Chapter 14:

Buffy didn't arrive back at her apartment until close to 5:00. After arguing with her very unrelenting client, the two finally compromised by agreeing that Buffy would have the painting completed in two week's time. Since the deadline was now two weeks earlier than she had originally planned, Buffy decided to go ahead and get a head start on things while she was there.

Buffy had lost track of time while she painted, as usual. Willow had finally reminded her that she had been there for over three hours and asked her when she planned on going back home. She ran by the video store, like she said she would, and picked up three movies that she thought might interest William - "Titanic," "The Four Feathers," and the first "Lord of the Rings," simply for it's stunning visual effects that she had talked about in several of their writings. She also stopped by the grocery store and picked up some items she needed to make dinner.

She arrived back at her apartment and, after greeting William, started working on dinner. Buffy fixed her favorite, and the best dish that she knew how to create: a grilled chicken alfredo pasta, and something that William had never had before. Their dinner, like breakfast was silent for the most part, neither one knowing what to say to each other in person.

For the most part, both of them were too busy thinking through dinner to attempt to carry on a conversation. Buffy's worry had grown tenfold when she thought that perhaps William's visit was only supposed to last a day and she would wake up tomorrow morning with him having vanished sometime in the night. William, for the most part, was perplexed as to why Buffy was so silent and closed off around him. Furthermore, while being left alone for the afternoon, he had begun to worry about his sister and mother. True, not even a full day had passed since he arrived in 2004, but he knew that they would both be worried when they woke up to find him missing.

After the two finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, Buffy decided that it was time to introduce William to the marvels of motion pictures. "I hope you like what I picked out," she said, as she picked up the DVD cases from the kitchen counter.

"I am certain I will," William agreed.

"Oh, but first...we need some munchies," she explained, before pulling out a bag from the pantry. "Remember how I was telling you how we always have popcorn when we watch movies around here?" William nodded.

Buffy placed the bag in the microwave and hit the preset "popcorn" button. "Here you go, your first experience with the miracle called the 'microwave.'"

She left William standing in front of the microwave and walked over the fridge to grab a couple of drinks from inside the door. Buffy turned and looked at William's look of amazement as he focused very intently on the spinning bag of popcorn.

"Careful," she warned. "If you stand there directly in front of it, the radiation is going to leak into you."

Hearing that, William's eyes widened and he took a giant step back from the microwave. "Buffy! Why didn't you tell me that when you started it?"

Buffy smiled smugly before laughing a bit at his reaction to her statement. She hadn’t been able to resist teasing him. "Sorry, William, it's just a joke. Mom always used to tell that to Dawnie and me so we wouldn't stand directly in front of the microwave the entire time. Seems like it worked pretty well on you."

William smiled and chuckled at himself. "I suspect that you would be able to get that reaction from me regarding most of these inventions very easily."

"Yeah, you're an easy mark, alright," Buffy agreed, pulling out a bowl from the cabinet. "But I'll try to restrain myself."

"Thank you very much," William responded, jumping slightly when the microwave ding-ed, signaling it's completion. "Is everything so loud in the 21st century?"

Buffy shrugged. It didn't seem loud to her, but she had been hearing these noises since she was born and knew how to tune things out. William, on the other hand, was new to everything, and she had no doubt that the bombardment of new noises was a challenge to become accustomed to hearing. "You get used to it eventually."

Buffy just wondered if William would be here long enough to have time to get used to everything.

She walked over to the microwave and took out the bag of popcorn. She opened it and dumped it into the bowl. "You can't watch a movie without popcorn," she stated. "It's the must-have munchie. Here, try some."

William suspiciously eyed the bowl. "Is it...good?"

"Yep! Full of buttery goodness."

William reached out and took three kernels of popcorn and carefully ate them. "It is different, but...slightly appealing," he announced.

"Great. Now, c'mon, I got some movies that you cannot miss," Buffy said.

~~~

They had watched "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" first, and before they had even reached the halfway point of the movie, Buffy knew that she would soon be returning to the rental store for the final two movies.

William was like an eager child who wanted to learn everything, asking how they could do this, how they were able to achieve that, and so on. He was especially interested in how the creators managed to change the scale of the actors' sizes, as well as the breathtaking view of the Elves' forest and waterfalls. Buffy wasn't entirely sure about all of the effects in the movie herself, so she made a mental note to show him how to work the bonus features so he could watch them while she was at work tomorrow.

Buffy noticed that William ate more popcorn than she did, and was just content to watch him and his reactions to the movie. Look how quickly he has caught on to everything, she thought to herself. No one else would have been able to keep up in this century with such ease, except for William.

Out of the corner of his eye, William noticed Buffy spending most of her time watching him rather than the movie. Finally, he turned his head to look at her and asked, "Yes?"

Buffy blushed at being caught staring at him, and quickly lowered her eyes. "Nothing."

Three hours after the first movie, their popcorn bowl was empty and William's mind was racing. Never before had he ever dreamed of seeing such different worlds, completely made-up worlds that did not exist at all, brought to life for everyone to see. "This was incredible," he said at the end.

Buffy nodded. "Yes, we thought so too when it came out. I'll make sure to go by and get the last two tomorrow after work."

William nodded, very much looking forward to seeing what would happen with Frodo, Sam, and the rest of the Fellowship. "And you say that these all began as novels?"

"Yeah, they sure did. Would you like to read them as well?"

He nodded once again. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble-"

"No, no trouble at all." Buffy added to her mental list to run by a bookstore as well to pick up the three books. She had a feeling that William would really enjoy reading Tolkein. She opened the DVD player and took out the disk, placing it back in its case. Buffy glanced at the time and saw that it was nearing 10:00 and was somewhat surprised that the day had gone by so quickly. While part of her was dreading going to sleep, not knowing what was to come, another part of her was eager to get it over with and see if William would still be with her tomorrow. "Do you want to start another movie?"

"Do you not have work tomorrow?"

"Yes, I do, but I can get by with a little less sleep than usual," Buffy assured him. Buffy took out the next movie, Titanic, and popped it in. "Now, this happens in like...1912 or something, for real. So...if you wind up going back to 1882, you can't tell anyone about this."

William looked at her in surprise. "Honestly? What is this movie about?"

Buffy sat back down on the couch fairly close to him. "You'll see."

Another three hours later, both William and Buffy were fighting back tears. Even though Buffy had seen the movie several times before, seeing the destruction of the ocean liner always moved her to tears. William had enjoyed the movie, although he had blushed to the redness of a tomato at the intimate scenes between the two main characters. Buffy quickly said, "oops! I forgot about that part," and covered William's eyes until the moments had passed.

"This is awful," William finally spoke as the ship began to sink in the water. "This truly happens?"

"Yes," Buffy said with regret. "It was so sad, and stupid of them too."

"But all those people," William began. "Why would they recreate something so tragic?"

"Well, this is just a movie, William, so nothing actually happened to these people in particular. They're just actors and this is just Hollywood magic and special effects," Buffy explained. "But the real people, yes...it was tragic."

"That is quite depressing," William said.

Several more minutes passed in silence as they watched the rest of the movie play out. When Rose, now the young woman she once was, walked up the stairs to Jack, Buffy couldn't help but close her eyes, letting several tears fall down her cheeks. She glanced over at William, who was watching her with a look of concern and dare she think it - love? and quickly wiped the tears away.

"Sorry, I always cry in movies," she said. "No matter how many times I've seen them, I always cry." Instead of getting up, she let the movie play into the closing credits, where the much over-played "My Heart Will Go On" love song came on. "Oh, this song...overplayed on every radio station across the nation," Buffy explained.

"Oh really?" William asked, listening to the song while keeping his attention on Buffy. "Simply because of the movie?"

She nodded, unconsciously moving closer to William. "This movie did crazy-good at the box office, brought in millions upon millions."

"That is an unbelievable amount for just a movie."

Buffy shook her head. "Not as much as you think. Inflation and all have just made the prices of everything much higher. I mean, look at the price for all the clothes we got today."

William gathered his courage and placed his hand overtop of hers. "Yes, I did notice how expensive clothing is today. Thank you, again." When she did not immediately move away, hope began to rise in his chest, thinking that perhaps they were finally headed in the right direction.

Buffy fell silent, feeling the heavy weight of his palm resting over her hand, taking a second to delight in the solid feeling, his warmth, and just how right it all felt. They had moved closer together on the couch while watching the last movie, and Buffy realized that it would be so simple to just lean forward and -

She quickly pulled away and stood up from the couch. She walked over to the DVD player and shut it off, turning the TV off along with it. "Well, it's pretty late, since we just watched two of the longest movies in movie history. I need to head on to bed since I do have to go into work tomorrow morning."

William looked at her, surprised by her sudden movements. Perhaps he had misread her after all? Maybe she simply wasn't interested in his being here. "I-alright," he finally spoke.

Buffy looked at the confusion that was clear on his face and wished it could be different. Turning on her heel, she began walking back to her bedroom, clearly upset and stressed. "Good night, William."

"Goodnight, Buffy," William answered, rising from the couch and heading into the guestroom, all the while wondering what he had just done wrong.

~~~

The next morning, Buffy awoke to her buzzing alarm clock and slowly sat up in preparation to head into work. As much as she wanted to call in sick again, she knew that she needed to get to work on that commission for her client.

And I should go check on William, she thought as she sat in bed. I should make sure that he got to bed alright and...

And what? It probably wouldn't be very bright of her to just walk into his bedroom and see how he was doing. If he woke up while she was in there, chances were he might overreact considering his gentlemanly values. And that was the last thing she needed to do, something to worry him even more.

After last night's hot-and-cold act, she had no doubt that he would be put off by her attitude from here on out.

But that's when another thought hit her - perhaps he wasn't even here anymore. What if he had been sent back to 1882 while they had been sleeping? She would never be able to say everything that she had been longing to say ever since she first saw him sitting on her bedroom floor.

Throwing back the covers, Buffy rose and threw on her bathrobe so the sight of her nightgown wouldn't cause any more embarrassment like yesterday. She ran her fingers through her hair to flatten it against her head and then opened her bedroom door. She heard sounds coming from the kitchen and felt a giant wave of relief rush through her.

William was still here, and he hadn't gone back to his time. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Buffy thought as she wandered closer to the kitchen, hoping that he wasn't in the process of burning her apartment to the ground.

"Good morning," she said when she walked into the kitchen. She smiled when she saw William attempting to fix what looked like breakfast.

William spun around from the stove, the surprise evident on his face. "Buffy! You startled me," he said.

"That's pretty obvious," she said, walking closer towards him. He was already dressed for the day in a pair of light khakis and collared shirt. To him, it must have felt very different than his typical 1882 outfits, but on him..., it looked good, Buffy thought.

"I, uh, was trying to fix breakfast for the two of us," William said, holding a spatchula. "Unfortunately, I am not doing very well, even though I watched you very closely yesterday."

Buffy felt her heart jump, knowing that he had tried to cook breakfast for her. None of her previous boyfriends had ever done that for her, she realized. And even though William's attempt at breakfast seemed to be a failure for the most part, his intentions came loud and clear. She fought the urge to hug him, and instead asked, "How long have you been up?"

"Since sunrise," William answered. "I watched a little bit of television and then when it was 7:00, I decided I would start breakfast in hopes of having it ready by the time you came out."

Again, his consideration for her made Buffy's knees feel weak. How on earth, with everything that had been going on yesterday morning, had he been able to remember the time that her alarm clock had gone off? She asked him that very question and looked expectantly for an answer.

William lowered his head in embarrassment and finally answered. "How could I not remember the first time I ever saw you?"

Don't fall for him, Summers, she told herself. Don't do it. He could be gone tomorrow or a week from now, or...and then another part of her whispered, never.

"Well, thank you for thinking of me," Buffy said. "Would you like some help?"

William nodded. "Yes, please."

Buffy showed him how to control the stove's temperature better and how to flip the eggs. Although she wasn't the best cook in the world by any means, she could at least get through a simple breakfast successfully. "There, do you think you can handle it from there?"

"Yes, I do believe so. Now, why don't you get ready for your day at work, and I shall finish cooking?"

Buffy nodded and turned to head back into her room. She knew that if her mother had just heard their conversation, her only response would have been, "That one is a keeper, Buffy. Grab onto him tightly, and don't ever let go."

Unfortunately, whether she got to keep him or not might not be her decision in the end.

~~~

After taking a shower, blow drying her hair, and putting a little bit of make up on her eyes and cheeks, Buffy stepped out of her room with a look of confidence and readiness to face the world. Or, in this case, William.

When she walked back into the kitchen, William had cleared off the table from last night's dinner and set the table for breakfast.

Buffy smiled at him as she sat down at the table across from him. What she wouldn't give to have this every day of the week with him. "William, I can't believe you figured all of this out," she truthfully said.

"Well, after reading so much about it from our writings and then watching you yesterday morning, I assumed it could not be that difficult," he said. "Although I was not quite right, I felt like I did eventually understand what to do."

She smiled and looked down at her plate where her eggs and toast were still steaming from the heat. "Well, thank you."

The two began eating and very quickly thereafter polished everything off.

~~~

"Okay, now I'm going to be at work all day," Buffy said, as she picked up her purse, tote bag, and keys. "Are you going to be alright here?"

William nodded and followed her to the front door. "Yes, I shall be fine. I have the television and understand how most of the kitchen works."

"Good," Buffy replied.

William reached out and grabbed Buffy's coat from the coat rack by the door. He held it open for her and let her slide her arms inside. He lightly slid his hands up her arms and patted her shoulders as she adjusted her jacket. He marveled over how domestic and how pleasant this was, helping Buffy off to work. Even though in his time, the man of the house would never send his wife off to a job, it seemed strangely fitting for the two of them.

As he came to lightly rest his hands on top her shoulders, William could feel her body tightening, as if preparing for the worst. He removed his hands, wondering what she was thinking at that moment.

"Sorry," Buffy apologized. "I, uh, I just need to get on to work."

"Yes, I understand," he lied. "Buffy, I was wondering if you might be able to show me the computer this evening?"

Buffy looked at him, wondering why he would ask such a thing. She almost wanted to say, well, it's not like you're going to need that information when you get sent back to 1882. But, instead she smiled and nodded. "Sure thing," she replied. "I'll show you my very obsolete computer this evening."

"Alright. Have a pleasant day at work," William replied.

"Thank you," Buffy said, opening the front door and heading out.

William closed the door and locked it behind her. Sure, it had only been twenty-four hours since he was brought to 2004, but it looked as if it was going to be quite possible that he would never fully understand Buffy Summers.

~~~

Chapter 16:

The next morning, Buffy woke up with a carefree feeling in her heart - something that she had not experienced for several days. After her emotional breakdown in front of William last night, the two had sat down and talked about everything that she had been concealing over the past two days. By the time they had finished talking, Buffy finally had a sense of confidence within herself that William's presence would be a permanent thing.

She took a shower, dressed, and styled her hair as usual. When she walked out of her bedroom, her stomach growled when she breathed in the delicious aromas of eggs cooking.

God, what more could I ask for? she thought as she walked down the hallway. A perfect gentleman who cooks! As Buffy thought about William cooking breakfast for the second day in a row, it led her to think about how their roles in her house were completely reversed - William was cooking breakfast as Buffy got ready to head off to work for the day. Nevertheless, it seemed oddly fitting for what was already a very unconventional relationship.

"Good morning," she greeted when she walked into the kitchen. As she walked past the table, she noticed that he had a plate with several slices of toast already made, with the jar of jam sitting beside it. Again, Buffy thought about how lucky she was - and how stupid she was to not have realized it from minute one.

"Buffy, good morning," William replied, smiling at her before turning back towards the stove. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did." She came up to the stove and stood beside him, forcing herself to not reach out and grab onto him tightly, wanting to \be in physical contact. "Did you need some help?"

"No, thank you. I think that I am finally beginning to understand how the stove works," he explained. "Although, I must confess that my first several attempts to properly cook our breakfast did not turn out successfully." He nodded towards the trashcan and Buffy noticed several slices of burnt toast.

Buffy smiled and once again realized how amazing it was that William was adapting so quickly to everything in her century. With the exception of his formal language, he almost appeared as if he almost completely fit in to the twenty-first century.

When William finished cooking and set the plates down on the table, Buffy helped herself to a portion of eggs and spread a bit of grape jelly on two pieces of toast before joining him at the table. "Thank you, again, for breakfast."

"Of course," William replied as he filled their glasses with juice. "It is the least I can do since you are allowing me to stay with you and are assisting me with everything."

After taking the first few bites of her breakfast, Buffy began to speak. "William, I was thinking of this while I was getting ready for work today. I was wondering, if you are alright with it, that we could to the Bronze tonight?"

"The Bronze? Ah, is that the nightclub that you wrote about several months ago?" He asked, as a look of curiosity began to spread on his features. William always had wondered what such a place looked like, since Buffy's description of the Bronze only made him that much more interested.

Buffy nodded, and smiled at the thought that he could remember so much about their writings. It was also a comfort for the two of them to actually be having a conversation rather than awkward silence. "Yeah, I was thinking we could go there and you could meet all of my friends. And as for them, I can finally prove that you're a real guy."

"That would be splendid," he answered.

"The music can get a bit loud," she warned, understanding that he wasn't entirely used to the loud noises everywhere. "So if it bothers you at all tonight, just let me know and we'll come back here, okay?"

William nodded, wondering if it would be anything like the horrendous music he had heard on the television yesterday. "Alright, I shall let you know."

"Great!" Buffy went back to eating a bit more and took a sip of her juice before saying, "So, Christmas is in ten days."

"Ah, so it is," William answered. Suddenly he wondered - where on earth would he be able to find her a present? Was this why she was bringing up the subject?

"I just wanted to let you know that Dawn will be coming home in five days," Buffy said. "She has a final on Monday morning but will be home sometime in the afternoon."

"Splendid! I will be looking forward to meeting Miss Dawn," William replied.

"Seriously?" Buffy asked in surprise. In the back of her mind, she was beginning to worry that he might be upset to have another person intruding in on their time together - there she went with that pessimistic attitude again! "I thought you might be somewhat...I don't know, upset."

"Not at all," he said. "You have written so much about her already, and how could I not like someone whom you love so dearly?"

Buffy sighed contentedly, thinking, see? It gets me every time. His words and kindness are going to be the end of me one day. "Great. Well, I just wanted to let you know in advance so if she walks in while I'm at work, you won't be too freaked out."

"Thank you for telling me then."

"Sure thing." Buffy wasn't too sure how to phrase her next question, so she simply decided to blurt it out. "Is there anything I can get you for Christmas?"

William looked up at her in surprise. He definitely hadn't thought that would have been one of the questions that she wanted to ask him. Nevertheless, the very fact that she would ask him what she could get for him, and at the same time not even hint towards anything for herself, just proved what a wonderful, kindhearted person Buffy was.

"Buffy, I believe that I have everything I need with me right here," William assured her. Although part of him wanted to see his sister and mother more than words could say, he didn't want to worry Buffy by voicing wishes that he knew she could not fulfill.

"Well, I just assumed that maybe you wanted...oh, I don't know...either something new or something really old? Something that reminded you of your time?" she suggested.

William reached out and placed his hand over hers, which was resting against the side of her glass. "All I ask is a peaceful Christmas with you and Miss Dawn, who I hope won't be too upset at my presence."

Buffy felt herself melt under his gaze and the touch of his hand over hers. God, this man could reduce her to a pile of mush with one look, and if he actually spoke, she was beyond help. Thank God she was sitting down so William couldn't see her knees shake in reaction to all of the compassionate words he spoke.

"Thank you," she quietly said, her words meaning much more than just his agreeing to a quiet Christmas at home.

The two went back to eating as their conversation came to a lull, as if often had while they had eaten together. However, this morning's silence was from a feeling of contentment, rather than the awkwardness that had clouded their interactions during the last two days. Both were delighted to simply be near each other and in the same company, with all of their feelings now out in the open.

William, especially, was overcome with joy that Buffy was finally acting like herself. This was the Buffy Summers that William had imagined throughout all of their writings together. This Buffy was exciting, lively, strong-willed, and inexhaustible, and William was unable to fully express how thankful he was that he had finally gotten through to her.

"Do you ever miss the actual writing part?" Buffy asked him unexpectedly.

William took a sip of his orange juice and pondered over her words. "Do you mean from our journal?"

"Yes...I mean, I was thinking about it just right now." Buffy set down her fork to try and explain better. "I just...I used to write to you every day, you know? And very quickly, it became a very important part of my day-"

"And mine, as well."

Buffy blushed under his gaze, a gaze that was so intense and full of love. "And it's weird, because you're here, and that's like a million times better than writing only," Buffy said, trying to explain how she was beginning to feel. "But, sometimes..."

"You miss it?" He finished.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Stupid, huh?"

William shook his head. "No, that is not stupid at all. Very often I find that it is easier to say things through words than aloud, myself. Yes, there are times that I miss our correspondences as well."

"Really?"

"Yes. But I would not trade our days spent together for anything," he assured her.

"Me either," she quickly agreed.

William looked up to the clock that hung over the kitchen doorway, realizing what time it was and surprised that Buffy, on the other hand, did not. "As much as I would love to continue our conversation, Buffy, I do believe that you are a bit behind schedule."

Buffy looked up to the clock and jumped in surprise. Where had all the time gone? "Oh shi - shoot," she muttered. "Late again. Wonder what Willow will have to say about it this time?"

She quickly took another large gulp of orange juice and picked up her second piece of toast. "Oh gosh, I have to get moving."

William followed her to the front door, where he assisted her with her coat. He handed her the briefcase that sat by the door and when Buffy was ready to go outside, he asked, "Will you be home for supper this evening?"

Buffy nodded. "Of course. I'll be back around 6:30 to 7:00, depending on the traffic, and then later on after dinner we can head on out to the Bronze."

"I shall be looking forward to it, then."

"Okay..." Buffy started, unsure of how to say goodbye to them. Should she hug him? Should she kiss him? Sure, they had definitely crossed some barriers last night, but this was still 1882-William, and he wasn't as up front about some things that she and everyone else was in 2004 were. "Well..."

"Well, have a pleasant day at work," William replied, feeling somewhat nervous himself.

"Thank you," she said, straightening her jacket and pushing several loose strands of hair out of her face.

Oh, screw it, she thought before stepping closer to William and gently wrapping her arms around his waist. She felt him slightly tense before relaxing and bringing up his own arms to mimic her position. Buffy and William both took another step towards each other, pressing against one another, as they closed their eyes in bliss. The two stood wrapped together for a beat longer before Buffy finally managed to make her way back to reality and remind herself that she was already running late and didn't want to walk into work any later than she had to.

"I'm sorry, I really have to go," she whispered, stepping back and opening the front door.

"I understand," William managed to reply. He was still inwardly reeling from feeling her pressed so tightly against him, breathing in the delicious aroma of her shampoo, soap, perfume, and having her finally be so open with him. William knew that he could never have asked for anything more; in fact, he knew that what was happening right now was more than he could have ever wished for. And he wouldn’t take one second of it for granted.

"But I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" she asked, taking another step back but then reaching out to take his hand and tightly squeeze it - trying to do anything to keep a physical link with the man who was becoming such a vital part of her life so quickly.

Although it had been less than a week, Buffy found it simply amazing how innocent and light their relationship was while at the same time being so consuming - how simply holding each other's hand brought so much pleasure to both of them.

Nevertheless, Buffy realized that this was just what she needed after her failed relationship with Warren. She and William hadn't kissed even once and had only hugged twice; in fact, they had held hands more times in the past two days than she ever had with all of her past boyfriends combined. However, when it came to William, what was happening - and more importantly, the pace of their relationship - just seemed to fit. She knew that he would never pressure her into anything that she wasn't ready for; in fact, she would probably be the one who would have to step up the level of their relationship when the time came to it.

But Buffy didn't want to think about yet. She was having too much fun living in the now with William at her side. Not in 1882, not through a magical journal and desk, but physically by her side in 2004. She knew she was lucky. If the day ever did come that William was forced to return to 1882, Buffy was beginning to think that she might be able to go on as a stronger, happier woman - one who had seen what a loving relationship could really be like. And because of that, she would never take a single day - a single second - with William for granted, because life was too short to worry about things like that. William had made her see that last night, and there was no way she could ever thank him for opening up her eyes.

"Alright, I will be here," William replied. The edges of his mouth raised up in a quirky smile. "I suppose that was a rather obvious answer, as there would be no other place I could be."

"Let's hope not." Buffy squeezed his hand once more before breaking contact and letting her arm fall back to her side. "I'll try to call a couple times this afternoon, okay?"

"I look forward to hearing from you."

She smiled brightly before turning around and walking through the front door. As she heard William close and lock the door behind her, Buffy wondered if it would be too soon to call him the minute she stepped inside the gallery.

Nah, probably not, she happily thought.

~~~

Buffy rushed in the front door, hoping for once that Willow and Anya might be in the back room and she could get away with arriving thirty minutes late. However, her luck didn't seem to be with her, as they were both sitting near her desk and looking at her as she approached them.

"Nice of you to show up this morning," Willow greeted jokingly.

"Good morning, Ms. Tardy-pants," Anya added.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, you two," Buffy apologized.

"Traffic problems?" Willow asked. The expression on her face said she clearly wouldn't take that as a believable answer.

Buffy hesitated, wondering if she should try to use that as her excuse. Finally, she sighed and said, "No, I just lost track of time back at my apartment."

Anya spun around in Buffy's leather chair and looked at her. "Let me guess the real reason you were late. You got some early morning action in the shower, didn't you?"

"Anya!" Buffy exclaimed, her mouth dropping open in shock. Oh boy, she was going to have to put a lock on that girl's mouth for tonight. William would faint if he heard the words Anya spoke come out of her mouth!

"I mean, that's the reason I'm usually late to work," she went on saying.

Buffy groaned and looked over towards Willow, her expression a clear, "help me!"

Willow's only reaction was to send back an expression that clearly said, "you are on your own."

Buffy walked over and lightly slapped Anya on the arm. "Get out of my chair," she teasingly ordered as she set her briefcase onto the floor.

"Yes ma’am," she replied, getting up and walking around to sit on the edge of her desk. "So...how was he?"

Buffy blushed and dropped her head into her hands. "Anya! We have not had sex yet. And like I told you yesterday, not everything is about sex."

"But you want to, with William, right?"

Buffy tried to deny Anya's question, but when it came right down to things, Anya was correct. No, nothing would happen anytime in the next week or maybe even in the next two or three months, but eventually, Buffy would love to reach that level of intimacy with William. And even without having ever kissed the man, she knew that what they would eventually share together would be a million times better than what she'd had with Warren.

"Anyway, are you all up for some Bronze-ing tonight?" Buffy asked, hoping that Anya would drop the subject.

"In the middle of the week?" Willow asked. The Bronze was usually dead during the weeknights and the group usually didn't bother going.

"Well, it's just that I want to show William where we all hang out," Buffy explained. "And I really want you all to meet him. He's a wonderful guy, and you'll all really love him."

"Sure, count us in," Anya answered.

"Me too," Willow agreed. "I think Tara is free tonight, but I'll call you and let you know if she can't make it."

"Awesome. I can't wait for you guys to meet him," Buffy said. She really wanted to prove Willow wrong - that she could grab a great guy who was the complete antithesis of Warren Mears. But most of all, she did want to show off her new boyfriend.

Wow...William is my boyfriend, she thought in awe. Although she was thrilled that they had finally entered a dating aspect of their relationship, the simple word "boyfriend" seemed too...too 21st century to apply to what they had. Buffy reminded herself to ask William what he would use to explain their relationship.

"Alright, you two, let's get to work," Buffy said, letting both women know that the conversation about William was now over.

Willow and Anya stood up and walked out of the front room, and Buffy knew right away that the two were simply going back to one of their offices to continue gossiping about Buffy and her new romance. Buffy shrugged, thinking that it didn't matter - hey, at least she finally had some romance!

Buffy sat down in her chair and spun around to face her desk. She picked up the phone and dialed the number for her apartment.

Three rings later, a familiar voice picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me," she replied, smiling at the sound of his voice. "I hope it’s not too soon to call."

"Of course not," William assured her.

"Good. How are you, William?"

"Very well, thank you. And you?"

Now that I'm talking to you? "Just great."

~~~

Buffy arrived back at her apartment around 6:45, carrying a bag of take out from a small, family-run Italian restaurant that had the best manicotti she had ever tasted. She had gotten dinner for both herself and William, hoping that he would like Italian food.

"I'm home!" She called out when she walked through the doorway.

William walked out of his bedroom with a book in one hand and his glasses in the other. "Hey," he greeted.

Buffy mock-gasped. "Excuse me, but did you just say 'hey'?"

"I thought you might be a bit surprised by that greeting," William said, smiling at the amused expression on her face. "But, yes, even though I am a 19th century poet, I can easily adapt to your century's version of a greeting."

"You really are turning into quite the 21st century gentleman," she teased. First he says "hey" and then he even slightly mocks her? Yes, William was definitely beginning to catch onto how things worked around here.

"What did you bring for dinner?" William asked, taking the bag from her hand and helping her with her coat.

"Italian food. I hope you like it," she said.

"Well, it smells delicious," William stated. After hanging her jacket on the coat rack by the door, William reached out for her hand and pulled her alongside of him towards the kitchen.

"What are you reading?" Buffy asked as she followed him.

"A collection of poetry," he said. "I found it in your bookcase in the guest room this afternoon."

Buffy looked down at the book, wondering when and where she had managed to buy a book of poems. "Oh yeah, that was from one of my English classes back in college," she explained. "It was a fun class, and one of the few books that I decided not to sell back to the store."

"I have been enjoying it thoroughly," he said.

"Well, in that case, you should just keep it. Consider it yours."

William placed the book down on the counter alongside his glasses and the take-out bag. "Thank you."

Along with five books written by Tolkein, three books on inventions in the United States and Europe, and several collections of world events, William's book collection was definitely beginning to grow. Buffy hoped to take him to a bookstore one day and let him pick out other books to keep him busy while she was at work.

Buffy thought back to their conversations on the phone - all three of them! - and how she had felt this morning at breakfast. No other man had ever made her feel this way in such an early phase of the relationship. She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to feel his arms around her, to feel that safe feeling she felt only around him. Plus, she needed her William-huggage!

"No, William, thank you."

~~~

After dinner, Buffy excused herself to her room to change into something more suitable for the evening. She came back out thirty minutes later dressed in black slacks and a dark red, fitted, low-neck top. She had let her hair down for the evening, brushing it until it had shined in the mirror.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

William gazed at her new appearance, amazed that she could dress so conservatively one minute and then what bordered on scandalous and risqué the next. At least, for him. For other people, what Buffy was wearing would still be considered very conservative. "You look beautiful," he said.

"Thank you."

"Must I change for the evening as well?"

Buffy looked over his outfit - a pair of somewhat dark khakis and a navy blue collared shirt. With the exception of his posture, which was too straight and proper for a 21st century male, he looked as if he almost fit in perfectly. "You look great," she said. "C'mon, let's go."

Buffy grabbed her purse and opened the front door, waiting for William to follow out behind her.

William rose from the couch and followed her through the doorway and to her car. But as they drove to the Bronze, William's mind was still back in the living room. She said I looked great, he thought in amazement.

TBC...

Chapter 17:

William could hear sounds coming from inside of the building before they were even outside of the front door. He had expected loud music, but this was bordering on the ridiculous. How could people even think, let alone talk, with such a loud racket?

"Okay, just let me know if the music bothers you," Buffy said, as she handed the bouncer a cover fee for both of them.

"It is quite loud," William stated, beginning to lose his confidence over his agreement to visit The Bronze.

"I'd like to think that you will get used to it," she said. "But if it bothers you-"

"Buffy, I will let you know the minute I am annoyed," he said, hoping to end her worry.

Buffy smiled. "Okay then. Shall we?"

"We shall." William held out his arm in hopes that Buffy would accept it and they could walk in together. Very quickly, Buffy reached out and wrapped her arm around his, loving how very special that made her feel.

The two walked through the door and Buffy led the way through the crowds of people. Still holding onto William's arm, Buffy could feel him tense at her side. She looked at him and then bit her lip, wondering if she might have brought him here before he was ready for it.

"Are you still okay?" She loudly asked near his ear.

"Yes. I, uh, I'm just trying to become adjusted to all of the sounds," William explained. "That and the sights."

"Sorry," Buffy replied, squeezing his hand. "I know you aren't used to hearing such loud noises back at home, right?"

"Well, there are loud noises every once in a while, but nothing along the lines of this," William said, raising his voice so he could be heard over the pounding beat of the music. He looked at the dance floor and then quickly looked away. "Do people really dance to music such as this?"

Buffy pointed to the dance floor, which wasn't even half-filled. "See? They're dancing. Although, I guess you would probably think of that as...bouncing around aimlessly."

"Yes, the thought did cross my mind," William agreed, with a small smile on his face. He looked at how closely the men and women were dancing together and quickly averted his eyes. "Buffy, I feel as if I should not be watching them."

Buffy looked at the dance floor, where couples were swaying provocatively to the loud beat of the music. "Um...yeah, about that," she started. "That's how a lot of us dance these days."

William made a "hmmph" sound in the back of his throat and kept his eyes away from the moving dance floor, thinking that he would never be able to dance like that, and especially with Buffy. "All of these people need some proper dancing lessons," he commented.

She shook her head and smiled, trying to picture William giving ballroom dancing lessons to a bunch of teens and 20-year-olds who could care less about "proper dancing." "Just don't look, okay?"

William nodded. "Shall we find your friends?"

Buffy nodded and walked closer towards the bar area, where she saw her four friends waiting for her at a table. "Okay, are you ready?"

"Ready as I will ever be, I imagine," William replied.

"Hey guys," Buffy greeted when she walked up to the round table.

"Buffy, hi!" Willow answered first, waving from across the table. She looked at William standing beside her and smiled. He hadn't even said a word and for some reason, she already had a good feeling about him.

Everyone else welcomed Buffy, and Tara waved as well before Buffy pointed towards William. "Everyone, I'd like for you to meet William Stafford." Words of welcome were heard from around the table before Buffy continued on. "William, this is Willow, Tara, Anya, and Xander." She pointed towards each person as she introduced him or her.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet all of you," William started. "Buffy has said so many nice things about you."

"C'mon, William," Xander said. "Pull up a chair and join us."

Both Buffy and William sat down in the barstools, continuing to keep their connection with each other by holding hands. "This is William's first time here in the States," Buffy explained. "He is visiting for the holidays."

"Well, I for one have to say that it is great having another man around in the group," Xander said. "It was getting to be a bit much with just all these women and estrogen around. Not that I'm complaining or anything, right William?"

William thought on Xander's words, unsure of what he should say in response. "Quite right," he finally answered.

"So, William, tell us more about yourself," Tara said, reaching out to take Willow's hand and silently asking her girlfriend if she too noticed the vibes between Buffy and William.

"Well, I live with my mother and sister in London," he said, obviously leaving out the year when he came from.

"Is it very different than here in the US?" Willow asked. She'd had always wanted to visit England but hadn't gotten the chance yet.

William smiled to himself, remembering the morning when his sister had asked the very same question. He squeezed Buffy's hand, thinking that it was amazing and fun that they had a secret joke between the two of them. "It has taken some time to adjust," he spoke truthfully. "However, I am quickly picking up on things."

Buffy raised her eyebrows hearing another 20th century phrase pass through William's lips. Wow, if he was already beginning to incorporate modern catch phrases into his everyday language then he really was catching onto things quickly.

"What do you do for a living, William?" Xander asked. He had heard the least about William since he didn't see Buffy as often as the women did. However, from what he had heard from Anya over the last few days, Xander had a pretty good feeling that this guy might stick around for a while.

"I am a poet."

"Oh, well that's nice," Tara said. "Willow and I took a class on Romantic era poetry, right baby?"

Willow smiled and then nodded, taking a moment to look at Tara and tell her that she did indeed see much more than meets the eye concerning the blonde couple. "Does that era of poetry inspire your own writing?"

William took a few seconds to look at the two women, sitting there smiling at one another as they held hands. Before his conversations with Buffy, he had never heard of a relationship between two people of the same gender. Buffy had explained a bit about what she termed "gay" and "lesbian" relationships and how heated the debate over the topic currently was in the US. At first, William had thought the notion of a same-gender relationship unnatural and weird, but seeing Willow and Tara sitting together looking perfectly normal and happy, quickly forced William to change his mind.

"Yes, I find that era of poetry much enjoyable," William said, sending a secret smile towards Buffy. After all, when he had read poetry it was still considered new and innovative, not something that was studied in a history course.

"Doesn't writing not pay very well?" Anya blurted out.

Anya eyed William suspiciously. Although he seemed like a very nice guy, there was something...different about him. Something that she could not place her finger on, but she could tell there was something not right with William. However, she would give Buffy the benefit of the doubt and give him a fair chance.

Xander shook his head. "Honey, how many times do I have to tell you that not everything is about money?"

Anya "hmm"ed as she thought it over in her head. "About half as many times as you tell me that not everything is about sex."

Buffy cringed, remembering that she never had gotten around to reminding Anya to try and work on her tact for the evening. "Anya!" she hissed across the table. If she had been sitting closer to her, Buffy would have kicked Anya's shin from underneath the table.

"What? I can't help it that I like to be so open about my sex life," Anya said defensively. "I mean, most men would be happy that their fiancée goes around telling everyone how big you-"

Xander reached up and covered her mouth, sending an apologetic look at the rest of the table, especially towards William. "I'm sorry about that. We're just going to go dance now."

Xander and Anya rose from the table and walked out to the dance floor while Buffy looked over at William with a concerned expression. William's eyes were wide in shock at Anya's explicit words, and Buffy made a mental note to seriously threaten the girl tomorrow morning.

"Are you okay?"

William slowly nodded. "Was she going to say that I think she was going to say?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes, unfortunately, Anya was absent from school during the days the class learned about tact."

"You'll get used to her eventually," Willow jumped in. "I mean, I...I almost have."

Tara rubbed her girlfriend's shoulders affectionately. "Oh sweetie, you like Anya, admit it. You just like to put on that tough girl air for old times sake."

Willow didn't answer, but all three women knew that Tara's words were very true.

"May I ask how long you two have been...courting?" William looked at Buffy and shrugged, unsure of what the modern day term was.

"Aww, courting. Is that what you all still call it over there?" Willow asked. "She and I have been together for almost two years."

"Best two years of my life," Tara said, bringing Willow's hand up to her lips and lightly kissing the back of it.

"Mine too, baby."

William smiled, seeing the obvious love both women had for the other. Buffy had been right when she had written that it didn't matter the gender, what mattered was if there was love. And from the looks of things, both Willow and Tara had more than enough love to last a lifetime.

He turned his head and looked at the dance floor, trying to spot Xander and Anya. Finally, he noticed them towards the front of the floor, dancing and laughing happily together. The two were moving frantically to the fast paced song, and again William wondered if he could ever manage to dance in such a fashion.

"Do you want to dance too?"

"Excuse me?" William asked, still adjusting to the loud music playing overhead. He didn't understand how people could carry on normal conversations with music this loud.

"Dance?" She asked again, raising her voice.

"I...I am not certain that I would understand-"

"I'll teach you," she said. "We'll just go slow and dance with the basic steps," Buffy said, hoping to sway his decision. "If you hate it, we'll come right back."

William slowly nodded. "Then I guess I will give it a shot."

Buffy stood and reached out for his hand. William stood from the barstool as well, and she slowly led him through the sea of people to an open spot on the dance floor. The music suddenly changed to a much slower beat, and when Buffy turned around to face him, she noticed the visible unease in his posture and expression.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

William looked around, noticing how close all of the other couples were standing. Many were barely moving, too busy caught up in a heated kiss or touch - things that he had never experienced before. "Yes - Yes, I am sure," he answered. "I just do not...I do not understand this dance."

"Well, it's pretty simple," she explained. "You simply place your hands here-" She took his hands and placed them against her hips. "And I place my hands here." Buffy brought her own hands up against his chest to rest on top of his shoulders. "Is this okay?"

William's eyes were focused on where she had placed his hands. He had never placed his hands so low on her body before, and part of him was terrified that he was going too far, while another part of him was overcome with joy that he was actually allowed to be so close to Buffy. He quickly made his decision and stepped closer to her, tightening his grip around her lower waist.

"This is...this is perfect," he finally said.

I know, Buffy completely agreed. "Now, all you do is sway to the beat of the music. Like this." She demonstrated by beginning to move from right to left slightly. "Not too bad, right?"

"No. Actually, this is very simple when compared to the intricate steps to dances that I learned growing up."

"I guess so," Buffy said. "So, what did you think of everyone?"

"I do like your friends," William said. "They are all very...interesting."

"And when you say 'interesting' in that tone of voice, I can tell you are thinking about Anya," Buffy said, grinning. "She definitely takes some getting used to."

"Yes, I agree. However, her fiancée seems very nice. Xander seems to be a very nice gentleman," William continued. "However, I must say that I do seem to favor Willow the best."

"Willow's great, isn't she?" Buffy agreed. "I don't know what I would do without her."

"However...seeing her with Tara. With another woman," William started. "That is very...new to me."

"I know that might take some time getting used to as well," Buffy said. "But look at it this way. They are just two people in love, two people that want to be together because they love each other. It doesn't matter than they are both women. What matters is that they love each other."

"It sounds to me as if you may have had difficulty understanding their relationship as well."

Buffy shrugged, wondering how he could read her so well in such a short period of time. "At first. I mean, I admit that it did take me by surprise. Her only other relationship was with a man. It was just weird going from seeing Willow and her boyfriend to Willow and her girlfriend."

"I see." William said, thinking over Buffy's last few words. Although they had become much closer over the last couple of days, neither one had made any effort to actually define their relationship. William spoke up, hoping to clear that up right now. "Is that what I am, Buffy?"

"What?"

"A boyfriend?"

Buffy blushed, surprised that he was wondering the same thing she had been thinking about earlier today. "I suppose you are," she finally said. "I mean, that's what I was assuming you would be when you said, 'things' - meaning 'us' - progressing."

William nodded, trying to understand the terminology of this time period. "And then that would make you...my girlfriend?"

Buffy nodded. "You got it."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her a bit tighter. "I've never had a girlfriend before," he revealed.

Buffy felt her heart clench at seeing is face light up at the mere thought of having a girlfriend - a word that was so simple, but clearly meant so much to him...to both of them, actually. "Well, I don't know why," she said. "I don't know how a man as kind and generous as you could go on single for very long."

William's eyes clouded over at the though of Cecily and the humiliation he had gone through at his last social event that he had attended. But, when he realized that she was simply giving him a compliment, his spirits lifted and he was right back where he had been a few seconds before - exhilaration.

"Are you still okay with the dancing?" Buffy asked.

William nodded, looking down at their feet, which were barely moving across the floor.

"Well, if you wanted to simplify things even more, you don't even have to move," Buffy said.

She stopped moving and pressed up against William, laying her head against his chest and feeling the top of her head rest underneath of his chin. William's hands slid around until they rested against the small of her back as Buffy's hands dropped to cling to his side. He clasped his hands together and felt her do the same against his back.

"Now this...this is perfect," she said softly.

William looked down at the woman in his arms, breathed in the scent of her shampoo, and swore that he might have just died in ecstacy.

And it was there that William realized that he could come to enjoy dancing in the 21st century very, very much.

~~~

When William and Buffy walked back to their table, Xander had purchased drinks for everyone. Buffy discretely exchanged her club soda with William's beer since she wasn't sure about his tolerance level to alcohol. The group of six sat together talking, allowing William get to know everyone better.

Thirty minutes later, William leaned over to ask Buffy where the bathroom was. She pointed to the bathroom signs and directed him how to get there. When William rose from the table and began to walk to the other side of the club, Buffy looked at her friends excitedly.

"So?" She asked. "What does everybody think?"

"I like him" Willow finally said. "I think I really do like him."

"Me too," Tara agreed. "He seems very sweet."

Buffy beamed at hearing her best friends give quick praise. "Yeah, he really is."

"And I don't get a creepy-Warren feeling from him either," Willow said, delighted that her friend had finally found someone who seemed to fit her perfectly.

"He seems pretty cool," Xander began. "I got the impression he is overly polite. Is that something people in England always do?"

Buffy shrugged. "He's always been polite ever since we first began writing to each other," she said truthfully. "That's one of the things I like best about him." She turned and looked at the last person who hadn't spoken yet. "Anya?"

"I don't know..." she started. "He just seems a bit too perfect."

Buffy sat back, surprised to her words against William coming from Anya, of all people. "Well, William is a great guy, but no one is perfect."

"He's just...something about him. Like he's from a different generation or something," Anya said.

Buffy paused, wondering how someone whose mind was so centered on sex and almost nothing else could suspect something so close to the truth while no one else did. "Anya..."

"Nevermind. This is just me getting into some deep inner thoughts; it doesn't happen too often. I wish you many happy orgasms with William," she said.

Everyone at the table groaned.

"No, seriously, though," Anya began, frowing when she realized that her earlier words might have hurt Buffy. "He does seem...nice. Maybe a little timid for my tastes, but that seems to work with you."

And it was true - William's calm, pacified nature was very calming to Buffy. He hadn't ever gotten upset or overly emotional since arriving in her time, and she realized that she was beginning to count on his rational thinking to help her get through things. It didn't take much to make Buffy realize that she was beginning to count on William for a lot of things.

"I'm so glad that you all like him," Buffy said. "He's a bit nervous about meeting you all, but I'm sure that as time goes on, he'll start to loosen up and act more casual with you all."

"Has he met Dawnie yet?" Willow asked.

"No, actually. But she'll be home Monday evening, so I'll introduce the two of them then," Buffy explained. She reminded herself to call Dawn this weekend and let her know that William would be there when she got home. Buffy didn't expect to have any problems with William and Dawn getting along. After hearing so much about his devotion and love for his own sister, Buffy knew that she didn't have anything to worry about.

Buffy felt a hand touch the small of her back and she whirled around to come face to face with William. "Made it there and back safe and sound?" she asked.

"Yes, I did," William replied, smiling. "There is another slow song playing. Would you care to dance?"

"That sounds great," Buffy replied, hopping off of the stool and standing beside him. "We'll be back," she told her friends as the couple walked out to the dance floor.

~~~

Several songs later, the group of friends decided to call it a night since they all had work the next morning. Buffy and William were still on the dance floor, where her four friends could see the two joking around and badly dancing together.

Willow walked up to the couple and tapped on Buffy's shoulder. "Hey, I think we're ready to head out," Willow said.

"Okay. Is that okay with you, William?" Buffy asked.

William nodded emphatically. Although he had enjoyed meeting her friends and dancing with Buffy, the loud music was beginning to hurt his head. Furthermore, he was unused to staying up this late at night and was ready for a good night's sleep.

The group grabbed their coats and headed out the door. Buffy automatically reached for William's arm, looping her own through his and walking at a leisurely pace beside him.

"Did you have fun tonight?" She asked William as they all walked out towards the parking lot.

"Yes, I did," he admitted. Above everything else, William had enjoyed dancing with Buffy, where he had been closer to her than ever before. It was a lovely feeling and one he hoped that he would have again very soon. "And we will come back?"

"As many times as you would like," Buffy answered.

They stopped once they came up to Buffy's SUV and turned to say good night to her friends. "Good night, guys," she said. "Willow and Anya? I'll see you two at work tomorrow morning."

"Good night, Buffy."

"It was great meeting you, William."

"See you tomorrow, Buff."

"See you again soon, William."

The two other couples kept on walking as Buffy unlocked the car doors. Once they were both inside and she had locked the doors, Buffy leaned over and gently, lightly, lovingly kissed William on the cheek.

"What - what was that for?" William asked softly. His mind was still trying to catch up. She kissed me, Buffy kissed me! he thought. Although it had simply been a light peck on the cheek, it was a momentous step forward for him.

"For being an incredible man who my friends liked after only meeting you for ten minutes." Buffy explained, letting her hand come to rest on his knee. "For being you."

~~~

TBC...

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