Chapter 5
*******
A nurse had come back from her break when another nurse came out of the supply room, carefully holding two large chunks of broken glass.
“What happened?” Jane
inquired.
“I’m not sure. I went to
help a patient, and when I returned, the cabinet was broken into,” Molly
replied. “I’m gonna get my ass chewed out for this.” She threw the glass in the
trash.
“It’s not your fault. I took
a little longer than I needed.”
Molly didn’t say anything
because it was true. There should have been someone else here. She sat down and
called her supervisor. “Hello, this is Molly at the fifth floor nurses
station... We’ve got a problem...The supply cabinet was broken into…No I was
with a patient….She was on her break when it
happened…Ok...Bye.”
Molly turned around to look
Jane in the eye.
“What? What did Marie
say?”
“She’s not pleased, but
since the hospital is short staffed, there’s nothing that she can do, and we
should have called another nurse from another floor.”
Jane sat down across from
Molly.
“Is she gonna call the
police?”
“Yeah, I guess. They need to
be notified about this.”
Twenty minutes later, an
African American officer stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the
nurse’s station.
“Heard you had a little excitement around here."
“Hi,” Molly greeted. “Someone broke into our supply room."
“I was with a patient and Jane was on her break."
“Yes, I was out just a bit
longer than I was supposed to have been,” Jane replied.
The officer made notes as
the women related the story to him.
“May I see the cabinet?” he
asked.
“What came up missing?” he
asked, surveying the damage.
“Some sedatives," she explained. "A class IV narcotic."
Taking a closer look at the crime scene, he made a few more notes, then
closed his book.
“We'll get someone up here
to dust for finger prints, and I'll see if I can’t interview some other people
as well. We’ll get back with you as soon as we hear anything. Thanks for your
help.”
“Hello ma’am. I’m Officer
Jones with the Sunnydale PD. I just need to ask you a few questions, if that’s
all right with you?”
“Oh sure, sure. What can I
help you with, officer?”
“One of the medicine
cabinets had been broken into on the fifth floor,” He began to explain, but she
interrupted him.
“Oh
dear.”
“What? Did you see anything
or anyone unusual? Someone you didn’t know perhaps?”
The older woman thought for
a few moments before speaking.
“Ah, let me see…Oh yes,
there was a new nurse that asked where the rest room was this
morning.”
“What’d she look
like?”
“Red hair about here,” She gestured along her jaw line. “Petite. Light skinned. She was wearing a gray shirt and black flair pant I believe. She said it was her first day here."
He scribbled down this new information.
“Thank you ma’am. If you can think of any more details, please call me at the police department," he said, handing her his card.
“Oh, I will officer.” She
smiled. “I hope you catch who ever did it.”
Jones excused himself and
called his superior once again, letting him know of the lead he had. When the
CSI team arrived, Jones instructed them to the restroom. He knew that there
would be tons of finger prints, but it was worth a shot.
Half hour later, the team
had all that they were going to get. Officer Jones interviewed a few more
people, but no one was able to shed any more light on the break in. When he was
satisfied, he and the team left, heading back to the
precinct.
****************************************
Anya had called them back
around
Anya’s parents were very
wealthy, but she wanted to make it on her own, so she chose to work with Buffy
and
She wanted to do something
special for William and Buffy. Anya felt horrible about blurting out her news to
them like that on such a hellish day. They'd probably wonder what in the world
was wrong with her, but she didn't let that stop her.
I’m allowed to show off my
sensitive side once in a awhile, she thought to herself
after she hung up from speaking with
They had been in the family
room watching television when Anya had called.
“What is it?” Buffy asked.
”What?”
“She’s offering to take us
to the country club for lunch and afterwards facials for us girls,”
“Wow,” Buffy said shocked.
“It’s not very often she does something like that. Better take her up on her
offer.” She laughed. “Sounds like us girls are going to have
fun.”
“What do Xander and I do,
while you lovely ladies get beautified?” William wondered, feeling a bit left
out. Buffy picked up on it right away, and squeezed his hand that she had been
holding. William smiled back at her. He didn’t want to be away from her, but he
knew she needed something like this, especially with the weekend they were
having. It was supposed to be their anniversary. One she’ll never forget. I should have just
packed her up and taken her to Dad’s country house for the weekend. Maybe this
Harmony crap wouldn’t be happening at all. Damn! William chastised himself
over and over, thinking this was all his fault.
“I think she was mumbling
something about you and Xander going to a game or something afterwards,”
Buffy noticed he was
thinking. She could always tell when something was bothering him, even when he’d
put a brave face on.
“Would you excuse us?” Buffy
said to
“I just don’t want to be
away from you today.” William rose to his feet, running his hands through his
hair as he paced. “This was supposed to be our anniversary weekend. We were
supposed to be shagging ourselves senseless. How did I let this Harmony thing go
so damn far? I should have taken care of this a long time, ago and fired her
ass…Bloody hell, why didn’t I just take you away for the weekend? We could have
gone to Dad’s country house. He’s in
“William,” she called to
him, hoping he’d stop pacing and listen, but he didn’t. She rose to her feet and
went over to him. Face to face, she stared into his beautiful blue eyes. She
almost let herself drown in them, but she stopped herself, needing to say what
she was thinking. “I'm worried too, William. I’m scared shitless...I don’t know
what to do…I don’t know what the hell she’s going to do next.” He began to
speak, but she stopped him by placing a finger on his lips. “No, let me finish
please.” He listened to what she had to say next. “We can’t let that woman run
our lives. We have to go on. If we sit in the corner and hide, she wins William.
We can’t give her the power.”
William cupped her face in
his hands, brought her face close to his and kissed her soundly. “I love you,
you know that?”
“Yes,” she said, wrapping
her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. “I love you too.” She kissed him back. “When
this is over, we’ll go to Giles’ place and do all the things you suggested, but
today, we’ll have fun with our friends, then come back and make up for lost
time.” She raised her eyebrow seductively.
He kissed her once again,
but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Is everything ok?”
William and Buffy collected
themselves before answering. Buffy opened the door and noticed the concerned
look on
“Is everything ok?” she
asked again.
“Yep, everything's fine,”
Buffy said, forcing a smile.
“
“Oh sure, we’re going,
aren’t we William?” Buffy interlaced her fingers with his.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the
world,” William responded with a smile.
*********************************************
Harmony, in the red wig,
drove by
Ten minutes later they
pulled into Brandywine Country Club parking lot. It was modest looking compared
to other country clubs around Sunnydale. The building was built around a lush
garden with a cherub fountain.
From where they parked, they
could see a pool, the club house, and the pro golf shop. The golf course was 18
holes of wonderfully landscaped grounds. As the group walked in, they were
treated to a large picture window view of the garden.
The hostess smiled as they
made their way up to the desk.
“How may I help you?” the
young brunette woman asked.
“We’re here for the
Jenkins’s party,”
The woman scanned down her
guest sheet and looked up once again.
“Ah, yes, they are already
waiting in the Chardonnay Room.”
“Which way?”
“Down that hall,” She
pointed to the left. “Sixth door on the left, you can’t
miss it.”
“Thank you,” the group
replied and headed down the hall.
The door was marked with the
name Chardonnay Room. In the back, they could see their friends.
“Hello,” Anya greeted waving
her hands excitedly.
“Hi guys,” Xander said, once they were all seated.
”This is a nice place,”
“The parental units come
here all the time,” Anya replied casually. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.” She hailed a waiter over.
The others picked up their menu and quickly looked over what they wanted.
************************************************
Harmony walked in a few minutes after they did. There was a couple talking to the hostess and she stayed behind the couple. When they went towards the dining area, she told the young woman she was with them.
Once in the dining room,
Harmony walked to the bar on the left and sat down on a stool. She had a perfect
view of her obsession through the mirror in front of her, and she
smiled bitterly.
Now I’ve got you, right
where I want you!
She watched as they all went
about having a good time, ordering a drink and waiting to make her move.
Fifteen minutes later, the
group’s lunch arrived. While waiting, Buffy excused herself to the rest room.
As the gentleman, William rose from his chair, and pulled Buffy’s chair away
from her as she stood. When she was out of sight, he sat down, not noticing the
woman who followed after her.
*****************************************
Buffy pushed the door opened
as someone shoved her from behind into the restroom. Before Buffy realized it,
she was on the floor. Rolling over, she saw a woman with red hair locking the
ladies room door.
“What are you doing?” Buffy asked nervously.
The woman turned around slowly, removing her wig.
“Harmony,” Buffy whispered.
Chapter 6
Buffy scrambled to get to her feet as Harmony took large strides towards her.
“Please!! PLEASE!!” she
begged. “Please, don’t hurt me!”
Buffy had always believed she would be able to protect herself if this sort of a situation came up, but panic was rapidly taking over, and she wasn’t able to think straight. Tears sprang to Buffy’s eyes as her feet slipped out from under her.
Harmony pulled something out
of her jacket pocket and before Buffy knew what was happening, her world was
going black, and she whispered William’s name as she hit the floor.
“Well, that was almost too easy,” Harmony observed.
She needed to get Buffy out of there fast, without anyone suspecting something was wrong. She opened the door, and to her surprise there was a laundry cart sitting outside. Harmony looked down both ends of the hallway. There was no one anywhere around, so she pulled the cart into the restroom.
She picked up Buffy without
any problems, and set her in the cart. Placing the soiled linen around Buffy’s
body to hide it, she opened the door once again, and looked down the halls to
make sure they were still empty. She pushed it out into the hallway, and
proceeded to the exit without any problems.
Once she arrived at her
car; she opened the trunk, and placed Buffy inside. Only it looked like
something else entirely. She got into her car and drove
away.
************************************
Twenty minutes passed and
Buffy still hadn't returned to the table. The others were engrossed in their
food and conversation, but William was beginning to get nervous.
Where is she? He
checked his watch for the third time in five minutes.
surprised to see that it was still empty.
“William?”
“Hmm?" he replied absently,
once again checking his watch to make sure it was still running.
“She hasn’t come back.”
“No, she hasn't. Would you
go into the rest room and see if everything is ok?”
“Sure, no problem.”
When she returned to the
table, she walked up to William, touched his shoulder and he turned
around. The
look on her face said it all for him. “Buffy…she wasn’t in there…was
she?”
“No, William. I’m sorry. I
did find this.” She handed him the wig.
“Bloody hell!” He threw the
wig down on the table and he pulled out his cell to dial 911. “This is William
Giles...I’d like to report a kidnapping...My girlfriend went to the restroom
about a half hour ago and never returned....We had an incident with a stalker
yesterday and our house was broken into...Yes, that's me…She’s about 5’2, 100
pounds, blonde hair and green eyes….Buffy Summers…Yes...I’m at Brandywine
Country Club...It's at the end of Mill Pond Road...Hurry, damn it!” He flipped
the phone shut and placed it back in his pocket.
“William, why didn’t you
tell them about the wig?”
“I don’t know,” said
William, simply.
He ran his hands through his hair. “It has to be Harmony. God...what if she hurts her?"
Anya and Xander shared a
worried glance. He pulled her to him and held her closely.
***********************************************
The 911 operator put the
call out to all available officers and Officer Michael’s picked it up. He was in
the vicinity and he said he’d handle it and let them know what he found out.
In the forensic lab, the hair sample that had been removed from the Giles/Summers home had been tested. It did not belong to either resident. Further testing matched it up with a strand of hair taken from Harmony's apartment.
******************************************
Two police cars arrived at
the country club a short time later. As
they pulled up, they noticed the laundry cart being hauled back inside. They
called out to the young man taking it in. He stopped and turned
around.
“Yes,
officer?”
The other officer went
inside.
“Was that left in
the parking lot here?”
“Yes, sir, it was.” The
young man was confused. "I don't know why. Our deliveries don't through the
front entrance."
“There was an abduction that
took place here, and that may have been used in the
crime.”
“Should I just leave it
here?” he asked.
The officer put the car in
park and turned off the car and followed. “Where did you find
it?”
The young man pushed it back
to the spot he’d seen it in. “Right about here.”
The cart had been left by
the fence in the back of the parking lot. Officer Jones taped it off quickly,
and headed inside to interview other people.
Officer Michaels was
directed to the Chardonnay Room. He took a deep breath before entering the room.
Most officers dread when their jobs especially when they had give bad news and
he just hoped that this wasn’t going to end that way, as he got closer to
William.
“William Giles?” The officer
asked.
“Yes, I’m
him.”
“Can you tell me what
happened?”
“My girlfriend, she excused
herself to go to the restroom and never returned,” said a worried
William.
“And, I went into the
restroom and found this.”
“I think it was Harmony Kendal. She’s been stalking me, and recently broke into my home yesterday," William added.
The officer looked to other
couple. “Did you two notice anything out of the ordinary?”
“No, officer,” Xander began
as he looked at Anya. “We were eating our lunch. We didn’t know anything was
wrong.”
“I didn’t see anything
either,” she responded.
Officer Jones walked up to
everyone. He had interviewed the receptionist, who had informed him that she’d
seen a woman in a red wig. She had fit the description of the young woman who
was seen at the hospital previously. He pulled the other officer off the side,
and told him of his findings. They both excused themselves to check the crime
scene and taped it off, so no possible evidence could be damaged.
The prints were barely
visible, but a trained crime scene investigator would spot it in a minute. One
of the investigators set his box down, opened it up, and pulled out a brush and
his powder. He then applied the brush to the powder, and brushed it over the
print. In no time the print was viewable and he set down his tools and grabbed a
clear sheet of tape backed with white cardboard. He opened it up, placed the tape over it, and
it copied the print, and then pulled the tape off revealing a clean print,
placing the tape back on the cardboard. The investigator put the print in an
evidence bag, placed his tools back in, and he was off
again.
********************************************
Officer Jones had returned to William and his friends.He explained that they had a possible suspect, and the prints that they had found should confirm the identity. He went on to tell them that a warrant had been issued, and that the entire Sunnydale PD would be looking for Buffy.This wasn't a lot of comfort for the people who loved her.
Before leaving, Officer Jones said, “The best thing you can do now is go home. We'll let you know if anything develops.
William wanted answers and
he wasn’t getting them. He just stood there clenching his
jaw.
“I suppose, we should, ya
know go home, William.”
Twenty minutes later,
Harmony sat Buffy down in a chair in the living room and tied her up tightly,
then went about her business in another room.
A little while later, Buffy
started to come to. Her head swayed a little back and forth until she was able
to hold it up. Her vision was a little blurry, but she could make out shapes and
sizes. She blinked a few times as she looked around her surroundings. She didn’t
recognize where she was, and she began to panic. Tears spilled from her eyes,
and then she thought of William and how worried he must be.
She started to remember what
happened back at the country club.
“Oh god, Harmony,” she whispered, terrified. The thought of never seeing William again scared her beyond all belief.
A noise could be heard from
another part of the house, and then she heard footsteps. She let her head sink
and closed her eyes quickly when the door to the room
opened.
Harmony walked over to
Buffy, and poured a freezing cold cup of water over Buffy’s head. Buffy inhaled
deeply and she quickly looked up at Harmony through clenched teeth. Buffy soon
started to shiver from the shock.
“Oh sorry,” Harmony said,
mocking Buffy. “Was that cold?”
Buffy didn’t say anything, just glared at Harmony.
“That’s what I thought!”
Harmony sneered at her prisoner.
“Why am I here?” Buffy
finally asked, but already knew the answer.
“It’s simple my dear
“If you think you’ll get
William by doing this you are fucking insane, you psychotic bitch! He loves me. He’ll always love me! Can’t you understand that?” Buffy
held back the tears that had been welling up in her eyes again. She wasn’t about
to let Harmony have the upper hand.
Harmony backed handed Buffy,
who went flying back, still in the chair. Harmony took a deep breath, dismissing
Buffy’s accusations.
“It’s simply not true.” She
walked over to Buffy and looked down at her. “When he has sex with you, he
thinks of me.” Harmony smiled dreamily as she picked Buffy up off the
floor.
“And that’s why he calls out MY name when we MAKE LOVE!"
That was all it took to send
Harmony over the edge. She quickly pulled out a bottle from her back
pocket, while Buffy watched her.
“Wh-what are you d-doing?”
Buffy asked with a tear rolling down her cheek.
Harmony pulled a syringe out, stuck it in the vial and loaded it, then jabbed it painfully into Buffy's arm.
“What did you do?
What...what was…?” Buffy asked, and then her world went
black.
“Good, that’ll keep you
quiet for a while,” said Harmony.
******************************************
William
had been pacing a hole in the carpet, praying silently for some sort of news
about Buffy. As the time slowly crawled by, he became more and more agitated and
frustrated, hating his helplessness.
The others tried several times to get William to sit down and stay calm, but he would have none of it. Nothing would calm him until he had Buffy safe in his arms.
After telling them all
to sod off five different times, they finally left him to his pacing and went to
wait in the front room.
“William is starting to
worry me,”
“You don’t think he would,
do you?”
”I think he would," Anya
interjected. "Wouldn't anyone...when the person they love is in
danger?"
“Relax girls. William isn't
stupid. He’ll do the smart thing and wait for the cops,” Xander told them. At least I hope so.
***********************************************
Later that night Harmony watched Buffy sleep, a smile creeping on to her face when she realized it looked like she was dead.
“Too bad it isn't true," she
sighed.
Harmony grabbed her cell phone and dialed a number. The call was picked up after one ring.
“Hello?" a worried voice answered.
“Hello,
William.”
“Harmony?" William said,
his voice shaky with anger.
“Now, now, speak nicely
William,” Harmony warned, looking at Buffy.
She heard William take a deep breath, and waited for him to speak.
“I want to know Buffy is all right," he said, struggling for control.
“Oh, she's a little tied up at the moment." She laughed at her own joke, giving William a shiver up his spine.
“I swear to you...I
SWEAR...if you so much as TOUCH her...I will
hunt you down and break your fucking neck!” William yelled, alerting the gang
from the other room.
“Hey! What did I just say? You be nice William, or you‘ll never see her again,” Harmony said, putting emphasis on 'never'.
“All right, all
right Harmony," he said quickly. "Just what the hell do you want?” Stupid question and you’re gonna get a
stupid answer, mate.
“It’s very simple William,
I want YOU. I’ve always wanted you, since the first time I laid
eyes on you.”
William felt nausea coming
on, but he took a deep, cleansing breath and forced it back down.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked calmly.
“I want you to meet me at your house. And come alone!”
Harmony hung up the phone, happily at what she accomplished. She went into bathroom to get reading for her meeting with William. Soon he’ll be mine. I'll make him understand that's the way it should be...I'll convince him....
************************************************
“Bloody psycho,” William cursed. He turned and was startled when he saw the others
standing behind him. "Shit!"
“Sorry, William,”
“Fine,” he muttered, then threw the phone against the wall, shattering it in a million pieces, scaring his friends. “I’m fine now.” He rubbed his face. “Just fine."
“What did she say?"
“She wants me to meet her at my house."
“You can’t do that,
William,”
“I don’t care," he said, walking out of the room with no intention of being stopped or delayed. "She has Buffy. I'm going."
“This is Officer Jones," the voice on the other end replied. "Who's this?"
“This is Willow Rosenberg. I'm a friend of Buffy's. We spoke this afternoon?"
“Oh yes, Ms. Rosenberg. Has something happened?"
“William received a call
from Harmony just a few minutes ago. She wants him to meet her at his
house.”
“When?" he asked sharply.
“Now...and he's already left."
“Okay, Ms. Rosenberg. We’ll take care of it."
*****************************************************
William pulled up in front of his house. Harmony was waiting for him, heavily made up and wearing something he supposed had been chosen to arouse him.
William took a few deep
cleansing breaths, and stepped out of the car.
“Hello, William. I’m so glad that you could make it,” Harmony said, stopping in front of him.
“Harmony.”
“Turn around…you see that
house across the street?”
“Yes,” William turned
around.
“We’re going over there.”
She pointed a gun to his back.
“Harmony, what are you
doing?”
“Now, William!"
Harmony and William crossed the street and went into the house. As soon as they crossed the threshold, he saw Buffy slumped over in the chair. Panic slide into him, but he tried to keep his voice calm.
“What did you do to
her?”
“Nothing. She’s just
asleep.”
“I’m here now. So, let her
go.”
“It's not that easy, William."
She pushed him into the house and then she closed the door.
“You should know that by
now.” She lashed out suddenly with the gun, slamming it into the side of his
head. William’s world went back as he collapsed to the floor.
Chapter 7
A little while later, William woke to find himself tied up. He looked around and saw Buffy at the end of the bed, slumped over in the chair, also tied up.
“Bloody hell,” he swore under his breath. He tried pulling the on the ropes, but they were too tight. “Buffy, love, wake up,” he called to her. She didn’t move and he began to get worried, fearing the worst had already happened. “Love, it’s time to wake up.” He tugged at the ropes again, but the knots just became tighter. “Shit.”
Harmony came in from the other room and William closed his eyes. He didn’t want her to know that he was awake, or that his head was aching miserably from the blow she'd struck.
She walked over towards Buffy, and slapped the side of her face. Startled awake, she blinked a few times before glaring up at Harmony.
When I get out of this, I’m going to kick your ass, you stupid, blonde, bitch!
“Have you seen who our guest is?” Harmony asked, walking over towards William and sitting next to him. William remained still, praying that Buffy was unharmed. She hadn’t spoken a word since she'd awakened.
Buffy looked over and saw William, her eyes wide with shock. "William!"
"That's right." Harmony began caressing his cheek. “William, honey, wake up for Harmony.”
He slowly opened his eyes and stared up at her, wondering if this nightmare was ever going to end.
She smiled down at him, content that he was finally where she wanted him to be...where he belonged.
Leaning over, she kissed him, making sure to angle her body so that Buffy didn't miss a thing.
Don’t let it get to you...don't let it get to you. Setting her jaw, Buffy watched calmly.
William didn’t respond to the kiss, angering Harmony. She rose up onto her knees and straddled his waist.
Buffy wanted more than anything to pull Harmony away from William and throw her across the room, hopefully splitting her skull in the process.
Harmony lowered her head and kissed him again, trying to push her tongue past his clenched teeth and into his mouth. When she finally pulled away to let him take a breath, he forced himself to smile. "Listen, love...I want you, but I'm not gonna do this with an audience. Get rid of her," he jerked his head towards Buffy. "I want to be alone with you."
“Are you satisfied?" Buffy asked bitterly. "He's all yours. Let me go.”
Harmony turned her head, and William was able to see Buffy's face. He hated having to say such things, but promised himself that he would make it up to her once he had her safely away from here. For now, all he could do was play up to Harmony and hope Buffy would understand and forgive him.
"I want you to suffer. I want you to watch him kiss me, and know that he'll never touch you again. I want to make you pay for every minute you kept him away from me," Harmony said, the smile fading from her face as her eyes became hard and cold.
*********************************************
Four patrol cars pulled up to the curb across the street from the house William and Buffy had once been so happy in. Although it appeared to be deserted, once of the policemen noticed William's car.
Two of the officers approached the car cautiously. When they had determined that it was empty, they opened it and checked for a registration confirming that the owner was William Giles.
The other officers began knocking on doors, asking all the neighbors if anyone had seen William come home. One person had been outside watering her lawn, and reported seeing both Harmony and William go into the house together.
When this information was given him, Officer Michaels grabbed the bullhorn from the trunk of his cruiser. “Harmony Kendall!. This is the Sunnydale Police Department. We know you have two hostages in the house with you. You are instructed to come out of the house now, with your hands in plain view. Cooperate with us, and we'll try and help you, but only if you come out now!"
Flicking the 'off' switch, he waited for a reply.
***********************************************
Buffy quickly turned her head and met William's eyes for a moment when she heard the announcement from outside. The cavalry had finally arrived and freedom would surely follow.
Harmony behaved as though she heard nothing. She continued kissing and nuzzling William, trying to force a response out of him.
"Harmony!" Buffy was amazed at the other girl's behavior. Was she deaf as well as stupid? "HARMONY!"
Annoyed by the interruption, Harmony sat up and glared at Buffy. "What?" she whined, oblivious to the activity outside the house. "What the hell do you want now?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. It was so ridiculous that it was almost funny.
"The police are here, airhead" she reported. "They know you have us in here with you. Got anymore bright ideas?"
“I…I don't know,” Harmony whimpered. "William?" She sounded confused as she looked at him, as if she was waiting for him to tell her what she should do.
He smiled reassuringly. "It's all right, love. Just undo these ropes and I'll go out and talk to them. I'll tell them it was just a misunderstanding, and that everything's fine. Then you and me can get out of this shitty little town, just the two of us. The way it should have been all along...remember?"
Without hesitating, Harmony untied William's left hand.
His fist lashed out, punching her dead in the face, knocking her out cold. He pushed her off of him, untied the rest of the restraints, then unlocked the front door and admitted the police.
**********************************************
"Are you all right, love?" William asked, quickly untying Buffy's hands and feet. He checked her over, searching for any cuts or bruises Harmony may have inflicted. "I'm sorry I had to say those things, baby. I was just so afraid that she'd hurt you....I had to make her think I wanted her and it was the only thing I could think of to do."
Throwing the ropes onto the floor, Buffy glared at him.
William was stunned at the look she was giving him. "Buffy...honey, you believe me, don't you? You...you knew what I was doing?"
By this time the cops had revived Harmony. Buffy watched as they handcuffed her and marched her out of the house while informing her of her rights.
"Buffy?" William said again. "Are...are we still getting married, love?"
Giving him a long, measured look through slightly narrowed eyes, Buffy shrugged and turned away. "I think....that I'm going to need some time."
Chapter eight-
Weeks after the 'Harmony' problem, Buffy had still not reunited with William. Her head was telling her that he would never hurt her, that he loved her far too much. But even so, why had he let the whole mess go so far? His procrastination had nearly gotten her killed.
When she'd told him that she needed time, he hadn't been pleased. But, he had respected her decision, telling her that he would do whatever it would take to make things right again. There wasn't a chance in the world that he would give up on their love.
William knew he'd been foolish by not taking care of the Harmony problem when it first began to manifest itself, but he'd never dreamed that things would escalate the way they had. Had he a clue in the world that she'd been capable of doing such things, he'd have killed her himself long before she got anywhere near Buffy.
His friends kept in contact with him on a regular basis, keeping him informed as to how Buffy was faring in the aftermath of her ordeal. They were the only lifeline he had to her, and he clung to it desperately. Without them, he wouldn't be able to handle the separation.
*******
Harmony was never tried for the kidnapping of William and Buffy, the stalking, or for the break in at the hospital. Her lawyer accepted a plea bargain, and she was committed to the state hospital for the criminally insane until she was deemed no longer a threat to society.
*******
William decided to take a leave from absence from his job. Not wanting to be alone in the home that he and Buffy had shared so happily, he moved in with his father. Buffy went to live with Willow and Tara.
Their apartment was leased to a new couple.
********
William paced the floor of his father’s study. It was an elegantly designed room. Everything had its place. The walls were covered with book shelves from floor to ceiling. An antique desk sat against the fair wall next to a bay window, and two brown leather couches were positioned in the middle of the room. Plush, deep green carpeting covered the floor, while expensive artwork decorated the walls.
Across from the couches was an elaborate fireplace, it's mantle adorned with trinkets from Rupert Giles’ many trips around the world. Some were from the medieval times, and most of them were unrecognizable, with a ritualistic-look. William didn't have a clue as to what they were for, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to know.
*******
"William, do please sit down. You're pacing is wearing a hole in my carpet."
William stopped long enough to glare at his father, then continued his pacing back and forth.
“Dad, I can’t wait too much longer. It’s killing me. I love her. I need her. She’s my whole world.” William’s voice began to crack. A tell tale sign that he was breaking down, but he tried to hold it back from his father. “I screwed up. I should have known... but I didn’t do anything until it was too late. If I had just fired Harmony when it all started, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Buffy and I would be married."
“I know." Rupert set his book down on the desk and gave his full attention to his son. “I’m sorry, William. I understand why you did what you did, but it’s up to her to make the next move.” He drew a handkerchief from his back pocket and removed his glasses to clean them. “Son, STOP PLEASE,” Giles scolded as he slid his glasses on his face once again. William stopped and sat down across from his father. “I can't think with all that pacing."
“I understand she needs time...but it’s been weeks. She hasn’t called...she won't see me. How are we ever going to work through this? I’m trying to give her space, but I need to know what she wants.” William’s rubbed his temple in frustration and then ran his hands through his blonde hair.
Giles had always disliked the color of his son's hair, much preferring the soft brown shade that he'd inherited from his mother, but he forced himself to disregard it and listen to the boy.
“Will, you can’t pressure Buffy into anything right now. That’ll just push her away even more. You know how stubborn she is,” Giles joked, hoping to lighten the serious mood.
A smile tugged at the corner of William’s lips. “That she is dad, that she is!” For the first time, he began to feel optimistic. He'd made a serious mistake, but surely she wouldn’t hold it against him forever.
She’ll come to me when she’s ready.
******
Buffy went to work as usual, even though she didn’t feel much like it. She plastered a fake smile for when the customers entered, but as soon as they left, it disappeared. She was severely depressed, but didn't allow herself to give in to it.
Anya, whose pregnancy was really beginning to show, made silly jokes, trying to make Buffy laugh. But all she did was make her leave the Magic Box on the verge of tears. Once Buffy was outside, she forced back the sobs, took a few deeps breaths to calm herself, then caught a cab, and went back Willow and Tara’s.
Back inside, Anya looked to Willow. "What'd I say?"
"Nothing wrong," Willow assured her. "She's just not in the mood for jokes right now. She needs some time."
*******
Willow and Tara managed to talk Buffy into going out with them in the evening, just for a little 'girl's night out' type of fun, but Buffy just wasn’t into it. They would no sooner be seated and order drinks, than she would be excusing herself from the table to go into the restroom, where she would stare at her pale face in the bad overhead lighting, and wonder what the hell had gone wrong with her happy little life.
One evening in particular, she couldn't face returning to the table. She gave one of the waiters a note for her friends, telling them that she didn't want to spoil their good time, so she was just going to go on home.
When her cab pulled up in front of the house, Buffy saw that Xander was waiting. Tara had called him and asked him to wait for Buffy when she came back.
“Hey Buff,” Xander greeted her as she stepped out of the cab.
“Xander, I’m really not feeling up to having company right now. Could you just go back home to Anya?”
"Buffy" He stopped her. “I’m worried about you.”
“You shouldn’t be. I’ll be fine." She walked past him and unlocked the front door. He followed, shaking his head in frustration.
“What about…William?” Xander ventured, knowing it was a sour subject for her right now. “When are you going to give him a break? He’s paying for the Harmony shit in spades. How long are gonna keep making him do it?"
"How is that any of your concern?" she snapped.
"He misses you," Xander replied deliberately. "He's a wreck. Don't you care?"
“Yeah, well, he should have thought about that before,” she muttered, pushing open the door. She turned to Xander. He could tell she was pissed, but he also saw that she was about to cry. Unable to handle tears, he backed off, angry with himself for upsetting her.
“Xander…just…go home to Anya…I’ll be fine!” Buffy slammed the door in his face.
He stood there for a few moments, hoping she’d change her mind. But when he heard the door being locked from the inside, he turned on his heel, went back to the car, and drove home.
Buffy leaned against the door, dropping her purse. She begin sobbing uncontrollably, and then ran up to her room. As she opened the door to the guest room, she stopped abruptly and was flooded with a memory of her and William making love after Harmony broke into the house.
It had been a perfect moment in her life, but it was shattered with a memory of Harmony ruining it all. Buffy suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She ran to the bathroom, and vomited up the small amount of food she'd managed to get down that day. After flushing the toilet, she rinsed her mouth out with water and reached for a towel.
Then, sliding down the wall to the floor, she began to cry hysterically.
******
When Willow and Tara returned home a little while later, they noticed Buffy’s purse at the floor. The women looked at each other, fearing the worst, and climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Standing in front of Buffy's open bedroom door, Willow looked at Tara with a worried _expression when she saw no sign of her friend. "Tara...where is she?"
“I don’t…wait,” Tara stopped, looking around. “Listen!” Tara heard something. It was soft crying coming from the bathroom. “She’s in the bathroom.”
Willow and Tara opened the bathroom door and saw Buffy sitting on the floor.
“Oh Buffy,” Willow went to her side.
Buffy turned to Willow with tear stained cheeks.
“Are you ok?” Willow asked, worriedly.
Before Buffy could answer, Tara spoke. “I was wondering when you’d let it out.” Tara smiled kindly as she knelt in front of Buffy.
Buffy wasn’t sure if she should continue to cry or laugh, so she did a little of both. A few minutes later she smiled at Tara. “Thank you, I really needed that. I was taking things way to seriously.”
Tara grabbed a tissue and handed it to Buffy so she could mop up her wet face.
“Don’t you think it’s about time to talk to Will?” Tara asked Buffy.
Willow didn’t think it was a good idea to press Buffy like that, but she knew that Tara had a point.
Buffy looked to Willow and then back at Tara. “You think I should?”
“I really do,” Tara replied with a smile. “I think it's time for you to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life. He has a right to know, Buffy."
Buffy took a deep breath. "I know. but...I don't think I can."
“Why not?” Willow asked, breaking her own silence.
Buffy rose to her feet and went into the guest room. Willow and Tara followed.
“You want to know why I can’t?” Buffy asked, sitting down on the bed.
"I’m scared. I’m scared that I've waited too long. That when I decide to take him back, he won’t want me. That he won’t love me. I’m scared that Harmony might come back and destroy everything again. I'm scared that we’ll never be able to go back to our old lives. I'm scared that I won’t be able to trust him again.”
“Never doubt William’s love, Buffy,” Willow said, sitting next to her. “He wants to be with you. He’d move heaven and earth for you."
“And Harmony can’t hurt you now. If the day ever comes, which, I don’t believe it will, William will know how to handle the situation. He won’t ever let that psycho hurt you again,” Tara added, as she sat on the other side of Buffy, and squeezed her hand in reassurance. Tara picked up the phone and handed it to Buffy. “Now call him! You don’t have to get back together today or tomorrow, or even next week. Just talk, work through your problems, and never look back. Look forward to the future. Make new memories.”
“You’re right,” Buffy said, taking the phone. Tara and Willow took that as a sign to give Buffy some space.
“We’ll be down the hall if you need us,” Willow said, shutting the door. “Do you think she’ll be ok?” she asked Tara.
“Yes, I think so. She just needed a little push,” Tara replied, as the couple walked hand in hand to their room.
*******
Buffy began to dial William’s cell, but she hung up just as he answered. She took a few deep breaths and dialed once again.
“Get it together Summers,” Buffy whispered to herself. “Or you're gonna lose him. William is the best thing that's ever happened to you…don’t let him go. You can work on your problems, but not if you won't even talk to him."
The number rang three times before it was picked up. "Hello?"
"Hi. It's me."
“Buffy?” William whispered.
"Yes."
They sat in silence for a long time before William spoke again. "How are you?"
“I’m…I’m ok, ” she lied. She didn’t want him to know how she was feeling just yet. “How are you?”
"I’m fine. I miss you.”
"I miss you, too."
“Look, can we meet somewhere?”
“I don’t know…maybe.”
“I’m dying here Buffy. I know I made a mistake... but please... I need to know what you want.”
Buffy was silent for a few moments. “All right. Come by Willow and Tara’s about seven thirty and we can talk...JUST TALK.” She hung up before he could say anything more. Speaking to him had been harder than she'd imagined it would be, but she felt better for it.
"Now, if I can just keep it up when he gets here."
******
William flipped the phone shut and leaned against the counter just as his dad walked into the kitchen.
“Hello, William.”
“Dad.” William’s voice was solemn, and there was sadness etched on his face.
Giles walked around the island to his son, and placed one hand on his shoulder. “What's happened?"
“Buffy…she wants to see me.”
Giles smiled. “Why look so gloomy? This is what you've been waiting for, isn't it?"
“I know I should be happy. At least, we'll be talking. She made that perfectly clear.”
“Just be thankful she’s at least willing to see you.”
******
William pulled up in front of Willow and Tara’s house at seven fifteen. He turned off the engine and just waited, trying to force down a feeling that something terrible was about ti happen.
Ten minutes had passed when he finally worked up the nerve to knock on the front door.
“William, it’s so good to see you,” Willow smiled as the front door swung open. “Come in," she added, stepping aside to let him enter.
“Hey Red, how've you been?” he asked, hugging her.
“I’m fine.” She reciprocated the hug. “It really is good to see you.” She pulled back and smiled again. “Tara!" she called. "Will’s here.”
Tara came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel.
“Hello.” She smiled and hugged him.
“Tara,” William nodded his head. “I’m a...a little early,” William stammered.
“Buffy’s upstairs. I’ll go get her,” Willow offered, and then turned to climb the stairs.
“Come into the kitchen, William, I’m fixing dinner…wanna help?” She interlaced her arm with his, and dragged him back to the kitchen; he followed....reluctantly.
******
Willow knocked on the door of Buffy’s room. “Buffy! He’s here.”
Buffy sat up straight. She had fallen asleep waiting for him. She smoothed her hair and dress out. After talking to William, she'd changed her outfit three times, finally deciding on a simple floral print dress.
“Buffy?” Willow called again. “Is there something wrong?”
“No, no Willow, I’m fine.” She opened the door, a faint smile on her face.
“Are you sure?” Willow asked, looking worried. “I could tell him to come back tomorrow.”
“No." Buffy shook her head. "I need to do this. I’ve put it off for far too long.”
*******
As Willow and Buffy entered the kitchen, William was chopping vegetables as Tara was cutting up steak for a stew. William looked up and smiled nervously at Buffy.
"I'll take over here" Willow said, taking the knife from his hand. "You and Buffy go talk."
Buffy walked over to William, grabbed his hand, and pulled him out the front door.
“Where are we going?” William asked. Buffy let go of his hand, hugging herself in the cool night air.
“Just for a walk,” she replied.
William followed her to a nearby park, and they both sat down on a black, wrought iron bench.
“William,” Buffy began.
“Look, you don’t have to say anything,” William interrupted, pain evident in his voice. “I am so sorry. I screwed up. If I’d just fired her, we wouldn’t be in this mess."
“William,” she said, frustrated. “Please, let me continue.”
He stayed silent, gesturing for her to go on.
“Yes, you are right. You should have dealt with it earlier....but it really doesn't matter anymore," she said.
"Wh-what do you mean? Are you forgiving me...or not?"
“I’m not saying that. I’m still very upset...but I love you, and I want to work this out. We NEED to work this out. Not for you or for me, but for…” Buffy's voice trailed off as she stared into space for a moment.
"But for...who?" He cupped her chin and turned her to face him. "What are you saying, Buffy?"
When she looked into his eyes, he was mesmerized. There was something different about her. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but she looked peaceful now...radiant. "Buffy....tell me."