Chapter 10:

With all of the decorations coming out of the attic and going up around the house, Emily-Grace's insistence that he help with her gingerbread house creation, and keeping an eye on their mother, William found that he barely had any time for himself that Sunday afternoon.

William was relieved when all of his duties were finally taken care of. Much later that evening, after Emily-Grace and Mother were settled for the night, William finally had some time to himself and could write to Buffy. He was certain that a new message from Buffy would be waiting for him, and he was eager to read what she had to say.

William sat down at the desk and opened up the drawer. He pulled out the journal before moving to sit more comfortably on his bed.

He opened up the journal to the most recent entry and smiled when he saw Buffy's scribblings. It had been over three months since they first began writing, and he was still amazed at whatever magic granted their communication. William always felt his heart jump when he saw a new entry from Buffy.

William did as he was instructed to and jumped back somewhat when he saw something fall out of the journal and onto the floor in front of him.

He bent down and picked up what looked like a thick blank sheet of paper and carefully turned it over to look at the other side.

"Oh my," William whispered, feeling his breath leave his body. He could have sworn that his heart stopped beating from the shock.

Looking up at him was, without a doubt, the most breath-taking woman he had ever gazed upon.

The photograph was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The image was flawless, not blurred, neither underdeveloped nor overdeveloped, scratched, or splattered by developer fluid in any way. It was smooth to the touch and even glossy, unlike the photograph plates that were currently being used. If it weren't for the glossy look of the paper, it could have easily passed for an actual painting.

Photography must have advanced beyond our wildest dreams, William thought in awe, unable to resist pondering the technical aspects of the advances in photography.

Thanks to the clarity of the photograph, William was able to look at what would be, in his time, considered an exact copy of his beautiful Buffy.

Not mine, he scornfully thought to himself. She lives in the year 2004, and you would be an idiot to think that a ponce like you would ever have a chance with someone as beautiful as her.

Nonetheless, he continued to stare in awe at Buffy's picture, wondering what it would be like to actually see her in real life. To actually touch her soft cheek instead of this flat sheet of paper. To actually...

"Stop it," he murmured. "Do not get your hopes up. Nothing can happen between us. Nothing."

As he looked at her photo, William knew that, without a doubt, he was in love with Buffy Summers. The pounding of his heart, his lack of breath whenever he saw a new entry from her, and that feeling deep down inside of him that sparked to life whenever he even thought of her - they all screamed that what he was feeling was pure love.

This image made him sure that it was love. She was absolutely beautiful, both inside and out. Although William had first fallen in love with her words and spirit, seeing an image of her for the first time had sealed the deal.

He loved her.

Now what was he going to do about it?

What could he do about it?

And the answer to both of these questions was, unfortunately, quite simple: nothing.

William broke away from his thoughts and returned to the journal, finding it hard to force his eyes away from looking into her beautiful green orbs that stared back at him. He set the photograph down on the desktop, wondering how he could prevent Emily-Grace from finding it.

On the page where Buffy had placed the photo, he saw that she had written more. He sat back to continue reading.

Anyway, what I'm trying to get to is this. Willow asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year...and I found myself fighting to keep from blurting out your name. Wow, I feel really stupid writing this...but all I want is you to see you. I want to celebrate Christmas with you, William. Actually, I would just love to celebrate with your family - Dawn and I, of course, surrounded by your loving mother and sister in front of the fire....wow, and I am so channeling A Christmas Carol...and is that even written yet? Sorry to get all melodramatic on you there, but a gal can dream.

William smiled and reread her entry over two more times, taking in every word that Buffy wrote. It thrilled him that she obviously cared for him, perhaps even as much as he cared for her.

He stood and went back to his desk, opening the top drawer and pulling out a sharp paper print of himself standing in the middle of the living room. The photograph was fairly recent, only four months old. With photography such an involved and lengthy process as it was these days, he and his family did not get their photographs taken very often.

He opened to a new page and placed the photo to his left on the desktop while he wrote.

William paused and read over everything he had just written, somewhat surprised at just how confident he was with his writing. Less than a year ago, he would have never been so brave and sure of himself. But with this woman, William felt like he could do or say what he truly felt, and he would not be judged or ridiculed. Buffy had changed him and made him into a better, stronger man and for that alone, he would never take their correspondences for granted.

"Wait just one second," William whispered to himself, trying to think up any last minute surprises he could give Buffy. He wanted to extend the same gratitude she had for him and surprise her with something in return

William crossed out the last line he had written and began again on the next line.

I do not have anything that can compete with, or even match, your modern photograph. Everything I have to offer you already know of in your world, unlike myself, who cannot see into the future. Nevertheless, I do have a present I would like you to have. I know that you will look at it and claim that you cannot accept it, but I want you to have this, Buffy. It means very much to me, and I would like to let you have a part of something that is dear to me. I will explain its significance in my next correspondence.

William reached into the top drawer once again and pulled out small cloth bag. He untied the leather binding and fully opened the bag. A pocket watch that he had never worn before fell into his waiting hand.

The pocket watch had belonged to his father, Benjamin Stafford, a man for whom William had nothing but admiration and respect. His father had died from the same illness that his mother was now suffering from when William had just turned thirteen. He did not remember much about his father, but he could remember his last few days very well, with his father struggling for breath and coughing up blood; unfortunately, they were not the days that William wanted to remember the best. Along with the investments he had left for the entire family, Benjamin also left several specific objects to William and Emmy.

Of all the things his father had left for him, the one object he treasured most was Benjamin's pocket watch. When he was very young, William could remember watching as his father had taken his pocket watch out of his vest pocket and open it up to look at the time. He had then looked down at William, showed him the watch, and had said the exact same thing. "Have I ever told you, William, that your mother bought this watch for me during our first year of marriage? I still wouldn't know the time if it weren't for her."

The watch meant so much to him today because it was a connection to both of his parents. It had quit working years ago before William was interested in wearing pocket watches, but he still held onto it. Even if it did still work, though, William suspected that he would not wear it so that he would not upset his mother or bring back memories of his father that they had tried to repress. However, he did know that he wanted the watch to go to someone he truly cared about.

Emmy was too young to even remember the pocket watch, so after reading Buffy's entry, William knew what he wanted to do. He would give it to Buffy Summers. After all, she was the only person outside of his immediate family that he cared about more than anything.

William placed the book in the bottom drawer and set the watch on top of the book so it would be the first thing Buffy saw.

With everything finished for the evening, William prepared for bed and settled down for a good night's sleep.

~~~

That evening, Buffy decided to turn in early. She had to get up early tomorrow morning to head into work and hopefully get there before Willow and Anya. She wanted to get there before her two co-workers did so she could put away the freshly gesso-ed canvases she left out to dry Saturday evening. More importantly, she also wanted to cover the two paintings she had left out in her studio in case Anya walked back there and saw her unfinished project.

She had just changed for the evening and was walking around her bedroom reading an article in the latest Entertainment Weekly when she clumsily ran into her desk. Her legs bumped against it and pushed it across the floor several inches, leaving her with what would most likely be two identical bruises in a couple days.

"Ow," she muttered. "Okay, let's work on that coordination there, Buffy."

She threw the magazine down on her bed and moved the desk back so it was straight once again. When she pulled the desk towards her, Buffy heard a soft clunk! from one of the desk drawers, as if something had gotten knocked over.

"Weird..." Buffy said, wondering what could have fallen to create that noise. She didn't keep too many things in the desk drawers just in case they suddenly wound up in 1882, so for the most part, they were empty.

She checked the drawers from top to bottom to make sure everything was okay. When she got to the drawer that was used solely for her and William's journal, she almost didn't bother opening it. However, since she was sitting there, she figured that she might as well check to see if he had replied yet. When Buffy opened the drawer a soft, "oh!" escaped her lips.

For the first time ever, the journal was not the only object in the desk drawer. Buffy looked down at what looked like a pocket watch. She carefully picked it up and grabbed the journal with her other hand. Buffy opened the journal and turned to where she had last written. She quickly skimmed what he had written, wondering why he had enclosed the pocket watch.

Buffy flipped through the pages in the journal and even held it with the pages facing down the floor as she gently shook it. When nothing fell out, she realized that either the photograph did not travel through time correctly or he simply forgot to place it in there.

I'll have to remind him to include it next time, Buffy thought with regret. She was a bit disappointed - she had been looking forward to seeing what he looked like!

I do not have anything that can compete with, or even match, your modern photograph. Everything I have to offer you already know of in your world, unlike myself, who cannot see into the future. Nevertheless, I do have a present I would like you to have. I know that you will look at it and claim that you cannot accept it, but I want you to have this, Buffy. It means very much to me, and I would like to let you have a part of something that is dear to me. I will explain its significance in my next correspondence.

Buffy set the journal down and looked at the gold pocket watch, running her fingers over the intricate design on the front. She then opened it up and looked at the clock inside. The hands were not moving, and she hoped that sending it to 2004 hadn't broken it. The watch obviously meant a lot to William, and he was right - Buffy felt like she should not accept something that meant so much to him.

She closed the watch and turned it over to fully inspect it. At the bottom of the watch's back, she realized it was engraved.

"Someone who is a Stafford, obviously," Buffy whispered. "A. M. S. must be his mother, Anne. So, who could it be intended for...? Benjamin?"

Buffy scowled when she realized whose watch she was holding. It was his father's!

"William! Well, you're right - I can't just take this from you," she said, looking at the front of the watch once again. "Not when your father meant so much to you."

She ran her fingers over the gold pattern, noticing just how well crafted the pocket watch was. It must have cost his mother a fortune for their time to purchase it. Buffy fiddled with the clasp, trying to figure out how to attach it to things. It was similar to a toggle clasp that bracelets often used, and Buffy decided to hook it together to make it similar to a necklace.

"Well, it won't hurt to hang onto it tonight," she whispered, a small part of her taking delight in holding something that William had just recently touched. It made her feel closer to him somehow. "And then tomorrow I will tell him I can't keep it."

She climbed into bed and looked at his watch again. It really was quite elegant. Buffy suspected that she could go to a repair shop and have them fix it. Maybe she could send it back to him properly working - that would be a nice present, after all. Of course, she also figured that most clock repairmen wouldn't be used to working on a pocket watch from 1882. She would have to make sure they wouldn’t damage it any further before she left it with anyone.

Buffy reached over and turned off her table lamp and settled into bed, hoping that she would soon fall asleep.

Very soon, Buffy found herself drifting off. She rolled over onto her side, taking the pocket watch along with her and falling asleep with the watch resting in her hand, the gold chain looping to tightly wrap around her wrist.

~~~

It is much too bright, was the first thought that ran through William's muddled mind. He was lying on his right side, which meant that the sun should be behind him - not in front.

He slowly opened his sleep-filled eyes, and began to turn over on his other side to see if the curtains had not been drawn closed. When he rolled over, however, he felt the hard surface beneath him disappear and came to realize he was now lying on hard wood floor. William felt his breath knocked out of him momentarily and rubbed his head where it had hit the floor.

He looked to his left and saw -

"My desk?" he whispered in disbelief. That was not possible. His desk was not this close to his bed.

And that's when he heard something. Sheets ruffling and then a breathy - and undoubtedly feminine - gasp.

William turned around to look to his other side and froze.

Sitting in a large bed wearing...well, what would definitely be considered indecent in his time by any standards, was the most beautiful woman that he had ever gazed upon.

She was simply the most breathtaking vision - an absolute angel dressed in next to nothing, much to William's embarrassment. Her tanned skin, a shade so dark and so bright like he had never seen in London, glowed in the morning sun. Her hair was tossed to her right shoulder in disarray and her eyes were wide with shock and disbelief.

Her bright green eyes.

He tried to form words - to ask what was going on? How? When? Why? But his mind could not think, his voice would not work, and he found that he could barely remember to breathe, let alone talk, from looking at such exquisite beauty.

"William?" The woman whispered, sitting up and looking at him more closely. "Is it...you?"

"Buffy?"

TBC

Chapter 11:

Buffy was still half-asleep when she swore she heard a muttered curse, and then the sound of something crashing to the floor in front of her. Oh God, it's too early for anyone to be breaking in, she thought with a groan. Although she wasn't ready to get up for the day, she opened her bleary eyes and sat up to inspect her room and make sure that everything was okay.

As she sat up, she could still feel the metal of the pocket watch chain wrapped tightly around her arm. The metal had grown warm from being against her skin all night and as the chain slipped from her wrist, Buffy couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.

However, when she saw what - or, better yet, who was in front of her, all other thoughts were erased from her mind. All of a sudden, she felt as if she couldn't breathe.

To her right, and sitting in front of her desk, was a man dressed in what appeared to be vintage pajamas. Only...I guess they wouldn't be considered vintage for him, would they now? Buffy asked herself, somewhat amazed that she was able to form any coherent thoughts at the moment.

She took a closer look and noticed that there was a dazed expression in his eyes...

Oh my God, look at his eyes, Buffy thought, now unable to form words when she looked at his face. She had never seen such sharp cheekbones, or a pair of eyes more blue than the ones that stared right back at her in equal shock.

She waited a few more seconds to take it all in...to try and come up with some rational explanation why there was a man sitting on her bedroom floor at 7:00 in the morning.

C'mon, Buffy, she scolded herself. For the past three months, you have been writing to someone living in 1882 for Christ's sake, let's start off with a rational explanation for that one. Buffy looked at his unruly, curly, dirty blonde hair, down to his feet, which were bare, and then she slowly looked back up to meet his wide eyes once more.

Finally managing to find her voice, she hoarsely whispered, "William?"

Noticing no reaction from him, she tried again. Buffy summoned her courage to continue speaking, this time without the nervous waver in her tone. "Is it...you?"

The man at the foot of her bed slowly opened his mouth before quickly shutting it. A beat later he responded with a very similar tone of disbelief. "Buffy?"

Oooh, accent...nice. Dawn was actually right after all, Buffy immediately thought, even though she really should have been prepared to hear an accent in his voice. After all, it made sense, seeing as how he came from...

1882!

She felt something deep in her body tighten at the sound of finally hearing his voice, at the deep color of his eyes. She couldn't help but notice the way his hair carelessly fell into them, somewhat hiding the ever-changing shade of blue she so desperately wanted to see right now. "What? I - I mean...wait...but how...?"

"I seem to find myself asking the exact same questions," William managed to quietly respond, letting out a short, nervous chuckle. He shyly glanced up at her once again; however, he quickly looked away, feeling a blush quickly running up his neck at seeing...

Buffy shivered at the sound of his voice and the deep timbre of his laugh, and she pulled the sheet up to better cover her body. "How is this even possible?" she finally managed to ask.

"I haven't the slightest idea," William answered, slowly moving to a more comfortable sitting position. He ran his hand over what would most likely be a fairly decent sized bump on his head; with all of the surprise and shock, he had momentarily forgotten about the pain. William took a look around her room and actually could pick out several things that she had drawn for him in their journal - her telephone, the computer, and several small lamps. Seeing those objects made what was going on that much more real. "Is this really...?"

"2004?" Buffy finished. She nodded, unable to shake off her feeling of surprise. "Yeah...it is."

William - kind, sweet, "perfect gentleman" William was here. Here he was, sitting not even five feet away from her, the man whom she had begun to...

Buffy sat back, trying to figure out what to say and what to do next. In all of her fantasies where she and William were finally given an opportunity to meet, what was happening right now was definitely not one of the scenarios that she had thought out. Instead of whispered words, gentle kisses and promises of a future together, there was now awkward, tense, silence and obvious embarrassment from both ends.

At that moment, Buffy's alarm went off, filling the room with a loud, buzzing noise, one that William had never heard before. He jumped to his feet and frantically looked around the room for what was causing that horrendous racket. Buffy quickly reached over and hit the "off" button before sending an apologetic smile towards the man standing at the foot of her bed.

"Sorry. That was my alarm clock," she explained. "I, uh, I usually start getting ready for work now."

William nodded in understanding, remembering that she had written about alarm clocks once. However, part of him still wondered if that annoying noise might be returning anytime soon. He quickly ran his fingers through his unruly hair, wishing he had a brush with him, and smiled somewhat shakily. "This is not exactly I thought our first meeting would go."

Buffy nodded her head. "I didn't think we would ever have a first meeting to begin with," she muttered.

"I understand," William answered.

"Look, I need to, uh...let me call Willow and tell her that I won't be in to work today and then..." Buffy's voice trailed off, unsure of what she should do or say next.

William is here, she thought. That was about all her mind could process at the moment.

"Buffy," William began, and Buffy had to restrain herself from shivering again at the gentle, caring tone he used to speak her name. "Why don't you go through your typical morning routine, and I will wait until you have...calmed down, so that we may assess the situation together."

Buffy thought about his suggestion for a second and then slowly nodded. "That sounds like a good plan," she said. "I'm just, uh, going to take a shower and get dressed. Just, uh..."

"If you don't mind my looking around-"

"No, no, that's fine, William. Please, feel free to do whatever you want," Buffy quickly answered, trying desperately to escape from the awkward tension that filled the room. "Just, you know, be careful what you mess with, and don't - don't hurt yourself."

"I shall keep my hands to myself," he promised.

Without even thinking, Buffy threw the sheets back and rose from the bed before she remembered what she had worn to sleep in the night before.

William turned bright red when he caught a glimpse of where her short, satin nightgown ended. It was just wrong to see her tanned, bare legs move from under the covers into plain sight, polite society had taught him that. However, after he recalled that he was in 2004 and this was Buffy, of all people, he then had to fight the urge to continue looking away.

"I will leave you to your morning routine," he hoarsely muttered, backing up and beginning to leave her bedroom.

"William..." Buffy began. He did not look up at her, but he paused in the doorway. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

William quickly nodded before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

After the door shut, Buffy's knees gave out and she quickly fell back to sit on the edge of the bed. She held her head between her hands and took several deep breaths, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat.

~~~

After closing Buffy's door, William slowly walked down the hallway, taking his time to look at the photographs that lined both walls. Many framed images of Buffy and others, people he assumed were her friends that she had mentioned in their writings, covered the walls.

Many of the photographs also featured a slender girl with long, straight, dark brown hair, who often stood next to Buffy. From Buffy's descriptions and the frequency of her appearances William assumed that this could only be Dawn Summers. He noticed the similarities between the two sisters, and he quickly smiled when he did realize that Dawn, indeed, was slightly taller than Buffy.

As he looked at each photograph, finding himself unable to put names to the faces William took time to gaze at the woman of his affections in each one as the realization of just what was going on began to finally sink in.

William could hardly believe it. He was standing in Buffy's apartment, where Buffy was just one room away, in the year 2004.

It was, literally, a dream come true.

Yes, but if it truly is a dream, why did what just occur seem more like a nightmare? William asked himself.

He had felt the increasing tension in the room and knew very well that Buffy had felt it as well. But even worse, he had clearly sensed that both he and Buffy were embarrassed the entire time. When they had first begun to write to each other, Buffy insisted that he try to overcome his embarrassment in asking any type of personal questions, and she would do the same. Now it was if they were right back to when they had written their very first entry, but even more nervous than before.

Then again, how could he not be embarrassed by what he had just seen? After all, being brought up in an upper class household had kept William away from seeing firsthand anything scandalous or taboo. In 1882, women dressed so they were fully covered and remained that way until in the privacy of the bedroom. Seeing any woman so scandally dressed as Buffy should shock him, there was no doubt about that.

But this was Buffy, and she was different than all of the women in London. Then, his first time ever seeing her in person, and to look at her dressed in something so scandalous.

William cast those thoughts out of mind and continued to walk, passing three closed doors, one which he knew must be Dawn's bedroom, and ending in the living room. The kitchen and dinner table were on his right, and William was surprised of the size of her apartment. When she had explained the layout of her home a couple months ago, William had thought that her home sounded incredibly small. Seeing it for himself, however, made him realize it was not so very much unlike his own home, the only exception being that her apartment was only one story. He walked around the living room, looking at the furniture and other objects placed on tables and bookcase shelves.

Buffy had very good tastes in furnishings, William couldn't help but notice. Of course, he attributed that to her artistic abilities, but he was still awe-struck to be in her living room, sitting on her sofa, as she dressed for the morning.

How was he here?

How was this even possible?

How long would he be allowed to stay?

And then his next, and most important, thought...

What was going to happen to Emily-Grace and his mother without him there to care for them?

~~~

Buffy stood under the scalding, pulsing water, letting it wash over her body and hopefully wash away her confusion. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be working too well.

William was here. Here he was, no more than thirty feet away from where she stood right now, and Buffy had never been more terrified in her life.

She could actually reach out to touch him for the first time ever. She could talk to him in person instead of simply writing letters back and forth. She could introduce him to Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, and Dawn, and prove to them that the last few months had been real. She could -

"Idiot! God, you're such an idiot, Buffy," she told herself sharply. That was the last thing she needed to do, to work herself up and get her hopes up, only to have William whisked back to 1882 before the day was over. It wouldn't do her any good to start planning for a future that would never happen.

"Do you honestly think that this will actually last?" she asked herself. "That William would actually want to stay here when he has a sick mother and younger sister back home that he needs to take care of?"

Buffy didn't know how he had suddenly traveled 122 years into the future, but she knew one thing - it was just too good to be true. They didn't live in a romance novel, Buffy had told herself that from the very beginning when they had first begun to talk. This was the real world, and things like time travel didn't just happen in order for two people to have their fairly tale ending.

No, this would not last - Buffy was sure of it.

It was either temporary - some crazy fluctuation in time or a possible screw-up with the combination of the magical desk, journal, and pocket watch. Whatever the reason, Buffy had to tell herself that William would ultimately have to go back to his family. To his century.

Away from her.

Buffy wiped her eyes when she realized that the wetness on her face wasn't just from taking a shower. She let the water wash over her once more before turning off the water. "Okay, I can do this..." she whispered to herself as she wrung out her hair and stepped out of the tub. "I can act like he means nothing to me...I have to. I can make him realize that he would rather go back home than stay here with me."

Because more than anything else, Buffy would not allow herself to be hurt by a man again. She had barely made it through her relationship with Warren several months ago, and she knew that whatever happened with William now, the inevitable fallout would be tens times worse than before. After all, this relationship was doomed. In Buffy's mind there was no way an eighteenth century gentleman and a twenty-first century independent woman could make it work.

She hardened her emotions, preparing for whatever might be said or done, while she dressed in jeans and a simple black tank top. She spritzed some conditioner spray into her hair before quickly running a comb through it. After messing around with a couple different hairstyles, she finally decided to pull it all back and place it in a loose ponytail.

Because as much as she wanted William to stay, Buffy knew that fairy tales didn't come true.

~~~

Buffy walked down the hallway to find William staring out of the window in her living room. As she stepped closer to him, she could see a boyish look of awe and amazement very clear on his features. Although not even five minutes ago her thoughts had been dreary, she suddenly had to fight back her own smile.

"Things look different, don't they?" Buffy softly asked coming up even closer behind him. She stuck her hands in her pockets, unsure of how to act or what to say.

What do you say to the man you've practically fallen in love through reading his words alone? How were you supposed to react to someone who somehow managed to travel through time?

One thing was certain, Buffy wasn't going to be finding any relationship self-help books on this topic at Barnes and Noble anytime soon.

"It's incredible," William answered, the awe clear in his tone. "All of these houses and buildings..." he cleared his voice and looked down at her. "You were not lying when you said they were a hundred stories tall."

Buffy chuckled. "Well, these aren't exactly a hundred stories...more like ten or less. That is an apartment complex across the street, and compared to other buildings, that one is tiny. Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet. Just wait until I show you LA." Buffy's voice cracked at the last minute, as she realized that she was now trying to make future plans with a man who might be gone when she woke up tomorrow morning. William was so entranced by the landscape before him, however, that he did not hear the catch in her voice.

William finally turned his attention away from the window and to the petite blonde standing in front of him, and he couldn't help but think that he had always pictured her taller. Her hair was still wet and pulled back from her face, and she tentatively smiled when she realized he was staring at her.

"What? I know I must look-"

"Buffy," he whispered. "If I may be so bold..."

"Yes?"

"That picture does not do you justice at all. You are far more beautiful than any picture could ever capture," William said truthfully.

Buffy's heart lurched at those words, feeling them warm her heart and break it at the same time. Why, oh why, couldn't he stay?

"Thank you," she answered softly. She cleared her throat and then met his eyes again. "If you want to change out of...that, then I think I have some spare clothes that might fit you until we can buy you some new ones."

She turned around and headed back towards her bedroom, listening to William follow closely behind her. "When Warren and I broke up, he left a few things here. I kept meaning to get rid of then, but never did...I just didn't even want to look at them, so I hid them in my closet. I think they should fit okay."

Buffy dug around in her closet until she pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt. "Here you go...," she said, holding them out to him.

William reached out to take the clothing, causing their fingertips to collide and touch. Buffy felt their skin make contact, felt the warmth from his hand, and quickly jumped back, as if afraid she was going to catch a disease from him. "Th-thank you," he stammered, that feeling of nervousness and embarrassment quickly returning. "If you could just tell me where I may change?"

"Of course," Buffy answered, blushing slightly under his intent stare. She walked back through the hallway and stopped in front of the last door that was closed. She opened it and turned on the light, causing a smile to form on William's face.

"Electricity," he murmured. He looked around the rest of the apartment, noticing for the first time all of the lamps and lights he saw. With so many other thoughts racing through his mind, the last thing he had focused on was electricity. "You told me about it, but it was just so difficult to imagine through words and pictures. This is simply amazing." He looked up at the bright light bulbs over the vanity mirror before turning his attention to the rest of the room with an eager look on his face.

"Yeah, I guess it's just one of those things that we take for granted these days," Buffy admitted. "I can't image what it'd be like living without things like electricity and AC. Although I guess you would be able to get through that with ease, huh?"

William nodded. That was another thing he had not noticed - air conditioning. He hadn't even realized how comfortable he felt in her house until right now. It was not bitterly cold like it always was in the morning before the house warmed up from his family and the fires. It was just about perfect, actually. And William knew at least a little bit about these modern conveniences thanks to Buffy's explanations through the journal.

"And this is the...?"
 

"Oh, this is the bathroom," Buffy announced, stepping in first to show him how to work everything. She explained the shower faucets and how to switch from bath to the shower, hearing an appreciative "ooh" from William as she showed how well the indoor plumbing actually worked. Then she gave a demonstration on how to work the sink, and quickly explained the toilet, managing to keep her blush to a minimum as she tried to explain how men use it.

"I'm sure I will manage quite fine," William assured her as to keep Buffy from rambling on for the rest of the morning. He hadn't even been with her for an hour yet, and he could tell that her early claims of rambling were very true. "If there is anything that I find confusing, I will let you know."

"Okay then," Buffy replied. "How about breakfast?"

"Breakfast would be spectacular," William answered.

"Then I'll be in the room over there," Buffy explained, pointing towards the small kitchen. "And I'll have some food ready for you when you come out."

"Thank you, and Buffy?" Buffy's eyes darted up to meet his. "I do not know how or why I have come to be here with you, but I am grateful for however it happened."

Buffy slowly nodded in agreement before shutting the door for him.

She heard the shower turn on and leaned back against the door, committing this morning to memory in case it was the last, and only, morning she would ever have with William.

"So am I, William," Buffy softly agreed. "So am I."

TBC

Chapter 12:

"Willow?" Buffy asked when her friend picked up the phone. "Hey, it's me."

"Hey, Buffy," Willow greeted. "Is everything okay? You sound..."
 

"No, I'm fine," Buffy assured her, hoping that her voice didn't suggest otherwise. "I just wanted to call and let you know that I won't be in to work at all today."

"Are you sure everything is alright?"

"No! I mean, yes!" Buffy sighed and tried to calm herself. "Yes, Willow, everything is fine. I just need to do some errands...away from the gallery today. Can you just call Anya and see if she can come in today?"

As she spoke, Buffy walked up to the bathroom and placed a pair of flip-flops that she had finally found in her closet beside the door. They had belonged to Warren as well, and Buffy wasn't too sure if she still had them anymore; nevertheless, she was now thankful that she hadn't thrown them out several months ago. They wouldn't be the greatest pair of shoes in the world, but they would hopefully be suitable enough for William to wear to the mall.

"Sure thing, Buffy. I'll call her after we hang up," Willow replied. "But...are you sure that everything is okay?"

Buffy paused and heard the water cut off, signaling that William woud soon be coming out of the bathroom. She cleared her throat and backed away from the door. She quickly continued on, hoping to finish the conversation before he came back out. "Yeah, I think so," she answered, her voice sounding far away from the conversation with her red-headed friend.

"Do you want me to come over after work today?" Willow asked. "We can order some very unhealthy food for dinner and watch movies all night."

"No...definitely not," Buffy quickly answered. "I just...there are just some things I need to deal with, okay?"

Willow nodded, even though her friend would not be able to see the movement. After all, Willow was somewhat used to Buffy taking several days off from work, thanks to Warren. After their break up, Buffy hadn't come into work for a week, leaving Willow and Anya to run her business and take orders for paintings they didn’t know if Buffy would complete.

"That's fine, Buffy...take as much time as you need. Just keep Anya and me posted on when you'll be back in, okay?"

"Thank you so much, Will, you're the best friend anyone could have."

"I know, I know...keep sucking up, I'll take all I can get," Willow teased. "I'll talk to you later, Buff."

"Okay, bye."

Bufy hung up the phone and returned to the stove to finish cooking breakfast.

Several minutes later, William walked into the kitchen with a towel between his hands, still trying to dry out his hair. Although they were a bit long on him, the sweatpants were a decent fit for the time being. However, the t-shirt was a bit tight around the chest, causing William to feel somewhat unconfortable as he headed into the kitchen.

"The shower is simply fantastic," William announced when he entered the kitchen. He smiled at Buffy, as he continued to praise the incredible features of modern indoor plumbing and having constant hot water.

Buffy, on the other hand, was somewhat distracted by his change of appearance. Sure, they were ratty clothes, and from Warren of all people, but on him...

Stop it, she told herself. Don't get too attatched. You never know what's going to happen.

"That's great," she said, "I'm glad it wasn't too difficult to figure out." Buffy was pleased that William seemed to be adjusting to the twenty-first-century fairly well. Buffy suspected that it was from everything she had written to him in their journal, almost as if she was preparing him for the inevitable...

No, don't think that, she tried to warn herself. Nevertheless, as William sat down at her kitchen table with a warm, tender smile on his beautiful face, Buffy could feel herself slipping.

"Bacon and eggs are coming up in just a couple more minutes," Buffy explained. "Feel free to look around. Most of these things I have already told you about, actually. Fridge and freezer, microwave, stove..." Buffy pointed to each object as she said its name. "Just...don't hit any buttons. I don't really want to have to explain a fire - and you - to all of my friends right now."

William decided that he would have time later on to go look at and examine every invention with Buffy's assistance and remained seated at the table. Instead, William took the time to stare at Buffy, managing to not feel ashamed or embaressed to do so. Her back was towards him as she stood at the stove with a spatula in one hand and her other holding the handle of a pan.

Sometime while William had been taking his shower, Buffy had taken down her hair, letting it contine to dry as she prepared breakfast. Occasionally, she would toss her hair from one side to the other while flipping eggs. And as she stood there, William watched her sway back and forth, as if listening to music that only she could hear. He was delighted to see her so carefree at that moment, unlike earlier when she had been oviously uncomfortable.

When Buffy turned back around, he quickly lowered his eyes to the table in front of him, not wanting to be caught staring at her as she swayed so provocatively. William fought back a blush and when he finally felt that he had himself under control, looked back up at her. "It smells lovely," he complimented.

"Thanks. Do you like milk to drink? Or orange juice?"

"Juice would be fine, thank you," he replied.

A minute later, Buffy sat a plate and a tall glass of orange juice down in font of him before joining him on the opposite side of the table. "Enjoy!"

The rest of the breakfast continued in silence. Both Buffy and William had a million questions running through their heads, but neither one was brave enough to speak up.

~~~

After breakfast, there wasn't much to do except to show William around the house - which didn't take long - and to show off the city that she lived in.

Buffy decided to take him to the local Sunnydale Mall to buy him some new clothing and other necessary items that he might need over the next few days. Without actually knowing how long his stay might be, Buffy didn't want to overshop for him. She couldn't help but remind herself that he very well might be gone by tomorrow morning.

As they drove to the mall, William's face was glued to the car window, staring at the buildings flying past him in amazement. His hand was tightly gripping the door handle on his right, as his other hand rested nervously on the arm rest and against his leg. Sure, Buffy had explained how fast cars are able to travel in her century, but it was a completely different thing to experience it firsthand!

Buffy kept glancing over at him every so often to make sure that he didn't get carsick all of a sudden. But whenever she looked at him, he seemed very eager and excited to see everything flying past him.

"So, it looks like you really like cars," Buffy started. "And now we know that's one trait in men that hasn't changed very much over the years."

"Hmm? Oh, this is just incredible," William stated, finally taking his eyes off of the road to look over at her. "It takes a bit getting used to, of course, but I am enjoying this very much."

"Good. I'm glad William," Buffy honestly replied. "I'm actually pretty amazed that you've adjusted as well as you have so far. I figured you would have been screaming, 'Demon! Demon!' at the cars driving by or something."

William chuckled, unsure of where Buffy got that notion, but finding the mental image of that happening funny all the same. "Well, I believe that our writings have been a great help. After all, many of these things I have seen you have explained to me, both in words and images, so at least they are not a complete surprise."

"That's true," Buffy thought, thinking back to the journal and their last entires they had each written. "So...I'm guessing you got my photograph then?"

William nodded. "Yes, I did. It was...beautiful," he managed to say, knowing that there weren't any words that could truly describe Buffy.

"Thank you," she whispered, feeling the heat in her cheeks flare up.

"I replied last night with my own photo."

"Which didn't come through," Buffy replied. "I opened the journal late last night but there wasn't any photograph."

William frowned, wondering what had gone wrong. Perhaps he had simply forgot to place the photograph inside the journal? "In any case, I meant to give you a photograph, and-"

William paused, thinking back to his father's pocketwatch. With all of the excitement from the morning, he hadn't given a second thought to the journal sitting in the bottom of their desk and the pocketwatch that he had sent along with it.

"And what?"

"I included my father's pocketwatch," William explained. "As a Christmas present to you, since you attatched your photograph."

"I know, I found the watch last night, William." Buffy took her eyes off the road to look at him in order to make her next words more to-the-point. "But I can't accept something like that. It's from your father, a man whom you clearly admire and love."

"Which is exactly why I felt like I should pass it on to you," William replied. "I know, it was probably a rash decision, but I wanted you to have something that means so much to me."

Buffy paused, seeing that the two of them had come to an impasse regarding who would now keep the pocketwatch. "So...do you think that's how you got here then?"

William shrugged. "I do not know. However, this is the first time that either one of us has ever tried to send actual objects through the desk, rather than just our journal."

The edges of Buffy's mouth slightly lifted. He thought of it as their journal too! That notion filled her with a small sense of joy.

"I was thinking that maybe because we were running out of pages in the journal," Buffy began. "I was worried that any other type of journal wouldn't work...maybe you were sent here since we were almost finished writing and..."

"And possibly it was time to move beyond simply writing to one another?" William suggested.

"Beats me. This doesn't happen to me, or anyone else I know, too often."

"As with me," William agreed.

William looked around the car, inspecting all of the little knobs, switches, colors, and lights. He placed his hands in his lap. A slight twinge of fear kept him from touching anything other than the door handle and the armrest on the side of the seat.

His left arm, which was draped over the arm rest attatched to his seat, left his hand resting on top of the gear shift in the between the two seats. William wasn't sure what that was used for, but he had seen Buffy move it back when she was driving out of the driveway, and then back even further when she began moving forward.

Buffy looked down and smiled. This was a scenario she never imagined would ever happen. She was driving with William to go shopping. Buffy knew that she should be thrilled, blissfully happy even, but she still couldn't get past her irrational fear that he might disappear with the blink of an eye.

Taking her right hand off the steering wheel, she gently placed it over top of his. She felt him tense for a second before gradually relaxing back into his seat. Buffy waited, allowing him to become comfortable - after all, she was almost positive that no woman would ever be so forward with him in 1882.

She tightened her grip over his hand and squeezed lightly, allowing herself to take pleasure in touching him for the very first time.

"I...I'm not very good with words either," Buffy softly admitted, "but there were some words that I did not say this morning that I should have said."

William looked down at their joined hands, unsure of what to say or how to act. He wanted to check if he was dreaming or not, but then again...this surprassed any dream he could have thought up. He waited for Buffy to continue.

"William, I...I am glad you're here as well," Buffy said. "However it happened...whether it was your pocketwatch, or our journal, or just...our time, I am glad."

He smiled and turned his hand over, causing hers to fall and meet his, palm to palm. He gently squeezed her hand in return, amazed that something so simple could give him so much delight. "I am glad as well, Buffy."

The two continued their ride in silence, neither one removing their grip from one another.

~~~

After finding a parking space and helping William figure out how to open the car door, the two walked into Macy's. William looked around in awe at all the bright, blinking lights, the multitude of clothing in so many different colors, and so many people walking around them.

The department store was decorated for Christmas and William could hear carrols that even he recognized being played somewhere in the store. Tinsel, garlands, and gigantic wreaths lined the ceiling, and he was amazed that a store took so much time and care into decorating for the holiday. William turned a full circle, taking everything in, and adjusting to all of the noise surrounding them.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked, with a worried expression of her face. She watched William spin around with a dazed look on his face and instantly thought that taking him to such a big store on his first day here might not have been her smartest decision.

"Yes, thank you," William aswered. "I'm just slightly overwhelmed by all of this."

"It'll be okay," Buffy assured him. "Just stick close with me and we'll try to not get separated. I just want to get some clothing that better fits you."

Buffy led the way past the women's section, the make-up and jewelry counters, womens' shoes, and into the men's section of the store. She kept checking back every so often to make sure that William was still following her. Although he was still looking around at everything a mile a minute, he was able to keep up with her surprisingly well.

Once in the men's department, Buffy wasn't quite sure what to do first. After all, she had never shopped for any other man in her life other than Warren, and he hated shopping at off-brand department stores.

"Well, here we are," she announced. "You aren't going to find anything exactly like what you're used to wearing, but..."

"Perhaps we should ask for assistance then," William suggested. Just by looking at her face, he could tell that she was just as nervous as he was about finding proper clothing.

"Great idea, William," Buffy said. She walked up to a customer service desk on their left. "Hi, excuse me? We need some help."

"What can I help you two with?" the tall, brunette exployee asked. His name was Shawn, or at least that's what his name-tag read, and he quickly put down the shirt he was folding to give them his full attention.

"My...uh, friend, is visiting from London for the week, but the airport totally screwed up with his luggage," Buffy lied, coming up with the first excuse that she could think of. She glanced at William, hoping he would keep silent and act natural. "So...we need some clothes and stuff for him for a few days while they find his luggage."

"Okay, well...what are you looking for exactly, sir?"

William paused, completely clueless on how to answer Shawn's question. "I am not quite sure..." he began.

"Just something comfortable, right, William?" Buffy quickly asked. "Maybe some khakis, some soft shirts, and other necessities." She blushed and looked away from William. "Y'know, briefs, sleepwear, stuff like that."

The employee nodded. "And what size are you looking for?"

"That's another problem..." Buffy began. "Um...oh yeah! They have different sizes in London, not like our sizing numbering. So, we have no idea." She bit her lip, hoping that explanation was passable. "And the same thing goes for shoes as well."

"Well, we can help you out," he assured him. "Just come with me and I can get some measurements and then begin to pull some possibilities for you."

"Thank you, sir," William replied, following the man into the dressing room section.

Buffy followed behind the two men, sighing with relief that they hadn't run into any difficulties yet. When the three arrived outside of the dressing room, Buffy sat down in one of the plush chairs to the right of the doorway. "I'll be right out here if you need me," she assured him.

Almost forty-five minutes later, Buffy and William left the men's department each carrying three bags full of clothes and a couple boxes of shoes. Buffy had wound up spending a bit more money than she had originally planned to, but after seeing William in each of the outfits that both she and Shawn had picked out, she knew that she had to buy them for him.

Now all they needed to do was to go by a Wal-Mart and pick up things like shampoo, soap, razors, and other odds and ends. They walked back out to her car and put the bags in the trunk.

"Anything else you need while we're here?" Buffy asked. "You can pretty much get anything at a shopping mall these days, trust me."

William hesitated, unsure if he should bring it up. "Well, since you ask..."

"Yes?"

"I believe I need a pair of glasses."

"Glasses?" Buffy thought back to all of his entries, unable to remember him mentioning that he wore glasses. "You wear glasses? You've never told me."

A slight blush spread across his cheeks and he looked away.

Oh great, just what I needed, for me to embarrass him even more, Buffy thought. As if both of us weren't already embarassed enough.

"Luckily, my eye sight is not that bad," William began. "However, I do find that I must often wear my glasses in order to read well."

"Oh, well that's okay," Buffy said. "We'll just go get your eyes examined and they can write you a perscription for new glasses. I think there is a Lens Crafters here."

"Lens Crafters?"

"Yeah, they, uh, are a store that just sells and makes eye glasses," Buffy explained. She started walking back to the mall and motioned for William to follow.

They walked through the same department store again and came out at the entrance to the main part of the shopping mall. It was pretty crowded for it being so early in the morning, but with Christmas coming so soon, Buffy knew that she shouldn't have been so surprised. Buffy stopped walking and looked around, trying to remember where Lens Crafters was.

With it being just two weeks away from Cristmas, gigantic wreaths - bigger than the ones that were inside Macy's, even - were placed all over the mall. There was music playing over the loudspeakers, christmas lights were blinking everywhere, and in the center of the mall was a gigantic Christmas Village complete with Santa Claus' house where children could have their photograph taken with the man.

While Buffy tried to get her surroundings in order, William took his time to look around at all of the people around him. They were dressed in similar fashion to what Buffy was wearing - to think! Women wore trousers in the twenty-first century on a daily basis!

He had never seen such fashion before, especially on the women! Seeing Buffy in long blue pants and a sleeveless top was pure innocence compared to what some of the other young women were wearing as they walked around the shopping mall. Even some of the men were dressed in such a style that William could scarcely believe it was polite in society to dress like that. The outfits that Buffy had bought for him were comfortable, casual, yet still had a sense of formality attatched to them. Some of the men here were obviously going for the completely opposite look.

Many people were walking around in groups of two. William saw many pairs of a man and woman slowly walking together. Several groups had their hands clasped together as they swung their arms back and forth. Other couples were also walking close together, however the man had placed his arm around the woman's shoulder. William was clearly not used to seeing such blantant displays of affection, but was intrigued all the same.

Could he possibly act that way with Buffy? Would either of them be comfortable with that?

"A-ha!" Buffy said, looking down at the directory and pointing at a small square on the map. "It's over to the left, just like I thought it was. C'mon."

She started walking, expecting William to follow her as he had been doing all morning. However, when she turned around, he was nowhere to be seen.

Where is he? she thought, beginning to panic. I can't have lost him on his first day, he'll have no idea what to do!

She walked back to the directory and then looked around where they had been standing. Finally, she saw him standing outside of Spencer's, looking in the window at the many different lit-up, spinning, fiber optics devices that were displayed there.

"There you are," Buffy cried out, quickly walking up to him. "Don't do that to me again. You have to stay with me so you don't get lost, okay?"

William looked at her having never heard that tone of voice come from her before. Yes, she sounded concerned, but she also sounded very angry. "I do apologize, Buffy," he said. "I was just looking-"

"Yeah? Well, while you're looking away, I was freaking out thinking I lost you in the mall and you had wandered off...and I wouldn't know how to find you, since you know jack squat about the 21st century!"

A frown crossed his features as he repeated his words. "I apologize. It won't happen again."

"You bet it won't. C'mon."

With that, Buffy reached out and grabbed onto his hand, pulling him along with her at a moderate pace. Although her main reason for taking ahold of his hand was to enture that he didn't get sidetracked by window displays or separated from her, another part of her had made her grasp his hand just for the sake of touching him again. And as they walked through the mall, Buffy didn't know which was the more important reason anymore. Feeling his smooth skin around hers, the way his hand was just the perfect size to hold her's - well, all her thoughts of anger and keeping William at a distance vanished when they touched.

She glanced over at her side to see William, with a smile on his face and starting down intently at where their hands met. Well, she had finally found a way to distract him from all of the visual stimuli in the display windows they passed.

Now she just had to focus on keeping her own concentration.

TBC...