8

Buffy sat down on her bed while she watched her parents pack her suitcase. After six years at Meadow Woods Clinic, she was finally leaving. Mr. and Mrs. Summers were thrilled beyond the telling of it, but for Buffy, it was bittersweet. Part of her was excited at the prospect of returning home, but a larger part of her felt upset at the mere thought of never seeing Liam again. Moving toward the future meant leaving behind the man she loved.

"Do we have everything?" Mrs. Summers asked her husband.

Mr. Summers nodded his head. "The closet is empty and there's nothing left in the dresser. I think we're ready to leave."

"No!" Buffy exclaimed.

Her parents stared at each other, and then at her, in astonishment. "What do you mean by 'no'?" her mother wanted to know. "Honey, you've been looking forward to this for two weeks now."

"I can't leave yet."

Mr. Summers took a seat next to her, placing his hand on her right leg. "What's wrong? Why don't you want to leave yet?"

She looked down, saddened. "I'm afraid of leaving. What if everything is different from when I got here? Daddy, I'm so scared."

"I know you are, sweetie. But I promise you, everything is going to be fine. You'll fit in perfectly. If you were so worried about going back home, you should have spoken to Dr. Donnelly about it. He could have reassured you that you're well enough to leave."

"I did tell him that. And he said the same thing you did."

He smiled at his nervous daughter. "See? Your doctor and I agree on that. Maybe I should have gone into Psychiatry. Don't worry about a thing."

"Are you sure?"

"You have my word. Come on, let's get going."

Buffy stood up. "Wait. There's somebody I want to say goodbye to before I go. Can I meet you down in the front lobby in a couple minutes?"

"Sure. We'll be waiting downstairs for you."

"Thank you." She practically ran out of the room.

Mr. Summers glanced at his wife. "I wonder who she's going to see. I don't recall her mentioning any friends here at the clinic," he commented.

"She doesn't have any friends here. But I think I know who she went to say goodbye to." 'Liam Donnelly.'

***

Taking a deep breath, Buffy prepared to knock on Liam's office door. She wanted to see him one more time before she left; wanted to tell him how much she loved him and would miss him. She softly knocked on the door, waiting for him to answer it. "Liam?" she called when he didn't answer.

Still no answer. "Liam, it's Buffy. I came to say goodbye; I-I'm leaving in a few minutes." There was silence on the other side of the door, making Buffy wonder if Liam was even inside his office. "I love you," she stated before walking away.

On the other side, Liam stood with his hand on the doorknob while Buffy had been there. He wanted desperately to see her one last time, but couldn't bring himself to open the door and say goodbye. Hearing her voice tugged at his heartstrings. Chances were, he'd never see her again, and the thought broke his heart into a million pieces.

'She's leaving,' he said to himself. 'Why on earth didn't I open the door and say goodbye?' Liam sighed. 'Because if I said goodbye, that would mean it's forever. I don't want it to be forever.'

He made his way over to the large window overlooking the grounds of the clinic. Five minutes later, he caught sight of Buffy's parents walking to their car, with Buffy trailing a few feet behind them. She turned around to look in the direction of the clinic, staring into the window of Liam's office. Seeing a shadow at the window, Buffy waved and smiled at it before turning back around toward her parents.

At the window, Liam felt a tear slip out of his eye and fall down his cheek. "I love you, too, Buffy," he finally said aloud, though he knew she would never hear his words.

***

The Summers family pulled into the driveway of their home. "We're home, honey," Mr. Summers announced. "Welcome back."

"Home sweet home," she mumbled as she stepped out of the backseat of the car.

"What do you want to do first?" her mother wanted to know. "Watch TV? Play a video game? Maybe get some sun?"

Buffy looked around the yard. Nothing had changed since the last time she'd been there; it put her mind at ease. "Can I just sit out here for a little while? I'd kinda like a little fresh air."

Her father nodded. "Sure. Your mom and I will bring your bags to your room and get your lunch ready. Would you like some soup?"

"Macaroni and cheese?" she suggested. "It's been a really long time since I've had that. Can I?"

"Anything you want."

"Thanks," she said with a smile on her pretty face. "I'll be inside in a couple minutes. I want to collect my thoughts."

Once her parents entered the house, Buffy sat herself down on the steps of the front porch. As glad as she was to be home, she missed the safety and security of the clinic. She felt out of place in the real world, but she couldn't help remembering Liam's promise that everything would work out for the best. And coming from him, she believed it.

"Buffy? Buffy Summers?" a woman called, walking across the front yard to the twenty-one year old girl.

Buffy looked up, seeing an elderly woman making her way over. "Mrs. Patterson?" Mrs. Patterson was their neighbor from two doors down.

"It *is* you. I thought so. When did you get back from the hospital?"

"Today." She paused. "Um, how did you know about me being at the clinic?"

Mrs. Patterson gave her a knowing smile. "Everybody knows where you've been, Buffy. You were having hallucinations about vampires. Since you're home, I guess that means you're cured."

"Yeah. Cured," Buffy replied half-heartedly. "Excuse me, but I'm going back in the house."

"It was nice to see you again. And I'm glad you're back home where you belong. See you around, Buffy." Mrs. Patterson gave Buffy a pat on the head and headed back toward her house.

But she only nodded her head in response. 'Everybody and their brother knows I was sick. So much for fitting in perfectly. I want to go back. I hate it here. I hate it!'

***

9

Three weeks had passed by since Buffy left the clinic, and things showed no signs of improving. She felt out of place in her own home, in her neighborhood, and in the outside world as a whole. It seemed everywhere she went, people stared at her, and it made her very self-conscious. In her mind, Buffy began to think they all knew about her troubles. She wanted more than anything to talk to someone about it, but she knew her parents would never understand what she was going through.

On top of all that, she hated her new doctor, Dr. Myles. Even though he came highly recommended by Liam, he offered a far cry from the supportive treatment she'd received from Dr. Donnelly. Buffy often found herself wondering why Liam would have suggested that she seek treatment from a doctor so different from him. Dr. Myles wasn't at all interested in her life in fictional Sunnydale; he seemed more concerned about the real-life events that caused her to retreat into her fantasy life. Each session made her long for the laid back sessions she'd had with Liam.

"Dr. Myles had a very good suggestion for us today," Mrs. Summers told Buffy as the two of them drove home from her session. "And I wholeheartedly agree with him."

Buffy frowned. 'This ought to be interesting.' "What does Dr. Evil think you should do?" For her, it couldn't be worse than his last idea. He told her parents a week earlier that it was detrimental to Buffy's recovery to keep her bedroom decorated the exact same way it had been when she entered the clinic. So they went out the following afternoon looking for new wallpaper and furniture.

"I wish you'd stop calling him that," her mother sighed. "He's a very good doctor."

"He's a quack. I don't like him."

"Are you going to listen to me or are you going to complain about Dr. Myles the entire ride home?"

She groaned, relenting. There was no way of winning an argument with her mother. "Fine. What did the amazing Dr. Myles have to say today?"

"Well, he thinks it would be a good idea for you to get out more often. Ever since you came home, all you seem to do is sit around the house watching soap operas. Buffy, it's time for you to start meeting people your own age."

"I don't want to go out, especially not with people my own age. Everyone I went to high school with thinks I'm a total nutcase. I went from being Miss Popularity to Miss Freakshow. And I won't go back to that," argued Buffy.

Mrs. Summers shook her head. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to at least try it. I'm not asking you to call up all your old friends and start spending countless hours with them. Just go out on your own, reintegrate yourself into society once again. Because you won't meet anyone sitting around the house."

"I don't want to meet anyone."

"Dr. Myles thinks you should. All this time you've been spending alone has made you antisocial. What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!" exploded Buffy. "Geez, when did Dr. Myles become God Almighty? He doesn't know what's best for me, I do."

Her mother frowned. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Buffy. "He's a medical professional, honey. Dr. Myles knows what is good for your health."

"And when did you become his lackey?" she shot back. "What if he told you kicking me out of your house was good for me? Would you tell me to pack my bags and leave?"

Mrs. Summers fumed at Buffy's outburst. "Buffy Anne Summers, you are seriously pushing the limits of my patience. Whether you like it or not, you are going to have to start living again. I will no longer stand for you moping around the house like a sullen teenager. Tomorrow, I am driving you to Hemery Central."

"High school? You're making me go back to high school? What is this, a punishment?" she asked.

"No, it's not a punishment, and I'm not making you go back to high school. You're going to sign up for the GED exam. You can get your General Education Diploma and go to community college for a few years. In fact, you can sign up for a few summer course starting in July."

Buffy stared blankly at her mother. "No way. Dad won't go for it. He said I should take my time before I start going out and doing this."

"He already knows about it and agrees with me. So you can't pit your father against me on this one; he and I discussed it last night. It's been decided."

She clenched her jaw. "I hate you. Both of you."

"I'm sorry. But it's for your own good. You may hate me now, but you'll thank me later."

"How cliched," Buffy remarked sarcastically. "But we'll see."

***

The nurse poked her head in the partially-opened door of Liam's office. She spied him staring out the window at the grounds. "Penny for your thoughts, Dr. Donnelly," she said, hoping to catch his attention.

Liam snapped his head to the side at the sound of the nurse's voice. "Sorry, Annabelle. I didn't see you there."

"So I noticed. You looked like you were a million miles away there. Is something on your mind? Or someone?"

He laughed and smiled softly. "I'm fine. Just thinking about things. Is there something I can do for you?"

"No. I just wanted to see how you were doing. You haven't been your usual outgoing self lately," Annabelle noted. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Of the two of us, which one is the psychiatrist here?" Liam joked. Then he let out a deep breath. "But everything is fine. Though I do appreciate your concern."

She nodded, unconvinced by his words. "Sure. I know you better than that, Liam Donnelly. Come on, admit it. You miss her."

"Her?" he repeated, a blank expression on his handsome face.

"Buffy Summers. Ever since she was released from here, you've been in full brood mode. And as good as you look when you're brooding, you look a lot better when you're happy. There's nothing wrong with following your heart."

"H-How did you know about Buffy?"

Annabelle smiled knowingly. "It wasn't that hard to figure out, you know. Anyone with two eyes could see the look on your face whenever she was around. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and yours screams her name." She gazed at him. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. You don't get a choice in who you fall in love with."

"She said that to me once," he told Annabelle.

"Well? What's the problem then?"

"Buffy's a patient. That's the problem," Liam admitted.

"Not anymore she's not. You released her from this place and she's seeing another doctor. What's stopping you?"

He frowned. "Me. I'm stopping me."

"You are a stubborn man, Liam Donnelly. If you love her, be with her. And if you're too afraid to fight for it, you might lose it. Isn't love worth fighting for?"

***

At seven-thirty that evening, he pulled into the driveway of his home, seeing the shadow of someone sitting on his front porch. Dying of curiosity, he quickly made his way up the sidewalk to the front the door. It was the last person he expected to find on his doorstep, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw her.

"Buffy?" he whispered.

Buffy lifted her head, giving Liam a half-smile. "Hi, Liam. I hope you don't mind I'm here."

"Not at all," Liam replied, shaking his head. "I'm happy to see you."

"Really? You are?"

"Of course. But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home with your family or something?"

She sniffled, showing him her duffel bag. "I ran away."

***

10

"What? What do you mean you ran away?" Liam demanded. "Why on earth would you do that?"

Buffy bit her lip. "Maybe I shouldn't have come here. I wanted to see you and I thought you'd be happy to see me. Was I wrong in thinking that?"

She looked so sad and vulnerable that all Liam wanted to do was envelope her in his arms and never let go. "No, you weren't wrong. I'm thrilled to see you, Buffy. And I'm sorry if it sounded like I don't want you here, but I am concerned about you. How about you and I go inside to talk," he suggested.

"Okay." She stood up and carried her bags inside Liam's house as he held the door open for her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." But he wasn't paying much attention to anything except Buffy's legs. He'd never gotten a very good look at them while she was at the clinic, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from drooling at the sight. They were long and tan and shapely in her cut-off denim shorts. To Liam, they were a thing of beauty.

"I hope I'm not putting you out by being here. I could go somewhere else if you don't want me or if you have plans tonight," Buffy stated.

'Not want her?' Liam asked himself. 'If only she knew.' "You're not putting me out at all, don't worry. What's bothering you? Why did you run away from home?"

She sat down on the couch, looking around the room. "I like your house; it's not what I thought it would look like."

"What were you expecting?"

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Definitely not something so light and sunny and cheery. Something more gothic, maybe?"

"More like Angel's apartment?"

"Yeah. I know, I know, Angel doesn't exist. But I still can't help making these comparisons. Does that mean I'm starting to get sick again?" she asked.

Liam took a seat next to her. "You're not getting sick again. Comparisons like that are normal for someone with your condition. It's nothing to get worried about. Now on to my original question. Why did you run away?"

"Because I'm not ready to be out in the real world yet. I was wrong in thinking I'd be able to make it out here."

"Buffy, you're ready. Believe me. But it doesn't happen overnight; reintegrating yourself into society takes time and patience. You only gave it three weeks, you can't give up on it without really trying."

"I tried!" she exclaimed. "Do you know what happened to me the first day I came home? A lady from down the street came over and told me how happy she was that I'm back and feeling better. Everybody knows how sick I was."

He frowned. "You had to know people would find out about your troubles."

"Yeah I knew it, but I didn't expect *everyone* to know. And on top of that, Dr. Myles told Mom that I have to start going out. I don't want to go out. Mom and Dad told me I have to go to college. They're making me get my GED and go to community college."

"Maybe that would be a good idea. In the long run."

Buffy stared at him as if he'd just told her the moon was made out of green cheese. "I thought you were on my side."

"I am. But you can't keep hiding in the house for the rest of your life. Going out to eat, going to the mall, even going to the supermarket will help you cope better with this readjustment period. Dr. Myles was right, but you have to do it on your own terms. You might not be ready to go off to college now, but eventually you might."

"Are you saying my parents were wrong?"

"Yes, I am. They're pushing you way too hard. I'll be happy to tell them that if you'd like when I take you home."

Buffy vehemently shook her head. "No way. I refuse to go back there and have them force me to do something I don't want to do."

"I understand that, but you have to go back home and talk to them about it. Make your feelings known."

"I have. They won't listen to me," Buffy said, her eyes burning with hot tears. "Mom and Dad don't care about what I want. I won't go back there. Can I stay here with you?"

Liam felt his jaw drop. "Stay here?" 'That could be bad. How am I going to hide my feelings from Buffy if she's staying at my house?' He paused. 'Annabelle was right, why am I even fighting it? Maybe Buffy being here is a fate trying to tell me something.'

"Please?" she pleaded. "Nobody understand me like you do."

He relented, not wanting to hurt her or have her go running off into the streets alone. "For a few days. But only if you call your parents and tell them where you are. They're probably worried sick about you."

"Okay. Thank you, Liam."

***

A knock at his office door interrupted Liam's reading the next morning. He was in the middle of reading a patient's file and wasn't expecting anybody. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing Hank Summers. "Hello, Dr. Donnelly. I hope I'm not interrupting something important."

He closed the file. "No, not at all, Mr. Summers. Have a seat."

Mr. Summers closed the door behind him and took a seat on the chair across from Liam's desk. "I came to talk about Buffy. She called last night and told us she was staying with you for a while. She didn't tell us why, so I'm hoping you will. That is, if you can; you know, patient-doctor confidentiality."

"No, I can tell you since Buffy is no longer under my care. I came home last night from work and found Buffy sitting on my front porch. She explained that she's afraid and you and your wife are making her go back to school."

"That was more Joyce's decision than mine."

Liam nodded in understanding. "Either way, Buffy is scared. She's not ready to assimilate into society. Going back to school so soon after being released from the clinic is not such a good idea. As her former doctor, I have to advise against it."

"It was her new doctor's idea. He seems to think it's a good idea. Are you saying he's wrong?" Mr. Summers wanted to know.

"At this point in time, it is wrong. From what I've gathered from Buffy, she doesn't like Dr. Myles. I thought he would be a good change for her from the treatment I gave. Apparently I was misguided," Liam admitted.

"Buffy likes you; she trusts you. No other doctor has been able to help her the way you can. I'd like you to take her case again."

He looked down at the papers on his desk. "I'm sorry, Mr. Summers, but I can't do that."

"Why not? There's no clinic rule that states you can't see outside patients. You're the only one who can help my daughter, Dr. Donnelly. Isn't it obvious she needs you?"

"I know that. But I can't. It would be a conflict of interest for me; it's against every oath I took if I continued to care for Buffy."

Mr. Summers stood from the chair he had been sitting in. "Joyce told me about Buffy's crush on you and I imagine how uncomfortable that might make you. But she needs you."

"It isn't about her feelings for me. It's about my feelings for her."

"Your feelings?" Mr. Summers didn't understand what the doctor was saying.

"Yes. It would be unethical for me to take Buffy's case again because I feel the same way about her that she feels about me."

He nodded. "I see."

"You have my word that I won't do anything to harm her recovery. Let me talk to her tonight and convince her to come home with you tomorrow morning. Is that okay?" he asked.

"Fine," Mr. Summers agreed. "I'll tell Joyce. I trust you, Dr. Donnelly. You won't hurt my daughter, will you? Because of your feelings?"

"No. I care about her too much to ever hurt her."

***

11

It was already well-past nine when Liam returned home. He had left the clinic forty-five minutes earlier, but spent that time driving around Los Angeles trying to sort things out in his head. Mr. Summers took the revelation of his feelings for Buffy rather well, which surprised Liam. He'd expected the father to try to strangle him or force him to bring Buffy back home, but he did neither. After making Liam promise to explain things to Buffy, Mr. Summers told him he'd see him tomorrow when he and his wife picked their daughter up.

And he still didn't know what to do about his feelings for Buffy. His heart screamed out to tell her and try to build a life with her. Liam had never been in love before, the feeling both frightened and excited him, and he didn't want it to end. But the rational part of his mind told him that it would only hurt him if he were to get involved with her. Being in a relationship might hinder her recovery, which from what he could ascertain, was going well. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her any grief. By the time he got home, he was still as torn as he had been before.

"I'm home!" he announced, closing the front door behind him.

Buffy sprung up from the couch. "Hi. You're awfully late tonight. Busy day at the clinic?"

"Yeah, something like that. What did you do all day?" He had to admit, it was nice having someone there to greet him when he got home from work.

"Not much. Watched television, took a walk around your neighborhood, did some cleaning. I like it here, Liam. Much better than my own house; I feel more comfortable here than I do there. Don't make me go back."

Liam frowned at her words. "You and I need to talk about that, Buffy. This morning your father came by my office to talk to me. We both agreed that you were being pushed too hard too quickly by your mother and by Dr. Myles. He hasn't been very good for your recovery. So when you return home tomorrow, you'll be seeing a new doctor."

Her green eyes lit up when he mentioned seeing a new doctor. "You? I'm going to be seeing you again? That's great news."

"No, Buffy, you won't be seeing me again. I'm sorry if I led you to believe that. I wish I could continue your treatment, but I can't. I explained it to your father and he understands my reasons."

"What are your reasons?" Buffy wanted to know. "This is my life we're talking about. Don't I have a right to know?"

"I just can't."

"Dammit, Liam, why won't you tell me? These had better be some damn good reasons then."

Liam felt himself break. This was the moment of truth, he would finally tell her. "Because of my feelings. Because every time I'm around you, all I seem to want to do is kiss you and tell you how much I love you. Is that a good enough reason for you, Buffy?" he demanded.

"You l-love me?" she repeated.

He nodded his head, not noticing her moving toward him. "Yes. I love you." Saying it out loud seemed to lift a weight off his shoulders.

"I love you, too."

Standing on her tiptoes, Buffy gently pressed her lips to Liam's, engaging him in a tender kiss. She ran her fingers through his dark hair and stroked his back through his white shirt with the other. Her tongue slipped inside his mouth, running it across his and engaging it in an erotic dance. The kiss grew in intensity, taking on a life of its own.

Liam was falling, he knew it. Not physically, but emotionally in the tiny arms of Buffy Summers. He could lose himself in her loving embrace and he felt himself doing so. Being in her arms brought a feeling of comfort to him, but it brought arousal as well. It was evident to him that he needed to stop before they took things too far. So he pushed her away.

Buffy looked up at him in confusion when he pulled himself away. "What are you doing, Liam? Why did you push me away like that?"

"Because we shouldn't do this."

"I don't get it. I love you and you love me, why shouldn't we?" she asked.

"You're not ready. You were just released from the clinic a few weeks ago. This is going too fast."

"We were just kissing, how is that moving too fast? I'm twenty-one, Liam. I think I'm more than ready to kiss the man I love," Buffy argued.

He sighed, dejected that he had to fight with himself every time she was around him. "It's not the kissing that you're not ready for. What I want, you're not ready for." Turning around, he headed for the bathroom to take a cold shower.

Buffy stared after him, the implication of his words sinking in. "Oh," she whispered.

***

A ten minute shower didn't help Liam as much as he thought it would. He was still as aroused as he had been when he'd entered the shower, and feared nothing would make it go away. 'It's going to be a long twelve hours,' he thought, wrapping a white towel around his waist.

When he opened the bathroom door, he found Buffy standing on the other side. He had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "Buffy. What are you doing? Do you need to use the bathroom?"

She shook her head. "No. I was thinking about what you said out there before. And you're wrong. Dead wrong. I'm ready, Liam; more than ready. The only thing keeping us apart is you, don't you see that? You make it sound like I'm a little kid but I'm not. I am twenty-one years old and I've had sex before. Okay, so maybe it was when I was in Sunnydale, but I know what to do and what to expect."

"Buffy-"

"No. So I'm a virgin, big deal. Wouldn't you rather I lose it to the man I love than some guy I've only known for a few hours? Liam, I want you to make love to me."

"I…"

Buffy took a step forward, pressing herself against his hard, muscled body. Her hands roamed across his skin, still cool from his cold shower. "I love you. I want it to be you; you're so handsome and smart and incredible. Don't I deserve this?"

When her hands reached his waist, she tugged at the towel until it fell to the ground in a heap. Licking her dry lips, she kissed his chest, hearing him groan when her lips made contact. They swept across his chest, swirling both of his nipples in her mouth, drawing circles around them with her tongue.

Suddenly, Buffy felt his hands on her shoulders and looked up. Liam stared in her eyes. She thought he was going to stop, but instead she felt herself being pushed up against the wall in the hallway. Liam attacked her mouth, his hands seeking out each and every one of her curves. He slipped them inside her tank top to touch the skin underneath, making her shiver from his touch.

12

The sun shone brightly in the morning sky when Liam opened his eyes after a fitful slumber. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept so well. Looking over at the sleeping girl to his left, he knew the reason why: Buffy. After months of denying his attraction, he finally gave in to his feelings and followed his heart. And for the first time in his life, Liam was glad he ignored what his brain told him to do.

Buffy moaned softly in her sleep, making her lover smile at the sound. He'd never seen her so contented since he'd known her; so happy and peaceful and free. If there was one thing Liam hoped she realized was that she wasn't loved only by the people in Sunnydale. In Los Angeles, she had friends, family and a man who wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She never needed to return to Sunnydale again.

The clock read ten-oh-five when he heard the doorbell ring. He'd been laying in bed watching Buffy sleep for over an hour. Not wanting to disturb her, Liam quietly climbed out of bed and threw on a pair of jeans to hide his nakedness. The doorbell rang again while he jogged down the hallway.

"Coming!" he whispered loudly, but not loud enough to wake Buffy. He opened the front door, finding Mr. and Mrs. Summers standing on his front porch. 'Oh shit,' Liam thought. 'I completely forgot they were coming.' "Mr. and Mrs. Summers. I…I forgot you were coming by this early. I must have overslept."

Mr. Summers gave him a friendly smile. "That's okay. With your busy schedule, I'm sure you don't get many opportunities to sleep in."

"No, I don't. Please, come in," invited Liam. He held the door open while the couple entered.

"You have a nice place here," Buffy's father complimented. "Meadow Woods must pay its doctors quite well for you to be able to afford such a nice house."

"I only moved in here last year," Liam informed him. "Before that, I lived with a bunch of my medical school buddies in an apartment. As soon as I could afford it, I bought this place."

Mrs. Summers couldn't have cared less about how the doctor managed to afford his house. "Where is Buffy?" she asked, a stern look on her face.

Liam took a deep breath and bit his lip. "I think she's still asleep. I'll go wake her up."

Mr. Summers waved his hand back and forth in front of him, stopping the younger man. "No need to do that. If there's one thing that hasn't changed about my little girl is her love of sleeping in on Saturday mornings. This will give us some time to talk about things until she wakes up."

"Hank, let's just get Buffy's stuff, wake her up and leave," Mrs. Summers said strongly. She wanted to get her daughter as far away from Liam Donnelly as quickly as she possibly could.

"You are being rude, Joyce. Liam here was nice enough to take Buffy in for a few days while she worked through some things." Mr. Summers shared a knowing smile with Liam. He liked the doctor and knew innately that the man was good for Buffy; he trusted him with his daughter's life.

"I am aware of that."

Liam could sense the hostility coming from Buffy's mother. The last thing he wanted to do at that moment was get on her bad side, though he had a feeling he was halfway there. He wanted to wake Buffy and get her out of his bed without giving her parents reason to suspect anything. "Maybe I *should* wake Buffy."

Before he had a chance to move from his spot in the living room, Buffy trudged out of the bedroom wearing one of his shirts over her otherwise-naked body. "Liam? Come back to bed."

He looked down at the floor, not wanting to see the look of horror on her parents' faces; his face turned red with embarrassment. It was by far the most humiliating situation he'd ever been in. 'If there is any justice in this world, please let me spontaneously combust right here and now.' He waited for it to happen. 'Figures.'

"Buffy!" her mother exclaimed. Mrs. Summers was horrified to see her daughter so undressed, making it easy to see what had been going on between Buffy and her former doctor. It appalled her. "How could you do this!?"

Buffy stopped dead in her tracks, seeing her parents standing next to Liam. From the look on his face - and the way he avoided looking at them - she could tell he hadn't told her parents about them yet. "Mom, Dad, I didn't expect you to be here so early. I haven't even gotten dressed yet."

"So I see," Mrs. Summers fumed. "Hank, say something!"

Mr. Summers turned to look at the red-faced psychiatrist standing to his right. "Liam? Could you explain this to me?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Summers. I know I promised you I wouldn't let my feelings get in the way of my better judgement, but I couldn't fight it anymore."

"No. You don't have to apologize to them for what we did last night, Liam," Buffy disagreed.

"Like hell he doesn't!" her mother shouted. "Buffy, put some clothes on and pack your things. Then we'll leave this place and go home. We'll discuss this there."

The girl walked over to her lover's right side. She stood her ground, determined not to be bossed around by her mother. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I am not in the mood for an argument, Buffy Anne Summers. Get dressed now," Mrs. Summers ordered between gritted teeth.

"Fine, then you can listen. I refuse to go anywhere with you. Ever since I came home from the clinic, you have been treating me like a ten-year-old, trying to tell me how to live my life. Well, you know what? I'm not ten years old anymore, I'm twenty-one. Which means I'm well past the age of reason and am able to make my own decisions."

"I see you've made some great ones. Running away from home because things aren't going your way is really mature of you. And so is sleeping with a man eleven years older than you. A man whom you barely know."

Mr. Summers sighed. "Joyce, calm down. You are blowing things way out of proportion."

"Am I? Maybe that's because you haven't said a word about it yet!" she retorted. "It doesn't concern you the least bit that our daughter slept with her doctor?"

"Not as much as it does you, apparently," he said. "I tend to agree with Buffy on this one, Joyce. She's not a child anymore; she's a grown woman who should be allowed to make her own choices. From what I can see, she has made some good ones. Despite what you may think."

"How can you say that?" his wife demanded. "She is still vulnerable and very impressionable. Who knows what that man is filling her head with. And do I even need to mention that he probably took advantage of our Buffy? He'll do nothing but hurt her."

Liam felt it was time for him to defend himself, and Buffy. "I didn't take advantage of her, I swear. Buffy is more than competent enough to make her own decisions in life. And last night, she and I made one together. I would never force Buffy to do something she didn't want to do."

Mrs. Summers smirked. "Of course you didn't have to force her. You knew all along that she has a crush on you. So you thought you could get her in bed with this knowledge?"

"Stop it!" Buffy screamed. She was sick of hearing her family argue about her. All heads turned her way. "Stop this, Mom. I love Liam and he loves me back. Why can't you see that?"

"Honey, I'm only trying to protect you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"He's not going to hurt her, Joyce," Mr. Summers stated.

She glared at him. "How can you be so sure, Hank? You don't know him. I don't know him. *Buffy* doesn't even know him!"

Mr. Summers smiled at the couple. While he was shocked to discover that his daughter had had sex with the handsome doctor, he knew the doctor's intentions were nothing short of honorable. He could see in Liam's eyes how much he loved Buffy. "I have a good feeling Buffy knows Liam as well as he knows her. She's a bright, intelligent girl who knows what is good for her. Liam Donnelly is good for her. He loves her, he told me so yesterday when I stopped by the clinic to see him. And that's why he refused to treat her privately when she left the clinic, despite my pleading with him to take her as a patient again. Liam promised me he'd never hurt her, and I believe him. He hasn't given me reason not to."

"I don't believe him. We're going home. Get your things, Buffy."

Buffy remained by Liam's side. She felt reassured when he took her hand in his. "No, Mom. I am staying here with Liam."

"I'm not playing games. We are leaving right now." She headed for the front door. "We're going home."

But she still didn't move. "I *am* home." She looked up at Liam for confirmation; he smiled down at her and nodded his head. "My life is with Liam now."

Mrs. Summers took a deep breath. "If you choose to stay with him, don't even think about coming back to stay with us when things turn sour."

"I won't," Buffy told her. "Goodbye, Mother."

Incensed, the older woman stormed out of the house, leaving her husband behind. Mr. Summers just looked at the two. "I'll talk to her, Buffy. She didn't mean what she said."

"I'm sorry, Dad," she apologized. "This isn't how I expected things to go down today. I never thought she'd be so upset."

"Neither did I." He paused before posing his next question. "Is this what you want, sweetie?"

She nodded. "Yes, it is. I love him and I want to be with him. I think…I *know* I'm going to stay with Liam. He makes me happy."

"I'm glad. Will you call me and let me know how you're doing?"

"Sure. And I'll be by to pick up my things from the house in a few days."

"All right. If you need anything, or if you change your mind, don't hesitate to call me." Mr. Summers turned his attention to Liam. "I trust you'll take care of my little girl?"

Liam smiled, blessed that Buffy's father trusted him enough to leave his daughter in his care. "You have my word, Mr. Summers. Buffy will be safe with me."

"Good. I guess…I'll see you soon." Giving her a kiss goodbye, he looked once more at his only child before following his wife out the door.

"Are you sure you're okay with this, Liam? I know I kind of sprung this on you out of the blue, so I'll completely understand if you don't want to go through with it," Buffy said. "I can find someplace else to stay."

He took her in his arms. "There's nothing I want more than to wake up next to you every morning for the rest of my life. I'm not letting you go anywhere. Welcome home."

***

13

Buffy gave Liam a smile on Monday evening when she knocked on the front door of her parents' home. "You didn't have to come with me, you know. I'm just picking up my things."

"I know I didn't but I wanted to. You're going to need someone with you, especially if your mother is home with you. I can play the part of the peacemaker in case you two start arguing like you did the other night. Besides, you are going to need someone to help you carry all of your belongings back to my place. And I can't see you walking all the way back to our house."

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you. And I like the sound of that. *Our* house."

The front door opened and on the other side stood Mr. Summers. "Buffy, Liam, it's good to see you two. Please come in and have a seat."

"We're not going to stay that long, Dad," Buffy told him. "Not if Mom is here. I don't want to start another argument."

He stepped aside while the couple entered. "There is no need to worry about that, Buffy. I haven't seen your mother since early Saturday afternoon."

"Why not?"

"I'm assuming she didn't like the fact that I took your side over hers. When we got home on Saturday she packed some of her clothes into a suitcase and left. And I haven't seen hide nor hair of her since."

Buffy frowned and shook her head. "Dad, I'm so sorry for doing this. All I ever seem to do is cause trouble. And you and Mom are fighting because of me."

Mr. Summers hugged his daughter, Liam watching as if he were an outsider intruding on an intimate moment between father and daughter. "This isn't your fault, sweetie. Your mother and I have been having problems long before the incident Saturday morning. This was just the straw that broke the camel's back, but it's been coming for years."

"Then why did you stay together if you weren't getting along?" she wanted to know.

"We stayed together for you. Your mom and I were planning on becoming legally separated around the time you went into the hospital. Because of your fragile mental state, neither of us knew what getting a divorce might do to you. We worked things out, or so we thought. But, Buffy, you shouldn't blame yourself for something that should have happened six years ago."

"Do you know where she's staying?"

Mr. Summers shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The only two places I can think of would be a hotel or the gallery. I have a feeling the next contact we are going to have with each other will be through our lawyers."

Liam gripped Buffy's hand tightly, feeling the slight shudder go through her body. "Are you ready to get your things?" he asked. He knew it would be a good way for her to take her mind off of her parents' problems.

She nodded. "Yeah," she answered softly. "Are you going to be okay, Dad? I don't want to leave you alone if you need me here."

"You do what you have to do to get well. I'll be fine," Mr. Summers told his daughter truthfully. "Like I already said, it's been coming for years."

"As long as you're sure…"

"I am. Liam, there are boxes downstairs you two can use for Buffy's clothes and whatnot. Take as many as you need."

"But what if your wife needs them if - when she picks her things up?" Liam asked.

The older man shrugged his shoulders. "That's too damn bad for her, I don't particularly care if she has to wear all of her clothes out of here when she comes back for them." He immediately regretted his words when he saw the crestfallen look on Buffy's face. "I didn't meant that, honey."

"Yes you did. You don't have to lie to protect my feelings anymore. I'm not a fifteen-year-old girl who has to make up stories about demons and vampires to protect herself from her parents fighting," Buffy stated. "No, I can handle it on my own now."

***

Entering Buffy's bedroom, Liam placed the last box on the floor next to the bed. His love stood in front of her dresser holding a wooden object in her hand, staring intently at it. "Hey, you. That's the last of the boxes from the basement. Do you think we'll be needing any more?"

"No," Buffy replied, shaking her head. "That should be enough."

"You didn't even look." Liam walked over to her side. "What's that in your hand, Buffy?"

Buffy held it up. "It's a wooden stake. It's what I'd use to 'kill' the vampires when I went out on patrol. I find it amazing how such a simple object can kill something so powerful and evil."

Her musings were beginning to frighten him; he feared Buffy was having a relapse caused by the stress of her parents' separation. "You don't need that anymore, love. Remember?"

"I know." She put it back inside her dresser drawer, burying it beneath several sweaters. "But it brought back memories and it made me realize why I created the world of demons and vampires, and even Sunnydale itself. I did it as an escape, Liam. Because there, my parents didn't fight. And I could control things where I couldn't do it here. I was helpless here, but I wasn't there; I was in control." After holding her feelings in for so long, Buffy let herself cry.

Liam held her, understanding - finally - what caused her schizophrenic episodes in the hospital. Buffy had been afraid of losing her family, so she created a world where her parents didn't fight, where she was important to the safety of the world. It all made sense to him now. "Just cry, Buffy. Let it out."

"I never cried about it before. I held it in, Liam; trying to pretend that everything was fine at home. And that is why I ended up in the hospital. I know that now."

"Probably. But if you cry now, it'll help you feel better. And tomorrow, we are going to find you a new doctor so you can work through all this. You had a breakthrough today and it might help you find the answers you've been looking for if you continue with your therapy," Liam suggested.

She sighed. "There's no chance you'll be my new doctor, huh?"

He laughed and shook his head in response. "Umm…no. The medical field tends to frown upon taking patients home and making love to them until they fall unconscious. Which is exactly what I plan on doing once we pack up the rest of your clothes."

"Is that an order from the doctor?"

"Yes it is. If we don't hurry up, I might take you right here, and I don't think your father would appreciate that," Liam said, handing her an empty box.

***

14

In their bedroom, Buffy and Liam finished getting dressed for Christmas Eve mass. She fidgeted nervously in front of the mirror while Liam brushed his hair. He couldn't help but notice her nervous twitches. "Are you okay, Buffy?"

Buffy nodded slowly. "I guess. I'm nervous about tonight, though."

"It's only my parents and kid sister. You have nothing to be nervous about. They are going to love you just as much as I do," he promised. 'If anyone has reason to be nervous, it's me.'

"Are you sure?"

Coming up behind her, he held her in his arms, wrapping them around the young woman he loved. "I'm positive." Liam planted a kiss on her neck. "You know, you worry entirely too much. It's bad for your health."

She smiled. "I guess it's a good thing I'm sleeping with a doctor then."

Liam turned her around so that they faced each other. "A very good thing indeed."

Their lips met in a slow, passionate kiss, their tongues massaging each other as they slipped from mouth to mouth. He picked Buffy up by her waist and carried her to the bed. They laid down, hands roaming one anothers' bodies, searching for something neither of them had discovered before. As Liam began unzipping her dress the doorbell rang.

"Damn," Buffy swore.

"It's probably my family."

Buffy frowned as Liam sat up to get the door. "You family has *the* worst timing."

"Sorry."

They got off the bed and made their way down the hall to the front door. He opened it, and Buffy took in a nervous breath. 'What if they don't like me? What if they think I'm some crazy person who fixated on their son? Maybe this is a big mistake.'

"Mom. Dad. Kathy. It's good to see you," he greeted.

The three other members of the Donnelly family entered the living. By looking at them, Buffy was able to tell where Liam got his looks from: his father. Mr. Donnelly had brown hair with a touch of gray and brown eyes much like his son. Kathleen looked like her mother, with blonde hair and blue eyes. "You've really done wonders with your home, Liam," Mr. Donnelly complimented. "It's a good thing you inherited your mother's sense of style instead of mine."

"He is lucky, isn't he?" teased Mrs. Donnelly.

Buffy's heart pounded in her throat when Liam clutched her hand in his, flashing her a comforting smile. "I'd like you guys to meet someone very special to me. This is Buffy Summers, my girlfriend."

The three of them looked her over before Mr. Donnelly extended his hand toward her. "Nice to meet you, Buffy. I'm Patrick Donnelly, William's father. You must be very special if he's actually introducing you to us. He never does that with just anyone."

Buffy raised her eyebrows in amusement. "William?" she asked.

"I prefer Liam to Bill, Billy or Will," Liam answered. "Are you planning on embarrassing me any more, Dad?"

"I think I'm done for now."

Mrs. Donnelly came forward. "Liam and Patrick are always antagonizing each other. But I am very pleased to meet you. Elizabeth Donnelly."

"Nice to meet you, too."

"And I'm Kathleen Donnelly," his sister introduced. "But you can call me Kathy. Everyone else does."

"I was under the impression you don't like being called Kathy. At least that's what Liam told me," Buffy said to her.

Kathy grinned. "Yeah, but I like yanking his chain. What good is having an older brother if you can't harass him? That's why I call him Angel; because he hates it. But I still call him that because it's true. He is my angel."

Buffy immediately felt a camaraderie with Liam's younger sister. "He's my angel, too."

"You don't look much older than me. Mind if I ask how old you are?"

"Not at all. I'll be twenty-two next month. Liam told me you and I are pretty close in age."

Kathy right away took a liking to her brother's girlfriend. She liked her better than any of Liam's past girlfriends she'd met before. Buffy seemed like someone she could have been friends with back in high school. "We are; I just turned twenty-one in September. Do you go to school around here?"

"Community college right now. I started this past semester. Liam tells me you go to Columbia University for political science."

Kathy nodded. "Yep. What are you taking up in school?"

"At the moment? Space."

Patrick Donnelly clapped his hands in an attempt to get everyone's attention. "If we don't get a move on, we are going to be late for church. Let's go."

***

At eleven-thirty that night, Liam walked into the living room to sit with his family. Buffy had fallen asleep upon putting her head on the pillow and he was glad for it. He wanted to spend some private time with his parents and sister and discuss some things with them. They all sat on the couch while Liam took a seat on the chair nearby.

"What do you guys think of Buffy?" he questioned. "I want your honest opinions here. Don't sugarcoat it."

"She seems very nice," Elizabeth Donnelly stated. "A little quiet, but nice."

"Buffy is a lovely young girl," Patrick Donnelly answered.

"I really like her," Kathy told him. "She's nice and funny and totally perfect for you. She and I got along really well."

Liam sighed. "Good, I'm glad you all like Buffy so much. Because…because tomorrow, I'm going to give her this." He showed them a diamond ring he'd purchased the month before.

Kathy widened her blue eyes and her jaw dropped. "Is that an engagement ring?"

"Yes. I'm going to ask Buffy to marry me. I spoke with her father a few days ago and he gave me his blessing. That's why I invited you over for Christmas this year, I wanted you to meet her before I did it," Liam informed them.

Nobody said anything for several moments. "Congratulations, big brother," his sister finally said, breaking the ice.

"Yes, congratulations," his parents told him.

"Thank you. But there is something you need to know about Buffy. She and I didn't exactly meet in the most conventional of ways. We met at the clinic back in March."

His father was surprised. "At the clinic? Isn't Buffy a little young to be working over there? She isn't a nurse, is she? Because I was under the impression she is still in college."

Liam shook his head. "No, she is still in school. Buffy didn't work there. She was one of my patients."

Once again, silence filled the room. It proved to be a shock to everyone in the living room. None of them ever thought he would fall for one of his patients. "Buffy was in an institution?" his younger sister asked. "For what?"

"That's something I should let you ask Buffy. She was there for six years and I started treating her when her regular doctor went on vacation for a couple weeks. When she had a breakthrough while he was gone, I continued on with her case. And in the interim, I fell in love with her."

"Is she okay now?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Yes. She's still seeing a doctor once a week. But she's fine; a lot of her troubles stemmed from her parents fighting back when she was in high school. Look, I know this sounds strange to you now, but I love her and I want to marry her."

Patrick looked at his thirty-two year old son. "Are you waiting for our permission?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I just wanted you to know."

"Well, you don't need it. If you love her, ask her."

***

"Guess that's it for all the presents," Buffy commented upon opening the last Christmas present in her pile. "Now what?"

Liam gazed at his family, and Kathy nodded her head at him. "There's one more for you, Buffy. I got you something else."

Buffy looked around the room, not seeing anything else unopened under the Christmas tree. "There's nothing left under the tree."

"It's not there." From his pants pocket, Liam pulled out the same diamond ring he'd showed his family the night before. Buffy stared at the ring, unable to say anything. But she had a feeling what was happening when he got down on his knee. "I love you, Buffy Anne Summers. When I first saw you that March day in 1997, you affected me in ways I never thought possible. But then I started talking to you and I got to know you and I fell so deeply in love, I didn't know what to do. Now I do. I want to spend my life with you; I want to be with you. I want you to be my wife. So will you marry me?"

She swallowed the huge lump that had formed in her throat during his proposal. "Oh my god…"

"Is that a no?"

Buffy vehemently shook her head. "No, it's not a no."

"Then say yes already," Kathy interrupted, anxious to hear her say it. "His head is going to explode if you don't."

"I was getting to it, Kathy," she responded. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

"I love you and I promise you won't regret this, Buffy. I swear." He placed the ring on her left hand, thinking about how perfect it looked there. "Do you remember when I told you how much my birthdays sucked when I was growing up because it was on Christmas? Well, you saying yes made this my best birthday ever."

"I love you, Liam Donnelly. And I can't wait until I'm Mrs. Dr. Liam Donnelly," Buffy said.

He grinned, taking her into his arms. "I can't wait either. I will make you the happiest woman in the world. Just like you've made me the happiest man by saying yes."

"You already have made me happy. You're my guardian angel."

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