She rolled over on
her back and gazed up at him.
"I have to go, sweetheart," he said, stroking her
hair.
"You do? But...but it's not morning yet." She sat
up in bed, holding the sheet over her naked body.
His shy little slayer was back.
"But it will be soon," he explained. "And if I don't
go now...." He let the rest of the sentence trail
off.
"Oh," she murmured, pushing her hair out of her
eyes. "Okay."
She began to climb out of the bed, but he stopped
her. "Don't get up, baby. You stay here and keep
warm. I'll lock the door downstairs."
Buffy nodded mutely. She wanted to cry and stomp
her feet, to do whatever she had to do that would
keep him here. But she was too afraid that such
theatrics might send him running for the hills per-
manently.
"Goodbye," she said, trying for a brave smile.
He hesitated a moment, then smiled back at her. "Hey
what if I come and pick you up tonight and take you
to that carnival," he said, hoping to see the light
come back to her sad eyes.
She looked at him doubtfully. "You know what I'm
going there to do," she warned him.
He brushed it off. "Well, I'll just hide my eyes whenever
you pull out your stake," he replied.
Finally, she giggled. That little girl laughter he loved
to hear on her lips.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"You bet I am," he assured her. "And when you're all
done, I'll take you on the ferris wheel, if you let me kiss
you at the top."
Buffy sighed happily, a young girl easily diverted from
the tragedy she'd imagined her life to be a while ago.
"And cotton candy?" she asked.
"As much as you want, angelface," he promised. "Kiss
me goodbye now....."
~~~~~
It's only words
And words are all I have
To take your heart....away....
~~~~~
He pulled the front door closed behind him,
then walked around to the trunk of his car.
As he'd thought, there were several shirts and
sweaters he hadn't bothered with since they'd
been purchased.
Grabbing a dark blue one, he tugged it over his
head, then closed the trunk.
As he slammed it shut, his eyes went automatically
to her bedroom window. She was standing there,
watching him go, her body outlined in the golden
glow of her bedroom lamp.
His unbeating heart constricted in his chest as
their eyes met and communicated without words.
For a count of five, they stood absolutely still.
Then, at the same moment he moved from around
the back of the car, she turned and ran from the
room, grabbing her robe and slipping it on as she
pelted down the stairs.
When she yanked open the door, he was standing
there waiting for her, and without a word he stepped in-
side and slammed the door.
Picking her up in his arms, he once again carried
her up the stairs.